Hermione was slightly uncomfortable with the bevy of house-elves which arrived an hour before the ball to get her ready, while Severus retreated to his side of the suite. It was a traditional one, in which the wizard had a side, and the witch had another. There was a sitting room in the center of it all, where the wardrobes were kept upon the outskirts, and all was connected by ornately-carved doors. Hermione was systematically thrust into her own portion of the suite at the appointed hour; each side of the suite, in the bedroom side, boasted its own bathroom, and she was promptly shoved into its tub.

Hermione sputtered, coming up for air, bubbles from the soap becoming lodged in her hair, whilst the house-elves twittered merrily amongst themselves. She crossed her arms, wanting to complete her bathing and dressing rituals on her own, but she could not. In her lectures, Minerva had informed her at length of the traditions in Pureblood families, which included assigned house-elves to help the unmarried women for particularly formal events. Typically, this only meant the evening, which meant that Hermione would be free in the morning and afternoon to dress as she liked, provided that it fit in with the occasion in question.

When the house-elves decided that she had been bathed enough—which included shampooing, conditioning, and washing her body of any perceived imperfections—she was pulled out of the tub and wrapped in a towel which smelled of fresh lavender. Drying Charms were put onto her hair and body, and her silk robe was summoned as she was pushed over to the vanity table in the same room. She stared blankly at herself in the mirror, watching as two elves began elaborately curling her hair, while two others rubbed lotion on her hands and arms, and a further two afforded the same treatment to her legs and feet. She had already selected her gown for the evening ahead—a deep green with a ball-gown skirt and an oval neckline—and her fingernails and toenails were painted the same shade as its fabric.

Her hair was given an Immobulus before she was put into the gowns' matching undergarments, and then the gown itself was slipped over her head. She stepped willingly into the green silk slippers that went with the gown, and she was pronounced ready. The elves scurried off to attend to other duties, and Hermione stepped out of her bathroom, through her bedroom, and into the sitting room, where Severus awaited her, garbed in fine black dress robes.

"Severus?" she asked, calling out to him, as he stared out the window at the vast grounds of the Malfoy-owned property.

Severus turned to face her, his eyes widening at the sight of her. "I..." He cleared his throat as he stepped closer, reaching into the pocket of his robes and producing a black velvet box. "Minerva insisted..."

Hermione chuckled lightly at that and took ahold of the proffered box, opening it slowly, and gasping aloud at the beauty of the emerald necklace and earrings which lay within it. "Oh, Merlin, Severus," she whispered.

Severus looked proud of himself. "They actually come from the Prince family," he said proudly, and Hermione looked up at him. "You, no doubt, know how influential they once were. My mother was the last of them, you see, and, although they disinherited her, they reluctantly allowed me back into their good graces before their deaths. These," he went on, lifting one earring from the box and slipping it into Hermione's ear, "have unfortunately been gathering dust in the Prince vault at Gringotts. I assumed you would be wearing the green gown upon the opening night," he continued, putting the second earring into her other ear, "and believed that these would be plenty sufficient."

Hermione smiled as he gently turned her by the shoulders and guided her towards the floor-length mirror positioned on one side of the sitting room. "More than, Severus," she assured him, watching as he clipped the necklace about her neck, gasping slightly as his fingers lingered upon her collar bone for the briefest of moments.

Severus stood there for a moment, and permitted himself to lock his gaze with Hermione's in the mirror for a moment. "You look beautiful," he whispered.

Hermione felt her cheeks flush a most attractive shade of pink. "And you look very handsome this evening, Severus."

Severus swallowed, appearing as if he wanted to say more, but broke away from Hermione, and the moment was over. Offering his hand, he said, "I am quite sure that Lucius and Narcissa have already opened up the ballroom. Shall we go downstairs to be presented?"

Hermione took the hand on offer. "We shall," she responded.

It was a relief to have Severus to guide her down the maze of corridors of the manor, and Hermione knew entirely well that she would have easily become lost within them, had she not had such a wonderful chaperone. They made their way towards the main corridors, with Severus pointing out portraits of deceased members of the Malfoy family, and statues or busts here and there also featuring family members. Once they reached the entrance hall, Hermione indeed heard couples being presented, and was pleased that Severus seemed to be so ahead of schedule that they'd gotten there in time.

As they approached, Severus's arm in hers, he nodded to the announcer, and then it was their turn to enter the ballroom. "Master Severus Snape, and his fiancée, Miss Dagmar Cork," said the announcer, as all eyes turned upon them.

Hermione forced a smile onto her lips as both Lucius and Narcissa immediately excused themselves from a group of people and moved towards them. She gripped tightly onto Severus's arm, but he calmly patted her hand, letting her know that all would be well. She continued looking at the hosts—far younger than she had ever seen them—and did her best to appear calm about the situation.

"Severus, old friend, you've arrived, then," Lucius said.

"You know quite well he and Miss Cork arrived earlier this afternoon, dear," Narcissa countered, genuine love in her eyes for her husband.

"Lucius, Narcissa, it is a pleasure to be in your home, on such a wonderful holiday, as always, my old friends," Severus said eloquently, and turned to Hermione. "May I present Miss Dagmar Cork, my fiancée?"

"A pleasure," Lucius said, taking Hermione by the hand and kissing it.

"Now, now, Lucius," Narcissa scolded, before turning to look at Hermione warmly. "How are you this evening, my dear?"

"Very well, thank you, Madam Malfoy," Hermione responded, beaming at her. "Your manor is quite lovely, and the decorations in here are so tasteful."

Narcissa looked positively delighted at Hermione's compliments. "Severus, might I borrow your lovely fiancée?" she asked, and Severus looked conflicted. "Come now. You will be seated next to one another at dinner, never fear. I simply wish to introduce her to some other ladies attending this evening."

Severus nodded. "All right," he said, grinning at Narcissa at long last, before he pressed a gentle kiss to Hermione's cheek. "Have fun, love."

Hermione swallowed, loving the sensation of Severus's voice as he called her 'love'. "I will, thank you, dearest," she responded, and took Narcissa's offered arm and made her way to the other side of the room with her. She didn't readily recognize the circle of women that Narcissa was bringing her towards, likely because their children had been in Slytherin House, so she did not readily associate with them.

"Ladies," Narcissa said, stepping forward, and all conversation stopped as they turned to regard their gracious host. "May I present Miss Dagmar Cork? Miss Cork has finally captured the attention of our dear Severus. They are going to be married."

There were twitters and gasps and smiles in Hermione's direction.

"Miss Cork—"

"Dagmar, please, Madam Malfoy," Hermione said quickly, smiling at her.

Narcissa smiled indulgently at Hermione. "Then, please, call me Narcissa, dear," she informed her, before turning back to address the ladies. "Dagmar, may I present my nearest and dearest friends, Arabella Nott, Tatiana Rowle, Violet Parkinson, Margaret Flint, Fiona Bulstrode, Eira Greengrass, Katherina Avery, Eleanora Rosier, Lavinia Burke, Matilda Travers, Alexandra Yaxley, and Henrietta Selwyn?"

Hermione smiled; she knew how to play the part of a woman on display. "What a pleasure it is to meet you all," she replied.

Violet Parkinson, who looked like a much prettier version of her daughter, although with eyes just as cold and unfeeling, stared Hermione down. "I don't recall a Cork family attending Hogwarts," she said.

"Don't be rude, Vi," Eira Greengrass scolded, patting her dark brown hair slightly as it attempted to swing away from her. "Don't mind Vi," she said, and actually seemed sweet to Hermione, who realized quickly that this was the mother of Daphne and Astoria Greengrass. "She tends to get a bit sensitive."

"About more than one thing," Matilda Travers put in, her wide blue eyes surveying the entirety of the room before falling onto Hermione.

Lavinia Burke pursed her lips; they were a deep red color, which went well with her cinnamon-colored skin. "Far be it from us to judge a stranger," she mused.

Margaret Flint cocked her head to one side; she appeared as clueless as her son, Marcus, had been on the Quidditch field. "You can't be too much older than my Marcus, and he is in his sixth-year," she said quietly.

Alexandra Yaxley looked her up and down critically; apparently, she had mastered the look from her husband, and Hermione recalled the man gripping onto her tightly after they had made to escape the Ministry of Magic during the height of the Second Wizarding War. "I believe you are correct, Violet," she said formally, shuffling closer to Violet Parkinson. "I don't recall a Cork family attending Hogwarts either."

Eleanora Rosier shook her head in annoyance; she wore a pink gown that night which looked quite lovely with her chestnut hair. "I should think it is for Miss Cork to tell us where she attended school, and it is not for us to decide to drag it out of her."

Katherina Avery nodded vehemently from beside her, her dark brown eyes nearly the same color as her cocoa skin. "Here, here," she proclaimed, nodding her head.

Henrietta Selwyn stepped forward in a tentative manner, although her green eyes were obviously hungry with information. "Might you enlighten us, Miss Cork?"

Arabella Nott shook her head with disappointment. "Hetty, please," she said impatiently, her own silver eyes riddled with impatience. "We cannot drag it out of Miss Cork."

Fiona Bulstrode, who bore no resemblance to her daughter Millicent, with her red hair and blue eyes, sighed. "It is clear she owns a cat, we know that much," she said, and gave Hermione a small smile. "Do you not agree, Tati?"

Tatiana Rowle nodded, her hair so blonde it was nearly white. "Quite," she said softly.

Hermione swallowed, knowing that she would have to answer the interrogation with the prepared answers that she and Severus had come up with. "I was educated at Beauxbatons," she said softly, knowing that it was a good idea to mention that school, given that none of the ladies in attendance, or their husbands, had gone there.

"Oh, how lovely!" Eira Greengrass cried out.

"It was quite a lovely experience, yes," Hermione confirmed. "My father, a Muggleborn, died when I was but a child, but my Pureblood mother, who was French, ensured that I got the best education one possibly could. I was born here, in England, but after my father died, my mother and I returned to France so as I could begin my education properly."

"And is your mother still with us, dear?" Narcissa asked.

"Alas, no," Hermione told her, shaking her head. "Ariadne was a wonderful mother, however, and always ensured I had the best of everything."

Alexandra Yaxley stared down at Hermione again. "And were you close to Madam Maxime, the headmistress?"

"Not so much," Hermione responded. "Although I always received good marks."

It came as a relief to Hermione when Lucius announced that the dancing would officially begin, and Hermione looked through the crowd for Severus. She was filled with something akin to complete calm when she saw him staring at her, and he quickly crossed the room to take her hand in his. It appeared as if he was not going to share her, and, as his fiancée for the events this week, she was wholeheartedly all right with that.

Severus pulled her to him as much as it was appropriate, placing his hand upon the small of her back, while the other rested upon her shoulder. "So, how did the meeting of the wives of all the Purebloods go?" he whispered, once the music began.

"As well as could be expected," Hermione responded. "That Alexandra Yaxley will stop at nothing to, as Eleanora Rosier put it, drag information out of you. I am afraid that she will find us out."

Severus turned her as the dance steps dictated he do so. "Perhaps we can employ Sharma to ruin all her gowns," he mused, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Hermione bit the insides of her cheeks in an effort not to laugh. "I do declare you have a mischievous side, Severus Snape."

"Only around you," he responded, dipping her ever so slightly. "Did Alexandra Yaxley say anything to make you terribly uncomfortable?"

Hermione swallowed. "It is not her I'm worried about."

Severus raised his eyebrows. "No?"

"No," Hermione confirmed. "You see, many Death Eaters marked Harry, Ron, and I as undesirables after the ministry had fallen to Riddle."

Severus nodded. "It does not surprise me."

Hermione wetted her lips slightly, and nearly flushed as Severus caught sight of her tongue, never looking away from it. "Her husband frightens me."

Severus lifted his eyes in a surreptitious manner, and Hermione automatically knew he was scoping out Yaxley through the crowd. "What did he do to you?"

Hermione sighed. "Well, I got ahold of some Polyjuice Potion before we went on the run," she said quietly.

"Pilfered from my stores, no doubt?" Severus asked, although his tone wasn't angry.

"I'd trust you more than Slughorn when it comes to brewing," Hermione whispered. "Anyhow, we managed to get some hairs of ministry employees, after we decided to infiltrate the ministry itself."

"You honestly thought that was wise?" Severus demanded, clearly worried. "You just mentioned how you were undesirables. Were there prices on your heads as well?"

"Thousands of Galleons for all of us, but that's not the point," Hermione quipped. "Anyhow, we had no way of knowing how long the potion would last, and, as luck would have it, it lasted less than an hour."

"Who was your target that day?"

"Umbridge," Hermione growled. "She's Senior Undersecretary to Minister Fudge, and she was handpicked by him to be Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor during our fifth-year."

"While I dislike Fudge's politics and policies, he seems harmless enough, given that he likes to get on one's good side," Severus mused. "I don't know much about this Umbridge character, however, but she sounds like a toad."

"She is," Hermione growled at him. "Harry served detentions with her for weeks, and she made him use a blood quill."

Severus nearly stopped dancing when Hermione said these words, so she temporarily had to lead him as the music continued on. "I may not like Potter, but that is beyond anything that is considered appropriate for discipline... What did Dumbledore do?"

"Nothing, as always," Hermione told him. "After making him perform in the tournament the previous year, he ignored him the next, before the 'special lessons' began in sixth-year, wherein he finally informed Harry about the Horcruxes."

"So, I am to assume that this Umbridge woman had a Horcrux in her possession? Otherwise, save for revenge, I cannot fathom why you would track her down to the ministry in the first place, what with a war going on."

"She had the locket," Hermione confirmed. "Mundungus Fletcher knew about Grimmauld Place, because someone had the bright idea to invite him to be a part of the Order. He went there while we all attended Bill Weasley's wedding, after he Disapparated, causing Moody's death, when we all disguised ourselves as Harry."

Severus nodded. "Yes, I remember you informing myself and Minerva about that. It was simply horrible to think about, let alone the fact that I was in charge of getting George Weasley's ear severed from his body... So, Fletcher stole things from Grimmauld, then?"

"Silver, mostly, but took the locket as well," Hermione said, nodding. "Umbridge was patrolling Knockturn Alley, Merlin knows why, and demanded a license from him. He, naturally, didn't possess one, but she saw the locket, took a liking to it, and went on her way. Told everyone who asked that the S stood for Selwyn, and that they were distantly related."

"So, you said that the Polyjuice ran out?"

Hermione nodded. "It did."

"And then?"

"And then we tore through the ministry atrium in an attempt to leave," she replied. "After we'd gotten the locket back, Yaxley was tearing off after us. Harry's had worn off first, and he had stunned Umbridge. Yaxley stormed after us, and that's when Ron's and my Polyjuice wore off as well. When we got to the fireplaces—which was difficult, as Yaxley and everyone else who worked there was shutting them off—Yaxley grabbed hold of me. We'd been hiding out at Grimmauld, because Harry had inherited it, but Yaxley came with us, too. In an effort to get away quickly, Ron got splinched."

Severus's expression appeared horrified. "Dear Merlin." He bent closer to her then, and whispered into her ear, "What did he do to you?"

"Said he was lonely, because his wife had died recently," Hermione whispered back, finding that she enjoyed him holding her so close. "Said that I could help him, and that he would get me to safety..."

"Never," Severus growled, running his hands all over her in a possessive manner, sending shivers up and down Hermione's spine. "No one is touching you. You're mine."

~*~

Hermione awoke at eight o'clock the next morning, and knew it was time to dress for breakfast with Narcissa, plus all her friends, on the terrace. The rest of the dancing had gone well the night before, and Severus had consented for Hermione to dance with Gareth Greengrass, Eira's husband, because she said that they had to meet. Severus had partnered with Eira, and they both agreed that the Greengrass couple was quite nice.

She had gone over and over Severus's words to her the night before, during the dance. Although they had filled her with utter and complete delight, he hadn't spoken in those terms for the rest of the evening. In fact, he had kept his distance, in matters where appropriate, and merely held her hand when it was warranted to do so. Although she knew they were only playing roles, it did indeed hurt her that she seemed so affected by his words.

Breakfast was a rather harmless affair; Hermione was just pleased that she had gotten a place beside Eira that day. They discussed Daphne and Astoria, and Eira asked Hermione if she might want children one day. Hermione confided in Eira that, yes, she would absolutely love to be a mother one day.

"And how are you enjoying the manor, my dear?" Narcissa asked her.

"Very well, thank you," Hermione replied. "I heard tell that you and Master Malfoy have quite the library, one that rivals that of Hogwarts and Beauxbatons."

Narcissa smiled. "We do indeed, my dear. Your Severus informed my Lucius just last night what an avid reader you are."

Hermione smiled; really, this was becoming far too easy. "Perhaps, if you didn't mind, Narcissa, I might visit the library today?"

"Of course you may, my dear," Narcissa nodded. "We ladies were going to look at the peacocks, but I hear you're more into the feline variety of animal. Perhaps you can go there whilst we see the peacocks, after breakfast?"

Hermione continued smiling. "You are truly a wonderful hostess, Narcissa. Thank you."

"Feel free to take all the books you like to your rooms, my dear. They will be yours during your stay here at the manor."

Hermione did her best to finish her breakfast quickly, although she did her best not to draw much attention to herself. She certainly didn't want Alexandra Yaxley to follow her, and becoming her shadow as she searched the shelves of the library for Tom Riddle's diary.

Finally, when breakfast was over, Hermione excused herself, and took the path that Narcissa had told her to take for the library. From the terrace, it only took around five minutes, and the doors opened readily to her. She permitted herself a few moments just to browse the tomes, not wanting to appear suspicious right off the bat. Many of the tomes were ancient things, and she feared they would fall apart at her mere touch.

When she was quite sure no one had followed her, she turned slightly, and whispered into the massive library, "Homenum Revelio." Nothing. Relieved, she ventured deeper and deeper into the stacks of books, and put a bubble of silence around her, so as no one could hear her, but she could still hear the outside world. Finally, when she deemed it safe to do so, she whispered, quite clearly, "Accio Tom Riddle's diary."

A cabinet door clanged open from somewhere far away, before it shut behind itself. Then, with a whoosh, a nondescript book fell into her hands. Turning it over, she felt the golden embellishments upon its corners, and saw, stamped in gold upon the back, TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE. Satisfied completely, she shrunk it down and tucked it away in her morning robes, before she slipped out from the library, grabbing an advanced arithmancy text as she went, not wanting to appear completely empty-handed.

She returned to her rooms, and nearly collided with the door when she stepped inside, clutching the borrowed arithmancy text to her chest. There, in the center of the room, was Severus, and the very dead body of Nagini. "Dear Merlin," she whispered. "You did it."

"Nothing that a mouse bribe couldn't solve," Severus responded, lighting the fire and kicking the remains of the serpent into it. He turned to face Hermione, and tossed the used basilisk fang into the fire after the snake, before he cased a Cleaning Charm upon his hands. "Have you just been to the library, then?" he asked.

Hermione nodded; it seemed obvious, did it not, due to the book in her arms? "I did," she said softly, still stunned by the fact that Severus had just killed Nagini.

"Good," Severus replied, nodding. "Did you manage to find the diary?"

Hermione quickly delved into her robes, re-sizing the diary and handing it over to Severus. "I did," she said again, hating that her voice shook.

Severus took ahold of the diary, and retrieved another basilisk fang from his robes. He stabbed the diary effortlessly, and tossed it into the flames. "I sent Minerva and owl, telling her to be on hand for Harry today."

Hermione nodded; she had been quick to tell them about the fact that, since Harry himself was a Horcrux as well, he would feel them being destroyed. Not wanting anything untoward to happen to her friend, she and Severus had told Minerva to get Harry both Pepper-Up and Wiggenweld Potion, whenever he seemed ill. "Well, it appears that we're almost done."

Severus blinked. "Almost done?"

"We've destroyed the diadem, the cup, the locket, Nagini, and now the diary," she said softly, not wanting to upset him. "Now, we need to find an excuse to get to Riddle House to find that ring of the Gaunt family, although I'm quite sure that Riddle is whispering into Quirrell's ear at this very moment to get it. If we can't find it there, we will need to feed Quirrell Veritaserum, in an effort to get it."

Severus nodded. "No, that makes sense," he responded. "Well, I suppose we had best continue to place fiancé and fiancée, and get this whole trip over with."

Hermione's heart thundered in her breast then. "Severus, that is not what I meant..."

"Forgive me," Severus replied sarcastically, "for it sounded as if you were so desperate to get out of her."

"I am desperate to get out of here, and I won't deny it," Hermione tossed over her shoulder, setting down the arithmancy text.

Severus narrowed his eyes at her, and seemed to be trembling with rage. "I thought I wasn't too bad company, Hermione," he sneered. "I thought that, ever since last night, we had come to an understanding that I would always protect you."

Hermione scoffed. "You cannot protect me, Severus. Not from this. Not from the memories which plague me night and day, memories that made me force Ron into getting back together with Lavender, because I couldn't bear to have him—or anyone, for that matter—touch me. Not after what happened; not after what she did to me."

"I thought you said that Ron went to Lavender willingly, in the wake of discovering that she had indeed survived Fenrir Greyback?"

Hermione shook her head. "No. It took a lot more persuasion than that. He was pleased, that first day, but crawled into bed with me later that evening." She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head. "He touched me, telling me that he believed that it was me that he truly couldn't live without. He reeked of Firewhiskey, and I told him, no, that I wasn't the one for him. He called me Lavender, and that's when I nearly hexed his balls off. He ran crying from the room, telling me that none of it mattered, but it all mattered. Everything mattered, and the fact that he thought I would just lie down with him, mere hours after you yourself..." Hermione clamped both hands to her lips, gazing up at Severus through a veil of tears.

Severus slowly stepped closer to her, arms out, in the very definition of surrender, as he moved to kneel before her. "Hermione, are you speaking to me of my death?"

Hermione choked back a sob, shivering at the sensation of his eyes upon her. "Yes," she whispered to him, her gaze never leaving his. "I'm sorry. I couldn't bring myself to tell you before, Severus. I'm so sorry..."

"Forget about my death for a moment, Hermione," Severus said softly, before gently easing one of her hands, and pressed it to her chest, leading her to gasp at the wonder of his heart beating just beneath her fingertips. "Who hurt you?" he whispered, and Hermione bit down hard upon her lower lip. "Please, tell me. Tell me who it was that hurt you, and what it has to do with Malfoy Manor."

Hermione swallowed, reaching forward, never taking her hand off of Severus's beating heart, and gently retrieved his wand from his pocket. Wordlessly, she handed it over to him, before she gently took ahold of his wrist, guiding it forward, and pressing it to her temple. "I cannot say the words, but I can show you..."

Severus stiffened. "Hermione, I cannot merely..."

"I am giving you permission," she whispered back. "Please. Do it."

Severus sighed, and pressed the tip of his wand a little further into the skin surrounding Hermione's temple. "Legilimens," he whispered.

Hermione shut her eyes.

There she was, standing with Ron in the receiving room of Malfoy Manor, while Bellatrix was demanding that Draco reveal that Harry was, in fact, Harry. Because of her Stinging Jinx, he now looked unrecognizable—swollen cheeks, an eye closed due to the swelling, his scar blending into his skin. Hermione could easily sense that Draco knew it was him, but his non-committal response would, clearly, buy them some time.

Finally, Bellatrix grew exasperated, and caught sight of the Snatcher, standing proudly in the center of the room. "Where did you get that?!" she demanded.

"Found it in their things," the Snatcher replied, before grinning at her, gripping the hilt of the Sword of Gryffindor. "I reckon it's mine now."

Bellatrix, enraged, used her whip to cut the Snatcher across the cheek, and summoned the bag over to her, the sword clattering onto the floor. "Take them down to the dungeons, Cissy!" she shouted, and yanked Ron away from her.

"No! Not her, not her! Take me, take me!" Ron was shouting, as Narcissa Malfoy handed them over to Peter Pettigrew, who hauled them out of the receiving room.

"I think this one and I will have a little chat—girl to girl!" she yelled, her breath hot upon Hermione's face, who did her best to stand her ground. "Now, tell me, girlie, where did you get the sword? Steal it from my vault, perhaps?"

Hermione did her best to remain calm, although her breathing was becoming more and more erratic minute by minute. "No," she whispered. "I've never been to your vault."

"LIAR!" Bellatrix shouted, knocking Hermione to the ground with a slap to her face; her head smashed down, hard, upon the wood, and she winced at the pain. Bellatrix began pacing around her, although, this time, she addressed her sister. "Cissy, you don't think this little girl stole it from my vault, do you?"

"I don't know, Bella," Narcissa replied, her voice a monotone.

"She's not meant to have magic at all," Bellatrix informed her sister scathingly. "I knew immediately who she was, once she stepped foot in her—the redhead too. He's a Blood Traitor, and she's... Well," she went on, smirking, "we all know what she is."

"Bella, what are you doing?" Narcissa asked then, as Hermione struggled, and Bellatrix bent down and began ripping the jacket she wore off. "Bella! What can you be thinking?! Surely, you're not going to ask that Rabastan come in here, and—?!"

"And sully his pure blood?!" Bellatrix demanded, hesitating in her pursuit to remove Hermione's jacket. "Never. I simply want this wretched girl to remember, at all times, who and what she is."

"Bella..."

"No, Cissy!" Bellatrix snapped. "I must do his work," she declared, and finally ripped the jacket off Hermione's form. "Now," she hissed, glaring down at her, "I'm going to give you one last chance. Did you steal anything from my vault? Did you take that sword?"

"I... I didn't," Hermione managed to gasp out, shaking from fear, as tears blurred her vision. "I didn't take it..."

"I don't believe you," Bellatrix said firmly, before taking out her silver dagger, and proceeded to make precise cuts into Hermione's flesh, causing Hermione to scream, writhing about on the floor, in an effort to get away, but Bellatrix held her down, meticulous in her work.

Once she had finished, Hermione didn't even hear the words that Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Lucius were speaking to one another. She merely lowered her eyes, tears escaping freely from them, and, trembling, looked down at her arm. Bellatrix had carved the word "Mudblood" into her skin, and it was still bleeding.

Severus extracted himself from Hermione's mind gently, not wanting to cause her further pain. It was with a moment of silence that followed, that he gently reached out and took her hand in his, gently rubbing it. "Merlin... You cannot know how sorry I am."

"Please," Hermione said softly. "Do not pity me."

Severus sighed. "I never would, and yet, that was devastating to watch. I am still sorry that that happened to you."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you."

Severus hesitated for a moment, considering. "Is that why you were reluctant to allow Ronald to sleep with you?"

"Among other things," Hermione said softly. "I suppose it's a contributing factor in why I haven't let anyone sleep with me."

Severus's eyes widened. "You're still a virgin?"

Hermione sighed, her shoulders deflating. "Yes," she whispered.

"May I ask why? Or is it simply all to do with... What Bellatrix did," he said softly.

Hermione slowly looked up, locking her gaze with him. "I suppose I merely wanted to get it right the first time," she said softly.

Severus gave her a tentative smile. "Many people wish for that, Hermione, but they don't remain pure because of it."

Hermione shook her head. "It wasn't merely because of that," she whispered, lowering her eyes to gaze at their hands, intertwined and tangled together. "It was because the one I wanted, the man I wanted...was gone."

Severus blinked. "Hermione..."

Slowly, she permitted herself to look up at him again. "Yes," she responded.

Severus slowly disengaged one of his hands from where it was, tangled in her lap, and brought it up to gently cup her cheek. "Are you sure?"

"I am," she whispered back.

Severus dragged the pad of his thumb along Hermione's lower lip. "Every time you bit them, I wished to do that," he said softly.

Hermione trembled at his words. "And... And was that all you wished to do?"

Severus shook his head. "No," he told her. Slowly, he leaned in and gently took her lips into his, gently caressing them, before he finally permitted his tongue to come out to play, and gently eased the spot where her teeth had held it. "Hermione," he breathed.

Swallowing, and trembling from untapped desire, Hermione slowly opened her lips from beneath his, and kissed him back. Teasingly, he slipped his tongue in between her lips, and she gasped at the headiness of the sensation. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed herself completely against him, and gasped—Merlin, he was hard. She promptly pulled away then, and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Hermione?" Severus asked, looking into her eyes. "Have I done something wrong?"

Hermione sighed. "Were you kissing Hermione, or Dagmar?"

Severus gave her a soft smile. "I was kissing Hermione," he responded, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "Make no mistake, Hermione Jean Granger, no matter what happens, I want you. And when I say I want you, I mean I want all of you. And when that time comes, we shall both be completely ready for it."

Hermione sighed, throwing herself into his arms again, loving the feeling of him holding her. "I just hope to Merlin that this isn't a dream..."

"It is not a dream," Severus whispered back to her. "I said you were mine, and I meant it."

"Does that make you mine, then?"

Severus tightened his grip upon her. "If you wish me to be yours, then I am."

Hermione pulled back slightly then, and gave Severus a smile. "I wish it, Severus. I wish it more than anything," she declared, before leaning in and kissing him again.