Redemption I

Chapter 20

"Tell me, Galia. Tell me, does he have it?"

"I shall never tell you."

"Why do you test my kindness?"

"There has never been anything kind about you."

"Tell me what I want to know!" His tone was a clear threat to her very existence.

"I have no children, Tom. You have nothing left to take from me."

"Tell me where he is!" He came close now, trying to see into her deformed eyes.

"You have never frightened me. You're just an oversized child playing with other's toys."

Voldemort snarled down at the seer. He needed her alive, he needed to see what she saw.

"Look at me!"

Galia turned her eyes away, "You'll never see what I see, you're not long for this world. Or the next. You've ravaged too much."

"You will bow to me!" The curse ripped from his wand with a mighty crack but the woman appeared impervious to his magic.

"I bow to no one."

oOo

Harry jolted awake so hard that he actually thumped his head on the bunk above him. He groaned deeply and rubbed his brow before rolling onto his side.

Ron and he had had a rather large blow up after they'd made it out of the castle. Even so far as throwing a few punches in the others direction. It was definitely the stress relief they had needed.

They were back in shaky terms, with Luna standing in for the voice of reason. She was going to be gone soon though, back at Hogwarts for the term. She was going to be their eyes and ears inside the castle. Hopefully, she could get the answers they could not.

They had decided on working on finding the next Horcrux but weren't sure where to start. Neither Harry nor Ron were very good at looking past the details to the finer hidden information beneath. That had always been Hermione's job.

Harry threw his legs over the side of the cot with a heavy sigh. It was still dark outside the tent, and felt way too early to be awake. Still so, he found himself unable to rest.

oOo

Snape pushed back the hair from his face. He'd put the woman in his care to bed. He'd cleaned and partially repaired the looking glass, banishing away the rest. He'd searched the office top to bottom finding nothing missing. He'd done everything he could think of to prolong the inevitable.

Now he sat bent over his desk, head in his hands. The night was heavily waning into early morning. He knew he needed to rest but he knew it would only bring nightmares of the night he had somehow survived. Dreamless sleep potion had never really worked on him. His mind was too active, even in sleep. He had never truly spent any time on creating something that would, as he considered his nightmares justice for his dark deeds.

Suddenly, the charm he'd set went off, disrupting his dark pensive and with all the will left in his body he raised his head. The one remaining functioning mirror had been adjusted over her rooms. He'd put the woman asleep in her own bed. She had gone willingly but didn't close her eyes until he sat beside her.

She was turning in the bed, tangled in the sheets that had been pushed down to her waist. Her eyes were closed but her face showed her distress. Her hands were clawing at her stomach. Was she having a nightmare? How could she? He'd given her dreamless sleep.

Hermione found herself in a dark room. It smelled of blood and sweat and something else her mind couldn't identify. A warm breath was beside her ear. Panting and groaning with their pleasure.