Senses

Chapter 12

"I've got you..." Severus held tight to the girl trembling in his arms. He'd already explained what he was doing. He had thought she'd understood but the way her fingernails were clawing at his bare shoulders led him to believe otherwise.

He'd decided to keep moving forward in her treatment, even though the potion on her eyes had nearly shut her down completely. Time was something he didn't have the luxury to waste. He'd placed a cooling cloth around her head to help sate the burn but there was nothing more he could do for her. Instead, he decided to work on getting her mobile.

"Is the water cold?" Severus took another step into the pool he'd made the other night. Her legs were halfway in the water now, her knees pressed into his waist with his one arm supporting her bum with the other around her back. She had plenty of strength now to hold herself up against him so he couldn't understand why she refused to stand. He'd of course asked her but she hadn't replied.

Hermione shook her head to his question, burying her face deeper into his neck. Being carried had sent her equilibrium off balance and with only one of her ears fully functioning it was rather difficult for her to orient herself. Her eyes hurt but not so much that she couldn't push the feeling aside. She'd already become used to the discomfort, it had just been the initial administration that had sent her reeling.

Severus took another slow step down, the water now at his waist. He'd removed his coat, slacks and shirt leaving him in his modified boxers and tank top. He had removed her dress for a small pair of shorts and a simple tank top. It was easier than creating an actual set of swimming clothes but would keep her from being restricted. It had also given him the chance to assess her weight gain. It hadn't been much but it was enough to hide away some of her bone structure.

"We're in a pool. The water is not deep. I want you to try and stand. Can you do that Miss Granger?" Severus shifted his head trying to see her face but she had turned her head away from him now. Her hold on him only tightened and his frown deepened at her blatant refusal to do as he'd asked.

"Why won't you stand?" His tone had shifted, edged with his impatience.

Hermione made a small noise, pressing her hips into his stomach. How could he not know? How could he understand? Her hand shifted from his shoulder taking the stone for pain into her mouth. She didn't trust her voice, it still hurt too much to form words. Her throat and tongue uncooperative and her brain lacking in the vocabulary that she needed to express herself.

Severus shifted again trying to pry her arms from around his neck. He caught sight of her action before looking down her body, "Where does it hurt?"

Hermione made a face before pressing her hips even further into his stomach. She could actually feel her hip bone pressing into his rib, the discomfort on both ends causing her to pull back again. What if he saw them? What would he do? Would he take the medicine man away? Would he chain her to the tree again? She didn't dare to risk it and locked her ankles.

Still at a loss and becoming rather frustrated with her behavior, he shifted his hands so that he no longer supported her weight. Albus had warned him about telling her too much. That until the man responsible for her capture and subsequent torture was caught, anything he told her could jeopardize his final mission.

A soft sigh left his nose and he moved to sit down on one of the steps. Her boney ankles were making his back pulse and his headache grow. His previous success in her care was losing its power over his decision to continue at all. As he settled down, her tight grip relaxed and he was able to settle her back onto his knees.