Senses

Chapter 49

Hermione had made her way as fast as she possibly could towards the safety of his rooms, not knowing who might follow her. Her heart was threatening to explode her skull but the adrenaline of her survival gave her the power to move. A harsh cough preceded her through the doorway as the warm air of the room burned her chest. Her hand fell heavily on the door as she pushed her way through. The normally short path having taken neer ten minutes. It was just as she made to turn to close the door that the fireplace in the office flared green.

"Severus..." Her whispered words barely passed her lips before she'd pushed herself back from whence she'd come, "Professor!"

Severus had barely had a chance to raise his head before cold snow-covered arms were wrapped around his stooped shoulders. His head reared back just as her lips pressed hard into the bone of his cheek and her fingers—chilled to the bone—wove their way into his hair.

"Miss Granger?" His voice was tight, and there was a small cut just over his brow that was bubbling with blood. Overall, he didn't look too worse for wear.

"Of course it's me!" Hermione stumbled back just a little as her heart cracked. He'd pushed her aside, quite physically, "Who else would be in your office?"

Severus could hear the tone of hurt in her voice but he didn't have time to waste on silly emotions. He had only a small window of time to search his stores for something that would keep Bellatrix alive, "What did you put on your dagger? A poison? A curse?"

Hermione shook her head slowly, her hand coming to hold her waist for support as she moved to follow him, "A curse..."

"What does it do?" Severus was pulling out a variety of potions, his tone sharp and focused.

"Uh... it burns the skin...and organs if its left inside."

Severus gave her a somewhat fearful look over the edge of the door to his cabinet. How he'd underestimated this witch entirely, "Right...burn salve..."

"Why are you...?" Her question trailed off when she suddenly realized why he was in such a rush, "You can't. You can't!"

"I have no choice. If she dies tonight, we all die." Severus dropped his potions into a bag he'd pulled from inside, "She's not just an insane homicidal pain in the arse, she's the Dark Lord's ear. Some would even dare say he cares for her, in his own twisted way."

Hermione fell back against the door frame as he passed, his hand running over her stomach making her head suddenly feel light, "You'll return?"

Severus paused by his desk, his brows furrowing when he actually finally looked at her properly, "I will."

"I'll wait for you..." Hermione offered him a small smile, holding her waist just a bit tighter, "I promise."

Severus pursed his lips and nodded his head in reverence to her words. As he stepped into the fireplace, a small but very important observation ticked at the back of his brain. His eyes shifted down to look at the fresh blood that was drying in his palm. It wasn't his own. The fire turned green just as his eyes rose back to the corner where he'd left her. Alone. Injured. Possibly dying.

Severus stepped through to a sound that—if he were to be honest with himself—he found great pleasure in. Bellatrix screamed in pain as her sister tried in vain to get her to hold still.

"Remove her clothes, you daft woman." Snape came to the lounge with a sharp scowl, noticing that Lucius was being tended to Draco making his worry over his memory charm relax just a touch.

"What so you can see what a real woman looks like?" Bellatrix spit at his feet, before letting out another snarl of pain.

"How can you expect to be treated if I can't get to your wound?" Severus pulled over an ottoman from across the room while Narcissa tried her best to help him do what needed to be done. Unfortunately, Bellatrix was even more unstable when she was in pain.