Rising Above

Her eyes opened wearily to the faded darkness. A pale watery light ripped into her consciousness as she struggled upright against the hard granite floor. As she became more aware of her surroundings, she also became aware of the terrible pain that tore through her abdomen. She reached down to press her hand against the pain. She screamed when she saw her hand covered in blood. Her blood. As she lost consciousness again, she heard a soft silky voice murmur painfully, "I won't let you die, Hermione."

* * *

When Hermione opened her eyes again, she felt the soft cotton sheets against her skin. Her eyes fluttered against the amber light shining through the infirmary windows.

She should have expected that she would end up here.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Who got me out?"

The twinkling blue eyes suddenly looked very somber. "Severus did. You were fortunate he found you when he did. There...There was extensive damage."

She struggled to sit up. "What did they take from me this time? Couldn't be my parents, they already took those, remember?" Her eyes burned with anger.

"I worry about you, Hermione. This level of anger simply isn't healthy."

Hermione glared at her old mentor.

"Your friends and I worry about you."

Hermione fell back, closing her eyes. "I am tired, Albus. Let me alone."

Dumbledore looked as though he would argue the point, but Madam Pomfrey came to check on her. "Very well, dear. We will speak of this shortly." He bowed slightly to the nurse, and abruptly headed out the door.

"Here you go, dear. Something for the pain. What did the headmaster told you?"

"Nothing really, Pommy. Just that there was extensive damage and it was Severus who saved me. I imagine that is why I am here and not at St. Mungo's?" Calling her Pommy had occurred after many hours spent in the infirmary with Harry and Ron, and then herself once the war began. Order members tended to find Hogwarts a bit safer than St. Mungo's since the war began.

"Severus has been surprising. He has not left but to attend his classes." She paused then her eyes widened in realization. "Oh, my. He didn't tell you then."

"Tell me what, Pommy?"

"This last attack. It had some lasting consequences."

Hermione sighed wearily. "Just tell me."

"You won't be able to have children. I'm sorry, Hermione. I really, really am," the nurse sniffed.

"Death Eaters want me alone. I learned that a long time ago, Pommy. This is just one more way they've accomplished it." She reached for the vial that held the potion. She sniffed it, feeling much like old Mad-Eye. "You mixed this with a dreamless sleep potion, haven't you?"

"Severus mixed it. It is quite possible. He felt my normal pain medications would not be strong enough for you."

If someone understood what she had seen, what she had done, she guessed Serverus would. She nodded abruptly and swigged the potion.

"Thank you," she murmured then quickly fell asleep.

It was dark when she awoke. There was only a candle lit near the other end of the infirmary, leaving her bed in shadow. Even so, she knew she wasn't alone. Someone was sitting next to her, their breath quiet and regular.

She looked up at the ceiling. She no longer counted the blocks, she had gone past that by the time she had graduated. She had memorized every line, every shadow in every block. Instead, her mind played various scenes in her head. It was perhaps foolhardy to face the elder Malfoy on her own, but she really no longer cared about her own life.

Malfoy is a slippery little eel. Being part of the Order meant knowing who to follow. She had gotten good at keeping tabs on the inner circle, but Malfoy always managed to elude her.

Until that night. She cursed herself. She knew better! She had gotten too close, and next she knew, he had thrown an anti apparition spell on her, followed by a stupefy. When she woke up, she was in a dark stone chamber, with Lucius practically drooling. It was only then that she realized her robes were missing.

She closed her eyes against the dark. The man was devious. It wasn't debasing enough to be raped. No, that would never do for a leading Death Eater. He was a master of torture.

She watched helplessly as he laconically tossed a shrinking spell at her. She felt her insides grow smaller and hid a shudder of fear when he murmured that he didn't want to fuck any loose mudblood. He flicked his wand again, this time at his own appendage. And when he entered her, she couldn't hold back the scream. It burned like the fires of hell itself, and as he thrust into her, she felt as though she was charring from the inside out. She would pass out from the pain, and he would wake her with an enervate spell. After her throat grew raw from screaming to the point she could no long even moan, he withdrew, and changed spells. He ..

A startled gasp shook her from her memory for which she was exceedingly grateful.

"Hermione?"

"I'm awake, Severus. You didn't need to stay...but I appreciate it the same."

He reached for her hand, squeezing it in his long pale fingers. "You scared us. You scared me."

Hermione tensed at those words. Severus? Scared? She nearly laughed aloud until she processed the tone in which it was said.

"I'm too stubborn to die, Sev. I won't before Malfoy. That I promise you." She stopped for a moment as a plan began to emerge in her mind. "Actually, I'm hoping for your help."

He flicked his wand to light a candle near them. He wanted to see her face, but he was also trying to buy himself some time. She didn't know he would do anything for her. It didn't fit his character. The work they had done together made them easy allies. He wasn't surprised that Hermione became a spy. She liked doing things behind the scenes and after hanging out with Potter for so long, she was used to not getting a whole lot of the glory.

He should've been more adamant when he said he was against it.

He realized she was still watching him, waiting for an answer. Her face was tense, lined and hardened. The Death Eater in him would have loved to see what she would do to Malfoy if she could get to him right now. His eyes narrowed.

"You can't be serious."

"It's taken me two years, Sev, to get in with them. Voldemort thought that having a virgin mudblood would be useful to him. Do you really think he's going to be happy with Malfoy now?" The bloodthirst on her face was evident. Part of Snape's mind was totally entranced by it.

"What do you plan?"

"I plan on letting our Lord know exactly how stupid his lackey is. And with any luck, he'll let me deliver the punishment. Which of course, will only make me look better to him, and get me closer to the whole thing."

"Sleep on it, Hermione. No, I mean it," when she started to interrupt. "The Dark Lord has not heard yet. We only knew where you were thanks to Draco."

"Draco? Draco?!" she gasped in disbelief.

"Draco has been working for the Order for the last six months. He knew of my...affection for you."

Hermione was sidetracked. Sev? Affectionate? "So this is how Alice felt," she muttered.

"Go back to sleep. You know He will be calling us soon."

She groaned and nodded.

"You should find your bed, Severus."

"I am quite fine where I am, thank you," he snapped.

She ignored the waspish behavior and waved her hand. "Whatever you wish. I could no more tell you what to do than I could tell a basilisk."

He smirked at that and she smiled back, before she fell back asleep.

* * *

Two days later, Hermione was eating dinner in the Great Hall, when Severus grasped her forearm.

"It's time."

She quickly made her apologies to the other professors and followed him down to his chambers.

It felt odd, even after the years she'd worked through it, to pull on the heavy robes of a Death Eater. The shining silver mask hid all but her glittering eyes. Voldemort would appreciate such a lust for creating pain.

Severus was looking at her oddly. Maybe one day he would tell her what he hid in the dark depths of his eyes, but now was not the time. He too, seemed to sense that, and let the hand he had reached out drop.

"Come."

They each touched the portkey which would take them to a point outside the anti apparition field. Hermione had managed to avoid receiving the dark mark, allowing that as a woman, it would be more likely to be seen, and it wouldn't do for a spy to be seen. The Dark Lord had grudgingly accepted, only after deeply probing her mind.

The Occlumency lessons with Severus had paid for themselves. She let him see the scenes which she had described to him--the reasons she had been willing to turn spy for them.

Harry, kissing her. Harry whispering he loved her. Her irritation with Neville's clumsiness in potions. Hermione entering Harry's dorm, willing to give herself to him. Sweeping back the curtains to his bed, and finding he had already found someone willing. She let the lord see her shriek in rage, let him see the curses and hexes she threw across the bed that hit both participants.

There was no way the Dark Lord could not feel her anger. He smiled as much as he was ever able, his face grotesque in the flickering light.

"She has the proper attitude," he announced. Having her spy for him was a stroke to his ego, she knew. The events really had happened, but Voldemort had little use or understanding for forgiveness. It had been a useful ploy.

Severus wrapped his arms around her as they approached the apparition point, since she would not know the destination. A pop, and they disappeared.

They were in an open field. The clouds hid the stars, and only the palest glow from the moon shimmered through. Torches surrounded the congregation of Death Eaters, and a bloodied Lucius was kneeling beside Voldemort. She smiled wickedly when she saw that he was restrained. Quickly they moved to the center of the circle, bowing before him, remaining prostrate until he called for their attention.

"You may speak." Really, it was an order. Hermione rose in appreciation.

"Mr. Malfoy has stolen something precious, My Lord. He has taken a weapon from you, and has taken my gift for you away from me. I wish to lay claim to his punishment."

A female voice laughed in the crowd. Bellatrix.

"You are impertinent, child," Voldemort replied. She looked up to him, letting him look into her mind. A slow smirk crossed his face as he read her plans.

"You have learned well."

"You have tutored me well, My Lord."

"Very well. Lucius has succeeded in outliving his usefulness. He has tried for the last time to usurp my authority. I hope you do not mind that you will have an audience."

"My lord, it will be a pleasure. I hope I perform to your high standards."

She slowly reached for her wand. It did not do to use quick movements before him. He was after all, a very paranoid man. She conjured something that looked like a muggle operating table, then flicked her wand toward Lucius. He sneered at her as he floated toward the table.

"So the Mudblood is going to torture me? How--quaint."

Many death eaters shifted at this. A flick of her wand and a mumble.

"What key light give shed bright?" Lucius looked confused and tried again. "Book map rain box print!"

"A babbling curse my dear? Surely you wish to silence him?" The rest of the crowd murmured in agreement.

"A silencing spell would keep him from screaming, My Lord. I do wish to hear him scream. I can live without the begging for mercy, for I shall give none," her voice, though quiet, rang through those assembled. Many of them laughed in understanding.

Her wand moved again, this time making all of his clothing disappear and then restraining him against the table in a position much like Da Vinci's Motion of Man. There were a few snickers in the audience at Lucius's uninspiring charms. She whispered for his ears alone, "Now we know why you are so fond of that shrinking charm, aren't we Lucius?"

She moved to his side. She smiled evilly, though no one could see her. Her hands were suddenly full of the bluebell flame she had learned to conjure in her first year.

"What's this mudblood? NoUnforgiveable? Are you afraid?" a close Death Eater asked.

Hermione played with the blue flames in her hand. "Avada is too quick, my friend. Lucius will suffer. Crucio, I am sure even our Lord will admit that he has had so many times, he has grown...accustomed to it. And Imperio can be fought. No, I plan on making this last. Do you wish to take that pleasure away from me?" Her eyes narrowed and a few members were realizing they would not want to be on the wrong side of this woman. After all, she just managed to get The Dark Lord's signature on his Second in Command's death warrant.

She turned from the silent mass and dropped the blue flames where it would do the most good. The smell of burning flesh rose with the acrid smoke as the blue flames worked their way through his groin. Many of the men swayed a bit in place. One Death Eater moved forward though.

Bellatrix smiled at the girlish shriek erupting from Lucius' mouth. Hermione scooped up the blue flame, then let it disappear. She flicked her wand, and his genitals returned to normal. The grimace on his face showed however that he still felt the pain.

Hermione closed her eyes focusing hard. The table shifted, pressed, grew. Another wild scream rended the night air, and those close enough could see the table grew a phallus, which found it self wedged entirely between the pale half moons of his arse. Blood began to spread against the white sheet beneath him.

"It's not so nice when it's your own blood, is it Malfoy?" she bit out.

She placed a bouncing charm on him, and his keening reached new heights as he found himself impaled again and again on the phallic table. She laughed mirthlessly.

"You're enjoying that, aren't you? Look at your excitement!" And indeed his paltry size was expanded to its grossest extent.

Bellatrix moved closer. In the torchlight, Hermione saw the pain in her eyes. Their gaze met, and Hermione knew.

"My Lord. Would you allow Mistress LeStrange to assist me?"

He chuckled. "You are teaching HER things tonight, my dear. That is an accomplishment. By all means." He waved his hand.

"Lucius," Hermione heard Bella murmur. "You will never touch another woman again."

Severus watched the women carefully. It too, had dawned on him that Lucius had sexually tortured Bellatrix. This was useful information.

"Lucius brought me to our Lord's service," she murmured to Hermione, resting her hand slightly on her abdomen. While she did not owe Hermione any explanation, she appreciated the offer to assist in tormenting her tormentor, and felt it worth the trouble.

"Just don't kill him. I want him to suffer." Bella nodded in reply.

As the spoke, they noticed that Lucius was getting paler. "That will not do. Finite Incantem." The phallus took back its original shape, leaving the man shivering in the damp air. A sloppy healing charm was done to keep him from bleeding to death and shortening their retribution.

Hermione and Bella worked with a single-minded devotion. At least in Hermione's case, it had been seen in anything she had ever studied, and in this respect it was no different. Bellatrix, however became calmer as well, more focused. She even murmured to Hermione, "Perhaps this will give the rest of the band pause before deciding we're play things again."

It was the again that stuck in her mind. Hermione filed it back. Perhaps there was another Death Eater who could be saved.

They conjured glass shards, acid, feathers. It was when Bella placed a vice hex though, that did Lucius in.

"Damn it, Bella! I said to keep him alive!" The woman actually looked just as upset.

"Bravo ladies! A fine sport for the evening! You have done me honor Ms. Granger. Our business is finished, unless you have something to add?" he ended with a sneer to the rest of the audience. No one dare to say anything.

Quickly, many of them disapparated, including Voldemort.

Bellatrix looked at Hermione. "Thank you."

"Contact me, Bella. I think you and I have some talking to do." Bellatrix nodded, almost girlishly uncertain in response. Abruptly, she reached for Hermione's hand and gave it a squeeze before disapparating.

Hermione turned to see only Severus waiting for her. She stumbled toward him, and he rushed to her.

"Not yet," he murmured. "We're almost home."

Quickly, they apparated and portkeyed back into the castle. He poured her a glass of Ogden's, which she belted back quickly. She strode around the room, yanking at her robes and shivering.

Severus caught her in mid stride, and pulled her to him.

"Oh, god, what have I done," she moaned.

"You took your revenge. That is not the real you. It's okay," he whispered into her hair. "The real you is bold and courageous and funny and loyal." She pulled away from him enough to look him in the face. This wasn't the Professor Snape she grew to know. Nor was it the Severus she had grown to trust.

Dark brown eyes looked down at her. No longer were they hard, or hidden.

Hermione gulped as Severus's mouth lowered down to hers.

So soft. That was her first impression. Fleeting, as though he were afraid she would run. Warm and oh, gods...

She melted against him. She could no longer fight; she wanted to be reminded of what was good in this life. He groaned into her mouth at the sign of her submission. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her steady.

"Ahem"

The look on Albus' face in the fire grate made it obvious he had been attempting to get their attention for a few minutes.

Breathing heavily, Severus glared at the headmaster. "Bugger off."

Dumbledore chuckled delightedly. "It is lovely to see you in such a fine mood as well, Severus. But I really must insist on seeing you and Hermione."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione answered, withdrawing from Snape's arms. Odd how bereft he felt until she wrapped her fingers into his hand. "We will be right up." When the fire blazed back to orange, she turned to him.

"I know we'll need to talk, but it will have to wait, okay?" She looked at him, then tiptoed to give him a quick kiss on his lips.

He looked at her in shock, and followed her out the door.

Albus sat at his desk looking over his spectacles at the two. "Things must have went well. Neither of you are the worse for wear."

Hermione didn't really want to relive the scene. "Lucius Malfoy is dead," she said blankly.

Dumbledore started. "That is news." He began to ask about how when he caught Severus' eye. The potions master was...

Albus saw a few select visions of the torture from Snape's mind. He nodded abruptly and let go of the subject.

"What does this mean for us?"

"Voldemort no longer has his number two man. He was...impressed with Hermione's handling of the situation, but he is still cautious of her. I would have said McNair might have taken that place, but aurors took him out two weeks ago."

"It is possible he might ask you, Sev. You have been with them long enough, and he trusts you as much as he trusts anyone," Hermione added to the conversation.

"Bellatrix."

Hermione's eyes widened. "Indeed. Azkaban, loyal, and after tonight, I doubt a man among them would go against her. This could work to our advantage."

"Really? I can't imagine how," Albus said confused.

"I was given leave to deal with Lucius' punishment. Bellatrix was...interested. She ended up assisting me. We are the only two women Death Eaters, Albus. What we were doing was rather distasteful to the men, so we were left alone enough to speak with each other.

She more or less told me that she joined the Death Eaters after Lucius did to her what he did to me. And that the rest of the Death Eaters have abused her for years. I believe she could be a very powerful ally."

"So we have the possibility of a high placed spy, and our other spy has gone up considerably in stature, and our second worst enemy is no more." Albus fell back against his chair.

"I did not want you to be a spy, Hermione. But you have proven me wrong. I just hope the steps you have taken to be accepted don't hurt you in the end."

"She is stronger than that, Sir." Severus replied abruptly. Hermione looked at him. She only hoped so.