Hermione: 3 years 5 months - 5 year 5 months

Chpater 13

Recap:

"I'll come for you, Severus. One casualty won't stop me." Her voice is still demonic, though more deep, like a man's. Like his fathers.

***

The panic that clawed at Severus from the inside was begging to be let out. He felt the need to let out a scream to make it go away. His thoughts bounced back and forth, his emotions deciding to take a trip on a rollercoaster. His ever pale skin shed whatever colour that was left and he had to force himself to breath.

Hermione's cursed is the only comprehensible thought that he could grasp. Tobias is controlling her.

Only dark magic has the capability to accomplish such sadistic things. But the thing that shook him the most, was that only the caster could control the body. Meaning, his father had been in a close range of Hermione.

An unnatural chuckle came from Hermione. "You really thought that I would send Ralph to get her? You silly boy! He was merely a distraction, a distraction to the bigger picture. If you were more aware of your surroundings, you would have seen me. I'm truly disappointed."

That kicked him out of whatever shocked trance Severus was in. "GET OUT OF HER!"

Severus shook Hermione - though still carefully - to achieve what, he didn't know? He thought maybe whatever force he could cause Hermione, would somehow thrust Tobias out.

He hadn't studied this far in dark magic to know what spell could release the curse off Hermione and he was holding on to whatever strings he could catch.

"Get out of her, you sick bastard!" He screamed at Hermione. But he didn't see her as that, only as Tobias.

"Daddy?" that's Hermione's voice, Severus thought. "Daddy what are you doing?"

She called him daddy, she's still there!

"Yes, Hermione!" Severus reached out and touched her cheek. "Are you okay? Tell me how you feel?"

"I don't know what's happening to me," she sobbed. "I don't feel good."

Severus looked into Hermione's eyes, but they were still white. Still a symptom of the curse being ever present. Still a sign that Tobias is still controlling her.

"DON'T PLAY ON MY EMOTIONS LIKE THAT YOU SICK MAN!" Severus screamed, nearly letting his tears fall. He couldn't take it. He's heard of this curse. He's heard of the effects it has on the host's body, the effects it has once it's gone, the effects it has on the host's body when the cursor commands it to do whatever it wants. He knows and he's scared.

"You are so easily fooled," Tobias's voice laughs. "I'm not leaving. I will never leave. You know what to do Tobias."

"No, no I don't know what to do," Severus said trying to let his voice come out as emotionless as possible. His father didn't need to see him breaking on the outside like he is on the inside.

"You can either let me stay here controlling your precious mudblood, making her do all kinds of things. Make her step into the forbidden forest, jump in front of the Whomping Willow's branches, fall off the Astronomy Tower...I could go on for ages. Not a bad idea too, if you ask me. But unfortunately, I'm not. I'm asking you." Hermione's body lets out a smirk that makes Severus's stomach curl in revulsion. "The second option, however, leaves Hermione in a lot less of a painful death."

Severus is almost too afraid to ask. "What?"

"You could kill her. Simple to do, no blood spilt and a lot less painful to this filth. Admit it, Severus, there's nothing much you can do. Either leave me here to do as I please, or kill the child and live happily ever after. I don't know why you look so torn about it."

"Why?" Severus let's out in a broken whisper. "That's all I've ever wanted to know. Why do you do the things you do?"

Hermione's body sighs as if she has no time to answer such a question. "Why not? Don't you love the screams of terror you bring out in people when you stake your dominance and power over them? The pleasure you feel when they cower away from your every touch?"

"No," Severus says in a stern voice. How can he be so sick?

"Ah, still a lot to learn, to do, to achieve. Don't worry though, I'll help. That's why I'm here in the first place anyway. So what will it be?" Hermione's body raised an eyebrow, the smirk still playing on her lips.

Severus shakes his head back and forth. Tension grew in his face and limbs, his mind replaying Tobias's words. His breathing became more rapid, more shallow. The thoughts are accelerating inside his head. He wants them to slow so he can breathe and make a rational choice, but they won't. His heart is galloping at an alarming pace, getting faster and faster, louder and louder.

He doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know what to think. He doesn't know anything anymore.

He can't kill Hermione. He just can't.

Somewhere in the back of his head, he knows someone's burst through his chambers, into his room. But he can't bring himself to care. He can't make himself get out of his panic-stricken mind. He tries to bring himself back to the present, out of his thoughts, but they won't listen. He is a victim to his mind.

God dammit, why can't I focus?! You need to focus Severus!

He felt Hermione being ripped away from beside him as if she was thrown across the room. He doesn't care. He felt someone tapping him on the shoulder. He doesn't care. He felt someone shaking him, asking him questions. He doesn't care.

Severus feels sick, but his body doesn't have enough energy to throw up. His head spins and black spots dance patronizingly in his vision.

Why can't anything good happen in my life? Just once? He asked himself before he passed out.

***

"I can't do anything about it, I'm sorry. We'll just have to wait it out. I've given her a double dose of the growth potion to speed up the process, but it's too soon to make a prediction." Severus heard a woman say from a distance.

"If that's what we'll have to do, then so be it. Let's just hope Severus holds the same thoughts." An old man's voice said.

Severus chanced to open his eyes but greatly regretted it when a bright light hit his sensitive vision. He groaned in annoyance and then in pain when he felt the stinging ache behind his head.

Opening his eyes again, he let them adjust before looking around. As soon as he saw the rows of beds covered in white sheets, he knew where he was.

Great, how did I get here?

"Oh, good, you're awake!" The same female's voice said.

"Ugh, Poppy, keep your voice down, you're hurting my poor ears and head. What did you think would benefit when screaming at me?" Severus groaned. "Why am I here anyway?"

"You don't remember?" Dumbledore's voice said from his right.

"Remember what?" The sudden realisation hits him and he shoots out of bed, ignoring the throbbing pain taking joy in spreading through his body. "Where's Hermione? Is she okay? What happened to her?"

He searched around the infirmary until he found her. Once he did, he rushed towards her, kneeling beside her bed as he took her in. She was slightly paler, her lips chapped without colour. Her hair lay in a frizzed mess around her while she looked...did she look bigger?!

"Why does she suddenly look so big?!" Severus asked, voicing his panic.

"She's now five and five months. I gave her a double dosing to speed up her recovery. Once you passed out, Dumbledore lifted the curse. She should be fine, but - "

"She should be fine?!" Severus cut Poppy off.

Poppy sighed in frustration. "Yes, Severus. She should be fine, but I don't know when she'll wake up. She's in a mild coma. Because she's still so young, her recovery will still be slower than one of an adult's."

Severus nodded slowly, mulling over her words. "How - how did you know that I was in trouble Dumbledore?"

"One never reveals one's secrets," Dumbledore said with that annoying twinkle in his eyes. "But I can assure you that Tobias will not be able to do it again. He is completely removed from her mind, body and soul."

Severus looked back at Hermione, and smoothed her hair behind her ear. It didn't do much, just bounced back defiantly.

"I'll let you have your lessons off today, but tomorrow, you're back to teaching potions," Dumbledore said before leaving.

Severus groaned. "Why me? I have nor the patience or the will to get it through my students head that when mixing Dbelium and Betony, it creates an explosion."

"Why you teach is still unknown to me," Poppy said.

Severus scowled. "Shut up, woman and let me rant."

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- Ana