darkfic!answers
1. Wasting Away by death_ofme
2. Ane Eros Kissed Sweet Thantos by Pigwidgeon37
3. Confessions of a Death Eater by Lana Manckir
4. Descending into Obscurity by sbrande (WIP)
5. The Flesh Menagerie by absolute-tash
6. The Twelve Dark Days of Christmas by sshg316
7. Letter of Mercy one Sunny Morning by Gannet a/k/a foudebassan
8. Little White Lies by darkheartwalsh
9. By Any Other Name- Variations on a Theme by death_ofme
10. Covet by VerityEmory
1. “Oh yes, that’s exactly what they’ll do. Such faith you have in our policing system, Weasley. There is no Ministry. There are no Aurors. Azkaban is a breeding ground of infected and completely inhospitable. What feeble control the Ministry or even the Order has left is in fire spells. If you report me, that’s exactly what will happen. They’ll quarantine the clinic and fire it, and I believe you’ve been witness to one of these events. They may spare you, as Molly’s name carries weight, but they’ll leave everyone else in the building to die.”
Ginny’s face went pale, her freckles even more prominent.
“You may not shed a tear over my wretched corpse, but you’d have to watch Hermione burn alive.”
Ginny’s voice trembled slightly, but her eyes were still hard. “Maybe our clinic deserves to be quarantined.”
“There’s no question of maybe, Ginny. Our clinic most assuredly does.” Wasting Away by death_ofme
2. My hands, a lover’s hands once, now an executioner's, are strong and firm as ever. My mind, wrapped tightly in a curse, is alienated from itself. But not my memories. My memories persist, and, like a multicoloured shroud of thousand images, fall slowly over you, so that my hands that operate your death seem to perform a loving minuet while piercing deep. Why don’t you close your eyes? I know, their look will never leave me, their horror will burn my brain when eternity is no more. Ane Eros Kissed Sweet Thantos by Pigwidgeon37
3. The Order meetings now had Potter, Weasley and Hermione present as full members. Hermione was enthusiastic, and her strategic ideas were a great asset; pity we couldn’t use her for the Dark Lord's purposes, if only, of course, indirectly.
There were many times when I found myself wishing to tell her how wonderful things could be if the Dark Lord were to rule our world. But I knew her convictions were too strong and her loyalty to her friends was never going to change.
I only hoped that by the time this was all over, and my Lord won this war, she would accept my protection, under the idea I was a dual agent pretending to be on my Lord's side to save our lives. She would soon get used to our ways, and she would become one of us. I’m sure the Dark Lord would concede me this favor, sparing her life for my services to him. Confessions of a Death Eater by Lana Manckir
4. Severus jumped at the action, taking a diminutive step backwards, but then stilled when he saw the creature stop in front of his boot clad feet, its head touching the floor. Filthy hands were splayed out in front of it, bent at the elbows, palms down. Its legs were tucked beneath its grimy, scantily-clothed body. A metal collar adorned its neck, and its body, hair and what little clothing it was wearing, appeared utterly repulsive.
Severus schooled his features into a look of indifference, though his mind was racing as he took in the sight of the utterly repugnant creature in front of him.
‘Forgive me, Master, but I did not see you there.’
Severus took a couple of hesitant steps backwards as he heard the feminine tone enter his mind. His pretence fell, his face registering his astonishment at hearing the voice in his head.
Before he had time to formulate a response, she spoke within the confines of his mind once more. ‘I await your command, for I am yours to do with as you see fit.’
Still she lay splayed there, on the brutal hard stone floor, the perfect picture of submissiveness. Descending into Obscurity by sbrande (WIP)
5. It wasn't even his obsession with the perceived injustices of his past during a time of unparalleled revelry among the triumphant Death Eaters. It was the plain and simple fact that Snape never seemed to enjoy the fruits of his labor. A dozen perfectly preserved, completely compliant bodies in all shapes and sizes, and he never laid a finger on a one of them. His friends (acquaintances really; Snape didn't have friends) knew that his little menagerie was always on offer for whatever sort of perverse satisfaction they wished to pursue, but no one had ever seen him so much as stroke his fingers over the living statues. The Flesh Menagerie by absolute-tash
6. Bound and silenced, Hermione was helpless as Severus knelt beside her.
She felt his warmth as he unfastened the top three buttons of her blouse and then buried his face in her neck. “You always smell so divine.” Breathing hotly against her skin, he kissed and suckled. His caresses became bolder, his hands fondled, and his fingers tweaked.
Hermione had never seen this side of him. Just how far would he go? Please, stop.
Suddenly, he stood. “There, do you see? This is the man you claim to love. It would never last. Eventually, your love would turn to disgust.” The Twelve Dark Days of Christmas by sshg316
7. “Then maybe we could reveal it to the world, Hermione. I am prepared to go to trial if it comes to that, I-“
“No. We have discussed this before, Severus, and I have not changed my mind.”
“Shouldn’t I be consulted,” he cried out. “It is my life, after all!”
“Your life,” I answered with deadly calm, “ended the day you got yourself bitten in the neck by your Master’s pet and abandoned to die on the dirty floor of a werewolf’s former home.”
He blanched.
“Finder’s keeper, Severus. I found you on the floor in pieces, brought you back together again - I do not remember you objecting to it then - and what I got out of it is mine. Mine, do you understand?”
He sat stiffly, his arms crossed across his chest, his lips, the soft lips he had kissed me with! drawn together so tightly they had gone white. Letter of Mercy one Sunny Morning by Gannet a/k/a foudebassan
8. “A request for Snape’s release from ICU will be brought forward to the Wizengamot and passed by the afternoon. From there, he will be transferred to one of the Safe Houses until his memory regains full functionality. Potions supplies, books and other material will be Portkeyed into the house the next morning.” His eyes focused once again on Hermione. They narrowed, a malicious glee set deep within them. “Doctor Granger is to accompany him. It is her duty to initiate total recall, which is expected by the second Monday of the month at the very latest. Punishment for failing to comply will result in the termination of her duties and the allocation of another. The house will be guard-locked for security. Do you understand, Doctor?”
Hermione’s eyes widened in horror. Guard-locked meant no way out, no escape. She would be stuck in there all alone with him. And what if she couldn’t initiate recall? Termination did not refer to her employment. Limply, she nodded her head. Little White Lies by darkheartwalsh
9. “Come now, Severus. Don’t look so glum,” Minerva intoned airily, tossing the brush to one side. From the corner of his eye he could see the fresh batch of roses he was to be given that week. He thought it was quite clever of her, one of the few remaining things she did that were clever these days. By bringing the roses into the room with her, she gave him the incentive to get his treatment over with as quickly as possible for the promise of his beloved flowers.
The acrid smell of the ointment hit his nostrils and he recoiled in disgust. Minerva set the flask’s stopper down and reached for his face. He tried to remain still as the ointment was smeared onto his skin, but it burned and he couldn’t help but wince.
Minerva had been doing this for so long that she barely grimaced whenever she saw his face now. With a firm hand under his chin she angled his face upwards so that she could see it more easily. So much of Nagini’s venom had been exposed to his face and neck that the wounds he had suffered would never fully close or heal. By Any Other Name- Variations on a Theme by death_ofme
10 "Why don't you just kill me? Or turn me over to them? Or whatever horrible thing you're intending to do to me?" Her voice started out soft, but finished high and keening. She buried her face in her hands, and the towel fell away from her. He turned away and found her some robes that, to his best recollection, had belonged to his mother.
"I don't know," he said at last. "I don't know."
* * *
He began to get used to stepping over her in the mornings. At least she put the books back where she'd found them. Occasionally, he allowed her a bath.
He began to get used to watching her sleep while she lay unknowing. Her face seemed calmer in her sleep. Her breasts rose and fell gently with her breathing. Sometimes, she clutched a pillow to herself in her sleep, and he wondered whom she was dreaming of. She never asked about her friends, or the war, or really, anything. Perhaps she talked to the house-elf. Covet by VerityEmory