Disclaimer: I don't own anything, J.K Rowling does.

Note: This is a repost but I have edited and changed much. The first 13 or so chapters have already been written, past that I will be writing new material. If you like the story, review, it only takes a few seconds and is the only payment us writers get.

Saving Grace

Chapter one

"You have passed this test Severus, take your place among my Beloved."

The words were the last thing Severus could remember. He had no idea how he had managed to apparate back to the gates but once there he collapsed. The rain poured down harshly as thunder boomed overhead. He lay huddled next to the pillar atop of which a winged boar sat, made of stone and impervious to the sobs coming from the man at its base.

Images flashed through Severus' head from the last hours as he was put through ritual after ritual. His sobs grew and the usually cold man, always able to control his emotions was unable to stem the flow. For it was not the pain screaming from every cell in his body that caused him to break down, but the memories of what he had done and seen. 'No no no, don't think don't think…'

His sobs continued as he muttered incoherently. He tried to push all that he had seen to the back of his mind, where he had kept all those memories locked for years, but the Dark Lord had opened the dungeon and let the dark spirits of Severus' past out. As image after image of himself doing the most horrific acts imaginable flashed before his eyes he fell deeper and deeper into a well of misery and despair.

That is how Hermione Granger found him.

Hermione had been out to collect Dark Moon Farcies, an ingredient she needed for her seventh year final potions project. The Farcies had to be collected at midnight during a storm with no moon so she had gotten special permission to be out after curfew. She had been cutting the delicate blue white flowers from a patch at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, right next to the gate when she heard a man cry out. She had dropped the flowers and run to the gate where she met the sight before her. Her professor, a man she respected and had never seen show any sign of weakness was huddled, like a child in the pouring rain weeping uncontrollably.

"Professor!!" she yelled as she ran to kneel at his side. He rolled over at the sound of her voice and she gasped. His face was covered in blood seeping from many cuts. A quick glance at the rest of his body showed ripped robes revealing many other greater gashes. His whole body was deathly pale from the loss of blood.

Severus coughed up blood before saying an a barely audible whisper, "…cant…show…anyone…must …to…" but at that his voice died blood gurgled from his mouth.

Hermione didn't hesitate, "Wingardium Leviosa" she yelled over the thundering noise coming from the sky. As he lifted she muttered impervious over him so that the ruthless rain wouldn't cause him more pain. She guided him threw the grounds as he continued to sob, lying in mid air his face turned away from her, his robes slashed open to his waist revealing words cut into his body. When Hermione read what was written she gagged. The Latin was barely distinguishable through the blood welling up but what Hermione could read made her sick. Spells, blood oaths, and a signature marked his chest. The signature was cut diagonally from one shoulder to his waist and in large deep letters read Dark Lord.

Hermione could not imagine what her professor had gone through. She knew of course, of him being a spy and posing as a Death Eater; 'has he been found out? Is this Voldemort's punishment? No, if he had been found out, he would be dead.' "What have they done to you?" she asked silently to the still hysterical man floating beside her.

As she began to walk up the stone steps into the entrance hall she wondered where she should take him. From his outcry when she had seen him it was obvious he did not want anyone to know. So that rules out the infirmary she quickly thought of taking him to Dumbledore Office, but that meant going up four flights and passed five teachers rooms. No, that wont do, we'll be seen. She finally decided on taking him back to his rooms and calling Dumbledore from there.

She walked swiftly across the entrance hall and down a flight of stairs into the dungeon. She stayed on her toes, trying not to let her heels touch the floor with any sound. Severus' cries had thankfully been reduced to quite whimpers and moans. At his office she tried the door but it was locked. She muttered a curse under her breath and turned toward the still delirious professor. He was staring blankly, not blinking.

'How do I get in there?' She stood and fretted for a minute then a memory flashed through her mind of watching the professor running a finger down the front of his door and it opening. Of course, he warded it to his touch. She grabbed the professor's hand from where it hung limply from his side and touched it to the door. She thanked the spirits as the door opened into his office. The candles lit themselves magically upon their entrance and Hermione looked around frantically.

There were two doors. One she knew led to his classroom so she strode over to the other, Snape still levitating behind her. She grabbed his hand and once again, after touching it to the door it sprang open. She walked in and after a quick glance around saw his bedroom through a door diagonal to her. She almost ran across to it and once inside, lit all the candles with a flick of her wand. She laid the professor down and with a quick heating charm raised the room's temperature to a more comfortable one. Without thinking she began tot follow the steps engraved into her memory from "Charms of Healing: What to Do in an Emergency" which she had read in sixth year.

Taking a deep steadying breath she said clearly, "Dormio." Severus immediately fell quite. Hermione watched as his eyes closed and his breathing evened. Next she muttered, "Exsanguis cunctor," which slowed his heart rate and the bleeding began to stop. Finally she performed a quick cleaning spell and the excess and dried blood vanished. She knew she should remove his blood stained robes, as any good doctor would do but her modesty over came her and she decided to leave that to Dumbledore.

With that thought the ran back to the sitting room and the now smoldering fire. Snape must have left it when he was…called. She reached up to the mantel and found a small container. She pulled down the small tin of floo powder and threw it into the fire. She stuck her head in the bright green flames saying clearly "Headmaster's Office." The world around her head began to spin and once it began to slow Hermione screamed, not waiting for it to stop or even to see if he was there at all, "PROFESSOR!!"

Dumbledore was across his beautiful sitting room gazing at the lightning flashing across his window when he heard the scream coming from his fire place. He jumped up with surprising speed and agility for a man his age and ran over where a frantic looking Hermione head was gasping, "Snape, hurt, his rooms NOW," with that she withdrew her head. Without another thought Dumbledore grabbed a handful of powder and stepped into the fire.

He strode unfazed out of the fireplace in Snape's room where Hermione was just getting up from her knees. "What happened?" he asked

"I found him at the gate, he was crying." She said almost in hysterics. Now that Dumbledore was there her cool, controlled façade crumbled and her confusion took over. At the word cry Dumbledore's heart stopped. He had only once seen Severus Snape cry and those circumstances had almost driven his potions professor insane. He feared that what ever had happened this night that could reduce this man to tears.

With that thought he strode apprehensively into Severus' bedchambers, Hermione trailing behind eyes wide. It took Dumbledore half a second to glance at what had been inscribed into the sleeping man's chest before he realized what must have happened. His heart jumped to his throat, as he understood what the poor broken man must have gone through. "Oh Severus, what have they done to you?" He whispered.

Note: hope you enjoyed that, please review

- Demos