Under The Stars

Love Me Again

Chapter 21

After Severus apparated back to his home in Spinners End, promising Hermione that he would only be 10 minutes' tops. He arrived back straight away, with a clean outfit of his own and vials of dittany and polyjuice potion.

Hermione still had no clue, to what his mind was thinking. Severus explained that, he could go shopping for her, disguised as her dad. Using the already brewed polyjuice potion.

"Severus, you don't have too. Even in the muggle world, it's too risky. Just let me go" Hermione pleaded.

"Hermione you can barely walk and I'm not letting you go alone." She knew he was right and pouted at his response.

"You sure this is his?" Holding the open vial up between them, before she added her dad's hairs.

"Positive." Severus gave her a quick nod of reassurance and she let the hair drop into the liquid.

Severus drink the potion, like he was taking a shot and transformed into her father.

"How do I look?" Severus asked, as his voice came out of her father's mouth.

"This is too weird; just go before I change my mind." She said handing him a list of food and unable to look at him properly.

With that Severus took off to the local supermarket, insisting that he will be as quick as he can. He eventually came back an hour later, with bags full of groceries and they stocked the kitchen cupboards together in motion.

Severus cooked for them both, under the supervision of Hermione. She watched his hands, as they moved the same way he used to stir his potions. Swiftly and smoothly. Once they were ate their meals and their stomachs were full of food. The couple relaxed on the couch in front of the fire like old times. With their favourite books in hand, spending the night in each other company.

Every once in a while, Hermione would sneak a quick glance over at Severus whilst he read and he did the same. As the night grew into early morning, sleep took over Hermione as she lay against his side. Severus was not far behind. The couple rested peacefully overnight in each other's company, like old times.

Hermione jolted up for where she lay next to Severus, he to woke up from her movements too.

He rubbed his eyes tiredly, asking her the time.

"I don't know. 9, maybe 10?" She answered, getting up from the couch. "But I'm late for work." Realising it was Monday morning. She instantly got pulled back down by Severus, after her attempt to walk away.

"You're not going anywhere witch. Take the week off, it won't do you any harm" he said holding her close to him again.

Hermione wiggled out of his embrace and searched for some parchment and her quill.

"Where are you going now?"

"I need to at least owl the ministry. Tell them I won't be in all week" She responded. She was too tired to argue with Severus, he would always win anyway.

"Want me to right the letter for you?" He asked watching her hand shake, as it winced in pain from the cut on her arm.

"No, if they don't recognise my hand writing then they will know somethings wrong" she muttered, writing out the letter on the Livingroom coffee table.

"Hermione something is wrong. Look at you. Your covered in cuts and bruises." He crouched down before her and placing a gentle hand over hers.

"Just leave it Severus. Everything's fine." Hermione snatched her hand from his and walked away to owl her letter. They had still not talked about what happened that night, not in detail. If it wasn't for Severus. Hermione would still be lying in that alleyway unconscious, inches away from death.