Rewrite the past

Chapter 36

"Here you go," he said as he handed her the glass of water.

"Thank you," she said meekly before drinking, her eyes closed as she savoured the very exquisite taste of tap water. 

"Is it true?" 

They heard him shout even before he had entered the room. "Is it true, she woke up?"

Breathlessly, he stood in the doorway, looking at Severus and then at Hermione, who was sitting up in the bed, the half-empty glass of water still in her hand. Luckily, she was quick enough to push it back into Severus' hands before Remus had flung himself at her, hugging her to him very tightly. 

"I missed you," he sighed when he let go of her.

"I missed you, too. All of you!" she replied, still slightly out of breath, looking at everyone.

The two elderly women did not want to interrupt the moment of celebration in between the three friends, and instead just stood in the doorway. However, they could not just not celebrate, so a high-five followed by a hug had to do before they left the room.  

"Boys, don't take this the wrong way, but you both look terrible, as if you haven't slept in weeks."

The two teenagers looked at each other critically, and then back to their friend, shrugging.

"We haven't had a good night's sleep in weeks because a certain someone deemed it necessary to sacrifice themself instead of just talking to their friends. We could have helped you sooner," said Remus.

"I know, I know. To be honest, I never really thought I would make it out alive at all, so I never saw the need to trouble you. But I guess you guys really are the best, thank you!" she replied, trying to sit up on the bed. 

However, she was pushed back down into the pillows by two sets of strong hands. 

"You stay right here until you have had some food!" said Severus decisively, throwing her a stern look.

++++++++++

A few days went by and she slowly, but surely, started to regain the strength she had lost from lying in that bed for weeks. However, even the shortest walks still exhausted her greatly, just like the little walk through the garden behind the house she was now on with Severus. Worriedly, he looked over at her as they walked further away from the doors. 

He silently manoeuvred her over to a wooden bench looking out over the field ahead of them and had her sit down and take a break. His hand, which was supporting her weight as she walked, now rested on top of hers, squeezing them gently. 

"I am glad that you figured out how to help me, Sev. Thank you," she said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them.

"Anytime, darling."

She turned her head and looked at him as he was squeezing her hand gently, reassuring her. 

After a few more moments of comfortable silence, Severus spoke again.

"I am so happy things turned out this way, but there is one thing that has been puzzling me ever since you woke up."

"What is it, Sev?"

"When you came to, you replied to me telling you things, right. Well, you said that it was about time that I acknowledged my feelings. So when did you know? Because I had not known up until I knew I would lose you."

"I knew for years, but only because you told me it would happen eventually."

Instead of answering, he just raised an eyebrow at her.