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.
As Hermione set her owl free, watching it fly away from the window. Severus crept up behind her and kissed her shoulder softly. She couldn't resist the temptation, from his warm kisses on her skin. She turned to face him, expecting to be swept off her feet with a longing kiss from him. But was greeted by his hand held out for her.
She took it thinking he would led her back to the couch, but he led her upstairs and she followed. He took into the bathroom and started to run her a bath. She was a bit hesitant at first, about removing her clothes, but he insisted that there was nothing to be ashamed of.
Hermione finally removed her clothes and slowly soaked into the warm water. The cuts on her skin burned as she settled into the bath. She bit her tongue, lowering herself deeper, as she sat in the tub.
Severus delicately washed the stained blood away from her healing cuts, before applying dittany to her skin and cleared the cuts away.
He explained how he too was once embarrassed by the scars on his neck. Eventually treating them as part of his skin, then a piece of evidence showing he was once inches from death, if it wasn't for her.
"I never saved your life Severus. You were in the hands of some great doctors. If anything you saved my life." She spoke, feeling the warm water run down her back, as he scrubbed the dirt and blood from her back.
He smiled at her modesty. "I never really thanked you, for what happened that night. You risked your own life and identity for me"
"And I would do it again"
Severus held the towel out for Hermione as she stepped out of the bath, averting his eyes. She wrapped herself in the warmth of the woolliness and scampered off to get changed.
Throughout the rest of the week, they grew closer. Revisiting old memories and feelings. During the days Severus looked after Hermione, cooking her meals and at nights they would stay up and talk for hours like old friends, eventually falling asleep in each other's arms.
Hermione didn't know what to do when the time would come for her to not need Severus' help no more. Would he leave her again without a second thought? Or would he demand to stay, until he was forgiven?
Right now they were together and in each other's company. That's all that Hermione cared about, truly she didn't want to let him go ever again. But she knew eventually she had too.
The week passed by so quickly. It was already Wednesday afternoon and Severus decided that a trip to Diagon Alley would be good for Hermione, to get out of the house. She needed a new wand and wanted new books. They could also have a cup of coffee or a Butterbeer at the leaky cauldron.
Severus used Polyjuice potion and transformed into some random muggle, instead of her father this time. As it freaked her out too much. Hermione was still unsure about this trip; in case someone saw her. She was supposed to be off work sick, not prancing around Diagon Alley with an unknown man.
When they arrived at the leaky cauldron they took a seat in the corner, away from peering eyes. It was a small table for two. They ordered two butter beers and chatted until their drinks arrived.
"So, what gave you the idea to write a book in the first place?" His brows reached the middle of his forehead blending into one, due to her query. "I mean, I know you invented your own spells when you were younger, and you do have a potion master, and you did correct your school potion book. But I never thought you would want to share your secrets to the wizarding world." She was eager to get her point across, as it had been bugging her for days.
"I don't quite share my secrets. A very small number of people understood my book, including you." His eyes were now shining as he spoke about his book, he seemed really proud of it. "All those years, missing you, being on the run. I had to do something in order to distract myself from my thoughts. So I began to write."
She hid her smile, when he admitted that he had missed her deeply. "You should go on a book tour; people love your book!" She was excited to see him so happy.
"I received many offers, but I either declined or simply ignored them." he said brushing it off, like they were nothing.
"Severus, why? Your book is a bestseller!" He didn't answer. Just stared away from her, out of the window and watched the shoppers parading up and down the street. She didn't want to push him further, knowing by now he would talk when he was ready. They finished their drinks and returned home with Hermione's new books and wand.
When night came Severus once again was cooking for them both. Hermione was sat on top of the counter, with a glass of wine in her hand.
"Alcohol is bad for your health you know" He didn't look up at her from stirring the pot on the stove.
"Many things are bad for my health Severus, in this shitty situation the only innocent thing is a glass of wine. I'm pretty sure I said the same thing to you in my sixth year"
He chuckled at her response and threw a piece of tomato on her. "I was such a bad influence."
"That stains! Why on earth would you do like something like that?" He ignored her anger and threw another piece at her, and then another, and another. Until she was finally provoked to join in and grabbed the salad from the side, tossing it over his head. Laughter and screamed filled the kitchen.
When they were out of breath and Severus had had enough, holding his hands up in defeat. The kitchen was a mess and they had food all over them. He drew her close in his arms, wiping the food she had on the corner of her mouth. She stared at him in surprise, but the shock was wiped from her face as he kissed her softly.
Hermione melted in his embrace. She flung her arms to his neck and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. They continued kissing, as Severus held her up by her backside, until they reach the bedroom. The couple fell on the bed, removing his clothes with a flick of his wand. Then he started stripping her slowly until they were both naked.
They spend the night holding each other, lost in their passion and the love they had left waiting for so many years. When Severus touched the scar Bellatrix had given Hermione, her body froze and stiffened. She thought he would be disgusted and that he would leave her. He just looked at her eyes reassuringly and then kissed every scar she had on her body. Making her feel like the prettiest girl in the world, in his world.
She watched through her hazy vision, as the light left his eyes. Her hand touched his ice cold skin, feeling his pulse decrease slower and slower. The love of her life had just left her in the world, scared and alone. She barely survived when she was on the run, knowing he was so close, but yet so far. Now she had to leave his lifeless body and never look back.
Hermione woke up from her sleep crying and panting for breath. She was soon embraced with strong arms, as she clutched on to his form in distress.
"Everything's ok. I'm here. I'm here." Severus said tightly holding the sobbing girl in his arms, comforting her until she was calm.
"Your lifeless body just lay there and I did nothing! Why did I leave you? I should have done more!"
It was his fault, she had that memory of him. He faked his own death right in front of her and felt a heap of guilt ever since. He couldn't do anything only to comfort her.
"My dear, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, you had to see that." Severus started to cry, with her. He wiped her tears from her face and laid her back down, stilling holding each other.
They eventually fell back to sleep, due to the heaviness that weighed down their tired eyes.