Chapter Thirteen: Relaxation

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Chapter Thirteen: Relaxation

"Five more minutes... Please?" Hermione wrapped her arms around her husband's waist and pulled him back into bed. Her brain knew it was time to return to her parents' home, but her body was reluctant to comply. Sex with her Potions professor had been incredible, but making love with her husband was sublime. The previous few hours had existed in a bubble of sweet intimacy as separate from their daily lives at Hogwarts as a tiny island afloat in the deep, blue ocean.

The beauty she had discovered in his face as they had flown together in ecstasy only minutes earlier was a prize she held locked in her memory. His tender touch and gentle lips were hidden treasures for her alone. If love sustained life, they had become immortal.

"What time is it?"

"Nearly midday. We need to go, love." He pulled her up with him and set her on her feet. "Now, go. Shower. I will tidy up in here."

"Join me?"

"No. You are far too distracting, wife. We would never leave. Go!"

She smiled and headed for the bathroom. Showering quickly, she dressed and returned to find the room had been cleaned and tidied with all evidence of the last few hours of passion erased. "Nice to see you can use that wand for a few household spells, dear. A little foolish wand-waving comes in handy at times."

"You may be surprised at what I can do with my wand," he retorted, brushing her lips with his as he passed.

His wife simply smiled contentedly.

***

"Here they are – the errant couple. What took you so long?" asked Richard Granger as he poured them both a glass of wine.

"Er. Mr Granger, I don't think we really want to know that," Harry muttered. Seating himself at the dining table, he turned to Severus. "Hey, Sev, we have enough time for a swim before we have to leave. Richard and I found you a pair of bathers so you can join us. He called them 'budgie smugglers,' not sure why." He winked at Hermione, who suddenly decided to check whether her mother needed any help in the kitchen.

"Budgie smugglers?" asked Severus, looking perplexed. "What a peculiar expression." He shrugged as the women brought in the food and wondered briefly why his wife slapped her friend's arm on the way past.

After the dishes had been cleared away, and they had had a desultory conversation about the upcoming exams, Richard stood and stretched. "Right, you lot. If you want a swim before you go, you had better go and get changed now. Hermione, you will find Severus's bathers on the bed in your room. Now, off you go."

"Do we have to swim?" complained Severus, eyeing the bed. "I would rather just stay in here..."

"Be good. It's hot today, and we'd never get a chance to swim at Hogwarts. Here, put these on." She chuckled as she handed him a tiny scrap of red fabric, almost as tiny as those she withdrew from a drawer. Stripping off and avoiding her husband's eager hands, she donned the brief bikini and waited.

"You can't wear that... that... What is that thing you are not wearing?" he asked, appalled at the amount of skin exposed.

"It's a bikini. And perfectly respectable Muggle swimwear. Put yours on." She grinned at his horrified inspection of the Speedos Richard had provided.

"You expect these to cover this?" He pointed at his groin. "That's indecent! We are not going out there in front of your parents nearly naked. Or Potter!"

"Modesty doesn't stop you parading around naked on the Quidditch pitch every morning."

"That's different. I was supposed to be alone. Actually, I think I would rather go out there naked than in these things," he complained.

"Oh, just put them on for a minute. I want to see how they look." She coaxed him out of his clothes and into the Speedos. It was obvious they barely contained his generous endowment, especially after she cupped him in her hand and rubbed her scantily clad body against his.

"Hermione!"

"All right. I'll fix them. But they stay red! I rather like that colour on you." With a flick of her wand, the skimpy garment was transfigured into baggy, all-concealing board shorts.

"I suppose this will have to do," he muttered as he discreetly used his own wand to increase the coverage of his wife's swimwear.

"Prude!" She poked her tongue out at him and skipped outside, leaving him to trail reluctantly behind.

Harry met them by the pool, wearing board shorts much the same as Severus's. He grinned at the older wizard's glare as he dived into the pool, splashing the cool water over them both.

"Come on in, the water is wonderful!" Harry called, floating on his back with his eyes closed.

Severus and Hermione looked at each other and nodded. Together, they jumped into the pool, one each side of Harry, who coughed and spluttered as the water flooded his face.

"Hey! Not fair! Two against one!" he complained.

"But you are the Boy Who Lived Twice. Surely a little water doesn't scare you?" taunted Severus as he grabbed Harry's legs to duck him.

Half an hour later, the three were stretched out in the sun drying off, cold drinks courtesy of Jean Granger at their sides.

"You know, Sev. You're not a bad sort when you are away from Scotland. Ever thought about emigrating?" Harry asked cheekily.

"Watch it, boy. You might regret that comment when we get back to school. I'm sure I could find plenty of nasty potions ingredients that need to be prepared by the Boy Who Lived to Be a Pain in the Arse," Severus replied dryly.

Hermione poked her husband in the side. "Be nice. Harry was your best man, remember."

"But back at the castle he will still be my student." The professor smirked.

"And so will I," she reminded him.

"I'm so screwed," her husband announced glumly.

***

Harry rolled his eyes as he waited for his two companions to disentangle themselves. "Come on, you two! We'll be late for dinner, and you don't really want to draw that much attention, do you? Sev, I never thought I would say this, but could you please resume the evil bat persona before someone sees you? And Hermione, unhand that man!" Muffled laughter followed him as he opened the gates of Hogwarts.

Really, they were hopeless. Acting like a pair of newlyweds. He sighed as he acknowledged his friends were newlyweds. Friends, two of them. That would take some getting used to. Who would ever have thought he would regard Severus Snape as a friend? However, spending the day in the man's company and seeing how devoted he was to his new wife had enlightened him more thoroughly than a thousand assertions from others. He had known since viewing Snape's memories that he was one of the good guys – now he believed.

"Mr Potter, Miss Granger, stop dawdling and get moving. I have spent quite enough of my time babysitting Gryffindors this weekend without prolonging it any further. Two points each from Gryffindor for every minute you are late for dinner!"

Harry's thoughts were interrupted as Severus Snape, in full bat mode, strode past his wife and friend, robes billowing dramatically.

"Yes, Professor Drama Queen!" they both muttered as he left them far behind. Hand-in-hand, they ran up the path to the castle, to all appearances heartily pleased to be finally free of their overbearing professor.

They arrived at the Gryffindor table just in time, noticing Severus's evil smirk at their breathlessness.

"I'll get him for that," threatened Hermione, glaring at the culprit from beneath lowered lashes.

"How?"

"I'm sure I will find a way. I know his weaknesses." She smiled wickedly at the staff table and was rewarded by the smirk disappearing from her husband's face.

"Hermione, you do know you are scary, don't you?" Harry asked her as they sat at the table.

"Who, me?" she laughed, reaching for the pumpkin juice.

"Hey, you two. How did the trip go? Where did you stay? How was the weather? Was Professor Snape awful?" Ginny's barrage of questions made them laugh.

"The trip was great," answered Harry.

"We stayed at Mum and Dad's," chimed in Hermione.

"Weather was fantastic; we even swam in the pool," Harry added.

"Snape was fine," Hermione continued.

"Just his usual, pleasant self; we drank beer, told stories, and walked on the beach," Harry explained quite truthfully.

The roar of laughter from the disbelieving Gryffindors startled the entire school. Ron alone remained silent. Whilst he did not know the true nature of their trip, he was well aware there was something he had missed. He shot a quizzical glance at Harry and Hermione, laughing along with their classmates.

"Later," mouthed Harry.

Ron nodded. His curiosity had to wait until they were alone. He could live with that, especially when there was spotted dick and custard for pudding.

***

"All right. Give!" Ron demanded after Harry had locked the door to his room.

"You'd better sit down." Harry gestured to a chair and sat on the bed. "I don't know how to tell you this, but..."

"I knew it. She's pregnant!" Ron shouted, jumping up again suddenly and waving his wand at no-one in particular.

"No, no. Not that. Good grief, Ron, he is a Potions master, you know." Harry chuckled as Ron blushed.

"Well. What then?"

"Err. WewenttoAustraliasotheycouldgetmarried," he blurted.

"They did what?"

"They got married." Harry ducked.

Ron slumped down into the chair like a deflated balloon. "Without me? You let Hermione get married without me being there?"

"Ron, I know you would have wanted to be there. I was bloody lucky Sev let me go, but after the way you had behaved you could hardly expect either of them to invite you along?"

"Sev? You called him Sev?" Ron stared at his dark-haired friend in disbelief. "Sev?"

"Shite. I know we should have told you, but we needed this to be discreet, and if you had..."

Ron sighed. "Yes. I know. I blew my chances before. I can see that. But, Sev? What the hell did you three do over there?"

Harry chuckled, relieved that the redhead's main concern was his mode of address for their Potions master.

"Like I said. We drank beer together, told stories... He's not so bad away from the classroom. Mind you, I did get threatened with death and dismemberment if I called him 'Sev' in public." He grinned.

"Oh. That's all right then. He hasn't completely lost it." Ron shook his head, brain still processing the thought that the bat of the dungeons was, in fact, human. "I suppose I had better go and congratulate Mrs Snape."

"I think she would appreciate that, Ron."

Just then, a quiet knock on the door announced the presence of a visitor. Swinging it open, Harry was unsurprised to see Hermione waiting anxiously outside.

"Is he OK?" she whispered.

"I can hear you, you know. And, yes I am. OK, that is, but still not happy that I wasn't invited. I can understand why, though. Congratulations, anyway. But, Hermione, he called Snape 'Sev'," Ron whined. "It's just not right!"

"Yes, I know. I don't get to call him that, and I'm married to him. I don't know what Dad put in the beer he was feeding them, but they were both very daft afterwards."

"You just haven't forgiven us for ganging up on you." Harry laughed.

"You and Snape? Sounds like you are friends. That's almost as bad as Hermione shagging him. No, I take that back. It's worse!" Ron shuddered.

"Don't worry, Ron. I don't think he is planning to cut me any slack. He will still be his usual sarcastic self in class and dock points if I so much as breathe too heavily."

"Well. Thank Merlin for that. I don't think I could cope with a pleasant Snape. That's just... scary!"

Hermione giggled at Ron's expression and wondered whether she would ever persuade him to give Severus a chance like Harry had. Maybe one day. Next century.

"So, what's the plan?" Ron asked, donning his strategist's hat.

"What plan?" Harry and Hermione shrugged.

"The plan to unseat Pansy Parkinson from her throne as Snape's so-called lover." He grinned evilly. If he couldn't pick on Snape, another Slytherin would have to suffice.

"Ah. That plan. Well..." Hermione gathered her two co-conspirators close and shared the idea her vengeful inner witch had inspired.

***

"Severus?"

"Mmm, yes, dear?" He looked up from the essays he was contentedly decorating with red ink.

"Why did you have such a smug smile on your face while you marked that last one?" she asked curiously.

"Some essays are more... entertaining... than others," he replied, trying his best to look innocent.

"Sure. And Hagrid is going to start wearing tuxedos and attending the opera. What are you up to?" She peeked over his shoulder. "Severus! You can't do that!"

"Why not? Miss Parkinson's conclusions are utter tripe. I am just expressing myself... inventively."

"Calling a student's essay an unmitigated example of total fucking crap written in the style of an uneducated seven-year-old is not professional, and I won't allow it." She Vanished the red-inked words on the top of the page. "Now, do it again. Properly!"

"Bossy wench. I thought you didn't like her?" He pouted as he wrote some slightly less expletive-laden vitriol.

"I don't. But you don't need to make your reputation any worse than it already is. Let me deal with Pansy Parkinson."

"Why does that make me anxious?" he asked plaintively.

"Oh, shut up and kiss me, Spartan!" She straddled his lap and successfully dissolved any further questions with a few subtle movements over the encouraging hardness she found. Men were so easy to distract.

Much later, Severus finally recalled the conversation. "Hermione, my dear?"

"Yes?" she murmured sleepily, snuggling up closer to his nude, lean frame.

"You won't do anything too Gryffindor, will you?"

"Who, me?"

"Oh, fuck," he sighed.

She smiled beatifically. "Been there. Done that."

***

A/N: Many thanks to rdholmantx, whose encouragement turned this story from an idea into a reality; ladyinthecloak, whose beta skills are beyond compare; and all the readers and reviewers that have come along for the ride so far. Hugs to you all!