5

5.

Scrambling to their feet, they rushed to the window to peer into the moonlight. Outside near the cabin, a unicorn fought against a wave of ravenous Nargles. They watched in horror as the poor beast stomped Nargles underfoot and impaled ones falling from the trees with its horn. Despite its best efforts, it would soon be overrun. The unicorn fought well, but it was already bleeding from a dozen wounds.

Without thinking about it, Hermione ran to the door of the cabin, her mind on the beautiful creature being hurt outside. Strong hands grabbed her by the biceps and pulled her back against a firm form.

"Let me go! I have to help it!"

"There are too many Nargles out there. If we go, we'll be killed."

"But they'll kill it, Severus. They'll kill it." Hermione burst into tears. She was a strong woman, but it had been a long night that only promised to get longer.

The hands on her biceps loosened their iron grip, and Hermione could feel the man against her back sigh.

"Dry your tears, woman, and pull yourself together. I'm going to open the door and you must be ready to kill any of the vermin that come into the cabin."

The words sounded harsh and the schoolgirl she had once been would have been affronted. Her grown self saw beneath the words. Severus did not think it was safe to try to help the unicorn, but he was going to do it anyway. He was going to do it for her.

Rubbing her eyes on the hem of her t-shirt and shaking her head to clear it, Hermione drew the butcher knife from its sheathe.

"Ready."

Severus put on a thick pair of dragon hide gloves and strode to the door. Removing her cloak from the crack near the floor, he threw the door open. He placed the finger and thumb of one hand in his mouth and produced an ear-ringing whistle.

The unicorn raised its head and looked at the cabin. It's nostrils were flared and its eyes wild.

"Get your horse's arse in here, you great twat!" Severus shouted.

The unicorn shook itself and then raced across the small clearing and into the cabin, it's hooves thundering on the wooden floor. Severus slammed the door shut and immediately went to the creatures aid, pulling Nargles off the frightened beast and breaking them in his gloved hands before throwing them into the fire. The unicorn stood still, shaking and snorting in fear.

Nearly two dozen of the Nargles had run into the cabin while the door was open. Hermione stomped them beneath her feet and stabbed the ones climbing the walls with her knife. By the time she threw the last dead Nargle on the fire and replaced her cloak under the door, her ankles were bitten to pieces and she had a large scratch on one cheek.

Severus had finished pulling the Nargles off of the unicorn and was now using drops of the green potion to heal its many wounds. The beast stood quietly, sides heaving and head down. The poor thing was exhausted.

When Hermione stepped forward to help, the unicorn pranced in place and tossed its head, snorting.

"Please keep your distance, Hermione. I must finish healing it."

"But why won't it--" Hermione nearly bit her tongue when she realized why the unicorn allowed Severus to stand near it but not her.

The glance Severus shot her was fierce enough to remind Hermione of her old potions master. "Not another word. Not one word, do you understand?"

Hermione went back to the cabin wall, a little farther away from the corner where a man with a fierce scowl and gentle hands healed a unicorn, and sat down.

Thinking about the subject she could not speak aloud, she decided it made sense. Severus was over seventy, but looked younger than her parents. He's spent his youth and early adulthood in love with a woman who married another. Spent decades as a spy for the Order, and then spent decades on the run as he hunted stray Death Eaters. When exactly was he supposed to have lost his virginity? He held a torch for Harry's mum for ages. Certainly assignations happened, even in the most busy of lives, but she doubted Severus could do casual.

When he had finished healing the unicorn, he came to sit next to her and take care of her fresh wounds. Though no longer scowling, the taciturn man avoided looking directly at her except for the moment it took to heal the scratch on her face.

After he was finished, he leaned against the wall and sighed. "Go ahead."

The voice was more a growl than an invitation.

"Go ahead and what?" Hermione asked.

"Go ahead and ask your fool questions. I know you. Always with your hand in the air. Always curious and full of questions."

The poor man sounded defeated and unhappy. He'd had a hard life. Why shouldn't he think she would question him? He probably thought she'd tease him about what she'd accidently found out.

Reaching out, she grabbed one of his big hands in her own and squeezed it. "I don't have any questions. I'm tired."

As she leaned her head back against the wall, she could see that he was studying her out of the corner of his eye. She half expected him to take his hand away, but he didn't. She really was tired. Closing her eyes, she dozed.

A hand shaking her shoulder woke her with a jolt.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Hermione, but the Nargles are eating a hole in the roof."

Wide awake at once, she heard the chewing sounds coming from above. "I'm awake."

Severus stood, and then offered her a hand to help her up. She gratefully accepted it. Her legs were stiff from sitting on the hard floor so long.

The gnawing sounds were getting louder. Dust and bits of wood were falling from the ceiling above their heads.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm sorry you are here. I thought I had this plan so carefully thought out. I didn't expect the Aurors to learn of the meeting and I didn't expect you to be here."

"You don't think we'll make it."

"There's nowhere else to run. This cabin is our only safety...if it is overrun, we've nowhere to go. Without magic...well...our chances are not good."

The unicorn in the corner of the room was also staring at the ceiling. Severus crossed the room to pat it on the neck with one hand.

"I'm sorry my friend. I'm afraid I've only put off the inevitable."

The beautiful creature tossed it's head, and then rested the side of its face briefly against Severus' chest.

When the Nargles began falling into the room, they were ready. The first dozen were dispatched with ease but as the hole widened, a swarm of the ravenous beasts gained access to the cabin. Before Hermione knew what was happening, she was on her back on the floor with Severus on top of her, his cloak covering them and as much of the now prone unicorn as was possible.

"Severus?" Despite her proximity, Hermione practically had to shout to be heard over the shrieking of the Nargles.

"We're overrun." Severus shouted back. "My cloak, it's been dipped in Nargle repellant. I don't know how long it will last."

That was why he demanded her own cloak to block the crack under the door. Even then, he was thinking ahead.

Reaching up under the darkness of the cloak, Hermione found his face with her hands and raised her head to give him a brief kiss. The man's entire body stiffened, but he did not pull away.

"Just my luck," she said. "I finally find a man I want to date and we're both about to be eaten by Nargles."

A tremor went through the body on top of hers, and for a moment she wondered if he was laughing at her. The next moment Severus sprang to his feet with his wand drawn. A silent flick, and a protective shield went up around them.

"Hermione, help the unicorn. Kill the ones inside the shield."

"Scrambling to her feet, Hermione drew her own wand and began picking off the Nargles one by one. When the interior of the shield was cleared, she used a controlled fire to wipe out the ones in the rest of the cabin while Severus repaired the hole in the roof. Once that was done, he tapped the nearest wall with his wand and the entire cabin became impenetrable.

Standing side by side in the middle of the room, sides heaving as they fought to catch their breath, Severus and Hermione both broke into joyous laughter. Severus literally picked Hermione up and spun her around before he came to his senses and set her awkwardly on her feet.

"The field has dropped. We can leave!" Hermione had never been so relieved in her life.

Severus' smile faded away.

She placed a hand on his arm and asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

"I have spent years on the run, chasing down the last of a bad lot. Now it's over. I'm free of it. We can leave the cabin, but..."

"Tell me."

"Hermione, I have nowhere to go. My drab old house was destroyed by Death Eaters shortly after the final battle."

"Severus, I rented a flat in Diagon Alley because my large house had become too empty and too lonely. You know, it wouldn't seem so bad if I had a friend to share it with. There's lots of room."

He smiled then. A crooked smirk that made her smile back.

"Hermione Granger, are you asking me to move in with you?"

"I believe I am."

Turning from her, Severus walked to the door of the cabin, hit it gently with his wand, and whispered a complex spell. He then walked over to the unicorn.

"You will be safe here. The Nargles will return to normal when the sun rises. I've spelled the door so that it will open for you after dawn. Do you understand?"

The unicorn gave on swift nod of its head, and then rested the side of its face briefly against Severus' chest again.

"You are most welcome," he said softly. Turning back to Hermione, he offered her his hand. "I'm ready to leave when you are."

Hermione gave his hand a squeeze. "Severus, you've known me since I was a child. We've been through a great deal together tonight. Do you trust me?"

"I do."

Hermione spun them in a graceful turn and did a side-along apparition.

They landed just outside of the forest, on the spot where Hermione had first spoken to the stubborn Auror who wouldn't drop the field. All of the Aurors were gathered in a clump nearby. Hermione felt Severus stiffen beside her, and squeezed his hand.

"Trust me," she said softly.

Harry was shouting at the Aurors. "We scour this forest until we find her. I don't care if we have to kill every Nargle in the damn woods, if she gets killed because I was too stubborn to listen--"

"Harry!" Hermione shouted. "I'm here! And look who I have with me."

Many heads turned towards them as one. Harry's expression changed from happy relief to mouth hanging open shock as he caught sight of the man standing next to her. Pushing past the members of the taskforce, he walked towards Hermione and Severus. When he was a few feet away, he lunged forward, making Severus flinch.

"Why does everyone keep hugging me?" Severus grumbled as he returned Harry's hug awkwardly with one arm.

"Because we missed you." Hermione replied.

"I highly doubt that."

"It's true."

When Harry released him, Severus was next accosted by Ron. Severus put up with the hug, but did not return it.

"Now I know who has been leaving us gifts by the Ministry fountain." Harry grinned at Severus.

"I have absolutely no idea what you are nattering on about." Severus sounded sincere, but not one person believed him.

"It is so good to see you, Sir."

"It is not completely unpleasant to see you, Mr. Potter."

They spoke to the other Aurors before they left. Severus met Scorpios and promised the young man that he would stop in to see his father soon. None of the Aurors had been seriously injured. Hermione's warning had spread through the taskforce and they had all made it to the outskirts of the forest before anything more dire than stray bite wounds happened.

Soon, Hermione was too tired to continue any longer.

"Severus, are you ready to go home."

"Yes, Hermione. More than ready."

A graceful turn, and they vanished from Frogspawn Wood.

*************

Last chapter! I hope you have enjoyed my return to the Potterverse as much as I've enjoyed writing this story. As I mentioned before, I'm not working with a beta reader, so any mistakes are all my own fault. It's been lovely to see some familiar faces in the comment section, as well as some new ones. I may write another story by and by. I do have a bit of a plot bunny nipping at my heals.

My Kindle Scout campaign for my romance novel, Descending, has finished. Descending is available through Amazon and Kindle. You can find it by searching Julianne Q Johnson.