Chapter Three

Macushla, Macushla your red lips are saying

My blue eyed Macushla awaken to stay.

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There was a nip in the air, and as Hermione landed on the cliff top, she wrapped the cloak around her tightly. She was always surprised by how blowy this particular outcrop seemed to get, and she wondered if it would be the same in the summer months. There were stars twinkling above the cottage, and the noise of the sea roaring and crashing against the rocks below faded as she approached the weather-beaten door slowly.

There was stillness to the place, and she paused before placing her hand on the rusty metal handle. Her whole life, her whole future, depended on what was within, and she held her breath as she entered.

The small room was cold, and she knew with sinking reality that no fire had been lit in recent days. There was no sign that this room had been occupied since her last visit. A thin layer of dust coated the kitchen table, and the old wooden clock on the mantle needed winding.

Hermione sighed deeply and walked towards the bedroom, pushing the door open roughly. Her hand flew to her mouth as she stared at the bed, and she walked quickly over to Severus’s side, her hand reaching out tentatively. His blood was on the pillow, and his potion bottles were empty. He had been here. But he wasn’t here now.

Hermione ran her hands through her windswept hair, and with a beating heart, she proceeded to change the bedclothes and tidy the cottage. She worked through the night, sweeping out all of the small corners, hanging the dusty rugs on the garden fence, and letting the wind do her job for her. She chopped wood until her hands blistered, and she set a roaring fire in the grate. It was not the time of year for flowers, but she pulled up some of the more interesting grasses from the surrounding dunes and spelled them to sparkle in the chipped glass vase. She placed the vase on the kitchen table, then proceeded to open what tins she could find and set about making soup, oblivious to the sun as it started to rise over the horizon. Placing a warming charm over the soup, Hermione crawled, exhausted, into bed.

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He berated himself for leaving the cottage. He should have just waited for Hermione, but he had needed to know if she had survived, and he hadn’t wanted to wait. His potions had run out, and his blood loss had made him weak. Apparating to Hogwarts had been a very bad idea, and he had vomited and almost fainted on landing. He used his last reserves of energy to Disillusion himself. He was thankful that no one had seen his tears of joy and gratitude as he saw her and watched her mourn for those lost in the battle.

He saw her slip away and followed her at a slight distance, until she had started to run. He had no hope of catching up with her in his weakened state, so he had slipped inside the castle and Flooed back to Spinner's End, where he had collapsed onto the old moth-eaten couch and fallen asleep almost immediately.

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Severus awoke and stretched uncomfortably, rubbing his hair from his eyes and inhaling his first morning breath. The air in the house was stale, and he needed to get out of there as soon as possible. He knew the place was most likely being watched by one enemy or another. He stood slowly and then walked to his private stores. The Blood Replenishing potion was almost out, and he knew he would need more. But for now, he just needed to enough to get himself to the cottage.

He paused and thought of Hermione, and his stomach flipped over. Had she stayed? She had promised to wait for him. He promised she wouldn’t have to wait any longer, and swallowed the potion quickly.

Severus Disillusioned himself and stepped through the Floo to the Three Broomsticks. He walked slowly through the crowd; some were still celebrating Voldermort’s downfall, some drowning their sorrows. No one noticed him brushing past them, and he slipped out of the door unnoticed. He didn’t glance around himself as he walked through Hogsmeade. He had no desire to remember it, although he knew he wouldn’t be returning any time soon. His focus was on one place and one person, and as he reached the Apparition point, he smiled to himself.

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She was sleeping. He gazed down at her for a long time and marvelled at the way her eyelashes sat just beneath her lower lids, caressing her face. Her mouth was slightly parted, and in the half-light, they looked darker than normal. He had never seen anything quite as perfect, and he sighed deeply as he sat down beside her and took her hand in his.

She shifted slowly, and her eyelids opened suddenly to stare at him. Her fingers curled around his, and she squeezed tightly, saying nothing. They looked at each other for a long time, sharing shy smiles until Hermione started to laugh, her head thrown back with joy. She pulled him down beside her and kissed him fiercely before snuggling under his arm and forcing him to hold her. Severus sighed and closed his eyes.

The End

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My thanks to kizzy7 for her prompt beta'ing and endless enthusiasm. You're a star, honey!