Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Potterverse is not mine. The plot, however, is.

Severus paced up and down the entrance hall. Leafer had informed him of Hermione's predicament. He thought it was more than amusing that the elf had let it slip the way she had, pretending she had just been muttering too loudly so that she wouldn't have to go and punish herself.

He had been angry at first when Hermione had told him that a house-elf had bonded itself to her, but the match had already proved to be beneficial to him. She had managed to gain herself a smart elf, and that in itself made him chuckle. Only Hermione, who didn't want to believe that house-elves chose to enslave themselves, would find a smart elf that wanted her as a Mistress.

Shaking his head, he looked up at the stairs. He could hear her footsteps coming along the hall, and he wished Riply hadn't housed her so far back in the house. As she rounded the top of the stairs and started to make her descent, he took a deep breath. Restraining himself and letting her make the choices was going to be hard.

Waiting for her was going to be one of the biggest challenges he was going to have to face. Possibly even harder and more challenging then going to face the Dark Lord, or doing some of his work in the Muggle world.

"Hermione."

"Severus." She smiled, and although she hesitated to take his offered arm, she quickly slipped hers through and gave it a squeeze.

"I thought I would take us into the village for lunch. I have made us reservations." He cleared his throat. "I feel I should warn you, Hermione. Things are different for me now. I am a free man, and I do as I please."

"I know that, Severus."

"I have a different status here... a different way of living. I'm treated well. And mostly I am liked and respected. Perhaps feared, because of how the Manor looms over them. But you need to be prepared for how they will react to you."

Hermione shook her head and looked towards the door. "Shall we go? We do not want to be late."

"Indeed." He patted her hand before guiding her towards the door. He could already tell that this meal was going to be a sweet form of torture.

***

Hermione had not even finished recovering from the ride to the restaurant before she was being asked to step down from the carriage. She sat there dumbly as Severus held his hand out towards her.

"I told you things were different, Hermione." He smiled faintly and reached further in with his hand. "Come along, you are beginning to make a scene. I am not known for my patience; I would rather it stayed that way."

She quietly took his hand and was just making her first step out when the first flash went off.

"Would you like to make a statement about your date, Lord Snape?" A reporter had pushed his way through the crowd like a rabid dog after a kill. "What about your missing wife? How do you think she would feel now you are moving on?"

Severus slammed the door to the carriage shut, knocking Hermione back into her seat. But she knew better than to object, and so stayed where she was whilst he dealt with the situation.

"I do not believe that my lunch dates are of any concern to a dunderhead like you. Now if you would kindly retreat back to whatever pond scum you wiggled free from, I would rather like to continue with my plans in peace."

The reporter had been taking minute steps back for every word that was hissed from Severus' mouth. And he gasped as he felt the crowd grab his arms and pull him back.

"If I see another flash, you will discover just how painful a camera can really be to its owner." Turning back to the carriage, he quickly opened the door and reached for Hermione. She knew better than to hesitate this time; he was trying to make a statement, and although she was not overly happy about his presumption that things would work out, it appeared to be something that had to happen if they were to have any peace at all.

Pasting a smile onto her face, she stepped down from the carriage, one hand in Severus' and the other holding up an edge of her skirt. She held her head high and kept her eyes focussed above everyone's head. She didn't feel she could cope with any negative comments at the moment, and the thought that they truly thought she was missing was like a punch to the stomach. Severus was right: she really didn't understand the greater implications of her disappearance. And with a jolt, she realised that even if everything did work out, any thoughts of the future and producing an heir would cause great controversy unless they waited. There would have to be some proof that it was his. Letting her gaze wander to Severus as she made her first step on the ground, she saw how closely he was watching her. And although to everyone else, it would appear like he was blank-faced, she could see the smile of approval in his eyes.

As she came to a stop at his side, he leant down to her ear. "Well done, Hermione." Straightening up, he tugged her on to follow. "Let us eat."

The owner of the restaurant came rushing out, just before they reached the doors. "I'm so sorry, Lord Snape. We did not expect that many people to know that you had returned, or that you would be eating here. I will have a full enquiry of the staff to see who let it slip. I will have them fired immediately."

"Oh, no!" Hermione shook her head. "Please don't. I'm sure they just saw the carriage coming through the village. It would not do to assume things." She glanced quickly at Severus and then returned her gaze to their host.

"As the lady says," Severus muttered. "I would appreciate you showing us to our table, however. I do not wish to be stood out here being gawked at any longer."

"Of course, of course," their host stuttered and quickly moved back to open the door. "Your usual table is ready for you. And I've made sure that you have the requested privacy for your meal."

As their host moved to pull a chair out for Hermione, Severus waved him away. "I'm sure we can see to ourselves from here." Nodding, their host quickly trotted away.

Hermione accepted the seat that he offered her and sank into it gratefully. The stress from being outside with the press was something that had been unexpected and so doubly shocking. She watched as Severus sat down and poured himself a some water. She was so focussed on watching his hands as they held onto the delicate glass that she didn't notice him offer her a glass.

"Hermione? Are you listening?"

Hermione blushed as she met his gaze. "Sorry, I got a little distracted." She blushed more at his knowing smirk. "What was it you were asking me?"

Severus chuckled. "I had asked if you would like a glass of water or not. Are you thirsty?"

She cleared her throat. "Yes, please. Thank you." Holding out her glass, she shuddered as his fingers brushed hers to take it. It felt like sparks had ignited her skin, burning her hand and sending tingles down her arm.

She could feel her face getting redder and redder.

"Hermione?" Her eyes refocussed to find a glass hovering in front of her face. "Are you feeling quite all right? If you are unwell, I will not take offence if you wish to return home."

Home. He kept using that word. He was definitely determined to have her stay. Smiling, she plucked the glass out of thin air. "Thank you. I think it is just a little hot in here. Nothing else." Taking a gulp of water, she swallowed it down quickly. "Is there anything on the menu that you would particularly recommend?"

"I think I would like to see what you would choose, and then I will advise you on your choice. I do not wish to influence your final decision." Smirking, he raised his glass of water in cheers and took a sip.

Looking at the menu helplessly, she couldn't help but feel that this was some kind of test. For what, she wasn't quite sure. Things had been so easy before they had gotten married. Before she discovered why their relationship had begun in the first place. They had been so comfortable in each other's presence. Snuggling up on the couch whilst reading, the fire crackling away. A blanket over their legs, and their feet entwined. It made a lovely picture in her mind, and she would have given anything to have that back. But she couldn't just forgive him for not telling her of Dumbledore's plans. She couldn't forgive the things that she knew must have been said in the Order. How nobody had told her of what was going on. And she was sure that Harry and Ron had known what the plan was; they had been too accepting of their relationship for them not to have known. Especially Ron. He had seemed so sour-faced, his lips pursed together when she had told them, but all he had done was give her a tight hug and that had been the end of it. He hadn't even thrown a tantrum or thrown his relationship in her face. Nothing.

At the time it had seemed so simple, she had just been too happy to notice those around her. But Harry had smiled at her, he hadn't even grimaced. There was nothing that would have ordinarily been their reaction.

Now she wasn't sure who she was more angry at: Severus, Dumbledore, the Order or Harry and Ron? If they were meant to be the Golden Trio, the closest friends seen in a generation of students at Hogwarts, then why had they not been able to tell each other of the plans? Why had they not told her what was going on? Did they really care more about what Dumbledore thought than what she thought? What about her welfare? What would they have done if she had been unhappy about the situation? Would they have said something? Would they have intervened? Would Ron have offered to take Severus' position? Marry and protect her?

And what about Ginny? Her response seemed to be the most real. But then Molly was steadfast in not letting her join the Order, so that wasn't really all that surprising. Finally, she looked back up at Severus.

"Sorry, I was miles away. I am not quite sure of my decision. Perhaps you could help me make it." And all of a sudden she knew that his comment had more depth to it than just menu choices. Smiling, she listened to which choices he was listing for her and what wines he would choose for each.

***

Sitting in the carriage, her eyes partially closed, she listened to Severus as he told her what he had been up to, both during the war and just after it. His work within the Muggle world he only told her minute details on, but it was still incredibly fascinating, and she listened with great rapture at tales which reminded her of the 007 films she had watched as a child.

When they arrived back at the Manor, the carriage was pulled right up to the steps because of the rapidly gathering, dark, menacing clouds above them. They practically ran up the marble steps and rushed through the front doors, Hermione giggling at his childish behaviour, and she gasped as Severus suddenly pulled her closer to him.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "I have missed this, Hermione. I have missed feeling your breasts rise and fall with each breath. I've missed sensing when you have fallen asleep. I miss you." Lifting one hand, he cupped her chin, stroking softly at her cheek with his thumb. "I have missed being able to touch you, love. To hold you close."

Hermione's eyes darted between his eyes and his lips. She wanted to taste him again so badly, but she also did not want to give in to him so easily. She wanted him to know that she was in charge of her emotions and that he could not walk all over her. She was her own person.

Her breath was starting to come in shallow pants as his other hand rubbed her lower back, holding her close to him as he slowly lowered his lips to hers.

Closing her eyes, she slightly opened her mouth and waited for his lips to descend on hers. Trying to hold herself back and not let herself give in to the feelings that he was evoking was like trying to stay standing as a 6ft wave hit her. And as his lips brushed against hers, she moaned and leant into him.

Encouraged by her enthusiastic response, he pulled her closer and lifted her slightly off the floor, his lips working away at hers, meeting hers in a dance that made the world begin to spin. And just as she lifted her legs to wrap around his waist, thinking that nothing was worth rejecting these kinds of feelings any longer, he stopped.

Pulling her from him, as if it had been her idea to begin kissing, he placed her feet firmly on the floor. Keeping his hands on her shoulders, an arm length away, he looked her steadily in the eye. "We cannot do this. If we were to continue and then you were to scorn me and try and turn me away, it would be too late. I have told you I love you, Hermione. I can tell you do, too. Our touch still means something to each other, and you cannot deny that." Stepping back quickly, he ignored the glazed look in her eyes and the way that she wavered in the air. "I will see you tomorrow." Swooping off in the direction of the kitchens, she couldn't help but wish that her legs would turn into something other than jelly so she could chase after him.

"Leafer, I need help."

A small pop to her left almost startled her off balance. "Mistress?"

Hermione shook her head; she needed to get a grip on herself. Doing something rash now would ruin everything that she had tried to achieve. "I need to get to my rooms. I am afraid I am not quite able to walk there myself."

"Are you unwell, Mistress? Would Mistress like Leafer to run her a bath?"

"Yes, Mistress would. I mean I would. Thank you, Leafer. I think that would help me clear my head."

***

AN: I hope you enjoyed the chapter!