Forty-Three
Chapter 44 of 50
neelixFor a brief moment, the silence in Severus's lab was deafening. Barnabus Speight stared at Severus and blinked furiously behind his spectacles, and Alicia stood stock still but not making eye contact with either of them.
The only person who was actually thinking clearly was Severus.
'I apologise, Barnabus, Miss Maines, but I need to leave immediately,' he said hurriedly.
In a swirl of black, he dashed to the lab and into his quarters. Running to his desk, he opened a drawer and grabbed something, and then rushed to the Floo, where he called out, 'Hilltop Cottage'.
He arrived to see Lexie sitting on the sofa with Hermione, comforting her as she wept on her shoulder. The younger girl gasped as she saw Severus appear.
'Miss Flint. I wonder would you mind taking Donovan out for a walk while I talk with his mother.' He spoke in a calm voice that belied the emotions that were churning inside him. He had been a bloody fool not to realise what was going on, and now he had to make Hermione see it too.
'Of course, Professor,' she stammered. She pulled away from Hermione with a questioning look, and Severus felt a rush of relief when Hermione looked up at him with wet eyes and then nodded to Lexie.
'I'll be fine. Don't hurry back, Lexie,' she said quietly, rubbing at her face with the back of her hand lightly.
Lexie grabbed Donovan and took him upstairs to change into his outdoor clothes, while Severus organised everything she would need and assembled his stroller by the front door. Hermione sat in a daze and watched everything happening around her meekly. Within moments, their son and the hired help were gone, leaving them in silence.
'We always make such a mess of things,' Hermione said sadly.
'I think we might have had some help this time,' Severus said, sitting down slowly beside her.
'What are you talking about?' Hermione pushed her hair from her face and turned to look at him.
'I am talking about your so-called friend Alicia,' he said softly.
'Don't go bringing her into it, Severus. She's been such a good friend to me, it has nothing to do with her,' Hermione stated.
Severus looked at Hermione and his eyes softened. He reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing softly. 'Trusting little Gryffindor,' he said. 'But you put your trust in the wrong person, Hermione. I don't suppose she told you that she made a pass at me, did she?'
'She did what?' Hermione pulled her hand away and stood with her hands on her hips. 'You'd better tell me what happened, Severus Snape, or so help me...' She grabbed her wand from her pocket and twirled it in her fingers.
'Nothing happened. But I know when a witch is making a play. Miss Maines made it very clear that it isn't just friendship she is interested in,' Severus said.
Hermione sat dejectedly beside him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. Alicia wouldn't do that to her. They were friends. That's not what friends do. Her eyes snapped up to him.
'Show me,' she said firmly.
'Of course,' he agreed. What better way for Hermione to see what happened with Alicia?
He manoeuvred himself before her, and their eyes locked as he whispered, 'Legilimens'.
The memories sped by so quickly that Hermione had difficulty making sense of everything. Severus was so desperate for her to see the truth, but it was coming out in a jumble. He sighed and pulled away, breaking eye contact.
'What was all of that?' Hermione said exasperatedly.
'I'm sorry. I just so want you to see the truth.' He looked at her pleadingly.
'Take a deep breath, okay? Try again, slowly. Otherwise I won't see what I need to see and we'll be no better off, will we?' Hermione took his hand, and he whispered the spell again, this time taking it very slowly.
Hermione was furious when she saw Alicia touching Severus in the hospital. But by far the worst was what she said to Severus in his quarters. She had never said that he loved her more than she loved him, so why lie about that?
Severus pulled away again, and Hermione hung her head. 'I never said that, Severus, about me loving you less.'
'I know you didn't. Tell me,' he asked. 'Did Alicia put the idea in your head that I only wanted to marry you for Donovan?'
'Well, we talked last night, about you, Donovan and... and the wedding.' Hermione's voice broke slightly. 'She said you were just doing the right thing.'
'And you believed her?' Severus said flatly.
'Not really, but then she asked if you loved me, and I said you hadn't actually said it, but that I thought you did,' she said softly. 'I put two and two together and what she said seemed to make sense at the time.'
'And now, Hermione? What do you think now?' he asked.
'I don't know what to think. Do you think I just came back so that you would be forced to be a father for Donovan?' she said. She looked up at him, and he stroked her tear stained face with his gentle fingers.
'No. You are far too honest for that, Hermione. I allowed Alicia's words to affect me far more because I was missing you so much when she said them,' he replied.
'Oh, Severus, you do know that I love you, don't you?' she asked.
'I know you do,' he sighed. He sat back and reached inside his pocket, pulling out an envelope. He paused slightly, but then handed it to her.
'This is the letter I left behind,' Hermione said.
'It is, and I think it's time you read it. My feelings have never changed, Hermione. Every word is still true,' he whispered.
Hermione traced her fingers lightly over his handwriting before opening the letter, and Severus sat in silence as she read the words he had written so long ago. He remembered exactly what he had said in the letter, because it was how he felt in his heart every day since she had left him. Hermione's hands were shaking, and large tears were falling onto the creased parchment.
'I can't read it properly,' she whispered shakily.
He took it from her gently and read out loud from where she pointed with a trembling finger.
'...You must know that I do indeed love you, Hermione. I have never spoken those words to anyone, but if you were here with me at this moment, I would hold you in my arms and whisper them to you over and over again.
I love you... I love you, Hermione.' He put the letter down slowly, and raised his eyes to hers slowly as if afraid of her response.
'Say it again,' she whispered, her voice so faint he hardly heard her.
'I love you, Hermione. I truly love you,' he said softly.
Hermione started to laugh through her tears, and she threw herself at him, her arms around his neck and her lithe body suddenly ensconced in his lap.
'I knew that all along,' she said, giggling softly into his ear.
Severus wrapped his arms around her and held her so close he could feel her heart beating against his chest.
'I love you,' he whispered again.
Hermione tipped her face upwards, and he caught her bottom lip with his mouth, sucking slightly. She moaned a little, and the sound brought an immediate response from Severus's cock, which twitched beneath her squirming bottom.
'How long do we have?' he whispered.
'Long enough,' she murmured, kissing him again and sliding her tongue along his lips seductively as she slid slowly from his lap. She took his hand and pulled him to his feet, leading him slowly up the stairs. Stopping half-way, she turned and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him passionately as he caressed her buttocks teasingly. He dropped his head and licked his way down her throat, and Hermione gasped as his hand brushed gently between her legs.
'Bedroom,' he growled.
Hermione didn't need telling twice, and she leapt up the final steps with Severus hot on her heels. She had her clothes off before Severus, and he stepped up to her from behind, cupping her breasts in his hands and tweaking her nipples. Hermione pushed her firm mounds into the palms of his hands and rubbed her buttocks against the bulge in his trousers.
'Bend over,' he said firmly. Hermione felt a shudder of arousal hit her, and she did as he instructed, leaning her hands on the mattress and giving him a delicious view of her pert arse and a tantalising glimpse of her wet labia. She almost cried out when she felt his mouth on her and his tongue slipping between her folds. She was so transported by sensation, she was unaware he had released his turgid cock from its stifling confines, and he pulled his mouth away and slid himself against her, nudging her opening with the tip.
'I need you,' she begged.
'I know,' he growled, stroking her breasts with his fingertips and pinching at her nipples urgently as he slid his cock around her folds teasingly.
'God, Severus... Please...' she moaned.
With a swift thrust, he was inside her throbbing pussy as deep as he could possibly go, and they both cried out their pleasure as he started to move back and forth slowly.
'Touch yourself, witch,' he said hoarsely.
Hermione mewed quietly and her head hit the mattress as he grasped her hips firmly. She slid a hand between her legs and probed until she found her clitoris, erect and pulsing with want. Her fingers slipped over it and she started to rub herself in a rhythm to match Severus's firm thrusting.
Severus almost came as her watched her pleasuring herself, and the sight of his cock disappearing inside her tightness was so exquisite he didn't want it to end. He felt Hermione start to buck beneath him, and he held her tighter as she moaned incoherently. Her orgasm started, and he finally let loose, pounding his thick, hard length into her as she cried out his name and shattered around him. Severus grunted and bit his lip to prolong the sensations of her clamping muscles, and then shouted out loud as he finally shot his semen deep within her walls, thrusting in and out gently and slowing his pace as his climax ended, leaving him elated and desperate for more of her all at once.
They collapsed onto the bed, both sated and yet needing to keep some contact with the other. Severus gathered her to him and they kissed softly.
'That was amazing,' Hermione said.
'You are amazing,' he replied.
They smiled gently at each other, not wanting the moment to end.
'We should dress, witch. Donovan will return soon, no doubt.'
'I love you,' she sighed, kissing him lightly and then slipping from him. They dressed silently, both dazed from their lovemaking.
'What shall we do now, Severus?' Hermione asked him as they walked down the stairs, holding hands awkwardly in the narrow space.
'Well, I think perhaps you should find your research notes for that Charm, and bring them to the lab at Hogwarts,' he said, frowning in thought.
'And what will you do?' she asked.
Severus turned his serious gaze on her. 'I will consider our next move in regards to Miss Maines, and I want you to promise me that you will pay no heed to any more of her poisonous talk. No one knows what we have, Hermione. No one but us.'
He stroked her cheek softly, and Hermione smiled.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Hilltop Cottage
734 Reviews | 7.3/10 Average
This was such a great read, thanks for sharing! I was especially happy to see that Minerva recovered well enough to be able to attend Severus' and Hermione's wedding. It just wouldn't have been the same without her. And Donovan, you just know that boy is going to be such a heartbreaker. Well done!
God what a beautiful beginning. I got chills when I read the first few sentences of this chapter. It reminded me of a 19th century British novel.... something from Hardy. I love your writing. There are naughty bits that are fun to read, but you have a charming prose that just strikes me sometimes. So, I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your writing. THANK YOU!
Response from neelix (Author of Hilltop Cottage)
To be compared to Hardy made me smile :) You're very kind,but more than that I'm so happy you like the,story :)
For such inteligent people, in the love department they really had lower grades...so quick to think badly of one another, especialy Severus, but Hermione had her moments, too.
I was so glad when they finally learned and began to trust each other!!!
It was an interesting journey. Thank you.
Great story :) Excellent job with the buildup, realistic angst scenes, and a happy ending. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
WTF!! Why is she letting Alicia plant stupid doubts in her mind? Alicia doesn't even know Severus! And Severus was obviously not too happy with Alicia. For Merlin's sake! What the hell is the matter with Hermione?? When did she become so gullible and wishy washy? This isn't the Hermione who stood up to Malfoy and punched him in the face! She needs to take a pill or something.
And there are a hell of a lot of worse things in the world than a man who stands by you as the mother of his child!!! Get over the Cinderella complex Herms. 
OK! What the Fuck is wrong with Severus now? These aren't weak minded individuals. Snape is a freaking spy who fooled Voldemort for like 20 year, for gods sake! He should be able to see a BSer from a mile away! These two are really getting on my freaking left nerve. Doesn't Mister Ligilimens remember being inside Hermone's head? I don't know how much more of their BS I can stand. Get over yourselves Hermione and Severus! You two are freaking making me want to poke my damned eyes out!!!
Oooooh, I never would have thought! Severus will put her in her place. There's a reason Hermione is his first and only relationship. I'm sure Alicia isn't the first woman to come on to the Potion's Master. 
Too bad for Hermione, though. Betrayed by a friend. Hopefully if Alicia realizes tonight that they are engaged to be married she will back off, for Hermione's sake. I can't imagine she would think she had a chance with Severus if he want's to brush her off. He's a master at putting people in their place.
I'm looking forward to that if it becomes necessary.
I just hope this doesn't interfere with Minerva's cure.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, neelix! 
It was about time these two became a family. I'm so glad Hermione realizes she should not have left him. I will forgive her for breaking Severus' heart because of her youth and immaturity.
Now that she's a grown woman, she hopefully has her priorities straight. She can still be Dr. Granger, but she should keep it in prospective. Now, what about dear Minerva?
Severus wouldn't be the first man to change his ways once a father. If I was Severus though, like you said in the story, he needs to be sure she is committed to making this work and not leaving again when she feels hurt. Obviously she has no idea how she nearly killed him the first time she left him. By the same token, Hermione wouldn't be the first woman to grow up and make a committment to see the rough spots through rather than leave when things got rocky after having a child together. Everything changes when a couple says, you are stuck with me for the rest of our lives. How do you want to do the next 60 years? The hard way or the easy way? Make your choice.
Hopefully, she has seen that if you leave, you just change the problems you have for new ones. Unless there is physical abuse, infedelity or addiction, I think most things can be worked out. The 4 things just mentioned would be deal breakers for me. I hope they are happy together now. That's what stories are for. The happily ever after.
Please!!! It's not my place to say???? For God's sake! Let drag out the pain as long as possible shall we? Intereasting the penny dropped and Severus knew why he hadn't got her letter. Luna had told her but I guess she wasn't listening. I give up! Snapes blaming himself for being a jerk but she isn't blaming herself for anything at all. She didn't do anything wrong.
"What- an- idiot!" Hermione. How long did it take you to realize he didn't know.
I'm going back to Hermione's visit to St. Mungo's. Is she that thick? Did she hear Luna say he didn't get her letter, or at least take the hint that he may not have gotten her letter, the same as Minerva, and that she was wrong? Now she has a chance to do something about it and it doesn't seemed to have crossed her mind.
Poor Severus. I don't remember reading any stories where I liked Severus and thought Hermione was the idiot. Good original plot, just uncomfortable.
She didn't want to give up the parties and her work for Severus, but she has because she had his baby. Now, she's just lonely while giving them up. And it was all unecessry. He jumping to the conclusion that she left him for someone else, and she to he conclusion that he couldn't change.
You never even gave him a second chance to know he was wrong. Was it worth it Hermione, in the scope of things?
Did you think you were going to find someone else who understood you better and loved you more?
You could have been pregnant while with Severus and had a baby together.
There needs to be a smiley for="Self Absorbed!"
I'll think about it????
I had written a novel sized review after the last chapter but I hit one wrong button and lost it. Damn!!! I think I spent an hour and a half going back and researching the story so that I could review all the chapters I'd missed at the same time.
She needed to put chapter 14 in a pensive.
As for this
"Hermione was thrown. Not only had Severus left Spinner’s End to help find a cure for Minerva, he was also back at Hogwarts. After all that time spent in New Mills, avoiding the wizarding world and holing himself up like a hermit, he was back in the public eye in a way she would never have anticipated. She wondered what it all meant." 
I'll tell you what it all means, little sister. It means you jumped the gun when you went off in a huff! You never worried about any one elses pain but your own, including the man you claimed to love.
I am sorry to be so bitter toward her for your sake. I don't blame the story or think the story is lame. I'm just pissed off at Hermione, still have a migrain and should be in bed, because I have to go to work tomorrow, but I can't stop reading your story.
Please forgive me for not spell checking.
Goodbye Severus???? Hermione stared up into his face. It shocked her to realise that she didn’t truly know the man before her. He was more complex and insecure than she had ever imagined, and he wouldn’t change, not ever.
She's his first relationship in his entire life and he is her first love. How does she know he won't change, ever.( 
Know-it- All) I will say, OK he is being a really big prick, a huge bastard and a fuck up. He has really hurt you with this.
However, he already has changed by having his first relationship this late in his life.
She knows she is the first person he has ever trusted like, this doesn't she?
I know she's hurt and doesn't think he really loves her right now, but I dont feel like she was ever really committed to a long term relationship with him. He was handy and helped her get over the war. I guess she was on a war just rebound.
She sure made up her mind rather abruptly!
Only a few momments ago she was declairing her deep love for him. Maybe what she should really say is, "he's just too complex and insecure for her to waste any more of her time on."
Is she sweet little Hermione who just accepts him as he is, loving him so unconditionally. Or, is she just not willing to take the time to work on a relationsip with Severus Snape. She doesn't seemed to have warned him that this, not going places with her, was becoming a deal breaker for her.
Has she ever brought up the fact that it bothers her that he never says he love her?
This is his first relationship in his entire life for a reason. Of course, she is young and after all he isn't her husband, he's just a "boyfriend".
I don't know what she means though, when she says she's shocked and doesn't know this man.
He's been a mean tempered git since the first time she met him when she was 11, and she just now realized he has a tendancy to jump to the worst possible conclusions when he's worreid or up set, and that he has serious anger management problems?
If she truly loves him as much as she says, I think she should have told him what the deal breakers were and given him a chance to prove himself.
He's already pissed off right now, as it is. So she can tell him what needs to happen if he wants to keep her then leave him to stew and think about how much he is willing to do to keep her.
I've been with the same man three times the number of years I was single or 3 times longer than I was alive when we first got together. You don't get to have a lifetime mate unless you give people a chance to work on their issues before you bail for good. I don't think Hermione had ever intended to spend her entire life with Severus.
After 5 years, I think she would have pressed him a little harder to work things out sooner.
Snape is being a real shit. Yes he just falsly accussed her. However, ‘I understand, witch,’ he whispered. ‘I wouldn’t want to stay with me either.’ Is this the hint of the century or what? He can't imagine why she had wanted to be with him in the first place. From chapt. 11-'I missed you, you know. After you “died.”’ Hermione made quotation marks with her free hand and looked into his face. ‘I had no idea you meant so much to me, until I thought you were gone forever.’
She was looking at him with expectation. Severus shrugged.
“I don’t know what you want me to say, Hermione,’ he sighed. ‘Whatever you see in me is misguided. I have nothing to offer.’
This is so sad.
I'm sorry for not keeping up on my reviews for each chapter, but I've had a migraine all weekend. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about all that I've read so far. I hope they work this out.
about time! I should have been in bed two hours ago but I couldn't leave it on such a sad note.
This isn't a good sign guys.
Poor Severus. She didn't give him much of a choice without him rejecting her outright. But he doesn't have a chance in hell of coming away unscathed. Will it be worth it? I hope Hermione doesn't let me down. She on a war rebound which is worse than a Ronnald Weasely rebound. She says she needs him. Does she know what she's asking from him? I really don't think so. If he's in for a penny, he's in for a pound. Severus Snape does nothing in the middle. I hope Hermione see's that.
I'm very happy she has given Severus a garden. I hope she isn't leading him on. She seems very young here. I know that in a story this long there are usually some bumps in the road to love, but I never look forward to them. The story is sweet and filling me with anticipation of them becoming a couple.
I know Snape will keep her secret. And I think Snape is going to get a friend. Will it turn into a romance or will it bite him in the butt just like he probably expects it to?
I hope Hermione is trying to figure out how to get Snape back as much as he's trying to get her back.
I assume Severus will keep Hermione's secret. It's not Snepelike to gossip. But he'll think about what Minerva has said and will feel duty bound to check on "the girl". I wonder who will contact who first. I am also assuming that Hermione isn't using her wand so that she can't be traced back to this place by the Ministry knowing her wand has been used. When she uses it in Diagon Alley doing little insignificant spells, is just no one paying attention because of where the magic is being cast and mainly only notice it when it's in a Muggle area? Could the Ministry have found Hermione, Harry and Ron the last year of the war by following thier wands? 