Chapter 6: Easter week

Hermione ran home from her last class. She'd been working fast and furiously all week so that she would not have any work to do during the week of Easter holidays. Severus was coming in about two hours, and she had work to do to get ready for him. It had been three weeks since his surprise visit, and she had missed him nearly every minute. He was right. There was no way they could stay apart for another three years. This one was over in another six weeks, and she had big plans for the summer. She used her wand to clean up the apartment. Most times she just barely slept there, and things got really messy. She transfigured the flowers Severus had given her last time, now dead, into silk flowers.

She got into the shower, washed quickly, and shaved. She dried off and then rubbed scented cream on.

She had a summer dress with thin straps to wear. It had tiny flowers of blue and yellow that blended into a soft green when you stood a few feet away.

She made sure her ring was clean and shinny. She often sat for minutes at a time and stared at it, remembering the night Severus had given it to her. She sometimes wished he could teach her all three years. She was having a hard time facing the next year, thinking of them being apart months at a time. She shook the thoughts away and rechecked her bag. Severus was taking her someplace, but he hadn't really said where. She turned to make the bed. She was just finishing when there was a loud knock at the door. She ran and threw the door open, and there stood Alan.

"Alan! What are you doing here? I told you Severus is coming today. He's due to arrive any minute. I'm on vacation!" She tried to bar his way into the room, but he pushed past her.

"Hermione, what do you see in that old man? Come on, I'm here for you. I want you." He grabbed her and tried to kiss her.

Hermione had just pushed him back and landed a sound slap on his face when he was pulled away from her. Hermione realized Severus was holding him by the neck.

The next second stood out like an hour.

In slow motion Severus raised his wand. "Ava..."

"No, Severus," she screamed as she grabbed his arm. "No, please, he's just a hormonal boy. He didn't hurt me."

Severus looked down at her and then flung Alan down the hall and slammed the door shut. He turned to look at Hermione and saw fear on her face...fear of him, not Alan. He dropped his wand and covered his face with his hands. He'd nearly lost his humanity. He'd arrived and had seen Hermione struggling with Alan and had seen red. He hadn't uttered that spell since the night Dumbledore died. He'd vowed that he would never say it again, and he'd nearly killed a man just now.

He moved away from her and sat heavily on the stuffed chair by the fireplace.

Hermione stared at him with her heart pounding. She saw his shock and horror at his actions, but she couldn't reach out to him. Seeing the killer in Severus was sobering. After staring down at him for a long time, the fear in her began to leak away, and she finally found she could move. She came to him and reached out to touch his hand. The minute she did, she forgave him, and the feeling of love she had for this man swept over her. She knelt beside him and put her arms around him.

He moaned with relief and dropped his head onto her shoulder and buried his face in her neck.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I don't know what came over me." His body was shaking against hers.

She ran her hand over his hair. "It's okay, Severus. He arrived only a minute before you did. I told him you were coming. He's never once, ever," she stressed, "given me a hint he wanted more than friendship. I swear to you, Severus."

"I believe you." He held her tighter. Then he stood. "Come on, grab your bag and let's get out of here."

Hermione slipped a short, denim jacket on over her sundress. Travel by Apparition or Portkey could get cold. They left the apartment with Severus carrying Hermione's bag. They went down the stairs and past Carlos.

"Carlos, I'm going to be gone for a week," Hermione told him as they went by.

"Yes, ma' am," he answered. Curiosity about her fleeing lab partner was plain on his face.

"Oh, Carlos, Alan Copper is no longer welcome in this building. Will you let Forest know?" Hermione called over her shoulder as they went through the door.

"Of course, ma' am." It wasn't hard to fill in the missing pieces. He'd seen the smeared lipstick on Alan's face. He'd wondered about that man. He'd seen him looking at Hermione a time or two when they had left together. He was just glad Mr. Snape had come. He turned back to the work on his desk.

Severus and Hermione went down the street to the Apparition site. Severus shrunk her bag and slipped it into his pocket. He grabbed her about the waist and with a mischievous grin Apparated them away.

They appeared in the Ministry and then Severus produced, from his pocket, a handkerchief. In it was an ornate key. "Touch it when I count to three."

Hermione knew only long distance travel was done by Portkey, suddenly excited she exclaimed, "Severus, where..."

He didn't wait for her to question him. He reached out toward it. "One... two..."

Hermione touched the cold metal as he said, "Three..." The tug of a Portkey pulled her away.

When they landed, Severus reached out to steady her. They were in an ornate parlor decorated in rich gold brocades and dark woods. It had tiled floors and stained glass windows.

It had a very definite castle feel to it. She looked at him curiously. "Is this a tower at Hogwarts I'm not familiar with?"

He grinned. "Come look out the window." He took her to a window, and Hermione felt her mouth fall open. Before them was the main street of Disneyland, filled with Muggles, balloons, flags, and Disney characters.

"Severus!" she squealed. Unable to see the city beyond, she asked, "Is this California?"

"Yes, you told me in France you wanted to some day see Disneyland, the original one."

She jumped at him, and he caught her. He felt her legs wrap around him. Her arms were around his neck, and her lips descended softy onto his, and she kissed him tenderly.

"Thank you, Severus. This is amazing. How did you manage to rent this room? This is quite exclusive."

"I'm not a wizard for nothing," he said with a grin.

She raised her eyebrow but didn't comment. "I can't imagine you riding Disney rides."

He let her down on her feet and bent to touch noses with her and whispered, "This was a fantasy of mine when I was a child, too. It was before I knew I was a wizard and before magic ruled my life."

"Come on, let's go. Oh, I want cotton candy, Severus. I've heard of it, but I've never seen it."

"Let me change. I doubt a black sweater and black Levis are the thing to wear in California." He turned, pulling her bag and his from his pocket and expanded then.

Hermione watched as he pulled out a pair of Khaki pants and a Hawaiian shirt of black, tan, and white. He changed quickly and turned.

She looked up from her unpacking and stared. "Wow, you look amazing." She abandoned her suitcase and slipped her arms around him. "I'm tempted to take those right back off you and ravish you."

"We could go down later," he suggested, his voice deep with desire.

Hermione's answer was to slip her jacket off and toss it on the bed. She pulled her wand, and their clothes were removed and laid over a chair. Severus reached for her and took her to the other bed. He laid her on her back and then crawled into the bed. His touch was gentle and slow, and he caressed her as she caressed him.

"I've missed you so much," he said as his hands cupped and caressed her left breast. His lips took the tip into his mouth and gently teased her breast.

Hermione lay there with her fingers in his hair. She did not urge him to be quick but just gently urged him on by guiding his hands on her body.

His finger slipped into her warm, moist center, and he rubbed the tight nub until Hermione cried out, arching against his fingers with a soft, gentle climax. She urged him up and guided his hard shaft to her opening, and he slid slowly in, filling her with his length. He stayed that way nearly a whole minute, feeling her warmth around him, and then he started to move deliberately but slowly, feeling her thighs against his hips and her feet at the back of his legs. Her hands had slipped onto his buttocks, and she clutched them tightly to herself each time he thrust slowly in. They stared deeply into each other's eyes. Severus began to move more quickly, and then urged by her hands, he pounded into her.

He felt himself slipping over the edge when he saw her eyes close and felt her spasm around him, her vaginal walls massaging his penis. He felt his control shatter as he climaxed.

She clamped her legs firmly around him, and he collapsed onto her. Afraid he was hurting her, he started to move away.

"No, stay. I love the feel of you inside me," she whispered.

"But I am spent," he informed her. "I must be heavy."

"No, I'll let you know when you get heavy." She guided him to lay his face against her breasts, his lips against her hair, and she let herself drift off to sleep.

Severus moved off after a while and held her close. He would wake her in a bit, and they would bathe and go down to see the sights when it got cooler. But for now, he let himself drift to sleep.

*****

They stepped from the castle door and were immediately caught in a wave of people heading toward the front of the castle. They heard music, and the streets were lined with thousands of people. Soon a parade of different Disney characters came by. Severus didn't really know many of them, but Hermione started to jump up and down like a child next to him naming off: Cinderella, Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty... The only ones Severus knew, other than Mickey Mouse, were the Jungle Book characters; he'd seen an old movie with similar characters when he'd been a child. All in all it was nauseating...all the music, dancing and laughter...but he endured it with a grin because Hermione was so lit up with happiness that it made his discomfort worth it all.

After the parade crowd dispersed, they walked from ride to ride and stood in line. Severus was beginning to wonder what had possessed him to think this would be even remotely pleasant. Some of the rides were fast and furious, like Space Mountain, making him physically nauseated, and others were sickening sweet. There were a few that piqued his interest: like the Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones rides. He liked the Jungle Cruise and thought maybe one day they might go on a safari. They ate dinner in the darkly lit restaurant by the Pirate ride. Hermione held his hand and stared at the make believe fireflies. The sounds of the nightlife were relaxing even if they weren't real. Severus relaxed and watched his fiancée enjoy her dinner and soak up the atmosphere. They took the train around the park to see what they would visit the next day. After the fireworks, they made their way back to their exclusive rooms.

Severus stripped the Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants off as soon as they were in the room and slipped on his robe. Hermione smiled at him. "You feel pretty out of place here, don't you, Severus?"

"It is a bit too Muggle. But it was very interesting."

Hermione threw her arms around his waist. "Thank you for doing this. I know it's not what you wanted. I love you for the thought though. Why don't we see the rest of the park early tomorrow and then go back to my place. We can spend the rest of the week in my apartment making love and eating bon-bons, if you want. I do have some Potion's questions for you. Now that Alan is no longer my partner, I'd like to show you what we were working on and get your opinions."

"Well it's a bit out of order for me to give you any help. But I can at least look at what it is you are doing." He held her close and leaned in to kiss her gently. "You know, a bath in that big tub would be relaxing."

Hermione smiled. "A man after my own heart." She left him and went to turn the water on. She filled the tub and found a rich, bubble bath and added it.

Severus came dressed only in black boxers. He reached for her and pulled her sundress over her head and then unhooked her bra. His hand slid over her breast with such gentleness. He bent to capture her lips, and then they quickly stepped from their knickers and down into the huge fantasy tub. The warm water and bubbles covered them with their gentle caresses. Hermione nestled into Severus' arms, and they lay close, just floating in the warmth of the water. He planted a soft kiss on her head and held her. It was relaxing just being in this amazing set of rooms with their rich history...so like their world, yet so far from it. They lay for a long time in silence and then gently washed each other. Severus dried them with his wand, and they crawled into one of the two large beds and slept.

When they woke in the morning, they ordered room service. They sat in bed and ate pancakes shaped like Mickey Mouse, bacon-wrapped-sausage, and eggs. There was a dark, rich coffee and warm cinnamon rolls.

Hermione said as she licked frosting from her fingers, "I'd like to see the Country Bear Jamboree and ride the Matterhorn. I really don't have much interest in kiddie land."

"Thank Merlin for that," Severus said dryly.

Hermione laughed. "I would like to see you ride the Peter Pan ride or the Mr. Toad ride, but I will not ask that of you. I do want to keep you for a while longer."

Severus leaned forward and kissed her, tasting cinnimon on her lips. "Thank you. I know you want to see the Small World, but I'm not sure I can handle that one," he said with a smirk.

"But you have to go. It won't be fun without you," she protested.

He groaned. "I will go, but pardon me if I vomit afterwards, Hermione. I can only take so much cute stuff."

"Oh, Severus." She laughed again, but she wasn't sure he hadn't turned a little green at the prospect.

They left their rooms. Hermione was dressed in shorts and a tank top, and Severus was wearing jeans and a blue muscle shirt. Instead of enjoying the sites, Hermione found herself watching Severus more. He looked so good, and she could see that many of the women who passed them kept stealing looks back at them. She held tightly to his hand as they walked along. The Country Bear Jamboree was fun, and Hermione laughed at all the silly things there. Later, as they walked through the streets eating frozen bananas, Hermione whispered, "I can't wait to get you back to our room. This banana reminds me of one of your finest features."

He smirked. "My nose?"

Hermione giggled, stretched up, and kissed the tip of his nose. "That's your second best feature." They had arrived at the Small World. They stood in line and finally climbed into one of the little boats.

There was a repeat of one of the parades, so they were getting through the lines quickly. Severus thought,"The faster this goes, the better."

He sat with his arm around Hermione as they floated through the ride. The song was annoying, but he had to admit there was visual appeal, and Hermione seemed to enjoy it so much. It was a bit alarming that she looked exceptionally young today. He wondered if everyone thought he was her father.

They went through one of the gift shops, and Severus bought her a large Minnie Mouse and a set of Minnie Mouse ears.

Hermione tried to put a set of Mickey Mouse ears on him, but he glared at her. She stuck her tongue out at him and made a face but put them back without another word.

He did accept an Indiana Jones-style hat and a whip. He had an evil, sexy glint in his eye when he cracked it in the store.

Hermione laughed at him in his hat, but she found him so handsome. They returned to their rooms late in the afternoon spent from the heat of the warm California sun. They crawled onto the bed to take a nap. Hermione spooned against Severus and clutched Minnie Mouse.

"You're not going to sleep with that thing, are you?" He watched as she snuggled up to it.

"I have always wanted one of these, Severus, indulge me. I won't bring it to bed again."

He watched her fall asleep with her cheek against the doll. She was so beautiful, and he felt rich and blessed. It had been certainly a different sort of two days, but he had enjoyed watching Hermione enjoy the experience of Disneyland. She'd confided a lot of her dreams and hopes to him during their first summer together, and he had a mental list that he promised himself he would work through as they spent their lives together. He started to think of the plans he'd already made for the summer, and he drifted off to sleep.

They returned to London the next morning. They made love and read to each other. One day, they went out to Stonehenge, disillusioned themselves, and walked among the huge rock formations, feeling the magical power of the stones.

Another day they did the tourist things and walked through Trafalgar Square and stood with hundreds of other people to watch the changing of the guard. They walked hand in hand along the Thames, eating hot scones and sharing a coffee. They spent time going over Hermione's notes. Severus wouldn't say much, but the pride in his eyes was obvious to Hermione, and she knew her potion was a good idea.

Finally the day came when Severus packed his bag and they held each other, loath to let go. Hermione had tears on her cheeks when Severus said goodbye. With a last tender kiss, he tore himself away and hurried down the hall and down the steps. He stopped for a moment to make sure Forest knew Alan Cooper was not allowed upstairs again. That taken care of, he went to the Apparition place and returned to the gates of Hogwarts. Home, was it? He didn't feel that sense of returning anymore, only leaving his heart behind him.

Back in the flat, Hermione fell onto the bed and cried. After a time, she got up, washed her face, and grabbed her notes. Not only did she have work to do, but she planned to give Alan a good talking to. She left the flat with a determined look on her face.

Hermione found Alan in the Potion's lab, as she knew he would be. He cringed under her gaze. She walked up to him and slapped him so hard it knocked his face sideways.

"Hermione!" He held his hands up, begging her not to come too close, but she'd pulled her wand. There was no one else there at this time on a late Sunday afternoon. "Hermione, please don't hurt me. I didn't mean harm. I'm sorry I overstepped our friendship. I hope you and Severus are okay."

Hermione got in his face and pressed her wand to his chest. "Alan, you know how much I love him. You might have jeopardized everything. I have not and never will look at another man. You have no clue how much Severus is a part of my soul."

Backed up to a workbench, Alan stood pale and silent. Her face was so fierce that he felt his knees knock together. Merlin, she was beautiful. Not even thinking, he reached for her.

"Petrificus Totalus," she screamed, backing away.

Alan felt his arms slap to his sides and his legs locked together, and then he was falling sideways onto the floor. All he could see now was her sandaled feet. She kicked him onto his back and bent close.

"If you ever try to touch me again, you will have no use for a woman ever. Do you understand me?" She lowered her wand and poked him in a very private sensitive place and whispered, "Intorpidito."

A strangled sound issued from Alan's white face. His eyes were as big as saucers.

"Don't worry, it will wear off. Change your schedule, and if you see me, turn the other way. I do not want to speak to you again. If you try anything, Alan, I assure you the next time it will not be numb. It will just not be there."

She left the lab and closed door behind her. No one would find him till tomorrow. It would give him something to think about. Hermione stopped, glanced at the door, and took a deep breath. She was shaking, and she willed herself to calm down. She finally smiled and left the building.

Lisa, thanks you so much for the beta work you do for me. Without you I wouldn't be able to get this done so well.

Becky and Angela, thanks for being my first readers and for all your feedback.