Nine

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I make no money here.

AN: This story was written for the 2010 ss/hg_exchange as a gift for lady_karelia. Many thanks to my wonderful betas, dreamy_dragon73 and Clairvoyant.

The next day, Lucius spoke to Severus, just as he'd told Hermione he would. They were outside the cabin, and she could hear raised voices...not angry or like they were fighting, but as if each were trying to talk over the other to make his point. She couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but in the end it seemed that neither one had triumphed. Lucius came inside, and Severus went to tramp through the woods on his quest for the Spiralhorn Sprouts.

Lucius came and stood before Hermione. He looked serious.

"What is it?" she asked. "What did you talk to Severus about?"

"I'm going back to England," he declared.

"What? Why?" she asked, jumping to her feet and confronting him. "I thought you wanted to try to work it out. Why are we leaving?"

"We aren't, I am."

"Lucius, no. Please. That makes no sense."

"It makes perfect sense. I told Severus this, and now I am telling you. You both know where I stand. I want to try to make this triad work. You have both indicated that you are willing to try, but we've been here a week, and you barely speak to each other. You are using me as a go-between, and as long as this goes on, nothing is ever going to be settled."

Hermione thought for a moment, then stated with a grim little smile, "I find it somewhat ironic that those are almost the exact same words that Kingsley used, except he was talking about you and me. Lucius, I guess what you say does make sense in a way, but I really don't want you to leave."

"I know you don't, love, but it's the only way you and Severus will ever settle anything between you. As I said, you both know how I feel; now you need to hash it out between each other. If you both come to the conclusion that we can realistically make it work, then we shall give it a try." He hesitated a moment before tipping her face up to look into her eyes and continued, "I want you to know this, though, if you decide that you and Severus simply can't work it out...I still want a chance for us to explore this thing between us. Triad be damned."

"Oh, Lucius!" she cried, throwing her arms around him, pressing tightly against his body and holding him close. "If I'd known this yesterday, I wouldn't have settled for just a few kisses and snuggles. I would have shagged you silly."

"Damn," he retorted with a half-smirk on his face. "If I'd only known."

She smiled up at him, pulling him down for a kiss. "Do you really have to go? Severus and I may kill each other."

"I hardly think so, my dear," he said as he nuzzled her neck. "If you feel you are making headway with Severus though, do not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to convince him."

"What exactly are you suggesting, Lucius?"

"I am saying, my love, that if you have the chance to seduce him, take it. Not that you need my permission, but if it makes you feel any better, I do approve."

Hermione blushed and buried her face against his chest. "I'm a far cry from a seductress."

Slipping his hands beneath her jumper to caress her back, he replied, "You have managed to seduce me quite easily, Hermione. Severus has been alone a long time; I think he secretly craves a real relationship. And whether you realize it or not, the two of you do have a great deal in common. I don't think he is nearly as averse to you as you seem to think; I've seen how he watches you when he thinks no one is looking. He is more interested than he will admit. Perhaps, he just doesn't know how to begin. Give him a chance, Hermione, just give him a chance."

"I'll try, Lucius. This whole triad idea had me horrified in the beginning, but I must admit the idea of spending the rest of my life bound to two intelligent, powerful, sexy Slytherins is beginning to grow on me."

"I am so happy to hear you say that." His hands slid down to cup her arse, pulling her against his growing erection. "I never thought that you would come around to that opinion." Spinning around with her, he pressed her up against the wall and kissed her deeply as he ground his body against hers. Her legs wrapped around his waist as she wiggled, trying to get even closer to him, practically climbing up his body.

"Please, Lucius, let's go into the bedroom. Severus won't be back for a while."

Lucius continued to kiss her, and his hand slid beneath her jumper. He pushed her bra up to bare her breast, and his thumb traced around her nipple before he bent his head to lick it and then suck on it, driving her wild. He moved back up to kiss her one more time before, with a sigh, he backed away from her. "No, if I take you here, now, I will never be able to bring myself to leave. Then you and Severus will never get a chance to work things out between you. I must go."

"I understand what you are saying, but I still wish you didn't have to go," she said softly with tears in her eyes.

"I think it best if I leave as soon as Severus returns. I will keep in touch with you though, you may be sure of that."

~

Severus returned to the cabin shortly after Lucius had revealed his plan to leave, and Severus had stalked off into the woods. But being unable to concentrate, he returned, determined to talk some sense into his idiot of a friend. Sidling up to the back porch, he peeked carefully through the window and saw them.

Lucius had Granger pinned against the wall, his tongue was thrusting into her mouth. While one arm supported her under her arse and the other hand kneaded her breast. After a moment his hand left her breast to roughly pull up her jumper and bra to fondle her nipples, he dropped his lips to kiss and suckle them each in turn. Severus' pulse increased as he recalled the sight of those lovely breasts with their delicate nipples rising above her bath water. Watching her now, he could see she certainly wasn't fighting Lucius off; if anything she looked as if she were trying to shag him with all of her clothes still on. Just watching the two of them had Severus' cock pressing uncomfortably against his trousers.

He performed an eavesdropping spell to hear what they were saying. He heard Granger beg Lucius to take her to bed, but Lucius denied her, telling her if they went to bed, he wouldn't be able to leave her. Finally, she agreed with him, but clung to him and cried softly in his arms.

Severus stood for several minutes, willing his erection away, then made a production of stomping his feet and making a lot of noise before he entered the cabin. When he looked up, they were sitting next to each other on the sofa, Granger's eyes were a bit weepy looking, and her mouth looked as if she had just been thoroughly kissed. Other than that there were no signs that the couple before him had been on the brink of shagging each other's brains out just moments before.

He couldn't convince Lucius to stay, and he left shortly after Severus returned to the cabin. Hermione sat on the porch steps for nearly twenty minutes after he left, and Severus suspected that she was crying. When she came in, she said she was going to take a hot bath.

When she came out again, she seemed composed and offered to help him cook dinner.

"Do you know how, Granger? To cook that is?" he asked.

"It's not rocket science, after all. I'm no gourmet, but I can cook plain old regular food without too much trouble. I do things the Muggle way, though."

"The Muggle way, really? Why is that?"

"I suppose because that was how I learned when I was still at home. The things I know how to cook I learned from my parents," she responded to his question. "Besides, I think food tends to taste better when made without magic."

"That might be true. My own mother cooked mostly without magic; my father didn't like her using it. And I fondly recall the meals she cooked for us. I've already put a casserole in the oven while you were in the bath. If you want you can make a salad or something to go with it."

"I can handle that," she replied, looking over at him. "Can I ask you a favor? Do you think you could possibly call me Hermione?"

"I suppose I could manage." Then he grudgingly continued, "I guess you should call me Severus, then."

"Thank you, Severus. Mr. Snape sounds odd to me and just too formal given the circumstances, and just Snape seems rude. I hardly think I could to refer to you as sir...unless you're hoping to establish yourself in some kind of position of dominance over me, and if that's the case, then I should tell you right now that's just not going to happen." She blushed suddenly, and he wondered what thoughts were running rampant in her head.

"I can assure you, Hermione, such a thought had never entered my mind," he said. "Until now, that is."

They managed to make it through the first evening alone without killing each other as Hermione had feared. When it was time for bed, she told him that he should take the bedroom because, although she'd been sleeping there since she had been injured, it was rightfully his.

Severus tried to be polite and offered for her to continue sleeping there, but she pointed out that she fit better on the sofa anyway. He half teasingly offered to share the bed, telling her that it wasn't as if they hadn't slept together there before.

She almost seemed to be considering it for a brief moment, but then she declined, blushing profusely again. Making him wonder again, just where her thoughts might be taking her.

~

The first couple of days were awkward and a bit tense between them, but things did seem to calm down, and they were able to function with greater ease as each day passed. They had settled into a routine: they took turns fixing breakfast and lunch and shared supper duty between them. She read his research and helped him scout out likely spots for the sprout to grow, and she got a chance to know Art and Little Anne better. The evenings were the hardest when it was quiet and they were all alone. Sometimes they read, but then after a while, Severus had begun trying to engage her in more one-on-one activities.

"Would you like to play a game of wizard chess?" he asked politely one night about four or five days after Lucius' departure. "I have a chess set shrunk down in my closet. I'd be happy to get it out for you."

"Umm... I appreciate the offer, but I'm not much for wizard chess," she responded.

"Really? Why is that? Lucius enjoys it, and I thought with your similar interests in Arithmancy that you might also. I figured the analytical aspect of it would appeal to you as it does him."

Hermione eyed him closely to try to determine if he was teasing her or not. This Severus really was quite different from the Professor Snape she had known at Hogwarts. That man would have never made small talk over breakfast or brought her a bouquet of tiny snowdrops he'd found blooming in the woods or teased her about some trivial thing just to get a reaction out of her.

"Hmmm... well, perhaps the reason he enjoys it and I don't is because he didn't have to face down larger-than-life-sized chess pieces when he was twelve years old. Standing on that chessboard, terrified to make one wrong move... " She shuddered. "I had nightmares about it for months afterward."

He seemed to mull that statement over before he commented, "Yes, I suppose that could put you off the game.

"How about a card game, then? Do you know any besides exploding snap? I hate that game," he said, not elaborating. "I found some Muggle playing cards in the drawer. Do you know how to play cribbage? I used to play that with my gran."

"Oh, yes, my dad taught me how to play. I suppose we could have a game or two."

Severus transfigured a cribbage board from a piece of firewood. They each won a game, then they played one more to break the tie, which Hermione won. This began a tradition. Every night after dinner they got out the cribbage board and played best two out of three. They kept a running total of games and over all it was split fairly equally. During these games, they laughed and talked, and barriers began to break down between them.

He asked her about that terrifying chess game and how she had solved his logic puzzle that day. He admitted that he had been more than just a little miffed that a twelve-year-old witch had been able to figure it out. They talked of her many misadventures with Harry and Ron. He didn't tell her, but he was secretly horrified at some of the things they'd got up to that no one, not even Dumbledore, had known about.

He learned that she had been the reason his second best robes had caught fire during her first year. He had always suspected it had been a student prank. Frankly, he'd been prone to believe it was one of the Weasley twins, but they had both been on the Quidditch pitch that day, playing in the game. She revealed that she had stolen from his supplies the following year to make Polyjuice Potion. He'd always suspected Potter but could never prove it; now he knew why.

They talked of his life as well. What it was like for him growing up. His friendship with Lily Evans, and his dislike of and rivalry with James Potter and the rest of the Marauders. He explained how he'd been enticed into Voldemort's service, then had quickly realized what a mistake he'd made. He talked about Dumbledore and how he had both loved and hated the man at the same time.

They compared notes on the similarities and differences of being a Muggle-born as opposed to a half-blood and the prejudices of the wizarding world in general. He actually apologized for his treatment of her as his student. He explained that he'd had no real personal dislike, but that he'd been forced to scorn her and her friends as part of his role of one of Voldemort's minions.

After about a week of spending the evenings in this manner, Hermione found herself becoming more at ease in Severus' presence. She also found herself rediscovering the man she had respected and admired. This was the Severus Snape she had hoped to find when she'd set out on this journey with Lucius. He was extremely intelligent, sharp, witty in ways she had never expected and had a rather dry sense of humor that sometimes had her guessing whether he was serious or pulling her leg. From his years of travel after leaving England, he had an endless supply of stories about the places he'd been and the things he had learned. Oh, yes, Hermione was completely intrigued by this man.

~

Severus awoke from a sound sleep, unsure what had caused him to awaken. He lay very quietly listening, then he heard it, a low moan, quiet words...he couldn't quite make out what was said, then what sounded almost like a sob. He slowly got up. Carefully taking his wand, he silently moved to the bedroom door; he left it open at night to have access to the heat from the wood stove.

He stood quietly for a minute. Hermione seemed to be sound asleep on the couch. He'd begun to think that he'd been dreaming when he heard the sound again; a groan, then she was talking in her sleep...her words low, but he could hear them now.

"Please, no. Please, stop... I don't know... I don't know where it came from... We just found it, that's all... Stop, please I can't stand it... No, no, no!"

He move swiftly to the back of the couch and reached down to tenderly brush a strand of hair out of her face. His finger softly traced over her cheek, and just as he was going to bend down to try to wake her gently, his wrist was locked in a vise-like grip. He was jerked forward and pulled over the back of the couch, then quickly rolled to the floor with Hermione on top of him. Her wand appeared from nowhere...it must have been hidden under her pillow...and the tip was buried in his throat.

"Severus! Oh my gods!" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know it was you. Don't ever sneak up on me like that. I could have hurt you."

"You were dreaming. A nightmare, I think."

"Yes, I was dreaming," she replied. Her brow wrinkled as she tried to recall, then her face crumpled as she remembered the dream.

"I was going to wake you, but before I could, you managed to flip me over the couch onto the floor. Goes to show my 'constant vigilance' is a bit out of practice."

Seeing her distress, he reached up to caress the side of her face. "What is it? What were you dreaming about?"

"The war, that last year. We were captured by Snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor. Draco tried to avoid identifying us. Bellatrix was there. She had the boys locked in the dungeon, but she kept me back to interrogate. I think now that Narcissa was appalled by her sister's actions, but there was nothing she could do at the time or Lucius either. I realize that now, but then...I was just so frightened. I wanted them to stop her somehow."

"Bella?" He was outraged. He had no idea that she'd been tortured by Bellatrix during the war. He'd seen what she did to prisoners and how she'd enjoyed every minute. "What did she do to you, Hermione?" he asked, needing to know and yet at the same time terrified of what he was about to hear.

She still sat atop of him where she had landed when she flipped him to the ground. He carefully set her wand aside and gathered her into his arms, holding her protectively to his chest, her head tucked under his chin. "Tell me, muirnín, what did she do?"

Hermione tensed at first, but then just seemed to melt into him. Closing her eyes, she told him. "She kept asking me questions: where had we been hiding, who had helped us, what had Dumbledore told us before he died? Every time she asked, if she didn't like my answer, she used the Cruciatus curse on me. She didn't like very many of my answers, it seemed. I was screaming, screaming, I couldn't stop. She just kept Crucio'ing me until I passed out, then she would cast Rennervate and start all over again."

Hermione trembled after voicing the memories. Severus cuddled her closer, but she kept shivering. It was cold, he realized, lying on the floor, so he rolled to the side and got up quickly, pulling her up into his arms. Glancing briefly to the couch, he considered putting her there, but then discarded that thought and carried her to his bed where he set her down and promptly crawled in with her. He wrapped them both in the warm down comforter and once again held Hermione tightly to him. He encouraged her to finish her tale.

"She was furious because we had the sword, Gryffindor's sword, and she just went mental. She started swearing and screaming, asking me where we'd got it... who we'd stolen it from. She Crucio'd me again and again and again. Finally, I lied to her. I told her it was a fake, not the real sword at all. That only seemed to make her more angry. I had started that night terrified I was going to die, and at the end, I prayed for death. I kept thinking of Neville's parents and how she had tortured them into insanity. I've always been prized for my intelligence; the thought of ending up like them was horrifying to me. I thought I'd be better off dead.

"Then Harry and Ron broke out of the dungeons. I learned later that Dobby had helped them; he'd taken Luna, Dean and Mr. Ollivander to safety. I was out of it by that time, but with Dobby's help the boys got us out of there with Gryffindor's sword and the goblin Griphook as well. As they Disapparated Bella threw her knife at Harry; it hit Dobby though, and killed him. He was brave and loyal to Harry; at least he died free."

Severus felt heartsick. He admitted to her, "It was my fault. I'm the one who brought the sword to Potter in The Forest of Dean. It was my doe Patronus that led him to find it there. It was because of me that Bella tortured you. You must hate me for that."

She pulled back and looked into his eyes in the dim light of the bedroom. "Honestly, Serverus, are you mad? Of course I don't hate you, you silly man. What are you thinking? If you hadn't brought us the sword, we wouldn't have been able to destroy the Horcruxes, and Neville wouldn't have been able to summon it to kill Nagini. You saved us, Severus. You saved all of us."

Saying that, she turned over and snuggled back against him. He was unsure at first how to react, thinking perhaps he should go sleep on the couch. But Hermione calmly reached back, grabbed his arm and wrapped it firmly around her as she snuggled even closer yet and promptly fell asleep in his warm embrace.

He rested his cheek against her hair and whispered softly, "Sleep well, A chuisle."

tbc

AN: The phrases that Severus used for Hermione are both Irish terms of endearment. In my imagination there is an old Irish grandma in his background (please let there have been someone to offer that lost little boy some love) where he picked up these terms: "muirnín" means sweetheart, "A chuisle" literally means my pulse, but can be used as my love or my darling. A couple of similar phrases that will be included in future chapters: "A chuisle mo chroi" means the pulse of my heart (again, a term of endearment similar to my love, my darling, etc.) , and "a ghrá mo chroí" means the love of my heart.