Believe That We Alone Can Love

Severus shrugged his thick outdoor coat over his narrow shoulders and gathered the basket and dragon-hide gloves. His mood was no longer buoyant after his note from Granger. She claimed to have a head cold and apologised for not being able to assist him, but he still had ingredients to harvest, with or without her help. He had sent a terse reply back, along with a vial of Pepperup potion should she choose to use it. He wasn't angry as much as disappointed. He was also slightly frustrated with himself. His first instinct had been to walk straight through his Floo and spend the evening tending her ill health, but she would have thought him quite mad, so he resisted. Even so, he was taking his own sweet time in leaving the castle. A large part of him had no desire to be anywhere Granger wasn't.

With a disgruntled grunt, he slammed the dungeon door and trudged along the dark corridor. As he rounded a bend he heard giggling and rustling behind a tapestry-covered alcove. Without preamble, he drew back the tapestry with his wand, revealing a half-dressed Ravenclaw girl who looked like she had been well and truly kissed, and a sallow-faced Slytherin, who smirked down at the pretty girl and ignored Severus in his belief that nothing bad would happen.

'Twenty points from Slytherin, Caldecott, for not being more discreet,' he rumbled. 'Thirty points from Ravenclaw, Miss Hayes, for not having better taste.'

His face was thunder, and deep down he knew that his wrath was not solely fuelled by misbehaving students. He did feel better for venting, however, and as he watched the chastened pair running away from him, he smirked and glanced back at the alcove. A flash of Granger's smooth limbs entwined around his waist as he leaned her against the rough stone walls entered his mind unbidden, and with a scowl, he continued his journey with more determination to put such thoughts from his head.

As he left the castle at a brisk pace, the cool wind whipped his hair behind him and caught the edge of his coat, causing it to billow and fly behind him. He had no idea that he looked like a dark angel on a mission, and that from her vantage point in the Astronomy tower, a certain witch was watching him with a sense of awe and apprehension.

***

The following day was Sunday, but Severus was not one for lounging in bed. He was up early after a surprisingly good night's sleep. Perhaps the fresh air last night had done the trick. He browsed his bookshelf, ready to settle in his armchair for a good read before lunch, but his plans were annoyingly interrupted by the bane of his very existence.

'Ah, Severus, there you are.' Dumbledore sounded cheerful, which in Severus's experience was never a good sign.

'Where else,' he murmured at the headmaster, whose head was sticking out of Severus' Floo.

'Come through, Severus. I have good news.' With a nod of his head, he disappeared, and Severus swore under his breath. If the old man had been plotting again, he would hex him into next week.

In the headmaster's office, Dumbledore sat in his usual place behind his desk, but Severus immediately noticed two chairs in front of it and quirked his eyebrow at him.

'Expecting someone else?' he asked.

'All in good time, my boy. Please, take a seat. Would like tea?' He proffered the teapot in Severus's direction, but he shook his head.

'Get to the point, Albus. I have things to do.' He folded his arms across his chest.

'Very well.' Dumbledore paused and smiled widely. 'I have received a response in my search for a match. There is someone willing to bond with you, Severus.'

Severus stared at Dumbledore as if he were speaking a foreign language. A match? Someone was willing to bond. With him. A cold sense of fear gripped his stomach.

'No,' he hissed.

'But, Severus, you haven't met her yet!' Dumbledore said incredulously.

'You know I cannot, Albus,' he said beseechingly. 'Please, give me more time to...'

'I will not.' Dumbledore said seriously. 'I know how you feel about certain things, but I must insist that you at least meet her. It would be impolite of you not to. If you think the match unsuitable afterwards, then we can wait a while longer, if you so choose.'

Severus closed his eyes and sighed. 'Fine,' he said resignedly. He knew that he had no good argument, and there was certain propriety in these matters.

'Excellent!' Dumbledore clapped his hands together happily and his eyes twinkled so brightly that Severus thought he could quite possibly be intoxicated. 'You can reveal yourself, my dear.'

Severus stared at him in horror. The conniving bastard had concealed his potential mate, and she had quite probably overheard the whole damn conversation! His face flushed as he sat straighter in his chair and self-consciously combed through his hair with his fingers. His eyes almost fell out of his head, however, when Hermione Granger walked nervously around the pillar that had been her hiding place and smiled at him.

'Hello, sir,' she said quietly.

Severus looked from her face to Dumbledore, who looked like the cat who had the cream. He nodded in affirmation, and Severus let out a long breath and relaxed into his chair, relief sweeping over him, his feelings overwhelming him and the desire to take the witch immediately to a certain alcove causing a tightening sensation in his nether regions.

'I should congratulate the both of you, if I am not too ahead of myself,' Dumbledore said with undisguised happiness. Severus bit back a bark of laughter as Dumbledore stood and soundly kissed a stunned Granger on her cheek.

'Severus, perhaps you could take Miss Granger through to your rooms. I am sure it would be more comfortable to talk there.'

Severus nodded and stood, gesturing to Hermione to go ahead of him through the Floo. He refused to acknowledge Dumbledore as he stepped into the hearth. No doubt, he would be itching to share the news with Minerva, and they would gossip about them like a pair of old hens, but no matter.

He stepped into his sitting room and turned to look at Granger, who was sitting on the edge of the sofa and eyeing him uncertainly. She seemed to have dressed for the occasion, in a soft pink jumper and a far too tight pair of denim jeans, and her hair was around her shoulders in soft, undulating waves.

'I think you have finally lost your mind, Granger,' he said blandly, fighting the urge to shout out his overwhelming joy at her decision.

'I don't think so, sir. You see...' She paused and he sat beside her. She looked sideways at him as if afraid to divulge something, but her confidence won out. 'I know about The Calling.'

Severus felt the colour drain from his cheeks, and a shiver ran through him. He realised that the Unbreakable Vow had lifted, and Granger must have noticed it too because she shivered slightly and frowned. She looked into his face with concern.

'That was an Unbreakable Vow, wasn't it? Did Dumbledore make you do that?' There was a hint of anger in her voice, and Severus wondered what had triggered it.

'Indeed. He wished you to come to your decision without coercion,' he said quietly, still not believing she would actually go through with it.

'That was incredibly cruel of him. Didn't he know how painful it would be for you to suffer The Calling and not act on it?' Her eyes flashed, and she stood up, pacing the room slowly.

'Painful?' Severus stared at the witch, aware that in moments their roles had changed and suddenly, she was the one with the knowledge.

'According to my research, if a Strigoi does not act on The Calling, the pull grows stronger, and denial of the urges can cause excruciating pain in... well, certain areas...' She stopped, suddenly realising who she was speaking to, and sat back down on the sofa without looking at him.

Overwhelmed with the ridiculousness of the situation, Severus started to laugh. Granger looked sideways at him and couldn't help but smile. His laughter was infectious, and she began to giggle too, until their eyes met and the laughter faded. She smiled at him warmly.

'Can I ask you a question, sir?'

Severus couldn't stop a smile. 'Now and for the rest of my sorry existence, most likely,' he said.

'Did I pass the apprenticeship exam fairly, or did you fix it so I would get the position?'

Her face mirrored genuine concern that she hadn't got the place on her own merits, and knowing what she did now, he couldn't blame her for doubting him. Deep down, Severus knew that if she hadn't passed, he would have fudged it and let her in anyway.

'A fair question,' he said, running his hands through his hair. He had often imagined what their coming together might look like. This had not been one of the scenarios. 'You passed fair and square, naturally.'

'And if I hadn't?' Hermione narrowed her eyes, and Severus knew without a doubt he would never be able to lie to this witch, so he didn't even try.

'I would have altered the papers accordingly. I didn't need to, Granger. You can test the papers yourself to see if they have been tampered with.' Severus was starting to feel miserable. He was blotting his copybook with her, and they hadn't even got to second base. If things continued like this, she would most likely change her mind.

'I trust you, sir,' Hermione said with a rueful smile. 'The compatibility questions had nothing to do with working together, did they?'

'Draco's did. Yours were... different,' he admitted, suddenly feeling as if he had been totally out of line. 'It was not my intention to deceive, Granger.'

'I understand, sir. In fact, I spent last night drawing up my own compatibility questions. According to Strigoi tradition, we're both expected to fill them in and compare notes, am I right?' She had the nerve to smirk at him as she pulled out a sheet of folded parchment from her jeans pocket.

Severus groaned. 'Of all the witches...' he murmured, taking the parchment from her as she laughed lightly. He scanned the questions and was about to protest when she spoke again.

'I know some of the questions are personal, sir, but if we're going to do this, I have to be sure. I never do anything without committing myself fully, and I always imagined.... Well, if we are to be married, I would like us to be happily so.'

Severus looked at her with admiration. She was seriously considering being his mate, and if it was within his power to make that happen, he would do it, even if it meant answering all of her questions. He was still looking at her when he realised that she was also looking at him, and that there were only a few inches of sofa cushion between them. His eyes automatically dropped to her lips, and his heart started to beat faster. Knowing that the witch knew about The Calling meant he no longer had to hide the way he was drawn to her, and he took a length of her soft hair in his hand. Bringing it to his nose, he inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, enraptured.

'Severus,' she whispered. He opened his eyes quickly and found she was now leaning closer to him, with her eyes staring into his. It took a while to register that she had spoken his name, and he smiled slowly.

'Hermione,' he replied smoothly.

'Would you like to kiss me before I go?' she asked hoarsely.

It seemed he was not the only one affected by desire. His mouth went dry, and he felt inarticulate and clumsy, like a teenager on his first date. He nodded, and she let out a small whimper of approval. Without giving him time to think about anything, she closed the gap between their lips, and he felt her hand, small and warm as she threaded her fingers though his. There was something incredibly tender and innocent about it, so different to their first passion-fuelled encounter, and Severus felt a lump rise in his throat as his thin lips met hers. Gentle and tentative, Hermione moved her mouth against his, and he teased her open with his tongue. She moaned quietly and he resisted her efforts to deepen the kiss. Instead, he threaded his free hand through her hair, cradling her face with his palm. He caressed her lips with his for far longer than he had ever dreamed of. Reluctantly pulling back, he rested his forehead against hers as they caught their breath and then kissed her once more quickly before moving away. He didn't release her hand, however.

'I fear I will not be in control of myself should we do this too often,' he said in explanation.

Hermione nodded her understanding and blushed at the implication of his words.

'I think we should wait, at least, until we have compared the compatibility questions and made the final decision,' she said softly. Severus couldn't help but notice her eyes had a slightly dreamy look, and he wondered for the first time just how often she had been kissed.

Hermione caressed his fingers with hers and then let his hand fall as she stood to leave. She paused at the Floo and flashed him a smile, then stepped into the hearth. Once she had gone, Severus had to fight the urge to follow her immediately, just to be in her company.

'It will come soon enough,' he said.

***

Hermione's emotions were all over the place when she returned to her rooms. Severus' kisses were intoxicating, and her head was swimming. Viktor had tried to kiss her with what passed for passion in Bulgaria, but her lips had been bruised and sore and she had avoided being that close to him after the Yule Ball. Ron kissed like a fish, open-mouthed and wet. Once was enough that time, too. But Severus' kisses...

'Gods...' she whispered, feeling herself flush at the memory of his tongue against hers. She marched quickly to her bathroom and turned on the shower. She had to freshen up before going to the Burrow, and putting some space between herself and the man who had her so flustered.

Quickly undressing, she stepped under the warm water, and as she washed herself, her mind went through the events of the morning. What she had done was life-changing, of that there was no doubt, and when she had first approached Dumbledore to offer herself to Snape, she had almost changed her mind at the last moment. It was the letter from Gabriel Thantos that pushed her through the door in the end. She had written to him posing as a research student interested in Strigoi culture, with particular interest in a vague reference she had uncovered to something named 'the Calling'. It had been a deception of sorts, but he had responded quickly and enthusiastically. He had been more than graphic about the physical effects of the syndrome, and Hermione wondered if Snape had needed to, well, relieve himself. It wouldn't work in the long-term, according to Thantos. Rather, it just increased the need for the woman the Strigoi was called to, which would lead to the worst-case scenario. No release, leading to madness from which the male would never recover.

Once Hermione had read this, any arguments she may have had for ignoring Snape's plight went out of the window. She had never thought to marry and have children so young, but there were advantages to getting it done now rather than having to stop in the middle of her career and start all over again.

Hermione felt a sudden spike of anger towards Albus Dumbledore. She knew just how manipulative the old bugger really was, and she felt a pang as she wondered just how many times he had used Severus in the past. If he had been able to tell her about the Calling, they would be married by now and on the way to saving his life.

Hermione stepped out of the shower with renewed resolve and grinned as she thought of Severus, bent over her parchment and writing his answers to her questions in his spiky scrawl. It was cruel of her really, because she had already made up her mind to go though with it, compatibility questions or no.

The more she thought about it, the more she convinced herself that being married to Snape wouldn't be such a bad thing. If they ran out of things to talk about, he could just kiss her to fill the time.