Twelve

A/N: A couple of readers liked the last chapter so much, they begged me to post a two-chapter day. I declined. I worry that if I post multiple chapters in one day, folks might accidently skip one. However, I did promise to post today's chapter early. I think 3:30 in the morning is suitably early.

Of course, I'm only doing it because it's completely evil of me to do so...

Smooches to all my readers and big sloppy kisses to those who take a moment to review. No Beta- so any mistakes are my own.

Disclaimer: They are not mine; I only take them out to play.

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Steven was ringing up a customer when she walked in. He looked up when he heard the little bell on the door and stared into her eyes for a moment before giving her a wink and returning his attention to the cash register. The shop was busier than she'd ever seen it, with perhaps a dozen customers browsing the aisles. It was Saturday. Folks had more time for shopping on the weekend.

Though she had the copy of the book Steven had given her... safely tucked into a handbag that was a little larger on the inside than it appeared-- Hermione found herself too fidgety to sit down and read yet. It was so good to see him again, but now all she wanted to do was run her hands all over him. She browsed a bit herself, taking a look at a section of books on Muggle psychology.

She was trying to reach an interesting book on group dynamics, standing on tiptoe to reach the top shelf, when she felt a tall man press gently against her back.

"Do let me fetch that for you, Miss Granger," Steven said, his voice coming out slightly low and rumbly.

As he reached above her, she couldn't help but press back slightly into that delicious heat. Steven radiated heat like a furnace. She wondered how it would be to snuggle up to his naked body on a cold winter's night. She felt one of his hands briefly cup her bottom.

"Why, thank you, Mr. Sondheim. You're very kind."

Leaning down slightly, he murmured, "Is this what people do, Hermione? Stand chatting as if nothing is going on when only last night I had my tongue thrust completely up your..."

"Steven!" she nearly squealed, spinning to grin up at him. "People act all sorts of ways. But this is your shop and I'm not going to behave like a lovesick hinny and embarrass you at your work."

"And are you a lovesick hinny?"

"Oh, yes, I certainly am."

"You worry too much," he said. Handing her the book, he kissed the back of her hand before going to help another customer, throwing a final comment of "Nice trousers," over his shoulder.

Sweet Merlin. The way he always stared into her eyes when he kissed her hand always got her juices flowing. She'd once thought it a quaint, old-fashioned gesture, but it was nothing of the sort when Steven did it.

It was sexy as hell.

Hermione settled into one of the chairs in the reading nook and read her book. She read happily as she waited, taking many short breaks to gaze at Steven or chat with him when he was between customers.

The rush of shoppers trickled and died before Marta arrived to relieve Steven. The cheerful girl ran directly up to Hermione and gave her a big hug.

"You're wonderful," she whispered to Hermione. "Steven couldn't stop smiling after your date the other night."

"Neither could I," Hermione whispered back.

It took only a moment for Steven to hand the store over to his co-owner.

"Almost ready, pet," he said to her. "I just have to grab something from the reading room."

Taking her hand, he led her into the small room and pulled her inside. Then he was kissing her, his hands drifting from her hair, down her back, where they came to rest squeezing the globes of her arse.

"It was pure madness trying to keep my hands off of you for hours," he said when they came up for air. "Will it always be like this? How do people manage?"

"It's not always like this. I've never felt quite like this, not until you. But I think it's worse now, when everything is new and exciting. Eventually, we should be able to be in the same room without wanting to rip each other's clothes off."

He kissed her again before replying. "I don't know about that. I can't imagine not wanting to touch you. Damn. I have a lovely dinner planned, but all I want to do is whisk you to your flat and rip your clothes off. Hold your hips down and bury my tongue in your delicious heat."

"You say the sexiest things," she said, breathlessly.

Lifting up, she bit him softly on the neck, just above where his ever-present turtleneck covered. He growled at her, a rumbling sound that traveled straight to her core.

"We could pick up some take away and go to my place."

"Why Miss Granger, you're brilliant."

One last kiss, and he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and led her to the front door as Marta giggled at them and wished them a nice time.

They were on the sidewalk, arm in arm, when a furious shout stopped Hermione in her tracks.

"Hermione! What the fuck is going on? What the hell are you doing with him? I knew there was a reason you've been acting so weird. He's done something to you!"

She spun around, her wand already in her hand, a reflex born from years of war. Ron Weasley stood ten feet away. He was in a ridiculous powder blue tuxedo with a ruffled shirt. His face was red, his expression furious. His wand was pointed directly at Steven's chest.

She raised her wand to hex him before he could do any damage to a man who could no longer defend himself. Before she could cast, Steven thrust her behind him with one strong push.

"Sectumsempra!" Ron roared.

A flash of wand light, and Steven crumpled to the pavement at her feet.

"I'll kill him," she muttered as she cast a shield around herself and the still form at her feet. But she could not waste time killing him yet. She had to get Steven to safety. She needed time. Silently she cast a jinx that put a bubble as thick as treacle pudding around the crazed redhead.

Marta flew from the door of the shop and immediately helped Hermione drag a limp Steven back inside. She propped him up, sitting on the floor and leaning against the counter. Fucking hell, there was so much blood.

His eyes were open, though shuttered with pain. Always so damned brave, even as a Muggle.

"You stupid, stupid man," she sputtered, as she lifted his turtleneck to get a look at the damage. Three deep gashes in his chest, bleeding freely.

"Love you," he whispered.

"You are not dying on me, you stupid wonderful man."

"Hermione!" Marta shouted. "Ward the door! The murdering bastard has broken through your hex. Use your wand, woman!"

Without even thinking, she flicked at the door several times, a different color of light flowing from her wand with each movement. Then she turned back to Steven, running her wand over his wounds, softly singing the simplest of healing charms. She was no healer. The flow of blood had slowed considerably, but she could not heal the wounds completely.

Marta appeared at her elbow with a clean towel from the loo and quickly pressed it to Steven's chest. "Can't you heal it?"

"No. I need help."

"Then get it!"

Another wand flourish, and her silver Patronus appeared, dancing around her. "Get Minerva first, tell her bring Poppy, inside the bookshop. Severus is hurt. Tell her to hurry. Then get Harry, tell him to come. Tell him to fucking kill that crazy Ron Weasley."

The otter flew through the walls of the shop and vanished.

Looking to Steven, she saw that he watched her, his face carefully blank. He was terrified.

"Steven," she said, sliding up to him and throwing an arm around his shoulders, leaning him against her. "Don't be afraid. I've sent for help and you're going to be fine. I know this all looks insane. That secret I was afraid to tell you. This is it. But it's going to be all right. You're going to be fine. I promise you. You're going to see some crazy things, but I promise you it will be all right. Please trust me."

"Hermione," he whispered, his voice weak. "Never turn away...from you."

One of his hands slipped over to grasp her own. She held it so tightly she feared she'd hurt him and forced herself to loosen her grip.

"What if that madman breaks in before help comes?" Marta asked.

"Then I'll kill him," Hermione growled. "I'll kill him for daring to touch what is mine."

"Will Steven be all right?" Marta asked, tears in her eyes. "So much blood..."

"Help is coming. We won't let him die. I won't let him die on me, not when I finally found him."

A loud pop, and two women in wizarding robes appeared in the room. They both rushed to Steven, pushing Hermione and Marta aside so they could get to his injuries.

"What hex, Hermione?" Minerva asked, her voice stern and commanding.

"Sectumsempra."

"Oh, Severus. One of your own, and a nasty one as well."

Though the older women had moved them, Hermione sat on the floor as closely as she could get without being in the way. Marta sat at her side. A disjointed memory had Hermione confused.

"Marta, you told me to get my wand."

"I'm a squib. Raised by Muggle relatives. I don't really know much about the wizarding world, but I know magic when I see it."

A piercing shriek came from the door of the shop. Her wards. Her wards were falling. Hermione sprung to her feet, wand in hand, ready and willing to kill to protect her love. Her eyes flashed fire and her expression was fierce.

The wards fell, the door opened, and Harry walked in, his hands held open in front of him to show he had no wand. She almost hexed him anyway, so ready was she to do battle, but she checked the impulse at the last second. When she managed to drop her wand arm, he hurried forward and clasped her in a tight hug.

"How bad is Severus?"

"I don't know," she said her voice ragged. Then she burst into tears, burying her face against her friend's shoulders.

Minerva rose from the floor and came to detach Hermione from Harry. "He's going to be fine. Poppy needs a few more minutes. Come see him, Hermione. Come see him. He's calling for you."

Though he was flat on his back with the mediwitch still working over him, he looked much better already. He raised his hand to Hermione the moment he saw her. She slumped to the floor next to him, clasping his hand in both of hers and pressing it against her mouth while tears ran freely down her cheeks.

"Hermione." His voice was already stronger. "Don't cry, love. I'll be fine. You heard these...hmm...ladies say so. I admit I'm a trifle confused by what's happened, but I expect you will help me sort it out. Please don't cry."

A small sob escaped her, and she squeezed her eyes tightly shut, bowing her head over the hand she clasped tightly in her own. He's almost been killed. Almost died because he couldn't protect himself without his magic. With all he'd been through and witnessed, he wasn't turning away from her, he was trying his best to comfort her.

She opened her eyes, brought his hand to her lips and kissed it. "I do so love you, you brave stupid man."

He smiled at her, a small tired smile, but Hermione felt true hope for their relationship for the first time since it had begun.

"He needs to be monitored for a few hours," Poppy said, "and I'd feel better about it if I had him back at Hogwarts with a fully stocked infirmary around me."

Worry about repercussions to his memory made Hermione hesitate.

"Steven, the things you saw tonight, did any of it seem familiar?" she asked him.

"No, nothing. I feel like I've been dropped into a fantasy movie with a ton of special effects."

"Mentally, are you experiencing any ill effects? That is, except for this all seeming a little fantastical?"

"I'm in no distress, Hermione. You asked me to trust you and I do."

"No flooing," Poppy ordered. "Not with those wounds barely healed. Not that there's a floo here, anyway. Someone will need to side-along apparate with him."

"I will," Hermione said.

"Are you certain that's wise, Hermione?" Harry asked. "You're pretty upset."

"I will apparate him," Hermione growled. "I will not be separated from him for one second. Have I made myself clear?"

When she looked at Steven, he was smiling at her again. He seemed nearly his normal self, which relieved her somewhat, but she still wasn't ready to let him out of her sight.

Steven got to his feet with little assistance, wincing only slightly as he stood. The first thing he did was to draw Hermione into a firm hug.

"You are truly the most amazing creature," he whispered in her ear.

Giving him a quick kiss, she looked into his eyes. "Trust me?"

"Yes, with everything that I am."

She turned him gracefully and they vanished from the bookshop.