Hermione Part III

Chapter 7: Hermione Part III

The wind blew gently across the surface of the lake, swaying the branches of the trees, and carrying the smell of summer across the grounds. Hermione glanced at the window that looked out over the sloping lawns of Hogwarts castle as she worked through her research. The breeze fluttered through her hair and made her long to run outside, to splash through the shallows of the lake and sleep on the cool grass under the summer sun.

"For Merlin's sake," she mumbled, crossing though an Arithmancy calculation for the third time. Her work went slowly these days. It was difficult to focus when thoughts of a beautiful little girl and her father wound through her mind.

Stretching, Hermione pushed away from her desk. She stood and went to the window, leaning on her elbows and holding her face in her hands. The view was spectacular and, on a normal day, she loved it. But today, she would much rather have been curled up with Andromeda reading a book to her while Severus graded papers at his desk.

The sound of laughter floated up from the grounds beneath her window. Leaning out in order to see what was going on, Hermione caught sight of a head full of black curls skipping down the front steps. A smile crossed Hermione's face a second later when she heard, "Huwwy up, Daddy! You pwomised!"

Severus followed quickly after Andromeda, brushing his raven hair behind his ears as he chased after her. "I'm coming, darling heart, but you have to give me a little time. Daddy's not so quick as he used to be."

Andromeda turned to her father and smiled sweetly, her curls falling over her shoulder as she clutched her bag of marbles. "Nope, youwr pewfect, Daddy. Now huwwy!" She shuffled from one tiny foot to the other as she watched Severus limp down the stairs as quickly as he could for the wound on his torso still throbbed with pain.

Her smile faded slightly as she saw Severus clutching his side as he tried to hurry toward Andromeda, who patiently waited at the bottom of the stairs. The little girl held out her hand as he drew closer, still smiling as if nothing else mattered in the world but her father. As he drew closer, Severus reached out and folded her tiny hand in his own. He smiled down at her, clicked his heels together, and bowed as low as he could bear.

"Princess Andromeda," he said, kissing her hand softly. "What shall we do today?"

Andromeda nibbled her bottom lip and blushed before pulling Severus toward the lake. "Let's play with my mawbles under the big twee," she squealed, shaking the bag as she skipped down the rolling lawn.

Hermione felt terribly sad that she wasn't with them. Her heart broke as Severus struggled slowly to the ground, holding his hand over his side. Andromeda knelt in front of her father and dumped the bag of marbles onto the grass. She looked up at her father and, tilting her head to the side, said, "I wish Herminny was here."

Severus smiled and pushed her black curls behind her ear. "Well," he said, pointing up toward Hermione's window. "That's her room right there, and the window is open. Maybe she's sitting up there working. I bet you could get her to come out to play."

That was all the prompting Andromeda needed. "Heminny!" she screamed, waving her arms in the air. "Herminny!"

Grinning, Hermione poked her head out of her window. "What are you doing down there, Andromeda?"

"Playing mawbles with Daddy. Come play with us!" She clapped her hands together and laughed. "Pwease, Herminny!"

"I'm coming, sweetheart. I'll be right there!" Hermione closed her window and put away her books and papers with a flick of her wand. After warding her rooms, she rushed down the stairs from Gryffindor tower, quickly tying her hair back as she went.

She burst through the front doors a few moments later, the warm summer breeze swirling around her. She smiled brightly as she heard Andromeda's laughter from beneath the tree by the lake. Breaking into a quick jog, Hermione laughed along with the little girl who had stolen her heart.

Breathless, Hermione collapsed onto the ground next to Severus and Andromeda. Gathering her into her arms, Hermione pressed kisses onto the top of Andromeda's head. "It feels like I haven't seen you in days, sweetheart! I've missed you."

"I miss you too, Herminny," she said, pulling her closer so she could whisper in her ear. "And Daddy has too."

A blush crept over Hermione's cheeks as she looked at Severus out of the corner of her eye. He smiled back at her, an action that softened his features. The summer breeze blew through his hair, nearly hiding the light in his eyes when he looked at her. He couldn't help but remember Samantha as he watched Hermione tickle Andromeda until she squirmed and laughed. He could hear his wife's soft voice in his thoughts, whispering gently. I will always be with you, but love Hermione for who she is on her own and not because of who she is with me.

They stayed there for what felt like hours, playing marbles and watching the giant squid rippling the surface of the lake. The breeze grew cooler as the sun began to sink beneath the mountains, and Severus conjured a blanket to wrap themselves up in. He put the blanket around his shoulders and held it open for Hermione and Andromeda to join him. Andromeda squirmed in between them, resting her head gently on her father's side. Smiling softly at her, Hermione pulled the blanket around her until it covered Andromeda.

Her heart fluttered when Severus maneuvered his arm around her, pulling her close to him. He smiled down at her again, the light flickering in his eyes once more. "I don't know what we'd do without you, Hermione," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the breeze. He cleared his throat and looked out over the lake, the look on his face betraying the conflict he felt. "I know that you've spoken to Albus about the similarities between yourself and Samantha. I... um, well, suffice it to say that I am quite capable of distinguishing between the two of you. I know very well that you are not Samantha, no matter how much you remind me of her."

"Of course, Severus," she replied, unsure of where this conversation was headed. She nervously wiped her suddenly sweaty hands on her jeans and waited for him to continue.

"Andromeda has grown very fond of you, as I am sure you are aware. I think you should know, however, that she is not the only one." He drew a deep breath before looking steadily into her upturned face. "I am fond of you as well, Hermione. More so than my pride would like to admit.

"Please understand that I am grateful for your love and care of Andromeda, and I am thankful for your companionship. I will always miss Samantha, but I have grieved her loss." He smiled slightly, looking more nervous than Hermione had ever seen him. "I suppose what I am trying to say is that I would like to spend more time with you and see if you could perhaps grow fond of me as well.

"I know how strange that must sound. I am aware that it may never occur, as I was so terribly dreadful to you during your school days. And for that, I am again deeply sorry. I only hope that you can look past my mistakes and find out if you can ever feel anything other than pity for me."

Hermione gasped, tears stinging her eyes as she took his hand in her own. "I don't pity you, Severus. I could never do that. You are one of the bravest, most intelligent man I have ever known. If I feel anything, it is respect for you. You've fought the Dark Lord twice and you nearly died the last time. You lost your wife to the fight, and you are doing all you can to raise a beautiful little girl on your own. And..." she trailed off, looking out over the lake as she tried to gather her thoughts. "I grew fond of you long ago, Severus."

There was silence between them for a moment as they contemplated the implication of Hermione's statement. She finally screwed up enough courage to look him in the eye. He smiled down at her, waiting patiently for her to speak.

"I suppose we should take Andromeda back inside," she said, her voice cracking with nervousness. "It's getting far too cold for her to be out here."

Severus nodded, pulling his arm away from her and gathering Andromeda up into his arms before struggling to his feet. Hermione bunched up the blanket and held it close to her chest, trying to still her rapidly beating heart. They walked in silence for a few moments before Hermione took his hand in her own.

"Please don't think I'm being too forward, Severus, but I have to tell you this. I am more than fond of you. I suppose I have loved you since my sixth year, even while you were with Samantha." Her breath hitched when he squeezed her hand in recognition. "I only hope that you can come to love me as much as you loved Samantha."

~~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~~

Andromeda was still sleeping soundly against her father's shoulder as Severus led Hermione into his dungeon rooms. A wave of his hand set the lamps and torches ablaze, casting his form in a warm golden glow. Hermione followed him down the hallway to Andromeda's bedroom to help put her to bed. The lamp on her nightstand flickered to life, revealing pink walls decorated with teddy bears that waved and smiled down from the wall. A white canopy hung over the bed, shielding the multitude of dolls and bears from the chill of the dungeons. Toys were piled into the corner where they spilled out of a giant treasure chest of a toy box. A little chair sat in the other corner beneath an enchanted window. Next to it was a small, round table with a stack of books and parchments on it. A box of crayons and a Muggle coloring book rested on a shelf above the table along with several storybooks. It reminded Hermione of her own bedroom at home with her parents.

Severus whispered softly to Andromeda as he sat her on the edge of her bed. She rubbed her eyes with her fists as she awoke slightly. "Time to put on you pajamas, darling," he whispered, unbuttoning the back of the summer dress she wore.

Hermione found Andromeda's favorite pajamas in her bureau, the green ones with beautiful twinkling silver stars. She helped Severus maneuver the sleepy child out of her dress and into her pajamas before she fell soundly back to sleep. They piled her bedtime toys with her others in the corner, put her marbles on her nightstand, and tucked her in with her favorite bear. Hermione pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, pushing her black curls away from her face as Andromeda drew her thumb into her mouth. Severus followed suit, then took Hermione by the hand.

Before they found their way out of the room, they heard Andromeda whisper, "I wuv you, Daddy. I wuv you, Mummy Herminny."

Looking at each other, their faces lit by the lamp on the nightstand, Severus and Hermione answered softly, "We love you too, sweetheart."

Hermione felt a comfortable warmth spread through her as she let Severus lead her by the hand out of Andromeda's bedroom and into the sitting room. "Would you like something to drink, Hermione?" he asked.

"Some juice would be nice," she replied, smiling shyly. As he set off to his private kitchen, Hermione curled up on the end of the sofa listening to the soft tinkling of glasses in the next room. Resting her chin on her knees, Hermione thought over how much she truly wanted this to be part of her life. If Severus were to ask me today, she thought with a smile, I'd marry him in a heartbeat.

When Severus returned from the kitchen, Hermione was staring into space, a smile gracing her features as they flickered with the lamp light. He crossed the room quietly, watching the play of the light over her face and marveling at the fact that two beautiful, intelligent, marvelous women loved him despite his shortcomings.

"Everything okay?" he asked, startling her slightly as he sat down next to her. "I'm sorry if I scared you. A force of habit, I suppose, from years of stalking after children." Hermione was surprised when a low laugh erupted from his throat.

"You always did have a way of sneaking up on people," she replied, giggling. "I remember once during seventh year you snuck up on me in the library, and I tried desperately to keep you from noticing that you scared me, but..."

"But what?" he asked, leaning forward as she took her glass of juice from him.

"Well," she mumbled, trying to hide the blush flooding over her face. "You scared me all right. You made me pee myself."

If she had been surprised by his chuckle, she was literally stunned when he burst into an honest-to-goodness laugh. His eyes crinkled as his lips twitched up into a broad smile. His entire demeanor changed as he fought to keep quite so as not to awaken his daughter. He reached out for Hermione's hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

"Ah, yes, I remember that day. You were studying for the N.E.W.T.s I think. Potter and Weasley were there as well, if my memory serves. I couldn't help myself," he admitted, looking down at their entwined hands. "I suppose I admired you even then. It's completely wrong for me to say that as I was both your teacher and married at the time, but there it is."

She squeezed his hand and took a sip of juice before responding. "Well, I suppose this is what it means to 'get to know' each other," she chuckled. "There are a thousand things I would like to know about you, Severus, but if I have learned nothing during my time at Hogwarts, I've learned that you are a private man. I will not push you for answers that you aren't ready to give. We'll take it slow, one day at a time as they say."

He nodded, taking a sip of juice himself. (He'd done away with his stash of Firewhiskey not long after Andromeda was born.) "Agreed. Seeing as we are now... courting," he mumbled, clearly uncomfortable with the archaic term. "I suppose a proper date is in order. Would you do me the honor of joining me for dinner before the term starts?"

"I'd like nothing more," she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for a wonderful day, Severus."

Before he could stop himself, he bent his head and kissed her gently. Her scent wrapped around him as she returned his kiss. He felt light-headed when he pulled back slightly a second later. His lips fluttered over hers as he whispered, "No, thank you."

Notes from The Mistress : Please forgive me for taking so long to get this chapter out. It's been a busy couple of months. If you haven't heard, I got married in April and am now four months pregnant with what the doctors say is a boy (but you never can be really sure at this early stage). I hope you enjoyed this, and look forward to your always wonderful reviews. I think there may be three...maybe four...chapters left of this story. Enjoy and please review!