Chapter 8: Returning

CHAPTER 8: RETURNING

Hermione couldn't breathe. Her chest felt compressed and shot with pain. She whimpered and rolled over in bed, realizing when she nearly hit the floor that she was not in her own bed. That was secondary to the pain in her chest. She moaned and pressed a hand to the valley between her breasts in an effort to hold back the stabbing pain.

Suddenly, someone was there, helping her sit and pouring something that tasted like mint down her throat. She sputtered and coughed. "Drink it, Hermione," he whispered.

Him. Her former professor, turned friend, turned lover. She did as she was told and managed to swallow through the aching in her chest and body.

"Where is your potion?" His face was inches from her own when she finally opened her eyes. Had she not been in such a state, she would have laughed at his tousled hair.

"My jeans...in the pocket."

He left her for a moment, and she rolled over onto her side, curling up in a tight ball. Her potion. Stupid. She had forgotten to take the blood thinner last night before she went to bed. She had been distracted by him and his unchecked passion.

Snape's hands unfolded her body and lifted her into a sitting position again. He placed the cool lip of the phial against her mouth and poured the second potion down her throat. Within seconds, she felt better. Hermione tried to smile at Snape as he hovered over her, concern etched into his face.

"Was the first potion the cure?" she asked.

He nodded and pushed her hair back from her face. "Yes, however, it may take time for it to have any effect. As I said before, it is not a blood thinner."

Hermione stared into his eyes before leaning forward to pull him into an embrace. "Thank you," she whispered.

Somehow, he managed to push her back into the narrow bed and lie down beside her. She sighed against his bare chest as he tangled his fingers into her hair. "Hermione... I apologize for last night." His voice was soft and hesitant.

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked, her lips brushing across his smooth skin as she spoke.

His voice rumbled in his chest. "I let my desire for you get the better of me. I do not want to destroy our friendship; it means a great deal to me."

"Nothing has been destroyed, Severus." She pressed herself closer to his body, sliding a leg over his and placing a hand over his heart.

He was silent for several moments, his breath even and deep. Suddenly, she felt his fingertips trail down her spine, drawing a shudder of pleasure from her body. "You're naked," he whispered, a smile evident on his face, though she could not see it with her face nuzzled against his chest.

"Mmm..." Hermione giggled and darted her tongue out to lick his warm skin.

He responded by sliding his hand down and squeezing her backside. Hermione squealed and looked up into his face. His black eyes looked eager and filled with desire.

"I want you to come back with me," she said.

"To your flat?"

"To our world...the wizarding world."

"Hermione..."

She pressed her fingertips against his lips. "Please. I feel like I'm living a double life. I want you to be a part of everything, not just evenings after seven o'clock."

"They think I'm dead," he murmured around her fingers.

"We'll show them you aren't."

"Hermione, that isn't my life anymore."

She pulled back from his tight embrace. "Now you're the one who is lying. You've been using your wand and brewing potions in the last few days. How is that not part of your life?"

He sighed. "I did that for you."

"Then do this for me."

He watched her in silence. The only sound was the morning traffic on the street outside his window.

"Do you remember what you said last night?" she asked in a small voice.

Snape nodded.

"You said you would do anything for me."

He nodded again.

"I'm not going to make you return. I'm not going to hold that promise over your head like Dumbledore did, but I do want you to be part of my life." Hermione sighed heavily. "Ultimately, it's your choice. If you decide you'd rather live as a Muggle, then I'll still come see you everyday. I'd just prefer if I didn't have to hide what we have."

"And what do we have?"

She looked away shyly. "Amazing sex?"

Her attempt at levity made him laugh.

"More than that," she added, her expression melting into something more serious. "I just don't know if I'm ready to admit to it."

Deftly, he pulled her over to rest on top of his body, her legs sliding to either side of his hips. The white sheet that had hidden her body from him slithered down her back to pool on his thighs. "I concede defeat," he whispered, running his hands over her exposed flesh, lingering on the swell of her breasts and the gentle curve of her hips. "I'll return. I'll keep my wand. I'll stomach the dirty looks from the populous. I'll even be nice to Harry bloody Potter." He lifted his eyes from her body to her face. "If," he amended, "you allow me the pleasure of seeing you like this each morning."

She blushed, her hands resting on his bare chest. "I'll be late for work each morning, then."

"You can afford to be; they'd never sack you."

Hermione's laugh turned into a gasp of surprise when he raised his hips and pressed his insistent erection into her backside. "Your boxers are in the way," she whispered, leaning down and pressing her breasts against him. She laughed again when he struggled beneath her, trying to get the garment off so he could indulge in her flesh.

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Severus was sitting on her bed, waiting for her to retrieve him. Harry and Ron had just arrived by Floo. They had been working, but her urgent call made them come running, especially since she had not answered their Floo calls after the incident in the hospital. They were sitting on the couch beneath her eastern window, the sunshine revealing all the dust motes floating around their heads.

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Harry asked, watching his friend pace the floor in front of them. "If this is about the curse, don't worry. Ron and I are going to help you. We'll fix this."

"This isn't about the curse, Harry." She took a steadying breath before continuing. "Remember a few weeks ago when I told you I saw Professor Snape in the café down the street?"

Harry and Ron gave each other a meaningful look before turning back to Hermione. "Yes," they both said.

"I know I told you that I must have been imagining it, that I had mistaken someone else for Severus."

"Severus?" Ron asked, curling his nose up at her choice of name.

Hermione brushed away his question. "I lied to you about that. He's alive, and I can prove it."

"Hermione, this is insane," Harry said. "We saw him die."

"He escaped, Harry. He had developed an antivenin and escaped after we left the Shrieking Shack."

"And what's this evidence you have?" Ron asked.

Hermione wrung her hands as she crossed the room and opened her bedroom door. "Severus?"

Before he even saw Snape, Harry jumped out of his seat. He crashed back onto the couch when his former professor emerged from Hermione's bedroom.

"Blimey..." Ron muttered, his eyes wide and disbelieving.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley." Snape inclined his head slightly in their direction.

"This isn't possible," Harry said, standing back up and walking over to Snape. "It's someone who's tricked you, Hermione. Polyjuice or something." He pulled his wand out and pointed it at Snape.

"Harry, stop!" Hermione jumped between the two men. "Don't you trust me? I know for a fact this is Severus Snape, so put your wand away right now."

"Bloody hell..." Ron said, still sitting on the couch in shock.

"Hermione," Snape said, gently curling his fingers over her shoulder. She stepped aside to allow him a chance to speak. "What will convince you, Mr. Potter? Shall I recount the memories I gave to you before the venom paralyzed me momentarily?"

"All right," Harry said, "tell me... tell me how I found the Sword of Gryffindor."

"You were camping in the forest. I left the Sword in the bottom of a small pond and sent my Patronus, a doe, to guide you to the location. Had I known the danger of your wearing the bloody locket while going after the Sword, I would have done something to stop you. You were nearly strangled to death by the chain until Mr. Weasley stepped in to pull you out and retrieve the Sword himself."

Harry's mouth opened and closed, no sound issuing from it. "I...how...how did you survive?"

"Sit down, Mr. Potter. I believe I should explain myself."

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Hermione closed her eyes and rested her head on the flat pillow beneath her head. Lavender Brown was standing over her with her wand out, ready to perform the bi-weekly exam. It was the first time she had been to St. Mungo's after taking Snape's potion.

She had wanted Severus to come to the appointment with her, but only a few people knew he was alive. The only other person they told was Minerva, who was making plans to offer Severus his position of Potion master back. Severus had spent the past week assuring Hermione that he would officially return to the wizarding world once they knew the status of her health.

Lavender gasped.

"What?" Hermione asked, opening her eyes.

"Something must be wrong with my wand," Lavender said, shaking it back and forth. "Let me find Healer Gnecco."

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip and waited in silence. A moment later, Harry and Ron rushed into the room, skidding to a stop before the exam table.

"Why didn't you tell us your appointment was today?" Ron asked, bending over and sucking in air.

"I don't need someone to hold my hand, Ronald. How did you know I was here?"

"Snape told us," Ron answered rather loudly.

"Shhh!" Harry and Hermione shushed him, and Harry clapped his friend on the back of the head.

Ron shrugged. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"He said that if he couldn't be with you, then we should come," Harry whispered.

Healer Gnecco and Lavender swept back into the room. "I don't understand it. I tried the charm twice," Lavender told him as they approached the exam table.

"The same one we have been using on her from the beginning?" the man asked, looking down at the angry red starburst on Hermione's calf.

Lavender made a sound of annoyance. "Well, of course! What other charm would I use?"

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, lifting her head from the pillow.

"Please lie back down, Miss Granger. I'm just going to check the status of your illness. Have you noticed any increased symptoms since your last visit?"

"No. Why?" Hermione's voice was strained and panicked.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Please stand aside, Mr. Potter." The tip of Healer Gnecco's wand glowed blue as he swept it over her leg and up her torso. "This can't be," he murmured under his breath.

"What? What is it?" Hermione asked, lifting her head so she could see his wand.

Harry threw himself over her, pulling her into a hug. Suddenly, Ron was on the other side of the table, hugging her as well. "It's gone!" Harry exclaimed.

"The old bat's potion must have worked after all!" Ron said, squeezing her so hard she could barely breath.

"Shh!" Harry hissed, punching Ron's shoulder and throwing a look at Lavender and Healer Gnecco.

Ron released Hermione. "This secrets thing is for the birds," he muttered.

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Snape was sitting in an armchair in her flat when she got home. He had obviously been staring at the door in anticipation of her arrival. "Hey," she said, throwing her bag on the table by the entrance.

"Don't play with me, Hermione. What were the results?" He stood from the chair and crossed the room.

"You sent Harry and Ron," she replied.

He scowled at her. "Yes, I sent them."

"Why?"

"I didn't want you to hear the results alone. Hermione, tell me. I'm losing my mind."

Finally, she let the grin she had been holding back break across her face. "Your potion worked; they found no residual traces of the curse in my body. I have a few bottles of Fritz's Blood Thinner, but Healer Gnecco suspects I won't need it any longer."

She stumbled back several steps at the force with which Severus threw himself at her. His arms wrapped tightly around her, and he captured her mouth in a deep kiss when she looked up at him in surprise. "I was worried," he replied after pulling away from her swollen lips.

Hermione playfully pushed his shoulder. "I don't know why you would be; you're the one who developed the potion, after all. You're many things, but you are not modest about how brilliant you are."

Stepping around him, she kicked her shoes off. Severus's shoes were sitting beneath the table by the door. She smiled at the sight. He had been practically living in her flat for a week. After he told Harry and Ron his story, Hermione talked him into moving his meager possessions into her place so he could reacquaint himself with the wizarding world. In reality, they both knew he had moved in with her so they could sleep in the same bed.

"Thank you for sending Harry and Ron to see me," she said, turning around to find him standing over her.

"They suspect something between us."

Hermione nodded. "I know. I've been waiting for you to tell them that you're shagging their best friend."

He grinned and shook his head. "I shall relish the astonishment in Mr. Potter's eyes when I confess." Pausing, he glanced down at her discarded shoes. "You took your shoes off. Does that mean you're not returning to work this afternoon?"

She smiled at the glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "Did you have plans?" she asked.

"A celebration, perhaps? I hear the Healer has given you a clean bill of health."

Hermione giggled as Severus stalked her across the floor of her flat, pushing her through the bedroom door. She fell onto the mattress and watched him slowly unbutton his shirt, never taking his eyes off of her prone body. He looked so happy and carefree that it was difficult to reconcile the man in front of her with her surly Potions professor from years ago. Although, his lowered guard did allow her to see glimpses of the boy and man in the memories Harry had returned to their rightful owner.

"I want to arrange an interview for you with the Daily Prophet," she said, staring at his pale chest as he revealed it.

"Why?"

"So we don't have to go around and tell everyone individually."

He pulled his shirt off and climbed over her, bracing his hands on either side of her head. "You're determined to paint me as some sort of tragic hero. Aren't you afraid all the witches with a penchant for a tortured soul will come flocking to my doorstep?"

Hermione slid her hand down to unzip his trousers. "No, because you'll also be telling the Prophet about your wonderful girlfriend."

Snape's hips jerked when she slipped her hand inside his boxers. "Girlfriend?" he asked, grunting with pleasure.

"Me, silly," she replied, giving him a petulant look before wrapping her fingers around his shaft.

"We need a better plan to deter those rabid witches. Shall I confess to some unfortunate protégé of Rita Skeeter's that I am madly in love with Harry Potter's best friend?"

Hermione's heart skipped a beat, but she tried to play it cool. "Ron? You're madly in love with Ron?"

"You..." he growled, pinning her to the bed with a demanding kiss. "I'm madly in love with you, you silly girl."

She smiled, her hand still buried inside his boxers, stroking him. Hermione couldn't recall ever being so happy and fulfilled. "I love you, too," she whispered.

THE END

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up! Hope everyone enjoyed the fic. A huge thank you to moonrevel and JenF for their assistance as betas!