Chapter 6

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

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A/N: All praise and much thanks to my betas, Alienor and Septentrion, for their kind words, hard work and input.

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Drip... Drip... Drip...

'Look. At. Me...'

'Let's get out of here.'

'I'll just check his pulse...'

'He's dead, Hermione. Leave him!'

'But, Ron...'

'Come on!'

Ron grabbed her wrist. The tunnel...? No. Not down there...

'Severus!'

Drip... Drip...

Rain. Seeping through the leaky guttering and splashing onto the concrete beneath the window. Hermione reached for her wand. Harry...? No... Not the tunnel. Ireland. She flopped back on her pillow, breathing heavily. Ron and Harry... Were they worrying about her? She hadn't given them as much as second thought since leaving Hogwarts. For some reason, this left her feeling strangely empty. Why? Shouldn't she be missing them? Did she really care what they were thinking? Ron was supposed to be her boyfriend, wasn't he? She put her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. Recent events seemed to have put paid to all of that.

Severus...

He had been about to kiss her; Hermione was sure of it. And then she'd thrown up. Great, she thought, shaking her head in disgust. First I sweat on him, then I nearly puke all over him. What else can I do to impress him?

Hermione fumbled for the clock and peered at it. Another forty minutes before she had to get up to give Severus his second dose of the nerve regenerating potion. The following twenty-four hours would not be pleasant for him; that much was certain. Re-growing nerve tissue was even more painful than growing bones once the feeling started to return, and he would not be able to take any potions to ease his suffering. She turned on her side away from the window and tried to blot out the sound of the rain falling. I'll repair it... later...

~ * ~

'Severus,' Hermione whispered. 'Wake up. It's time to take your potion.'

Severus' eyes shot open and darted frantically around the room. Seeing Hermione, he visibly relaxed.

'It's okay.' Hermione sat on the bed to put the phial to his lips. 'I didn't know where the hell I was, either.'

That earned her a small grin before he swallowed the potion in one gulp.

'Any improvement?' Hermione asked.

'Some tingling and pins and needles.' Severus attempted to move his fingers. 'No pain... yet.'

'That's good,' said Hermione. 'At least it's working.'

Severus nodded. 'But you look tired. Go and get some sleep. You've done all you can.'

'All right. But I'm leaving the doors open. Call me if you need anything.' Reluctantly, Hermione got up and returned to her own room.

~ * ~

'l... I sssmell a Mudblood... Are you hungry, my pet?'

'Nooo... Get off me...'

Hermione surfaced from a particularly unpleasant dream swathed in a tangle of bedclothes. She struggled free, rubbed her eyes and checked the time. It was almost ten...much later than she'd intended staying in bed. Annoyed with herself, Hermione dressed hurriedly. Severus hadn't called for her; at least, she hoped not. But whether that was a good or a bad thing, she wasn't entirely sure.

She knocked on Severus' door before entering, intending to ask him how he felt. But the words died on her lips as soon as she saw the state of him.

Eyes screwed closed, his jaw was clenched in pain, but he hadn't uttered a sound.

'Why didn't you call me?' Hermione immediately conjured some water and a cloth to bathe his forehead. He was soaked in sweat.

'N-nothing you can do,' he ground out.

Hermione tried to think of something...anything that might help alleviate the pain. 'Willow bark,' she mused. 'What if... What if I made a solution of willow bark and perhaps... menthol? Or a poultice, even? Would that help at all, do you think?'

'You could try. But... you didn't... pack any...'

'Don't worry.' Hermione wrung out the cloth and placed it on his forehead. 'I'll get some. I can Apparate to the nearest apothecary's and back in no time. I promise I'll be as quick as I can.'

It took Hermione less than half an hour to purchase the necessary items, return to the cottage, and set up a makeshift potions lab. Within minutes of her arrival, the kitchen was filled with the cleansing aroma of stewing willow bark, menthol and lavender as the rapidly prepared ingredients bubbled away in the cauldron. Stirring the concoction, Hermione decided that a liniment would be the ideal way of applying it...stronger than a solution but more easily absorbed than a poultice. She turned up the heat, reducing the potion until it was the consistency of runny cream. Happy with the result, Hermione left the lotion to cool and returned to Severus' bedside...only to find that his condition had worsened in her absence.

'Severus?' Hermione stared in horror at the rips and scorch marks on his robes. 'What happened?'

'Off... Poppy... Can't stand...' A blast of magic shot across the room, igniting the curtains.

'Stop it!' Hermione extinguished the flames with a flick of her wand. 'You'll hurt yourself!'

'Off... please... burns... all over...'

Anxiously, Hermione cast a series of cooling charms, hoping that would help calm him down.

Severus' eyes flew open. 'You're not Poppy.'

'No, I'm Hermione.'

'What are you doing in my bedroom? Get out.'

'Erm... Poppy was called away.' Unfazed, Hermione sat on the bed, pressing the damp cloth to his face. 'But she told me to do this.'

Severus' breathing grew easier, and the manic look in his eyes diminished. 'Please. Can't stand it any longer...'

'It will be over soon. I promise. Try to...'

'Clothes. Off. Please...'

'I don't think...'

'Please... Hermione...'

'All-all right.' Nervously, Hermione pointed her wand at him. You can do this... You can do it... 'Um... I'll just arrange the sheet over your middle.'

He grunted. 'Just... do it.'

Hermione kept her eyes on his face as she vanished away his clothing, making sure the sheet covered him from the waist down.

'Is that better?' she asked, trying not to look at his torso and failing.

'Much. Thank you.'

'What about your talisman?' Hermione reached for the clasp.

'Leave it.'

'All right... I'll... um... just go and check on the potion.' Hermione made a dash for the door, hoping yet again that he hadn't noticed just how much she was blushing.

Safely back in the kitchen, Hermione took a few deep breaths before splashing some water on her hot cheeks. Severus was ill. What on earth was she thinking, ogling his chest like that? She poured the cooled lotion into a bowl and noticed that her hands were shaking. How can I touch him like this? She tried to banish the vision that was burnt onto her retina: pale skin, wiry muscles, small pink nipples... Hands and feet, Hermione. That's all you need touch. Hands and feet. Let's try and be a bit more detached about this, shall we? Sighing, she picked up the bowl and took it upstairs.

'Now then,' Hermione said briskly, entering Severus' room. 'Let's see if...' She gulped. The sheet had slipped below his navel revealing sharp hip bones and a line of sparse hair. '...this works.'

Severus did not open his eyes as Hermione sat down on the bed. 'Shall I start with your hands?' she asked.

'Yes.'

'I'll be as gentle as I can. Tell me if it hurts too much.' Hermione dipped her fingers into the liniment and picked up Severus' hand. He winced as she touched him, but he didn't tell her to stop. Watching his face for any signs of distress, Hermione began to lightly smooth the lotion over the back of his hand. She turned it over and spread some more onto his palm and fingers, unconsciously registering the calluses at the tips of the otherwise unblemished skin.

'That is... soothing.'

'Good.' Hermione picked up Severus' other hand and repeated the process. He let out a long sigh.

'Is the pain easing at all?'

'It is... bearable.'

Hermione smiled. 'That's something. I'll do your feet now.' She moved to the bottom of the bed and lifted the sheet to just above his ankles.

Now, Hermione had never been one for feet. After an extended camping trip with two teenage boys and their smelly socks, she thought they had an erotic potential as close to zero as you could possibly get. She could not imagine ever wanting to become intimately acquainted with Ron's feet...he had hairy toes, for heaven's sake...but Severus'...

Ginny had once told her that Harry had the cutest feet she'd ever seen, which had given Hermione a fit of the giggles. Cute? Not in her experience they weren't, but Ginny had smiled and said, 'Just you wait.' And now, Hermione could see where she was coming from. While 'cute' was hardly the word she would use to describe Severus' feet...or any other part of him, for that matter...they were... she struggled for an appropriate word... elegant. Yes, that was it. Elegant. They were lithe and strong and mercifully devoid of hair.

Hermione dunked her fingers into the bowl and started to spread the lotion over Severus' instep, relieved that she had her back to him. This way, she could stare as much as she liked and commit the sight and feel of him to memory without having to worry about being caught gawping. Smiling to herself, she applied a light pressure as she brought her hand under the sole and the underside of his toes, noting the absence of any corns or bunions. Severus had obviously taken good care of his feet over the years. Indeed, his skin was surprisingly smooth for someone who wore dragon-hide boots all the time... He jerked as she accidentally scratched a nail along the arch of his foot, pulling her out of her daydream. 'Am I hurting you?'

'No. Just, um... a little firmer... If you don't mind.'

Hermione had to bite her lip. Severus Snape was ticklish.

She transferred her attention to the other foot, which seemed to be a bit more sensitive, judging by the stifled moans Severus kept emitting from time to time. Glancing back to check that he was all right, Hermione was reassured to see that he seemed to be enduring the torment stoically. Once she had finished, she reluctantly removed her hands and replaced the sheet.

Severus opened his eyes. 'Why have you stopped?'

Hermione turned to face him. 'I don't want to cause you any more pain.'

'You are not. Continue. Please.'

'I-um...' She swallowed nervously. 'Is there somewhere else you would like me to apply it?'

He smirked. 'I should like to say "everywhere", but... wherever you feel comfortable touching me would be fine.'

'I don't mind... That is, I... Oh, sod it! This is ridiculous.' Scooping up some lotion, Hermione hesitated briefly before depositing it on his chest. 'Do you want me to just spread it lightly or massage it in?'

Severus inhaled sharply through his teeth. 'Imagine a bad case of sunburn. That is how I believe my skin would feel.'

'Oh. Okay.' Carefully, Hermione moved the little cauldron to the side. Then, with the tips of her fingers, she slowly and gently smeared the liniment along his sternum and over his collarbone. 'Like this?'

'Yes. Just... That feels good.'

You're telling me. Feeling the tension ebb away, Hermione moved her hands over his shoulders and delicately traced a finger along the line of his stubble. It was quite easy to imagine now what he would look like with a full beard. Not bad, she thought. The designer stubble was really rather sexy. She wondered if he would wear it long like a traditional wizard when he grew old. 'I can't see any scarring,' she said. 'Is there any pain here?'

'No, none.'

'You can thank Fawkes for that.' Hermione touched his neck carefully.

Severus' lips twitched. 'And my nurse.'

She swallowed. More lotion. Hermione brought her hands gently down his sides to his hips, over his abdomen and back up over his chest in a broad sweeping motion. She could see and feel his ribs. How many skipped meals did that represent? Hermione bit her lip, avoiding the flat discs of his nipples, even though she ached to touch them. How sensitive were they? How would he respond if she rubbed her thumbs over them or used her tongue, or her teeth? Severus let out a shuddering breath.

More lotion. Hermione's hands moved down his right arm, paying particular to the elbow, noting the veins showing through the pale skin and the solitary freckle on his inner wrist...

More lotion. Such beautiful hands. Long, slender fingers. Musicians' hands. What would they feel like on her...in her?

'Are you all right, Hermione?'

'Hmm...? Oh, yes. Yes, I'm... yes.'

'You seemed far away there.'

Hermione gave a nervous laugh. 'No, I was um... reading your palm.'

Severus looked sceptical. 'Really? I did not take you for the sort of person who would give any credence to something as... unreliable as Divination.'

'I'm not normally,' Hermione replied, thinking fast. 'But I couldn't help noticing you have a long, er... life line.'

'How... fascinating.' Severus raised an eyebrow and smirked. 'Tell me more, O Wise One.'

Hermione would have swatted him if he hadn't been in such pain. She tried desperately to remember everything she could about Chiromancy. What had Lavender said to look for in a man's hand? She traced the curved line around the pad of his thumb while she thought of something to say. 'Your life line is long, but there is a break just here which indicates a sudden change of direction in your life's path.'

He snorted. 'I suspect you would not need to look at my hand to surmise that. Continue.'

'I can't remember much,' Hermione admitted. 'Only the things, um... girls look for.'

'And what may I ask would that be?' Severus seemed genuinely curious.

'Well...' Hermione turned his hand slightly. 'This line that runs from just under your little finger and curves up between your index and middle fingers is your heart line. A short heart line indicates a cold and unfeeling person. A long curving one like yours tells me that you have high expectations and high standards in relationships. You are emotionally intense, devoted to your loved ones...sometimes possessive, but always loyal and supportive. You would make any partner feel protected and safe...' Hermione risked a glance at him. Severus was looking at her intently.

'And, of course, the marriage lines,' she blurted out.

'Of course.'

Ignoring the sarcasm in his voice, Hermione continued, 'These little lines here at the side of your hand between the heart line and your little finger...' Hermione examined them closely. 'Two... not necessarily marriages, but deep um... relationships, and this little line that crosses your second marriage line means you will have one child.'

Severus grunted. 'Utter rot.'

'I know.' Hermione sighed. 'I mean, I have eight child lines on my left hand...the hand of possibility. Eight. What are the chances of that happening?' She picked up the bowl. 'Anyway, there's just about enough lotion left to do your other arm, but I can make more if you need it.'

Severus shook his head. 'That will not be necessary. I believe the worst is over.'

And that proved to be the case. There were two more episodes of intense pain and overheating during the day, which Hermione was able to counter with cold water compresses and cooling charms. Between the bouts of pain, Severus slept and Hermione kept watch, afraid to leave his side in case the delirium returned, but his sleep appeared to be uneventful.

Around midnight, Hermione started to feel a bit drowsy. She curled up in the comfy chair she'd Transfigured, tucking her feet under her and stuffing a cushion behind her head. Her eyelids started to droop. Just for a minute... only a minute...

Green smoke... Can't see...

Harry's voice: 'Hermione, where are you?'

She tried to scream...she really did.

Ron's voice. 'She's dead.'

'I'm not; I'm not.'

Rough hands were lifting her, throwing her onto a funeral pyre.

Fire. She was on fire. 'Help! Someone help me!'

'This one is alive.'

Strong arms were lifting her gently, enfolding her. Safe...

'Are you an angel?'

He chuckled softly. 'No one's ever called me that before. Go back to sleep...'

~ * ~

At least the rain had stopped.

Hermione turned her head towards the window where the morning sun was streaming through the gap in the curtains. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, she became conscious of the fact that she still had all her clothes on. How... ? She kicked off the covers hurriedly and got out of bed. Hermione had no recollection of getting there, which could only mean that she'd been carried...and that meant a certain wizard had found his feet during the night.

Feeling decidedly grotty, Hermione yanked off her clothes and pulled a bathrobe out of her bag. A shower was well overdue. She tied her hair up out of the way as she padded barefoot towards the door, wondering if Severus was fully recovered. Yawning sleepily, Hermione turned the doorknob.

Nothing could have prepared her for the sight that greeted her on the landing: Severus... A just washed, still damp Severus... Severus with wet hair clinging to a newly shaved face... Severus with a very small towel wrapped around his waist...

Close your mouth, Hermione. 'Oh,' she said. 'Have you, um... finished...in the bathroom?'

'Indeed,' he replied. 'I have.' Severus turned towards his room, giving Hermione a view of broad shoulders, a long back and narrow hips. 'And thank you for bringing my razor.' He looked over his shoulder and smirked. 'Have you raided anything else from my personal belongings that I should know about?'

Hermione rolled her eyes and sauntered into the bathroom.

~ * ~

'I think you may find,' Hermione said, leaning against the fridge, 'that the kettle generally works better when it's switched on.'

Severus glared at her. 'I have never seen the need to have an electric kettle when magic does the job more than adequately.'

'I was only teasing.' Hermione sighed. 'Look. I just think you need to take it easy for a bit longer...conserve your energy...and your magic.' She reached past him and flicked the switch. 'You know, I'm quite happy to do the cooking until you're fully recovered.'

'I was only trying to make some tea,' he grumbled. 'There's no need to nag.'

Hermione opened a cupboard and took out two cups and matching saucers. 'I'm not nagging,' she replied. 'You were almost killed, and even if you can walk again, that doesn't mean you can run a marathon, does it?'

Severus opened the tea-caddy and snorted in disgust. 'Tea-bags.' He stuck his nose in and sniffed. 'Floor scrapings.'

'Are you listening to me?' she yelled. 'You need to rest.'

'There is no need to shout. My hearing is not impaired.' He peered at the milk carton. 'Semi-skimmed? What on earth does that mean?'

Hermione slammed her hand on the worktop. 'That's it. Out of the kitchen. Go and make yourself comfy, and I'll bring the tea.'

'And biscuits?'

Hermione smiled sweetly. 'I thought you didn't like milk chocolate.'

He shrugged. 'I'll make do. This once.'

Hermione shook her head as Severus left the kitchen. She knew she shouldn't have shouted, but this was the first day he'd managed to stay on his feet for more than a few hours, and he was trying to do too much...

Be honest, Hermione. You lost it because you know he doesn't need you anymore.

Sighing, Hermione absentmindedly Summoned the milk carton and poured the last of the milk into the cups. It was hard for her to admit, but now Severus was well on his way to making a full recovery, there was no real reason for her to stay...other than the fact that she didn't want to go.

She had, of course, made it clear to Severus that he was welcome to use the cottage for as long as he wanted, but Hermione knew that he would leave as soon as he felt strong enough, and once he did, it was unlikely that she would ever see him again. Hermione reached for the kettle, blinking back the tears at the thought. Still, her feelings were not important; she had no right to take her frustrations out on him. It wasn't as if she meant anything to him, was it? He hadn't made any moves on her since they'd arrived at the cottage, had he? And no wonder; she was turning into Molly Weasley. Hermione came to a decision: for both their sakes, she simply had to stop treating him like an invalid.

Tea made, she carried the cups into the living room, floating the plate of biscuits in front of her. Severus took his cup and thanked her.

Hermione took a deep breath. 'I'm sorry I shouted, but you do look tired.'

'There is no need to apologise,' Severus replied, helping himself to a biscuit. 'It was inevitable that you would grow impatient with me.'

'That's not...' Hermione stopped, noticing the way the corners of his lips were twitching. 'Oh, you... you...'

'I was only teasing.' Severus grinned. 'But I am not as tired as I evidently look.'

'Is that so?' Hermione grinned back. 'In that case, you can make dinner.' She sipped her tea. 'We're out of bread and milk. I thought I'd take a walk down to the town and do some shopping. Is there anything you want?'

Severus drained his cup and handed it to her. 'Some decent tea if you can find it.'

'All right.' She laughed. 'I'll see what I can do.'

~ * ~

It was getting late. Standing on the little beach below the town, Hermione was watching the waves rolling towards the shore, in no hurry to return to the cottage. She had decided to take the long way home...to give Severus some time on his own, some space. It was better this way, she reasoned. Away from him, she could think more clearly...be more objective.

Closing her eyes, Hermione inhaled the salty air, feeling the sharp bite of the wind on her face. She smiled as the vision of Severus, standing in his old robe, performing his first successful spell and trying to hide his delight and relief...

Think of something else.

It made her want to scream with the insanity of it. Was it really only five days since Voldemort had been defeated? And now here she was, freezing to death on a beach, mooning over a man twice her age...a man she and the rest of the wizarding world had despised as a traitor barely a week ago.

Shaking her head, Hermione chided herself for being so stupid, for falling for someone who no doubt still thought of her as a child...and an irritating one at that. And she had fallen for him...big time. There was no getting away from it, and there was little hope of anything coming from it. Wrapping her jacket around her tightly, Hermione tilted her head back and shrieked into the wind, 'It's so bloody unfair!'

But the weather was indifferent to Hermione's plight; it toyed with her hair, whipping it around her face as she stood shivering. The pressure was dropping. There was a storm on the way; she could sense it. And sure enough, as Hermione looked out to sea, the expected black clouds were gathering. She turned and started to walk quickly towards the road, heading for a sheltered spot where she knew she could safely Disapparate without fear of being observed.

Hermione reappeared in the small hallway just great splotches of rain were starting to pelt against the windows, driven by the gale force wind. In its exposed position, anything that came off the Atlantic hit the squat, stone house full force, but it had withstood many a storm in its day, and Hermione had no reason to worry that this time would be any different.

The smell of cooking teased her nostrils as she double-checked the door was secured against the weather, making her feel instantly hungry. Smiling, she shrugged off her jacket and smoothed down her hair. So, Severus was taking up the challenge to make dinner, was he? She took a deep breath and drew herself up to her full height, steeling herself to enter the kitchen. Right. Be nonchalant. Be...

Severus was standing at the cooker, stirring something...what it was didn't interest her in the slightest, but what he was wearing most certainly did.

'Ah, you're back,' he said, glancing in her direction. 'I took the liberty of opening a bottle of wine. I hope you don't mind.'

'N-no.' Hermione swallowed, trying not to stare at the sight of Severus in a pair of jeans and a Black Sabbath T-shirt. She put the shopping down on the table. 'Would you like me to pour you a glass?'

'Please.'

'The weather's turned nasty,' she said, picking up the bottle.

'So I noticed.'

Hermione poured two glasses of red wine and carried one over to the chef. 'I'd better dig some candles out...thunder and lightning usually equals power cuts in this neck of the woods.'

Severus smirked. 'I daresay we'll manage.' He picked up some parsley from the chopping board and threw it into the saucepan, turning his back to her.

'Yeah...' Hermione was very glad Severus was wearing the T-shirt outside his trousers. She doubted whether she would have been able to control herself at the sight of a firm arse in tight jeans...correction, the sight of Severus' firm arse in a pair of tight jeans... 'Right. Candles. Um... Yeah, I think Dad usually keeps them under the sink.' She opened the cupboard and found the candles together with an unopened bag of tea-lights and a torch. 'These should do the trick.'

Severus grunted and continued stirring the sauce.

'That smells good, by the way,' Hermione said, picking up her wine glass. 'What is it?'

'There are two things I can cook reliably without the aid of a recipe book,' Severus replied. 'Spaghetti Carbonara and egg and chips. I trust your astounding powers of deduction can work out which this is.'

Hermione stuck her tongue out. 'I'll lay the table then, shall I?'

~ * ~

Severus' cooking was really rather good, but as they started to tuck in, there was a flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder that shook the roof. As Hermione had predicted, the lights went out.

Neither missed a beat. Two synchronised wand movements lit the candles, and they carried on as if nothing had happened. They caught each other's eyes and laughed; Hermione's heart skipped a beat as Severus held her gaze just that little bit too long, the shadows dancing around his face in the flickering candlelight making him look dark and dangerous. Hermione knew she was lost.

'You make a mean egg and chips,' she said.

Severus looked thoughtful. Then, he inclined his head and raised his glass to her. 'Thank you, Hermione. For everything.'

'You don't have to thank me,' Hermione replied. 'I couldn't have just left you there to die.'

'Nevertheless, I am in your debt.'

'No.' Hermione leant forward and touched his hand. 'No more debts, no more vows. You're free, Severus. You owe me nothing.'

Severus smiled wryly. 'I'm afraid these things rarely work like that, although I appreciate what you are trying to say.' He withdrew his hand. 'Now. Eat up. I don't cook egg and chips for everyone, you know.'

~ * ~

Unable to sleep, Hermione stood in her pyjamas by the window watching the lightning and counting the seconds for the thunder. The gaps between the two were growing further apart as the storm rolled away, but Hermione didn't move. She had the most awful feeling in the pit of her stomach that dinner had been Severus' way of saying goodbye, and that by tomorrow morning, he would be gone.

Hermione chewed her lip to the point of pain to keep the tears back. She had hoped he would have said something, but he had not. Yes, there had one or two little looks that might have been taken as showing an interest but...

'Oh, who am I kidding? He's not in the least bit interested.'

She had obviously been imagining things, which was why she was standing here feeling miserable and not marching across to his room and throwing herself at him. Hermione snorted. Mercifully, she had a healthy fear of rejection, which was the only thing preventing her from making a complete and utter fool of herself.

Sighing, Hermione climbed into bed and picked up the little book Severus had given her from the bedside table. Well, she was sure she'd found her wizard, but binding him was something else entirely, and anyway, did she want to? Was it even ethical? Hermione flicked through the pages, glancing at the section on 'Wyfely Duties', and feeling distinctly aroused by some of the more explicit illustrations. Let your inner seductress out to play in the bedroom... It was all a bit more adventurous than she was used to, but it was all knowledge, and that was always preferable to ignorance, wasn't it? Who knew when it would come in handy? She closed the cover and kissed it. If she could only get him into bed, she'd show him her "inner seductress"... But, that wasn't going to happen. It was all just... hopeless.

'Nox!'

The Great Hall was silent as the grave. Hermione stared up at the gaping hole where the ceiling used to be, afraid to look down...afraid to gaze on the pile of bodies heaped on the Gryffindor table. But it didn't matter. She could still feel their lifeless eyes staring at her accusingly, outraged that she had survived when they all were dead. The Weasleys: dead. Remus and Tonks: dead. Professor McGonagall: dead. Harry: dead. She was the only one left alive...for the moment. But she wasn't going down without a fight.

'Ah... The Mudblood. Ready to join your friends?'

Hermione spun around, wand in hand, but Voldemort disarmed her without moving a muscle. The monster laughed hysterically at her feeble efforts.

'Children!' he cried. 'They insult me with children. Ava...'

'We destroyed your Horcruxes,' Hermione screamed. 'You are mortal, Voldemort. Severus Snape will kill what's left of you.'

'Snape? I think not.' He glanced towards the snake at his side. 'Will he Nagini?'

The snake hissed and burped.

'Apparently, there wasn't much meat on him, but what little there was, was quite tasty...'

Hermione screamed. 'Severus isn't dead. He isn't, he isn't.'

Someone was shaking her.

'It's all right, Hermione. Wake up. It's only a dream.'

Hermione's eyes snapped open to see Severus sitting on the edge of the bed. 'Severus? Is it really you? Oh, God, I thought that bloody snake had eaten you!' She sat up and flung her arms around him.

'Lumos!' He pulled her close and rubbed gentle circles over her back. 'Hush, now. It's all right. I'm here.

'But it's not all right, though, is it?' Hermione wailed. 'It's n-never going to be all right. Fred, Remus, Tonks...they had a baby, and...and...' She was crying uncontrollably on his shoulder, great gulping sobs which seemed to be bursting from some unnameable horror within her, and now that she'd lifted the lid on the thing, there was no shoving it back down.

Stroking her hair, Severus murmured softly, 'Let it go, Hermione. Just let it go.'

Hermione clung to him. This was the only thing that made any sense in all the mayhem and bloodshed she had witnessed in the past year: being in Severus' arms, feeling his rapid heartbeat, the warmth of his skin... his bare skin. Her breathing quietened, and she lifted her head slowly, wiping away the tears. Through blurry eyes, Hermione stared in horror at the mess she'd made on his shoulder.

She groaned. 'I'm s-so sorry.'

'Whatever for?'

Hermione turned her head to face him. He was so close...too close. 'Because I-I...' Her courage failed her, and she dropped her eyes. 'F-first I sweat on your hand, then-then I nearly throw up in your face, and n-now there's tears and snot all over your shoulder.' She dragged the back of her hand under her nose and sniffed. 'I c-can't imagine what you m-must think of me. I'm hardly sh-showing myself in my b-best light, am I?'

Severus' hand gently tilted her chin, and Hermione looked up...more in surprise than anything else.

'On the contrary,' he replied softly. 'These past few days, I have seen Hermione Granger at her kindest, bravest and most brilliant. You are an exceptional young woman. Never doubt that.'

For once, Hermione's mind was totally blank. She could only stare at him.

Severus chuckled and brushed a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb. 'As for this...' a brief flick of his hand cleaned up his shoulder. 'There... Gone. As for the vomit, the key word was 'nearly'. You gave me fair warning. And as for the sweat... Do you know what I did after you left the room?'

Hermione shook her head, not trusting her voice to speak.

Severus leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. 'I... Licked. It. Off.'

Hermione wasn't sure who kissed who first, but it didn't matter, just as long as there was kissing, lots of kissing, and there was no sign of it stopping anytime soon. Severus' hands were in her hair, clutching her head as his tongue explored her mouth, her face already stinging, thanks to his five o'clock shadow, but who cared? He tasted so damned good... Hermione ran her hands over his back, tracing the ridges of his spine down to the waistband of his pyjama bottoms, and dipped her finger underneath. Severus groaned into her mouth and broke the kiss.

'This is... madness...' he panted.

'No, it's called kissing.' Hermione lunged for him to prove her point, but Severus held her back.

'Hermione... You are distraught...'

He was touching her face, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her lips. Hermione opened her mouth enough to suck the tip gently.

Hissing, Severus drew his hand away. 'It-it is quite normal...' He swallowed hard. 'It is human nature to want... to need to... reaffirm life, after witnessing so much death.'

Hermione sighed. Did he have to be so bloody noble? Or, was there another reason? She reached for his hand and squeezed it. 'Is it... Is it because of... Lily?'

He looked at her sharply, then shook his head.

'In that case,' Hermione said, leaning closer, 'if you're not averse to... um... reaffirming life with me, and... as I would very much like to... reaffirm life with you, why don't we... um... reaffirm life together?' Not waiting for a reply, she kissed his lips gently. 'After all, who are we to go against human nature?'

Severus didn't move a muscle. Hermione searched his dark eyes for a clue, some tiny response...anything. He was so hard to read, but there was something there...she could tell, some battle going on behind that controlled facade. Hermione decided to go for broke. Maintaining eye contact, she slowly unbuttoned her pyjama top, took it off and threw it on the floor. His gaze dropped inevitably to her chest, but other than that, Severus remained as still as a statue.

Hermione touched his cheek. 'Severus?'

He leaned into her hand, eyes fluttering closed. 'Sweet girl.'

Smiling triumphantly, Hermione wrapped her free arm around him and lay down, pulling him with her. Severus did not resist, twisting around from his seated position to lie between her legs. This time the kiss was languid, sensuous, but there was also the sensation of his skin against hers to marvel at, not to mention the pressing hardness that was making its presence felt despite several layers of bedclothes and two pairs of pyjama bottoms. Arching into him, she slid her hands over his bony shoulder blades and down his back, slipping them under the elastic to fondle his arse.

Breathing heavily, Severus pulled away from her, a look of wonder on his face. 'Beautiful,' he gasped.

Me? Beautiful? No one had ever called her that before, and while she didn't believe it for a minute, Hermione quite liked the fact that Severus had said it. Feeling giddy with desire, she brought her hands back up to his head and gently guided him towards her left breast. Severus seemed to hesitate a moment before bringing his mouth down on her nipple.

'Ouch! Not so hard.'

'Sorry,' Severus mumbled before sucking it again. 'Better?'

'Mm... Oh, yes. Much.' Automatically, Hermione rocked her hips, seeking relief for the burning ache that was building between her legs. Severus gasped as she rubbed herself against his erection...a sound which Hermione found rather pleasing. So she did it again.

'Stop that, witch.'

Hermione giggled. 'I want you closer. Get into bed.'

Severus lifted his body, allowing Hermione to push the blankets out of the way, and scrambled around to lie on his side next to her. 'Hermione... Are you sure you want this?'

'Oh, Severus...' How much convincing did he need, for heaven's sake? 'Yes, I want this.'

Turning towards him, Hermione scooted down the bed a little. 'And I want this...' Severus inhaled sharply as she flicked her tongue over his right nipple... 'And this...' She kissed a trail down his chest to his navel and stopped. Bringing her hand up between his legs, she cupped his balls. 'And I want these... and I most definitely want... this.' She grasped his cock and squeezed.

Severus grabbed her hand. 'Don't. I'll...'

'It's all right.' Hermione smiled wickedly and winked at him. 'I don't expect you to last. Just lie back and enjoy it.'

Wide-eyed, Severus released his hold and rolled onto his back, obligingly lifting his hips when Hermione gripped the waistband of his pyjamas so she could pull them off.

'Very nice.' She beamed her approval at his naked form. Severus grinned back sheepishly.

Now, where to start...? Hmm...

However bold she might have felt about initiating their lovemaking, Hermione wasn't quite as confident as she would have liked to have been about what to do next. She wasn't a complete novice, though, and Damelza's book had given her a few new ideas, but this was Severus, and the last thing she wanted was to appear all girly and naive. Time to let out the "inner seductress". Wriggling around into a more comfortable position, Hermione leant forward and ran her tongue along the length of Severus' cock, delighting in the texture of the velvety soft skin. His entire body went rigid.

'Gods!'

Bemused, Hermione glanced up to see Severus clutching the sheet at either side of his body and looking as if he were in absolute agony.

'Relax...' She tried again, watching for his reaction as she swirled her tongue around the tip and licked off the pearly liquid she found there. Severus moaned, exhaling through his teeth.

'Hermione...'

He's trembling, Hermione thought in amazement. It's probably been a while... 'You taste good,' she said, hoping it would reassure him. 'Really good.'

She ran her fingertips down his shaft and fondled his sac, causing Severus to jerk under her touch. Encouraged, Hermione took the engorged head into her mouth and began to suck him gently, grasping the base as she did so. Severus' breathing hitched, his hips thrusting into her fist. He wasn't going to last much longer...even she could tell that; he was wound up tighter than a bow-string and liable to come at any minute. And it's all my doing, she thought, pleased that her simple technique was going to be enough to get him off. Humming, she applied more suction, taking as much of him into her mouth as she could...

'Com...fu-uck...'

Hermione gagged as a flood of hot semen hit the back of her throat, but she swallowed it quickly. With a smug smile, she turned to look at Severus, but he had covered his face with both hands.

'Was... that okay?' Hermione asked, crawling up the bed.

Severus groaned. 'I'm sorry. I should not have...'

'Shush. It's fine, honestly.' Hermione prised his hands away and kissed him. 'I think you needed that, and I enjoyed doing it.'

He looked at her incredulously. 'You enjoyed that?'

'Oh, yes. Very much.' She kissed him again. 'My turn?'

Severus sat up slowly and knelt beside her. Hermione went to push her pyjama bottoms down, but Severus put his hands on hers, shaking his head. Silently, he removed and discarded them, letting his hair fall over his face as he gazed at Hermione's body. She had absolutely no idea what was on his mind. Did he like what he was seeing? Hermione felt a bit panicky, and the inner seductress deserted her. She was just a plain, chubby teenager being judged and found wanting by a much more experienced...

'You are so lovely.'

The look of adoration on his face took her breath away, the need for his touch becoming almost unbearable. Hermione bent her knees and let her legs fall open.

'Please.'

'Hermione, I...'

'It's all right.' She hoped she didn't sound too disappointed. 'You don't have to, if you don't want to...'

'But I do want to.' He smirked, settling between her thighs. 'Move up the bed a bit. Just... tell me what you like.'

'Oh...' She wiggled up the bed and rearranged the pillows, making herself comfortable. 'Um... Well, I like to be licked...'

'Like this?'

Hermione arched off the bed as Severus swept his tongue over her clit. 'God, yes. Ooh, yes. More of that, please.'

'My pleasure,' he purred. 'You taste divine.'

'And... sucking is good, too... Oh, my God...'

Hermione shut up then, for fear of blurting out something inappropriate or talking complete gibberish. Severus easily slid one finger inside her, quickly followed by a second. They were so long and dextrous. Would they find her g-spot, she wondered? God knew she'd never been able to...and it hadn't been from a lack of trying. Keening in pleasure, Hermione raked her fingers though Severus' hair, grinding against him, urging him on. And there was his nose, and... gods, he was good at this... and oh, there it was, that delicious tingling... Almost there... 'Oh, yess,' she screeched, pressing her head back into the pillow as the convulsions ripped through her body.

Eyes closed, Hermione lay panting, happy but not yet sated...the orgasm having intensified, if anything, her body's instinctive need to have Severus inside her...and soon. She became aware of him moving up the bed, kissing, licking and nipping as he did so. His hair tickled, and she started to giggle only to be silenced by his mouth on hers. There was no mistaking the demanding passion behind this kiss; it spoke of want and longing and desire; it spoke of a man claiming what was rightfully his, and Hermione submitted to its message willingly. Reaching between them, Hermione fumbled for Severus' cock, hoping he was ready. He was semi-hard, but with a few deft strokes from her hand, he was soon fully erect.

Between ragged breaths, Severus kissed his way around her jaw-line and suckled her earlobe. 'Tell me you want me.'

'Of course I...'

'Tell me.'

'I want you, Severus. I want you now.'

'Oh, my precious girl.' His cock was prodding against her at the wrong angle, trying to find its target and failing. Severus groaned in frustration against her neck.

'Sorry.'

Sighing, Hermione decided to take matters into her own hands. 'It's okay,' she said soothingly, reaching for his shaft and rubbing it against her entrance. 'First times are always a bit awkward. Try now.'

Severus didn't need to be told twice. Snapping his hips forward, he entered her in one hard stroke, then lay still, face buried in the pillow next to her. All the air seemed to leave Hermione's lungs as her cunt adjusted to the intrusion, stretching to enfold him in its tight embrace. Indeed, she was so taken up with the sensation of having Severus inside her at long last, she almost didn't notice that he appeared to have stopped breathing.

'Are you all right?'

'No,' Severus mumbled into the pillow. 'Give me a moment.'

Hermione wrapped her arms around him tightly, grinning to herself, and gave his cock a squeeze.

'Fuck,' he spluttered.

Hermione lifted her legs up around his waist just as Severus started to move. He rocked his hips experimentally, lengthening his strokes and quickly establishing a steady rhythm. It felt incredible, but Hermione didn't expect to come again. This was enough. Just this. She was more interested in Severus, anyway, whose ragged breathing against her shoulder was growing more and more erratic. Hermione wanted to see his face.

'Kiss me,' she begged.

Severus raised his head, his hair obscuring his face yet again. Smiling up at him, Hermione tucked it back behind his ears, but still he refused to meet her eyes. She pulled him down to her then, kissing him tenderly, trying to convey without words just how much he meant to her. There was a moment's hesitation before she felt him surrender, then he was breaking apart in her arms, all restraint gone...

He's mine! Holding on tight, Hermione watched him as he fucked her harder, enraptured by the sight of Severus Snape completely out of control. She strained to latch onto a nipple; sucking hard, it proved to be his undoing. Crying out his pleasure, Severus gave one final thrust and collapsed on top of her.

Hermione cradled Severus' head while his breathing steadied, wishing she could stay like that forever. Her mind was racing, trying to make sense of this bone deep emotion, this overpowering, scary feeling coursing through her. She wanted to name it, pin it down, recognise it for what is was but dared not. She had no right, no right at all.

Severus shifted his weight and rolled off her, pulling her close to him. He, too, seemed lost for words. But did it really matter? Talking, Hermione decided as she drifted off to sleep, was distinctly overrated.