At the Shore of The Heart

Two days after Severus’s impromptu arrival at her door, Hermione was standing outside his, waiting for him to respond to her knocking. They had agreed that she should Apparate rather than Floo there with her luggage, after a disastrous attempt earlier in the day when her suitcase became wedged at one end, with her arm stretched to it’s limit at the other. The fact that she had broken down in a fit of giggles, making her totally incapable of dealing with the situation, had irked Severus no end.



Severus knew that taking a trip was probably a good idea. But he felt as if he was leaving Lucy behind, and the guilt had started to eat away at him since the afterglow of the red wine had faded. He hadn’t said anything to Hermione. He couldn’t let her down again. But his stomach was tying itself in knots, and making him even grouchier than was usual for him. He heard her knocking impatiently, and flung open the door with a scowl.



‘I see Apparating proved a safer option,’ he grumbled at her as she pushed her way through into the lounge and dumped her case with a bang on the wooden floor.



‘I can do without your bad mood, Severus. I know going away for the first time without Lucy is going to be hard, but try not to take it out on me, will you?’ Hermione said directly, her eyes flashing.



Severus glared at her. Damn this witch. She could see through him at every turn.



‘I preferred you when you were my student, and I had the option of detention if your tongue ran away with you,’ he murmured, holding her gaze firmly.



‘I’m sure,’ Hermione grinned at him, and the mood was broken. ‘You won’t make me miserable, Severus, no matter how hard you try. I’ve been really looking forward to this trip.’



‘I’ll get my bag,’ he muttered, then turned and stomped up the stairs.



Hermione glanced around the room a little. Severus had done his usual lick and polish, but there were tell tale smudges of dust on the surfaces, and the insides of the windows were smeared with dirt. She wondered if Lucy had ever visited the house, but then remembered that she had had no idea of his life as a wizard, so the likelihood was that she hadn’t. It was totally different to the house Severus had shared with Lucy, which had been bright and airy, and exactly the same as the other six houses in the small cul-de-sac. If Hermione hadn’t been used to Hogwarts and the dungeons, Spinners End would have freaked her out completely.



Hermione’s eye was caught by the familiar handwriting on the letter above the fireplace and she lifted it down and turned it around slowly. The Hogwarts seal was still intact, and she ran her fingertips across it with a small sentimental smile on her face. Even now, she missed her old school. She dropped the letter with a start, however, when Severus coughed loudly behind her.



‘Gods, Severus, you made me jump,’ she said, picking up the letter and putting it back where she found it.



Severus watched her closely, but said nothing. He hadn’t told her about Minerva’s correspondence, because he knew she would go on at him until he wrote back. And there were some things in his life he wished to keep private.



‘I’m ready,’ he murmured.



‘Good,’ Hermione smiled at him, then turned back to the mantle piece. She lifted his wedding photograph and handed it to him. ‘Let’s bring Lucy with us,’ she said softly.



Severus paused and looked at her, his eyes softening slightly. He shook his head.



‘No, I don’t think so. I need to do this alone,’ he replied. He pushed her hand back to the mantle and they replaced the photograph together. Taking her hand gently, he squeezed it a little and smiled at her. ‘Thank you for the thought, Hermione,’ he said.



‘You’re welcome,’ she smiled at him and looked down to where he was still holding her hand. His flesh was warm, his skin smooth. It wasn’t what she would have expected.



Severus let go of her hand and lifted his bag, ‘Come on woman, before I change my mind,’ he said.



Hermione followed him as he walked out of the door, wondering why she suddenly had a small knot in her stomach.



*****





Monte Argentario was situated off the coast of Orbetello in Tuscany. It had taken Hermione hours of pouring over guidebooks and maps before she had chosen the place, but as they walked up the slight incline to the villa, she knew she had made the right choice. As they reached the top of the hill, she turned and looked down over Le Cannelle beach, with it’s inviting turquoise water and lush green backdrop. She took a deep breath and smiled. It was almost too perfect for words. She turned to Severus, who was also taking in the view.



‘Well? Good choice?’ she asked him brightly.



‘Good choice,’ he nodded.



‘Salve!’ a female voice called down to them from the front steps of the villa, and they turned to see a young woman with long black hair waving at them.



‘That must be Ines,’ Hermione said, ‘come on, I can’t wait to see inside.’



Hermione walked up the steps and shook hands warmly with Ines.



‘Salve, Ines, I’m Hermione, and this is my friend, Severus,’ Hermione smiled at her.



Ines had the darkest brown eyes Hermione had ever seen, and her hair shone in the sunlight. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and pale beige trousers, and on her feet she wore strappy leather sandals. Like most Italians, Ines looked very classy without even trying. She smiled at them both, flashing a row of perfect white teeth.



‘Welcome to Villa Castalia,’ Ines spoke in a rich deep voice and her English was perfect.



‘It’s so beautiful,’ Hermione breathed as she gazed up at the red tiled roof. There were vines along the fascia covered in fresh, green leaves and small bunches of green grapes, and terracotta pots full of brightly flowering nasturtiums dotted around the narrow veranda.



‘It is really something,’ Severus said smoothly, holding his hand out to Ines. She shook it, and held onto it a little longer than was really necessary, and Hermione noticed a pink flush rising up her throat. She felt a slight twinge as she saw Severus smiling at Ines, and she lifted her head and proceeded to walk past them up the villa steps.



Ines walked behind Hermione quickly and pushed open a bright orange door. As they stepped inside, Hermione gasped. They had walked into a large open-plan lounge and kitchen area, with large French doors at one end. Ines walked through the lounge, resplendent with low, cream sofas, and threw open the doors. They followed her and stepped out onto a wide hardwood deck. In the corner was a table and another set of cream sofas and beyond it, the most amazing view over the cliff and onto Le Cannelle, and the deep blue sea disappearing into the horizon.



‘This is my favourite part of the villa,’ she said quietly, ‘at night time, with the lights on, it can be very romantic,’ she murmured, and flashed her eyes at Severus. He smiled softly at her, and then averted his gaze, looking out to sea.



‘Can we see the rest of the house?’ Hermione said, a little too loudly.



Ines turned to her coolly. ‘Of course, follow me,’ she said flatly, and Hermione trailed behind her with her shoulders a little slumped. Ines so obviously found Severus attractive, and Hermione couldn’t understand why, but she just wanted to protect him. It hadn’t even been a year since Lucy’s death. Surely it was too soon for Severus to even think about being with another woman?



Ines showed them the bathroom, which was well appointed but basic. Then she opened a door to a large master suite. The bed was wrought iron, with a thick mattress and a light muslin canopy above. The window was shuttered, and when Ines opened it, it looked out onto a small garden, with a tantalising view of the small town below.



‘Here you are, the bedroom,’ she murmured. ‘If there is anything you need, my number is by the telephone.’



Hermione glanced up at Severus, who had paled a little, then laughed softly. ‘Is there another bedroom, Ines? Severus is my friend, but we are not a couple,’ she said, a small giggle in her voice.



It didn’t pass Hermione’s notice that Ines brightened up at this piece of information. She smiled widely, aiming it mostly at Severus.



‘I just assumed,’ she said quietly, ‘yes, there is a further bedroom next door.’ Ines showed them the room, which shared a similar view. The bed was made out of rattan wood, and a large desk sat in the corner of the room. Severus put his bag on the bed, and looked around.



‘This will be fine for me. You take the larger room, Hermione,’ he murmured.



‘Thanks,’ she smiled, and then noticed he seemed a little uncomfortable. His eyes fixed on hers and she dropped her guard, knowing he wished to speak with her. She felt the brush of his mind on hers and then his voice, softly, almost a whisper.



‘I need some time alone. Can you get rid of her?’ he said inside her head.



Hermione nodded a little, and then turned to Ines.



‘Please could you show me the kitchen before you leave? I’m useless with gadgets,’ she fixed her with a warm smile, and Ines smiled back at her. Apparently, knowing that Hermione and Severus were not a couple made Ines more amiable. They walked out of the room, and Hermione turned to see Severus staring out of the bedroom window, before closing the door quietly.



Ines gave Hermione a thorough tour of the kitchen and showed her the supplies she had already put into the ‘fridge for their first night. As Hermione walked her to the door to say goodbye, Ines paused slightly.



‘You friend, he is very sad,’ she said quietly.



Hermione stared at her in surprise. ‘Yes, he is. His wife died recently. How did you know?’



‘My Grandmother has the sight, and I have a little of her gift. I can sense emotions,’ she said quietly. She looked at Hermione and smiled at her a little. ‘He does not know what you feel for him, I am guessing?’



‘Feel for him?’ Hermione frowned, ‘I am sure I don’t know what you mean!’ she laughed a little. What on earth was Ines implying?



Ines shook her head a little, and smiled at her. ‘Call me if you need me,’ she said as she walked down the path, raising her hand in a small wave.



Hermione shrugged and closed the door, then went to explore the contents of the ‘fridge. She was sure there was a bottle of wine in there somewhere.





*************



Sorry for the delay.... plot bunny keeps escaping. I know this is a bit of a nothing chapter but i wanted to give a proper feel for where they are staying.