Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Love Is No Big Truth	By : honeybee Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 10389 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 11
- 12
- 13
Chapter 12: Protect me From What I Want

Severus
woke up early and went outside to make coffee. Right away, he popped back in to
get his cloak. The weather in Greece was warm even in the end of October, but
he was high enough in the mountains to feel the morning chill. The sun had not
risen yet, but it was light enough to find his way to the fireplace. Wrapped
tightly in his soft black cloak, he stared at the rising foam in the pot,
thinking about Hermione. He had given up calling her Miss Granger even in his
mind. She was due to arrive in the afternoon
and his emotions warred between anticipation and anxiety. The unwanted feelings
she had awoken in him next to the lily pond in the park made him distinctly
uncomfortable. On the other hand�he wanted to see her. He gritted his teeth in annoyance and poured
the boiling coffee in a thick mug. He
hoped that the whole debacle was caused by his isolation from all humankind,
including females. He tried to attribute his unhealthy interest to his
reawakened reproductive instincts. After
all, my body was smart enough to know that finding a woman during my spy career
was meaningless and far too dangerous. Now that it has become clear that I�m
alive and staying alive, my stupid hormones are tying to latch to the first
available female around. I�ve had a few days to clear my mind, maybe
when she shows up today everything will be back to normal.

He stood up
and started pacing, trying to ignore the infernal inner voice, who smirked at
him, Keep thinking that, old man.

The problem
was that Hermione had many other qualities beyond being female. Her
intelligence drew the scholar in him like moth to a flame. He rejoiced every time she grasped a complex
concept just from a few words, without lengthy explanations. Her fierce loyalty
to her friends evoked both respect and envy in him. Having been betrayed and
disappointed more times than he cared to count made him covet that loyalty for
himself. In a way, she had been loyal to
him�he knew from Potter that she had been respectful to him throughout their
schooldays. She was the one who came to his aid in the Shrieking Shack and
almost gave her life away to save his. However, that was the loyalty she felt
for a teacher and fellow Order member. He wanted to mean something more to her.
He wasn�t sure what that meant exactly. His traitorous body had its own
opinion, but maybe, hormones set aside, he could be her friend? Yes, friend was
good...and safe.

Pushing all
thoughts of Hermione Granger aside, he sat under the fig tree and threaded his
fingers through the dry grass, lightly touching the soil. He felt the thrum of
life through his fingers and reached out. Soon the air shimmered and Vesna
appeared in her white dress, smiling softly.

�How nice
of you to invite me for coffee, Severus. As always, you make the best brew.�
She poured herself a mug and eased down next to him. He stared at the ground,
unsure what to say. He was not certain why exactly he had called out to Vesna.
He knew he could always turn to her in times of trouble, but he had no idea how
she could help him in this particular predicament.

�How is
your research coming along?� she asked, sniffing her coffee and making sounds
of delight.

�Still the
same. I�m doing something wrong, I did the Arithmancy on the potion and it
comes out all garbled and twisted, so I can�t even tell where the problem is.� Severus
sighed. �I gave Hermione the chronicles. Maybe she will see something that I
don�t.�

�She is an
exceptional young woman, isn�t she?� Vesna eyed him askance.

�Indeed.�
His eyes shifted involuntarily, but Vesna had always been able to read him
easily.

�I see. Do
you want to talk about it?�

�I am not sure there is anything to talk about.� He saluted her with his mug. �I
simply need company to take my mind off...her.� There. He said it. Vesna nodded
and relaxed against the tree trunk. She squeezed his hand lightly.

�There is
nothing wrong with letting yourself feel, Severus, you know. Not everyone you
let in your heart will break it.�

�Everyone
up to now has, Vesna; except you, of course.� He squeezed back. The old woman
chuckled and they drank their coffee in silence, watching the sunrise.

***

Hermione
spent the remainder of the week trying to concentrate on her work. However, all
sorts of disturbing thoughts popped into her head at most inopportune times.
When on Friday she almost blew up the lab, Master Borisov simply pointed to the
door.

�Out, Miss
Granger. Clearly there is something bothering you. Take the day off and get
some rest. I want you back tomorrow in your full capacity.�

Hermione
hung her head and collected her things. Despite her best efforts, her lip
trembled. She had never messed up a potion so bad. She walked out without looking at
her teacher, but he followed and stopped her just outside the door.

�Miss
Granger, this is not a punishment. You
need some time off and you are not fit to brew in this condition. It happens to
everyone.� He gave her a meaningful look. �If he did something to upset you, just tell me and I will give him
hell. You are my student now, only I have the right to upset you.�

Hermione smiled
weakly and wiped her eyes. �No, he
has been kind to me. I just�I have a lot on my mind. I promise I will be better
by tomorrow.�

The old man
let her go and smiled. �Go ahead, now. And tell the boy he has been neglectful
of his old master lately, I am looking forward to his next visit.�

Hermione
nodded and left, trying to reconcile the word �boy� with Severus. Somehow it
didn�t fit.

***

The weather
had just turned and the warm autumn scenery of the city was now grey and
depressing. The constant drizzle and the cold wind that seemed to ambush her
around every corner did not do anything for her mood. She couldn�t even take a
walk in the park. Not that she wanted to; the very idea of the lily pond was
enough to make her both hot and cold inside. In a fit of mutiny against her
�good girl� image, she entered a small shop on the way to the flat and bought a
bottle of red wine. Viktor had shown her
some of the better local wines, but they always drank a glass or two with dinner,
nothing more. She was not the drinking sort anyway. However, standing in the
shop and looking through the window at the grey city, the only thing she wanted
to do was go home and curl up on her bed with a bottle of wine and a good book
or a sappy romantic movie. Soon after the telephone, Viktor had bought a
television set and a DVD player. So she
picked a bottle of her favourite wine, not too strong but tart enough to pull
back her gums, and walked to the flat. Of course, when she was halfway there,
the drizzle turned into a flood. She couldn�t risk an Impervious charm in front
of all the Muggles running for cover. Shit. She ran, too.

She walked
into the flat and went straight to the bathroom for a hot shower. Half an hour
later, wrapped into a soft terrycloth robe, she sat in front of the TV and
looked through the movie collection. Finally settling for �Love, Actually�, and
after a brief struggle with the corkscrew, she poured herself a glass of wine
and relaxed on the sofa. Silently, she saluted into the empty air. Here�s to me, Hermione Granger, swot
extraordinaire-getting drunk before noon. Half a bottle later and an hour
into the movie, she could not avoid the reasons for attempted drunkenness any
longer. The next day she was going to
Greece. She was going to him! The
idea of being alone with him made her quiver with anticipation. And that, in
turn, made her scared shitless. She tried to remember all the times he had been
mean and cruel in school. She tried to remember him in billowing black robes, his
condescending sneer. However, all she could hear was his mellow baritone
instructing her about Wielding and his fierce love for his childhood friend.
All she could see was a lock of inky black hair against a white shirt, making
the same striking contrast as the black hair trail that ran along his belly
against his marble-white skin�she groaned and banged her head on the back of
the sofa. This is so confusing. Why do I
even think of him like that? He used to be my Professor, for crying out loud!

Attraction
to the opposite sex was no stranger to Hermione. She had felt the first
flutters when she was Viktor�s date for the Yule Ball. Yet somehow, it had been
more the thrill of exploring the unknown. Not that there was much exploring
beyond a few kisses and an awkward grope. She was way too young then, and after
all they had turned out much better as friends.
She had felt small tugs in her gut during the summers in the Burrow,
when most of the Weasley sons wandered around shirtless at some point. But it
had been just that-a small tug, a spark of interest which subsided as soon as
the Weasley in question disappeared from her sight. Then there was the kiss
with Ron during the final battle. It was definitely passionate, but not the
right kind of passion.

None of
these encounters with her sexual nature had ever unfazed her so. It was a part
of her that made itself known from time to time, but it never interfered in her
life until this point. She couldn�t comprehend it. After all, she had spent
hours sunbathing in the backyard of the Burrow with Bill Weasley, all tanned
skin, roguish smile and long auburn hair. It was basically the dream of every
witch above Hogwarts age. However, the
memory of his mostly naked body, clad in cut-offs and glistening in the sun
made her feel nothing but affection and regret for his maimed face. The memory of the two-inch wide strip of
Severus� stomach she had glimpsed made her squirm in her seat. Gods,
what is WRONG with me?!

Frustrated
and angry at herself, she turned off the TV and went to her room. The parcel
Severus had given was stashed away in the lowest drawer. She had yet to enlarge
it. I think about him all the time,
anyway. I asked to visit him tomorrow; I might as well go prepared. She
took the parcel out and bracing herself, she tapped it with her wand. There
were two books inside, each wrapped in soft cotton cloth for protection. She
couldn�t help but smile; there was a man who cherished books as much as her. She picked up the first tome. It was
evidently very old; it had no title, only an elaborate engraving of a large
tree. The tree�s roots went as far down as the crown went up. She opened the
book and looked at the first two pages. Her eyes widened when she realized that
the book contained the chronicles of Wielding. Apparently it was written by
more than one person; the handwriting, the ink and the style changed, and it
alternated between history and personal journal entries. She sat on her desk
and soon was engrossed in reading. She never heard Viktor come home, she didn�t
see him take a peek in her room and shake his head with silent amusement. Only
when it was too dark to read she lifted her head and rubbed her gritty eyes.
She went to the kitchenette to grab a bite and returned to the book, switching
on the light.

Much later,
she woke up with a crick in her neck. She had fallen asleep on her desk,
thankfully not on the book. She didn�t think Severus would appreciate her
drooling on his precious tomes. Staggering to her bed, she fell asleep
promptly, all her earlier worries pushed back by the swirling mass of
information she was trying to absorb.

A/N: I love reviews sooo much! (well, who doesn't?) Thanks to eveyone who left a word. This chapter's title belongs to Placebo I'm sorry that it is so short, but I felt it needed to stand by itself. Next one is coming up in a week or so (probably).
- 11
- 12
- 13
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Love Is No Big Truth