Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Broken Dreams	By : onecelestialbeing Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 34536 -:- Recommendations : 4 -:- Currently Reading : 13
Disclaimer: I make no money from this story, own nothing of Harry Potter, haven't met any of the people (except Alan Rickman and sadly that was brief)

Chapter List
- 25
- 26
- 27
"Are you sure this is all right?" Hermione asked, fiddling with the collar of her dress. She and Severus were standing in her bedroom; Severus perched stiffly in a chair, his black eyes roving over Hermione's blue-clad form as she fussed with the garment for the umpteenth time. "I get the idea that Mrs. Malfoy is used to more...traditional witch's robes."

"Just because she prefers them doesn't mean you need to be relegated in doing so," Severus assured. "However, your dress is very becoming. So what is it to be-the dress or robes?"

Hermione grumbled, muttering something under her breath before casting one last glance in the mirror. "I'll stick with the dress," she conceded, reaching back with both hands to pull her hair into a low ponytail. "Before we're late."

"You mean before you make us late."

"Nuances, Severus! But all right, before I make us late. I wonder if Ginny and Draco are going to be at the manor as well?"

"Most likely," Severus intoned, drawing himself to his full height and walking over to Hermione. He was clad in his ever present black attire; only instead of a suit he wore a lightweight jumper and trousers. His black travelling cloak was draped over one leg, Hermione's on top of it as Severus waited for the witch to finish with her ablutions in the mirror.

Hermione soon stopped fiddling with her dress, and walked over to Severus who was now standing up. After adjusting Hermione's cloak over her shoulders, his was affixed into place, and they both held hands and Apparated with a pop.

Hermione was unable to ward off her fit of dubiousness when she and Severus arrived at Malfoy Manor. Somehow her last visit when Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy weren't around made the entire time seem less daunting, even if Narcissa was now greeting them warmly and directing them to her sitting room.

The small group only consisted of Severus, Hermione, Lucius, and Narcissa. Lucius was calmly seated next to his wife, looking across at the stoic, raven-haired wizard, whose hands remained a few inches away from his somewhat mellowed witch. The two clearly seemed a bit uncomfortable, yet it was obvious that they sought comfort in one another's close proximity.

Polite conversation was soon exchanged, Narcissa once again expressing her gratitude for Hermione previously opening her home to everyone. Hermione nervously uttered a "you're welcome," before taking a large sip of tea, the tinny ringing of her dainty porcelain teacup hitting against its saucer rattling out in the strained silence.

After another twenty minutes, Lucius invited Severus to his study, Hermione shooting Severus a look that plead for him to not leave her. Promising that he wouldn't be long, he followed behind the smirking blond wizard.

"So, I'm absolutely dying to know just how you managed to keep company with your young Gryffindor," Lucius began without preamble when they were in his study. He'd shown Severus to a seat, promptly walking over to his drinks table and pouring out a dram of firewhisky in two short, crystal tumblers.

"And this concerns you how?" Severus smoothly replied, extending his arm to accept the glass from Lucius' outstretched hand.

"Surely you don't think I mean any harm, Severus," Lucius told him, his patrician features turned up into an elegant frown. "When I tell you that I'm curious, literally, that's all I mean. It's not as if you're the type to consort with anyone that you deal with on a professional level."

Severus arched an eyebrow, taking a sip of the firewhisky and enjoying its smoky bite and the warmth that spread throughout his chest. One thing he could say about Lucius, was that he kept a well-stocked liquor cabinet, as the firewhisky was top-notch and much better than the tea he was given in Narcissa's drawing room.

"Let's just say that I found Miss Granger merely tolerable once she'd started her apprenticeship, and our relationship blossomed as a result."

"Fascinating. But I thought she was going around with the youngest Weasley lad?"

"Lucius, you do realize that you sound like a gossiping sixth-year?" Severus pointedly told the blond wizard, who merely smirked back at him.

"As if it's my fault that I'm well informed," he glibly replied. "But you seem to forget that his sister is always over here with my son."

"I suppose you have a point," Severus conceded, bringing the crystal tumbler back up to his lips. "If you must know, nothing ever panned out between the two. Although Mr. Weasley did try; he and Potter came down from the Ministry for a visit, and the bloody boy kissed Hermione right in the middle of Hogsmeade. Of course, it was no surprise that I'd heard about it right after the fact. I swear, these bloody children don't miss a damned thing nowadays. They can recite a bit of blather verbatim, but if you ask one of them the ingredients for a simple Burn-healing paste, they clam up and feign ignorance."

"I'm surprised you didn't geld him with your wand for touching your witch," Lucius mused with a furtive, wry glance over his glass. It was no secret that Severus didn't like to share; he'd been that way ever since his days as a youth back at Hogwarts. One of their classmates tried to steal a book from his bedside, and Severus had hexed the boy so badly that it took Madam Pomfrey three days to get all of the warts off the child's body. Lucius had thought it to be funny, but upholding his duty as Prefect took Severus off to the side for a chat, explaining that he couldn't do that again.

Severus had merely nodded with a dark look on his face, but firmly stated that if someone attempted to steal his belongings again, that he would hex them with a spell that had no counter curse.

"Why do I get the impression that there's more to this story than you're letting onto?"

"You needn't be so bloody interested," Severus shot back, glowering darkly at Lucius. Lucius merely chuckled, used to his friend's contrary disposition and not put off in the least. Standing back up, he collected Severus' glass and refilled it as well as his own. Handing the crystal tumbler that now held two fingers of firewhisky, Lucius settled back down across from Severus, holding up his own glass in salutations before taking a sip, obviously waiting for Severus to go on with his story.

"You're a nosy bastard, I hope you know that," Severus grumbled, taking a large swig of the liquid sustenance before settling back against the sofa's leather back. "Let's just say, that had it not been for Hermione's utterly foolish yet complete display of Gryffindor bravery, I still would have been rotting on the floor of that damned Shrieking Shack."

Lucius' face had displayed a look of wry amusement until he heard Severus' words, his countenance now growing somber. "Do you mean to tell me that little slip of a witch had a hand in your escape from death? Surely you've caught wind of the stories circulating about your mysterious reappearance, but of course you're so tight-lipped they've been nothing more than speculation. "

Severus offered a noncommittal grunt, taking another drag of firewhisky. "Hermione offered more than just a hand," he continued, his own features becoming grim as he rehashed the sordid details of that day. "Dumbledore's bird, Fawkes, also helped, but it was Hermione's quick thinking that saved me from what might have been a life of difficulty. Had I survived without her succor by some rare occurrence, I would have been paralyzed from the neck down. That's no way for a man to live, in which case I would have gladly accepted death."

"I honestly can't say that I think death is the answer to that conundrum, but I will say that you've got a damned fine witch, and you'd better hold onto her."

An icy glint appeared in Severus' black eyes. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"There's no need for you to become so touchy!" Lucius retorted. "It means just what I said, it's not a riddle. I hope you don't think it too forward for me to give praise to your witch, but I'm being sincere. Hold onto her. You know that I've always loved Cissy, but I truly didn't realize just how much that was until I'd gotten out of Azkaban, and matted hair, unwashed skin, broken spirit and all, she was still there to embrace me and assure me that everything would be all right. Then she kissed me just like our first time when we were kids, and right then I knew that what I had could never be replaced."

Lucius fell quiet, ruminating over his own past misdoings, Severus also growing pensive and mulling over the blond wizard's words.

"Well, of course your wife loves you," Severus quietly admitted. "What other witch would put up with your pompous manner and never-ending regimen of grooming those sleek, blond strands?"

Lucius chuckled at his friend's crass remark, looking down at his now empty glass and asking if Severus wanted another refill.

"Why not?" he replied, holding out his glass. "But if I end up on my arse, you will be the one floundering for an explanation to give to Hermione."

"Really, Severus," Lucius drawled, pouring them each a third glass of firewhisky. "If you become that inebriated, surely you and your young lady can have a lie down in one of the guest rooms. How many times have Narcissa and I both told you that you are welcome to stay at the manor whenever you like?"

"I'm sure that number coincides with the amount of times that Narcissa has insisted that I spend too much time alone and am in dire need of a wife."

"Was she lying?"

Severus was brought up short, and hastily downed the rest of his firewhisky before rising to his full height. "Deny it if you like, Lucius, but you still hold all the allure of a thirteen-year-old girl when it comes to your penchant for gossip. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll collect my witch before she succumbs to your also nosy wand mate's interrogation."

"Are you that mistrustful of us, Severus?" Lucius asked, the gleam back in his grey eyes. "You make it sound as if Cissy and I both planned to coerce you two into telling us your innermost secrets."

"Mistrustful? No. But one thing's for sure-you two are so in tune with one another, that you have no need for all of the subterfuge. You and Narcissa most likely feed off of each other's brain waves, knowing just what to ask when the proper moment strikes."

"Touché," Lucius chuckled. "All right, then. I won't keep you any longer. I'll walk back with you."

Severus had pointedly ignored Lucius, sweeping ahead of him into the lavish hallway, determinedly making his way back to the drawing room.

The two found Narcissa and Hermione deep in conversation, their words punctuated by laughter from either party.

"Nice chat?" Lucius drawled, settling down next to his wife and idly brushing a finger against the back of her neck.

"Yes, I was just telling Hermione that..." Narcissa began, her voice trailing off and she leaned closer towards her spouse, her grey eyes narrowing suspiciously. "What did I tell you, Hermione?" she continued, sitting back upright and daintily crossing her legs.

"Oh, so you were right? They were back in the study drowning themselves in Ogden's," Hermione cheekily replied, biting back a grin as she turned to look at a scowling Severus.

"We only had a taste," Lucius scoffed, haughtily readjusting the snake-shaped cufflinks that hadn't moved on inch out of place on his shirt.

Narcissa looked sideways at her husband as if he was speaking gibberish. "And by a taste I take that to mean you polished off half the decanter."

"Cissy," Lucius muttered under his breath, paying no mind to their guests as he slipped an arm around her waist and lowered his mouth to her ear, making the blonde witch give a loud yelp. When she pulled back, her face was flushed pink and she was trying to wipe the smile off her face.

"I'm dreadfully sorry for my husband's manners," she said, more for Hermione's benefit, as the younger witch was eyeing the married couple with rapt attention, surprise colouring her brown eyes. Severus had been used to their public displays of affection since Lucius had begun courting Narcissa back in school and was accustomed to tuning them out. To be the epitome of an uptight and snobby wizard, it seemed that Narcissa had been the only chink in Lucius' impenetrable armor, as his sharp, angular features always lit up at the sight of his witch.

Severus would have sooner cursed off his own arm than to admit it, but secretly he had always been slightly jealous of Lucius, in the regard that he had a witch that seemed to love him, despite his faults. Their marriage had been a rare thing in itself, as most pureblood families came together for the sake of keeping their wealth within their already small circle, often each union borne out of convenience. Narcissa truly loved her husband and vice versa; that much having been evident during the time Lucius was sent away to Azkaban.

The normally steadfast witch had been reduced to a state of depression, knowing where her husband was and being unable to do anything about it. Then when her only child was made to pay penance for his father's mistakes, the last threads of her sanity were in serious threat of dissolving. Severus couldn't remember a time where he'd ever seen Narcissa Malfoy looking so utterly defeated, as when she had visited him at Spinner's End. Draco hadn't been any better off; throughout his entire sixth year at Hogwarts, the young man became moody and withdrawn, refusing to speak to anyone and prone to fits of hysteria when he thought that no one would notice.

Severus' keen, black eyes had honed in on everything, but in his own way, he remained unobtrusive, only stepping in whenever needed. Draco and Severus had kept the entire incident with him being on the end of Potter's wand to themselves, as the only sensible thing Draco muttered from his prone position in the hospital wing, being that his mother didn't need the additional stress on her head. Severus knew that he should have told Narcissa about her only son nearly becoming minced by the wand of another student, but conceded, stating that he wouldn't tell Narcissa, all the while imploring that Draco keep a level head and do his best to remain out of trouble.

Of course, the headstrong young blond went on with doing whatever he wanted, and it had been all Severus could do to hold onto his own head. In addition to his cloak-and-dagger behavior, spying for Dumbledore and reporting to the Dark Lord, all the while making sure to protect the skins of Harry Potter and friends, plus the rest of Hogwarts' students, there had been times that Severus seriously contemplated offing himself.

Still, that option was melodramatic, even for him, and Severus carried on as if he was unbreakable.

Severus had been ready to accept his fate on the night of his attempted murder. Hermione had changed the course of said fate, but even upon waking up, his surroundings and details of its events were fuzzy. He didn't know how long he'd been down in the dungeons for, but someone had found his maimed and bloodied body, and when Severus opened his eyes, he incoherently registered that he was in fact alive, and lying in a hospital bed, clad in a shapeless gown with a plethora of bandages covering much of his neck and chest.

The only ones privy to his supposed death had been the Golden Trio. Potter and Weasley hadn't given any further thought to Snape after witnessing Nagini's attack, and Hermione hadn't known that she'd helped saved the headmaster's life as a result of being Obliviated, so after he had been found and brought to the hospital wing, no one thought to look for him. At the time the reason for Severus' discovery had been kept secret from everyone else, although later on it was apparent that had it been known that he'd survived, the chance of a vigilante getting the idea to finish off what Voldemort had started was possible.

It was no great shock to find that students, parents, and professors alike were demanding Snape's head on a pike for the murder of his beloved predecessor. Doped up on pain potions and the like, Severus hadn't noticed the Aurors that had been stationed to guard the private room he was placed in, as if he was some high-profile criminal.

Oblivious to everyone and everything around him, Severus was unaware that Potter had given the contents of his memories to Kingsley, hastily ensuring that Snape wasn't a murderer, that his actions had been ordered by the elderly wizard. Of course, innocent as he might be, it still didn't erase that fact that Snape had been a nasty person in general, and even if they knew that he survived, no one would have cast any semblance of a kind thought towards the perpetually misunderstood man.

Eventually Kingsley came to Severus' bedside, telling him that he'd seen his memories and that he wouldn't be facing a trial. Even in the midst of a slow and painful period of healing, Severus had been mollified to know that he wouldn't be chucked into the dank pits of Azkaban and forgotten about.

Rumors of the headmaster's questionable deeds soon began circulating, and Severus ignored each one. Once his arduous recovery was mostly over with, Severus relegated himself to the dreary confines of his childhood home in Cokeworth. McGonagall and Pomfrey were the only ones that sent regular owls, inquiring after Severus' wellbeing. Shortly after that, Lucius and Narcissa showed up at his doorstep.

Severus had been curious as to how the Malfoys knew where he was, yet quickly pushed the thought aside, knowing that Lucius was thorough if nothing, and had his ways of finding out what he wanted to know. The couple still looked a bit haggard, but displayed a sense of calm that Severus couldn't ever remember seeing. It was expected that they too, would have to answer for their roles in taking the Dark Lord's side, but even that seemed to fail to make the Malfoys unnerved.

The entire visit, Narcissa firmly held onto her husband's hand, as if she was scared that he would disappear if she let go. Only once did she move away from Lucius, and that had been to awkwardly hug Severus, thanking him for protecting their son. Before taking their leave, the two had told Severus that if he needed anything, all he had to do was contact them, and whatever he wanted, it would be his.

Severus gave a brief nod before shutting his door, slowly making his way back to his sitting room. Their offer had made Severus think of a certain curly-haired witch, and the extreme measures he'd gone through to protect her had she fallen into the wrong clutches in the event of the wrong side winning the war. It had been a usual thing for Severus to witness Muggles and wizards alike being tortured by the heartless Death Eaters, yet the idea of Hermione suffering the same fate had literally tore at him. He owed her that much to keep her safe, even if he had perished, and that had been some small comfort. Still, he couldn't help but to wonder what would have been had he not had to Obliviate Hermione, if she would have stuck by his side for the duration of his convalescence, if she would have been willing to hold onto his hand just like Narcissa had tightly and reassuringly held onto Lucius'.

At that trying point in time Severus found the idea of friendship with the young witch laughable at best. He was positive that Hermione wouldn't be willing to spend more time in his presence than was necessary for her to inquire about something that was purely related to academics or the like. So, just as he had been used to doing all of his life, Severus pushed thoughts of the young woman out of his mind, refusing to mull over what might have been.

He never believed in coincidences, knowing that all things were somehow connected in one way or another. Reluctantly returning back to Hogwarts, as Severus wasn't sure as first if he wanted to remain headmaster; he found that students and most of the faculty still treated him with either disdain or something akin to awe. Things would never be normal, if only subjectively speaking, at Hogwarts, but the environment wasn't as tense as it had been when Voldemort and his minions had taken control. Severus soon became accustomed to leading a solitary life, merely socializing with others when necessary.

The last thing he expected was to end up in Muggle London at McGonagall's request when Hermione's mum passed. What he thought was his misfortune turned out to lead into a complete different situation. Severus had done his best to avoid Hermione within the halls of Hogwarts, and gritted his teeth yet dutifully bore her presence whenever she showed up at his tower office, spouting a litany of questions that Slughorn should have been able to answer.

The idea of having to spend time with her in close proximity proved to make him anxious. Perhaps there had been some innate part deep in the recesses of his mind that made Severus know that he could trust Hermione, as it was painfully obvious to him that the young witch served as a balm to his perpetually agitated nerves. That in itself had put the dark wizard off kilter, as he was used to solely relying on himself, his wits, and his own past experiences to see things through. Never would he have thought that the young witch, who somehow managed to get through the tribulations of war without becoming completely jaded, would give him peace of mind.

The day he went to Hermione's house, in spite of her questionable mental status, something inside of him had softened at the sight of the somewhat fragile, rumpled looking witch. His testy behaviour had merely been a smokescreen to cover up the small break in his resolve. The truth was simple enough- Severus didn't have to stay at Hermione's house with her. He could have just as easily helped pack her things and send her off to one of her annoying little friends, or forced her to return to Hogwarts, leaving her to the care of Pomfrey or McGonagall.

No, he chose to stay, for reasons that were unknown or for reasons that he refused to admit to at the time.

Now that he was able to see things more clearly, Severus found that he no longer fostered any envious sentiments when it came to Lucius and his wife. For someone that had stellar skills when it came to espionage and scrutinizing people, Severus felt slightly foolish. Registering Hermione's warm side pressed against his, it was at that moment that Severus realized that Hermione had long adopted the tendency to gravitate towards him whenever he was further away than she liked, subconsciously wanting to remain close to him at all times.

Severus now turned his head to find Hermione furtively looking across at Lucius and Narcissa, a hint of amusement in her brown eyes as the two continued exchanging lighthearted banter. "Do you think they remember that we're still here?" she quietly asked Severus, unemphatically turning her head away when Lucius firmly planted his lips against his wife's.

"Perhaps not," Severus wryly replied before loudly clearing his throat. "How nice of you to rejoin us," he drawled. "As it is, we thank you for the tea, and Hermione and I will be on our way. The last thing we wish is to, inconvenience you two."

"Not at all," Narcissa told him, summoning a house-elf to retrieve their travelling cloaks. "It's a shame that my son and Ginevra didn't show up; I wonder where those two are?"

Off snogging or doing other things that I refuse to think about, Hermione told herself. "No idea, but if they return, tell them I said hello."

"Will do," Narcissa replied, smiling as Lucius came to stand by her side.

Once Severus and Hermione were escorted to the Apparition point in Malfoy Manor, Hermione frowned as something unrelated to their afternoon crossed her mind. "I don't know why I just thought about this, but school is going to start back up soon, and I don't have any teaching robes, nor do I know anything about them," she remarked, grasping hands with Severus and looking around the Malfoys' immaculately groomed and vast garden. "Is that really a peacock?"

Hermione squinted her eyes, widening them a split second later as another albino peacock came into view, both of which were preening their feathers and strolling about in a prissy manner that clearly emulated their owners.

Severus gave a brief glance towards the birds, turning back to Hermione. "If you don't mind it, I'll take you to the very place where I've purchased mine," he offered.

Hermione drew back for a second, calmly regarding Severus and his statement. "Really?"

"Yes," he answered a bit impatiently, holding out his arm and waiting for Hermione to grab hold of it. "Let's go, before those wretched creatures make their way over here. I couldn't stand the damn things then, and I refuse to do so now."

Hermione instantly broke into a fit of giggles, wondering if she was just a bit twisted as she found the fact that Severus was referring to two absolutely gorgeous animals as 'wretched creatures'. She was still laughing as they Disapparated out of the garden with pop.

It hadn't taken long for Hermione to be measured and outfitted for multiple sets of teaching robes, as well as a set of heavier ones at Severus' behest. He explained that she would be grateful for the warmth that the finely spun wool would afford her in the thick of winter, and Hermione agreed, shuddering in memory of the way Severus had preferred to teach his classes in the arctic feeling dungeon classrooms.

Hermione had been in awe at the seamstresses’ speed as her robes were magically put together. She then tried everything on, twirling around in a three-sided mirror, unable to believe how professional she looked. The shop owner said that Hermione was 'quite smart' in her flowing teaching robes, and Severus nodded his approval, although a trace of a smile lingered on his lips.

Thirty minutes later, the two were out of the shop, Hermione holding onto Severus' arm as he gallantly held onto her packages. Few people paid attention to the young woman holding onto the obviously older, and stoic gentleman's arm, yet there had been one pair of inquisitive eyes that fell upon their retreating figures, shocked when the curly-haired witch paused to stand up on tiptoe and plant a kiss on the man's cheek, right there on the sidewalk in full view of everyone.

The two returned to Hermione's house, Midnight loudly meowing and rubbing against their ankles as soon as they stepped through the front door. Removing their cloaks and draping them over a chair in the dining room, the two settled in the front room, Midnight still mewing and clamoring to be picked up. Severus finally relented, scooping up the black kitten and placing him on his knee.

"What do you want, you little blighter?" he asked, scratching the top of his furry black head with one long, tapered finger. "Come to shred my jumper into pieces?"

Hermione giggled, pulling her feet up onto the sofa and curling them beneath her. She leaned her head against Severus' shoulder, enjoying the sight of him playing with her rambunctious kitten.

"How was your chat with Narcissa?" he suddenly asked, swiftly holding the kitten midair when his paws motioned to attack a few loose strands of hair that had fallen over his brow.

"It was fine, actually," Hermione replied, laughing as the tenacious kitten moved his legs around, as if he was going to gain leverage without touching anything. "She just asked me how things were between you and me."

"Did she now?"

"Yes," she grumbled. "You know those two don't miss a trick. Mrs. Malfoy knew something was wrong the day all of the parents got into a row here. She wanted to make sure that I was all right. Well, you too. Oh my goodness, she actually asked me if I had been seeing another wizard, if that was why you were cross with me. Needless to say I quickly dispelled that notion."

"You do know that I wasn't cross with you?" Severus pointed out, finally setting Midnight back down on the floor.

"I know," Hermione answered in a soft voice. She then gave a contented sigh as Severus' arm came around her, his fingers idly stroking the curls that hung over her right shoulder. "I'm still laughing at Mr. Malfoy claiming that you and he only had a little bit of firewhisky in his study. He does know that firewhisky has a distinct scent, and it's easy to tell if someone's had more than what he calls a bit."

"Narcissa didn't really mind," Severus assured. "She merely takes joy in chastising her husband, as well as anyone she's close to. Hence my reason for avoiding the two whenever possible."

"Now is that a nice thing to say about your friends?" Hermione asked, tittering when Severus turned to scowl at her.

"Who said anything about those two being my friends?" he demanded, surveying Hermione through narrowed eyes.

"Oh, Severus, you can deny it if you like, but believe me, the Malfoys are your friends. Why else would-well, I guess I might as well call her Narcissa as she asked me to-speak of you with such high regard, instantly coming to your defense when she thought that I was going around with another man? And it wasn't your Potions making ability that she praised, just so you know."

"Is that right?" he inquired in a droll tone, arching one dark eyebrow.

"Yes, that's right and you know it," Hermione adamantly stated, taking one of Severus' hands into hers, tracing along the visible pale veins with her fingertip. "And just so you know, Luna and Ginny don't find you all that horrid, either. Nor does Mrs. Weasley, if any indication was her sending us that basket of supper when we were both under the weather. Face it-people like you."

"Somehow I doubt that," Severus retorted. "If anything, they might find me a bit more tolerable as of late, but surely that's owed to a certain abidingly cheerful Gryffindor."

"I won't split hairs with you on this, Severus," Hermione laughed. "But what I will do, is let you go on believing what you want. After all, we really know who the right one is on this matter."

"And the know-it-all resurfaces. I wondered when the little braggart would rear its face again."

Hermione pulled a face, moving out of Severus' embrace and standing up. "The braggart is going to feed your cat," she told him, knowing that he would object to claiming ownership of the kitten.

"Lock him up in the box room, while you're at it," Severus called behind her. "I don't fancy little claws digging into my scalp today, or any day, for that matter."

Hermione laughed at his afterthought, but she did move Midnight and a few of his belongings upstairs to the box room. What was once a cluttered space designated for holding small bits of furniture or the odd box, had literally been transformed into a kitty bedroom. Midnight had his own plush bed with his name embroidered on the front, as well as a slew of toys and a tall scratching post that she'd bought at a pet shop in town. There was even a small television set inside, and for reasons unknown to Hermione, the kitten had taken a liking to children's programs, cheerfully darting back and forth whenever the characters began singing. Midnight usually had no objective in being relegated to his room, and easily went inside, Hermione barely having to employ the use of his food dish as bait.

"Satisfied now?" she asked after returning to Severus in the front room. "Midnight is safe and secure in his room, and will not deign to jump on the sofa or bat his paws at your head." Settling back down on the sofa, Hermione shot Severus a smirk before burying her head against his shoulder.

"Far from it," Severus fibbed, purely for the sake of riling up Hermione. Giving a mock scoff, she shifted to lie flat on the sofa, draping her curls out behind her and resting her head on Severus' thighs. Sighing, her eyes immediately closed when his fingers began dragging through her hair.

Severus was merely jesting in his own dry way when he told Hermione that he wasn't satisfied. He was extremely satisfied, as well as content, with her lying across his lap, one slender hand propped up between them and lazily mapping over the contours of his wiry form through his grey jumper. Reveling in the peaceful silence, Hermione turned her head, nuzzling her nose into Severus' palm when he lowered the other hand to trace his fingers over the pink cupid's bow of her mouth.

She opened her eyes to find Severus looking down at her, his black hair hanging in curtains around his face, an incomprehensible look crossing his stern features. "I'm glad to see your happy scowl," Hermione teased with a lopsided grin.

"Glad to see your Clabbertesque grin," came the smooth reply. "I believe you once used the sobriquet for Mr. Sunderland."

"Ugh, why did you even mention that creepy man?" Hermione muttered. "He's an odd bloke if there ever was one. He'd better leave me alone when we go back to Hogwarts."

"Well, I did give you the option of hexing him, which might I remind you, you refused to carry through."

"Severus!" Hermione laughed, peering up into his smug looking face. "You know I can't do that, even if I'd seriously contemplated it."

"Gryffindor."

"Hey!"

Severus darkly chuckled, running his fingers over the side of Hermione's neck.

"You know, you never mentioned how your chat was with Lucius," she mused. "Well, I'm sure, if you two were sucking down firewhisky, leaving Narcissa and I to have tea."

Severus was silent for a moment, reflecting back upon the conversation he and the annoyingly aware blond wizard shared. "It was very...enlightening, shall we say."

"Good or bad enlightening?"

"I'll venture and say good," Severus replied, refusing to give away the exchange between him and Lucius. Although it had been Lucius who did most of the talking, a lot of his words made Severus give serious thought to the past, as well as present, events of his life. Things hadn't started out the way he would have liked, but if he was sure of one thing, it was that they had turned out better than he could have hoped for.

"So long as it doesn't have you in a snit or complaining, then I'm all for it," Hermione added, pushing herself up and straddling Severus' lap, her legs on either side of his slightly splayed thighs. His dark eyes settled onto her face, and Hermione put both arms around his shoulders, unflinchingly returning his steady gaze. Severus circled his arms around Hermione's waist, his fingertips brushing against the dip in her back through the material of her dress.

Hermione wasn't sure if she was supposed to say something, as Severus seemed perfectly content with their close silence. After a few minutes his arms tightened around her body, and she melted against him, tucking her head beneath his.

There were many times that Hermione had pretended to not hear the many unsavory epithets from others when used to describe the headmaster. 'Greasy git' had been the most popular, some of the less creative names consisting of 'that mean bastard' or 'heartless'. Given the slight thumping that was pressing into her own ribcage, Hermione knew that Severus Snape was definitely not heartless.

His attitude was abrupt when it came to dealing with others, and Hermione didn't expect for that to change, but she was the only one that saw the softer side of the taciturn, dark wizard. She knew that she would never hear sweet nothings being whispered into her ear, or be surprised with a bouquet of flowers, yet Hermione found that she was fine with that. Giggling to herself when she remembered his gift of the sensible yet pretty nightgown and toothbrush, Hermione expected that if she was surprised with anything, that the gift would be practical, but she was a practical sort of witch and preferred something useful compared to something beautiful but useless.

It had been the other little things that upon closer inspection, made Hermione realize that Severus showed her he cared, if only in his unconventional way. The first time Hermione had complained of discomfort from her monthly, instead of pushing her out of his bed or coming up with some crude joke the way Ron or other boys had been so fond of, Severus merely rubbed Hermione's back until she had fallen asleep, the next day brewing a special batch of pain potion and leaving the phials for her without a lot of fanfare.

Even before that, she noticed that he would offer assistance when she began her apprenticeship, without pointing out that she should be asking her mentor instead of bothering him. In his own coarse way, Severus had always looked out for her, even in the midst of dressing her down for some reason or another.

Telling herself to shut up and stop thinking so much, Hermione lifted her head and brushed her lips against Severus', her fingers curving over the neckline of his jumper. Their kiss deepened, and before Hermione knew it she was hastily tugging at the hem of Severus' jumper, unceremoniously yanking it and the short-sleeved shirt beneath it up and over his head and tossing both items to the side.

Severus remained silent but completely willing as Hermione's little fingers pressed into his pale, bared chest, her hair tickling his skin as her lips pressed kisses along his jutting collarbone. His slowed, deepened breathing, along with the way his head tipped back onto the sofa cushions was a keen indication that Severus was enjoying Hermione's caresses.

Releasing a drawn out exhale, Severus encircled his arms back around Hermione's waist, his grasp tightening when her lips pressed down onto the sensitive spot beneath his ear. After a few minutes of intense necking and kissing that left them both grinding against one another on the leather sofa, Severus grabbed hold of Hermione's hips and flipped her to lie flat against the cushions.

"Why do I get the idea that you like it when I wear dresses?" Hermione asked with a little smile, lifting up her hips when Severus' hands moved beneath her dress to pull down her tights and knickers.

"Your deductions would be correct," he replied, pushing Hermione's dress up to her navel and parting her thighs, his black eyes focusing on the dark triangle of hair that did little to conceal the soft, dark pink inner flesh.

Unable to keep still as her anticipation began mounting, Hermione writhed against Severus' hands, trying to get them from her inner thighs to move up higher.

It was only natural for Severus to refuse to relent so easily. His slender fingers combed through the shorn curls, his fingertips grazing against Hermione's outer lips, all without touching her clitoris. Completely enthralled with the way Hermione's body kept rising to meet his touch, Severus finally gave in and curved his hand over her sex, gently titillating it with his palm.

Moving her hips in tandem with Severus' hand, Hermione gave a soft grunt when his knuckles grazed against her already sensitive clit, her muffled noises turning into a ragged cry when two fingers smoothly slipped inside her. Amazed that she was able to become so aroused within such a short span of time, Hermione's thoughts were soon muddled when the slender, tapered fingertips pressed against the area that never failed to make her breath catch. Unashamedly moaning as she succumbed to the hand that knew her body so well, Hermione drew her legs back further, oblivious to her nails digging into her thighs as she held them back.

Hermione wasn’t aware of how she’d been clutching onto the sofa cushions until Severus pried her right hand loose, drawing it down between her legs. Dipping lower to collect a bit of her juices, she used her middle finger and fell into a rhythm of circling around the stiffened bud, arching her back and meeting the gentle thrusting of Severus' fingers.

Lifting her head to look down, Hermione saw Severus partly crouched over her, his lean muscles tensing and flexing as his well-trained fingers fervently moved against her. His dark eyes were focused on hers, and that silent yet intimate exchange almost sent Hermione reeling. One minute she'd been staring back at him, the next all she registered was his head bowing towards her breasts, greedily capturing a nipple between his lips, at the same time his fingers withdrawing slightly only to come back and slowly fill both holes. The last thing Hermione registered was her beige ceiling when her head involuntarily snapped back, shortly after her brown eyes rolling back as her walls tightened to the brink of pain before bursting into violent convulsions.

It took several, long minutes for Hermione's high pitched cries to taper off into low moans, her hand clutched onto Severus' and trapping them both between her trembling thighs. Finally managing to pry her eyes open, Hermione found Severus smirking at her, a lascivious grin on his lips.

"May I have my hand back?" he asked, twisting his long fingers inside of Hermione once more, enjoying the way her stomach tensed at the sensation. Withdrawing his hand from between Hermione's legs, Severus pulled her up against him in one fluid motion, slipping the knit dress from over her head and hastily unfastening and removing her bra with one hand.

Their clothes now in a forgotten heap on the floor beside the sofa, Hermione urged Severus to kneel up before her, eagerly unbuckling his belt and slipping his trousers and underpants down his thighs. She didn't even wait for him to remove them completely, her fingers wrapping around his stiff length before engulfing it in her hot mouth.

Grinding out a swear between clenched teeth, Severus's knees buckled at the sensation, unable to hold back when Hermione's free hand reached up to run across his chest, making a circuit between both nipples. Her mouth never stopped its eager sucking, and Severus let out a deep groan when she pulled back slightly, circling her tongue around the purplish head before taking the entire length back into her mouth.

Reaching out to steady himself on one arm against the back of the sofa, Severus tangled his other hand into Hermione's mussed curls, gripping the tresses tightly and trying to resist forcing himself further into the warm orifice. Just when the pull of her mouth and tongue reached the brink of being too much, Hermione released his shaft and laved her tongue over his sac, alternating between using the tip to trace along the thin line that ran down the center and softly sucking each side into her mouth. Her right hand was firmly wrapped around his shaft, her slickened palm gripping and twisting the flesh in an upward motion, while the little fingers on her left hand clutched onto his hip, intent on keeping Severus in place.

Losing fast control of his senses as the little witch devoured him-literally-Severus' body jerked forward when his cock pulsated in Hermione's hand, his release spurting forth and hitting her collarbone, the rest of it spilling down her fingers. When his breathing evened out, he collapsed onto the sofa next to Hermione, highly aware of the smug, devilish look she was shooting him.

"Think you're clever, do you?" he archly inquired, bending down to retrieve his wand from the folds of his jumper and passing it over Hermione's skin, vanishing the remnants of his release.

"You were the one always calling me a know-it-all," she retorted, watching as he removed the rest of his clothes and added it to the pile on the floor. "I merely thought it best if I live up to my name," Hermione continued, crawling between Severus' legs and resting her chin on top of his chest.

"If I ever doubt your prowess, you are more than welcome to point out my absurd behavior."

"I fully intend on holding you to those words, I hope you know that," Hermione laughed, sliding her body up until her lips met his. The two continued kissing and rubbing against one another until Severus' second erection was poking Hermione in the stomach. Guiding her to lay back down, Severus shifted around on the sofa until he was comfortably atop the petite witch, hooking his forearms beneath her knees and prying her thighs apart.

Hermione reached down to place him at her entrance, unable to hold back the lustful cry when his cock squeezed into her swollen, slightly pulsating channel. She felt somewhat cheated not being able to kiss him in their crunched up position on the sofa, yet when he began inexorably thrusting into her body, Hermione was able to do little more than grab onto Severus' shoulders and cry out from pleasure.

Somewhere along the way the two ended up on the floor, resting atop a soft blanket and pile of cushions, all of which had been Transfigured from bits and bobs that had been lying about the front room. Once one of the small cushions had been shoved beneath Hermione's hips, Severus wasted no time in settling on his knees between her legs, clutching onto her thighs and pushing back into her fevered body.

Hermione's sharp cries filled the air, her fingers twisting into the blanket as Severus steadily drove into her. His left hand had made its way over her trembling stomach and up to her breasts, his fingertips alternating between gently plucking at both pebbled nipples. Shivering uncontrollably as she broke out into goose bumps from head to toe, Hermione let out an inarticulate groan as she came again, her walls strongly clamping down on Severus.

She had barely caught her breath before reaching up to pull him down, wanting to feel his weight against her. Pausing to shove two sinewy arms beneath her shoulders, Severus long fingers clamped down onto Hermione's skin, his mouth crashing into hers as his hips continued rowing into hers.

Little mewls and whimpers were lost against Severus' lips, only becoming louder when Hermione forgot that she was supposed to be returning his kisses. Her own arms and legs were firmly wrapped around his body, her heels bouncing off his lower back and her fingers clutching onto his shoulders.

Her moans were soon punctuated with hissed swears when Severus began fucking her right to the brink of release, before tapering off his thrusts. She actually snarled and called him a bastard at one point, all the while cambering her hips up against his, which only made him give a deep chuckle next to her ear.

"You know I hate when you do that!" she groaned, tightening her legs around his back.

"Yes, but for some reason all thoughts of complaining seem to disappear after the fact," Severus replied in a husky voice, still keeping the rolling movements of his hips slow but purposeful.

Hissing with impatience, Hermione unclenched one hand to smack his sweat dampened shoulder, only relaxing when Severus brushed his lips against hers before engaging her in a gentle kiss. "Now are you going to behave, or shall I remain here like this?" he asked, lazily circling his pelvis against Hermione's once more.

"You win, again!" she snapped, making Severus smirk once more. "But what's new, you wretched man. Now get on with it!"

Severus was unable to wipe the satisfied, smug look off his face. It was heady tonic knowing that Hermione wanted him, found him desirable, a good indication being the way she kept pulling him against her. He displayed remarkable control for the most part, although the feral part of his senses wanted to pound into Hermione's body until she was rendered senseless.

Their first time together, Severus had in fact momentarily lost his head. Hermione's agonizing cry of pain at that first thrust had been the only thing stopping him from completely fucking her into the mattress, yet once her discomfort subsided, she’d matched him thrust for thrust, incoherently babbling for him to keep going.

If actually uttered, it would sound like a trite sentiment, but it truly was as if her body had been created with him in mind. If Severus had to go by the sex alone, Hermione did for him what not even the most seasoned whore managed to do. Thinking back to what Lucius told him about holding onto his witch held no weight at the moment, as Severus knew long before that he had no intention of letting her go.

Coming back to when he felt Hermione's muscles clenching the tip of his cock, Severus finally relented and thrust back into her slick, nearly scalding heat, uttering a deep groan when he bottomed out. Earning another uttered swear from the flustered witch, Severus noted that this time the words were laced with carnality. Hermione's eyes soon squeezed shut, her head thrown back and her wild curls spread out in a tangled halo on the blanket.

Within seconds Hermione was shuddering beneath him, but this time Severus kept going, no longer able to hold back. Hermione clung to Severus like a limpet, completely consumed with his steady rhythm into her body. He found her banshee-like screams encouraging, and changed his angling ever so slightly, causing her eyes to snap open. Insensate to Hermione's sharp fingernails when they pressed into the dip of his shoulders, Severus continued his thorough possession of her body until she went rigid beneath him, her form then dissolving into tremors that did little to impede his progress.

When her snug passage convulsed around him moments later, a cascade of hot liquid erupting from her core and soaking his abdomen, Severus unleashed a deep groan into Hermione's hair, continually thrusting into her until his cock stopped twitching with its release. Both were completely spent, bonelessly collapsing into a pile of tangled limbs on the blanket as they came back down. Hermione was so still and quiet for a moment that Severus heaved himself up onto one elbow, peering down into her face to see if she was awake.

"What's wrong?" she asked exhaustedly, still not opening her eyes.

"I thought perhaps you'd fainted," his voice still ragged as he surveyed the rosy-hue that covered her sweat glistened body from head to toe.

"What are you talking about? I don't faint," Hermione sighed as Severus shifted to her side, rolling off the pillow and curling up in his arms.

"You do, and you have before," he replied, gliding a hand over her rounded shoulder.

"Prove it."

"Open your eyes. Surely you remember that I'm skilled at Legilimency; we can quash your doubt within seconds." Chuckling when Hermione became huffy as she was able to manage, as her body was still weighed down with lassitude, Severus moved his hand up to the nape of her neck, sliding his fingers into the damp curls. "Think back, Hermione. Our first time in your room, I distinctly remember you going limp in my arms, slithering down to your bed much like the snakes that you so fondly speak of moves."

"Shut up," she mumbled against his chest, feeling the sudden urge for a nap take over. "How the hell do we keep managing to end up on the floor?"

"A little hot-blooded witch attacked me, set on stripping me naked and having her way with me."

Hermione doggedly lifted her head, lightly sinking her teeth into Severus' side. "Watch it, you." She had just put her head back down, her body completely relaxing when the doorbell rang, the cheery sounding chimes blaring out a complete annoyance. "Who the bloody hell is at my door?" she thundered, disinclined to move from Severus embrace yet doing so anyway, the ire evident in her brown eyes. "Unless it's one of the neighbors, but I don't think I screamed that loudly!"

Severus shot her a look that clearly spoke of indifference, only for Hermione to scowl back at him. She had just swept the frizzy curls back out of her face when the doorbell rang again, this time followed by a sharp rapping of knuckles on wood.

"Hermione? Are you in there?"

"What the-what the hell is Harry doing here?!" Hermione shrieked, instantly putting an identity to the worried sounding voice. "Severus, where's my dress?"

"Damn, can we not even enjoy post-coital glow without Potter showing up?" Severus grumbled, sitting up and casting a dispassionate look towards the front door as if he wanted to hurl a strong hex at it.

Hermione was rent between the urge to laugh and cry, all the while scrambling over to their pile of clothes and yanking her rumpled dress out from the tangled heap. Severus continued glowering as Hermione handed over his trousers, his movement jerky and belaying his annoyance as he stepped into each leg and hauled them up onto his body.

"Let me just see what he wants," Hermione told him, rushing to slip the dress back over her head. "I know he has a landline at Grimmauld Place, unless something happened and he wanted to tell me in person."

Severus was still obviously irritated, now leisurely taking his time to pull his jumper back on. Hermione was frantic with worry, her eyes snapping at him to hurry up before falling down to the floor, seeing her knickers, pillows, and the come and sweat soaked blanket still strewn about.

"Shit!" she snapped, hastily snatching up her wand and using it to restore order to her front room. Severus didn't budge an inch to help her, settling down onto the sofa and folding his legs, still barefoot and the picture of ease. Unrepentantly looking back at a scowling Hermione, Severus watched as she finger-combed her hair while calling out for Harry to give her a second. "Harry, hi! What are you doing here?" she asked upon flinging the front door open.

"Hermione," he greeted, looking a bit worried as the two hugged. "Were you just in Diagon Alley a couple of hours ago?" Harry asked without preamble, still standing in the vestibule, unaware that two weren't alone.

"Yes, why?" Hermione asked, shutting the door and leaning against the wall, looking at him expectantly.

"Were you with...someone?"

Here we go. "Yes, I was. Why do you ask?"

Hermione watched as Harry's face fell, his green eyes going wide right before beginning to profusely apologize.

"Damn! I knew it, you were with Snape, weren't you?" he shot back, only for Hermione to adopt a defensive stance.

"Yes, and what of it?"

"Damn, I feel like a right prat," Harry continued, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "That's why you became so upset that day at Grimmauld Place after I told you about Snape's past with my mum, am I right?" Hermione immediately felt her indignation fizzle out, at a loss for words. Harry didn't notice the silence, and went right on talking.

"Hermione...you do know that I had no idea about you and Snape, right? I didn't tell you those things to hurt you or rub your nose in it, honest. And then when I saw you kiss him today, everything just sort of clicked into place."

"How admirable of you, Potter," a silky voice said from around the corner, and Hermione and Harry both looked up to see Severus standing there.

"Hello, Professor," Harry greeted nervously, his bright green eyes falling down to Severus' pale, bare feet before quickly averting his glance. Severus returned a curt nod, his black eyes unblinkingly focused on the younger wizard.

Awkwardness lingering and growing heavy, Hermione suggested that she put on the kettle for tea, in a feeble attempt to break the ice.

"No, thank you, but I can't stay," Harry replied, telling the truth. Even if he had the time, being the third wheel between his best friend and a person he'd disliked for most of his childhood was the last thing he would willingly endure. "I just wanted to come here and tell you that," he continued, his eyes moving back to Hermione.

"Well, I appreciate it Harry, thank you," she told him, unsure of what else to say. Right then Severus opened his mouth, and Hermione fervently hoped that he would avoid his brand of sarcasm for the moment.

"I should have been the one to tell Hermione about Lily, and for that I take full blame, but I do thank you for keeping your friend's interest at heart," Severus remarked, ignoring the way Hermione and Harry both looked at him with widened eyes.

"Well, of course I do," Harry added, shrugging his shoulders. "Hermione is still my best friend, that much hasn't changed, or at least I hope it hasn't."

"No," she told him, returning with a shy smile.

"All right then, I'll leave you two. Sorry for barging in like this," Harry went on, giving Hermione another hug and then holding out his hand to Severus. The dark wizard hesitated for a fraction of a second but finally relented, firmly shaking the young man's hand.

"I'll ring you, or stop by," Hermione promised as she opened to the door, watching as Harry walked back outside. "Well...that was interesting," she admitted after he'd gone, following Severus back into her sitting room.

"Indeed," he admitted, pausing by the sofa. "Do you still want me to put the kettle on for you?"

"What? No, I think I need something stronger than tea after that," Hermione replied, laughing when she recollected the look of shock on Harry's face when Severus popped around the corner into view. "You still enjoy scaring my friends, admit it," she giggled.

"I will admit to taking joy in putting off Freckle Face and Boy Wonder, but you can rest assure that I have respect for both young men. However, if you ever repeat those words, I will deny everything."

"It's a deal; your secret is safe with me," Hermione avowed, pulling Severus down onto the sofa with her and giving him a short kiss. "Now, about that wine."

Pecking the tip of Hermione's nose and giving her a look that could only be construed as silent and complete adoration; Severus withdrew his wand and Conjured up a bottle from his private stash of elf-made wine.

A/N: Alrighty then, one more chapter which just needs editing and then an epilogue. I hope my forgoing in tidying up my room to hurriedly type out this chapter wasn’t in vain ;). I do love hearing from you all, don’t be shy!
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Broken Dreams