Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Reckoning	By : Snapeoutofit Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 21947 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: All characters and settings are the creation of JK Rowling. I own nothing of Harry Potter and make no money from this story.

Chapter List
- 1-One
- 2-Two
- 3-Three
- 4-Four
- 5-Five
- 6-Six
- 7-Seven
- 8-Eight
- 9-Nine
- 10-Ten
- 11-Eleven
- 12-Twelve
- 13-Thirteen
- 14-Fourteen
- 15-Fifteen
- 16-Sixteen
- 17-Seventeen
- 18-Eighteen
- 19-Nineteen
- 20-Twenty
- 21-Twenty One
- 22-Twenty Two
- 23-Twenty Three
- 24-Twenty Four
- 25-Twenty Five
- 26-Twenty Six
- 27-Twenty Seven
- 28-Twenty Eight
- 29-Twenty Nine
- 30-Thirty
- 31-Thirty One
- 32-Thirty Two
- 33-Thirty Three
- 34-Thirty Four
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Ginny washed her face with warm water and glanced at Harry in the mirror. He had helped himself to a book from a shelf in the small room Hermione had arranged for them and was reading in bed. Ginny was relieved that he was calm, but damn did he look ragged. Her heart sank as she wished for a way to comfort him and take his hurt away. She wondered briefly if staying at Hogwarts for the night was a bad idea, but Harry looked relatively comfortable. Nevertheless, she couldn’t imagine that he felt good about staying in the castle after what had just transpired.

“We can go home,” she called from the bathroom, “if you’d like.”

Harry didn’t look up from his book. He waited a moment. “No, I’m alright. It’s too late. We need some rest.”

Ginny climbed into bed beside him. Earlier, since they didn’t have any pajamas, Harry had suggested transfiguring some from towels. Ginny shook her head, however, and requested Harry’s undershirt. She took off her clothing and stretched the white cotton over her belly. Harry stripped down to his boxers.

Now, as she settled in beside him, she pulled the blanket over herself and enjoyed the feeling of her bare thigh grazing his equally bare leg. Her limbs entangled with his and she watched him reading. The moments seemed to pass slowly. Ginny was tired but as much as she tried to relax she just found it impossible to quiet her mind. Her fingers twisted and twirled the edges of the sheet and Harry glanced at her a few times before closing the book and facing her.

“Ginny,” he said in a tired whisper, “I am so sorry. I really didn’t think it was going to happen. I haven’t had a nightmare in a long time and I thought it’d be fine.”

She nodded and rubbed her leg against his. “Don’t be sorry. This isn’t your fault.” She sucked on her bottom lip. “But I do think it’s exacerbated by drinking.”

Harry hung is head in shame. “I’m sorry. I really thought it would be fine. I only had a few...”

“Shh. Harry, you don’t need to apologize. You don’t deserve this. It’s just scary for me. When I started to worry I apparated to Ron’s and he said you’d left the pub an hour before he did.” There was deep sadness and concern in her eyes. Ginny let her hand soothingly massage and stroke his thigh. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Harry replied as he planted a kiss in her hair. He let his hand find its way to her swollen belly. “How are you two feeling?”

Ginny smirked. “Better now that we’re not looking for you in pubs.”

Harry sighed and placed his head on Ginny’s chest. She laced her fingers into his hair and scratched l his scalp softly. Harry was soothed by the steady rhythm of her breathing and ultimately he found himself drifting off to sleep. Ginny, however, had trouble. As Harry snored softly she couldn’t help but replay his episodes in her mind. There was the time she found him screaming in the woods outside Hogsmeade and the time he was muttering and pacing at King’s Cross station. The worst was certainly when she found him panicking in the streets around the Dursley’s home. She tried to shake the thought away but no matter how hard she tried it didn’t seem to go.

She felt a rolling sensation in her stomach. Suddenly her attention shifted to then protruding bulge low in her abdomen that resembled and elbow. She ran her fingertips over the lump. She tickled the protrusion gently and felt it quickly retreat and then jam out again. Chuckling, she rubbed the tiny bump soothingly until the child inside her stilled and they both drifted to sleep.

SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG

Bright spring light flooded the high windows in the Headmaster’s office. Hermione bustled about the space as Severus sat at his desk; shuffling paperwork and completing correspondences. Hermione straightened several books that had toppled on one of the shelves by the door. As she moved them back into their proper positions, she pursed her lips at the line of dust that was left on her finger.

“Severus,” she scolded as she walked toward his desk. “Your upper shelves are filthy.” She took a quill from the pot on his desk and transfigured it into a duster. Returning to the shelf, she stepped up the first two rungs of the rolling ladder in order to reach the offending area.

Severus peered at her from beneath heavily lidded eyes. He enjoyed the curve of her calves and the arch of her back as she swiped at the dirt and grime.

“I haven’t cast a dusting charm in far too long,” he reflected as he watched her. Severus stood and approached her. His hand snaked beneath the hem of her skirt to squeeze her arse as she worked. “I’ll never get tired of watching you clean though,” he said with a hint of playful malice in his voice.

Hermione smirked and looked back at him. “I’m beginning to think this might be some kind of conspiracy.”

He planted a chaste kiss on her lips and swatted her arse hard enough to make her squeal before returning to his desk.

Hermione jumped when Harry and Ginny knocked against the oaken office door. Hermione called for them to enter and carefully descended the ladder. Casting a silent spell and charm, she transfigured the duster back into its original form and sent the quill traveling back to its place on Severus’ desk. Hermione turned to the door and immediately enveloped Harry in a loving embrace just as the door closed behind him and his wife.

Severus stood behind the desk in greeting. He nodded to them, but didn’t smile. Hermione wasn’t totally surprise by that, but he was noticeably colder than just moments before.

Harry and Ginny made their way to the chairs adjacent the large desk and Hermione dragged a stool from the corner of the room. They all sat, and Hermione could sense Severus’ discomfort. He seemed more tense than usual. His expression was that of a concerned father.

“Harry,” he began solemnly as he sat back down in his chair, “I’m terribly sorry to hear what you and Mrs. Potter have been dealing with. I know how difficult it is to...”

“Thank you,” Harry interrupted. “I appreciate your concern, Headmaster, but unfortunately there isn’t anything that can be done to...eliminate these nightmares.” Harry’s hands twisted in his lap.

Severus nodded respectfully. Hermione looked between Harry and Severus as she waited for someone to speak. She glanced at Ginny, who was anxiously twisting and picking at the fabric of her skirt.

“I can help you, Potter.” Severus’ words hung in the air like a pendent. The statement hung between them for far too long.

Hermione was taken aback. She glanced between Harry and Ginny. Ginny’s hand had quickly stopped picking at her clothing to grasp her husband’s knee. She rubbed it gently as it had now started to bounce and tremble with Harry’s anxiety. Harry swallowed deeply.

“Headmaster, I don’t know what you mean,” Harry raked his fingers through his hair.

Severus opened a drawer on the right side of his desk. Reaching inside, he extracted a small vile that contained a pearlescent liquid the color of sapphires. Severus places the potion on the desk and spun the vile so Harry and Ginny could read the label.

“Organorum diapsalma,” Harry read in a whisper. He furrowed his brow and looked at his former professor. “What is-“

“This is a potion I have created. It has been carefully cultivated to, for lack of a better word, pause trauma reactivity in the brain. In short, when you take it, it eliminates the users common triggers to their PTSD when they can anticipate them. This works particularly well when people are set off, it you will, by specific places or times of year,” Severus took a deep breath and watch Harry carefully.

“So far I am the only person to have taken it,” Severus continued. “It doesn’t eliminate the memories or pain or any of what happened but it does give us the opportunity to avoid slipping back to dark places.”

Hermione and Ginny stared at Harry. He watched the shimmering glow emanating for the vile. “You’ve taken it?” Harry asked without looking up.

“Yes. It helps,” Severus replied.

Harry was quiet again for a long time.

“On some level I always knew, ever since the start, that the memories from all that happened would haunt me in one way or another.” Harry’s eyes were glazed as spoke, still watching the potion. Then, suddenly, he made eye contact with Severus. “But, Headmaster, look at all we have!” He gestured to Ginny and then to Hermione before continuing. “We won. Love won. I shouldn’t feel like this-“

Severus interrupted by raising his hand to Harry, signaling for him to stop. Harry stopped speaking immediately.

“Yes, Harry, we did win. Love did win. And love heals. But love does not erase. It cannot do that. It should not do that.” Severus paused and watched Harry as he processed his words. Realizing Harry didn’t know how to reply, Severus continued.

“Hermione’s love didn’t make all of my pain go away. Her love made me want to grow through the pain...to be with her. Just the way you feel about Ginevra, I’m sure. But unfortunately, as much as we’d all like it to be true, love isn’t able to erase all the bad so we only feel the good. Love makes us seek the good. Taming the bad is a whole different beast.” Severus pushed the vile closer to Harry and he picked it up. Severus leaned back in his chair.

“One drop, beneath the tongue. I have only been brewing it in small quantities so if it helps give me a few days notice and I’ll brew more. And do not ingest more than once a day. It should stop the night terrors completely, but it won’t make the memories go away.”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Harry said quietly as his eyes met Severus’ gaze.

“Just don’t name your kid after me. I hate when people pay tribute that way. Merlin knows a few good deeds doesn’t make one a saint,” Severus replied as his trademark smirk spread across his face.

SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG

“Care to tell me a bit more about organorum diapsalma?” Hermione’s words sounded more like an obligatory request than a question. “Where did this come from and why haven’t I heard of it?” Her tone was matter of fact, but as she closed her book and placed it on the bedside table, Severus could tell she was slightly annoyed. He slid into bed beside her and propped himself up on his elbow.

“What do you want to know?”

Hermione huffed slightly. “Oh, I don’t know, it just seems like developing a brand new potion might be something your wife would be aware of!”

Severus smirked. “My wife, huh?”

Hermione’s voice lost the slight edge it had developed as she responded with a small smile and swatted his arm. “It’s just that I thought you would have told me about a new potion and...I don’t like not knowing what you are taking.”

Severus sighed. “I understand that. I don’t take it much though. Not anymore. But, Hermione, this isn’t a new potion. This recipe is at least 20 years old now.”

Hermione looked confused. “I thought you made it because of Voldemort, and the war.”

Severus shook his head. “No. I developed it years ago because I couldn’t stand going back to Spinner’s End. All the memories were too much and I needed something to make it tolerable. And I needed to be able to escape when those memories were overtaking me,” he paused, “and I’m certain it will help Harry quiet his mind.”

Hermione let his words sink in. She often failed to acknowledge the sheer amount of pain Severus had endured throughout his life. She gazed into his eyes lovingly as she let the weight of his life flood her. She felt a sudden tear form at the corner of her eye and quickly tried to wipe it away before he noticed.

He did notice, however, and he quickly grabbed her wrist before she was able to whisk the moisture away. “Do not ever hide your tears from me,” he whispered. “They are evidence of your love. They help our love grow.”

She smiled and nodded to him through the thin veil of her tears. Severus wrapped his arm around her waist to pull her flush against his body before passionately kissing her soft lips.

SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG

A/N: Readers; my goodness can I indulge myself in gushing over this chapter? I am in love with it! I am forcing myself to post for fear of overworking it more than I probably already have. This chapter was difficult to write at first, but then pieces started coming together!

Are you still with me?! Do you want more?! This story certainly isn’t done yet!!!
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The Reckoning