Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

How Many Hints Do You Need	By : WritersAudio Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 2263 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters and Harry Potter are not mine - sadly. I truly admire JKR and this story is merely a tribute. Any recognizable lyrics are not mine, either. Thanks, Dido, for a great song. Not making money of this story

Chapter List
- 1-I will not go down
- 1
Hi, this is my very first story I am publishing. Any honest review is greatly appreciated.
Please note that this story contains lyrics from "White Flag" by Dido. Some lines are worked into the text, so if you notice some familiar text, it's most probably lyrics.
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Another one of those blasted Ministry functions. Hermione sighed as she tried to wrestle her hair into a tight bun. If only attendance wasn't mandatory for employees of the ministry.
“Damn it!” She brought her fist down when a big strand of hair escaped for the freaking third time.
“Ginny! Ginny, please help me!”
The redhead girl opened the door cautiously and peeked in with one eye.
“That bad, huh? You haven’t asked me to help you in YEARS.”
“Shut up and help me with my bun." Hermione saw Ginny's eyebrows rising and took a deep breath. "Please?"
Ginny laughed and entered, closing the door behind her.
“You know, if you used those potions Snape made you for your last birthday, we wouldn't be wrestling with hair that truly has a mind of its own."
“Do you WANT to get hexed, Ginny?” Hermione had started when HIS name came up. "Or do you have a true death wish?”
“Nah, I just don't know why you would rather suffer."
“I don’t suffer," Hermione said when Ginny brushed her hair and gathered it with her hands. "I just don't need it. I don't need him", she added when Ginny twisted and turned the hair into a tight bun and secured it with a spell.
“Thank you, Ginny.”
Ginny hummed and sighed. “You know… Why don’t you talk to him tonight? I'm sure he's going to be there. And his mood is going to be as sour as yours."
“Thank you,” Hermione sneered at Ginny. “You’re a true friend. You sure know how to lighten the mood.”
“See?” Ginny laughed when she quickly sprinted out and smashed the door closed in case a hex followed her.
“Sometimes I hate living in the same house as Mrs Harry Potter." Hermione growled when she looked at the bun from all sides. Well, at least they helped.
Just when she was about to put on her dress robe in lightning blue, she heard a hesitant knock on the door.
“Come in, Harry, if you can bear seeing me half dressed.” Hermione shouted out grinning while she slipped her arms into the long sleeves.
“Oh dang, too late again” Harry joked, when he opened the door with just one eye half open. "You're quite a sight, 'Mione. You'll dance with me, right?”
“Oh, Harry, I don't think so. I just get there, talk to three, maybe four very important people and then sneak out again. I hope I won't be there longer than half an hour.”
“Half an hour?! What did you dress up for then?”
“Requirement. If I go there, I want to look passable." Hermione pulled a face. “Having one bad picture of me out there is enough. I don’t need to give Rita another reason to write about me and my ‘hair that is just as impossible as the unruly character’ I have shown throughout the years. Does that even exist … unruly character?”
“’Mione.” Harry sighed. “That was more than two years ago and you really did look awful that day."
“We had a potions accident!” Hermione huffed. “I was covered in the stuff and Scourgify wouldn't help. It only made my hair fluff.“
“You looked like you had held onto a high voltage cable for much too long.” Harry said grinning.
“Even Severus laughed. He looked as bad as me, but nobody saw him leave."
Harry hugged Hermione and said: "I still remember the face you made when the flash went off and you realised you'd been photographed. Even you laughed when you saw the picture.”
“Well …” Hermione grinned. “It was a funny picture.”
Finally dressed, Hermione was shoved out by Harry with a grumbled. "We're gonna be late."
***
“It’s been one year, ‘Mione. One YEAR!”
“Actually it's been 1 year, 1 month and 21 days since I moved in with you, Harry.”
“See, that’s what I’m talking about.” Harry handed his empty glass to a waiter. "You either let go - or you make a move."
“There is no move to make, Harry. We’ve been owling about work and he’s quite happy as things are."
“You do think that, don’t you?” Harry said, shaking his head.
“I have no reason to doubt it.” Hermione said matter-of-factly.
“You are ending your letters to Severus with ‘Love, Hermione’ and he answers with ‘My Love’.” Harry’s voice rose and a few people around them were looking at the pair standing in a corner. “Aren’t you supposed to be intelligent?!”
“Harry,” Hermione said quietly, noticing people staring. “This is not the time or place to tell me that I was stupid enough to let Severus go and actually I walked out on him. You know you think I shouldn't still love him, but I can't help telling him in little ways. And even if I didn't say it, I'd still feel it. So where's the sense in hiding it?"
Hermione tucked a lose strand behind her ear.
“Working together works fine, because I promised, I'd not try to make his life harder or return to where we were.”
Harry tried to say something, but now Hermione’s voice was too strong and she had to say it.
“But I will not go down with this ship. I will not put up my hands and surrender. You won't see a white flag above my door. I love him and that won't change anytime soon."
Hermione grabbed Harry’s hand.
“I wish I could make 'my move', but I know I left too much mess and destruction to just come back again. I caused nothing but trouble and I am surprised he talks to me, even it's just letters."
“’Mione, you want to live by the rules of ‘it’s over’, but that doesn’t work for you. It may seem reasonable, but you are not. You are not when Severus is concerned."
Harry held Hermione’s hand now with both of his, looking at her pleadingly.
“Yes, you'd rather go down fighting. You don't want to give up - you can't. You're Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake. And when you meet, which you will today, you'll let the opportunity pass. You'll try to hold your tongue. But ‘Mione – you’re about as subtle as a bloody wrecking ball. I, Ginny and even Severus know that you have not moved on. Putting on a brave face is not helping either of you.”
Harry had let go of Hermione's hand and had grabbed her by her shoulders, shaking her lightly.
Hermione had tears in her eyes.
“Of course I still love him. And I had hoped he would give me a sign. I would go back without thinking twice."
“You know that we were very surprised to hear about you and Severus. But … suddenly it all made sense. Hermione, please. How many more signs do you need?"
“I don't know what to do, Harry?" Hermione said quietly, her eyes overflowing. "It makes me crazy."
Ginny came over, looking at both and took Hermione's arm.
“Come on girl, you need some air. And a towel.” She pulled a white hanky out of her pocket.
“I guess I do.” Hermione grinned and let Ginny pull her along.
“That was quite intense.” Ginny said when they were outside, sitting on a stone bench in a quiet corner of the garden.
“Have you seen Severus yet? I hope he hasn’t seen me like this. Is my makeup ruined?”
"Na, you're good. There's a little smudge... There now. You're presentable again."
Hermione played with the hanky, straightening it, feeling the seams.
“You can keep it.”
Hermione’s head snapped up.
“I gave it to Mrs Potter so she could help you out. Are you … feeling all right?”
Hermione just stared at the dark shadow in front of her, unable to speak.
He was so close. He had been brewing again today. Yes, she could smell it, Third year’s potion class, Pain Soothing potion. The lavender just always seemed to overpower his scent.
Public display of emotions never was her favourite, but she'd already broken her rule for today. And she craved to hug him. But no. This was not her place.
She wrapped her arms tightly around herself, leaning back.
“Are you cold?” Severus asked and already put a blanket around her shoulders. He hesitated, then sat down next to her.
Hermione felt herself leaning towards him and stopped herself. Merlin this was hard. Her throat felt tight. She gripped the blanket tight in both hands, pulling it tighter around her. She was shivering, but she was not cold. Merlin, she hasn't been warmer in just over a year.
She needed to calm down. Now. And talk. Being quiet was rude. She wasn’t rude. She needed to talk to Severus. What could she talk about? She took a deep breath. Yes, oh yes: Lavender.
“So, how did your potions class go with the third years?” Hermione loosened the grip on the blanket and her body, glad that she'd found her voice again.
She heard him growl quietly.
“That bad?”
“No explosions or meltdowns if you can believe it. But these children seem to lose more brain with every year they attend this school."
“That’s hard to imagine. They don’t have much to begin with.”
Severus snorted. Hermione grinned and looked at him fully. Gods, how she had missed this.
“You are doing it again.”
“Hm?”
“Looking at me and trying not to cry.”
“My eyes are just tired." Hermione said dismissively and shrunk back from Severus.
“Harry …” Hermione looked up. “Harry visited me and talked to me."
“About … me?”
“Us. He … he wanted to know what made you walk out on me.”
“Did you tell him?” Hermione had turned away from him fully and was back to hugging herself.
Severus stood up. “You know it’s the truth. And you did meet Rob. And he is much better for you than I was for you. I told Harry that I made you leave. He should stop bothering you about it.”
“Ha! You told me EVERY day that you are not good for me. And that I will find someone better."
Hermione shrugged off the blanket and stabbed Severus with her finger.
“You know that Rob has a temper? He is now in jail for six months."
Hermione pushed against his chest. "I had to use a glamour on my black eye for three weeks."
“Hermione, I didn’t …"
“You didn’t know?” Hermione almost growled. “Of course you didn’t know. I didn't want him killed. Harry took care of it. Severus ..."
Hermione looked up at him and said: “There is no one else for me. Not… now at least.”
With that she turned around and started to walk away.
“You know what they say?” Severus said quietly. “’If you love something, you have to let it go.’”
Hermione stopped and turned around slowly.
“’If it comes back to you, it’s yours.’”
Hermione couldn’t say anything more. Her eyes filled and her throat got tight. Had this all been a test?
“Hermione, I … There was nothing good in my life. Then we ... met."
Severus stepped closer and put his hands on her arms.
“I didn't think we would last long. I ... You would see me for who I am and drop me. Eventually. And" his grip tightened. "You would have been right to do so. I am not an easy character and …”
“Severus. I have known you since I was eleven. I know more about you than I want and still ..."
"I couldn’t take you for who you are.” Severus' hands moved up to her face.
Hermione breathed heavily through her nose. Tears ran down her cheeks. She just couldn’t help it. She couldn’t believe it. What was he saying?
“I still have your books... And ... and Dobby keeps asking for you. And Minerva says she misses you at tea time."
Hermione smiled and put her hands flat on his chest.
“I would … love to come back to Hogwarts.”
“Tonight?” The hope in his voice made her smile wider.
“Right now, if you take me back.” Severus closed his eyes briefly and lowered his head. Hermione waited for it. Her eyes closed. The kiss. Euphoria streamed through her.
Their lips met and time stood still.
“Thank god. It took you two long enough.”
Hermione didn’t even flinch. She just waved a hand at Harry and Ginny to make them go away.
She was finally right where she belonged.
****
End
Thanks for reading. Please let me know what you think - good or bad, I take it all.
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