They took their brooms out to Alabaster with more than a little tension between them. But the sky was clear and the air was fresh and all was as it should have been. And before they came back down to earth, they were happy.
But upon landing on the grounds Severus' mood changed, and upon her own inspection, so did Hermione's.
The grounds were dark and overgrown; it had a feel to it, much like that of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Where once there had been lovely statues there were now only faceless figures with missing appendages, and where there had been a fountain there was now a quite small, yet nasty, bog.
Severus walked over to her, shame-faced, and sighed. "This was my home."
A stiff upper lip got Hermione walking towards the door before Severus grabbed her by her shoulder. "Are you MAD? This place has been unlived in for... years. It's bound to be worse that Sirius' Mother's house, and you're just going to go waltzing in like you own the place?"
Hermione gave a curt nod and started forward again, moving slowly but surely toward the door. Frightened of what might happen to her without him there, Severus followed quickly. They walked in silence across the wide grounds and up the marble stairs to the great oak door, and when they arrived at last Severus pushed it open, "after you."
The entry room was bigger then the Griffendor common room but seemed as if it had never been cheerful. "Severus," was all she could say.
His face was withdrawn and sorrowful, he didn't want to live here. "Well, show yourself around then," he snapped. Without noting his tone she did as he said.
It was several hours later that Hermione returned, having seen all 137 bedrooms, 12 baths, 10 half baths, no less than 7 secret passageways, 3 dining rooms, the ball room, and 3 kitchens. She found him in the main drawing room just of the entryway, huddled in a corner. She rushed to him and knelt at his side. "What's wrong? What's happened?" He covered his head with his arms and muttered something inaudible. "What's wrong!" she shouted pulling his hands from his head.
"No, too many bad memories. Go, go away. I can't leave but you can, go." Hermione gaped at him an asked a simple question,
"Why?" Finally he seemed to be coming to his senses.
"Why? Because of all that's happened to me here, that's why!" He hollered. "My mother beat me, my father," he shuddered at the thought. "I killed them Hermione, in service of the Dark Lord! And I... Merlin help me, I enjoyed it!" Of course. It suddenly struck Hermione, why this house had been abandoned so long. He must have killed his parents back before they knew he was 'Professor Snape' back when they thought him still their young child, but really a child doing a man's work.
"But, but Severus, that's why we need to be here. That's why this is where we need to raise our family. Don't you just want to erase all that bad? Prove that things can be good, even here?" Slowly he looked at her, something dangerous glinting in his eyes. Like a flash he was on his feet.
"You think I'm sweet, don't you?" He shouted, a dangerous sneer to his lips. "Think I'm safe?" She stood hurriedly and moved to back up be he grabbed her by the back of her neck and pulled her forcibly to his lips. They crushed together near painfully and when he pulled back she was gasping for air. "I could snap your neck right now. No one is within miles. No one ever comes here. No one would ever know."
She couldn't even mutter he confidences in him, that he wouldn't hurt her, that he loved her and this child. He was acting so much the Professor now that she feared any words would send him over a dangerous edge. Instead she simply put her lips to his, gently. His knees buckled but he pushed her away. "No! I could kill you, I could rape you, I could feed you up to the dark lord on a platter!"
"Or," she whispered seductively, "You could love me." She held out her hand and led him t a room she'd cleaned, what she had hoped would become their room. She sat him on the bed and began to pepper him with light tender kisses. "You see," she nibbled down his neck as her hands went for his robes, "loving me is much nicer, if not simpler." He tried to push her away, but hardly, as she kissed his neck and slid his robes off his shoulders. She stood back and removed her own robes, to expose a green and silver underwear set. Snape gawked, at her choice of undergarments and lifted his hand to run a thumb across the under wire. "I bought it for you." He stood then taking her in his arms for a deep kiss, his hands sliding all over her body, her clasp undone in one swift snap of his fingers. Their bodies entangled and writhed until they were both spent.
Severus lay there in shock for a moment and then, to Hermione's surprise, he began to cry Great sobbing tears. She curled around him and soothed him, for a short time seeing the child that never got to be, and savoring it. When at last the tears ebbed she kissed his cheek and asked a dangerous question, "are you alright?"
"I love you," he whispered. He sat up at last realizing the sate of the room around him for the first time. "This was my room." Hermione nodded, turning to her back and resting her hands on her stomach, gently stroking the child beneath.
"I thought so. I wanted to share it with you."
He was happy, which was a big deal for him. "What if, what if you could see me for me?" He inquired, his voice so low it was barely audible. She stared at him, not quite comprehending, until her eyes lit up with understanding. He nodded, "Dumbledore thinks he can make it so you see me."
Hermione smiled and jumped upon him, kissing his cheeks. "I'll take that as a yes," he laughed. She grinned and nodded.
"Well, come on," she sang, "we have a lot of lessons to plan."
"And we have a potion to work on, Severus," Dumbledore laughed through the open door.
A/N: here's a new chapter In honor of book 6 out tomorrow at midnight. For those of you who don't know I work at B&N so I'll be there when it happens! Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, don't make money off them, etc.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, don't make money off them, etc.
Disclaimer: Don't own them, don't make money off them, etc.