Title: The Ocean

Author: Juliet Norrington

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: JKR owns 'em, but I love them!

Summery: Severus, as sketched by his lover. Companion to "Vanilla" HG/SS

A/N: Hermione's PoV.

The ocean.

He smelled of the ocean. Many nights I would lay on his chest, matching heartbeats and breathing in the scent of the ocean that always lingered on him. Oh, he was magical. My lips used to kiss his pale, lunar skin. My lips were always so bright against his moonlight-like skin. We were day and night, he the night sky to me- hair and eyes of midnight black, and pale, beautiful lunar skin.

I was day, with my dark brown hair and eyes, and tanned skin so different from him. So different, I thought, until the day I felt his touch, day when everything went out of control. I will remember always his touch, the soft, sensual fingers that he used to run up and down my sides, making my laugh and moan under his touch. I remember when he used to touch me daily, his long smooth fingers tracing patterns down my spine, across my stomach and over my face. I thought those days would never end, that all my life I would be running, and dancing, and living with him always at my side and in my heart. Our summer was a summer of touch and love making, when he would swim over to me in our lake and make love and make love and make love…

Our winter was spent studying by the fire, curled up with a cup of coco between us, snowball fights at the sunrise when no one could see, mixing potions and having small ingredients fights, and nights spend huddled under the heavy blankets, warming and warming each other until we could stand it no longer and had to poke our heads out to get some cool air. Once, we lived and breathed only for the other. We were perfect. Whole. But now, my lunar lover is gone. The night has finally ended, throwing me harshly back into the bright daylight.

I know he must hate me, but I can't bring myself to hate him. I love him. When I think about everything I did to him, I want to cry. He's said he's forgiven me, but that was a long time ago, does he still feel the same way? When I think about on that last day, he looked so happy. His long black hair (which I had finally managed to make non-greasy) was tied back with a black cord, and his eyes, oh, his eyes looked so alive… He looked so incredibly happy, so, so incredibly happy… I was too, you know. I thought that this would finally be the day that we would let everyone know how we feel. That I would finally be able to shout to the skies that I love Severus Snape! But I never did.

In the day I can push him out of my mind. In the day, I can make-believe he doesn't exist. But in the night, I cannot. It is so like him, it is so him, every part of it. And I cry for him. My body cries for him, as do I, and my new, stiff bed's pillows are often soaked to the brim with salty tears that remind me of the ocean.