Author's note: Ah! I am attempting to start and finish another story. They're not my characters, just some toys in my toybox I've deceided to play with! I hope you enjoy the story. It's a response to WIKTT: Broken challenge. I apologize for grammar and spelling mistakes I don't have a beta, but if anyone is interested...

Hope you enjoy! Review Lots!

Chapter Two

Hermione prepared and presented dinner perfectly. A creamy broccoli soup, roast chicken with rosemary and butter, small salad with pecans and almonds cut up in it and a crème brulee from one of her mother's recipes. The soup was on the table at 5. Severus was back at 10, where he found Hermione asleep at the table, a curl in bowl of what looked to him to be cold green muck. He noticed that the formerly untidy rooms were now spotless, everything had a place and was in that place.

'House elves are doing their jobs for the first time in months.' he thought to himself. He cleared away the dinner that the school provided, or so he thought, and picked Hermione up to bring her to bed. He slipped off her trainers and pulled the duvet up to her chin. He didn't pause to consider her puffy eyes and red cheeks, the fine lines appearing between her eyes from worrying about him. He swept away an errant curl from her forehead and turned and left the room.
'Alone. On a Friday. With no papers to grade.' he thought to himself. Hermione was basically passed out, what was he to do? He paced in front of the windows before he opened them to let in the warm summer breeze. He sat down to his chess table and began to play by himself. As he sat poised to checkmate he heard a soft clicking of the door handle being turned. He looked up as Hermione slowly entered, wearing a long cream coloured silk dressing gown. Severus raised an eyebrow at her.

'This must have something to do with this morning.' She walked towards him, slowly untying the belt and letting the fabric fall down her shoulders to the floor. She kept walking towards him. Severus sat back in his chair, shifting, trying to find a comfortable position as his erection pushed againt the tightness of his trousers. A light breeze came into the room making Hermiones nipples stand taught and her flesh goosebumped. She ran her fingers down Severus' chest and knelt down in front of him. Unbuttoning his trousers quickly she grabbed him firmly and let on hand slide up and down his shaft as she began kissing and gently blowing on the tip of his cock.

Severus awoke with a start. A cold wind had blown 3 pawns off of his chess table and the sound of them falling on the floor made him stir from his very vivd dream. He groaned quietly and picked up the pawns. He stood up and wiped the sleep from his eyes as he closed the windows. Snape pulled his shirt off over his head and climbed into the large four-poster, burrowing beneath the blankets and pillows like he always did. He wanted another night alone to be over. The sooner it was over, to the sooner Hermione might be to coming back.

Hermione woke up in the black cashmere jumper and jeans she had been wearing the night before. All at once the memories came rushing back. The waiting was the worst bit, it always was. He was done at 3 and by 9 she was asleep on the table, still waiting for him to turn up. She knew deep in her heart that no matter how sour their relationship turned, she'd always wait for him. She'd waited through school, waited beside him in the hospital wing, countless nights while the war raged outside. She waited everyday for him to return, even though he probably didn't notice it. Hermione would sit down with a book and read until she heard his voice from the otherside of the portrait. When he entered she'd smile inside, get up and return to her rooms. He probably though she was avoiding him. He didn't know that somewhere, deep inside, even undetectable to Hermione, that her biggest fear was him not returning.

Severus woke with a start that morning, grumbled and got out of bed. He dressed quickly, not bothering with a shower, it was the weekend after all and classes had just finished for the summer. Clad in a stiffly startched white shirt and black trousers still warm from the press, left the solitary confines of the room where he slept in favour of the breakfast room.

Steaming plates of greasy sausages, friend potatoes, scrambled and boiled eggs and beans lined the table, with a basket of toast, sweet rolls and croissants at each end of the table. Hermione was already sat down at one end, frizzy hair haphazerdly tied back, with small flecks of ink on the tip of her nose. She was doing her daily crossword. Severus sat down opposite her and poured himself a strong cup of black coffee. He looked up at her, she was slowly chewing on some eggs and she stared intently at the paper that was about 3 inches from her face. She brought another forkful of eggs to her mouth and poked her cheek instead, spilling eggs all over her puzzle.

"Dammit!"

"What's wrong, he asked, looking over top of his newspaper."

"I will never finish this puzzle."

"You're right you won't if you keep whining like a child. Slow down and think." He dismissed.

"I want to go somewhere."

"Then go Hermione! I told you yesterday, I'm not going to change the passwords while you're gone. You act like you're a prisoner."

"I want us to go somewhere together." she countered. She wouldn't be pushed over like yesterday. He looked up at her.

"What? Why would you want something like that?"

"Because a long time ago we used to go everywhere together. We were going to go see everything, remember? Travel the world. We used to have plans Severus. I'm tired of living in this little bubble where we hardly say two words to one another. I'm tired of pretending that the only thing that has changed is us. Everything's changed, I know. I want us to leave these walls and acknowledge that fact! I want a new start."

"You want a new start? Then go. I can give you a new start right now. I want no part in this silly little dream of yours. I'm happy to stay here, pretending. You think it doesn't bother me that classes are getting smaller and smaller every year? I am racked with more guilt each passing year, ungrateful students muttering in the corridor that I slept through the battle, avoided it, abandoned everyone. Abandoned Dumbledore, a man I admired, a man who was the closest thing to a fa-" he choked on the word. "That I ever had." He quickly finished.
"I don't need silly holiday plans, I need to stay here in this 'little bubble' as you call it. It is my security and my order that I take solice in now and if I leave...well if I leave i'm not sure what will happen."

"You're right, it is only your 'order' that you care for now. Not even me. You haven't come to our room in weeks." She spat.

"Why should I care for an unfeeling harpy like yourself?"

Hermione stared at him. He regretted the words as soon as they passed his lips. She stood up and went quietly to the bedroom. 'Their' bedroom, she still called it. Severus sat back and sighed, rubbing his hands over his face and through his hair. Minutes ticked by slowly before he stood up and followed her. As soon as he placed his hand on the doorknob the door swung open, as if it was expecting him to follow her inside. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, sobbing into a pillow.

"Hermione?" her name came out in a quiet croak that he wasn't expecting. He crossed the room and sat next to her.
"You can go wherever you want. I can make all of the arrangments. Take as much time as you want, spend as much as you want, it doesn't matter to me. Buy yourself something nice. New robes maybe?" he suggested, taking into account she was still wearing robes from her school days. "Do whatever it is you want to do. You don't need me. You've made it clear these past few years that you don't need me."

Her head shot up at his statement.

"What?"

"Well, You and I get along fine in this arrangement. You don't need me tripping over myself to keep you happy. You can do that on your own."

"Happy. You think I'm happy?" She laughed a cold, flat laugh. "You are amazing sometimes. They say that the smarter you are the less common sense you have, but this. Happy? This takes the cake."
"Severus I remember laying in this bed with you, making wedding plans, holiday plans, family plans." She stopped shortly and swallowed. "We used to be normal."

"I don't think we were ever 'normal'." he snorted. His comment illicted a small smile from Hermione.

"The point is that made me happy. Staying in weekends with you, or just daily shopping with you. Having a lie-in with you. Beginning to notice a pattern? I want us to go away to find some of that again. I'm tired of us not talking. We're like strangers. We used to finish each others thoughts and sentences. Now the only contact we have is whenever you decided to come around, jackhammer yourself into me then leave. I am ready to move on."

"I. I don't think I can move on with you then. Obviously I am the one holding you back."

She turned to him, said softly, "what makes you think that?"

"I saw how the war affected you. You lost everyone. Those who didn't die were disguested that you wasted your time with me, and even angrier at me that I wasn't out there fighting. I know this sounds arrogant but you and I are two of the best wizards in our world, everyone knew that. While it was Potter that would bring down Voldemort, everyone, including myself, couldn't help but wonder that if you and I had fought, would there have been less casualties?"

"I had my reasons not to fight."

"I hardly think I'm a good enough reason."

"You are good enough. I loved you, love you still. Sometimes I wonder where your love for me has gone. If it was ever really there at all." She turned and looked into his eyes as if she was searching for something. She reached up to touch his face, tuck a strand of fine hair behind his ear but he moved away.

"No. You don't need me. I should have died, this world doesn't need someone like me." He said through gritted teeth.

"Then I'll go." She said quietly, shrinking her belongings into her bag. As she made her way to the bedroom door he spoke up again,

"You forgot the dress."

"No I didn't. I leave it there until you come to your senses. No matter how long it takes I'll wait for you. I always have."

With that she turned and walked out into the summer sun. Severus stood and watched from his window at her departing back.

She never turned around.

To my reviewers

June: Severus isn't so much of a saint. He's pretty conflicted himself, he just tries to avoid taking it out on Hemrione, since she's been through a lot in her young years. Legally, Pomfrey cannot tell him anything. Snape and Hermione weren't evern married. The only way he'll know is if Hermione ever sees fit to tell him.
I'll try to get back into the grove of "you made me forget my dreams" once I post a few chapters of this story.

Innogen: They'll start to be more interactive as the story progresses. It'll continue, I already have 3 more chapters done.

Sirius Star Holder: your wish is my command wink more updates for your reading pleasure.

Starlight soul: I really liked your challenge. It gave me a chance to respond with characters that were both allowed to be hurt. Hermione is too often made to be the one who consoles Severus, but she could lose just as much, if not more than he could. Severus has the advantage as he's built up his defenses and doesn't have half as many friends (or so we see) as Hermione does and lets face it, not all of Hermione's friends are going to survive, or even escape unscathed. Wait until you see Harry. wink

Thanks for the reviews! I'll try to get out a chapter a week at least.