TOGETHER

PRESENT DAY

"Hermione what is the matter?"

"I was just ," she ran her hand against his strong jaw, "thinking Severus."

"Thinking thoughts that have made you most pale?" He cast a look at the fire behind them as well as the tapestry tightly wrapped around their bodies.

Noticing that he noticed there was no obvious reason for her to be cold she turned to him fully, "I was just recalling the past is all."

"Don't," he ordered, "We do not live there anymore."

"Yes but do you ever wonder how matters have become so wrong? Do you ever think back to when times were normal and wonder how saving the wizarding world from the darkest wizard of all time took precedence over schoolwork?"

For a moment there eyes met. Feeling his heart once again melt at the sight of her chocolate pools he took her hand in his, "I'd prefer to focus on how a certain know-it-all wormed her way into my life?"

"Well actually isn't that statement the other way around?"

Raising an eyebrow, "Meaning?"

"If memory serves I believe it was you who kept making excuses so I would be confined to your dungeons."

"Perhaps the lack of school work has begun to slowly deteriorate your brain for I remember it was you who were so hell bent on spending every waking minute with me that you went out of your way to receive detentions so that you would be 'confined' as you so colorfully put it."

Sitting up, "Well I didn't know a student could get written up for breathing."

"Never wrote anyone up for something so petty."

"Of course not." She said sarcastically laughing a little bit at his you're-going-to-regret-this look in his eyes.

"You are still bothered." He brought the current situation back to the present.

"Severus we never fully discussed …"

"My family?"

"Well no."

"Then what?"

"You made me swear never to bring it up."

"And yet you have." His body became stone.

Afraid that he had lost all function for breathing, "Severus I don't want to bring this matter up, but if the person we think is helping Greyback is the same then he might use spells, curses, hexes. Make you see things. Force you to relive your darkest days and greatest fears."

"So," he sat up, "You believe that talking about it will somehow lessen a fate that only you can see."

"Severus what happened horrified you. And you are no one to show fear so lightly."

"Then what will you tell me in return?"

Narrowing her eyes, "This is not the time for Slytherin sensibilities."

"If I must discuss an event that causes me great pain then it is only fair you should do the same."

"What happened to trying to keep your love out of harm's way?"

"It was you my dear that stated we were an equal partnership."

"Fine."

"Then where shall I start?"

"From the beginning."