Chapter 14

Hermione and Severus made their way back to Hogsmeade Village the next morning. When they arrived at the Apparition point, she looped her arm through his and felt herself being whisked away into blackness. They landed on the sidewalk outside of a very dreary looking row house. Looking up at Severus, she saw that he has his wand withdrawn.

"Isn't this a Muggle neighborhood?" she asked as she looked around at the cobbled streets. She noticed an old blue pickup truck sitting outside of a home a few meters away.

"Yes it is," he replied as he stepped up to the house and the front door.

"Won't anyone notice us in robes?"

"Very few people still live around here," he began. "When the mill closed down, almost everyone moved away. Give me your wand." She put her wand in his outstretched hand, and he waved it at the door. "You are now noticed by my wards, and you can come and go as you please."

She sucked in a deep breath before she entered the house. It was pitch-black inside. Severus waved his wand at the ceiling, causing a candle-filled lamp to ignite. When she could see, Hermione saw that she was standing in a magnificent library. The entire living area was filled floor to ceiling with books. An old sofa, armchair, and a rickety table were positioned around the room. Unable to curb her curiosity, she walked over to one of the many bookcases and began reading titles.

"Come here," she heard and turned towards Severus. He had opened a hidden door in the wall that led to a narrow staircase. "There are two bedrooms upstairs. I will show you where you will be sleeping."

She quietly followed him, still astounded by the amount of books he owned, there and at Hogwarts. Once they arrived on the landing, she saw three doors.

"Your bedroom is through there," he said pointing to the door on the left. "The door next to it is the bathroom. This is my room," he said motioning towards the door on the right. "Under no circumstances are you to ever enter my room. I'll leave you to unpack," he added before walking through his door.

Her room was small, with only room for a twin bed and small wardrobe. This must've been his room as a child, she thought. It was pretty dreary. She felt bad for him. She knew he didn't have a good childhood. A cloud of dust rose into the air when she sat on the bed. Coughing, she pulled out her wand and Evanescoed all the dust and many cobwebs throughout the room. She then began taking her things out of her beaded bag, and started putting her clothes into the wardrobe.

"I apologize for the amount of dust. It's been a while since I've been back here," she heard. Looking up from folding her t shirts, she noticed him standing in the doorway. He had changed. He had changed so much he almost looked like a different person. She had to stop her jaw from dropping. He was wearing faded black jeans and a white tee shirt. He looked amazing.

"It's alright," she said trying not to stare. "Is this where you grew up?" She asked, knowing the answer.

She could see emotions swimming in his eyes as he looked around the room. "Yes. I'm going to make lunch, so come down when you're settled."

Hermione nodded at him before turning back to her clothes.

Hermione had a rough night. Her bed was small and hard, and no amount of cushioning charms gave her any relief. When she was dressed and ready for the day, she made her way downstairs, only to find that Severus must have been out. Walking over to the thick, green, drapes she pulled them open and was attacked by a giant dust cloud. After her resulting sneezing fit, she made the decision that this house must be clean if she would be expected to spend any time there.

After making herself a sandwich, she began to clean. Most important things first, she thought as she took out her wand and pointed it at the dust-filled curtains. "Evanesco," she said and saw the curtains regain their color. She had to charm them several times before she could open them to let the sunlight into the house. Once they were opened, she let out a sigh when she saw that barely any sunlight could come through the grime-covered window panes.

Heading back into the kitchen, she looked under the sink, and smiled when she found good old Muggle window and surface cleaner and a pile of clean rags. That'll work wonders, she thought as she went back to the offending window with her game-face on. With the spray bottle in one hand and the rags in the other, she attacked in her 'Muggle mode'. She preferred to clean that way. It gave her time to think and was more of a workout than just standing and pointing her wand. Ron thought she was crazy, he didn't understand why anyone would want to clean the Muggle way.

She had to stop cleaning when Ron popped into her mind so she could wipe away the unwanted tear that made its way down her cheek. She had tried so hard not to think of her friends over the past few months. Ron's baby would be getting so big, but she wouldn't be there to see it. She missed her friends and her old life more than she could imagine. She wondered what they were doing without her. Would they know where she went? Were they worried? There were so many questions.

Shaking her head, she grabbed her wand and Scourgified the remaining grime from the windows. She took a sigh of relief when she turned to see that the sunlight shone throughout the room. She then jumped up onto the sofa and began scrubbing the tops of the bookcases. Pulling her wand from her back pocket, she used a levitation charm on the books before spraying and wiping down each shelf. The hours flew by as she scrubbed the living area of the small house. Her hair was drenched and sweat was dripping off her face by the time Severus returned home.

"What have you done to my house?" he asked when he stepped into the sunlit, spotless, room.

"This place was disgusting. I couldn't live in such a mess," she replied, noticing a small bag in his left hand. "Where have you been?"

"The market," he said as he walked into the kitchen. He started pulling all kinds of foods and toiletry items out of the small bag.

He surprised her with how he acted so much like a Muggle when he wasn't at Hogwarts. But then again, he did grow up as a Muggle. She knew that sometimes it was easier to do things the Muggle way.

After putting away the groceries, Severus returned to the living area. "I thought this house was beyond repair. You did a good job," he said as he examined the furniture. "There isn't a speck of dust in here."

"Thanks." She was almost shocked at his compliment. "Would you like something to eat?"

"No, I have to be leaving soon. I'm meeting someone for tea," he replied as he strode towards the staircase. "Thank you for the offer, though."

Severus left and Hermione began scrubbing the kitchen. A layer of grime covered the countertops and she found mouse droppings in the drawers. For the rest of the afternoon she scrubbed the kitchen until she would eat off any surface, including the floor.

There was a door leading off the kitchen that when she opened, she found it led down to a cellar. She wondered if he kept a potion's lab down there and began to explore. What she found wasn't a potion's lab. There wasn't a sign of magic anywhere. There was just old furniture covered in white sheets and several cardboard boxes.

Casting several cleansing charms, she began to strip the sheets off only to find that they were hiding more ratty furniture. There wasn't anything of interest, she thought as she turned to head back upstairs. Just as she got to the stairs, she noticed something that caught her eye. It was a baby grand piano. It was gorgeous and in pristine condition. She didn't know how she could have missed it when she first entered the cellar. Unlike everything else in the house, there wasn't a speck of dirt or dust on it. She could practically see her reflection in the black lacquer. It must be magically protected, she thought and wondered why.

She slid her hand across the slick wood as she sat down at the bench. She took piano lessons when she was younger, but it was many years since she had played. Laying her fingers on the ivory keys, she began to play. The song came to her as if she had been playing it every day of her life, Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. It was her favorite. Oh, how she missed that feeling… the feeling of making beautiful music with only the touch of her fingers.

"What do you think you're doing?" She jumped up when she heard his angry voice behind her. He looked like he was about to start foaming at the mouth.

Hermione was so shocked she didn't know what to say, so she just looked at him confused.

"You can't just walk into someone's house and touch things that don't belong to you," he yelled.

"Why are you so angry?" She asked, but knew why. He was a very private person, and few things were important to him. This piano was the only protected thing in the house. Of course, there had to be some significance.

"It doesn't matter why I'm angry. Just stop touching things. Go upstairs and read a book."

"I'm sorry," she said as she walked past him. When she got to the top of the stairs, she turned to see his head lowered as he ran his hand over the large instrument.

Her thoughts couldn't stay away from him as she looked through his bookshelves. She wanted to know him better. She wanted him to confide in her. She wanted him to let her touch his things, or at least let her know why some things were so important to him.

His collection included mostly magical tomes, but there was a good sized collection of Muggle novels. She pulled out "The Chronicles of Narnia," one of her childhood favorites. Lying on the now clean sofa, she opened the book and got lost in the tales of the Pevensies.

She was dreaming again, but this time it wasn't a vision. It was a memory. She saw herself hiding in the trapdoor of the Shrieking Shack watching Voldemort speak to Severus. She saw Nagini lunge at his throat. She watched as he fell to the ground and writhed in pain as the snake tore at his throat. Blood was flowing everywhere. Her heart was constricting. She couldn't breathe. She had seen it before, but it was as if she was seeing it for the first time. She couldn't handle it, she had to save him.

"Hermione," she heard his far away voice. "Hermione, wake up." She was shaking as she sobbed, her whole body wracked with heartache as she watched the man she loved die. When they were alone, she ran to him, slipping on his blood. Leaning over his limp body, she held him until he was gone.

"Wake up." The voice was growing louder. Opening her eyes, she was shocked to find herself staring at Severus, alive and well. It was only a dream, though it seemed so real.

"Severus," she said as she sat up and threw her arms around him. She held him as she cried. She cried because she knew that it wasn't a memory. It was the future. She would see him die again. There was no stopping it.

Wrapping his arms around her back, he asked, "Was it another nightmare?"

"No… yes… I don't know," she said shaking her head. "It wasn't like the others. It was more like a memory but I wasn't in my body. I could see myself... my younger self."

"Would you like a cup of tea?" he asked.

"Some hot cocoa would be nice," she replied. He had brought some home from the market earlier.

He gave her a small smile before going into the kitchen. Hermione laid her head back on the sofa cushion, closed her eyes, and took a few calming breaths.

"Here," she heard, and opened her eyes to see him standing above her holding a steaming mug.

"Thanks. I'm sorry about earlier," she said as she took the mug. "I should have known it would make you angry."

"No, Hermione." He said as he sat next to her. "I'm the one who should apologize," he added as he laid a hand on her thigh. "I was angry when I came home and when I heard Rachmaninoff coming from the cellar…" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "The piano belonged to my mother. It came from her family. She loved playing, and she loved Rachmaninoff."

"Oh, Severus," she said laying her hand on top of his.

He looked at their hands for a moment before removing his. "Tell me about this dream."

"It was different," she began. "I don't usually dream. I learned Occlumency many years ago and don't even have to think about applying it before falling asleep anymore. I want to tell you, Severus, I truly do. I want to tell you everything… but I'm afraid. Can I trust you, completely?" she asked.

"Of course you can trust me. I know I cannot do anything to change the future, and I wouldn't dare attempt it. I want you to be able to confide in me. And first, I want to know how and when you learned Occlumency."

Hermione's heart leapt into her throat. Where did this man come from and what happened to Professor Snape? It seemed almost as if being in his home, away from Hogwarts and the Wizarding World, he was a different person. He wore jeans and read Muggle books. He owned a microwave. There was so much more to this man than she ever imagined, and she wanted to know everything. She knew that the more she opened up to him, the more he would open up to her.

"I read all I could find about Occlumency in my fifth year when you were giving Harry private lessons." His eyes grew wide and he opened his mouth to ask, but she interrupted his thought. "Don't ask. Let me finish. After the war, I was suffering from horrible nightmares. When Draco came back into my life, he and I worked together until neither of us was able to enter each other's mind at all. His aunt had taught him some of the basics." She finished and waved her hand in a motion that told him that he could begin asking his questions.

"Why do I give Potter private lessons?" was his first question.

"To keep Voldemort out of his head," she said and noticed his left arm jerk. That's curious, she thought, but decided not to think much on it.

"Okay," he drawled. "You said you and Draco? Draco Malfoy? You're friends?" he asked, looking confused.

"Yes, I lived with Draco and Harry before taking the position at Hogwarts. They're together… intimately together."

He blinked a few times before pinching the bridge of his nose, "Perhaps I should stop asking questions. Your answers are disturbing."

She chuckled and laid her head on his shoulder. When he didn't move away she said, "Life is full of surprises. Yes, Draco and Harry were a big one, but they're perfect for each other."

"Can we return to the dream?" he asked. "What happened?"

"I thought my answers were disturbing?" she asked, knowing the answer to this question would be just a disturbing as the others.

"You looked terrified when you woke up," he said quietly. She could tell by his voice that seeing her like that bothered him.

"I saw you die… again," she said staring at the bookcase covered wall in front of them. "I felt like I was there. It was horrible."

"I'm sorry," he said as he wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her closer to his side. "You don't have to tell me about it. I don't think I want to know. Why don't you go up to bed? I'll get you a vial of dreamless sleep."

"I can't. I was addicted to it for a few years," she said as she stood. "Would you stay with me tonight? I really don't want to be alone."

"Okay," he said after a few moments as her heart raced. She took his hand and led the way upstairs to her room.

When they entered, he waved his wand causing the bed to grow by about a foot… which was all the room would allow. "Can I change my clothes?" she asked. His body was stiff and he looked nervous. Maybe she shouldn't have asked, she didn't want him to change his mind.

"Okay," he said. "I'll, uh, go too. I'll be back."

She opened the wardrobe and pulled out a pair of shorts and a tee shirt. Once dressed, she sat on the bed, hoping that he didn't rethink the decision to stay with her. He didn't as he returned a minute later, looking oh so handsome in a pair of black sweatpants and a gray tee shirt.

Without a word, she joined her on the bed. They lay together for a minute, before she cuddled into his side. "Thank you," she said as she breathed in his scent.

"Anytime," he whispered.

She could have sworn she felt a ghost of a kiss on the top of her head before she drifted off to sleep.