6th August 2012
It felt good to be home.
Hermione leaned on the wall at the end of Watchbell Street, her chin in her hands. Rye drowsed in the lazy warmth of an August evening, rather like one of the sleek cats that lay in sunny doorways along the cobbled street. The unusual English heat wave showed no sign of abating. Before her, the squat silhouette of Camber Castle seemed to shimmer in the heat haze over the salt marshes. To her left, the Quarter Boys chimed half past seven; the sound echoed through the upper town. The day tourists were starting to depart and peace had once again descended upon the ancient Cinque port.
Hermione sighed in contentment as she turned back along the street. Hugo was being put to bed by his doting Muggle grandparents, who had arrived for a visit the previous day. She strolled past her front door with the carefree air of any parent who had just been relieved of the tedious bath-story-and-bed routine.
As she reached the other end of Watchbell Street, she hesitated, listening intently. Any minute now…yes, there they were. She heard Rose's eager voice first, following by the vague sing-song tones of Luna. She smiled, straightening up, and strolled towards the church to meet them.
The two were pushing bicycles. This was a recent Muggle hobby that had been adopted by Luna goodness-knew-where. Probably South America - courtesy of her partner, or whatever he was. Hermione had heard certain rumours of this Rolf Scamander – apart from being related to the great Newt Scamander, he was said to be obsessed with the Muggle Green movement.
Anyway, they had only been home for a couple of days, and Rose was already obsessed with her mother's oddball friend. Hermione had noticed this trait in her daughter recently – an apparent fascination with anything or anyone who was less than traditional. There was a tendency among the Weasley youngsters to be obsessed with all things Muggle, to the distress of their grandmother (and the secret satisfaction of their grandfather), but Rose appeared to want to go one step further. Muggles were, in her opinion, boring (although an amused Hermione had been careful to conceal this view from her own parents) and the wizarding world was hardly any better. Luna represented something new and untraditional, and could do no wrong in Rose's adoring eyes.
She called to them. "I was beginning to think you'd got lost. Or that the bikes had given up the ghost." She ran her eyes over the ancient contraptions dubiously. Luna had turned up with them unexpectedly this morning, having apparently bought them from a second-hand shop.
Rose dropped the bike and ran up to her, face glowing. "Mum, it was brilliant! We cycled all the way to Dungeness and went up the lighthouse. And we went on that little steam train. And we swam at Camber Sands on the way back, and had tea at Betty's – the section at the front."
"Sounds good," Hermione commented, picking up the discarded bike and smiling at Luna. It never ceased to amaze her that a girl living in the extraordinary world of wizards and witches and surrounded by magic should be so excited by a perfectly ordinary Muggle day. Even going to Betty's and eating in the nondescript Muggle café/second-hand bookshop at the front, when there was a far more interesting magical section hidden in the back.
"Do you think I could take a bike when I go to Hogwarts?"
"Well, I don't think -."
"Only they could be magical, couldn't they? I mean, I could ride a flying one instead of a broomstick – sticks are sooo boring. And Luna says that Rolf says they're not eco-friendly with all the magic you need to power them -."
"Oh, thanks," Hermione muttered sarcastically to Luna, who only grinned. Ron would be horrified. They had promised Rose a new broomstick for her eleventh birthday and he'd already started perusing the catalogues, even though it was still two months' away.
She raised her voice as her daughter sprinted up the street. "I'm not sure Madam Hooch would allow that. And anyway, you're not going to Hogwarts until next year."
The only response was the crash of the front door opening, as Rose hurried in. Hermione could hear her talking enthusiastically to her Muggle grandmother.
"Where on earth did you pick up these things?" she asked, as she swung her leg over the ancient bicycle and pedalled it slowly over the cobbles. It was an old fashioned sit-up-and-beg style and put her in mind of the sturdy old bottle-green Raleigh bike that she had ridden to primary school. She remembered the occasion when her mind had been so full of a maths test that she hadn't been concentrating on being 'normal', and had consequently ended up free-wheeling up the steep hill to home. It was just one of the many oddities that had made other children and parents a little wary of her and had led to a rather isolated childhood.
A happy childhood though, she recalled - a childhood full of parental pride and love. As she drew up to the front door, she felt a sudden rush of affection for Jean Granger, standing in the doorway. It seemed hardly believable that at one stage she had been seriously considering never bringing them back into her life. Right now, they could have still been living in Australia under assumed names if it hadn't been for Ron.
Ron… He'd be coming tomorrow to stay for a couple of days, giving Hermione the change to take a quick break, although she had no idea where she would go or what she would do with her unexpected free time. By mutual consent, he had moved out and had taken a flat in north London. She wondered, rather cynically, how long it would be before Susan moved into it.
She shook away such thoughts and looked up at her mother. "Has he gone off yet?"
"Out like a light." Jean frowned in concern. "He still tires quite easily, doesn't he?"
She dismounted the bike. "Hester said he would for a while. Coming in?" She looked over her shoulder at Luna.
"For a while. I might leave the bikes with you, if that's OK," her friend replied, in her usual serene manner.
Hermione shrugged. "We can put them in the shed for now." She gave her friend a sly look. "Not going home tonight, then?"
Luna only laughed and walked past her through the relatively cool house to the large lounge. It was situated at the back, with views over the shady garden that sloped away steeply down the cliff towards the South Undercliff. Hermione loved this room for its cool airiness and panoramic views of the harbour and marshes.
She prepared a large jug of Pimm's and lemonade and sent it flying through to the lounge along with some tall glasses. Following behind, she saw her friend sitting and talking amicably to Jean and Andrew Granger. Rose had already grabbed a can of Coke from the fridge, so she claimed her usual corner seat and promptly stuck her nose in a book, ignoring the adults. Hermione smiled when she saw it was Anne of Green Gables, one of her own favourites as a girl.
She sat down in an armchair, pushing it back slightly to catch the slight breeze from a nearby open window. Through the window, she could hear a blackbird singing and the gentle clanking of the masts from the boats in the harbour below. She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on the soft rhythm of the boats and letting her mind float away, as it so often did, to Severus.
He'd Owled her twice since Hugo's recovery. Both were brief communications: the first to say that he was at Hogwarts, and the second the following evening to tell her that he'd apparated back to Valenzuela to help Draco with the distribution and administration of the potions. That had been ten days ago. Since then, she'd heard nothing save for a longer letter from Draco, in which he described the work that was happening in Orgiva, Granada and the surrounding wizarding communities, and just happened to mention that Severus had been working hard in his laboratory. One of the side-effects of the virus was extreme fatigue, as she already knew from Hugo, and it appeared he was busy developing a variant of his Revivio potion to alleviate the symptoms.
It was ridiculous to feel disappointed. After all, everyone was very busy at the moment, and she could fully sympathise with Beatriz, trying to organise local treatment while looking after Meghara, who was recovering slowly. In fact, she seemed to be just about the only person with nothing to do right now, having been given a leave of absence to look after Hugo. However, with her parents settling in for a lengthy stay, she supposed she ought to go back to work.
She just wished she could settle things with Severus. It hadn't escaped her that before the crisis hit, the last time they had met, they had been in conflict over their future. She hated the fact that he might still think she didn't want to move to Valenzuela, which was why she had penned that awkwardly-worded note. She assumed he had received it…so why did he persist in staying away? Had he changed his mind? She remembered how evasive he had looked when he'd turned up at St. Mungo's; how he had kept his distance from her. Perhaps the uncertainty over all the years had finally diminished his affection for her. Perhaps she had made a fool of herself with that letter.
The truth was that, for all her bravado, very little had changed. OK, so Ron had finally moved away, but they were no closer to a divorce than before. If the Ministry was intent on forcing them to undergo a gradual separation of the bond…well, for practical reasons, that would have to wait until the children were much older. And, in any case, she wasn't really sure that she wanted to separate herself from Ron for that length of time – she clung, however hopelessly, to the hope that they could at least retain their friendship. Losing contact with him would mean also cutting herself off from Molly and Arthur, George, Bill and – worst of all – Harry.
"I saw Molly yesterday. She tells me that Hogwarts is likely to reopen a month late this year – is that right?"
Hermione opened her eyes at her mother's query. "I've not really heard, but that does make sense. Better if all the kids go back together – there's no point in the healthy ones going first. Still…Harry and Ginny must be glad that the uncertainty is over."
"Will you go to see James off?" her father asked, with apparently casual curiously but also a slight note of warning.
"I hadn't thought about it," she mused, before giving him a wry look. "You don't need to worry, Dad - everything will be fine."
"Can we go this year, Mum? Please. I want to see the Express." Rose lowered her book and looked pleadingly at Hermione.
"Depends on when it is. Don't forget you'll be back at school yourself by then," she pointed out.
"I could get the day off, though."
"Oh, could you? Well, that'll depend on whether or not you finish off that coursework that you were given when the school closed early. And, no, you can't use Hugo as an excuse anymore."
Her daughter glared at her as she jumped up and left the room. Hermione grinned as she heard Rose's bedroom door slam. Still, at least it might give her the impetus to get back into her studies. The trouble was that Rose was fiercely bright and had very quickly grown bored with the limited curriculum offered at the local primary-level wizarding school. Hermione was beginning to wonder whether it would be worth enrolling her in a Muggle school for the next year. Ron wouldn't approve but, after all, it hadn't done her any harm when it came to catching up at Hogwarts.
She fell silent, thinking of her father's words. The Weasleys were a generous-natured, forgiving bunch – it was one of their greatest qualities as a family. She didn't think it was likely that Molly or Arthur would ever cut her out, and Ron's brothers had always loved her as an extra sister. Her main concerns were Ginny and Angelina – the former had become rather hostile since the separation, and the latter might do so out of loyalty to Ron, who was a particular friend of hers. The other sisters-in-law, Fleur and Audrey, couldn't see what all the fuss was about and Harry seemed to be determined to treat both his old friends exactly the same as before.
She tuned back in to Luna's conversation with her father; she was currently talking about her travels in Peru, and a certain name came up.
"OK, then, so who is this Rolf?"
Luna looked over at her with a smile. "I did wonder when you'd ask. I'm sure you've been impatient to know."
"I looked him up," Hermione admitted. "So he's a naturalist too, like his grandfather?"
"To be exact, a magizoologist. But yes, we travel the world searching for mythical creatures. Peru is a good source for them, actually," Luna continued in her usual calm manner.
"Have you discovered the Crumple-Horned Snorkack yet?" It was mean, but she couldn't resist it.
"Oh, not in the jungle," Luna replied, airily. "They're mountain creatures, really. We plan to revisit the Andes this December. It's the best time of year for sightings."
But how can you possibly know, was on the tip of Hermione's tongue. However, she'd learned a very long time ago that there was no point in arguing with Luna about the existence of certain mythical beasts. The Ravenclaw couldn't be shaken on this point.
"So…Rolf?"
"Oh, yes." Luna paused, seeming to consider her words. "We met at a conference in Norway, five years ago."
"Five years? And you've only just told me?" Hermione sat up a bit.
"Well, there wasn't much to tell at first. I was only doing what I always did when I went away –searching for magical fauna. But it began to make sense to travel together – pool resources and all that. The truth is -," Luna hesitated a little, "– I was getting short of money. Travel costs so much – not getting there, but being able to support myself for several weeks – food and so on. The Quibbler's profits aren't that great – although the team tend to run it without me these days, which is wonderful and gives me more time for travel. Anyway, Rolf was often going to the same place. We started supporting our explorations by collecting samples for potions companies."
"Severus's being one of them."
"That's right, although I didn't realise it was him at first. Anyway, I…" She looked down at her hands and seemed as close to discomfort as Hermione had ever known her. "I'm supposed to be going to Rolf's family estate tonight – for the first time. It's in Dorset, just outside Kimmeridge. He's expecting me."
"You're not worried, are you?" Hermione eyed her friend. She had never once known Luna to care what anyone else thought of her.
Luna shrugged, looking up again. "I don't know. It's just a different place. They're very rich, you see. His grandfather left a lot of money. Rolf's mother and father live there now. I've seen photos of the house."
She looked at her hands again, and Hermione knew she was thinking of her little cottage in Dungeness – no more than a shack, really. It was cosy, full of interesting artefacts and suited Luna perfectly.
She wasn't sure what she could say, but Jean leaned over to squeeze Luna's hand with instinctive sympathy.
"You say that your young man travels around with you in the jungle. Has he been to your cottage?" At Luna's nod, she continued, "Well, then, what difference does it make? In a cottage or in a mansion, he's just the same man, isn't he? If you can travel the world together, you must be well suited."
"I haven't met his parents yet."
"And they will love you. If they don't, then there's something wrong with them," Jean assured her firmly.
Hermione opened her mouth, about to add her own assurances to her mother's when an unfamiliar owl flew through the open window and deposited a scroll on the coffee table before flying straight out again.
"Looks like a Ministry stamp," she commented as she opened the letter, wondering whether Ron wanted to change their arrangement for the next couple of days.
However, it was not from Ron.
Dear Mrs. Weasley,
I am pleased to inform you that the Ministry will grant your request for a termination of the marital bond you currently hold with Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley.
You are both required to attend the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at 10.00am on Monday 15th August 2011, at which time a bond severance ceremony will be carried out. You must bring your children with you, as their magic must be monitored during the procedure.
Following this ceremony, your divorce will be complete. There will be no restrictions placed upon your contact with Mr. Weasley in future.
Many kind regards,
Bertha Catchpole
Hermione looked up at her mother, wonderingly. "I don't believe it! The Ministry has agreed to the divorce."
Jean held out her hand to the scroll. "Can I see?"
Hermione handed it over in a dazed manner, vaguely aware that the doorbell had gone and that Luna had gone to answer it.
"Well, it certainly seems clear," Jean commented, passing the letter to Andrew.
Hermione paced up and down, unable to keep still. She felt frighteningly numb. After all this time – all the paperwork and the accusing looks and the stress…could it really be as simple as that?
"Darling, are you alright?" Jean gave her a worried look. "This is good news – surely?"
"I – I suppose so," she muttered, almost to herself. "The question is – why? What could they possibly gain from letting us get divorced? They must still disapprove of it – officially, at least."
"They gain quite a lot by it, in fact," came a new voice.
Hermione spun around to see Severus by the lounge door, with Luna peering over his shoulder.
The world seemed to cease turning for a moment. She blinked, slightly unsure whether her eyes were deceiving her or not…but there he stood in her doorway. She had never expected to see him here; part of her didn't seem to be able to process the evidence.
And yet, there he stood. He looked tired and a little travel-stained, his hair ruffled and wearing a shabby old black t-shirt over his usual jeans. His eyes were blacker than she had ever seen them and his face was strangely blank. It took her a few moments to realise that he was uncertain too.
She opened her mouth – what she had intended to say, she was never sure, but what actually came out was: "Did you have something to do with this?"
Before he even replied, she knew…and she raced across the room, flung her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth enthusiastically. His hands came up to grip her shoulders in surprise, but she persisted, running her tongue along his bottom lip until his mouth finally parted, and then devouring him as if she hadn't kissed him for years. Which was, after all, what it had felt like. After a moment of hesitation, his hands slipped around to her back and he began to reciprocate enthusiastically, pulling her tight against him and pushing her head back to get a better angle.
When she eventually stepped back from him, breathless, she was gratified to see the high colour in his pale cheeks.
"I thought you were in Spain."
"I was. I have just taken a short break for a few days. There isn't much I can do there now; the process just needs to run its course."
Her hands cupped his face and she looked up at him, intently. His eyes met hers – no evasion in them at all now. Just a guarded happiness and some other emotion that she couldn't immediately identify.
His eyes flickered towards Jean and Andrew Granger and she realised that the emotion was embarrassment. Her father was looking bewildered and her mother looked as if she was trying very hard not to smirk.
"Oh - Mum, Dad, this is Severus Snape. You remember, from the hospital -."
"Yes, of course." Andrew shook his hand, looking between his daughter and the stranger with some confusion. "We didn't meet then, but Jean and I are very grateful for what you did for our Hugo."
"As is Hermione, quite clearly," her mother added, sotto voce.
Severus shook his hand solemnly before turning to Jean. "My apologies, Mrs. Granger. I hope I did not offend you."
"Hardly." She shook his hand, giving him an assessing look. "So you are the man that Hermione keeps talking about. We always knew there was some mystery – some reason why she kept skipping off to Spain at every opportunity."
"So, you don't mind?" Severus looked between them, disconcerted.
Andrew shrugged. "Why should we mind? If you can make our girl happy, then we have no objection at all. Where did you meet?"
"Ah… Well, there are a few things you probably need to know, Dad," Hermione admitted, uncomfortably. What would they think when they connected Severus with what she'd told them about the war…and when they realised that he had been her teacher once?
"But let's talk about that some other time," Jean interrupted, smoothly. "Can I fetch you a drink, Severus?"
"Thank you, a small glass of red wine, please," he replied, seeming to relax a little. Hermione dragged him over to her armchair and perched next to him on the arm. Now she had him here, she was loath to let him go.
"What did you mean when you said that the Ministry gained something out of our divorce? And how did you change their mind?"
Severus shrugged. "It's simple, really. You're a high profile couple and Weasley is highly placed in the Auror office. They had two choices – well, three actually. They could force you to stay together and run the risk of a potentially very messy and very public break-up. They could make you go through the magical separation and not see each other until the bond severed naturally … but then they'd have the problem of two fairly high profile individuals who would not be working at their best due to stress over the situation. And that would lead to public sympathy and indignation – for him if not for you. Or, they could be sensible and get it over quickly. By doing so, they prove that they can be sympathetic…and also prove that a magical divorce does not mean that the sun won't rise in the morning."
"And you told them that?"
"I pointed a few things out, yes. But basically, I called in a favour. Kingsley appears to be labouring under the impression that he owes me. For making me Public Enemy No 1, I suppose. I couldn't care less, but it's been a useful bargaining tool."
"Why would he make you a public enemy?" Jean asked, after passing him the glass.
Hermione sighed. "That is a very long story. You might need to sit down, Mum."
"But before you do, I need to go," Luna put in, quickly. "Thanks for the hospitality."
"Thank you for putting up with our granddaughter for the day." Jean smiled at her. "And don't you let your young man's parents put you down."
"I won't."
Hermione saw Luna off at the front door, and they hugged, whispering a fervent "good luck" to each other. Luna gave her a last sympathetic smile before apparating away.
When Hermione returned to the lounge, she saw that her parents had sat side by side on the sofa facing Severus, who, having stood up when Luna left, was still hovering rather awkwardly in front of his chair. She pushed him back down in it easily, perched on the arm once more and twined her fingers with his.
"Before we tell you anything," she said, "you should understand one thing. Whatever you think will make no difference to my feelings for Severus. We are going to tell you, because you have a right to know, but don't forget that we were living in a dangerous situation. It seems easy now – here." She looked around at the peaceful surroundings. "But back then – well, I didn't know how long I would survive. None of us did."
She shuddered slightly, looking at Severus. He looked up at her, understanding in his eyes as he squeezed her hand.
Jean had gone a little pale. "I do understand that…but it would be helpful for us to know the full story. We've only ever heard little snippets of it and I – we – sometimes feel rather remote from your life."
It was probably a little unhelpful for Hermione to recall that her parents had once made it perfectly clear that they didn't want to hear anything about Hermione's adventures during their absence, so bitter were they at what she had done. There was no point in recriminations, though. She took a deep breath, clung to Severus's hand and began.
Later, they would recall that it was the longest time they had spent talking about the War and the events that had led up to it…and that in a strange way, it was therapeutic. Hermione led off by describing Voldemort's early years, as recounted to her by Harry from Dumbledore's pensieve memories. Severus took over to talk about Harry's parents, their resistance to Voldemort and his part in their downfall. He didn't spare himself and talked openly of his past support for the Dark Lord, his horror at Lily's death and the deal he had made with Dumbledore. Hermione was pleased to see his lack of shame. He spoke of the young Severus's twisted ambitions dispassionately, as if he were describing a different man – as indeed he was. He skated fairly quickly over the next ten years, highlighting a few points about his double life here and there.
Hermione then took over again, reminding her parents of some of the events of her early years at Hogwarts, as they led up to Voldemort's return. She didn't mention her romantic feelings for Severus at that stage – simply stating that she had guessed that he was spying for Dumbledore and had felt that he deserved to be protected from Voldemort's plan for him. She dwelt a little on the year on the run – remembering as she did how lonely and hopeless she had felt at times and how she had often thought of her parents and yearned for their presence. The scenes with Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor and Nagini's later attack were difficult to get through and her voice wobbled a little as she described trying to heal Severus's bite.
Severus squeezed her arm firmly and resumed the narration, describing his escape to Spain and the early years there. Sitting on the arm of the chair and leaning into Severus as he described the cottage, the happy memories of those early days came back to Hermione vividly – sitting over a candle-lit table in the kitchen, that wonderful day in Granada, the strolls by the lake, the peaceful evenings spent reading books and drinking wine… It only reinforced her determination to return to Valenzuela for good one day. She'd miss Rye and the life she had built here, but there was no real choice to be made. She felt her arm push sideways into Severus's warm, solid presence and relished a feeling of pure happiness.
When Severus's voice finally died away, her parents sat still for a moment, seemingly frozen by the long tale. The sun had long since set. Rose must have taken herself off to bed without disturbing them, probably still in a sulk.
A cooler breeze blew through the open window and Hermione shivered a little, suddenly afraid by her parents' silence.
Her mother moved a little, rubbing her hands together – a nervous habit. "And – and that's it, then? Is that the whole story?" Her voice was trembling.
Severus gave her a long, very serious look. "As much as we can possibly tell you."
Hermione had minimised the extent of Bella's torture, as much for her own sake as for her parents', and she suspected that Severus had similar gaps in his part of the story. She leaned forward. "There are experiences that we can't talk about, not now. But you must believe us, Mum, we've told you all the important things."
Her mother gave her a hard look before turning to Severus. "I am sorry, Severus, you are going to think this terribly rude of us…but would you mind going out for a bit? We need to talk to Hermione alone."
Hermione opened her mouth indignantly, but Severus rose easily.
"Of course, Mrs. Granger. I entirely understand – and I need a walk anyway after all…that. I'll go for a stroll around the town."
And before she could even react, he left the house, with hardly a backward glance.
"Mum – I told you –."
"Just wait, Hermione." Jean held up a hand. "Before you start shouting at us, just listen to what we have to say. You have to understand that this is a shock for us. We didn't know anything about Severus before tonight – and we didn't fully understand what you'd been through."
"We have nothing against him," Andrew continued, as her mother nodded. "It's not for us to judge what he did or didn't do. We have no real understanding of his life – and no right to condemn him. But you…we have to understand what you're telling us. You say that you fell in love with this man, despite all that he put you and Harry and Ron through?"
"It wasn't him, Dad. Don't you see – he had no choice. Nothing could be allowed to jeopardise his mission." She took a deep breath. "It hurt at the time. But we've both moved past that. I understand his behaviour now."
"He seems like a – a damaged individual," her father continued slowly, appearing to feel his way cautiously. "Or, if he isn't, then he ought to be, after all he has been through."
She wondered how much her father could guess of Severus's childhood. He had skirted over the details, only mentioned what pertained to his experiences at Hogwarts, but her father had always been quite perceptive.
"He has ways of coping," she replied, equally cautious. Her father's brown eyes, very serious behind their glasses, peered at her anxiously and she had to quell the rising irritation within her.
"It's just that you've only just emerged from one destructive relationship," Jean added. "Are you sure that you're not in danger of falling into another one?"
"I love him." It came out as a whisper through a throat that was suddenly dry. She coughed and spoke again, more insistently. "I do, Mum. That's why my marriage failed. I know you think I'm damaged in some way…and perhaps I am. But it's Severus that holds me together -."
"And that's what worries me," her father broke in. "It seems to me that your relationship is a little co-dependent – and that's dangerous. If one of you suddenly broke down because the memories of the past became too much to bear, what would happen to the other? What would you do?"
"If it happens, we'll cope. We'll have to." Hermione looked between her parents. "The reality is that I can't live without him, so I have to live with him – for better or for worse. That's all I can do. And I know that we'll be happy. There are no guarantees – I also know that. But as much as I can be sure of anything, I'm sure of this."
She found him in the Gun Garden. His tall thin outline was unmistakable against the twilit sky and the twinkling lights of the little villages on Romney Marsh in the distance. Although he must have heard her feet on the steps, he continued gazing out at Camber Castle and the flashing lights of the power station and the Dungeness lighthouse in the distance
It was right here that she had stood when Luna's words had shaken her into action. Was that really only last autumn? So much had happened since then. It seemed only appropriate that she should meet him in the same place – in fact, it had been the first place that she had thought of looking.
He looked around at her, inquiringly. "OK?"
"I think so." She put her arm around his waist and leaned her cheek into his shoulder. "Or it will be, anyway. They like you, I think."
He gave a gruff little laugh and put his arm around her shoulders. "I can't imagine why."
She hesitated for a moment. "They're good people, Severus. I don't think I always appreciated that as much as I should have done. They don't judge people on first sight – they quite often see beyond the obvious."
"Now that I can believe," he murmured, his arm tightening. "Knowing their daughter the way I do."
She smiled and kissed his collarbone lightly. "What I mean is, they are worried for us – for you as much as me, I think," she added, wonderingly. "But, I think we'll be alright…do you?"
His reply, when it came, was no more than she had expected, but the calm confidence in his tone still gave her a glow of warm satisfaction. "We will be."
She smiled. "So…Kingsley? What did you really have over him?"
He shrugged. "Buggered if I know. He appeared to think I was about to sue the Ministry for defamation of character. As if I give a damn about what they thought of me…"
"They think you did give a damn… because they would," she commented. "They can't conceive of the idea that a wizard can live without the approval of the Ministry. Even Kingsley – and I thought he'd be different…" She pulled a face. "It's the same old story. I thought things would change after the war – we'd all have a fresh start and they'd learn from the past. But the same people get to the top each time. They just adapt to each new Minister and it's the same old crap."
"That's rather a cynical view from you, Hermione."
She smirked. "Maybe you're rubbing off on me at last. Remember – I worked there, so I've seen how it works first-hand. So…you used his misplaced guilt to get our divorce?"
He shrugged again. "It seemed like an opportunity too good to miss."
"It was good of you – and I do appreciate it," she said, softly.
"Well, why wouldn't I? I benefit too. I've no interest in you being miserable for years over this. I wouldn't even wish that on Weasley. And it'll be easier to move on if you get this out of the way."
"Yes, I know you benefit too." She couldn't keep the humour out of her voice. "All the same… you've saved us a lot of trouble. You rather showed your hand too – and that couldn't have been easy. There'll be rumours about you and me."
"Screw them," was his somewhat inelegant reply.
And there seemed nothing to say after that.
They stood quietly for a while, looking out over the marshes, as the sky darkened and more lights appeared.
Eventually, Severus stirred, taking a deep breath of the salty air. "I can understand why you like this place so much. What was it that made you move here?"
"Not sure, really. Childhood memories, I think." She leaned into him, considering for a moment. "I was probably trying to find happiness – in the wrong place, as it turned out. Things had already turned sour between Ron and me, even then… And I was trying to get back to an earlier time – before Hogwarts, before any of it, when it was just me and my parents. We stayed in Watchbell Street when I was about seven or so – in that hotel at the far end. I loved it here back then… I love it now."
"But you'll leave it – for me?"
She was silent for a moment and he turned to look down at her face. "I received your letter, by the way."
"And what did you think?" She felt the butterflies in her stomach again, ridiculous though it might seem.
He was silent for a few minutes before responding. "And I would, of course, be extremely honoured if you were to consider moving to Valenzuela on a permanent basis."
She peered up at him, a little confused by the formality of his tone. His face, as far as she could make it out in the twilight, was carefully blank, but there was just a suggestion of a twitch about the lips…
"Oh, you sarky old git!" She swatted at his arm, scowling as he burst out laughing.
"I'm sorry – couldn't resist it." He grabbed her flailing arm and placed it behind her back, pulling her close again in the process. "I mean, what did you think I was going to say? No? I've only been trying to get you to move in with me for, oh…eleven years or so. I was hardly going to turn you down now." As if to punctuate his point, he leaned over and kissed her very briefly – first on the nose and then, a little more lingeringly, on the corner of her mouth.
She subsided, leaning in against him and chasing his lips for another kiss. "Mmm…well, I wasn't sure. At the hospital, you seemed… I know this will sound silly, but I was wondering whether you'd changed your mind about us."
He sobered immediately. "It was…difficult. Your family was all there and I didn't want to get in the way. I tried to see you the following day, but…well, you were with Hugo and Rose, and I didn't like to interfere."
She smiled. "It would have been OK with me if you'd dropped in, but I appreciate the thought."
"It's an important point, though." He looked out over the view again and sighed. "This is your home – and it's a beautiful place. I should feel happy here, shouldn't I – if you're here? And yet, I don't feel that I belong here in Britain anymore. I have thought about it a lot over the last few days, which is why I haven't been in touch. I wanted to be sure before I saw you. Some people want me to return. They feel that I have something to offer – and they're probably right. And I do like Britain, especially Scotland - and places like this. There's no reason why I couldn't buy some land in a quiet spot, build a new laboratory and run my business from here instead of Spain. I suppose I could try to settle here again, if it's what you want…?"
"But you don't really want to," she added, softly. "Do you? You said it yourself – you don't belong here anymore."
He frowned. "It's strange. I don't know why I feel so strongly that I just can't stay here…"
"I do." She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek, turning his face towards her. "You left Britain because you had to, not because you wanted to. If you could have returned then, you would have done so. But once you'd settled in your cottage, you found a real home – in Spain. The first real home you ever had – you can hardly count Hogwarts or Spinners End. And, with Cesar and Beatriz, you found a real family too. And then there's Draco..." She stroked his cheek and he leaned into her touch. "And I won't take that from you."
She smiled and stood back a little, looking up at him. "So, Spain it is. I'll commute if I need to."
"It'll be hard on Rose and Hugo."
She sighed. "I know it will. In fact, it'll be bloody difficult for the next few years. I have to provide a stable environment for them until Hugo goes to Hogwarts… After that, I don't quite know what I'll do, but I'll probably keep the house here, so they've still got a base…although between staying with Ron or Molly and Arthur and coming over to Spain, they probably won't be home much for holidays. I should be able to afford it once I'm qualified – it's not as if we'll need much to live on in Valenzuela. If not, I might ask Mum and Dad to move in and share the bills. They love Rye and the house is big enough. I know they were thinking of selling up and moving here to be nearer to us."
"Give it time," he suggested. "You'll work out what to do. And until you do, I can wait… as long as you visit me as often as you can."
She laughed and hugged him around the middle, rubbing her cheek against his chest. "Not sure what poor old Draco will make of it. He'll be permanently going out for long walks."
"He might not be living there very much longer." At her enquiring look, he elaborated. "I think he may be about to ask Maia to marry him."
"Really?" She thought about it for a minute, visualising the lively, clever young Spanish woman. "Well, if anyone can keep Draco in line, I suppose it's Maia. I'm pleased for them both. So, you'll be losing your house guest. You'll probably miss him more than you expect to."
"Oh, I'll see quite enough of him during the day," Severus replied drily. "More than I'll want to, I expect. There's something particularly odious about a sickeningly happy newly-wed."
She laughed at him again and stepped back, tugging at his arm. "Come on, you - let's go back. Mum and Dad want to see you – I suspect they're feeling a bit bad about asking you to go away. You will stay tonight – won't you?" She looked at his raised eyebrow and giggled. "In a spare room, I mean. I don't much fancy spending our first night together under the same roof as my parents – not at my age. And certainly not at yours, either."
"Indeed." His voice was as dry as ever as he allowed her to pull him away from the view.
She slipped her arm through his as they walked back up past the church and along Watchbell Street. "Can you stay for a couple of days? In the UK, I mean? Here would not be a good idea – Ron's coming tomorrow. I was thinking of going away and letting him have some time with Rose and Hugo. It would be nice to get away somewhere – just the two of us."
"Yes. It would." She couldn't see his face in the darkness, but he sounded almost startled by the notion of a brief holiday. She wondered how many genuine holidays he'd taken in his life.
"Where could we go? I don't really mind, although probably not London. I've had enough of cities for a while, and I don't suppose you want the publicity anyway."
"You're quite right."
They walked on in silence for a few minutes. By common consent, as they approached her front door, they continued past to the end of the street. They halted at her favourite spot, at the wall overlooking the marshes, just in front of the Hope Anchor Hotel. She jumped up onto the wall and pulled him in between her legs, enjoying the height advantage this gave her to kiss him more easily.
"I feel like a bloody teenager," he grumbled, but he acquiesced easily enough, putting one hand on her hips to steady her as he leaned in.
It was different this time. Not quite as frantic as in the house earlier – in front of her parents, for Merlin's sake! – but also not quite as carefully chaste as during the years since her marriage. It reminded her of that last night in Valenzuela so many years ago – the night that was so fatefully interrupted by Ron's message. There was a sense of no holds barred as he proceeded to explore her mouth in an almost leisurely fashion. His free hand wandered up her spine and she shivered at the light touch, moaning into his mouth and grabbing fistfuls of his t-shirt. She felt a spark of excitement rush through her body and her thighs tightened around his waist automatically.
He had been careful to keep his lower half slightly away from her body, but when he pulled back to look at her, his pupils were dilated, showing he was as affected as she.
"I'm going to stop right there," he said, his voice a little croaky. "Because if we carry on, I'm not going to want to stop. And I'm certainly not going to do anything under the same roof as your parents… and not before that bond termination either. I'm not having the bloody Ministry monitoring your bond and knowing what we've been up to."
"Point taken," she agreed reluctantly and let go of him. As she jumped down from the wall, she couldn't resist rubbing her body against his, and she felt the evidence of his arousal.
He groaned and rocked his hips against her for a moment. "Bloody tease."
"Sorry," she murmured in genuine compunction, making to move away, but he pulled her back and kissed her again, hard enough to make her head spin. His hands came down to cup her bottom and he pushed her firmly against his erection in a way that left her gasping.
As he let her go, he said, quite naturally, "Would you consider Scotland?"
"Mmm?" She looked up at him hazily and he rolled his eyes.
"For a holiday."
"Oh." She recalled their previous conversation. "Hogwarts, you mean? What about Minerva?"
"She knows all about it – the whole story. She'd like to see you, I think. And she's got ideas – plans for the school." He explained briefly.
"Well, why not? It'll be good to see her again – and Hagrid, and Neville and Hannah, and all the teachers." She had often considered visiting the school, but to walk around the castle and grounds with Severus was something she had never imagined. "Yes, let's do it. We can apparate tomorrow morning, before Ron arrives. It's not a problem – Mum and Dad will be there."
"Fine," Severus agreed, taking her hand to lead her towards the house. "But before we do… there's someone else I'd like to see."
The following morning had been a muddle of hellos and goodbyes, with Severus and Hermione keen to get away before Ron arrived. Rose had been ecstatic to see Severus again, and was equally outraged that he was leaving again almost immediately. She left Hermione in no doubt of the fact that her father would be hearing all about his overnight stay. Hermione shrugged her shoulders; her parents would be able to put Ron right, but she didn't care what he thought. She hadn't told Severus, or anyone else either, but she'd been able to detect through their marital bond that he'd slept with someone else the very same night that he'd moved out – Susan, presumably. She didn't particularly blame him, but it seemed a bit ridiculous for her to be avoiding sex with Severus out of some kind of misplaced loyalty to Ron, when he clearly had no such concerns. It occurred to her that she could just let that fact slip during their holiday – particularly when they were alone somewhere and unlikely to be disturbed...
She was a little worried about leaving Hugo, but he was visibly better today and her mother would be able to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't over-exert himself. So, having thrown a few items into her bead bag and put together a basket of food, she made her final farewells, took Severus's hand and apparated them both away.
They arrived just outside the gateposts. The gates had long since rusted through and hung haphazardly, half buried by the long grass.
Severus looked around him at the overgrown grounds and crumbling wall in apparent disbelief. "Christ, he's really let the place go. I knew it would be bad from what you said, but…this?"
"Bit of a change from the glory days, eh?"
He looked towards the ivy-strewn house with distaste. "Just a little."
They walked silently up the driveway. He glanced at her bare arm. As usual, she had used a charm to cover the scarring, but he knew where the filthy word was. "You don't have to come in if you don't want to."
She waved away his concern. "Oh, I've been here loads of times since. I don't give it a thought anymore." She frowned. "To be honest, I haven't given him much thought since Hugo got sick. No one else visits him – I hope he's alright."
He grimaced. "I don't quite see why you'd care. He wouldn't worry in the slightest about you."
She gave him a dry look. "If I spent all my time resenting people who've insulted me over the years with names like Mudblood, I wouldn't get very far. There's not much point in punishing him now, anyway. He's a broken man – it's only a matter of time."
"If it's not already too late," he muttered, as they reached the door. "Look."
The door was slightly open. It looked as if Lucius's locking charm had finally failed.
Hermione put down the basket and pushed open the door with a sense of disquiet. She'd been expecting to discover his body each time she'd visited. Would today be the day?
"He's usually through here," she whispered to Severus, wondering why she did so. As they approached the study door, Severus pulled her back and stood in front of her, wand drawn. There was no sound to be heard.
He pushed open the door gently… and froze in the doorway. "Oh, Merlin…"
Hermione, looking over his shoulder, saw the still body on the floor. She pushed Severus aside, impatiently, and hurried over.
Lucius was lying near his chair, on his back, his glassy eyes fixed on the ceiling. His face was white and livid, his lips drawn back in a painful grimace. He stank – it was obvious that he'd lost control of his bladder. His limbs were splayed out awkwardly –it looked as if he had literally dropped where he stood.
She took a deep breath and put a shaking hand on his neck… and then stiffened in surprise. "He's still warm! Quick, Severus – do a diagnostic."
As she moved her finger to the pulse in his neck, Severus extended his wand over Lucius and his findings only confirmed what she'd already realised. "Christ! He's still alive! Barely, but there's definitely a pulse."
Severus frowned down at the medical data that had appeared, reading quickly. "It's his heart." He vanished the data and used his wand to lift the unconscious man. "Quick, there's no time to lose."
He tried to apparate himself and Lucius away, but nothing happened.
"The wards," Hermione realised. "They must still be in place."
Severus cursed as he quickly directed Lucius's limp body back along the passage and out of the house. Once there, he grabbed Hermione's arm, put his hand on Lucius's leg and apparated the three of them to St Mungo's.
As they arrived at the reception, Severus's legs buckled under the weight of supporting Lucius and he fell to his knees. Hermione grabbed Lucius's falling body and lowered it gently to the ground. "Someone, quick, help me!"
Healers rushed over at her shout to help lift Lucius onto a stretcher. As he was carried away and Hermione started to follow, Severus caught at her sleeve, his face grim and strained.
"I must fetch Draco."
She nodded and watched as he apparated away. Wondering whether they would return in time.