A/N: I just want to say many apologies for being so late. I would love to come up with an incredibly original excuse like I had been abducted by aliens, but to be honest I was going through exams at uni, then it was Christmas with the family and somehow I ended up not having much time. I hope this chapter makes up for it, and I'll try to be better at uploading in the future. Enjoy! :)
Hermione opened her eyes and saw the pale blanket that covered the outside of the world outside her window. This seemed to contrast with the warmth that she felt enveloping her, in the form of strong arms holding her away from the dangers facing them outside of their bed. His warm breath tickled the side of her neck as he breathed slow and deeply - meaning that for once she was awake before him. She didn't mind. The days following the Dementor attack had been weighing heavily on both their minds. He hadn't said anything to her, but she saw it in his eyes when he would gaze off into the distance over dinner, whilst pretending to read or whenever he thought no one was looking. Hermione knew that Severus hadn't been summoned, so the absence of it must be what was bothering him. The lack of information available would be enough to drive anyone insane, but this was Severus Snape. He had been dealing with Vol- that man since before she was born. Despite this, Hermione couldn't help but worry about the man beside her. Rolling over to look at him properly, she saw all the lines he had gained over the years from worrying. The determination was there as well, and Hermione got this overwhelming feeling that just somehow, someway, everything would work out for the best.
Today was the one day she refused to think about the war however. Hell, even 80 years previously two opposing sides decided to not think about the war for one day and just play a game of football, why weren't they allowed to? Instead she settled for just basking in the quiet peace that she felt in the presence of the man beside her on this quiet Christmas morning. She wasn't aware how early or late it was, but she knew that to be right here right now was just perfect.
After what could have been minutes or hours, Severus slowly opened his eyes, and got a slight shock when he saw two light brown eyes looking intently back at him. He heard a light giggle as he rolled over and grabbed his watch, noting both the time and the date before sitting up and looking down at his wife. "Do you always stare at me like that in the mornings?"
"How could I do that when you're always awake before me?" She replied, smirking slightly. He nodded as he accepted that he had lost this fight whilst she sat up to be eye level with him again. "By the way, Merry Christmas," she continued cheekily before kissing him. Severus didn't seem to mind the cheek as he replied to both gestures. Their blissful morning was soon interrupted by the call of Hermione's mum asking for help with some kind of cooking disaster. As Hermione walked out of the room, Severus felt the familiar signs of being summoned. Even on Christmas bloody day? he thought to himself as he tried to keep a straight face for when Hermione turned around and smiled at him cheekily. As soon as she left the room, Severus bolted out of the bed and got ready for a meeting with the Voldemort faster than he had ever tried before.
Hermione meanwhile was downstairs unaware of the turmoil Severus was going through. As she helped her mum grease the various trays for the lunch that was mere hours away, she was unaware of the looks that her mum was giving her. As she laid the trays beside each other in the order they would be required – in the true organised Granger fashion – she felt the stare and just smiled at her mum in a questioning manner. Mrs. Granger gave herself a little shake as though just coming out of a daydream and Hermione just asked "what is it mum?"
"Oh nothing darling…its just…you seem to have changed."
"That's what war does mum,"
"I didn't mean it in a bad way. Over the past few years I've noticed that dull look in your eyes you know. For the first time in ages you seem to be the old Hermione again…and I can guess why."
"Mum!"
"There's no need to act so shocked. Your dad may want to act like there is absolutely nothing between you and Snake-"
"Snape. And there's nothing going on," Hermione replied, a blush creeping along her cheeks, as she quickly turned back to the trays to adjust them slightly, her back to her mother. Adrianna just stared at Hermione's turned back, and quietly sat down at the nearby dining table.
"Hermione, come sit down," she said quietly, leaving Hermione no other reasonable choice but to go and sit down with her. Hermione took a seat opposite her, and tried to behave as nonchalantly as she could. But that was like asking Aragog to fit in a shoebox. Adrianna notices the nervousness in her daughter, so she reached over and took her hands in hers and gently said "Tell me everything."
Severus, meanwhile, was hearing his footsteps echo along the stone corridor as he approached the room when he would no doubt be. Steeling himself for similar attack as the previous times, he opened the big door, to be met with Voldemort on his throne looking shameless and Pettigrew looking even more withdrawn than normal beside him, shaking slightly. "Severus…Merry Christmas," he said in his grand voice that drove men to war.
"Merry Christmas, my Lord," he replied back, the shield holding stronger than ever – and needing them to be that way.
"I've been watching the calendar Severus, and a few days ago I noticed a very special event. Tell me what it was Severus." Racking his brain for any and all information, Severus tried his hardest to think of an answer that wouldn't anger the volatile man in front of him. "No? Shame…you've been married for a month Severus." With this Voldemort stood up. "I like to think of myself as a very patient man Severus. I plot for years. I have waited for power for decades." Severus noted how he wasn't going in any real direction, more meandering around the room. "But," he continued, stopping still in his walk, "In order to get that power I need information Severus, which I thought I could get from my most trusted spy. Yet with all his skills and years being a spy he has yet to bring me any new information since he married a mudblood." He stalked towards Severus, and Severus could feel the familiar sense of fear in his stomach which he tried to push away. Voldemort stood right behind Severus now, and hissed "Why is that Severus?"
"My lord, I have gotten information since marrying the girl, but I didn't want to bother you with meaningless titbits." He said, hoping he could get away with it. He cried out as Voldemort kicked the back of his legs hard, causing him to fall onto all fours.
"I decide what is meaningful – not you! The smallest details are the ones that count the most!" Voldemort all but screamed. He began to circle the man, before crouching down to near his face. "I even tried to help you, sending dementors to scare her into giving you information. Yet still nothing." When silence ensued for a few moments, Voldemort murmured a spell and Severus felt as though he was getting kicked right in the stomach, causing him to writhe on the floor in pain. Every imaginary blow caused him shout. The spell was lifted a few minutes later, leaving a panting Severus on the floor. "Tell me everything Severus."
Severus breathed in and out for a few moments as he tried to block out the pain to think clearly. "She…she said that…Potter…Potter was going… to the burrow…for Christmas…" he said in between wincing every time he breathed. When he didn't feel the spell several long moments later, he prayed that that meant he was in the clear.
Voldemort was stood beside the man, considering his admissions. He then realised the value of it, and decided the man was worth keeping alive – for now. But he wasn't done with him yet. He leant down and stroked Severus' face gently "There, that wasn't so difficult was it?" he whispered before standing up straight again and sitting down on his throne again. "But I can't be seen promoting laziness can I?" he said before casting the torture curse on him. Severus held on as long as he could, looking the evil man right in the eyes before he slipped into unconsciousness.
"So you two technically aren't together?" Adrianna said, looking concerned at her daughter. Hermione just nodded. Adrianna took a few deep breaths whilst considering her next statement and how to word it. "We've always been honest to each other haven't we? So I'm going to have to be honest here as well. I'm concerned about the age gap, as is your father. He's in his forties-"
"He's 36-"
"Then my point still stands. I've always let you be your own person Hermione…but you have to know that this is risky just because of that 20 year gap. So…do what you must, but be aware of the risks."
A few moments of silence passed as the words sunk into Hermione. Finally, she just nodded and replied with "Thanks mum, I'll keep that in mind."
The rest of the day passed slowly for Hermione. After helping her mum with the trays, she ran back upstairs to her husband, only to find a messy room and a single note on the bed. 'Been summoned. I'll be back' in etched scrawls that looked even worse than normal.
This advancement pleased Andrew Granger to no end when Hermione said that Severus had been called away to a work thing. The rest of the day passed like any other Christmas in the Granger household. The presents were opened, the Christmas lunch was had, and a 'nice family time' was had all round. But beneath the veneer of the frivolities, Hermione couldn't help but worry for Severus. As each hour passed this concern only grew. Soon the day had fully passed, and Hermione made her way to bed, more worried than she had ever been before. As she walked into her bedroom, she found a bloody and injured Severus on the floor, scarily silent.
Thinking quickly, Hermione just lifted Severus onto the bed, using magic, before gingerly removing his robes and mask. She nearly sobbed when she saw all the cuts and bruises forming. She hurried downstairs and got the first aid kit and practically ran back to Severus. Shutting the door and silencing the room, she went over and sat down beside him, deciding what to do first. Applying some disinfectant to the first cut she saw on him, on his chest, she saw him wince and let out a breath of relief. "Severus?"
"…God's sake, do you not have anything that stings less?" he murmured, barely audible, and caused Hermione to give a slightly nervous giggle.
"Funnily enough, I don't have all the wizard potions and salves at my disposal in my muggle house. We'll have to make do," Hermione replied with, continuing with her work in near silence, Severus moaning at some points. When Hermione had done all she could do, she sat back to find Severus openly staring at her. Smirking slightly she turned away and couldn't help but reflect on how injured Severus had been. How it was all for some cause that barely included him – yet he did it anyway. "Why did he do this?" she asked, knowing that there was no reasonable answer.
Severus tried to recall what seemed like a million years ago, before stating "I wasn't being informative enough. It was my fault, I just forgot he needed to be kept at bay. Anyway, today is not the day to be discussing him." he said slowly, still sore from the clear beating he had received. Taking her hand delicately, he looked at her and said "Look in the drawer," and indicated that it was the bedside drawer he was talking about with a small shake of his head. Hermione had a small smile as she recognised that he was trying to change the subject, but she wasn't so willing to forget about it. She opened the drawer, whilst Severus looked on with bated breath.
There she saw the box, dark red with a golden bow on top, positively Gryffindor. She just looked up at him, her eyes big with wonder like he had seen so many times in class. "What is it?" she asked, smiling a little more as she did so.
"That's the point of opening a present isn't it Hermione?" he said rather sarcastically, causing her to blush a little, like he wanted her to. She gave him a look of mock scorn as she began to open it. When she saw what was inside she couldn't help but smile. Amongst some gold tissue paper, there lay a ruby red diary, with silver detailing on the outside. Turning it over to see the thickness, she saw a delicate ribbon holding the book shut, though not entirely shut as it was meant to be. Something looked wedged between the front cover and the first page of the book. Opening the book she gasped when she saw what was inside the front cover.
A single photograph and a mirror were displayed on the cover, but Hermione couldn't help but feel emotional when she saw what the photo was. It was of their wedding day, and as with most magical pictures she'd seen it was moving. It was of the exact moment when they'd been declared married, they looked at each other and kissed. But Hermione hadn't remembered any photographers there, and so simply looked at the ill man, who right now looked like a cat who got all the cream, and asked "How?"
"I've said it before Hermione, I'm a wizard, there's not much I can't do," he replied with a small smirk. Hermione just couldn't help but smile at it as the flicked through the pages feeling their luxurious thickness, meaning that any ink would never bleed through. "It'll never run out…it magically adds pages once you get close to the end," he continued, watching her for a reaction to see how well he had done. He saw her glow. He meant to tell her about another feature, but sleep claimed him before he got the chance.
Hermione hadn't noticed this change, sighed and nervously looked at her book whilst stuttering "What does this mean Severus? I know that there are risks, but that's what war is about isn't it? Two months ago you didn't even like me and now what? I just don't know if what we're feeling is relief or what...plus there's the age gap between us. Surely this means we shouldn't even try and be together. But despite all that, I really don't care. Severus, I think it's time we de-" She had finally looked up and seen her husband sleeping soundly, clearly not heard a word she had said.
Slightly heartbroken and unsure if she would ever have the guts again, she quietly got up from the bed and went downstairs to retrieve her present to Snape. She returned and put it on his bedside table, before climbing into bed herself, tiredness washing over her all of a sudden.
The first signs of dawn broke through the next morning immediately woke Severus with a jolt. His entire body ached and screamed, and he knew that he would have to get to his store cupboard soon. Taking in his surroundings, he noticed a festively wrapped box on the small table beside him. He glanced over and saw that Hermione was still sleeping soundly, and softly picked it up, and read the tag. He was surprised. It was the first time that anyone, other than Dumbledore, had given him a Christmas present for more years than he'd care to remember. He cautiously unwrapped it, making sure not to awaken the woman beside him, and smirked when he saw what it was. A T-shirt which had a picture of Grumpy from the Disney version of Snow White, and it said 'I'm already Grumpy, don't make it worse!' In that moment that he finally admitted something to himself. He was feeling deeper feelings for Hermione Granger, the know-it-all who mere months ago had annoyed him to no end in classes.
But he knew he could never tell her. There were far too many risks.