Chapter 34: Cumbersome Intrigue

{A/N: Here's another update...}

My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.

Hermione's Bedroom, Snape's Estate, Muggle World...

Rest happened to be just what Hermione Granger needed after finishing her meal and the restorative potion. Snape had insisted she stay in bed and went so far as to threaten to hex her if she even thought about getting out of bed other than to use the loo. He had been deathly serious and she knew better than to ignore a direct warning from a former death eater. After several minutes, she decided that she needed to use the loo and made her way through the lengthy hall until she found one. As she walked she heard the startling sound of someone crashing through the front door and stumbling over the furniture. A panic filled her until she noted that the noise had come from none other than Severus himself.

At first she believed he was keeping his threat and policing her movement out of bed but she could hear him muttering in anger to himself. Hermione dared to venture to the bottom of the stairs where she caught a glimpse of him attempting to treat his bloodied nose and it only proved to make her even more curious than before.

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The Study, Snape's Estate, Muggle World...

Putting one foot in front of the other, she dared even further to venture into the study where Severus had been muttering in anger.

"S-Severus?" said Hermione concerned as she entered the room.

Snape suddenly turned away from her as if he had not wished for her to see the blood coming from his broken nose.

"S-Severus are you alright?" she asked not sure if she should just go back upstairs and leave him to his own devices.

The heavy scent of firewhiskey lingered in the air and seemed to be coming off him in waves.

"Aren't you suppose to be in bed?" he asked bitterly.

Hermione sighed.

She had expected him to be difficult given his apparent drunken status but she had hoped he wouldn't be up for a fight.

"What happened to your nose?" she asked knowing all too well the signs that he had gotten himself into a fist fight.

"It's none of your concern." he replied harshly.

"Severus...I know I haven't been the best person to get along with lately, but I want to...I need to reconnect with you." she said explaining herself.

Snape's obsidian gaze remained harsh as he seemed to be looking through her for a moment.

"I don't need your help." he hissed feeling the pain shoot through his nose.

"Severus let me help you." she said softly. "I'm sorry that I may have hurt you before, but I wasn't myself then."

Snape let out an exasperated sigh.

"Fine." he muttered annoyed. "If you think you can do any better."

Hermione smiled as he sat down in his chair near the desk and she made her way over toward him.

The soft delicate hands of the sorrowful witch trailed from his long pale arms clad forever in ebony it seemed and went up his broad shoulders. Snape let out another long sigh as she worked her way up to his neck, stroking him gently with her fingers knowing full well the bite from Nagini had been just below his high collar.

The adventurous witch gently removed the blood soaked formerly white towel and noted the ugly bruising of his sallow pale cheeks as well as the blue and black color near the bridge of his notorious aquiline nose. She summoned another towel along with a small bowl filled with warm water.

"This may sting a bit." she said taking the towel and dipping it into the water as she gently began to clean around the bruised and bloodied area.

If her gentle brushing up against the bruising of his broken nose did hurt, Snape gave no indication. His tolerance for pain had been legendary since news of his service to the wizarding world had been broadcast by Harry Potter to all who would listen.

Once she had cleaned the area manually, she took out her wand and softly whispered a mending spell. The snapping of bone from the bridge of his nose had been akin to a loud crunching sound as everything righted itself. Blood vessels repaired under her caring administration of the spell and the pain began to slowly recede. Snape thought along the lines of the witch having a healer's touch but said nothing to her about it.

"There." she said satisfied at a job well done. "All done."

She attempted to walk away only to find his large pale fingers wrapped around her slim wrist.

He said not a word as he gently pulled her toward him, amber eyes meeting obsidian before their respective lips had been crushed together in another desperate kiss. There had been a hint of passion between them, but only a hint given what lie ahead in the form of the lengthy battle for Hermione's children.

"Come morning...you will accompany me to Malfoy Manor." said Snape meeting his young lover's gaze.

"W-Why Malfoy Manor?" asked Hermione genuinely inquisitive of his motives.

She still harbored a bit of resentment towards The Malfoys given what happened at their manor during the second wizarding war.

"Where else would you learn the fine art of Slytherin tact my dear?" asked Snape with an arched brow. "Besides Lucius owes me quite a few favors and despite him no longer being Governor he knows how to get in touch with the right people."

Hermione sighed.

She had not liked nor had she trusted The Malfoys but she trusted Severus and she knew they wouldn't be able to do anything to her with him around.

"As you wish Severus." she said content to follow his lead. "I shall be ready come morning."

With that she pulled away from him and headed upstairs where she turned her attention back to using the loo before going back to bed. Snape sat quietly in the study finishing off his glass of firewhiskey and relishing in the lack of pain in his face when he fiddled with his newly repaired nose.

Hermione Granger truly did have a healer's touch.