Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters in this story; I only own Shadow/Sebastian.

Chapter 38
For All The Love In The World

After getting back from their short ride out, Hermione had reluctantly accepted Snape's offer for help in getting to her room. She drew the line at being carried, however, and made herself make the long walk up the stairs. Snape was forced to watch her, desperately trying to remain his stoic self, but her shaky limbs and unsure footsteps were wearing away at his self control. His urge to just pick her up, to ease her suffering, was a heavy war with helping her to keep her pride intact.

Finally, they reached her room, but as she reached for the door handle, she misjudged the distance and her tired and weak legs couldn't hold her anymore. Luckily, Snape had been waiting for the perfect excuse to help her more, and quickly wrapped an arm around and under her, drawing her up into his arms. "You've made it this far. Which is more than you should have expected of yourself." She shook her head and turned so her face was away from him in an attempt to hide the tears of frustration now coursing down her cheeks. "Hermione..."

"I'm fine." She swallowed thickly.

He sighed, opened the door and carefully moved over to her bed. Moving the covers over, he gently lowered her body to the bed. "I'll send Evy in, to help you get ready for bed."

"There's no need. I'm quite able to undress myself." Hermione gradually moved her arms until they were folded across her chest, before looking up at Snape, her eyes firm. "I enjoyed today. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Hermione." Snape didn't move, his feet seemed glued to the floor, and his gaze remained fixed with hers. The moment was interrupted by Evy rushing into the room.

"Miss Hermione-"

Grasping onto the one thing that he was confident in, he interrupted the maid. "Who gave you permission to use her first name? You were told-"

"I did." Hermione muttered, and smiled weakly at Evy, as she struggled to sit up. "I was fed up of all that 'Miss Granger' rubbish. My name is Hermione."

"I kept the 'Miss', my Lord. I knew you wouldn't-"

"Evy! Don't explain. I gave you permission to use my name. It has nothing to do with him."

If it had been anyone other than Hermione, Snape would have had something to say with how he was being spoken to. But all he could do was stand there, mouth slightly open, in shock for what to say. Evy seemed to notice his connundrum and stepped back to the door. "Master, I think it is time for Hermione to get ready for a nap. She has tired herself with all her activity of today." She held it open, and stood waiting for him to respond.

Snape cleared his throat, inclined his head towards Hermione and spoke quietly in the hope she would be the only one to hear him. "I enjoyed today, also." Before sweeping out of her room with silent and sure footsteps.

"Well, I'm sure that was meant to be intimidating, but it doesn't quite have the same effect when he's not wearing a large robe to billow out behind him."

Evy giggled as she closed the door behind the dour Potion Master. "I don't think he quite knew how to leave."

"Mmmhmm." Hermione smiled but was too tired to think of an intelligent response.

"Now then, lets get you out of these riding clothes." Evy quickly set about getting Hermione undressed and back into some suitable clothing to rest in. By the time she had reached to draw the blankets around her, Hermione was fast asleep. "Sleep well, Miss Hermione." And with that, she quietly left the room.

As darkness was falling on Hogsmeade, several cloaked and mysterious figures made their way into the Hog's Head, quickly settling at a table in the furthest corner of the room.

"You say that they're missing."

"Gone, and with no way to trace them. Believe me, I've tried. Without Malfoy... it's going to be hard to get any information."

"Don't tell me that poof is still holed up in his Manor. That sneaky low-life is really starting to get on my nerves; I mean who does he think he is? Giving us orders, never showing his face, and letting the rumours of him loving that Mudblood carry on. It's disgusting."

"Shh! No names are meant to be spoken!" A hoarse voice broke through the start of the argument. "You'd think you'd have learnt from the Dark Lord's fall from power."

Snape sighed as he watched the crackling flames die down. Downing the last of his firewhiskey, he stood up from his chair and stumbled over to his bed, and collapsing on top of the covers. As he drifted off to sleep, he started muttering, the alcohol having loosened his tongue. In the shadows of the room, Leafer crouched with a smirk on his face as he listened to everything his Master was saying.
The next morning, Hermione woke up to the feeling of someone sitting beside her. She slowly opened her eyes, and groaned as Leafer sat there glaring at her.

"You've slept in; Master was expecting you at breakfast."

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes again. "I'm sure he'll understand." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "He knows-"

"Master was not happy when you's not appear. His food went cold waiting for you's." Leafer scowled, and bared his teeth.

Before Hermione could even think of a response, the door swung open and Evy walked in backwards, her arms struggling to hold a large tray . "Lord Snape said that you should eat some more food before-" She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the house-elf crouching on the bed. "Leafer, what are you doing here? Master told you to-" But Leafer was gone with barely a sound before she could even finish. "How rude... anyway, My Lord sent up your breakfast so you would not have to exert any energy before your walk this afternoon."

"So he didn't expect me down for breakfast?" Hermione yawned and rubbed her eyes, pushing herself up into a sitting position.

"No, of course not. You need to save your energy for things other than travelling to and from places." Evy huffed. "Is that why Leafer was here? To give you some sort of guilt trip?"

Hermione sighed. "Something like that." She took her tray from Evy and started to eat. "Do you know what I will be doing today, Evy?"

Evy blushed and shook her head, busying herself with sorting out Hermione's clothing instead of answering. "I'm not to tell, Miss."

"I won't tell him you told me!" Hermione giggled. "Why does it have to be a secret?"

"I don't know, Miss Hermione. I only know that I'm not to tell you." She turned to give Hermione a wink. "Don't worry, you'll enjoy it."

Hermione scowled causing Evy to laugh. "You look like he does when you do that..." She tried to stop herself, but ended up bent over with laughter, clutching onto one of Hermione's skirts to keep her balance. Unfortunately, the skirt couldn't take the strain and Evy fell onto the floor, pulling the majority of Hermione's clothes with her with a thump.

Snape stormed into the room, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. "What on earth is going on here?! Are you hurt, Hermione?" He rushed over to the pile of clothing and started throwing clothes around trying to get to the squirming body underneath that was trying to stiffle giggles.

"I'm perfectly fine, Severus, as you can see I am in the middle of my breakfast. Would you like to tell me what we are to be doing, today? Evy wouldn't tell me." Hermione giggled as Snape spun round to look at her on the bed.

"But-"

"I'm sorry, my Lord. It was my fault... I... I grabbed onto some clothes for support." Evy gasped, her face red with embarrassment and laughter. "I'll just clean up this mess..." She quickly turned to the clothes and started gathering them in her arms before running from the bedroom.

Snape was still standing there, confused and more than a little embarrassed, himself, for having rushed in when there was no cause for it. Hermione quickly finished off her breakfast and moved the tray to one side, before shuffling to the edge of the bed.

"Perhaps you could help me get ready for your... surprise?" She held out a hand to him and waited for him to move.

"Miss Ives-"

"-was scared away by you." Hermione smiled. "So that leaves you to aid me in getting ready for the day."

A blush rose up his neck as he stepped towards her, and he was careful with where his gaze fell as he helped her out of bed. "If you are sure..."

"I trust you, Severus." She gripped his hand, and let him take her towards the bathroom. As soon as they were within arms reach of the door, he stopped and cleared his throat.

"I'm sure you can manage from here." He looked away when she giggled.

"Severus, don't be silly. I need help getting into the bath." A huge smile graced her face as the blush rose to his ears and he made a small strangled noise at the back of his throat as he tried to speak. "Come on." She tugged at his arm and he moved jerkily back to her side, and continued on into the bathroom. "You can close your eyes if it helps, but I know you've seen me without clothes, so it doesn't really matter."

"But you were... it's not quite the same." He cleared his throat again, and managed to look her in the eye, briefly. "Perhaps it would be better just to get on with it."

Hermione grinned and began to remove her night clothes until she was completely nude. She retook his hand and looked from him to the bath. "Could you fill it for me... Leafer took my wand, because he said I had no self-control." She grinned. "Which is true."

"Of course." He flicked his wrist and the bath filled with large bubbled and steamy hot water. "Is that okay?"

She sniffed the air and moaned appreciatively. "That smells divine, thank you." She used his arm to help lower herself into the bath until she was submerged up to her neck. Leaning back against the side, she closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "Mmmm... you may wait outside if you would be more comfortable."

"I'm fine." He cleared his throat and turned to the cupboard, flicking his wand at one of the piles of towels, and cast a warming charm on them.

"Could you scrub my back, Severus?" His face went so pale for a moment, that Hermione took pity on him. Shaking her head, with a grin and muttered. "Don't worry, I know you can't feel comfortable doing this. I can manage." She reached for a sponge and began bathing herself, rubbing up her arms and around her shoulders, rubbing the nape of her neck thoroughly, her mouth slightly open in pleasure. She opened one eye a little and peaked out at Snape to see his reaction, his eyes were tightly closed and he was swallowing thickly. Feeling extremely mischieviess and wanting to get him back for keeping secrets, and for her earlier treatment when she was little more than a prisoner; she ducked under the water with a slight splash. Within seconds she felt strong arms swooping underneath her body and being pulled above the water with a jolt. Coughing and spluttering, Hermione gasped for breath; she hadn't expected him to be that quick to react. "I was just getting my hair wet, you know. I need to wash it."

"You could have warned me... I thought you'd..." His face twisted into a grimace as he noticed the way he was holding her, and in doing so, his gaze appeared glued to her chest.

Hermione watched in amusement as he struggled to remove his gaze and decide what to do. "Do you agree that it's safe for me to continue bathing now?"

"Yes, yes of course." He hurriedly placed her back in the water and moved back. Still crouched next to the bath, his shirt soaked through and clinging to his chest. She gave him an appraising glance, taking in the muscles of his arms and abdomen and her belly gave a little flip. She splooshed water onto her face to hide her blush, and reached for the shampoo. "I'll do that for you." He took the bottle from her un-protesting hand, and poured a small amount onto one palm. She moved so that he had full access to her hair and settled against the side of the bath.

"Thank you, Severus." She smiled at her mini-victory over his cold demeanor, and giggled internally that he was caring... when he wanted to be.

Evy had finished pressing Hermione's clothes within a short amount of time, and had rushed to place them back in their wardrobe; but almost dropped them in surprise when she heard Hermione in the bath. She placed the clothes on the edge of the bed, and moved towards the bathroom door to scold her, only to stop in her tracks. Her Lord and master, was leaning over the tub rinsing Hermione's hair, and doing it with careful concentration evident on his face. He definitely hasn't been forced into doing this... I can't wait to find out what Miss Hermione says about it. Resisting the urge to squeal, she moved away from the door, placed the clothes in the wardrobe and left the suite of rooms, closing the door quietly behind her.

AN: A short chapter... but hopefully you'll enjoy it ;p I look forward to reading your reviews!