Insufferable Attraction

SeverusxHermione

Rated NC-17

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Insufferable Attraction

Chapter 23

Hermione took a deep breath as she stared at the candelabra sitting on the dining table before her, the candelabra being the international Portkey that would whisk her and Severus away to Australia. She couldn't believe the day had finally come. Just two weeks ago, Severus had told her he had arranged for an international Portkey to take them to Australia to find her parents in the hopes of restoring their memories. And now they were about to be on their way! It was so overwhelming for her how fast things seemed to have happened since her husband had told her the news, she felt almost short of breath.

A large hand placed itself on her shoulder, causing her to startle a bit before looking up into black eyes. Severus looked down at her and said, "No need to be so nervous, Hermione. Everything will be fine."

"I know, I know," Hermione replied, taking a few deep breaths. "It's just…I'm so nervous. I'll be seeing my parents again in almost two years, only they won't know who I am."

"We'll find them. What alias did you slap on them after altering their memories?"

"Wendell and Monica Wilkins."

Severus hummed and nodded before grabbing the candelabra. He held it out towards the brunette, gesturing for her to take hold of it as well, for it was about to activate. Hermione grabbed the Portkey and she soon felt the uncomfortable tugging sensation from her navel as the Portkey transported her and Severus to Australia. Closing her eyes, she squeezed them shut and tightened her lips, willing the nauseous feeling that had come over her to go away. Before long, their feet hit the ground of their destination, only Hermione lost her footing and fell flat on her back.

Hearing a muffled chuckle, Hermione looked up at Severus only to find her husband suppressing a laugh behind a smirk. Glaring at him she said, "It's not funny."

Giving a slight shrug, Severus replied, "It was."

He held his hand out to her and helped his wife to stand back on her feet, holding her steady when she swayed a bit from the after-effects of traveling by Portkey. When she had gotten her bearings, Hermione looked around to see where they had ended up, taking note that it almost looked like the Ministry of Magic in Britain.

"Is this the Australian Ministry of Magic?" she asked.

Nodding Severus answered 'yes' before he began walking, Hermione following him. Stepping up to a window, Severus set the Portkey in front of it before saying, "Severus and Hermione Snape, turning in this Portkey upon our arrival."

The wizard nodded and took the candelabra, waving his wand over it before stashing it away. Smiling at the couple he told them that they were to return to retrieve their Portkey within three weeks on Sunday at eleven o' clock AM. Thanking the wizard, Severus again began walking, Hermione practically jogging to keep up with his long strides. Before long, they had stepped outside of the Ministry and were walking along the streets of Australia.

Brown eyes looked around in fascination while Hermione said, "We should find a hotel and book a room for the time being."

Severus looked down at his wife. "I thought you would have wanted to immediately find your parents."

"Don't get me wrong, I do, I definitely do. But if we're here for three weeks, we should have a place to lay our heads and maybe even see the sites. You know, do some touristing while also trying to fix my parents' memories when we find them."

The Potions Master frowned. "'Touristing' is not a word. I know your vocabulary is better than that, Ms. Granger. Don't tell me you are reverting back to language used by the likes of Mr. Weasley or Potter."

Hermione giggled before saying in reply, "I know it isn't a word. I just wanted to see if you'd say something about it, and you did."

Severus rolled his eyes at the amused, smug smile on the brunette's face, muttering that they needed to find a hotel. Hermione couldn't help but giggle, thoroughly amused by her the fact her husband had walked right into her little tease. Of course, Severus was going to correct her on her improper grammar, being the intellectual stickler that he was. But she was also one, so she could understand. Merlin knew how many times she had had to correct Harry and Ron back in school whenever they used improper grammar, or mispronouncing spells. And it was also funny that he had called her by her maiden name while lightly scolding her. Considering she hadn't heard him call her by her maiden name in a while, it kind of caught her off guard, but she didn't show it.

The two of them walked for a while before finding a hotel, thinking that it looked rather decent. They soon booked a room and went to it, taking out their luggage that they had shrunken into their pockets and putting them away. Flopping on one of the beds—they were only able to book a two-bed room—Hermione sighed as her eyes began to droop. She suddenly felt tired, and she wanted to take a nap. She then remembered how traveling by Portkey always seemed to drain her and was why she preferred not to if she could help it.

Sitting up, she began to remove her trainers while Severus was fiddling with the television and its remote. Once her shoes were off, Hermione sat on the bed and watched her husband for a while before calling his name to get his attention.

"Severus."

Severus let out a hum, letting his wife know she had his attention. Lying back down on the bed, Hermione looked at him before saying softly, "Come lie down with me."

In an amused tone, Severus asked, "Are you tired?"

"A bit. Portkey traveling drains me. I don't know why, but it does. Please lie down with me. You don't even have to sleep."

The wizard finally settled on a channel about paranormal encounters before taking his black boots off and climbing onto the bed Hermione was settled on. Lying down in a half-sitting position, shoulder blades resting against the pillows, Severus got comfortable before saying, "Alright, I'm lying with you."

Hermione smiled and settled down on her side facing her husband, closing her eyes as she settled herself to take a nap. It wasn't long before she fell asleep listening to Severus's deep, steady breaths, pleasant dreams filling her head as she slept. A small smile appeared on her lips as she felt what felt like the sensation of fingers lightly stroking her curls.

"Severus, honestly!" Hermione all but hissed. "We can wait to do this later!"

The day after their arrival in Australia, Severus had begun his investigating of Wendell and Monica Wilkins, finding out their home address, as well as their place of employment. It hadn't taken him long to do so and the next day (today), he was taking Hermione to the dental practice that the Wilkins' worked at to fix their memories. Hermione, while ecstatic at how fast her husband had located her parents, was also nervous about seeing them again. But she for one was not happy Severus was going to just barge into their place of work.

Severus continued walking down the street, not at all bothered by his wife's annoyed tone. Glancing over his shoulder to her, he said, "Perhaps, but the longer we wait, the more your nerves will get the better of you. Not to mention this is the reason why we're here."

Hermione knew he was right, but she still didn't feel right about just walking into the dentist office and cornering her parents, never mind the fact they didn't know who she was anymore. Before she could try to argue her point more, Severus stopped in front of a building and said, "We're here."

Blinking, Hermione looked up at the building while her stomach began doing flips. This was her parents' practice, where they worked their day jobs. And her parents were just beyond the double doors of the building. Her heart racing in her chest from nerves, Hermione began to take deep, calming breaths, though she couldn't stop her hands from shaking.

A large, pale hand took hold of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. Brown eyes met black ones as Severus said, "It will be fine, you'll see. Now, do you want to be the one to try to fix their memories or do you want me to do it still?"

"I…I'll do it," Hermione replied.

Severus nodded and walked up to the doors, still holding his wife's hand as she took hold of the door handle and pulled it open. Hermione looked around the office and felt tears well up in her eyes; it looked just like the office her parents ran back home. There were two people waiting in the waiting area, obviously waiting to be called in the back for their appointments.

Stepping up to the front desk, Severus said in his deep voice, "My wife and I would like to request a meeting with Dr. and Dr. Wilkins."

"Do you have an appointment?" the woman asked, a bored expression on her face. "Because if you don't have one, you can't see Dr. and Dr. Wilkins today."

"I don't think you heard me. We request a meeting with the Wilkins', now."

Black eyes stared intently at the woman, Severus's eyes practically staring into the poor woman's soul, and his hard tone threatening, as if promising some form of pain or humiliation should the woman not comply. The woman was petrified by the intense gaze, realizing this was a man that one didn't cross. She looked at the brunette with him and wondered how this girl could possibly call this man her husband. However, she seemed comfortable with him, meaning she wasn't afraid of him. As she looked at the young woman, she blinked and tilted her head slightly as a passing thought of her resembling Dr. and Dr. Wilkins went through her mind. Turning her attention back to the scary man, she gestured to a closed door and told them to go inside.

As they walked towards the closed door, Hermione's heart sped up in her chest. There, just behind that door, was her parents. A piece of thick wood separated her from the two people she loved and hadn't seen in two years. A ball of emotion formed in her throat and she swallowed as she tried to reign in her emotions.

Feeling another gentle squeeze to her hand, she looked up at Severus as he looked down at her. With a kind, small smile, Severus asked, "Ready?"

Hermione breathed in deeply before nodding answering, "Ready."

Turning back to the door, Hermione raised a hand and knocked on it. She waited with bated breath before hearing the familiar voice of her father call out 'enter'. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, her free hand grabbing hold of the doorknob and turning it, soon pushing the door open and revealing the forms of Wendell and Monica Wilkins, or as Hermione knew them, Robert and Jean Granger, her beloved and long lost parents. And this time, Hermione didn't try to keep her tears at bay, allowing them to spill over onto her cheeks as she laid eyes on her parents for the first time in two years.

Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is rather short. It is also kind of a filler chapter, but it's to help move the story along. The next chapter will consist of the reunion of Hermione with her parents, as well as introducing Severus to them as her husband; that should be fun, lol. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for the next one. Love, SehunsBae37.