A/N: This was written for the Snape Bang 2020! Big thanks to the modmins at Snape Bang for hosting this fest! This would not be a fic if I hadn't had lots of help. First of all Vino Amore gave me the plot bunny for this one, thank you, my dear! Ravenpufflove, UrsulaHood, and Silver Lioness all spent some time beta'ing this story. Thank you lovelies!

This was originally posted to AO3 and I'm just now getting around to cross-posting it here. Also, I know there is a plot hole about Severus's parents... whoops. Sorry about that.

LunaP999 created a gorgeous piece of artwork to go along with this. Find it on her Tumblr lunap999!

If you liked this (or hated it) let me know about it in a review! You can find me on Tumblr at crochetawayhpff or Facebook at Shan Crochetaway.

And that's a wrap! I hope you liked this little story. Thanks so much to everyone who read, favorited, and reviewed!


Chapter 7: Sweet as This


18 December 1998

Severus found himself back on the Hogwarts Express for the Christmas holidays. He was nervous about meeting Hermione's parents, but she insisted. He had discovered that when Hermione wanted something, she often got her wish through sheer perseverance. Him traveling home with her to the exurbs of Muggle London was no exception.

"They'll like you, promise," Hermione reassured him again.

"He's probably not spent much time in a Muggle house, have you?" Draco asked from the other side of the carriage. He was Draco now, even if Severus didn't like the other boy nearly as much as Hermione seemed to.

"'Course I have," Severus muttered. "My da was a Muggle."

"Really?" Hermione asked brightly, before sobering. "You'll have to tell me about your parents sometime. I know Regulus said they passed. I'm so sorry Severus."

"Well, I put my foot in it," Draco said quietly. "Sorry Severus. Don't be nervous. Hermione's parents can't be nearly as bad as she is."

"Draco!" Hermione gasped with a laugh, throwing a pumpkin pasty at him.

"Yum, I was waiting for one of these," he said with a grin, tearing open the package. Severus smiled slightly at their antics, his anxiety only a little relieved.

When they arrived at King's Cross, he found a pair of well-dressed Muggles waiting for them. The smiles they gave Hermione were tight and there weren't any hugs exchanged. Given Hermione's natural warmth, Severus thought it was strange that her parents were so cold toward her. The only thing that gave Hermione away, was a tightening on his hand and a tick in her jaw.

Her parents worked the week leading up to Christmas, leaving Severus and Hermione the run of the house. Hermione took him to main street so they could buy last minute gifts. Severus was still embarrassed by his impoverished status, but Regulus had taken care of him, giving him a generous amount of pocket money for the holidays.

Given the chill atmosphere of the house, Severus was determined to pick out the perfect gifts for Hermione's parents for Christmas. Not only as a thank you for letting him stay for the holidays, but also to try and get them to like him. Perhaps that was the reason they were so cold to Hermione.

When Christmas Eve rolled around the four of them had a delicious meal that Mrs Granger had prepared. Hermione had tried to help, but her mother had declined her every time she offered. The last time, she snapped at Hermione to get out of the kitchen, so Hermione slunk back to the lounge in a funk. Severus couldn't quite figure out what the underlying current of the household was, but clearly there was something there he was missing.

It wasn't until later that night, after dinner had been eaten and after Hermione's parents had gone to bed, that he found out. He heard Hermione crying in her room on his way back from the bathroom.

"Hermione?" he asked, tapping on the door. She sniffled, not saying anything and Severus held his breath as he slowly opened the door. She was seated on her bed, her back against the headboard, and her knees to her chest with her arms around them.

"Are you alright?" he asked, closing the door softly behind him and crossing the room to her. She had her face buried in her knees. She shook her head no, her giant mass of hair quivering as she took a deep breath. "Want to talk about it?"

She shrugged, and he took that as an invitation. He settled onto the bed. It was a single, not quite big enough for both of them, and the moment he settled down she flung herself at him burying her face against his chest.

"They hate me," she whispered through her tears.

"Who?" asked Severus. He held her close, a hand in her hair and one on her back.

"My parents," Hermione explained. "I was so terrified for them during the war. There was nobody to protect them and being Harry's friend... I just... I panicked. I Obliviated myself from their memories and sent them off to live in Australia, with no idea that they had a daughter."

"Oh, Hermione," Severus murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He could picture her: pacing, biting her lip as she tried to figure out the best way to protect her parents.

It hadn't occurred to him what the coldness they held towards her was about. He had assumed it was because she was a witch and they were Muggles, but this was worse. He sighed. Of course, they were cold with her. They must have been furious when they found out what she'd done. He wasn't sure he would have had the same devotion to his own parents, but he could admire Hermione for hers. It was clear how much she loved them and wanted them in her life. He would just have to try harder for them. Maybe in a few years, they would warm up to her.

That night, he and Hermione fell asleep clutching one another, and it was one of the best sleeps of Severus's life.


23 April 1999

They didn't go to Hermione's parents house for Easter. When Severus asked Hermione why, she lied and said it was because it was too close to NEWTs. He knew she was lying, because she didn't look at him when she mumbled it. She was also wringing her hands. A classic Hermione tell when she was lying. He didn't know what it was about Easter that made her not want to see her parents, but Severus wasn't going to question it. Clearly, something was happening, because the closer they got to Easter break the more deranged Hermione was acting.

She had rearranged her study time-tables six times before Severus finally put a stop to it.

"But this one is far superior," Hermione said, of the seventh she was half-way through creating.

"Hermione, it's the exact same one as the third one you've done," Severus responded, pulling the third one from the crumpled pile and smoothing it out to show to her. "They're all fine. You need to stop obsessing over the time-table."

She gulped and nodded her head several times, her hair wobbled as she did. "You're right, of course you are. I should be spending this time revising instead. I've lost loads of time already on this nonsense." She crumpled the half-completed seventh version and took the third one from Severus's hands.

He watched her in the days leading up to the break, unsure of what exactly was going on. She seemed to be in a low-level panic at all times. Draco was no help, he'd practically disappeared. He never showed up at their study sessions in the library and was rarely at meals. In fact, he was hardly in the Slytherin common room or dormitory either.

Severus was getting the feeling that whatever was going on with both Draco and Hermione, it was related.

Finally, it was the day of the holiday itself and Severus couldn't find Hermione anywhere. He bribed a second year Gryffindor into letting him into the Gryffindor common room. There were hardly any students staying during this break and the common room was completely empty. He tried climbing the stairs to the girls dormitory, but there was some sort of charm on them that turned them into a slide beneath his feet. Nothing Severus did worked to remove the charm, so he just started shouting Hermione's name.

"Severus?" her curly head peeked around the corner of the stairs as she stared down at him. He could tell even from this distance that her eyes were red.

"What is going on?" Severus shouted. She shook her head and flicked her wand, turning the slide back into steps, which he took two at a time to get to her.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think," she shook her head and turned to go back into her dormitory, and he trailed after her. Her roommate had gone home for the holiday, so the room was empty.

"Didn't think what?" Severus asked as she curled up on her bed, much the same way she had done at Christmas. He was beginning to think this was something else about the war.

"How my moping would affect you. It was thoughtless of me," Hermione replied quietly.

Severus sighed and ran a hand down his face as he sat next to her on the bed. "Only because I'm bloody worried about you," he told her. "You've been manic and half mad for weeks, then you just disappear on the holiday and when I come looking for you. It's clear you've been crying. Please tell me what is going on with you."

"It's just a hard anniversary," Hermione said, tears spilling over onto her cheeks. Severus wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"What happened?"

She sighed heavily, then shoved up the jumper sleeve of her left arm, showing Severus an ugly scar that wasn't quite healed.

"Mudblood? Who did that to you?" Severus asked horrified as he stared down at his soulmate. Who would dare carve up such a beautiful creature? Rage boiled in his chest as he realized that this must have happened in the war.

"Last Easter, Harry, Ron, and I were on the run. It was the middle of the war, we were looking for Horcruxes, and we got into an argument." She shook her head, more tears falling. "A bloody stupid argument. Harry said Voldemort's name. There was a taboo on the name and the moment he said it Snatchers Apparated to where we were. We ran, tried to fight them, but Harry's wand had been snapped months before and we were sharing mine. We were caught. I hexed Harry so he didn't look like Harry, but they still took us to Malfoy Manor—"

"Malfoy, you mean Draco's home," Severus said, putting the pieces together. No wonder Draco hadn't been seen in days.

"Yes," Hermione said with a nod. "He was home on Easter holiday," she gave a sad, watery smile. "As were his parents and his aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange."

Severus recoiled. Bellatrix was known for being half-crazed in the 70s. He couldn't imagine what she would have been like twenty years later.

"Yes, she was a nasty piece of work," Hermione said quietly. "She's the one who did this. She tortured me for information on Gryffindor's sword, which they found among our possessions. She thought it was locked up in her vault at Gringotts, but that was only a copy."

"Tortured you?" Severus asked, feeling his own eyes sting with tears. "As in the Cruciatus?"

Hermione nodded, burying her face back into his chest. "It was awful. I thought I was going to die. For a while there, I wanted to die. Just to make it stop. Just to make the pain go away."

Severus held her the rest of the day, both furious that he wasn't there to protect her last year and upset that she had to go through anything like that. It had taken him a while to come to terms with the fact that the Dark Lord was a monster, but hearing Hermione's tale of her time spent at Malfoy Manor, he was very, very glad that he had never taken the Dark Mark. He was glad he had flung himself so many years in the future if it meant he hadn't made that mistake.


24 April 1999

Severus finally caught up to Draco as he was leaving Regulus's rooms. He cast a tripping jinx at him and when he was flat on his back, Severus put his boot on Draco's chest, his wand pointed at his face. "You stood by and watched her get tortured."

Draco's entire face fell. He looked down, and nodded. "I did."

"I should kill you for that," Severus growled.

"Probably," Draco agreed, his voice raspy with unshed tears. He met Severus's eyes. He had expected Draco to act like a coward, since he had been hiding for most of the week. But maybe he was hiding to spare Hermione.

"If you had to do it again?" Severus asked, his wand still in Draco's face, his boot still on Draco's chest.

"I'd put myself in front of my aunt's wand. I regret letting that happen more than I regret getting the Dark Mark. It's the worst thing I've ever done in my life, and I'll never not be ashamed of the way I behaved." Tears did fall from his eyes then, leaking down the side of his face to the floor. He didn't bother to wipe them.

"Good," Severus said, then removed his boot from Draco's chest and offered him a hand to help him to his feet. Draco seemed relieved that Severus wasn't going to do something worse to him.

After that, things were better again. Draco stopped hiding from them and Hermione calmed down.


21 June 1999

It was the first day of NEWTs, and Severus had not seen Hermione look as pale as she did. She was hastily reviewing her notes for Transfiguration later that morning, mumbling spells and practicing wand movements with her fork.

Though she hadn't taken a bite of her breakfast. He frowned and shoved a sausage up to her mouth. She took a bite, without even bothering to look at him as she shuffled through her notes again. He continued feeding her in between bites of his own. He had never seen someone obsess over their schoolwork the way Hermione obsessed over hers. He took his studies seriously, spending a lot of time reading and revising, but Hermione made him look downright lazy.

The third day of NEWTs, he found Hermione looking awful at breakfast.

"Didn't you sleep well?" he asked as he poured her a cup of tea. She shook her head.

"Didn't sleep at all, I'm afraid," she admitted quietly. Draco snorted from across them and Severus sent him a glare.

"How can you expect to do well if you don't get the proper rest?" Severus asked her.

"I completely forgot to revise on Pennifold's Theorems," she explained with a shake of her head. "I had to stay up to review all eight of them."

"We did Pennifold's Theorems two weeks ago," Severus protested. "Your sleep is more important than that."

Draco kicked him from across the table and shook his head. Severus frowned at them both. Hermione was once again reviewing notes and not eating. He held a piece of scrambled egg to her lips and she took it off his fork, chewing as she twirled her own fork, practicing wand movements.

That night, after dinner, instead of allowing Hermione to go to the Gryffindor common room, he convinced her to join him and Draco in the Slytherin common room. Then when curfew hit, he pulled her into the Slytherin boys dormitory and into bed with him. She was forced to sleep as Severus wasn't about to let her do anything but.

On Thursday morning, she was much more relaxed and even ate on her own. Severus did the same thing Thursday evening, making her come to bed with him. It was against every rule Hogwarts had, but Draco wasn't telling, and Regulus pretended not to notice Hermione in the crowd of Slytherins who left the common room for breakfast.


30 June 1999

After a week and a half of grueling examinations, NEWTs were finally over. Hermione seemed to let out a breath she had been holding constantly, and she gave Severus a true smile for the first time in weeks.

"I'm so glad that's over with," she told him as they headed out of the castle and down to the Black Lake. It was a blisteringly warm day and they had both shed their outer robes. Severus worked his tie loose and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt.

"Have you given any thought to what you're going to do when we leave in a few days?" he asked her cautiously. He knew what he wanted, he was prepared to ask for it, but they hadn't really discussed much beyond NEWTs. Hermione had put him off every time he asked about it.

"I'm not sure," Hermione said with a frown. "Go home to my parent's house. Apply for jobs in the Ministry, I suppose."

"I would have thought with someone who took their studies as seriously as you do that you would have everything figured out," he commented lightly as they reached the lake shore. Hermione sat on a rock, pulling off her socks and shoes to dip her toes into the water lapping gently against it. Severus settled next to her, surprised yet pleased when she leaned against him.

"Maybe I did once," she replied with a sigh, "but war changes people. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to fight for the rights of those who wizarding society deems lesser." She rubbed her scarred forearm absently. "I still want to do those things, but working a job in the Ministry feels a little soul-sucking now."

"Move in with me," Severus blurted out. "I've secured a flat in Diagon Alley. It's got three bedrooms. I was hoping to use one for a potions laboratory. I want to start brewing for a few apothecaries. I have designs to open my own shop in a few years."

She turned to look up at him. "I knew you liked potions, but I didn't know you were so keen on it," she replied.

"Regulus thinks he can help me get my mastery," Severus said with a small shrug. "It would help legitimize my business once I've done so."

She smiled at him. "I'm certain living with you in Diagon Alley would make my parents happier. They don't seem too keen on having me back at home," she said with a small, rueful chuckle. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"Why do you think I secured the three bedroom flat?" he asked, squeezing the arm he had around her waist. "It would give you plenty of your own space, if you want it."

"Alright, I'll do it," Hermione replied with a soft smile.


12 July 1999

Hermione was nervous as she swirled her wand around her childhood bedroom, collecting the last of her things. It wasn't that she was nervous about living with Severus. No, Severus was perfect. Just being in his company put her at ease, and the ways he had supported her throughout the year were more than she could ever ask for.

She was nervous about her parents. They seemed to like Severus well enough, but she worried that moving out of their house entirely would sever her connection to them. That they would feel absolved of all responsibility toward her and cut her out of their lives. That she couldn't bear.

She wasn't totally convinced that it would happen, but it had become a recurring nightmare: coming home, to her parent's house, and a new family living there. Her parent's having moved, giving her no word of where they had gone.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Despite everything that had happened over the last two years, her parents did love her. They were angry yes, and had every right to be, but they loved her.

"About ready?" her father asked with a knock on the door. Hermione turned to smile at him.

"Yep. Just the school trunk as usual," she said, indicating the trunk on the floor. She was leaving all of her furniture behind, but taking her possessions. Her parents never explicitly said it all had to go, but she got the feeling they wanted the room for something else.

Maybe her mother would get the sewing room she always wanted... or maybe they really did want to erase her totally from their lives. It was their decision and Hermione had taken enough of their free will away. She was ready to accept whatever they chose.

Her father took one end of the trunk, and Hermione took the other, and they carried it down the stairs and out to the car just like they did every year when she went to Hogwarts. She could have offered to use her wand, but part of her liked the tradition of it. And her parents weren't entirely comfortable around magic. Hermione was trying her best to respect that.

She climbed into the backseat of the car, just as she usually did when on her way to King's Cross and Hogwarts. It was strange to be doing this journey in July and instead of King's Cross, going to Diagon Alley.

"Where to?" her dad asked after her mum buckled her seatbelt.

"Charing Cross Road," Hermione said. "The entrance to Diagon Alley. Severus is meeting us there." She looked out the window as they made the journey. Her parents lived far enough outside of London that it took close to an hour before they were pulling up outside of the record shop that sat to the west of the Leaky Cauldron.

Severus was standing outside waiting for her, as were Professor Black and Draco.

"This is a surprise," Hermione said as she exited the car. She introduced Regulus and Draco to her parents as she and Severus wrestled her trunk out of the boot.

"Do you want to come see?" Hermione asked, trying to not sound completely hopeful.

"Maybe another time," her mum said absentmindedly. She tried not to let her smile falter, but from the way Severus squeezed her hand, she wasn't sure she managed it.

After her parents left, Professor Black shrank Hermione's trunk and picked it up. She followed the three men into the Leaky Cauldron and out the back of the pub to Diagon Alley. She hoped that wasn't the last time she saw her parents, but couldn't quite shake the feeling that perhaps it was.

Professor Black worked to keep her mind off of it by keeping a running commentary of everything that had changed in Diagon Alley in the last year. Finally, off of a small side alley that was only a few storefronts down from Weasleys Wizard Wheezes, they came to a stop. The alley led to three flat buildings and Professor Black led them to the very last door. He tapped the handle and the door unlocked.

"It's an old Black property," he explained. "There are two units available in it, and Draco's taken the smaller one on the second floor. You and Severus have the larger flat on the third floor. There are three other tenants, one on the second floor with Draco and two on the first floor."

The ground floor, where they entered, was a tiny vestibule with some owl post perches. They climbed the stairs to the third floor.

"Severus and I moved in last week," Draco said as they passed the second floor. He pointed to the door on the left, indicating his flat.

When they arrived at the third floor, Hermione was surprised to see that the flat was the entire floor. Again Professor Black tapped the door handle, unlocking it and they all stepped in. Hermione smiled the moment she was inside; it was bright and airy, nothing like she had imagined. It felt like a home already.

"I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty to help set you up with a few things," Professor Black said quietly. Hermione shook her head and thanked him. Severus scowled.

She knew he was proud, but despite that, he still accepted help from his former friend. Hermione decided she liked that about him and offered him a small smile.

It didn't take long for them to unpack her things and soon Professor Black and Draco were taking their leave.

Hermione thought it should have felt strange, being on her own with Severus in a new flat, but it didn't. The flat was so welcoming and Severus was Severus. He was her soulmate. She didn't think she could ever feel awkward in front of him.

Later that night, after their dinner of take out, and promises of going to the market in the morning, Hermione crawled into bed with Severus. It wasn't the first time they had shared a bed, but they had never done anything more than kiss. Perhaps, that should have made her nervous too, but it didn't. When Severus's lips landed on hers, all she wanted was to feel his skin pressed against her.

They undressed each other slowly, taking their time and exploring one another in ways neither had explored anyone else before. It was sweet the way he kept his eyes on hers, always making sure she gave her permission before trying something new. She loved the feel of the sparse hair on his chest against her fingers, and the way his warm hands felt so large on her body. He pressed his lips to her in kisses that left her panting. He put his fingers, his lips, his tongue, seemingly everywhere.

When he brought her off with his mouth and fingers, he grinned up at her as if he'd won a prize. She laughed breathlessly at his expression until he tickled her, and they both found themselves falling out of bed in a heap of limbs and laughter.

She climbed on top of him then, his back on the floor and slid, slowly, oh, so slowly, down his straining erection. His groan filled the room and a space in her heart. It was the sexiest thing she had ever heard, and she wanted to hear it again and again. It was awkward, straddling him like this, but it didn't seem to matter which way she moved; he liked it all. He reached his fingers up to tweak her nipples, and she arched her back in response. It was empowering, riding him like this, seeing the way his eyes tracked her every movement. He couldn't seem to stop looking. His gaze roved from her breasts to her hips to her face and back again as his hands gripped her arse and pulled her tight against him.

She slipped a hand between them, her middle finger finding her clit and giving it just the right amount of pressure for a second, smaller orgasm. Severus's greedy eyes never left the way her finger swirled around her sex as if he were memorizing the movements for later use. As she collapsed on top of him, he thrust his hips twice more and came with a groan in her ear.

"Bloody brilliant," he murmured into the top of her head, his hands roaming along the expanse of her back.

"Let's try to stay in the bed next time," Hermione replied, rolling off of him with a grin.

"Anything you wish," he agreed, tucking a curl behind her ear. She pulled him to her in a kiss and hoped that the rest of their lives would be as sweet.

~Fin~