A/N. This is the final chapter of this fic. Thank you to all of you who has read and/or left me lovely comments. It means a lot to me. The end of this fic also marks the end of my being active on this website. Any new fics I write will only be posted to Archive of our Own (I'm Morbidmuch over there too). If anyone wants an invite code I have a few left (though I think the queue is fairly short at the moment so there shouldn't be much of a wait) so just send me a message on tumblr (my handle is Morbidmuch).
As always, all the love and hugs to my beta turtle_wexler and my alpha q_drew for all their help.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The potions lab looked worse in daylight. Broken vials and jars were scattered all over, and an upturned cauldron had spilt a murky potion on the cabinets and floor. The potions he'd been brewing the previous night had solidified in their cauldrons, and the smell was ghastly. Severus didn't say anything about the events of the previous night as they started to clean up the mess, and Hermione didn't bring it up. Perhaps he found it easier to be vulnerable under the cover of darkness, and she didn't blame him.
"I've decided to look at some shop spaces later this week," Severus said at length, vanishing the remains of a glass stirring rod with a wave of his hand.
Hermione put the copper cauldron back on the workbench and dusted off her hands. "So soon?"
He nodded. "I've no idea what the market looks like right now, so I'd rather get on with it. It might be a while before I find someplace suitable."
She bit her lip. "I suppose." Continuing to clear the floor of glass and bits of frog brain, Hermione shrieked when strong arms wrapped around her from behind. The broom fell from her grasp.
"You'll come with me?" he said in her ear, and his breath made her shiver.
She turned, clasping his forearms. "If you want me to."
He chuckled. "Of course I do." He kissed her so deeply she felt it in every part of her body down to her toes, then guided her head to rest on his shoulder.
Hermione relaxed into the embrace. She was excited for Severus to start this new chapter in his life as a free man, but it also terrified her. She wasn't ready for him to not be around all the time. She was afraid of what would happen when the bubble they had created for themselves burst. Would he realise she was too young and immature for him after all? Would the pressure of other people's opinions and expectations prove too much? She sighed heavily.
"Is there a particular reason you're demonstrating your ability to exhale audibly?"
She tilted her head up. "Sorry, just thinking."
Severus' mouth twitched upwards, and he pulled at a curl laying on her shoulder. "When are you not? Do you feel like sharing?"
Hermione smiled slightly. "It's nothing, honestly." Stretching, she kissed him softly. "Tea?"
As they entered the house, they heard the whoosh of the Floo. Hermione's wand was out in an instance, and Severus moved forward so he partially blocked her body with his.
They went into the sitting room, and Hermione lowered her wand. "What do you want?"
Kingsley removed his hat and rubbed his head. "I'm sorry for dropping in unannounced. I'm sure I'm the last person you want to see right now."
"That is correct," Severus said coolly.
"Please just listen to me."
"Why?"
Something about Kingsley's slumped shoulders made her put her hand on Severus' arm. "Severus, let's hear what he has to say."
Severus scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Fine. Talk."
Kingsley slumped into the armchair, leaning his elbows on his knees with a sigh.
Hermione perched on the sofa armrest, Severus close on her right side. She wiped her clammy palms on her jeans.
"If it means anything," Kingsley started, "I voted in favour of your proposal."
Her brows rose. "You did?"
He nodded. "It was a close vote, but it failed to reach the majority. If it was solely up to me, I would have accepted your proposal and moved to implement it as soon as possible, but I only have one voice."
Severus snorted. "You expect us to believe that? You have done less than the bare minimum in this mess from the start."
Kingsley met Severus' eyes with something like determination. "I will not offer excuses, but the reality is I have been hindered in almost all decisions I've wanted to make. I pushed for assigning a group of Unspeakables to investigate the Suppression Cuff but was told nothing could be done without proof. When I presented the records you gave me, their authenticity was questioned."He sighed and looked away. "You do not need to tell me I've failed in my duties; I am already well aware of the consequences of my inaction."
Hermione bit her lip. It had been easy – despite all she knew about him – to paint Kingsley in the light of the villain. The disappointment was still there, as was the anger, but now there was also compassion and pity. After all, he had been thrown into the position of Minister without much warning. That would be difficult in the best of times. And these were not the best of times.
"I'm sorry," Hermione said softly.
Kingsley waved his hand. "I didn't come here for a pity party, and you don't need to apologise. I came because I have good news."
Hermione froze.
"While I wasn't able to sway the Wizengamot with regards to your proposal, I was able to convince them the Suppression Cuffs were unnecessary on the prisoners on house-arrest. They are starting the removal of them today."
Next to her, Severus grabbed the back of the sofa. "They're removing the cuffs?"
Kingsley nodded. "The other stipulations are still in place, and heavy anti-Apparition wards will be set up to make sure no one tries to flee, but yes. As of tomorrow, no one on house-arrest will be wearing the Suppression Cuff."
Exhaling shakily, Hermione relaxed. Severus' hand brushed against her back, and she wished she could grab it. This would save lives. She wasn't sure how long Draco would have lasted with the cuff, but given how he'd looked the last time she saw him, it was clear he didn't have much time left. And now he would live.
Severus pushed himself off the wall and approached Kingsley, who rose. Hermione tensed, unsure of what would happen.
Then Severus offered Kingsley his hand. "Thank you."
The two men shook hands.
Kingsley cleared his throat. "I won't be keeping you much longer. I suppose I'll see you both tomorrow morning?"
Hermione tensed. The news about the Suppression Cuff had completely blown all thought of Severus' release from her mind. Her stomach churned.
Severus nodded. "You will."
Kingsley offered them a slight smile and a nod before he disappeared through the Floo.
Severus collapsed in the armchair, head in his hands. Hermione stayed silent. The ticking of the clock seemed awfully loud. Severus exhaled audibly.
She rose and went to his side. Severus' back trembled slightly underneath her touch, and he wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her to stand between his spread knees and burying his face in her chest. His hair was silky against her fingers as she provided the silent comfort he seemed to be craving.
–
The rest of the day didn't differ much from their usual routine; Hermione studied for her NEWTs in the potions lab while Severus brewed, they had a curry take away for dinner, and they spent the evening curled up on the sofa with books and tea. Despite the familiarity of this routine – bordering on mundane, really – there was a different energy between them. His hand lingered longer than usual on the small of her back as he passed her in the kitchen. She sat a bit closer to him on the sofa. Several times she opened her mouth as though to say something, then closed it again.
Getting into bed, Severus had barely turned the lights off before Hermione pressed her mouth against his and threw a leg over his hips. He met her with as much enthusiasm, pushing her onto her back and kneeling between her spread thighs. She keened when he thrust against her clothed core, her hips rocking against his.
He kissed his way down her heaving chest, pausing to pay attention to her nipples before continuing towards the apex of her thighs. Her skin was warm and soft underneath his lips. Drawing her soaked knickers down her legs, he fastened his mouth on her core. She moaned, gripping his hair and pulling her knees up.
Severus wrangled an orgasm from her trembling body before he sat back, rid himself of his pants and covered her body with his. She tilted her hips, he positioned his cock at her entrance and slowly slid as far as he could. There, he paused. Her brown eyes were wide as she looked up at him, lips parted as she inhaled sharply.
For a moment, Severus forgot how to breathe. Being with her – loving her – was more than he ever could have wished for. Bracing himself on his elbows, he cradled her face in his hands. He found he could not speak, so instead he captured her mouth and slowly started to move. She moaned and lowered her hands to his waist, pulling him against her. Their skin became slick with sweat where they slid against each other, but he kept his body close to hers. He leant his forehead against hers, eyes open as he took in the pleasure written on her face.
Her legs raised around his waist, and he slid a hand under her arse to angle her hips. Her back arched, and he kissed the valley of her breasts. Her skin was salty on his tongue, and the sounds she was making pulled him closer and closer to his climax.
"You feel so good," he whispered against her skin, turning his head to flick his tongue over her nipple.
She whimpered. "Circe, I'm going to-" her voice dissolved into a drawn-out moan, and her body tensed against his.
Another couple of thrusts and he followed her over the edge, panting into her skin.
A sob broke the silence.
Severus raised his head, panic flowing through him. "Hermione? Are you hurt?" He pulled out and laid next to her, searching for any sign of injury.
She rolled to her side, facing him, and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm fine, I promise."
He pushed her hair back from her face. "Then why are you crying?"
"I don't know." She burrowed her face into the pillow before peering up at him, cheeks flushed. "I just love you so much."
Severus chuckled low and kissed her brow. Goosebumps pebbled her skin, so he dried them off with a wave of his hand and pulled the duvet up to cover them. Hermione let out a contented sigh and moved closer, tucking her head underneath his chin. He wrapped his arm around her back and closed his eyes. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but going back to Spinner's End would be even more depressing now that he knew what he could have.
–
Chirping birds signalled the arrival of morning, and the room slowly began to be bathed in golden light. It danced over Hermione's skin as she rolled her hips, her head tipped back and her hair in a wild mess around her head. He had tangled his fingers in it several times during the night: to guide, to tease, to give pleasure.
Severus' hands tightened on her hips, guiding her. His eyes wanted to close but he wouldn't let them; he wanted the image of her – just like this – burnt into his mind forever. She tightened around him and he groaned. Her head fell forward, hair tumbling around her heaving shoulders, and she steadied herself with her hands on his chest. He rolled his hips up against hers, and her breath hitched.
Once she lay draped across his chest – both panting and getting various limbs under control – she smiled. "How do you feel?"
He shifted so her knee was no longer dangerously close to his groin. "Sticky."
Hermione giggled. "That's not what I meant. You're a free man now, Severus, in all ways but on paper. How do you feel?"
He contemplated his own emotions for a minute – something he didn't do often and had no intention of doing again anytime soon. Then he looked at her smiling face, her brown eyes kind and full of love. He smiled. "Happy."
–
While Hermione jumped into the shower, Severus went into the box room to gather his meagre belongings. Most of his possessions – his Potions books, cauldrons and so forth – would remain in the Potions lab for the foreseeable future. He transfigured a sock into a small bag and stuffed the shrunken objects inside before putting the whole thing in his trouser pocket. He looked around the small room – he could probably reach both walls without much trouble – remembering how it had felt like a prison when he'd first arrived. A cell without bars. He had resented it – and Hermione – for those first days. How was that only six months ago? Feeling himself becoming maudlin, he shook himself off and went downstairs.
A familiar plush turtle sat on the coffee table, and his mouth went dry. The Portkey would take them back to the Ministry in – he cast a wandless Tempus – five minutes. Something constricted in his chest, squeezing his heart and making it hard to breathe. In five minutes he would be free.
Hermione's familiar footsteps sounded on the stairs.
"Are you ready?" Her hand was warm on his back.
He exhaled deeply. "I suppose."
She reached past him and put her hand on the Portkey. He grabbed the plush turtle, and they were transported away.
They arrived in the same dingy, nondescript room he had been taken to at the beginning of his sentence; he recognised a scratch on the table that bore a resemblance to a belladonna leaf. Kingsley sat in one of the chairs, Auror Pugs in the other. Next to him, Hermione stumbled and gripped the table. His arm shot out automatically, holding her elbow.
"Are you all right, Miss Granger?" Pugs asked.
"I'm fine," Hermione said, getting her balance back and straightening herself.
Severus dropped his hand from her elbow.
"Please sit," Kingsley said.
The chairs scraped against the floor as Severus and Hermione took their seats. Severus crossed his arms. Underneath the table, Hermione's leg pressed against his.
Pugs read aloud from the piece of parchment in front of him. "Today, the 12th of May 1999, marks the end of the sentence of six months house-arrest for Severus Snape. At the beginning of the sentence Mr Snape was relieved of a cedar wand: dragon heartstring, twelve and three-quarter inches long, pliant. The wand is now returned to Mr Snape in accordance with the Wizarding Law of 1832."
Severus had to stop himself from snatching his wand from Pugs' meaty fingers and waited until the wand was placed in front of him on the table. It had been almost a year since he was in possession of his wand, and wrapping his fingers around it, he could feel his magic rising inside him. It felt like coming home after a long trip. Keeping a blank face, he slid it into his sleeve.
"Are we done here?" He sounded bored even to his ears, but his heart beat wildly inside his chest.
Pugs looked annoyed. "You need to sign this, Miss Granger."
Hermione read the parchment placed in front of her with a furrowed brow, then scribbled her signature on the bottom. Putting the quill on the table, she looked at Kingsley. "Are we done?"
"Yes," Kingsley said. "You are a free man, Severus. Congratulations."
Hermione snorted, and Severus barely stifled a smirk.
"Auror Barnes will show you out."
They were led down a narrow corridor, through three doors and turned left twice. Then Auror Barnes stopped in front of a plain wooden door. With a tap of her wand on an invisible panel, the door swung open.
"The lifts are on your right-hand side," she said.
They rode the lift in silence. Severus felt on edge, and he wasn't quite sure why. Possibly the too cheery lift music. The lift hall was crowded, and his fingers twitched. Why were there so many people? The only thing calming down was Hermione's hand brushing against his as they strode across the atrium. His chest tightened. He needed to leave. There were too many people.
Hermione tugged slightly on his sleeve, and he followed her direction. She led him to the visitor's entrance and opened the door to the red telephone box. Though slightly too small for two adults to stand in comfortably, he didn't mind having Hermione pressed against his back.
It ascended to street level, and they stepped out in the morning sunshine. The dingy street was empty, the pub across the street was dark and closed. Down to the right was the opening to a larger street, where cars and people were passing. His shoulders relaxed.
"Your life is your own now, Severus," Hermione said, smiling widely. "What are you going to do first?"
The corner of his mouth curling up, he took her hand.
THE END
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