Hermione sat in front of Snape trying to keep her mind clear. It was the only the second day of them doing this and already she was exhausted, Snape getting frustrated with her quickly. As much as she wanted to snap back at him and his little snipes though she bit her tongue. Sirius and Remus were upstairs, out of the way but she was worried about Remus' temper; the wolf was being incredibly protective over her and she knew that if he heard any kind of arguing then he'd be down there in an instant. Plus she didn't really want Snape to see Remus' bruised face, it would only give him ammo.
"You need to concentrate," Snape snapped.
"I'm trying," Hermione said stiffly.
"Try harder." Snape leant towards her and Hermione shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts. As soon as she successfully did so, Snape entered her memories again. He shot through them, sifting through each of them until he found one that he wanted to harvest, Hermione reliving each of them in such intense detail. She felt like she was stuck in some incredibly vivid dream. He saw their hunt for the horcruxes, saw Ron leaving them, watched as Hermione and Harry visited Godric's Hollow, he witnessed Bellatrix torturing Hermione and watched as they rode a dragon out of Gringotts. She was exhausted when he released her mind, her breathing labored. She fell back against the chair and rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the headache that was starting. They had been going for hours.
"Do you have any more in you?" He asked, taking a sip of water as he looked over her, noticing how pale and clammy she was. She breathed in shakily before taking a sip of her own water, her throat like sandpaper. Hermione nodded, sitting back in the chair and bracing herself. She was filled with a stubborn determination and certainly wasn't ready to give up yet.
She was back in Hogwarts, making the descent into the Chamber of Secrets for the first time, with Ron taking the lead. She and Snape shared every bit of adrenaline and witnessed every exchange and every thought that she had. When Snape was satisfied he let go and Hermione sunk back into the chair exhausted, another hour passed.
"That'll be all for today Miss Granger," He said sharply, his demeanor much different to how it had been the first time they had done this together. Hermione felt tired and worn, her own emotions a little frazzled, her own patience wearing thin with the man.
"What are you going to do with the memories?" Hermione asked as Snape started to transfer the silvery strands from his own head into vials.
"Give them to Professor Dumbledore."
"And then?"
"I don't know Miss Granger," He replied in a bored tone as he finished, putting the vials into the bag he had brought with him and standing up.
"You never asked?" Hermione asked and Snape turned to look at her, raising his eyebrows.
"No, it isn't my place to ask. Unlike you I don't feel the need to question every little thing my superior does," Snape shot back and Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. She didn't say anything else, biting her tongue as she turned to tidy away the drinking glasses that she and Snape had been using.
"Is Lupin staying here for the transformation?" Hermione stilled for a second as she took the question in, keeping in mind who was asking it, knowing he wouldn't be asking because he cared for Remus's wellbeing.
"I'm not sure, possibly."
"Well in that case I won't be here tomorrow or the day after. I'll see you the day after that. I imagine we'll have two or three after that and then we'll be done."
"That'll be it?" She finally looked at him in surprise, watching as he pulled his travelling cloak on.
"Yes," He said, watching her face fall slightly. What did this mean for her? Would they be sending her back? Snape watched her reaction with dark eyes. Clearing his throat slightly he hesitated, glancing to the door before back to her, lowering his voice.
"Granger, they're just using you… you know that right?" Hermione met his eyes, a mix of surprise and anger registering in her but before she had the chance to respond he carried on. "Honestly, I thought you were smarter than this." He sounded a little exasperated, straightening his cloak before looking away from her and picking up his bag. Hermione swallowed thickly.
"I don't know what you're talking about," She said tensely, knowing it was a ridiculous statement even as she said it.
"As much as I've tried not to glimpse at everything that's been going on here," He sounded disgusted and it made Hermione's stomach turn, "it's been hard not to when it's what your mind goes to as soon as it starts to wander," Hermione could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, "Really I should inform Dumbledore-" Hermione looked up at him in shock.
"No," She said quickly, "No, this has nothing to do with anyone else. It is none of your business what goes on in this house."
"I beg to differ-"
"I am not a child," She said sharply, "We are doing nothing wrong-"
"Define 'wrong'," he sneered and she was just about to snap back at him when the door opened. Sirius had only been planning on sticking his head in and checking up on the two of them but as soon as he saw the look on Hermione's face he stopped dead, knowing that he had interrupted something.
"What's going on?"
"I was just leaving," Snape said sharply, pulling his cloak on.
"Hermione?" Sirius asked, looking to her but she just shook her head ever so slightly, not wanting anything unnecessarily said.
"Where's Remus?" She asked and Sirius seemed to forget about Snape for a second as he turned to her, his touch light and caring on her arm.
"He's asleep," Hermione nodded, the run up to the Moon and his constant battle against the Wolf really did take it out of him.
"I'll be back after the full moon, I'd rather not be in this house near that thing on the day of the moon," Severus muttered as he stood up and immediately Hermione knew this was going to go south quickly. She wouldn't have risen to the jab herself but she knew Sirius would and it was in an instant he had his wand out.
"How dare you-"
"Sirius don't," Hermione said quickly, putting her hand on his wand arm and lowering it as Snape glowered at him.
"I'm not having him come into my house and talk shit about my- my-" Sirius searched for the right word to describe Remus but Snape cut him off too quickly, too eagerly.
"Lover?" he spat, "partner in crime? Which would you prefer?"
"Severus," Hermione said tersely but he just sneered at the two of them.
"I'm leaving," He sneered, heading for the fireplace. He picked up a handful of floo powder before looking Sirius in the eyes.
"You look at me like I'm the scum Black but out of the two of us it's not me that's the dirty old man preying on little girls." He dropped the powder and disappeared into a flash of green shimmering flames, Sirius' curse narrowly missing him and hitting the back of the fireplace with a crack. Sirius was seething, he looked from the fireplace to Hermione, shoving his wand back into his pocket.
"The fucking audacity," He hissed, "I'm going to kill him, I swear-"
"I've already told him it's none of his business what goes on here," Hermione sighed, "I'm not a child, I make my own decisions."
"He has no right," He spat, "He shouldn't even be prying into those memories."
"I know, sometimes my mind wanders though - it's no one's fault, it just happens." Sirius sighed and rubbed at his face.
"I need a drink," He groaned, dropping onto the sofa. Hermione dropped beside him.
"You want a cup of tea? I can go make one."
"Not the kind of drink I meant kitten," Sirius breathed out a humourless laugh. He slumped back into the sofa, his knee bouncing in irritation. He was silent, his body tight.
"What are you thinking?" Hermione asked, curling up beside him, concerned at his body language.
"That he could be right."
"Don't be like that," Hermione pulled away and looked at him, placing her arm around the back of the sofa behind him, "You know it's not true Sirius, you know how I feel and how this has all been mutual between the three of us." She lightly placed her fingers in his hair and he pushed back against her hand, his eyes shutting. He stopped bouncing his knee, just focusing on Hermione's fingers in his hair.
"Ignore Severus, he just likes to get a rise out of you so don't give him the satisfaction." She kissed the top of his head. Sirius sighed lightly and shifted so that he was leant into her side, her arm dropped down around his shoulders as she held him to her.
"Are you good?" She asked softly.
"I will be." Hermione held him to her, silently thinking about what Snape had said, how her time here seemed to be coming to an end. She snapped herself out of it, not wanting to fall down into that pit of emotions.
"Sirius," She said softly.
"Mm?" He responded, his head still leant into her.
"Come here." He didn't hesitate, pushing himself up slightly to look at her and she gently kissed him. They both closed their eyes, the kiss soft and affectionate. Hermione sighed into it, kissing him again and again until Sirius cupped her face in his hands. Her stomach tightened as he maneuvered them on the sofa until Hermione was lying beneath him, Sirius between her legs. He brushed her hair out of her face gently and Hermione stretched back, baring her neck for him as his hand slipped beneath her jumper, cupping her breast whilst her lips went to her neck. Hermione breathed out a contented sigh before leaning up and allowing Sirius to pull her jumper off of her, throwing it to the floor. She began to unbutton his shirt, before pulling him back down into a kiss and pushing it off of his shoulders. Everything was so slow and gentle, their touches careful and measured, each touch sending shivers down the others spine.
Sirius lifted above her, starting to edge her trousers down her hips, Hermione helping as she pushed them down her legs, kicking them off whilst Sirius momentarily got up himself, pulling his own trousers off before going back to lying atop her. The feeling of Sirius pressed against her, skin on skin, was a feeling Hermione would never get tired of. She sighed contently as Sirius reached his hand between them, seeking out her center. She moaned lightly as he pushed his finger inside of her, curling it and making her arch back with a moan. He stroked her exactly how he knew she liked it, moaning himself as she dragged him back to her lips. They kissed slowly, Hermione moaning lightly against Sirius' lips. She pulled his hand away from her, whispering a small please before he slowly entered her, Hermione closing her eyes in bliss at the feel of Sirius filling her. She wrapped her arms around him, pleasure coursing through her body as Sirius rubbed against her clit with every movement he made. It was slow and sensual, different to how they usually were together, but it was exactly what both of them needed.