Well, I know it has been quite some time since I wrote the first part of this story, but I did promise a second chapter and here it is. I do not think that there will be a third. I'd rather leave what happens next up to you, the reader. Either way, I hope that you enjoy this installment! Happy reading! Much love, xxDustNight.
Huge thank you to starrnobella for reading this over who knows how many times over the years since I began writing it. I also have to thank her for the prompt that helped inspire this chatper. Also, thank you to GaeilgeRua for allowing me to use her Grammarly! Any other mistakes are definitely my own..
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury, and Warner Bros. No copyright infringement is intended.
Prompt: Beast. Storybook. Red. "Forever can spare a minute." (a starrnobella prompt)
Set Me Free: Afterward
Three days after their impromptu reunion in Seascale, Hermione and Severus found themselves walking toward the seashore just after sunrise. The sky was blood-red, and it reminded Hermione of that old saying sailors used when travelling the seas. "Red sky at night, sailor's delight… Red sky in morning, sailor's warning…" She hoped that whatever storm was headed their way, they would be able to face it together.
Having not slept well the night before, she'd suggested a walk to the beach to help clear her head. Severus, ever willing to accommodate her strange moods, eagerly agreed and began to lead the way. He remained quiet as they walked, his hand occasionally moving to guide her at the small of her back. Happiness was a foreign emotion to her these days, but if she had to choose a way to feel, that would undoubtedly be it.
As they arrived at the beach, the two of them walked along the pathway towards the rolling sea. The damp, wooden boards groaned underneath their feet as they walked, and the wind whipped at their hair. Still, neither spoke, almost as if breaking the silence would cause some sort of fissure in the quiet calm of the morning. Hermione inhaled deeply, the sea air calming her as only it could. She glanced sideways at Severus, wondering what he thought as they walked.
When they reached the end of the boards, Hermione removed her trainers and socks, leaving them where they were so she could walk freely on the sand. Severus kept his boots on, obviously not as in love with the feel of sand between his toes as Hermione was. She smiled to herself as she stepped into the cool sand. It would warm as the day wore on, but for now, it made her shiver. She was thankful when Severus wrapped his arm around her shoulder, tucking her under his arm as he continued to lead the way.
The sea was reasonably calm, its gentle lapping barely making its way up the shoreline. Hermione crept forward until her toes were just inches from the cold water. Severus allowed her to go, his arm dropping back to his side as he waited for her to either move forward into the water or speak. Instead, she remained unmoving as if frozen in time. His heart thumped loudly in his chest as he continued to watch her. Unsure if he could ever admit it aloud, Severus couldn't deny that these past few days with Hermione had changed him.
He felt calmer and more relaxed than he had in ages. He still didn't quite understand her reasons for leaving London and everything she knew behind, but he was glad for her company. His own personal exile was far lonelier than he'd imagined it would be. Now that he knew what it was like to have a companion, especially one such as Hermione, he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to survive on his own again.
Finally, Hermione inhaled deeply, her head tipping back as her eyes closed. Her lips formed a secret smile, one he was not even privy to, but he enjoyed the way her body relaxed. It made his heart warm, and his body come alive. Wanting to hold her, he stepped forward into the damp sand until he was standing behind her. Quietly, he wrapped his hands around her waist, relishing the contented sigh that escaped her lips as she relaxed into the embrace. He took a chance and kissed behind her ear, humming in approval as she sighed again, this time in pleasure.
"Thank you for bringing me here, Severus," she whispered, her voice difficult to hear over the waves. She turned in his arms, her hands coming up to rest on his chest. Brown eyes searched his dark ones for a moment before she slid onto her tiptoes to place a tentative kiss upon his lips. "I love the shore…."
As she trailed off, Severus wondered if she'd planned on saying more, but he did not ask. Some things were better left unsaid, especially as they knew not what would happen today, tomorrow, or even the next day. Instead, he initiated another kiss, this one more passionate than the previous. There was something about this witch that awakened a part of him that was previously hidden, or nonexistent, as it were. She was like a light in the darkness, and he'd been consumed by the dark for far too long.
The kiss ended slowly, Hermione pulling back to stare up at him once more. He sighed, wishing they were back in his room so he could strip her of the Muggle clothing she wore and spend the rest of the morning in bed. Her kisses were addicting, her touch invigorating. He loved everything about her, brilliance included. How was it that she found her way back into his life just when he was thinking life was no longer worth living?
It was something he did not like to think about, especially with Hermione nestled in his arms. His past was riddled with mistakes and regret, filling his proverbial closet full of so many skeletons he was surprised the door could even close. And yet… She remained. She did not shy away from his kisses or his touches, taking as much as she gave in return. They were like two halves of a whole; Hermione was light, and he was darkness, but together they meshed perfectly. It boggled his mind, throwing more questions than answers at him.
"What troubles you this morning," he murmured, afraid to speak too loudly and disturb the quiet stillness. Hermione gave him a sad smile, one that made even his cold heart ache.
"My dreams… They were troubling, and they forced me to contemplate beginnings…and endings," she told him, honestly. Slipping out of his grasp, she turned back toward the ocean, watching as the daybreak turned the sea from grey to dark green.
"You miss it. London, I mean."
"Not so much London, as much as my friends," Hermione admitted as she moved closer to the sea. A startled yelp left her as the icy cold water covered her feet, soaking the bottom of her jeans. "I thought it would be easy to leave everything behind, but I was wrong. I miss them."
"So why don't you return? I am sure there is a train that could—" Surprisingly, Hermione cut him off, turning around abruptly and glaring at him as only she knew how to. He waited, knowing she would speak when she was ready.
"As much as it would please me to return to my friends, there's still the small issue of why I ran away, to begin with." She sighed, throwing her head back as a powerful gust of wind blew in from the sea. It whipped her hair across her face, temporarily shielding her from view.
When the wind stilled, and Hermione returned her gaze to him, Severus intoned, "The pressure of being a heroine." She nodded in response, so he carried on talking. "I can relate. I knew that if I were to reveal myself alive after the war, there would be no hiding from what I had done. Aside from being a Death Eater, one of The Dark Lord's minions, I would be considered a hero. A hero for making sure Harry Potter remained alive and well long enough to defeat the Dark Lord."
"The thought of being thrust into the limelight every damn time you wandered into Diagon Alley to visit the apothecary wasn't appealing," Hermione stated, giving him a wry smile. "It's the same fucking reason I left it all behind. Every bloody time I walked out of my flat, there were reporters in my face, wanting to write my life's tale."
"Such language, Ms Granger," Severus teased, stepping forward into the surf so that he could card his fingers through her tousled curls. She closed her eyes at his simple touches, a playful smile slipping onto her face. "I ought to take ten points from Gryffindor."
She laughed, the sound like bells. Severus wasted no more time talking, pulling Hermione close and taking her mouth in a searing kiss. She moulded against him, body so attuned to him after such a short time together. They remained that way for quite some time, stealing kisses from one another as the morning tide soaked them through their clothes. Neither felt the cold, their bodies aflame, as were their hearts. At least for now, they would remain together here in the quiet town of Seascale. Together, they would find solace, and that was all they needed.
The sun was well into the sky as they stood on the trellis over the train tracks. Again, Hermione seemed pensive, and this worried Severus. He wished she'd open up to him about what was troubling her, but she was closed off today. Speaking only when spoken to and giving him little to work with. Watching as the wind blew hair away from her face, Severus decided to try and break through to her.
"Hermione," Severus began quietly, watching for any signs of distress from the witch. When her shoulders tensed, he knew that was his cue to carry on with the conversation. "I wonder if you belong here, hidden away from your friends and the world that you knew."
Hermione took a deep breath and sighed heavily, but she did not turn to face Severus. "I received an owl this morning. It came before you were properly awake," she admitted, sliding one hand into her jumper and retrieving the parchment. "It's from Harry. He wants to know if I am safe… If everything is okay."
"Do you plan on sending a reply?" Severus asked, careful not to ask the question that was truly on his mind.
"I haven't decided," she admitted, biting at her lower lip. "I told him and Ron I didn't want to be contacted. I guess they decided that wasn't my decision to make."
"He's asked you to return," Severus said simply. It wasn't a question. It didn't need to be. Why else would the Boy Who Lived reach out to his best friend? They wanted her to return, and after getting to spend such intimate time with the witch, Severus understood why.
"Severus?" Hermione asked, eyes meeting him with a look of pure want.
Gently, Severus reached out and cupped her cheek, his hard surprisingly pale against her skin. "What is it that you need?"
"Take me back to the room," she said, voice raspy as desire began to pool in her cunt. She wanted nothing more than to forget everything for the time being, and the only way to do that was to get lost in Severus's intimacy. "Make love to me."
Without warning, Severus grabbed hold of Hermione and tugged him into her. Their mouths met in a furious kiss, their tongues massaging each other until he finally won. He backed her into the railing and pressed his hardness against her aching core through their clothing. Groaning through the kiss, Hermione tangled her hands in his dark locks, wanting to be consumed by her lover.
Somehow, they made it back to the room, where it took little to no time for Severus to get her naked and into bed. His clothing took a bit longer to remove; the buttons on his shirt caused the delay. In the end, he'd chosen to rip the damn garment, knowing that he could use magic to repair it later. This could very well be the last time they spent this way, and he intended to get utterly lost in the witch.
Naked, Severus joined Hermione in the middle of the bed, kissing her eagerly. She moaned and rocked her hips upward, using her body to explain precisely what she wanted… What she needed. He compiled without hesitation, his cock sliding easily into her soaking cunt as his primal beast emerged. This witch was always ready for him, it seemed, and Severus couldn't get enough of it. It would be easy to remain in this room forever, making love morning, noon, and night.
Growling into Hermione's shoulder, Severus' most basic inner beast alive as he pounded into her relentlessly. Hermione's fingernails clawed at his back, writing love notes as he brought her closer and closer to her orgasm. Reaching down, he used nimble fingers to rub circles around her clit, coaxing her orgasm to hurry along. That was apparently all Hermione needed.
She cried out as his hand and cock were coated with her juices. Severus watched in awe as she fell apart, crying out his name and wrapping her legs tightly around his waist. He used this to his advantage, rolling them so that she was on top. As the midafternoon light seeped through the open window, Hermione began to rock atop her lover as her orgasm faded.
It was soon followed by another as she rode Severus hard and fast. Her tangled curls cascaded down her back as she threw her head backwards. When Severus reached up to take hold of her breasts, she moaned, encouraging him to pinch her nipples. Time was a blur as they moved together until, finally, Severus came apart underneath Hermione.
His orgasm triggered yet another in her, and together they lost themselves. Winded for the moment, Hermione slid from atop Severus and curled into his side. Panting lightly, Severus kissed her forehead and closed his eyes. They chose not to speak, too afraid that words would ruin the beauty of the moment.
Severus knew that Hermione would never reply to Potter or Weasley, or anyone else for that matter, so long as she remained with him. His life in London was over as far as he knew, so there was no reason for him to return. Hermione, though, was young and still had an entire life ahead of her. If she remained in this small town by the sea with him, then she would never have the chance to live.
That was why he did what he felt was best.
After lunch the next day, Severus walked Hermione to the train station. When they arrived, he handed her a ticket and pulled her belongings from the magically extended picket of his robes. No words were said for a moment as the reality of what was happening revealed itself to Hermione. Angry eyes met him when she released what he'd done.
"You're sending me away," she said, each word dripping with anger. "Why?"
"I cannot promise you a storybook ending, Hermione. We both know that." Severus sighed heavily, his dark eyes boring into hers. He wanted to give her the world, promise her forever, but it was unrealistic to even think about it. "This is for the best. I've already lived my life."
"If I go back to London, it could be forever. I don't know if I would have the courage to leave it all behind for a second time." She admitted this to Severus, her heart breaking the entire time. His face remained emotionless, and that made her feel worse about the situation. She knew how difficult it was for him to open up to her in the first place, and here she was, now, basically telling him it was all for nought.
She hated it.
After some time, Severus nodded solemnly before drawing his robes around his body as if he were protecting himself. He very well knew this could be the last time he ever saw her, but he could bear it somehow. He had to. Stealing her away from her life in London would be easy, but Severus would never forgive himself for causing yet another person to lose out on the ability to live their life to the fullest.
"Get on the train, Hermione. Go back to your work and your friends. These past few days have been more than I ever imagined. You have a future to build for yourself," he explained as sternly as possible.
He paused, his face taking on that pinched look Hermione recalled from their Hogwarts days when he felt particularly upset about something. She wanted to say something, but he carried on speaking. "You are so young; you have forever to look forward to. Get on the train. Go. Do all the wonderfully brilliant things I know you are capable of."
Wiping at her face, which was now coated in tears, Hermione threw herself into his chest. He was unprepared for the embrace, and they both stumbled backwards as he tried to regain his foot. Once they settled, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and held her as she began to cry.
"Forever can spare a minute," she whispered before her lips crashed onto his. She kissed him deeply and with a passion that Severus would remember for the rest of his days. When at last they separated, the train whistle sounding impatient, she wiped at her wet cheeks.
"Go," he urged, dropping his hold. "Before it is too late."
"You've set me free, Severus, and someday I hope to return to Seascale and do the same for you." Hermione met his stare and felt her heart skip a beat. She hated goodbyes.
"Set me free?" He asked with a sad smile. "Don't you see? You already have," Severus told her as she backed away, her hand trailing along his palm until just the tips of her fingers touched his. Her other hand came to cover her mouth as a fresh sob bubbled up from her chest.
Refraining from going to her, Severus watched as she struggled to keep herself together. Throwing him one last, tearful glance, she boarded the train and hurried to the window. Opening it, she called out to him.
"Goodbye, Severus," she yelled as the train whistled a final warning. "Be well and remember me… Remember us…"
As Hermione and the train disappeared from view, Severus slowly brought up his hand. He waved, not quite sure that she was able to see. Only time would tell if she ever returned or if he ventured back to London himself. Whatever the case, the witch's time spent in Seascale with him had not been in vain.
Severus knew now that there was a life worth living, and he was free to live it.
That would be enough.