Chapter 5 – Knot of Eternal Damnation

Warm, comfortable and feeling unusually well-protected, Hermione attempted to only minutely shift her body into a less dead-hands position; but she was stuck, held rather fast. Barely awake, she struggled to lift her heavy eyelids but as one eye finely broke free of its reluctance to open, she looked down, and froze. One very strong, black-robe-clad arm had her fastened heavily around the waist; its long, tapered fingers curling up to rest vertically between her breasts and lay with fingers resting, not quite cupping over her left breast.

How did this even happen? Did I move in the night? Did he? Logically, we both must have to end up like this. How did I not feel it? Am I dreaming? If I am, it's bloody tame compared to the last dream I had about Snape, and entirely too clothed.

Absentmindedly, Hermione leaned further into her sleeping professor and in turn, unknowingly, the Professor tensed the arm binding his know-it-all Gryffindor ex-student and tightened his grip. Oh Merlin, this feels nice. Maybe I could test the waters, while he's so unaware; if he's unaware… she wriggled herself backwards, into the man holding her so possessively, so intimately and felt his other arm beneath her. The almost-matching-his-right - apart from the tear in the sleeve - appendage was flat out on the bed from what she could tell but also nestled into the small of her waist from above it. She felt cocooned, protected, jabbed at?

What is that? Then it dawned on her. "Oh!" she squeaked as he face flushed with awareness of just how closely she was cocooned. Maybe I shouldn't have wriggled. Less uncomfortable that she probably should've felt with the situation, but clumsy with insurmountable levels of curiosity, being so very aware now of his 'morning glory' as Harry had called it in the tent, she let the control on her mind free a little; maybe I should wriggle more. Under the guise of attempting to twist herself out of his hold, she pushed herself further back into the solid body behind her. The bulging erection of her ex-professor, Oh Gods, shifted under the movement of her wriggling, from against her back to between her legs, nesting against the apex between her thighs, where it met her bottom. Wow, she thought, while simultaneously realising that even if she wanted to move out of his grip, it was decidedly useless. It seemed he didn't want to let go. Makes a nice change to awake-Snape.

A soft groan was emitted from behind her as she shifted her bottom against the impressive, solid lump of his erection forcing a little more of her weight onto him. She stilled all movement immediately, frozen awkwardly, if they were sitting up right now, she'd be sitting on his lap, or straddling him; she was practically sitting on his erection, sideways. Oh Gods, he's going to kill me. "I'm sorry," she whispered desperately to the man behind her; "I couldn't help it," but his sleep continued. His silence reigned once more.

How long did she say he'd be out? Days? But I'm stuck. I'm hungry. And sweet Merlin, I need to pee.

For several minutes she lay there, wracking her brain for a solution, feeling defeated, getting aroused by the slight pulse she felt in Snape's engorged member as she continued to be pressed against it as if it were a bicycle seat. She desperately wanted to make him groan again; it had felt completely amazing to cause that sound to escape him, and she wanted to do it again. Too risky. Think sensibly Hermione. You're bladder is ready to burst and if you move, you might set it off. Hearing that groan is not worth peeing on him. Now, what do I need to get out of this little predicament?

My wand. I need my wand. Where the fuck did I leave it?

Bollocks! It's on the floor.

She knew she couldn't reach it. In the unconscious entanglement of the night – which had landed her in this deliciously comfortable mess – Snape had pulled her to 'his side' of the bed – or she'd got there on her own, better if he pulled me over, dragged me into him – and she felt miles away from the her wand.

Wandless Accio? I've done it before, once, on adrenaline. I really don't have the focus with 'that', there… she thought about Snape's 'bulge' again. Snape! He's amazing at wandless magic. Maybe I could use his magic to summon my wand.

Tentatively, she moved her right hand over his where it sat without pressure, except for its own weight between her braless breasts. She whispered the much needed summoning charm: "Accio wand."

Well practiced in calling for the wand it knew, Snape's magic called his wand to the increasingly desperate-to-pee witch and she gasped as she caught it. The magic of it pulsed in her fingertips and she felt her whole body shiver from the contact. Ignoring the tender ache of her bladder, and the steady ache which was deepening at her core the longer she sat on Snape's 'other wand', she studied the length of wood in her hand. Ebony? Too obvious; well, maybe ebony or… No! This isn't ebony at all, its blackthorn. Typical! Ogham tree to represent the dark half of the year. She smiled as she brought the wand closer to her face for an inspection.

There were three slim bands of tiny intricate carvings adorning the shaft of the wand base. Hermione strained her eyes to identify them: belladonna – beautiful and poisonous, how fitting; a daisy chain – delicate, youthful, unbelievably whimsical, considering who this wand belongs to; a Russian vine – tough, durable, fast growing – the wood of my wand. How very interesting.

Hermione knew that symbols of each other's wand materials sometimes magically appeared when one became romantically attached to their soulmate; lore books had been some of her favourite to study whilst on the horcrux hunt. She also knew that soul-connections usually expressed themselves through other magical means, the branding of each other's wands was rare and only occurred if the pair had been romantically involved in more than three previous lifetimes. Yet more proof that I belong with Severus Snape; this is so weird.

Another memory of that chapter came to her:

'The soulmate connection of the two wands, especially when they are inscribed with the botanical of its partner, allows each witch or wizard of the relationship to use the others wand as easily and effortlessly as if using their own, albeit with a more than insignificant level of arousal at the time of use. Using the wand of your soulmate is an extremely intimate undertaking and at a time when old magic was at its peak, was used as the first act of binding in the ancient hand-fasting ritual: The 'Nodum erit aeterni delicti' ceremony; otherwise known as The Knot of Eternal Damnation.

Two souls bound by this ceremony are fated to fall in love lifetime after lifetime; souls entwined by magic, the status of soulmates determined by the first time the ceremony is performed. If 'The Nodum erit aeterni delicti' is only performed between the same two souls in one lifetime, the magic can be undone by performing the ritual with another; however, if it is performed by the same two souls in two sequential lifetimes, it is sealed by its namesake, for eternity.'

Hermione's thoughts fought for supremacy and recognition: Could Snape and I have been bound by this ceremony more than once? What if we are? What if I'm eternally damned to be with him, in however many incarnations, until the end of time? Is it damnation? Maybe if he never stops thinking of me as some insufferable know-it-all, little girl. That's already getting old and this is literally forever. I need to see my wand… NOW!

'SNAPE, MOVE!' She mentally screamed at her solid, warm, comfortable captor.

As if hearing her thoughts, Snape shifted behind her; his body shuffling to be a little less connected. She frowned at the loss - even though it was necessary - as his arm, which had so unceremoniously been lounging on her chest, suddenly flung itself away from her and the wizard hurled himself onto his back. Hermione felt suddenly quite cold, despite the duvet and her toasty skin; she bit back a whimper of protest because of it. No time to ponder that bit of anomaly.

She practically jumped from the bed, Snape's wand still in hand, picked up her own and ran toward the small bathroom; returning the bathtub to a toilet as she entered.

She was sitting to relieve herself in seconds, barely able to hold it in anymore. But her concentration was focused on her own wand… there was a small something carved into the wood. Just above the base, a pyrographically enhanced design of dancing fruit; shrivelfigs?

Oh fuck! Shrivelfig! The magical name for sloe fruit. Sloe being the fruit of the…

She closed her eyes and sighed, finally completely resigned.

The fruit of the blackthorn.

Hermione stayed seated in the small WC for quite a while after her epiphany, debating herself back and forth on the impact this might have on her seduction of the impossibly emotionless, deathly stoic and intimidatingly formidable man that was her ex-Professor, spy, former-Death Eater, future lover, future husband? Yikes! Oh, who can count all the things he is, was or ever could be? At least this is something he can't refute; we're magically bound for the ages, by destiny and fate, by old magic.

Bladder finally relieved and mind made up that there was no way she was going to let Snape - Severus, call him Severus – no way, she was going to let Severus slip through her fingers, she tidied herself up, transfigured her pyjamas into denim shorts and a sleeveless flannel crop top, it's warm today, and exited the bathroom.

One hour later, Hermione was laying on her front on 'her side' of the bed, sheets of parchment, quill, ink and a notebook before her, making plans, writing lists and doodling love hearts with 'SS' inside them. Oh Merlin, I haven't done that since Lockhart.

The most pressing list was things she needed to accomplish for the day.

Contact Harry – patronus? Owl?

Ask him for meal supplement potions for Severus – via Madam Pomfrey

Eat something.

Meet Harry for potions.

Attempt to wake Severus?

Read that book again: Ancient Proclivities of Ceremonial Enchantment.

Severus needs some sort of wash – sponge bath? hehe

"Time to get this show on the road." She turned to Severus. "And almost time to get you up, about and moving, sleeping beauty. Don't think I'm letting you laze around in bed all the time while I do all the work." She chuckled at his lack of response, knowing he would definitely have responded to that if he was awake. "Although the lack of sneering and sniping is rather pleasant. You should definitely tone that down in future. I'll let you keep the billowing robes though. They're rather sexy."

She stood then, and threw all her paperwork and planning into the beaded bag except for today's list. She looked at it… patronus is quicker.

Hermione pictured her latest good memory, an amazingly cosy, warm memory of being snuggled into Severus Snape… "Expecto patronum"

A swirl of blue-white light erupted from the vine wand and formed… a lioness? Hmmm….contemplate later, message now.

"Hello lovely. Please take this message to Harry Potter ok?

Snape and I are both safe. He needs sustenance though and so do I. Please get some meal replacement potions for him from Madam Pomfrey; oh and some vitamin ones too. He's still unconscious and I have to get nourishment into him somehow. I'll have whatever you can rustle out of Molly or the house elves. Meet me in an hour outside the Hogwarts wards; I'm assuming they've been enabled again. Oh, oh and some towels, transfiguring a pebble makes for very rough fabric. Love to everyone, see you soon."

Five minutes later as she was pulling 'Ancient Proclivities of Ceremonial Enchantments' from her bag, the silvery-white stag of her best friend's patronus cantered through the walls of the shack:

"Everyone is fine. Paperwork is going through to get Snape pardoned, should only take a few days. Best to keep him where he is until it's all settled. Guess you're playing warden, nursemaid and guardian angel for a bit longer. I'm in the hospital wing now, I'd only just left after checking on Lavender; she was attacked by Greyback. Madam Pomfrey is sorting out your supplies; ironically Snape brewed them himself. McGonagall is insisting on coming with me to see you so be prepared. See you in a bit."

As the stag faded, Hermione settled herself back onto the bed, laying on her front. She leaned back and moved Severus' closest hand onto her lower thigh and started to read.

Five minutes before she was due to meet Harry, Hermione started to feel a pang of guilt for having to leave Severus alone again. He needs me. What if he wakes up and I'm not here? I need to reassure him, just in case he can hear me…

She marked the page of her book, placed it in her bag and swung herself off the bed.

"I'm going to get supplies, sir. I won't be long." She said softly. Then leaned over, knee on her side of the bed, and placed a gentle kiss to his lips before turning away to walk hurriedly into the corridor, blushing a lot.

I hate how much he suddenly makes me blush. I didn't even get this pink when I was fantasising about him bending me over my work bench in potions, my face pushed into a cauldron or Amortensia, his hands gripping my hips, him, thrusting.

Focus Hermione. Harry can't see me all flustered and flushed. He knows what I'm like when I'm thinking about shagging. It's how I ended up shagging him. Yeah, let's not go there.

She pushed open the door and disapparated, popping back into existence just outside the gates of Hogwarts.

"Hermione, are you ok?" Harry lunged at her.

"I'm fine Harry. Really fine. Snape's a dream to deal with when he's asleep." She smiled as Harry and Professor McGonagall chortled and nodded their agreement at Hermione's analysis.

"Are you quite sure you have everything you need, Miss Granger? I'm really not comfortable allowing you to tend Severus alone." McGonagall asked with a slight pinch to her lips but concern clear in her eyes. "He really isn't your responsibility, dear."

Hermione had a feeling this would be coming and knew she had to stand her ground.

"I'm grateful for your concern, Professor, I really am. But I'm making Severus Snape my responsibility. After everything he's done for the wizarding world and after the way everyone treated him, thinking he killed Professor Dumbledore in cold blood, he needs kindness. Unfortunately, the only person I can trust to be truly kind to him is me."

At McGonagall's offended expression, and Harry looking at his feet in shame, knowing he would never be able to remove all his hostility for the grouchy Potions Professor, Hermione explained herself a little more clearly.

"I don't mean to cause offence and I know how it sounds but there has been so much hostility, so much bad blood and I don't want to risk him being blamed for anything. He had an impossible job, servant, spy and slave to both Tom Riddle and Albus Dumbledore. The sacrifices he made, the years of his own life he gave up, his own personal happiness… I will not risk anyone taking that for granted and I will not allow him to feel, even once, that anything he has done in the last twenty-five years has been in vain."

Minerva McGonagall narrowed her eyes at the young, expounding witch, suspicious. But Harry, it seemed was in shock.

"How did you know all that, Hermione? I haven't shown you any of the memories." He said.

Hermione sighed deeply, now wasn't the time for that story.

"It's a very long story, Harry and I want to explain, I really do. I will. But not right now. I promised Severus I'd tell him first because it's connected to how I saved his life and he's not awake yet. I'm going to keep that promise."

Harry looked a little put out but nodded.

"Miss Granger, you are taking too much upon yourself. You are weak from your time on the run and need to be cared for yourself."

Hermione scoffed, but with a smile. "You sound like Mrs Weasley."

"I shall take that as a compliment."

"I know you're worried Professor and I know you care but I will not change my mind about this. I've placed a fidelius charm on the place I'm using to look after him" she worded carefully.

Bother Minerva's and Harry's eyes were wide.

"You don't trust me? After everything we've been through." Now Harry was the one who looked offended. Almost angry.

"Of course I trust you Harry. I want to tell you everything and I promise I will but a lot it is not mine to tell. I need to talk to Severus first when he wakes up. I know it's not fair to you and I know you don't like it but have you ever known me to do something without a very, very good reason?"

"No, but…"

"Harry, trust me. I'm doing the right thing with this and you will understand when I tell you but I need you to trust me for just a little bit longer. Please."

"Ok." Harry nodded. "Hey, when did you start calling him Severus?"

"Oh," Hermione's face flushed crimson and she attempted a cover story. "It just sort of happened. It's only while he's asleep. Thought I'd see how it felt."

"Yeah, right." Harry said sarcastically. "Do you fancy him?" he shuddered.

"What if I do?" she asked. Might as well start laying the ground work for spilling the beans later.

Harry turned a little green and gagged.

"Right there. That…" She pointed at her best friend's face, her anger starting to rise a little. "That is why I'm keeping Severus Snape in my protection. After that reaction you don't deserve to know whether I fancy him or not; it doesn't matter anyway. It's not like he'd fancy me." She kept her tone even, trying to make her point. What was my point again?

"Sorry Mione. It's just the thought of you and Snape." He shuddered again. "Ugh."

"Miss Granger, if your protection of Severus is motivated by a crush…" the older witch paused, trying to kindly phrase the unpleasant truth, "He will not thank you for it, Hermione."

Hermione smiled.

"It's not a crush, honestly. I do like him, but it's not about that. I've explained why I feel a responsibility to him and I hope both of you can respect that."

"Okay." Harry said, his eyes on his shoes, probably still trying not to gag.

"I will try to respect your wishes in this, Miss Granger but please send me your patronus if you need anything at all. Once Severus wakes, you are going to be in for quite the verbal tirade."

"Thank you Professor. Do you have the supplies I asked for? I really should get back in case he wakes."

Minerva handed the bag of potions, towels and food to Hermione.

"Hey Mione? What happened to your otter patronus? Where did the lioness come from?"

Hermione shrugged.

"I'm not sure. I think it might be to do with the war and my actions over the last few days. I've embraced my true Gryffindor."

"Makes sense" Harry said.

"Now I'm going to embrace the Head of Slytherin." Hermione wiggled her eyebrows and flashed a devilish grin.

Minerva shook her head, smiling at the younger witch's baiting of The Boy Who Lived.

Harry feigned gagging. "Eeeew! Mione, I don't want to know."

Hermione, and surprisingly Minerva too both laughed at Harry's disgust.

"Thanks for the supplies. I'll be in touch soon."

She leaned in to hug Harry first, then Minerva.

"Give everyone my love and tell all the injured people I hope they feel better soon."

"We will dear," Minerva replied. "There's a whole lasagne in that bag. Should last a couple of days. You remember the warming charm, yes?"

Hermione nodded.

"Stop fretting Minerva. I'm a big girl now."

"That's enough of your cheek, Miss Granger. Don't think I won't take house points for your sass."

"You…" she pointed at the older witch, "sound like Severus."

"Oh, Merlin, no," she smiled, "Anything but that." She added sarcastically.

They all burst into laughter.

"I'll tell him you said that." Hermione said, continuing her sass.

"Look after him, won't you Miss Granger?" Minerva asked, her tone softening.

"It's why I'm here." The young Gryffindor smiled at her second favourite professor, trying to convey a little of her real feelings for the brooding Potions Master.

"Well, run a long then. Mustn't keep Severus waiting; you know how he feels about lateness."

"Same as you."

She threw her arms around each of them again and whispered her thanks before stepping backwards with her bag of supplies and disapparating.

Hermione returned to the shack and to Severus in high spirits. She had expected Minerva to fight harder to be involved; perhaps the new Headmistress of Hogwarts had actually chosen to respect the young war-heroine Gryffindor, to let her make her own choices, or maybe she's just biding her time. It's not like she could force the fidelius secret out of me. Well, at least I can do as I please with him for now… if 'anything' I please is not going a little too far? Oh Gods, Hermione, STOP! This is Severus Snape we're talking about; he's already going to kill me for the cuddling this morning. Pull yourself together. When he wakes up, you're going to need to 'imperious' him to get what you want.

As she sat on the edge of the bed and rummaged through the bag of new supplies, her stomach growled. I'm not even going to think about Harry's reaction – he actually turned green; at least he didn't have a fit. She sighed. That boy and his anger; although I suppose he has a lot less to be angry about now.

She removed the lasagne from the bag, picked up her wand and summoned a transfigured plate and cutlery before slicing a substantial square of Italian yumminess out of the deep baking dish and placing it on the plate. What was that warming charm again? Dammit! I hate it when I'm proven wrong. Hmmm, Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three. At least I was right to always carry all my books with me. She summoned the book from her beaded bag and turned to the chapter on temperature charms – "at least no one is around to notice my momentary lack of academic prowess." Hermione muttered to herself as she turned toward Severus…

"Except for you, of course. Technically, I know you'll mock me for it if you're even remotely aware of what's going on but I refuse to take any of your shit anymore because, you know what, I'm human, I'm hungry and I've just been through a war. I'm entitled to a mini-lapse in memory. I'd have remembered eventually, I'm just starving."

As if in reply, Severus's stomach rumbled his own hunger.

"Oh shit, I really should feed you first. At least I got cookies last night. Although you had your hands all over my cookies this morning, didn't you? Dirty old man." She laughed to herself.

Right, potions. She peered into the bag; there was a long wooden test-tube holder filled with long, glass phials and the phials were full of two different coloured liquids – one a sickly green colour which looked quite watery, the other a pale pink which seemed quite pearlescent – and a note, presumably instructions from Madam Pomfrey. The young witch removed it and read:

Miss Granger, dear,

I do hope you are taking good care of our darling Severus and he isn't giving you any trouble. Minerva says he's still unconscious so that must be quite the blessing for you. Now, as you are stubbornly keeping everyone away from him and I cannot assess his vitals in person please follow the first set of instructions about collecting information on his condition before proceeding to give him sustenance.

Vital Status Retrieval Procedure and Charms

Have a parchment ready to receiver the data you are about to collect.

Cast the diagnostic spell 'notitia muneris' at Severus directly. It readies the body and the wand for the next set of charms.

Place the tip of your wand at the pulse point of his right wrist and draw three small circles there whilst reciting:

'Sanguis Revelio'

'Nervus Damnum'

'Cerebrum Munus'

These three medical detection charms will assess his blood, nerve system and brain function.

Place the tip of the wand on the parchment and incant 'nullam notitia' to relinquish the results on to the parchment.

As you have no owl, I will give you my spell to transfer medical documentation.

Roll up the parchment and use a sticking spell to seal it, then use your wand once more and recite 'orci translatitio'; the parchment will glow blue and disappear from you, arriving in my magically sealed in-tray.

Hermione was awed, excited at the prospect of new spells; healer spells. She looked back to her professor…

"The things I do for you, sir. Honestly."

She followed the instructions of the Hogwarts medi-witch exactly and smiled at her own accomplishment as the details of Severus's condition wrote themselves onto the parchment before glowing bright blue and vanishing; she read on.

Potions and How to Administer Them

Now dear, there are spells to control the limbs and sit Severus up so he could partake of that delicious looking lasagne from the house-elves – Italian food is his favourite, you know – but I fear for your safety if you did that to him so we shall proceed with the potions.

I will however allow you the spell to easily administer the potions without having to get to personal, for this part anyway.

The green potion is Revita-min: It is will give feed his body the much needed vitamins and minerals he needs. This needs to be given only once a day. In the morning is probably best.

The pink potion is the meal replacement you asked for. Full of protein, essentials fats and his other favourite flavour – strawberries. This should be administered twice a day but at least five hours apart.

The spell you need is: 'medicinales curas subire'. Place the potion, uncorked in his wand hand – right in Severus's case – and stand back before casting it. It has a stasis charm on it so it will not spill without contact to the recipient's lips.

Convalescence Care

Hopefully this won't make you too squeamish sweetheart, after months on the run with those two boys but Severus needs to be kept clean and given exercises to avoid his muscles seizing up. It wouldn't happen for a while but as we do not know how long he will be unconscious, we need to take precautions.

You are likely to blush a lot during the cleaning process and you have every right to but do not let it put you off or distract you. You may wish to use a spell to clean him but hands on is more effective. I have included with your supplies a hypo-allergenic flannel and a delicate soap and shampoo – Severus has very sensitive skin and can't use anything to abrasive.

As for the exercises, at this point you only need to make sure to bend his knees up to his chest at least five times each in turn, twist his neck from side to side at least three times a day and have his arms placed in different positions to keep his cramping at bay – the cramping is from a particularly nasty crucio from last year.

I have deputised you as Severus's healer and guardian until he regains consciousness. Any problems please send me a patronus.

Good luck

Poppy Pomfrey

Hogwarts

Hermione took a very deep breath as her nerves set in – I'm a quasi-healer – but turned to Severus Snape with all the confidence she could muster and a devilish grin on her face, which she was incapable of supressing.

"It's payback time Severus Snape. I've been deputised by Madam Pomfrey to look after you properly, as a healer. Which means I get to feed you, bathe you and generally do almost whatever I want."

A maniacal laugh escaped her lips; such was the state of her delirious glee.

"Listen to that Professor, I practically cackled. You must be so proud, surely such a sound was worthy of any Slytherin, even you. Now, let's get these potions into you and then I need food before I expire. And after that…"

She leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "you're getting a sponge bath."

To drive home her point, just in case he was aware and there was nothing he could do about it, she placed a sensuous open-mouthed kiss just under his ear before running her tongue along the outer curve of it.

"Mmmmm, I love the taste of Slytherin in the afternoon."

Pulling back, Hermione uncorked a green potion and place it in his right hand, curling his fingers around it before stepping back as instructed and checking the letter for the spell…

"Medicinales curas subire" she said with a surety she didn't feel.

She gasped at what the spell did.

Severus Snape sat bolt upright in bed, eyes still closed, lifted the phial to his lips and tipped back his head to swallow. After no more than thirty seconds he collapsed back to the bed and looked as soundly asleep as before.

"Well, that was dramatic. One more and then you're on the back burner for half hour whilst I sort myself out."

She repeated the process with the pink potion and then smiled at her sense of accomplishment.

"Don't say I never do anything for you."

She popped the empty phials in her bag and sat back on the bed to look up the warming spell and focus on her food.

"Calora tri-gradus," she whispered at her lasagne.

The lasagna was exquisite- rich tomato-y sauce, lean mince, creamy béchamel and a thick layer of cheese.

"Delicious!" Hermione stated after swallowing her last bite and vanishing the soiled plate and cutlery. "I do hope this means the house-elves have forgiven me for S.P.E.W."

"Okay. Well, I guess it's time."

She transfigured another pebble into a basin and filled it with hot water from her wand before retrieving the specially acquired flannel and soap for Severus's sensitive skin, and a towel.

Her nerves were palpable but she didn't let the show. I have never backed away or cowed from Severus Snape and I'm not going to start now. Three very deep breaths and she climbed onto the bed, swung her right knee over his hips and sat back straddling his thighs.

"Let's get you out of these robes, sir," she said looking at him. "It's time for your sponge bath."

A/N: Well, now, I know I'm intentionally being mean not including the sponge bath just now but this chapter was starting to run a little long. It's top of the bill for chapter 6 though.

Please review. I'm writing a lot of this with no plan at all, it just is what it is when it comes out of my typing fingers but I am enjoying it thoroughly and appreciate the feedback.

Next chapter will likely be a few days away as I have work over the weekend but hopefully you enjoy what I've wrote so far.

Until next time… Love, 'always'