Summary: A rude awakening.

A/N: Thanks for reading, everyone. Hopefully, this clears things up a little. (evil grin.)

Chapter 11

Severus' eyes snapped open as a scream assaulted his ears. He lifted his head, but then let it fall back down to the ground. He was so dizzy he couldn't even see what was in front of him. The screaming went on for another few seconds then abruptly stopped.

Finally, the room stopped spinning, and Severus was able to lift his head. He looked around and was surprised at what he saw. Firstly, he was in his childhood home at Spinner's End. Secondly, a somewhat portly woman with short, black curly hair who looked scared out of her wits was holding a cast iron pan high in the air in a menacing way.

Severus held his hand out, trying to convey that he meant her no harm. The woman raised the pan even higher if that was possible. Pushing himself up on his arm, Severus noted his appearance. He gasped as he realized he was naked. No wonder the woman wanted to clobber him.

He tried to speak but found his voice a bit scratchy. "I… I don't mean to hurt you. Please, I don't know what happened to me, can you… give me a blanket or something?"

The woman lowered the pan slightly and regarded him. Severus was tempted to arch a brow at her for where her gaze was resting, but he didn't want to risk being clobbered by her, nor did he dare move.

There he was, lying on the floor, naked as the day he was born with an unknown woman staring at his bits and threatening to give him a craniotomy. Not his idea of what his return to the living was going to be.

Why was he in his old home? And where was Hermione?

The woman backed up and grabbed a folded blanket from off the back of the sofa. She threw it at him and then took up her stance again. Severus covered himself with the blanket and stood, never taking his eyes off the woman. How he wished he had his wand right now.

And then when he stood, he saw it. The beautiful black wand that had been his partner for years was lying on the floor. It must have been under him when he appeared here. Trying to block it from the woman's view, he held out his free hand in supplication.

"Is this your home? I grew up here," he explained.

The woman nodded.

"I'm sorry. This is… hard to explain."

"You just appeared out of thin air! Who are you, and why are you naked in my house?"

"Ah. Yes. Well."

"Talk!" the woman demanded as she pointed the pan at him.

He pushed his hand out farther while silently Accio-ing his wand into it. In a flash, he'd stupefied the woman. She fell onto her side on the floor, her pan making a loud clanking sound as it fell, a startled look on her face.

"I truly apologize about this. It was totally unexpected. But you won't remember anything about it in a few seconds."

He turned the wand on himself and transfigured the blanket into black pants and a white shirt with a black vest. He sighed. That was better. His brow furrowed as he glanced at the back of the sofa. Pulling a button off his cuff, he transformed it back into the blanket and sent it back to its place. All the while the woman stared at him with huge eyes.

He looked around his old home and was glad to see that it looked quite nice. The new owners had taken good care of it and made some definite improvements. The color on the walls… beige… even improved the dreariness of the front room. There were flowers dotting the shelving units around the room. It wasn't dreary like it had been for his entire life.

"Lovely home," he said to the frozen woman.

He pointed his wand at her and felt bad as he saw the fear in her eyes. No matter, she'd not remember a thing that happened.

"Obliviate."

Once the spell was done, he released the Petrificus, turned, and Apparated away, concerned and eager to get to Hermione as soon as possible.

oooOOOooo

Hermione heard the crack of Apparition but ignored it. Thinking it was Harry, she chose to ignore the sound and the person who had appeared. She pulled herself into a tighter ball and grasped her head with her hands, trying to block out the rest of the world as she mourned the loss of her soulmate.

She felt a weight on the bed but turned her head away from it. Strong arms came around her and hoisted her up.

"Hermione, it's all right," she heard. "I'm all right."

Severus eased her into his lap. Hermione didn't dare open her eyes. She knew that voice, but she feared if she opened her eyes the hallucination would disappear, and she would be left alone again. She felt his lips kiss her eyelids.

"It worked, love," he said simply.

Hermione cracked one eyelid open and looked toward Severus. He was there. He was alive. He was whole, and he was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Her eyes snapped open, and she threw her arms around him.

Sobs of relief escaped from her lips as she grasped her husband.

"Severus! How? I thought…"

"You won't believe this. I appeared in my childhood home at Spinner's End… quite unclothed."

Hermione barely heard him. She was covering Severus with kisses all over his face. Once she slowed down a titch, his lips met hers, and they kissed for the first time. Hermione whined as his lips worshipped hers. Her hand came up and caressed his face as she opened to him and let him plunder her mouth. She fell into his kisses and marveled that they were even better now that he was alive. She moaned into him.

"Oh, Severus, how?"

He pulled back and shrugged. "I left out that the owner of the house screamed bloody murder and about killed me with a frying pan."

Hermione giggled.

"It's not funny! I almost died again two minutes after I was resurrected."

Hermione laughed. She laughed and laughed. Throwing her arms around her husband, she hugged him furiously.

"It worked," she said with a sigh. "But why did you appear at Spinner's End?"

She furrowed her brow as Severus got them into a more comfortable position with her back leaning against him. She was deep in thought but felt Severus' arms around her. She grasped one of them and squeezed it.

Thinking about the spell and what was written about it, she didn't really see anything to give her a clue as to why Severus appeared naked in his birthplace.

Hermione sat straight up as realization dawned on her. Breaking free of Severus' embrace, she spun around.

"It was there all along!" she cried.

"What was where?" Severus asked.

"The writing about the spell said this would happen, I just didn't get it. It said that once the spell was performed, you'd be whole and alive again, reborn anew as when you were a babe."

She grasped his hand. "I didn't think anything of it, but it meant that the spell was like a rebirth, and you would be returned to how you'd been when you were born."

"So, I was naked…"

"And in your birthplace home."

"And you were here thinking you'd lost me completely," Severus said.

"I was. I wish I'd understood that part of the text before."

"The brightest witch of her age, not quite as bright as she thought, hmm?" Severus said as his arms came back around her.

She slapped his arm before he pulled her close, and she twisted herself to the side so she could hug him. Her hand caressed his neck where Nagini's bite had been.

"You are unscarred, love. Just like you were when I exhumed you."

Severus moved away and lifted his shirt, examining his chest. It no longer carried the many scars he'd received as a Death Eater from Voldemort. His eyes met Hermione's.

"It's like I've been given a second chance at life, with no reminders of how I lived before…"

Hermione stroked his bare chest. "You can start your life from scratch, Severus. Your past is gone. Well, not gone, but forgotten."

"I don't have to be consumed with guilt, grief, or fear anymore. I can just be me… the me I've always wanted to be without the weight of all that I did in the past. And it's all because of you."

She was suddenly in his arms, and he was trying to contain his emotions, but they were being unruly as he sobbed into her shoulder.

"Thank you, my love," he uttered eventually after composing himself some.

Hermione's hands caressed his back in comfort as she squeezed him tightly to herself.

"We did it, Severus. You're alive, and we have the rest of our lives to be together."

Severus pulled back and looked lovingly into Hermione's eyes. His lips came down on hers in an all-consuming kiss. He languidly pulled back and looked back at her.

"Let's get out of here. I want to show you how happy I am to be back among the living, but despite us sitting on a bed, this isn't the place for it."

Hermione laughed and stood up. She reached back so Severus could grasp her hand. He took it and stood with her. Hermione's knees almost went weak at the look he was giving her. Excitement filled her at the thought of being with her husband in the flesh. They pulled each other close and spun away.

oooOOOooo

He'd Apparated them directly to the door of their quarters. Being Headmaster did have its perks, even though he'd been dead for ten years.

"Master Severus, it worked!"

Severus looked up in surprise. Dorlyth was now bowing to him.

"It has been far too long, Dorlyth," Severus acknowledged. "It's good to see you again."

"And you, Master Severus. I have waited impatiently for your return."

"Thank you for guarding my soul," Severus said as he choked up a little.

Dorlyth bent her head low. "I look forward to continuing to serve."

With that, she bowed her head to Hermione and turned and flew off.

"That dragon is magnificent," Hermione mused.

"Yes. We were reunited at Hogwarts when I was a student. She has watched over me ever since."

Hermione squeezed his hand, and he looked back at her.

"Now, where were we?"

The door swung open, and Hermione chuckled. Severus gave her a smoldering look and hastily pulled her into their home. With a wave of his wand, the door closed behind them, and he tugged her along back to the bedroom. Turning to face her, he swooped in and kissed her hungrily. Separating, he stepped back and looked her over.

"You are even more beautiful than in the beyond, my love," he muttered emotionally. "I can't believe we are together in life as we were before."

Hermione's hands surrounded Severus' face. "Beloved…" she uttered before pulling him into a kiss.

Severus' hands closed over hers as they kissed. He lovingly worshiped her lips. They caressed one another as they continued kissing, slowly sitting on the bed. Pulling back, his face radiated adoration.

"God, I love you," he said before capturing her mouth again.

They slowly disrobed each other, covering each other with kisses as they removed each piece of clothing from one another. Severus gently pushed her down against the pillow and admired her body.

"So beautiful," he murmured.

Hermione stroked a finger down his chest and to his navel. "Perfect," she whispered.

He moved over her then, entering her slowly, his face showing devotion.

"Thank you, my love… for saving me," he uttered as he entered her.

Hermione gasped at being filled. They moved slowly at first, their eyes never leaving the other. Severus began to quicken his pace.

"Yes," Hermione moaned. "Harder, Severus, please."

His lips crashed into hers as he sped up.

"You feel so good," he said, his voice ragged with passion. "I can't get enough of you, my love."

They moved together, increasing their rhythm as they began to moan together. Hermione felt herself being filled with light again, like the first time they joined.

"Oh, Severus," she moaned, "Our bond…"

"It's… we're joining together," he panted. "Oh, Hermione… Hermione."

"Severus, I'm yours… Make me fully yours!"

"And I am yours…" he cried as he thrust into her, throwing his head back in ecstasy.

They were surrounded by light as they both cried out together. Hermione grasped Severus' back and pulled him in closer to her as light filled them and the room. It burst from them, and they grasped at each other in an all-encompassing embrace.

The light dissipated. They came down from their high slowly, staying within each other's embrace. Severus, at long last, pulled back and kissed her forehead, before moving alongside her. He reached out and stroked her cheek.

"Hermione, that was the most beautiful thing I've ever experienced."

She leaned in and kissed his nose. "It was amazing, wasn't it? Do you think it will always be like this?"

Severus shook his head. "I think there will be some aspect of this, yes, but not…" he choked up. "Not like this."

Hermione nodded. "I feel like that's true," she said. "But the wonderful part of it is that we both have the rest of our lives to keep experiencing it."

"Thanks to you, my brilliant wife."

"So, how does it feel?"

His eyebrow lift at her question made her chuckle.

"You know, to be alive again," she explained.

"Ah… It's… comforting yet somewhat frightening. I'm not sure what to expect as we announce my arrival back into the world."

"That makes sense."

"But I don't really want to think about it right now. I just want to be with you and enjoy you in real life."

Hermione smiled and kissed his nose again.

"I'm glad you're back," she told him.

He smirked at her. "Me too."