**Note!** Comfort me and tell me the last chapter was not so bad, and that
this one isn't either! I got so many emails begging for something
sentimental, and I gave my best, but I have to admit I'm insecure and am
unsure of the smoothness of my execution. If I've somehow failed everyone,
tell me how to fix it! Also. hmm. shall I end this story as the summer ends
or shall we continue into the school year? What shall our dear Voldie do?
How will Ron react? Will Draco become an honorary Gryffindor? Do send
suggestions! Well, here we go!
Hermione awoke in Severus's arms, and wasn't too anxious to remedy the situation. She looked at his face, memorizing every angle and feature of it with her eyes. His own eyes were closed, but she had a feeling he wasn't asleep. Grinning evilly, she closed the distance between them and kissed him. She had caught him completely off guard, by his reaction.
After the initial shock, he soon relaxed into the kiss and responded, moving his surprisingly soft lips gently against Hermione's. Slowly they allowed the kiss to escalate, and soon Severus was ravaging her mouth with deliciously sensual movements of his tongue. She groaned and pressed closer to him, and for a moment Severus thought he would lose control. Suddenly he broke the kiss, breathing heavily. Hermione looked somewhat annoyed. Her lips were swollen just slightly, and Severus longed with all his heart to reclaim them, but his conscience would not allow it.
"Severus, what's wrong?" Hermione looked worried. "This is," he choked. "Hermione, we can't do this. You don't know what you're getting yourself into--"
"That's ridiculous! Voldemort is already itching to get his hands on me, if he knows I'm alive. We'll both be targets once summer is over and he learns he isn't rid of us. You cannot protect me from that." He sighed mournfully. "Hermione, the things I've done would repulse you. You'd hate me if you knew the half of them. I cannot, in good conscience, allow this."
He begged her with his eyes to let him go, but Hermione only lifted a hand and whispered, "Accio, pensieve." Snape looked at her, horrified, and began to shake his head. "Yes, Severus. You will do this for me. If I cannot stand to see the whole of this, I will stop before I lose my good opinion of you and drop the subject completely. As my friend, I beg you to do this. I take full responsibility for any consequences, but if you don't oblige me now the ruin of our friendship will be your own fault. Can you stand another stain on your conscience?" He was too helpless at this point to refuse her, and grudgingly summoned his wand, looking at her helplessly like a drowning man. Once he had emptied his thoughts, he grabbed his robes, murmured, "I'll be in the library," and left Hermione alone with his memories.
Breathing deeply, Hermione closed her eyes and dipped her hand into the pensieve. The room around her disappeared.
She saw Severus as a boy, always belittled by his parents and always being pushed to meet unreasonable expectations. He was sent to Hogwarts, placed in Slytherin, and tortured by the Marauders. Lucius was the closest thing he had to a friend, so he allowed Malfoy to push him towards the Dark Lord. She felt his anger and hate, knew he at first enjoyed torturing and killing his victims. He shied away from rape, though he often participated in the perversions of Dark Revels. He became drunk on power, then realized he had none.
Then there was a change: he surrendered himself to Dumbledore, his loyalty irrevocable. He returned to Voldemort as a spy but now abhorred the cruelty and perversion asked of him. He hated himself and the world. Hermione saw his guilt, and realized that though he redeemed himself many times over in the eyes of others, in his own mind Severus was still something to be despised. He suffered tortures at the hands of Voldemort without complaint, and lived apart from others for fear that he would taint them. When there were no more memories left to be seen, Hermione was crying. After sitting quietly for a few minutes, she took a very long bath, dressed, and ventured into the library.
Severus was sitting at one of the tables, bent over a book that he obviously wasn't really seeing. At that moment he looked so helpless that Hermione's heart went out to him many times over.
"Severus?" he turned sharply, startled, then deflated when he saw her. Ashamed, he turned his face away. Hermione began to cry again, which he obviously interpreted in the most negative way possible, burying his head in his hands. Hermione walked to him, touching his shoulder gently. He tensed, shying away from her.
"Severus, look at me." Her voice was commanding, and he obeyed, his eyes fearful and full of guilt. They were still completely empty of hope. "Severus, I saw all of it, and I think you have dwelled on your past long enough. You are the most amazing man I have ever met. Did you really think I could hate you?" He nodded, and tried to turn away, but she stopped him. "You don't have to lie to me, Hermione," he whispered, almost desperately. "I completely underst--" She cut him off the only way she knew how: with a kiss. He was panting when she pulled away, and looked up at her, shocked. Smiling, she leaned very close to him and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Severus."
Suddenly he was standing and holding her, tears in his eyes. "I love you," he choked, and for the first time in more than twenty years, Severus Snape allowed himself to cry. Hermione cried with him. When the tears ended, so had a dark chapter of Severus's life.
That night, Severus was, for the first time, independent of his wand. And also for the first time, Hermione slaughtered him at wizard's chess. Once again they fell asleep in each other's arms, smiling.
Hermione awoke in Severus's arms, and wasn't too anxious to remedy the situation. She looked at his face, memorizing every angle and feature of it with her eyes. His own eyes were closed, but she had a feeling he wasn't asleep. Grinning evilly, she closed the distance between them and kissed him. She had caught him completely off guard, by his reaction.
After the initial shock, he soon relaxed into the kiss and responded, moving his surprisingly soft lips gently against Hermione's. Slowly they allowed the kiss to escalate, and soon Severus was ravaging her mouth with deliciously sensual movements of his tongue. She groaned and pressed closer to him, and for a moment Severus thought he would lose control. Suddenly he broke the kiss, breathing heavily. Hermione looked somewhat annoyed. Her lips were swollen just slightly, and Severus longed with all his heart to reclaim them, but his conscience would not allow it.
"Severus, what's wrong?" Hermione looked worried. "This is," he choked. "Hermione, we can't do this. You don't know what you're getting yourself into--"
"That's ridiculous! Voldemort is already itching to get his hands on me, if he knows I'm alive. We'll both be targets once summer is over and he learns he isn't rid of us. You cannot protect me from that." He sighed mournfully. "Hermione, the things I've done would repulse you. You'd hate me if you knew the half of them. I cannot, in good conscience, allow this."
He begged her with his eyes to let him go, but Hermione only lifted a hand and whispered, "Accio, pensieve." Snape looked at her, horrified, and began to shake his head. "Yes, Severus. You will do this for me. If I cannot stand to see the whole of this, I will stop before I lose my good opinion of you and drop the subject completely. As my friend, I beg you to do this. I take full responsibility for any consequences, but if you don't oblige me now the ruin of our friendship will be your own fault. Can you stand another stain on your conscience?" He was too helpless at this point to refuse her, and grudgingly summoned his wand, looking at her helplessly like a drowning man. Once he had emptied his thoughts, he grabbed his robes, murmured, "I'll be in the library," and left Hermione alone with his memories.
Breathing deeply, Hermione closed her eyes and dipped her hand into the pensieve. The room around her disappeared.
She saw Severus as a boy, always belittled by his parents and always being pushed to meet unreasonable expectations. He was sent to Hogwarts, placed in Slytherin, and tortured by the Marauders. Lucius was the closest thing he had to a friend, so he allowed Malfoy to push him towards the Dark Lord. She felt his anger and hate, knew he at first enjoyed torturing and killing his victims. He shied away from rape, though he often participated in the perversions of Dark Revels. He became drunk on power, then realized he had none.
Then there was a change: he surrendered himself to Dumbledore, his loyalty irrevocable. He returned to Voldemort as a spy but now abhorred the cruelty and perversion asked of him. He hated himself and the world. Hermione saw his guilt, and realized that though he redeemed himself many times over in the eyes of others, in his own mind Severus was still something to be despised. He suffered tortures at the hands of Voldemort without complaint, and lived apart from others for fear that he would taint them. When there were no more memories left to be seen, Hermione was crying. After sitting quietly for a few minutes, she took a very long bath, dressed, and ventured into the library.
Severus was sitting at one of the tables, bent over a book that he obviously wasn't really seeing. At that moment he looked so helpless that Hermione's heart went out to him many times over.
"Severus?" he turned sharply, startled, then deflated when he saw her. Ashamed, he turned his face away. Hermione began to cry again, which he obviously interpreted in the most negative way possible, burying his head in his hands. Hermione walked to him, touching his shoulder gently. He tensed, shying away from her.
"Severus, look at me." Her voice was commanding, and he obeyed, his eyes fearful and full of guilt. They were still completely empty of hope. "Severus, I saw all of it, and I think you have dwelled on your past long enough. You are the most amazing man I have ever met. Did you really think I could hate you?" He nodded, and tried to turn away, but she stopped him. "You don't have to lie to me, Hermione," he whispered, almost desperately. "I completely underst--" She cut him off the only way she knew how: with a kiss. He was panting when she pulled away, and looked up at her, shocked. Smiling, she leaned very close to him and whispered in his ear, "I love you, Severus."
Suddenly he was standing and holding her, tears in his eyes. "I love you," he choked, and for the first time in more than twenty years, Severus Snape allowed himself to cry. Hermione cried with him. When the tears ended, so had a dark chapter of Severus's life.
That night, Severus was, for the first time, independent of his wand. And also for the first time, Hermione slaughtered him at wizard's chess. Once again they fell asleep in each other's arms, smiling.