Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me, except for Selina and Snape's house. So please don't sue.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing the story so far, I'm glad you're enjoying it. To anyone who has noticed that Snape is a bit young, considering he was supposedly in the same year as James, I have decided to alter his age. This is basically coz I get sick of reading about a really old Sev, so I thought it would be nice to have him a bit younger. And as he's probably totally OOC anyway, what does it matter?
Plus, I lot of the thanks for the last two chapters goes to Serpentina – thanks for all your suggestions and ideas honey!
When Hermione awoke the next morning, her face felt stiff and crusted from dried tears. She sat up in bed and wiped the sleepy dust from her eyes. As she stretched, curling her toes, Hermione let out a huge yawn. Flinging back the covers, she swung her legs over the bedside and snapped on her CD player on the bedside table. Hermione was still at a loss as to why she had reacted like that to Severus putting his hand on her shoulder. She presumed it was simply because it had been completely unexpected, and had shocked her. Pushing that to the back of her mind and going to pull back the curtains to reveal a sunny, but chilly morning, Hermione made a mental note to apologise to him at breakfast.
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Hermione entered the small dining room for breakfast, as she rapidly scraped her hair up into a loose, untidy bun. Severus was already sat at the table, reading his morning paper. When she took up her seat, he looked up and smiled briefly at her, and she noticed he was looking rather like a dashing Victorian poet in a old fashioned, wide sleeved white cotton shirt and a tie up at the back cream waistcoat. Hermione thought this was slightly archaic, even for him, but then, she reasoned, it was probably one his working outfits. She noticed he was watching her intently as she poured herself a cup of strong tea. She smiled nervously at him.
"Severus," she began. "I'm, er, really sorry about what happened last night." He abruptly shook his head.
"Hermione, there is no need for you to apologise," he said calmly. "It was my fault entirely, I did not mean to startle you, I thought you were my mother." Severus paused to take a sip of his black coffee. "I can only imagine how hard this whole situation must be for you Hermione," he broke of, licking his dry lips almost apprehensively. "But I want you to know, that whatever has passed between us at school, I am here for you, Hermione, and you can talk to me." She smiled serenely at him, thinking what a pleasant change this was from the formidable Potions Master she knew so well.
"Thank you," she stated simply. Severus inclined his head, and cleared his throat.
"Therefore," he continued, "my mother has suggested that we, erm, go out together." Hermione raised her eyebrows, and Severus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He let out a harsh, sniping laugh, but wiped the smirk off his face quickly when he saw Hermione looking slightly hurt. "Sorry…………..I wasn't laughing at you," he started, but stopped when Hermione giggled lightly into her bowl. She looked up guiltily.
"Sorry," she apologised. "It was just the way, you, er, worded it." Severus looked at her shrewdly for a minute, but then to Hermione's surprise, snorted at his own mistake, but then controlled his laughter.
"Anyway," he continued quickly in a more serious tone. "I thought, if you wanted, that is, we could go to Whitby today. We are quite close to the coast here, so if you want, we could go after breakfast." Hermione looked at Severus in astonishment for a moment, before she noticed he was staring at her anxiously. She quickly responded.
"No, I'd love to," she said, although Severus still looked doubting. She smiled at him openly. "But, erm, you will change, won't you Severus?" He looked bemusedly at her for a second, before realising what she meant, and looking down at his front.
"Oh, yes, of course," he said, looking up at her. She smiled at him, and they finished breakfast in silence.
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After breakfast, Hermione grabbed her denim jacket and put it on over her jeans, red t-shirt, blue zip up hoodie and her Sketcher trainers. She hadn't brought a bag with her, so she shoved a £10 note into her jeans pocket. She ran down the stairs and saw Severus waiting for her. He had on plain, loose slacks, a white shirt, black shoes, a dark green jacket and an impatient expression on his sullen face. He had brushed his hair, and Hermione was quite surprised to see that it didn't look greasy, but rather shiny and soft. As she descended the last few steps, Hermione found herself imagining herself running her fingers through his silken ebony locks, whilst wrapped in his passionate embrace. She blinked, and saw Severus stood there giving her a very strange look. She smiled, and he returned it with a smirk.
Just then, Selina entered the entrance hall through a panelled door to Hermione's right. She was holding a candle. Hermione realised that the foyer, and indeed, the whole house was still dark except for a few candles lighting the room. Selina was smiling at the two of them, but frowned when Severus avoided her eyes. She narrowed her eyes as she spoke.
"Severus!" She said accusingly. "I thought you were going to fix the lighting this morning!" Severus shuffled uncomfortably, and Hermione felt horribly like a criminal accomplice as she stood next to him.
"Yes, well, I was going to, but then I followed your other suggestion. I am taking Hermione out for the day." Selina's expression changed totally at that; she looked like Christmas had come early. She grabbed one of Severus' arms and one of Hermione's. She swung them around and pulled them towards the door.
"Oh, of course!" She exclaimed. "You must go and have a lovely day together!" Hermione sneaked a look at Severus over Selina's shoulder. He was grimacing, but not resisting his mother's forceful directions.
"I will fix the lighting when I get home this evening, mother," Severus said as Selina opened the door.
"Oh no, my dear! No rush at all! You two take your time and enjoy yourselves!" She dropped their arms at that, and Hermione heard Severus sigh with relief. "Well, I must get going, I have to get ready to visit my friends!" Selina bustled off, before Hermione had even opened her mouth to say goodbye. Severus straightened his shirt and jacket aggravatedly.
"Ready?" He said, turning and walking back towards the door without waiting for an answer. She shook her head in frustration, and almost ran out of the door he was holding open for her. Once she was through he yelled goodbye to his mother, and slammed the door shut. He walked off briskly, clearly still embarrassed by his mother's blunt behaviour. Hermione once again found herself jogging slightly to keep up with his long strides. They were walking down the gravel path that wove its way through the perfectly lawned green grasses. When they reached a tall, wrought iron gate, Severus flung it open haphazardly, but still held it open for Hermione in a courtly gesture. He gave her a sardonic smile as he shut the gate back up again. Hermione was ready to start walking again after the brief pause, but Severus did not move.
"We have to apparate," he said, looking apologetic. He had seen the sickly look on her face the last time. Hermione gulped, but nodded, faking confidence. Severus felt a twinge of emotion at the expression on her face, and quickly wrapped an arm around her, pulling her small body close to his chest. She, in turn, clutched her slender arms around his waist, and Severus swallowed roughly as he felt her small breasts pressed against him. Gripping her shoulder a little tighter, causing Hermione to squeeze her eyes shut and bury her head in the fabric of his jacket, Severus apparated with a pop.
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When Hermione tentatively opened her eyes, she was stood, arms still entwined with Severus', in a small, deserted, cobbled street. She reluctantly released Severus, but to her surprise he kept his arm around her, whilst raising the other to lift her chin to him. As their eyes met, he whispered softly to her.
"Are you ok? Do you feel sick?" He said in a voice softer and gentler than Hermione could ever imagined coming from him. After taking a deep breath, she shook her head. He let her go, and they set off down the street, Severus shoes clicking on the smooth, cobbled stones. They casually walked past small shops until the street opened out into a long, wide road. They walked past the amusements and sweet stores, which heralded the fact that Whitby was rapidly turning into a modern holiday resort. Hermione chanced a look at Severus, and was surprised to see that the years of worry and frown lines seemed to have simply faded away. He looked at ease, and relaxed. As if sensing her gaze, he glanced down at her, and Hermione blushed and turned away under the frank stare that had tormented her in Potions class for six years. His eyes stayed on her for a moment, although she was looking straight ahead, as if he was trying to decipher her. He must have found her a very hard task, as he looked away after a second, and Hermione relaxed when she noticed he was regarding a spoilt child laden with candyfloss, popcorn and fizzy drinks with disgust. Hermione stifled a giggle at his expression of loathing, and within minutes, the two of them had reached the bridge that led over to the old town.
Hermione had always loved this part of Whitby the most, it was free of all the tourist attractions, but full of small, quaint shops selling trinkets, old fashioned gadgets and most famously, the Whitby lucky ducks. Traffic still ploughed down the road, and Severus grabbed Hermione to pull her onto safety on the pavement. Hermione flashed him a grateful glance, which he dismissed by looking away over the water beneath the bridge. She sighed inwardly, and wondered what kind of day this would be if he continued this behaviour.
However, when she spotted a small, archaic jeweller, and went to look in the window, Severus put a warm, commanding hand on her shoulder and guided her in. As she browsed the counters, full of the most exquisite ornaments Hermione had ever seen, she stopped when she spotted a delicate silver necklace with a heart locket attached. She paused and merely looked at it, admiring its simplicite beauty, before Severus came over and stood behind her. He leant over her shoulder to see what she was gazing so intently at.
"I take it you like it?" He murmured in her ear. Her face reddened as she shivered at their unfamiliar closeness. His breath tickled the sensitive skin around her ear, making her feel light-headed, but she nodded. "Hmm." Severus had a sudden, completely inappropriate urge to but Hermione the beautiful necklace, and see it rested on her gorgeous, peachy skin, despite the fact that Severus could not miss that it was not far off £200. He turned on his heel abruptly, trying to push the unwanted feelings down. Hermione quickly followed, giving the jewellers one last, longing look as they left.
The two of them walked vaguely around the old town, and then back through the modern side towards the beach. When they reached the cliff path that led down to the sands, Severus paused and turned to Hermione with an almost pleading look in his eyes.
"Oh come on, Severus!" Hermione laughed, with a childish glint flickering in her large, cinnamon eyes. She grabbed his arm and started leading him down the path as Severus rolled his eyes in disdain. When they reached the bottom, where there was a wide promenade with beach huts along the back, it became clear that Hermione did not actually want to go on the beach; she just seemed to like looking at it. They walked along the stone promenade for a few minutes, and Severus noticed that Hermione was looking out over the beach longingly. Although it was a sunny day, there was a chilly breeze whipping around. But even still, there were small children running around in skimpy swimming costumes and trunks; many even venturing into the icy water. They strolled along, and Severus wanted nothing more than to escape, but he knew for Hermione's sake this was one of the many things he would have to endure for her.
A few tendrils of hair had fallen from Hermione's scruffy bun, and were blowing around her face attractively. Whilst Hermione stared wistfully out at the ocean, Severus surveyed her with an affection he had never felt towards her before. Her cheeks were flushed pink from the biting wind, and her arms were huddled around herself in an attempt to keep out the cold. Severus had a sudden, desperate urge to wrap his arms about her small frame as he had done during the apparition, and protect her from the harsh world. Just at that moment, Hermione came to an abrupt halt, and turned to face the beach.
"Mind if we sit down for a bit?" She murmured, sounding unsure of herself. Severus nodded tersely, and lowered himself as Hermione did so. They sat together on the edge of the stone, shifting now and then against the cold. "I used to come here often with my parents," Hermione muttered into the air. "I loved the beach." As tears filled her eyes, Hermione looked back down at the squealing children upon the sand. Severus regarded her crumpled features, longing deep inside of him to say something that would comfort her, but knowing that there was nothing anyone could say. He realised that after the initial shock, Hermione had been masking her grief with smiles and immersing herself into unnessercary work. He realised he needed to find a way to get hit out of her, before it built up inside of her, and damaged her soul irrevocably.
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Later that day, after Severus and Hermione had spent an enjoyable day together, they walked slowly back towards the small alleyway they had arrived in, to disapparate back. The two of them stood on the dimly lit cobbles, face to face.
"Thank you for today, Severus, I really had fun," Hermione said to him, looking up into his face under thick, dark lashes.
"It was my pleasure," he replied softly, and then, without another word, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they disapparated with a pop.
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When the tow of them entered the house, there was a quickly scrawled note from Selina on the table in the hall, saying that she would be staying with her friend for the night. The two of them parted there: Hermione to her room, and Severus to his lab.
Hermione spent the evening reading a thick, hefty volume on Potions from the library. She was just about to crawl into bed and flick out the light when she heard a frantic knocking at her door.
"Hermione!" She heard Severus call harshly, his voice muffled through the thick wooden door.
"Severus?" Hermione murmured questioningly as she rushed to the door and opened it hurriedly. She gasped out loud at the sight before her. Snape was stood in the doorway, his left sleeve pushed up to the elbow, revealing a hideous, shining dark mark against the pale skin of his forearm. His right hand was clutching at it desperately, and his face was beginning to contort with pain.
"Hermione – he is calling me – I must go," he muttered roughly. Hermione nodded mutely, feeling as though a clamp had been placed tightly around her throat. She swallowed, trying to lubricate her oesophagus.
"Please be careful, Severus," she croaked out, and watched as Severus nodded tensely and apparated with a familiar and decisive pop. She stared at the spot where he had stood, just minutes before. She collapsed, crying onto the hard floor.
A/N: Hi everyone, I am so sorry this chapter is so late! I feel really bad after all the lovely reviews I have been getting! I real sorry, but I have had a lot going on recently. Hope you enjoyed it, and please review! The more you review, the quicker the next chapter will be posted! (hint, hint!)
Thank you so mush to all my lovely reviewers! You guys mean so much!
Big hugs and kisses to tracy, faith, serpentina, not quite famous, honey666, tasalamin, military-brat, cherry 7-up, lady of severus (I'll email u soon honey), darkfire, Jamie, enamoured eyes, VWP darkangel, silvermoon, elvenfaerie, snape's mistress, heather, sylvanus snape, percussionist41, chloe, arysta, purple*passion, scoobie the rickmanic, jaded, caey miles, dawn, sisss and houses7177. thanks so much!