A/N: Okay guys, it's getting tough to write chapters now because of school.
I have to study for history now. Well, you might have to wait until
Saturday, but I'll see what I can manage. After all, it's not like I enjoy
studying! Keep reviewing! You might encourage me to try a bit harder to get
these chapters out. :D
"Come on, Severus!" Hermione hissed, "You need to practice this sort of thing--besides, it's fun."
"What 'fun' thing am I supposed to be doing, might I ask?" Severus drawled sarcastically.
"You're going to get us into the Sistine Chapel for free." Severus cocked an eyebrow warily.
"And how does one get into the Sistine Chapel for free?"
"Remember what I did with that guard outside the last museum we went to?" He froze, and Hermione grinned because she knew she had made him nervous. "Come on, Severus," she laughed. "Believe me, you can do it! Just talk to that female guard over there with that voice you use to...."
~~
Allison was having a crappy day. Then again, keeping an eye on people wanting to see the Sistine Chapel wasn't the most interesting of jobs unless she had a moment to people watch. There were never enough moments for people watching.
She casually dropped her cigarette to the ground, watching it hit the pavement. Suddenly, a long, elegant foot moved forward to step the flame out. Allison jumped and looked up into the face of a man who transfixed her with the dark pools that were his eyes. He wasn't handsome, per say, but the way he held himself... she shuddered. He had sex appeal.
"Habit," he shyly half-smiled. She found herself instinctively smiling back. "Nice day, isn't it?" She nodded dumbly. "Tell me, how to the tourists look when they come out of there? Is it really so amazing?" Allison struggled to find her voice. Something about this guy made her throat freeze up and her kneels wobble. She was glad she had a stool to sit on.
"Of course it is!" Then a pause. "I'd like to see your face when you walk out of there." She'd have liked to see his face anytime... And hear his voice. What a voice! It was rich and deep, and she could feel the arousal stabbing through her with every delicious word that came out of his mouth.
"I don't believe you'll witness that today," he said disappointedly. "I haven't any money." Before Allison knew what she was saying, she had told him not to worry about it.
"Thank you," he glanced at her nametag, a cheap thing with all capital letters and an ugly font. "Allison. My wife will be delighted."
Allison was dumbstruck.
~~
Hermione had never heard Severus refer to her as his wife before, but the look on the woman's face when he'd said it made her think she didn't mind too much. Though she hated to admit it, she had seen that woman's reaction to Severus--and she had felt a pang of an unfamiliar emotion that she hated to label as envy.
As Severus took her arm and led her into the Sistine Chapel, however, her feathers were slightly smoothed.
Of course, once this year was up they wouldn't be doing this sort of thing anymore. That thought had, like all the others, entered Hermione's mind unbidden. Why did that bother her? She hadn't wanted to marry him in the first place! Shaking her head, she forced herself to concentrate on enjoying the free time, instead of brooding about things she felt ridiculous worrying about.
"How did I do?" Severus asked, a bit timidly. Hermione almost laughed--did he really not realize that he'd made jello out of that poor woman? She just gave him a grin that let him know just how impressed she was. Well, she decided to keep some of her appreciation to herself. It was only the best thing to do.
~~
Severus was glad to be away from that woman and entering the chapel. Something about trying to charm the other woman had made him feel... out of place. Wrong, even. Why did he feel any sort of loyalty at all towards Hermione? Who knew--it was strange, to say the least. Severus forced those thoughts out of his mind and tried to concentrate on Hermione, as he was already wont to do.
~~
Albus was getting frustrated. He had combed the countryside, and had come to the conclusion that the man-who-might-be-Severus had gone into one of the major cities. He had two leads--one suggested that he may have gone to Florence; the other indicated that maybe-Severus was in Rome. Which would he choose? If he miscalculated, maybe-Severus might move to a different area before he could regroup and rediscover the trail.
Which city was more to Severus' taste? Which city would be a better place for someone to hide, if they had captured him?
Albus sighed, and began making his way to Florence.
~~
"My God," Hermione whispered. "It's fantastic."
They had stayed at the chapel all afternoon, and now that most of the tourists were gone, Severus and Hermione were lying on their backs in the middle of the chapel floor, right beneath the reaching fingers. Cherubs smiled down at them as they were awed by Michelangelo's artistry. The chapel ceiling was, in a word, perfect.
"Are you sure this man was a muggle, Hermione?"
"Hey!" she playfully smacked his arm. Since when was she so comfortable touching him like that? Severus was not used to physical contact, and tried not to react too much. "Give muggles some credit, Sev!"
"Sev?" He wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or amused. Hermione decided for him by gracing him with a brilliant smile. Severus felt all hints of annoyance vanish, replaced by.. He didn't know what.
"Yeah. Sev."
~~
Eventually, one of the other guards kicked them out of the Sistine Chapel and back out into the city. It was growing dark, and Severus and Hermione were ready to head back to the inn. Severus was loath to think of that place as "home."
As they walked, Hermione and Severus had yet another wonderful conversation about everything imaginable. They vowed to find a library the next day. Neither of them noticed the black car with tinted windows speeding up behind them, even though it was a back road where no cars should be moving quickly. The sleek vehicle's quietly purring engine allowed it to sneak up behind the unsuspecting couple so stealthily that they didn't see it until it was too late.
Not until it swerved violently--directly towards Severus.
"Come on, Severus!" Hermione hissed, "You need to practice this sort of thing--besides, it's fun."
"What 'fun' thing am I supposed to be doing, might I ask?" Severus drawled sarcastically.
"You're going to get us into the Sistine Chapel for free." Severus cocked an eyebrow warily.
"And how does one get into the Sistine Chapel for free?"
"Remember what I did with that guard outside the last museum we went to?" He froze, and Hermione grinned because she knew she had made him nervous. "Come on, Severus," she laughed. "Believe me, you can do it! Just talk to that female guard over there with that voice you use to...."
~~
Allison was having a crappy day. Then again, keeping an eye on people wanting to see the Sistine Chapel wasn't the most interesting of jobs unless she had a moment to people watch. There were never enough moments for people watching.
She casually dropped her cigarette to the ground, watching it hit the pavement. Suddenly, a long, elegant foot moved forward to step the flame out. Allison jumped and looked up into the face of a man who transfixed her with the dark pools that were his eyes. He wasn't handsome, per say, but the way he held himself... she shuddered. He had sex appeal.
"Habit," he shyly half-smiled. She found herself instinctively smiling back. "Nice day, isn't it?" She nodded dumbly. "Tell me, how to the tourists look when they come out of there? Is it really so amazing?" Allison struggled to find her voice. Something about this guy made her throat freeze up and her kneels wobble. She was glad she had a stool to sit on.
"Of course it is!" Then a pause. "I'd like to see your face when you walk out of there." She'd have liked to see his face anytime... And hear his voice. What a voice! It was rich and deep, and she could feel the arousal stabbing through her with every delicious word that came out of his mouth.
"I don't believe you'll witness that today," he said disappointedly. "I haven't any money." Before Allison knew what she was saying, she had told him not to worry about it.
"Thank you," he glanced at her nametag, a cheap thing with all capital letters and an ugly font. "Allison. My wife will be delighted."
Allison was dumbstruck.
~~
Hermione had never heard Severus refer to her as his wife before, but the look on the woman's face when he'd said it made her think she didn't mind too much. Though she hated to admit it, she had seen that woman's reaction to Severus--and she had felt a pang of an unfamiliar emotion that she hated to label as envy.
As Severus took her arm and led her into the Sistine Chapel, however, her feathers were slightly smoothed.
Of course, once this year was up they wouldn't be doing this sort of thing anymore. That thought had, like all the others, entered Hermione's mind unbidden. Why did that bother her? She hadn't wanted to marry him in the first place! Shaking her head, she forced herself to concentrate on enjoying the free time, instead of brooding about things she felt ridiculous worrying about.
"How did I do?" Severus asked, a bit timidly. Hermione almost laughed--did he really not realize that he'd made jello out of that poor woman? She just gave him a grin that let him know just how impressed she was. Well, she decided to keep some of her appreciation to herself. It was only the best thing to do.
~~
Severus was glad to be away from that woman and entering the chapel. Something about trying to charm the other woman had made him feel... out of place. Wrong, even. Why did he feel any sort of loyalty at all towards Hermione? Who knew--it was strange, to say the least. Severus forced those thoughts out of his mind and tried to concentrate on Hermione, as he was already wont to do.
~~
Albus was getting frustrated. He had combed the countryside, and had come to the conclusion that the man-who-might-be-Severus had gone into one of the major cities. He had two leads--one suggested that he may have gone to Florence; the other indicated that maybe-Severus was in Rome. Which would he choose? If he miscalculated, maybe-Severus might move to a different area before he could regroup and rediscover the trail.
Which city was more to Severus' taste? Which city would be a better place for someone to hide, if they had captured him?
Albus sighed, and began making his way to Florence.
~~
"My God," Hermione whispered. "It's fantastic."
They had stayed at the chapel all afternoon, and now that most of the tourists were gone, Severus and Hermione were lying on their backs in the middle of the chapel floor, right beneath the reaching fingers. Cherubs smiled down at them as they were awed by Michelangelo's artistry. The chapel ceiling was, in a word, perfect.
"Are you sure this man was a muggle, Hermione?"
"Hey!" she playfully smacked his arm. Since when was she so comfortable touching him like that? Severus was not used to physical contact, and tried not to react too much. "Give muggles some credit, Sev!"
"Sev?" He wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or amused. Hermione decided for him by gracing him with a brilliant smile. Severus felt all hints of annoyance vanish, replaced by.. He didn't know what.
"Yeah. Sev."
~~
Eventually, one of the other guards kicked them out of the Sistine Chapel and back out into the city. It was growing dark, and Severus and Hermione were ready to head back to the inn. Severus was loath to think of that place as "home."
As they walked, Hermione and Severus had yet another wonderful conversation about everything imaginable. They vowed to find a library the next day. Neither of them noticed the black car with tinted windows speeding up behind them, even though it was a back road where no cars should be moving quickly. The sleek vehicle's quietly purring engine allowed it to sneak up behind the unsuspecting couple so stealthily that they didn't see it until it was too late.
Not until it swerved violently--directly towards Severus.