Disclaimer: None of it belongs to me. It's all JK Rowling's. I would encourage a lawsuit because then I might get to meet her, however on a meagre librarian's wages, I couldn't afford it.
Not Once
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He felt her before he heard her. He felt the wave of emotion ripple through his body. She'd heard. Perhaps Dumbledore had told them at dinner. He allowed himself a moment to ponder on this, a luxury he was going to have to give up. The Dark Lord did not allow pondering. He heard her stumble through the door of his office but he did not turn to look at her. He just stared into the dancing flames. All other sounds were suddenly gone but the sound of her jagged breathing. He stood with his back to her, not able to turn around and face what he was leaving.
"Harry and Ron are delighted." She whispered. He could tell she was looking at the ground. All he could taste was her hurt. He sighed slightly allowing the feelings to rush through him betraylworrypainfearlove. Slowly he turned to face the young woman standing, resolutely fighting back tears.
"That is not surprising." He said in an as controlled voice as he could manage.
"Where?" She asked failing to suppress the waver in her voice.
"You know I can't tell you." He tried to sound comforting and stern at the same time. She made a small noise of impatience.
"Severus, don't play games with me." Her tone was so unexpectedly harsh it felt like he'd been punched in the teeth; his saliva mingling with her bitterness as blood would. He held out his hand to her and she took it despite her anger. He led her back over to the fire pulling her onto his lap as he sat in the armchair. She curled up resting her head in the junction of his shoulder and neck in such a way that indicated she'd done it many times before. He encircled her small frame easily and breathed in slightly, inhaling her emotion. It was much harder to tell what she was feeling close up. The emotions ran into each other. Today it was like a tidal wave of despair. He shivered and pulled her closer.
"I don't play games, Hermione, not with you."
"Then tell me where you're going then." The bitterness had left her voice, but the tremble had not.
"I don't think I need to." He whispered pressing his lips to her temple. A small sob escaped, unbidden from her mouth.
"No no no no. No, you can't." she mumbled into his neck.
"I don't have much choice."
"Yes you do. You always do. You're safe here. He can't get you here."
"Hermione..." he was at a loss for words. She was so upset about this. He breathed her love deeply. It filled him, warming and chilling him at the same time. Not once had he felt anything like this. Not once had he breathed this kind of love... for him. Not once.
"If I stay here, then it will..." he swallowed as his voice broke, "it wont be safe for you."
"Please?" she begged him earnestly. "What if-" she couldn't say it but instead finally broke and the tears streamed down her face.
"I will come back." He said evenly. "Not once have I had so much to come back for."
Not Once
-----------------------
He felt her before he heard her. He felt the wave of emotion ripple through his body. She'd heard. Perhaps Dumbledore had told them at dinner. He allowed himself a moment to ponder on this, a luxury he was going to have to give up. The Dark Lord did not allow pondering. He heard her stumble through the door of his office but he did not turn to look at her. He just stared into the dancing flames. All other sounds were suddenly gone but the sound of her jagged breathing. He stood with his back to her, not able to turn around and face what he was leaving.
"Harry and Ron are delighted." She whispered. He could tell she was looking at the ground. All he could taste was her hurt. He sighed slightly allowing the feelings to rush through him betraylworrypainfearlove. Slowly he turned to face the young woman standing, resolutely fighting back tears.
"That is not surprising." He said in an as controlled voice as he could manage.
"Where?" She asked failing to suppress the waver in her voice.
"You know I can't tell you." He tried to sound comforting and stern at the same time. She made a small noise of impatience.
"Severus, don't play games with me." Her tone was so unexpectedly harsh it felt like he'd been punched in the teeth; his saliva mingling with her bitterness as blood would. He held out his hand to her and she took it despite her anger. He led her back over to the fire pulling her onto his lap as he sat in the armchair. She curled up resting her head in the junction of his shoulder and neck in such a way that indicated she'd done it many times before. He encircled her small frame easily and breathed in slightly, inhaling her emotion. It was much harder to tell what she was feeling close up. The emotions ran into each other. Today it was like a tidal wave of despair. He shivered and pulled her closer.
"I don't play games, Hermione, not with you."
"Then tell me where you're going then." The bitterness had left her voice, but the tremble had not.
"I don't think I need to." He whispered pressing his lips to her temple. A small sob escaped, unbidden from her mouth.
"No no no no. No, you can't." she mumbled into his neck.
"I don't have much choice."
"Yes you do. You always do. You're safe here. He can't get you here."
"Hermione..." he was at a loss for words. She was so upset about this. He breathed her love deeply. It filled him, warming and chilling him at the same time. Not once had he felt anything like this. Not once had he breathed this kind of love... for him. Not once.
"If I stay here, then it will..." he swallowed as his voice broke, "it wont be safe for you."
"Please?" she begged him earnestly. "What if-" she couldn't say it but instead finally broke and the tears streamed down her face.
"I will come back." He said evenly. "Not once have I had so much to come back for."