Chapter Four

Into the past with Mrs. Potter

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"Hermione, can I talk to you?" Severus Snape asked softly, as he had noticed the young woman about to enter the Great Hall for the final Feast for her seventh year. In another day she would be gone from here forever. He had to ask if it was true. That she was seeing Potter merely hours after their arguement. Had he meant so little to her for her to be so desperately cruel? Had he hurt her that much?

Cold brown eyes stared up at him. She was dressed in her House robes. They were new. Her parents had bought them for the Graduating ceremony. It was a good thing considering what happened the night before to the old.

"Why should I talk with you?" She asked bitterly. "You couldn't even say- -" She broke off, tears stinging her eyes at her embaressment of the evening before. "I told you that I loved you, and you made love to me, and you couldn't even say the words back, Severus." Hermione snapped, choking on a sob rising in her chest. Harry and Ron had been right all along. He had only wanted her so he wouldn't be alone anymore. He didn't love her at all. She was not going to be someone's sex doll. Even dispite how very much she loved him to think of letting him do just that.

"Tell me the words, Severus," Hermione then begged, pleadingly so. "Please tell me my love that you love me, and I won't go away. We can stay here together, forever. Just please tell me that I didn't sleep with a man who didn't love me as much as I loved him?"

"You didn't, Hermione," Severus replied, holding back emotions of intense grief, as he watched his lover plead her agony to him. "I do more than words could ever tell you. Dammit, woman, stop listening to your idiot friends for once! They're driving us apart! Can't you see that? Potter wants you because he doesn't want to be made a fool of by Weasley. He will never know you like I do." Severus told her in breathless passion, and gasped for air as she let him touch her shoulders. "I care for you more than anyone I've ever known in my entire forty-one years. Please, my love, don't walk away now."

"Severus, why can't you tell me that you love me?" She whispered, out right sobbing now. "Am I so horrible of a woman to love? I know I'm younger, but age doesn't matter. You told me you believed this!"

"I- -," Severus looked away from her griefstriken eyes, fighting for control of himself. He knew what she needed to hear, but why couldn't he get the words out? Dammit! He thought bitterly, cursing himself for being such a bloody coward. "Because I'm afraid, all right?" He screamed.

"Why?"

"I don't know!" He cried passionately, still not being able to meet her eyes.

"Harry wasn't afraid to tell me this morning that he loves me." She then said.

His world stopped dead as he helplessly watched her walk into the Great Hall, he being too shocked to say one more word.



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Hermione Potter opened her eyes to see Severus leaning over her. His thin but firm lips were a kiss away from her mouth. Her eyes had teared over because of the dream, and she rubbed them furiously.

She was a married woman. Married women were supposed to be happy.

Especially around former lovers that you had dumped for said husband.

"We're there all ready?" Hermione beamed into his face happily, making him scowl.

Severus noticed the still closeness of their bodies, and moved about a foot away from her on the soft bench of the cabin. It wouldn't do good for anyone on the train to see him cuddling Potter's wife in a private cabin.

"Yes." He merely replied.

His eyebrows then shot up at the question he'd been dying to ask since sitting down next to her on the Hogwarts Express.

"Where is the dear Mister Potter then, Mrs. Potter?" He asked curiously.

Hermione scowled furiously.

"You'll address me as Professor Potter, or Hermione, Severus," She spat darkly, before giving him a once over with her eyes. "I am a Teacher this year. Your bloody replacement, no less. So I think I deserve some respect!"

Severus had to bite his lips hard to hide a mighty grin on his face. It felt damn good to argue with her again like that.

Too good.

"Of course, Professor Potter." He sneered.

She gave him another dark scowl before replying. "Harry is in London visiting Ginny Weasley, and her boyfriend, Daniel Williamsforth. Daniel was a former Quiddtich player in Harry's last year. They became good friends. Harry introduced him to Ginny last year. Ginny and Daniel are even getting married next year."

"So soon?"

Severus frowned when he realized, given their own history, that wasn't the best line of conversation to have right then.

Bloody hell! Too late now!

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