Wednesday, mid August

Gringotts

Hermione's office door opened and Burgock, a goblin usually working the front desks, poked his head in. "Visitor, Granger." He didn't wait for a response, letting the door fall shut behind him.

Hermione snapped the book she was reading shut and quickly made her way to the visitor entrance where Septima Vector waited.

"You made it! Welcome to Gringotts. This way." Hermione gesticulated and led the way back to her office.

Septima nodded briskly and started unloading items from her bag. Quills, scrolls and a stack of Daily Prophet issues soon found their way to Hermione's desk. "Glad to be here, Hermione. We have work to do."

A few hours later they had a spindly web of multi-coloured light hovering above Hermione's desk, almost like a hologram. Nodes in different colours connected events and people, shifting in and out of existence as they let time play out. Some people were connected to almost all the nodes while others only played a part on a smaller scale. They found some temporal instabilities, points where small changes in data led to large variations in outcome, and spent a long time discussing what they might mean. It seemed to Hermione that they were related to the destruction of Horcruxes, but it wasn't as if not destroying them would be an option.

"We need to finish this," Septima concluded after several hours of work, wiping her face with her hand. "If we let it drag out into next year we're never going to make it."

"There's still more Horcruxes out there," Hermione pointed out. "There's no point unless we sort that out." They had secured all known ones but the diary and Hufflepuff's cup.

Septima hummed and poked at a vibrating point in the matrix. "I think Narcissa Malfoy has the right idea. Provoke him into open action. Maybe the Horcrux will turn up?"

"And then the Prophecy." Hermione sighed, rubbing her face in a gesture mirroring Septima's. "It's too uncertain at the moment."

"Malfoys… I think you need to ask them about that Horcrux. Look here." Septima tapped her wand at another point in the web, making it ripple and merge with a different point representing the Malfoys. "It seems to be connected to them."

Hermione nodded and went to fetch a Gringotts owl to request a meeting with Narcissa. To her surprise, the answer came an hour later with the returning owl.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Later that evening Hermione found herself at Malfoy Manor again, whisked out to Narcissa's wing by an elf to bypass Lord Malfoy. Lucius frowned at her but agreed to try to get his father to talk, seeing as he himself hadn't received any diaries from the Dark Lord, enchanted or not. Meanwhile, Hermione waited in Narcissa's library with a cup of tea and a stack of books, wishing that all Horcrux hunts were this easy, while Narcissa took care of the babies. She didn't tell them about the Horcruxes. It was a bit too Dark, too powerful magic, and she wasn't sure she could trust Lucius to keep such a big secret from his Master.

It took some careful interrogation and a few bottles of Firewhisky for Lucius to get his father to let anything slip, but once he began talking it was relatively straight-forward. Abraxas Malfoy had received it for safekeeping by the Dark Lord only a few months earlier, and had promptly put it somewhere he immediately forgot. Luckily the elves were helpful in searching the Manor. Dobby brought them the diary straight away and was so flustered by Hermione offering him a Muggle potato peeler as a reward that he had to go lie down. She had learnt her lesson regarding clothes, at least.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Friday evening, Mid August

The Workshop

With things clearing up between Hermione and himself he was finally able to focus in the workshop, although he had to push the memory of her in his bed back behind his mental shields. It wasn't long until he'd have his Mastery, well over half a year ahead of schedule. All the required articles were sent for publication, he'd revised techniques and ingredients until he could recite all of the common British ones in his sleep, backwards, and he kept refining his brewing techniques on all the simple potions Pyrites set him to do. One of the new recruits, Edmure Nott, was almost competent. He knew how to shut up when needed and asked questions when he was uncertain, and was already starting to take over some of the basic tasks. The Beauxbatons recruit was still acclimatising to the harsh mental climate of Pyrites' workshop, but he was at least better than Warrington, not that this meant much.

Reg had sent an owl one morning asking if they could meet up, and it was with a start he realised they hadn't actually talked in several months. He'd been too busy with work and Hermione to worry about his friend. He wasn't used to friends, after all, but perhaps he should put in a bit more effort. Thus, he had handed over the overnight brews to Martin who was under strict orders not to deviate from the stirring schedule, and was preparing to leave for the Jumping Jarvey early.

Hermione had told him what she'd done to Orion. It should have frightened him, her ruthlessness, but he could definitely see her point and would have done something similar himself. A straight Obliviation likely wouldn't have worked but diverting Lord Black's suspicions towards his son was a clever choice, almost Slytherin in fact.

He Apparated to Diagon Alley where crowds of people were out and about taking advantage of the warm summer evening. A careful Notice-Me-Not charm made sure no one took note of him as he quickly walked down the street, passing the stores and the Daily Prophet without a second glance. The pub was nearby, on a less popular side street.

It surprised him to see Hermione already seated in the booth when Reg waved him over, but the brilliant smile she gave him quashed his unease. She kissed his cheek, making him all warm inside, and he settled down beside her, a bit closer than usual. Reg suppressed a grimace, nodding at Severus in greeting and calling for the bar witch to take their orders.

"How's the Apprenticeship?" Regulus asked after the silence had stretched a bit too far.

"Almost done, just the test and the Mastery presentation." Severus found it hard to focus with Hermione so close by, radiating warmth against his side and her scent filling his nostrils even over the pub stench of stale ale. Why had Reg asked her to come? Not that he minded, of course, but if the point was for them to reconnect it didn't really make sense to have her along. He frowned, not sure what to think or how to make it all make sense.

"Oh, really? Good job. You're better than Pyrites, good you're getting away from him."

Severus shrugged. Of course he was, that wasn't the issue. He still had to get through the Mastery tests and then figure out what to do with his life.

Soon they all had pint and a meal, cottage pie for Severus and Hermione, fish 'n' chips for Reg, and several wards against eavesdropping around the table. The food was good, especially considering he had barely managed a small sandwich for lunch and had been on his feet since early that morning.

"Are you still at the Prophet?" Severus asked once half his portion was gone.

Reg nodded. "For now, Father wants me to start working for him but I agreed to marry Fidelma now on the condition I could stay another six months. Mother already has the wedding all planned out, she just needed to insert the bride and it was all set. Guess I don't have a say in it." He grimaced, hiding behind his pint.

Hermione leaned forward, reaching a hand towards Reg but stopping before she touched him. "How are you feeling about it, Regulus? I'm sorry, I really didn't mean for you to end up engaged."

Regulus smiled faintly. "Better than I thought. She's nice and easy enough to get along with. She'll do."

"Still, I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't worry too much. I took a risk, letting her stay. I always expected my father to find me a wife but at least this way I know she's not a fanatical Death Eater. She's got ambition too, she wants to become a Healer. I like that, I'll try to support her ideas."

"Speaking of which," Hermione said slowly. "Regulus, I wanted to ask you something. We need to involve the media a lot more than we have so far, and I have a reporter who is willing to go on a raid to actually write what's happening out there. We have a way to make it pretty much secure for both parts."

Severus raised an eyebrow at her but it didn't have any effect as she was focused on Reg, talking about whatever plan she had in mind without really saying much. She hadn't mentioned it to him and clearly wasn't asking him to participate in whatever she was plotting. They kept discussing details, how to get an article into print, what to do with the reporter, obviously not needing his input. Why hadn't she told him? The pit in his stomach grew, feeling heavier and heavier, filled with stones perhaps.

Later when they'd said goodbye to Reg and were looking for a good Apparition point, Hermione apparently noticed his silence.

"What's the matter, Severus?"

It was hard to get the words out. He kicked a stone against the wall. It didn't help. "Why didn't you ask me about the reporter?"

"Oh, that."

"Yes, that."

He grasped her arm and twisted them both into an Apparition, landing on the front steps of his house. Once inside she pulled free and glared at him, hands on her hips.

"No, I'm not going to apologise. I did the Arithmancy, it will work out a lot better if Regulus does it than if you did, and he's got connections at the Prophet which we need anyway. I'm trying to smuggle a reporter along to a Death Eater raid and then publish it in the papers without getting anyone killed. This has nothing to do with you. I'm off to a shower and you'd better think about your attitude."

She stomped off upstairs and soon he heard angry slamming in the bathroom. He closed his eyes and tried to think, feeling confused and upset and upset over being confused. Was he just jealous over Reg? It didn't make much sense, but maybe. Was she right? He stayed downstairs but she didn't come back down to join him. Was he wrong, after all?

Some time later they went to bed. He worried she'd want to sleep in her own bed but luckily she snuggled down next to him, even if she turned her back to him and wrenched the blankets away from his grasp.

"Night."

Darkness fell with a quiet Nox. He wanted to reach for her, to hold her close, but it felt like such a large step.

Severus cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. You were right, I wasn't thinking straight. I trust your planning, it's just that I want to be involved, too. I… you know I'm not very good at this whole relationship thing, I'm trying to figure it out. I want to help you."

She turned towards him but he could only make out an outline of her face in the dim lights from the street.

"Thanks, Severus. I… we never discussed this, did we? Our relationship. I do want to make this work, you know that? You can't take your bad temper out on me all the time, it's not fair. I'm my own person, I will have plans and do things that don't involve you."

He nodded. It made sense, in its own way. "I'm sorry, I'll work on it. You said you wanted to see your parents? I'll go with you."

She gasped and it looked as if she was smiling. "You meant it? You'd really go with me? I was thinking of going tomorrow to book an appointment. You're sure?"

He nodded against her hair, pulling her closer, feeling her settle against his body. Everything was alright with the world again, as long as she was in his arms.

She pressed a kiss to his shoulder which happened to be just by her chin. "I love you."

His heart nearly stopped and he forgot how to breathe. Had she really said that? She sighed softly and relaxed against him, already asleep.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Saturday Morning, Mid August

Hampshire

It had taken her a long time to figure out an approach, let alone to work up the courage, but now she finally stood in front of the Grangers' dental practice in Hampshire the following Saturday morning. She felt horribly nervous and was glad to have Severus along. He stood off to the side, glowering at nothing in particular, but he did look rather handsome in a Transfigured black denim jacket, white cotton shirt and faded black jeans that fit snugly over his arse. Looking at him still made her heart swell.

They walked inside. The Grangers had had the practice for a few years already but the furniture and decorations still looked almost new, even if the style felt horribly '70s to Hermione. They'd kept the same style until she was about twelve, when they finally redecorated and got rid of the excess orange and brown.

"Yes? Can I help you?" the receptionist, Mrs Swann, asked. She looked the same as Hermione last remembered her although less worn, with less grey in her brown curly hair.

"I'd like to make an appointment, please," Hermione began. She'd figured that was the easiest way to gain a connection with the Drs Granger, to book an appointment. Early in their career they worked half days on Saturday to cater to people who couldn't make it during the week, but they stopped doing weekends by the time Hermione was eight. Their professional diplomas were posted behind the desk, for Helen Granger and David Granger. They'd married while Helen was still at uni, David having graduated a few years earlier, and had started their own practice a few years after that. Hermione had been born five years later, apparently after quite a lot of effort including medical intervention.

Mrs Swann nodded and started rifling through their booking calendar. "Let me see, we had some cancellations come in recently. First visit?" She didn't wait for an answer, running her finger over the time slots.

There was a picture behind the desk of a chubby baby with a toothless smile and short brown curls on her head. "Is that the Doctors' baby?" Hermione pointed at the picture. She vaguely recalled the same picture from a childhood album.

Mrs Swann took off her reading glasses and smiled. "Yes, little Heather. She's eleven months now you know? They bring her in every so often, Helen is still off on maternity leave but she comes by to bring John lunch and then we all get to meet her. She's such a sweet babe."

Heather Granger. A girl with brown curls and no magic in her body, and destined to have too-large front teeth despite having two dentists for parents. Hermione's field of vision was shrinking, bright spots dancing in the periphery as everything else was fading to black.

Severus walked up behind her and put a steadying hand on her elbow. "Breathe, Hermione," he murmured in her hair.

She clung to him, ridiculously grateful for his support.

"Do you need an appointment too, young man?"

He froze. "Err…"

Mrs Swann nodded as if he'd agreed to it. "I have two spots this week on Thursday, would that suit? Right after one another, too. At three-thirty and four?"

"Okay," Hermione said faintly.

"What names should I book them for, then?"

Hermione froze again. Another thing she hadn't thought about. She couldn't very well say Granger. "Hermione…"

"She's Hermione Snape," Severus interjected. "I'm… Stephen. Snape."

Hermione bit her lip to stop the automatic denial bubbling up in her throat. Did he just imply they were married? Why did that idea not make her want to run screaming for the hills? He wasn't looking at her, standing stiffly beside her with his long stringy hair obscuring his face apart from his nose.

Mrs Swann nodded and pencilled in the details. "Ah, yes. Snape, that's Northern? I have an aunt up that way."

Severus nodded jerkily, his hair long hair bobbing.

Once they were outside Hermione left out the breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Severus, I'm sorry. You don't have to go to an appointment with me, you have work. It's not very comfortable, after all."

He shrugged, hands in the pockets of his jeans. "Never went before so perhaps it's time. I can tell Pyrites I'm checking suppliers."

She smiled and reached for his hand, tugging it out of his pocket.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Tuesday, Mid August

Hogwarts

Hermione wasn't sure whether it was a good idea or not, but somehow it felt right. There was a storm coming which her equations showed all too clearly. They were still more than a year away from the date when Voldemort disappeared in her original timeline, but her arrival seemed to have shaken things up. She hoped so, to avoid the crazy amounts of bloodshed. They had neutralised the ring after Severus left when they did the locket, in the clearing in the Forest of Dean with Kingsley, Frank and the Hogwarts professors.

The course of the war worried her. It was out of control, despite her thorough analysis in the Arithmancy matrix and all the data she poured into it. All the main players were too unpredictable, too chaotic for her equations to capture all the possibilities. Between Voldemort and some of his key players like the Knights of Walpurgis and Death Eaters like Bellatrix Black, Barty Crouch and the others on one side, and Albus Dumbledore with his Order on the other, Hermione thought it felt like herding cats. Or possibly Nundus, all things considered. So far the war hadn't erupted into open fighting but it was only a matter of time. The Prophet reported raids and random acts of violence but seemed disinclined to connect the dots to the political movements of the Pure-blood in the Ministry and Voldemort's ambitions, instead sometimes blaming Muggles when a pub was set ablaze or a wizard beat up, even with the Dark Mark in the sky sometimes visible in the blurry pictures.

The Headmaster had answered her request straight away, as if he had been expecting her owl. The gates opened as soon as she'd Apparated to the Castle. As she trudged up the lawn to the place she'd called home for so long she saw Hagrid near the Forbidden Forest, feeding the Thestrals. The lawn was a lustrous green sloping down to the Black Lake, the Whomping Willow rustling its leaves as the Giant Squid slapped the still waters with a large tentacle.

He waited for her on top of the stairs. With a nod he opened the giant oak doors for her, and they trudged up to the Headmaster's tower together. The portraits seemed to follow their passing with great interest, probably out of sheer boredom. The students were due to return in a couple of weeks, but until then the Castle was still and dormant. Peeves zoomed by but stopped at a careful distance when he saw the Headmaster, and Hermione thought she saw Dilys waving discreetly from a painting of a landscape.

Once inside his office he made a show of asking the elves for tea, which was promptly delivered along with some shortbread. The brass contraptions he kept on the shelves whirred and clicked at irregular intervals, making her wonder what their purpose was, not for the first time.

Hermione opened her bag and Summoned the box she was after, a simple wooden one Transfigured from a stick after they had cleansed the item.

"Here, Professor."

Without preamble she presented the box to him. He opened it with a flick of his wand, his usual twinkle still in place.

When he realised what she'd given him, his masks fell in an instant. Hermione had never seen the Headmaster look so open before, staring at her without the hint of a smile, his mouth left half open.

"How did you…" He lifted the ring gingerly with his fingers, holding the stone up to view it better. "You know what this is?"

Hermione nodded. "This was the thing I really needed to find before talking to you, Headmaster. I couldn't trust you not to go looking for it yourself. The Resurrection Stone."

He didn't say anything, studying the ring with the inlaid stone with a naked expression of longing. Almost reverently he touched it with a finger, tracing its contours lightly.

Hermione was beginning to feel uneasy. The Headmaster was usually so calm, serene, always with that infernal twinkle in place. "It won't bring her back, Professor. I'm sorry."

He looked up sharply, eyebrow raised at her. "You know?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "Back in my time, you found this yourself and couldn't resist putting it on. It's just… it was a Horcrux, and it almost killed you instantly."

Slowly he put the ring down again, leaning back in his chair. "I think we need more time for this, Hermione. Please, tell me."

Fawkes whistled a tune, making her heart a little lighter. The elves refilled the teapot and a plate of sandwiches appeared, along with fresh scones, jam and clotted cream.

She took a deep breath and told him the sad story of those final few years of her original timeline, and how it had been her main focus this time around although tracking it down took longer than she'd expected. It was a relief to finally be able to start trusting the Headmaster, now that she was certain he wouldn't be able to derail her interference with any events. She hoped she wasn't about to make a mistake by trusting him, but her equations seemed to indicate things would go much better if they collaborated.

Professor Dumbledore was silent for a long while after she finished. Hermione drank some more tea and nabbed a sandwich. She didn't know how long she'd been talking, but it had been a while.

"Thank you for telling me. I think, all things considered, you were right not to tell me before you could fix the ring. What did you do to destroy the Horcruxes back in your time and now?"

She smiled without it reaching her eyes. "Basilisk teeth, the Sword of Gryffindor imbued with Basilisk venom, or Fiendfyre. I didn't know of any non-destructive methods back then. We used a potion this time, Severus figured out how to brew it and Caradoc showed us how to liquefy a Patronus."

"Basilisk teeth, how come that was your first option?" He raised an eyebrow at her again.

She shrugged and told him about the Basilisk down in the Chamber, and how Hagrid had been framed for a crime he didn't commit. The Headmaster winced and promised to do something about that too, but since they needed a Parseltongue it might be tricky to get the door to open up.

"Please try to get rid of the Acromantulas in the Forest, Professor. I don't think the Centaurs are too happy about them. Oh, and if it would be possible to harvest the Basilisk for potion ingredients? I think it would be a waste if the Ministry stole it."

He twitched a smile at her, nodding in agreement. They fell silent again, drinking their tea. The brass things on his shelf clicked and whirred, filling the silence.

Professor Dumbledore hummed. "Clever use of the Patronus charm, by the way. Would you show me yours?"

Hermione nodded. With a flick of her wand the white mist shimmered into shape. However, it wasn't the usual otter that greeted her this time, instead a large Griffin materialised, flapping its large wings at them and opening its beak in a silent cry.

"Oh…"

The Headmaster eyed her shrewdly, taking in the bird and her expression. "Not what you expected?"

She shook her head, still watching the Griffin. It was huge and surprising, but the otter didn't fit any longer after what she'd been through. Why it had changed now and not before, however, felt like a mystery. As far as she knew Severus had a rook or raven. It had been a relief to see the bird instead of the doe he used to have, but she didn't want to dwell too much on why.

"I don't think I ever got to see yours, Professor?"

The Headmaster hummed and closed his eyes. "Some days they're difficult, but I have a feeling today will be a good day." A flick of his wand made the air swell with magic, and a brilliant white phoenix joined them, circling the Griffin before it settled on the back of a chair near Fawkes' perch.

Fawkes flapped his wings at the ghostly companion and sang a short melody that made Hermione's heart beat faster out of sheer happiness. The Patronus phoenix flapped its wings in sync with the red-winged bird, the two of them looking almost like twins.

Professor Dumbledore hummed along while looking out the window, clearly lost in thought.

Once Fawkes fell silent and the silvery white phoenix had disappeared, the Headmaster's gaze returned to hers. "I will do what I can for your Severus, Hermione. Alastor has been talking about him for a year or so, convinced he's a Death Eater, so I'll put a word in for him. I'm glad he found you and discovered a better path for himself. He did have a hard time here at Hogwarts, I have to accept the blame for that. I failed him, I should have reined in James and Sirius better."

Hermione nodded. "Yes. You should have. Thank you, Headmaster. His mother… Irma Pince, will you talk to her? I only just found out she is Eileen Prince."

"You know about her too? I will talk to Irma. She arrived here two years ago, seeking sanctuary. I promised to keep her secret but if you know it already… Yes, I shall see to it. I thought the anagram was rather clever, didn't you? Hiding in plain sight and all that."

Hermione wasn't too sure about that. What was it with the Wizarding world and anagrams? She'd never try to conceal her identity by becoming Mehrione Naggrer. Although, perhaps her idea to name her parents Wendell and Monica Wilkins in that other timeline wasn't too far off in terms of bad ideas.

"Thanks, Professor Dumbledore. It will mean a lot to him."

He hummed, the twinkle back in his eyes again.

"Please, call me Albus. You're not my student any longer and perhaps you never were? You were my future self's student, but I'm not he."

She smiled at him. It seemed her gamble had paid off. "Thank you. Albus."

He rose from his chair, making her follow suit automatically.

"Thank you, Hermione. I have no doubt you've already altered the course of this war, and this information will help us even further. Let us stay in touch."

The dismissal was clear and she soon found herself heading down the spiral staircase, the Gargoyle looking at her curiously when she exited. Casting a Tempus she realised she'd spent nearly the whole day in the Headmaster's office, so perhaps he might be excused for having other things to see to. She still found it a bit concerning that they hadn't made any further plans. So much to do, and the odds were still looking grim with the ranks of Death Eaters swelling week by week and the Order not strong enough to stop him.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

A few days later they were back at the clinic. Hermione went first, with Severus in the room. She was glad for the reclined chair when her father leaned over her, poking at her teeth with his instruments. As usual he kept up a steady commentary, on teeth, the weather and life in general, but at least she wasn't expected to answer. He complimented her on her brushing, removed a little bit of build-up and released her with a comment to book another appointment in a year. He looked well, a lot younger than she remembered, obviously, and with a shocking amount of curly hair.

He went silent when he started working on Severus though, and she could see a frown forming over his mask.

"You haven't been to the dentist before, have you, young man?"

Severus was gripping the armrest of the chair hard enough for his knuckles to whiten. His eyes were shut tight but he kept his mouth open, breathing too fast through his nose.

"He hasn't had the opportunity," Hermione supplied.

Her father hummed. "OK, let's make sure it's not the last time, then. I don't want to scare you away."

Hesitantly she reached for his hand. He didn't snatch his away, instead he held on tight as Dr Granger kept up the investigation.

"You're new around here?"

"Yes, recently moved in," Hermione said. "How long have you been here, Dr Granger?"

The dentist looked up at her, a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes over the surgical mask. "Oh, my wife and I set it up five years ago. She's not working at this moment, we had a baby last year in September."

"Yes, your receptionist mentioned. Congratulations. A girl?"

Her former father hummed. "Yes, a girl. Heather, Heather Jane Granger."

"That's a lovely name."

Heather Jane, not Hermione Jean. Someone who was her but not quite her. Someone who would have her life, but not quite. Someone normal, and Muggle enough for her parents.

He looked up at her quickly. "You seem familiar, though. What was your name? Hermione? Quite unusual, we were thinking along the lines of Shakespeare as well but then in the end we decided Heather was a good choice."

Hermione smiled weakly. It was too surreal to try to keep up a dialogue with her now way too young father. She had no idea what to say.

Not too long afterwards he put the instruments down and looked down on his patient. "Well, young man. No holes, so that's great. You have a bit of build-up that I can remove for you, and your gums are a bit sore so keep up with the brushing. Your teeth are a bit out of place, though. It would have been easier to solve when you were younger but can still be done. Do you have headaches often?" He filled a cup with water and handed it to his patient.

Severus nodded and rinsed his mouth. "Yes?"

"I think some of your headaches may be related to your bite and could go away if we fix your teeth."

"Oh… I don't think I can do that right now." Severus looked a bit wild-eyed, as if expecting the dentist to launch an attack at him right away.

Dr Granger nodded. "Don't worry, we can work up to it. Shall we proceed with the cleaning, then? Good oral health is good for your heart."

Severus seemed to deliberate with himself but nodded slowly and sank back down in the chair. Hermione grasped his hand again when Dr Granger went in with the tools. Severus had his eyes squeezed shut the whole time, breathing heavily through his considerable nose and with a firm grasp on her hand, but he didn't move an inch.

Finally the older man put down his tools and raised the chair.

"There, we're finished for today. You survived, well done."

Severus nodded jerkily and rinsed his mouth several times.

"Thank you, Dr Granger." Hermione smiled at her father who nodded back.

"No problem, both of you. Do come back."

Severus nodded, an arm around Hermione's shoulders. He was still a bit too pale even by Snape standards.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

They made it back to Spinner's End. It wasn't that late in the day but Hermione felt completely spent anyway.

"You were great, Severus. Thank you for coming with me. What can I get you?"

"Nothing," he muttered. "I was hungry before but don't think I can eat right now. My teeth are too clean."

She started rummaging through the cupboards in the kitchen anyway. She was too jittery to sit still after seeing her father. He was alive, he was well. He was a complete stranger to her.

"Tea, then? To start with?"

They settled on tea but Hermione was hungry, so in the end they had tea and sandwiches on the couch. Once she finished eating she sighed and leaned towards him, feeling drained. It had been a long day. She laced her fingers through his.

"You were a perfect boyfriend, Severus. Thank you."

She hadn't meant to say that but it felt right. Boyfriend. It made her feel all warm inside.

He looked at her like she was the only thing that mattered in the whole world. "So, can I call you my girlfriend now?"

"Oh! Yes, please." She grinned at him, exhilaration bubbling through her like a fizzy drink.

He shifted slightly and leaned over to kiss her, very thoroughly. She felt heat rising in her belly and pulled him closer with a hand in his hair. More, she needed more. All of it. He was thin and tall and smelled slightly of potions ingredients, smoke and wizard, still a bit gangly compared to his future self.

He reached a hand out to her hair, running his fingers through it. She settled against his chest, feeling him inhale, nose buried in her hair, before he kissed her again and she started pulling up his t-shirt from his jeans to gain access to his lean chest.

Somehow most of their clothes ended up on the floor and she lay on the sofa with him half on top of her. He was… there was something hard poking her hip. Her underwear was soaked already and something was churning deep inside her, an overwhelming urge for more.

"Bed?" she half squeaked, not even managing a full sentence.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, holding on to his neck. He found his wand and managed to Apparate them upstairs without losing anything, ending up on the bed. He was everywhere, kissing her, touching. She gasped and writhed and tried to gain maximal skin contact, needing more, all of him. He palmed one breast with one hand, flicking her nipple with a thumb and sending jolts of pleasure down to her core. When he lowered his mouth to the other she almost bucked him off the bed.

His eyes sought hers, from across her chest. Dark, intense eyes framed by black eyebrows and the hair that kept falling into his face. There wasn't any trace of Professor Snape left any longer, he was just Severus now. Just Severus, and perfect, and hers.

A long finger was poking at her entrance, feeling her out. She spread her legs further and hooked a leg over his back, needing more contact. The finger slipped inside. She clamped down on him, her muscles tensing up. It felt good though.

"Relax."

He started moving his hand and then somehow managed to add a second finger. His thumb started tracing circles around her clit. She groaned, unable to think. He coaxed her higher and higher and she couldn't resist the pleasure cresting over her, pulling her along with it. Her whole body shook, but he held on tight, keeping up the rhythm until it became unbearable. She pushed him off and he shuffled up to kiss her.

More, she wanted more. "I want you."

He raised an eyebrow at her, lying on his side next to her. The Dark Mark shone on his arm, looking almost like a living thing.

"Are you sure? Do you know the charm? I didn't think of brewing a potion for this."

Luckily she did know the charm, although it took her a while to successfully Summon her wand from wherever it had ended up downstairs. The charm settled over her belly with a tingle, and she put the wand aside again.

She touched him, feeling the hardness and warmth of his shaft. Hardness, but velvety soft. He groaned, his eyes fluttering shut when she moved her hand up and down the shaft a bit and then shuffled closer, feeling the tip rest against her lower lips.

He spread some saliva over the tip and both of them groaned as he slowly pushed inside. The feeling was incredibly strange. Fullness. She pulled his head down for a kiss, needing the affirmation, that he was real. It didn't exactly feel good, but it didn't hurt either. He started moving, slowly, rocking back and forth and slipping further in each time.

When he moved, heat started to pool deep in her belly again, the promise of pleasure. She rocked her hips up a little to meet him, making the feeling grow a bit more.

All too soon he shattered with a grimace, pumping a few more times before collapsing on top of her, sweaty and spent.

He kissed her forehead. "Sorry I couldn't hold back longer."

"It's okay." She hadn't expected more, but there was definitely potential. Besides, he'd helped her get off first.

"Next time? I'll do better."

"We'll have to practice."

He smiled at her then, a slow and lazy smile that lit up his whole face. "You'd want that?"

She nodded. "You're my boyfriend now, remember?"

He kissed her again and withdrew, leaving a sticky mess behind.

"Off, I need the loo."

After a quick bathroom break she pulled the covers back up over both of them.

"I love you."

She could hardly believe it, hearing him say those words already. Warmth blossomed in her chest again, almost painfully.

"Oh… I love you too, Severus Snape."

He hummed and pulled her closer.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A/N: Still writing! The next few chapters may be delayed a bit though, RL is interfering with writing time and I need to make sure it all comes together. Stay safe out there!