Hermione awoke in strange surroundings. The birds sounded the same, however, the window from which she heard them was in a different position. The light did not shine against her cheek, warming her slightly, but it had decided to shed light on the back of her head this morning instead. She groggily sat up and looked around.
"That's right. That bastard. If he thinks I'm even going through with…"
"Hermione?" he called as he stared at the grain of the wood of the door separating himself and the girl, no woman, beyond.
She rolled her eyes and growled. "What do you want?"
"I wished to speak to you about what happened last night. Perhaps you are willing to discuss things over breakfast?"
She sighed and began to get dressed. She knew he was still standing outside the door listening to her meander through the closet looking for something that resembled a decent outfit.
"Hermione?"
"I have to work."
She heard his rather heavy footfalls as he retreated down the hall to the master bedroom. The master bedroom. She sighed again picturing the soft hues he incorporated into his rather drab decorating. Light blues and pale yellows were accented over the white walls. She had appreciated his effort to mix their two worlds together. But last night seemed to scream at her that as many floral patterns and new sheet sets he arranged for the house, their worlds were never be farther from each other.
"Yes, I do recall that unfortunate incident. Although, I also recall your timing and keeping the bottle from smashing to the floor," Severus recounted as he and Remus talked.
Hermione approached the two men. "What was in the bottle?"
"A potion."
"Which one?"
"Why do you need to know? Oh, yes, I forgot," Severus mocked.
Hermione glared at him. "Am I not allowed to know your life? I thought if it was just a silly story that I could be entertained. Forgive me," she said haughtily.
Severus thought she was out of hearing range when he muttered, "You're forgiven for being a Know-it-all."
She turned back to him eyes enraged. She slapped him across the face daring him to make another snide remark. He looked down at her, raised his hand, but stopped. He couldn't bring himself to hit her. Before, if he was assaulted, he wouldn't hesitate to retaliate, but this was Hermione. He did the only logical thing he could think to do. He grabbed her by the arms, turned her around, and slapped her bum like a child.
The indignity of it all was enough to further anger her, thus sending her scurrying through the corridors. Severus lifted his eyebrow at the glances he received from the other partygoers. None of them said anything. The longer Severus stood there, the more he noticed that no one was going to speak to him for the rest of the evening. He left the room and removed his cloak from the closet in the hall. Severus returned to the main room to find Remus.
"Thank you for the festivities. Grimmauld looks much better giving the circumstances. Happy Christmas."
With his last word, Severus went out into the freezing cold of the winter's night and Apparated back to his home at Spinner's End where he caught up with Hermione, fresh from her own Apparation.
Hermione entered the kitchen expecting it to be empty. Instead, Severus was sitting at the end of the table sipping gingerly on fresh hot coffee.
"There is more in the pot," he offered.
She didn't respond, merely took to the cabinet and pulled out a mug. She ran the hot water from the tap and filled her cup. She reached into the pantry and pulled out a packet of the instant coffee she used for emergency caffeine purposes only. She prepared her cup and sat down to eat an individually wrapped muffin, foregoing the bacon, eggs, sausage, and crepes Severus had spent the better part of an hour preparing for her.
His heart sank.
"Won't you have something more filling?"
She snorted and flaunted the most sarcastic tone she could muster. "Oh, no! I shouldn't be fat. I could never have that. Merlin save me if I was fat as well as a baby in your eyes. I suppose there would be no use for me in your oh so secret life. At least, as a baby, you could always act out all those pedophiliac desires you hide."
His chair toppled as he forced himself up and over to her side of the table in two long strides. He jerked her up from her seat and held her eyes. "Do you wish for me to strike you? Do you want me to hurt you? Why do you provoke me so? Why do you want to hurt?"
Her eyes began to tear. "At least I'll feel something. Merlin knows, I'm not loved."
She wrenched her arms from his grip and ran to the floo. She was at the gates of Hogwarts in record time.
Author notes: Like I said..PlotbunnyFull Reign. Yes, I know it's angsty. And no there won't be a lot of fluff right off. I agreed in the Plot bunny/Author contract that the plot must outlast at least the first five chapters. So, there will be plenty of tense moments. Next chapter, we find out a bit more about why the sudden change in attitudes towards each other.