For EllieL


Sweet was the walk along the narrow lane

At noon, the bank and hedge-rows all the way

Shagged with wild pale green tufts of fragrant hay,

Caught by the hawthorns from the loaded wain,

Which Age with many a slow stoop strove to gain;

And childhood, seeming still most busy, took

His little rake; with cunning side-long look,

Sauntering to pluck the strawberries wild, unseen.

Now, too, on melancholy's idle dreams

Musing, the lone spot with my soul agrees,

Quiet and dark; for through the thick wove trees

Scarce peeps the curious star till solemn gleams

The clouded moon, and calls me forth to stray

Thro' tall, green, silent woods and ruins grey.

- 'Sweet was the Walk' by William Wordsworth


The sound of the toilet flushing, followed by the squeak of the faucet as the tap was turned on filled the otherwise silent bathroom.

Severus stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror as he slowly came out of his early morning stupor. Taking some of the cool water between his cupped hands, he splashed his face, hissing slightly as the cold liquid bit his cheeks. Well, he was awake at least. Grasping blindly, he found a washcloth and dried off his face and hands quickly.

Taking up his comb, Severus ran it through his limp strands, sighing heavily. His hair was fine and straight, causing it to hang in a black curtain around his face. There really wasn't anything to be done for it, so he put the comb back on the bench and turned on his heel, retreating back into the warmth of the bedroom. A loud whine followed by scratching sounded on the other side of his bedroom door, causing him to smirk. The needy little devil must have heard him in the bathroom.

Resigned, Severus turned the door handle and opened it, immediately assailed by the seemingly boundless exuberance of his dog, Beau.

'All right, that's enough,' Severus said firmly, giving the creature a stern look.

Chastened, the dog sat back on his haunches, tail smacking against the wood floor loudly as he awaited further instruction. Smiling, Severus leaned down and gave his companion a scratch around the ears, finishing with a solid pat down his back. He was an excellent pet, this dog of his. And so he should be–– Severus had invested many hours into training him when he had first adopted him from the shelter.

His eyes drifted to the place where Beau's left hind leg should have been, remembering fondly how countless people had overlooked this magnificent creature simply because he was missing a limb. To Severus, that was what set him apart and made him unique. To Severus, it was one of the many things that made them so alike; both half-breeds, unwanted and scorned, cast aside for their undesirable qualities.

Severus straightened back up, and Beau trotted around the room before he found a spot he liked to sit and wait patiently for Severus to dress for the day. Fishing his wand off the nightstand, Severus flicked it carelessly in the direction of the bed to tidy it, not bothering to wait to see if the spell he'd cast was in action; of course it was. He dressed in sturdy dark-wash jeans, hiking boots, white shirtsleeves, and a tweed jacket because it was unseasonably cold that morning.

Once he felt ready, the pair of them wandered through the house and into the kitchen where he scooped some of the foul pâté Beau favoured along with some kibble into a food bowl. Walking over to the end of the bench, Severus looked down his long nose at the excitable creature and raised an eyebrow.

'Sit,' he commanded quietly.

Beau immediately did as he was told, peering up at Severus with such longing in his eyes that a bark of laughter escaped him. Placing the bowl on the ground, he paused to ensure the dog would wait.

'Very well, you may eat,' Severus told him.

Beau was on his feet and face first in the bowl in seconds. Chuckling to himself, Severus resumed making his tea and toast. Once his food was prepared, he walked out into the back garden and sat out on the back porch, balancing the plate with his toast on his knee while he gazed out at the tranquility he had built for himself there.

Before the final confrontation with Riddle, if anyone had told Severus he'd be living in a house in the country with a garden filled with plants and trees, and window boxes filled with brightly coloured blooms, he might have laughed in their face.

Yet there he was, living in rural Wales, separated from the wizarding world he had fought so hard to save, and enjoying a life out from under the thumb of his former masters. Following his acquittal for Albus Dumbledore's death, he'd packed up and sold his parents' former house on Spinner's End, putting what he wanted to keep in storage and leaving Britain to travel. He desperately hated everything about the Daily Prophet and the imbeciles who ran it, and there weren't enough galleons in the world that could convince him to return to teaching at Hogwarts.

When Severus was finally tired of travelling, he'd bought his cottage and moved all of his earthly belongings out to the country. That had been five years ago, and he hadn't looked back since.

After he'd finished breakfast, Severus let Beau out into the yard to take care of his own needs, and afterwards watched as his dog chased a butterfly around the garden until it flew out of sight. He spent the morning working on the potion brewing in the small lab in his converted garden shed. He made his living as a specialty brewer these days, supplying only to those who could afford to pay the price. It wasn't a bad living, all things considered.

After lunch, Severus found Beau's harness on the hook by the door and strapped the excited hound into it, tucking the rolled up lead into his pocket. He wouldn't leash the dog unless he came across anyone on their walk, which rarely happened given the small population and the distance his cottage was from the nearest town.

Opening the front door, Severus followed as Beau led the way out, but only after he was certain the house was properly locked and warded. Remote though he may be, he wasn't about to take any unnecessary chances. As they walked along the road, Severus glanced back at the house in the bright afternoon sun. After his time at Hogwarts, he was determined to never live anywhere that didn't have windows again. His days of holing up in a dungeon or climbing staircases were long over. Severus also never wanted to be reminded of the rather depressing two-story walk-up in Cokeworth. He'd sooner eat dry cement.

Turning to face back around, Severus followed in Beau's wake. He liked to let his companion lead the way, happy just to be outdoors. Without stairs to climb or a school to pace or a Dark Lord torturing him for the slightest infraction, Severus had found walking every day both desirable and freeing. Following the war, his injuries had meant much time spent abed and a lot of physical therapy to get his limbs moving again. Walking with Beau in the country and forest every day had started as exercise therapy and quickly became an enjoyable activity they both looked forward to.

That afternoon, as Severus followed Beau through the thick of the trees, they came upon a stream and Beau immediately dove into the water, splashing about and drinking from it. When he'd had his fill, he clambered only a little awkwardly out of the water and back up to Severus' side, shaking off the excess water before glancing up goofily. Severus offered him a flat stare of disapproval, withdrawing his wand from his sleeve and spelling away the water and odour of wet dog from his clothing.

'Thank you for that,' he remarked grouchily.

As he was gazing upstream, Severus felt his eyes widen slightly in surprise as they clapped onto a woman wandering around through the trees, looking a little lost. They widened further, his brows practically driving up into his hairline as he recognised her as none other than Hermione Granger. Panic set in, and Severus wondered briefly what his chances of escaping unseen out of the forest and back onto the road were. His question was answered moments later when said woman turned and her eyes locked onto his.

Severus was a little gratified to see her mouth gape open in surprise. She walked towards him, her eyes flicking down to where Beau was standing by his feet, tail thwapping into Severus' leg as she approached. His companion was clearly excited by the new presence.

'Hello, Professor,' she greeted with a smile in spite of her evident surprise at running into him there.

'Miss Granger. Or is it Mrs. Weasley now?' he drawled.

'It's still Granger,' she answered, glancing down at his dog. 'Hello, you handsome one.'

Severus didn't even have a chance to answer before the woman was crouching down in front of his dog, scratching him under the chin and stroking her thumbs up the ridge of his nose and between his eyes and brows. Beau lurched forward and dragged his tongue up the side of Hermione's face, causing her to scrunch her eyes and giggle.

Hermione cooed, 'Oh, what's his name?!'

'Beau.'

She looked up, startled at the venom in Severus' voice. He shrugged at her reaction, turning away. 'He came with the name and refuses to answer to anything else.'

The dog, for his part, was unfazed by Severus' sharp tone, and his tail wagged wildly. Hermione continued to pat Beau for a little longer before standing up and looking Severus in the eye.

'So, how did you come to be in this part of the world, sir? And with a lovely dog, no less,' Hermione asked curiously.

'It's quiet and remote,' he answered simply. 'I wasn't expecting to run into any former students out here in Caernarfon.'

Technically where he lived was almost twenty kilometres inland from Caernarfon. Where he lived was even more rural than the small coastal town. Which made her appearance even more puzzling to him.

'It's beautiful here,' she said with a shrug. 'So, what have you been doing with yourself these past seven years?'

'I travelled for a time before settling here,' Severus answered. There was no real way to get out of a conversation with her short of being incredibly rude, though he was a little out of touch with the more acerbic side of his personality.

'Sounds exciting,' she said with a hint of wistfulness in her tone.

'And why are you here, Miss Granger?' he asked.

'Hermione, please. Being called Miss Granger makes me feel like I am at school still,' she explained. 'And to answer your question, I just needed to get away from London for a while–– the city is exhausting.'

'I can relate,' Severus murmured.

'Well,' Hermione announced with a smile. 'I won't keep you from your walk. I imagine I might run into you again some time. Goodbye, Professor.'

'Severus,' he said gruffly, smirking at her stunned expression. 'Goodbye.'

They parted ways, and as Severus watched her leave, he found himself curiously not feeling burdened or disturbed by the fact that she was there in his town for an undisclosed amount of time.

'Come along, Beau,' he said, turning to them back to the path so they could begin their walk home.

Living in a largely Muggle area, and a small town at that, Severus had to engage in a few unpleasant tasks in order not to draw undue attention to himself.

One such task was his weekly grocery shopping trip in town. He'd learned to drive and obtained a license, purchasing a small car specifically to serve this purpose. The other trip he made into town on a weekly basis was to the small local library each Wednesday night, where he attended the book club he'd joined several years earlier.

Severus would drive into town with Beau in the back seat of the car. They'd go straight to the library, the old women in the book club would fawn over Beau giving him pats and treats, and then they'd turn to Severus and talk of setting him up with one of their daughters, nieces, or a third cousin once removed. He would roll his eyes, politely decline all of their well-meaning suggestions, and the librarian would join them to discuss their book of the week.

That day, Severus had arrived in town a little earlier than he had anticipated, and debated with himself over whether to go inside or wait it out in his car. Beau started to whine, his tail wagging as he looked out the window of the car towards the library door. Severus turned his gaze in that direction, but saw nothing. Perhaps Beau had seen an insect of interest?

The dog pawed at the car door, and Severus rolled his eyes. Apparently Beau was making the decision to go inside for him.

Severus got out of the car, walking around to open the door and clip Beau's lead to his harness. Beau led the way to the library entrance, slipping past the door with a determination he normally only displayed when he was trying to catch something. They walked the stacks in no time, and he caught sight of a familiar head of mad brown curls disappearing around the end of a shelf. He rolled his eyes and allowed Beau to pull him in that direction. Of course she was at the library. It had been a week since he had seen her on his walk and while he hadn't been actively thinking of her, she'd been residing somewhere in the back of his mind.

Beau pulled hard on the lead, and they rounded the stack. Hermione noticed him immediately, and a smile lit up her face. She looked almost the same as she had several years ago, but there was a grace in the way she carried herself now that she hadn't had as an awkward teen. There were also the beginnings of smile lines around her mouth, almost impossible to see if one wasn't looking for them. Severus didn't even want to think about how many lines he had now.

'Hello Severus,' she greeted, her lips quirking into a nervous smile as she used his given name for the first time.

Severus smirked. 'Hermione,' he replied smoothly.

'How are you both today?' she asked, looking between him and Beau as she crouched down to give his dog a little chin scratch. 'He is beautiful. How did you come to find him?'

'I went to a shelter on a whim three years ago, and he was newly amputated,' Severus explained. 'He was about a year old at the time, and as I understand it, he was abandoned by his last family and suffered an injury to his leg which caused an abscess to turn gangrenous.'

Hermione looked up at him and stood, smiling down at Beau. 'Perhaps you are lucky to have found one another then?'

'Something like that.'

'What brings you to the library today?' she asked.

'Ah, book club,' he answered, gesturing over to the circle of chairs that had been arranged on the other side of the library.

Hermione's face lit up with interest. 'Oh, what did you read for this week?' she asked.

'Jane Eyre,' Severus snorted.

'I'm not a bit surprised you don't appear to have liked it,' Hermione said teasingly.

'I didn't dislike it,' he said with a huff. 'But if you want to hear my opinions you will have to join the book club discussion.'

'Do you think it will be alright if I join?' she asked. 'I'm still new around here, and I didn't even realise there was a book club.'

'It's just me and a bunch of older women who spend fifty percent of the time gossiping about other townsfolk,' he said flatly. 'Trust me, they'll be overjoyed that you joined in.'

Hermione smiled and he felt his stomach do a small flip, but he immediately pushed down on the sudden nerves that beset him. No–– there was no room for any of that here. Severus led her over to the chairs and they sat beside one another. He pointedly avoided answering any of the questions the book club women asked about his relationship with Hermione.

She simply smiled and shrugged when they asked why she'd moved to Wales, and promised she would come to the next club night.


After that night, they began meeting for coffee once a week and soon she started showing up at his house to spend time with him and Beau in his garden.

Eventually, Severus finally found out that she was in Wales due to having a breakdown at work. She'd shouted, turned her boss into a toad, and quit on the spot. Wanting to escape the media frenzy and all of the toxicity of the Ministry, she had decided to revise her life goals and take stock of things. She told him after spending time in the country, she'd realised just how much she never wanted to go back to living in the city again. And she was writing a book.

'A history of the class wars, dating back to the time of Grindelwald,' Hermione answered when he'd asked about the topic.

They were sitting on his back porch taking tea at the table. Beau sat on the ground between the two of them, his tail occasionally slapping against Severus' leg. They often took tea out there now, and he felt, for the first time in many years, that he had managed to make and maintain a satisfying and reciprocal friendship with someone: he'd just never expected it would be Hermione Granger.

'That sounds like a lot of work,' he said, stroking his chin with his fingers as he contemplated her answer.

She nodded emphatically. 'Honestly, some days I think I am going to toss it all out and scorch it to cinders,' Hermione admitted with a chuckle. 'I've scoured the globe for information, interviewed numerous people, read about every book that exists and taken the most thorough notes of my entire life. Compiling all of it into a single book, however, is proving to be rather challenging.'

'Why not simply split it into two or even three volumes?'

'I might,' she said sheepishly. 'I'm in discussions with the publisher and it was brought up in my last business meeting.'

'It would earn them a great deal more revenue that way. I don't see why they would say no,' Severus pointed out.

'I'll have to wait and see,' she answered.

Severus couldn't help but to be incredibly impressed with her.

Another day, when they were having coffee in one of the local cafes in town, Severus finally asked her the question that had been plaguing him since her arrival.

'Why did you decide to stay here?'

Hermione had looked a little surprised but simply smiled and shrugged. 'I like it here. It's quiet and the people are friendly, and I'm really enjoying the book club.'

Severus didn't believe that was the only reason, but far be it from him to question someone about why they moved away from home suddenly. Another question that bothered him came to mind.

'How are you affording living here?' he asked as she stirred milk into her cup.

She looked up, a startled expression crossing her face. 'I–– you don't know?' she asked quietly, her face suddenly drained of colour.

Severus knew immediately that he'd asked a difficult question. 'I apologise if I have touched on a sensitive subject.'

Hermione shook her head. 'It's fine, really. It's been six years already, but sometimes it creeps up and surprises me,' she said, looking down at the table. 'After the war, I went to Australia and restored my parents' memories. I'd obliviated them, you see, for their protection. I spent two months there reconnecting with them, and when I returned to London, we were in a really good place.'

She paused to take a sip of her coffee, which she lifted to her lips with hands that trembled a little. 'They decided to stay in Australia, and I came home after properly restoring their identities. A month later, there was a boating accident. They'd gone out one weekend and the driver of the boat had a heart attack and lost control. It crashed into the side of a cliff,' she said, eyes swimming with tears.

Severus felt like a complete and utter arse for bringing it up. 'I am sorry, Hermione.'

Blinking, the tears slid down her cheeks and she brushed them away, shaking her head. 'No, don't feel bad. I don't blame you for not knowing about it. I wouldn't read the Prophet either if I were you.'

'Nonetheless, you experienced a difficult loss after having most of your childhood stripped from you by a war that was not your own,' he said, his heart hammering hard in his chest. How did she walk around smiling like she was fine?

'It was my war too,' she insisted. 'Anyway, my parents' entire estate went to me, and I suppose in a way, writing this book was kind of a way to honour their memory. They would have hated knowing I was miserable at my job.'

Severus nodded in understanding. 'I am certain they would be proud of you.'

Her smile was incandescent. 'Thank you, Severus.'

She broke off a bit of the canine cookie the cafe owner had brought out for Beau and leaned down to offer it to him; he sat to attention. The action made Severus feel a warmth spread through his chest.

Bugger all.


Severus knew that conversation had been the turning point as far as his attraction to her went and he soon found his feelings for her becoming increasingly complicated.

Despite this, he was reluctant to give up the time he spent with her, and they continued to meet for coffee, read in his garden, and attend book club together. Sometimes, when she wasn't busy working on her books in the afternoon, she would even join Severus and Beau on their walks. He looked forward to seeing her, and the days they did not see or spend any time with one another, Severus keenly felt her loss.

One night, weeks later, after she'd had dinner at his home, they retired to his sitting room-cum-library with a glass of wine each on the couch in front of the fireplace. It was autumn by then, and the cold was really beginning to set in. Severus found her rather becoming in all of her layers of winter clothing, though he'd never admit that to her. Beau yawned and curled up in front of the fireplace on the floor, beginning to snore almost immediately, causing them both to smirk in amusement.

'Do you think you are happy, Severus?' she asked, gazing over at him.

Severus watched for a moment as the firelight danced in the myriad of curls, the play of light and shade making her hair look as though it had come to life. 'Yes,' he answered, and he thought that for once, maybe he was. 'And you, Hermione? Are you happy?'

Hermione smiled that curious little secretive smile of hers before answering, 'You know I lied about why I decided to stay here, don't you?'

Severus nodded. 'I suspected.'

'I came here looking for a way to escape,' she began earnestly. 'I stayed because I wanted to get to know you better.'

Severus felt his heart stall in his chest for a moment before starting up again, pounding hard and fast like he had been running. Placing her glass on the little side table, Hermione scooted a little closer towards him on the couch. Her hand came to rest on his chest, and Severus knew she'd feel his pulse, see the dilation of his eyes, catch the short inhalation of breath that escaped him at her touch.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world to lean towards her, as she tilted her face backwards to meet his lips, in one of the sweetest kisses he'd experienced in his life.

The next morning Severus woke up in bed alone, though both his mind and body definitely recalled having fallen asleep with another body wrapped up in his. He panicked for a moment until he heard sounds coming from the kitchen down the hall. Releasing a shaky breath, he slid out of bed and donned the trousers that had been discarded on the floor along with a warm sweater.

When he entered the kitchen Severus was treated to the sight of Hermione dressed in one of his white shirts, the long sleeves rolled to her elbows. Given his height, it looked like she was wearing a short dress, and it only served to endear her to him even more. She was crouching down, patting and feeding Beau and there was a french press on the bench along with two plates of eggs and toast. Severus' breath caught, and his heart stalled in his chest once more.

She looked up at him, her smile lighting up the room. So this is love, he thought to himself.


Fin.


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