So I have the outlines of all the rest of the chapters for this story mapped out and it should be 56 chapters with an epilogue. If not that then honestly it might be longer, we'll see how the chapters flesh out.
Chapter 38. Obliviate
Hermione's eyes opened to a dimly lit room with garish furnishings and many family frames scattered about the walls. With a yawn, she lifted herself from the couch and felt a blanket slide off of her. "You're awake," Draco's voice spoke from her side, making her spin quickly to face him. His hair was a mess and his eyes were baggy. He took the seat beside her and pulled the blanket over her shoulders that had fallen to the floor and she wrapped her arms around herself to keep it secure.
The door flew open and revealed her love, sending a wave of calm over her she didn't know she'd needed. She could feel her lips pull into a smile and she nearly stood until he stomped forward, his glare directed at her couch mate. "What do you know of Tessa Dolohov, Draco?" His voice was stern, unwavering as she looked between both wizards. The two students stood. Hermione stepped out of the way as she continued regarding them and Draco appeared to stand almost like a stone statue as he held Severus' stare. This made the older wizard repeat his question with more emphasis, sending a chill down her spine. "What. Do. You. Know. Draco?" He demanded. Tessa Dolohov? She repeated internally just as a crack of apparition indicated someone new had arrived.
As she spun to face the door, the Headmaster stepped through the threshold, wand poised and whispered an incantation. Obliviate.
-x-
When Severus and Draco returned to the Malfoy Manor to deal with the fallout of her not dying, and the resulting mourning of Tessa Dolohov, Hermione felt awfully alone in the cottage. The McGonagall's were out, leaving her alone on the couch to debate who this witch who died saving her. Why would a Dolohov feel the need to die in my place? To jump in front of a killing curse? There was something off about it. The witch could just barely remember Dumbledore coming to check on her, to make sure she hadn't died. He'd told them that Tessa Dolohov hadn't made it through the event, that she had attempted to rescue Hermione simply because she hadn't known there was already a plan in place for her rescue. But his recount didn't make any sense. She hadn't even known the girl, and as far as she was concerned, the witch had been rather enamoured with her wizard.
She jumped when there was another pop of magic and the door opened once more. Severus stepped through and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, standing and placing her mug of tea on the table beside the sofa. The two met and folded into each other's arms, their lips pressed firmly to one another as they shared the embrace. Hermione held his face between her palms and took in every moment of being with him as he held her waist against him. "I am so glad you're alive," he breathed against her mouth, kissing them desperately.
"Me too," she giggled, a tear falling off her cheek as she hugged him tighter. "Me too," the witch repeated, nuzzling into him and releasing a shaky breath. They remained like that for a long time, something deep inside of her mourning as though she'd lost something precious, something deep in her mind telling her that there was something wrong, horribly wrong, but she didn't know what.
"You have to stay here, for a while," he spoke, holding just a bit tighter as she tried to pull away. She had suspected as much, but never been outrightly told so throughout the process of planning her escape. She knew that Voldemort would likely look for her, and very likely try to take her again and while Hogwarts was the safest place for her, it would also be the first place he'd look. With Draco having had committed his life to serving Voldemort anew, he would likely be put in a position where he would have to be the one to take her again. The witch wanted to ask questions and they sat on the tip of her tongue as she waited in his arms for anything to prompt her. "I hope that we will be able to bring you back in time to write your exams, and we will have your homework sent to you for you to complete," he whispered.
"Where will people think I am?" She finally questioned, a break in her voice.
"Your father got injured in a skiing accident in Sweden, you're there with him and your mother while he recovers," he explained and she nodded, slowly moving out of his grasp. Her heart hurt a bit, thinking of her father injured in a hospital so far away. Her eyes flashed up to him and another tear fell from her cheek. "He is fine, in the care of Fleur's family in France. No one is hurt. They know you are safe." The relief took her breath away and she once more buried herself in his form. "Everything will be okay, my love, I promise," he breathed, holding her tightly as she dissolved into tears.
He left after that and Hermione was once again alone in the cottage. The witch decided to make her way to the library, which was by no means the expansive nature of the Hogwarts collection, but there were some fiction novels she wouldn't mind perusing. Severus had dropped off a number of books at the cottage before she arrived in preparation, but she had read them all already and was looking for something a bit different. She ran her fingers mindlessly over the covers, sniffling a bit as she did so, and finally reached the end of the row to look out a window. The field behind the cottage was vast and green, with many daisies growing wild and a single tree in the middle, alone. She sighed as she took in the view of the clouds floating through the blue sky and the spring-time wildlife coming out of hibernation.
Resting her palm on the cool glass, she exhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She longed to be outside, sitting in the grass, against that tree, reading. There was something suffocating about knowing that the moment you stepped outside the wards you could be found and killed, but there was also something comforting about knowing she was safe in those walls. Biting her lip, she turned away and pressed her back against the wall, looking around the room and hoping something would catch her notice so she could start reading. Luckily, it did. A worn book was pulled out just a bit from the shelf and it called to her. So, she answered. Pulling out the book, she noted the cover and read aloud, "The Healer's Helpmate" With a satisfied hum, she took it out to the living room and sat down once more on the couch and began reading it over.
-x-
Minerva's sister-in-law, Muriel, was kind and comforting, and spent most of her non-working hours teaching Hermione to knit. However, she had too much time on her own, while Malcolm and Muriel were away at work, that she had to become a little creative with. She'd spent most of the time working on her initiative for better sexual education at Hogwarts, coming up with rules and regulations on what should and should not be taught to which years. She thought a lot about what she would want her child to know, and what she intended on imposing on her family so that her mistakes didn't repeat through generations. Thankfully, Hermione had been given enough parchment to satisfy her need to keep busy doing something. Time passed slowly in the cabin. Normally, she'd have spent her free time with her friends, but instead, she was walking about a cottage in over-sized, hand-knitted jumpers and socks.
It was April fifth when Severus was finally able to visit her again. She'd been sitting on the couch in a t-shirt and shorts, with a book in one hand and her other on her bump. The doorbell rang, making her spring from the sofa, her heart pounding in her chest as she worried who it might be waiting on the other side of the door. There were times she felt exposed in the small cottage in the middle of nowhere, the windows always felt too big and herself to visible. So, whenever someone came to the door, which was rather rare, she was always waiting for it to be Voldemort on the other side. It was normally the postman or a neighbour checking on Muriel to ensure she was still doing alright, but it was Sunday and most of the community were at church. Muriel and Malcolm frequently took the mornings to go shopping, leaving her alone to read or knit.
Approaching the door slowly, she tried to peak through the fogged window to see who it was, but it did just as good of a job hiding them from her as it did hiding her from whoever it was. Cautiously, she unlocked the door and opened it slowly, her hand on her wand which she'd tucked in her back pocket. Through to small crack, she first saw his black robes and then his abnormally large nose with his deep brown eyes looking down at her. She then threw open the apparatus and leapt into his arms. Severus caught her, just barely, with one hand, and hugged her as she nuzzled into him. The wizard guided her into the room and shut the door behind them, making her step back a bit to assess him. He carried a box in the hand he'd hugged her with and a crate in the other. She immediate grabbed the crate from him and let free her cat, taking him into her arms for a long snuggle.
"Oh, thank you, Severus," she hummed as she scratched the half-kneazle's soft orange fur. Her wizard towered over her until she stood up, letting her cat drop to the ground to explore his home for the next little while. She looked up at the man expectantly and he simply stared back at her, a faint smile on his lips. Openly, she glanced down to the box he held in his hand and cocked an eyebrow which snapped him to attention and he presented it to her.
"I bought you something," he explained as she took it from him. The package was light, which was shocking since she had come to expect books to be the only present the man ever got her. So, when she opened it, she beamed to see a pile of soft burgundy and gold wool. The witch lifted it out of the container and quickly wrapped the scarf around her neck and inhaled deeply. It smelt of all her favourite things, and mostly Severus, which would have made her swoon had he not already been standing there. "Amortentia, so if you're ever lonely you can smell your favourite thing-" She didn't let him finish before throwing herself into his arms and kissing his cheek feverishly.
"I love it, Severus, thank you," she squealed, leaping back and twirling as she hugged the fabric. He chuckled a bit at her, but she didn't want to waste a moment of his visit and relished in every happy feeling. Fiddling with the ends of it, she looked at him cheekily and smirked. "You know, Muriel and Malcolm are out for the day, getting some shopping done..." Hermione let her voice trail off as she slowly approached him, snaking her hands up his chest to rest her fingertips on his chin. He remained stoic as the girl bit her lip and looked up at him through her eyelashes. She wrapped the scarf around her neck, relishing momentarily in the scent of her wizard, her arousal only increasing at the action.
Victoriously, he reached out to grab her bottom and squeezed it in his palm. The wizard leaned down and rested his lips close to hers, groaning against them heartily. "Witch how you spoil me," he closed the gap, kissing her heavily and lifting her from the floor. She gasped at the movement before instinctively wrapping her legs around his hips. He carried her over to the wall behind him and pressed her to it, making her moan into his lips. "Alas," he whispered, breaking their embrace, and looking down at her over his cheeks. "I must be on my way." Her heart sunk at the admission and she clung onto him just that much harder. She didn't speak, simply laying soft kisses over his face and at the corners of his mouth, tightening her legs' grip on him. "Witch," he groaned, resting his forehead against hers.
"Once?" She begged in a quiet, hopeful voice. He let out a throaty groan before capturing her mouth once more in his and pressing his hips into hers. Hermione gasped when he left her lips to bite the flesh on her neck then suck at it gently. A moan escaped her lips, as she felt her sex begin to throb with anticipation, her arousal growing as she started to grind her hips into his. He purred into the crook of her neck, digging his fingers into the flesh of her arse exposed from her shorts, and held her weight once more.
"Your room?" His question sent a smirk across her lips as she pointed behind him and up the stairs.
"Second room on the right," she whispered, taking his mouth with hers and snogging him again. He carried her up to her room, pressing her against the door as she reached down to turn the knob. Had she left anything on the floor, the two would have surely gone over, but with the abundance of time on her hands, she'd managed to keep everything exceptionally tidy. He led them over to the bed, placing her down on the mattress and tearing her shorts from her form before laying kisses on her hips and over her ever-so-slight bump. The witch shivered at the sensation, taking his hair in her hands and tugging slightly as he pulled down her pants slowly, antagonizing her. "Gods, Severus," she breathed, as he slowly approached her sex, his hot breath on the skin making her shiver in anticipation. In one swift movement, he dove into her folds, capturing her nub and sucking at it feverishly, making her gasp loudly and moan. He slid two fingers into her slowly, eliciting a groan from the witch as she melted into the pleasure.
It wasn't long before she reached her peak from his skilful use of his tongue and fingers, sending her over the edge and throwing her into tremors. She smiled into the kiss he planted on her lips as he pushed up her top, lowering his mouth to capture one of her swollen nipples between his teeth. The tender nerves barked at her and she gripped his shoulders and hissed. "Gently," she commanded in a soft voice, to which he responded by releasing his teeth and placing soft kisses instead. Hermione reached between them, starting at the buttons of his robes which he quickly began helped with, manually undoing each of the tiny buttons. When he was free from his robes, she looked up at him, taking in the form of his torso under his white shirt, which he also rid himself of hastily, followed by his trousers. Nearly naked on top of her, she pushed at the fabric of his pants with her feet, exposing his hardened cock. He didn't even pause before he slammed his member into her channel, making her throw her head back with an audible cry. He hesitated then, but she tightened the grip of her legs around his hips, urging him to continue.
He fucked her, hard, something she had yet to experience from the tender wizard who had always aimed to be gentle and loving with every caress. This new power and dominance that came with every thrust brought her to a new level of pleasure. The wizard gripped her curls tightly in one hand, her bottom propped in the other as he slammed into her. The witch orgasmed quickly thereafter, but he didn't stop, continuing his pace until she came harder once more. After her third climax, he finished as well, pumping into her before collapsing at her side. They were both dripping in sweat but she felt more satisfied than she ever had before and quickly rolled into his side.
"That was bloody fantastic," he growled, catching his breath. Agreeing, she placed a kiss on his cheek then onto his lips which he returned happily. "I love you, witch," he purred, taking her bottom in his hand and squeezing it before giving it a little smack.
"That was new," she emphasized, nuzzling into him. "What spurred that?"
"I just spent an hour locked in an office with a wizard who wants me to kill another wizard," he explained, her mind instantly flashing to an image of Voldemort torturing him and worry washing over her. "There was nothing more I wanted than to see you again and I'd be damned if anyone stopped me." Severus exhaled deeply, holding her close as they laid atop of her bed covers. "That Amortentia is very strong, love, be careful with it," he cautioned. At his words, she brought the scarf closer to her nose and inhaled.
It seemed as though the world stopped around them when he held her. She felt calm, at peace, safe. Nuzzling into him, she pressed her naked form to his side and hugged him tightly, her head moving with every breath he took. Hermione felt his hand running over her curls and she slowly opened her eyes to watch her own fingers draw circles on his chest. He took a deep inhale, raising her head quite a bit before he spoke, "what brought you to want to be tutored by me in the first place?" She sat up to look at him, and he eyed her suspiciously with a slight smile on his lips.
She smirked back and rolled her eyes before laying back down and exhaling loudly. "Harry had a textbook with notes from some Half-Blood Prince and he was beating me in potions and I couldn't stand it," she admitted, realizing how silly it sounded now. Things never seemed trivial when it came to her education, in fact, most other things did in comparison. But as she laid in bed next to her wizard, having narrowly escaped death and pregnant with his child, she was certainly beginning to realize how stupid it was to want to compete with someone over one subject.
"Ah, so I was helping your opposition too," he commented, making Hermione sit up once more to cock an eyebrow in his direction. He let out a hearty laugh at her confusion and she moved away from him slightly. His hand was still on her back, and she felt extremely exposed before him, desperately clinging to the blanket to cover herself even slightly.
"What?" She asked, trying to cover the offence lacing her voice.
"I am the Half-Blood Prince," he announced proudly. Hermione's expression twisted in confusion and she sat back on her foot to see him better. He, too, adjusted, sitting up against the headboard and folding his hands in his lap.
"What?" The witch repeated, looking at him dumbfounded.
"My father was a muggle, my mother was a witch, Eileen Prince. I'm am a half-blood prince" the potions master explained in a cocky tone and it took all of Hermione's strength not to roll her eyes at the title he'd used.
"No! You've got to be kidding me," she laughed, biting her lip to keep from snorting as he began to look a bit offended. Covering herself, she asked, "who called you that?" Sitting a bit straighter and pressing her lips together to hold back her humour.
"I did," he replied immediately, only fuelling her laughter even further. The witch clutched her stomach and began gasping for air as she laughed like she hadn't in a very long time. It didn't take long before he joined in and she crawled back over to him to sit at his side. Covering herself with the blanket once more, she leaned her head against his shoulder, and let out a shaky breath.
"You came up with that name for yourself?" Hermione teased, biting her lip to keep from barking out another bout of laughs. He looked down at her and cocked his eyebrows as if he were confused at her curiosity, and it nearly sent her over the edge into another fit. Somehow she held it together, but it appeared that he was just as close to losing it as she were.
"Is that bad?" His face contorted in such a way that it was apparent how hard he was trying to hold back a chuckle. She leaned up and kissed his lips, smiling against his mouth. Shaking her head, she touched their noses together and looked into his eyes.
"Nope, not at all," she lied before he wrapped both arms around her and pulled her on top of him.
"Oh, just kiss me, you witch," he commanded and she happily obliged.
-x-
He left shortly after that, seeing as her hosts were likely to come back and they certainly didn't need to know she'd had sex in their guest bed. Hermione puttered around the cottage, cleaning, and enjoying her time with Crookshanks. The witch felt lighter, as though whatever it was that had been worrying her had washed away with every kiss and embrace from her love. And as she pulled another book from the shelf and wrapped herself in the scarf, her contentment weaved itself into every fibre of her being. Her feline was curled up in a ball on her feet, keeping her warm inside as it began to rain outside. Keys in the door made her and the cat perk up, before Muriel and Malcolm came through the door, bags in tow. "Welcome home!" Hermione greeted, standing up to help them with their things. Muriel handed her a paper bag which Hermione walked over to the kitchen and Malcolm followed her shortly thereafter. "Get anything exciting while you were out?" The witch asked. Muriel, taking off her coat, gave Hermione a look of confusion.
"You're awfully cheery this morning," she commented and Hermione immediately bit her lip, watching her host for any indication of suspicion. The older witch had long black hair that was always in a braided bun piled on top of her head. Her eyebrows were thin, nearly painted on, and her ebony skin was smooth with a shine to it that make Hermione jealous. The witch always seemed to be glowing.
"I slept well, I suppose," the brunette offered, taking the product out from the bag she'd been given. Malcolm, a burly Scottish man with brown hair and wrinkles that marked every smile he'd ever expressed, took up the spot beside his wife and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"Well I'm glad, you were getting rather depressing sitting on that couch reading all day," Muriel quipped, taking a loaf of bread out of her paper bag and setting it on the counter beside the fridge.
"And knitting," Malcolm added with a chuckle that made Hermione smile.
"Yes, and knitting," Muriel corrected. "Now, how about a nice pot of tea? Malcolm, would you mind heading up to my room and fetching us some slippers, this house is positively freezing." Hermione felt the cold seeping through her socks from the ground, but the heat from her previous encounter was still lingering on her form. The older wizard nodded and started out and up the stairs, leaving the two witches alone in the kitchen. There was a hanging disturbance in the air that came with his departure that made Hermione chew her lip. "Now, Hermione, us ladies need to have a bit of a chat." Hermione's stomach sank at the way her host said it, immediately picturing her somehow finding out that Severus had been there. That they had- "I didn't want to mention this while you were a bit down the past few weeks, but now that you're a bit more chipper, I need to say something." Hermione gulped.
"About what?" She asked, immediately regretting that she'd prodded the witch.
"I have a way of knowing things about people, I was a mediwitch for years in Scotland and I was very good at predicting certain... results," Muriel explained. The younger witch furrowed her brows in confusion, no longer following exactly where the witch was taking the conversation. The lingering feeling of embarrassment still present, but fading. "When witches would come to me to see if they were pregnant, I knew straight away without doing any tests, and well, darling... I believe you're with child." Hermione's eyes widened at the witch's accusation, her mind swirling with the idea that somehow Minerva would find out about this.
"Oh gods, oh gods," Hermione whispered, feeling her stomach begin churning and the world spinning a bit. Muriel quickly strode over and gripped her shoulders, keeping her steady before wrapping her into a hug.
"Don't you get ill on me dear, donnae worry, I won't tell a soul," Muriel whispered into her hair, making Hermione nearly collapse into the witch's arms. The embrace was close to the ones she received from her mother but it wasn't quite the same. It was, however, close enough to the safety she craved. Her mother would have no idea she was about to be a grandmother, she would never be held by her mother and comforted. Her mother wouldn't be there for the birth of her child or the baby showers. She would never share in the excitement and it was all because of her daughter's innate ability to find the most troublesome people to become friends with. She couldn't have made friends with anyone other than Harry Potter, or fuck someone besides her Death Eater spy of a professor.
The panic was calmed by Muriel hugging her just a bit tighter, bringing peace into her mind and Hermione exhaled a shaky breath. "Thank you."
Thank you to all who favourited and followed, read and reviewed, I appreciate you all and your patience ❤️