It wasn't too much of a struggle to carry her. He wasn't that strong of a man with his lanky body and slim figure but her shortness provided him with an advantage. Normally when they were standing side by side he would tower over her. But now as he cradled her in his arms her head was tucked neatly against his chest with one arm strewn over his shoulder.

He maneuvered through the entry using wandless magic to open the door without having to compromise his hold under her legs. This wasn't the first time she had been in his house. But this was the first time she clung to him as if her life depended on it which in this instance it did. Down the low-lighted corridor, he took her down the hall and turned left at a closed door.

Luckily he didn't have to carry her over too far of a distance. Even if he did he wouldn't stumble or slow down his pace, not with the life in his hands. Though apparating with someone unconscious wasn't ideal. He made do. He tried to carry her softly but he made sure his grip was firm on her back offering whatever security he could. She was sleeping now. Her mind and body needed the rest and he had no intention to wake her. He made sure not to jostle her even when he laid her down on the bed. He placed her above the covers. Though he made sure her head rested on a pillow.

Severus Snape stood tall and looked on in silence as Hermione Granger settled into his bed.

Not many people knew where he lived or was given the opportunity to cross into his threshold. He made it a priority to keep his privacy and to ensure that no one he didn't want was able to bother him and show up unannounced. Hermione was a special case. She was no stranger to his place of residence. However, she never ventured into his bedroom before. No one had.

Unlike the rest of his house which was filled with oddities and various trinkets from his travels over the years. Though he kept most of his specimens in his potion's lab down in the basement. Several of the rooms had bookshelves overflowing with books and various journals. His room in comparison was considerably bare. The room only contained the essentials. A bed, a wardrobe and a nightstand. And of course an adjacent bathroom. It lacked any personal items. Not even a single framed photo could be seen in the room or the rest of the house for that matter. The rest of the house was painted in light greys and faded black blues but his bedroom was covered head to toe in a mural of forest broadcasting greens, greys and blacks. He only had one bedroom in his house he never had guests over. And though he had a couch in his living room it didn't seem right leaving her there in her current condition.

She looked peaceful sprawled out on his bed. Her hair was sprawled out around her in a curly halo. Though her mind was surely in turmoil and her body told another story. She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a flowing white sleeveless shirt. A startling contrast compared to his black bedspread or his own black clothing. Her clothes were dirty and ripped in various places as blood stained the fabric. Though thankfully they didn't appear to be removed by her captors and they certainly weren't replaced by his hand. He had hoped that he wouldn't see her again so soon after their last encounter. But he certainly never hoped to see her in such a state.

Severus sighed as he ran a hand through his limp hair. This was very different from his previous plans for this evening. He had planned to spend the night reading one of the newest books he recently bought from a closing bookstore. But now, he would be entertaining his guest. His evening that once promised peace swirled in a hurricane of chaos. My my how things change. All because the Minister of Magic knocked on his door.

He hadn't seen Hermione Granger in over a year but her name still haunted him. The moment Kinglsey said it, it sent shivers down his spine and his blood ran cold. He could have sworn that he stopped breathing.

The moment her name was mentioned he stopped listening. He wasn't listening, to begin with. He was in his basement working on adapting a new potion that renewed and rebuilt the hippocampus in the brain after receiving nerve damage from an extended time under the cruciatus. He had heard the doorbell ring but elected to ignore it. But that didn't stop Kinglsey Shacklebolt from entering his house and walking down his stairs. He didn't give the man a second thought. This wasn't the first time Kingsley simply stopped by to see how he was doing. Not many people knew that he was still living in England. Most figured that once he resigned from the role of Headmaster once the war ended that he fled the country. Though that wasn't true. He was just a recluse. Though he didn't live like a hermit. He kept busy for the most part taking odd jobs here and there for the ministry and committing himself full time to his potion experiments. His life now was a lot less stressful than it was during the war. Even with some intrusions. But those two words sent him to overdrive. He had to ask the man to repeat himself.

"Hermione Granger has been abducted."

"When?" Severus tried to appear as though he was uninterested in this discussion. Though both of the men knew he was affected by this piece of information.

"Approximately three hours ago." Three hours. Good. She still had time. She could still be alive. "Aurors found the place trashed when they saw she didn't show up from work. But she was awake long enough to feed her cat this morning." Severus didn't need him to explain which auror. Potter would be the only one suspicious of her non-appearance.

"Any leads?"

"She was attacked and ambushed by at least six men; highly skilled and coordinated. She fought hard and was even able to kill one of her attackers and we believe she injured at least another two." It made sense, Hermione was a skilled fighter. She has gone up against many death eaters back in her youth. She wouldn't have been bested unless they were trained mercenaries. But that also meant she was in more danger. She wouldn't be kept alive for long and definitely not in one piece.

And that begs the question why the hell was Kingsley here. Shouldn't he be gathering the troops or even the order? "Why aren't the Aurors investigating this?" Severus had his back turned to the minister. His hands were folded behind his back. He knew if he let go then he would grip the desk in front of him in anguish. He hadn't experienced such stress in over a year.

"They are."

"Then why are you telling me this?

"The Aurors work within the law and are bound to it." That was putting it lightly. The Aurors in his opinion were for the most part useless. Not necessarily due to their incompetence but due to the rule and laws they must abide by. Written by old men in the Wizengamot who have never spent one day in the field investigating as an Auror. "You don't"

"I didn't once." That part of his life was over.

"I never terminated your contract." He turned around to look at the bald man in shock.

The contract Kinglsey was referring to was his contrast as an executioner for the ministry. The Aurors had limitations even when it came to catching and apprehending confirmed death eaters and dangerous criminals. Many death eaters escaped during the final battle. Many dangerous criminals wouldn't stop even though the Dark Lord was officially destroyed. This time unlike the Dark Lord's first fall they wouldn't be able to escape or hide behind money. Many fled the country. Minister Kingsley felt that this was a dangerous risk and made the executive decision to hire Severus due to his skills as a spy to silently infiltrate whatever country the death eaters were hiding in and eliminate the threat quietly. It was kept a secret. The contract was a formality in case he was ever caught and charged with murder. However, no one would miss Greyback, Dolohov or the Lestrange brothers and the seven other death eaters who were in the Dark Lord's inner circle. He finished his job in three years. Only four people were aware of his task. One of them being Hermione Granger. After she graduated, she assisted him in locating the men and women and provided him and Kingsley the reports on each of his assignments. Efficiently she was his handler. It was difficult at first. She went from his student to his superior. However, it didn't take long for the two to find a familiar rhythm over the years. A partnership. He figured that the contract was terminated over a year ago. Once he finished his last assignment. The same day he last saw Hermione Granger walk out his door with many things left unsaid though staining both of their lips.

"And besides you know what she is capable of and you are more suited for an extraction of this nature." Meaning hostage rescue and a massacre of enemy insurgents. Severus pondered his words. He wasn't wrong. Many people still underestimated Hermione despite the fact that she fought and survived the final battle. She was skilled in duelling and hand-to-hand combat. The images of late nights where he taught her how to dodge and throw her weight into a punch only to fall into his arms flashed through his mind. She was a fighter and would never give up even when all hope is lost.

"We both know her odds of survival aren't good. It could take a couple of days or even a week for the Aurors to find her due to all the legal tape and who knows if she would even be alive by then. You could find her within 24 hours. You have a better shot."

Severus stood tall and looked Kingsley in the eye as he said with conviction. "I could find her under 12. Tell me what you know."

He wasn't even slightly hesitant by the offer Kinglesy was giving him. This was an assassination. The priority of this mission was to bring back Hermione alive at any cost. There was no expectation for there to be any other survivors. Even if it meant the loss of gaining valuable information from them. Hermione had made a lot of enemies over the years. She was an influential individual in the ministry and there were those who opposed the idea of a strong and powerful woman and muggle-born in such a position. Then, her work has brought about a lot of change throughout the wizarding world. Something not everyone was pleased about. Any one of these people was capable of unspeakable horrors and it was best for all parties involved if they were just snuffed from existence. The Aurors and civilians couldn't comprehend the logic behind it. Or they were too squeamish to actually take another person's life. He on the other hand had no qualms about it. He has his list of sins and these men won't be on it.

Looking down at the women in front of him, Severus couldn't help but feel relieved that Kinglsey was smart enough to seek out his help. If this was her current condition after only 9 hours he dreaded to know what condition she would be in if they waited for the Aurors to find her.

Locating her had been relatively easy. It didn't take long for him to track down the men who took her. He had a variety of contacts and luckily after some persuasion he was given the location of a foreign illegal mercenary group operating from St Finian's Abandoned Church and Graveyard in Northern Ireland. Rescuing Hermione wasn't as difficult as he anticipated. Though he was fuelled by adrenaline and anger which dulled any nerves. The church's perimeter was guarded by six men which he was able to silently disarm. It wasn't until he entered the church when his appearance was made known. He was vastly outnumbered but luckily not out skilled. Especially since when he entered the room she was being held in, Hermione was knocking one of her captors unconscious.

He wasn't surprised in the slightest by her strength. She was strong not only physically and mentally.

She had survived torture from Bellatrix Lestrange, she could survive these men. He saw briefly the relief on her face when she registered who had caused such a distraction to allow her a chance to escape. Before her eyes fluttered shut and she collapsed. Part of the reason she had completely passed out after her little scuffle was that she had been drugged. The littlest of movements would have been exhausting.

Her brow crinkled as she shifted on the bed in discomfort.

He ran his wand up and down her body as he ran various diagnosis spells. He felt more relaxed as various of his spells glowed red in negative. No sexual assault. No concussion. No punctured lungs or punctured liver. And no brain or nerve damage. Her mouth opened slightly as a whimper emerged as he began to heal her. Deep cuts that were bleeding now sealed themselves until a raw scar remained. Broken ribs are always the hardest to heal. And the most painful. Especially as they rubbed up against your lung. The sound echoed throughout his body like a gunshot.

He stood tall and rolled back his shoulder to ease the tension. He wasn't sure how long he spent healing her. He had been too lost in concentration.

There were lacerations along her neck and wrists from where she was restrained. A bruise on her cheek was beginning to form. Scars on her arms and legs as though from knife wounds. Most of them would fade within the week. There was some dark magic embedded into her shoulder from a curse, however, he was easily able to remove it. Though he did have to hold her down slightly when she began to shift in discomfort.

She was in rough shape but he sighed in relief. She could have been in a worse condition. Besides her injuries, she looked the same as the day they parted.

He kept up to date with her accomplishments over the last year. Even though she was his handler for the three years after she graduated. The job only required her to work part-time. During her first two years, she worked with the ministry to help eliminate and create new laws. Eradicating prejudice and inequality in the wizarding world. Ironic since she was essentially assisting him outside the law as he worked as a vigilante. Then she began work with Potter and Longbottom establishing an orphanage for the orphans from the wizarding war. She had made a name for herself. Before and after they worked together. In the last year, she published and produced two books that are now a part of the curriculum for the History of Magic course at Hogwarts. Though it was deemed controversial when it was released due to the non-apologetic way it depicted the ministry. It was a huge success. It was rumoured that she would be making a speech at the International Confederation of Wizards.

He wasn't sure why she was kidnapped. Nor did he particularly care. He was just relieved that she was safe.

He started to dim the lights. He figured at the odd chance that she woken during the night it would be best that she could see she wasn't in any immediate danger. He was about to exit the room when he heard a soft voice. "Why don't you let people see the good in you."

He turned to find Hermione's eyes slightly opened as she struggled to speak.

"You're drugged," Severus explained.

"Then I won't remember any of this in the morning. So humour me." Merlin, sometimes that woman had a one-track mind. She should have been asking about what happened or the extent of her injuries. Instead, she decided to ask him a weird personal question that no one would dare think of. Simply because no one other than her thought there was good in him.

He moved and lowered himself down on the edge of the bed. The bed dipped underneath his weight. But Hermione didn't look surprised or shocked by the decrease in distance. The proximity between them wasn't uncomfortable. He didn't even know why he was engaging in such a conversation. He had done more than enough. He had helped rescue her. So why did he suddenly find himself slipping in old patterns? "When people see good they expect good and I don't want to live up to anyone's expectations except my own."

She huffed out a weak laugh. "That's a shitty way to live."

"But a good way to not die. You should get some rest."

He made to get up when her hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. "Stay." Her grip was weak on him and he could easily have broken it but instead, he hesitated. "Stay, I'm not going to make you sleep on your own couch. There is enough room for the both of us."

He shifted and laid down on his back while she remained on her side. He tilted his head to gaze into her eyes. Though he didn't use legilimency on her he still tried to decipher what she was thinking. He tried to even his breathing though it wasn't easy while in her presence.

"Why didn't you kiss me that day?" They both knew she was referring to the last day they saw each other. For months, maybe even a year the tension between the two had been building. A connection had been growing stronger and when the time came to say goodbye they walked away with nothing.

"Many reasons."

"Why because you are 20 years older than me, where my teacher, once a death eater." He arched a brow at her boldness. She wasn't one for subtlety.

"You're forgetting how I'm also an ugly git and a reclusive bastard." But if they were putting all of their cards on the table he might as well play his deck.

"And you're forgetting that I am a workaholic and a stubborn individual," she said, refusing to accept his excuse. He had secretly hoped to have this conversation one day. And though he had humoured the thought of using liquor to aid his confidence he was hoping she wouldn't be drugged.

"I prefer the term insufferable know-it-all," he said, humouring her.

"So why didn't you kiss me? Because you think that I deserve better than you?"

"Something like that." It was cliche in a way but he couldn't help his self-destructive thoughts. And his fear of hurting her gave him the strength he needed to not give in to his desires.

"I think that I am the one to decide what's good enough for me." This wasn't the first time they had this conversation. Once upon a time, they both discussed the expectations placed on them. He was to be constantly labelled as a death eater and a villain and be spending the rest of his life either in a cell or 6 feet under. She was to have married one of her best friends and have two children by now and be on her way to becoming the next minister of magic. And though they silently promised never to do the same he couldn't help himself in this matter.

He did allow himself to give in to his thoughts and picture the way his life would have gone if he had given in that day and kissed her. "A better question is would you have let me kiss you?"

"I wouldn't have stopped you," Hermione said as her voice dropped down into a whisper as sleep came over her once again.

"Get some rest," He said into the night.


The next morning Severus awoke to an arm wrapped around his torso. Though the weight of her warm body pressed up against him felt extremely comfortable and natural he knew he needed to separate them. He silently disengaged her arm long enough for him to stand up. She made a slight murmur sound as she burrowed deeper into the bed. Seeking warmth that she had now lost.

He spent the next several hours finishing various tasks. He knew that he should have contacted the minister the previous night once she had fallen asleep and her injuries were stabilized. However, he too succumbed to sleep. He was unaware of how exhausted he was from the day's events until he laid with her in the silence until the morning. He had some paperwork he needed to complete to formally request the production and legalization of a new potion he has invented. He already went through the proper testing phases and now only needs to send the report of his findings to the Potion Committee for patenting. After setting up a kettle and assembling some form of breakfast he went to check on Hermione.

He could hear the shower turning off when he entered the bedroom. He figured she would desire to remove the dried blood from her skin. There was only so much he could do without invading her privacy. He quietly made his bed. He couldn't bear to see the state it was currently in. The way the sheets were mused and the pillows skewed. The empty space indicating the imprint of a person.

He saw her exit the bathroom. He had laid out one of his shirts for her to wear on the edge of the bed. That she was now utilizing and he had to use all of his strength not to look and see if she decided to opt-out of wearing shorts she transfigured from her pants. Her leg appeared to be bleeding again. The scarring had strained her efforts and tore though not nearly as bad as it the previous night. Her hair laid limp on her shoulders though her hair already began to curl.

She didn't say anything. Simply sit on the edge of the bed. Some would think she was in shock from her expressionless state. But he knew better. Besides, she had experienced much worse than this. Right now she was simply pensive. Trying to understand the series of events and how they unfolded. And what to say now that the story has come to an end. He moved towards her and kneeled.

The damaged skin on her wrists had faded into a red line. And the bruise on her face had faded from a violent blue to a sickly yellow. All that was left was to seal the open wound on her thigh. Then she would be right as rain and be on her way. She had no reason to stay. Though logically it would make sense for her to stay in his company until the reasoning behind her kidnapping was made known and the danger of a repeat was diminished. Her house was compromised and no one would think that she would be here with him. But he couldn't make such a suggestion. It would be far too difficult for him to remain in control while in her constant presence. Even right now he was not ignorant of his frailing mental strength and shields.

He began to rewrap her thigh. Trying desperately to control his breathing and to ensure that he only touched her skin when it was absolutely necessary. The act wasn't sexual by any means. Even though he was kneeling down on one knee while she sat on the edge of the bed as he rewrapped her upper thigh with a bandage. The moment was sensual though. He was aware of her eyes burning into him as she followed the movement of his hand as they grazed her smooth skin.

"Thank you."

"You should thank the minister; he was the one who informed me of your capture and gave me permission to locate you without the efforts of the Aurors," Severus stated calmly. He didn't need her praise. This was merely a means of getting even. At least that is what he told himself and would tell her if she asked. She saved his life once. Despite orders to simply leave him behind due to an injury he sustained. He was deemed as a liability. He expected her to leave, he encouraged her to do so. It was the most logical solution that would guarantee her survival. And yet she stayed with him.

"I wasn't talking about that." He looked up to find her brown eyes already locked onto his dark one. "And we both know that you wouldn't have needed his permission anyway."

Hermione wasn't an idiot. She was aware that she had an effect on him. She wasn't blind to its existence. However, she was unaware of just how deep her influences are. Some might refer to her as his weakness. But he referred to her as his exception. He always worked alone until the day she became the exception. He would never let someone into his house. She was the first. He would never let someone be in his bedroom. And here she was. He was never going to begin a relationship with someone who was his student. And here he was falling in love with her.

"I owe you." He almost laughed at that statement. He knew better than to argue with her. One time she sent him a fruit basket as a thank you for helping her. He tried to send it back. He got two more the next day. He missed her stubborn streak. Probably because she was one of the few people who ever stood up to him and was able to challenge him with intellect backing her up.

"You still owe me that drink," he said, referring to a bet they made long ago. He figured that it would be a good compromise. She wouldn't give up anyway. And maybe he didn't want to refuse.

"It's a date then."

Severus' blood ran cold. He was thankful he already finished tending to her leg. He quickly stood up though his body was tensed and turned away from her

He swiftly walked out of the bedroom and down the corridor. Aware of her following after him. He knew that he was running away from the conversation and her. But he knew if he didn't he would say something he might regret.

He walked into the kitchen and stepped around the table as if it would serve as a barrier between them.

He began to fiddle with the papers attempting to avoid the sight of Hermione in his shift leaning against the entry.

"Talk to me please," Hermione whispered.

"What exactly do you want me to say?" He knew that his voice was treading on the edge of anger. But how else was he supposed to respond? This conversation shouldn't be happening. They shouldn't even be considering the idea that there could be more between them. He couldn't give himself hope only for it to fall through later.

"I want you to speak your mind. To be honest with me about what you want."

"Why do you care. You walked away last time." He knew he was being unreasonable, placing the blame on her. But he had always been curious about it. She always fought for what she wanted. And if she wanted him, why didn't she fight for him? Perhaps she was tired of fighting.

"Because I didn't know what you wanted. I didn't know what I could give to you that you would willingly accept. You wouldn't express your feelings or emotions. You let me walk away, remember. You could have stopped me." And he could have. He could have stopped her with a single word. And she wanted him to. He remembered the way her eyes began to diminish every second the silence began to grow between them until she turned away. She couldn't bear it anymore. He wanted her to stay. He wished he had the courage to stop her and to pull her into his arms. It was something the both of them had wanted. But he was a coward or maybe he just couldn't be selfish with her. "But you didn't. Why didn't you? Did you even want to?" Her voice trailed off into a whisper. He could hear the vulnerability in her voice and it caused something in him to snap.

"What kind of question is that? Of course, I wanted to stop you." He lost control and threw his arm out, swiping all of his papers off his desk. Not caring as they flew out of order and silently fell to the ground. He stalked around and moved towards her until she ended up walking backwards. Only stopping once her back was pressed up against the closed door. There would be no running this time. He only stopped moving until he was pressed flush against her with one arm caging her in

"Do you want to know the reason? She didn't move a muscle, not even flinching from his heated gaze. But he could see the desire. "Because every nerve in my body is telling me to pin you against this wall and kiss every square inch of you as I take you for myself. Over and over again. But that would be crazy right."

"Mhmm."

Unlike last time she didn't turn to leave. And there was no need for him to go after her. Not when she was exactly where he wanted and needed her to be.