GOLDEN GRANGER AND MERCURIAL MALFOY: Lionhearted Love Conquers Serpent Sadness

After months of speculation, The Daily Prophet can now exclusively confirm that Hermione Granger, Brightest Witch of her Age and Brains of the Golden Trio, has fallen deeply in love with Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince and ex-Death Eater to vanquished Lord Voldemort. (For a more detailed history of Granger's accomplishments and Malfoy's history with dark magic, see feature on page 3) The odd duo, and ex-enemies, have been working together at St. Mungo's for close to two years, but have slowly developed a more personal-and noticeable-relationship with each other. Despite their past animosity, had the pair managed to find romance? It would appear so. In recently provided pensieve memories obtained from sources close to the couple, the amorous duo confessed their love publicly for the first time.

"They had been skirting the issue for months! Only flirtatiously brushing hands or whispering in each other's ears while standing far closer than necessary or getting caught in a snug embrace at the charting station," claims the anonymous source. "No one really knew for certain if they were together or not. It's been months of guessing amongst the staff at if they really were serious about each other. But, it didn't come as much of a surprise to hear her say she loved him in the staff room. I think they just are tired of hiding it."

Severus folded the copy of the morning's Daily Prophet, laying it next to his breakfast plate and cup of tea. It was early, and though the exertion of moving Hermione in (and other celebratory actions) had caused him to feel more tired than normal, Severus' internal clock rarely let him sleep too far past dawn. He had only recently began receiving the wizarding world's newspaper again in the last month. It had taken some time to establish a small P.O. Box that Winky could access to retrieve the daily missive, and Severus found this morning that he officially regretted the subscription.

Instinctively, and logically, Severus knew there was little fact to the dramatic headline splashed across the front page. Yet, emotionally, Severus was fighting anger, jealousy and sadness as he watched a wizarding photograph play a loop of Hermione, in Draco Malfoy's arms, brushing a kiss to his cheek. It was taxing his emotional bandwidth to reassure himself that he was not again being left behind for a wealthy, good-looking pureblood-even if this one had a far more checkered past than James Potter. Severus sat with his hand circling the teacup, aimlessly listening to Winky prepare Hermione's as the elf had become aware of her mistress' impending arrival to the kitchen. He knew he would have to address the article, so he chose to be upfront and transparent, placing the unfolded copy atop the table where she would sit.

Her footsteps approached the kitchen door. She greeted a morning salutation to the diminutive elf and sidled up to Severus, placing a soft kiss atop his head and being mindful of the full teacup in her hand. He watched her turn to the chair she regularly occupied and froze at the sight of the Prophet. Her eyes widened at the photo and roamed the lengthy article that took up the entirety of the front page above the fold. He could see shock, confusion, and finally displeasure cross her features. Her mouth twitched, a breath blew through her lips, and as a grimace settled upon her lips she grouched, "What an absolute load of rubbish. Bunch of tossers, the lot of them. 'Anonymous source'? Oh, just wait Madeline Antwerp until I get my hands on you. I hope you read the 'feature' on my bloody 'accomplishments' and it listed what I did to Maria Edgecomb in fifth year. That will look like child's play compared to what I could devise for you, you insipid little brat."

Severus wasn't sure if he was intimidated or turned on by the venom in her words. He looked more closely at her face: eyes blazing, foul frown, and the crinkles across her forehead all spoke of barely suppressed rage. Turned on, he thought. Definitely, turned on. Hermione had shifted from looking displeased to downright murderous, and he found he quite enjoyed her fierceness and the hint of darkness he felt rolling off her. Then her face blanked and she turned to look at him worriedly. He schooled a mask of indifference into place.

"Oh, Severus, please...let me explain all of this." She implored genuinely. She sat in the dining chair and reached for his hands. "There has never been anything between Draco Malfoy and myself. Never. Yes, we tease the dim witted hospital gossips by routinely invading each other's space, but there is nothing romantic or real in our interactions. He has been nothing but supportive of my relationship with you-even before we had determined there was one-and this photo...He took the same days off as I did because people have begun to take notice of my...happiness."

She paused to breathe here. He kept his face neutral, waiting for her to continue. "I suppose I haven't hidden my feelings over the last few months as well as I thought. Talk began, and as Draco and myself had already put the ideas into circulation, it was assumed any increased joy I had in my life was attributed to him. The press has been relentless over the last few years at acquiring information on my personal life, Draco was attempting to be noble and buy me-us-time to decide how we wish to handle things. This photo is the exact moment I expressed my gratitude to him."

She squeezed his hands, concerned eyes searching his face for any sign of emotion. He kept his features blank, dark eyes fixated on her forehead to avoid delving into her unprotected mind. He could practically feel the thoughts washing over him. When she raised one hand to his cheek, he was helpless to stop her from directing his sight into her own warm brown eyes. "Please, Severus, can you forgive me? This-" she waved a hand at the paper, "means nothing. I want you. I choose you. I love you."

He closed his eyes, not needing to read her thoughts to confirm the genuineness of her statements. He reopened them, pulled her hand from his cheek and pressed a kiss to the palm. The act was one he was swiftly coming to adore as one unique to their relationship. He watched the knowing smile bloom on her face. "I guess we shall endeavor The Prophet to print a retraction, or I fear for this Madeline Antwerp's future health."

She released a soft giggle. "We?"

"I'm sure The Prophet will be terribly displeased to learn of the loss this potential story will do to their circulation, but I am certain we could provide them with an alternate story that is destined to cause just as much fervor." He gave her a tantalizing smirk.

"No, Severus," he was surprised to hear her say. As he began to protest a litany of reasons why he was resolute to set her reputation to rights-even at the expense of his own privacy-she held her hand up in pause. "When the information breaks of your return, and our subsequent coupling, it will be done through a source I trust and in a manner we are both comfortable with. I will not have you sacrificing your hard-earned privacy in an attempt to salvage my reputation in the press. I've dealt with them for years, I am by no means intimidated by their half-arsed stories or pressure to capitulate."

He opened his mouth once more, but again, Hermione cut him off. He closed his lips and raised an eyebrow. She really can be quite a pain. "Secondly, there is no circumstance in which I will allow information about our relationship to become public fodder before the most important people in my life have been made aware of it. Harry was just the start."

He waited. It appeared she was finished speaking. "Hermione, I am not entirely comfortable with the idea of meeting your parents."

She drew her hands back and he saw a flicker of sadness cross her face. She resettled in her chair, drawing a long drink of tea. "I wasn't referring to my parents, Severus. I don't have any anymore. I was speaking of the Weasleys, Minerva and Hagrid."

It was a rare moment of confusion for him. Had the topic of her family never been breached in all these months? He wondered. He recalled numerous occasions where Hermione had spoken of her "family", but the realization that she might not have been speaking directly of her parents struck him like an exploding cauldron. I am such a bloody arsehole. Severus grabbed the seat of her chair, pulling her to him. "I am sorry I was so remiss to ask, and feel horrible for having made the assumption that the family you have spoken of these months were not your blood relations. Would you tell me about it? If you are comfortable and willing?"

She sighed and dropped her forehead to his closest shoulder. He automatically drew his arms around her. A minute surprise at the easy affection he gave flitted through his brain as he fought to refocus his thoughts. "In the summer, after sixth year, I...I knew I would be following Harry into whatever fray there was to be had. I was leaving them open to attack from an entire world they had never been involved with. I couldn't do that."

Severus tucked a finger under her chin. He wanted to see her as she spoke. A gentle kiss to her newly raised forehead encouraged her to continue. "Before going to The Burrow, I obliviated them. I removed every trace they had of a daughter and planted the urgent need to move to Australia. They have been there ever since, as I ensured the spell could not be reversed in case anyone ever found them."

A single tear leaked from the corner of her eye. He brushed it away with his thumb. An ache was borne in his heart for her. Her face searched his, and he spoke gently to her. "I think I finally understand why you were sorted into Gryffindor, love."

She cried in earnest them, and he scooped her into his lap, allowing some of his own tears to join in her grief.

—xx—

Severus paced behind the front door. Now that Hermione had given up her flat, she had to apparate to the alley down the street and walk through the front door to come home. After their emotional breakfast, Hermione had dressed for her daily shift at St. Mungo's and left for work. He had been nervous ever since. He couldn't place why he felt uneasy, but he knew having Hermione home would be a big step in calming him.

"Mister Sev," Winky was behind him. He stopped his pacing to face her.

"Yes, Winky?"

"There be someone near the wards. Not Missy Granger-Missy Hermione-someone else. Winky won't look, but Winky can feel. Winky thinks they be looking for the house." Winky shifted nervously. He was grateful for the elf in that moment, and so many others over the years. He stiffened at the idea of an intruder. He pulled his wand and walked carefully to the nearest window. Up the cobbled street, just passing under a streetlight, the unmistakable black mop of Potter hair fluttered in the evening breeze. Severus scoffed. Damnable Potter. It's barely been a full day.

He watched as Potter stood under the light, glancing at the house and back down the street. Severus realized he was waiting for Hermione. As if summoned, she appeared further down the street and was making haste to Potter. As the friends collided, he watched her tightly weave her arms around the dark haired man in a crushing hug before withdrawing to leave her arm linked with his elbow. The pair now directed their steps toward the house, and Severus sighed. "Winky, best you add a third for dinner. It would appear that Harry Potter will be joining us."

He heard the little elf gasp. "Mister Sev!"

"I know, Winky," he replied. Winky was looking at him with alarm, and thinly veiled distaste. It warmed his heart to know he would not be the only one in the house with a less than enthusiastic reception of the young man. "But he is Hermione's best friend. I highly doubt he will be absent from our lives. Best to accept it now."

The elf popped out of the room with a grump, and the front door swung open. "Severus, Winky!"

From the sitting room he could hear Hermione's voice float through. Even with her unexpected companion, he was filled with warmth at her return. He heard her shuffle out of her coat and continue calling, "I've brought Harry with me!"

He strode into the entry hallway. He face was his practiced neutrality, but his eyes betrayed his pleasure at seeing his witch walk toward him. She hesitated only just before placing a sweet kiss to his cheek. Severus noted Harry's shift in weight at her intimate gesture. He internally groaned; Hermione was not being overly sexual, the kiss was loving but almost chaste in contrast to others Severus had witnessed between couples over the years. An uncomfortable memory of Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks hidden in the library of Grimmauld Place floated unbidden through his mind. He shook his head slightly to clear it away, and he allowed Hermione to tuck herself against his side. "Potter."

"Sir." Harry greeted. He had removed his coat and stood uncertainly next to the rack. "I hope it is alright that I came with Hermione. I was concerned about her today after The Prophet's ridiculous story was published. But she told me that she was simply going to ignore it, that you were both more focused on how to...come back to our world. I thought, even though I'm just a Junior Auror, that maybe I could help. If-if you wanted, sir."

Severus was trying very hard not to revel in how uncomfortable he made Potter. Still got it, he mentally smirked. He felt Hermione squeeze him a little tighter. Cheeky. Yes, love, I'll play nice. He glanced down at her and placed an unconscious kiss to the top of her head. He spun them in the direction of the kitchen. "Come along then, Potter. We can discuss this over dinner. Winky has made the necessary arrangements to include you."

--xx--

Over the course their meal, the three unlikely dinner companions had determined a clear course of action for Severus' grand reappearance in the magical world. Hermione would arrange an interview with Luna at The Quibbler to refute the story from The Prophet, even going so far to stipulate that she wasn't single. Simultaneously, Draco would demand a retraction from The Prophet and pivot the coverage to focus on his philanthropic pursuits, his distinguished healer career, and his bachelor status. Hermione had discussed this with them during their work day as they dodged congratulatory handshakes and hugs from co-workers, ultimately hiding in the research room until Harry's patronous found them. Meanwhile, Harry would begin to quietly investigate any potential ramifications of returning from the dead. Severus had been using a muggle savings account to live off of the last 3 years and would need Harry to determine the status of his wizarding estate.

"That addresses the immediate needs," Severus listened to Harry complete the strategizing. The young man's brows furrowed and his face turned to Hermione, who sat at the head of the small table, between the two men. "But what about the two of you? Eventually, you'll have to say something. Especially if Hermione makes it public that she's in a relationship to The Quibbler."

Severus observed the two friends closely. Hermione had deflated slightly at the mention of publicly acknowledging their relationship. But he knew it had more to do with their morning conversation than admitting they were together. He didn't doubt their relationship, and Hermione would not shy away from defending what she valued. He was about to reach for her, when he witnessed Harry beating him to it.

What followed was nothing short of fascinating for Severus to observe. A whole conversation seemed to occur non-verbally between Hermione and Harry. Hermione's hand came to rest atop Harry's and she looked imploringly at her best friend. Some head shakes, nods, and Harry's gentle tucking of a stray curl seemed to sum up what was needed to be said. Severus' mouth twitched; he felt the hatred he had carried for so long toward the grown boy dissipate. He finally saw more of Lily in the Potter heir than James, and he was once again, grateful that Hermione had Harry in her life.

Harry stood, extending a hand toward Severus. Perfunctorily, Severus stood and took the offered hand. Hermione rose as well, embracing Harry tightly, and then the duo made their way to the front door. "I'll see you Sunday, Mi. The family will be supportive, I have no doubt. That is, once they get over the shock. I'll tell Ginny and Ron before, that way you have some backup."

Severus stood behind Hermione in the entry again, having connected the pieces of the silent conversation that had transpired at the table. Harry pulled on his coat and addressed him. "I'll get that information for you, sir, and send it along with Mi. Thank you for letting me stay for dinner. If I thought Winky might speak to me, I'd tell her how delicious it was, but I don't think I can conquer that mountain tonight. Be seeing you."

Severus watched him open the door as Hermione called a soft goodbye. The door closed, and Severus felt himself jolt back into place. He had spent so much of the last ten minutes observing, he realized he needed to return to himself and the actions before him. He moved swiftly to the door, opening it and calling the short distance to the former bane of his existence. "Potter! I haven't been your professor for some time, it's Severus."

Harry turned, pulling the lapels of his coat closer to him, the breeze having picked up throughout the evening. "Alright, Severus. But, it's just Harry."

Severus stretched a thin lipped smile across his face as he stared into the vacant space Harry's apparation left in the front garden. He wiped the look from his face as he rounded back to the open front door, Hermione's loose curls blowing about her face and an invitingly warm smile painting her mouth. She was a vision, and Severus stopped his approach to wonder at her. He watched as her cheeks blushed and arms wrapped around her middle. Eyes met, and Severus mentally reached out to ask invitation to her mind. He felt her open in response. As he began his approach to the house once more, he pushed thoughts of gratitude and feelings of home to her. She gave a hitching sigh, he halted in front of her and severed their connection.

Severus wrapped her in his arms and ambled them through the front door toward the stairs to their room. As they ascended, Severus quick on her heels, he said, "if Molly Weasley hugs me more than once on Sunday, I will pretend to be dead again."

"Oh, Severus," Hermione's voice echoed back down to him. "For every hug she gives you, I'll remove one article of clothing when we come home."

He froze on the stairs. She had spun to appraise him from the two steps above. He drew in a breath. "Thank Merlin Molly's never been able to restrain herself."

Hermione's answering laugh filled the house.


A/N: I have been waiting years, literally years, for someone to acknowledge Hermione's bravery in such a way. So, I wrote it myself.

I apparently also have very little restraint in posting once I'm finished writing, so this update is even earlier than expected. I've loved all of the comments, and this story now has almost 200 followers! I feel so truly grateful. Thank you, all.

Leave those comments: thoughts, predictions, criticisms, etcetera are welcome! -Archer