CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX – ON THE SAME PAGE

With a plan established and Draco taken care of, there was only one important thing to do. Severus was sure by now that Minerva had gotten news of him being spotted at the Leaky, and even if she hadn't read it somewhere, Severus was hard pressed to believe someone in the Weasley clan hadn't spilled their guts about the fact that he was still breathing. Either way, he needed to go himself, he had a lot to say and a lot to…apologize…for. With Hermione at her internship, today was perhaps the best day. Heaving a sigh, Severus shrugged on his cloak and walked out back and down the garden path a way, picturing Minerva's home and spinning away with a loud crack.

The house looked the same and Severus wondered what kind of person Minerva was when she was home. Her personal life had been a constant mystery, but he imagined tidy and cozy would describe her home life. Despite her ability to be harsh and to the point, Minerva had always been a million other thing beneath the surface. Bracing himself, Severus walked up the front steps and raised his hand to the door, half expecting the same reaction as before. Minerva swung the door open and stared for a moment, before leaning back and grabbing something behind her. She snapped the newspaper open in front of him, "So, it is true then".

Severus scanned the sensationalist title about him coming back to life and nodded. "Minerva, I-"

Minerva held up a finger, her lips pinched and her eyes evaluating him. "So, you did show up here a while ago." Severus nodded again. "Your hair's too long and your throat's a mess." Despite her jabs, Minerva stepped back and motioned for Severus to come in. Severus crossed the threshold tentatively, unsure if he was about to get a scolding or not. As Minerva led him down the hall to the sitting area, Severus thought he was right about her house, cozy and tidy, although there was still something firm and serious about it all. "You weren't very convincing." Minerva mentioned as she started a kettle on the stove.

"Well you were very childish about it all," Severus raised an eyebrow. "You called me a good man, now that was something."

Minerva looked pleasantly flustered, "Yes well, I had learned the truth and you were dead so there was a lot of…"

"Loose ends. Well I'm here now, Minerva, please tie them up."

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you, either time."

"Yes well, I was convincing during the war, wasn't I?"

"Better than you were knocking on my door looking like death warmed over."

Severus scoffed, "That's because I was death warmed over."

"I'm such a fool thinking you were someone coming to play a bad joke. I mean really, who would dare do something like that anyways?"

Severus leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs, comfortable with his assumption that Minerva was not going to send him back to his death bed. "It was very off-putting, especially since I came for… help." He spat out the last word like it tasted bad, he had always hated asking for help and the only reason he abhorred Draco's nurturing of him slightly less than he normally would have was because at least he didn't ask for it. But he was glad for it.

Minerva had the grace to look shocked before she wandered back to the kitchen and made them a pot of tea, catching the kettle right before it whistled. She stood there a moment too long though, her back to Severus. "There's still one thing I don't understand," she said quietly, "everything that happened with Miss Granger…" Minerva turned around and carried the tea trey to the table, her face steely and reserved.

A smile tugged at Severus' lips and he looked up at her through a curtain of hair. "Ah yes, well she never was really a thrall. It was an excellent ruse though, don't you think?"

Severus saw her cogs turning and her face breaking out into horror, "but I saw you! In the alcove!" She sputtered.

"I can assure you," Severus adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves with feigned disinterest, "that was all mutual." He smirked.

"You sick man!" Minerva swatted him with the newspaper, and while it did sting, there wasn't as much venom in her voice as he expected. "I mean… really am I supposed to believe that?"

"What's not to believe?" Severus forced down the younger version of himself that wanted to rot away: ugly, old, horrible, why would Hermione ever want the likes of you; he couldn't be that because he trusted Hermione's feelings for him, even if sometimes he still feared they were not reality.

Minerva stared at him. She knew the doubts that haunted him, and yet his response was confident. Far be it from her to put a hole in his balloon. "Well, maybe keep your ardor a little more private. I cannot be seeing something like that again."

Severus chuckled. "And I cannot be giving anyone a heart attack, I'm sure there are still those who are suspicious."

Minerva pulled herself away from her unpleasant replay of catching the pair in the alcove, realizing what she had seen was not what she thought and understood Hermione's responses at the time much better. Consensual. Minerva had thought Hermione had been a bit too fiery to be a thrall, but her doubt didn't have anything to back it up during that time. She turned her attention back to Severus and the two continued with their tea and conversation.

SHSHSH

Working six in the morning to noon was a tiring bur rewarding shift and left Hermione feeling like she still had the whole day ahead of her. Leaving St. Mungo's, Hermione decided now was a good as time as ever to go talk to Molly. Hermione sent Severus her patronus, and apparated to The Burrow. Hermione brushed the dust off the bottom of her robes as she approached the door and poked her head in. "Mrs Weasley? Hello?"

"In the kitchen dear!"

Hermione kicked off her shoes and walked into the kitchen leaning against the door frame, watching Molly put a few things in the oven then straighten up. The woman beamed at her and motioned her over. "I just put some pies in, perhaps you'd like to stay for some?"

"I might take some home, thank you."

"Of course, dearie. The boys aren't around today, you know."

"I, erm, actually wanted to talk to you."

Molly looked perfectly pleased and sat down at the dinning room table, patting the spot next to her, "well what about then?"

"Well, you all know that Severus has been staying with me, but I wanted to tell everyone it's a bit more than that. We… well we erm…"

Molly laughed, "oh we know, love, we all know."

Hermione blushed furiously, "what?!"

"I mean from what I hear you two were stuck together for months during the war and as soon as anyone finds out he's alive, you two are shacked up together. It doesn't take much of a genius, but do you know what the dead giveaway was?"

Hermione shook her head, her eyes wide.

"You could barely get that man to sit still at an Order meeting for five minutes, but he comes here for dinners with you and puts up with it for hours. Besides, I've never seen him look at anything the way he looks at you."

Hermione swallowed loudly, "well, I guess since you know… are you okay with it?"

"Well, frankly dear, it is a bit inappropriate to be living together like that before a wedding but you two are a fair match."

Hermione blushed furiously at the mention of a wedding. It wasn't like that, not for them, and she could never see Severus marrying anyone. Ever. "And everyone?"

Molly sighed. "Well Ron had a right fit, was furious for days. Harry was quite silent about it. George was laughing hysterically. Ginny smacked them all and told them to get it together."

"So, you all talked about it?"

"Well we had to, didn't we? It was only after the last dinner so don't be surprised if next time around everyone is acting a bit strange."

"Bloody hell, it's not like we're all adults or something. It's not that weird."

"Well, he was your professor and a supposed enemy for a long time. It's a little much to take in."

"They weren't so weirded out when Remus was staying with me." Hermione grumbled too low for Molly to hear.

SHSHSH

Hermione shut the door behind her and leaned against it with a sigh.

"Sounds like you had an interesting time with Weasley matriarch." Severus drawled, standing up from his seat at the table and walking towards her.

"I mean… it was just so much back and forth between understanding and discomfort and she kept insisting we should do the right thing, and I think next time there's a dinner we should skip it." Hermione held out the container in her hands, "however we did get four kinds of pie out of this afternoon."

"Well, I went to go talk to Minerva."

Hermione made a face and put the pie slices on the nearest flat surface, reaching for Severus, "do tell."

Severus pulled her in close to him and played with a piece of her hair, "frankly I don't know if she was more disturbed that I'm alive or that you like me voluntarily." He paused, "excuse me, what did she mean the right thing?"

Hermione waggled the ring finger of her left hand and lifted up on her toes to plant a kiss on his lips. Severus took a hold of her forearms and looked her in the eyes, "Hermione, that's something that-"

"We really don't have to talk about that right now."

Severus fell silent. He was sure at some point she would want that conversation, but right now she was running her hands over his body and kissing his neck. Yes, talking could wait.