~ Chapter 2 ~
They pulled up outside the bustling city of Ravos with glum faces. Severus paid the man to watch over their belongings as Hermione grabbed her satchel, purposefully leaving him behind. She submerged herself in the crowd and he lost sight of her immediately.
Stupid woman! I cannot believe she is still angry at me — I did nothing wrong!
He followed in her footsteps and found himself whisked away in the wave of people. Bells chimed and a gong vibrated his ears when he passed a rather lively market stall. After a few minutes, he broke free of the crowd and stepped out into the spacious market square.
A fountain glistened in the middle as children splashed around in the water. He spotted Hermione standing at a book stall, so he walked over mumbling to himself. She didn't look his way as he came to a stop by her side.
"Are you going to ignore me for the rest of eternity?"
She opened up the flap of her bag and paid the man for her book, then walked off in the opposite direction. He could tell she was trying to test his patience; she sighed every other minute and lingered too long when talking to the owners of the stalls.
Perhaps my words upset her more than I realised? They carried on their little cat-and-mouse game until Severus spotted something about to strike them from the corner of his eyes. Hermione turned around quickly and put herself in front of him with one hand on his chest and the other waving at the owner.
The snake rose from the basket with a hiss. Its purple skin shimmered beneath the sunlight, and the moistness on its fangs taunted him. Severus didn't know how to react, but it was clear that Hermione did.
"What's wrong with you?!" she snapped.
"I'm sorry, miss."
"Sorry? Is it a poisonous snake?"
"Yes, miss."
"Be more careful next time!"
Hermione pushed at his chest and led him away from the stalls. They slipped into a nearby alleyway, and she stayed close to him. "Are you OK?"
He stared down at her with a passive look on his face. "I'm fine." She smiled at him sadly, then became aware of her hand on his chest. She pulled away quickly and gave him some space to gather his senses.
There wasn't much he could've done to prepare himself — he hadn't expected to have a snake sneak up on him like that. Hermione adjusted the strap of her bag, unintentionally forcing up her breasts. Severus' eyes moved in their direction for a mere second before he focused on her face.
Well, that's one way to distract me.
"Shall we head back out?" she touched his arm again and glanced out at the busy marketplace.
All it took was a stupid snake to get her to talk to him again. He felt the tension between them disappear and they carried on their journey around the stalls. After almost an hour passed, they found themselves raiding a herb stand.
"Did you ever really enjoy potions?" she asked while turning over one of the labels to examine the information.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "It lost its appeal after I left school, but I was good at it."
"Do you fancy buying some ingredients, and trying the concoctions from the book I grabbed back at the capital?"
He liked that she was asking if he was comfortable with doing something that had once caused him unwarranted strain. "I don't mind."
"I found one that can turn you into a tiny creature of your choice — I can't decide what adorable thing I want to turn into for a short while-"
"You're rambling."
She scoffed. "I'm excited."
"I'll watch you do it just in case you mess up; need I remind you about your little accident back in-" her hands flew to her ears and she walked off shouting "la la la." Severus followed behind her with a deep chuckle.
They finished off their rounds around the market and returned to load up the cart with everything. Hermione pulled out the map and started to fuss over it.
"Shall we stay here for a while?" she asked.
"Whatever you want."
"That doesn't help!" she squeaked in frustration, and Severus smiled to himself as he moved around some of their bags. "I'm thinking we should head-"
"Excuse me?" A young girl approached them with a basket full of scrolls. Hermione stopped her musing and crouched down in front of the shy child.
"Hello," she smiled. "Can I help you?"
"You're cordially invited to attend the dance in the market this evening to celebrate my birthday," she held out a scroll and Hermione giggled.
"I am?"
"Your husband can come as well!" Before any of them could correct her, she slipped away with her basket in tow.
"Would you like to go this evening, husband?" Hermione slid closer to him with a smug smile on her face.
"Give me that," he held out his hand and swiped it from hers, then hit her over the head with it.
"How rude, sir," she retrieved the map with a chuckle. "Well, I guess we're staying here until tomorrow."
"We don't know that girl," he shook his head to dismiss the idea, but she flashed him that man-bending look again. "Fine."
"Let's drive the cart through the back entrance, according to the map there's a secluded inn there that will keep us away from the inner city noise," she rolled up the map and slipped it into her bag. "Ready?"
He nodded his head. They started off on the journey around the city walls to the more calm entrance. Severus kept glancing her way, wondering what had made her so happy. One moment she's furious with me, then the next she's grinning and saying I'm her husband…
I should see a physician about this damn chest pain.
"Do you ever wonder…" she trailed off with a sad look on her face.
"I wonder a lot of things, Granger."
She stifled a laugh. "Do you ever wonder how they reacted to our deaths?"
What sort of question is that? He narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. "I've never wondered about that."
"I have," she said. "What if the next time I see them they're old and grey?"
"That day will be a great day," he smirked to himself and she hit his arm. "Hermione, stop worrying about it. If you let your mind travel down that dark tunnel, you'll end up upsetting yourself more."
"You're right," her hand lingered on his arm. "I suppose seeing them all old and grey will be entertaining."
He could tell another painful thought had appeared in her mind because she stared off into the distance. "What is it now?"
Her cheeks reddened. "I...you see...Ronald and I kissed during the battle," she avoided his piercing eyes. "While we were camping in the woods, I came to the conclusion that he would be it for me. Plain and simple, just the way I like it. However, now I feel as if all of those thoughts were fuelled by the adrenaline and panic of being Harry's friend."
"Hermione Weasley doesn't sound right," she laughed loudly at his reply. It's the truth; anything would sound better than having Weasley attached to one's name.
"I suppose you're right, Severus," she said with a sparkle in her eyes. "My life is here now, so I can't keep pondering on my past life."
He couldn't agree with her more. I'm happy the way things are now, surprisingly. Hermione has long been his comfort blanket here, and he has a feeling they will be by one another's side for a long time. He felt some form of glee when he thought about Potter turning up to find out his best friend liked to travel with the dungeon bat.
"Oh, you've got something on your face," she reached over and brushed her finger along his cheekbone. There was a moment of pause, her touch lingered on his skin and he cast her a painful look.
"Stop mothering me," he broke the tension and she rolled her eyes.
"I'm your wife remember? I have to take care of my dear husband," she playfully patted his chest then jumped away from the growl that vibrated beneath his shirt.
"You should head back to Dosrose Village and get hitched with Frederick; he'll be a much more suitable gentleman for you," he led the horse down the empty alley.
"When did I ever say I was looking for a gentleman?" she had the audacity to wink at him. His cheeks flooded with colour and she chuckled all the way to the inn.
They bought two rooms to stay in, and their accommodations were opposite one another. Severus busied himself unpacking, then he headed downstairs to put the horse in the stables attached to the inn/pub.
When he walked back inside, he spotted Hermione talking to the owner who was busy pouring her a drink. He slipped behind a wooden post and watched her carefully.
He hated to admit it, but she was beautiful in every sense of the word. He could hardly comprehend why she continued to stay with him day in and day out; she must have an ulterior motive, that's the only reasonable explanation.
The owner was rather old so it wasn't like he could accuse her of flirting with him — I'm old...yet she doesn't mind people thinking we're married. All of his worries could be solved if he just talked to her about it, but he wasn't sure how he truly felt.
I suppose I like having her around. He didn't want to mix up friendship with infatuation, everyone knows how badly that went wrong for him the previous time.
Hermione caught his eye and a huge smile grew on her face. "Is everything OK, Severus?" she waved him over and he exited the shadows.
"Everything's perfectly well."
She didn't seem to believe his murmured response, but chose not to push for answers."Thank you for the drink," Hermione smiled goodbye to the man and they headed back upstairs.
…
The sound of music called to them from the Inn. Severus found himself glaring at Hermione as she pulled him out his bedroom. Her white dress and knitted cardigan hugged her body, causing his eyes to linger for longer than necessary.
"I haven't finished getting ready yet!" he tried to finish doing the buttons of his shirt, and she whirled around to face him. Before he could react, she finished off the job and smiled at him.
"We don't want to be late!" she exclaimed and linked her arm with his.
"That young girl doesn't even know us, I doubt we'll be missed," he said.
They made their way out of the building and walked down the narrow alleys towards the large square. Everywhere was covered in lanterns and cloth banners, a melody played from the fountain in the middle, and everyone seemed to be dancing with joy on their faces.
Hermione turned to look at him with a shy smile, and he soon realised what she wanted to ask him. "I am not dancing with you, Granger," he pulled away from her touch and headed off to the farthest table.
"Please?" she chased after him and took the seat opposite.
He pinned her with a look. "No."
"Why?" she whined like a child.
"Because I don't enjoy it."
"For me?"
"What makes you think that dancing with you would make it more enjoyable?" she crossed her arms and scowled at him. "There are many willing partners out there for you to dance with."
"You're such a killjoy," she muttered.
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing, my dear husband," she flashed him her signature smile then walked off to the drinks stand.
Severus watched her go through his black strands. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was something about her that he liked. He knew when she took immediate offence to the things — like his comment last night — which meant he didn't have to dig up his previous actions to ponder whether that had upset her. That's a good quality in anyone, he mused, however, it seems it's the littlest of things that hurt her the most.
A part of him wanted to dance with her, but the other half was uncertain of how he would react. What if they danced and the feeling inside his chest grew? The last thing he wants is to make things awkward between them.
The young girl who gave them the invitation approached Hermione. He observed their interaction and smiled to himself at Hermione's glowing reaction. They talked for a while, then the girl placed a flower in Hermione's wavy hair and ran off to join her friends.
A short while after, an unfamiliar man approached her asking if she'd like to dance. He glared at him with fiery eyes as he spun Hermione around by the fountain. His fingers tapped on the wooden table until he gave up with a deep grumble.
Severus swiftly stepped between the pair and ushered the man away with a limp hand. "My turn."
Hermione tilted her head. "I thought you said-" he didn't allow her a chance to respond, he quickly grabbed her waist and hand, then started a slow dance that fit the new melody.
She relaxed against his body, resting her head near his shoulder. His distaste for dancing hadn't changed, but there was something deeply personal about being this close to her. He hated that his heart started to beat just that little bit faster.
"If someone told me a few months ago that I'd be dancing with Professor Snape, I would believe that they were insane," she removed her head from his chest and glanced up at him.
"You wound me," he muttered sarcastically.
She chuckled. "I never said that I feel that way now."
Her eyes sparkled with something he didn't understand. He wished to look away from her, but he found himself enchanted by the peaceful look on her face. She's happy being in my arms.
"You're a rather good dancer," she said. "I'm surprised."
"I've danced before, Granger, I've done many other things which I don't necessarily do now," for some reason she blushed.
"I suppose so," her hand gripped his shoulder a bit more just as her eyes lowered to his exposed neck. She moved her hand up to the side that held his scar, and slowly brushed her fingers against it.
A look of pure wonderment settled on her soft features, and as their eyes locked, they were pulled into mesmerisation of one another. Her chin moved forward a little, and for a moment he thought she was going to kiss him. Something flashed over her eyes and she broke away from the trance that had consumed them.
She swallowed hard. "No one else is dancing."
He blinked a few times, then glanced around to see everyone was moving over to the large banquet. "Oh," he said breathlessly.
Her hand slid over his chest as she stepped away from him. "Are you hungry?" he responded with a quick nod, and they filled up their plates, both of them wondering what had just transpired between them.
AN:/ Hello! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know your thoughts! As you can see, the tension is starting to build between the pair.