Hermione smoothed her palms over her school skirt and sighed forlornly, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she frowned sadly at her reflection, her attention catching on a strand of wayward hair, which she tucked quickly behind her ear.
Gulping hard she tore her gaze from the mirror, she was only prolonging the pain of going back to Hogwarts.
When Severus had informed her that Minerva had come to see him and basically given him no option at all, Hermione had become volatile and it took all of his strength to hold the brazen little bitch from leaping into the floo and strangling Minerva. He had, of course, managed to calm her down by rationally explaining he wanted her to finish her schooling so should she wish to pursue higher education, she wouldn't have any hurdles in her way.
And now here she was, on the morning she was meant to return to Hogwarts and the bile in her stomach had made its way up her throat on a few occasions and threatened to spill onto the ground below her.
What would people think of her? What would people think of him? He was known as the dour, irate professor that kept to himself; the unbearable, wretched man who kept to himself and didn't show an ounce of empathy towards anyone.
She was the quiet, reserved know-it-all who was quite opinionated when it counted and of course she was Harry Potters best friend. She was part of the golden trio, she helped Harry defeat Voldemort and here she was not only fucking a Slytherin but a former Death Eater, one of Voldemorts most loyal and devout, but she had obviously gotten close enough and formed enough of a relationship with him to warrant a marriage proposal behind everyone's backs without even piquing an ounce of interest. Everyone would view her in a different light now and she knew there would be some snide remarks thrown her way.
A lump formed in her throat and tears pricked her eyes. Severus walked into the bedroom where his wife-to-be was standing, staring aimlessly in the mirror and he couldn't help but feel a little dirty looking at her in her school uniform and feeling like a dirty pervert. He couldn't help but feel wretched for the position she was about to be put in. He knew how the Gryffindor's would condemn and ostracize her for such a thing and she would be alone, more so than she was before. The Slytherin's bar Draco would be none too enthused either, it was no secret that many of them harbored animosity towards her for various things, the biggest thing was that she had a hand in the downfall of Voldemort and thus, most of their parents ended up in Azkaban or dead.
He cleared his throat and she jumped slightly, turning to face him, he could see the tears in her eyes and worry that swirled behind them.
"We should go," He said softly and the girl looked at him for a few moments as if weighing up her options and by the look on her face, he thought she might just leap out of the nearest window and vanish from his life.
She sighed with resignation, she had to do this, and she couldn't run and she couldn't hide. She would hold her head up high and walk into that castle without even showing a hint of fear.
She nodded solemnly as if she had just received news that her whole family had been slaughtered at the hands of Voldemort himself. She tried to hold her head high as she walked towards him but with every single step she took her mouth got drier and her legs got heavier and the lump of her throat grew until she practically collapsed into his arms and sobbed into his robes. All he could do was hold her tight against him as she cried all of her worries away and pain away.
He never did tell her he went to see Harry and he knew eventually they boy would come around and see her but he assumed he needed to fight with the demons in his own head before coming to terms with Hermione not wanting to be in a relationship with him. He knew that part of the girls worry and pain was that she still felt so alone and while he loved her and tried to show his affection, there were some aspects of her life that he couldn't fill the void and he hoped Harry would come to see her sooner rather than later because right now, the girl was fragile and at risk of falling apart completely.
She pressed herself harder into his arms seeking even more affection and comfort than he was already giving her. She needed to feel him; she needed to know that everything would be all right. In actual fact, she realized she was acting in the most irrational manner right now for someone who had to go back to Hogwarts and for a month to finish their exams but she couldn't control the emotions that were gnawing deep within her.
She withdrew from his body and started up at him through tear filled eyes. Gently he wiped a tear from her cheek with her thumb with affection.
"I'm ready," She whispered meekly, blinking up at him rapidly. He only nodded and tried to hide the sadness that he felt for Hermione. He loved her, that much was obvious or he wouldn't be standing here with her and he only wanted what was best for her.
-o-o-o-o-
Minerva had opened a floo line directly to her office. She paced backward and forwards with impatience eyeing the clock on the wall that broke the silence in the otherwise quiet room. She needed him to come back; she needed him to finish off the year. It turned out Potion's Masters were hard to come by, even more so Potions Masters that were willing to teach children; they were virtually nonexistent and she realized she needed Severus more than she knew before and it may be in her best interests to accommodate his needs than fight against him and hopefully he would stay on for many more years to come.
The fireplace roared into motion as Severus and Hermione stepped through together, he held her hand tight and the elder witch noted the tears flowing down the girls face but couldn't help but feel a little upset that Hermione had found solace and love in someone so much older, someone so much angrier and someone with so much animosity harbored within his soul; he was a polar opposite to the girl.
"You came," She tried to hide the elation in her voice, she wasn't sure he would show up if she were being honest and the fact he did took a huge load off of her shoulders.
"I am only here for her," He snapped gruffly, squeezing Hermione's hand tightly who was sniffling softly, trying to get her emotions into check.
"Indeed," Minerva almost sounded bored as she made her way back to her desk and tilted her head at two chairs opposite, they sat down quickly
She steepled her fingers and rested her elbows on her desk. The tension was so thick you would have almost needed a machete to cut through it.
"I've made some provisions for the two of you," Minerva began, and she noted an absence of the engagement ring from Hermione's finger and thought it was the wisest decision the girl could make. Walking around here with that on her finger would have been open slather for everyone to have an unwanted say.
"How kind of you," Severus almost physically spat.
"Considering what has happened…" She trailed off for a moment as if trying to form the right words to say without sounding both heartless and condescending.
"I think it is best if Hermione moves into your chambers with you, I am unsure of the reception any of the students will give her, especially her own house and given she spent more time with you than not down there before I don't see any problem with it now," She sniffed indignantly.
He could only chuckle. "You realize how obtuse you are being right now? Everything that happened was because YOU didn't want us together and now you are accommodating us by allowing her to reside in my chambers. Do you realize somewhere in that doltish mind of yours that if you had have allowed this in the first place we wouldn't be in this situation right now? I would have still been teaching willingly and I wouldn't have had to put on a spectacle the other night to get my point across." He rubbed his temples and took calming breathes in a bid to stop himself jumping over the table between them and strangling her till she stopped breathing.
Minerva jutted out her chin and opened and closed her mouth a few times as she tried to work out what to say to him. He was harsh with words and he had no filter and she knew not to take anything he said personally. He had a way of rubbing people up the wrong way but he also had the irritating ability to call people out on things and say it exactly the way it was.
"I still stand by my decision," She said pointedly glaring at Severus with condemnation.
"Are you fucking serious right now?" he rose just so from his chair, gripping the edge of the desk to stop his hands from reaching over and seizing her around the throat. His fingers twitched a the very thought.
"You beg me to come back here because you need me. I have to drag her along where she is clearly petrified of the retribution she will receive from her peers and you tell me you still stand behind your initial decision? Do you have any fucking idea how inept you are being right now? Do you have any fucking idea how much I don't want to be here but I forced myself to suck it up as a favor to you and you still don't support my decision, her decision." He shook his head in disbelief violently.
"Let's not let personal views get in the way of our professional relationship, Severus," her thick Scottish accent had anger tangling in it.
"You know what, Minerva? I have had a fucking gutful of your shit and your clear hatred towards me. Your clear disapproval of our relationship is just rubbing salt into the proverbial wounds. You can shove the job up your ass and I will seek out alternate arrangements for Hermione to finish her studies. I don't care if I have to pay the ministry ten thousand fucking galleons to sit them privately. Have a house elf bring the last of our belongings to my home and don't fucking forget her cat."
Hermione wiped at the fresh batch of tears spilling down her face with the back of her hand. Severus guided her to her feet and back to the fireplace.
"Have fun finding someone Minerva and don't you dare come back begging me again or I will fucking hex you from here to next year." He nodded his head curtly and vanished in a swirl of flames.
A/N: Hey guys. Sorry for the long delay. I was snowed under with websites and logos for clients and sadly they come first because they pay the bills.
I am so humbled by your reviews, and yes, I read every single one of them and they always bring a smile and brighten my day.
I wasn't sure where to go with this chapter, at first all was going to be fine and he was going to go back to teaching but he kinda went rogue and wrote this chapter himself.
-Aliasmel1