As Hermione lay the wreath on Harry's parents' grave, she thought of the woman that Snape had cared for, for so many years. A once vibrant and loving woman now silent beneath the ground. As silent as the snow that fell on that December evening. It was strange to think of all that life, those dreams, hopes, and years, could be turned off like a light. The thought of Severus under the cold ground had her throat constricted. His nimble fingers no longer cutting ingredients, his brilliant mind no longer inventing solutions to problems the world didn't know existed yet; his mouth no longer eliciting goosebumps from her skin. Such a man couldn't die, he couldn't be reduced to nothing but ash and memory. The wizarding world needed him. She needed him after this, more than anything. Memories alone would never suffice. With this, she began to understand his yearning. It was like swallowing a bittersweet potion. At least she could pursue her love, and she would do so with earnest to show him everything he had missed out on and more. She would overwrite his misery with love. If only he lived long enough to do it.
While Harry was reminiscing, she was keeping watch for their safety. Her eyes picked up a familiar symbol on the graves of Dumbledore's family. It was a circle with a line through it inside of a triangle- some sort of alchemy? No, this symbol was the very same one on the book she'd received from Dumbledore. There had to be a connection. She would look into it later.
Hermione attempted to ignore the suffocating dread entering her mind as she saw the old woman on the street. Perhaps Harry was right, perhaps she had the answers they were searching for. But as they entered the ramshackle house, she could smell the very viscera of death she'd been reflecting on. Someone had died in this house; all too recently. "Harry…" she pleaded, but her friend continued his one sided conversation, unperturbed.
"Hermione…" Severus' voice implored.
"Severus?" She stepped out of the room with Harry to allow for a more focused connection, "We're with an old woman, Bathilda Bagshot."
"She's among the dead, Hermione! Get out of there, NOW!"
What was she? Hermione stepped back as the ice ran down her spine. She wasn't the typical cursed body, no. The way she moved was almost like-
"Harry, it's the snake! The snake!" She screamed as she ran to retrieve her friend from certain doom.
Nagini had revealed itself; teeth sinking near blows with every strike. "He's coming! Hermoine, he's coming!" Harry cried out as he fought the coiling snake.
Voldemort! She thought as she cast several curses against the serpent. It must have been under some protection spell to resist the high level of magic she used. Something about the snake wasn't right, if she could only place it… Nagini slithered towards her as she struggled to think of something to use. Perhaps she would be the one cold under the ground far before Severus, she panicked.
That was when she felt Harry's arms around her midsection, hoisting her away from the snake. No, she could not be the first to die! She cast a Blasting Curse against Nagini as Harry pulled them through the shattered window. Hermione held her friend tight as she clenched her eyes, struggling to block out the charging snake and think of a place. Where? Where do we go? An image of trees forced its way into her head. Yes- there. At that moment they disapparated to the Forest of Dean.
Hermione looked on as Harry's wand was broken, along with his trust in Dumbledore. She felt dually guilty for both. "He changed, Harry, he changed! It's as simple as that! ...Harry, I'm so sorry, but I think the real reason you're so angry is that Dumbledore never told you any of this himself."
Severus had been right. He was always right. Showing a young man the opposite of the persona they knew caused them to question everything. She was glad now that she chose not to inform her friends of the ongoing efforts of Severus Snape. She would be damned if she told them she had anything romantic to do with him. Hermione nearly laughed at the thought of their horror-stricken faces. Yet there was only one face before her. That was right… Ron was still off being a prat somewhere. She huffed in exhaustion after applying Dittany to Harry's physical wounds and attempting some talk to heal his mental anguish. Alas, she had no potion to cure that.
"I'm going for a walk." Harry stood with his back to her at the entrance of the tent.
"Harry, please," she stood to dissuade him.
"He must go," seeped into her skull. Whether it was Snape's voice or her own she did not know. Hermione sat back on her cot in resignation as she saw the canvas flap close. Let him go then. She got into her cotton nightie and closed her eyes, she was so tired.
"Hermione," she heard the familiar vibrato whisper outside of her tent.
"Severus? Severus!" she ran to the opening to reveal her lover as she recalled him, lank black hair and dark buttoned robes leading up to that elegant face. "Oh, Severus!" she ran her hands over him as if he were a dream. The headmaster swept her up into his arms as he carried her inside.
"Foolish girl!" He chastised her as he sat her back on the cot, his arms leaning on either side of her. "I thought I told you not to go to there."
"I know, I know…" she cried at the relief of seeing his irritated face. "You were right."
"I could have lost you," he sank to his knees, wrapping his arms around the midsection of a seated Hermione.
"It will be all right Severus," she ran her fingers through his hair. "Our side will win this war."
"Not at the cost of the woman I love!" His eyes observed hers deeply for a moment before he cast them downwards.
"You," her heart leapt, "you love me?"
"I do. I love you, Hermione. I wasn't going to tell you because I am lost to this war and it wouldn't be fair. But, damn it all!" He kissed her was a rough passion, seeking to possess all of her. "Can't I be selfish?"
"Yes, please," she kissed him eagerly as he groaned into her mouth in reprieve. Hermione ground into him as his hips met up with her clothed entrance. This caused them both to pull back and examine one another's half-lidded expressions. In the blink of an eye Hermione was going for her nightie and Severus was unbuttoning his trousers.
His hand stalled her from hiking her nightshirt. "We don't have much time," he spoke against her mouth, "leave it on."
That was right… she was still in that blasted tent she had shared for so many months. The thought of being caught caused a naughty thrill she couldn't deny. "Do we have enough time?" she spoke through her kiss.
"I'll make sure of it," Severus revealed his hardened manhood through the fly of his boxers, tugging on it with two broad strokes. Merlin, he was beautiful. The very view had Hermione salivating. She had been rubbing herself without even being cognizant. At the awareness, she pulled back her hand from her already dampened underwear. Severus gave a smirk at her reaction. As he pulled her panties aside as he ran a pointer finger over her entrance, the same he'd once shook at her in reprimand. She licked her lips at the sensation.
"Are you ready for me?" He queried.
"Always," she pulled him into a kiss, sliding him inside of her as she did so.
"Ah!" He gave a beautiful gasp. Severus held her tight as they pressed into each other repeatedly.
"More," she breathed, "harder! I want it so bad!"
He obliged by lifting her up, thrusting into her in rapid succession. She had never felt anything like it. She moaned against his neck in appreciation.
"Say it, Hermione," he grunted.
She was only vaguely aware of the world around her, feeling the walls tighten inside of her, yet she still wanted to please him. "Hm?" she whined.
"Tell me that you love me," his trusts came harder, almost in admonition.
"I love you, Severus Snape!" she cried, "Ah! I love you so much!"
With that he was spilling himself inside of her, catalyzing her orgasm soon after.
He laid her on the bed, the weight of his clothed body still on top of her. "I love you, Hermione Granger," his deep voice whispered as he kissed her lips and forehead, reluctantly withdrawing himself from within her. When he cast the cleansing charm, she nearly missed the warmth of him creasing the back of her thighs. "Thank you for allowing me to do so."
Hermione held him close, extracting whatever memories she could out of their brief time together. The smell of his aftershave, the feel of his robes, the sound of his voice.
"I'm afraid I must go." He sat back and straightened his attire, making sure that Hermione's dishevelment looked like it came from sleep. "Potter and Weasley will be back any minute." Severus playfully smiled at her expression.
Hermione nearly gagged at the mention. If she had to be stuck in a tent she'd rather it be with the man she loved. But she had no choice in the matter. Well, sans for one; she was going to kick Ron's ass.