She wanted to make a memory of this time to ensure herself it never faded because she was, in fact, almost as happy and peaceful as she'd ever been. That in mind, she breathed in the smell of the air, his scent, the feel of his course wool robes which covered her from the torso down...all of it; the soft, warm, and slow breath that barely poured over her as he exhaled.
Hermione glanced down with only her eyes to where Severus' hand had limply forgotten itself and lay immobile over her side, his fingers barely brushing her shirt over her stomach.
Her eyes next came upon his other hand, which was around her shoulder somewhat now, haphazardly keeping her close to him but had lost its strength as he'd found sleep. Hermione reached up and lightly started tracing each finger, up and down, as if in a trance.
"That is the first time I've slept the whole night through in...years," came Severus' groggy voice suddenly from behind her. Hermione jumped a little, she hadn't known he'd been awake. She felt him shift slightly and she did too, moving closer against him, huddling her face deeper into where his arm had now taken back a firm hold on her.
"Well," she said, her voice cracking slightly from lack of use, "can't have been because you were sleeping on a couch, can it?" She smiled to herself at her witty remark, knowing full well that the couch was the least of the solution to Severus' insomnia. But she couldn't very well come out and say what she was thinking.
Of course, she didn't have to.
"Well you don't have to gloat over it, now do you?" said Severus after hearing her thoughts about the reason he actually slept for once...her. He sounded teasingly annoyed but he had spoken clearly devoid of his usual, nasty tone, making Hermione smile all the more.
"Oh, what you do to me..." he sighed in a slow whisper very close to her ear, shooting a shiver down her spine as she closed her eyes, feeling him staying closer to her, placing a single kiss on the side of her temple.
She hadn't noticed at first, but now that she looked down again, she realized that he had taken her hand in his, intertwining their fingers, seeming to be holding her even tighter than before.
Slowly and without warning, Severus leaned in completely and laid one shuddering kiss on the side of her neck. Hermione took in a breath as he did, trying not to let a sound escape her throat as he used his hand that had been across her stomach to push her shirt away from her shoulder to allow himself better access while he ventured down to the base of her neck.
Hermione lifted her head again as he started back up the neck but filled with every emotion possible as the two of them met at the mouth, a good morning kiss to envy all others ever experienced by any person ever.
She rolled over on her back so she could properly see him as they broke apart and smiled up at him, surprised when she saw his face break into the shadow of a smile as well. She raised an eyebrow at him, and then continued to just gaze into his eyes, locked there once again with no hope of leaving that most wonderful place.
More time passed as Hermione began to move her eyes, searching his face for a trace of any emotion...something to tell her what he was thinking. She, of course, found nothing and had expected it, but something told her that Severus was finding all he wanted to know about her.
It didn't really bother her; she wanted him to know everything. All she felt: her love, desire, every feeling. Even the trust she had developed, knowing that there had really been a reason, a purpose, for all that had been done...and what was happening now.
Quiet, subdued realization fell onto Severus' face...then understanding and acceptance. He was glad of her trust; it was some of the only trust he had experienced in a long time. There was so much he wanted to say right then, but unknowing of how to make it come out of his mouth.
God man, what is wrong with you? She's turning you into a sap...but you love it.
He smiled to himself and then let a quick smile grace his face, causing a slightly surprised expression to come onto Hermione's.
"You know," she said softly, breaking the silence, "you look so much better when you smile." He scoffed incredulously. She slowly traced her index finger along his jaw line, dragging it lightly down to his chest grinning almost deviously when he swallowed as it went over his throat.
Severus looked down at her with only his eyes, brow raised slightly at how she'd just touched him. But he knew he didn't care anymore. If it had been anyone else, he'd have cursed them straight into next week, but her...he knew she was now nestled into a special place in his heart, a place he hadn't realized he still possessed.
Only the clock's very loud chime of eight startled them both out of their thoughts, reality setting in as Hermione started to rise, knowing the Headmaster would indeed be missed at breakfast, no matter how much they wanted rid of him.
Severus reluctantly allowed her to rise, thinking briefly of pulling her back down to him but knew she was right.
Hermione stayed sitting on the couch as she watched Severus stand up and go upstairs, coming down moments later looking only half-refreshed but slightly better than usual...the work of a good night's sleep.
She quirked a faint smile as he went past her, his eyes jumping in her direction for a moment as he crossed to the door. He stopped, resting his hand on the knob, and turned around towards her where she had now drawn her knees up to her chest and was looking at him, her head tilted at an angle, a completely innocent and serene look about her.
It warmed him to see her lightly smiling at him...of course, he would never share that out loud...
"I'll have the elves send breakfast to the office," he said in almost his normal voice. Hermione nodded, then waited for him to speak again.
"Until tonight then..." he said with one raised eyebrow, a faint smirk coming onto his face as he took one last look at her beautiful face, turned and left the room.
"Until tonight." She stated quietly after he'd left the room, feeling as though her nerves would burst at any second.
Severus could barely eat his breakfast as he sat there in the Great Hall, his mind rushing all over the place, thinking of what had been happening in the last few days between him and Hermione.
He was so absorbed in his thoughts he hadn't realized Minerva was watching him, trying to figure out exactly what was going on in his mind.
Minerva was realistic about things; she knew Severus had been the one who cast the spell which killed Albus and that he was now considered the right hand man by Voldemort himself, but beyond that, she too had trusted him and part of her still continued to do so.
In fact, it was most of her. For months now, she had been trying to convince herself that it had all been in Albus' "grand plan" and she had succeeded partially to a point. However, it was the fact that Severus now controlled the school.
How ironic...she thought, still glancing over at Severus periodically, watching him as he seemed to be struggling with something in his very battered mind.
She had watched Severus as a boy, being a student at Hogwarts, then into his adult life, which he was thrown into prematurely by the joining the Dark side. Even though it had ultimately been his choice, she knew it was more than what it seemed which had pushed him to become a Death Eater in the first place.
Minerva continued to watch him, knowing that she would only have a few moments before being detected because he was so paranoid. Finally, she had to hastily look away because he inevitably saw her and scowled at her.
What is going on in that mind of yours, Minerva? He thought, shaking his head and returning to his breakfast. He figured there had to be part of her that still believed that he hadn't really betrayed them all, but he was not certain and so made every attempt to avoid the old witch, making certain he wouldn't be faced with answering any questions she might have.
Severus glanced up ahead of him momentarily and looked out onto the whole hall where students were sitting, chatting over their porridge. His eyes swept the place until they rested on the only face looking, no glaring in his direction: Longbottom.
He sighed heavily and shook his head again as Longbottom too looked away like Minerva had, except he removed his gaze slowly, normally, as if thinking.
Severus was sure that he hadn't heard the end of Neville Longbottom in the subject of the altercation in the kitchens. But he had to make certain the idiot wouldn't say a word of Hermione's presence in the castle. If he did...Severus suppressed a shudder at the thought of the now Death Eater-controlled ministry hauling her away if they found her.
As breakfast ended and the students all filed off tot their lessons, Severus sighed to himself before arising as well and making his way to his wretched class of second year Defense Against the Dark Arts.
To serve to worsen his mood, it was a double period and that only meant more idiot answers from the thickheaded students who seemed like they were unable to learn anything at all.
The only good thing about teaching the younger ones was the pure look of fear that met his eyes every time he dramatically walked into the room to start class. It was one of his favorite parts about teaching...
Although, as he entered the classroom, he caught sight of a Ravenclaw girl who had very bushy brown hair, his thoughts fleetingly jumped to Hermione who was upstairs. Startling himself slightly, he shook his head of the thought and continued on his way to the front of the classroom.
This certainly was going to be an interesting day. Not only because his mind could not stay in one place...
But because his mark had started to burn.