Sorry so short. I'm a writing fool and want to get these chapters up as they come to me before I go on vacation tomorrow. More to come.
Still have not become JK Rowling so these characters are still all hers...
Hermione was surprised to find Severus waiting for her when she reemerged from the kitchen holding a tin of oatmeal cookies and a bag of potato chips. She figured he would escort her to the kitchens and then be off to wherever else he decided to go. Arching her eyebrow in an unspoken question, Hermione looked at Severus for an explanation.
"Seeing as how we are the only ones here and you look like you could use a….ahem… friend, I felt it important to stay and keep you company." His eyes, usually cold and harsh, held a tinge of concern. "I promise not to pry." Liar he thought to himself.
Hermione knew Severus' stubborn nature and knew he would not relent so she agreed and they walked towards the empty staff room.
Once settled into couches next to each other, Severus watched Hermione mindlessly eat her potato chips and stare off into space. He thought for a moment before saying "if it's any use to you, I always thought Mr. Weasley was an arse."
Hermione didn't know whether to laugh or cry at that. It was so like Severus to be as blunt as possible. Severus continued, almost as if it pained him to say the kind words, "just know that you have people on your side who care about you and don't want to see you hurting. Whatever is going on, you're not alone."
Touched and slightly choked up, Hermione impulsively reached across the table separating them and squeezed his hand slightly to tell him "thank you." She was surprised to find that his pale hand was not cold and clammy as she had always expected it to be, but instead warm and pulsing with life. He squeezed her hand back and held it for a moment. Neither of them seemed to want to let go.
Finally, Hermione pulled her hand away to wipe a stray tear that crept down her check. Dammit, she thought, why am I ALWAYS crying lately? Without thinking, she reached into the pocket of her robe and brought out the handkerchief Severus had let her use yesterday and dried her eyes. Pulling it away from her face, she stared at it for a moment before offering it back to Severus. Severus shook his head and gently pushed the cloth back towards her saying "you need it more than I do."
They sat there in silence as Hermione brooded and ate her chips while Severus himself was lost in thought. He wondered what had happened in the last 24 hours since he found her in her flat crying, along with reminiscing about his own hurtful past that turned him jaded. He could relate to how Hermione was feeling, more than she realized he could.
Suddenly, without preamble, Hermione sat up, took a deep breath and announced "The wedding is off."
Severus managed to hide his surprise and bit back the obvious "why" question and instead asked, "Is Weasely aware of that fact?"
Shaking her head, Hermione answered, "I guess not. I came here initially to get away and clear my head and I'm starting to realize I came here to figure out how to break the news to him."
"I thought you had done that yesterday."
"I tried. I was mad at him for a silly little thing and overreacted. But last night I realized that maybe the wedding isn't such a good idea."
Severus knew better than to ask why and decided to let Hermione tell him on her own. They sat there in silence for a few more minutes before Severus reminded her "You're going to have to tell him sooner rather than later. Standing there in your wedding robes with everyone looking at you is probably not the best time."
"True. I just don't know how to tell him without him going off half cocked."
"Well he's not going to like it but you are a grown woman, Hermione. You're free to make whatever decisions you want." Hermione's eyes flew to his face as she realized he had called her "Hermione" for the first time she could ever remember. It usually was "GRANGER or Professor." Severus seemed to realize what he had said to and stared at her intently, his eyes unreadable. Uncomfortable by the intensity of the gaze, they both looked away, Severus doing everything he could to NOT stare at the gap at the top of her robe, exposing more pale soft skin than she intended. He felt a quickening in his body but quashed the feeling as soon as it came.
The two professors sat in silence for some time watching the birds fly through the forest and looking at the thestrals near Hagrid's hut snoozing in the grass. Out of nowhere, Hermione summoned up the courage to ask timidly, "Am I pretty?"
Severus sat with a lump in his throat as his eyes whipped back towards Hermione. She was not staring at him but instead her gaze was focused out the window, staring but not really seeing. She seemed to be lost in thought. The question brought him up short, so softly it was spoken. He didn't quite know what to say, knowing that his answer was important to her in a variety of ways. He half considered that she was speaking to herself when she inquired, "Severus?"
He cleared his throat and surreptitiously glanced at her body before weighing his answer. "Yes, Hermione. I think you are very pretty. Inside and out."
Hermione's body sagged back into the chair, her mind taking in his answer. She mumbled so silently he almost missed it. "I'm glad someone thinks so." With that, she stood up and walked out without a word.
Severus stared after her, her last question and response weighing on his mind. He knew that something was troubling her deep down. The Weasely boy had hurt her and for a moment, Severus felt a flash of anger at the boy for making Hermione feel this way. Since the War, he had no use for selfishness. Life was too precious to waste. He sat there in the staff room for a while pondering their conversation, while images of Hermione refused to leave his mind. Frustrated at his mind and body's betrayal to his personal vow that he wasn't going to feel any sort of emotion ever again, Severus headed for his office, intent on pushing her from his mind.