Snape started packing up his office but Hermione had no patience for this.
"Severus, we don't have time for this! He knows who I am; he's in my biology class. With my luck he's probably apparated right after me into my dormitory and is taking it apart as we speak."
Hermione's lip started to quiver as hot tears fell down her cheek. She crossed her arms tight around her chest and looked down at the floor. Severus heard her cry a bit and walked over to her. He wrapped his arms around her stiff body and held her tight to her chest.
"I thought I escaped this Severus. I thought I escaped the evil, the pain, all of the hurt. I don't want any of it. All I want is to go to school and to have you."
Ok, so maybe there was still some drunk talking going on, but it was pretty impressive she could still apparate while being drunk. Severus pulled her back from her body a bit, his hands still holding her arms. He half smiled and shook his head. "I came to the muggle world for all of the same reasons Miss Granger. All of the same reasons." He said, with added emphasis on the second all. Hermione looked at him confused, her eyes still welling up.
"I knew you'd come to the muggle world. You were in St. Mungo's for a year, escaped because they thought so much more was wrong than there actually was, tried to find your parents for a while with no luck and then came here to London. I knew you'd be here eventually and I wanted to be here, for you and with you."
His eyes looked so calm, Hermione thought. So calm, beautiful, sincere. Severus smiled and a wave of ecstasy over flowed through Hermione's veins. The euphoric feeling was quickly disrupted.
"What? You are in Miss Granger's chemistry class and did not tell me of your suspicions of Snape being the teacher? You wretch! You will pay! Open that office door and I may spare your life."
Hermione gasped. "We need to apparate now. Anywhere."
Snape pulled her back into his chest and they both closed their eyes. The next thing she knew she was in a quaint little house in the countryside. It was quiet here. Hermione looked around the deserted house and saw it was still furnished but very old. Snape didn't let go of Hermione after they landed. She smiled and pushed away a bit but Snape wouldn't let her go. He pushed her out from him a bit and looked into her eyes.
"You're safe here. But you're going to have to put up with me." He said, half sounding like he was flirting. Hermione giggled. As she did Snape took his forefinger and lifted Hermione's chin so she was looking directly into his eyes. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. As their lips touched the wave of ecstasy grew stronger and Hermione was overwhelmed with joy. They stayed like the for what felt like forever, but they both knew they had work to do. Snape let go of the kiss and smirked.
"This is going to be a very good hiding place now."
Hermione giggled but then turned serious again. "Where exactly are we?"
Snape sighed and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I came from a muggle family, as you now know. My father was a muggle and my mother was a pure blood. This is where I had my childhood. We are now by the coast of Southern England. No one knows of my past, not even the dark lord. We should be safe here for the time being. The only person who knows of our where abouts is Minerva."
Hermione smiled and was honored that Severus took her here and was willing to share that. But the moment was spoiled as Severus cleared his throat, took a box out of his backpack he quickly packed and handed it to her. "I believe this is yours Hermione."
Hermione took the box, opened it up and took out her wand. "We have a lot of work to do; for security reasons we need to secure this place with as many spells as we can think of. Understood?"
Hermione nodded and the two of them went outside. The stood just outside the front porch, held their left hands together and fired spells with their right hand. After half an hour, the house was sufficiently hidden from all view and enchanted to the extreme. The two walked back into the house, holding hands and flopping onto the couch from exhaustion.
The two spent the rest of the day and evening scavenging the forest for some of the food Severus used to eat when he was younger, and saw that some of the imperishable food like cereal was still in the pantries. As for clothes and other necessities, they would have to improvise for a while until Minerva could come to visit. They had hunted a deer together, and as opposed as Hermione was to this act, it was necessary for the two of them to eat meat so she agreed. Snape did the butchering by himself though as Hermione went to tidy up the dust filled house, make up a fire in the fire place, and make a spot of tea.
The deer took a while to cook in the oven, so Hermione and Snape sat around the fireplace discussing plans.
"If they are trying to break into the biggest wizarding hospital, they will encounter high security, but they will still get in. I've alerted them and can only hope the owl did not get intercepted. We will have to fight again Miss Granger and much as we don't wish to."
Hermione nodded. "Professor… why does it seem as if someone still lives here?"
Snape sighed. "My parents were taken away by the dark lord to be his minons when the evil first was instilled in his soul. He was younger and weak, but he still needed followers."
"That would make him…" Hermione thought.
"About a hundred years old. I know, he drank a lot of Unicorns blood and tried so many countless techniques to stay immortal. He killed my father and took my mother. He didn't even have to destroy the house. It was just so easy for him because the world was so peaceful; no one knew how to defend themselves."
Hermione felt very sad and sorry for Snape, and in an attempt to empathize, she put her hand on his leg and smiled for him. Snape felt the warmth of her hand on his leg and felt happiness like never before. He leaned in to kiss Hermione again and put his hand on her cheek. Hermione took in a deep, sharp breath and kissed him back, feeling freedom and a release from her tortured teenage crush. The kiss grew deeper and deeper as Severus' hands started to wander and Hermione's breath turning into pants and were heavier. He went to kiss her neck and Hermione moaned from the sensation of his lips reaching her nape. She never wanted this to end. She put her hand behind his head and brushed her hands through his hair as he delicately kiss her neck and bit it ever so lightly making Hermione's heart skip a beat. As Snape started to kiss his way back to her lips there was a bump against the nearest window. They both turned their heads to see an owl waiting and pecking at the window. Snape went to go fetch the letter.
Dear Severus and Hermione;
I will be there later tonight to drop off some items. For now, be strong.
Minerva
Hermione and Snape waited around for a while and eventually were able to eat their deer dinner. When the finished, they looked out the window and heard voices.
"You old witch! Show us where their hiding! There isn't anything in this blasted field!"
Hermione and Snape ducked behind the couch and watched in horror as a blinding light came from the end of Tom's wand and struck Minerva McGonagall. Hermione hid herself in Snape's arms and cried. Snape looked horrified. He hadn't seen such power in a young one since Lord Voldemort himself. He saw the pack apparate, leaving the field. Snape was thankful for his life, but saw Minerva's limp body lying there in the field of grass. He looked away and kissed Hermione on the head, brushed her hair with his hands and tried to calm her down.
"It will all be alright Miss Granger… why don't you head to bed. I'll be right up."
Hermione nodded through sobs and headed up the stairs to go to bed. Severus took his wand outside and walked up to Minerva. He sighed and pointed his wand at her. He hated to do this but he had no other choice. He flicked his wand and set her corpse into flames. He couldn't bear watching her though. As soon as she had burned to ashes, he sighed, put his wand into his back pocket and walked back into the house to fall asleep with Hermione in his arms.