AN – I own nothing!

--

Chapter 14

"Severus, I talked to Hermione," King Richard said gravely as he stared out the window behind his study desk, standing still.

"I never ever hit her your Majesty," Severus explained as he stood between the two chair across the desk. He never sat when a chair was offered to him.

The King turned to Severus and then said, "Answer me honestly Severus."

"Yes sir."

"Do you feel Hermione?" he asked.

"Excuse me sir, I don't understand."

"Do you feel her? Her emotions, her pain, her sorrow?"

Severus thought about what had happened the past few days. He remembered the times he didn't just see her emotions, but times in which he felt them as well. Perhaps it also began when she had slept in his chambers. He definitely felt it awhile ago when they fought in his loft.

"I will take that as a yes then," King Richard said as he studied the man in front of him.

"But how is it possible?"

"Soulmates Severus. I could see it already when you and Hermione stepped into the castle. The both of you may not be married yet, but the bond between you two is quite strong. Like I said to you before, she is weak and you are strong. It isn't a secret, we all know how emotional Hermione can be. You can feel it can't you?"

"Somewhat."

"When her emotions are in dire need, she needs you—your touch, your strength."

"So if I can feel her emotions, can she feel mine?" Severus asked. Soulmates had special bonds between them when they were married. They had similar powers. Apparently, Severus and Hermione had the gift of feeling each other's emotions. He wondered if it was a gift or a curse.

"I don't think she felt your emotions until you got angry this afternoon. Since she is very emotional, whether she shows it or not, you are able to feel it. With you however, it is slightly different." He sighed before he continued. "You are the opposite of my granddaughter. One who hides his emotions very well. Your anger was the first that she felt, and I believe that it did frighten her."

A lump caught in Severus's throat. He caused her pain and fear, and he didn't even know why or how until now. He knew of his anger, and just how bad it could get at times. He hurt her in a way that he never imagined or intended to. It was the worst.

"She needs you now. Comfort her, even though she tries to push you away Severus. She'll deny it, but she really does need you."

With a nod and an apology, Severus departed the King's study.

--

Severus walked into Hermione's bedroom silently without knocking on the door. As he stepped in, he saw Lucius seated in the chair right next to Hermione's bed. She on the other hand was lying down on her side, towards him. Severus could hear her tears, and could obviously feel her sadness and her pain. In return, he did feel his own sadness and pain for himself because of what he had done.

Lucius looked up and saw Severus walk in. He lowered his head and whispered something in Hermione's ear, and kissed her on the cheek. He gave her a gentle squeeze on her arm before he stood up.

Both of the wizards' eyes met. One with guilt, the other with understanding. Neither said a word to each other. Lucius left, giving Severus and Hermione the privacy that they needed.

Hermione shut her eyes and hugged her pillow tightly as she saw Severus approach closer. She was in no mood to talk to the man at the moment. "Go away," she murmured.

"Hermione, please, we need to talk," Severus said softly as he reached out for one of her hands.

"No!" Hermione snapped at him, as she pulled her hands away, and opened her eyes to look up at Severus. "I said, go away!"

Severus sighed, and knew that apologizing wasn't going to be easy at the moment. He said nothing and took a seat on the chair, and looked at her with soft black eyes.

"You could have just said no. actually; it's not too late to say it. The wedding's off Severus. Simple really," Hermione said with coldness in her voice. She looked at her engagement ring for awhile and pulled the ring off.

"What are you doing?" Severus asked as she reached out to give it to him. "No. It's yours, and the wedding is still on."

"No it's not," she said back at him. She then tossed the ring onto the nightstand.

"You can't be serious-"

"I am. It's my life. Come to think of it, you were pretty serious earlier. So there will be no blasted wedding for your bullshit life. I will no longer be bullshit for you either, and you don't have to pretend being nice to me when we both know how much you hate me."

Severus couldn't believe what he was hearing. He also couldn't believe what he was feeling either. He felt a pain in his heart pulling at him.

"You are right, life is not a fairytale. You can stop sacrificing yourself and being a hero. Choose what you want with your life with no pressure. You have freedom of choice," she said softly.

"And let the Dark Lord win the war?" he asked. Maybe if he reminded her the reasons why they had to wed, she would get some knocked back into her.

"Then that's my problem," she answered. She looked at him. He seemed so near, and yet so far. How badly she wanted and needed his touch. "Now, go Severus, please." Hermione then started to turn on her other side, flinching as her back made fool contact with the bed for a moment. As she turned, her sheets moved and didn't cover her back. With her shirt hiked up a little, part of back had been exposed to Severus.

Severus gasped when he saw Hermione's back. There was a huge black and blue mark on one side right next to her spine. He never laid a finger on her, and yet he was the cause of the big bruise on her back. He reached out, and allowed his fingers to gently touch the swollen area.

"Go away," Hermione said aloud, trying to fight how good it felt to feel his touch and comfort. She had to ignore it.

"I am truly sorry Hermione," Severus finally said. He also knew that she was trying to fight his touch away and was failing the battle. Still, he didn't want to push her. "I said things that I shouldn't have said, and I honestly didn't mean saying them. You know of my temper… It is not an excuse though for what I did to you."

"You're angry at the world and angry at me as well. I felt it you know?" she murmured. "It scared me…"

"If I had known, I would have controlled myself, and not allow it to happen. You weren't supposed to feel it." He leaned over planted gentle kisses on her bruise. "It appears though that we do have something special between us—a bond. I do not want to throw it away." His chin rested on her arm, before he continued. One hand rubbing comforting circles on her back. "Let me hold you. You need to be held and… and I need someone to hold. Please Hermione."

Hermione resisted before giving Severus a tentative nod. True, she needed to be held, and she needed to be held by no one else but him. Only he could make her feel better. She heard him kick his boots off, and felt the bed shift as he lay behind her.

"Does it hurt?" Severus asked as he placed his hand back on her bruise.

"Lucius gave me a pain potion," Hermione answered.

"I'll give you a salve as well, to make it heal faster," he told her. He then wrapped an arm around her a pulled her against him, allowing his body to spoon perfectly with his. "I am not a prince Hermione. I may be angry at the world, but I am surely not angry at you. You are not to blame, nor are you bullshit. I sacrificed my life for you, because you are worth it. I on the other hand can only question what I have done to deserve you."

Hermione listened to his words. She knew that he meant everything that he had just said for she felt some on his feelings, one being guilt.

"You don't have to wear white robes if you don't want to," she said. "You can wear black ones."

"Only a fool would wear such a color to his wedding—that not being me. I am a fool however for hurting you." He kissed the skin behind her neck, and smelled the sweet scent of her hair. He could never get enough of it. "Forgive me… the fool that I am."

Hermione didn't answer him verbally, but held her hand, and squeezed it tightly.

Severus understood her. "I will make it up to you, even if it takes me a lifetime. Are we okay now?"

"Yes," was all she could say. She then felt disappointed when he pulled his hand away from hers. The disappointment though was short lived.

"I believe that this is yours," Severus said as he slipped the ring back on her finger. His fingers then entwined with hers.

Hermione turned her head slightly so that she could face him. "What about me Severus? Am I still yours? Am I still your… Little One?" she asked ever so softly.

Severus gave a small smile at her. He then kissed away the single tear that flowed down her cheek, and then continued to plant small kisses all the way until he reach her lips. Once there, he planted a very chaste kiss on her lips. It was the first time in which he had kissed her there. He leaned his forehead against hers. "You'll always be my Little One Hermione. Always."

--

AN – More tears, but happy ones this time. They made up. Love it, love them, review!