Disclaimer- Thank you J.K. Rowling for granting this indulgence.
Author's Note- Thank you everyone for joining me for another instalment of Kindling
Date Modified- January 31, 2010
Kindling
Settling In
"Let it be said, that Filius Flitwick is an exceptional Charms Master, and a man of simple solutions." Severus fanned the scent of the Owlery away from his offended nostrils.
"Very funny. I'm working on the problem as we speak." Hermione finger played across the page glissando. It was indeed both inconvenient to be next to the Owlery, because of the smell and traffic but also the persistent draft.
Severus was amused at Hermione's level of concentration. Taking a seat by the fire, Severus chuckled as he propped his feet up on the fireplace fender. Offhandedly, "which are you working the smell or the draft?"
Impatient and harried the new Charms Mistress answered, "whichever I come to first."
"Why not work on both at once?" Severus asked genially.
"Both? I don't think I could work on both at once. I'm good Severus, but I think that's pushing it a bit."
"I don't." Smugly ordered up tea.
"As you are Potions' Master and I'm the Charms Mistress, what would you know about it?" She hadn't spared at look at the man who sipped at his tea gracefully.
"A lot, actually." Severus ran the edge of the spoon along the rim of the tea cup and tapped the gold against china.
Hermione was angry and decided to let it loose. "If you're so damn brilliant, fix it then."
Lazily he said while getting to his feet, "Filius had a temperamental owl who used to bite. The beast's name escapes me at the moment, however, the important part is that the owl would bite Filius in the night. The floor is cold all year but especially in winter; so Filius built a little door that the owl could fly through in the middle of the night, without Filius having to get out of bed. See here." Pointing his wand to the tiny door in the upper wall, Severus closed the portal; effectively stopping the draft and a short time later the smell receded. "He always kept ever-scented flowers on his desk, I'm inclined to say that the flowers were more because he liked flowers." Severus shrugged.
Hermione closed the tome carefully and stared hard at her colleague. The end of Severus' mouth curled, Hermione burst out laughing. "I think I'm a little on edge, too worried about failing." She gratefully sat. "I need a break." Watching Severus carefully, gauging his reaction she asked, "remember when I said there were outstanding matters I must attend to?" Severus inclined his head. He was certainly reserving judgement until he found out what it had been about. "After seeing Mum and Dad, I have no doubt in my mind that whatever else happens they still love me." Hermione turned her back to Severus so she could get a grip on herself. "I need to go see Harry and Ginny. And I need to go see Ron too." Hermione pulled her robes up to her face and sobbed.
Severus had risen to comfort her, he knew it was not easy for her. Hermione had come so far since the rape, brave and true. She shook and let it all out; Severus just held her. Hermione was physically and emotionally exhausted by the crying which eventually jerked and bumped to a halt. Severus wrapped a loose curl around his finger just living in the moment. Considering the woman, brilliant, attractive and shapely; somehow it seemed impossible that she truly saw him for the man he had always been but unable to share with anyone. She clung so tightly to him, his mind fairly buzzed with the sense of pride it filled him with. From the moment she had entered his office that Saturday morning, he had been amazed that she could make him feel so strong and in command, at the same time completely useless in the face of her fear and anguish. "You have me completely vexed my dear." Her hazel eyes reflected some of the surrounding red. "Would you like me to accompany you, or would you prefer me to wait here for you?" He hoped that she could tell that he'd save her from any and all hurt if he could prevent it, because he knew couldn't he say it.
She straightened up and fussed over her dishevelled appearance. "I'm sorry about that. Thank you Severus I needed that I think. As for my social calls, I think I'll go it alone."
The woman in his arms was so tiny and yet she seemed to surround him. Hermione held him as much as he held her. "Are you sure?"
Pursing her lips, Hermione lost the frightened look. "Yes," she was very definitely sure. "Severus, whatever happens in with Harry or Ginny, I have Mum and Dad. Maybe I have you?"
"You must think me quite the lady's man if you expect that I run around rescuing damsels then taking them as lovers." Severus could help but smirk at himself, and his own presumption.
"Sounds like a bad plot from a terribly banal fiction romance," Hermione couldn't contain her laughter. "You are so cerebral."
Severus assumed that her remark was complementary, given the way her hands snaked through his Byzantine layers of clothing. "Shall we repair to some place less vertical?"
~*~
AN: Thank you for being patient with the update. VS