Severus led Hermione down the path to the dirt road winding past the cottage. The snow had begun melting, due to the light rain of that morning, and the sun was shining brightly above them. "Severus, what do you mean we aren't in England?" asked Hermione indignantly. Severus, however, kept quietly smirking as he walked with her down the road. Hermione huffed, trying to keep pace with his longer strides.
Time passed in relative silence, Hermione taking in the scenery and trying to guess where they might be. It wasn't anywhere she'd been while on the run with Harry and Ron, she knew that for sure. Severus had begun whistling - an odd sound and sight, given his typical brooding nature. Hermione was about to ask again where they were when Severus stopped.
"Welcome to Killarney, Hermione. Have you ever been to Ireland?"
Hermione's jaw dropped as she took in the beautiful landscape, the lake, and the town. "No, I've never been to Ireland," she said quietly, still stunned. "Ooh, it's beautiful here!"
Severus laughed at the amazement in her voice. "Well, we're out of the house. What was your plan?" Hermione grinned at him, a twinkle in her eye.
She led him into the town, gazing at the shops. "Well, if we're going to be spending Christmas here, we may as well decorate!" She turned onto New St, spying a Dunnes Store. "Aha, perfect!" Severus followed Hermione into the department store, an indulgent smile on his face. They spent a few hours locating a tree, garlands, ornaments, and various other decorations that Severus was certain there was no room for in his house. At least their tastes seemed to be well aligned, Severus thought as he saw the trolley fill up.
Severus pulled out a wallet, much to Hermione's surprise. It had been her idea to go shopping, so she had expected to foot the bill. She reached into her cloak pocket, extracting her own wallet, but Severus snatched it from her. She gaped at him. "None of that, Hogwarts pays well and I have been frugal the last 16 years." He slid her wallet into his breast pocket. Hermione crossed her arms, fixing him with a hard stare, but he pointedly avoided her gaze. She sighed resignedly.
"Fine - but lunch is on me!" she said, pointing her finger at him playfully. He smiled, pushing forward to the checkout.
A while later, after Hermione had treated them to lunch, they walked through the town. They stopped by a street vendor to buy mulled cider, as the day was becoming overcast and chilly. Sipping their cider, they made their way to a park bench, sitting and huddling together. They both sat, quiet and slightly awkward. Hermione realized that, unfortunately, they didn't have much to talk about. This thought hit her like a ton of bricks.
She sat up rather abruptly. Severus looked at her, concern on his face. "Is everything alright?" he asked.
Hermione looked at him. "Severus, what are we doing?" At the look of confusion on his face, she continued. "Think about it for a second. I am a student - albeit, an adult one - and you're a teacher. Regardless of our age difference, which honestly doesn't bother me, what do we have in common? We've already established that you don't have many hobbies, and because I'm still in school I don't have anything aside from class and homework to talk about. And frankly, I'd rather not discuss classes with my teacher who also happens to be the man I am intimate with."
She seemed to say this all in one breath, and Severus had to take her by the shoulders and give her a little shake to get her to stop. "Hermione, breathe. All new relationships go through a period where the participants are learning about each other. However, it's possible it was too soon, especially after your assault, to be truly alone together." He sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "It's too early for you to return to the school without raising questions. Perhaps it's best we figure out how to be together slowly."
Hermione looked crestfallen at his words. She'd hoped for words of comfort and assurance that she was overthinking, but instead, he had confirmed her doubts. Her eyes brimmed with tears as they stood, slowly beginning the walk back to the cottage. Why was this so hard? Shouldn't being together feel more natural? Hermione got a sick feeling in her stomach. They'd been doing fine before Malfoy. She sniffed, brushing away a tear that had escaped the confines of her lashes. This was his fault. She only hoped that she and Severus would be able to move forward.
—
Hermione hung her cloak on a hook, retrieving the miniaturized Christmas decorations from the pocket. She took them to the sitting room, returning them to their normal size. Severus came around the entry wall, looking at her. "Well, er, I'll put the kettle on." He disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Hermione to begin unpacking Christmas alone.
It seemed she was often alone lately.
Hermione placed the tree in the corner, a few feet from the fireplace, and charmed the lights to wind their way around the tree until they hung pleasantly. She levitated ornaments around her, arranging them in midair before hanging them on the tree. She sat as she heard the kettle begin to whistle. "Hermione, how do you take your tea?" she heard.
Without looking away from the tree, she replied, "Well-sugared, please." She still hadn't moved when Severus approached, holding out a mug. The sweet fragrance of the tea made Hermione smile briefly.
"I see you got it set up," Severus said, sitting in the armchair. Hermione hummed in acknowledgement, sipping at her drink. The silence between them yawned like a chasm. Hermione glanced at the clock. 2:45. Today was going to be a long day.
Severus stood, looking at the other decorations. "Well, I think we can get a bit more hung up." He retrieved the outdoor lights, garlands, and the wreath. "I'll just be a moment." He exited the front door, and Hermione looked around the room.
"Now, if I hang garland there, and I put the…" Hermione talked to herself, slowly spinning and planning the decor. Making a final decision, she waved her wand, sending the rest of the decor into motion. The garlands hung themselves in perfect rows along the edge of each shelf, the books tidied themselves to make room for the winter scenes, and magical snow began to fall from the ceiling. Hermione felt oddly detached from herself as she took in her creation. Severus opened the door just then, stopping short.
"Merlin, look at this! It looks spectacular. Come and see outside." Hermione sighed, putting her cloak on. As she stepped outside, Severus caught her wrist. She stopped, looking at him. He pointed above them at a sprig of mistletoe. "Would it be too much to ask for a kiss?" he said softly. Hermione felt her ire and sadness melting away at the look on his face. Clearly, he knew that he had hurt her before.
She shook her head in response. He leaned down, capturing her lips in a tender, soft kiss. Hermione gasped at the leaping sensation it caused in her belly. Severus gently released her, watching her face. "Was that alright?" he whispered to her. She nodded, closing her eyes as she pressed forward for another kiss. Surprised, Severus returned it, slightly more urgent this time.
They broke apart, both somewhat flushed, and Hermione cleared her throat. "Let's see your work, then," she said, smiling shyly. She moved toward the garden gate, which was woven with flocked garland. Turning, she saw that the outside decorations were hung, though this was quite obviously his first time. She giggled inwardly. "It's perfect," she told him. He smiled, pulling her into him.
"Well, now you're just blowing smoke," he said, laughing. They stood silently for ages, Severus holding her and resting his head on hers. They drank each other in, trying to forget the earlier tension. It had begun snowing again, a fresh layer building quickly atop the icy remains of the previous.
Severus released Hermione, turning back toward the house. Hermione bent, grabbing a handful of snow.
SPLAT!
Severus ducked forward, bits of snow clinging to his hair. Rigid, he slowly turned toward her. "Oh, Miss Granger, you've just made a terrible mistake," he said lowly, looking at her from beneath his lashes. Hermione was smiling, primed to run. Severus charged at her, earning a yelp as she sprang like a gazelle. He bent to gather snow, launching a snowball at her. It narrowly missed, and Hermione made a face at him before ducking behind the garden wall.
Severus crouched, forming a pile of snowballs and peering across the gap toward where Hermione had vanished. He saw the top of her head, curls sticking up wildly. He threw a ball in her direction, grazing the top of her head. She yelped again, and he watched a snowball hit the tree behind him.
Suddenly, it was a full battle, slushy snow flying from all directions. Their voices mingled, his silky baritone joining her frequent yelps. During a break in the carnage, Severus noticed Hermione's head was bent low as she made more snowballs. He took the opportunity to creep as quietly as the snow would allow him until he was exactly opposite her. Leaping over the wall, he heard her scream of glee as he dragged her with him into a snow drift, laughing.
They lay in the snow for just a moment, smiling at each other. Severus put up his hand as if to brush her hair away, but stopped before he reached her. Hermione saw a flicker of concern; likely, he was remembering the last time he'd done the same. Hermione softened her smile, grabbing his hand and placing it on her cheek. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to feel him against her. His scent surrounded her, his rough hand scraping softly against her flesh. I'm safe. This isn't Malfoy. This is Severus. She opened her eyes, staring into his inky pools. "There's something I didn't tell you last night, Severus."
He nodded and stood, helping her up and dusting the snow off of them. He led her inside, quickly removing their sodden cloaks and casting a drying charm on their clothes. He put their cloaks in the wash as Hermione took a seat in front of the fire. Returning, he sat and pulled her into him.
Hermione took a breath and told him about what had happened by the lake. He stroked her arm. "He said that the next time he was…in-inside of me, he would do worse." Severus' fingers clenched around her shoulder, releasing before digging too tight.
"He will pay, I promise you. We need to be careful. He clearly wasn't happy that you dared to speak out about what had happened. I won't see you hurt again," he finished, pulling her tighter.
Hermione sighed deeply, feeling a weight lift off of her. The clock chimed, and she started. "Merlin, it's six o'clock! Where did the time go?" Severus eased her off of him and stood.
"I'll whip something up for dinner," he started, but Hermione chased after him.
"Can I help?" she asked. He hesitated.
"Well, um…can you cook?"
Hermione started to point out that, of course, she could, but stopped short. Come to think of it, he may have a point. She could cook things out of a box. Truthfully, she hadn't learned much prior to starting Hogwarts, hadn't really had to cook while on holiday from school, and the cooking she and the boys had shared was often barely palatable. She winced. "I can learn?"
Severus laughed, taking her hand and going into the kitchen. "You can learn."
—
After a short lesson, they ate their fill of steak and potatoes. Hermione dabbed at her mouth with a napkin. "This was delicious. I didn't realize you could cook like this," she said. Severus smiled, piling their dishes in the sink. Flicking his wand at the pile, he set them to cleaning themselves.
He led Hermione back into the sitting room, asking, "Would you fancy a game?" He pulled down an ornate chessboard.
"Sure, but I'm not very good I'm afraid," she said, chuckling. They moved to the couch, and Severus set up the game.
"Well, it's a fairly simple game, but there is quite a lot of strategy that goes into it. I trust you probably saw your fair share of Potter and Weasley's games." He taught her the basics, promising to go easy on her.
After her third loss, Hermione decided to call it a night. The clock reinforced her, chiming 9:30. Hermione excused herself to the loo, grabbing her pyjamas and toothbrush. She emerged a few minutes later, hair in a topknot and pyjamas on. Severus beckoned her over. "You look beautiful," he said as she bent to kiss him. As she started to pull away, he put a hand on hers. "Wait," he pleaded.
Hermione stilled, a questioning look on her face.
Severus stood, going around the couch to stand before her. "I daren't press too quickly, but…" He trailed off, unsure how to continue. "I'd like to kiss you. Repeatedly, and for an extended period of time." Hermione giggled. Then chuckled. Then flat-out laughed. Severus looked indignant.
Hermione bent, clutching her stomach. "I'm sorry," she gasped between bouts of laughter. "I never thought I would hear Severus Snape asking to…" She giggled hysterically as she continued, "snog!" Severus rolled his eyes.
"Alright, moment over. Off to bed with you," he said, steering her toward the door to her room. He ushered the still-chortling Hermione in, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and closed her door. He chuckled, retreating back to the sitting room. He plucked a book off of the shelf, sitting in his armchair to settle in for a bit before sleep.
Around midnight, he heard Hermione's door open. He looked over to see her padding over to him. The giggles had ceased, and she looked troubled. Before Severus had the chance to ask her if she was alright, Hermione had crossed fully to him. She straddled his lap, eliciting a gasp from him. "Hermione," he started, but she covered his mouth with her fingers.
"Make me forget." She bent forward, claiming his lips. The book he'd been holding clattered to the floor as Severus' arms rose up, shocked. Slowly he wound his arms around her, supporting her smaller frame. The kiss was needy, insistent; desperate. Hermione clutched at his shirt, rocking forward as one hand supported her by grabbing the back of the chair. His hips bucked, evidence of his want growing and throbbing. He grunted, pushing her away softly.
"Hermione, stop, please," he panted. He looked at her, taking in her appearance. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her cheeks stained with tears. It struck him like a punch to the gut - she'd had a nightmare. "Oh, my dear girl," he sighed as her tears began anew. He shifted with her until she was cradled against him. She sobbed into his neck, wailing, and Severus held her until the screams subsided and her breathing evened out. He carried her back to her bed, tucking the blanket around her. "I love you," he breathed, brushing a kiss against her temple before leaving her room.