AN: Just a short one. Also smut. Have a great weekend! x

17. GOLD

Hermione woke to find that Severus was not in the hospital bed. In fact, the entire infirmary was empty.

"Hello?" she called into the room. Her heart rate crept up and its knocking at her ribcage blistered into the silence.

"Poppy? Severus?!"

What if they had been talking about Severus last night? Had he been transferred to St. Mungo's? Surely they wouldn't let her sleep through that? Unless... was he...? No. It's not possible, she told herself. No. It's fine. He's fine. Yet she struggled for breath as she hammered on Pomfrey's door. It swung open and Poppy scowled.

"What?" she said sharply and then seeing the horror on Hermione's face, Pomfrey rushed to her aid with an arm of reassurance.

"No, dear! Whatever you're thinking it's not that." she said, "Severus was doing much better this morning and he asked if he could be discharged."

Hermione felt the feeling come back to her legs, and she let out a sigh so harsh and heavy that she realised she must have been holding it in for some time. She backed onto the bed behind her and caught her breath.

"He's fine. Well, not fine", she scoffed, "I would have kept him in for another few nights just to be sure, but he is still in the castle, and so Dumbledore and I felt it was okay for him to return to his rooms. He didn't want to wake you dear. Last night was the first time you looked as though you were actually at rest. He should be up there now if you want to go to him."

Hermione smiled a nervous smile and grabbed her wand from the table beside the empty bed. She carried it with her now. If the battle was to come sooner than they anticipated she might need to defend herself at a moment's notice. She was not quite sure she would be able to. She was definitely not prepared to. She swallowed and ignored the thought. She had to get to Severus.

"Thank you" she said and Poppy nodded her reply.

She ran through the castle, and down the moving staircases, cursing them to lead her to where she needed to be and not to force her to take a path that was not linear. She was going to Severus. Straight line. Her to him. A to B. She would not be slowed down by sentient bloody steps. As though they understood her, the staircases moved and aligned with the direction she needed to take. She whispered 'thank you' and rushed to Severus' door. It was unlocked. She pushed it open, not waiting for his permission to enter. She scanned the room for him, and saw that he was bathing. She knew she should avert her eyes; knew that she should apologise, they were still unsure with each other- but she also knew that Severus Snape would not have left his door unlocked. He had spelled it so that she could enter where others could not. She was sure of it. She pulled the cardigan Molly had knitted for her from her back.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" he asked with a heavy breath; his eyes fixed on her.

"I don't know", she said, as she kicked her jeans across the floor and climbed into the bath, still in her shirt, and socks, "I'm just so glad you're okay."

She rushed to him through the water, splashing and stumbling and not caring. She threw her arms around his neck.

"I woke up and you weren't there, and I didn't know what had happened. I thought-"

She clung to his chest and her body heaved as she whimpered.
"I thought something had happened to you."

Severus tightened his embrace, pulling her body closer into his.
"I'm sorry", he said, kissing her hair, "I should have woken you. I'm sorry."

"Yes" she sobbed, "you should have."

Hermione clung to him.
"You can't do it. You can't disappear like that. I can't take it!"r.

"I'm sorry. I won't do leave you again."

He took her trembling hands and put them to his lips. He nestled reassuring kisses on her fingers. She looked at him and saw that he beheld her in a way that he had never before.

"I'm here, I'm here", he crooned in repetition as he held her.

Hermione put her hands to Severus' face and felt her eyes sting at the sight of the curved scar under his eye that had not faded to pink like the others. She traced it with her fingers. It was grooved deep into his skin. It was that one that had stuck. It made his face more severe, but no less handsome. It broke her heart to think that he would have to look at it every day. That he would be reminded of what that wretched woman had done to him- the situation that his honour had forced him into - and with a sob of regret, Hermione recalled Severus' voice from their first night together.

'I'm ugly'.

She cried for him, and buried herself in his slick mass of wet hair. Severus held her while she shook and he stroked the small of her back with his fingers tucked below her soaked shirt. She blossomed under his touch and found herself gently moving her hips, driving her body into him, even while she sobbed.

"No more sadness", Severus said, and ran his thumb across her cheek to dry her tears. "No more pity. You nor I. Do you hear me?"

Severus looked at her with nothing but gentleness.
"I'm bored of it, aren't you? It's all far too dramatic."

Hermione nodded 'yes' and laughed with him. He returned his hands to her back and softly dug his nails into her flesh. She bristled. Severus put his hand under her chin, tilted it delicately as though he was handling something precious. He placed his lips to hers and kissed her tenderly and so full of longing. She returned the kiss with desperation and moved her body closer into his. She felt him swell under her weight and every nerve in her body burned with desire. It had been too long. She leaned into him and took in a breath; he intoxicated her and she swelled as though she had taken a sip of Amortentia. She leant back, pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it into the water. She slipped her hands behind her back and unclasped her bra.

Severus took in the sight of her and whispered, "beautiful".

He nuzzled into her ear.
"... So fucking beautiful".

Hermione's lilting laugh of pleasure sent an exhilarated shudder soaring through his body, as though the snake in his chest flicked its tail with pleasure.

Hermione moved away from Severus, and pulled the rest of her clothes off. She swam to the other side of the bath and beckoned him over to her. She wanted him to come to her for once. He rose up in the water, and played on his hipbones. The water fractured as he moved towards her, and light danced around the room. As he moved in- his tall and toned body bearing down on her, Hermione moaned with delight. She bridged the gap between them and threw herself on him. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he caught her as though she was weightless. She faced him and he moved back to sit on the bench below the water. She moved her body so that she hovered above him, and she reached her hand between his legs and found his staff.

"Is this okay?" she asked, unsure.

Severus breathed heavily.
"Yes."

She worked him slowly with a gentle twist of her wrist, and he made a guttural sound like a growl that sent sparks through her. She kissed his throat, and took a fistful of his hair with one hand, while she moved the other up and down his cock. She kissed him again, hard. She was in control now. He reached down and sought her. Their arms tangled and he let out a playfully frustrated groan. He moved her legs apart and placed his hands on her hips.

He lifted her, moving away from the bench and sat her down on it. He put his head under the water, and made towards Hermione to go down on her. She giggled. He'd have to grow gills. Oh. Gillyweed? she wondered. Just as he made his contact and she let out a breath of satisfaction, Severus burst up through the water in shock. He spluttered and shot wide eyes at her in surprise. She howled with amusement and he coughed before letting out a roar of laughter of his own.

He moved in towards her and kissed her, tracing his lips across her jaw and down to her neck. He swept his mouth up to her ear.

"I've missed you so much", he said with a low growl.

He ran his fingers to the back of her neck and with his free hand, he graced the skin of her bosom. He gave her an unbridled kiss and then moved his mouth to her chest. He glazed his tongue around the flesh of her breast and Hermione mewled and flustered under the warmth of his mouth. Hermione ran her fingers across his shoulder blades and dug her fingers into his muscle as though to claim him.

Mine, she thought as she put her arms around his neck and pulled him up towards her.

"I can't wait any more", she said and turned to push him gently down until he sat the bench.

He kissed her and ran his hands along her flank. He gripped at her waist, moved her towards him, placing her knees either side of his hips on the bench. He guided her; almost lifted her and she reached her hands between their bodies, and took hold of his shaft. He began to guide him inside her. A flutter of excitement burst through her when made a long, guttural groan as she lowered herself onto him. She arched her back as he made his contact and she felt an ache from her core to her chest.

Yes! she thought.

She felt complete. It was cliché she knew, but she didn't care. She could hardly care about anything except the feverous bliss of his fullness inside her. This was not like before. It was as though the water had cleaned their slate and this was the first time. The way that it always should have been. It was everything she had ever wanted. Somewhere between their confused and sad love-making and their desolate fucking.

They each made their own sound of delight and Hermione moved her hips up, Severus guiding her body with ease in the water. He held her tightly, steadying her as she rode him. He threw his head back and his long mass of wet hair struck his back. Their bodies moved together in unison. Hermione felt the familiar surge of love and instead of fighting it, she wanted him to know. This was the right time. She could feel it. He was finally ready to understand how she felt.

I can show you, if you want?" she said, in a breathy moan, "I want you to know how this feels... How I feel."

Severus grinned as he moved his hips and slid deep inside her.
"You don't need to show me. Tell me how you feel."

She tightened her grip on him and leant back as he moved into her with fervour. The mixture of elation and concentration on his face - the way that his teeth grazed his lips and that sexy little line appeared between his eyebrows - it was too much.

"I feel... Oh God. I could do this forever. I'm so- fuck, Severus!"

Hermione felt her body begin to tremble as she felt the wave of magic build inside her. He reached his hand down to her clitoris and began to circle her with his thumb. His black eyes blazed as he watched her begin to surrender to him.

"Don't stop", she blurted. "Holy shit. Yes!"

Severus ran his tongue across his teeth and steadied his thumb.

"Now tell me how you feel about me?" he asked, softly into her hair.

He quickly moved his thumb back and forth across her bud, and gently bit at her earlobe.

"I love you..." she said, puncturing each word with a sharp breath.

Then she melted.

"... I'm in love with you."

His mouth cracked into a beautiful blissful crescent. It was too much. The magic circled her core, and it swelled and surged and she burst into flame. Her back curved away from him and she clenched her thighs around his waist as she came apart. Severus continued to move inside her until he too was taken by the magic and he pulled her sharply into him and pushed inside her, in one final eruption. He panted hard and fast and while he caught his breath he clung to her. His heavy head on her chest. She put her hand on the back of his head and when he looked up to her, she brought his lips to hers.

He sighed and covered her face in kisses.
"You're so fucking beautiful", he said, "just perfect."

"I meant what I said, before, Severus. I love you".

A broad smile spread across Severus' face that transformed him in front of her eyes, from severe but handsome to delightfully exquisite and she blushed.
"I know you do."

She narrowed her eyes.
"How?"

He cringed.

"Oh. Legilimency?"

"Yes", he said softly. "That very first time we slept together, and you let me look, I felt something that confused and intrigued me. Just before I closed it off the connection, I saw this rush of pink smoke. It moved towards me and encircled me. Even when the connection closed, I felt it cage me. It was almost like love, Hermione. I needed more. Then during our second time, after I had been... well... you know where I had been and with whom. Gods, how I needed you then. I saw that blasted, beautiful smoke again and I knew that it was real. It so nearly consumed me. I knew that you loved me. It was a delicate and unsure kind of love, but even I, who has never been loved, recognised it immediately. I ignored it at first, I'm so sorry, I just- I didn't know what to do with it. It frightened me."

"I understand... does it still?"

Severus stroked her cheek.
"A little, but mostly I think it's wonderful. I'm just so sorry I've hurt you. I have pushed you away because I was a coward- I didn't even realise that's what it was. Fucking cowardice. It's so obvious now. Instead, I told myself that I was protecting you by ignoring your feelings."

Hermione nodded her understanding.
"But I was protecting myself. As I said, I have never been loved before Hermione, and then there was suddenly a person who did. And she was so incredibly kind, and sexy and wicked smart. I know that I have made you feel as though you were not important to me. I think you thought I only wanted your body. You could not be more wrong. It was never sex I craved, but love. Your love. It was glorious, Hermione. I wanted to feel it again."

"Oh?"

"You see, you had unintentionally offered me a gift that I so desperately wanted to snatch and cling onto like a miser with a pot of gold. Because you are gold, Hermione."

Snape ran his fingers through a lock of her hair and she kissed him.

"Come on now", he said, pushing her gently off him and taking her hand as he pulled his body out of the water. "Let's get out of this bath before my dick shrivels to the size of a raisin."