Translation by Jessinthedungeons.

Chapter 30 - Suspicion and growth

I was yawning every couple of minutes when Severus finally returned from wherever he had gone to find Robards. I looked at him, curious, but he didn't give me anything in return about his meeting with our superior.

— Stop giving me that look. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. — He said finally, ending for good any question I had on the subject. — I'm going home tonight, Draco needs help there. Are you going to be okay?

— I'm in my own house, Severus, obviously I'll be fine. How many extra protections have you put in it? A dozen?

— You are absurdly unbearable. — He responded in return.

— I don't know how I lived my whole life without you and your kind encouraging words, Severus. Really. It's a miracle I survived that long.

Severus made his usual frown at my irony, but the corners of his mouth twisted into the smile he always reserved for me.

— I have never met someone who needed me less than you. — He reached for my hand and pulled me into a sweet kiss.

— I will miss you in my bed. — I murmured on his neck, as he hugged me after we finished our kiss.

He nodded as we walked back to the door where he had just entered. Severus brought one of my hands to his lips, kissing it.

— I'll be back as soon as possible.

— I know. — I rested my forehead against his. — Stay as long as you need to help Draco. He is overwhelmed with Narcissa and there is still all the worry about Scorpius and the prophecy. Help him, will you?

— Okay. — He muttered.

— Just don't forget me, okay? — I said, letting some of my frustration escape through my mouth.

Severus pulled his forehead away from mine to meet my gaze.

— Do you think I could forget you?

— I don't know, but I'm sure you will find... — I almost said "your friends", but at what point did Severus give me the idea that he considered anyone as a friend, besides me? Never. — Lots of distractions when coming home and I know how life sometimes gets in the way. — I completed.

— I don't waste my time on random things in life, Hermione. Do you understand what I mean?

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end at his hoarse voice.

— Sort of. — I whispered.

— Let me put it another way. — He held my face, sliding his thumbs down my cheeks and looked at me seriously. — I don't waste time. As soon as I finish everything, I immediately return to you. Okay?

A determined look crossed his face, making me incredibly aware of everything around us: the icy night, the dark, starless sky, the way his skin smells like herbs. His fingers squeezed my face tighter. I had seen his face hundreds of times, but it never seemed to be enough.

After I had gotten over my teenage crush on him, I found myself longing to be with someone like me: so determined I would sometimes border on aggressive, too good with hands, quiet, honest and good. Someone who came home after a day's work and was able to perform household spells or simple healing spells. I imagined this man as stable and reliable. I wasn't sure where I had created this fantasy, but I had it stuck with me. Ron was like that. Our kiss in the middle of the Battle of Hogwarts had made him look like a character from a novel, incredibly brave, beautiful and selfless. In some moments, I didn't even think the romantic side of him was real. But it was.

But now, looking at a Severus Snape much taller than me, older, serious, taciturn and at the same time completely moody, I could not feel disappointed that this was the way my heart led me. I learned from the war to always expect the worst, but I trusted this man who was making me a promise about hoping for the best.

I didn't miss the look he gave me in my mouth, nor the path his hands traced from my face to my shoulders.

— This hell of obligations. — He muttered as he turned to leave.

I held his wrist and slid my thumb across his pulse point, just as he did several other times when I wanted to calm down.

— You know I'll always be waiting for you, right? Now go away, I'll be here.

I should know better about spending a night away from Severus. My bed felt too cold and I rolled over, all night long, as I searched for the comforting warmth clearly absent beside me. I gave up trying to sleep at four in the morning and went to the couch, rereading Viktor's notes on the history of the Directory of the Holy Twenty-Eight.

Harry and I spoke on the phone yesterday and he told me something that made a lot of sense: if the first book was found in a place as inappropriate as a submerged chamber, the second could be in a place completely of its own: in the castle library itself. It is a fact that we needed Theodore Nott to want to give us the copy, but it was kept somewhere at Hogwarts. We all agree that this is a strong reason why Voldemort took the final battle there.

I convinced myself to return with Severus to the tomb of the founders and have one last conversation with the ghost of Regulus. He gave us much more concrete answers when I went there with Severus than all the times I set foot in that place alone. When I finished writing down the questions I would like to ask the youngest Black, it was past half past seven, and I was almost late for training.

Honestly, I should have expected something. Severus had promised me not to kill Robards, and I well know that anyone in their right mind is afraid of what my partner might do to them. That didn't seem to be the case with our boss. Either that or he was an egocentric idiot. And worse, an idiot who loved an audience. So of course he used the media to target me.

"A torrid affair between boss and subordinate shakes relations on the Hogwarts special team".

That was the headline emblazoned across the front page of The Daily Prophet this morning, and below it, pictures of me and Severus during our visit to Harry and Ginny all those weeks ago. Images so sharp and close, I was sure they were taken by Ron's infamous escort at that dinner party on James's birthday. The images that shocked me the most were the ones that showed Severus impassive as he manipulated the air around my ex-boyfriend, preventing him from breathing. I nervously searched the image for any trace linking Severus to the attack on Ron. That would be a disaster. The Department of mysteries intimated him because of an apparition, what would they do if they found out he used a spell to attack Ron?

Dean walked into my kitchen and ripped the newspaper out of my hand.

— You shouldn't read this garbage. — He growled. And it doesn't give me a chance to answer, before I drag myself into the room and push the Floo in my hand. — We're going by Floo today. Minerva's office! — He screams and the emerald green flames engulf him.

I only realize why he did it when I see professor Flitwick casting spells of restraint on the mass of reporters who had invaded the castle grounds. My spell teacher doesn't see me fast enough and I hear people screaming before a silencing spell is cast towards them. "How long have you been having this romance?" "How do you deal with the huge age difference?" "How much does he favor you in the team?" "What is sex like with someone much more experienced?".

The shocked look on my face in reaction to these absurd questions, was the photograph that stamped the extra edition of the Prophet, which came out that afternoon.

But it wasn't until the end of the day that everything reached a more serious level. I was standing near the triple hoops of the Quidditch field. Flitwick was in charge of the training, while Hooch and Severus talked about anything I wasn't aware of. And, on second thought now, I was certainly distracted, too curious, when Hooch gave one of her few smiles towards him.

The last thing I was aware of was the sharp pain that cracked behind my head.

.

.

Hermione!

Miss Granger!

Saint Mungus, now!

Get out!

GET OUT!

.

.

I didn't know I'd been knocked unconscious until I opened my eyes and found myself lying on my back, staring into Severus's face. His eyes were inches from mine and his breath pushed away a curl that was drooping across my face. His expression was one I wasn't remotely familiar with.

— Get back! Get out! — Dean shouted closely, and I found myself blinking, trying to remember what had just happened.

A second later, Severus was pushed by two of my fellow healers, before getting off me, he lightly shook my hand. I had not realized that, even unconscious of the act, I was holding on to him. And when he let go of my fingers, I blacked out again.

— Has it gotten dark yet? — I blinked, opening my eyes and catching a glimpse of the dark window next to me.

Eddie, one of my fellow healers, smiled at me.

— Yeah, it's dark. We're just checking to see how much your medical history can interfere with your recovery. Madame Pomfrey still remembers her complaints with that chronic pain and that was an ugly concussion.

Of course, the head healer remembered. And by "medical history," Eddie meant my submission to the Cruciatus. Every patient who has ever been tortured with this curse had to undergo specific examinations every time they entered the hospital. It was an established norm. And this was not my first or second entry into the place where I work. Madame Pomfrey or Eddie always attended me at all of them.

— Okay. — I didn't sigh because it would have made me move and that was more than I could. My still immobilized neck told me that it had really been an ugly blow.

— Excellent. Neville has insisted on being the auxiliary healer even if, magically, he can't. Push the button Sonorus if you need anything. — Eddie said, and I smiled at my assistant, comfortably sitting in the chair on my other side. Throughout my hospital stay, Neville was always planted there, no matter how many days I needed to recover. — A representative of the Hogwarts team is outside, I will let you in.

— Thanks, Ed. — I answered and saw his tall figure retreat, only this miserable movement made my head buzz with pain.

Someone knocked on the door, but did not open it until I authorized it. Vector's head appeared through the door before she entered.

— Hey, Honey, how you feeling? — She asked, there was a small plant in her hands that aroused Neville's immediate interest.

I tried to hide my disappointment in seeing the PR team as the representative of Hogwarts and not who I expected to come.

— I'm fine. Although I feel pretty sore, it's okay.

She smiled and left the plant on the small table next to my assistant.

— I'm glad to hear that. What did the healer say?

— It's a concussion, but he wants me to stay the night for safety.

Vector let out a whistle.

You scared the hell out of us, that's for sure. Is there anything I can do for you?

— I'm fine, but I couldn't find my wand…

— Someone must have picked it up when you fell. I'll locate it for you. — She smiled. — Well, if there's nothing else, I should go back now. I wanted to know if you were okay.

— Yes, I am, thank you.

— Okay, I'll let Poppy know that she should send me a Patronus, in case you need me, and I'll also make sure they bring your wand. — She assured.

— Thank You, Septima.

She left, and I stood there in the silent room, finally thinking about the consequences of this concussion.

— Vector is still the personal relations of the team? — Neville asked.

— Yes. She is.

— So, she would be the ideal person to be the spokesperson for the news.

I looked at Neville who was still examining with curiosity the plant Vector had presented me with.

— What news?

— It was an attack. Aurors are watching the corridor.

— Attack? — My voice trembled.

— He would be here if there weren't so many complications, you know. — Neville said softly.

I just stood there, staring at him and asking myself questions I didn't know the answers to. Who attacked me in the middle of training? Anyone from the team? Or did Lucius manage to infiltrate the castle again? I couldn't imagine how the hell a team member could be hit inside the castle grounds. Hogwarts was supposed to be the safest place, especially now that security has been tightened after Minerva's abduction.

What about me? I knew what happened when a team member got hurt in training. Robards sidelined him for the length of time needed for a recovery. But it was me. The current stone in his shoe. How long would he keep me away from Hogwarts? Regardless of what Poppy suggested and Minerva herself decided, it is obvious that he would take me away from the team for as long as he wanted. That was the last thing I needed right now.

Shit, shit, shit!

A minute of lamentation was always the maximum I allowed myself, and I tried to do the same now. As soon as the sixty seconds were up, I took a deep breath and affirmed to myself that I was lucky, it could be worse. I could have been hit by a death curse, right? In the end, a concussion wasn't the end of the world.

I reached out and asked Neville for his phone, even though it made me a little dizzy; I entered Harry's number.

— Hello? — He practically shouted into the phone.

— Harry, it's me.

At the same time, he shouted away from the phone, " it's her!".

— Are you okay? — He asked in a unique tone of concern, which only siblings and parents are able to do.

— Yeah, I'm fine. It's just a concussion — I told him.

Harry blurted out profanity and I could faintly hear Ginny in the background, telling him to get a grip.

— I almost fainted, you can ask Ginny. — He was sorry. — Are you really okay? No damage to the brain?

"Harry, if I had any brain damage I wouldn't even remember my name, let alone your phone number. Believe me, I'm a healer, remember? — He grumbled something on the line, and I smiled slightly. — No brain damage, I promise I'm fine. I wanted to call and tell you, before you wasted a vial of the potion to fly over here. I will survive.

He let out a sonorous exhalation.

"Oh, I'm glad you're like Ginny then; when we played Quidditch, I never worried about bullets hitting her, you know, the hard head...

Ginny screamed something in the background, and I had to fight the urge to laugh so that another wave of pain would not hit me.

— Save your jokes for tomorrow. I don't have my phone with me, nor my wand, but I'll be sure to call you as soon as I get my stuff back. If you need anything, I'm at St Mungus, Neville is with me and you can call him. But I'm really fine, so don't worry too much, okay?

— Okay, love. Call me as soon as they release you. I love you. If you need me, I don't mind wasting another bottle of the potion, okay? I'll be there in a moment.

I smiled on this side of the line. — Thank You, Harry. I love you, too. Bye.

He said "goodbye" in return and we hung up. A few knocks sounded at the door as soon as I returned Neville's phone, so I heard what could only be Cho and Dean talking on the other end. Cho pushed the door and walked around the room, followed by Dean and three other people.

Cho looked around the room. — I expected a better room. Don't you work at this hospital?

— Hi, Cho, Dean. — I said hello, waving to Ivan, Sarah and Justin.

Dean sat on the bed with glowing eyes.

— You scared the hell out of me. — He grabbed my hand gently. For a moment, I thought she was dead.

Cho always delicate as she was, she sat at my feet and let the others conjure chairs for themselves. — I saw it happen, but I knew you were okay.

— They told us you had a concussion. — Justin Said.

— A moderate one. — Neville completed.

The shudder was visible around the room. Everyone knew that it meant a temporary withdrawal, and none of them tried to cheer me up with kind words. The situation was already horrible in itself.

— Yes. — I confirmed, sighing. — And I'm not going to bother anyone by asking if they're going to let me travel at the next performance. I will only get annoyed when they tell me "no".

Dean shook my hand. — What matters is that you're okay. Did they make sure you didn't have any bleeding?

How could I not smile at that?

I pointed to my medical record next to me. — I work here. I can read my condition.

Everyone smiled at that. They stayed for almost an hour, making me smile about stories from our communal rooms when we were students and promised to come back to visit me the next day. Dean reassured me that he was the one who had taken my cell phone and wand, which were already in my house.

When they got up and started to leave, Cho leaned over and whispered, "Do you want me to kill whoever did this?"

I stroked her cheek affectionately.

— No, dear. I'm fine, we'll just leave it up to the Aurors, right?

She looked at me. — If you're sure...

— I'm sure. Although, I really appreciate it.

Cho looked at me suspiciously as she left, as if she expected me to change my mind and ask her to cast a death curse on my behalf.

I suddenly realized that when Robards cut me, I wouldn't just be leaving the Hogwarts team. For the first time since I had convinced myself that my boss would use this to finally kick me out, the reality of leaving my two closest friends for the past few years really messed with me.

I swallowed the melancholy and remembered that I needed to do what was best for me.

— Hello... — Minerva called, pushing the door open.

— Come in. — I answered.

Her gray head was the first thing I noticed. I kept an eye on the door waiting for Severus to come behind it, but there was no one there. Well, that was disappointing.

— I'm glad to see that your head is still on your neck. — She said softly, taking the empty seat of Neville who had come down with the others to have something to eat in the hospital canteen.

I smiled at her, only partially. Ever since Viktor told me about my transfer, I wasn't sure how to act around her. Did she know? I doubted she knew, especially since Minerva would communicate something like that to me without a shadow of a doubt.

— Hey, thanks for coming.

— I had to see you, girl. Filius and everyone else send their best wishes for recovery. How do you feel?

I shrugged lightly. — A little frustrated, but that's okay.

— I didn't expect anything different from you. — She smiled.

— I heard it was an attack. Any clues? — I asked.

Her expression closed and a shadow passed across her eyes.

— None. There are some obvious suspicions, but the Aurors do not want to disclose anything yet. — She rested her gaze on the clock on the wall above the door as we talked about amenities, until finally she sat up straight. — I need to get going, there are a few things I need to do before we leave tomorrow for the presentation outside the country. Poppy will let me know when she's sure you'll be released, but let me know too and I'll send someone here to pick you up.

— Write your number to me. Dean has my wand and my cell phone. — She wrote it down on the same paper that Vector had previously used. — I feel better now. I'm sure I'll see you tomorrow.

She left, and for the first time since I woke up, I found myself alone. I didn't allow myself to think about Severus, or why he hadn't come to see me yet. If what I went through was really an attack, he should have his hands full.

Eddie came back to give me more potions and leave the recommendation that I take the dreamless sleep as soon as I decided to sleep. It was past nine in the evening when I finally gave up hope that he would come to see me. We are something. And by something, I mean we're completely involved, but the press still doesn't know that, not even the Hogwarts team, right, they saw us together when Severus came back from his self-exclusion to Fox studio but except for our circle of close friends, no one knows for sure what we are to each other. And, sure enough, he knew from someone else that I was fine.

I got out of bed and slowly went to the bathroom, took a careful shower and put my clothes back on, refusing to wear the patient gown.

The instant I opened the bathroom door, I knew someone else was in the room. In the armchair right next to my bed was a frowning and angry Severus Snape, with a basket of fruit on his lap. He slowly turned his head in my direction.

— Hi. — He greeted me.

— Hi. — I answered, passing by his armchair and sitting on the edge of the bed, facing him. His eyes looked tired when he looked at my face, but his expression was neither friendly nor particularly happy to see me. He was the opposite of the man who said goodbye to me yesterday. — What's the matter? — I asked when he kept staring at me.

He did not answer, crossed one foot over the other and continued to examine me with his gaze. Okay. I looked at the basket on his lap. — Did you bring that for me?

His eyes narrowed, but he still didn't answer. When I tried to reach a strawberry from inside the basket, he took it out of my reach.

— Really, Severus? What's wrong with you? — I asked.

He kept the same closed expression. — I called you, Hermione.

I blinked. — I was too busy being carried to the hospital and put to sleep most of the time to go to my bag and get my phone. — I said, more in an amused tone than ironic.

— I see. — He answered dryly.

— Is that why you're crazy?

— I'm not crazy.

— Correction, you are crazy. — I played again.

— I'm not.

— Severus, I'm not blind. You're upset. Just tell me why. I'm fine, okay? I'm sure someone on the team has already told you this.

Until this very moment, I didn't know it was possible to see a memory without using a Pensieve or legilimence, but Severus waved a complicated wand movement and a memory solidified before us, almost as if we were watching it projected on a television. I didn't have time to marvel at his spell, Severus's nostrils were flared, when he pointed his chin at the image.

— Watch it!

I shuddered when I saw the back of my head hit with full force by a bullet and then I fell down as if I were really dead. Now I understood Dean's queasy eyes when he visited me earlier.

Screams echoed in the memory as my fellow healers made their way to me to see the gravity of what had just happened. In the corner of memory, a male body rushed into the Quidditch field and slid on its knees next to my body on the ground. It was obvious that this memory was not of Severus, but of someone who assisted us, probably Hooch.

"You know something's really bad if it's professor Snape who's out there checking on someone's health." A voice that sounded a lot like Sarah's echoed in the memory.

The scene changed as the memory owner moved closer to us and focused on Severus grabbing my hand, placing his free palm right next to my head. His face was distressed, and seeing him like this made that feeling of warmth pulse in my veins. I felt this way whenever he was being loving and caring to me.

— Don't you dare pass out on the fucking field again. — He growled.

I turned my body to him, who was sitting there still scowling at me.

— You were worried about me. — I said so.

Part of me expected him to blow up and call me an idiot for thinking he wouldn't care about his own girlfriend, but the controlled, scary tone he used was even worse than his usual cruel temper.

— I resent your seeming surprise at this, Hermione.

— You were the last person to come to visit me. — I said quietly. I didn't want to sound childish now but I think finally the vulnerability of what I suffered hit me hard when I found myself in the safety of his presence.

Severus kept a frown on his face.

— I tried to calm down enough so that I would not come here and yell at you.

— I was attacked! What did you expect me to do? — I suddenly got angry because it looked like he was blaming me for being hit by a bullet. — I think you should be proud that I survived after being attacked by a lead ball!

He turned to me, and I just listened.

— You scared the shit out of me, Granger!

An image of a python ready for the dinghy popped into my head and by some miracle I didn't smile.

— This is a hospital and you are screaming. — I said very calmly, deep down loving his outburst.

— Of course I'm screaming! I was screaming when you were looking dead in that field. — He retorted, his face turning red. — I thought... — Severus gave me a piercing look that almost scared me. — Never do that to me again, you brat. I'm too young and too wizard to die of a heart attack.

I couldn't resist and smiled because I absolutely loved his crazy reaction, even though it was so insane that he blamed me for being attacked. I sighed, despite the sharp pain that arose in my head.

— I would say that stating "I'm too young" is a discussable point, don't you think?

Severus looked up and cursed something low and long in Spanish.

— You were brought into this world to be my penance, weren't you? — It made me let out an even bigger laugh, and that hurt like hell, but I couldn't stop. — Why are you laughing, Granger? This is not a joke.

— You make it sound like I was sent from the Muggle world to the Wizard just to ruin your life, Severus. It's funny, but please don't say things like that now, my head hurts too much.

— Stop laughing then! — He demanded. — It will make the pain worse.

I pinched the tip of my nose and tried to calm down. It took longer than necessary for me to restrain myself, but I succeeded. Finally sober, I smiled softly at him and took his hand in mine.

— It means a lot to me that you are so worried and angry with me.

— But this isn't meant to be funny. Why are you smiling?

I bit my lips and gave him a look.

— I was your student for a few years, Severus. You were annoyed by potion accidents or by the bruises of Slytherin members when they played Quidditch, but your irritation was at their stupidity. It makes me feel really special that you care so much about me.

— It's not just you that I worry about. — He argued.

— Oh? Really? Who else do you care about?

— Scorpius.

My heart warmed to that statement. — Right, because you would be a horrible person if you did not care about a child who is your "godson-grandson". Who else?

— That stupid old cat of yours.

My chest warmed up even more and I'm sure a tear ran from my eye. Severus blinked slowly and didn't say anything for a long time, his index finger ran across the palm of my hand that was still next to his and we both looked at the point where our skins touched. The words just came out of me rampant and unblemished after a while.

— You mean a lot to me, you know that.

Severus didn't break eye contact as he approached and brushed his nose against mine, before kissing me gently. He retreated too quickly, but I understood that the place where we were did not allow such public displays of affection. He reached for the fruit basket and finally held it out to me. I picked up one of the strawberries and inspected it.

— Did you buy this at the market's leftovers?

— No.— He paused. — Why?

I glanced at him before taking a bite. — Half of the fruit is missing.

He reached out and took one for himself as well. — The fruit came whole. I'm the one who bit it.

I closed my eyes to keep from laughing. He noticed and tilted an eyebrow in my direction, silently scolding me not to laugh and force more pain to come to my head.

An hour or so passed, and he still hadn't left, when Eddie's assistant came to check on me.

— Miss. Granger, how are you feeling? — The poor lady fell silent, and her eyes widened when she saw Severus sitting comfortably in the armchair, now with his feet planted on the bed, right next to me. The wrinkle on her forehead was visible when she ran her eyes between the two of us.

— I had no idea you were visiting. — She cleared her throat. — It's past visiting hours, but... — she cleared her throat again, and her cheeks turned bright red. — I can keep a secret, as long as you can too.

Her eyes locked on me, avoiding the sullen man next to me. She left a few minutes later after doing a quick check to make sure I wasn't exhibiting any signs of impending complications.

— If you are planning to stay longer here, I suggest changing the armchair so that it reclines and has footrests. — I paused. — Are you planning to stay?

His response was to take off his own shoes, revealing socks as black as his robes.

— Have you calmed down more about your transfer? — He asked and I was surprised that he started a new subject.

— A bit. I read a background on Swedish researchers that seemed interesting to me. — I answered, and an icy vibration passed through my belly. Sweden. I had not yet assimilated nor my transference in my head, but I was already seeing an option.

— Those who research ancient magic? — He asked casually. I nodded and he nodded. — It's a good option, level ten. — I did not miss the fact that he had called me by the nickname that he still used with me in training. — What about France? Africa? These are well-regarded schools.

— I know about the wandless magic works of Uagadou, but I don't know if I would consider a change of continent, and France, just no. — I wiggled my fingers under the thin blanket I was wearing, reminding myself that even Viktor knew about Chloe, whereas Severus didn't, and it made me feel guilty. He was here, worried about me, we are in a firm relationship and I have not yet told him the truth.

— Severus?

— Yeah?

— Do you remember when you heard Chloe de Lapin calling me a whore and I didn't want to tell you why?

He was flipping through a magazine he picked up on my nightstand when he answered.

— I know why.

My head throbbed in response to his statement.

— What?

— A stupid tantrum just because her husband is a liar and you left him for that very thing. — He looked at me. — Now that we're talking about the topic, I have to tell you how stupid you were. This situation was not your fault, and you should have gone to the press to state the truth and not let them think wrong about you... But you are stubborn and childish when you want to be.

Severus sounded so nonchalant through his speech; whereas I couldn't even keep my head around what he was stating, obsessed only over the fact that he already knew the story.

— How did you find out? — It's supposed to be a secret, right?

He lifted a shoulder. — I used to be a spy.

My mouth opened in disbelief. — And you spied on me?

— You are terribly convinced that everything revolves around you, Hermione. I am sure that this is the result of your coexistence with "The Chosen One". — I snorted, and he raised an ironic eyebrow in my direction. — I made an effort to get to know the Hogwarts task force team while convincing myself to accept returning. In a survey about the team, I found out. Don't frown at me. Even if I hadn't found out, every professor on the team knows. I'd find out anyway.

My face got hot and I tried to rationalize what he was trying to say.

— That's great. — I grumbled.

Refusing to look at me, he accused me: — I asked you once, you did not want to talk.

— I needed a break, we weren't even friends back then, Severus.

— You run out of my stock of ointment, didn't that make me your friend?

Oh Merlin, Severus is absurdly annoying.

— Is that all you have to say?

— Yes. I already said you were an idiot for not fighting them, but there's nothing I can do about it now. If she does something like that to you now, my reaction would be quite different from just kicking her out of a garden. No one will ever call you a whore in front of me, you know that, right?

— Except the newspapers. — I replied bitterly.

— Newspapers are rubbish. — He declared fiercely.

For some strange reason, his anger made me radiant. It didn't matter anymore. It was in the past and he already knew about it and didn't make any noise about it, so why should I? Maybe it was really time to leave Chloe and her idiot husband behind.

I took a deep breath and looked at his side profile and his stubble.

— What about you, Severus? Have you decided on what you are going to do in the future? Whether we return the magic or not.

He turned his black eyes to me. — No. I haven't decided anything yet.

— Robards asked you to stay for another year?

— Yes. — He smiled slightly at me. — Do you think the term "go to hell" was an appropriate response?

I cracked a smile and reached out to touch his foot, wrapping his soft sock around it. — I think I love the sound of it.

His phone rang again.

— If you don't answer, I will. — I threatened him, without moving away and keeping my eyes on the enchanted window, checking the weather outside.

— None of us will answer. — He declared.

The phone rang every five minutes and the sound was annoying.

— Who is it? — I finally asked.

— Kingsley. Robards. Septima.

— Vector?

— Yes. Her.

— What do you want? — My phone was still at home. I had used Neville's again to let Minerva know I had been discharged that morning and said I was free to go and accompany the team on the overseas presentation, even if I wasn't going to present myself. But it took even more two hours for Poppy Pomfrey to release me, so I couldn't get out in time to get the Portkey. Minerva agreed to Severus absence since he dismissed the exchange for Filius as Hogwarts' representative there.

— They don't want us to leave the hospital together.

This made me quickly turn around facing him and a slight pain went through the back of my head.

— You are here as a representative of the team since I was injured in the castle. Why would they ask that?

He made a face that said how stupid he thought all this was.

— So as not to feed more pictures.

I sighed resignedly. — Oh, right, them... I think they're right. I can go out on my own.

— Don't start, Hermione. — He grumbled, not looking at me.

— I understand Vector, she's Hogwarts PR. More pictures mean more public crap for her to have to deal with.

He looked up at me, his mouth in a thin line.

— Don't refer to being seen together as "crap." I'm not going to pretend I don't care about you. We are here as professionals, I am not a child and neither are you. Fuck every one of them.

Seeing the truth on his terms, I felt like a guilty idiot. I hated to say Severus was right, but it was the truth. What did we have to hide if we were here not as a couple, but as a counselor who had been injured in a training under your supervision?

I looked into Severus's intense eyes and remembered that he was the person who had spent the night in an armchair too small for him and who woke up every time Eddie or Madame Pomfrey came to check on me. It made me feel even more guilty for wanting to hide from being seen with him. I admired that face of just over forty, a face that had been so important in my life when I was younger and that had now somehow become so close to me and I realized once again the fact that there is not much I would not do for him as well. I went into a rebel lair to rescue him from the clutches of Lucius Malfoy, for Merlin's sake! Our relationship blossomed into something very solid, why then would I consider not being seen next to this man?

Now I understood when he called me a brat. I think sometimes I really lack the maturity to accept him as my own. Like the man who is part of my life. A man I respect and who respects me, and he doesn't care that the world speculates or knows that we mean something to each other. Our relationship was not given to any of us, we had to work to earn it. So, yeah, I wouldn't let anyone diminish anything that was between us. And if one of those people was Robards, I wouldn't fucking give him that taste.

— I'm sorry. You have a point. — Another thought crossed my mind. — Will Vector be able to hate me even more if we go out together?

— Septima hates most things, Hermione, don't worry about her.

It wasn't very comforting, but that's okay. I smiled at him, before letting anxiety settle in my stomach when I remembered that there really should be journalists in the lobby. Why did I always have to be this pit of bad feelings?

— Why are you frowning? Is the head bothering you? — He asked in a worried tone, as we walked through the halls.

Yes, I can do it for him. I repeated this to myself, the instant we stepped into the main hall of Saint Mungus and the first camera shot a flash in our direction. My face flushed from all the attention on us. I'll never get used to this fame crap. But, if I was going to live with Severus for the rest of my life, it would be an integral part of our day-to-day lives.

My boyfriend walked to his full height, at no time letting me pass in front of or behind him. He walked millimetrically next to me and his closed expression kept the reporters at a distance, even if their questions echoed around us. I just kept the focus on the man next to me and didn't let my anxiety get stamped on my face. He threw the Floo powder into the fireplace and when the green flames engulfed us, he finally allowed himself to hold my hand and my breathing became normal again.

Yeah, there's not much I won't do for him, either.

Final Notes

Thank you to my faithful squire munjaaay for supporting me so much. And the JessInTheDungeons for the amazing English translation. You two have no idea how grateful I am to you.

And as you are already used to: after the calm…

What awaits us next?

Kisses, guys!