Disclaimer: Only the plot can I claim is my own, the rest – well sharing is caring after all.
A/N: Thank you all for sticking with me. I hope you enjoy where this story goes from here. Things are going to be picking up, and this chapter is the branching point for some very important plot developments that have always been my plan for this story. I want to thank everyone who has kept with me and reviewed – your words are so, so kind. Thank you to Bookwormkat1for getting this story to 700 Reviews! I cannot believe it. Also a big thanks to my friend Moewe, I hope this chapter finds you well. bittermelon and deedeebugthank you for filling my inbox with reviews, it is always lovely to see that people are still finding this story and giving it a go, Lily MJ FaeandSampdoria and everyone else who has been there it seems since the beginning, I want to thank you too. I adore you all. Truly.
On another side note, for those that are interested: Treatment is going rather well, and I have been walking on my own for a few weeks, and after over a year without being able to get from room to room unassisted I feel free. To celebrate I had to write. I hope you enjoy. I will try not to make you wait so long next time.
As always, all my love,
LIL
Hermione found Severus and Luna in the sitting room discussing the plants that Luna had found along her journeys. Severus had summoned a tea service from the kitchen and Luna was sketching diagrams of an odd looking flower.
"While I am not surprised, I'm not really sure why you would even care about the petals. They aren't nearly as exciting as the…" Luna was trying to tell him as her quill scratched out the image of the flower.
Severus looked exasperated with the young witch. "Hermione," he pleaded as she stepped further into the room, "please explain to Miss Lovegood that I have no interest in the invisible fairie living inside the glowing magical plant. I still have yet to comprehend half of what she said, but would actually like to know more about the properties of the flowers petals, and why they glow. Perhaps a decent description of the plant and I can find the information myself, or better yet take a trip to find one while you listen to her prattle on about lust fairies," he said.
Hermione had to stifle a laugh. "Hello Luna, I hadn't expected you. Lust fairies you say? That sounds fascinating. I am sure I would love to hear all about them," she said, laughter tinkling in her voice. Hermione walked over and placed a soft kiss on her friend's cheek before moving to sit beside Severus on the settee. She placed her hand on his thigh and patted it reassuringly. "So what brings you to town Luna? Did you come to teach Severus about the, um, the lust fairies? Not that it isn't wonderful to see you." Hermione made sure to reassure her friend, they hadn't been expecting her, but one can't really ever expect anything where a Lovegood is involved, you just have to go with the flow of things and enjoy the show.
Luna smiled. "Oh, well, I hadn't planned on educating him about them really, but I did think he would find it fascinating," she started to explain. "You see, the Lascīvi Fairie steals the ejaculate from the most virile of men and uses it to pollenate the Gebyrd flower. It's petals, which start off a deep crimson hue, close up for ten weeks, creating a lovely glowing pod for a baby fairie to grow before its birth. Following the birth the flower retains its glowing properties for a year while the baby fairie finds its nourishment from its stamen. It's quite remarkable"
Hermione was trying to not outright giggle at her friend. It felt good to have Luna around, she saw the world in such a wonderful way. Severus on the other hand was looking every bit like Professor Snape, though his head was whirling with possibilities at the information he had managed to gleam from Luna's description of semen thieving fairies, knowing that there was typically some iota of truth behind the blonde's far-fetched stories.
Hermione squeezed Severus' thigh as she addressed her friend. "That does sound rather interesting Luna. It is so nice of you to visit. We've been doing a bit of redecorating, I'm sorry if the place is a bit of a mess at the moment," she told her, trying to sway the conversation into topics that did not involve semen, pointing out some of the boxes strewn about the space where they had been sorting through her parents things.
"Oh, think nothing of it Hermione. I noticed several displaced Dwellan Flies buzzing about as I came up the walk. I assumed you must be moving about furniture and things if they had left the home," Luna told them, as if it made all the sense in the world. "It is looking rather more like the two of you than it did when I was last here."
"Thank you Luna, we haven't done much in here yet, the den is really changed the most, and we've started on the master bedroom upstairs," Hermione began to tell her.
"Oh, I am sorry if I've interrupted. It certainly explains why Professor Snape looked so torn between satisfaction and frustration when he answered the door," she said knowingly.
Severus simply smirked. "Indeed Miss Lovegood,"
"Oh Luna, you haven't interrupted anything. It's wonderful to see you."
Luna beamed happily at the pair, feeling especially welcome when Severus wasn't even bothering to try and scowl at her. He looked rather contented at Hermione's side. "Well, I am glad then. I almost forgot," she started to say as she dug around in the little dragon hide satchel at her feet, "ah, here it is Professor, it's why I came by in the first place after all. I had thought you might like these," she stated simply as she withdrew several small glass jars, each containing various bits of plants and insects that were definitely magical, including one that contained several yellow petals that were obviously glowing. "I've never much had an affinity for the art of Potions but I regularly collect samples of plant and insect life to study for clues to the Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I am fished with these now, I saved a seedling for Neville. He was very excited about it."
Luna didn't even seem to notice the look of awe that crossed Severus' features. Hermione certainly picked up on it though. "Thank you so much Luna, Severus is incredibly grateful. What a lovely gesture," she told her friend, noticing that Severus was still staring at the specimens the young blonde had passed him in wonder. She nudged him a little to get his attention back on the conversation a little.
"Very much appreciated Miss Lovegood, these are wonderfully preserved," he told her honestly, having managed to tear his attention away from the jars long enough to express his thanks.
"You are very welcome," she told him.
Hermione knew that Severus would be positively itching to get them to his lab and so she offered to show Luna some of the work they had been doing while Severus popped over to his lab to put the samples somewhere safe, and perhaps have a little time to inspect some of them more closely. He was grateful that she was understanding of his passion for his work, and that she had such wonderful friends, between Luna, George, and Kingsley he found he was not horribly annoyed to spend time in the company of those that meant the most to her, at least they were amusing.
He offered to bring home dinner for the three of them, inviting Luna to stay without actually having to ask. "I will return in a few hours with Chinese enough for three, Lovegood I do hope you enjoy Dim Sum," he said in a way that made it sound more like he was commanding she eat with them rather than extending her a polite invitation; though it was obvious that he was in a rather jovial mood for the Potions Master.
He kissed Hermione on the cheek, and nodded at Luna as he spun out of the room. The girls just smiled and laughed as he walked out to the back garden and disapperated in a swirl of robes.
Hermione spent the next few hours showing Luna about the house and talking about Severus.
"I don't even know why I did, but I kissed him, and for months all I could think about was how that kiss was so much more," Hermione paused while she searched for the right word to describe her first impulsive kiss with Severus, back when she thought herself married to another man whom she had learned to fear and hate.
"Fervent, indulgent, venerating," Luna offered.
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "Oh Luna, I do wish we had seen more of each other these past years. It is so nice having a friend who can see the world the way you do," she said. Luna just smiled brightly at her. "I am not sure I would call that kiss any of those. It was more like terribly tempting and frighteningly sweet." She tried to find words that would adequately describe the feelings she had when she first kissed him in the apothecary and kept coming up short. "I don't know really, but it was so obvious that he was more than the austere Potions Master, he was most definitely a man."
Luna laughed lightly at that. "Well he was always a man," she said, "even as our Professor there was certainly more than one girl in the Ravenclaw common room that speculated about what he hid underneath all those robes. So many buttons. I always thought it was rather obvious he would be a very thorough lover, after all, who could miss the way he handled potions ingredients? Not my type though, but he seems very well suited for you," she told her before being enveloped in a warm hug.
"Thank you Luna," Hermione told her as she squeezed her shoulders. "It is nice to know we have people on our side. He really is quite wonderful, if not a tad snarky from time to time."
"I never noticed he was snarky." Luna was so serious in her comment and it just sent Hermione into gales of laughter.
Severus arrived home early in the evening with a satisfied sort of smirk on his face, and his arms laden with Chinese takeout. He set the table for their meal and went to find the girls so that they could all eat. They were sitting in the little nook they had created in the den, music was softly playing from the radio on the desk and Hermione was pumping her breasts while she talked with her friend, a book perched in her lap. Severus watched the two girls from the doorway, happy to see Hermione so at ease with herself. He found himself continuously astounded with how well she had been doing as time went on. She certainly seemed comfortable with Luna, and the blush gracing her cheeks from an afternoon of laughter was beautiful on her.
Luna was perched upside down on one of the club chairs, her feet swinging in the air as her hair puddled on the floor beneath her. She turned her head towards the doorway having felt the new presence in the room. "Oh, hello Professor."
Hermione looked up from the book she had been reading while maintaining conversation with Luna. "Hello Severus."
Severus twitched his lips in what would almost be considered a smile, "Hello ladies, I've brought Chinese, are the two of you ready to eat? The table is set for three," he told them.
Luna rolled backwards off her spot on the chair. "Oh, it smells wonderful. It's too bad we don't have any of daddy's dirigible plum sauce," she said as she bounced towards the kitchen.
Hermione disengaged her pump, which had all but finished its job, and with a flick of her wand had the pump, and two small bottles, each full with several ounces of milk, sailing towards the kitchen counter to be sorted out. She stood up and made her way to Severus, kissing him warmly. "I'm famished. You have impeccable timing," she said. "I hope you had a good time at the lab."
Severus leaned in and kissed her chastely again, smiling at her show of magic. "Wonderful actually. It was incredibly thoughtful of Miss Lovegood to bring me those samples. I am considering a trip myself to collect more, they have fascinating properties. I will show you what I am talking about Monday. Let's go eat before it gets cold. For whatever reason the warming charms never seem to work quite right on Chinese takeaway."
Severus and Hermione walked to the kitchen together where Luna was already sitting and looking over the choices.
They all set to eating companionably, Severus helping to serve up portions for both the women at the table. "Miss Lovegood, I wanted to thank you again. I have already discovered some interesting properties with some of the ingredients you supplied. I look forward to being able to do some real experimentation once this month's Wolfsbane is bottled," he said as they were all settling into their means.
Luna swallowed the bite of rice she had in her mouth. "Oh, you are welcome. Most of them I came across while lying naked in the grass with Roanne. I'm glad I had a mind to secure some samples. You could call me Luna, if you wanted to Professor. After all, I haven't been a student of yours for some years now. Do you call Hermione Miss Granger? Ohh, that might be fun, I hadn't even thought of that game, have you played naughty Head Girl? I played that with Anthony Goldstein once," she said, the lewd way she swiped her tongue against the inside of her cheek left no questions as to how one played Naughty Head Girl, and Severus had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from sputtering his food all over the table at the thought of Luna Lovegood and Anthony Goldstein locked in a broom cupboard somewhere in the castle.
Hermione was not as successful. She had just taken a sip of her water when she saw Luna wiggling her tongue against the inside of her cheek, and try as she might couldn't stop the laugh that erupted from her, dribbling the water from her mouth. "Oh, Luna, I did not need to know that."
"Indeed. Although, I do suppose you have a fair point in there somewhere. I could consent to calling you Luna, if you would do me the favor of not discussing your sexual proclivities at my dinner table," he told her.
"Oh, well, that sounds perfectly fair, although I had not thought you to be shy of such things professor," she admitted.
Severus just harrumphed and took a bite of his food to keep from verbally lambasting her for her assumption. While he was certainly not a prude by any means, he did not need the reminder of all the students he had found similarly engaged while he was attempting to eat.
With Luna adhering, or at least attempting to adhere, to the no sex talk at the table rule, conversation continued companionably. Severus agreed that if he was to be referring to Luna by her given name, it would sound ridiculous if she didn't do the same, earning him a warm smile from Hermione, and a few odd moments of listening to Luna practice how Severus sounded on her tongue, finally stopping and informing him that it was a fun word to say and she was happy for the permission to do so. They all laughed a little at that.
The meal went on when Hermione suddenly thought of something.
"Luna," she began, "where have you been staying? I know your dad never did rebuild the house near Ottery St. Catchpole. I hadn't even thought about where you stay when you are not travelling."
"Oh, well, I had spent some time with Neville and Hannah, and spent a few nights with this cute witch I met in London, Kat. Here and there really. Home tends to be on the road the last few years, I haven't decided what to do now that I am ready to sit down and start writing for a while," she admitted.
"I was unaware that you were intending to write," Severus told her.
"Oh yes, I haven't actually found the Crumple-Horned Snorkack yet, but I have come across several interesting creatures in my travels and I thought I would compile a small book or journal on them," she explained.
"Oh, that is a wonderful idea Luna!" Hermione exclaimed. "I think you would make a wonderful author."
"Oh, thank you Hermione. I still need to find a place, maybe a small flat or something. I still have a small stipend from my Order of Merlin. I am not sure, I think the solitude would be nice during the day while I write, but I find I still have trouble with the emptiness when night falls. "
Hermione certainly understood what she meant. It wasn't just having grown up in a castle full of people, ghosts and other creatures, it was knowing that at night, when all was still and quiet it was the darkness within that was more terrifying than the darkness outside the walls. "Was Kat a roommate you were staying with? That didn't work out well I take it?"
Luna blushed, and looked at Severus as if deciding what to say. He was smirking as if anticipating her answer, so she didn't see any reason not to share. "She wasn't really a roommate, just a lovely witch I had a short fling with. She was very good with charms, she taught me this lovely little spell, roto-vibratio, that was loads of fun. She was married though, and I decided I didn't fancy breaking up a marriage, even a bad one," she said, not noticing the way Severus and Hermione both winced slightly at that. "I suppose it would have been different if I loved her, but truly it was just the carnal pleasures with her. I needed a little fun after Roanne, and her husband had apparently been out of the country on business with the Department of Magical Games and Sports, so she had her house all to herself for a week," she explained.
Severus seemed to forget the comment about not breaking up a marriage when she explained not being in love, he knew that his situation with Hermione was worlds apart. He did wonder a bit about the airy young woman who seemed to have turned to sex as an escape from the hardships she faced, almost in opposition to Hermione who had turned desperately into hiding away from the world even at the cost she had paid to stay in the shadows, cowering beside Weasley who was happy to take the spotlight from her.
Hermione seemed to easily forget the comment too, and unlike Severus was practically amused at her friend's love life. "What happened with Roanne? I didn't think that things were serious with her either? She was the girl you met in Australia, right?" she asked.
Luna smiled sadly. "Oh, she was, and really it was fun, but more and more I realized that I likely felt much more for her than she did for me," she started to tell them. "She was so free, and joyous. She reminded me why we fought, you know," she said, alluding to the war. "Her soul was so pure it shone like a beacon and I was desperate for a taste of her. Not just sexually, but I was drawn in by her aura. I have never met anyone like that who lived their life so openly and passionately. It was like she didn't have the word 'no' in her vocabulary. It was rather thrilling, and by the time it was over it was like I was addicted to sound of her voice. It was like listening to the wood nymphs in Sherwood Forest singing," she told them. "Unfortunately Roanne not saying no also meant she did not say no to Iona, Elita, or Trask."
"Oh Luna, I'm so sorry," Hermione told her, getting up and rounding the table to pull her friend into a hug.
Luna hugged her friend back happily. "Oh, it wasn't too bad. I never would have found half of what I did if it wasn't for the time I spent with her between my legs."
Severus grimaced. "Delightful Miss Lovegood, I do believe we had agreed you would not discuss your escapades while at the table, at least you could wait to include anecdotes about time spent with others feasting at the apex of your thighs until we have retired to the sitting room."
"Oh, sorry, I hadn't meant to imply so much, but I really do owe the discovery of the Lascīvi Fairie to that moment spent rolling around in the grasses in the valley beneath the Blue Mountains."
Severus just pinched the bridge of his nose and with a wave of his wand the table began to clear. He stood and made his way over to the sink, as the dishes settled inside. "Why don't you ladies go relax, I will get the tea ready and be in in a moment."
Hermione smiled and led Luna to the sitting room.
When Severus came into the room a few minutes later with the tea it was to find both girls sitting side by side with their heads together over a notebook. "And what, pray tell, has you both so enthralled? Here I thought we were going to finish our discussion on Luna's lovers?" he asked sarcastically.
"Oh, well I seemed to pick up on a little bit of apprehension on that subject Severus, so I thought that I would show Hermione some of my notes, you might find those interesting as well. If I had known you were more interested in other details I would have shared my personal journal instead," Luna teased.
Hermione just laughed and Severus shook his head, feeling like he must have walked into an alternate dimension where he was destined to be teased by Looney Lovegood of all people. He supposed it could be worse. Hermione always seemed to laugh most when she or George and Kingsley were around, and he would certainly prefer their company to Harry Potter's.
An hour and two cups of tea later Severus couldn't help but find himself highly impressed with the notes that Luna had compiled, both on creatures he was still hesitant to believe in, and on the plant life that she had observed in her searches of their habitats. She had spent two years travelling the globe to find little known or unknown magical creatures. Her observations seemed sound and well detailed, and the sketches that accompanied them were textbook quality.
"This is good work," he told her. "Did you plan on compiling into one tome, or were considering a series focusing on various habitats and the life found within them?"
"Oh, I hadn't quite decided. I had actually hoped to talk with Hermione about that a bit. She was always known at school for being the absolute best when it came to cataloguing notes and references and putting them into the order that made the most sense. The girls in Ravenclaw were quite miffed that those talents were being wasted earning points for Gryffindor."
Hermione blushed at the praise. "I would be happy to help you however I can. Perhaps I can work that into my revision for Herbology. Of course, I have to be sure that the rest of my studies don't suffer, and I still need time to work with Severus in the lab preparing for my Potions exams." Hermione summoned a notepad and pen. She began jotting down notes furiously, making a timetable. "If we set aside time on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and Saturday mornings, I could…" she was cut off by her frantic rambling by Severus.
"Hermione, perhaps I have a better solution, though I cannot believe I am actually suggesting it," he really did look bewildered as he continued on. "You do have a desire to spend much of your time revising, though I still hold that you could pass your NEWTS tomorrow, and even I think that you could be a valuable asset to Luna in turning this into a book, or a series of books. I have plans to focus on building a lab in the cellar and then much of my time would be spent here rather than in the back room at the shop. So I assume, that would mean much of your time would also be spent here. You now have a perfect place to work in the den, and there are two spare rooms available. I could certainly think of worse uses for them."
Hermione wasn't even sure what to say. She had briefly considered broaching the subject of offering Luna a room, but thought to do it later, when she and Severus were alone. They had only just decided that this house would be theirs, and she wasn't sure that asking to share that space with someone else was the wisest course of action. "Are you sure Severus? I mean that does sound like a workable solution, and would allow for me to find more time to work with Luna, without actually taking away from anything else. Even when you need to be in the shop I won't always be home by myself, which I know makes you uneasy, even though I know the house is well warded."
"It seems an adequate solution. She is obviously in need of a place to stay, as well as to work. She desires your assistance, and she could certainly help you with some of your revision. If I recall she had excellent marks in many of her subjects, including Charms, which you and I both know was not my particular interest save where it regarded Advanced Potions," he was explaining. "Besides, she is certainly less aggravating than she initially appears."
"Oh, thank you Severus, that is so nice of you to say of me," Luna said. "It would be nice I think, there is a distinct lack of Wrackspurts in the area surrounding your house, I wonder if the warding is keeping them away. It would be nice to work without their persistent interference though, if it really is okay with the both of you of course."
Hermione agreed and she and Severus set to discussing options for Luna's placement, agreeing that eventually Hermione's old room would be most suitable. It already had a desk and workspace and was slightly larger than the guest room.
Luna just watched as the two of them discussed her living arrangements, it sounded like a lovely plan, and she wasn't averse to living with couples, she had enjoyed the time she was with Neville and Hannah, but they had a small two bedroom, and it only took one comment about moving furniture around to squeeze the bassinet next to the bed, and transfiguring their chest of drawers into a suitable changing table, for Luna to decide it was time to move on and give expectant couple their space.
Severus assured them both that he thought it was a sound arrangement. Luna was currently in need of a place to stay, and would offer Hermione company when Severus couldn't be around. She could also be persuaded to make sure Hermione go outside the house and the lab more often and would not let her studies become all consuming. It certainly wouldn't be a permanent solution, but Severus made sure that both witches knew it was one he was comfortable with if they found it agreeable.
He had already planned on hiring another shop keeper, and possibly renting out the flat above the apothecary once the work was done on the house. With Luna's help perhaps they would have the house set the way they wished it in less time than he had originally planned. Selfishly he wanted to find out as much as he could about some of the samples that Luna had brought. He was more than just intrigued. He believed she had stumbled upon something that could be the breakthrough he needed to truly heal Hermione, though he was reluctant to suggest it in case it proved to be a false hope.
After a little more discussions the three all agreed to try out the living arrangements and the girls headed up the stairs to see about setting up the guest room for Luna. They thought that if it were to become more of a long term arrangement that Hermione's old room would be more suitable, but for now, while there was still so much to be moved, the guest room was certainly preferred to a room at an inn.
That night, while Hermione and Severus shared the bed in the master bedroom for the first time, Hermione turned on her side to face Severus, running her fingertips lightly along his cheek and down his strong jaw. "I am so lucky to have you in my life, Severus. I love you so much. I still do not know what I did to deserve a man like you, so understanding and sweet."
"Merlin, woman, do you know nothing. I had thought you were highly intelligent. I would do anything for you. You deserve to be worshipped and while I do not desire to share our home forever, I see no reason not to at least try to do so for the time being, it was a good solution. I could already see the wheels turning in that head of yours and you would have stretched yourself too thin trying to fit everything into that timetable of yours. I love you," he said as he leaned in to place a soft lingering kiss on the corner of her mouth.
That night he held her close and told her again how nothing could change the joy he felt having her in his life. He had been undeniably in love with her and willing to do anything to see her happy long before he knew she returned his affections. They shared soft kisses and slowly drifted off to sleep in each others arms feeling at ease and ready to truly begin their lives together, apparently with a house guest for the time being.
Neither of them were aware, as they drifted off to sleep safe in one another's embrace that clear across the world a new dark force would soon be gathering behind the banner of an unlikely leader determined to bring about the death and ruin of Hermione Granger.
A/N: Thank you again for reading. I hope you enjoyed this little lighter note. Things will be happening quickly from here, and not everything will be easy and joyous for our couple. Another Sunday dinner at the Burrow is approaching, and with it comes bad news, and worse news as Harry and his team return empty handed to give their reports and regroup. Just what is brewing in the Wizarding World of San Francisco?
Reviews are always appreciated. Lots and lots of love.
Lil