She woke up far later than she usually would. Snape did not wake her up and she was in bed alone. He had come home earlier but was still not in bed. It irritated her that a small part of her was worried for him. If he never returned or died, she would be free and the wards on this house would drop.
She groggily got out of bed and before she could make it out of bed a large silver stag pranced into the room.
"Harry," she whispered as tears escaped her eyes.
"I am safe with the Order, will keep in touch. Where are you? Are you safe?" the voice of her best friend whispered to her as the stag dissipated in the air and a gold coin appear on the flood. The coins she'd made for Dumbledore's Army.
She picked up the coin and thought her message in her mind as the coin burned.
Safe for now, spinner's end with Snape.
Soon another message appeared on the coin.
Rescue?
Did she need to be rescued and risk the safety of order members? She was not in immediate danger and maybe… maybe Snape was not entirely evil and could help. Of course that man was shades of grey and had touched her in ways she could have never imagined… but she didn't quite mind. She was unharmed.
Not now. Snape loyalty?
She hoped maybe someone in the order would know.
Unknown.
Guess not.
Maybe she could find out. After all, she'd like to believe that he was warming up to her.
She composed herself and began to make her way to the kitchen in an old borrowed nightshirt. It was so quiet she doubted he was even home with the silence. It was late in the morning and the man has yet to demand food from her.
Speaking of food, she was hungry. Her stomach grumbled in agreement.
Just as she was about to fantasize about the delicious croissant she wanted with fresh fruit and cream, she caught sight of a bloody mummy on the couch.
Of course, like any normal witch she gasped in fear as her heart skipped a beat. Mummies were powerful creatures in the magical world.
Its eyes opened and she realised that it was none other than the eyes of one Severus Snape.
Severus Snape was not a vampire as people would like to believe, he was a mummy!
Laughter bubbled inside her chest and as hard as she tried to hide it from him, it soon became audible. He frowned at her and she tried her best to regain her composure.
"What happened to you?" she asked curiously.
"As you can see I am injured," he mumbled. "Pixies."
She recalled that they had razor sharp wings. That explained the bandages but it was an awful lot of bandages.
"Breakfast?" she proposed.
"Yes please," he sighed in relief and stood up to head to the kitchen. "Perhaps afterwards you could help me heal these wounds. How are your charms skills? Exceeds Expectations I hope."
"Well yes, but I don't have a wand," she reminded him sadly. Her wand had been an extension of her arm for years and without it she felt vulnerable.
"You may use mine," he told her simply as if lending someone his wand was a normal thing to do. It was like sharing a toothbrush in the wizarding world. It was personal on an emotional level. Maybe he didn't have emotions… that would explain it.
Hermione cast the thought out of her head as she put the kettle on and began to fry some food for breakfast. Out of the corner of her eyes she noticed Snape getting food out of the fridge and chopping with his bandaged hands.
"What are you doing?" she asked a little too sharply.
"Chopping."
"You're injured," she chided as she moved away from her pan to take the knife away from him. The kettle boiled and she smiled widely at him. "Tea? Sit, let me get you a cup!"
As she moved around the kitchen to get him his tea in his favourite mug she realized that she was being far too nice to this man. But considering he was covered head to toe in cuts, she would give him a break. After all, she suspected that he wasn't an awful man deep down inside and she couldn't even let an awful man suffer.
He was injured and by Merlin she'd make sure he healed.
Soon they were both sitting with a cup of tea and a large platter of fried foods. She was famished and began to devour her food happily.
Snape on the other hand sipped his tea slowly and watched the strange little witch shovel food into her mouth in a slightly less than dignified manner. Still he found her somehow endearing. She was bossy and uncouth at times but he liked it coming from her.
While he did not usually have much of an appetite, ever since she's arrived, he found himself eating more and more. Perhaps it was the meals she made, they far surpassed his. Not that he'd ever tell her. But perhaps it was the way she ate that made everything seem so much more delicious.
He picked up his fork and began to take bitefuls of beans and meats.
Once the meal was done, Snape flicked his wand and the dishes began to wash themselves much to Hermione's surprise. Did he not usually want to torture her with sinkfuls of dishes?
"If you would follow me," he commanded quietly. There was something in his voice that made Hermione shiver slightly and follow without even questioning what was about to happen.
As they made it up to his bedroom she began to worry whether or not she hid the golden coin well enough. She looked at the floorboard she'd hit it under and sighed in relief. It looked normal like all the other ones.
While she did this she failed to notice that Snape had shed all of his bandages and was not sitting on the bed in ripped clothing.
"A little help would be appreciated," he mumbled gruffly.
"Right right," she hurried to his side to help him slip his arm out of his shirt without irritation the wounds further. Some were already scabbing to the shirt and began to bleed as she peeled it away from his skin. "May- May I have your wand?"
He looked at her warily and must have found what he was looking for because he laid his wand simply on the bed.
As she reached for his wand, she could sense the magic already coursing through her body. A white wisp of smoke floated out of the wand as she held it and it seemed to shock Snape but he kept quiet.
He watched carefully as she healed his many small cuts one by one as she helped him undress. The warmth and tingle of the spell enwrapped him and he wanted nothing more than to sleep and before he knew it he felt his bed hit the pillow and covers over his body. He wondered briefly if she'd cast a spell on him.
Never in her life would Hermione believe that Severus Snape would look peaceful and handsome. But somehow that was the only way she could describe the man as he laid there in bed sound asleep. She put his wand on the bedside table and decided that she could do with about short nap as well. After all, the old house was drafty and Severus Snape made a great heater.
When she woke up again she was cocoon in warmth and softness. She felt a hand brushing the hair at the nape of her neck. She gave a soft sigh and her eyes fluttered open. Severus Snape's obsidian eyes stared back at her softly and not for the first time, she wondered what he was thinking about. She had never seen his eyes look so soft.
"Hello," was all she could think about saying as he stared at her.
Almost too fast to be seen, a small upturn of his lips appeared but was quickly replace with his standard thin lipped look of disinterest.
"I hope you slept well," he said almost sarcastically.
"Um… yes?" she replied a little confused at his 180o. "You?"
"I slept very well until I was smothered by an insurmountable amount of hair," he recalled.
It was then that she realised that her hair was all over his chest and creeping up to his face. She was in fact using him as a pillow and was wrapped around him like Devil's Snare.
As she scrambled to move away from him in embarrassment his arms tightened around her and she only managed to move her head onto a pillow. Unfortunately, her far was not inches from him.
"It seems you are quite affectionate in your sleep," he teased her with a predatory smile. "Will you be far less affectionate once awake?"
Imaged of their previous activities in bed floated to the surface as her eyes glazed over in desire. She recalled the feeling of her climax and the feel of his hand on her body.
Perhaps it was a spell, or she was confused but she wanted him.
"What do you want kitten?" he asked her softly as if he just knew.
"I…" she didn't know how to put it into words but she needed him closer, she wanted to taste his lips again and so she leaned in and took what she wanted.
At first he didn't respond to be and tensed but soon he relaxed and deepened the kiss and let his hands roam over her body, he wanted nothing more than to never leave this moment in time and space.
But he couldn't.
He had a potion to get back to and while their earlier encounters were meant for a more practical purpose, he would have no way to justify his actions not. This was selfish.
"Please?" she begged him lustfully.
And that was all it took for him to return to kissing and caressing her body. Perhaps it did not need to be selfish if it was for her. If this was all he could offer her at this time, then he would at the cost of his soul… if he still had one.