Chapter Text
April 29th, 1998
The shells and coarse sand of the beach crunched under her boots, the wind whipping her hair around wildly as she walked.
Hermione couldn’t believe how long it was before Fleur had finally given her leave to go for a walk on her own after their ordeal at Malfoy Manor. She needed to talk to Snape, but the total lack of privacy at Shell Cottage made it an impossibility. She needed to warn him about what was going to happen in the coming days. Everything was about to come to a head, she just knew it. Their upcoming mission was going to guarantee it.
Ploughing ahead through the sand, Hermione put as much distance as she could between there and everyone else. She’d told Harry she needed a walk to clear her head - she hadn’t been lying, not really at any rate. Harry had grown up a great deal since last June, but he was still fairly clueless at times. She promised to erect her own wards during her walk, and they’d left her to her own devices then.
As she trudged along, she realised how warm she was getting and shed her jumper so that she was just wearing a t-shirt with her jeans.
She kept on until she reached a nearby cliff that overlooked the bay. It was a clear spring day. Being at the cottage she had managed to gain back a small amount of the weight she’d lost while eating minimally while travelling with the boys. She sat down on a smooth, flat rock, and pulled the portrait of Phineas Nigellus from the bag.
‘Headmaster Black,’ she said, hoping he would hear her.
Moments later, the wizard entered through the door in his painting. ‘How can I be of assistance, Miss Granger?’ he drawled boredly.
‘Can you possibly pass on a message to the Headmaster?’
‘I am at your service.’
‘Please tell Professor Snape to come to the rocks of Tinworth, in Cornwall. I have matters of importance to discuss, and I feel that it needs to be spoken about in person,’ she said, a little nervous asking to meet in broad daylight.
‘I will pass on the message, and let you know his response,’ Phineas said before shuffling back to his other portrait to relay the message. He reappeared moments later. ‘Headmaster Snape says that he will be with you shortly.’
‘Thank you, Headmaster Black.’
She tucked the portrait back into her bag, and simply sat in the sun, letting it beat down on her as she breathed in the salty seaside air. It was a beautiful and peaceful place - far less depressing than camping in a tent in the middle of an icy forest. They had been there for a couple of months already, recuperating but frustratingly idle. It had taken quite some time for them to formulate their plan. She just hoped everything would work out.
She heard the soft pop of Apparation nearby, and when she looked off to her right she could see that Snape had arrived. He was wearing his full teaching attire, but looked tired and a little ruffled at being summoned. She immediately dropped her protective ward so that he could see her, and he strode over to join her on the rocks, his long legs carrying him there with ease. Once he was close, she raised her wards again. He looked at her in surprise as he sat down beside her.
‘Better to be safe than sorry,’ she told him. ‘And this way if any of my friends wander in this direction, you’ll have time to disappear as well.’
‘Your reputation continues to precede you, Hermione.’
Hermione smiled at that comment. She’d had so few reasons to smile lately. It had been a long time since they had seen one another in person. She felt for him. He still looked gaunt and withdrawn - his colouring was more pale if that were possible, and his hair hung straight and stringy around his shoulders. She wondered when he’d last gotten his hair cut.
‘You didn’t keep your end of our bargain,’ she said quietly.
He snorted. ‘You barely kept yours,’ he said, his eyes darting down to her forearm where the jagged words Bellatrix Lestrange carved into her had scarred.
‘I’m sorry if our trip to Malfoy Manor got you into any sort of trouble.’
He shook his head. ‘No, no trouble for me,’ he murmured. ‘The Malfoys and Bella however… let’s just say, the Dark Lord was not pleased at your escape.’
‘Dobby was killed,’ she said, a wave of sadness washing over her at that memory. He had died rescuing them.
‘Then he died as he lived: free.’
Hermione willed back the tears that threatened to spill. Though there seemed to be some sort of mutual respect, even a tenuous friendship between them, she didn’t think he would take kindly to her crying. She saw Snape rummage around the inner pocket of his robe, and he withdrew something from it that she wasn’t expecting.
‘Honeydukes?’ she asked.
‘Only the best,’ he replied as he methodically peeled the wrapper of the chocolate bar, and broke it neatly in two.
He held out half to her, and she accepted it, still a little gobsmacked. She nibbled at the corner of it, watching as Snape placed a small square into his own mouth and chewed, staring out at the sea. She saw the crease between his brows and the lines of worry on his face soften. Being by the sea had that effect on people.
‘I need to talk to you about our plans,’ she said, breaking the silence.
‘I assumed you didn’t just summon me here for chocolate and a chat,’ he quipped.
She levelled a flat stare at him, causing the corners of his mouth to lift in a smirk. Her breath caught. He was rather striking when he smiled. She pushed that feeling back down. It would likely never amount to anything, but now especially, it was not the time for that.
‘In two days we will be going to Gringotts to retrieve something from Bellatrix Lestrange’s vault,’ she told him. ‘We don’t have a choice - there is too much at stake.’
‘I am aware of what the Dark Lord is keeping in the vault, Hermione.’
She looked at him sharply. She should have been more surprised, but Snape was an intelligent man - of course he would piece it together. ‘Then you know we can’t put it off much longer.’
Snape nodded. ‘It is inevitable.’
‘After that, we will have to come to Hogwarts somehow. I haven’t quite worked that one out though,’ she mused. ‘Any ideas?’
His lips thinned as he contemplated. ‘If you Apparate into Hogsmeade you will likely be snatched in seconds,’ he said quietly. ‘If you have that blasted cloak, it may buy you some time…’
‘I’ll figure something out.’
‘Is there anything else I should know?’ he asked. ‘It seems pointless not to share it now that things are coming to a head.’
She nodded. ‘We think the last Horcrux, other than his snake of course, is in the castle somewhere. That’s why it is essential we get to Hogwarts. Once we are inside the castle, there will not be much time before Riddle will be summoned there,’ she said, standing up from her makeshift stone seat and beginning to pace. ‘Can you try to keep the Carrows out of our way?’
‘Those two idiots will be easy enough to manage.’
She looked over at him and smiled gratefully. Hermione turned towards the ocean and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. She didn’t know if either of them would make it - Harry- dear Harry- was unlikely to make it. This was their only shot at ridding the Wizarding world of Tom Riddle’s stain. She felt before she saw Snape’s presence beside her. Opening her eyes she turned her head a little to observe him.
As usual his face was an unreadable mask. A breeze whipped across the rocky cliff, causing gooseflesh on her arms. She wrapped her arms around herself for comfort and warmth.
‘I should leave,’ he murmured. ‘If I am gone for too long, it will be noticed.’
‘Alright.’
Snape turned on his heel and began to walk back in the direction where he came, but Hermione quickly reached out and grasped his arm without thinking. He paused, surprised by her actions. Before she had a chance to overthink it, she wrapped her arms around his waist beneath his robes, pressing her face into the fabric and inhaling his scent. He was surprisingly warm and smelled like the mint and astringent herbs she always associated with him.
His body stiffened at her touch, but soon enough he relented and his arms wound around her shoulders as she returned the embrace. She wondered how long it had been since this man had been hugged - if ever. They stood there silently accepting the closeness for a while before Hermione admitted to herself that it was too dangerous for him to stay. She loosened her grip on him and took a step backwards, her cheeks flushed with mild embarrassment. His pale cheeks were also stained pink, which caused her to smile.
‘Take care, Severus,’ she said, trying to impart as much warmth into her farewell as she could.
‘Goodbye, Hermione.’
And as quickly as he’d come, he was gone, leaving her to stand alone at the rocky cliffs, her heart heavy. The likelihood she would see him again was slim.
August 9th, 1998
A breeze whipped through the open library window, rustling the parchment on the desk in the far corner near it, a simple paperweight keeping them from flying around the room.
Hermione had set that desk up there herself when she had cleaned and gutted the library, restoring books that were not damaged beyond repair and throwing out those that were. She sat, waiting for Snape to speak again. After telling her about Lily, they both needed a little time to think, so she had left him up there alone and fetched tea and some of Molly’s famous biscuits for them. When she returned, she placed the tray down on the coffee table, and they served themselves.
‘Hermione,’ he said, gently cutting through the silence with his plummy voice.
‘Severus,’ she whispered, barely making a sound.
‘I am deeply sorry for the things I said to you when I awoke in the infirmary,’ he said, his expression open and earnest. ‘I did not mean them at all, and I regret very much that this is your lasting impression of me. I was a bastard. Can you forgive me?’
She felt a calm settle over her electrified nerves, his deep timbre and words like a soothing balm. Standing up from the armchair she had tucked herself in, Hermione walked towards him, stopping to stand in front of him so that he had to crane his neck up a little to look at her properly. She reached out a gentle hand and placed it on his cheek, relishing in the smooth coolness of his skin.
‘I forgive you,’ she said, letting out the breath she had been holding with a sigh.
One of his hands came up to cover hers, giving it a gentle squeeze before he let her go and she sat down on the end of the lounge chair that had stretched between them, close to the end his armchair was stationed.
‘I don’t have any expectations of you, I want that to be clear,’ he said, retrieving his momentarily forgotten teacup. ‘Just because you are willing to let my transgression slide, does not mean I expect you to be willing to - that you would want-’
It was Hermione’s turn to interrupt him then. ‘Severus,’ she said, a little breathless, nervous. She’d implied that she had feelings for him before, but had never dared speak it aloud to him. ‘I have rather strong feelings for you as well.’
He sucked in a breath, but remained silent. She realised then that she held in her hands the ability to decide what happened between them. Did she want to try and have a relationship with the man across from her? He was complicated, damaged. He had run from her at the first hurdle - at the first potential change to their status. But he’d come back and he had made the first move to repair what he had broken; without provocation. Her heart throbbed hard as she cast her eyes up to his face and saw that his jaw was tight and his lips thinned. His fingers flexed with nerves. She had to give him an answer.
‘I’d like to see if this, whatever it is between us, has potential,’ she told him.
His eyes softened and he released the breath he’d been holding. ‘I would also like that.’
She smiled. ‘So,’ she began, shifting the conversation to something a little less tense. ‘Now that you are no longer beholden to any masters, what do you think you might want to do with your life?’
‘I’d been thinking about that a lot, lately, while I have been mulling over how I was going to approach you,’ he answered. ‘I resigned my position at Hogwarts. I do not feel that I am well suited to teaching-’ She smirked at that. ‘-and I do not want to potentially be in a position of authority over you ever again - I don’t think that would be conducive to carrying on any sort of relationship with you.’
She smiled. He had been hopeful that she would forgive him - that she’d want him. It sent a pleasant feeling into her stomach that warmed her. ‘I’m not going back to Hogwarts,’ she said quietly. ‘I’m taking my NEWT’s next week at the Ministry.’
He raised an eyebrow in surprise. ‘You would turn down the opportunity for more school?’
She shrugged. ‘I supposed I just have different priorities now. I can go to a library whenever I like and read. I could apprentice or go to college. I don’t think I could go back to Hogwarts for school now - it wouldn’t feel right.’
‘I understand.’
‘What are you going to do with all your time?’
‘Travel.’ A small smile played on his lips. It took her breath away.
‘Where will you go?’ she asked, her emotions warring between being both curious, and a little sad that he wanted to go away.
‘Anywhere,’ he said earnestly. ‘Everywhere. I have spent so long on this godforsaken island; I need a change of pace.’
Sadness pushed out any other feeling, making her chest feel tight. ‘That sounds wonderful,’ she said, but her voice didn’t even convince her that she meant it. ‘I’m sure it will be nice not to be tied down for a while.
Snape smiled at her indulgently. ‘Come with me.’
Hermione gaped at him. ‘Really?’
He nodded. ‘Yes,’ he replied, without giving it any further thought. ‘You could use a break from all of this too. Don't you think?’
‘I have to go to Australia to find my parents,’ she told him. The thought almost hadn’t occurred to her, she was still reeling from his offer for her to travel with him. ‘I want to try and restore their memories and bring them home.’
‘We’ll go there first,’ Snape offered. ‘Two heads are better than one.’
The wave of affection Hermione felt towards him then threatened to overwhelm her. A happy sob escaped her, and before she knew it, she was on her feet, launching herself at him in the armchair, sliding down to straddle his lap as she embraced him. Hermione kissed him, her lips pressing to his tenderly. He returned it with equal fervour, deepening it when a small gasp escaped her as his arms wound around to crush her chest to his.
Her body was singing with pleasure at the feeling of being consumed by him. If his kiss was anything to go by, there was a lot more pleasure in store for them in the future. Eventually she pulled back and they sat with their eyes closed, their breath mingling as they tried to catch it, foreheads pressed together. When she opened her eyes, she was delighted to find his black eyes were focussed on her, the corners crinkled a little as he smiled. She stole another kiss that left them breathless anew.
Whatever Hermione had been expecting to happen that day, it certainly hadn’t been this. She swung her legs around to one side so that she was snuggled into his lap, and he kept his arms around her, humming in contentment, pleased that their problems had been resolved and happy to wait and see what the future had in store for them.
She closed her eyes and let the exhaustion of the long day claim her as the man she had come to care for gently held her in his arms.
The house was eerily quiet, most of the guests having already left for the day, and the few that were left living there, were quiet and resting after a busy day.
Ron lazily gazed down at the head resting in his lap, his fingers gently combing through the wavy brunette locks of his paramour’s hair. After the war Neville had cut his hair shorter on the sides again, but the top was still long enough that he could wind his fingers through it and play with it when he was sitting like this. Neville sighed in his sleep, a small smile on his lips. Ron felt his breath leave him at the sight and sound. He was so glad he had taken a chance on the man in his arms.
He looked up at the clock on the mantle and saw that it was getting late. Bed time.
Gently he tried to nudge Neville to waking, just long enough for him to be able to drag the two of them upstairs to his bedroom. Ron watched fondly as he woke and blinked, stretching his arms out in front of him and pulling himself up.
‘Should’ve woken me sooner,’ Neville told him, rubbing his lower back. ‘This lounge wasn’t made for sleeping on.’
‘You were tired,’ Ron explained. ‘C’mon. Let’s go up to bed.’
Neville nodded, but before Ron could say another word, his lips were silenced with a swift kiss until he hummed with pleasure. When they parted, he stood and extended his hand, and the two of them shuffled their way up the stairs silently. On the way past the Library, Ron realised the door was ajar and paused, nudging it open a little wider to peer inside. A smile broke over his face at the sight before him; Snape asleep lengthwise on the couch, his long legs stretched out, with Hermione draped partially over him, her head tucked under his chin with their hands clasped over his heart. They were unguarded in their sleep, both with smiles pulling at the corners of their mouths.
At one time he might have been angered or disgusted by this, but nothing was the same as it had been before - he knew this better than anyone. Snape would likely never be his favourite person, but Hermione deserved to be happy, and if he was the one who brought a smile to her face, then he would find a way to make it work. Neville’s arm slipped around his waist as he came to stand beside him and look in on the scene as well.
‘I wouldn’t believe it if I wasn’t seeing it with my own two eyes,’ he whispered. ‘They look happy.’
Ron nodded, leading them out of the library and shutting the door quietly behind him. ‘Yes. Yes they do.’
Hand in hand, the two men walked up the stairs to sleep. Everything was as it should be.
Fin.