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Winter. Hermione’s favourite season. She loved the snow, the brisk wind, the excitement of Christmas, and hot chocolate covered in whipped cream and marshmallows. The cabin she was calling home for the winter was stunning, spacious, and everything she could have dreamed it would be. High beams, thick logs made up the walls, a huge fireplace, thankfully not connected to the Floo network. It was perfect. And it was all hers for November through to March.
November had been peaceful, giving her the break she needed from the high-pressure job she held as a solicitor. She’d been mulling over starting her own firm, but using the time away to sort her thoughts out was wise before jumping headlong into something that would change her life. Besides, Hermione hadn’t taken a sick day or holiday for five years, she had more than earned the long break.
The cabin was surrounded by a thick cove of trees, some of the tallest she’d ever seen, and the canopy of leaves so thick she could only see the sky directly above the cabin. It was like being in the eye of a storm, and it was complete solitude for her. Not a soul for more than fifteen miles in any direction. Well, except for Fiend, her Kneazle. Crookshanks lived with her parents in Australia now, loving the permanent sunshine.
A quick glance outside showed thick clouds but they were white and fluffy, no chance of a storm. Hermione pulled on her snow boots, thick coat, and bobble hat. Fiend bounded around in excitement, charging out into the thick snow the second the door was open. Chuckling, Hermione followed sedately, enjoying the biting, cold breeze, throwing snowballs for Fiend to chase.
There were a small number of wildlife that Fiend played with, but most had gone into hibernation by now. Hermione still laid out food for the remaining animals that either had yet to go into hibernation, or wouldn’t. No doubt Harry and Ron would laugh at her for such nonsense, the wildlife were used to foraging for food in winter.
Severus would have sneered and told her she was making them soft, and then gone right ahead and topped the food up anyway. He had always been amused by her bleeding heart tendencies. Stop it, don’t think about him.
Hermione inhaled deeply, the cold air making her lungs hurt but it was refreshing and reminded her she was alive. Fiend yowled fiercely and Hermione charged after the tiny footprints in the snow until she found her Kneazle hissing and swiping at a tall figure. Hermione slid her wand from her sleeve and held it down by her leg, hidden.
If this was a Muggle she could Obliviate him, but if he were a wizard, she would need to be fast. “Are you lost?”
The stranger kept eyeing her Kneazle, Fiend’s dark fur a stark contrast against the white snow. The stranger raised his head and Hermione felt her heart drop into her stomach. No…impossible!
“Miss Granger,” he said softly.
Rage burned through Hermione, Fiend hissed and jumped behind her legs, rubbing her face against them in an attempt to soothe. “You…you’re alive?!” She screeched.
Severus winced. “Yes…I-”
Hermione cut him off with a slash of her wand, a Silencing spell stopping any further speech from him. “I watched you die!” She screamed, tears blurring her vision and streaming down her cheeks. “We searched the castle for your portrait, you deserved your place among the other headmasters, but we never found it. We buried you. I mourned you!”
Her tears froze on her face, her spell cancelled with a silent Finite from Severus. “I wanted to come sooner...”
Hermione whimpered, stepping backwards from him, keeping him out of reach. “You could have owled me, fire called me, any number of things to let me know you were alive.”
Severus nodded, reaching for her but Hermione jumped backwards. “Hermione, please, I’m sorry. I was a coward, I was afraid with the war over you would regret us.”
Sobbing, Hermione turned to flee, her heart breaking all over again. A hand gently encircled her wrist, the grip loose but tighter than a noose on her heart. He stood there with tormented eyes, shivering in the biting cold. Close enough to her that she wind could not snatch away his whisper. “Stay.”
“Why should I? You didn’t trust me to stay,” she snarled.
“I was a coward.”
“I loved you.”
“I still love you,” Severus whispered.