Ties Chapter 37

[gfeather]

Chapter 37~ Reflecting, Reclaiming and Rebuilding

That night, Severus fell asleep quickly, tired from his efforts at the house, but Hermione lay tossing and turning in bed. Her mind was busy processing all the wide array of information taken in over the past day. She had, after listening to her mother’s story, been able to tell her own and purge some of its pain. The thought that her mother had shared such a significant and private event with Severus before herself had rankled, however. In as much as it pleased her to learn of their correspondence, part of Hermione felt somewhat excluded. Added to her contemplation was the news that the wards were now in place at the farmhouse and the persistent niggling fear of leaving the castle in the near future. As these, and a wide assortment of darker memories tumbled about in her sleepy mind, she in turn twitched and shifted with her out-of-control subconscious.

At some point, she must have delivered a particularly effective elbow because she was awoken by a low grunt close to her ear. "Mmmumph, must you...?"

Quickly rousing from her slumber by the sound, she sat up, trying to look around in the all encompassing darkness of the dungeon bedroom. "What? What is it?"

"Me," replied Severus’ drowsy voice, "only me."

"Oh," her voice came out in a relieved breath and Hermione laid down again.

As she settled herself back into the warm and secure embrace, he commented, "You have sharp elbows. Must you wriggle about so much?"

Hermione felt her face flush in the dark at his mildly annoyed tone. "Sorry, I guess I just have a lot on my mind."

A hand snaked around her waist and instinctively moved up to cup a breast while lips and stubble nuzzled at the nape of her neck. "Mmm.... fair enough. Dreams?"

"No, not really. More trying to sort and file all the information I take in," she explained.

"Hmm, I see," he said, pulling her tighter against his chest, "Do try to get some rest, love."

His breath became steady; warm and moist on the back of her neck and she could tell Severus had succumb to sleep once more. The restless tangents of her mind stilled and sleep now seemed possible. Relaxing her muscles, she felt her self sink into the mattress. Just as oblivion began to tug at her conscious mind, her eyes popped open and Hermione was once more alert. ‘Love?’ Searching her mind, she could not recall a time when Severus had ever used a pet name of any kind. Her parents, yes, they often made silly plays on her name and she had long become accustomed to most of her friends calling her ‘Mione or, to her irritation, Herm.

Acutely aware of herself and the body beside her, Hermione once again reflected on the changes to her relationship with Severus. It was now approaching a year since they had first wed and their unconventional friendship developed, yet it seemed a lifetime away now. Then she had been somewhat depressed, upset and, upon reflection, lonely. The summer after Ron died had seemed at once interminable and fleeting with the looming shadow of the marriage law dark and forbidding at the end of it all. Now, she could almost feel grateful to the fools at the ministry. Almost. Despite all the troubles marrying Severus had brought, she was happy with him. It was odd to her that even given recent events she could still feel happiness cuddled in a man’s arms. In Severus’ arms.

The hand that was resting limply on her breast in a casually intimate gesture did not make her cringe, nor had it startled her when Severus had found his initial sleepy grasp. It was familiar, even comforting to lie close together. Her mother had told her that it took her a long time to feel at ease about even casual touching, to the extent that some part of her to this day still held back. Hermione wouldn’t hesitate to acknowledge her father as the more demonstrative with affection of her parents. Was that what came from a betrayal of trust by someone you thought you knew?

She had seen something of the sort in Ginny during the time they had been friends. The young woman was still very cautious about whom she allowed to become close, though outwardly she was friendly and sociable to all. Some of her spark had returned, but she was far less trusting of casual friends than she had been before Tom’s diary had betrayed her confidence.

Along this line of musing, Hermione could feel a degree of relief that Draco had been her attacker. She hadn’t ever felt the slightest bit of trust in his actions or motives, and there had been no gentle or pleasant manipulations in his attack. Any time he touched her it had been harsh and physically painful. In fact, his hands themselves had not actually touched any part of her. There were no conflicting emotions of pleasing contact turned painful. Perhaps she had been truly fortunate in the nature of her misfortune. George Weasley, even under Imperious, would have been far more distressing.

Severus made a soft sound in his sleep, and Hermione turned in his arms so that they were now face to face. Before she settled down to let sleep claim her, she gently traced his cheek and fingered his hair in the darkness. She placed a soft kiss on his cheek then snuggled into the soft fabric covering his chest. Her mind now at ease, she passed into a peaceful slumber.

*********

At the side of a winding country road, Hermione looked up the gravel lane and felt at once both a thrill of excitement and apprehension. She and Severus had just Apparated into the cool, dewy morning to begin work on their new home. Seeing the house from this vantage point, nestled amongst the trees, it appeared picturesque, like something one finds on a postcard. The reality of living there, however, would take some effort. Severus took her hand and together they moved up the path. Just past the fence at the road, Hermione felt as if she were passing through a sticky mist. The hand she was holding gave her a small squeeze before it retreated and reached into a pocket. Severus withdrew his wand and said, "Cognoscere Maistre."

The sticky feeling disappeared and Hermione looked at him quizzically. Returning his wand to his pocket, Severus answered the unasked question. "This is the perimeter ward. It recognises all magical individuals and high order creatures, save owls, but will allow muggles and so forth to move freely through it. It is a cued Apparation system so you are now recognized and free to Apparate in and out as well as make new cues. To create one for this ward the incantation is ‘Cognoscere.’"

Hermione nodded at this. "I think I’ve read about these sorts of wards before. What will happen to someone magical trying to get in?"

"Well an animal will simply be unable to pass but for a witch or wizard it will also sound a bell," he explained and Hermione took his hand again and continued walking up the drive.

The stone of the path crunched under their feet but was muffled by the weeds and grasses that had encroached from the lack of regular vehicle traffic. Nearing the house, they passed the windbreak of poplars interspersed with rowan trees and saw the large oak tree, now in full leaf and the reality of its attentions to the roof were much more apparent. Considering the problem, Hermione thought she knew some Herbology charms that would take care of it, but the prospect of repairing the roof seemed a trifle more daunting. Severus’ gaze followed hers to the roof and commented, "I bought the new shingles a couple weeks ago. I hope to deal with the roof first thing."

"I think I can take care of the tree, but I won’t be much use on the roof," she replied ruefully.

He gave her a reassuring look. "My broom is already here. I will repair the roof. There are innumerable other things to be done and it isn’t a two person task."

Her eyebrows knitted together. "Your broom? Does the property have any sort of concealment charm on it?"

He shook his head. "No. I thought it might be a bit... unneighbourly to do so. I can cast temporary concealment spells when necessary."

"Aside from the perimeter ward, are there any others?" she asked, trying to mask her nervousness with curiosity.

Severus was not fooled but continued to elaborate on the protections he and Albus had worked on. "All the out buildings as well as the house have anti-Apparation wards. The barn and sheds have locking spells for security and the house a password based entry. I think you will enjoy the door guardians."

Hermione was puzzled by the comment, but walked hand in hand with Severus up to the front steps. As they approached the door, she smiled at the knocker. "A hippogriff? I doubt being neighbourly will matter if any of the muggles from the village coming to call will need a memory charm before they leave."

"Most will likely think it a creature of fantasy. The greater problem is the magical paraphernalia in the house. I don’t suppose having visitors will be a simple matter after all," he said with a note of frustration in his voice.

"Yeah," she admitted, then gave a small sigh. "It’s difficult to reconcile the two. I’d like to think I’ve adapted well to the magical world and blended it with my muggle life, but one inevitably dominates the other. I can’t seem to find a happy medium."

Severus’ hand detached itself from her grasp and moved around her shoulders. "I know better than most the difficulty of serving two masters. It’s a delicate balance and in the end, very trying to keep up on the long term. I won’t say it can’t be done or that it isn’t worth it, but it is difficult."

"I know. Perhaps it will matter less to me after my apprenticeship," she said shrugging her shoulders.

He nodded. "Perhaps. Shall we go inside?"

"What’s the password?"

He gave her a fuller smile now. "Welcome Home."

The hippogriff knocker bowed and the door swung wide to allow them to enter the dusty interior.

*********

Ultimately, even Severus would admit that Harry had been more than helpful. After cleaning and restoring 12 Grimmauld place not only to the point of being habitable, but also pleasant to visit, Harry Potter had become an expert in home renovations. He and Ginny came up to help along with Mrs Weasley on occasion and after little more than a week the bulk of the repairs and restorations were done. Professor Flitwick had provided a very useful charm to remove the old piping and insert the new with a minimum of hassle and back breaking labour. This was a relief as there were plenty of other things to be done.

Old peeling wallpaper had been stripped, dust and grime cleaned, some walls torn down, some built new, the roof shingled, windows replaced and rodents, or at least most of them, evicted. The few bits of furniture left behind by the previous owner were rubbish along with the carpeting in the few rooms that had any, but the basement had yielded an old cast iron stove in perfectly serviceable condition. With the haphazard state of the electrical system in the house, it didn’t take much convincing to get Hermione to agree to remove it altogether, though the prospect of cooking on a wood stove seemed at first a little daunting before she reminded herself that magic would make it much simpler.

Some rooms, such as the kitchen, had needed entirely new flooring, but under the dirty, tramped down carpets of the parlour and upstairs hallway was surprisingly fine wood flooring. With a thorough scrub and a couple coats of varnish they appeared warm and elegant. All the walls in the house had undergone a similar treatment with a gleaming coat of fresh white paint a foundation for any future decorating.

Severus had collaborated quite well with Molly on some larger projects, such as the fireplaces and chimneys. Piecing together all the fireplaces into two chimneys had been no small feat, particularly with the addition of several fireplaces after removing the old radiators. While this project was going on, Harry had redone the shed close to the house on the south side into a small greenhouse and Hermione and Ginny redid the floors of several rooms with tile, wood flooring and new carpets.

When the dust settled, the farmhouse looked fresh and clean as the day it was built, if nearly empty of furnishings. They hadn’t yet tackled most of the outbuildings, knowing they would be significant effort to fix up and not necessary for the time being. Beyond the converted shed greenhouse, Molly had brought several plants and cuttings to fill the small plot they had cultivated, while Pomona Sprout had given them an assortment of common plants for potions to fill the greenhouse as a housewarming present. The small strip of garden along the front of the house still looked a bit ratty, but several irises had come up and a rather bedraggled rosebush bloomed profusely with fragrant yellow blossoms. The stately elm next to the house had groaned and protested against the careful manoeuvring away from the roof and eaves, but in the end settled comfortably an additional few metres from the house.

It wasn’t until late afternoon the day they began moving furniture and personal possessions when Hermione finally found time to step back and survey their work. While working on the house with Harry and assorted Weasleys, she and Severus hadn’t stayed the night, but were planning on doing so tonight. There was still much to be done in the decorating and furnishing line and several boxes of their belongings were waiting back at Hogwarts to be brought along with Crookshanks. She knew that her cat wouldn’t appreciate the journey everyday while they were working and had left him under the care of Minerva until the following day. It was a poorly kept secret that Albus had planned a small gathering of teachers to farewell their Potions professor, which Severus was grumbling about having to attend. Hermione observed the small twitch at the corners of his mouth when the headmaster had suggested moving everything in one day to be too onerous and knew that secretly Severus was pleased to have something special done in honour of his departure.

Hermione could hear Severus cursing at something as he worked on his lab in the basement and took this time to herself to peruse the house. There were only a few rooms even close to complete and she was standing in one. The master bedroom had been fortunate enough to have good wood floors and the decision to continue with wood panelling on the walls had left the room with an open but welcoming feel. The light oak varnish made a nice contrast to the darker mahogany of the bed and dresser. The hangings on the bed had remained the same hunter green and looked much warmer and brighter in the natural light of the late afternoon and on the wall hung one of Minerva’s landscape paintings.

The master bath had been refitted to a facsimile of Severus’ bath at Hogwarts with the large sunken bathtub, shower stall and partitioned toilet and sink. The tiles were a mosaic of burgundy, royal blue and cream and the fixtures gleaming of new chrome. The existing bathroom hadn’t been nearly large enough to contain the whole affair but had been made to fit it all with an effective enlarging spell.

Outside of their bedroom, the walls gleamed of fresh white paint, but little else. They had worked to finish the bedroom and bathroom as they were the highest priority, but the rest of the rooms would likely be completed sometime in the future as it became necessary. One of the upstairs rooms contained a few boxes for what would become Hermione’s office, but the others were barren and empty. The staircase didn’t groan nearly as much as it had at the beginning of last week, but a few stairs squeaked as she made her way downstairs.

The bookshelves were in the parlour Severus had suggested turning into a library along with the sofa and old leather chair, but little else had been done with the room, though it was on the list of priority rooms. The same held true for the kitchen and dining room. Currently the dining room had Severus’ table and a few chairs and the kitchen a stove and a cupboard with a few bare necessities. Molly had loaned a few mismatched pots and dishes until they had time to get their own, which made the kitchen look like a bachelor’s flat.

Hermione’s shoes clicked on the blue and white tile as she walked over to the cupboard to begin to piece together something for supper. It was still a bit of a surprise to have clear water flowing easily out of the tap when it was turned, but she was glad of it. Setting a pot full of water on the stove, she lit a fire with her wand and set about finding things in the cupboard. In the end, she could have managed spaghetti and garlic toast much faster than she had, but the impromptu magical cooking lessons from Molly were still unfamiliar and she was happy enough to do things the slower way and allow herself the opportunity to catch her breath after the busy week.

Working on the house had been great therapy. She could take out her frustrations on the walls they tore down and the old wallpaper blasted off the walls. Scrubbing, fixing and building had been very tactile and as visible progress was made each day, she could feel the unseen repairs in herself. After the first day of work on the house, she had been to see Madam Pomfrey for the last treatment and stabilizers for her knees. The bruises to her ribs and shoulders had faded and her period had done its part in purging and healing. Slowly, like the house, her body was reclaiming itself and the busy days of work and companionship with her friends had been like a balm to her emotional troubles.

The only physical reminder of her rape were the pale green marks on her face. She had noticed that they were faint in the morning but gradually grew darker as the day progressed. Without time nor energy to search the library for information on the Adulterous charm, Hermione could only speculate that her close contact with Severus as she slept was cause for the fading of the marks and that further steps needed to be taken to remove them completely. Though she hadn’t thought much about it in the past two weeks, the trial was about to put her personal life on display in the Daily Prophet and reports on the WWN. As difficult as it would be, she had no wish to give the crows anything more to pick at than the trial itself would bring to light.

While mechanically setting the table, she wondered if there wasn’t some easier way to go about it. Hermione was irked that, what in time had come to be a happy union, had to be marred by such a distasteful ritual as the Adulterous spell which seemed only to compound her anguish. What was wrong with the binding as it was? Didn’t a magical vow to love, support and trust have its own means of assuring it?

Hermione gasped and sat heavily on one of the chairs, stunned. In the past ten months she hadn’t thought much of her wedding or the vows she had made, but now an answer was staring her in the face. It was not only her wand but also herself that was bound to Severus and over the past two weeks that binding had been asserting itself in steadily greater degrees. She was drawn to touch him, if not intimately, then most certainly with affection and in turn she couldn’t bring herself to shy away from his touches. The first day following the attack, she had tried to cope by pushing him away, only to find it made her turmoil worse. Continuing with this line of reasoning, the bath, sharing a bed and embraces had all eased her. The more she put her trust in Severus, the easier the pain was to bear... that we together may achieve what individually we could not...

The paralysis of her sudden epiphany ebbed and a wide smile crossed her face. She knew what to do now. She wasn’t so naive to believe it would cure everything or make the pain go away entirely, but part of her knew that it would be simpler after. Hermione was quivering with excitement and apprehension. A bundle of nervous energy, she stood and resumed bustling about the kitchen to relieve some of it.

While cooking, the scent of basil and garlic had wafted out of the kitchen and before she could go in search of him, Severus appeared at the kitchen door with a smile on his face. "I could smell dinner from the lab. I hadn’t realized it was so late."

She looked up from the sauce she was stirring and turned to see him leaning on the doorframe. Her bubbling nervous energy melted and she smiled back at him. "I’m almost finished. It isn’t much, but hopefully enough for a bit of a celebration."

He cast a glance at the pots on the stove and nodded. "I’m sure it will be excellent. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Hermione flicked her wand at the stove to put out the fire before turning to give Severus a hug. "You’ve done plenty. I’m almost ready. Go sit down and I’ll be there in a moment."

*********

Dinner was pleasant and filled with friendly conversation and plans regarding the house. Severus kept giving Hermione quizzical looks but had yet to comment on her renewed exuberance. He hadn’t seen her this enthusiastic in months, but was pleased to see it return. By the time the dinner dishes were cleared away and they had sat down with the rhubarb crisp Molly had left them, he couldn’t resist asking. "What is it?"

"Mmm?" she mumbled with a mouth full of rhubarb.

He shook his head slightly but smiled. "You seem in such high spirits tonight. I haven’t seen you this cheerful since about a month before exams. What is it?"

She swallowed, set down her fork and took a deep breath before answering. "I think I’ve found an answer to a problem that has been troubling me."

His eyebrows quirked in surprise. "Oh?"

She drew her wand and pointed it at him. "Rictusempra."

The light from the spell slid past him and he gave her a confused look. "You know that doesn’t work."

"Why?" she asked pointedly.

"Well because of the bind..." he trailed off. "What is it you’ve found an answer for?"

She smiled at him a bit nervously, "I was really worried about... well the marks and everything, but I think it won’t be as difficult as I thought. I think the binding is making things easier."

Severus looked pensive for a moment. "I don’t see how. The two aren’t interconnected."

"True, but both are valid. If you think about it, would I really have let you so much as hold my hand, let alone bathe me, the day of the attack?" she inquired.

He appeared to consider this. "I suppose not."

"I want to feel myself again..." she said softly looking at him with a silent request.

Severus stood and urged her to stand with him. Wrapping his arms about her, he spoke in a hushed voice. "You will in time."

"Tonight," she whispered, returning the embrace.

He pulled away slightly and looked at her closely. "I’m not certain that’s a wise idea. I know you are feeling better, but it’s too soon."

She smiled at his concern. "Perhaps it is, but I’m sure," she took a deep, steadying breath. "I want to try."

Seeing the determined spark in her eyes, he made no other comment. Severus released the embrace and turned to the table to collect the forgotten plates. They both returned to the kitchen to wash dishes and tidy up, neither speaking. With everything cleaned and put away as best could be managed in the incomplete kitchen, Severus extended his arm which Hermione slipped her own through. The light outside was fading, casting long shadows through the windows in amber hues. Hermione’s heart was racing as they ascended the stairs and moved towards their new bedroom.

Shadows had descended over most of the room and only a patch of the wall gleamed in the dim light. With his wand, Severus lit a few candles in the wall sconces and turned to look at her. "You can change your mind. It can wait."

She shook her head. "No. I need to do this and I only have a tenuous grip on my courage as it is. I don’t know when I’ll be able to muster it again."

"Hermione-"

"No. Just... hold me for now. I always feel so much better when you hold me."

And he did. Darkness fell completely while they held on to each other, secure in the familiarity of each other’s arms. Uncounted minutes passed before Hermione’s small hands moved to stroke his back in a sure motion. The hands holding her own back began to mirror the action, faintly tracing the shapes of her spine and shoulder blades through the light summer robe. Severus dropped light kisses on the top of her head, bringing his fingers to run through the short, wavy length of her hair. His eyes opened and he watched the light play off the curls, shimmering in the candlelight. His gaze moved down to her face, and he could see her eyes were shut. His lips moved lower to map her forehead, down her nose and across her cheeks. The green pustules of the Adulterous charm were no longer swollen and painful, but he knew she felt shame and embarrassment each time she saw her reflection in the mirror. Perhaps it was best to see about removing them entirely.

He had been looking at her face, cupping it between his hands for several moments when her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, trying to smile, but unable to. Hermione reached her own hands around the back of his neck and pulled him down into a kiss. At first soft and warm, it eased slowly deeper until her tongue flicked out to trace the inside of his upper lip. Severus let out a small hum and returned the gesture, carefully feeling the shape of her lips, the hard uniformity of her teeth and the yielding moistness of her tongue.

When they did break apart, both were a bit breathless. Hermione smiled more steadily and Severus returned it. Wordlessly, she took his hand and led him to the bed. They both sat down, at once somewhat awkward before she simply bent over and began untying her shoes. Severus stopped her and knelt down to remove them himself. Rolling down each sock in turn, he looked around the room and let out a small laugh. "The hamper is still at Hogwarts. It’s filled with linens and things to bring along tomorrow."

The tension broken, she chuckled as well. "Even with everything here, it will take some time to get it all unpacked and where it should be. I suppose that means dirty clothes on the floor is acceptable for the time being."

"It’s been a long time since I last moved," he nodded, tossing the socks in a corner and toeing off his own footwear.

Sitting beside her on the bed once more, he wrapped his arms around her again and kissed her in a gentle question. She returned it in answer and guided him down to his back. Feeling an odd surge of confidence, her lips became more demanding and her hands more inquisitive. Soon Severus was returning the explorations, his hands roaming over her backside and down her legs. Part of Hermione’s mind jumped at the contact, but it was muted by a part of her that wanted comfort through touch. When her breasts were palmed through the thin material, she hummed softly. Long fingers kneaded her breast and toyed gently with the slowly hardening nipples. Trying desperately not to think too much, she leaned into the touch, encouraging his advances.

In a sudden shift of bodies, Hermione found herself on her back with Severus’ weight upon her. Nibbling kisses teased her neck and traced the collar of her robes. He groaned quietly at the obstruction and was well on his way to rucking up her robe when he stopped. He leaned close to her ear and asked, "May I?"

She nodded and felt open air on her bare legs as the fabric bunched in his hand. He moved and she shifted and sat up to allow the garment to be removed. Severus made quick work of it then urged her to her feet. Drawing back the covers, he guided her between them and slid in behind her after removing his own robe. It was the closest they had come to being naked together since he had bathed her the night after the attack and Severus wanted her to feel safe, not exposed. The soft sheets slipped tantalizingly across his skin and he felt the beginnings of his arousal twitch in his groin.

Under the sheets, Hermione revelled in the sensation of skin on skin. They weren’t in a close embrace, but after Severus crawled into bed with her, they began reacquainting themselves with the feel of each other’s skin. Though their touches were still tentative, the familiarity of it encouraged them. She ran her fingers along the line of the scar on his chest then brought them up through the wiry hairs lightly dusting his abdomen. Long fingers traced lazily across the expanse of her back before encountering her bra and flicking it open with dextrous ease. With this obstacle extricated, he flipped back the covers and bent his head to her breasts. Kissing his way from her collar bone to her nipple, he took the rosy skin in his mouth. Partially pearled, it promptly hardened completely when he took it in his mouth. Hermione drew in her breath and sighed with pleasure as Severus gently sucked her nipple and slowly released it.

Bestowing the same attention on her other nipple, he then rested his head between her breasts and looked up at her face. "Beautiful."

His hands continued to play across her body, while his mouth continued its attentions on her breast. The fearful, argumentative part of her mind began to release its hold on her consciousness and Hermione slowly began to feel again. As if the fear had obstructed her senses, she gasped when she felt lips fasten on her nipple again and felt the slow rise of heat in her body. The low moan she let escape her lips brought Severus’ own lips back there while his hands toyed with the pert nipples before slipping downward. Gently stroking her outer thigh, he eased one hand around her knee and slid it up to her underwear. She tensed for several moments, but just as he was about to remove his hand she nudged back. His index finger hooked on the waistband and tugged the garment over her hips and she wiggled them down her legs and off.

Removing his lips from hers, Severus looked at her again before continuing. Her eyes were closed and her lips parted as his long fingers drew little circles through her pubic hair. She turned her head so that it was more in the light, and he could see the marks growing darker on her face. Recognising this from his own research on the Adulterous spell, he knew stopping was not an option beyond this point. The blisters would be worse than before if he did, so he returned to his task and shifted his body weight so he could ease down her stomach.

Hermione felt the shift and wriggled as a wet path of kisses trailed across her stomach. Severus knelt between her legs, slowly stroking from knee to mid-thigh before bending down to move his lips over the same patch of skin, then further up to her curls. Bringing a hand to her hot centre, he parted her folds and drew a finger through them. She whimpered at the touch and squirmed beneath him. Her opening was wet with arousal and Severus felt a surge of relief. Lowering his mouth to her sensitive bud, he sucked lightly and felt her shiver at the sensation. He gently worked his tongue over her nub and folds, pleased at her reaction. She threaded her fingers through his hair and he hummed against the sensitive skin.

In a heartbeat, his weight was upon her and his remaining clothing removed. Hermione could feel his erection pulsing against the apex of her thighs and froze. Not giving her time to seize up in nervous tension, Severus positioned himself and slowly pushed into her.

The result was immediate. Hermione cried out and tensed, surprised by the hot burning sensation on her face. As she reached her hands to hold her face, Severus held them away, looking into her teary eyes. She gasped, "Hot."

For a long moment they lay still, Severus with his forehead bent against hers, speaking in hushed tones. "It’s alright. Take a deep breath. It will pass in a moment."

As suddenly as it had come, the burning stopped and she felt able to breathe again. Her hands were released, and she brought her fingertips to touch her cheeks. Looking up at him hopefully, she asked, "Are they gone?"

He nodded and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He felt her arms reach around his back and was very aware of her soft curves against his body and his hard manhood buried in her moist heat. Against his volition, his hips jerked and she squeaked in response. He lifted his head to look at her again and saw the flawless complexion of her face pulled into a faint smile. He kissed her then, moving his hips again, unable to cease his actions but still in control enough to love her with tenderness.

Slowly, Hermione too eased into the rhythm and rocked against him gently. It was over quickly, and far from fireworks, but tender and somehow soothing. When Severus pulled back and collapsed beside her, she ran her fingers along his features, watching him in the dim light of the candles. Cracking an eyelid, he spoke in a low tone, "Alright?"

She kissed him. "Yes. Thank you. I didn’t know it would hurt like that, but it’s better now."

"If I get my hands on those wretched fools at the ministry..." he growled. "You shouldn’t have had to go through that."

She rested her head against his shoulder and spoke softly. "It’s over though. I feel a bit odd, but better. I think I will sleep well tonight."

He hummed and put an arm around her. "I think I will too. I only hope it was worth it."

"I think so. I love you," her words came out on a sleepy sigh.

His voice rumbled under her ear as she began to drift to sleep. "I wonder why sometimes. Goodnight love."

With his free hand, Severus grasped the wand he had the foresight to put on the night table and put out the candles. Hermione groped for the covers with one hand and drew them over their bodies. After only a few moments of shifting, both fell into an untroubled sleep.

*********

Sometime in the night, Severus awoke, slightly startled to see the pale moonlight streaming through the window before realizing where he was. The bed was positioned so as to not receive direct light and instead it landed on a patch of floor not covered by the rug and gleamed on the varnished surface. Closing his eyes, he could still smell the faint scent of fresh paint and hear the unfamiliar creaks and groans of the house settling around him. Hermione was breathing deeply beside him, lost in contented sleep. As he lay there, he could hear a myriad of unfamiliar sounds and wondered if Hogwarts had ever seemed this noisy to him.

Turning to his side, he looked at the sleeping woman in the dim light, noting with relief that the marks were in fact completely gone from her face. He had felt frustrated over the past few weeks, wanting to touch her as if to somehow remind her of the good feelings she had lost and find some peace himself. He could admit it was selfish, and felt a modicum of guilt about it, but he was happier then he should be about having made love to his wife. No amount of torture would make him admit to his desire to reclaim what had been taken from him, but it felt immensely relieving to have her naked in his arms again all the same. Severus wasn’t so foolish as to believe that she was ready to be intimate with him as regularly or even in the same way as she had before, but the edge was gone for now.

He wrapped an arm possessively around Hermione’s waist and shifted his body closer to her. The skin of her backside was wonderfully smooth on his own. He felt his penis twitch at the contact, but did his best to suppress the part of him that wanted to wake her and love her again. He tucked his nose in at the nape of her neck and inhaled deeply, tightening his hold around her waist. Severus reminded himself that patience was a virtue he had cultivated in himself. He could wait. She was here with him and the rest could wait.

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*thumbs nose at annoying archives*
*gasp*  Yes, this is in fact NEW Material to most people.

Chapter 36

Chapter 38