The Once and Future Possibility
Title: The Once and Future Possibility (23/23)
Team Name: Death Eaters
Word Count: 100 x 5
Rating: All Ages
Challenge: Compulsion
Characters: Hermione/Severus
Authors Notes: At last we come to the end of my meandering drabble cluster in the "Silly Little Girl" universe. To see previous drabbles in the series, please go to the Table of Contents.
I have to thank x_weasley for feeding the initial little bunny, snarkywench_64 for listening to it over the phone when she was horribly busy and telling me it didn’t suck, and for a_bees_buzz for her encouragement. The biggest thanks goes to all of you for your enthusiastic support. I wouldn’t have done it without you.
~o0o~
Hermione returned to her parents’ house and they made her feel as welcome as possible, but it was awkward. She explained about Harry’s offer to live at Grimmauld Place. They didn’t like it, yet they understood.
Of Snape there was no sign. Helen explained that he’d returned home, and Hermione couldn’t decide if she was pleased or not. She wandered into her bedroom, deciding to sort her things.
On the nightstand she found a golden galleon. Charmed onto its surface was a message: I haven’t forgotten.
Neither had she.
The coin heated in her hands. The message changed.
Spinner’s End.
~o0o~
It was dilapidated, the community practically deserted, but she found the house with no trouble. She crossed through powerful wards, their magic tickling her skin.
Snape opened the door before she reached it. “Silly little girl.”
“Bastard,” Hermione replied, her heart racing.
“It’s taken you long enough. I have never considered you indecisive.” Her eyes were huge, and his expression softened. “Well? Are you coming in or not?”
“Is that an invitation?”
“Granger.” His voice dropped an octave.
It had been weeks.
“I’ve missed you,” she said, crossing the threshold.
The red door swung shut and the wards went live.
~o0o~
“Wow!” Hermione’s eyes lit first upon the floor-to-ceiling bookcases.
Snape laughed. “You didn’t notice the condition of the furniture.”
“Furniture?” It was old, it was threadbare, and she’d seen worse in her recent travels.
“My worldly goods.”
His breath stirred her hair and she faced him. He looked rested, almost relaxed, and her fingers itched to touch him. “I don’t care about your possessions.”
“Then what do you care about?”
Uncertain, she bit her lip. “How much of what happened between us was circumstance, and how much was real?
“Trying to forget?” he sneered, despite her comment about missing him.
~o0o~
“You stupid man! If it meant nothing to you, just tell me. I know it wasn’t a normal-”
She didn’t get to finish as Snape’s mouth devoured hers.
Hermione reveled in his taste and skill.
When she broke the kiss, he said raggedly, “Nothing about this is normal, Granger. I’m too old. You’re too young. I was your teacher.”
“I don’t care about that either.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I expect you to trust me. I don’t care about convention. I do care about --” She broke off and cupped his face. “I couldn’t forget.”
“Neither could I.”
~o0o~
Minutes passed into hours.
They hadn’t left the sitting room. His voice grew hoarse and Hermione had lost hers entirely. They’d spoken with the same lack of reserve, the same tenderness as they’d found that afternoon in China.
“This has been wonderful,” Hermione whispered.
His mouth quirked in a smile. “You’ve brought laughter into my home.”
She looked at him expectantly.
He brushed her lips in a gossamer kiss. Then uncharacteristically blunt, he asked. “What do you want?”
“To explore the possibilities,” she croaked.
He shifted and rose to his feet. “Shall we explore?”
“Oh, yes.” She took his hand.
~o0o~
Finite
Team Name: Death Eaters
Word Count: 100 x 5
Rating: All Ages
Challenge: Compulsion
Characters: Hermione/Severus
Authors Notes: At last we come to the end of my meandering drabble cluster in the "Silly Little Girl" universe. To see previous drabbles in the series, please go to the Table of Contents.
I have to thank x_weasley for feeding the initial little bunny, snarkywench_64 for listening to it over the phone when she was horribly busy and telling me it didn’t suck, and for a_bees_buzz for her encouragement. The biggest thanks goes to all of you for your enthusiastic support. I wouldn’t have done it without you.
~o0o~
Hermione returned to her parents’ house and they made her feel as welcome as possible, but it was awkward. She explained about Harry’s offer to live at Grimmauld Place. They didn’t like it, yet they understood.
Of Snape there was no sign. Helen explained that he’d returned home, and Hermione couldn’t decide if she was pleased or not. She wandered into her bedroom, deciding to sort her things.
On the nightstand she found a golden galleon. Charmed onto its surface was a message: I haven’t forgotten.
Neither had she.
The coin heated in her hands. The message changed.
Spinner’s End.
~o0o~
It was dilapidated, the community practically deserted, but she found the house with no trouble. She crossed through powerful wards, their magic tickling her skin.
Snape opened the door before she reached it. “Silly little girl.”
“Bastard,” Hermione replied, her heart racing.
“It’s taken you long enough. I have never considered you indecisive.” Her eyes were huge, and his expression softened. “Well? Are you coming in or not?”
“Is that an invitation?”
“Granger.” His voice dropped an octave.
It had been weeks.
“I’ve missed you,” she said, crossing the threshold.
The red door swung shut and the wards went live.
~o0o~
“Wow!” Hermione’s eyes lit first upon the floor-to-ceiling bookcases.
Snape laughed. “You didn’t notice the condition of the furniture.”
“Furniture?” It was old, it was threadbare, and she’d seen worse in her recent travels.
“My worldly goods.”
His breath stirred her hair and she faced him. He looked rested, almost relaxed, and her fingers itched to touch him. “I don’t care about your possessions.”
“Then what do you care about?”
Uncertain, she bit her lip. “How much of what happened between us was circumstance, and how much was real?
“Trying to forget?” he sneered, despite her comment about missing him.
~o0o~
“You stupid man! If it meant nothing to you, just tell me. I know it wasn’t a normal-”
She didn’t get to finish as Snape’s mouth devoured hers.
Hermione reveled in his taste and skill.
When she broke the kiss, he said raggedly, “Nothing about this is normal, Granger. I’m too old. You’re too young. I was your teacher.”
“I don’t care about that either.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I expect you to trust me. I don’t care about convention. I do care about --” She broke off and cupped his face. “I couldn’t forget.”
“Neither could I.”
~o0o~
Minutes passed into hours.
They hadn’t left the sitting room. His voice grew hoarse and Hermione had lost hers entirely. They’d spoken with the same lack of reserve, the same tenderness as they’d found that afternoon in China.
“This has been wonderful,” Hermione whispered.
His mouth quirked in a smile. “You’ve brought laughter into my home.”
She looked at him expectantly.
He brushed her lips in a gossamer kiss. Then uncharacteristically blunt, he asked. “What do you want?”
“To explore the possibilities,” she croaked.
He shifted and rose to his feet. “Shall we explore?”
“Oh, yes.” She took his hand.
~o0o~
Finite