If anyone found it strange that suddenly Mia and Eden were brought back to the subway station with both a mum and dad. Together. Well, no one said anything. At least not to any of them.
Leonard, though, seemed very happy to see both girls. What was more, he was extremely pleased that neither parent scolded or hexed him for his part in their plan.
Harry did not join them this time, which Leonard seemed a bit disappointed about. The girls hugged each of them before heading toward the train with Leonard.
“It seems like yesterday I was doing this,” she said.
“Getting on the train?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“I can imagine it does. The last twenty years have gone by pretty fast.”
She brushed her hip against his. “You don’t remember doing it yourself, is what you’re saying?”
He scoffed, regarding her, and realized she was … teasing him. That was a good sign. Wasn’t it? A sign that the past few hours had gone … well.
He’d left Mia and Eden with their mother, returning this morning to join them for breakfast. They didn’t stop talking anymore today than they had at his house, so he presumed this was normal. Eden took him outside at one point when Mia and her mother were doing something to show him to a space a little ways into the wooded area of the property. There was a den of fox kits she wanted to show him. Mum and Dad, obviously, wouldn’t let him get close, but he loved her enthusiasm in hoping that they’d still be nearby for her to see when she came back in the summer.
He helped Hermione clean up the kitchen and dishes as the girls ensured they had everything they needed to not be home again until the end of June.
“It wasn’t that long ago,” he mused.
“Mm. Are you sure? Your memory may be foggy.”
“There is absolutely no problem with or lapse in my memory. You were wearing faded denims with a hole at the left knee, a pair of white trainers, and a Gryffindor red coat the day you came to me with your … request.”
She blushed and he chuckled.
He turned to face her. “It was March, but you wore no hat and your hair was a mass of curls around the collar of your coat that made it so I was unsure if you wore a scarf. No hood, of course.” He tucked a few strands of the referred to hair behind her ear. “Your nose was a bit red, from the temperature I can only presume. I imagine you didn’t come to my door immediately upon apparating to Cokeworth. You probably took a few minutes, at the least, to go over the pros and cons of actually approaching me.”
“I did,” she said. She scrunched the aforementioned nose. “Was it really red?”
“Just a little. At the time, you had shown up on my doorstep uninvited, so I did not think it was expected of me to offer to point out or rectify the situation.”
She shook her head, clearly not upset at what he’d just said.
“Shall I continue?”
“I don’t think you need to.”
“Mm,” he said. The blush on her cheeks told him that she liked hearing he remembered those things. It was cool in the train station, but not that cold to put the color there he saw. It made him wonder what else she’d like hearing he remembered. “Am I still able to go home with you?”
She opened her mouth, closing it again. He rolled his eyes.
“You know for someone who insists we can’t do something, you certainly do like to think I’m implying that we’re going to.”
“The problem isn’t that we can’t,” she said.
Well, that was intriguing. Best not think too closely on the meaning behind that sentence.
“Well, I am not trying to push, but we are both adults. Married ones at that. To each other.”
“I know, Severus.”
He stepped even closer to her. “Let me be clear. I have no plans on letting you leave me easily this time, Hermione Snape.” He skimmed a thumb along her jaw. Twelve years. Yes, she looked older. So did he. She was still Hermione, though. And he found Hermione rather lovely. “You were right. I probably could have used my resources to find you. I didn’t want to be that man, though. I think you can understand why.”
She tilted her head back a bit, looking into his eyes. He saw … understanding there. She did know why he would not do anything to make it seem as if he was chasing after her. He had his own pride, yes, but there was also Eden to think about. And Mia.
And when it got down to it: this witch.
He would do nothing to tarnish her reputation. The fact that neither lived in Britain allowed specifics as to who was doing what with their girls to be vague. He was fairly certain, other than Harry (and Minister for Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt, it seemed), no one was aware of where his daughters were. However, if Mia was as competitive and sporty as Hermione suggested, he would wager she would not be one of those subtle and quiet quidditch players.
Assuming she made the team next year.
He assumed she would. He was under the impression Mia Granger didn’t fail at much of anything she attempted.
“Do you have a hex prepared?” he murmured, finding her chin with his thumb.
“Hmm,” she said, eyes widening as he lowered his mouth to hers.
His lips touching hers swallowed the soft gasp she made. He felt the pulse point at her neck pickup, playing a rapid staccato against the backs of his fingers resting there as he found her lower lip. It might have been twelve years, but he remembered vividly how she liked to be kissed. Not difficult to accomplish since she was really the only woman he’d ever kissed.
And how she tasted.
It took him months to stop waking up expecting to find her on the other side of his bed. And it had been his bed they’d shared.
Ah! There!
Her lips parted seconds before he felt her hands at his neck. She’d never shied away from touching, or kissing, him there.
He drew away from her lips, not wanting to. He set his hands at her hips, hoping she would agree to his next request because he wanted to get the hell out of here. Now.
“Take us home, Hermione,” he murmured.
And she did.
Not only did she take them home. To her home.
She took them to her bedroom.
He wasn’t sure which of them was more frantic in shedding the other one’s clothing. Coats. Hats. Shirts. Pants. Underthings.
For those few minutes they both seemed to forget that they could just vanish them all away.
Or neither forgot, just wanting to feel the other one again so desperately that they went with the slower process of removing clothing.
Both were plausible options.
They didn’t even make it to her bed. He should have perhaps been ashamed at the very raw neediness he displayed, but she seemed just as needy as she knelt over him. He couldn’t recall moving to the floor. Her lips fused with his, and he was pretty sure one of them drew blood with a bite to their lips. Who it was who had done the wounding, he didn’t know nor care.
Hands worked urgently to ready one another, rusty mayhaps, but still familiar enough to ensure that end before she sheathed herself over his length.
“Fuck,” he whispered.
“Uh huh,” she said, clenching around him.
That action caused him to hiss with a bit of a choked laugh. He shifted them so he could take a breast into his mouth and she cried out when his tongue stroked her peak before he sucked on it with a gentle nip of his teeth. A hand moved to her hip, fingers clenching her ass as she rode him hard. Fast. Too fast. Her hair was in the way of him paying attention to her breasts the way he’d like, but he made do, brushing the errant strands of hair away with his nose.
He encouraged her to sit back, her hands resting at his thighs. He couldn’t use his mouth on her breasts with her like this, but he had hands. He put one to use, letting the other remain at her hip. In truth, he enjoyed watching the other breast move with her thrusts without any restraint in place.
His hand moved from her hip to her mons, causing her to cry out. Again, out of practice, but she didn’t seem to have a negative reaction to him getting to know how to please her this way once again.
“There,” she cried out.
He stayed right there and her cries were his undoing. He spent himself, working to ensure she achieved her release, too.
It was well after midnight before they left her room, never having even made it to the bed. He had summoned the comforter so that they had something to cover up with when it was clear neither wanted to move from their spot on the floor. Other than to join together again anyway. Her tub, they’d found about an hour ago, was more than roomy enough to hold both of them comfortably when they both agreed a shower might be in order. He was pretty sure parts of him he hadn’t realized could ache, did at the moment, but found he had absolutely no inclination to complain about this.
They were currently sitting in a screened-in porch that had windows over the screens, allowing it to be … comfortable in here today. He imagined in January it was not nearly so cozy, not without the aid of a warming charm. They’d put together a meal sufficient for late night eating after hours of exertion on both their parts.
“You look rather proud of yourself,” she said.
“Yes, well, please bear in mind I’m fifty-two, so cannot guarantee endless days like the one we just spent…”
“You wouldn’t try?”
He sputtered, deciding whether she was teasing him or not.
“I said I couldn’t guarantee it, I did not say that I wouldn’t try.”
“Mm,” she said. And he was pretty sure she looked about as proud as he felt at the moment. “I am out of practice.”
He snorted. “As am I.”
“It helps, I suppose that you were the last…”
“And only,” he murmured.
“Yes, well, you don’t need to remind me I was one of a few nearly twenty year old virgins out there.”
“I wager there were more peers your age that were, certainly more than at my thirty-nine. That was in reference to me, not to you.”
“Stop it.”
“What?”
“You were not.”
“I absolutely was. When do you think exactly I had the time?”
“Voldemort was gone for ten years, Severus.”
“He was. And who exactly was I going to go to? A former death eater, or I suppose prior to the time he was gone, a death eater? Most didn’t fully trust me. Or they were like Narcissa, already married. Those ten years. I had death eaters and Order members alike believing I was working for the other side. I had people I’m sure who would have liked to see me dead, which was why I remained at Hogwarts as I did. Albus seemed uncertain he was truly dead, of people trying to … reanimate him. So he didn’t want to risk losing me.”
Hermione snorted softly at that. They’d had time in between the day they married and the day she left a little over a year later to discuss Albus and all of the balls in the air the wizard had. She was no fonder of him than Severus was.
His only regret was that he was left wondering if the man was ever truly his friend, something that had escaped him. And without Albus as one, that meant he hadn’t even had one.
“The idea of … paying for that was abhorrent to me. Growing up as I had. Well, I couldn’t justify spending money on that anyway. And then as I got older, it was the principal of it. I knew I was no great catch, but still deserved better than that.”
“I’m glad that you didn’t.”
“Are you?”
“I am. I mean, I wouldn’t have held it against you if you had, but I’m glad that you didn’t. I wish you’d told me that thirteen years ago.”
“What nearly forty year old man would confess such a thing?”
“I don’t know. One who agreed to create a child with me.”
“Mm. I thought for sure that bit of information would have you look elsewhere.”
“You did not!” She seemed sincerely surprised.
“The thought crossed my mind. And if I told you after we married, I wasn’t sure you’d think I deceived you.”
“I don’t think being a virgin or lack of experience affects conception. Clearly.”
“Obviously.”
“Did you plan on going home…”
“That is up to you. I did sort of invite myself. If that,” he said, gesturing to her house and the second floor where her bedroom was, “was all you … wanted from me.”
“Me? You got close to me and kissed me!”
“God forbid.”
She shook her head. “Yes, well.” And she blushed. Deeply. Interesting. He couldn’t help but wonder what that was about. “It’s your fault.”
“Should I promise not to do it again?”
“No,” she said quickly and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“I was going to take direction from you. I certainly can stay…”
“I think I’d like that.”
“I would, too. No think about it.”
“I just… “
“We have time, Hermione. We don’t need to make any decisions tonight. I will not hold back what I’m thinking this time, though.”
“Why?”
“Because I will not lose you a second time because I was an imbecile who was incapable of telling his wife he cared for her.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“Which is why I said we have time. I’d like to get to know you. I’d like to see this life you carved out for our daughter.”
“I could take you into town tomorrow…”
“I happen to be free.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why don’t you have work?”
“I may have told them I’d be indisposed. They’re idiots, but they’re not going to blow up anything without me. I’m honestly about at the end of my employment anyway, so this is a good thing. It shouldn’t have taken me this long!”
She snorted.
“I ensured the truly difficult potions they might still need hand-holding with are stocked well enough.”
“Well, far be it from me to waste your foresight.”
“Oh, believe me, I would have called in sick tomorrow otherwise.”
“Really?” She sounded rather … excited at that idea.
“I’m not sure what part of what we just spent hours doing you think would lead me to want to leave you…”
“Well…”
“Now, if you’re going to be a crazy shrew of a woman intent on sending me back, I might be inclined to skip that part.”
She scoffed. “No. I really don’t know how to do this.”
“Nor do I, which was why I suggested spending some time here together.”
“You don’t want me at your house?”
“My house is not permanent. Nor do I have that, so no.”
“Harry said you still have the house at Spinner’s End.”
“I do. That is not where I live nor have I for eleven years.”
“Where would you have gone if you hadn’t gotten this job?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. I figured I had years to figure it out as long as she didn’t end up at Hogwarts. There are no other magical people in Cokeworth, that I’m aware of anyway. So, I wouldn’t have had to worry about her going to primary school and being known.”
“I suppose.”
“It hasn’t been terrible. She’s seen different cultures, muggle and wizarding.”
“I’m kind of jealous of her for that.”
He was surprised she’d say that. Only because in a way, he was rather jealous of the steadiness that she and Mia had developed here. The barn they apparated into told a story of Mia’s life from toddler age to now. Eden didn’t have that, but he supposed she had memories of travels and different locations.
She stood then, offering him her hand.
“Are we going to sleep then?” he asked, setting his hand in hers.
She shook her head. “I mean, eventually, I suppose.”
More of the same then? He nodded. He could definitely live with that. He stood. “I look forward to an exhausting few days then.”
“Me, too.”
Story ©Susan Falk/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com