A visit to the rogue Slayer in prison was accomplished. The Watchers Council was all for Hermione stopping to check on her. She wasn't sure what information they were hoping for, but she had her own reasons for wanting to visit her.

Curiosity. The thirst for knowledge. The desire to know.

However one would phrase it.

Faith Lehane was really nothing like Buffy. It made Hermione wonder, not for the first time since researching Kendra and having met Faith how slayers were chosen. The research was for her own benefit despite the Watchers Council being in favor of her stopping there. She just wanted to know! Was there a trait or something that slayers had in common?

Of course there was one huge problem with researching this.

Well, two really.

All slayers except Buffy and Faith were dead.

All information about previous slayers was contained within the Council's archives and was fairly sketchy at best until the past thirty years or so. Bernard Crowley seemed particularly prolific about Nikki Wood. Like Giles, Hermione got the impression Crowley had cared for his slayer as more than just a weapon.

One common thread among the Watchers' journals she'd encountered, including Bernard's? Their slayer's last battle was woefully absent from each and every one of them. Whether it was because they weren't present to see it so couldn't write about it or were just too overcome with the loss so just turned in their journal as it was she would never know. A few of those watchers were still alive, but approaching them to ask them about their slayer's final battle seemed … tactless.

Now, if she could figure out a way to make those interviews necessary and not just to settle her curiosities. She'd be all over that, and imagined Lydia would be as well.

Hermione had compiled a list of previous watchers and slayers as well as the dates they were active cross referencing with a second list of demographic areas slayers were from and had served. Some like Kendra were sent places short-term if prophecies or research pointing to their presence being necessary to stop an uptick in evil. She tried to document those instances, too, but that was a little more difficult to track down where specifically they were sent.

Any time she went to an area where a slayer served she found herself in a local library looking for articles and such on the slayer. Sometimes she found stories with mentions of the girls by name. Usually though it was just general articles about things that happened that were obviously preternatural in nature being explained away.

Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to find much. She was still hopeful, though. It would be interesting to find out if they had anything in common.

Faith had genuinely seemed to be appreciative that Hermione had visited and of the few letters and bit of money she'd sent the past few months. She'd never expected to hear thank you coming out of Faith Lehane's mouth. She'd done it because while not the same she remembered too well what it had been long to be on the run with little resources. The bit of kindness she'd been shown by someone who cut a pound off the price of the groceries she did buy a time or two.

Well, she saw an opportunity to pay it forward, and maybe make a difference in the slayer's thinking. She was willingly remaining in prison for a reason. Hermione had to believe that meant she was rethinking what had gotten her to this point. She hoped that was what Faith was doing anyway, and not plotting a way to get back at everyone she thought wronged her to land her in prison. Hermione was certainly left with the impression Faith felt remorse for things she'd done. She didn't know her well enough to say confidently it wasn't an act, but she seemed sincere.

Hermione could hope.

She also, at Council bigwig Quentin Travers' request, checked on Angel and the status of Angel Investigations. 

She wasn't exactly sure what the status was but after finding and talking with Cordelia Chase things didn't look real good for the souled vampire. How had he gone from convincing Faith to turn herself in to the chaos he seemed to be partaking in now?

Angel had locked some Wolfram & Hart lawyers in a room with vampires Drusilla and Darla. Hermione thought Darla had been killed by Angel a few years ago. She'd have to find out if that wasn't what happened. If it was, how was she back? Better yet. Why was she back? While her research on Wolfram & Hart pointed to them being pretty evil she wasn't sure company genocide initiated by Angel was the way to go.

She'd filed her report on Faith and Angel / Angel Investigations and then their vacation began.

Severus was a pretty big classic rock / progressive rock fan. She knew enough about bands like The Doors, Eagles, and The Beach Boys, to know they and quite a few others had gotten their start in this area. So she let him lead.

They walked hand in hand on beaches where Jim Morrison walked. They drank coffee at a restaurant Neil Young had reportedly frequented. They walked past buildings where musicians like Joe Walsh and David Crosby had lived or worked. They saw a show at Whisky a Go Go where so many had played (and been in the audience) over the years.

He told her with almost childlike wonder and enthusiasm stories about this or that as they went. It was clear his knowledge on these bands and artists was a lifelong thing not just something he'd researched with a trip to LA suddenly in the works.

She swore if she lived to be two hundred she would never forget the look in his eyes as they took in these sights. She wasn't sure what stopped him in between the wars from coming here and doing these things himself, but that didn't matter. He was here now and it was the most content, relaxed, and dare she say happy she'd ever seen him.

She'd brought this man who thought he was going to die, and was resigned to do so with everyone loathing him before the age of forty, some joy. That made her heart swell. Yes with pride but more than that: love.

She'd known for a while she was in love with him, had even said it once in his lab. She didn't think it was odd that neither were rushing out to say they loved one another every day. She thought sharing this with him, and her not being bored by it, brought them that much closer.

Her favorite part had been last night, their last in LA before they headed to Sunnydale for a few days. Their hotel room had a balcony that looked out over the water. Between a Notice-Me-Not and a silencing spell they'd made love outdoors with the sound of the waves crashing against the beach serving as their background music. It had been … perfect.

She was pretty sure he was in agreement.

Interestingly, he did not know how to drive. She had just assumed he would have learned when he was a teenager, evidently he had different things to occupy his time then. He didn't want to talk about those things and while she'd listen if he wanted to she wasn't sure she really wanted to hear them. So driving them was up to her. It was a good thing she'd learned because after Sunnydale they were going to spend a couple of nights in San Francisco before heading back to England. They could use magic and apparate or use portkeys, but they both decided to take a muggle vacation. Part of the fun of being someplace they'd never been was to drive and see the sights. Also it wasn't as easy to know where to apparate when they'd never been somewhere. Really, though, they wanted to take a week and be muggle.

"Nervous," he asked as she drove onto the off ramp leading to Sunnydale.

"No, why?"

"You're bringing me to meet your friends."

"Well, Buffy is my friend. The others are friendly with me but if I didn't know her," she shrugged. Well, obviously she never would have met them if it weren't for Buffy. She was coming here, though, to see Buffy. She liked the others, but she wouldn't come here if it weren't for the Slayer. 

"Are you nervous?"

He was quiet for a moment to the point she thought he might not answer. She wasn't going to push him for an answer. She suspected it probably was a little unsettling to meet these people she'd rambled about in letters.

"I can admit that I am somewhat," he finally admitted.

"Why?"

"Our age difference…"

"Who cares? Severus, really? Willow dated a werewolf and is now dating a woman. Xander is dating a former vengeance demon who has many hundred years on you, and many things she did in the name of vengeance that weren't very nice. And Buffy used to date a couple centuries old vampire."

"I suppose they would be prone to open mindedness."

"Does it bother you?"

"It has not to this point, but I saw the looks some gave us this weekend."

She slid a hand to his leg. Oddly, she hadn't. She supposed because it really wasn't a concern of hers. People would judge regardless of an age difference or whatever else they might find to focus on. Personally, Hermione thought it was a little … weird that Harry had fallen in love with someone who resembled his mum. She'd never voiced that thought and never would because frankly if they made one another happy it wasn't her business. Maybe James and Harry Potter just had a type that Lily and Ginny fit. How did she know?

"I don't care. Let them think what they want. They're not us and will never see us again."

"True."

"It doesn't bother me. I know we're going to both live a long time," she shrugged. "I think about wizards I've met, even Percy, Charlie, and Bill."

He scoffed.

"Don't do that. I'm just saying. I'm not sure I could settle for someone who wasn't older. I think I need that maturity."

He looked at her then. She couldn't look at him since she was driving but she knew he was watching her.

"I think I can understand that sentiment," he said.

"I thought about it after the first time I visited you. I knew I was attracted to you. I knew it back right after the war ended when you let me help you and no one else at St. Mungo's could. I didn't really think anything of it because I had other things on my mind and I know you did, too. I also assumed you'd have a good laugh at my expense if I dared say anything to suggest we should be friends. After that first night I saw you in your quarters I suspected that you were as well or would be open to that. I had a choice, stop communicating with you or see where it went."

"And you are happy where it's gone?"

"I am."

"As am I," he said.

"Then that's all that matters, Severus. People will judge. It's whether we choose to let it bother us that counts."

"Thank you for inviting me," he said.

"Thank you for saying yes. I wasn't sure it was too soon."

"It's been a year."

"A year we've seen one another rather sporadically and where we've been pretty on our own. Living in separate worlds as we are, we really have no idea what we're doing when we're not together. Minerva knows."

She hadn't seen any blurbs in the Daily Prophet about her and Severus hadn't mentioned Minerva being unwilling to keep her status to herself. So she could only assume whatever Severus had told her former head of house that the witch understood Hermione just needed more time. She was certainly closer now than she had been after the war. The threat of Azkaban was still frightening. Had the auror who she told informed others of what she'd done? She'd have to see if Severus could find out. If anyone knew how to obtain information discreetly it was him. Thank God.

"And she approves," he said.

"I'm glad."

"She said similar things to you as to the maturity level of a wizard suitable for you the night we spoke."

"She would know that, yes."

"Better than perhaps anyone," he said. "She also understands your reasons for stepping away from our world. She wants you to return, though, sooner rather than later. Obviously."

"I know. I want to, too. I do miss Harry and Ron, Neville, Luna, and Ginny," she sighed.

"I do know they are all worried about you. Even in between the articles appearing in the Quibbler. I have never engaged in the conversations, of course, even before your initial correspondence to me. If anyone deserved a reprieve, it was you. However, I do know that concern is there. And sincere."

"We'll see what happens, what they need my help with coming up. It's only because I haven't taken a true vacation in two and a half years that they let me take these days off in the middle of research."

"Ah," he said, nodding. "Yes, The Key."

"I am curious how you knew that Dawn wasn't really her sister."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I had no idea, but you knew from the first time I mentioned her in a letter."

"I would imagine whatever spell was done to alter the memories of those close to Buffy did not include me since I had never met her. So I wouldn't be on their radar, and I can admit to being thankful for that. You wrote to me of her having a sister all of the sudden, and I knew you would have mentioned her before as you do her friends. I feel very much as if I know them already."

"Right."

"Whoever is behind the spell, they are very powerful to alter so many memories to such an extent."

"I know. And I have found nothing really on what The Key actually does. Frustrating to have virtually unlimited resources at my fingertips and I can't solve it."

"You will. Between you and her watcher I have no doubt that you will."

"Thank you."

"And her boyfriend is now gone?"

"Yes. I don't know the details beyond that he took the Army up on an offer and left pretty quickly."

"I thought they were serious."

"I think he was and I think she wanted to be."

"She was still not over the vampire?"

"I don't think she was."

"First loves are difficult to overcome when it feels as if they are stolen from you."

She reached for his hand and squeezed. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for, and I know that Lily was not stolen from me. Now. It sure felt as if she was at the time."

"Even though it ended the way it did, all of it, I'm glad that you had her at all."

"Oh?"

"Yes. I'm glad you had a friend. I don't think we'd be here if you hadn't."

He was quiet for a while, his thumb grazing over the back of her hand. She supposed there would be some to tell her that she should run far, far away from someone who had evidently been in love with another man's wife for close to twenty years. She couldn't do it, though. She knew enough about his past to know he had very few good things. Lily was one of the few. From what Hermione could tell she was the only person who actually seemed to care about him. What would he be like if he hadn't even had that?

"I think you are probably correct. If I had never experienced any kindness I wouldn't have been able to respond to yours. I wouldn't have believed you were truly being that kind to me after the way I'd treated you. Admittedly, I still have a difficult time believing it is so."

"And I do love you, Severus. As you are. All of it. Even that you loved my best friend's mum."

God, she sure hoped she could still call him that. Would she see him again and he would be unable to understand? Not forgive her? Would he realize he was better off without her bossing him around? (Though he had Ginny for that now, she wagered.)

He snorted. "That does sound a little perverse, doesn't it?"

She gave a soft laugh. "I guess it does, but it's true."

He brought their joined hands to his mouth, kissing the back of hers. "I do not deserve you, but I love you, too. Despite your being an insufferable know-it-all."

"It takes one to know one," she quipped and he chuckled.

"As you and I are both alive today as a result of that desire to know everything, I am very grateful for that trait."

"Me, too," she said.

They arrived in Sunnydale, checked into their hotel, and settled into their room.

"So, what is on the agenda for the night?"

"I don't know really. With her mom having a brain tumor I don't know how much fun she's in the mood for, which was why I extended our time in LA and added San Francisco. I didn't want her to think she had to entertain us for a week or anything. I was thinking we could take them out for dinner maybe, or bring dinner to them. Or maybe a movie. It's not a huge town, but there's stuff to do."

"I'd be curious to see Mr. Giles' shop."

"Oh, yeah, we can stop there, sure. It's all stuff you'd expect to see in a non-magical magic shop," she said with a lift of her lips.

"I see."

"I mentioned his friend to you, the one he thinks got a Hogwarts letter. Ethan," she paused. "Um, Rayne. So he's familiar with magic and has been involved in some magical things, but he's not magical."

He nodded, clearly getting what she was saying. "That makes sense."

"Yeah. From what Buffy says he's very careful to carry pretty much harmless stuff. Nothing that the Ministry, or its US equivalent, would get antsy about muggles having in their possession."

She pulled her cell phone out. "So, let's find out." She dialed Buffy's number.

"Hi Buffy, it's Hermione."

‘Oh hey. I was wondering when you were going to make it up here.'

"Yeah, sorry. We got caught up seeing all of the things Los Angeles has to offer. Neither of us have ever been here."

‘The nice weather compared to London, and Scotland right, had to help? That has to be a nice change.'

"It is. And yes, Scotland is right. So, did you have plans for the evening? Want to do dinner? Or we can bring dinner to you if you'd rather stay home."

Silence. Hermione guessed Buffy was thinking about her choices.

‘Actually,' she said softly. ‘I could use dinner away.'

"Just you?"

‘Is that okay? Does that sound terrible?'

"Obviously it's okay and no, it doesn't sound terrible at all," she said. "I came here to see you, anyone else is welcome of course, but we're here to see you."

‘Severus won't mind if there's not another guy there.'

"No, he won't. He wants to meet you. He knows I don't make friends very easily so I think he's curious."

She glanced at the he in question and he gave a low chuckle.

‘Okay. Well, yeah, I can meet you. Um, I need to change.'

"We can pick you up."

‘Are you sure?'

"Absolutely."

‘Okay. Give me about an hour. I have to make sure Mom is all set and everything. Do you remember how to get to the house?'

"I do," Hermione said.

‘See you then.'

"Okay," she said, disconnecting.

"We have an hour until we are picking her up."

"Whatever shall we do?"

She chuckled, moving to straddle his lap. She loved that sex between them was still new enough that he wanted to have it all of the time. She did wonder if there wasn't something wrong with her for as much as she wanted it, but he wasn't complaining so she quit worrying. "I could think of something."

"As can I."

"Well," she said.

"Are you on a strike from using magic, Witch?"

"No, but I like when you take my clothes off me."

"No more than I do, I assure you," he murmured before removing their clothes for a most enjoyable hour.

She was surprised when she pulled up onto Buffy's driveway that the Slayer was sitting on the steps outside.

Hermione got out and offered her friend a hug. She'd been through a lot the past few months and Hermione knew that Buffy took a lot on her shoulders without asking for help. Hermione did that, too. It was the reason she didn't have her parents.

It wasn't lost on her that if she'd asked Dumbledore, or someone for help … Well, maybe they'd be back in England. With her. Remembering she even existed. That was the hardest part, not that they were in Australia, though that was tough. No, it was that she couldn't even talk to them because they had no clue who she was. Or maybe they wouldn't have ever had to leave, however, the fact of the matter was muggles had been targeted with increasing frequency and no one seemed to even think about her parents. That had bothered her.

It still bothered her, truthfully.

Severus had gotten out of their rental car, too.

"Buffy, this is Severus," she said.

"It's nice to meet you, Buffy," he said.

Hermione knew it was hard for him to call her by her first name but she'd convinced him that things just weren't that uptight and Victorian in the muggle world anymore. Especially here in Southern California.

"You, too, Severus. Are you liking California?"

"Yes, thank you. Hermione knows I am a fan of quite a few bands that got their starts in the Los Angeles area. So we took some of those sights in. It was," he shrugged. "An experience."

"Yeah? That's good," she said. "I'm glad you were able to do that."

"Are you sure you don't want your mom or Dawn to come with us?" Hermione asked.

"No. Mom's resting, and Dawn's," Buffy shook her head. "Doing a great interpretation of a fourteen year old girl, which was part of the reason I needed an hour."

Severus sniggered. "I know this phenomenon that you speak of very well."

"I'll bet you do, being a professor of that age group."

"Indeed."

"All right, you'll have to tell us what's good. I've never eaten out here before."

"Sure," Buffy said, moving to get into the backseat.

"No," Severus said. "Please sit in front with Hermione."

"That's really nice of you, Severus, but you're like half of a foot taller than me. I can sit in the backseat."

"Very well," he said, opening the door for her as well as Hermione's for her.

"Wow, he's got manners and everything," Buffy said.

"He does," realizing the magical world did have a bit of an advantage in that area being stuck in their Victorian ways.

They went to a local diner, much like the neighborhood place Lydia had found Hermione in over two years ago now.

Buffy filled Hermione in on the past few months.

"So, her family really convinced her that she was evil? Like for years they kept the act up?" Hermione said, going back to a few weeks ago when Tara's family had come to take her back home with them.

"Yes," she said. "I didn't know at the time that she and Willow were involved. Well, as deeply as they are. I just knew that Willow cared about her, and if she liked her then I liked her. Male chauvinist pigs," she said.

"How much pain was Spike in after hitting one of them?" The chip Spike had been given while being held by The Initiative did not allow him to commit violence. Well, it allowed him to, but if he hit someone as Buffy had described him doing to Tara he got a splitting headache as a result.

"Not much. At least it didn't seem like he was affected for a long time after. It's hard to tell with Spike," she said with a shrug. Spike was definitely an … interesting subject. He didn't seem to fit in any mold: vampire or human.

Buffy filled her in on what happened with Riley. Severus looked rather pained at the idea of someone allowing vampires to feed off of them, regardless of the reason. She wondered if Severus had some experience with vampires somewhere in his past. He hadn't said so and she hadn't felt comfortable asking as there were things in his past she knew he would not discuss, understandably so. She would of course listen to anything he wanted to tell her, but she tried to be respectful of the fact there were things he might not share. He seemed to know about them more than just from books. Then maybe they just interested him enough that he'd researched them a lot. She herself had never met one, other than Angel and Spike she supposed, but she wasn't sure they counted. She'd probably think differently if she had met Angel without his soul and Spike without his chip.

"Well, you know if you ever need a break from it all, you have a friend in London who'd let you stay at her flat."

"At the Council? I'm not sure…"

"Yes, right now. I've actually been thinking of getting my own place the past couple of months. They've been very generous, and it's helped me get a bit saved up but I think I'd like to live away from work. For now, though, yes."

She'd been thinking about it, but hadn't decided yet. The main reason she was against it was that there was no way she was going to be able to find as nice of a flat, already furnished as the Council's was for as little as they were charging her. And she didn't even have to pay them, it was just taken out of her check. It had been over two years, though. She thought it was time to think about moving out on her own. She also couldn't decide if she wanted to find a place in the magical or muggle part of town.

"I sure wish you could tell me about Glory."

"I wish I could, too," she said.

She was on Key duty since powerful magic seemed to be involved with that. Glory wanted The Key, so did that mean Glory was magical, too? She'd tried to make that argument but she'd been told she'd have enough looking into The Key.

In truth she suspected someone knew more than they were saying about who, or what, Glory was. Hermione didn't have anything to base those suspicions off of other than her gut.

Her gut had been pretty dependable to this point, though, so she was trusting it now, too. Even though she wasn't on Glory detail, Hermione spent her free time looking for anything that might help Buffy. That was the thing that bothered her most about the Council when she debated on whether to look for another job or stay and continue helping Buffy. Sometimes she felt as if the Council's first priority was not helping the Slayer.

Did they want her dead? She couldn't decide, but it was clear sometimes they just wanted to know the threat wasn't going to end the world and left Buffy flailing. Her priority was the Slayer, her friend, and that was why she had not looked for a job elsewhere.

Yet.

"I know they have quite a few working on it. I haven't heard anything, though, and as it's evidently not magical related I've been tasked with other things."

"Like what?"

"Well, obviously Dawn and The Key is a priority. There are always things, though. There seems to be a hotspot in Poland that I'm trying to figure out if there's something magical there. They knew I was taking this vacation, too, so they sort of quit piling so much on my plate."

"You taking on too much?" Severus said from beside her.

"I know, crazy thought."

"I simply cannot imagine it!"

"I'm also still trying to figure out exactly what your Professor Walsh was intending on doing with Adam. There's also the spell that you guys did. And those dreams that you all had afterward," she said. "And trying to find out what I can do to help my parents."

"Oh, right, I forget sometimes. I'm sorry," Buffy said.

"Hey, don't be. You've got your own stuff going on here. Life and death stuff, and I'm in London. They're my parents and I forget sometimes. I mean not about them, but it's so easy to get immersed in things like right now Dawn, Poland, and Maggie Walsh's intentions with Adam that days go by before I realize I haven't taken any time for myself, whether that be reading a book for fun or researching possibilities to help my parents."

"You don't talk much about them, so it's easy to forget."

"It's too hard," Hermione said with a shrug.

She missed them. She wasn't going to lie and say every day. There truly were days she had no time to think about much of anything. Rarely more than two days went by though without some reminder to bring thoughts of her mum and dad to the forefront of her mind.

"I get that. My mom," Buffy shrugged. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to her. She's everything to us. You know? This whole Slayer thing hasn't been easy on her. I wish I'd told her from the time we moved to Sunnydale and I got sucked back in. I assumed I'd be able to walk away. It would have avoided a lot of arguments and distrust we both had. We're okay now for the most part, but I know she still wishes I could quit. I think she hoped when Faith showed up…"

"I do know, and I hope that she'll be fine," Hermione said, reaching for Buffy's hand and squeezing it.

"I hope so. I'm thinking of dropping out of school next semester so I can be home with her."

"I'm sure she'd appreciate the help." Hermione wanted to argue with her on this.

Realistically, Hermione assumed that her mum would want her to finish college. Hermione suspected ill or not any mother would want that for their child. However, she understood wanting to be home with her sick mum, too.

"She wants me to finish school. She was so excited I got accepted at Northwestern."

"Is that good?" Hermione asked.

Buffy smiled with a shake of her head. "Yes. It's a pretty prestigious school. Not like Harvard or I suppose Oxford by you, but good."

"You stayed here, though," Buffy prompted.

"Yeah, Slayer, hell mouth. I couldn't really leave."

"The world owes you a debt," Severus said. "One that very few will ever know you are owed nor could they repay it even if they were aware."

"It's the gig," she said with a shrug. She smiled a little at that. "Kendra, the slayer who replaced me when I died for like two minutes in 1997, got mad at me when I called being the Slayer a job. I know it's more than that, I do. It's a calling, I was chosen over all the other potential slayers and I know it's a part of me, not something I can walk away from. It is also a job for me, though. Some girls it's known right away upon birth basically they're a potential and are given to their watcher to learn and train from a young age. I didn't know until I was fifteen. I have parents. I have a sister now. I have friends. I have other things that require my attention, too. Kendra didn't understand that about me because it wasn't how she was raised."

After dinner they walked around downtown Sunnydale some. They ended up at The Bronze, where Hermione had been a couple of times before. Severus looked a little suspect, but went willingly and got them drinks while Buffy and Hermione picked out a table.

"You're serious," Buffy said against Hermione's ear.

"Yeah," Hermione said, eyes finding Severus despite the crowd.

"He seems very serious."

"He is," Hermione said with a nod. She wasn't talking about Severus being very serious about her but just very serious in general. There was no sense in denying it. It was one of the reasons they got along, though.

"But so are you," Buffy said, as if she was sussing it out in her mind. She supposed to most people their age Severus' seriousness wouldn't be a selling point. It definitely was for Hermione. Yes, she liked to have fun, but she couldn't be around someone who was silly all of the time.

"For the most part."

Buffy nodded. "You're happy?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's all that matters then."

"I'm sorry about Riley," Hermione said.

Hermione had really hoped her friend had found a guy who was human yet understood the world Buffy was a part of. On paper, it should have been ideal. At first Riley seemed to accept Buffy. That changed, though, and Hermione wished she could figure out when or why it happened because she knew Buffy cared about him. And with more time, once her mum was better and Glory was dealt with. Maybe she could focus on herself for the first time in her life really. Maybe things could have worked out.

Lots of maybes and obviously Riley hadn't wanted maybe.

Buffy shrugged. She was trying to be strong about it, pretend she didn't care. Hermione knew better, though. It had to hurt. It hurt Hermione to see Ron snogging Lavender and they hadn't been dating. To find out that letting someone … feed off of him gave him something Buffy evidently couldn't was a pretty big fuck you.

"I don't know what I would have said if I'd made it in time to be honest. I'm just not ready for what he wants from me. He doesn't totally understand the difference between being the Slayer and being a soldier. I don't get a break. I mean, yeah, I went to visit Dad or something, but that didn't mean I didn't worry that something was happening here I should be taking care of."

"You'll find someone who does understand."

"Someday, maybe. Assuming I live long enough to find him."

"Don't talk like that!"

"Hey, I know how it goes. I come with an expiration date."

"Severus thought the same thing, and he's alive and well. Don't assume. You have me! Other slayers did not have Hermione Granger to help them."

Buffy smirked but nodded. "No, they did not. I'm glad I have you."

"Me, too."

"I wish you were in charge of the Glory research."

"I wish I was, too. I sense they know something."

"Oh?"

"I don't know what, and I don't know legilimency well enough to perform it on someone who may be trained to detect and/or block it."

"Legilimency?"

"It's how I saw your memories of the whole Acathla situation. Like mind reading," Hermione said.

She hated bringing up Acathla. Acathla was connected to Angel, which she knew was still a sore spot for her friend.

"They know about the magical world. That tells me someone must be a witch or wizard, or was somewhere in the Council's history. So, I don't want to get caught and fired. Then I couldn't help you at all."

"Well, I appreciate that you even thought about it."

"I have, a lot. I don't like that they keep things from you."

"I don't either. Trust me."

It wasn't a bad night. Severus was not a dancer, but he didn't seem to mind watching while Buffy and Hermione went out to the dance floor. He used a couple of discreet hexes when he noticed someone trying to hit on Hermione. Sneaky bastard that he was, but Hermione didn't mind and actually laughed the second time it happened. Truthfully, she'd probably do the same thing if the situation was reversed.

They dropped Buffy off, waiting to pull off of the driveway until they were sure she was inside. Why Hermione did that she wasn't sure. It had been ingrained in her by her parents, make sure your passenger gets inside of their destination before driving off. She assumed Buffy would be going out to do rounds through the cemeteries at some point tonight. Maybe she was taking the night off. Either way, Buffy was quite capable of defending herself if someone happened to be lying in wait for her in the bushes, but Hermione still didn't like just leaving without knowing she went inside.

"She's not going to challenge you for top of the class," Severus said when they got back to their room. Hermione laughed because she knew that was going to be one of the first things he said. She also knew that he didn't mean it in an unkind way exactly.

"No," Hermione said. "She's not dumb, though, Severus. I think a lot of her issue comes from having to miss a lot of classes or not being able to complete homework. She got kicked out of her school in LA, and evil doesn't wait until nights you don't have a test to study for. I also think she believes she's not very smart. Someone, somewhere told her. Probably teachers or principals who didn't understand who she is. If someone tells you enough that you're going to fail. Well, I can imagine it would be easy to start believing that. I think schools a lot of times, even mine growing up, only see a snapshot not the big picture."

"One of the things I admire most about you is how staunchly you defend those who fall under the umbrella of your friendship."

"Well, that's what friends do."

"To you, yes. My experience is quite different, and I wager mine is more normal than your version. You are loyal almost to a fault. Half of the dangerous circumstances you found yourself in as a student were because of your unwillingness to leave Potter or Weasley without your assistance."

"I know, they needed me!"

"Of course they did. They wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. Anyone who was at Hogwarts knows that. That only serves to reinforce my point, though. It's not a bad thing or a complaint, Hermione. I love how loyal you are, and I love watching you defend those who have earned that loyalty."

"I suppose."

"I might even go so far as to say it is one of the things that we have in common that draws me to you. I'm not sure I could be with someone who does not hold that as high as I do."

"Well, good thing then."

"Indeed."

They made small talk about Sunnydale and Glory, Hermione's suspicions that there was knowledge but it wasn't being shared as they got ready for bed. She knew there were texts the Council had that she didn't have the security permissions to access. Things that went above both her pay grade and security level.

Interestingly, she'd discovered the more time they spent together at his house that Severus seemed to enjoy watching a bit of television before bed. They found something to watch for a bit before calling it a night. Neither of them was used to this much relaxation.

"Were you serious about thinking of moving out of the Watchers Council accommodations?" he asked once the lights and TV were off.

"I was. I think I'm ready. I mean I know I'm not turning my back on the job. I'm still not entirely sure I agree with everything that they do, but as you said before that could be true for any company. I imagine Hogwarts has that, too. I am making a difference and I like that. Using my brain without having to engage in battles is nice, too. I think that I am ready to rejoin the world more than I have, though. I'll be honest, some days I don't leave the building at all and I find it harder and harder to leave my work at the door. It's so easy to leave the library or our department offices, grab take out from the cafeteria or order in, and spend the evening in front of my computer doing more work. I know I'm salaried, but still. I'm just not sure where I'd want to live, which is what has me hesitating to decide. If I rent a muggle flat, does that mean I can never go back?"

"Of course it doesn't, Hermione. I understand your thoughts, though. Clearly my home is a muggle abode. Choosing somewhere to live doesn't mean you're deciding on your participation in either world. Your earlier statement got me thinking."

"Oh?"

"Well, I do have a home that sits empty ten months of the year."

"You do."

"Would you like to live there?" he asked.

She turned on the bed to face him, looking at him closely. She had not been expecting that at all. She wanted to shout yes. Yes, damn it.

Except.

She wasn't sure what he meant by the question. Did he want her to live with him?

"What are you asking me, Severus?"

"I'm offering you my home."

"As what?"

He scowled and she sniggered softly, letting a finger graze the lines there between his eyes when he gave that look. He didn't give it to her very often anymore. She also noticed with his stress levels getting less and less as the war and its effects were being put further behind him that the lines weren't as prevalent today. She hoped she was partially responsible for that occurring.

"I'm not sure what you're asking me."

"You do, too! But all right. Do you want me there as a tenant?"

"Don't be absurd, Hermione. I don't think I even need to answer that question. My tenant? Really?"

"You want me there as your witch?"

"Yes," he said softly.

Her breath caught for a moment. How hard was that for him to admit, to himself let alone her?

"I want to make my home our home, with you."

"Then yes," she said.

"You really didn't know what I was asking?"

"I suspected but we haven't really put a label on what this is we are doing."

"After more than a year I didn't think a label was warranted. I choose to spend my time with you."

"A witch wants to know."

Quiet and she wondered if she shouldn't have said that. Maybe that was pushing too far?

"My goal, Hermione, is to never let you out of my sight again as long as I walk this earth. Does that give you the knowledge you seek?"

"It helps, yes," she said. "Does that mean you'll come home some weekends?"

"I'd certainly have a very inspiring reason to want to."

"Inspiring?"

"You are more than just inspiring, Hermione Granger."

"Is that right?"

"Absolutely."

"Show me."

"You're not too tired?"

She giggled softly. Silly question. "Am I ever?"

"Very well."

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com