At the Shore of The Heart

Severus awoke with a start. Sweat was dripping from his body, and part of the white sheet that was covering him was wrapped tightly between his legs, the rest of it hanging off the bed. He rubbed his eyes and pushed his hair from his face where it had stuck to his forehead. With a grunt, he kicked his legs free, swung them over the side of the bed and walked naked to the window. He pushed open the shutters and realised the sun was already high in the sky. Hermione had obviously given up on waking him and he couldn’t blame her. He was being a miserable bugger.



Apart from the first night, when Hermione had made tortellini with fresh tomato and basil sauce that they had shared, together with a very cold bottle of locally produced white wine, they had spent little time together. He had been preoccupied that night, and there had been almost no conversation. His thoughts had been a confused mess, between missing Lucy and wishing she could be there to enjoy the villa, and also his acute awareness that Ines had found him attractive, and that he had responded to it, and so had a certain part of his anatomy. He had been flattered, and it had crossed his mind that he might entertain a flirtation with her. She was incredibly attractive, after all. But as soon as the thought came, he had started to feel guilty. He no longer wore his wedding ring. He had placed it on a ribbon around Lucy’s neck on the day she died, and there it stayed. But he felt the ghost of it on his finger still, and he knew he wasn’t ready to try anything new. That night he had slept fitfully, and images of Lucy haunted his dreams.



Hermione had tried to encourage him to leave the villa and explore the town for the first three days, but Severus hated the thought of mingling with people, so he put her off, preferring to stay behind and read in the garden. He knew he was being a poor holiday companion, and yet Hermione just accepted it with no complaints. As usual, he acknowledged with a frown, she was giving him time to grieve.



Severus closed his eyes and inhaled the heady fragrances from the heat-soaked blooms in the garden, and a memory of his dream the previous night came flooding back to him. He replayed a conversation that he’d had with Lucy. She was lying in her hospital bed, but instead of looking pale and sickly, her face was flushed and she had a healthy glow. She had climbed off the bed and forced him to lie down where she had been, and then she had told him that he was wallowing in his grief and it wasn’t healthy. Then she told him that she loved him, but he needed to move on, and she wouldn’t be happy until he was happy. Severus knew that it was only a dream. But he also knew that if Lucy had been standing in the room with him, that was exactly what she would have said. Perhaps moving on was a good idea, even if it was with slow, small steps.



Severus thought of Hermione and smiled.





*******



An hour later, Severus walked down the hill into the small town and towards the seafront. He had an idea where Hermione would be, as she had mentioned it on more than one occasion. Sure enough, as he came closer to the street café near the harbour entrance, he could see her, a cup of coffee on the table in front of her, her head bent down as she read her book. He walked up to her and let his shadow fall across her page.



Hermione looked up at him and smiled brightly. She was obviously pleased to see him.



‘Hi,’ she said.



Severus gestured to the basket he was carrying and smiled back at her. ‘A peace offering. I have been a poor companion, so I thought we could have lunch on the beach,’ he said.



Hermione squinted up at him a little, ‘you look almost happy. Has something happened?’



‘I’ll tell you on the beach. I have wine, so you had better keep up if you want some,’ he winked at her slightly and she laughed. He would never let her forget the tipsy night in her house. He strode off in the direction of the beach and looked over his shoulder to see Hermione almost trotting to keep up. With a chuckle, he widened his strides and laughed as she started to curse him for walking too fast.



They arrived at the beach, out of breath and laughing, and Hermione punched him playfully on the arm.



‘Not fair,’ she panted ‘I have shorter legs than you,’ she grinned. ‘Nice outfit, by the way.’ Hermione looked him up and down pointedly. He had decided to dress for the occasion with cut off trousers and a short sleeved T-shirt in a pale blue colour, with matching deck shoes. Severus ignored her comment and pulled a picnic blanket from the top of the basket, spreading it on the soft sand.



Before long, they were drinking the wine and enjoying fresh Italian bread and cheese, with fresh fruit and olives. Combined with the surroundings, the azure blue sea and the incredible cliffs around the cove, it was almost a banquet.



‘This is lovely, Severus. Thank you,’ Hermione pushed her curls behind her ears, and Severus noticed for the first time just how beautiful she was. The sun caught the highlights in her hair, and her eyes reflected the light and shone amber. She was positively glowing.



‘You look lovely,’ he said quietly.



‘Thanks,’ Hermione smiled at him and blushed prettily. Edward had never been one for compliments, although he fished for plenty. ‘Tell me then. What made you take the plunge and leave the villa?’



‘I had a dream about Lucy last night. She told me in no uncertain terms that it’s time to move on, and I am thinking perhaps she is right,’ Severus gazed at her for a moment, and then reached for a juicy olive.



‘It was only a dream,’ Hermione smiled, ‘but I think she’s right, for what it’s worth. She told me not to let you wallow in your grief.’



Severus stared at her for a moment. ‘Those were the word she used?’ he said.



‘Yes, verbatim,’ Hermione nodded and took a last slug of wine before lying back on the blanket and closing her eyes.



‘That was what she said in the dream,’ Severus frowned.



Hermione bit her lip slightly. ‘There is such a thing as lucid dreaming, I think. It’s a way of talking to those who have passed. I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know if it’s true or just another woolly science like divination,’ she screwed her face up, ‘you should investigate it. Maybe it really was Lucy.’



‘Maybe,’ Severus looked at her, pondering slightly. ‘Can I ask you a question?’



Hermione looked up at him. ‘Of course.’



‘What did you think of Ines?’ he murmured, averting his gaze slightly.



‘She’s stunning. And she fancies you,’ Hermione stated.



Severus smiled a little. ‘I was thinking of taking her to dinner one evening, before we leave. What do you think?’



Hermione looked at him without blinking for a moment and then closed her eyes again. ‘I think you should do what you think is right for you, Severus.’



Severus smiled softly, ‘I knew you would say that.’





***********



Moving on then... unexpected lemon, next chapter......