There's No Place Like Hogwarts *COMPLETE*

Chapter 14- Christmas in Italy

Hermione still couldn’t get over how beautiful the villa was. When Severus helped her out of the black sedan, all she could do was gape at the magnificent home. She walked over to the balcony doors in the bedroom. The balcony overlooked the expansive grounds.

“Quite beautiful isn’t it?” Severus smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Hermione sighed and leaned back into his arms. “Yes it is. I just can’t believe we’re here. No school, no problems, just you and me,”

Severus turned her to face him. Hermione smiled up at him as she slid her arms around his waist. He smiled as she placed her head against his chest. Severus leaned down and softly kissed the top of her head.

“I love you Severus. You’re my best friend,”

“I love you too Hermione and you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,”

Severus and Hermione left the bedroom, their arms around each other, and headed downstairs for dinner. The house elves that Lucius sent ahead of time were wonderful cooks. After a heavenly four course meal, the couple moved to the veranda for after dinner brandy’s.

“So, if there was one thing you would love to have for Christmas, what would it be?” Hermione asked.

“Well, when I was studying under Master Nikoli, he had an extremely rare potions text. There was only three ever published. It was written by the great Potions Master, Sargento Chelenski. I don’t know how many evenings I spent reading that text,” Severus answered with a peaceful smile.

“I remember that text. I used to read it too. Have you tried to find one?” She replied.

“Yes. Master Nikoli has one, the second copy is in the library at Drumstrang, and the third unfortunately was lost in a fire nearly a century ago,” He sighed.

“I wish I could get one for you,” She said, placing her hand on his arm.

“Well maybe one day,” He nodded. “So, what about you? What would you like?”

“What I want is impossible. I would love to see my parents one last time. I mean, I know one day I’ll see them again, but even after nearly ten years since their death, it’s still hard sometimes,” She stated.

Severus pulled her to her feet and gently tugged her down onto his lap. “Losing a loved one is never easy,”

Hermione sighed and buried her face in his shoulder. Severus held her close. For half an hour they sat outside just holding one another. Finally, Severus said they should go upstairs and turn in for the night.

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Hermione looked around, her eyes not believing what she was seeing. Blood, dark red blood everywhere; the floor, the wall, the ceiling. There in the middle of the living room floor laid her parents. She let out a cry of anguish and ran to them.

“Mom! Dad! Oh god please no! Please wake up!” She cried.

She couldn’t believe this was happening to her. If only she had apparated home instead of taking a cab from King’s Cross, her parents might still be alive. She knelt between them and checked their pulses. There was none. Tearfully she hugged them both tightly.

“Hello mudblood,”

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“NOOOO!” Hermione screamed.

Severus jerked awake at her scream and grabbed his wand, ready for anything. He only found Hermione, who was sitting up, shaking like a leaf beside him with her face buried in her hands. “Hermione? Hermione baby talked to me. What is it honey?”

“I…I just had a nightmare. I relived the night I found my parents murdered and dueled with Bellatrix LeStrange,” She explained shakily.

Severus sighed, put his wand on the nightstand and drew her tightly to him. He remembered that night very well. He, Albus, Minerva, Sirius, and Remus arrived after Hermione’s frantic message to the Order Headquarters. When the five had arrived they found a bloodbath in the Granger living room.

Hermione had been covered in blood, her parents dead in the center of the room, the living room coated in blood and looked like a tornado had hit it, and near the fireplace was Bellatrix LeStrange; dead with a fire poker protruding from her chest. Hermione had told them what happened. Severus closed his eyes as the memory replayed in his mind.

*December 19, 1999*

“Hermione? My child, where are you hurt?” Albus asked, sitting beside her on the sofa.

“It’s…it’s not my…blood,” Hermione answered in a shaky breath.

“The Grangers and Bellatrix are dead Albus,” Severus said quietly.

Minerva scorgified Hermione’s clothes, skin and hair. She then sat on the other side of Hermione while Albus summoned the Aurors. Remus, Sirius, and Severus stood off to the side trying to figure out what exactly happened at the Granger house that night. Ten minutes later Rufus Scrimgeour and the Aurors arrived.

“Miss Granger, can you tell us what happened?” Rufus questioned gently.

“I…I had taken a cab home from the train, because mum and dad where going to be late tonight. I came through the door and was hit by the smell of copper. I knew it was blood and lots of it. When I entered the living room, I…I saw so much blood. It was everywhere,” Hermione stopped there.

Remus quickly headed for the kitchen and fetched her a glass of cool water. “Here Hermione, drink this,”

“Thank you Remus,” Hermione said. After taking a large swallow, she continued her story. “I spotted my parents laying face down in the middle of the room. I ran to them, pleading with them to wake up. I checked their pulses, hugged them both then laid them down when I knew they were dead.

“That’s when Bellatrix stepped up behind me and said ‘Hello mudblood.’ When she started laughing, I jumped to my feet, drew my wand and we started dueling. I don’t know where my strength suddenly came from, but I was gaining the upper hand. After I sent her slamming into the wall near the fireplace, something came over me. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I grabbed the fire poker and charged her. I stood over her and watched her take her last breath,”

Severus stood against a wall. Though his face didn’t show it, he was both impressed and shocked. ‘Well, seems Granger has a killer instinct hidden behind that know it all façade,’

*Present Day*

“You alright love?” Severus asked.

“Yeah. It’s just the anniversary of their death. You should have seen me that first Christmas in St. Petersburg. Poor Master Nikoli had to give me a calming draught AND a dreamless draught mixed with a sleeping potion. I was out for a day and a half. After I told him what happened, he understood,” Hermione explained.

“You never told anyone before that did you?” He questioned.

“No. After I told Master Nikoli, the nightmares got easier to deal with,” She sighed.

Severus just continued to hold Hermione in his arms. Hermione rested her head over his heart. Slowly the sound of each other’s steady breathing lulled them both back to sleep.

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Despite having the nightmares the first couple of nights at the villa, Hermione and Severus still had a good time. Their days were spent walking hand-in-hand through the local village and their nights spent at the villa.

“Oh Severus look!” Hermione exclaimed as she hurried to a local shop window.

“What?” Severus chuckled as he moved to her side.

“That music box, there in the middle. My grandmother had one just like it when she was a girl. I remember seeing pictures of it,” She beamed.

Severus examined to music box. “What do you mean used to?”

Hermione’s smile faded slightly. “About three years after she married my grandfather, their house was broken into and it was stolen. She was heartbroken. My grandfather checked every antique shop, pawn shop, and figurine shop he could find. He was never able to find it again,”

Suddenly Severus got an ingenious idea. He smiled to himself as he and Hermione left the shop window. The couple continued to browse the village. The cheerful and festive atmosphere was contagious. Severus couldn’t remember the last time he had enjoyed the holidays, if ever.

“Oh Lucius has invited us to spend New Year’s Eve with him, Narcissa and a few other at Malfoy Manor,” Severus said as they sat at an outdoor café.

“That sounds fun. How many others? I mean is this one of his renowned parties or just an intimate get together?” Hermione asked.

“Intimate. Lucius said there would be no more than twenty people,” He replied.

“Then we’ll be there,” She grinned.

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Christmas Eve was a day spent in the villa. It had begun snowing earlier that day and the couple spent the afternoon curled up on the sofa under a thick blanket before a roaring fire. In a corner stood a large Christmas tree. Since their friends knew where they were, all their gifts had been forwarded to the villa. They were now piled under the tree along with Hermione and Severus’ gifts to each other.

“Looks like we both have a good turn out,” Hermione giggled as she glanced at the tree.

“Seems that way. So, what did you get me?” Severus smiled.

“Nice try Severus. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow,” She laughed.

“Alright. What did you get Lucius and Narcissa?” He chuckled.

“I got them something I remember Narcissa saying they didn’t have yet. With help from Draco, I got them a portrait of Draco and Pansy for Malfoy manor,” She answered.

“That will make their year,” He replied.

After another delicious dinner, Hermione and Severus headed upstairs for a relaxing bath. The couple took turns washing and teasing one another. Once they were done, they dressed for bed and climbed under the covers.

Hermione lay in Severus’ arms as he twirled a strand of her hair. “Severus, where do you see us in the future?”

Severus sighed. He himself had been thinking about that too. “Well, I would like to see us still together and happy. Possibly married with maybe a child or two,”

Hermione fell silent. She mulled over his words as she felt his arms tighten nervously around her. “Married with children huh?”

“Yeah,” He nodded.

“I like the sound of that,” She replied rolling over to face him.

Severus smiled. Hermione returned the smile before pressing her lips to his. He deepened the kiss as he rolled over, covering her body with his. Slowly he began making love to her. Hermione just melted beneath him.

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Hermione smiled as she watched Severus enter the bedroom with a breakfast tray in his hands. “Merry Christmas Hermione,”

“Merry Christmas Severus. Oh this is so sweet,” Hermione grinned as she sat up in bed.

Severus returned the smile as he sat the tray on her lap. He surprised her once more by feeding her breakfast in bed. After finishing their breakfast and grabbing a shower, they headed downstairs to open their gifts. Hermione had been right the night before. They had both received a number of gifts from their friends. Finally, Hermione and Severus exchanged their gifts for one another. The first gift from Severus was a beautiful quilt in a mixture of pastels that depicted a sunset behind Hogwarts.

“Oh Severus, I love it. This quilt will definitely be used,” She beamed.

“I hope you like this one as much,” He said with a smile of his own.

Hermione happily unwrapped the second gift. She gasped at what she saw. “Oh my god! Severus…this…thank you so much!”

Severus just laughed as she carefully sat the music box down and threw her arms around his neck. “I saw the look on your face when you saw it and started talking about your grandmother. It may not be hers, but at least you can feel like you have a part of her,”

Once Hermione released him and kissed his cheek, she handed him his first present. When he saw what was in the box, he started laughing. He held up the black t-shirt. On the front was a picture of the Hulk. Under the picture in bold green letters it said, “Don’t Make Me Angry. You Won’t Like Me When I’m Angry.”

“Love, I absolutely adore it. Of course I’ll only where it around you,” He chuckled.

“I didn’t expect you to wear it in public. I saw it and immediately thought of you,” She replied.

He refolded the shirt and went to work on the second gift she handed him. Hermione waited anxiously for his reaction. She couldn’t believe her luck when she acquired that particular gift. When Severus spotted the gift, his reaction was just what she hoped for.

Severus couldn’t believe it. He blinked several times just to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. In his hands, laying on a bed of purple velvet was the first edition of Sargento Chelenski’s Potions text. Slowly and carefully he lifted the book from the box.

“Hermione…how…where…my god,” He stuttered.

“Well, before our fight I asked Albus about what to get you for Christmas. He told me about the text. I wrote to Master Nikoli. A week before we left, he sent this. His note said if anyone was worthy of the text, it was you,” She answered.

Before she knew what happened, she was gathered into his arms and his lips were crushed against hers. Slowly Hermione slid her arms around his neck as she happily returned the kiss. “This gift means so much to me. Hermione, you…I don’t deserve…”

“Stop. Severus, you deserve this gift and much more. As long as you’ll have me, I’ll remind you of what a good man you are. I love you Severus Snape,” Swallowing the lump in his throat, he held her tightly to him. Severus gave her no warning as he gathered her into his arms and headed upstairs.

T.B.C