The Healing

CHAPTER TWO


Hermione lingered in the tub, allowing the hot water to soak into her and relax away the tension that had settled seemingly into her bones. She was losing her mind. She had actually sat and watched as he read, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Maybe she was suffering from something like Stockholm syndrome, only she wasn’t his captive. Although the idea had merit.

She groaned and slid further beneath the water. This was bad, very bad; she could not have fantasies about her potions professor. Former, potions professor. Her traitor brain reminded her. She should have tried to find a way to socialize more, have a boyfriend or two along the way. She’d been kissed exactly twice, once after the Yule Ball by Viktor Krum, and the second time in the heat of the battle by Ron. Neither exchange had been anything like the fireworks described by her friends, or the romance novels she indulged in when she could.

Nope, as fate would have it, Hermione Granger was an almost nineteen year old virgin. She was probably the last girl of their class to have held out if truth be known, hell even Ginny Weasley had given in to Harry the night Voldemort was killed. And Ron, well, he shagged anything in skirts. She sighed heavily and slid completely under the water to wet her hair. She washed and conditioned it, though it wouldn’t do much to tame the wild curls that tormented her. She shaved and washed, finally rising from the water before she wrinkled completely.

She was delaying, she was well aware of it as she toweled off slowly. Normally she would just reach for her wand and cast a drying charm, but tonight she needed to stall. She was going to be sharing the bed with Severus, only this time, he was conscious, and she was way too curious about the man. She slathered her skin with thick sweet smelling cream and body spray, then combed her hair and ran a de-frizzing potion through it. She was definitely tired as she pulled on some clean knickers and a sleep shirt before brushing her teeth.

She had dallied in the bathroom long enough, and knew she had run out of excuses for staying in there. She flipped off the light and opened the door. She refused to look towards the bed, where she knew he sat propped up against the headboard, reading a book. She walked about the cabin and checked the wards on the doors and windows, and added another log to the fire. It was time to face her demon.

Severus looked up from his book as she exited the bathroom. She was avoiding him he noticed, and immediately wondered why. He was used to her constant questions, and found him self uncomfortable with the silence. Odd, since he frequently took house points from her for speaking out of turn. Her hair was longer than he thought as he watched her walk across the room to check the wards. The long, honey colored curls hung to her waist, and he knew that when her hair dried the curls would puff up and frizz. She tossed another log into the fire and waited for a moment before she got the courage to look at him.

He had laid the book, still open, face down on his lap as he stared at her. He noticed her sleep shirt in that moment. A rather snug bit of mint green cotton with short sleeves and a hem that only reached to mid-thigh, it looked far more enticing than any negligee he had ever seen. He immediately chastised his wayward libido and silently called him self a pervert for looking at her that way. He watched as the black image of a witch with a pointy hat on a broom flew across her breasts on the magical garment, the words Perfectly Wicked In Every Way trailing behind the broom.

She walked to the side of the bed, and stood there staring at the large piece of furniture. It was an old, antique piece with a high headboard and footboard. It was pushed against a wall, and Severus was on the end, which meant that the only way to get into the empty spot was to crawl over him. It hadn’t bothered her crawl across while he was asleep, hadn’t even bothered her to sleep next to him. Now suddenly the idea of sharing a bed with him caused a rush of heat to wash over her and made her jumpy.

“Shouldn’t you put on some pants?” Severus asked, pulling her from her ponderings. He was staring at her thighs, an odd look she couldn’t quite decipher on his face. Was he angry?

“Um, this is a nightgown, it doesn’t have pants.” She looked confused. She bent over him, placing her hands on the empty side of the bed as she placed her knees on the edge of the mattress to crawl over him.

“What are you doing?” He asked, sucking in a deep breath. Her night dress was riding dangerously high in the back, and he couldn’t NOT look,

“I’m trying to go to bed.” She said, wondering if maybe he had taken too much of the pain draught she had left out for him. He was flushed, and perspiring slightly.

“I think you should put on some pants, it would be more appropriate.” He said as he continued to stare at the lush bottom threatening to bare itself to him. Hermione just shook her head and proceeded to crawl onto her side of the bed. He caught the briefest flash of emerald green satin over a ripe, round bottom as she scrambled beneath the covers.

“Don’t worry about it Severus, I have knickers on…” Yes, he knew that, he had seen them. “And you have pants on now, so it’s not like anything will accidentally touch.” Now that was a pity. “I promise, if I decide to assault you sexually, Ill tell you first, give you a chance to run.” She said with a laugh as she snuggled beneath the quilt. Run? Hardly ,it was more likely that she would be the one running if she had any idea the things going on in his head at the moment.


Severus marked his page and placed the book on the table beside the bed. He shrugged out of the robe and tossed it across the foot of the bed before turning off the light and rolling onto his side. She was still awake; he could see her eyes shining in the darkness. Severus sniffed, and frowned.

“Why do you smell like a cookie?” He asked. She chuckled softly and held out her hand for him to smell her wrist.

“My bath products, it’s called Butter Cream. You don’t like it?” She asked. She felt his nose brush up against her wrist and regretted her action immediately. The last thing she needed was him touching her.

“It’s…distracting.” He said. “I thought women liked to smell like flowers or some other such nonsense.”

“No, those perfumes make me sneeze. I like to smell sweet.” She said with a laugh as she rolled onto her stomach, her arms beneath her pillow as she stared at him.

“You make me want some cookies.” He muttered, causing her to laugh.

“I’ll make you some tomorrow.” She said.

“This is…strange.” He said, and she could see his brow furrowing. She reached out in the darkness and rubbed the crease between his brows gently.

“I know, I’d imagine you never dreamed you’d have to live with, much less share a bed with one of your former students, least of all me.” She said, pulling her hand back immediately when she realized what she had done. “I’m sorry, I’m kind of a touchy person…I don’t even realize I’m doing it half the time.”

“It’s okay, it’s kind of nice to be looked after, and no one’s ever done that for me.” He said softly. “And you are right; I never dreamed I would be in this position. Good thing, since it would make me a pedophile, pervert and more of a criminal.”

Hermione laughed, he was actually kind of witty, in a droll, sarcastic sort of way.
“Don’t fret, I promise that you will leave this bed with your virtue in tact.” She said, yawning softly. Severus laughed softly, though he was somewhat disappointed.

“Goodnight Severus.” She mumbled softly. Within seconds she was snoring softly. He reached out and touched the soft curls spilling out over her pillow. She was a complication he could not afford. He sighed and rolled over onto his back, and joined her in sleep moments later.


It was several hours later that Severus was awakened by ice cubes, masquerading as her feet, tucking themselves under the legs of his sleep pants. He let his head fall to the side, opening his eyes to see her wrapped like a burrito in the blankets, and shivering. The fire had burned down, and the heat had been sucked from the drafty little cabin by the approach of the Highland winter. Maybe she hadn’t realized that the winters on these little islands were dreadfully cold, and the weather more harsh than almost anywhere else in this part of the world.

He felt sort of sorry for her and reached into the side table for his wand and with a quick flick, the fire was blazing once more. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, after all, it was she who had come up with the argument for sharing body heat. He jumped when her icy little fingers tangled into his chest hair and she pressed her cold nose into his shoulder. Thankfully her shivering stopped, and Severus was finally able to fall back asleep, the little witch nestled close against him.

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