The Ties that Lead to Trust

Chapter 23~ Home

Hermione escaped to her room as quickly as she could after dinner. She wasn’t the only one. Her father had only eaten slow enough not to be considered uncivilized then disappeared into the study in the basement. Mrs Granger gave up trying to make forced conversation and sighed deeply when Hermione too disappeared. Severus mentioned something about speaking with Kingsley before she was out of earshot and Hermione knew she would have a bit of time to herself.

Looking around her room, she was struck by its lack of personality. There wasn’t much that really marked it as being hers anymore. All of her magic related things were at Hogwarts and what was left of her muggle things were packed away neatly in the closet or the dresser drawer. There were no pictures on her desk, since she always took them with her. The pale peach walls and uncluttered desk and night table made the room seem like that of a hotel or bed and breakfast. The only thing that really said ‘Hermione Granger’ was the shelf of books, novels mostly, beside the desk. Most of them were in good condition, if well used, but a few were a bit tattered and worn. Favourite books she had first read years ago and continued to return to. Old friends.

She trailed a finger along the spines of one row with a number of these battered books and made a sudden decision. She found an empty shoe box from her closet and began shrinking books and placing them inside. While she was picking out the books and carefully charming each of them to the size of a matchbox, a soft knock came at the door.

Hermione turned around to see her mother poking a head around the door. “Are you alright?”

She nodded. “I’m fine. Just going through my books.”

“It doesn’t look like that to me. It looks like you are packing,” her mother said, looking hurt.

“These books... they are like, well, old friends. I have plenty of room on my shelves at school so I thought I’d bring them with me. I have NEWTs at the end of the year, so I’ll be busy, but I thought they might help me relax,” she tried to explain.

Mrs Granger shook her head. “Perhaps, but it looks like you are taking all of them. I know you won’t read all that much when you have studying to do. Tell me what the real reason is.”

Hermione set down an ancient copy of Winnie the Pooh and looked directly at her mother. “I want my books with me. I don’t know what I will do after school is finished, so I thought I would take them now.”

“Won’t you come back after the end of term? At least for a little while?” her mother asked.

Hermione let out a loud sigh and sank into the desk chair and her mother sat gingerly on the corner of the bed. “I’m not sure that is a good idea.”

Mrs Granger leaned forward, “It’s not because of your father is it? He is just a bit shocked. Certainly he is angry now, but in a few days, after he has time to think about it, he will calm down. You are still our daughter, and we love you Hermione.”

“You scarcely know me anymore! I’m not the same person I was when I was eleven. I’m not a muggle anymore and I can’t change that. Don’t you see that I am different from you? I belong in the magical world, not here. What’s more, I went out and got married. Hardly seems appropriate to waltz back here expecting a place to live, does it?” she said, her voice betraying the conflicting emotions she was experiencing.

“Be that as it may, you will always have a place here. You may not want it now, but it is always there. You’re going to stay with your husband then?” The question hung heavy in the air.

Hermione flinched at the word ‘husband’ and looked out the window muttering, “I don’t know.”

“He doesn’t seem as bad as your descriptions, but I suppose I was never his student--”

“--Mum, I’m sorry. You must be--”

Her mother stood and put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I’m not disappointed. A little sad, but not disappointed. You did what you thought was right, and I can’t fault you for that, whether or not he is your teacher. I had just hoped you would fall madly in love with someone who felt the same and would take care of you. That’s what mothers want for their little girls. On the whole, you could have done much worse.”

“What if it had been Ron?” she asked suddenly.

“He was a nice boy, and he was obviously very taken with you, but if it had been him I would probably be more worried, both of you being so young and all.”

“Really?”

“Yes. And I assure you your father would be much angrier than he is now. Severus may be a good bit older than you and your teacher, but he is obviously intelligent and established in life. Greg knows this, so he probably won’t say much more than he already has. I do have a question though,” Mrs Granger asked, sitting back down on the bed.

“What is it?”

“Does he know how to smile?”

Hermione began to shake with laughter. “I’m under the strictest confidence not to say. If it got out, he would never forgive me,” she gasped between fits of giggles.

Her mother smiled and moved to leave the room. At the door she turned back and said, “That answers my question. Don’t worry about your father, he’ll understand in time. I’m glad you are fond of Severus.”

“But I-” she started to say, but her mother was gone. Hermione picked up the forgotten book on the desk and stared at it without really looking at it. “How does she do that?” she asked the empty room and returned to shrinking books and packing them away.
*********

Though Kingsley had been a bit difficult to get hold of, he had readily agreed to come out to the hospital with a Healer and gather information about the situation the following morning. Quietly ascending the stairs and entering the guest room he had been shown to earlier, Severus began to reflect on his earlier visit to Mrs Brook’s mind. Though it wasn’t his intention, anytime one practised legilimency they were bound to stumble upon memories unintentionally. The man in the photograph that had become a memory episode was nothing he had ever anticipated from the seemingly content family of Hermione Granger. She had spoken of various relations with enthusiasm and affection when describing her early childhood, and he could not tell where this man fit into the family. He did not believe it was entirely accidental that this scene had been the one he fell into. Below the surface of consciousness, the mind was always analysing and comparing situations to those in their personal frame of reference causing certain recollections to come closer to the surface than others. However, he hadn’t been deep enough in the memory to clearly hear what was said or understand what precisely was going on. It was unexpected, like many things in the mind, and he likely would never discover exactly what it was he had seen.

He had experienced this before, when teaching Potter occlumency, but it was still an unsettling experience, very much like falling into someone else’s pensieve, even if you thought you knew the person. He hadn’t been in a position to be charitable towards the esteemed Harry Potter at the time, particularly since the incident with his own pensieve, but now he could admit to himself that there was more to the progeny of his childhood nemesis than any of the hero worshippers realized. The memory episodes he had seen were close to the surface for a reason, most likely because he had triggered comparisons to the miserable people in Potter’s other life, the one before magic. Alone, disliked by all and unable to make himself what others wanted him to be, young Potter hadn’t had a glorious and carefree childhood. Some of the memories he had seen weren’t entirely unlike his own youth and he was starting to prepare for what was likely inevitable. The ‘Boy Wonder’ was going to become a fixture in his life through Hermione. He couldn’t deny her that either. Part of his dislike of the Golden Trio was due to their tightknit friendship, one that he had never enjoyed.

Sometimes while she slept, he would inadvertently catch glimpses of her friends in her dreams. He never intentionally invaded them, but Severus felt these small snippets, be they memories or random imaginings, gave him great insight. These people were important to Hermione, and if he was to play a part in her life, he would have to welcome them as well as her family. It was truly difficult to anticipate which was the more difficult to incorporate, her friends or her family, particularly with how well this first meeting was progressing.

A soft knock came at the door, and Severus opened it to see Mrs Granger standing on the other side. “Good evening, Mrs Granger.”

She smiled and shook her head, “Call me Emily. I don’t care for formal titles.”

“Alright, Emily. Is there something I can do for you?” he enquired politely.

Entering the room, she closed the door behind her and looked him up and down carefully. “Would you mind us having a bit of a chat, Severus? I’d like to be fair and learn a bit about you before I fly off the handle like Greg did.”

“Fair enough. What would you like to know?” Severus asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and nodding at the chair by the window.

“Youth can sometimes be a bit melodramatic and I’d like to know what Hogwarts is like and what all goes on there on a regular basis. I’ve heard all kinds of stories, but I’m never entirely certain if I should believe them,” she answered in an amused tone, sitting on the chair across from him.

He pondered the question for a moment, then began, “Well, I’m not entirely certain how many of her adventures she has told you, as clearly they have been censored, but I will assure you that even if they seem a bit grandiose, the tales aren’t particularly tall. Hogwarts is an ever changing, unpredictable and entirely magical place to be. Stairs and rooms move about on a regular basis, any of a great number of unique and dangerous creatures make their home on the grounds and after nearly twenty years working there, in addition to the seven I spent as a student, there are still plenty of surprises. It is a very difficult place to describe since it is not altogether comparable to anywhere else in either the muggle or magical world.”

“Do you enjoy teaching?” Emily asked curiously.

Severus shook his head. “Not really. Teaching Potions at Hogwarts was never something I had ever anticipated doing and I don’t pretend to be overly thrilled by the job. To be honest, I have for sometime been considering a change of career.”

Her eyebrows raised at this. “Oh really? Outside of potions or just outside of teaching?”

“Only teaching. The St. Mungo’s Hospital Research Team has been interested in adding my skills to their professionals for many years. I’m only just now in a position where I am able to pursue this avenue.” he informed her.

“What stopped you before?” she frowned.

Severus sighed deeply, “That is a rather long and complicated story which, to be honest, I am not particularly comfortable telling someone of a day’s acquaintance. It has a good deal to do with some of the events Hermione told you about today, but I might suggest that it is a tale for another time.”

“How old are you?” she asked suddenly.

“Thirty seven,” he responded without hesitation.

Mrs Granger nodded. “More or less what I had thought. Does it bother you that you are far closer in age to myself than to Hermione?”

“Not especially. It bothers you, though,” he observed.

Leaning forward in the chair, she contemplated him for a moment. “Perhaps a little, but not as much as I might have anticipated. You care about my daughter. That I can see, but it’s a mother’s job to worry about these things.”

Severus nodded. “You have every right to worry. I cannot imagine what it would be like in your place.”

Emily smiled weakly, “You may someday. How is this situation being dealt with back at the school? I hardly think any school would take lightly to a relationship of this sort.”

“Hermione attends my classes, but she receives no marks from me. All essays and assignments are currently being marked by the Headmaster and NEWT exams are always evaluated by an outside panel of testers. Beyond that, only the staff and a few Ministry personnel are aware of the situation. All in all, it was agreed that would be the simplest solution,” he explained.

Glancing at her watch, Mrs Granger stood to leave. “It’s getting on, and I should probably give you some peace. I want to thank you for what you are doing for my mother. She’s a tough lady, but a shattered hip is a lot to recover from and I worry. I hope we might correspond sometime in the future, so I can get to know you better. Sometimes long stories are easier told in ink.”

Severus inclined his head towards her. “I think that can be arranged as I am interested in knowing you better as well. I would say not to worry about your mother, but I know you will anyway. Broken bones are a simple matter for a healer to fix and she will be up and walking by tomorrow afternoon most likely.”

She smiled at him again and left the room, closing the door behind her. Once more, Severus was alone with his thoughts and free to consider his new family once more.
*********

Much later, Hermione was tossing and turning on her bed, unable to sleep. Turning on the light, the clock on her desk read two o’clock and she groaned. “You can never sleep when you need it the most. I wish I wasn’t alone.”

She sat up and looked at her empty bookshelf, feeling a small sense of loss. There wasn’t much else of hers left in the room. She would leave some clothes and a few boxes in the closet, but it had always been the books that made the room her own. Not wanting to look at the empty room she turned out the light and flopped back on her pillow, listening to the sound of the house settling in the dark. Both her parents were asleep. She could tell from the soft snores coming from the room down the hall. It was a comfortable sound that reminded her of a time when she couldn’t sleep without it. She remembered the sleeplessness of her first months at Hogwarts and was amused by how much had changed. Instead of being bothered by other people sleeping nearby, she was familiar with it now. ‘Not just familiar,’ she thought to herself, ‘fond of it.’

Severus didn’t snore, but his breathing was deep enough to hear when laying beside him. Sometimes she would wake in the night and just listen to him breathe, comforted by its rhythmic sound. The sound of a creaking floorboard startled Hermione from her thoughts and out of reflex she grabbed the wand off the night table and was on her feet at the ready. The footsteps stopped for a moment outside her door, then the doorknob turned. In the faint light of the streetlights outside, she recognized the sharp features of Severus’ face and visibly relaxed.

He didn’t speak, but closed the door, muttered some Latin at it, and strode to her desk. He rummaged around in the drawer for some paper and a pen and Hermione lit her wand. “What-”

“Shh.” he whispered.

He picked up the pen and began scribbling words hastily on the pad of paper.

I heard you speak just now

“So, the house-” she started but he shook his head and pointed to the paper.

The house is quiet. She wrote.

Your voice was in my ear not far away. I think I know how we are being heard.

Hermione’s eyebrows raised and she looked at him expectantly. He raised a hand and clasped between his thumb and forefinger was a long strand of brown hair. He handed it to her and wrote.

It’s your hair, not any of your things. Somehow it has been charmed.

Her jaw dropped and Severus lay a gentle finger over her open mouth. She took a strand between her fingers and looked at it in shock. Picking up the pen, she wrote frantically.

Can you remove the charm?

Yes, but Kingsley needs evidence. He can do it tomorrow so he can see exactly what it is.

Hermione felt violated. The hair hanging about her face suddenly became sinister and unclean. She turned and looked out the window at the tree in the yard. She could imagine Malfoy’s large eagle owl sitting in one of the branches looking at her and shivered. Large hands rested on her shoulders and guided her towards the bed. Severus ushered her under the rumpled covers and kissed her forehead. As he pulled away, she grasped his hand and whispered, “Stay.”

Severus nodded and crawled in behind her. The bed was small, since it had only ever been intended for one person. Instead of transfiguring it, he spooned her against him and held her close. Hermione’s unease slipped away and she felt sleep tugging at her at last. Content, she nudged against him and smiled when he nudged back before closing her eyes and drifting off.
*********

She wasn’t surprised to find herself alone when she woke in the morning. Hermione knew there would be another explosion from her father if he found them asleep together, and even with the vote of confidence, she wasn’t entirely sure her mother wouldn’t be upset as well. The day was bright and clear, quite in contrast to her mood. She brushed her hair and couldn’t help feeling dirty. In reality her hair was fresh and clean, but knowing it was being used to spy on her made her skin crawl. The sooner she saw Kingsley the better.

Her father wasn’t at the breakfast table, and she wasn’t surprised to learn he had opened the clinic this morning. Holiday emergencies aside, Mr Granger had a perfect reason to avoid them this morning. What was a surprise was the pleasant conversation between her mother and Severus. He was clearly explaining something about potions, but she was unsure of how much her mother would understand. She was glad to see them getting along and sat down next to Severus, allowing her knee to brush against his. Without pausing his conversation, he nudged her foot with his and Hermione felt a wave of peacefulness wash over her. Perhaps the worst was now over.

On the way to the hospital, Hermione sat quietly in the back seat of the car, listening to the continued conversation in the front. They were discussing how best to go about the upcoming magical examination since her grandmother was not yet aware of the existence of magic. They decided it would be best if Mrs Brooks be told since she would need to be awake this time. When Mrs Granger parked the car, she went on ahead to explain things and Hermione and Severus went to the dumpsters behind the hospital where they had arranged to meet with Kingsley and the healer he was to bring with him.

Around the back of the building, Kingsley smiled when he saw Hermione and took her hand. “There you are. It’s good to see you. Been a while, hasn’t it?”

She nodded. “It has. You’re looking well.”

“Not as well as you do,” he told her and gestured to the woman beside him, “This is Claire Wallace. She is a friend of Madam Pomfrey’s and works at St Mungo’s in the spell damage ward.”

Severus nodded in greeting before speaking with Kingsley in a low voice, obviously familiar with the woman and Hermione took her hand. “I’m glad you could come on such short notice.”

The woman nodded, “Injury takes no holiday. I must admit though, I’ve never been in a Muggle hospital. It all sounds very fascinating.”

Kingsley turned suddenly towards Hermione with a look of surprise. “Really? That would explain a lot.”

“You know more about these things than I,” Severus said quietly.

He nodded and raised his wand at Hermione’s head. “Just hold still a moment. Velum veritas.”

There was a misty light from Kingsley’s wand and her hair glowed blue. He took several strands in his fingers, examined them and nodded again. Raising his wand again, he summoned the stray hairs from her clothes and put them in a jar. Before he sealed the lid, she asked, “Is that enough.”

There were about a dozen in the jar and Kingsley nodded while sealing it magically. The blue glow began to fade and he raised his wand again, “Finite Incanticum” then “Velum veritas.”

This time there was no blue glow, but he checked over her hair again. “I think that does it. I will take these hairs back to have a closer look. The charm may work on a contagion principle to keep it active, so you need to clean your hairbrushes and anything else with hairs on it. Be thorough.”

Hermione let out her breath. “Don’t worry, I will be.”

With her privacy restored, Hermione felt relieved. Miss Wallace’s examination of her grandmother went smoothly and after being properly documented for the investigation, she healed the bone and cleared up the discolouration about the hip. The memory charm proved to be very well done and they were told that attempts to reverse it might result in further damage, but the healer promised to review a few specific treatments they might try at a later date. The missing memories would prove valuable to the investigation, but for the moment the simple existence of the recent charm was enough to start with. Grandmother Brooks was in high spirits, asking myriads of questions of everyone, complimenting the healer and lavishing praise on Severus for his wonderful medicine. Hermione smirked at Severus’ embarrassment and her mother kept glancing at her with a funny look.

Once Kingsley was satisfied with the information gathered and documented, he admonished Hermione to find all her loose hairs and left to modify the memories of various hospital staff so Mrs Brooks could return home. She was thrilled by the prospect and Miss Wallace accompanied her to dress for leaving. Shortly, with only mild assistance, Severus helped the old woman into the car. Once more she thanked him profusely and kissed his cheek. Hermione allowed herself a chuckle this time as she took her bag and shoe box full of books out of the back seat.

Her mother was smiling, but it didn’t disguise the bittersweet look in her eyes. “I wish this had been a different sort of visit. Promise me you will write more often and don’t worry too much about your father. Enjoy the rest of your holidays.”

Hermione gave her mother a big hug. “I will. Claire will contact you about the memory treatment when she has more information. Be careful.”

Mrs Granger drew back shaking her head. “I should be telling you that.”

Hermione gave her grandma an awkward hug, then stood back to watch her mother pull out of the car park. When the car was out of sight, she walked with Severus to the back dumpster where they would disapparate from. He brushed his chilled fingers across her rosy cheek. “Kingsley will be adding some defences to your house. Everything will be alright.”

“I know. Do you mind if I run an errand in Hogsmeade?” she asked.

“Certainly. What did you need to do?” he enquired.

“You’ll see,” she told him and they both apparated to Hogsmeade.
*********

Hermione’s errand, as it turned out, was to the hairstylist’s. Severus insisted that the charm was no longer a problem, but she simply told him she needed a change. When she walked out, her hair wasn’t long and bushy anymore, but short and full of body. The woman in the shop had been surprised how short she wanted since few witches did, but the layers cut away from her face made her cheekbones look higher and features sharper. Severus was waiting for her outside and looked at her wide-eyed when she came out. His fingers automatically reached out to run through the short tresses, trace around her exposed ear and touch the soft skin at the nape of her neck.

“It’s shorter than mine,” he observed quietly, not certain what to make of the change.

“I’ve been thinking of cutting it for some time, but it feels so different.”

He slipped his fingers through the longer layers at the back, savouring the texture. “Very soft. I like how it feels.”

“Are you ready to go back?” she asked, eyes slightly closed.

“Yes. I have your things,” He offered his arm.

The halls of the school echoed as they walked down to the dungeons. Hermione felt the heavy weight that had settled upon her over the past couple days lift and almost had to restrain herself from skipping to Severus’ rooms. Crookshanks was waiting for them in the same place he had been when they left. Setting down her bag, she reached out to stroke him, but a hand took hers. “We need to take care of any charmed hairs that are around.”

He went from room to room, summoning a few hairs, but not many. It seemed the house elves had been in to clean while they were away and there wasn’t much left to find. After removing the charm he tossed the hairs into the fire and took her hands. Gently stroking his thumbs across the backs, he looked at her face and his focussed expression softened. The irresistible draw of her shortened locks brought a hand to them. He fingered the ends and savoured the novelty of the sensation. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the exploring touch. She almost didn’t hear his quiet words, “Much better. Glad to be back?”

“Mmm,” she mumbled incoherently, “that’s nice. I’m glad to have privacy again.”

“Would you like some time alone?” he asked, withdrawing his hand.

She caught it and held it to her face, “No, I want to be with you.”

His hand was released and he slid it to the back of her neck, enjoying the cool flesh. He drew her closer to him and kissed her fully. Hermione hummed in contentment and pressed herself against him. It was snug and safe in the castle and she felt a heady sense of freedom after the events of the past two days. When he pulled away from the kiss she whispered, “Thank you.”

“For what?” he looked at her curiously.

“For putting up with my family. It wasn’t very nice to drag you through all that business,” she turned away from his gaze.

There was a smile in his voice. “Your mother was right.”

She glanced back, “Oh?”

“It’s not just your family anymore. I have a responsibility to them to.”

“I told you I didn’t expect anything. It isn’t your responsibility at all,” she told him stubbornly.

His eyes were dark and full of feeling. “You told me you didn’t want detachment anymore. You can’t have that without expectations and responsibilities on both sides. I know telling your parents was important to you and I wanted to give you support. I care about you. Is that so odd?”

She met his intense look and returned it. For a long moment they stood, close together, looking into the other’s eyes. Unable to stop herself, Hermione blinked and kept her eyes closed, struggling with what to say. Like a sudden flood, words she had been very careful with burst from her lips. “That’s why I love you.”

Both froze, processing what had just been said. Hermione was shocked and stuttered, “I.. I.. um...”

A fingertip traced her jaw and lips and though her eyes were closed, she could sense his face close to hers. The sound that passed his lips was weak and breathy, “Do you?”

“Yes.”

“So do I,” he whispered against her mouth and claimed her lips in a devastating kiss. Her soft whimper was muffled as he coaxed her mouth open and explored it with his tongue. She returned the kiss, sliding her own tongue against his, caught up in the intensity of the moment. Both were quite breathless when they parted again.

She looked up at Severus with a curious expression on her face. “What happens now?”

His smile was quite unlike what she had seen before and he took her hand and guided her towards the bedroom. “We make love,” he told her quietly.

Hermione felt a shiver of anticipation run down her spine. The large bed looked luxurious and inviting. She drew in her breath sharply when a curious hand found its way beneath the bottom of her jumper and encountered sensitive bare skin. Large hands splayed across her stomach as his nose and lips nuzzled at the nape of her neck. The delightful shivers were dancing all over her body now and she moved against him, seeking a firmer touch.

Feathery kisses and gentle nips made their way down her neck and he sighed in frustration when his path down her shoulder was blocked by the woolen garment. In a fluid movement, he grasped the bottom with is hands and pulled it up over her head. With her arms still raised, he slid his long fingers down her sides, mapping the gentle curves of her warm skin. His path was interrupted by her bra, and he swiftly flicked at the clasp to release her breasts and expose her skin. Shifting it off her shoulders, Hermione let the offending garment drop to the floor and turned to face Severus. Impatient, she grabbed his jumper and helped him remove it. His hair was mussed from the collar and she reached out a hand to smooth it. At that moment, she realized he had been more concerned about his hair lately. It was usually flat and lifeless, but more often he tied it back in a neat queue.

His hands returned to their explorations while she traced the lines of his face. She closed her eyes as he squeezed and stroked her breasts before lowering his mouth and bathing her rosy nipples with his soft tongue. She moaned softly from the tender attention and pulled him closer. A surge of desire dampened her knickers and she moved uncomfortably from the moistness between her legs. Feeling the motion, Severus returned his lips to hers and swiftly removed her trousers and knickers.

Hermione fumbled with his belt and blushed when he broke the kiss and assisted her. Once divested of his own trousers and undergarments, he cupped her firm bottom in his hands and pulled her against him. His eager arousal was hot pressed against her abdomen. She slid her hands down his sides and lightly brushed against the rigid flesh and she smiled against his neck. She whispered, “So smooth.”

He brought a hand to her chin and looked into her face, “So lovely.”

Severus edged towards the bed and eased her back. His mind wanted to go slowly and savour the exquisite torture waiting brought, but his body, struck by her words, was driving him to seek completion. He slipped a finger between her folds and found it slick and hot. Her soft gasp was followed by her legs parting eagerly, granting him access. Hermione’s head was spinning, and she pulled his body to her, pressing against him. She could feel his heart racing beneath her fingertips and his erection pulsing against her leg. Feeling a sense of urgency, she hooked one of is legs and guided him to her. Not needing any more encouragement, he positioned himself between her thighs and sank himself into her molten heat.

She hummed in satisfaction. She felt filled and complete in that long moment after he entered her. Slowly he began to rock against her, letting out a throaty groan and she smiled at him through half lidded eyes. His expression was one of pure sensation, but when he opened his eyes, they met hers and did not waiver. In a steady rhythm, he thrust against her, holding her gaze. Hermione felt in that moment time might have stopped without her being aware of it. The intensity of his emotions were so close to the surface, she trembled from them. Unlike their previous intimacy, this time was open and exposed to everything from sadness to joy.

Unable to bear the slow intensity, Hermione raised her hips against him, urging him on. His thrusts and her breathing became faster and more ragged and a bubbling crescendo of sensation rose within her. With small, inarticulate sounds she cried out and closed her eyes. Her body was shaking against his and she heard his voice, “Open your eyes.”

For a moment, his expression was strained, then he too began to tremble. He collapsed against her, breath irregular, muscles shaking and spasming beyond his control. Slowly sinking back into herself, she stroked his hair gently as he clung to her, spent of energy.

Hermione felt a bit dazed by the experience. It was quite unlike any of their previous intimacy. When he withdrew from her, she felt a great pang of loss and sought to hold him close. It seemed like such a profound moment that she needed to say something. Her lips moved, but nothing seemed to come out. His arms reached out around her and he said, “That was different... I have no words...”

Gently tracing circles on his bare skin, she struggled to determine what she was feeling. Like a blanket of understanding wrapped around her, she knew the word she was looking for. “Home.”

He squeezed her and nodded. “Yes... home.”
*********