The Wrong Time

Settling In

Severus regained his composure and stood up, brushing off his trousers. He had to hold it together. He wondered if there was anything he could do to make himself more disguised. After a few moments of thought, he applied a glamour to himself, transforming his piercing black eyes into an inviting shade of cinnamon brown.


Perhaps that would keep her at bay. There was really nothing he could do about his voice without drawing suspicion. He just had to hope that perhaps time had caused him to fade from her memories. Don’t be ridiculous, he chided himself. After all, he recognized her from the start. He just hoped that he would not be as fresh in her memories as she was in his.


He made his way to the kitchen and poured two steaming mugs of tea, adding a lemon wedge to each and a cube of sugar. He knew how she took her tea because she had told him on one of their many long nights of talking. He inhaled sharply. This was going to be more difficult than he anticipated. How could he fall out of love with her?


After all, if he knew how to fall out of love, he wouldn’t have spent years of heartache thinking of Lily. Only time and bitterness had eased her from the forefront of his heart, and even though he was not madly in love with her anymore, he knew that somewhere in his heart he always would love her. He would just have to force it this time.


He carried the tray back to her room, and set it down on the desk.


She looked up at him and smiled.


“Earl Grey?” she asked in her soft voice.


He nodded, trying to force the breath that had caught in his throat to its proper place.


“I’ll just give you some time to get settled, then,” He said to her, turning to leave.


“Oh, wait, don’t go,” she said, walking up to him.


“I just want to---to thank you for taking us in this way. You’ve really saved us,” she said nervously.


She reached out and pulled him close in a hug. He wanted to break free, but he could not force himself. He liked the feel of her soft curves under his arms, and the scent of jasmine wafting from her delicate curls. He felt like the world could melt away and he’d never notice. He heard her moan softly against his chest. He felt like he could explode. Never had he wanted something so much that he could not allow himself to have.


He stiffened against her, feeling the beginnings of an erection. He had to get out of here now. He grabbed her shoulders and held her at an arm’s length from his all too willing body.


“Don’t mention it,” he said, and then spun on his heel, exiting the room.


Hermione stood there stunned. There was something unsettlingly familiar about Silvano. She thought about the hardness of his chest beneath her cheek, and the spicy scent of his aftershave. She knew she had smelled that somewhere before, but where? Her mind reeled. She had seen something in his eyes as he turned to go. She could not place it but she thought perhaps it was regret. What could he be regretting? Could he be regretting his decision to allow them to come and stay at his villa?


Hermione felt suddenly uncomfortable. She did not want to stay where she was not wanted, but if he had not wanted her there, why had she felt him stiffen against her belly? She knew what she felt, and there was no mistaking that. What could he be regretting? His reaction to her?


Perhaps he thought she would be prettier. No, it seemed he thought she was plenty pretty. Hermione mulled this over as she unpacked her belongings by hand. Much of what she had brought would not need to be unpacked since the rooms were all completely furnished.


Near of an hour later, she had settled everything in, and she knew Josiah would be waking soon. She decided to go look for Silvano. She still could not shake the feeling of familiarity. How had she known him? Minnie had told her that they had been acquaintances once, after all. She would figure it out, she vowed, because it was beginning to eat away at her.


She walked down the hallway and found a very spacious kitchen. It was complete with everything a gourmet chef could hope for. She knew he liked to cook, and her stomach growled in response.


“Are you hungry?” she heard a silken voice behind her.


Her cheeks flushed. Had he really heard that?


“Yes, actually. I imagine Josiah will be once he wakes as well. You can call me Hermione, by the way. I know it’s been ‘Nancy’ for quite some time now, but as Hermione is actually my given name…” she trailed off, feeling foolish.


He nodded in acknowledgement.


“Do you like chicken?” he asked her. “I thought perhaps I would make a special Tuscan recipe with Bruschetta and a nice salad for dinner.”


Hermione felt her stomach growl loudly.


Severus laughed heartily.


“I’ll take that as a yes,” he said.


Falling out of love with her was going to be terribly difficult indeed.


A/N: Thank you all for reading! I hope you are enjoying these chapters, and as I feel quite on a roll, I might even be able to post another chapter today….I don’t want to promise it so as not to disappoint, but there you have it.