The Seaside Retreat

Chapter 26...Honeymoon and a Werewolf in Italy

The newlyweds popped into appearance down the smooth dirt and pebble street from a beautiful villa painted in deep burnt umber. The walked slowly up the path, trying desperately to see any of the landmarks the vacation retreat was known for. Hermione meanwhile, was cursing the absence of an automobile while she tugged the skirts of her dress halfway up her shins and trudged awkwardly a few step behind Severus. At one point the tried carrying her up the path, but the dress weighed nearly as much as Hermione and it wasn’t long before he was red faced with exertion.

When they finally reached their destination, Hermione was once again swept into his arms as he carried her over the threshold of their home for the next two weeks. He set her down on the rust colored clay tiles and they both looked around, taking in the quaint beauty and in equal but opposite measure, the homey grandness of the place. Upon the entering through the foyer, there was a wrought iron staircase with a scrubbed wooden banister that spiraled up to the second floor. There was a kitchen with granite countertops and huge bathrooms that led the couple to believe that it was a wizard who owned the place.

Hermione and Severus were ecstatic with their surroundings, but were anxious to get to bed and sleep off the tiring day. Okay well, eventually sleep off the tiring day. They took the staircase to the second floor and saw that it was just one large mast suite. The bed looked nearly twice as big as a king size, there was an enormous master bathroom, a large saltwater fish tank with beautiful brightly colored fish swimming around, and a armoire with a telly.

“Severus, I am going to take a bath in that wonderful tub, and relax before I come to bed, would you care to join me?” He looked a bit skeptical about wasting time bathing when there were so many more of his “husbandly” duties he could have been engaging in instead, but when she conjured two champagne glasses a bottle of expensive bubbly and a plate of strawberry’s he was filling the tub for her before he knew it.

He slipped into the bubbles and relaxed while his wife slipped in and settled between his knees. The feel of each others bodies rubbing against each other while slick with water and soap was intoxicating, and it wasn’t long before the couple found themselves entwined in a loop of limbs, faces, and genitalia. The water was slopping heavily out of the tub on both sides and both were prepared for a fairly large mess when they climbed out of the water.

Feeling extremely sated after their first bout of lovemaking as husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Snape climbed into the large soft bed, and Severus found himself curled around his petite wife’s body. Though both were exhausted it seemed their unmentionable extremities had a different idea, and just when he was on the edge of sleep “little Severus” made himself known again.

He willed himself to ignore it, but it was extremely difficult to do when one had his lovely wife mere inches from him sleep soundly and beautifully. Luckily, he was saved from deciding to wake her, when he felt a hand snake around her body and wrap his fully erect member in a warm embrace, and then lightly tug him forward to slip into her from behind.

“Surely this is what heaven is” Severus murmured softly in Hermione’s ear before thrusting deeper.

The coupling was slow and sweet and unlike earlier in the bathtub, they took their time and built each others passions up to the extreme before allowing the inevitable explosion that was always so close when they were near each other. Hermione tightened around him and fell asleep quickly, Severus following soon after and they slept until late in the morning without Severus ever pulling out of her the night before.

When the sun peeked through the drawn curtains so insistently that they had no choice other then to surrender to its will and roll out of bed, they were surprised and awed by the view they were denied the previous evening. In front of the bed, were large floor to ceiling widows and a set of double doors that led to a balcony that wrapped around the entire building. The morning air was crisp and clear, and there were vineyards as far as the eyes could see and a small village dotting the horizon.

They stood arm in arm for what felt like hours watching the tree’s and vines and walking around to see the bay on the opposite side of the house. Just when they were prepared to go inside and search for breakfast, a house elf appeared and with a snap of his fingers had set a small table, two chairs, and in true house elf style, a large buffet breakfast out in front of the couple.

Hermione and Severus looked startled at seeing the elf, and having it run away before they could meet it properly, but after Severus held a chair out for Hermione to sink into, left it alone, figuring it was indeed a wizard’s residence. They finished their breakfast at a leisurely rate and wandered inside to dress for the day. After throwing on their clothes they were quick to grab some money (both muggle and wizarding) and begin the walk to the village.

They spent the day hand in hand and exploring small shops and cafés, feeding birds in the squares, and meeting a large number of sweet people in the village that recognized them as the newlyweds renting the villa. Hermione was presented with so many stocks of flowers she had enough for several bouquets, and Severus endured with aplomb many old woman kissing his cheeks and whispering how handsome he was in rapid Italian to Hermione.

They took their time exploring, knowing they had two weeks to enjoy each others company and the beauty of the Italian countryside. They had originally considered traveling all over Italy and staying in each place only a couple of nights, but with being able to apperate, and with the now steady stream of funds coming to them from the lycanthropy cure, the world was literally at their fingertips and they had at least the next hundred years to travel. As they honeymooned leisurely, their seaside retreat was being worked on by muggle contractors who were told to work around the clock to make the place “suitable for my beautiful bride”.

The two weeks they spent in Italy was amazing, but was quickly coming to close. Both were sad to have to leave it behind, they would miss the friends they had made in the village, who had gone so far as to throw them a goodbye dinner in the square of the village two evenings before they left. The children ran about their legs, played and giggled, and most of all, begged Severus to stay and play with them. After all, the tall man could lift them high in the air, pick fruit from the tallest branches for them, and more then once the newly married couple had arrived with ice cream cones by the dozed to pass out to the children.

When Severus responded by telling these children that he would love to stay, but they had to return home so his new wife could be checked by her doctor the mood turned somber. They looked at Hermione with worried eyes, but when Severus broke into a grin and explained that a baby doctor would be examining her they were joyous cries from all around, and Hermione found herself with dozens more flowers being thrust in her direction.

They danced and celebrated late into the night, and though they had planned to spend most of their trip locked in their villa getting to acquaint themselves as husband and wife, the charm and friendly allure of the small Italian village and its people proved to be to strong to stay away from. They were sad to go, but promised they would visit again after the children were born. They were sent home for the night to rest before their return trip in the morning, but when Hermione looked as though she wasn’t going to be able to make it all the way back, they were surprised to see a thestral pulled carriage pull forward for them.

Hermione and Severus looked shocked at seeing this, and quickly turned to see if the villagers had noticed. It was then that they looked around to see that most of them were indeed caring wands in their back pockets or up their sleeves. As it turned out, after some friendly questioning, that they dressed and acted mostly as muggles as somewhat of a safeguard against Voldemort. They didn’t think they would be bothered by him if they were just a small unheard of community of muggle, so years ago when he had first surfaced, they hid their wizarding village under a lot of wards, and they acted non magical when they had visitors, which was rarely.

When Hermione and Severus looked a bit put out at not being told, they were quickly assured that until the carriage responded to their magical signatures, they had no idea they were in the presence of magical folk either. They were surprised to hear of the existence of a small village on the other side of the small flower shop that was smaller than, but could be compared to Diagon alley.

Severus and Hermione promised to return the next day and explore it, and climbed into the carriage towards their villa. Hermione was asleep before they reached the front gates, and when they arrived at their front doors, Severus carefully lifted her into his arms and carried his sleeping angel up the stairs and tucked her into bed.

As promised, the next morning they returned for one final visit, and were shown one of Italy’s smallest wizarding districts. It held none of the high fashion allure of Milan, or they old majestic beauty of Rome, but Hermione thought it was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. There were no dirty side streets that one had to keep children from exploring like Knockturn Alley, and the shop were small and bright with little old lady and gentleman shopkeepers who smiled toothy smiles and stopped to have actual conversation with you.

They spent hours their exploring the bookstores and buying small trinkets to remind them of their time there. And perhaps best of all, they told them of their plan to open their own apothecary in Hogsmeade, and made some very useful contacts. These contacts included the nice young wizard that had just inherited his father’s apothecary, and who had promised to do business with them in the future. When they told them of the cure for Lycanthropy, which hadn’t hit this part of the world yet, they were once again thrilled and asked if they know how to get some.

Hermione and Severus agreed to stay and additional day and brew them some in exchange for all the hospitality they had received; they were surprised at the strong emotional thanks they received. As it turned out, the small boy who had taken to Severus the quickest was bitten while traveling with his parents the previous year. They couldn’t afford the ingredients for the Wolfesbane potion, and so he was locked away alone once a month. He was the only villager afflicted, and so though they all stood beside one another and supported his family in their plight, the young boy was still treated as somewhat of an outcast and a lot of people didn’t want their children to be exposed to that type of sickness.

When Hermione sat down and told the boy of Remus Lupin, it wasn’t long before other villagers, adults and children were cross legged on the ground beside her listening raptly. She told them of how he was bitted and what a great man he was, and most of all how he had taught her in her third year of school. She told them of his war efforts, and how though being a werewolf was a curse, he made the best of it, and without his success of turning some of the other werewolves from the dark side, they may not have won the war. They were amazed and impressed that werewolves were treated so fairly where they came from, and Hermione was quick to rid them of that notion. She went on to tell them of Albus Dumbledore, who they of course had heard of, and how he fought to let Lupin be treated with the same respect the other children were.

The stories were swapped over a large lunch and it was during this that an elderly man in the village put two and two together and realized why he had heard the names Snape and Granger before. Though by now they newlyweds were a more then a bit weary at all the attention they received, they accepted it gracefully and excused themselves to begin the potion for the boy.

They borrowed the apothecary’s lab, and set up the ingredients and cauldron quickly. Working efficiently side by side and brewing the potion that would allow them to change the little boy’s life. After Hermione added her blood and the potion simmered, they poured it and bottled it, cleaned up, and promised to return the following morning before they left and administer it. Luckily it would be the morning of the full moon, and they wouldn’t have to entrust his care to anybody else.

The net morning, Hermione and Severus packed their things and shrunk them down before placing them in their pockets and heading to the village to hopefully change the little boy’s life. Luckily, the village had sent the carriage for them once again, and Hermione was relieved to be able to put her feet up and enjoy the scenic ride towards town. Once there they quickly found the boy, gave him the potion, and instructed his parents to lock him away for the first two hours of the night and if he didn’t turn by then, then he was cured. They said their final goodbyes, took pictures with their new friends and the children, and waved goodbye, before wrapping their arms around each other and apperating home and back to reality.

A/N: I rather liked writing that chapter, though I know it was uneventful and probably not on of my better ones. I had a bit of a writers block in the beginning, but when it started flowing I was hard pressed to stop. Though I doubt the merit of wasting a whole chapter on just the honeymoon, I do like the werewolf bit and I am happy I left it in their. Thanks guys and now to my responses to all you wonderful reviewers:

Painelust- Old review I know and I am sorry it took me awhile to respond, but thanks for the bout of humor, it made me smile and I needed it!

notwritten- thank you for the encouragement, I love seeing your reviews pop up again and again.

adge9631- thank you ever so much! I am so glad you thought it was sweet, I am not very good and all the romantic BS and I am pleased to hear you like it!

catysmom- You have been with me since the beginning. Always short little reviews, but they still mean so much, they keep me working at it after all. Thank you!

Amber-Jade James- Thank you AJ. Your another one who has been with me since the beginning. I love hearing from you, and seeing your name pop up always puts a smile on my dopey face!

cherry- cute name, I believe I have you tattooed on my write hip. Lol. Thanks for reading!

Heidi191976- I love how you always compliment me on the humor in the story. Just so you know, I usually try to ad them for you, you seem to appreciate them. Thank you for always taking the time to review.

amd2175- You certainly did make me smile. Lol. Though when I got upset and yelled to my b/f “oh great Billy, so not only are you being a jack ass, but now Severus has run to Ash and is warming her bed! Oh god I’m all alone” I think he wanted to run and grab the men in white coats. Thank you for always making me smile though, it means a lot!

NutsAboutHarry- I just love your name, lol. No really though it means a lot how enthusiastic you are, and if I have said it once I have said it a million times, its people like you who keep me writing. Thank you so much!