The First Summer and Summer Series

As he had mentioned, it felt good to be back in wizarding clothes again. It also felt good to be able to perform simple everyday spells without looking first for muggles. They arrived at Karnipolia in the early evening. She let Severus do the checking in at the hotel. Not that it was much of a hotel. She gazed at the run down old building with distaste. Plaster was falling off and it looked like something from Lawrence of Arabia.
The air was hot, dusty and dry. Around the hotel lobby were many older wizards, chatting , resting and holding cool drinks. Severus finished his transaction with the witch at the counter and turned to Hermione, a large iron key in his hand.
“I trust that you wanted to share a room?” he asked, indicating a single key.
She nodded.
“Good. We are registers Mrs Mr. and Mrs. Smith.”
“Smith?” Hermione laughed heartily. “It’s a bit obvious isn’t it?”
He blushed slightly. “Perhaps.”
Surprisingly, inside their room was not nearly as bad as she had feared. Like many things in the wizard world, appearances were deceiving. The room was cool. The bed was large and the mattress overstuffed with soothing down. They put away their clothes side by side in the wardrobe, smiling at each other as they did. Severus pulled several large ancient volumes out of his case and settled in a cushy armchair to read. Hermione rang to the front desk for tea and took the chair opposite. It was comfortably domestic.
After a while she slipped on her silk nightdress. Severus looked up from his reading and nodded approval. “That suits you.” he grunted. She climbed under the duvet and sank into the depths of the feather bed. She must have dozed then for the next thing she knew the lights were out and he was snuggling in next to her, his naked body molding to her back. He kissed her neck and started nibbling gently down her shoulder, easing down the string strap of her gown with his mouth. His hand reached around and found a nipple through the silk. He swirled his thumb over the swelling bud. His lips worked their way back up and found an earlobe, tugging gently.
“Hermione, my Hermione,” he whispered.
She rolled around to face him. He looked deeply into her eyes as though trying to see what she was thinking, then he lowered his lips to hers, pushing her gently back. His kiss was languid and soft. His hands smoothed over her face, over the silk of her gown and finally, down the flat of her stomach. Almost imperceptibly he began to draw up the material, exposing her skin to his touch.
When he had finally worked her nightdress up to her waist, he began paying attention to her mound. He delicately stroked the down between her legs, causing her to involuntarily shiver. The ins insinuated a finger, feeling the moist heat growing there. He explored and stroked. She lay spread-eagled, eyes closed, concentrating on the building pleasure.
“Damn it, Hermione! Touch me!” he growled. Reaching down, she grasped his manhood.
“Not just there,” he instructed, “I want to feel your hands all over me.”
She was a little tentative at first, not really understanding what he wanted. She let her hands run all over his body. She felt the sinewy muscles of his arms, stroked his chest and back. She leaned her head forward and caught one of his nipples in her mouth and sucked gently. He hissed with pleasure. Finally he rolled on top of her and began to make his entrance. He was so gentle that she became impatient.
“Please, Severus,” she moaned, “Hard, fast, now, please!”
“Not this time,” he whispered.
It seemed forever before she realized he was fully into her, full to bursting. She tried to buck against him but he leaned his weight on her, forcing her to be still. After a long wait, he pulled back and began to rock his hips very, very slowly.
Hermione was gasping with desire. “Please Severus, please! I need you!” she begged.
Her legs flailed around him. He ignored her pleas, kissing her throat with slow deliberation. Finally she could stand no more. She pulled and clawed at his back and rear. Her teeth tore into his shoulder.
Finally, finally he began to give her the motion she craved. She came in seconds, crying out his name over and over. She shuddered uncontrollably, aware that he was watching her face. As her own orgasm died away she felt him reach his crisis. He throbbed inside of her, adding to the pleasant sensations that followed.
“How was that?” he whispered.
Hermione sighed, “You are a god!”

The next day was given over to shopping. The heat was oppressive and both needed some lightweight robes. They enjoyed helping each other choose styled trd try them on. Hermione smirked as she saw the marks her fingernails had made on the pale skin of his back.
“Serves you right,” she giggled as they tried to hide the marks from the witch in the shop.
She made him choose a few less spartan looking robes but she couldn’t talk him out of black, however.
“Black is too hot for this climate,” she argued.
“I like black and I’m going to wear black,” he announced. “Besides, a lot of the native wizards wear black.”
That she couldn’t argue. They did. And they didn’t seem uncomfortable in it.
For Hermione, Severus chose a rich burgundy. She had her eye on pale blue originally but he vetoed it.
“It makes you look too young,” he complained.
While in the marketplace, Severus couldn’t resist buying Hermione a necklace and some bracelets. They were pounded gold and were rather pricey.
“You shouldn’t,” she breathed as he fastened the clasp at the back of her neck.
“Of course I should,” he murmured, and selected matching earrings as well. “A god needs a goddess.”
And when they returned to the hotel she saw what he meant. The new robes and jewelry gave her an air of sophistication she didn’t know she was capable of. Or maybe it was something more?

At dinner eve evening, they observed many colonial type wizards coming up from the excavations taking what was obviously their main meal of the day.
“I imagine they shut down about sunset. Shall we go tomorrow?” Severus suggested.
“Let’s walk down there now,” she enthused. “We can get a feel for the lay out and decide exactly what we want to see later without getting in anyone’s way.”
Forgoing dessert and after dinner drinks, the couple wandered down to the excavations, holding hands. The summer sky was beginning to grow dim but there were still two graduate students working at candle lit tables, sorting through stacks of ancient wands and tapping small stones that had been dug up, trying to see if they had magical qualities or were just ordinary rocks. It was fascinating.
Severus wandered off to the other side of the dig while Hermione remained looking at the artifact trays. The students were very friendly and helpful and explained what they were doing. They asked her about where she had gone to schond wnd was surprised she had just finished Hogwarts. They themselves had gone to Beauxbatons before moving up to the university.
“Ah, but there is one here you may know!” exclaimed the older of the two to his companion “Did the Englishman not he say he was fresh from Ogwarts?”
“Allo? English!” called the younger man into the dark of the pit behind them, “Come up and see if you know dis woman.”
Before she had a chance to protest or panic, Hermione saw a head appear at the top of the pit ladder.
“Neville!” she cried.
A bright smile lit up Neville’s round face, “Hermione! What are you doing here?” He climbed up the remaining rungs and ran to give Hermione a hug.
“I’m uhhh... just here sightseeing,” Hermione said, glancing nervously in the direction Severus had waloff off in.
“I’m here helping my uncle,” explained Neville. “He’s one of the professors in charge of the dig. Are you here on your own?”
“Not exactly,” Hermione began. Then she saw the blood drain out of Neville’s face and knew she didn’t have to finish her sentence. She turned to follow Neville’s eyes and saw Severus sweeping towards them. His expression was black.
“Well, well. Mr. Longbottom,” Severus sneered.
Looking as though he was about to faint, Neville stuttered, “H-hello Professor...”
“Smith!” Hermione injected. The two graduate studenookeooked confused. “Yes, Professor Smith and I particularly wanted to come and look over this dig. How fortunate that your uncle is in charge.” She gave a pointed look to Severus who nodded imperceptibly.
He turned his black gaze on Neville again. “Perhaps you’d like to come and have a drink with us, Mr. Longbottom? So we can explain?”
“Uhh, no, I uh, I have too much going on here,” Neville stuttered.
“Nonsense, English!” said one of the students, “You go have a drink with your friends!”
Hermione nodded. “Yes, come on Neville!”
Much against his will, Neville found himself walking beside the couple back to the hotel. Once in the lobby, Severus turned to Hermione.
“Why don’t you take Mr. Longbottom up to our room and explain? I’ll see if I can get some drinks for us in the bar.”
Hermione nodded. She led Neville up the stairwell.
“Did he say ‘our room’?” Neville asked.
“Yes,” rep replied shortly.
She opened the door and indicated to Neville to take a seat.
“All right Hermione.” Neville demanded, “What’s this all about? Why are you here with Snape?”
She sighed deeply and sat down in the chair opposite. “What I need you to do first, Neville, is to look at this with an open mind. Severus is not your enemy and we are not at school anymore.”
“Not my enemy?” Neville almost shouted. He jumped to his feet. “In case you haven’t forgotten that bastard made my life hell at Hogwarts! He insulted me, taunted me, threatened Trevor! Who the hell does he think he is showing up here with you?”
“He’s my lover,” she answered simply.
Neville collapsed into the chair again, “I’m going to be sick,” he muttered. “The man is old enough to be your father!”
“I wish people would quit saying that,” Hermione complained.
“It’s true! Was he screwing you during our potions classes too? Is that why you always got such good grades?”
“Neville Longbottom!” Hermione was angry now, “That’s a nasty thing to say! You know perfectly well that I was excellent at potions and I certainly got you out of a few tight squeezes!”
“Sorry,” Neville muttered, “But were you?”
“Was I what?”
“Letting him bonk you back in school?”
“Of course not! That’s exactly why we’re keeping a low profile though. We’re worried other people might jump to that same conclusion.”
“Malfoy said...,” Neville began, but at that unfortunate moment Severus opened the door. He was carrying a tray with three gin and tonics.
“”Drink Mr. Longbottom?” he offered. Neville took a glass as Severus continued, “I trust Hermione has explained everything to you and we can rely upon your discretion.”
“Oh yeah, she’s explained it all right,” said Neville sarcastically. He seeto hto have lost all fear of his former professor. “What did you do? Slip one of your filthy love potions to her, you perverted old man?”
“Neville!” Hermione gasped.
Severus looked at him with glittering eyes. “What was that, Longbottom?” he asked dangerously.
“You heard me! You’re a disgusting old pervert and you must have bewitched Hermione! She never would have given herself to a ugly greasy old git like you otherwise!”
“Frankly Longbottom, I’m surprised you even know such things as love potions and enchantments exist. You were the stupidest student I ever had the misfortune to teach and if Dumbledore hadn‘t stepped in you would have failed every class.”
“Stop it! Both of you!” Hermione ordered.
“But I haven’t finished telling Mr. Longbottom...” Severus began.
“Yes you have!” Hermione interrupted. “Now sit down both of you and be polite!”
Amazingly, Severus did sit. He plopped on the edge of the bed and glared at Neville. Neville was amazed at the control Hermione seemed to have over Snape and some of his nervousness returned especially under the evil glare he was receiving.
“Now Neville,” Hermione began pleasantly, “Tell me what you’ve been doing since leaving school?”
Through a series of questions Hermione was able to maintain a semblance of civilized conversation. Severus just sat and glared, draining his gin and tonic. When he finished his own he started on hers. Hermione could see Neville losing his temporary bravado and reverting into his old nervous self under his stare. She had to put an end to Neville’s suffering.
“Perhaps you’d be kind enough to show us around the digs tomorrow?” Hermione asked.
Glancing apprehensively at Snape, Neville agreed. It was a relief when Hermione shut the door behind him.
She turned on her lover, “Couldn’t you have tried to be nice to him?”
Severus’ jaw dropped, “Excuse me? I’m supposed to allow myself to be called a number of distasteful epithets, have my morals questioned and be accused of enchanting you for illicit purposes and you think I should be ‘nice’?”
“You brought it on yourself!” Hermione sniped. “If you had just been a little nicer to him at sc.”
.”
“We are not at school now.”
“Well you’d never bloody well know it!” Hermione shouted. “You sit there glaring just like you’re back in the dungeons at Hogwarts. I expect you to be polite and pleasant around my friends!”
“Is it asking too much for your friends to be polite and pleasant to me?” he demanded.
“You have a lot to make up for!”
“I have nothing to make up for!”
Hermione was aware she was out of control but she couldn’t stop.
“You know you really are pathetic!” she shouted. She saw Severus wince, but continued, “absolutely pathetic!”
He rose silently, his face a mask, and walked out the door. Hermione flung herself on the bed and started to cry.

Severus walked down to the bar and ordered another drink. Pathetic! She couldn’t have chosen a word that would hurt him more. Underneath it all, that was how he viewed himself. Unlucky in love, unlucky at quidditch. A mark on his arm reminded him that he would never rise to any position of importance in life. No one would trust a former Death Eater. He drained the second gin and tonic and motioned for the bartender to bring him a third.
What was he doing there anyway? A middle aged teacher with a girl half his age. Taking her out and buying her clothes and jewelry like she was some courtesan.
“Oh god,” he moaned, and drained the third glass. He had taken a beautiful innocent young girl’s virginity and was teaching her to please him. A fourth glass appeared at his elbow. Checked into a hotel under an assumed name, how sordid! The fourth glass emptied.
“Don’t you think you’d better go easy?” asked the barman.
“Mind your own business and get me another,” Severus growled.
The room was growing blurry now. As he downed the fifth he decided he would never be able to face Hermione again. He’d just disapparate back to Hogwarts and write her a nice letter apologizing for everything. Yes, that’s what he do. Just disapp...
The barman watched as Severus’ body hit the floor.

Hermione was actually relievhen hen she answered the knock on the door and found the barconvconveying a very drunken unconscious Severus back to the room. She had been a little worried he might have left all together.
“You two have a little spat?” he asked as he levitated Severus up onto the bed.
“Yes,” Hermione admitted.
“Not been married long then,” he said knowingly, “I can tell. Don’t you worry. The first year together is always the hardest. Just remember, always say you‘re sorry.”
“Yes, thank you,” Hermione replied.
She managed to peel off her lover’s clothes and cuddled down into bed next to him.

Severus awoke the next morning with the worst headache he’d ever experienced. His mouth was dry and he was nauseated. He couldn’t remember much, just something about Longbottom and then Hermione shouting and then, oh yes, the bar.
He tried to sit up but groaned and fell back on the pillow.
“Feeling a little delicate?” asked a sarcastic voice.
“How did I get back here?” Severus asked.
“The barman,” Hermione replied. “You passed out in the bar.”
“Oh God!” Severus groaned. He tried pressing his eyes with his hands.
“Lie still,” Hermione ordered. She got out her wand and did a quick charm that alleviated some of the discomfort.
“Better,” he muttered, “How did you know that one?”
“All students know THAT one,” Hermione replied. “I’m not as innocent as you’re always making me out to be. Didn’t you ever sneak drinks into the common room when you were a student?”
“Hermione,” Severus began.
“No, don’t say anything,” Hermione begged. “It was one hundred percent my fault. Neville was rude and insulting and I wasn’t being fair expecting you to take his insults silently. My only excuse is the time of the month. I got my period this morning. And I‘ll send our excuses to Neville. You don‘t have to put up with him.”
“I will though,” he vowed penitently. “I will meet Mr. Longbottom, refer to him as ‘Neville’ and be pleasant if it kills me.”
Hermione kissed him. “I have one more thing to apologize for. Dearest Severus, I
am so very sorry to have called you ‘pathetic’. I chose that word because I knew it would hurt you and I was angry. You are not that, in any way shape or form. Will you forgive me?”
“I’ll forgive you anything, Hermione.”

He was as good as his word. He was so pleasant and polite that Neville wished he could write to Ron and Harry, telling them about the miraculous change in their old potions master. Hermione, however, made him promise not to. Severus managed to grit his teeth and smile as he listened to Hermione and Neville talk about Gryffindor and their old triumphs. The only time he was completely happy was when he escaped away with Hermione privately.
Hermione enjoyed Karnipolia. The ruins were filled with magical artifacts. Neville’s uncle allowed them to wandered freely among the mosaics. She met some of her future professors from the university and learned about the courses she would be taking. They read ancient inscriptions and Hermione amused Severus by taking notes for the future. She was especially intrigued by some old magical symbols so ancient that no one knew what they meant anymore.
“Those are the most dangerous,” Severus commented. “No one knows what could happen if they are mishandled. I’m surprised they let Longbottom...”
“Severus!” Hermiwarnwarned.
“Yes, yes. All right.” he muttered.
In the evenings they would go back up to the hotel, lounge in the pool or relax in the bar. The ts wts were given up to passion. Hermione couldn’t even imagine a time when she hadn’t had Severus sleeping next to her. Some mornings he would wake her up by snuggling her closely from behind and insinuating a certain part of his anatomy into hers.
They had their photo taken together too. As in all wizarding pictures, it moved. Somehow the photographer had managed to capture all the joy that the summer had brought them into that one photo. Severus was always smiling in the picture, catching her up and kissing her. Hermione was radiant. Sometimes she had her arm around him and other times she held his hand and rested her head on his shoulder. They each had a copy and treasured it.
The summer started to slip away from them. Severus began to dread the day they would have to part. He had not intended to fall in love. He hadn’t intended to allow himself to suffer agaBut But one day they found themselves sitting a top one of the great mounds at the excavations. The sun was hot and it glinted on her hair and on the jewelry she wore, his jewelry. A warm breeze fluttered in her robes causing them to swirl around her alluringly. She was beautiful, his goddess. He couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I love you, Hermione,” he said.
She looked down and blushed with pleasure. “I never thought you’d say that to me,” she replied.
“I didn’t want to. But I have to. Look at you now, my beautiful goddess.”
“And you’re my god. I love you Severus.” Their lips met.
“Will you come home with me and meet my parents?” Hermione asked.
Severus immediately dropped his arms from around her and gave a dry laugh, “Hermione, I am not the sort of man one takes home to meet your parents. Can you imagine what they‘d think?”
Her brow wrinkled. How would they react? Her father, she knew, wouldn’t like it. Severus was only a year younger than he was and, let‘s face it, he was not attractive in the conventional sense. And her mother? She would accept it but be sorry.
“You understand now?” he asked. “You see why I’ve fought this from the beginning?”
“But...” she started
“No ‘but’. We have another week left then I have to return to Hogwarts and prepare for the new term and you‘ll be down in London at the University.”
“I’ll see you at the holidays,” she protested.
“You usually go home for the holidays,” he reminded her. “We won’t be seeing each other again for a long time. Perhaps never again.”
Severus looked into her eyes as the true reality of love and loss burned into them for the first time. It was like losing another kind of virginity.
“I never wanted to cause you pain,” he whispered. “Not then, not now.”
“There has to be some way,” she protested as tears rose into her eyes.
Severus took her back into his arms and cradled her. “We can write. Perhaps, if at the end of the school year you still care...,”
“I will!” she interrupted.
“Perhaps then we can spend some time together next summer. But you must promise me you’ll finish school. Don’t throw everything away. Not for me. And if you meet someone else...”
“No!”
“I f you meet someone else, someone younger, don’t feel like you’re tied to me in anyway. You’re free once we leave here, my Hermione, completely free.”
“I don’t want to be free!” she comned.ned. “I love you and I want to be with you.”
He shook his head, “That can’t happen now.”

They were unusually quiet that night but once in bed made love with a passion that surprised them both. For the first time they climaxed at the same instant. Hermione was sure she had lost consciousness just for a moment. And, just for a moment, she had become one with Severus in a way that the two of them would never forget, floating on waves of elysian bliss, their souls bound in the tide of passion. Too soon, the flash was ended.
Hermione racked her brain to think of a way they could stay together, but every plan seemed to involve Severus leaving Hogwarts or her leaving college. She clung to him throughout the night and more than once woke up crying.
Seeing Hermione cry was one of the worst things he had ever experienced. There was no way to stop it or to make everything better. He had known from the beginning that this would end in her tears. He thought about the first night at Tradewind Island. Lamb to the slaughter, he had thought and now it was come to pass.
The last day finally came. They had to leave early to travel to London. From there, Severus would take the train to Hogwarts and Hermione would depart for the university. She didn’t want to leave the bed. She looked at him with dry red eyes that had already cried all of their tears.
“Promise me!” she whispered urgentlywearwear to me we’ll be together again next summer.”
Severus sighed, “You know I can’t promise that. Besides, you’ll meet someone else soon and...”
“No!”
“Hermione,” Severus took her face gently between his hands, “If you send me an owl next June saying you want to meet again for the summer, I promise that I will meet you. But please don’t pass up the opportunities that are ahead of you. We all have to make hard decisions in our lives and I made some very bad ones. I want only the best for you.” He paused for a moment and then smiled wryly, “Just please promise me you won’t replace me with Weasley.”
She tried to laugh at this but it turned into a sob. “I will see you next summer. You’ll get that owl from me.”

The hardest thing Severus ever had to do was to step on that train. He didn’t care that the platform was swarming with his old students, new students, people who knew them both. He grabbed Hermione for one last mind-blowing kiss. Maybe their last? Then, ignoring the shocked stares and whispers around them, he stepped on the train as it began to move from statstation and watched his goddess disappear, holding his heart in her soul.
Inside the compartment were several first years. Pulling his black cloak around him he glared down at them in his classic Snape fashion.
“Well? What are you staring at? I hope you’re not planning to show up in my classes wearing such vacant expressions. I just rid myself of one set of dunderheads and they send me a load of new ones. They must have scraped the bottom of the barrel to come up with this assortment.”
Several of the first years got red in the face and one started to cry. Snape managed a smirk and went up front to sit with the driver. He pulled the photo of himself and Hermione out of his pocket and looked at it. It was going to be a long year.

Tears coursed down Hermione’s face as she watched the Hogwarts Express carrying Severus away from her. Taking no notice of her friends and acquaintances watching her curiously, she wiped away her tears and walked quickly to Diagon Alley. Before she purchased her new textbooks, there was something else she had to do. She bought a new quill and a special perfumed scroll. Sitting at the Leaky Caldron, she propped the photo of the two of them against a mug of butter beer and started writing the first of many letters.
It began “My Dearest Severus, somebody told me recently the first year together is the hardest.”

END OF PART ONE