If You Would Only See

CHAPTER FOUR: Reaching Out

Severus was surprised to find a letter and small wrapped bundle sitting on his foyer floor when he came downstairs the next morning. He opened the letter and smiled, if you could call it that. It was from Ms. Granger, former student, do-gooder and neighbor. Of course, he shouldn’t be surprised to find that she had brought him a book, and a muggle one at that. He had thought it perfectly reasonable when he discovered she had opened a book store. The girl was a library rat as a child and he hadn’t expected things to change that much into her adulthood. He had been pleasantly surprised to find that her store carried rare and hard to find texts, and that was what drew him from his prison/home from time to time to venture into Hogsmeade.

He picked up the parcel and removed the brown paper wrapping. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. What in the world was this? She seemed to think he may like it, though he didn’t see how, for she did not even know who he was. He took the book with him, made a pot of tea and settled into his favorite chair in his study, and began to read.


Hermione was humming happily as she entered through the back door of her house carrying a basket filled with herbs. She set them inside a dark room just off of her kitchen that she used to brew and store potions. She walked through the house, her shower calling after a long afternoon of gardening. She almost didn’t notice the small envelope lying on the rug in front of her door.

Ms. Granger,
While I did enjoy the book, I am wondering if it was a vaguely concealed insult. Are you implying that I am the poor, misunderstood Mr. Radley? I assure you, there is nothing wrong with my physical or mental faculties that require me to stay inside, my solitude is self imposed a choice. Though I must confess, it does please me somewhat to think that I frighten the neighborhood children, it is a pastime I once found quite enjoyable.

S




His name had once again been left out, though that one initial was something, right? She smiled as she walked up the stairs, removing her shirt and bra as she went. She walked into her master bathroom, turned on the water and went back to her room while the tub filled. She removed her jeans, shoes and socks, and tossed them into the basket by the closet. She was pinning her hair atop her head when she looked out the window and saw the curtains flutter in an upstairs window next door.




Severus had spent most of his day reading the book Hermione had sent him. He had to admit that it was in fact a very good book. He suspected though, that is was her attempt at kidding him about his status in the neighborhood. He had written a short note, and sent it via a levitation spell to her door. When he had gone upstairs to his potions lab, he had noticed her from the window, sitting in her back yard wearing a hideous floppy brimmed hat as she tended to her garden.


After checking the bubbling cauldron on the table, he had pulled a chair up to the window and watched her. From outside, no one could see through to the inside, but he could see through the charmed fabric as if the windows were in fact open. He watched her gather her basket and enter her back door. He could see clearly as she crossed through her kitchen in front of the window. She really should cover them, he thought. He continued to watch her house, wondering if she had found the note he sent.


He caught a flash of movement in one of the upstairs window. She had just entered what he assumed was her bedroom, and to his surprise, she was topless. She vanished from sight for a moment, then returned. He should look away, he knew he should, but gods it had been so long since he had even considered a woman naked that he just couldn’t bring himself to do the proper thing. He watched her kick off her shoes as she unbuttoned the snap of her jeans and lowered the zip. She bent over, pushing the denim fabric over her hips and down her legs and tossing it across the room. She reached for a clip and lifted all of her amazingly wild curls into a sloppy twist atop her head.


He was transfixed as he stared. She was quite lovely standing there in nothing but a pair of blue knickers, her arms lifted, her full, round breasts bared to his gaze. He leaned forward slightly, unconsciously trying to get closer to her. He faltered slightly, and his balance was off, he reached out and grabbed the window sill to keep from falling onto the floor. When he looked up, she was standing there, staring at the window. She knew he had been watching her. Why wasn’t she running away? He thought. He winced at the sudden, intense arousal forming in his too tight slacks. This was bad, very, very bad. He could not lust after any woman, much less a former student. He was already a recluse, now he could add peeping tom and pervert to his list of titles.


Hermione wasn’t sure what made her stand there. She should be appalled, but somehow, she couldn’t be. Something made her stand there, if he wanted to see her, let him see. And so she moved closer to the window, without shame, the slow, melting heat of arousal beginning to stir between her thighs. She didn’t even know him, he could be a troll for all she knew, but something inside her said no. The man who lived alone in the house next door, was somehow connected with her life, she only needed to discover how.