At the Shore of The Heart

Two days later, Lucy Snape was sitting up in bed, propped up by thick, comfortable pillows. Her long blonde hair was hanging loosely around her pale, heart-shaped face, but it didn’t detract from her beauty. She had two pink spots on her cheeks and her turquoise eyes, framed with soft lashes, were sparkling slightly as she followed Hermione’s movements around the room. Her pale pink rosebud-shaped mouth was turned upwards into a soft smile, as it always seemed to be. Hermione lifted her glass and encouraged her to drink the contents. It contained a Calming Draught as well as fruit juice, and Hermione wanted Lucy to drink as much as she could.



‘Are you in pain at all?’ she asked her quietly.



Lucy shook her head gently. ‘Not at all, surprisingly.’



Hermione smiled. ‘That’s good. I like my patients to be comfortable.’



Lucy smiled at her a little and patted the side of the bed. ‘Come and talk to me, Madame Granger,’ she said.



‘It’s Hermione,’ she smiled warmly, and then pulled the chair up close to the bed.



‘Hermione. Pretty name,’ Lucy murmured. ‘Tell me about Severus. What was he like?’



‘Before you met him? Well, I only know him as my old teacher, really,’ Hermione smiled softly as an image of Severus in his teaching robes flitted into her head.



‘He must have taught you Chemistry,’ Lucy mused, running her tongue across her lower lip slightly.



Hermione’s brain clicked into gear as she adjusted her vocabulary. It was Chemistry, not Potions.



‘That’s right. He was a very good teacher, but so strict. With most people, anyway,’ Hermione laughed softly.



‘But not you?’ Lucy smiled.



‘I was his best student. Not that he would admit it! He did say some mean things though. I remember one time; he said something really nasty about my teeth. I burst into tears,’ Hermione laughed at the memory, and Lucy joined in, her laughter soft and almost melodic.



‘His bark is worse than his bite,’ Lucy said, her eyes warm as she thought of her husband, ‘he’s quite soft, underneath, although you would never know it. It took me such a long time to get him to talk to me. Imagine how hard it was to persuade him that ‘we’ would be a good idea,’ she laughed softly.



Hermione nodded and bit her lip in thought. ‘I was surprised to know he had married, actually. But now I know you, I can totally understand it,’ she smiled at Lucy.



‘He’s a wonderful husband, but I am so worried about him, Hermione. I don’t know how he will manage, afterwards,’ she said. Her voice broke and tears formed in her eyes.



Hermione gently took her hand. ‘You know, then’ she stated simply.



Lucy smiled sadly,’ that it won’t be long? Yes, I know. I’m not scared for myself. But it will be so hard for Severus.’



‘Yes. I think it will be,’ Hermione sighed softly.



‘Will you promise me something, Hermione? I wouldn’t ask, but there is no one else, and you know him. Look after him for me. Don’t let him wallow in grief. It’s not healthy, and I don’t want him to be sad forever,’ she whispered quietly.



Her eyes started to close, and Hermione watched as she drifted off to sleep. She wondered if Lucy knew the enormity of what she was asking her. Looking after Severus Snape was not a task to be undertaken lightly.



Hermione placed Lucy’s hand back onto the bedclothes, and sat, listening to her breathing. She studied her gentle face for a moment, then felt her throat constrict slightly. Without meaning to, Hermione had become emotionally invested in her patient, and she knew she didn’t have long left. Lucy had brightened up over the last two days as was common in such cases, and Hermione would be surprised if she was still here after tomorrow. A soft tear slid down her cheek, and as she brushed it away with the back of her hand, she heard the door open behind her.



Severus walked into the room and looked at his wife’s form on the bed. He then realised that Hermione was weeping, and a sob escaped his throat.



‘No,’ he croaked, and dashed towards the bed. He fell to his knees and clutched at the bedclothes, and his tears started to fall.



Hermione gasped, and quickly walked around the bed, rested her arm around his shoulders and bent her head to his.



‘It’s okay. She’s just sleeping,’ she murmured, squeezing his arms reassuringly.



Severus shuddered, and his head fell onto the bed softly, his sobs subsiding slowly. Hermione continued to hold him for a moment, then patted his shoulder.



‘Let’s get some tea. We could both use a break from this room,’ she said, her voice calm and soothing.



Severus lifted his head and brushed away his tears. ‘Forgive me, Madame Granger,’ he said hoarsely.



‘Call me Hermione,’ she replied, ‘and there is nothing to forgive. You love your wife. Your response is to be expected. Come on. Tea. I insist.’ Hermione pulled on his arm a little, and Severus nodded.



As they stepped out into the hallway, Hermione waved Megan over to her briskly.



‘Megan, Mrs. Snape is sleeping. I am taking her husband for some tea. Please ensure she is never on her own. If there is any change, summon me in the usual way,’ she instructed calmly.



‘Of course, Madame Granger,’ Megan looked from Hermione to Severus quickly, and then walked into Lucy’s room.



‘Thank you,’ he murmured, holding her gaze. He seemed to be in awe of her, and Hermione smiled softly at him.



‘It’s no problem,’ she replied.



Hermione took Severus into the staff room. There was a room for visitors, but she guessed he would prefer some privacy. The room was cosy, furnished with two over-stuffed armchairs and a two-seater sofa arranged around a circular coffee table. To one side of the room was a small kitchen area, and Hermione walked over and set about making a pot of tea.



‘Take a seat, sir,’ she said quietly.



‘Call me Severus,’ he muttered. Hermione had her back to him, and she paused her tea making briefly. Calling Professor Snape by his given name would take some adjustment.



When she had finished the tea, she turned to see that he had taken an armchair and was sitting with his legs crossed. He had rested his head against the back of the chair, and his eyes were softly closed. Hermione realised she was becoming accustomed to his face, and she could understand why Lucy had been so drawn to him. He wasn’t good-looking in the conventional sense, but he had an interesting face.



‘Here you are,’ Hermione placed his tea in front of him, but he didn’t move. She patted his knee softly. ‘Severus?’ she said.



His eyes fluttered open and he looked at her calmly. ‘It’s very peaceful in here,’ he said, sitting up straight and lifting his tea.



‘I like to keep it this way. There is a Silencing spell to keep the noise out, and another to keep the room at a constant temperature. My nurses need somewhere to relax properly. They have a very hard job,’ she smiled at him.



‘How long have they been ‘your nurses’?’ he asked her, his lips twitching into a smirk.



‘Five years. And I worked damned hard to get here, too.’ Hermione bristled slightly. She knew she was the youngest witch to reach her position, and she had had to fight off plenty of criticism, not to mention rumours that she had been unfairly favoured due to her part in Voldemort’s downfall. The truth was she had studied long and hard, and gained her promotion through effort and good grades.



‘I wouldn’t have expected anything less. You seem well-suited to your role.’ He observed her as she recognised the compliment, her cheeks flushing slightly.



‘Thank you,’ she replied.



‘What of the others? Potter? Weasley?’ he raised an eyebrow.



‘You don’t read the Prophet now, I take it?’ she asked him.



Severus shook his head, ‘Not since I started teaching again.’



‘Well, if you were still reading it, you would know that barely a day goes past without Harry’s name being mentioned somewhere. He married Ginny Weasley and they have three children. I see him now and then, but we don’t really keep in touch,’ Hermione paused, not wanting elaborate on that complicated situation.



‘And Ron? Well, we did get together for a short while, after the war. But it never felt quite right. He works with Arthur now, at the Ministry and he’s married now too, to Lavender Brown as was. They have four children,’ Hermione smirked as Severus rolled his eyes slightly, ‘they all have red hair, too,’ she laughed at the scowl on Severus’s face. ‘I thought you would like that,’ she grinned at him.



‘And you? Married to the job, or to some other lucky wizard?’ he asked her quietly.



Hermione shook her head. ‘Not married. But I am seeing Healer Penrose. It’s been almost a year now, actually,’ she smiled.



Severus nodded, ‘ He seems intelligent, if a little dry,’ he murmured.



Hermione looked at him coolly and he shrugged. ‘Just an observation,’ he said.



Hermione smiled warmly at him and started to giggle a little. ‘You know, you’re absolutely right. Edward is a little dry. But he is very good to talk to,’ Hermione held his gaze and sipped her tea, ‘and that’s not all he is good at.’ Hermione winked at him and smiled a little, then averted her eyes.



Severus stared at her for a moment and then let out a loud bark of laughter, and started to shake as he chuckled, spilling his tea a little.



Hermione smiled at him. It was the first time she had heard him laugh. They drank the remainder of their tea in comfortable silence.







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Kleenex for the next chapter. Sorry for the slow updates. RL getting in the way xx