A New Beginning (DH -COMPLIANT)

Chapter 67 ~ Someone’s Knocking at the Door

Hermione appeared in front of the worksite and turned to peer up at the mountain. She wanted to surprise Severus, but didn’t know how to get to his home. It was still hidden to her, though she was sure that Severus would have made it available if she had thought to ask.

But she hadn’t.

The witch let herself into the site, the voice announcing her, then walked down to her apartment. Once inside she sat down on the sofa, staring down at the gifts she had in her hand. One was for Severus and one was for Eli. She brightened then summoned the house elf.

Eli winked in, looking rather surprised to see the witch.

”You is in need of service, Miss?” the elf asked her.

Hermione smiled at him.

”Well, yes and no. I do need your help, Eli, but first . . .”

Hermione held out the smaller package.

”Happy Christmas,” she said to the elf, who stared at the brightly wrapped little package.

”This . . . this is for Eli?” he asked her, looking up at Hermione.

She nodded and offered it to him.

”Yes. It’s for you. For Christmas,” Hermione said to him.

His lower lip trembling a little, Eli took the package from Hermione.

”It is beautiful,” he said, looking it over.

Hermione laughed.

”No. The present is inside, Eli. That is just the wrapping paper,” she said.

Eli looked at the package furtively, then reverently removed the paper being very careful not to tear it. He looked at the gift, then his eyes filled with tears.

Hermione had given him a coffee mug that read: To Eli: The World’s Greatest House Elf.

There was a little picture of a bowing house elf on the front of it.

”Oh Miss. Oh Miss,” the elf said with great emotion, tears starting to run down his face.

Hermione was a bit surprised by this reaction. Eli had always been rather . . . surly.

Eli blinked up at her.

”But Eli gets you nothing,” he said, his ears flattening in shame.

”Oh, that’s all right, Eli. If you can help me, then that will be gift enough,” she said to the elf. “I want to surprise Professor Snape with a visit. Can you take me to him?”

Eli shook his head sadly.

”I cannot takes people inside,” the house elf said, “Is protection.”

“Oh,” Hermione said rather sadly, “I guess you’d better tell him I’m here then.”

Eli hesitated.

”I can takes you to the outside door. Is not the house. You has to knock and the master will answer,” the elf suggested.

“Oh, that’s perfect, Eli. He’d never expect that!” she said.

”He will be happy to sees you, Miss. Is not happy now,” Eli said, his ears trembling a little at revealing this. But Hermione had given him a present and besides, it was his job to provide what the Master needed. It was easy to see he needed Hermione.

“Not happy, Eli? Why? Because he is alone at Christmas?” she asked the elf, who shook his head vigorously.

”Oh no, Miss. He is used to being alone. But he is pining. Has been pining a long time now,” the elf said.

”Pining?” Hermione repeated, her brow furrowed.

”Pining for you, Miss. He can’t sleeps and paces and mutters. Has been this way a long time, Miss. Is you he wants. Has no peace without you,” Eli said. “There was another, but she is gone beyond that he was like this for, but not like you. You is here and now. You is not impossible. The other . . . she was impossible. You are more to the Master than she. You is what he wants. What he needs. Then he can sleeps. Then he is good, better than before. I takes you to the outside door now. You makes him happy tonight if you comes.”

Hermione stared down at the elf as knots formed in her belly. She drew in a deep breath and reached out her hand. If she hesitated for even one moment, she might lose her nerve and return to the Burrow. Deep down inside, she knew she didn’t want to return . . . not tonight.

”Take me, Eli,” she said to the elf, who smiled and grasped her hand.

”We goes now,” Eli said, winking out and taking the witch with him.

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Severus was sitting in the armchair in front of the fireplace, his dark eyes resting on the crackling flames, the flickering light coloring his pale features in alternating shadow. An untouched glass of Firewhiskey sat on the table next to him, and a small wireless played Christmas music.

He roused when a knock sounded on his door, startling him. Who could possibly have found this place? Paparazzi? Well, if it were someone infringing on his privacy, he’d give them something for Christmas he’d never forget.

Pulling his wand out of his pocket, the wizard stalked over to the door, waited a few seconds, then ripped it open, pointing the tip of his wand between a set of two frightened amber eyes.

”Hermione,” he said hoarsely, unable to believe the witch was here. “What? How? How did you get up here?”

The wizard in his surprise didn’t lower his wand but still held it squarely on the witch.

”I . . . I persuaded Eli to bring me,” she replied softly, staring cross-eyed at the wand an inch from her forehead, “But . . . if you want me to go . . .”

Snape scowled.

”Why would I want you to go?” he snapped at her.

”Oh, I don’t know. Maybe your wand trained on my forehead, perhaps?” she said, furrowing her brows a little.

Snape quickly dropped his wand hand and caught Hermione by the arm, gently pulling her inside and closing the door behind her.

”Sorry about that. I just had no idea who would gain access to my home. I thought you might be Paparazzi,” he replied, taking her cloak and hanging it up. He looked at the witch as if he hadn’t seen her in months.

”Why aren’t you at the Burrow?” he asked her softly.

”Well, Molly sent you a plate, and I have a gift for you. I wanted to give them to you,” she said to him softly, holding out both the plate and the gift.

”So, you just ‘dropped by’ then. I assume you will be returning to the Burrow?” he asked her, his eyes dulling just a bit.

Hermione looked up at him, her heart pounding in her chest.

”That depends on whether or not you want me to return to the Burrow . . . or . . . or stay here with you for the night,” she said softly.

Snape stared down at her, his own heart rate beginning to gain in tempo.

”Stay with me? For the night?” he repeated, committing his own little language snafu in his shock. Dare he hope she meant . . .

”Yes, for the night,” Hermione said, her voice barely above a whisper.

For a full minute the Potions master just stared at the witch, saying nothing, his eyes so intense Hermione felt as if he were seeing inside of her. Suddenly he took the plate and gift out of her hands, quickly set them on the table next to his firewhiskey, and pulled her into him.

”My gods, woman. I would have you stay the night, the day, the week, the month . . . I would have you stay forever if it were possible,” he breathed.

”I think we should just start with tonight, Severus,” she smiled at him, though she could feel herself quivering against his body.

“Yesssss,” he breathed, then he lowered his head and kissed her the way he’d been wanting to kiss her for months, his mouth meeting her soft lips and feeling them part, the witch offering more, so much more as he tasted her, his tongue probing timidly at first as if fearing rejection, then the kiss deepening as Hermione own’s hot muscle wrapped around his, then made its own exploration, slipping between his lips and scouring his mouth softly.

The wizard let out a groan of longing and of victory as the witch responded, her acceptance and hunger igniting a flame inside him he had never experienced before and he claimed her mouth like a new territory, a new world that was his to explore.

He would not leave one valley unvisited, one cleft unexplored. He intended to familiarize himself with every contour of her body, linger at every undulating curve of her landscape, divine her hidden mysteries and bring them to the light. Finally he would know what it was to take a woman he had strong feelings for, and already the difference was affecting him. This was his chance to not only claim Hermione Weasley, but prove to her he could be everything she needed in every way. He believed this was his chance to make her love him.

He wouldn’t waste that chance.

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A/N: Whoo hoo. I had to stop because I have to get Tay off to school. More to come. ***