10 Years After

10 Years After
Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing of what you’re about to read, with the possible exception of the plot, although I’m sure it’s been done before. The places, characters, etc. belong to JK Rowling. Thanks.


Godric’s Hw: w: March 29, 2008, afternoon; Potter house.
Hermione decided to take care of her living arrangements first in order to return to a whole new life as a single witch. She knew that divorce was not looked upon favorably in the wizarding world, but was assured by the dean that her divorce would hold little, if any, stigma, since the ink had turned blue, denoting an amicable split by parties who loved each other but who married for the wrong reasons. She took a vine covered cottage near the labs that was small and furnished and then apparated to the house in Godric’s Hollow. She magically marked her belongings for transport to her new home and made the arrangements , taking a few very personal items herself; a picture of her parents, one of Harry and Ron, one of the Order of the Phoenix following the defeat of Voldemort. She held the picture of the Order in her hands and looked at it carefully. Hidden in the background were two almost invisible faces, hers and Severus’. She smiled as the photo Nymphadora Tonks moved out of the way so she could better see the photo Severus. She was startled by the look of loneliness in his eyes. Even in a crowd, Severus looked alone. She brushed her finger over his photo face and shrunk down the photos along with a few other important items and brought them to her cottage. She carefully placed the photos on the table next to the four poster bed the cottage was furnished with and disapparated back to Corforinu.

Corforinu, Greece: March 29, 2008, early evening; Hermione’s Villa
Hermione returned to her Villa to find Severus gone. After a moment of panic, she found the note he had left on the pillow of the carefully made bed. “I would have liked to have waited here for you all day, but I hardly thought that would be productive. I went into town for something to eat. I will be back shortly. Hope all went well” read the note. Hermione smiled as she quickly changed into a long flowing gauzy dress, slipped on her sandals and headed for town to find him.

Hermione checked Cosimo’s, but he wasn’t there. She went further into town and checked a few small restaurants, to no avail. As she was about to give up and go back to her villa to wait there, she spied a small tavern off the main road. Hermione cautiously approached the tavern and peered up at the sign. It read “O’Malley’s”. Hermione shook her head, wondering if this O’Malley was connected to Muireadach O’Malley from New York. She quickly opened the door and slipped inside. Much to her relief, she discovered that the tavern was clean, nicely lighted, and contained numerous witches and wizards she remembered from the beach and from her visits to the local sites. She looked around until she spotted a long lanky body leaning up against a wall near the dart board, pint of ale in hand. She took a moment to see him as others might. He was actually very pleasing to the eye. His long hair was pulled back into a ponytail, he was dressed in jeans and a crisp white shirt. His eyes were trained on a round of darts going on and he wore a slight smirk on his face. All in all, he was a very sexy specimen of a man. As Hermione watched him, he took his turn at the dart board and easily sunk 2 darts into the bullseye, missing the third, which landed on a 20.

“Damn you Snape,” laughed an Irish accented man, “you pointed me again.”

“Well, O’Malley,” he replied, “close the 20’s and I won’t do that. Besides, that time it was unintentional.”

“I’ve heard that before,” said the laughing man, who Hermione realized bore a slight resemblance to Muireadach O’Malley.

As O’Malley took his turn, Hermione was dismayed to see a tall young witch sashay up to Severus and engage him in conversation. Hermione moved closer to eavesdrop.

“My name’s Bellinda,” she purred, “you’re quite talented at darts. I wonder what else you’re talented in.”

“Bellinda, I am both too old and too uninterested for you,” he replied.

“Oh, come now. Certainly a bad boy like you has no qualms about the age of a witch who is clearly interested in a midnight shag.”

“It’s several hours until midnight, and I am still too uninterested.”

“Are you married?” she pouted.

“No.”

“Then what’s the issue? Come spend some time with me. I’m the best offer you’re likely to get.”

Severus looked Bellinda up and down and smirked, “You don’t even hold a candle to the woman I’m waiting for. In fact,” he said to O’Malley, “we should wrap this up so I can get back to my little bit of paradise, if she comes back to me.”

Bellinda, unable to take the hint, draped herself over Severus, who attempted to shake her off with a glare. Hermione smiled at Severus’ rejection of the tall lithe witch and casually walked over to him. She was greeted with the sight of his cold eyes turning warm and a smile that made her melt. She brushed aside Bellinda with a wave of her hand and wrapped her arms around Severus’ neck, kissing him deeply.

“How could you even think I wouldn’t come back?” she said with a smile.

“It took awhile…”

“I had some business to take care of. Housing near my labs and moving some personal items, as well as marking my belongings and arranging for them to be moved from Godric’s Hollow while I’m here.”

“Liam, do you mind if we…”

“Consider the game over,” replied Liam, “this must be the Hermione I’ve heard about. Hello. I’m Liam O’Malley. I understand you left a little souvenir for my big brother last week…”

Hermione blushed and Severus fixed the younger O’Malley with a glare.

“I get the hint. I apologize. Are you staying or leaving?”

“Leaving,” said Hermione, “we have a lot to talk about.”

Hermione took Severus hand, and casting a Snape-worthy glare at Bellinda, she gently pulled him out of the tavern. When they reached the main road, she continued to hold his hand, caressing the back of his hand with her fingers. She wanted to feel him next to her, to know he was there.

“So…” began Severus.

“It’s over.”

“Oh.”

Hermione looked up at his face, seeing sadness in his eyes and realizing what he must have thought.

“My marriage is over. I’m hoping what’s between us has just begun,” she said, looking back up at him to see his smile. He had a wonderful smile, she realized, one she couldn’t get enough of.

“How did it go?”

“Surprisingly well,” admitted Hermione, “I had hoped it wouldn’t be a cauldron of drama and it wasn’t. Harry was incredible. He shocked me, actually. He agreed that we married for the wrong reasons and that we should divorce for the right reasons. So we did. We’re divorced. I can’t believe how quick it was.”

“That’s how it is in the wizarding world, Hermione. When things are not meant to be, when both parties truly wish to part ways, divorce is easy and very quick. It’s when there is still a glimmer of hope, when the gods feel there is still a chance for the couple that it is nearly impossible. And it’s such a stigma when it’s a one sided thing, when one wants out and the other truly doesn’t… You and Harry must have both wanted it. The ink turned blue on the decree?”

“Yes, it did.”

“That meant that what was in your hearts was true and that this parting of the ways was truly for the best. When it turns green, the divorce is granted under duress and it takes sometimes years to be final. Your kind of divorce, when it comes from pure hearts that truly love each other but aren’t in love, over in seconds.”

“Harry wanted to give me half his vault and the house in Godric’s Hollow.”

“Really?” said Severus, guiding Hermione over a rut in the dirt road leading to her villa.

“Yes. I told him I couldn’t accept it. We made a settlement ths mos more than I wanted to take but less than he wanted to give. He’s a good man, Severus.”

“Yes, he is,” agreed Severus, once again surprising Hermione, “he must really love you to let you go that easily.”

“It was still sad,” said Hermione, stopping at the path to her front door.

Severus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him, gently kissing the top of her head, “Endings usually are. Do you want to be alone?”

“Only if I can be alone with you,” she replied, lifting her tear filled eyes to him. The tears spilled onto her cheeks.

“Anything you want,” stated Severus softly, brushing the tears from her face, “I am now, and always will be, at your command, Lady Hermione.”

Hermione looked at Severus, his pale skin shining alabaster in the light from the full moon, his eyes like dark pools that she felt she could fall into and never find her way back out. She brushed her hand across his face, tracing his lips with her finger.

“You are so beautiful, Severus Snape,” she whispered, “I can’t believe I ever thought otherwise.”

Severus looked at the ground, took a deep breath, and locked eyes with Hermione. She noticed the glimmer of tears as he blinked to keep them in. Hermione stood on her toes and kissed him gently, slipping her tongue between his lips and hungrily seeking his. She unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off, moving her lips to his neck and trailing kisses across his chest. She wanted this man here and now. She wanted to make love under the full moon and drown in his soul. Silently she broke off her kisses and led him around the villa to the open decking overlooking the ocean. The moon played across the water as the waves broke on the shore. She smiled at him and resumed kissing him, deftly unbuttoning his jeans and unzipping them. She kissed her way down his chest and stomach, following the trail of fine hair leading to the most beautiful cock she had ever seen. She pulled his jeans down over his finely sculpted legs and knelt in front of him, slipping his shorts down as well. His penis stood proudly and enticingly erect in front of her and she gently took it in her hands. She traced her fingers across the veins with feathery touches, feeling him get even harder. Without a word she reached out her tongue to lick the head, then took it in her mouth, softly flicking it with her tongue. She heard him moan softly and she followed the tracks her fingers had taken with her tongue. Hermione moved her mouth up and down the length of his cock, occasionally lightly raking it with her teeth, causing him to shudder and moan a bit louder. Hermione reached for her wand and charmed her clothing off, wanting to feel the moon on her body, wanting to feel Severus against her, skin on skin. She reluctantly moved her mouth off his cock, licking the salty pearls from the tip, and taking his cock in her hands, ran the tip across her hard nipples, teasing them with his hardness. She laid down on the deck, spreading herself open, wanting him inside her. Severus responded by teasing her with his cock, running it up and down the length of her slit before slipping it inside her. She gasped as she felt him push all the way in her and slowly pull back out again. Following Hermione’s silent urging, he began thrusting, first slowly and increasing his pace and the intensity. Hermione wrapped her legs around his as he thrust into her. The only sounds were her whimpers and moans as he hit her pleasure spot again and again and his soft grunts as he pushed deeper and deeper into her with each thrust. Hermione felt her muscles clamp down hard as she called out his name with a loud moan, riding the crest of a long and hard orgasm. With a small cry Severus came inside her, filling her with his essence. Hermione pulled him to her, feeling his sweat against hers as she blindly searched for his lips with hers. They kissed, two people entwined; body, mind, heart, and soul, bathed in moonlight of the magical March night. Hermione broke the kiss and looked directly into Severus’ eyes.

“I love you,” she said, breaking the silence as she sank back into his kiss.