His Future

Bonds of Time and Heart

Hermione's smile softened as the weight of his words settled in, feeling the intensity of the love behind them. She turned her gaze toward him, her voice barely above a whisper. "'Perficere animam meam'... it means 'to complete my soul.' According to everything I've read, the caster of the spell feels an overwhelming pull toward their soulmate. It's described almost like a portkey, drawing them together, no matter the distance." Her breath hitched as Severus' hands continued their gentle exploration of her body, tracing every curve with slow, deliberate care. She tried to hold back the moans that threatened to escape, but it was becoming harder the longer he touched her, the electricity between them becoming unbearable. "Once they meet, the pull becomes even stronger. There's a deep ache—a need to be together. If they're apart for too long, the pain intensifies, like a constant ache in the chest. I've read all of this, Severus, but there's nothing that explains what happens when one person is traveling through time. I'm terrified of what this could do to you."

Severus stopped, his hands pausing on her skin as he looked at her, his expression a mixture of reassurance and concern. He bent down, pressing his lips gently to her forehead before whispering, "I promise you, Hermione, I would endure anything—anything—if it means I get to be with you. The pain of being apart is nothing compared to the joy of having you here. We'll find a way through this."

Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she held onto his gaze, trying to steady her racing heart. "But you don't understand... Severus, depending on when you leave, you could be gone for years—14, 20 years, maybe more. I don't know how you'll cope, knowing I'll still be a child when I start my first year at Hogwarts. You'll feel that aching pull, but I won't be of age until my fifth year... What if the pain never stops for you?"

Severus' brow furrowed at her words, confusion flickering across his face. "How old are you?" His voice was a low, surprised whisper.

Hermione's smile was faint, almost sad, as she met his eyes. "I'm twenty," she whispered, her voice small. "In my third year, I was given a Time-Turner so I could attend more classes than any sane person should. Insufferable know-it-all, remember?" she said with a soft laugh, though her eyes betrayed her fear. She lowered her gaze, her vulnerability more apparent now than ever.

Severus' hand gently cupped her chin, lifting her face to meet his. His lips brushed softly against hers, a tender kiss that spoke volumes of unspoken promises. He let the kiss linger a moment longer before pulling back, his voice a murmur. "We will face this together, Hermione. Whatever comes, we'll find a way through it."

She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. As she held the soapy cloth, her hands hesitated for a second before they began to move slowly down his chest, caressing the skin as though memorizing the feel of him. The air between them was thick with unspoken desires, the kind that neither of them were ready to voice, but both of them felt.

"So," Severus said, breaking the silence, his voice low and steady. "Since I no longer work here... where does that leave me? Where do I fit into your world now?"

Hermione's hands froze for a moment, and then she looked up at him, her eyes wide with sudden, overwhelming emotion. "You... You died," she whispered, the words barely audible. "You died, Severus, and I couldn't save you." The words hit her like a physical blow, and she collapsed against his chest, her tears coming fast and uncontrollable.

Severus stilled, unable to respond at first, the shock of her confession stealing the breath from his lungs. He held her close, his arms wrapped around her as she cried, the weight of her grief pressing down on both of them. When she finally quieted, he lifted her gently in his arms, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as he carried her to the bed, the cold water dripping from their bodies, forgotten in the haze of emotions.

He laid her down gently, brushing a lock of hair from her face. He paused, his gaze steady but filled with something darker now—something he wasn't sure how to navigate. "I know better than to ask you how I died," he said, his voice low, almost hesitant. "But I must know—before I died... Did we ever... share anything? Was there ever more than just the animosity between us? Any... moments that meant something more?"

Hermione snuggled deeper into his chest, her fingers tracing the outline of his jaw. She took a shaky breath, recalling the flashes of something that had always been there but never acknowledged, something they'd both ignored for so long. "There were times," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion, "when I thought you looked at me with something I couldn't place... Something different. You'd say things that didn't always make sense to me then, but now... now I understand. Every gesture, every comment—every insult... they all meant more than I realized."

Severus lay beside her, staring at the ceiling, his fingers gently running over her back, his mind racing with the impossible knowledge that he had once died and that now—here, in this moment—they had this second chance. "Did your research tell you anything about what happens when a soulmate dies?" he asked quietly. "Will you be able to handle it if I go back? What happens if I'm not here for you?"

Hermione took a deep breath, steadying herself. "Once soulmates are together, they are never truly apart," she said softly, almost as if she were reciting a comforting truth she wasn't sure she believed yet. "But... if one dies, the other is consumed by grief. They slowly wither away. The heartbreak destroys them. The pain is too much to bear." Her voice faltered at the end, and she looked up at him, trying to read the unspoken fear in his eyes.

Severus didn't answer immediately. Instead, he propped himself up on one arm and looked down at her, searching her face with a mixture of concern and determination. "You're hiding something from me, Hermione," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I can feel it. What is it? What are you so afraid of?"

Hermione's heart raced as she felt the weight of his gaze on her. "How did you know?" she whispered, a shiver running down her spine.

Severus smiled faintly, his fingers brushing along her cheek, tracing the curve of it as if to comfort her. "It's hard to explain. It's like I can feel your emotions... beneath my skin. It's not thoughts, not exactly. It's more like your feelings bleed through into me. It's a kind of... a bond, I suppose."

Hermione let out a soft laugh, pushing him lightly off of her before standing up. "The books say that the more powerful the witch and wizard, the more gifts their bond will bring. Usually, it's just one or two gifts that manifest after the soulmates completely bond. But it seems that... we have already started to experience one of them." She turned to the closet and began gathering clothes, but her thoughts were still on him. "We must have a very rare bond, Severus, because we've hardly even begun the bonding process, and yet... you're already feeling something."

Severus raised an eyebrow as he watched her carefully. "And what does that mean for us?"

She handed him a bundle of black cloth, watching him carefully. "These are yours," she said softly. "I found them in your room at Grimmauld Place."

At the mention of the Black family home, Severus froze, his mind racing to catch up. "Grimmauld Place?" His voice was tight, but his curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean? What happened there?"

Hermione smirked, though there was a glint of something sad in her eyes. "In the last few years, many of us spent a lot of time there. We'll have plenty of time to talk about everything. But for now, Severus..." She paused, taking a deep breath. "We need to get ready for dinner in the Great Hall. And you need to wear something... presentable."