Unexpectedly Expecting

5: Home Sweet...Home?

Severus

Miss Granger...Hermione, he amended in his mind. Yes, it didn't make much sense to stand on the old teacher and student formalities since he was balls deep into her a few hours prior. She was shivering in the night air, made all the more breezy from being on the Northumberland coastline his family's ancient manor rested upon. He removed his outer cloak, and handed it to her.

"Thank you, sir," She said, slipping it on, and buttoning it up.

He lit the end of his wand, and stared at the tumultuous sea before them. "You don't have to call me 'sir,' I'm no longer your Professor."

She nodded. "Where are we?"

He pointed his wand towards the direction of the imposing manor on the cliffs above them. "A place I never thought to call home. But, it should suit our purposes for now, I should think. Unless the Savoy interests you more."

Hermione grinned. "Hmm, I could maybe be persuaded to stay there if a spa treatment was thrown in. Or wizards feed me grapes as I lounge in bed."

He fought the urge to laugh. Since when was she amusing on any level? "Sorry, it was booked in favor of the muggle Queen."

"Damn. Pity, I suppose I will settle for you leading me to Collins Manor then," She teased. "Just please tell me that there are no weird vampire Uncles lurking in the dungeon."

He couldn't help but smirk, "No vampires, I promise. Come, we should be fine inside the Manor, but it is best to err on the side of caution, considering I broke the rules and freed you from your enslavement."

"Obviously. May I ask why you did it?"
"Freed you?"

"Yes, that. I'm not any more special than the other muggleborn witches in the dungeons, and please don't say it's because you had a fondness for me, we both know that you barely tolerated me in your classes."

"Would you believe me if your friend Harry Potter had something to do with it?" He answered, leading her up the stairs to Prince Manor.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "When is Harry not part of this whole godsdamn conflict? I rather admire that you were the one teacher that refused to treat him as this big celebrity who is only famous because Noseless Asshole decided to murder his parents one Halloween night."

"That is a more fitting nickname than you think," He mused. "Still, it is a better one than He Who Must Not Be Named."

He fished in his pockets for his house keys, and found it. He stared at it in his hand, and approached the imposing front door. He fitted the key to the lock, and turned it. At first, it did not turn, but then remembered that in order to gain entry, a legilimens had to open their mind to the magic of the place.

"One moment," He remarked, and placed his wand hand on the rich dark oak, and closed his eyes. He felt the hum of magic stir to life, and then the wards requested that Hermione join him. Why, he did not know, but they would much later. "Join your magic to the house, it won't let you in otherwise. Use your wand hand."

She did, and just as when they made love in front of the deatheater regine, their magic joined together, save that they didn't go to any fantasy destination in either of their minds.

The key before them clicked into place, and Severus removed it and put it back in his pocket. He cleared his throat, "You may remove your hand now."

"Oh!" She jumped, her cheeks flushing pink, "Oh, yes, I'm...I'm sorry."

She jumped away from him, and he opened the door to the foyer. Thanks to his frugality, and wise investments in the muggle world, he set about restoring his family's ancestral mansion to its rightful state. It took a long time, but whenever he wanted to feel safe he came to this place, and was able to escape the stresses of his life at last...