The Love Lagoon: Snamione Edition

Three

Hermione

Hermione arrived just in time for her flight to Barbados, and she arrived in great spirits. She had a wonderful cup of coffee at the coffee shop after breakfast at one of her favorite restaurants, and she even was able to board the plane early, because she was a first class passenger. She had thought that nothing could damage or tarnish her bright, sunny mood.

But as she was getting into a trashy romance novel, a velvet smooth voice that she never thought to hear again in her life said, "I believe we meet yet again, Miss Granger."

She was jerked out of her reverie, and looked up at Severus Snape. He was dressed somewhat casually in dark jeans and a black tank top with a lighter dark blue dress shirt on top of that. He looked good, damned good for supposedly being dead by a huge anaconda snake. He had his eyebrow raised, and he was waiting impatiently for her to acknowledge him.

"I...Yes, Professor, we meet again," Hermione stammered lamely. "Am I in your seat?"

"No, but I am surprised that we got seated side by side," He said, taking his seat beside her. "What a strange coincidence that is."

"I don't believe in them."
"Nor do I."

Hermione blinked up at him, flustered. She had no idea what to make of that, to be honest. But then again, the wizard was a damn sphinx most of the time, it was hard to know what he was about, unless he was angry, of course.

He rummaged around in his pockets, and produced a potions periodical. The plane began filling with passengers, and all of them were muggle couples.

The flight attendants began serving the complementary champagne, and when the flight attendants got to them, Severus through his arm around her, and whispered in her ear, "Play along for the no maj's now...dear."

"Oh, what a lovely set of rings!" The pretty blonde flight attendant gushed, looking over Hermione's bridal set. "How long have you two been married?"

"Two weeks now," Hermione lied. "Yes, we are most happy, aren't we, dear?"

Severus kissed her temple. "Yes, indeed. Most happy. When will we get to choose our lunch, Miss?"

The blonde was stumbling all over herself as she blushed, "Um...Yes, well...it should be about noon or so, sir. Is there anything else I can get you two?"

"Blankets and pillows for me and my wife, please," Severus said politely.

The blonde perked up. "C-Certainly, sir. Right away."

She returned two minutes later with their items, and left them alone. Hermione took off her rings in disgust, and tossed them in the magazine pouch on the back of her chair. Severus let go of her hand immediately and dropped the act.

"It would probably not be wise for you to remove your rings," He advised. "Seeing as how that woman believes we are madly in love and all of that rot."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I don't care. I'm divorced any way, I filed the paperwork with the marriage department just before I left on this trip via special owl courier. I do believe that girl wanted to jump your bones, sir."

Severus chuckled. "Yes, well, I am not without some charms. She was pretty, but let's just say that I will not be a party to a revenge fuck on her part. Just before her shift today, she caught her fiance in bed with her sister, and maid of honor. You can imagine how her night will go."

"That poor lady!" She gasped. "I'm sorry to say that I can sympathize. Ron Weasley was a terrible husband. He had no boundaries, and seemed to think he could have free reign over me whenever he wanted. I..." She trailed off, wiping at her eyes with a napkin. "I'm so sorry...Severus. I shouldn't prattle on about my pathetic failed marriage. You don't really care."

Severus set aside his potions magazine, and said, "Did I say I did not care?"

"Well, no, but--"

"I am willing to listen, because apparently, we are locked together on a very long flight to some very remote chain of islands. You need to unburden yourself, and I can be an impartial listener to your issues," Severus said, thumbing through his magazine as the plane finally took off.

Hermione did just that, and talked for a long time about her marriage, and why she thought it was a good idea at the time. Severus did not interrupt once, and he even hugged her as she cried in his arms.

"Shhh," He soothed. "It's alright now, you're free of him. But I honestly could have predicted this relationship demise on your part. What you saw in him as a friend for all of your years at Hogwarts I will never understand beyond your desire to fit in."

She rested her head on his, (surprisingly), broad shoulder, and was disturbed by how damned good he smelled: Peppermint mixed with sandalwood, and other mixed herbs like rosemary and freshly tilled earth. He added a clean smelling cologne that was not overbearing, and only added to how freaking good he smelled in general.

She looked up at him, and her insides turned to mush, as they always did looking at him, or hearing his smooth, velvet baritone voice. "I...Thank you, that is most kind of you," Hermione said lamely.

"It is not kindness to point out a simple truth," Severus pointed out. "But call it kindness if you like. Are you tired?"

She nodded. He arranged a pillow for her to rest on him, and tucked her blanket around her. She quickly fell asleep, lulled to sleep by the sound of the engines, and the pressurized cabin of the aircraft around them. She tried not to think of the wizard she had unburdened herself to, or how right it felt resting against him. No, all she could think about was sleep, and how much she needed it from her long hours of work at the Ministry of Magic. She was woken up by Severus when it was lunch time, but other than that, she was able to sleep, comforted by the arms of the dark wizard holding her in his strong arms...