Labyrinth

Chapter 12

Hermione couldn't sleep any longer after Erin had awoken her. It appeared she had slept for around five hours, though. That would do... She replenished her body, found a flask of Invigoration Draught, gulped it down, and pulled herself back into the recliner.

She wasn't sure if Severus would be prepared to see her once again, but she honestly couldn't care less at this point. "Legilimens," her voice whispered, and she entered his mind once more.

Finding him was still an easy task for her; she understood his mind well now. However, he had attempted to move on without her. Regardless of that, she found him not much deeper in the maze from where she left him, once again meditating.

However, he felt her presence approach this time, jerking out of his reverie quickly.

"Hello, Severus." His face revealed nothing. Instead, he nodded at her in acknowledgement that she was in front of him.

"Ready?"

He stood, ignoring the hand she offered to help him.

"I did not think you would return," he responded, beginning to walk away toward the labyrinth that awaited.

She followed close after him; what a daft man. "I told you I was with you from the beginning. You were an arse earlier, but that doesn't mean I will not keep my promise."

His face looked pained as they made eye-contact. He stopped abruptly.

"And... I am sorry for any impropriety from earlier. That... should never have happened. I apologise."

She slapped his chest at this, "Severus, don't you dare. We both wanted that. You told me it wouldn't change anything after I told you that you once held a position of authority over me. Don't go back on your word." She said it angrily but refused to allow tears to escape her.

"I..." He sighed. Gripping his hand and forcing him to look at her, she dropped all the shields she had remaining in her mind.

"Severus Snape, you are so deserving of love. Everything you have done has been in response to stimuli around you. The mistreatment, the bullying, the complete dismissal from everyone who should have protected you... What you have done in your life is your responsibility, of course, but you cannot simply call yourself a bad person because of who you turned out to be. You took all of that pain, that mistreatment, and you still did what was right in the end. Hell, I don't even know that I would have turned back to Dumbledore the way you did. You are a phenomenal man, the bravest I have ever known."

His gaze did not leave hers as she spoke; he looked at her unblinking, and she realised she was still holding his chin in her hand.

"Sorry," she released him, but he still didn't look away.

"You truly are a wonder," he whispered.

"I'll accept that compliment. Now, are you ready to move on?"

She did not wait for an answer and began to walk down the maze, only turning once to wave him to catch up with her. He did after a moment of staring after her.

They walked in silence together once more, but it felt a bit less stale than before. Hermione wished she knew what he was thinking but didn't want to ruin his reverie. Her own mind was lost in what they would do once they found the centre. She felt that they must be close now; that last memory was only a year before he fell into this coma.

"Azoth will present me with two choices..." His voice broke the silence, and she twisted to look at the man whose expression showed he was lost in thought.

She listened as he muttered aloud but didn't interrupt his thoughts.

"Hermione, if we face the centre of the maze, I need you to swear to me you will leave. I won't risk your spirit in exchange for my own."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, but he pulled her close, wrapping a hand tightly in her hair while the other rest around her waist. "Please, Hermione. I won't lose you too."

Finally understanding, she could only nod. "Okay, Severus. I promise."

His forehead leaned down to touch her own, and he released a deep breath, his eyes closed. She kept hers open and examined his lashes, the lines and scars that covered his face, some more faded than others. Deciding that she wouldn't know when they would find the maze's centre, she wanted to spend every moment they could together.

"Kiss me, please, Severus." His eyes flashed open for a mere second, but rather than let him think on it long, she tugged his shirt toward her, and he leant his head down, placing his lips upon her own, tenderly.

Their mouths connected in familiarity; she knew precisely the angle to turn her head to push further into him. She felt for the button on his trousers, and thankfully, he did not protest.

She pulled her shirt off, unhooked her bra, and pulled her jeans down. He stared at her in awe. His face held a mixture of sadness and desire as he studied her bare body once again. She stepped forward after allowing his gaze to penetrate her very soul, undressing him slowly. It was different from the first time. They had ripped at one another in a passionate frenzy, and they had fucked one another. This time, she wanted him slowly and then all at once. She knew he could read her movements; he knew what she wanted from him without her having to say a word.

He bent down and began to kiss her, his lips parting to allow her tongue to rove his mouth. She felt him grow hard from where their bodies pressed against one another and knew she was already soaked from the thought of him.

Reaching for his hand, she pulled him down to the ground to lay atop her and continued kissing him tenderly. Her hands were wrapped in his hair, but she released one of them to reach down and guide him into her. Hissing, he pushed slowly into her, and she let out a moan into his mouth.

He kept his pace even and he realised she was staring at him with open eyes as she moaned with every thrust he made. His eyes bled into her own with the intensity of the stare as he made love to her gently, and hopefully, she thought, not for the last time.

But she knew he was thinking the exact opposite.