Chocolate Enchantment

41: Coming to An Understanding

Chapter 41: Coming to An Understanding

Hermione had Apparated across longer distances before, but she hadn't had time for more than a bite of lunch before their little battle, and she was feeling a bit lightheaded. Add the drain of a post-adrenalin rush, she collapsed when she, Harry and Severus Apparated into the Shrieking Shack. Severus reached out and caught her as she began to slump to the side. He banished the dirt and garbage around the bed in the corner and set her down on it. "Careful, my dear. You've had quite a scare. Are you all right? Did that oaf hurt you?"

Looking up at him, Hermione saw Harry staring at the two of them, his face tight, but not lifting his wand at Severus. She leaned back into the thin comforter, which still smelled moldy despite Severus's cleaning job, and moaned, rubbing her hands down her face. "What a day." She peeked  through her fingers at Harry. "You aren't hexing him." She tipped her head to the side. "Why aren't you hexing him?" She glared at her husband. "I'd like to hex him, if my head weren't spinning."

"You want me to hex your husband? I'd be happy to oblige, but I thought you'd prefer it if I didn't." Harry's face was stony with anger, his arms ramrod straight and ending in clenched fists.

"Ten points to Gryffindor for figuring it out, Mr. Potter." Severus didn't even look Harry's way, preferring to hover over his wife, murmuring a charm to determine if there was anything physically wrong with her. He didn't bother to ask why she wanted to hex him.

"I could change my mind and hex you anyway, just for spite," Harry said, galled by his old professor's snide comment.

"You could, but you won't." Severus finished the charm and tucked the tip of his wand behind Hermione's back and cast a spell to alleviate the pain and bruising from her fall. Then, apparently satisfied by the results, he smoothed Hermione's bangs back from her face and tucked a lock of fly-away hair behind her ear. "I'm beginning to think you aren't your father and may, in fact, turn out not to be a complete idiot after all." He stood and turned around to face Harry, who glowered all the more for the comment about his father.

Severus looked Harry over, keeping hold of his wand, but retaining it at his side where the threat was less. "Considering the way you acted when we faced each other at the school last spring, and the things you yelled at me in the restaurant, I am curious to know why you haven't tried to hex me behind my back."

"Don't worry; I'm still tempted. Very tempted, in fact. The thought of you and Hermione having a child together makes my current decision to withhold my hexes rather difficult to follow, in fact. Not to mention the vomit factor."

Severus merely nodded his understanding, saying nothing.

Harry continued, "But please, give me a little credit. I could hardly appear to trust you in the restaurant after you've been keeping such a low profile. And I know if you're incapacitated I won't get any answers at all."

"So she has taught you something worthwhile this summer." The words might have been complimentary, but the delivery was not. "How long did it take you to figure out our true relationship? How much damage control are we going to have to do? And how did you get mixed up in all that in the first place?" He shot an irritated look at his wife, as though blaming her for an indiscretion.

That only made Hermione even angrier.

"Happy accident." Harry's voice was ironic. "We happen to love that restaurant. And your relationship with Hermione was confirmed when I saw the two of you together today, but I had a hint of it last night. Viktor referred to you as 'that Prince fellow' when we spoke last night. I hadn't heard the last name you were using before. You could say it was you who let too many hints slip. When I asked Hermione this morning if the glamour aged you up or down she gave me a non-answer—very telling, actually. Our Hermione prefers to misdirect or flat our refuse to answer rather than lie, though she does that creditably enough when necessary." He crossed his arms over his chest and glared. "I still hate you though, and I'll expect a full explanation soon."