The Serpent and the Lioness

Chapter 12

"Have you considered not running away from her?" Draco took a bite of his potato looking across the table at his unexpected guest. He'd just gotten back from taking Seraphina to her grandmother's for magical training, never could start too early, when he'd found the man lingering under a tree in the front yard. He looked completely livid and Draco had been slightly put off. Deciding the best thing to do would be to feed him and had brought the elder man inside.

"Why should I stay? She only brings trouble. Twice now she's brought a pack of Aurors in her wake." Severus took a rather harsh bite of his steak and shot the blond a rather nasty glare, "I'd rather stay dead thank you. I have no desire to rejoin the world. I just want to live out the rest of my days in peace."

Draco raised his brows, he didn't actually think Potter would send Aurors after her, "Merlin, that bastard really is off his nut."

Severus gave him a curious look and raised a brow for him to elaborate.

"She didn't-Of course not, you never linger long enough for her to tell you. She kicked Potter's ass." Draco took a bite of toast, "No one has seen her in weeks. I would have thought she'd've gone back to Potter's by now but I heard through the grapevine that they haven't seen her since that night. Even Max tried to find her, he's worried because she doesn't have the potions for her back. To think Potter would send his goons after her makes him a worse man than me."

Severus narrowed his eyes, 'I have no home.' She had told him, he just hadn't been listening. That was three days ago. His jaw twitched. He'd left her to the Aurors, they would have taken care of her injuries but it was safe to say they never got a chance. The girl was running blind and she was at risk of doing serious damage to herself. He hadn't felt the constant buzz in his ears since he placed his occlumancy shield back into place. He couldn't feel her now. He had blocked her out.

"Severus?" Draco waved his hand slightly in front of his face, "You did know right?" Draco feared he'd said too much, the look on his Godfather's face made his stomach turn.

"I need access to your library." He sat up suddenly.

"You can have it, stay there while you're at it. There are no house-elves anymore and the entire west wing is closed off for renovations but in the winter no one wants to work, the workers shouldn't be returning until early spring."

Severus nodded darkly and took another bite of his meal. His mind drifting to the woman who had both redeemed and condemned him.

oOOo

Hermione had taken up temporary residence in a housing development, the workers would come on the warm days and she would return at night sleeping in one of the partially finished houses. She had found one with running water and had managed to clean herself up. The water had been cold but a simple charm had fixed that. The first night she had indulged herself and made a nice hot bath in one of the newly installed bathtubs, the floor was still unfinished and the walls were still open but she hadn't cared. It felt like heaven.

During the day she would go to a park, find a nice quiet spot and practice her occlumancy meditations. She had managed to make it to the door she had come to understand led to Severus' mind but every time she had opened it she had been met with a solid white wall.

Perturbed but determined she switched her focus to the thread that came from her heart. When she would take hold of it she was able to feel all he was feeling. It had been overwhelming at first but she was working out how to discern his emotions from her own.