The Serpent and the Lioness

Chapter 39

Morning found Hermione devoid of the warmth she was sure had joined her sometime during the night. A deep groan passed her lips as she tried to snuggle down into the void left behind. Mother nature, however, had other ideas.

Sighing heavily Hermione pushed her face up from under the pillow she had burrowed into and let out a deep lion like yawn. When her eyes came back into focus, she heavily dragged herself from the bed toward the bathroom.

After taking care of necessities, she shuffled toward the mirror and grimaced at the sight. She had to admire Severus' restriant on the mornings she woke with a head of hair that would rival the most mighty of thorn bushes. She was very sure she had gone to bed with it tied back and reached back to find the traitous elastic that had slipped down too far to be useful.

Untangling the beast from her curls she set to work on making herself halfway presentable. A splash of water over her face and a gentle cleanser wiped away the remeaning fatigue. Feeling somewhat human again, she dried her face and moved to the bedroom. The subtle smell of breakfast and coffee was starting to fill the room bringing a soft smile to her face.

"Merlin, I love this man..."

Severus raised his head when Hermione came through the doorway. He looked over her choice of clothes for the day and found himself instantly suspect. She was wearing a pale blue summer dress that just barely brushed against her knees. Her hair was partially up but tumbled from its catch around her bare shoulders. The dress had a wide neck and gave him a rather teasing view.

He did note she had placed a glamour over the small discoloration he had come to know very well along her breastbone. The sleeves were sheer and came to rest at her wrists. Overall, she looked rather tantalizing. His throat felt a bit tight as he swallowed down his coffee slightly harder than intended and he had to let out a cough to set it right again.

"I take it you approve?" The hidden smirk at the corner of her mouth made him set down his coffee.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" He busied his hands, mostly to keep himself focused on the breakfast he had been preparing. His eyes flicked between the plates, tracking her movements watching her come around the counter, her hand slowly running up the small of his back.

"I just... wanted to wear it." It was a partial lie, a small misdirection if you will. She licked her bottom lip as she gathered up the courage to talk to him about what she had been through yesterday.

"You're not very good at lying." He turned to face her a bit more touching the corner of her lip that twitched every time she tried to hide something from him. "Your tell is too obvious."

She brushed his finger away and covered her mouth for a moment, "You're just extremely observant."

"Maybe but that still doesn't answer the present question." He set down the pan near the sink letting her take the time to collect her thoughts. When he came back into her view he leveled his piercing eyes upon her own. "What did the healer say?"

Hermione's jaw twitched and she quickly averted her eyes trying to hide her face. Surprisingly, he let her turn away from him but the feeling of his eyes was bearing heavily upon her shoulders. "He uh...he had good news and bad news..."

Hermione grew tense as she felt the buttons of his coat press down her spine. Her hand had traveled on its own over her stomach where it clutched tight to the fabric of her dress. Her eyes darted down to the hands that gently took her arms and took a syncopated breath trying to calm herself.