Survivor

Chapter 7 - A Second Visit.

Severus stood and stretched, rolling his neck back into place after the long night he had spent on the sofa in his front room. After much arguing, he had had the final word and Hermione (as he was now accustomed to address her) had stomped off, up the stairs. The wind had been harsh that night, whistling down the chimney and waking Severus at least every hour. He hoped that the witch would not bother him until he had finished a minimum of 3 mugs of coffee.

The kitchen was cold and unoccupied, the sun having not yet risen. There was the ethereal mist of condensation floating above the grass on the lawn and birds, eager for worms, foraged uninterrupted. It was mornings like these that Severus missed the sprawling grounds of Hogwarts, the place that he had been able to call home for more than two decades. It was lovely, to walk along the shores of The Black Lake as the sun rose over the scenery. Or perhaps, to visit the greenhouses and see the remnants of the midnight blooming flowers scattered across the floor. 

The sound of a muggle motor vehicle honking brought Severus back to reality. He grumbled and set out to fix himself some coffee. 

When Hermione woke, just shy of an hour later, he could tell that he was in for a challenging day. The witch looked tired, the bags beneath her eyes providing evidence for her lack of peaceful sleep. He noticed that she had failed to gain much weight since she had been with him, even though he had ensured that she ate well. It was concerning to see such a melancholy and gaunt face so early in the morning. Hermione wore a long baby blue sweatshirt and checked pajama bottoms. It was unusual to see the witch in such a state of undress. 

Perhaps today was to be another low day for her. He understood that it wasn't her fault if she stayed in bed all day, on days like these. She could be as introverted as she wanted and Severus knew that he shouldn't push her. Having been in a similar state himself, for much of his life, Severus understood.

He said nothing, but set about making her a pot of tea. Whilst he was very much unapproachable in the mornings with out his cup of coffee, Severus found that Hermione couldn't start her day off without a cup of tea. Perhaps they had more in common than he had originally thought. Although he may be grasping at straws a little.

A pecking at the window made him jump. It was embarrassing really, for a spy to be startled. Severus hoped that Hermione hadn't caught him. No. She was staring down at the tablecloth with her head in her hands. The bird was the Malfoy's owl, who seemed to be making ever more frequent visits to the abode. Severus was beginning to despise it.

He placed the tea tray in front of the young woman, who looked up at the noise. Severus paced the length of the tiny kitchen as he opened and read the letter aloud.

"There have been developments at the school. Narcissa and I will be present at 2 to discuss them. Kind Regards. Lucius." He groaned and all but fell into his chair. Hermione looked equally as displeased at the news.

Breakfast had passed in silence, the sun casting long shadows over the occupants of the dull kitchen. It was simply marmalade on toast this morning, and Severus made a mental note to ask Lucius to go shopping for them again. It had been a long time since he had worried about having the shelves of his cupboards stocked. Living on his own meant that Severus could live a horribly unhealthy lifestyle without it affecting others. If there was no food, he would simply not eat. But caring for Hermione meant that this was not a viable option.

She was eager to help with the cooking and the cleaning, even though Severus told her not to. She had argued that it was half of her hair in the plug, and so she had a shared responsibility to clean it out. His living-room-come-library was looking miles better, though. And he had to admit that despite that one incident, Severus had yet to struggle to find a tome.