FIC: L'Apothicaire (NC-17)

[iulia_linnea]

Title: L'Apothicaire
Type: Fic
Age-Range Category: Five
Pairing: Severus Snape/Hermione Granger
Author: debjunk
Beta(s): steelersgirl
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Severus Snape has made a happy, fulfilling life for himself after the war. When Hermione Granger wanders into his Apothecary, he finds there's one more thing that could make him even happier.



Severus rose and stepped into the shower. He let the hot water burst down onto him as he turned and soaped up. Washing his hair last, he rinsed and exited the shower. Drying off, he put on the white tunic and black trousers he'd set out for himself. Toweling off his hair again, he grabbed a comb and ran it through, making sure his long tresses weren't tangled.

He examined his appearance and found it to be acceptable. Since surviving the war, he'd been able to care for himself better. Not being a puppet to two masters had been freeing and given him the time to be better about such things.

Everyone he'd ever known now thought him dead, and that gave him a peace of mind he couldn't have imagined during the war. He had been able to start over… from scratch. No one knew of his past now. He'd been able to create who he was without preconceived notions.

Living in Wizarding Paris had been a respite for his tattered soul. He'd hidden away there for a year, but then had started showing himself and was surprised that French Wizardry couldn't care less about the UK and their issues. They knew about the war, but the only main player they had heard of was Voldemort. He'd felt elated he could exist here without people giving him the side eye… or worse.

Grabbing his suit coat, he left his flat and went down to the corner bakery and bought a baguette, two croissants, and some macarons. He went next door and got some eggs and chicken for dinner that night. He loved living so close to the shops. He went daily to get what he needed, and enjoyed the outing to start his day. Putting a few other things in his basket, he checked out and headed back home.

Frying up the eggs, he set them on a plate and buttered his croissant. Taking his plate to the table, he tucked in. His eyes strayed across the table, and for a split second, he wished he had someone to share breakfast with. He cast that thought away. He was incredibly happy and satisfied with his life. He was a successful Potioneer here in Paris and could go wherever he wanted whenever he wanted. He regularly vacationed abroad and loved traveling. Just because he didn't have someone to share his life with didn't mean he was unhappy. Far from it.

Finishing up, he set the plate to wash in the sink and got ready to go to the shop. Putting his suit coat back on, he left and headed down the street. Wizarding Paris was compact and invisible to the Muggle world-much like Diagon Alley. It consisted of three long streets, the center one, the Main street with all the shops on it. The two surrounding avenues were filled with Wizarding homes. It was truly a perfect Wizarding community. Severus loved living here. He wished he'd grown up in France rather than the UK. Perhaps his life would have been very different had he grown up here.

His Apothecary was only three blocks away. He always walked the distance, enjoying the crisp air and using it to sort his thoughts. He neared the shop and looked at the sign above the door.

Favreau's Apothicaire

A simmering golden cauldron was in the lower right corner… the trademark for the shop.

Severus unlocked the door and stepped into the shop. He needed to restock the Essence of Dittany. He placed his bag underneath the counter and went into the back of the shop. He'd decanted the potion the night before, leaving it to cool overnight. He stoppered, then placed the twenty bottles into a box and took them to the front of the shop. He set them out with the remaining two bottles on a shelf near the front of the store. It was one of his most popular brews.

Meandering to the back again, he placed the box on the table. He started a cauldron up, heating water in it. He needed to make some Murtlap Essence. Once the water was simmering, he added a half cup of honey and poured in a bucket of pickled Murtlap tentacles. Giving it three stirs, he left it to simmer. It would need to simmer for six hours. Setting a timer, he left the brew to do its work and moved back to the front of the store, flipping the sign over to say Open.

He puttered around, taking stock of everything and noting what he'd need to brew next to replenish his stocks. After a while the bell over the door rang and an older gentleman entered.

"Ah, Sébastien! Good to see you," the man greeted in French.

"Mr. LaPointe, a pleasure," Severus replied in impeccable French.

"Do you have my package?"

"I do. Let me fetch it."

He hurried to the back and grabbed a small box wrapped in paper with some twine around it. Moving back to the front of the shop, he handed the parcel to his customer.

"Three vials of Wiggenweld, Two of Draught of Living Death, and three Mandrake Restorative Draught. Oh, and two each of Skin Tonic and Hair Replenisher."

"Thank you, Sébastien. Your products are the best in all of France, and I appreciate you packaging these up for me ahead of my visit today. How much do I owe you?"

"Ten Bezants, please," Severus advised.

The older gentleman reached into a small pouch attached to his waistcoat and fished out several coins. He handed them to Severus and clasped his hands around Severus'.

"Always a pleasure doing business with you, my friend."

"Thank you, Andre."

They chatted for a few minutes. After a while, the older man left the shop, waving to Severus as he departed. Severus smirked after the man and went back to his organizing.

__________
The six hour timeframe was up, and Severus was back at his cauldron. He added lemongrass and gave the brew three stirs clockwise. He left it for five minutes then put in Dandelion heads and Peppermint. He stirred the brew for ten minutes and it was done. He decanted it into vials and left them to cool for placement in the shop tomorrow. Finished with his tasks, he closed up shop and headed out for the day.

He meandered over to the local park and walked around, noting the tall maple trees, their leaves waving in the slight wind. He went over to his favorite bench and sat down. The bench was situated in front of a pond. There were several ducks and swans swimming in the pond. He removed a small bag of waterfowl food from his pocket and threw some out into the pond. The ducks hurried over and began quacking as they scooped up the feed and begged for more. The swans eventually came over as well and began snapping at the ducks.

"Now, now, there's enough for everyone," Severus murmured to the swans as he threw some seed near them. They honked and moved over to where he'd thrown the food. He smirked as all the birds ate, fighting amongst themselves as he threw more out to them.

Finishing up the feed he'd brought, he sat back and watched the ducks closest to him. They turned when all the feed had been snatched up and quacked riotously at him.

"It's all gone, you silly things," he said in disdain.

The ducks eventually swam away, realizing the buffet was over. The swans stayed where they were, a slight distance away from the edge of the pond. Severus watched them for a while, also taking in the children on the distant playground. They laughed and yelled to their friends, making Severus think of his own childhood, laughing on the swings with Lily.

He smiled at the memory.

It had taken him a very long time to be able to smile at the thought of Lily. Once the war ended, he'd felt free but still guilty for what he'd done to induce Voldemort to kill his friend. He struggled for a few years until he had a dream.

He was on the swing set, swinging back and forth. He was about twenty years old in the dream. Suddenly, Lily was swinging next to him.

"Lily!" he cried.

"Hi Sev!" Lily said with a grin.

He skidded to a stop and waited for Lily to stop as well.

"Why did you stop?" Lily asked.

"I… I need to tell you I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I killed you."

She threw her head back and laughed. "You didn't kill me, silly. That was Voldy."

"How can you be so flip?"

"Because I've moved on. I am happy in the beyond, Sev. I mean, I would have rather raised my boy, but I'm happy. And I know what you've done. I know how you sacrificed all your life for me and for Harry. It's time for you to be happy and live your life to its fullest."

"But…"

She held her hand up. "No buts. You've wallowed long enough. I know you're sorry. You can't change the past, so you need to forgive yourself."

He sighed. "I will try."

"Do…" They sat silently for a bit before she spoke again. "I love you, you know."

His head snapped up to hers.

"You do?"

"Yeah, you were my best friend for years. I've always loved you." Her eyebrows furrowed and she frowned. "Not like that, Sev. Get a grip. You know I'm with James."

"Yes, my mortal enemy."

"Sorry about that. But he did change, you know. He was a good father."

"So I heard."

"He was. And a good husband. And I love him with all my heart."

"Jolly good for you."

She chuckled. "See? You don't have to wallow in guilt. You can be mad at me for marrying James-you can move on with your life. You can be… happy."

He gave her a half frown and narrowed his eyes at her. "I will try."

"Good. Now you can't catch me!"

She burst from the swing, quickly followed by Severus.

The dream had dissipated then, but he'd awakened and had felt a peace fall over him that he'd never felt before. Finally, he wasn't plagued with guilt.

He'd actually become content after that, and he still was. He loved his life, and was grateful for it.

His eyes were drawn to a couple walking by and a slight tinge of wistfulness hit him. Meh. He was happy. He didn't need complications like a woman in his life.

__________
Severus was stocking the shelves when the bell over the door tinkled. He turned toward the entrance to greet his customer and was shocked to see someone he knew from his past. Hermione Granger came through the door, rushing in. She stopped short when she saw him standing there. She gasped and her hand came up to her chest.

"Snape?"

Severus' lips thinned. "It's Sébastien… Favreau."

"But you're dead."

"Obviously not," he ground out. His wand was in his hand pointing at her in milliseconds.

"I'll need a wand oath that you will speak of my existence to no one, especially your dunderheaded friends."

Without hesitating, she withdrew her wand as well. Severus lowered his wand slightly.

"You are willing to make a vow?"

She shrugged. "I trust you. And I want answers, which I'm sure you won't give without an oath."

He sighed. "You will want to know everything, won't you?"

She nodded, and he hesitated. "I won't make you take an Unbreakable one."

"Like I said, I trust you."

He sneered. "I am a murderer and a spy."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You were exonerated and your spying saved our world. I trust you."

His lips thinned. "Fine."

"I, Hermione Granger, vow to never speak of your existence or the information that you tell me about surviving the war to another soul."

"I, Sébastien Favreau, also known as Severus Snape, do bind this vow and promise that it will only keep Hermione Granger silent on these things and not harm her in any way."

They pocketed their wands.

"Sébastien Favreau, huh? Nice."

"I'm glad you approve," he said tartly.

She extended her hand. "I appreciate you being willing to speak to me about this and not throwing me out of your shop the instant I entered."

He hesitantly grasped her hand and shook it. "I knew that would be a hopeless endeavor as you would not simply leave without an explanation. Now, why have you come?"

She frowned. "I'm here on vacation. I've got a bit of a queasy stomach and thought I'd come into the local apothecary for a stomach remedy."

Severuss arched his brow. He went over to a nearby shelf and pulled out a vial of an opaque pink potion. He handed it to her.

"On the house."

"I can pay, really."

"A show of my appreciation for your secrecy."

"Okay, thanks. All I want to do right now is curl up in a ball and moan." She unstoppered the vial and downed the potion. She clacked her tongue at the taste. "That's not bad. You should sell these in the UK. The stomach remedy there tastes like vomit."

He smirked. "This is a patented recipe, so I would be the only one who could sell it."

"Well, I'm sure you could make a fortune if you chose to do so."

He lifted another vial of the potion and looked at it. Twisting it back and forth as he viewed it. "I have contemplated doing so. My name, as you can imagine, is unknown in the UK, but I cannot risk the possibility, no matter how slim, that I am found out."

She nodded. "That makes sense. Now how did you survive? When I last saw you, you appeared to be dead, and there was so much blood surrounding you, none of us thought that it would have been possible that you survived. We… We buried your body. We had a funeral." She closed her eyes. "That was a dark time."

"Twenty-two years ago," he mused absently.

She turned and looked into his eyes. "I don't understand. There was a body."

"A golem."

"But you were so weak. Even if you did survive, I can't see you having the strength to create a golem."

"That's because you don't know how I survived."

"Do tell."

"Fawkes. He must have come soon after you and your friends left. I don't know how he knew, but from what I can determine, he cried into my snakebite and somehow got a tear down my throat. Miraculous things, Phoenix tears."

Hermione put her hand to her mouth. "Well, I'm so glad he saved you! I've often felt it was unfair that you died without being able to have some freedom."

"Oh, come now, you haven't given me a thought since that day, I can almost guarantee it," he huffed.

She stiffened. "Well, you'd be wrong. I thought about you a lot that first year. I hated that after all you did to help us win, you couldn't reap the rewards of your sacrifices. After that, I always remembered you on the anniversary of the battle."

"Hmm, surprising. I thought you hated me, Granger."

"I never hated you, even when I thought you were a murderer. I can't say I liked you very much, though."

He smirked at her. "Thank you for being truthful. I despise it when people try to smooth over reality. We all lived it. I'm aware of your feelings."

"And I'm aware of yours," she said as she tilted her head slightly and looked at him.

His eyes roved over her person. "You seem to be more tolerable in your adulthood."

"So do you."

He chuckled at that. "You'd be amazed at what freedom can do for a person."

"I can only imagine." She looked around the shop. "This place is lovely. Why did you choose Paris?"

"I'd been here several times and liked the Wizarding city. It's far enough away that nobody knows who Severus Snape was, and would never connect Sebastian Favreau to him. And the UK could care less about what happens here."

"Did you come here immediately?"

He motioned for her to take a seat behind the counter. There was a chair there for her, and he transfigured an empty vial into one for himself.

"I actually had an illegal Portkey with me at all times. Had I been able to relay my message to Potter before the Dark Lord struck me down, I would have told him and used it right then. I knew what my fate would be had I stuck around."

"I suppose it was better that we thought you dead. I'm sure there would have been a huge manhunt if you'd just up and disappeared."

Severus nodded and they both were silent for a bit, absorbed in their own horrific memories of the war.

"Even with Fawkes healing you, you must have been weak for a while," Hermione mused after a bit.

"I was. I actually believe I was in the Shack for a long time while the phoenix tears healed me. I was unconscious for much of it, I know. When I finally regained consciousness, I was able to move around. I cleaned myself up and used some of my blood to craft a double. It was fairly easy to imitate a dead man. I doubt anyone even gave it a second thought that I could have replaced myself and escaped."

"It was so crazy then. There were so many dead and injured. I think the dead were quickly sorted into caskets and their funerals were set back to back."

"I heard Lupin was killed."

"Yes, poor Teddy was left an orphan. Andromeda raised him, but he's considered a second son to Harry."

Severus nodded. "Once I felt able to use the Portkey, I did. It was a trying trip, and I fell unconscious upon arriving here. I have a small cabin in the hills on the outskirts of the city. I had it stocked in case I needed to flee. After I appeared there and regained consciousness, I made my way to my bed, where I slept for days, getting my strength back. It took a couple of weeks to fully feel myself again. Once I was better, I continued to stay hidden, Polyjuicing myself to resupply my cabin. After about a year, I gave up the Polyjuice and found I wasn't recognized or given any mind as I walked around town. That's when I sought out a storefront. This locale was available, and I opened my shop about two months later."

Hermione shook her head. "Remarkable. I'm so happy that you survived, sir. You seem… content."

He arched a brow. "You may call me Sébastien, and I am content. I love the peace that living in France brings."

Hermione smiled at him. They stared at each other for a moment. "Well, you've been incredibly accommodating to me. I should be going."

He nodded slightly to her. She rose and headed for the door. She hesitated before leaving. Turning back to him, she bit her lower lip.

"Would you like to go to dinner tonight after you close up the shop? I find eating by myself to sometimes be a bit lonely."

He arched a brow at her, surprised at her boldness. "That would be acceptable," he said finally.

She smiled then. "Great. When shall I meet you?"

"Are you in the Hotel du Sorcellerie?"

She nodded.

"I will come by at six thirty and meet you in the lobby."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

She turned and left. He stared after her, wondering what the hell had made him accept her invitation. Perhaps he was lonelier than he was willing to admit.

__________
Severus stood in front of the mirror, messing with his hair. He'd come home after closing the shop and showered, using a drying charm on his wet hair. Now it was staticky and sticking to his face. He usually let his hair dry naturally, so this effect had been unexpected. He frowned at himself.

"Well, you look like an idiot."

He waved his wand over his head and his hair was pulled back behind him in a tail. He frowned even deeper. Pulling his hair back from his face exposed all of the angles and severity of him. He hated it, so with a flick, his hair fell back into its straight sheets and stuck to his face again. He rolled his eyes and opened up his cabinet, pulling out a black jar and opening it up. Inside was a cream-like substance. He scooped a small amount out of the jar, rubbed it between his hands, and spread it lightly over his hair. That did the trick, returning his straight locks back to the sides of his face instead of across his cheeks.

He didn't even know why he cared. They were just two acquaintances meeting for dinner. It wasn't anything like a date. Was it?

He thought and thought about that. Perhaps it was. That's usually what you labeled it when two people met for dinner.

Nonsense.

Still, he wanted to look decent. He eyed his robes and straightened them out a little, brushing some lint off the shoulder. There. He was as good as he was going to get. Spinning around, he Apparated directly into the hotel's lobby. He saw a woman with curly hair like Granger's sitting with her back to him. He moved up to her and was taken aback at how lovely this young woman was. She had on a flowing dark blue wispy dress with light blue flowers on it. He was struck by how beautiful she looked.

"Hermione."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Hi Sev… I mean, Sébastien. You look quite handsome." She stood, and he offered his arm to her, wanting to scoff at her comment, but refraining.

"Thank you. You look very lovely."

"Thank you!" She beamed at him.

"Where are we headed?" he asked.

"Well, you know this area better than I. Do you have any suggestions?"

"There's actually a very nice restaurant just down the street. They have the best cuisine in the entire city. Would you like to go there?"

Smiling, she nodded.

"Excellent."

He led her out of the hotel and they strolled down the street arm in arm. They chatted a little as they walked to the restaurant.

"Do you like running your shop?"

He nodded. "Yes, I do. I like the relaxed atmosphere. I like being able to do what I want, sell what I want, and sell to who I want."

"Sounds heavenly, actually."

"What do you do?"

"I work as an Unspeakable."

They had reached the restaurant, and they halted their conversation as they entered and were seated and handed menus. Hermione looked at Severus.

"What do you suggest?"

"Anything here is good, but I especially like the Bouillabaisse and the Beef Bourguignon."

"Hmm, they both sound lovely."

"How about this, get the one that appeals to you most and I'll get the other and you can have a taste."

She smiled at him. "All right. I'll get the Bouillabaisse."

"Lovely, I was leaning toward the Bourguignon myself."

At that point the garçon came to take their order. Severus ordered in flawless French. He looked over at Hermione.

"Do you trust me?"

"Implicitly," she replied.

"L'Escargot, s'il vous plait."

The waiter nodded and disappeared from the table.

"You ordered us snails?"

"Have you had them?"

"No, but… ew."

He leaned in to her. "Don't knock them until you've tried them. They're surprisingly delicious."

"Hmm."

"You'll try them, won't you? They're too rich for me to eat the entire plate myself."

She pursed her lips, but finally nodded. "All right."

"So, you were telling me about your work at the Ministry."

"Well, I can't say much about my position, but I do enjoy working there. Kingsley has fought hard for reform. I work to help improve the laws for everyone in an Unspeakable way, which we'll have to leave at that, as I can't really say more."

"I wouldn't have minded being an Unspeakable myself, but… well, you know how that ended up."

She chuckled. "You saved us all, so I appreciate what you did."

He huffed and looked down at the table.

"I meant that in the best way."

"I know, I just…" His eyes strayed back up to her. "I don't like to think of that time, or what happened then."

"Okay, then let's not talk about it. What's your most popular item in the Apothecary?"

He rolled his eyes. "Skin softener."

Hermione gave a quick laugh. "You're kidding me."

"I wish I were. I can barely keep it in stock." He gave a small laugh and shook his head.

"Well, remind me to grab some before I head back home."

"How long are you here for?"

"Two weeks. I leave a week from friday."

"What brings you to Paris?"

"I needed some time away. I have always loved Paris. I used to vacation here with my parents when I was younger. I thought it would be a nice change from the UK and all its nastiness."

He gave her a curious look, letting her decide how far to discuss why she'd escaped Wizarding Britain.

Hermione's lips thinned. "You probably know from The Prophet that I divorced Ron about a year ago."

He nodded. "I'm sorry it didn't work out."

She huffed. "I'm not. I should have never married him. We were always bickering."

"I do seem to remember that from your Hogwarts days. If I were to be fully forthcoming, I was surprised that you two ended up together."

"Yes, I wish I had realized that before marrying him." She sat back and folded her arms. "Everyone said we belonged together, you know? And that was what I had wanted as a young girl. So we married. Those first years were actually good, but as time went on, we bickered more, and it just became obvious that what we had in common in school: the war-wasn't enough to make a relationship work. By then we had Rose, and I was expecting Hugo." She sighed. "We stayed together for them. But things just got worse and worse. I finally decided I couldn't take it anymore and asked to be divorced. And that's when everything went to shite."

"I'm sorry. Divorce can be very difficult, but sometimes it's for the best."

"I agree with you. Wholeheartedly, but if you ask any of the Weasleys, I'm the devil incarnate."

Severus frowned. "Molly can be a harridan when she wants to be."

Hermione sighed. "That's for sure."

Their escargot arrived and Hermione eyed it warily. "Severus, I'm really not sure about this."

He reached out and took one of the little forks and scooped out an escargot.

"You said you trusted me," he said as he popped it in his mouth.

Her eyes narrowed at him. "Yes, but your Slytherin cunning tricked me."

He smirked at her and shrugged. 'Just try it."

She reached out and picked up the mini-fork. She held it over the escargot, letting it hover as she eyed the slimy looking curl of snail. Finally, she plunged the fork into it. She quickly closed her eyes and popped it into her mouth. Chewing slightly, her eyes slowly opened.

"Okay, those are good," she admitted. Finishing the one in her mouth, she fished out another one and ate it.

"Told you," Severus said smugly.

She shook her head at him and grinned. "Incorrigible."

"Hmm, probably correct."

They were quiet as the entire plate of snails quickly disappeared. Hermione sat back when she was finished.

"Anyway, getting back to my tale of woe… The divorce was… tense…. Because we have children, we still need to communicate. We keep a united front for the kids. We both actually saw them off to Hogwarts right before I came here."

"I admire you for making the effort to make your children feel secure even though you're not with Weasley anymore."

She sighed. "Yes, but we're at war any other time. He's constantly harping on my parenting, and to be honest, I do the same with him. It's stressful and somewhat depressing. I just needed a break, you know?"

"I do. Living in Britain was not an option for me because I knew all the horrible things that I would have to endure if I went back. I mean, it's not the same, I know, but I understand you wanting to escape."

She gave him a wan smile. "Thank you for understanding. I told Harry I needed a break, and he just told me I was being childish."

Severus snorted. "This coming from the Boy Wonder himself! Did you tell him to look in the mirror?"

Hermione laughed. "No, that wouldn't have gone over well. Besides, he's not that bad."

"I'll take your word for it."

__________
Severus sat at his table eating a slice of toast and some eggs for breakfast. His eyes strayed across the table to the empty chair and this morning, instead of imagining a mystery woman, he imagined Hermione Granger sitting there. Frowning he mentally chastised himself.

They'd shared a dinner. An enjoyable dinner, but only one single dinner. He was being illogical and, quite frankly, ridiculous, to think that anything would come of that dinner.

Still, he'd been surprised at how enjoyable their evening had been. After dinner, they'd walked down Main Street and did some window shopping before heading back to the hotel. They'd said their goodnights, and he'd headed back home. She'd filled his thoughts and dreams since.

"She'll be gone in less than two weeks, and I doubt she'll grace my shop again in that time," he ground out to himself. Crumpling his napkin, he threw it on his plate in annoyance. He was being foolish.

He cast Hermione Granger from his mind, rose, flicked his wand to send the dishes to the sink, and got ready for work.

__________
He had spent most of his morning in the back, brewing, only coming out front when someone came into the shop, then hurrying back to his cauldron. He finished stirring the Draught of Peace he had been working on and placed the stirrer down on the table. He went over to his supply area and took a towel, wiping his face. It had gotten quite hot in the back room as he'd worked. He waved his wand and set a cooling charm over the room now that the potion was finished.

His stomach growled, and he realized he'd worked all the way to lunch. Perhaps he'd shut the shop for a few minutes and pick up something to eat. He'd forgotten to pack anything when he left that morning because his mind was 'elsewhere.'

The bell on the door rang, and he meandered up front to see how he could help whomever had just entered. He was surprised to see Hermione heading back toward him.

"Hi," she greeted.

"Hi."

She smiled shyly at him. "I brought us some lunch. I hope I'm not being presumptuous."

"No, I was just thinking about getting something. Thank you," Severus said. "Let's go in the back. I've got a small table back there." He took a deep breath. "That smells divine. What is it?"

"Croque Monsieurs." She leaned in toward him and gave him a saucy look. "They're my favorite."

He smirked at her as he led her to the table in the back. They sat, and he had a fleeting picture in his mind of them at his breakfast table. He shook his head quickly to chase it off and unwrapped his sandwich. Picking up half the sandwich, he arched a brow at the cheese as it stretched from the other half of the sandwich. Taking a bite, he nodded to Hermione that it was good.

"This is delicious. Where did you get it?"

"The hotel restaurant, of all places," Hermione said with a laugh.

"I'll have to remember that." He took another bite. "So, why aren't you sightseeing?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'm going to the Eiffel tower later this afternoon. I just enjoyed the pool area this morning, and I thought you might like some company for lunch." She smiled shyly then.

He nodded. "I appreciate you thinking of me."

They were silent for a few minutes as they ate.

"How about I pay you back for lunch by making you dinner. I make a very good Coq au Vin."

She arched a brow at him. "That sounds lovely."

Let's say six p.m. at my home?"

She grinned and nodded.

__________
They'd spent every lunch and dinner together after that. It had been five nights since she'd wandered into his shop, and this evening they had grabbed a quick dinner and caught the latest French cinema. They were now walking back to her hotel.

"I was surprised I understood as much of that as I did," Hermione admitted.

"Your French is excellent. I didn't think you would have any issues, and it sounds like you didn't."

"No, there were only a couple of places where I wasn't sure what was being said."

"Did you enjoy the movie?"

"Yes! It was fun. Very much like a James Bond flick."

"Yes. I liked it too."

They had arrived at Hermione's hotel. She turned to him with a smile, about to say goodbye.

"Thank you for a lovely evening."

He bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for accompanying me."

Severus stared down at Hermione. The last few days had been blissful, and he'd come to care for her quite a bit. A sudden urge to kiss her came over him. Studying her, he thought she might be amenable. He took a step closer to her and his hands came up and grasped her arms. He slowly moved down, giving her ample time to back away if she didn't want his kisses.

She reached up and pulled his head down, making it absolutely certain that she wanted him to kiss her. He closed the little distance left between them and pressed his lips to hers. She opened almost immediately, and his tongue entered her mouth. He was enraptured with her. Her hand came up, and she ran her fingers through his hair as they continued to enjoy one another.

Slowly, they pulled apart, and Severus smiled down at her.

"Stay with me tonight, Severus."

He was a bit shocked, but so very eager. "You really want me to?"

She blushed and nodded. "I can't get you out of my head."

"You've captured my thoughts as well. Are you sure, though."

"Please?"

His heart swelled with affection for her as he pulled her to him and hugged her tightly.

"I would love to."

She hugged him back. Pulling away, she grasped his hand.

"Come on," she urged.

He smirked at her, kissed her cheek, and followed her into the hotel and up to her room where they spent the night showing each other how much they cared for one another.
Almost week had passed, and they'd spent every single night together, either at the hotel or at his home. It had been blissful, with both of them reveling in each other's company.

Severus opened his eyes and looked over at Hermione sleeping peacefully. His heart constricted within him. She was due to leave in two days, and he honestly didn't know how he'd survive without her. She'd made him feel complete and… happier than he'd ever been.

She must have sensed him studying her because her eyes slowly opened, and she smiled at him.

"Good morning," she murmured.

"Good morning."

He leaned in and kissed her lovingly. She grinned again as she pulled back.

"What shall we do today?"

"Well, as it's Friday, I will need to be at the store."

"I know, I mean afterward."

He pulled her to him and hugged her, his chin on her head. "I don't know. All I can think of is that you will be leaving in two days."

She sagged into him. "I know. I'm gutted. This has been such a wonderful time with you."

"Hermione…"

She pulled her head back and looked at him. "What is it?"

He grimaced and turned away from her. She lifted herself up onto her elbow.

"Severus, look at me. Tell me what's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong," he said without turning. "Except that you'll be gone soon."

"Then why are you withdrawing from me?"

"Because, what I want to say to you is mad, and I know you will laugh at me for being so soppy."

"I would never laugh at you like that."

He turned back to her and gave a shy smile. He reached out and cupped her face.

"I know it's only been a little over a week, but I am falling in love with you."

Hermione reached up and cupped her hand around his. "I feel it too. I'm falling in love with you."

"Truly?"

She nodded. His lips were on hers immediately. He begged entrance, and when she opened, he plundered her mouth, expressing just how much he loved her. They were soon naked-a silent spell from Severus. He lifted Hermione's hands above her head and worshiped her breasts. She leaned up into him and moaned.

Releasing her hands, he moved down and kissed her belly button before moving lower and kissing her mons. Moving her legs apart, he leaned down and lathed her, making her gasp.

"Oh, more," she moaned.

His tongue did his magic, making her writhe beneath him. He moved in an infinity pattern as she groaned, tilting her head back. After a bit, her legs wrapped around his head, and he lost the ability to breathe as she smashed herself into his face. She cried out as she came and her legs slacked a bit soon after. Severus pulled back so he could breathe again.

He looked up at her and saw her craning her neck to see him. She grinned at him. "That was phenomenal," she groaned out.

He smirked at her. "Get on your knees."

Her sly smirk met his as she scurried around to get into position. Wiggling slightly and making him groan, he moved up behind her, lightly smacking her arse. He moved in and licked her once, causing her to go weak and almost fall down onto the bed.

"Now, now, stay put, love."

Severus knelt behind her, fingering her slightly.

"Are you ready for me?"

Her moan was answer enough for him. Placing his cock at her entrance, he rubbed her up and down for a bit before entering her and crying out. He moved in and out, feeling how wet she was. He groaned as he pushed into her again.

Finding a rhythm, they moved together until they both climaxed. Hermione stiffened as she slammed back into Severus, crying out and grinding herself into him. Severus buried himself in her and moaned her name at his release. They stayed that way for a bit before they finally collapsed onto the bed.

"God, I love you," he said as he moved to her side and pulled her close.

"I love you, too."

__________
Two days passed like lightning and Hermione was with Severus for the last time. His heart filled with grief as he beheld her in front of him. He pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "I'm going to miss you."

"I can't believe I have to leave. It's gone by so quickly."

"I wish you could stay."

"I can't. I have commitments back home. But I'll come to visit-a lot."

"I will hold you to that."

She pulled back. "You'll write?"

He nodded.

"Good. So will I. It will be like we never parted."

"Sure it will."

She gave him a sad smile. "I know. I wish I could stay too. Hopefully, time will go quickly until I can return."

"I will not be complete without you."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she leaned up and kissed him.

"I love you," she said breathlessly.

"I love you too."

She rested her head on his chest. "When I came to France, I could have never known how happy I would be because I found you."

He squeezed her, his eyes closing as he held her. After a while he pulled back and frowned at her. "You should go."

She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I don't want to go," she whispered.

"Your Portkey will disappear without you if you don't go now."

She moved away from him, holding his hand and not releasing him until the last second. Backing away, her eyes never strayed from his as she moved to the table and picked up the bent corkscrew. In a flash, she'd disappeared.

Severus looked at the empty space where she'd just been. He sighed as he felt empty for the first time since he'd made his way here twenty two years before. He missed her already. How would he go on with her so far away?

His frown grew deeper. He had no desire to run the shop today. He went over to the entry, flipped the sign to closed, and left the shop, locking the door behind him. He spent the rest of the day holed up in his house with the curtains drawn, staring into the fire with a magically refilling glass of Firewhiskey in hand.

__________
The days dragged on after her departure. Everything seemed quieter, lonelier... emptier. He sat at his table eating breakfast and imagined Hermione sitting across from him, but the chair was empty, and she was gone. His eyebrows knit together as he stared at the empty chair. He was being maudlin, but he didn't know how to feel better. He missed her, and nothing would change that.

It had been two weeks. The same amount of time they'd spent together, but these two weeks seemed like an eternity. Grabbing a parchment, he wrote her a short note. She'd written a couple days ago, and he'd put off answering her because it just made him miss her more, but he wanted to respond.

Dearest,

I miss you. I was happy to get your letter, though. It put the first smile on my face since you left. Everything is going well with the shop. I am creating some special concoctions for the holiday season. I want them to be available by November, so I need to work through them now.

I hope your children are doing well at school.

Yours

My love,

I smiled when I got your letter. The children report that Hogwarts is amazing. I hope every day that they don't get into trouble like their parents did as students.

Work is horrendous. Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I am angry that it keeps me from you.

I miss you.

Yours

Hermione, my love,

I am angry at your job as well. I wish it were here in Paris. I have even entertained coming for a visit, but that would involve Polyjuice and so much planning and spywork. When can you come back here?

Yours

Severus, dearest,

I can't get away for a while, but I think about escaping every day. I hope to be able to come out soon, but I'm not sure when. Right now I'm finishing up a project. I'm hoping once it's over, I'll have time to come to Paris. I want your arms around me and your lips on mine.

I love you

Dearest,

Make it soon.

Yours

__________
Six weeks had passed. Severus moped around the shop. Today was a hard one. It was the 'anniversary' of the day Hermione walked into his shop. He yearned to see her again. Perhaps Polyjuicing himself and heading out to London was the answer. Who would know it was him, really? He'd been 'dead' for over twenty years.

Maybe he would see the travel wizard about Portkeys abroad.

The entry bell rang, and he turned to greet his customer. He froze as he recognized the woman who had just entered. Once he'd come to his senses, he rushed to her and threw his arms around her, his lips descending upon hers as he kissed her senseless.

"Hermione," he murmured between kisses.

"Gods, I've missed you," she gasped as he showered her with affection.

He pulled her head to him and cradled her to his chest. "How are you here? You didn't say anything in your last letter."

"I wanted to surprise you," she said into his cloak.

"You certainly did."

Her arms went around him, and she held him tightly to her. "It's so good to see you."

"How long can you stay?"

She pulled away and smiled at him. "Well, we have to talk about that."

He arched a questioning brow at her.

"Come on," she said as she grasped his hand and started to lead him to the back room. "Let's sit in the back and discuss."

"Discuss what?" he asked, somewhat testily.

She didn't say anything until they were seated across from each other at the small round table in the back of his workroom. She extended her hand, and he grasped it, giving it a squeeze.

"Talk to me," he said with concern.

"Sooo… I've been busy these last few weeks. As I told you, I was finishing up a project at work. What I didn't tell you was that it was my last project with the Ministry."

"Wait, what?"

She smiled at him. "When I was here before, I met with the head of the French Ministry. I suggested that a Ministry Liason from the UK might be a good idea so that we can work together to make the International Wizarding World a better place. She thought it was an excellent idea. I discussed it with Kingsley, and he gave me the job." She blushed. "I start on Monday."

Severus was shell shocked in the best way. "So, you're moving here?"

She nodded.

"Where will you live?"

She shrugged. "I suppose I need to find a-"

"Live with me."

She searched his face. "Are you sure? I didn't want to come here and push myself on you like that."

"Hermione, we belong together. Move in with me."

She grinned and nodded. "All right."

Severus grinned back. "How can you move here? What about your children?"

"Well, they're at Hogwarts most of the year. I talked it over with Ron before I made any decisions. He was surprisingly supportive. Perhaps he likes the idea of me being far, far away. We share custody when the kids are home. I'll have them for one week of Christmas break, one week of Easter hols, and all of July. He'll have them for the rest of the time. He was fine with the thought of them being with me here in Paris. He said it would be a good experience for them to see another country." She hesitated. "I'll just stay in a hotel when they're here. I don't want to put you out."

He squeezed her hand. "I have the room for them. They can stay with us. There's the extra bedroom, and one of them can stay in the lab. We can put a bed down there for when they're visiting."

"Severus…" She bit her lower lip. "I am perfectly fine with us living together, but I can't in good conscience, ask you to take in my children."

"Hermione."

She stopped talking and looked at him.

"I understand that being with you means that your children are a part of that. I want to get to know them."

"You do?"

"Yes, love, I do."

"Okay." She bit her lower lip again. "If you're okay with them staying with us, that's good. But if after the Christmas Hols, you hate having them in your house, we'll book a hotel after that. Fair?"

He nodded. "I don't think there will be a problem."

"You've never lived with teenagers."

He arched a brow. "Yes, but I've taught thousands of them and been a Head of House. I think I can handle two youths. I do have one requirement."

"Name it."

"They will need to take an oath not to divulge that Sébastien Favreau is Severus Snape. I assume your ex will never come here to visit, right? So he never needs to know who I truly am, and I don't want anyone else in the UK to either."

"They're savvy kids. They'll keep their mouths shut. They can take the same oath I did. I'm sure they'll be fine with it once they figure out who you are."

He gave her a quick nod. "Good."

She squeezed his hand. "I love you, you know that?"

He grinned. "Thank Merlin, because I love you, too."

She leaned over the table and kissed him passionately. "I'm so happy to be here with you."

__________
Hugo burst into Hermione and Severus' bedroom.

"Mum, Sébastien, wake up! You gotta come see!"

Hermione cracked her eye open and stared at her son. Severus lifted his head slightly so he, too, could see the young man who was so adamant to get them up.

"Merlin, what time is it?" Severus ground out.

"It's six thirty. On Christmas. It's way too late for you two to be snoozing. Get up!"

"Hugo," Hermione muttered. "Couldn't you have waited at least a half hour?"

"No! There's a ton of presents under the tree, and I want to open them!"

Hermione sighed. She turned and looked at Severus. He gave a slight nod. She turned back to her son.

"Is Rose up?"

"She's downstairs. She told me to wait until you guys woke up, but where's the fun in that?" he demanded with a shrug.

"Hugo, you are your father's son," Severus muttered.

Hugo missed the sarcasm and straightened up in pride. "Thanks!"

Severus shook his head slightly. "Go back downstairs. Your mother and I will be down in a few minutes, all right?"

"Yeah! Hurry! There's lots to unwrap!"

He ran out of the room. Hermione turned toward Severus and hugged him. "Thank you for being patient with him. This is his favorite holiday, and he always wakes us up early."

"It's fine. Just so he lets us sleep in tomorrow."

Hermione chuckled. "I'll be sure to relay that message to him."

"Happy Christmas," Severus said, kissing the top of her head.

"Happy Christmas." She leaned back and gave him a concerned look. "You are happy, right?"

"How can you ask that? You are here in my arms, the house is buzzing with activity, and for the first time in my life, I have people who truly care for me here with me during the holidays."

"The kids aren't too much?"

He chuckled. "Hugo is a bit… high-strung… but I find I enjoy both of them. Now, you don't have to fret anymore about my reaction to them. I'm happy to have them share our home."

She kissed him lovingly. "You're amazing."

"Thank you. I can say I feel the same way about you, love."

He leaned in and kissed her, but they were rudely interrupted by both Hugo and Rose yelling up to them.

"Come down, Mum!"

"Sébastien, come on!"

"At least he's calling you the proper name," Hermione mused.

"Took him long enough."

"Well, they've only been here five days."

"Rose has never slipped once," Severus remarked.

"Their faces when they saw you!" Hermione said with a laugh.

The children had Portkeyed to the International terminal. Hermione had met them and made them take the vow before Apparating them to Severus' home.

"Now, Sébastien is someone you actually know already. You'll recognize him right away from pictures you've seen of him. He doesn't want anyone to know who he truly is, so he's asked me to take a vow not to tell anyone. He released me from the vow where you two are concerned, but he would like you to take this vow as well."

"Who is he, mum?" Rose asked.

"You'll see when we get to his house, okay? Will you both vow not to reveal his true identity to anyone?"

They both nodded.

"Pull out your wands."

She crossed hers with theirs, and made the vow. They all holstered their wands, and she took each of them by the arm and spun them around. They appeared in Severus' sitting room, looking around excitedly to find out who exactly he was.

Severus emerged from the kitchen. "Bienvenue chez moi," he greeted.

Rose gave up a tiny squeak when she saw him, and Hugo's mouth dropped open.

"Holy cow, you're Severus Snape!" he cried once he'd closed his mouth and gotten his bearings.

"But you're dead!" Rose cried.

"Yes, your mother has been dating a ghost these last few months. I'm just more solid than most."

"But how?" Rose asked in wonder.

"Awesome…" Hugo muttered.

Severus smirked at the memory. "It was almost like being in the classroom intimidating students, but they were excited instead of horrified."

"They liked you right from the start."

"Surprising."

She came up to him from behind and slipped her arms around him. "Not really. You're pretty amazing, like I said before."

He turned in her arms and kissed her. "We'd better get going or their opinion of me is going to crash."

She grabbed his hand. "Come on, you."

They headed down the stairs.

"Oy, finally!" Hugo cried.

"What were you two doing up there?" Rose asked with an arched brow.

"We were getting dressed," Hermione told them.

"Couldn't you have used magic or something?" Rose demanded.

"We did," Severus replied drolly. "I was just wishing your mother a Happy Christmas."

"Ew, you were kissing, right?" Hugo asked.

Severus nodded, and Hugo made a puking sound.

"We've been waiting all morning and you two took forever!" Rose nagged.

"Rose! Calm down. Five minutes isn't going to spoil Christmas."

"That's what you think!" the young girl protested.

Hermione folded her arms in front of her and gave her daughter a withering look. "Young lady…" was all she had to say.

"Sorry, mum."

Severus leaned in and whispered in Hermione's ear. "She's just like you were at that age, harping at everyone."

Hermione blushed and glanced at him. she finally nodded in agreement. Turning, she smiled at Rose. "Happy Christmas, love."

She went over as Rose stood and hugged her tightly. She moved over to Hugo and held him tightly too. Kissing the top of his head, she let him go.

"Mu-um!"

"Now Hugo, you'll always be my boy, no matter how old you are, and I'm always going to want to give you hugs."

His cheeks turned beet red, and he looked away from her. Severus ambled over to him. "Mums," he muttered to him. "They give great hugs, but sometimes they have no tact, right?"

Hugo gave him a grateful smile that he wasn't laughing at him.

Severus looked over at the tree. "Looks like Santa Claus brought a ton of presents."

"Oh, Sébastien, we know about Santa," Rose advised.

"What is it you think you know?"

"That he's not real, of course."

"So, you think that your mother and I just piled those presents up under the tree while you were asleep?"

Both Hugo and Rose nodded their heads. Severus turned and gave Hermione an incredulous look.

"I'm not sure how we could have done all of this without them hearing. It's impossible. I guess we can let them think what they want, though, right Hermione?"

"Silencing charms," Rose replied matter-of-factly.

"Dad explained it all to us," Hugo added.

Severus arched a brow at them. "Well, your father is unaware of the magic of Christmas here in France. Père Noël still exists here, and he certainly knows how to use a chimney."

Hugo and Rose looked at each other with puzzled looks as Severus turned away and smirked. "All right, who wants to pass out the first gift…"

__________
Hermione fiddled with Hugo's collar. "This has been entirely too short a time with you both," she said, blinking back tears.

"Mum."

Hermione cupped his cheek. "Just let me fuss over you for a bit. You're going to be gone at school for months."

"Fine."

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I love you, son. Enjoy the rest of your year and don't get into trouble."

"Sure thing, Mum."

She turned to Rose and pulled her close.

"Oh, you're such a young lady. What happened to my little girl who couldn't match her socks?"

"I love you, Mum," Rose said as she hugged her mother tightly. "We'll be back bothering you before you know it."

Hermione sighed. "That's true."

"I knew it! You can't wait to see us gone!" Hugo cried.

"That's not true. I miss you both terribly when you're away."

"So, you up and moved to France?" Hugo challenged.

She glanced at Severus. "You know why I couldn't be with Sébastien in the UK. And we're only a Portkey away."

"We know, Mum," Rose said. She meandered over to Severus and to his surprise, gave him a great big hug.

"We'll miss you, too, Sébastien."

Hugo looked over at Severus and gave him a sharp nod. "Yeah, you're okay."

"Thank you, Hugo. I'm elated at your approval."

Hugo grinned at him. "Yeah, you'll do for Mum. We can see how happy she is with you."

Severus released Rose and bowed his head in acknowledgement to Hugo. Hermione gave them both another quick hug before handing them the Portkey-a bent cola can.

"Safe travels," she said.

"Study hard," Severus added.

"Bye!" Rose and Hugo said in unison before popping out of existence.

Severus pulled Hermione to him and kissed the top of her head.

"For Weasleys, they're very good kids."

"You are incorrigible," Hermione murmured as she wrapped her arms around him. "This has been a lovely week with them."

"I agree. To be honest, I am looking forward to their return… many months from now." He smirked at her as she batted his chest.

"You are incredibly lucky that I love you so much, or I wouldn't put up with your lip."

He leaned in and kissed her lovingly. "Yes, I am very, very fortunate that you wandered into my shop all those months ago. I was content before, but I never imagined how happy I could be until you came into my life."

When he pulled back, she smiled lovingly at him. Taking his hand, she tugged him along after her. "Shall we celebrate our newfound empty nest?" she asked.

"Oh, yes. I want to show you exactly how much you mean to me."