The Favor

Ommisions

Hermione would have her final potions exam in two days. She had been studying hard and Severus was an immense help over the last few weeks. The pair had spent every night together since the first night they slept together. Thoughts of defining what was going on between them crept into Hermione's mind every now and then but she was mostly preoccupied with two things. Her studies and sex with Severus. If it was not one it was the other.

Hermione finished up in the library that evening and went to Severus' chambers. She knew he had detention after class that would make him late. She desperately wanted to do something nice for Severus. He'd helped her with preparing for her exams and made sure she ate, she was prone to skipping meals when deep in her studies. There were also sweet gestures like leaving her wildflowers on her night table or marking passages in books he thought she'd find interesting.

Hermione had found a very old collectible book at Flourish and Blotts Bookseller that she knew Severus would love. It was about the ancient order of Smaragaid Witches. Severus was a bit of a history buff and felt there was often things that could be learned and applied to modern days. Wrapping the book in plain brown paper and string, she put a few sprigs of dried lavender she'd kept from one of the bouquets he'd given her under the string. Hermione cleaned his chambers, put fresh sheets on the bed, and had his favorite Guinness stew sent down for dinner.

It was almost an hour past the time he should have been done when he barreled through his chamber doors. His robes billowed behind him as he headed straight to the fireside chair. He sat down in a great huff and aggressively unbuttoned the collar of his frock coat. Hermione hadn't seen him like that in a long time. Weasleys were usually behind this sort of irritation but since the last of what Snape called 'the red headed horrors' had graduated she was curious who was behind this.

"Severus?" Hermione went over and sat on the floor in front of him resting her arm and chin on his knee. "What's happened?" Severus picked up one of her rogue curls and played with it. He clinched his jaw and frowned. He didn't answer immediately.

"It's Minerva." He furrowed his brow.

Hermione raised her chin. "Minerva?" That was not at all what she was expecting to hear. "Is she okay?" She questioned with a worried tone.

"She's retiring." He paused. "I'm to be the new Headmaster."

"And you're angry about this?"

"It's just very bad timing." He was clearly irritated.

"But Severus, this would be a good thing would it not?"

"That's not it."

"What then? Why are you so upset?" Hermione climbed up into his lap.

Severus was silent. He just held her in his lap with one arm around her waist and one hand on Hermione's thigh. He made circles on her thigh with his fingers. She'd learned he did this to comfort her. Maybe it comforted him as well.

"Can you say no? Maybe Flitwick would take the position."

"I've said yes."

"I don't understand. If you don't want it why did you say yes?"

"I'm going to say something that you may not want to hear."

Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "Okay."

"I told you I was not a relationship person. You're the only person I can stand to be around for a long period of time."

She wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not.

"No." He corrected himself. "You're the only person I want to be around and there's never a time I don't want you next to me."

"I like being with you too."