Continuous Affair

Before The Funeral

Hermione stood a black dress looking around the empty church. She moved a few vases of flowers around to ensure that it looked exactly like her father would have wanted.

It was an unusually cold day and the leaves were falling off the trees at a rapid rate. Hermione picked her shawl off the front pew and wrapped it around her shoulders as she sat down. The wind was coming in through the open door on the side and Hermione closed her eyes as it hit her face.

She couldn't believe she was here. Making the final adjustments to her fathers funeral. She wasn't supposed to be here. Her father was still somewhat young. He was supposed to be there to see his grandchildren and take care of them when Hermione and Severus couldn't stand them anymore. He was supposed to be there.

Hermione felt empty as she rose to her feet again and turned to exit the church where Severus was waiting outside. He opened the car door for her and she sat down without a word. Once Severus had gotten in as well, they sat in silence. She felt his warm hand cover hers and she took in a deep breathe but continued to stare forward.

The ride back to her parents house was a heavy one. Cars were beginning to pile up in the driveway and along the street. Hermione's mother was inside accepting condolences and occasionally slipping off the the "bathroom".

As Hermione entered the house, several people she hardly recognized rushed up to her and embraced her tightly offering their sorrows and then nervously glancing at Severus who they had never met.

Once the large crowd had dispersed, Hermione went upstairs and collapsed on her bed while Severus remained downstairs to clean up. The room was cold and Hermione pulled the blanket up to her chin. She began to cry again leaving mascara stains on the white pillows. She was exhausted and the crying had pushed her over the edge. She gripped the sheets of the bed and slowly fell asleep.

Severus was throwing away plates of half eaten food and pouring out cups of water in the sink. The house stayed relatively clean, but there was still the small amount of trash that needed to be taken care of. The house was quiet as Hermione's mother had retreated into her room to refresh her makeup and recurl her hair. Severus had noticed how much his father in law loved his wife's hair curled. Perhaps it made her and Hermione resemble each other even more.

Severus washed several dishes then put them in the drying rack and proceeded to walk up the stairs to his bedroom. He opened the door slowly to find Hermione fast asleep on the bed and black smeared across her cheeks. He approached her and kneeled down beside her and gently rubbed her back. Most people would have never known that he could be as gentle as he was.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek and gently shook her. "Hermione? You need to wake up. It's almost time to leave."

Hermione's eyes fluttered open slowly, but her gaze stayed on the wall. "Hermione?"

She turned slowly to face him and she gave a slight hint of a smile. "I look awful don't I?"

He smirked a little before replying "well I can tell you there are times you have looked better." He took her hand and pulled her up to a sitting position. He went to the bathroom and got a small towel wet with warm water and returned to her side. He gently rubbed her cheeks and under her eyes to remove the mascara. There wasn't much that makeup could do for her. She had large dark bags under her eyes and she looked to be about 50 years old. Of course he wouldn't tell her this, but she truly looked awful.

After a couple of minutes just staring at each other, Hermione reluctantly for out of bed and slipped on her shoes and they made there way down to meet her mother. They walked outside together and got into the car just as rain started to fall and lightning began to strike.