Chapter Text
Severus had survived the battle of Hogwarts, his noose like scar around the left side of his neck was what remained of his very close brush with death. Hermione had gone back for him. Kept him alive until he could be apparated to St Mungos. Waking from his nightmare filled coma had been hell. He had never expected to live, to survive. He hadn’t wanted to die but over the years in which he played his part as a double agent, and he had played it well, the idea had been one he had grown accustomed to. The world would never know the truth, with many still seeing him as a cowardly traitor instead of the spy he was, brave until the end.
Now, faced with homelessness and a need for the equivalent of muggle electronic tagging he was escorted by Harry bloody Potter of all people to reside at 12 Grimmuald Place for the duration of his probation. The hospital had deemed it necessary; he was still healing from Nagini’s attack and some venom remained in his blood. He would heal they’d assured him but nor did they want him in their hospital any longer. So, here he was standing in the foyer of 12 Grimmuald Place. With Potter.
The rooms were still dark, the house still as melancholy as ever, the remnants of the Black Family history lingered, along with the smell of the mutt. Black had been dead almost three or was it four years and he could still smell wet dog.
As he awaited the arrival of his other….what were they lodgers? Housemates? Guards? His mind raced back to the night, you had saved him, held him. Merlin she’d cooed at him and in his damn weakened state he had liked it. He was no child and yet he had felt….. safe? No! calm? He shook his head. There was something definitely wrong with him.
Granger….insufferable know it all. The future mother of an abundance of Weasley brats. His heart thumped. He felt a sickening familiar feeling of….jealousy?! Could it be? His mind scanned the multiple occasions of their interactions. Her, waving her hand in a frenzy in his class…that mass of curls…that bloody fuzz ball she called a cat. No he was definitely not jealous. No had no feelings for Hermione bloody Granger. Well maybe not.
oh god there she was….muggle attire, jeans and shirt. Her five foot two frame appearing from the kitchen? “hello Professor. Welcome to Grimmuald”
Severus waited for a few seconds before replying, trying to compose himself. Severus had never been one to openly display any form of emotion, especially positive ones. So, when he felt those strange feelings, which we can probably assume was what the kids these days called a "crush", he was completely thrown off balance. That damn Granger girl did something to him. He couldn't stand her, yet for some reason he was so incredibly intrigued by her at the same time. He looked Hermione up and down, eyes scanning all over her body.
He hated how incredibly attractive she'd gotten. He'd always found her intelligent, but now he found her...hot? No, he couldn't think like that. He was at least 20 years older than her and she was the former student. Yet, he couldn't stop his eyes from wandering over her body again. He quickly looked away, trying to maintain his composure. He was domed