Severus could feel himself falling through a darkness he had not found himself in for many years. So many emotions he had dutifully locked away—never wanting to ever feel again—coming free like pandora's box. Before he'd even realized what he'd done, his hand had risen, still trembling as he tried to find some sort of bearing.

Hermione let a small sigh pass her lips when she lowered herself back down. He'd turned his head at the last possible moment causing her kiss to land crookedly on his thinned lips. Though despite this, he had leaned into her. The tension in the air was so thick she was sure it couldn't have been cut with the sharpest of blades.

Her lips curled in, her tongue coming out to taste the small bit of coffee she'd captured from the crease of his pursed lips. She hadn't known what had possessed her. Why she had allowed herself to act so foolishly. She only hoped that her punishment would not be so severe.

A heavy breath pushed the stray hair that had come over her face. When she dared to raise her eyes it was just in time for his to roll closed. Her brow furrowed before his entire weight was suddenly against her.

"Professor?!" Hermione caught him awkwardly under his arms slowing his fall to the floor. Unable to hold his weight, she lowered down with him, protecting his head from the hard stone, "Severus, what can I do?"

Severus let out a slow groan, his back felt like he'd just been lashed with fire. His head put into a vice and his chest as though someone had made it their personal trampoline. Her voice sounded as though it were coming from four different directions and in canon. He was sure that her soft hands around his head were the only thing keeping him from floating from earth.

Hermione pressed the back of her hand against his forehead cursing her previous actions even more, "You're burning up..." How could she not have seen? How could she have been so blind?

Her fingers instantly dug into his collar, pulling open the buttons that held tight to his throat, the more she released the more heat she could feel coming off of his body. Her brow was heavy with concern as his eyes opened and closed slowly without truly seeing her.

"I've got you...just rest..." She forced a small smile onto her lips when his eyes turned towards her voice. His lips moving for the briefest of moments before only a soft sigh passed them.

He had come down there for something, what was it? Her head turned to look up at the old darkened shelves, her hands still working away at releasing his jacket. She'd never felt so foolish as she did right then. Kissing a man who could barely stand let alone object.

"Fever-reducing potion...pain potion?" Her bottom lip worried in her teeth as she took a moment to look down at his chest, having found the trick button she pushed away the heavy black material to the nearly see-through white shirt beneath, "Oh, Severus..."

Hermione was careful when she moved out from under his head. Slowly making her way back onto her feet, she held her side that had given a small stitch from her previous exertion before she turned on her heel to better look through the shelves.

He was organized, always organized. Potions and their ingredients held together in sequence. It took her only a minute to find what she believed she needed. Carefully moving over his prone form, she reached up onto her tip toes before pulling down an old wooden chest without a top.

The small clinking of bottles raised her spirits and she turned towards the small light as she looked through the labels. Yes, it was exactly what she needed. Taking a few that she believed to be most beneficial she stuffed them into the slack's pockets before pulling out her wand. There was no way she was going to be able to carry him and leaving him on a dank basement floor was not an option.

"Levicorpus." Hermione took extreme care as she lifted him from the floor. She could almost feel the weight of his entire frame against the end of her wand but she wouldn't allow herself to lose focus.

Getting him up the stairs had been an exceptionally difficult challenge. With the bend, it had taken extremely careful and exceptionally precise wand movements to keep him from smashing his head into the wall or the banister.

She could feel her entire body winding as tight as a spring as she walked them down the hall and into his room. Once she'd managed to lay him onto his bed she was sure she could have collapsed with relief if his health hadn't been such a pressing matter.

First things first, lowering his body temperature. She'd already opened his jacket but she could tell that it wasn't going to be nearly enough. She'd moved to his feet first, quickly releasing the laces on his boots before pulling them off. His socks came away next with a quick flick of her wand before she wrapped her hand around his ankle to see just how far the heat in his body had spread.

Dissatisfied by her results she moved back towards the head of the bed pulling out one of the potions she'd taken from the basement. The only problem was, how as she going to get an unconscious man to drink? Surely there were spells for it but she didn't know any of them and trying to research them now would waste precious time; no she'd have to be more creative.

With a purse to her lips, she began to pull the blankets out from under him. Tossing them carelessly to the floor, she pulled up the sheet before taking a heavy breath. She knew in her mind that the proper course was to use magic to remove his clothes but her fingers itched to do the deed herself.

Rationally, there was no way she was going to be able to pull every layer free, he was simply much too heavy and much too tall. A deep breath puffed up her chest as she decided to continue to use magic. She pulled her wand back out from her sleeve and with long controlled movements pulled away his jacket, button-up shirt, and tank-top, all the clothes neatly finding their way to the hamper in the corner of the room.

A small bite to her inner cheek kept her on task as her eyes lowered down to the stark black fabric of his slacks. She'd never noticed that he'd worn a belt before, the leather of it nearly blending in perfectly with the fabric it held up. Though she was sure she'd felt it at one time or another she'd never really thought about it until now.

The buckle was a simple rectangle with soft brushed silver. There was only a small little bit of detailing where the latch met the catch. A soft groan passed his lips snapping her back into the reality of her task and she let out a slow breath of her own before using her wand to release the catch. It slipped away easily enough and the following spell removed the slacks with the same reverence.

A lump had begun to form in her throat as she looked at the bared man before her. So vulnerable, so unaware of her stare. His legs were so lean, the skin discolored with years of struggles she couldn't even begin to understand. His calves held the softest looking hair something she'd actually felt under her hand during their time in the bath. His knees were bony, possibly from his age but didn't look unsightly. His waist was narrow but his hips were square, strong.

His chest was flushed red from his fever, giving slight shadowing to the muscle. Once more she felt a growing heat running down her neck but she tried to keep herself focused. She couldn't allow her urges to take control of her again. Forcing herself back on task, she turned towards the master bath.

Her eyes ran over the antique looking claw-foot tub and shower before looking under the sink for any towels she could find. Pulling out all his washcloths she leaned up just enough to turn on the taps. The pipes gave a heavy rattle before the cold water began to flow into the sink. Pulling the stopper from the soap dish, she waited for it to fill halfway before pushing three of the towels inside.

Once properly wet, she rung each one out before turning back towards the bedroom. A cooling and water sealing charm passed her lips before she climbed up onto the bed beside him. Taking one of the clothes she pushed his arm away from his side before pressing the cooled cloth under his armpit. Repeating the process with the other side she placed her hand lightly over his chest to check his breathing before moving down towards his hip.

She knew the main points of body heat were under the arms and the groin. A small glance towards his face told her he was still very much unconscious. She managed to gather her courage and reign in her desire to touch him.

With a bite to her cheek, she very slowly pulled up the hem of his boxers, her eyes watching his face before she spread out the final cloth just under the hem. A soft groan and a twitch to his face nearly made her heart tumble out of her chest but he didn't wake. Assured that she was doing some semblance of good, she spread the cloth out over his hips before gently laying the hem of his boxers over top.

Her own cheeks were starting to feel flush when she pulled her hand back, it was impossible not to allow her eyes to go just a touch lower. Her hand twitched to feel him, even through the cloth. With another look towards his face, she found herself hovering over the mound between his legs, her fingers a hairs breath away before she pulled back sharply. What was wrong with her?

oOo

By the time Severus would come around to the world of the living once again, he would find himself several degrees cooler and in desperate need of food. His head and body were exceptionally heavy and it took a valiant effort for him to be able to pry his tongue from the roof of his mouth.

A cool cloth rested on the top of his head, filling his nose with the crisp smell of menthol. The fire that had burned its way through his entire person was gone, leaving him rather chilled. His legs twitched when he felt the smallest of pressure against his thigh, it was then he realized that everything aside from his boxers had been removed from his person.

His hands rose as though heavy weights had been attached to his wrists, coming up to land heavily on his face before he managed to push his eyes open enough to see the bright afternoon light. A deep breath through his nose made his stomach growl and a grimace lowered his head down.

Deep brown hair was the first thing his eyes saw, resting partially over his waist, he turned his head to find Granger's head resting down on her arms just beside him. Sat in a chair she seemed to have pulled from another room, she laid bent over the edge of the bed with her hand lightly resting on his knee a potion held in her fingers.

"Severus?" Hermione raised her head with a deep inhale, having only rested her head down to rest her eyes, she'd been woken by the small movements. Her eyes blinked slowly before she pushed herself up further, "Severus, can you hear me?"

"Mm?" A sharp grimace stalled his words from making it past his lips, his eyes fluttering ever just so before his hands slowly rose towards his head.

"Try not to move...you've got a really high fever..." Hermione shifted just a bit closer, resting her hand over his stomach, "I've got a potion for you though...Do you think you'll be able to swallow it?"

Hermione had gently worked cool menthol salve into his bare skin, she'd done her best not to miss any spots that modesty allowed her to reach. The fingers that rested over his stomach felt cooler, but without a spell, she really couldn't be certain.

Many thoughts were starting to cloud Severus' mind. So many things that he just simply didn't have the capacity to contemplate at that time. The fact that she'd managed to get him upstairs, unharmed and nearly completely undressed; some of the many that were fogging his mind. Her words took a long time to process but when they did he offered her a small nod and lowered his hands down from his face to push himself up further on his pillow. The action awarded him with a small twitch to his back but otherwise left no trace.

"I wasn't sure which potion you'd gone into the basement for...so I grabbed what I thought you needed..." Hermione licked her lip as she moved up closer to his head, sitting on the edge to show him what she'd taken, "Will these help you?" She placed the vials close to his face so that he could see the labels for himself.

"Yes...both..." Severus knew that his lack of rest combined with the several rounds of cruciatus curse had taken their toll. It wasn't the first time he'd been completely incapacitated by the Dark Lord's wrath. He would be remiss to say that it felt somewhat nice to wake up in his bed instead of on some random piece of stonework floor.

"Okay." Hermione nodded, pulling the cork from the pain potion first, "Nice and easy..." She pressed it to his bottom lip before letting him take it into his hand, her eyes shining with great concern.

Severus let out a deep sigh when the potion ran down his throat, the throbbing in his head subsiding nearly instantly. When she offered him the next he took it without question or pause. A sharp cough bubbled up the back of his throat as he lowered his head back down. The pain in his stomach becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

"How long...?"

"Were you asleep?"

"Yes..."

Hermione turned her head towards the bedside clock unsure herself, "About...three hours...? Did you sleep last night?"

Severus shook his head slightly before trying to push himself up just a bit more, "There were things to be done..."

"You mean healing me?" Hermione could feel an immense amount of guilt crashing down from the heavens and her face showed it without filter.

"Among other things..." Severus' tone wasn't harsh and he did offer her a small glance but didn't hold her gaze, the pain on her face all too reflective.

"I really am just a burden aren't I?" Hermione's eyes lowered down to the two now empty vials, her fingers fiddling with them lightly, "I uh...I bet you're hungry..."

Severus couldn't stop the heavy weight that rested on his chest when she pushed herself away from the bed. His mouth moved to say something but he didn't know what to possibly say. It was as though he was finally getting what he'd wanted, yet it was startling to him to realize just how wrong he was to have wanted it.

"I'll be right back...just...try and rest..." Hermione didn't look back when she moved through the door leading into the hall. Her heart was so filled with conflict that she was sure she was at war with herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to care for him, in fact, she very much wanted to be there for him in every way possible. It was just...so difficult for her to understand the world he lived in every day. The sacrifices he made for everyone but himself.

So deep in her thoughts was she that she hadn't taken notice of the heavy steps that had come to follow her. Nor the shadow that had begun to creep behind her. It wasn't until a hand had come to take her waist just as she was about to take the first step did she realize that Severus had risen to follow her. Her body jumped on instinct but the smell that he'd brought with his presence had stopped her from lashing out.

"Don't run."

"I..."

"Don't." Severus' breath was heavy against her ear and his body felt as though it was using every last bit of reserve it had left inside it but he knew that he if hadn't stopped her right then, she never would have returned to his side.

Hermione's jaw closed slowly, her eyes looking at some obscure place on the wall before she finally raised her chin. A slow turn brought her face to face with the man barely standing before her and it was in that moment she finally understood where true strength lied.

Severus' breath was heavy between them, and his head was much too heavy to remain up and thus, his forehead pressed firmly against her own. His hand that had come to stop her moved to her waist, while the other raised up to take hold of her bicep. He forced his heavy eyes to look deeply into her own, willing all the thoughts that he wished he could say, into her mind.

Hermione's world spiraled out of focus, memories not her own coloring her inner thoughts. Childhood memories that didn't belong to her bringing up so many emotions of loss, of fear, of the desperate need for love. It hurt, yes—but it was far more than that. They were the missing pieces to what made him whole. To what made him into the man she had come to know.

A name stood out above the rest, weighted with heavy regret. Words that should never have been spoken, a pact that could never be fulfilled. A sob threatened to break through her throat but she swallowed it down. When the final memory was placed inside, her eyes rose to find so much more than she could have ever imagined looking back at her.

Her chin rose up just enough to bring their breaths a hairs width apart, her eyes locked deep inside the ebony that had shown her an entirely new world. It was in the next heartbeat that she felt the softest of kisses brush against her lips and in the next and entirely new world of sensation.

Severus knew that what he was doing was wrong. Completely, yet somehow he'd found himself unable to stop himself. The pure acceptance he had found inside her eyes, inside her heart had made him yearn for something he knew he would never have. Though foolishly he found himself reaching for just the smallest drop of hope.

Hermione felt the entire world shift on its axis when her head tilted ever just so, accepting the soft feather-light kiss with abandon. Unlike her own kiss that had felt rushed and pushed, this felt more like a dance. A slow waltz. It stole her breath away.

Severus licked his bottom lip when he pulled back, his body was slowly losing the meager power the potions she'd given him had provided. She tasted of warm summer days with just a hint of maple syrup. It was quite possibly the most delicious combination of flavors he'd ever had the pleasure to know. Her first kiss had felt bruising, too strong and desperate. This one was of complete surrender.

"You'll stay?" His words came out on his exhale.

"Yes..." Hermione could barely feel anything besides the rapid thumping of her heart and the warmth he'd left running down her body. Her hands came up when he swayed, nearly snapping the deep moment in half. It was then she realized that he was standing there in nothing but his boxers.

"Go...back to bed...I'll bring you something to eat..."

Severus could only nod but he felt at least this time he could believe her words. His hands slowly returned to his sides as he watched her turn, taking the first step then the next. He watched her descent all the way to the bend before he had to brace himself on the wall.

He had surely lost his mind.

Hermione took a slow and meditative breath as she came to the bottom of the steps. Her head still spinning, a goofy school-girl grin had begun to form on her lips. Her hand rose up to lightly press against them reliving the memory just one more time.

When she pushed open the small swinging door leading to the kitchen, her blood instantly ran cold. The smile that had grown on her face falling to that of shock.

"Well then, this certainly is a surprise." Marxan grinned darkly, making a show of taking another peel of the apple that rested in his palm with his curved blade.