What a gentle and tender story! This setting really is perfect for Severus, I can see him craving the tranquility, and I can also see him appreciating Hermione's appearance out of the blue. The bit where Lucius is all but offering her up to Severus on a platter as incentive to return to the WW was priceless! Also, your descriptions were perfect, I could see the gardens very vividly. Well done!