AN: Here it is... The first instalment of the sequel of The Assistant. It can be read as a stand-alone, but then, you'll have some mysteries to solve on your own. If you don't want to read The Assistant first, here's a little résumé.

The Assistant: one year after the War, Hermione starts to work with Severus Snape as his assistant. Little does she know that he wants to use her to ressurect Lily Evans, his one and only love. Indeed, Severus is working on a ritual, and needs her blood to achieve his task. Eventually, they fall for each other, and Severus decides to drop his research when he realises that he is in love with her when Hermione is close to death after being poisoned by an Acromentula. But the apothecary who helped him to bring Hermione back to life, Clarence, had a wife who passed away long ago. Together, Severus and Hermione decided to do the ritual to ressurect Clarence's wife. It worked, and now, five years after these events, here they are...

Love Me Again

November 2005

"What are you doing up so late? I thought that you would have been tired after such a long day."

Hermione was startled by a male voice, and she looked up from her book, a smile illuminating her face.

"I know...," she muttered while closing her book and putting it back on the bedside table. "It was pretty amazing, by the way."

Severus entered into their bedroom and closed the door behind him.

"You are about to become the best Potion Mistress of our time, my dear. I hope that you realise it."

"Not quite, to be honest," she blushed. "I didn't expect to receive this price, I really thought..."

She didn't finish her sentence, and Severus felt free to finish it for her.

"You thought that it would be me?," he asked with a smile, before starting to unbutton his black robes.

"Yes," Hermione admitted. "I'm sorry that you didn't win it this year..."

"And I'm even more sorry to know that you are doubting your abilities," Severus cut her off. He walked toward her and knelt down to be able to kiss her forehead. "You are brilliant, and you deserve it more than I do. After all, I won this Potions price twice in a row...," he added with a glimpse of pride in the bottom of his eyes.

"Oh, so should I understand that you let me win this year?"

"Kind of...," he drawled, amused by her feigned indignation.

"I would have won anyway," Hermione retorted in a laugh before gently kissing him. "Have you finished your work already?"

"I have. Miranda just left."

Hermione rolled her eyes, something that Severus noticed.

"I know that you do not like her...," he sighed.

"It's not that I don't like her. It's just that it's weird to know that you are currently working with a woman. I used to be the woman you work with," she explained in a breath, before bitting her lower lip. "But I know that it's silly to react this way, I'm sorry..."

"It's not silly," Severus shook his head slowly. "I can understand your reaction toward her, but you were the one who decided to work on your own, Hermione. Do not get me wrong, I am amazed to know how you handle your career on your own, but I still need to work as a Potions Master if I don't have an assistant to help me in my tasks."

"You worked with a man last year," Hermione mumbled.

"I cannot choose my student, you know that."

"I know... But she's just..."

"Just what?"

"Breathtaking," Hermione finished in a rush, as if the word was burning her tongue. "And despite the fact that she's a student, she's older than me, only Merlin knows why."

"What am I supposed to understand?" Severus asked while getting rid of his robes and slipping under the sheets.

"You perfectly know what you are supposed to understand."

"I do not," he retorted with an angelic look, something that was so unusual coming from him that Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"Damn, I can't even have a serious discussion with you, Mr. Snape."

"It's Severus for you, my dear. Moreover, I do not think that this bed, which has witnessed so many things in the past, is the appropriate place to have a serious discussion."

He started to kiss her naked shoulder, making her shudder.

"Really?," she said without even thinking about it, her eyes half-closed.

"Positive," Severus muttered against her skin before taking her top's strap between his teeth and helping her to get rid of it the second after.

Hermione didn't really understand what was happening, but suddenly, Severus was all over her, his hands cupping her face and his lips onto hers, while his tongue was sliding into her mouth over and over.

"No one cannot take your place into my heart, into my life, Hermione...," he breathed against her lips, making her moan out of desire for him.

"You are the only one...," he went on, amazed to feel her body against his, amazed to see how reactive she was to his caresses.

"I love you," she whispered, her hands lost into his hair, and her hips slowly moving, urging him to give her what she desperately wanted.

It was true: she loved him. She loved him more than anyone, and six years after the beginning of their relationship, she was madly in love with Severus Snape. He was giving her everything that a woman wanted, everything that she wanted: attention, love, security. He was everything to her eyes: a lover, a friend, a teacher. Even after all these years, she was still learning at his side, even if she wasn't his student any longer. The things that they went through in the past helped them to grow closer than any other couple, and despite the fact that these times were hard, Hermione wouldn't change anything when it came to their relationship. It was a perfect one. It was made of a few imperfections, of course, but it was perfect to her eyes.

When Severus removed her panties and buried his head between her legs, Hermione let out a long moan, knowing that he would find her weak point in no time and give her the pleasure that she needed. Her hand over his head, she gently encouraged him to lick her clitoris at a slow pace, which he gladly did, sucking it from time to time. This man knew everything about her body, and Hermione was sometimes afraid to realise how much power he had upon her.

"Please..." she moaned, and it was enough for Severus to start to eat her out like a hungry man, his tongue and his lips doing an amazing job at pleasing her.

Hermione's moans quickly turned to cries, and she had to hang on to the sheets when her orgasm washed over her. She was still recovering from it when Severus slowly raised his head from her centre. He was about to wipe his mouth, but Hermione stopped him.

"Don't... I want to taste myself," she muttered, not even ashamed by her words.

"Whatever you want," Severus grinned before covering her body with his and devouring her mouth, sharing with her the fluids of her own body. It seemed to turn him on, since he was hard against her.

"Take me, Severus..."

She didn't have to say it twice: soon, Severus entered her, taking his time to feel every inch of her around his thick shaft.

"Damn, you're unbelievable, woman...," he muttered against her ear, moving slowly inside her.

Not satisfied, Hermione slowly moved her hips, thinking that it would be enough to make Severus understand that she wanted more.

"You can ask for it, you know," he teased her, not moving anymore.

"I want you..."

"You have me, body and soul..."

"I want more," Hermione moaned, not able to wait any longer.

"You can do better than that..."

"Oh God, I need you Severus," she gave up. "Fuck me, take me hard!"

"I knew that you could do better," he grinned against her lips and slammed home, eliciting a cry from Hermione.

The feelings... It was indescribable. She felt full, full of him, full of love for him, full of desire. He was all that she wanted, and more. Severus Snape was the man that she needed.

Severus suddenly straightened his back, looking at his cock disappearing into her wet pussy as if it was the best vision in the world. And to be honest, it was. He then started to massage her clitoris, wanting to make her come at the same time he would, knowing that he wouldn't last long. He was tired by his day, and to top it all, he was more than aroused by the vision of Hermione under him, her eyes closed and her mouth half-open.

"Come for me...," he urged her in a breath, fastening his pace at the same time. "Come again, Hermione. Let me see how well I'm fucking you right now..."

She loved when he talked dirty, it was something that Severus had learned with time. Despite what he had thought in the beginning of their relationship, given the fact that she was a novice at lovemaking, Hermione was a sexual woman who knew what she wanted in a bed. And what she loved the most was to hear her lover saying out loud what he was currently doing with her body.

"Oh God, I'm close...," she muttered, bitting her lower lip.

"Do you like it? Do you like to feel my cock inside you?"

Hermione didn't bother to answer him: her sounds of ecstasy were a proof enough that yes, she liked it so damn much. Severus erupted inside her seconds after, amazed to feel her inner walls clench around him.

"I love you..." he said before bending over to kiss her chastely on the lips, giving her some time to recover.

"I love you too," Hermione whispered back, knowing that she would sleep well tonight.

XxX

Hermione slept well; but her awakening was more difficult. She felt some movements next to her, and she frowned, not wanting to get up so early.

"Mmh, I'm still tired," she muttered, hoping that it would be enough for Severus to understand that he was doing too much noise at her taste.

She heard a heavy breathing, as if he had ran a marathon, and eventually, she opened one eye, disturbed by his lack of answer or reaction. Half asleep, she saw him naked as the first day, standing next to the bed.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, removing some hair from her face.

"What am I doing? You have some nerves, Miss Granger," he yelled, his usually pale face red. He took his boxers and swiftly hid his manhood from her.

"You're joking, right?" she retorted and sit up, not sure if he was playing or not.

"Joking?," Severus erupted. "Why would I joke when we obviously slept together last night, Miss Granger?"

"We did, yes... And I don't see the problem here, Severus," she frowned, talking slowly as if she didn't want to irritate him.

"I'm Mr. Snape for you," he corrected without even thinking about it, before pinching the bridge of his nose. "I slept with a student, for Merlin's sake," he went on, mostly for himself this time.

And then, it hit her.

Then, she realised.

Severus didn't remember her anymore.

I'm not abandonning my other stories, be sure of it. But I'm working on this one since forever, and I thought that it was the good timing to post it, since I don't have a lot of time to work on my other stories right now, with school and everything... But I'm working on them, don't worry. I'm just not satisfied by my work recently, that's the reason why it's taking forever.

Anyway. I hope that you liked this chapter... Be sure to let me know what you think, I really want to know if it's worth it to continue into this direction. :)

Have a nice day!