Disclaimer: I own nothing and make no money
By Moonlight
Severus Snape was in a bitter mood. The weather outside was cold and windy and he was steadily making his way out into it, grudgingly and cursing whatever fool lay at the end of his journey.
He had been returning from his late night patrol of the corridors when he had stopped to look out of a window. The moon was bright in the dark sky and seemed larger than ever. His gaze dropped down to the moonlit lake and he froze. There, splashing around and seemingly naked, was a student. He swore. He could just pretend he'd never seen them; whoever it was deserved to be left. Did they not know they'd catch their death of cold and Hell if he knew what roamed the grounds after dark?
He had pivoted before he'd consciously made his decision, his feet taking him down into his dungeons to his private quarters and his personal entrance to Hogwarts. The necessities of war came in useful when the students acted up. The wind bit into his skin with a vengeance and he got angrier and more resentful with every step he took. The lake looked black under the moon's scrutiny and the foolish figure that cavorted merrily in those dark depths was swimming closer to the side. He quickened his pace, his black robes billowing behind him and his long hair followed suit, taking its flight into the sky.
It was a girl. He couldn't tell which one, but it was a girl. He groaned. Things were always much easier when it concerned boys. All you needed to do was threaten to castrate them.
The grasses swayed and sashayed as he got closer, the moon giving him quick glances of brunette hair and pale skin. He would kill this girl when he got his hands on her. He shook his head and tugged his cloak tighter. The girl turned in the water and faced him and his feet fell silent and still.
"What the Hell are you doing out here?" he exclaimed in disbelief, for before him floated the last person he'd expect to put their life on the line for mere sensory amusement.
"Professor Snape. I'm swimming".
"Obviously. Why? You of all people! Why?" he shouted at her, the anger refuelling itself in his veins.
"Oh, I couldn't sleep, and this seemed like a good idea. It's quite lovely actually." Hermione Granger remarked casually as she tucked a strand of her wet hair back behind her ear.
"You couldn't sleep. That does not give you the right to roam the grounds. Are you stupid? No one's around to help you if you get hurt. You'll get fever and cold and bitten by whatever lurks beneath that surface, and it must be freezing. Get out. Get out this instant".
"Professor, I won't freeze to death" Hermione stated calmly.
"Get out now or I'm going to haul you out myself".
Her eyebrows rose before her eyes drifted downwards with some embarrassment.
"I don't think you'd want to do that Professor. I'm not wearing anything."
"That's your own stupid fault, not mine. Get out".
Hermione suddenly smiled and Snape frowned, surprised at the slight smirk that was rapidly replacing it. Was she coming out? He conjured a thick blanket and held it out in her direction.
He gave her another glance. She was not coming; she was swimming further in.
"Come back you idiot Gryffindor!"
She only smiled and swam even further away from him.
"Why am I a man of my word? Why do I make these stupid vows and then have to carry them out. Always Gryffindors. Always them".
With a growl of frustration he untied his cloak and removed his outer robe leaving him in a buttoned shirt and black trousers. He'd want the robe when he emerged out of this fiasco. She'd be heading off to the medical wing in her birthday suit. No way was she having that blanket now. He stepped gingerly into the water and hissed as the cold attacked him. He cast a strong warming charm but knew it would make little difference. He needed to warm the water not himself, and that would kill all the plants and creatures that lived in it. Bad idea; stupid animals.
"Are you crazy? How can you stand the temperature?" he shouted around his chattering teeth.
"Swim faster and you'll warm up. It's lovely".
"I do not think chasing after a silly Gryffindor through freezing, dark water with lots of dangerous things in it is lovely".
"Not right now, but maybe later" she called back as she dived down. Snape's breath caught as her bottom disappeared after its unexpected emergence.
"Oh God! She's drowned. Something's got her". He stopped his slow wading and threw himself forwards in a fast stroke trying to reach her before whatever it was ate her. The head bobbed up just as he was going to dive down and he grabbed her reflexively.
"Do not do that again" he hissed as he took a firm grip on her forearm. "Back to the bank"
"No".
"What! I'm freezing my balls off here to try and keep you alive and well. Why are you being like this?"
She couldn't help but laugh at his statements.
"It nice here, nothing but my breath and the lulling water, and you of course. It's perfect".
"It's cold."
"Only because you haven't been swimming; you did the first bit in little more than a paddle".
"Paddle? I've never swam faster in my life; I thought you were drowning".
"Came to save me then?"
"Obviously". He relaxed his grip on her arm, maybe he could gently direct her towards the bank and she wouldn't even notice.
She seemed to be very aware of her position though and refused to move from the centre of the lake.
"Do you come out here often?"
"Only sometimes; It takes my mind off things".
Severus actually was warming up a bit now from his ceaseless water treading. Hermione seemed to be tiring though and her head kept bobbing into the lake and she spluttered on the icy water. He wondered how long she had been out here.
"See… you'll catch your death", he stated bluntly as he tugged her closer to keep her afloat. He moved back towards the edge and she started kicking in the opposite direction. Her face was now buried in his neck and Snape prayed she wasn't going to bite him in a bid to secure her aquatic freedom.
He wasn't too far from the side when she stopped struggling. Instead she pulled herself closer to her professor and wrapped her arms around his waist as she forced herself to stay awake. She was exhausted. She'd been so scared, thinking about the latest news in the Prophet. She'd just wanted to think about something else that would distract her, but once in the lake she really hadn't wanted to give in and go back to bed, and when Snape came he too was a distraction Her legs had given in for the night and she was very close to drifting off in his arms. She could hear a disgruntled sigh and a few tuts. She opened her eyes and looked up at the man now carrying her onto the grass lawns and she remembered she had no clothes on. "I'm sorry".
He blinked and looked down at her, and hastily looked away having seen too much.
"Please do not apologise. If you regret doing it, it means it meant nothing, and if it meant nothing I have been in an ice bucket for no reason at all. At least make me believe it was important".
She bit back another apology and looked back at him. He was studiously avoiding looking at her as he made his way to the patch of trees where he had left his robes. He placed her gently on the grass and picked up his robes and handed them to her. She stood up shakily and took them from him. She leant forward and kissed him, for no reason at all, shocking herself almost as much as the Professor. His mouth had opened in surprise and she didn't know why but she took full advantage of it, causing a quiet moan from the man. He hastily drew back. "You cannot do that" he breathed out. "Put the robes on". He turned away and looked out across the lake and tried not to think about the kiss. Why would she kiss him? She'd been a bloody nuisance to him. But it had felt good, far too good. He'd better stay away from her. She didn't know what she was doing, mentally and physically exhausted. He couldn't blame her really. He dried his clothes and waited.
"I'm done". He turned round and couldn't help but laugh at the picture she made in his robes. He knew he must look ridiculous in his drenched shirt and dripping trousers but she just looked, utterly adorable. He mentally scratched that, cute, no, different. Yes, she looked different.
"Yeah, yeah. Very funny. Can you help me to the gate? They might have locked it".
"I locked it over an hour ago."
"Oh".
"You'll have to use my door, unless you want Albus knowing I had to reopen the doors for you."
She grimaced. "Your door sounds fine."
"Where are your clothes?"
"I can't remember; I wasn't thinking straight".
He rolled his eyes but steadied her as she swayed slightly on the spot, placing an arm around her waist. H held held her weight as they made their way to the back of the castle and through his hidden door. Hermione absently wondered if she could get away with using it in the future, but once she was through realised she'd be a fool to try. The room was clearly Snape's. Books lined the walls, bottles rested on the tops of these cabinets and cases and parchment was everywhere in neat piles with pots of ink next to them in varying colours.
"Incendio".
Fire crackled into life in the hearth and she turned to face him again as he steered her to a settee. "Stay there; for goodness sake don't touch anything".
He left leaving Hermione to stare about her in a daze, the books, the ingredients, it was all too much. She longed to leaf through those pages, read the parchments but knew there'd be Hell to pay. She'd already kissed him, better not to make matters worse.
When Snape returned he actually did a double take. "I thought Gryffindors didn't listen to rules". He looked pointedly at his books.
Hermione smiled in what she hoped was a noncommittal but polite manner.
"Right, drink these". He handed her two vials, blue and gold.
"What are they?"
"Think I'm going to poison you?"
"Hardly; why bother dragging me out of the lake just to kill me".
"Why indeed?"
She scowled at him as she took the proffered potions and lifted one to her lips.
"Restorative Draught". She smiled as she swallowed and instantly felt better, less mentally tired and she no longer thought she'd be suffering the flu within a day. Snape downed a gold vial as well. She went for the second and blue liquid slipped down her throat just as easily.
"And that's an energy muscle strengthening potion. It should stop you feeling so tired, and give your legs a bit of chance after you've abused them."
She sat awkwardly on the sofa awaiting further instruction. Snape disappeared into another room and returned with a tawny looking liquid in two glasses.
"And this one?"
"That's whiskey".
She couldn't hide her surprise. "Really?"
"Really", he sipped from his tumbler to demonstrate its relative harmlessness.
Hermione raised it to her lips and soon felt the heat running down her throat and into her chest. "Bloody hell".
"Probably the best medicine you'll ever get", he laughed quietly as he watched her wince a little as she drank more. "You really have no idea how ridiculous you look in my robes".
"Oh, do you want them back now?"
"And then what would you wear?"
"Er, shirt and trousers?"
"Also mine, I presume?"
"Er, yeah".
He smiled at her, drinking in the sight of her now flushed cheeks and that awful robe. He really did have to get a new wardrobe soon. He left her again, going into yet another room, returning with a white shirt and black trousers.
"As requested, I doubt you'll want to wear my underwear so you'll have to do without. And sadly, I'm all out of bras". She giggled hysterically, and Snape let her laugh, sitting himself in an armchair and looking at the fire. He heard rustling and looked up to see Hermione was yet again naked in his presence.
"What are you doing?" he rushed out.
"Changing" she stated as though it was obvious.
"You could have… you could have gone into another room, you daft lass".
"Well, I wasn't sure". She shimmied her way into the trousers which were too big for her but when fastened remarkably stayed put.
Severus realised with a jolt he was staring and looked back at the fire, shame building in his eyes. Was this what it had come down to, kissing teenagers and perving over changing students? He jerked madly as a weight settled his lap and he was face to face with her again, his top still laid out on the chair. Her eyes were warm but pleading and he struggled to understand what she wanted or why she wanted it.
Her face was coming closer and he tried to lean back but hit the back of his chair.
"What are you… you can't… we can't… mmmph" her lips met his, less invasive than before but she had him pinned in his chair. She nibbled gently on his lower lip waiting for him to let her in, and when he did she felt incredible, as though she'd swum the channel or ran a marathon. Their tongues battled for dominance which Snape had decided he wanted. His hands pulled her close, tighter to him, lost now in the feel of her in his arms, her mouth at his mouth, her legs spread around his and he moaned deeply into the kiss. When they broke apart he looked stunned.
Hermione licked her lips nervously. "Are you going to hate me for that?"
He blinked at her and frowned and her heart sank a little. "I shouldn't have done that" she drew back and she began to climb off his lap. He drew her back in sharply, "but I will absolutely not hate you for giving me the best kiss I've ever had". She smiled again and Snape was happy to see its return. He was the cause of that smile, somehow.
She leant forward, resting her head on his shoulder as he brought his arms around her more comfortably and he held her close until the fire dulled and both of them were asleep.