Short Notice: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. I'm just playing with the characters. Also, English isn't my first language and this is my first story, so… sorry. Constructive critics are very welcome.

A special Thank you to RabidFangirl14, this amazing person is my Beta for this story and is helping me A LOT.

Also: This story has Cursing, Sexual Contents and Incest (Not of Main Characters)

Italic means thoughts

"Italic" means spells

A Tender Moment

The Beginning

The house was dark and cold. The magic inside felt tainted, heavy and uncomfortable, but maybe that was because she was a Muggleborn. She had never heard the boys complain about it, and they only said the house was "creepy".

This was nothing new, but now that Harry and Ron weren't here to lighten the atmosphere, it was even more suffocating. She told them to go get food and supplies, as much as they could find without arousing suspicion, so now she had two hours until meeting them in the agreed location. At least Walburgas Black's portrait was silent.

Being alone in this fucking house, it's my goddamn fault she thought while whispering Reducio on some books, carefully putting them in her bag, because books are fragile.

With a smile, she remembered last year, when she had convinced Harry and Ron to study with her at the library. Ron had been mistreating "Ministry's Approved Potions, Concoctions and Salves", a mandatory read, courtesy of Umbridge. Even if the book was shite, it was still a book. Hermione had snapped, asking Ron if he was a Neanderthal and why he didn't know how to handle books. What followed was a short silence until Ron asked, "What is a Neanderthal? Have you been spending too much time with Luna?" and Harry couldn't hold in his laughter. By the time Madam Prince came to see what was all that racket, the three adolescent were laughing and in tears. She remembered detention fondly that day.

She looked around the bedroom she had been using, only to change clothes. Sleeping alone in this house, even before Sirius's death, was difficult for her and the magic of this house always felt wrong. She used to share the room with Ginny, but now that they were alone it was a unanimous and silent decision to sleep in the same room, for security…sure. Feeling that she was forgetting something, Hermione double checked the room... there, in the nightstand was "The Tales of Beedle the Bard".

Jesus Christ, where did my brain go? With a sigh, she sat on the bed and grabbed the book. She had read it a couple of dozen of times, and nothing... it was just a stupid child's book.

That train of thought took her to a place in her mind she didn't want to visit. Dumbledore's death. Harry had told them everything that he had witnessed in the Astronomy Tower. Over and over again he told them per her request, not missing any detail.

Finally, he snapped and said enough He didn't understand why she needed to relive to that day. Harry didn't understand that she felt guilty because Luna and her had let Professor Snape go to the Astronomy Tower, trusting that he was on their side. But if she was being honest with herself, in a deeper and darker corner of her mind... one of those places in her mind that storages the thoughts that Hermione will never speak out loud, she still hoped that Professor Snape was fighting for the Light.

Hermione had spent a lot of time defending Professor Snape when Harry and Ron were being disrespectful, and now... and now everything points that they were right.

Before Hogwarts, Hermione's father gave her books with characters like Sherlock Holmes, Hercules, Poirot, and James Bond, so her mind always went beyond appearances and tried to look beyond the first glance, to seek out what was hidden.

When she discovered the Wizarding World, she was amazed by a lot of things: the magic, the creatures... the absurd thought of doubling the size of a room with just a wand and your will, breaking the laws of Physics.

But one thing that seemed to disappoint her over and over again was the lack of deep thought she encountered in adults. Sure, when wizards and witches had to create astonishing things they thrived with imagination, but thinking about plots or schemes, corruption, political scandals, or just questioning why things were as they were, then wizards were happy to look the other way... they didn't try to change things or improved them.

It's no surprise that Voldemort is a half-blood...Muggle-raised thinker freshly imported... Hermione winced at her own thoughts.

She put the book in her bag. Stupid book or not, Dumbledore had left it to her.

She noticed that she had taken the habit of "Muggle Cursing" (as Ronald put it) in her mind, but rarely out loud. Because her dad had always said that people who cursed were more honest and genuine, her mother heartily disagreed. For a moment, Hermione's expression showed a small wishful smile as she thought of her parents, but quickly was replaced by a grimace of pain and shame when she remembered that they were no more… but Monica and Wendell Wilkins were safe and sound in Australia with no memory of ever having a daughter.

Stop...just stop, finish this and then go looking for them, when the danger passes...

BANG!

In a blink, Hermione was up and had her wand in hand. She heard noises of things breaking and laughter. It could have been looters, but she wasn't going to bet her life on it. They were most likely Death Eaters that finally broke the wards protecting Grimmauld Place. Fuck!

She cleared her mind and pictured the place of encounter with Harry and Ron, she'd just Disillusion herself and hide until they arrived. She took a deep breath and prepared to Apparate... Destination, Determination and Deliberation.

Nothing happened.

Hermione's eyes snapped open when she realized they had put Anti-Apparition wards in place and any second now a Death Eater would be coming through the bedroom door and she would be caught.

In full panic, she looked for places to hide, under the bed, the closet... obvious places. Muggle horror movies flashed through her mind...

Not like this, please not now and not like this.

BANG!

The bedroom door suddenly opened with such force that it hit the wall and time stopped.

Standing there was Professor Snape.

He had frozen while looking at her, the sounds below them getting louder. Then time must have restarted because she heard a soft "fuck" and was shoved into the closet. Her head hit a hanger and she felt him entering and closing the closet door behind him. His breathing was shaking while he warded the closet door, casted a Muffliato and the strongest Notice-Me-Not Charm that Hermione had never felt… the magic was basically dripping from the closet.

They were standing face to face, the closet was pitch black and very narrow… being that his breathing was hitting her forehead.

They are going to notice the magic... oh my god I'm dead ...but then... so is Snape.

And then she felt rage. Because she had been right, this was a plot worthy of James Bond… Severus Snape was protecting her and he was going to die for it.

She knew he was preparing to speak by the change in his breathing, but Hermione was furious. Didn't he know that if he died he would never have his Final Twist? When James Bond or Sherlock Holmes explained that they were cleverer all along and that's why the good guys always win.

Didn't he know that Harry needed that twist and every advantage possible? And he was going to die today, right now, to protect her... the annoying know-it-all.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?" Hermione whispered harshly.

Silence. He seemed to have stopped breathing and years of Potion classes told her he was livid. So, she kept going because she was going to die anyway. She was so angry that she didn't register what she was saying.

"You can't die today, all that hard work and you are going to die to protect me?" He started to breathe again. This time it was restrained, very restrained. Hermione thought he was trying control his temper... so she kept going.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Go out there and tell them you found Harry Potter's Mudblood friend, and then kill me before they torture me. Please don't die today for me, Harry might need you."

And then, she heard herself, saying those word... words that might very well be spoken at the request of a friend about to die, to not stretch the suffering, to have mercy...

Her mind flashed at what Harry told them, Dumbledore's last words when he was cornered in the Astronomy Tower "Severus...please..."

Oh my god, no

"Professor..." Hermione's voice broke, Professor Snape flinched like he had been slapped "Oh Profe-"

"Granger, shut up," his voice was low and dangerous. This time, she listened. She was silent when a Death Eater burst into the room.

She felt her body and breath shake, and she was afraid of making any noise. They were going to die because of her and her stupid panic. Please, no...

The Death Eater was looking around the room, it seemed that after finding it empty he was looking for something else. Suddenly he walked to the door, and Hermione took a breath, once in the hallway he turn back to look at the room, he flicked his wand at the nightstand and spoke with hatred, "Confringo!"

Several things happened at once, Severus covered Hermione's mouth with his hand and pushed her to the closet's wall, covering her body with his own, hiding his face in her neck while the furniture exploded in hundreds of pieces. The sound of the explosion was loud and seconds later, another Death Eater rushed in.

"Amycus! What was that? Did you find something?" a feminine voice asked.

"Nothing, I just wanted to break something. This is the Household of the Noble House of Black and it looks like trash, it just makes me sick Alecto," a rough voice answered.

Hermione shuddered violently and without thinking her arms rose up to Professor Snape's waist and hugged him tight, needing the support. She put her head on his shoulder and hoped for this to pass. Severus froze, he was listening carefully what was being said, but he knew who they were and knew this could get very ugly, very fast.

But then he felt her arms around him, trying to find comfort in his arms... and just once he wanted to be held like he mattered, like someone would care if he died, to comfort him when he was scared because no amount of lies and half-truths were going to be good enough if they were found in the closet.

That last thought almost made him laugh, being killed because he was found with a student (ex-student, whatever) hugging in a closet… it was hilarious.

So he let go of Hermione's mouth, took a deep breath next to her neck and hugged her back. One hand went around her waist and the other on the back of her head.

Hermione's eyes were full with tears, and she let them fall on Severus's Death Eater cloak. She felt his breath on her neck, his arms around her. He was being careful, treating her with tenderness.

So she did the same, her right hand went up to his shoulder blades and down to his middle back. Her left hand went to the back of his neck and started caressing his hair like her mother used to do when she was upset. They just had to wait it out. Please, we can't die today...

"Oh brother, what did you expect? Blood traitors and those Order fucks were living here, they have no respect for tradition, but don't be mad... I don't want you to be mad," that feminine voice said.

Alecto Carrow Hermione thought, but her voice sounded wrong. It started harsh and violent, but at the end, she was begging with a faked little girl's voice.

"Don't listen, Hermione" Severus said in her ear, using a soft tone, almost without sound. In complete darkness, everything was amplified. He tightened his arms around her, trying to protect her from what he knew was to come.

Oh, Severus Snape is calling me by my given name, this is going to be bad... she shivered in fear.

Hermione heard a sound of something hitting the floor and clothes moving.

"Baby girl, you look so good on your knees. Do you want to help your big brother? You don't want your beloved brother to be mad, do you?" Amycus Carrow's voice was one of the most terrifying things she had ever heard.

At 17 years old, Hermione knew about sex. She (technically) knew how to perform sexual acts, and even knew about some fetishes, but hearing this... she felt dirty.

A loud groan and wet sounds.

"Oh yes girl, just like that...ahhh take me deep," the voice was panting.

Sounds of gagging and choking filled the room.

Severus was disgusted, with the siblings and with himself. He was starting to react to the sounds when he had a young girl in his arms. He felt himself getting harder by the minute and tried to step back, he didn't want Hermione to feel his erection. But she didn't let him get away, Hermione hold him tight and whisper "It's okay, it's okay... this isn't you, it's a biological response that you can't control, this isn't you"

Severus started to shake and Hermione could feel his tears in her neck. His hug became tighter.

"Oh baby, every day you get better...mmm you throat feels so good, you want me to come in your throat, baby girl?" Amycus panted heavily and waited for a response.

Hermione assumed his sister responded not verbally because she didn't hear anything, only his pants and wet noises.

"No? Oh, sweet girl, you know what I like, you are going to drink my come, but savor it first, yeah? Give me that tongue...mmm there! There! Ohhh yes baby taste it"

Hermione could hear Alecto moaning while her brother filled her mouth. Severus kept shaking and now he was very hard. She was beyond disgusted, but also ashamed that she was getting wet thanks to the noises and Severus holding her so close. This was a nightmare.

Please finish and go, just go... if Severus notices I'm aroused I'll die from embarrassment

More wet noise and then kisses, deep kisses for the sound of it.

Snowblowing Hermione's brain suggested and she didn't even know she knew that term. Her brain was a scary place.

"Hey! Alecto, Amycus! Is Snape with you? I think the fucker left already, we didn't find anybody. Come down and let's check out Walburga room or Orion's! They have to have something of value," a man yelled from downstairs.

Severus and Hermione stopped breathing and listened carefully.

"Can't you go alone Avery?! We are busy!" answered Alecto, her voice was harsh again.

"Walburga was a bitch! No way she left her bedroom door without a curse or two, I'm not going there alone. Come on, you can fuck at the Manor, I'm sure the Dark Lord will even let you go at it in Lucius's expensive sheets ahahaha"

A grunt and footsteps going downstairs.

Silence in the room, Hermione and Severus breathing was the only sound they heard, mostly because they were breathing into each other's ears.

Severus moved back a little and rested his forehead against hers. His breath filled Hermione's nose and mouth.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, afraid of making any sound. He brought his hand to her cheek and tried to swipe away her tears.

Hermione didn't understand anything, why was he being so... nice? Why was he touching her like she was precious?

"Yes, I think so. Are you?" she answered in the same tone. Her hand mimicked his, catching the wet trail on his cheek.

Severus chuckled a little.

"I will be," he answered then taking a deep breath, he continued. "Granger don't tell me anything, not even why are you here or what are you doing or where is Potter, nothing. When I open this closet door, it'll be like nothing happened, this never happened. Do you understand?"

Hermione understood just fine, he had a burden that was far heavier than anybody knew that he carried alone. He didn't have anybody at all, and she had other responsibilities right now and couldn't be his support, not even his friend. But she could make right now not so dark, not so depressive, maybe give him some light to accompany him.

"Yes, I understand. We'll never speak of this once you open the door" she said with a more confidence than she felt.

Severus sighed and began to move to the door, but Hermione caught his face with both hands and softly brought his lips close to hers and whispered, "Not yet Severus"

Time froze again when Hermione's lips touched his, Severus's back went rigid but she wanted to give him something to hold on to so badly. He seemed to get the message because his arms circled her waist and suddenly she was flush against him She heard him groan when he felt her breasts against his chest, and when his tongue breached her lips, she gave herself to the kiss.

He pinned her to the wall with his weight, she could feel all of his strong and wiry body. His tongue explored her mouth, her lips, and then coaxed her tongue to play with his, massaging it carefully, slowly, deeply. Her taste would be forever with him now. His hands went under her shirt, touching the soft skin of her back and he moaned. She wanted to shred his cloak to pieces, but couldn't. So, she tangled her hands in his hair and kissed him roughly.

His hands tightened on her back and suddenly they were on her butt, lifting her so his cock and her pussy were just separated by her jeans and his cloak. And then he started to move slowly at first but gaining force in each thrust until they were both moaning softly in each other mouths. The jean's zipper hit her just right and Hermione's yelp was loud. Thank god for the Muffliato charm.

That seemed to break Severus out of his foggy state. He didn't let go of her, but he detached his lips from hers and then gave her two soft chase kisses and softly bit her lower lip.

Hermione thought that gesture tasted like a promise, but just in case it wasn't… she said, "We'll never speak of this once you open the door, but when this war is over, I want to finish this"

She noticed that she sounded calm and mature. Uh...who would have thought, the hottest make out session I ever had... with Severus Snape

"I'll try to accommodate your wish," he said. and she was sure she heard mirth in his voice.

Letting her down so she could stand, his hand caressed her cheek and she leaned to his touch.

They stayed in silence, catching their breath and listening for the approach of Death Eaters. Severus removed his hand from her face and she knew it was time.

"When I open this door, I'm going to let down the Anti-Apparition wards and walk to the bedroom entrance… when I turn around, you'll be gone. Clear?" he asked in a cold voice, gone were the soft and sweet whisper. This was Professor Snape, not Severus.

"Crystal clear, sir," she answered.

Professor Snape took down the spells he had put in place before, and then he opened the door. With a flick of his wrist, he took down the wards. Hermione had two seconds to see the state of the room. What once was the nightstand, now was little pieces of wood sticking out of the walls. She didn't need to turn around to know that door of the closet was in the same condition. He covered me from the explosion with his body

She saw him walking to the bedroom door, smiled at his back and Apparated.

When Severus Snape turned around, he was alone in the room, so nobody saw him smile.

Hermione Apparated in the meeting place. She checked the time and was surprised that Harry and Ron still had 15 minutes to arrive. So, she cast the Disillusionment Charm and, thinking that she had a promise to keep, she disappeared from sight.