Hiya everybody!! Fantasy Horizon here! Before I do the usual Author's Note, let's get all the legal business out of the way. ahem I do not own any characters, places, etc. that are part of the Harry Potter universe. We all know who THAT belongs to... What I DO own, is everything else. I own the story itself and any fictional places or characters that I have included within it. So if you'd like to borrow them, or the story itself, please let me know (via your review) and I will gladly comply. gives evil Snape glare Theft or plagiarism will only result in a one way trip to Azkaban.

I really wanted to get this story out there, as I was inspired to write it after reading several Hermione/Snape fics out there on the Web. I'm also a very large Harry/Snape fan also, so watch out! There may just be a story revolving around THAT coming out soon! Other than that, I've actually been writing stories for years and just haven't gotten around to publishing them. But that time is over! You can expect to see many stories in the future from several different genres over the next year. And when I post any NC-17 fics, I will put the web address of the place that I post them in my bio for everyone to view. Also, I'm a bit of a stickler when it comes to keeping characters 'in character'. I believe I've done a good job at this, but if I haven't, tell me with subtlety.

On a side note, you'll notice while reading this, the lack of British dialogue (whether it be regular words or slang). That is because I'm not British, nor do I know all the words that Brits use in place of American words or vice-versa. (i.e.: loo bathroom, snogging kissing, saying words such as 'bloody hell!' when angered, etc.) So I'd rather not make a fool of myself by using an American word for a thing or place when there is a British equivalent of it that I'm unaware of that the characters would automatically say. The whole thing just ties into my belief that only a person raised using that dialect (whether they be British, Austrailian, etc.) can effectively put it into writing flawlessly. Plus, the spelling differences that come naturally to them add extra flavor that would be exceptionally hard for a Western writer to do unless they configured their computer's spell checker to input British spelling. (i.e.: 'color' vs. 'colour' or 'realize' vs. 'realise') Okay, that's my little input... and just a fair warning to those who might be expecting something they're not going to find here... BEFORE I get flamed...

Please review and let me know how you like it. Constructive criticism please, if something doesn't sit right with you or if I neglected to include something! Flames will only be added to my fireplace to heat my house so that they will actually serve a purpose for a change. :-) I have another chapter to post already, but I won't do so unless I get at least one review. I mean, what would be the point if no one liked it, right? Right. So without further adieu, enjoy the story! F.H.

Chapter 1: I put a spell on you...and now you're mine.

"Professor Severus Snape

Potions master and teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Seeks: Exceptionally competent witch or wizard, sixth year, to accompany me on a school-based errand to an abandoned mansion to remove any unwanted magical pests that will impede its renovation. All those who think they qualify must have gotten near-perfect O.W.L.S. in both potions and charms, as it is uncertain as to what may have taken up residence in the mansion. Applicants must send to me both certified O.W.L.S. scores and an essay (no less than 2 feet of parchment) detailing why you believe you should be chosen. The qualifying applicant will be excused from school the following day as the extermination may extend into the early morning hours. The deadline for applications is Friday, January 15 and the date for the extermination is Wednesday, January 20. The qualifying applicant will be chosen Monday, January 18 and will be given 10 galleons (given upon completion) for their hard work."

That's how all the flyers posted around the halls of Hogwarts read. Little did Professor Snape know that nearly all the student body wouldn't come within a three mile radius of him unless absolutely necessary. But the nice 10 galleon salary did manage to catch the attention of some.

"Come on, Hermione! You know that you've been wanting to buy that ancient text you saw in Flourish and Blotts for months now, and that prize Snape's offering will allow you to buy it!" Harry pleaded. He had been trying to talk Hermione into doing this 'errand' ever since the flyers were posted over a week ago. The deadline for the essays was nearing and Harry knew that this would be the easiest paying job that Hermione would ever have to do, given her superior intelligence.

Hermione on the other hand, wasn't too keen on working with Snape. No matter what she did, he always managed to belittle her and treat her like a child. Perhaps it was because she chose Harry and Ron's companionship over a few Slytherins or because she was one of the smartest in her class. Whatever the reason, she feared being in his presence even after all these years. If only she could muster enough courage to stand up to him like she does to Draco or any other Slytherin for that matter. But even if she did, it would do no good. Snape was still the teacher and she was still the student; able to recommend expulsion with a blink of an eye. But, as usual, Harry was right. If she truly wanted to buy that ancient text she so wanted, then she'd have to face Snape and take on his task.

Hermione sighed in defeat. "All right Harry! I give! I'll write up an essay and turn it into Professor Snape."

"Great!" he exclaimed. "I knew if I kept pesturing you that you'd realize what a mistake it would have been to pass up this opportunity! Just... don't tell Ron. Otherwise, he may just go crazy on us for allowing you to be alone with Snape, willingly."

"True, Harry. The night of the assignment he'd probably keep up the entire Gryffindor dorm pacing with worry," Hermione chuckled.

Harry laughed at the thought, too, knowing full well that Ron would do just that. "Well, I guess I'd better let you get at writing that essay. I'll talk to you later."

"Alright, I'll see you later." The two friends waved good-bye and proceeded to their separate tasks. Harry was off to meet Ron for dinner and Hermione was on her way back to her room where she could get some much needed work done. Every now and then when she would have too much homework to do, she would simply have dinner in her room. This was definitely one of those nights. Not only did she have her usual heavy load of homework to do, but now she also had to do that essay that Professor Snape required to qualify for his errand. Since it was already Wednesday the thirteenth, Hermione knew that if she didn't get it started now she wouldn't get it done by Friday.

Hermione worked well into the night both Wednesday and Thursday and somehow managed to get both her classwork for each day and Snape's essay done. She turned it into his office Friday morning. She didn't however expect him to approach her Saturday morning in the Great Hall during breakfast.

"Miss Granger, may I see you in my office... now."

"Can't it wait until after..." Snape quickly interrupted, fixing his best glare unto her.

"I said now Miss Granger, unless you'd like me to 'lose' your essay and pretend I never received it."

Hermione gulped. "Um... yes sir." She quickly rose from the table and proceeded to follow him out of the Great Hall. When they arrived in the dungeons and then in Snape's office, he opened the door and told her to sit. Hermione was nervous. She didn't understand why he was calling her in about the essay so soon. He made it quite clear on the flyer that he wouldn't announce a 'winner' until Monday.

"As you are quite aware, you handed in an application stating that you wished to accompany me on my errand to the abandoned mansion. I realize that I stated on the flyer that the most qualified applicant would be chosen on Monday. Unfortunately, there was a much lower turnout than I had anticipated and you were the only one to apply. Therefore, I had no choice but to select you to accompany me on this extermination errand. If you haven't any questions, I will expect you to meet me on Wednesday evening at 7:00 sharp."

After listening intently to his speech, Hermione answered, "No, sir. I haven't any questions."

Snape rose from his seat and motioned her to leave. "Very well, then. Please be prompt, as I do not desire to be there any longer than necessary. Any tardiness on your part will result in lesser pay."

Hermione nodded her understanding and quickly left. After taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she walked to her room and began reviewing her texts, making sure that she was well prepared for any and all creatures she may encounter so as not to look like a fool in front of Professor Snape. Even the smallest mistake could cause her to either get scathing remark or even worse, a dock in pay knowing Snape. She also knew that any errand that Snape himself would proposition a student to accompany him on wouldn't be an easy one.

The following days came and went, and soon Hermione found herself arriving at the gates of the abandoned mansion. She rode her broom there since it was too long of a distance to walk. The mansion itself gave off an eerie aura and a black mist completely enveloped its surroundings. Every single one of the mansion's windows were smashed. Possibly due to local neighbor kids or other creatures. The mansion was pained a dull grey and from the gates it seemed to lean to one side, making it appear unstructurally sound. She dreaded going in there. The place embodied the description of every haunted house mentioned in muggle Halloween tales. Taking one last look around and grasping her robes tightly around her, Hermione cautiously walked towards the mansion's doors. When she entered the doors she was met with an even more eerie sight. The entire interior of the foyer was covered with thick cobwebs. On top of that, the walls and staircase appeared to have been mauled by some kind of large animal with sharp claws. Hermione gulped. She didn't want to know whether or not she'd be facing said animal. When she took another glance around the room she noticed a tall, dark figure walking straight towards her. Unknowing what it was, she immediately brandished her wand and pointed it in the direction of the figure.

"Lumos!"

As soon as her wand lit up, the figure became much more familiar but no less frightening.

"I would advise you to extinquish that light, as it will attract unwanted company," Snape declared.

Hermione let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in and quickly muttered the word to return her wand to normal.

"Sorry, sir. I thought maybe you were one of the creatures lurking around here."

Snape snorted, obviously annoyed. "Follow me."

Professor Snape started walking slowly with Hermione in his wake. He stopped short of the staircase leading to the second and third floors, turning to face her.

"If we wish to leave this place at a decent hour, we must each take a floor individually," he began. "I suggest you take the ground level while I take the second floor. We will meet on the third floor and exterminate it together. Use any means necessary to rid the area of anything that may have taken up residence."

Hermione became frozen with fear when he mentioned splitting up. She didn't like this place as it was, and having to prowl around its confines alone didn't sit well with her. On top of that, it was starting to get colder in the mansion, making her shiver with cold as much as fear. Snape didn't seem to care though, about her state of being. He simply began his ascent to the second floor giving her an evil smirk as if being proud of what he had done to her.

Once he was out of sight, Hermione began the task of exterminating her floor. The first level was essentially one big circle, with no alcoves for anything to hide in, which made her task a bit easier as everything would have to be out in the open. Despite Snape's recommendation, she re-lit her wand. There was far too much debris on the floor to trip on given the state the mansion was in and she didn't wish to visit the infirmary when she got back. But she did only light her wand bright enough to see where she was going so as not to attract anything, which she certainly didn't wish to do.

As she walked along the dusty floor she soon encountered her first creature which was only a mere Bundimun which she dispatched quickly with a scouring charm. Afterwards, she kept walking, only to run into several other weak magical creatures that barely matched her in skill and were easily taken care of. The remainder of the floor contained even more lackluster creatures, allowing Hermione to reach the staircase again with little trouble.

She ascended the creaking staircase to the second level and hearing, nor seeing, any sign of Professor Snape, decided to keep going to the third level. When she got there, she found him waiting impatiently.

"If I had known that there would be such mediocre creatures lurking here I wouldn't have even sent out those flyers. I could have easliy exterminated this place myself had I known that," he said rather sternly.

"True sir, but if you had come here by yourself you would have been here much longer," Hermione reassured him.

Snape sighed, obviously unimpressed. "If there is nothing worth our while on this floor I may just reduce your salary in half as 10 galleons is hardly worth giving for this level of work."

Hermione tried to hide the incredulous look on her face. If she knew she was only going to get a measly 5 galleons for spending the night in a dreary mansion with Snape, she never would have gone.

As they began to inspect the third floor, Snape stopped for a moment and added, "Longbottom could have exterminated this house... blindfolded."

Ignoring the cross look Hermione threw his way, they both began walking around the third level dispatching any lowly creature that happened to come near them. As they were finishing the third level, a question crossed Hermione's mind.

"Sir, may I ask you a question?"

"Only if it applies to our current situation," he replied.

"It does. I was just wondering why you requested in your flyer that the person to help you tonight have near-perfect O.W.L.S. in potions? I know that you didn't request that I brew or bring any potions with me and I'm not even sure if you have any with you, either," she asked.

Snape smirked at her intellegent deduction, but didn't let her see he was impressed.

"I did not wish to be insulted by working with someone who was a complete idiot with potions but excellent with something as brainless as charms. The requirement was more for my sanity than for this errand. Come, we are nearing the staircase. Once we reach it we can finally rid ourselves of this complete waste of time."

Hermione chuckled in her head at the answer her Professor had provided. Only Snape could have an ego such as that and get away with it.

When they almost neared the staircase, Snape stopped abruptly. He looked up and made his wand brighter than the small glow that he had been using all this time. Hermione deduced that he probably gave in also, not wanting to trip on anything. Snape raised his wand to the ceiling to confirm what he believed he saw.

"Just as I thought," he sighed, "an attic. It looks like we're not quite through with this place after all. Let's go." He tapped his wand at the door to the attic and it opened to let down a small set of stairs. Snape ascended first, followed by Hermione and what they saw made Hermione gasp. The attic itself was nearly the entire width of the house. It was also the cleanest level with only a fine layer of dust covering the floor. The walls and ceiling were ornately decorated with various artifacts and jeweled wall hangings. There was a small window on the far end of the room with a nice sized blue couch resting in front of it. The room appeared to have been untouched in several years, yet it was in near pristine condition when compared to the rest of the house.

The attic was exceptionally quiet. Both Snape and Hermione were near positive that there wasn't anything lurking there and after a quick survey of the room, began towards the staircase to leave. But as they reached the stairs, an odd looking creature that resembled a blue fur ball with horns and red eyes leapt out from behind the couch and threw a spell that knoked them both flat on their face. Snape recovered first and countered with a spell that threw the creature right out the window.

Thoroughly annoyed and slightly bruised, Snape attempted to rise from the floor only to be pulled back down to it. Utterly confused, he sat for a moment unsure of what was going on. Hermione began to stir and she too tried to stand up only to be pulled back into a sitting position on the floor next to Snape, by an almost magnetic force. She too now shared a confused look with her Professor.

"What's going on here, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"I haven't any idea. Apparently that 'thing' has hexed us somehow and I am unsure as to what exactly it did to us. As far as I could tell before I sent it out the window, it was a Pseudowiz," Snape explained.

"Oh! That's one of those creatures that can cast any one of several spells towards a possible threat so that it can escape, right?" Hermione questioned.

Snape nodded. "Yes, but it can only cast virtually harmless spells that only stupefy or immobilize a witch or wizard for a specific amount of time or until conditions are met to remove the spell. Just enough for a Pseudowiz to escape unharmed. They say that you can never tell what spell it will cast until it is too late. Also, it is believed that not even the pseudowiz knows what spell it is casting at the moment because it is too fearful to take notice."

"How interesting. What kind of spell do you think it cast on us just now?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not sure. Whatever spell it is, it seems intent on keeping us glued to the floor. It appears to have the properties of an anti-levitation spell designed to keep the caster's feet on the floor at all times. Perhaps if we stand up at the same time, it will break the spell since the spell is going to the extreme by apparently trying to keep us both from standing." Snape deducted.

"All right. Let's try it."

On the count of three, Hermione and Snape both stood together effortlessly. Believing the spell had been broken they both moved again towards the staircase. When they reached it, Hermione stopped and began feeling around in the pockets of her robe.

"Oh wait! I forgot my wand! It was knocked out during the attack and I forgot to pick it up when we stood," she explained.

Snape let out an exaggerated sigh. "Very well, but make it quick. I would very much like to leave this dismal establishment sometime this night."

Hermione quickly ventured back to the spot where the attack occurred. Unfortunately just as she reached it, Snape's body came flying towards her at an alarmng rate, crashing into her. They both slumped to the floor in pain.

"Ow... that hurt..." she whined.

Snape looked thoroughly annoyed. "What in the Hell just happened?!"

"I... I don't know sir. What in the world could have caused you to just 'fly' into me?"

"I haven't the foggiest," he replied truthfully. "As far as I can tell, the spell that was cast seems to be some kind of 'togetherness' spell. It is something that is cast by friends or colleagues when in dangerous situations. Basically, once the spell is cast, the two involved cannot move more than a foot away from each other without the spell forcing them back together. Hence our current predicament."

Hermione glanced at the two of them, now sitting with their backs pressed against one another as if glued together that way.

"Of course," he continued, "there are several different variations of togetherness spells and there is no logical way to determine which one we have been hexed with."

"I see," Hermione replied. "Then how will we get out of here?"

Snape took a deep breath. "I will simply cast a typical dispell charm that will break us free. Nearly all togetherness spells can be broken this way."

Hermione sat still and quiet as Professor Snape pulled out his wand and muttered the incantation. But as he announced the final word of the spell, sparks jumped from in-between them and Snape's wand flew to an unknown corner of the room.

"Damn it all!" Snape cursed. He certainly didn't expect that to happen.

"What went wrong, sir? I thought you said that all togetherness spells could be broken by that charm?" Hermione asked.

Snape regained his composure. "I said nearly all. Apparently we've been hexed with one of the few that cannot be dispelled by a simple charm, hence the reason my wand is now gone. And before you suggest it, I cannot simply call it back to me as the spell will only dislodge it from my hand once again making the attempt futile."

Hermione closed her mouth, having nothing more to say or suggest. Then, before either one could speak or move, they both felt that familiar magnetic force moving their bodies.

"What's going on now?!" Hermione shrieked. She could feel her body moving and being unable to stop it.

"I'm guessing the spell doesn't want us in this particular position any longer," Snape replied, trying to stay calm while his body was moving against his will.

Soon the spell had moved them so that their backs were no longer facing each other. Instead, they were now in a standing position, hovering just slightly off the ground exceptionally close to each other to the point where their noses were almost touching. Then, as if something had pushed him from behind, Snape fell directly on top of Hermione, landing with a soft thud on the floor, knocking the wind out of her.

Hermione's eyes widened and she took a very deep breath. Having her Professor's entire weight on her all at once was not what she expected. She was getting more agitated by the minute.

"What is this spell trying to do?! Kill us?!"

Snape sighed. "Hardly. It's trying to get us to do something that we certainly cannot do."

"Come again?" Hermione questioned.

Snape didn't quite know how to gently explain what was going on so he just came right out and told her. "I was hoping against hope that the one togetherness spell that that blasted creature cast on us would not be the only togetherness spell that cannot be broken by magic." He took a deep breath. "The spell it cast is called a union charm."

"A what? I've never heard of that charm before. It certainly wasn't mentioned in my charms O.W.L.S.," she mentioned.

"It woudn't be. It is an advanced level charm, although is very easy to cast which is why our little Pseudowiz was able to cast it. You wouldn't come across it in any book at Hogwarts because it is only found in books in university-level medical libraries," he explained.

"Oh, I see. Go on."

Snape nodded and continued. "The union charm is a charm primarily used by mediwitches and wizards that have studied the realm of psychology. They cast this particular charm on couples in marriage counseling who seem unable to fix their relationship by any other means. In other words, it is a last resort. Once the spell is cast, it cannot be broken unless the couple decides to... consummate their marriage again."

Hermione's eyes widened and her breathing quickened. She looked like she was going into anaphylactic shock. Snape could feel her distress, as the spell wasn't allowing him to get off of her anytime soon.

"I thought that that thing could only cast harmless spells?!" she cried.

"It is harmless... to a married couple. But in our case... well..." Snape was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to say to her. But he sure as Hell wasn't going to bed one of his students!

Hermione was getting hysterical now. "But... but... we can't! We just can't! Doesn't the spell know that we aren't a married couple?!"

Snape sighed. "I thought you of all people would know that spells do not discriminate against anyone. Whomever the spell is cast on, that's who it is cast on. That's first year information."

Hermione could only stare incredulously at him. "Must you berate me at a time like this?!"

For the first time, Snape actually felt sympathy for one of his students. "I apologize." After a moment of silence, he gathered his thoughts again. "I assure you that I am trying my best to come up with a less... 'invasive' method of breaking this spell. Unfortunately, nothing is coming to mind. My knowledge of advanced level medi-charms is mediocre at best." Then, still feeling Hermione's sharp breathing he added, "Hyperventilating will only make you sick. Please try to calm yourself down, if only a little."

Hermione tried her hardest to calm herself down. She took a few deep breaths and managed to even her breathing a little. But she was still as scared as could be. The only thought running through her mind was that she'd have to sleep with her potions professor if she ever wanted to see the light of day again. And that thought only made her more pale.

Just then, a chilled breeze swept through the attic, hitting Snape and Hermione full force. Snape held tightly to Hermione out of instinct in fear that something was going to come at them through the window. When nothing came he loosened his grip. The wind was cold enough to keep them shivering long after it died down.

"Professor, do you know why it's so cold in here? I don't remember the weather report saying it was going to be this cold out tonight. The report said the temperature was only supposed to drop a few degrees more, but that wind felt ever so much colder," she said.

Snape knew what was going on. "I know. This house was cursed many years ago. The curse was designed to oust the current residents and ended up making the house uninhabitable for future residents. The effect of the curse is that whatever the temperature is outside, it would be reflected stronger inside, 10 fold. So basically when it is cold or warm outside it will be substantially colder or warmer inside. In other words, as the night goes on, we could be facing arctic temperatures. The likes of which we are not dressed for, causing us to literally 'catch our death' as it were."

"That's horrible! Whatever are we going to do! We can't very well... you know..." Hermione said, averting her eyes from him.

"I quite share your distress, but also know that we haven't a choice in the matter. There isn't a single living soul within miles of this mansion, nor is there any way of contacting anyone without access to my wand. As it is, no one will even expect us back at Hogwarts until morning since I clearly stated to the Headmaster that this extermination could take all night. Either way you look at it, we are stuck here. We will not survive unless we do what the spell intends for us to do." Snape explained.

Hermione couldn't believe that Snape was even considering that! But as much as she wanted to fight it, she knew that dying of hypothermia was a much worse fate.

"I understand, but... are you sure there is no other way?" She could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "It's just that I... I... I haven't... that's to say I've never..." How could she just tell Snape she was a virgin? He'd probably make some scathing remark, or worse, laugh at her.

"You've never done this with anyone before, correct?" Snape asked.

Hermione was shocked at the gentleness in his voice. It held none of the sharpness that she'd come to know being his student.

"No... I haven't. And I certainly didn't expect my first time to be here... with you of all people!"

Hermione lost it. The tears she had been holding back finally came through and streamed down her cheeks. She closed her eyes tightly and began to cry fully. Snape didn't know what to do. Usually when one of his students cried in class it was due to something he had done intentionally to them, something he was happy to do in the first place over something stupid that the student had done. But this was different. He had a crying girl in his arms that was crying over something genuinely distressing that wasn't caused by him. Snape himself was distressed at the fact that soon he'd be stealing this girl's innocence all because of a stupid charm. So he did the only thing he could think of to try and soothe her, and that was to press her head to his chest and stroke her hair. Once Hermione realized what he was doing, her crying gradually decreased to a small whimper. Although she was in the arms of her most hated professor, she felt strangely comforted in his embrace.

When she was calm enough, Snape spoke to her. "I realize that this is very stressful to you, and I feel no joy in causing you this pain. Unfortunately, it is necessary for our survival. Rest assured I will not simply violate you to break the spell. I will be gentle and I will make sure you derive pleasure from this experience, giving you the utmost respect you deserve."

Hermione was completely speechless. She would never in a million years expect such kindness from Professor Snape. She thought for sure that he would simply violate her as a means to an end just to break the spell. But he proved her wrong. Dead wrong. Hermione could only stare at him with utter awe in her eyes.

Unknowing how to respond, Snape continued, "I believe that the spell will allow us to stand long enough to get to to the couch since we are not far from it, so long as we walk very close together. I think a soft couch would be much more suitable than a hard floor."

Hermione nodded. On the count of three again, Hermione and Snape both stood and ambled over to the couch. Just as they neared it, the spell kicked in and forced them back into a laying position. Only this time was different. Instead of simply being on top of each other, their faces were pulled close together.

"Okay, is it just my imagination, or can you not move your face either?" Hermione asked.

"No, apparently the spell is getting more 'aggressive' because we haven't proceeded to do anything yet," Snape explained. "If I may, I'd like to do something small just to see if it will allow us to separate our faces."

Hermione became nervous. "What exactly do you want to do?"

"Nothing too invasive. Just hold still."

Snape tilted his head a little and pressed his lips to hers. Hermione's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't believe he was kissing her! She figured this must be the 'something small' he mentioned. Although it was Snape kissing her, she came to the conclusion that it was turning into quite a nice kiss. Being that she hadn't much experience in this area, she decided to kiss him back just to see what it was like.

As soon as she opened her mouth to him, he was lost. When Snape made the decision to kiss her, he thought for sure that she wouldn't respond and that it would only end up to be a peck on the lips. But now... now she was enjoying it. For a brief moment he even felt her hand on his head, but it left as soon as it arrived. After a few moments, he managed to pull back.

"Wow... what a kiss..." Hermione was out of breath. She never thought Snape would know how to kiss like that.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he replied, giving her a small smile.

Hermione smiled back, blushing a bit. "I've... actually never been kissed quite like that before."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Really? If school rumors hold true, then you and Mr. Weasley are rather close."

"What? Me and Ron? Oh no! Ron and I really aren't like that. I mean, I did have feelings at one point for him, and he for me. But, when we tried to date and then tried to kiss each other, we realized how strange it felt being that we were friends for so many years," she explained.

"Ah, I see," Snape remarked. "You know, you don't have to be afraid to touch me. I will not stop you or yell at you like I would in one of my classes. Especially since we are going to become quite intimate with each other."

"Why did you say that for?" Hermione was bewildered. He couldn't have very well felt her hand touching his head for that split second could he?

"When we were kissing I felt your hand on my head, but you quickly withdrew it. What were you attempting to do?" he asked.

Hermione blushed even deeper and averted her eyes. Noticing this, Snape added, "You needn't be embarrassed, Hermione. You are allowed to act on any feelings you wish for tonight. Anything you do or feel will be entirely normal given the circumstances."

"I... I know." Then Hermione realized something. "Wait a sec. Did you just call me Hermione?"

"Yes. Last I remember that is your name isn't it?" he said, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"Yes, but... you've never called me by my first name before. You always just call me 'Miss Granger'," she replied.

"True, but I thought that a bit of familiarity would be welcome in our situation. If you wish, you may call me by my given name as well."

Hermione thought this over for a moment. "Very well then... Severus." His name sounded strange on her tongue, but it also made her feel a bit less nervous. He wasn't her potions professor now, he was just a man.

"So now what were you trying to do before when we were kissing," he repeated.

"Oh, that. I just all of a sudden had the urge to weave my hand in your hair, is all," she answered.

"Ah. Well if you'd like to do that now, I woudn't be adverse to it."

Hermione nodded. "Okay." She slowly reached her hand up to his head and allowed her fingers to brush his hair. Immediately she noticed its softness. It wasn't greasy or coarse like it looked. His hair was actually fine and simply shiny. Hermione became entranced by the action. Severus seemed to notice this and he smiled at her. Hermione took the opportunity to ask a brave question.

"May I... may we kiss again?"

"Of course," said Severus. He leaned in and met her lips again. This time he found no resistance as Hermione completely welcomed him in. To his utter surprise she allowed his tongue in to play with hers in a passionate dance. Severus soon felt her other hand embrace his head. He silently mused how wonderful this all felt.

Hermione was enjoying the kiss to the full extent. She felt her head would explode if he kissed her with any more emotion than he already was. On top of that she loved the feel of her hands in his hair. She silently thought to herself, 'If I'm getting this way over just kissing, I can only imagine how I'll be during...' she quickly stopped herself and shook the thought from her head, reveling in what was going on now.

Severus pulled back again and pressed his forehead to hers, his breath coming in short gasps. Hermione's breathing had also quickened and her face was a deep crimson. They just laid there for a short while gazing into each other eyes, allowing their breaths to even out before either one of them said anything.

"I believe that the spell will now allow us to move a bit more," Severus mentioned. Sure enough when he attempted to move, he found that he could lift his body at least a foot away from Hermione's, confirming that the spell had given them more leeway now that they had kissed. "Very good. Now we will have plenty of room to get undressed."

Hermione's nervousness came back full force. The big moment had finally come and she certainly wasn't ready for it. Severus seemed to sense what she was feeling, as if he was reading her mind. He cradled her head in his hands, and gave her a small kiss on the cheek. Not noticing any adverse reaction, he placed a kiss on the side of her chin and proceeded downwards. When he kissed and nibbled her ear, Hermione's eyes fluttered shut and her nervousness seemed to lighten. Severus continued, placing delicate kisses on her neck. He stopped at the collar of her uniform and began to slowly take off her robe and clothing, all the while constantly gauging her reaction.

Hermione was in bliss. She completely forgot the world around her and focused entirely on Severus' ministrations. When she felt him start to undress her, her first reaction was to stop him, but she relented knowing that he had promised to treat her with gentleness and respect. Once her robe was off she allowed him to take off the rest of her uniform clothes as well, leaving her clad only in her bra and slacks. Then his hands left her and he began taking off his own clothes, also. When he was finished, Hermione was presented with a finely toned, hairless chest that only boasted a small tuft of hair at the navel. She couldn't stop the gasp she let loose at the sight. Never would she have thought that he would have a body such as this. Instinctively she reached out and ran her hand over his chest and belly, feeling his rapid heartbeat inbetween. 'He must be as nervous as me even though he's not showing it' she thought.

Severus enjoyed the feel of her hand on him and when she was through exploring, he grasped her hand and gave it a chaste kiss, making her blush again. He then leaned down and kissed her again, in an attempt to distract her from what he was planning on doing next. Severus slowly undid her bra putting it to the side. He then undid her slacks and pulled them down, along with her undergarments. When he pulled them down far enough, Hermione assisted and toed off her socks and shoes so her lower clothing could be properly removed. Now completely naked underneath him, Hermione didn't feel it was fair for him to still be partially dressed. So she decided to be brave and began to undo his pants. She was able to get the pants themselves open, but for the life of her she couldn't undo his belt buckle. Severus could tell she was getting frustrated and let out a low chuckle deep in his throat. He then assisted her and undid his belt, so she could pull his lower garments down. He too, assisted her by removing his socks and shoes, and soon his pants and boxers were in the same pile as Hermione's.

Now both naked, Severus cautiously pressed his body to Hermione's. The first thing Hermione felt was his throbbing member pressed against her. The reality of what was going on came rushing back to her and it made her body shiver. Severus left her lips again after what seemed like an eternity, and he began kissing his way down her face and neck again. He went further this time, placing kisses on her collarbone working his way down until he placed a kiss on her left breast. Seeing no reaction on her face he took the nipple in his mouth and began nibbling on it. At that, Hermione gasped, letting out a small moan. Severus then brought his hand up and began playing with her other breast, eliciting more moans from Hermione. After a while he released her breasts, raising himself up to kiss her passionately on the lips once more. Hermione's hands had found their way to Severus' back where they roamed sensually over it. She coudn't believe how much she enjoyed the feel of his body flush against hers. All too soon, Severus released her from his kiss.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Hermione froze for a moment, unsure what to say. And then after only a slight hesitation, she replied, "Yes, I believe so."

After receiving her permission, Severus slowly positioned himself at her awaiting opening and pushed in ever so carefully. As he slid further in, he realized that Hermione was scarcely breathing. It was obvious that she was exerting all her energy to will her body to relax and allow him entry. When he reached her barrier, she stiffened and scrunched up her face. Severus frowned. He knew this would be painful for her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear, and then with one quick thrust he entered her fully. Hermione let out a pained cry and dug her fingernails into Severus' back. Severus did not move, but simply dotted kisses all over her face and body in an attempt to relax her and ease her pain. Slowly, it worked, and Hermione began taking deeper, calming breaths. Then Severus began stroking her hair causing her to nuzzle his hand affectionately.

"Do you feel better now?" he asked softly.

Hermione nodded slowly.

"Good," he continued, "because the worst is over now. Just relax and I promise the rest will feel much better." He sealed his promise with a kiss and pulled out a bit to thrust back into her. The feeling made Hermione gasp, she didn't know what to expect. Then he did it again, harder and faster this time, and Hermione felt it. He hit a spot deep inside her that felt absolutely wonderful and made her want to feel it again. Severus could tell she was relaxing more and he picked up the speed of his thrusts, holding tightly to her hips.

Hermione was in pure ecstasy, moaning in pure pleasure with each thrust of Severus' hips. She loved the feeling of him inside her. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. After what seemed like eternity, Hermione could feel a tightness in her lower region. The feeling increased with each thrust, threatening to undo her. When she couldn't restrain the feeling anymore she released it, her entire body shuddering from the effect. Her body squeezed his member tightly as she stiffened in his arms, causing Severus to fall over the edge shortly after with a deep moan.

Coming down from their respective highs, Severus gingerly laid his body on top of Hermione's; his head resting on her shoulder and his arms cradling her lithe form. Hermione kept one hand on Severus' back and the other one she used to embrace and stroke his head. Their breathing patterns were erratic and they were quite content to simply hold each other for the time being, not wishing to move for anything. After their breathing evened, it was Hermione who broke the silence first.

"That was... wonderful, Severus. Simply amazing..." she said dreamily.

"I'm glad I succeeded in making your first experience a pleasurable one," Severus replied.

Hermione grinned. "If I had known it would have felt this good, I wouldn't have given you such a hard time about it."

"It was understandable and justified nervousness. You needn't worry," said Severus.

"And... thank you... for being so gentle. I almost wish that this night didn't have to end. I've never felt such comfort before," she said wistfully.

"Yes, this night turned out to be much more enjoyable than I had hoped. A night spent exterminating a mansion usually does not include something as sordid as this," he mentioned, smirking.

Hermione giggled. "Yes, I certainly don't remember 'sleeping with a sexy potions master' being a part of the job description."

Severus glared at her wide-eyed and Hermione clasped her hand over her mouth, unbelieving of what had just come out of it.

"I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have said something so... naughty..." she admitted, blushing.

Severus only raised an eyebrow and chuckled. "Well... now I at least know what you truly think of me. And I thought you hated me thoroughly. What a surprise..."

Hermione glared fiercely at him. "Veeeeery funny, Severus! And just for your information, I never hated you as a teacher. I always believed that you had a reason for sniping on the students as badly as you did, no matter how biased. Even when you did it to me. I was still scared of you though, even tonight. I mean, honestly! Any student that isn't Slytherin can't do anything right in your eyes, admit it!" She poked him in the ribs to accentuate her statement.

Severus outright laughed this time. "Quite an outstanding deduction, Hermione. Although to preserve my well-being, I'm going to answer 'no comment'."

Hermione's glare became withering. "Only you could say that and get away with it."

"Quite true. Is it safe to assume that your naughty little comment means you've changed your outlook of me?" he asked.

Hermione's face softened. "Yes, it is safe to assume that. Of course, don't expect me to be nice to you or anything like that from now on..." She raised his head to give him a quick, but meaningful, kiss.

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Snape replied with a crooked smile. "Well, as much as I am enjoying our witty banter, I do suggest we leave this place as it is starting to get rather cold."

Hermione nodded. "Ah, yes. We should be getting back to Hogwarts now. Did our efforts work? Is the spell broken?"

"See for yourself. Attempt to move away from me," he replied.

Severus rolled off her and freeing her to move. She slowly stood and started walking away from him, feeling no magnetic force trying to pull her back to him.

"It's broken! Now we can finally leave!" she said excitedly. Though excited at first, something inside her sucked up all the excitement as soon as it came. She then realized that leaving this mansion meant leaving this night behind them. Severus soon caught the look on her face and voiced what she was thinking next.

"I understand how you must feel now. I know I feel the same way. But as you are well aware of, the second we leave this mansion I will once again be your professor and you will once again be my student," he said solemnly.

Hermione sighed. She knew this night was a fleeting moment, but she couldn't pretend she didn't develop feelings for him by the end of it. "I know. You needn't tell me that. I quite well understand the situation."

"Good," he responded. Severus walked over to where Hermione was standing and embraced her whispering the words 'I'm sorry' in her ear. He then held her head in his hands and gave her one final kiss. With that, he walked over to their clothes pile and began dressing. Hermione sighed and did the same. When they both were fully dressed, they began the long descent to the ground level of the mansion in silence. Upon exiting the gates, Snape suggested he apparate them both back to Hogwarts to save time since the night was only getting colder. So Hermione held tightly to both her broom and to Severus and they apparated to Hogwarts. Entering the doors, they each went their separate ways, giving each other a small tightlipped smile as they left.

A/N: Just a little side note here... If anyone caught the little line in the story that hinted at Snape's ability as an expert Legilimens, please mention it in your review. Just a little word search fun for everyone! Thanks in advance! F.H.