Disclaimer:- I neither own nor earn anything from this story. Harry Potter and his world belong to JK Rowling and Associates, only the plot is partially mine.

sSs

A/N:- Seeing there was such a phenomenal response to the first chapter, I've pushed the second chapter through faster. Thank you all who reviewed, are following or have already made it a favourite. I hope you enjoy this next instalment…

hHh

Chapter Two - The Best Way Out Is Always Through

Another two weeks passed, and the whole incident in the subway was sorted out and forgotten. However, something had significant changed in that time. Surprisingly, Hermione found herself becoming friends with—of all people—Draco Malfoy. At first she'd just felt sorry for him, he'd looked so miserable and lost lately, but then she'd started to see he wasn't the stuck up little prat she'd always thought him to be, well at least he wasn't now, anyway. That was just his front, a bit like the surly bastard routine Snape put over.

She'd also been watching the illusive but totally intriguing raven-haired Slytherin more closely after her encounter with him the day of the Department of Mysteries thing. She could see he was just lonely, but she didn't know how to reach out to him, or if indeed—being well aware of his reputation—she wouldn't be hexed soundly for her trouble. Then there was Theo to think about, she still hadn't heard from him.

Draco had told her that he'd heard that Nott had transferred to Paris for good. Her eyes had narrowed and he'd quickly added, "That's only what I've heard, Granger, don't hex the messenger."

It was at the end of her fifth sexless—a girl has needs you know—week, late Friday afternoon that Hermione found out Malfoy had been correct. Her loving boyfriend Theo, biggest prick that ever walk—figuratively not literally—Nott, had finally deemed it necessary to contact her. He had indeed transferred to France permanently, and this information came in the card attached to her expected roses, and the only reason he'd bothered to contact her at all was that he wanted the bracelet he'd given her back to give to his fiancé. "Bastard," she muttered, dumping the roses in the bin.

"Who's a bastard?" Draco was standing in the doorway.

"That lying cheating son of bitch Slytherin," she seethed at him, she'd had five whole weeks for her anger to build, and that slimy bastard had chosen to tell her the minute Harry was out of town for the weekend. Her best friend was off at a Gryffindor team Quidditch reunion. He'd actually pleaded with her to go with him, and now she wished she'd given in, even if it meant a weekend of Ron and Quidditch talk. She looked at her watch. Bugger, he'd be gone by now, she thought.

Meanwhile, Draco was trying to work out which Slytherin she meant. Well since I'm still standing, and I know Severus would never hurt her. It must be Nott who's in for the wrath of Granger, he thought, as he watched her pull a bracelet from her desk drawer. She pointed her wand at it and muttered something heated under her breath, before dropping it into an envelope with an evil smile on her face. He could see she was livid.

Then she started to scare him. His pale brow rose, as he watched her ignite the roses wandlessly, and then glare at him. He had been planning to go for a drink with Severus tonight, but the raven-haired wizard had been forced to cancel when some stupid witch in Knockturn Alley had managed to get herself killed. "I think you need to seriously unwind, Granger. Come on, we're going to the Leaky.

xox

The evening was progressing fairly well until Hermione got drunk enough for regret to kick in. Crying in your drink is never a good option, and Draco thought he had better get her somewhere more private before she made a fool out of both of them. Well, more so him, so he hefted her up from her seat and tried to get her address out of her.

"Gardener's Court Tower," she slurred.

"That's not your address, Granger, that's mine," he told her.

"No, 'onest 'ingine D-dr- draco, is m-mine." At that precise moment though, Draco couldn't have cared less whether she told him she lived in Siberia; he just needed to get her out of the Leaky Cauldron. People were starting to stare.

Without being able to get any sense out of her, he simply apparated them both to his apartment, she could sleep it off in his spare room, and they would sort it out in the morning.

However, when she came back to earth after apparating, she was wide awake. "I want to dance," she announced. She giggled seeing Draco's scowl. "You loo' like S-s-sel-ivus… err, S-sev-elus," she looked annoyed that her mouth wouldn't work for her. "Ow, you know your lov'ly gdfaher." She missed Draco's raised eyebrow at her ramblings, although he found himself following her as she searched for music, while muttering the word 'music' under her breath as she lurched around the room. Finally, in frustration she whipped her wand out and dance music started thumping loudly, she smiled drunkenly at him. "Come on M-malfoy… wiggle tha gorg'us arse, dance with me," she slurred, and tried to get him to dance.

When she failed, Draco watched as her eyes closed and her arms came up over her head, and she started grinding her hips seductively, when this didn't satisfy her obviously inhibitionless state, she plastered herself against him and did the same.

The blond Slytherin was past shocked when he felt himself reacting to the feel of her hot little snatch grinding against his cock. "Bloody hell, Granger," he said, pulling away. "I might be gay, but I'm only human you know, settle down."

"Don't want to settle down." Her eyes turned to him, and landed on the bulge at his crotch. Giggling she reached out and ran her finger down it. Then she was stripping, "Want you," she declared drunkenly.

Suddenly she was standing in front of him naked. "But I'm gay, Granger," he pleaded again but it was no use, and the feel of her hands pulling his traitorously erect cock from his trousers was too much for him. Then her mouth arrived and he groaned. Oh fuckin Merlin, it's been too long, he moaned to himself.

"Tha's not what your body's tellin' me," she asserted, of course, this was made worse by the fact that he groaned at the feel of her mouth on him, she appeared to be very talented. She felt him twitch in pleasure in her mouth, and she slurred encouragement. "See you can do it, M-malfoy."

Then she was gone and he wondered where, but suddenly she was pulling him down on top of her on the lounge. "You can do it, I just need a shag… please Malfoy."

By this time Draco needed release badly, and he was just drunk enough not to think too hard and he plunged his aching shaft into her heat.

His long and powerful strokes soon had Hermione—who was wound tighter than a drum to start with—moaning and panting. However, it was the moment that she moaned, "Oh yes… oooohhhhhh Se-v…us," that reality crashed down on top of him.

Shit, bloody fucking bollocks, this is the one witch I know Severus is quietly pining for, what am I doing? If he ever finds out he'll definitely Avada me. Draco pulled out of her like he was burned, ignoring her moan of disappointment. She was still very drunk and she'd been fantasizing, he watched her eyes roll back in her head and a moment later she passed out on his lounge. Hang on, she was fantasizing that Sev was fucking her. I wondered about her earlier comment; she wants him, as well… interesting. His pale brow rose speculatively, and his Slytherin brain went into over-drive already planning and plotting.

He looked back at the now sleeping witch. She likely won't remember this in the morning anyway, he thought, tucking himself back into his trousers. I'll just put her clothes back on and take her to the spare room, and waving his wand he watched her clothes slither onto her body. He levitated her into bed and tucked her in. "You're a crazy witch, Granger," he murmured, and went off into his own room.

"Ah fantasies," he mumbled, as he headed for the shower. His favourite fantasy already primed and ready in his head. He stripped off and stepped into the steaming water. His hand slid down his body and felt his cock twitch under it. Closing his eyes, Draco imagined another mouth on him. "Oohh, Harry," he moaned, his hand squeezing and sliding with just the right pressure.

xox

The next morning, Draco came out and his elf placed coffee in front of him. "Oh Tunie, there is a guest in the spare room…" he didn't get any further and the floo chimed. Without thinking twice he said, "Come through, Severus," and then mentally slapped himself. Oh perhaps she'll sleep late, and surely she won't remember, but even as he thought it, and Tunie gave Severus a coffee, Draco heard the door down the hall open.

Severus' hearing was just as acute as it had always been, and his eyebrow was already raised. "Why did you not tell me you had company?"

"Because I forgot about her for a moment," Draco replied, honestly.

"Her?" Severus looked incredulously towards the entrance to the hallway. "Is there something you've been meaning to tell me, Draco?"

"No," he blurted. Shocked his godfather would think that he'd suddenly taken up with girls. Now he was sober, what had sort of happened last night made his skin crawl. "No, it's only Granger, and she slept in the spare room."

Severus' eyes glittered dangerously regardless. "What was Hermione Granger doing in your apartment last night?" His voice was lowering to that commanding whisper that you didn't dare ignore. "And be very careful Draco, I've had a long and tedious night."

Draco was just thinking about how to frame his answer so it would appear as innocent as possible, when another—very seedy sounding voice—answered from the end of the hallway. "Draco was being a complete gentleman by escorting me home last night, because I was too drunk to get myself home. I believe I attempted to take advantage of him and he refused me."

OH shit! Great going Granger, you've just screwed us both, Draco thought. I really didn't think she'd remember, his panicked brain managed, at the same moment as he was wondering if he should start running now, to get a head start.

Severus had risen and stalked over to her, his eyes glittering more fiercely as he said, "And why would you be so desperate as to need to take advantage of my god-son. I thought you better than a pub trollop, but you're just as bigger slut as the rest of them, aren't you?"

"Uncle Sev, don't… please," Draco begged, knowing that he was hurt by what Hermione had just admitted, but it did no good the vitriol keep coming.

"What happened to Nott?" He was right in her face now, even if he'd not raised his voice, you could tell he was seething. "Or did he dump you because he found out what you were like?"

Draco pushed between them, glaring at his god-father. "Severus, just because you've pulled an all-nighter and you're irritated and exhausted, doesn't give you the right to storm in here and malign Hermione's character. It's not what you think."

It was only then that Severus heard a plaintive sob from behind Draco, and what colour there had been in his face drained away. Then suddenly, there was an angry witch in his face. There were still tears streaming down her face, but she'd found her wand and she was hopping mad. "Once, just bloody once, I go off the rails and crash and I get caught by the one person I want to think the best of me." She sobbed and wiped her eyes, "I have never frequented pubs nor picked up wizards. My sodding boyfriend contacted me last night after five weeks silence and announced that he was now living in Paris and engaged to another witch. Now you do the Math, it takes longer than five weeks for that to happen. I was alone and vulnerable last night and Draco offered to take me out for a drink, and yes, I over did it. I'm very ashamed of my behaviour last night and I feel very…" she swallowed hard, "very sick at the moment. So take your assumptions and shove them where they fit… sir."

Severus was in awe. No one had ever told him off like that and survived with their tongue intact to tell about it. He looked at the tendrils of magic arcing in her hair, and the wind that had picked up while she was telling him off. He now dumbly watched as she turned to Draco. "Thank you for looking after me, but I really want to go and crawl under a rock, I'm never going to drink again," she asserted, kissed him on the cheek and apparated away without even looking back at Severus.

When Draco's stern gaze meet Severus', the Potions master had the grace to look chastened. "You do realise you've just thrown away any chance you…" he shook his head, "Never mind, of course you do. She wants you Severus."

"What?!" Severus cut in. "What do you mean?"

"Last night when she was… she was very drunk, I shouldn't have let her get that bad, but I didn't think she'd had a great deal," he shook his head again.

"Draco, she's female and she's small, and if she's not use to drinking, as it appears she is not. Two drinks would probably make her inebriated."

"Oh," he grimaced. "She had six… and she was fantasizing that it was you she was trying to get… err… get jiggy with."

"Get jiggy?…" Severus' scowl deepened. "Dear Merlin, boy, don't be obtuse and disgusting." But Severus sank into the chair he'd vacated before his words with Hermione, and he cradled his head in his hands. "Oh no, what have I done?"

"You were upset. I'm telling you she likes you, because I know you have feelings for her." Draco waited for the hammer to fall, but nothing happened, so he continued, "Perhaps if you hadn't just been up all night in Knockturn Alley and you were sane and reasonable, you might have reacted differently."

Severus didn't seem to be able to get past the 'she likes you'. He rose without warning. "I have to find her and apologise." He whipped out his wand, "Point me to Hermione Granger," he commanded.

Draco watched in wonder as the tip on Severus' wand glowed green and pointed to his palm. Severus' eyes flashed back to Draco. "Is it possible she's still in the building?"

The blond wizard smacked his palm onto his forehead. "Damn, I'm stupid. She tried to tell me last night, but I misunderstood and I just wanted to get her out of the Leaky Cauldron, so I brought her here." He looked to a puzzled Severus and said, "Yes, it's entirely possible that she's still here…" he hesitated. "But she may not want you to see her right now, after apparating with a hangover, I'm certain she would have gone straight for the toilet bowl."

"You're probably right," Severus agreed.

"How about I find out off the supervisor downstairs, which apartment is hers. I'll take her some hangover potion and test out the waters. Then maybe you can come over later with some flowers or something, after she feels better and you've had some sleep." Then he suddenly added, "Only not roses, that's what Nott sent with his note."

"That sounds feasible," Severus' eyes narrowed, "But what's in it for you?"

"Oh I have my reasons, and it's nothing to do with you or Granger, but I aim to get a prize as well."

Severus scrubbed his hand over his forehead. "Oh please tell me you're NOT after Potter."

"Okay, I won't tell you then. Now go home and get some sleep, I'll owl you later."

Severus' face was a picture; he'd had a vague notion that his god-son was carrying a torch for the boy-that-lived-twice-just-to-be-a-pain-in-the-arse. Eventually he decided there was nothing of any value to say, and he simply nodded. "Very well," and he tiredly made his way back to the floo.

xox

Late that afternoon, Severus turned up at Hermione door bearing a large bouquet of seemingly random spring/summer flowers. In truth he hadn't slept very well and had given up about two pm and apparated to Hogwarts to snitch some flowers from Pomona Sprout's garden. He knew she would have everything he required, and he was not disappointed. However, he was pretty annoyed that there seemed to be some inane geriatric Quidditch tournament happening at the same time, but he managed to get what he wanted and get out again without being spotted.

So here he was, either about to make the best decision or the biggest mistake of his life. Steeling his nerve he knocked. Draco had told him in his owl that Hermione had calmed down and was feeling much better now, which of course was no help to him, after what he'd said.

He heard footsteps approaching the door and his heart rose up to thump wildly in his throat. He had never been good at the words 'I'm sorry'. He had once begged a witch to forgive him for calling her a lesser name than he'd called Miss Granger, and she'd rejected him outright. So the thought of Hermione slamming the door in his face as soon as she'd opened it did cross his mind. He cleared his face of emotion and waited to be put out of his misery.

What bothered him more than anything, was when the door was finally open, it was her who apologised first. "I'm very sorry for my outburst this morning. Once I had thought about it… Under the circumstances you found me, you had every right to think the worst of me," she confessed, and lowered her gaze.

"No, Miss Granger, it is I who should be apologising to you. What I said was cruel and callous, and obviously untrue. I'm very sorry, please accept these," and he produced the flowers and enlarged them, "by way of apology."

"Oh, they're beautiful," she studied them a moment, and then her head rose to meet his gaze. "Did you arrange these particular flowers this way on purpose?" Severus raised an eyebrow, wondering if she knew the significance of them. "That is to say," she continued, "Iris means, I have a message for you. Red carnation, my heart breaks and purple hyacinth, please forgive me." Having told him what each flower in the bunch meant, she gazed back at him hopefully.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, "Well then, what is your answer, Miss Granger?"

"Hermione… please call me Hermione," she offered softly.

"Well yes, and you must call me Severus…" he paused and took a shaky breath, could it be that this was about to work out? He cleared his throat nervously. "Do you have an answer for me, Hermione?"

"Severus, I would never knowingly break your heart, and yes I forgive you." They stood in nervous silence for a moment. Finally, Hermione seemed to come out of her thoughts with the whistle of a kettle. "Oh, my kettle's boiling. I was just about to make some tea… Would you like some…" When she was met with silence, she quantified. "Err, tea that is."

This time Severus did smile. "Yes, I believe that might be nice."

Hermione shifted her flowers to the other arm and stepped back to allow him to enter. "Please make yourself comfortable, and I'll get the tea started and put these in some water." She motioned to the lounge and went into the kitchen. "They are truly beautiful flowers, so fresh." She came back and placed them on the coffee table. "They are lovely, thank you, again." She literally beamed at him.

When she returned next time she had a tray laden with a tea pot wearing a pale yellow cosy. The tray also contained two cups, a tea strainer, matching sugar bowl and creamer and a plate—also matching—of biscuits. He wondered hopefully, if this woman actually knew how to make tea.

Severus watched intrigued. "Do you take milk?" she asked.

"Yes please," and he watched her pour the milk in first. He kept watching as she followed the procedure for brewing black tea to the letter. This is my kind of girl, he thought as she handed him his cup, and he almost choked up when it tasted every bit as good as the tea he made himself. "This is excellent tea, Earl Grey?" he tasted it again, "But you've blended it yourself."

Hermione nodded, shocked. No one had ever noticed. "How do you know?"

"Not quite as much Bergamot oil as the commercial blends."

"That is correct, I prefer it with a little less."

"Indeed, it's a pity more people don't."

Hermione laughed and took another sip. "You know, I truly am sorry about this morning, I made a woeful fool of myself the night before," she grimaced, obviously remembering. "Draco tells me I drank a lot more than I'm use to, and well… it ended really badly," she shuddered.

"Indeed," was Severus only comment.

There was silence again for a moment, but they both started speaking together. Hermione smiled, and Severus was captivated. "You first," she said.

"Oh… yes… no. Don't worry," he suddenly lost is nerve.

"No, please," Hermione had the feeling he'd been going to ask her to do something with him. "Please say what you were going to say."

"No, I best go. I've taken up enough of your time. Thank you for the tea."

Hermione was determined not to give up this advantage. This was the closest she'd been to him opening up to her. "Umm, Severus?" She rose to stand in front of him. "Would you like to go out to lunch with me tomorrow?" She bit her lip in hopeful anticipation.

"I'm sorry; I'll be at Edinburgh University all day tomorrow."

"Oh, are you going to Master Liftenback's lecture?"

Severus gasped, what did Hermione Granger know about the colour spectrum in charmed potions? "Actually, I am," he told her.

His expression prompted her to explain. "You're so lucky. I would have loved to go, but it's only open to Masters from both fields, and I'm not fully qualified." She sighed, "In fact, I'm not qualified at all. It seems that war hero status doesn't extend to obtaining apprenticeships with Charms masters," she sighed sadly.

"Well, each master is allowed to bring their senior apprentice. Since I have no such burden, I will happily escort you there," he felt his stomach bubble excitedly at her radiant smile. "That is, provided you do not mind masquerading as a Potions apprentice for the day."

"Oh Severus, I would masquerade as Mimi the bearded lady if I could go to the lecture." He actually laughed, Severus Snape laughed, she couldn't get over it, and what a wonderful laugh it was, deep, resonant, and toe curlingly delicious.

"Well, it's settled then, Mimi. I'll pick you up at eight thirty tomorrow morning," he answered, as she showed him to the door.

When he was gone, Hermione did a little pirouette once the door was closed. Her blissful brain singing to her, I have a date with Severus Snape. "I think I deserve a make-over," she suddenly asserted, grinning.

Looking at the clock she thought about the time. "I bet Malfoy will go shopping with me, he's got wonderful taste," and she didn't have to think further than the last hour to conjure her Patronus. She sent the little otter gambolling off through the ceiling to see if the Prince of Slytherin wished to help her.

Moments later a silver fox slunk into the room, and Draco's voice said, "Give me ten, Granger, and I'll be down."