Disclaimer: I do not own anything, it all belongs to JKR.

A/N: Finally, here's the third part to One Minute. Enjoy!


One Minute of Our Time

Snape had not been back to work in over a week now, nine days exactly, not including weekends. Hermione had not seen him since that fateful night when they had gotten trapped together in the laboratory. They still had not found the culprit who had unknowingly locked them in but the search was still in progress. While they both agreed it wasn't intentional, Snape still thought it was a little too convenient that their laboratory was the only one targeted that night. Thankfully, they had a knight in shining armor arrive to rescue them before too long. Lucius had escorted the both of them out of the ministry, keeping surprisingly pleasant conversation with the both of them. Unfortunately, however, Severus had refused to even look in her general direction. Hermione had no idea what she had done wrong.

They had each taken their bottle of the potion to test, the bottles were identical. The potion was supposed to create a fantasy and Hermione's had been just that, a wonderful, thrilling, fantasy. One that she desperately wanted to recreate in real life. The same could not be said for Snape. He had acted almost violently when he 'awoke' out of his fantasy. Whatever he saw clearly disgusted him and it must have involved her. What other reason would he have for avoiding her for the last week?

Hermione sighed out loud as she looked at the clock. Another work day gone and still no signs of her missing partner. While she was worried about him, she knew their department head would have sent her a memo if something awful had happened. Instead she just waited for him to show back up. She quickly disapparated back to her flat and put a kettle on. Tonight seemed like it was going to be another quiet night alone.

Before the 'incident', as Hermione dubbed it in her head, Severus would often come over once a week or so to discuss whatever experiment they were working on at the time or the latest potions journal article. It had only been a week and she already missed his presence. Who would have ever though that Severus Snape would become such a central figure in her life? If he didn't want to continue meeting her after work she would understand. She just hoped her would return to work soon enough.

Unfortunately for Hermione this was not the case. Another week crept by without a word from Severus. This time she did speak with her department head only to have her concerns brushed off. He simply told her Snape's time had been requested by his benefactor and he would return once the contract was complete, and no she would not be given in assistant in his absence. She would just have to work a little harder to complete the potions they both had been working on before Snape left. Needless to say, her meeting with the department head had not gone well. In fact, it just made her angry. How dare Severus just leave with no explanation? They were partners and that is not what partners did. So without a second thought she disapparated to Spinner's End.

Hermione hadn't exactly thought through what she would say when she confronted Snape. Sure, she had a lot to say but would it really be better for their friendship for her to say all of it? She looked up at the old house with its overgrown vines and broken shutters, no wonder he spent a majority of time at the Ministry. Was Severus even here? She slowly walked up to the front porch, careful not to trip or fall through any of the missing wooden boards. She knocked on the door and waited. If he wasn't here she was going to feel foolish for apparating here for no reason. She raised a hand to knock again when the door was flung open by a rather angry looking Severus Snape.

"Miss Granger," He drawled. "How did I know I would eventually be seeing you on my doorstep."

The tone in which he addressed her brought back all of the anger from before. "You left. For over two weeks now. You left without a word, a letter, hell even a howler, nothing. How dare you!" Hermione demanded angrily.

Severus at least looked a little chastised. "I'm sure department head Skinner relayed the information to you but I'll repeat it once again. I have taken a leave of absence from the Ministry to work exclusively with the benefactor for the fantasy potion. After our incident in the laboratory I wrote to him informing him that it would be best to conduct any further trials in an isolated area."

"So that's it? You just leave when it's convenient for you. How hard would it have been to write me a short letter explaining all that? I've been working on my own since you left, wondering every day where you were. I thought we were partners Severus but partners don't just abandon each other. Clearly I overestimated our relationship." She said; his explanation doing little to quell her anger.

Neither of them spoke for a minute, both hoping the other would break the tension first. Hermione was caught off guard when Snape broke first.

"I am sorry Hermione," He paused, startling himself by using her first name. "I left instructions for department head Skinner to pass along the information to you. Clearly he can't even follow the simplest instructions. It's a wonder how he came to be in charge of the experimental potions department." He paused again. "I do consider you my partner."

Hermione was stunned to find him willing to apologize but couldn't let that deter her. She had come here to get answers. "What happened that night Severus?"

Snape sighed. He knew this was the real reason she had come to his home and he knew very well she would not be leaving without an answer. "Why don't you come inside, we've already given my neighbors enough of a show." He said simply as he turned and walked back into the house. Hermione paused for a moment before following him in.

Once inside Hermione was pleased to see the interior of the old house had been renovated recently. New light fixtures hung overhead giving the room a bright, almost welcoming feeling. Neutral colors and new furniture adorned the walls and floors. This was a place she could see Severus living in; but why had he not done any updates to the exterior of the house. Did he want people to think he lived in a rundown hovel, why?

"What did you see Severus?" She asked again once they were inside. "It could not have been that bad or that disgusting that you could justify leaving me alone for two weeks. It wasn't even real Severus!" She ranted.

"That's the problem." He said quietly.

"Wait, what?" Hermione asked. That was definitely not what she was expecting.

"That's the problem. What I saw could never be real. The potion is a cruel mistress. I regret ever agreeing to create it. It gives you a taste of something you can never have." Snape explained as he went to his liquor cabinet, grabbed a bottle of fire whiskey and a tumbler and poured himself a generous glass.

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could she have gotten the situation so wrong? "Who says you can't have it? I mean no one is stopping you."

Snape merely gave her a shallow laugh in response.

"Severus, I'm being serious. We both know the potion shows you what your greatest fantasy is. It's up to you to make it become a reality but only if you want! It's supposed to be a fun experience, something to fuel the rest of your fantasies." She said. Why was she pushing him so hard on this? She had no idea who or what was in his fantasy.

Snape huffed. "That's easy for a Gryffindor know-it-all to say. I like the current status of the relationship I have with the person and have come to the realization that it isn't worth losing that for a fantasy." He said in an exasperated tone.

Hermione remained silent. She knew where he was coming from. They had worked together long enough got her not to take offense at his Gryffindor comment. What she was not used to was his new attitude. Not since before the war had she seen him so withdrawn and downtrodden. He usually pursued every new obstacle with a passion she had not seen before. So why was he giving up on this? Well she was just going to have to change that. It was her turn to take the lead in their relationship.

"I understand that Severus, but what if you discovered that the person of your fantasy felt the same way as you do? Would it be worth the risk then?" Hermione asked, taking a few steps closer to him.

He watched her closely, as if trying to decipher exactly what she was up to. "Possibly."

That was as close to a 'yes' as Hermione was going to get so she went with it. Without another word, she leaned up and placed a quick, chaste kiss upon his lips. She backed away immediately afterwards, before he could push her away. They both stood there in his living room, staring at each other for what seemed like forever. Hermione was starting to regret kissing him when Snape took two steps forward, closing the distance between them, and capturing her lips in a deep kiss. His kiss was so much more than hers had been. It was deep, full of passion, and everything she had ever hoped a kiss to be.

Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. She gasped when he turned them around and lifted her onto the granite counter behind them. Hermione instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, locking him in place. When Severus pulled back slightly, Hermione knew he was panicking. Stupid man. "Hermione, I think we need to talk about this." He said breathlessly as she moved to kiss his neck right below his ear.

"No, we really don't." She replied as she continued to kiss and lick a trail down his neck to his collarbone. He really had too many layers on. "We can talk afterwards. We both want this so please just enjoy it with me." She nearly begged.

That was all the confirmations he needed as he kissed her hard on the lips again. This time there would be no misconceptions between them. They continued to tease each other, slowly removing various articles of clothing as they went. It wasn't the fast quickie Hermione thought it would be. Instead they took their time, enjoying the sensations between them. It didn't take them long to move from the counter in the kitchen to his bedrooms. Hermione found herself being laid down on dark green and silver silk sheets. Definitely not what she had expected from him. Before she had a moment look around the rest of the room Severus climbed on top of her, placing a knee between her thighs and resting his hands on either side of her head. He leaned down and captured her lips in another kiss. Her arms came to circle around his back, her fingers and nails gripping into him. She was already wet and they hadn't even done anything yet but judging by the hard length resting against her stomach she wasn't the only one affected.

Severus slowly kissed his way down her jaw to her neck and finally to the valley between her breasts. He took one of her nipples into his mouth, biting it gently; making her wither below him. One of his hands fondled the other as to not leave it neglected. After a few more teasing moments he switched to the other and repeated his actions, driving Hermione crazy. Before long he continued his journey lower until she felt him press a few chaste kisses on the inside of her thighs. So close and yet so far from where she truly wanted him. Almost as if he could hear her thoughts, he placed a hard kiss right on her most intimate area. Without giving her a minute to enjoy the sensation to the kiss, he pushed his tongue into her folds and started tasting her. Hermione couldn't even begin to describe the sensations she was feeling. No one else could ever compare to this.

It only took a few moments of his expert ministrations before Hermione could start to feel that tell-tale pressure start to build low in her abdomen. Never before had she experienced pleasure this quickly. "Severus," She gasped, trying to push him away slightly, "I need you inside me, please!"

Severus smirked. Who was he to deny a lady? Especially one who begged so nicely. Without any further hesitation, he lined himself up and thrust into her. Filling her all the way to the hilt in one long, hard thrust. Hermione let out a long moan when he did, he filled her like no others had. Severus only paused for a moment to give her time to adjust before he started moving, creating a slow, tantalizing rhythm that drove them both crazy. It wasn't long before Hermione needed more. "Severus, harder!" She gasped as he complied.

Snape could feel her walls start to flutter around him and knew she was close. He wasn't far behind her. He reached between their bodies and placed his thumb against her little nub and rubbed it in time with his thrusts. In an instant she came apart beneath his body, writhing below him violently and seeing stars. He followed her two thrusts later, spilling into her willing body. He rolled off of her, not wanting to crush her with his weight. Hermione instant clung to him, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. "See Severus, I told you, it's up to you to make your fantasy a reality." She said quietly as her eyes closed, falling asleep. He couldn't help but agree. Once again his little witch as an insufferable know-it-all, and for once he was extremely thankful of that.


A/N: Well One Minute is finally complete. I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Let me know what you thought!

~A