I don't own Harry Potter or make any money from this outlet.

A/N - So sorry for the crazy delay. I've been busy and my life has been especially hellish. I hope this chapter makes up for it all. Enjoy and please review! I'd love to know what you think!


Snape slowly opened his eyes, stretched out his cramping neck, and tried to figure out why he was sprawled out on his couch, curled around something warm. He sat up more fully and realized that he was pressed up against a still sleeping Hermione. His head still felt a little muddled, but it was all coming back to him: the smoking, the closeness, the playful banter, and most of all the comfortable ease of it all. That was the hardest part for him to wrap his brilliant mind around, and decided that he needed clarification.

"Hermione…" He said as he nudged her. She leaned into his touch, but didn't wake up. He pushed her a little harder, "Hermione, wake up," Severus said a little louder. Still no response. Slowly growing frustrated, but still feeling a little devious, he bent down so that his lips were almost touching her ear, and yelled, "WAKE UP, HERMIONE!"

The poor witch bolted upright so fast she nearly headbutted the Potions Master and was on her feet, wand drawn, in a second flat. When she realized that she was in no obvious danger, she whipped around to face the source of her alarm, only to find him grinning like the cat that got the canary.

"Bastard." She huffed before throwing herself back onto the couch.

"Oh yes, and you should remember that the next time you decide to fall asleep in my presence. Now sit up, I think we should talk about something. How stoned are you?"

As Hermione sat up, she could still feel the heaviness in her body and face. It definitely wasn't as apparent as before, but she could still feel the effect of the drug. "Hmm… I'm not quite as stoned as before, but I'm still feeling a bit hazy. I am aware of what I'm saying and thinking though, if you want to talk, I think I'm all right to talk. What's on your mind, Severus?" She asked with a dreamy smile.

"We have worked together for quite some time now, wouldn't you say?" He started quietly. At her nod, he cleared his throat and continued on with a little more conviction, "In that time our relationship has obviously changed. I treated you like the little swot that I remembered from school for a good portion of that time. You're still a swot, don't get me wrong, but you're not a little girl anymore. You are a brilliant woman who puts up with a greasy bastard on a daily basis. I guess what I'm trying to figure out is, how did we get here?"

Hermione nibbled on her lower lip as she nodded and tried to process everything the dour man had just said. He had complimented her, while still calling her names. It was all a little confusing, but promising, and she needed more, "Here? I'm assuming you don't mean here in your home. Do you mean how have we become friends? How have we become comfortable with each other to the point of being here doing illicit things on your couch?" She chuckled and blushed slightly at her innuendo.

Severus chuckled as well, as he leaned further into the couch, "Yes, that is precisely what I'm getting at. This comfort is remarkable. It may be that my tongue has been loosened by the weed, but I can easily say that I've never felt anything like this."

"Like what, Severus?" Hermione asked timidly, desperately wanting him to continue.

"This," he whispered as he gestured between the two of them. "I feel comfortable. I feel like myself and I know that's because of you, Hermione. I have these feelings and I'm not sure how to interpret them…" he trailed off and looked down to his now fidgeting hands.

In a fit of Gryffindor brashness, Hermione crawled forward toward Severus, lifted his face up, and softly touched her lips to his. It was brief, but the warmth that spread through the both of them lingered. Hermione pulled away but stayed close, and kept her hand on his face.

"Does that clear up any of your confusion, Severus?" Hermione asked as she looked into his wide eyes. When he didn't respond, Hermione let her hand drop and started to move away, but he grabbed her hand and put it back on his face. He reached up, ran his hand up the side of her neck and up into her hair, pulling her toward him. Severus kissed Hermione fiercely. It was a hard and needy kiss, but it was full of all of the feelings that Severus couldn't quite name. He let go and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily though his nose. They were still holding each other's face tenderly.

"Yes. I think that clears things up perfectly." Severus murmured. Hermione smiled and leaned forward to kiss him again. She kissed him gently before lightly sucking his lower lip into her mouth, tracing it with her tongue, and nibbling on it like it was her own. Severus groaned as he asserted himself and pushed his own tongue forward. As they kissed, Severus pushed Hermione onto her back and laid himself on top of her. Their bodies arched into each other and Severus could feel Hermione's fingers running up and down his back, and up into his hair. Her fingers set his nerves on fire, and he knew that this was a new feeling for him.

He pulled away from her lips to trail open-mouth kisses along her jaw and neck, but stopped himself at her shirt collar. He stopped himself all together and just looked at the young woman underneath him. She looked back up at him with a slightly confused expression,

"Severus? Is there something wrong?" Hermione asked concerned.

He took a deep breath, "Nothing is wrong exactly, I just know that if I continue, I may not be able to stop myself, thereby adding to the list of illicit activities happening on this couch."

"If you're concerned about your couch, we could always move to your bedroom…"

"You naughty little witch. Who are you, and what have you done with Hermione Granger?"

Hermione pushed the Professor off of her and got off the couch. She started walking away from him, leaving him puzzled and disappointed on the couch. Had he said something wrong? When she finally looked over her shoulder at him, he knew that he was far from wrong. With a fire in her eye and a pout to her lips, she answered his playful question,

"On her way up to your bedroom. There's plenty you still have to learn about me, Severus Snape."

As she disappeared around the corner, Severus sat heavily back into the couch. He ran his hands roughly down his face before he sprung up off the couch and followed the saucy young witch up to his bedroom.

He climbed the stairs slowly, as he tried to calm down and not appear desperate. He crept up to the slightly ajar door of his bedroom, and paused. Severus closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply before pushing the door open.

When he finally opened the door and his eyes, Severus was met with a sight that stopped him in his tracks.

Somehow, Hermione managed to snag his bowl before sauntering upstairs, because there she was in his bed, glowing in the muted candlelight, clad only in her underthings, blowing smoke sensually up toward the ceiling. She placed the bowl on the bedside table, and turned her half lidded gaze toward the frozen man in the doorway.

Severus swallowed visibly before getting himself together and walking forward. Hermione watched him approach, with a predatory gleam in her eye. When he didn't get into bed with her, she was confused and watched as he picked up the bowl from the bedside table.

The Professor couldn't help but smirk to himself at his antics. He figured that if she was going to keep him on his toes, he might as well keep her off balance as well. He lit what was left in the bowl and inhaled deeply. For what he was about to do, he needed a good amount of smoke. He held it deep in his lungs, while he removed his thermal and undid his fly.

He turned toward Hermione, who looked back at him with an arched brow, and he lightly grabbed her chin. He rubbed her lower lip with his thumb, coaxing her lips to part, and bent forward so that his lips were almost touching hers. Hermione moved to kiss him, but he held her in place. Severus smirked before slowly exhaling the smoke he had been holding into her mouth. Her eyes widened when she realized what he was doing, but accepted the smoke. She inhaled it deeply before blowing the smoke back out slowly. Severus smirked at the witch before latching onto her lips.

He climbed onto the bed and laid himself over her once again, this time with the added benefit of feeling her skin on his. Hermione moaned into his mouth and arched into his body, grinding her hips into his hardening erection. Both Severus and Hermione felt a pleasant heaviness to their body and everything seemed like it was moving at a leisurely sensual pace. Every movement, every taste, and every tingle felt amplified and they couldn't stop feeling each other.

Severus slowly kissed and sucked her neck leaving little lovebites behind as he traveled lower. He wanted this to last as long as possible and he wanted to show Hermione tenderness. When he finally reached her breasts, he nuzzled at them with his nose as he reached behind her to undo the clasp of her bra. Hermione was lost to his touch and arched accordingly with her eyes closed and a serene look on her face. Severus peeled back her bra and licked his lips as her nipples hardened in the cool air.

Hermione opened her eyes and watched Severus' eyes drink in her body. She reached out to him and ran her fingers lightly up and down his bare chest. He was warm and felt solid. He turned her on beyond belief and she couldn't help but scratch at his sparse chest hair and run her fingers over his stiffened nipples. Each pass of her fingers elicited a gasp from the dour man.

Severus reveled in her touch and returned the favor, but with his tongue. He bent down and gently ran his tongue over her breasts, teasing the undersides and nudging around with his nose, at first avoiding her nipples completely, and then finally licking each one and suckling and nibbling like this was the last time he would taste her.

Hermione arched into his mouth enjoying the sensation. She threaded her fingers into his hair and massaged his scalp as he feasted on her. While he was occupied, she carefully slipped her toes into his belt loops and attempted to tug his trousers off. Severus looked down and couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped his lips when he realized what she was trying to do.

"If you wanted these off, witch, all you had to do was ask." He said as he shimmied out of his trousers and pants. When he laid back over Hermione, she gasped as she felt his completely naked body against her almost naked one. He arched his brow at her before kissing her body again. He moved down her tummy, trailing his tongue down her navel, and kissing each hipbone. Severus hooked his thumbs under the elastic of her lacy knickers and slid them down her smooth legs. He sat back on his heels and gazed at the naked woman in his bed. Hermione tilted her head, and looked up at him with a shy smile gracing her full lips. He smiled back and settled himself between her legs, urging her to open herself to him.

Severus wrapped an arm around each thigh, settling his hands right over her center. Hermione watched as he played with her curls and examined her folds. The sight of his head between her legs shot a surge of arousal straight to her clit and she felt herself buck toward him. Severus noticed the movement and took that as his signal to move in. He lowered his head and took one long, languid lick up her slit from entrance to clit, savoring the taste and feel of her against his tongue. Hermione cried out from the contact and grabbed at the sheets under her to restrain herself from pulling at his hair. The sound of her cry and the liquid now trickling out of her encouraged Severus to continue. He ran his tongue over her velvety folds, ignoring her clit, but getting closer and closer each time. He thrust his tongue into her and nudged his nose into her clit, evoking another pleasure filled cry from Hermione. He smiled against her and decided that he wanted nothing more than to see her come apart, so he moved up and gently sucked on her clit while sliding two fingers into her. The moan that escaped her assured Severus that he had made the right decision. He felt her walls flutter around his fingers and she was bucking against his face, he knew she was about to come, so he sucked hard on her clit and twisted his fingers inside of her, hitting the perfect spot that had her wailing and clamping down around his fingers. Hermione screamed his name and went rigid before going completely limp and relaxing her grip on the sheets.

Severus smiled as he kissed his way back up her body, and laid a quick peck onto her lips. Hermione lazily opened her eyes and kissed him back fully, tasting herself on his lips. She could feel his cock poking into her and decided that she definitely wanted to return the favor and worship this man's body, as he did hers. She pulled away from the kiss and pushed Severus down so that she could climb onto him.

Hermione straddled his hips just above his groin, and kissed his lips before moving lower to kiss his neck and tease the sensitive scar tissue with her tongue. Severus hissed his pleasure when he felt her tongue tracing the lines of his scar and couldn't help but grip her hips and try to grind himself into her. Hermione sat back and ground into him slightly, but continued on her oral exploration of his body. She kissed each collarbone, moving lower and gently biting at each of his nipples. Lower and lower she moved, trailing her tongue and the tips of her hair all over his highly sensitized body. By the time she finally made her way to his crotch, he was trembling slightly and there was a small bead of liquid at the tip of his very hard cock.

Severus groaned loudly when he felt Hermione run her tongue up the length of his cock. Hermione ran her tongue up and down twice before kissing and sucking gently on the tip. She felt his fingers work their way into her hair, but he never pushed her head, he just squeezed and massaged her scalp as she sucked him. Hermione ran her hands up his lightly furred thighs before she moved up to tickle and massage his balls. Severus was watching Hermione intently, thoroughly enjoying the sight of her lips wrapped around him, but he had to focus on not coming too soon.

He wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside her sweet cunt and feel her pulsate around him as they both came. He was getting too worked up.

"Hermione… Oh god… Hermione, please stop… s-stop… fucking hell… please I need to be inside you right… now…" Severus growled as he all but lifted her up and threw her down on the bed, laying himself on her immediately. He kissed her and groaned into her mouth when she opened her mouth to him. He let himself calm down a bit, but when Hermione started to arch her hips into him, he knew that they were both ready. He was hard enough that he really didn't need any help, so he nudged at her entrance, and at her whimpered plea, "please… Severus…" he thrust in fully.

Both Severus and Hermione moaned and just attempted to breathe as they adjusted to each other. She was tight and he was big so when Hermione started rocking against him, Severus started to move. Slowly at first, he pulled out and pushed back in, just feeling every inch of her and reveling in her heat. Hermione pulled him close and kissed him as they moved together, building up their mutual pleasure. He moved faster and thrust a little harder as their tongues tangled and their breath mingled. Hermione ground against him with each thrust and whimpered into his mouth. She was getting close and Severus was starting to lose control.

His hips moved erratically and he had to bury his face into Hermione's neck. She was grabbing at his arse trying to pull him into her harder; she was on the brink.

"Hermione… Hermione… I'm going to… oh Merlin… Hermione!" Severus ground out as he thrust into her hard, coming in spurts, and feeling her now spasming walls milk him of everything he had. Her name on his lips had sent Hermione over the edge and she came holding Severus into her and screaming his name.

Severus collapsed onto Hermione and attempted to roll off of her, but Hermione held him in place, "Don't move…" she whispered quickly, "I like feeling your weight on me." She scratched his sweaty back lightly and kissed his cheek. Severus smiled and kissed her glistening shoulder. They laid together for almost a quarter of an hour before Severus finally pulled out and settled next to Hermione. They cuddled up to each other and drifted off to a very satisfied sleep.

Hermione woke up a few hours later, curled around a still snoring Severus. She watched his chest rise and fall for a few seconds, and observed the relaxed look on his face. He looked beautiful, and she realized that this was what she wanted, this moment of vulnerability and comfort. Hermione reached up and lightly stroked his brow and traced his features with the tips of her fingers, when a devilish idea struck her. It was too peaceful a moment, to really go for it, but she couldn't help herself.

She leaned in close, with her lips just touching the shell of his ear, and whispered his name, "Severus…" each time getting a little bit louder, "Severus… Sev-er-us…" He finally started to stir and woke up with a look of confusion on his face. He turned his head and wound up face to face with the witch responsible for disturbing his slumber.

"Thank you for not yelling." He said in a gruff, sleepy tone. Hermione chuckled and gave his earlobe a quick but hard bite. Severus growled and wrapped his arms around Hermione, pulling her close against him. Hermione snuggled in close and nuzzled into his chest, "I thought Severus Snape didn't cuddle?"

"He doesn't, but he can make an exception for you… if you'll have me, that is…" Severus trailed off. Hermione smiled into his chest, "Well of course. You're mine now, Severus. I wouldn't give you up for the world. Thank you for helping me relax today."

Severus chuckled into her mass of curls, "You're very welcome. I'm glad I could help. Thank you for helping me decipher my feelings. I would never have figured this out for myself. Thank Merlin for brash Gryffindors."

"Thank Merlin for sneaky Slytherin's and their illicit activities. I still can't believe you obliviated those police office-"

She was promptly cut off by said sneaky Slytherin stealing a kiss and further exploring his feelings for the brash Gryffindor in his arms.