AN: I know I said I'd try to update once a week. I lied. I didn't mean to, I just couldn't get this right. I kept fiddling with it and trying but it wouldn't come.

Severus entered her home for the first time as a man several days later.

He had taken great care with his appearance, reminding himself that Miss Granger had known him during one of the more trying times in his life. His skin was still sallow (because he couldn't be arsed to spend the requisite time outdoors to bring color to it). His hair would always be lank, but until he began brewing it often lacked the characteristic greasy edge that the children (both when he was a student and later as a teacher) had mocked him for.

He did not wish to frighten the chit with anything less than his usual attire, so he wore his customary black robes. She might have a heart attack if she saw him in a pale afternoon suit such as he'd worn on occasion for summer fetes with the Malfoy and other pureblood families.

Of course, he was the first to admit that black was his color.

Hermione seemed equally unnerved by the possible collaboration. Her hair was up in a professional and somewhat severe chignon. Her robes were classically cut and nothing like the flowing, comfortable silk and light cotton things she normally lounged about in…

Such a pity…

He pulled his mind away from those soft fabrics skimming her figure with some difficulty.

He found it rather more difficult than he had imagined to keep himself from burying his nose in her hair and inhaling her scent…and act that would surely earn him at least an odd look, and perhaps a nice restraining spell and a room at St. Mungos.

He cleared his throat.

"Thank you for allowing me to intrude on your solitude and your research Miss Granger."

Her cheeks turned a fetching shade of pink. "No Professor, it's my pleasure. If I had imagined that you would be interested in my research…"

"The entire Wizarding world is going to be interested in your research Miss Granger. If you are as close as Draco has claimed, you will take them all by storm someday very soon. I will be quite happy to watch them all tripping all over themselves." He gave her a sardonic half-smile. "Let's get the oath-taking out of the way so that we can get to work."

Her cheeks turned a shade darker and he felt one certain part of his body twitch in response. Down boy!

"Surely an oath isn't necessary Professor. I would far rather.."

He took her protesting fingers in his hand in a courtly gesture that he hadn't made since he'd first been introduced to the pureblood elite circles by that prancing peacock Lucius. "Miss Granger, I really must insist…unless you would rather I took an unbreakable oath…" She shook her dark curls.

"Very well then." He took a deep breath and took out his wand. "I shall not take credit for any work by or inspired by the work of Miss Hermione Granger, nor seek to claim any of her research as my own. Moreover, I cede all rights to any input I may have on her research over to her." He felt the mild binding wrap around them.

Her eyes were wide. "You didn't have to do that Professor."

"I wanted to make certain you did not doubt my sincerity Miss Granger, and for heaven's sake, call me Severus. You are more than grown." His eyes lingered on her hair and face, but with the will of an experienced spy, they never ventured lower than her neck.

Her blush, which had begun to fade, came back full force. But her courage didn't desert her. She looked him in the eyes and gave him a little sardonic smile. "It would be my pleasure Profess…Severus. You will call me Hermione."

He realized he hadn't released her hand and he let the soft hand fall as he nodded. "Of course Hermione." He let his voice caress those syllables.

HJGHJG

She'd despised group work since she was five years old. There was very little that was worse than taking on a project, planning out every detail, and doing 99% of the work, while arguing with dunderheads that her way was obviously the right way.

She'd convinced most of her teachers early on that it was less work for them if they kept the little menaces away from her work.

Working with Severus Snape as a collaborator was as different from those early experiences as diamonds were to donuts.

He understood the theory surprisingly fast. He'd pulled out a very nice set of silver reading glasses that made the man look like a Librarian's wet dream and muttered 'brilliant.'

She blushed again. Damn it. Apparently her blood couldn't decide if it wanted to rush to her cheeks or …other places.

It was somewhat disconcerting.

He's a brilliant wizard in the prime of life. If he wants a companion, he has one. He's not here to scratch an itch for you. You are working for Merlin's sake! On a problem that affects all of wizarding kind. You need to stop thinking about dragging him back to your lair by his robes.

She managed to arrange her face in something that was probably serious out of habit as he pulled off the glasses and turned over the last page.

"Miss Granger…" He cleared his throat. "Hermione. I sincerely hope that you are prepared for the level of fame that will come with this discovery."

"It's incomplete."

"Many remedies do not work 100% of the time. But I understand your motivation. It is commendable."

She swallowed hard, mouth suddenly dry. Circe. The man's lips…Focus!

"The real question is can we keep the mother's magic from interfering without risking birth defects and mutations."

He nodded his black head while flipping through her notes. "Yes. The spell itself is already quite delicate. Further targeting might make it unusable for any but the most gifted witches and wizards."

"And we need it to be simple enough for every healer to use. Not all of them are proficient in Charms in a real world environment."

He smirked. "What you mean is that some of them bribed their way into their positions. There is no need to sugar coat the truth."

She felt a laugh bubbling up from her chest. "No. I don't think you'd appreciate sugar coating the truth. I always wondered, do you have a sweet tooth at all?" She felt very brave, asking this man such a personal question.

His dark eyes lit up with some emotion she couldn't place. His voice dipped further down as he leaned slightly closer. "Occasionally I indulge."

She bit back a moan successfully and took in a breath that probably sounded a little shaky. "Right…well, back to work." She picked up a folder and promptly spilled the contents all over the floor.

He gave her a sardonic grin and bent to help her pick up the papers. He slid his hands across her fingers thrice in the course of cleaning up her mess.

He stacked them neatly and handed them to her with a flourish. "My lady."

Severus Snape was flirting with her. And smiling.

She shot a quick detection spell at him. He had his wand out, but he let the spell hit him without blocking it.

"Is something amiss?" He raised a brow.

She shrugged neatly. "I had to make certain it was really you. I apologize."

He looked slightly put out, but he didn't make a move to leave. "No apology necessary. I simply thought that since we were working so very well together that a less formal form of address might be productive. Please excuse my intrusion. I shall not overstep the bounds of your hospitality again." The warmth was completely gone and he looked like he might bolt with the least bit encouragement.

She took his hand anxiously. "No, the less formal Severus Snape was perfectly lovely, though of course you are welcome to behave any way you like. It's just so much like what I wanted I didn't trust it…"

He looked into her eyes and she saw a minute lessening of the strain around his mouth. "Very well then Hermione. I shall continue as we were?"

"Please." Her voice was slightly breathless.

He cleared his throat and a tiny, nearly unnoticeable hint of pink colored his pale cheek.

"Very well." He took a breath a summoned a book from his bag. "I suppose you have taken into account Gamp's sixth law?"

SSssSSssSSssSS

Severus enjoyed the day quite as much as he had anticipated, perhaps a pinch more. He had no idea she would be so delightfully flustered in his presence. The witch was quite obviously in need of male companionship if she was practically jumping out of her skin from the slight touch of his hands on her own…still , whatever the reason, her response was rather flattering.

Having the brilliant little witch all to himself was even more enjoyable as a man than it had been for him when he was a bird.

He insisted on apparating out to get food (he'd made her cook for him when he was a raven, he wasn't about to do so as a man.) He arrived back from London with a selection of Chinese (including sushi for himself). She took one look at his selection and laughed.

He raised a brow to the impertinent witch.

She waved her chopsticks slightly as she unwrapped them with practiced ease. "Your raven and I had a similar discussion about sushi. I find it amusing that he and you have similar tastes."

He unwrapped his chopsticks with practiced ease and brought the tender, pink flesh of the salmon to his mouth. The flavor exploded as he happily devoured it.

"My raven has excellent taste, I'll have you know."

She unpacked the eggrolls and offered him one, which he graciously accepted. "Your raven is the most affectionate bird I've ever met. I forgot to ask Draco…what did you call him?"

Severus smirked, having decided on a half-truth. "I called him The Half-Blood Prince for a long while."

She laughed, but there was an uncomfortable edge to it. He distracted her by passing the fried rice. "Truth, he's a cantankerous thing…Draco is the only one willing to put up with him for long periods."

She brought a small morsel of chicken to her mouth and closed her eyes. "Merlin, this is delicious. Where did you say this place is?"

He took a drink of the hot tea he'd ordered to accompany the meal. "I didn't. It's a bit hard to find. I'll show you sometime."

Her slight blush was very fetching…very fetching indeed. He cleared his throat.

She fumbled for the wasabi and their hands touched again. Her cheeks turned the most shaggable shade of pink he'd ever seen. He had to adjust his legs under the table to accommodate a rather large and insistent part of himself that was declaring that it would very much like to be let out to play.

He poured her a cup of tea to cover his response and to give her cheeks time to rid themselves of that tempting color.

"Try this, it's hot, but you've never tasted anything so divine."

He practically held it to her lips until she brought her hand around to take the cup, sliding her fingers around it and touching his hand once more.

Merlin. The witch was in desperate need of a long, hard night of love-making.

He had a pointed reminder straining against his robes reminding him that he could do with a bit of the same…

He shook his head. He would not take advantage.