Chapter Six - In The Dark

Later that evening, sometime around one, Hermione realized that she couldn't sleep any more. She didn't want to wake Ariadne–Ginny had mentioned in passing that the girl was a light sleeper–so she stayed in her room and paced. She thought back to the night she had shared with Severus and tried to remember what had sent her in his direction.

She had respected him and his fearsome intelligence. She was in awe over what he would force himself to do over and over again in the name of the Order. She was attracted to the dark personality and the image that was Severus Snape. But that wasn't why she had found him out and had her way with him. It was the entire package that had enticed her, and if she was honest with herself, it still did.

She stopped pacing and decided that maybe some tea would help. It wouldn't be hard to slip out and flue the kitchens for some tea. She pulled a robe over her pajamas and left her room. She was startled to find Severus sitting in front of the fire, a tea service on the coffee table.

He handed her a cup and said, "Harry told me you had many a sleepless night when you were deciding what to do with Ariadne." As she took the cup from him, he added, "He said that chamomile worked the best."

She murmured a quiet thank you and sipped her tea. She let some of the warmth seep through her, then said, "Well, tonight's ponderings weren't about our little menace." She gave a small smile, then said, "I was thinking about how I'm going to tell you why I was there that night."

Severus shook his head. "If I never find that out, it won't bother me." He reached out and took her free hand. He softly slid his thumb over the skin of her hand, sending chills up and down her spine. His voice was very soft as he said, "I'm far more curious as to why you left before I woke."

Hermione set her cup down. She looked at him then turned away, looking into the fire. "I was afraid."

"Afraid of me?"

She felt his hand still and tighten. She turned to face him, her eyes glistening. She moved her hand under his and said, "No, I was afraid of myself and how I would have reacted that morning."

He slowly slid his thumb across her flesh again. "And how would you have reacted, Hermione?"

"Like this." She closed the space between their faces and lightly brushed her lips against his. When he didn't pull away, she leaned in and used more pressure. She felt one of his hands slip into her hair and pull her closer. She let out a small sound of pleasure and pulled back a little. When she saw the flash of confusion, she pulled out of his embrace. She didn't want there to be muddled feelings this time around. She picked up her teacup and sipped. "Why do we always seem to be drinking tea when we have a revelation?"

Severus let out a small sigh and sank back into his chair. He watched the firelight play over the planes of her face and the blush rise in her cheeks. He would leave her alone for now, but he would get an answer later. "Maybe because you feel in a confessional mood when there is tea around." He tapped his chin with a forefinger and said, "I should have offered you tea when you were a student. I would have found about more of your schemes that way."

Hermione had just taken a mouthful of tea when he made his comment. She swallowed it in a rush, choking on it. Coughing and with watering eyes, she turned to glare at him only to find him trying to suppress his laughter. She stood and lightly smacked him on his arm. "I'm not going to take this abuse. I'm going to bed."

Severus began laughing in earnest as she huffed back to her bedroom. He pulled out his wand and cleaned up their mess. He went back to his bedroom, never seeing the little figure crouched in the shadows watching them.


A few moments later, after she was sure both of her parents were in her room, Ariadne came out of her hiding place. She wasn't able to see her father's face from where she had been hiding, but she had been able to see her mum's. She had seen that look on Ginny's face when she and Harry would share a kiss when they thought she wasn't looking. It was a look of love and it seemed that both of them were in the dark about their feelings. She rubbed her hands with glee. She was going to have fun when school started.

Operation: Get a Brother was about to begin.


Author's Note:
This was originally a plot bunny I borrowed from emmakitty over at WIKTT. I saw it and decided that it would be fun. Her attempt is over at titled "Both Your Houses"

Another Note:
This was a short transitional chapter to finish up the day. The next chapter will deal with the Sorting as well as another surprise. Let me know what you think. :)