A/N: Hi guys. I swear, I didn't forget about this story, I've had a serious case of writers block and still having issues with it. Never had a bout of it last this long before and its rather annoying. Lol. I am behind on a few reviews, and I promise I'll catch those up very soon. Take care everyone and keep your fingers crossed on the writers block ending sometime soon.

Special Thanks to TabiPrewett for looking this chapter over as well. You did an awesome job on it and I greatly appreciate it.


Chapter 8

March made way to April and Hermione went about her classes as if she wasn't pondering what she wanted to do concerning Snape. She went to her all of her classes, wrote out her notes, did her in-class work, and whatever homework was assigned and didn't appear distracted or phased at all. Even in her potion's class. Though, despite outward appearances, she wasn't as calm and collected as she seemed.

She'd sit at her table, taking notes as Severus gave his lecture and as his silky voice droned on, she'd find her mind slipping over everything that happened. Not just shagging him in the broom cupboard, but him kissing her, and the conversation they'd had.

She'd still be paying attention, but half of her mind would be on things she shouldn't think of while in his class. She knew that had she not shagged him by mistake, she'd never have looked at him in that way.

As her professor, he was off limits and therefore, she'd never really thought of him as of the male persuasion. At least, not in that way. She'd always known he was male, but not...in a sexual way.

Now, she found herself discretely studying him when he wasn't looking. She'd always known he was tall, she'd had to tilt her head up to look at him while he lectured or yelled at her for years. But she'd never really thought of how tall he was, and how far she'd have to stretch on her toes to reach him. Now she knew and that knowledge teased her, her mind taunting her with thoughts of what all she could do while standing on her toes to better reach him.

She'd never have called him handsome, but there were things about him that were attractive. His dark hair was silky and shiny, and she found she liked sifting her fingers through it. His face, while not classically handsome, did have handsome-ish qualities.

His jaw was strong, his lips wide, his nose while big and odd shaped, actually suited him in a weird way. The paleness of his skin had her thinking of the contrast of her own golden complexion and how they would look wrapped together doing rather naughty things.

His eyes however, his eyes drew your gaze with their dark color and intense penetrating stare. Yes, his eyes could hold you captive and keep you from looking anywhere but at him. No matter what you might be doing at the time, whether academically, or sexually.

While she had listened to him rant for years, she'd never really taken the time to appreciate just how smooth and silky his voice really was. The sound washed over a person, the tenor of it caressed each syllable as he spoke, and had the same effect on her as if it were a set of hands lightly stroking her flesh.

Even as she worked on a potion, he would walk by, stopping to check on her work and she'd find herself taking note on things about him. Seeing his hands pick up a spoon to get a better look at her potion, and she'd find herself thinking on those hands.

The long and elegant looking fingers that worked so efficiently at what he did, would have her thinking about how they would feel on her bare skin. His palms, work roughened and calloused, could slide over her flesh and send tingles of pleasure shooting through her easily. She just knew it, especially since she'd already felt those hands once, though not for long before their tryst was over since he been bound for most of it. A man with such beautiful hands surely had to know how to use them. Otherwise...it would be such a waste to have them.

He didn't try to touch her in an inappropriate way while in his class, other than that one day when they'd discussed what could happen after she graduated. She wasn't sure if she was more relieved or disappointed, though she knew she was both.

He treated her like he did every other student and it both annoyed her and had her almost sighing in relief. She didn't need the distraction, nor the extra stimulants. Especially, with how her mind had been working as of late.

However, she would run across him as she patrolled every now and then. If she had a partner for the evening, he'd barely glance her way before moving on. A few times that she was on her own, he joined her, though they didn't speak much. If they did, it was easy and random topics, nothing personal.

Now, she was patrolling alone again, wondering if she'd bump into him. Part of her wanted to, she had a few questions for him that she'd refrained from asking. Part of her didn't, which went back to the extra stimulant problem.

Eyes peeled for students out of bed, she practically shrieked when a hand touched her shoulder. She hadn't heard anyone coming up behind her and she jerked when the hand startled her.

"What's your problem, Granger?" Draco asked as she turned to look at him.

Hermione huffed as they kept walking. "You scared the daylights out of me."

Draco smirked. "If you were paying attention, you'd have heard me coming."

Hermione glared at him. "I was paying attention, I didn't hear you walking." She said, passing a small darkened niche and not seeing the figure standing in it, listening.

The blond's smirk grew. "Guess my godfather taught me well then."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "So you did do it on purpose, you prat. What are you doing here anyway?"

"My partner bailed on me, or rather, I sent him back to his dorm. He kept whining about feeling ill and it was annoying to listen to him." Draco said.

Hermione smirked. "Yes, and no one but you is allowed to whine in an annoying way, right?"

Draco glared. "I don't whine, Granger."

Hermione snorted. "Says you. So what are you doing here? Partner or no partner, you still have your own hallways to cover."

Draco shrugged. "I already finished them, I was on my way back to the Head dorm when I thought I'd join you."

Hermione frowned, the figure following silently and staying in the shadows behind them. "Why?"

He shrugged again. "Why not? Believe it or not, Granger, you're not the most annoying person in the world and I happen to like talking to you on occasion."

Hermione smirked. "Aww...be still my beating heart. But you're right, I'm not the most annoying person in the world, you've already claimed that role." Snickering when he glared at her.

But he quickly gave her a cocky grin, his arm slinging around her shoulders. "And yet...you still want me to shag you."

Hermione rolled her eyes and threw his arm off of her. "Whatever, Draco. That joke is getting old. If you keep it up, I'm going to think its you that wants to shag me."

Draco winked at her. "Nah, you just wish I would. Though I might consider it if you'd do something with yourself every now and then."

Hermione sighed. "Guess I won't be using those grooming spells anytime soon."

Draco chuckled softly. "I still don't think you even know them."

Hermione glanced his way. "You're right, Draco. How could someone with such high marks in all my classes like me, know something as easy as a grooming spell? Maybe I simply don't care to be something I'm not."

Draco looked over at her. "How on earth can using a spell on that mess of hair you have, make you something you're not?"

Hermione kept walking, looking about for students. "My hair isn't a mess, thank you. It's mostly because I've more important things to worry about, than if I have a proper make up charm in place. Really, if something as trivial as that is so important to a bloke, he can bugger off. I am who I am, and if someone can't take me for who I am, then I don't need him."

Draco bumped her shoulder with his, giving her a grin. "You know, you can admit to not knowing the proper spells, Granger. I'd be happy to show you them."

Hermione shook her head. "Did you just come down here to annoy me? Really, you didn't have to; you could have just waited until I got back to the dorm to do that."

Draco gave her a dramatic sigh. "Where is your sense of humor these days? I swear you really do need to pull that stick out of your arse, or get a decent shag. I know Weasley never gave you one."

Hermione chose to ignore him, turning down a new hallway, both of them still unaware of their silent shadow following them, listening to what all they said to each other.

Draco stayed quiet for several moments before speaking again. "Speaking of shagging."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I wasn't."

Draco looked over at her. "When was the last time you had a decent shag?"

Hermione sighed. "None of your business, Draco."

His eyebrow rose. "Have you ever had a decent one? Or a shag at all for that matter?"

When she didn't answer, he started to snicker. "Don't tell me you're still a virgin. I know you're kind of a prude, but even you have had to have some bloke sweating between the sheets with you."

Their silent stalker bit back a smirk. She definitely wasn't a virgin. Nor was she a prude, at least not with what she'd done with him.

She glanced up at Draco. "I have actually, not that it's any of your business, and I'm not a prude, you arrogant sod."

Draco considered her. "So when did you lose it?"

"Lose what?" She asked, getting annoyed.

"Your virginity." When she glared at him, he went on. "Oh come on, I'll tell you about mine, if you tell me about yours."

Hermione snorted again. "What makes you think I care about when you lost yours?"

"Just spill it, Granger. If you do, I'll lay off the jokes for...a few days at least." He said, still smirking. The shadow following them slipped into a new hidden crevice, curious himself as when she'd become sexually active.

A sigh escaped her. "Fine. It was...during Christmas break of my...sixth year."

"You were sixteen?" He asked, a bit surprised, she seemed too prudish to be active that long.

She glared at him. "You know very well that I'm twenty now, so that means I was eighteen."

"Who was it with?" He asked.

"No one you know." She replied, not even looking at him.

Draco's brow rose. "How old was he?"

She felt her lips curving. "A bit older."

"How much older?" He asked.

Hermione's lips curved more. "He was...twenty-one."

A dark brow rose at that, twenty-one? She has a thing for older men, I see. Or is that just a coincidence?

Draco smirked. "Then, he wasn't a student here."

Hermione snorted. "Excellent deduction, Watson. No, he wasn't a student, he was a muggle."

Draco frowned in confusion. "Watson?"

She shook her head. "Never mind. It's a character from a muggle book."

He nodded. "And? How was it?"

She shrugged. "Same as most girls' first times. It sucked, but it got better as the holiday progressed."

Draco looked at her, somewhat surprised. "You shagged him again?"

Hermione smirked. "Several times in fact. Your turn."

I knew she had some experience to be as skilled as she was, the figure thought as he turned the corner and continued following them.

Draco didn't speak at for several minutes and Hermione glanced his way. "You do realize that if you don't tell me about yours, I'll just hex the crap out of you for making me spill mine, right?" She asked.

Draco chuckled. "I was sixteen. Mine happened just before Christmas break during our sixth year. Excellent Christmas present it was too, if I might add."

Hermione didn't speak waiting him to go on.

"It was with a Ravenclaw and...it kind of sucked, though I still enjoyed it, but like you, it got better as time went on." He finally said.

Ravenclaw? She thought, he likes...brainy chicks? Hmm...thought he'd go for the vapid and overly curvy type.

Draco glanced at her. "No comments?"

She met his gaze. "I wasn't aware that I was supposed to give you any."

Draco sighed. "We're discussing sex. Everyone has a comment about it."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're discussing sex; I'm just doing what I can to shut you up over the next few days."

Draco smirked. "Alright then, if I'm to shut up, I want a few more answers from you. What did you see in Weasley anyway?"

Hermione sighed. "I...I don't know. I think...with all the experiences I had, none really had that...emotional quality to them. I...dated a few guys during this last year, before coming back, and...all of them were just..."

"Meaningless?" Draco answered when she didn't go on.

She shook her head. "Not meaningless, more...I knew they weren't going anywhere. I went to Australia and spent the year trying to get my parents back and..."

He frowned, cutting her off. "Back from what?"

She looked up at him. "I...I wiped their memories before going off with Harry on the hunt and stashed them in a small, out of the way town in Australia. I didn't want them hurt with the war or...worried about me too badly. Plus, there was the possibility that I wouldn't...survive. I didn't want them to have to deal with any of that. It took time to gain their trust and slowly start removing the charms that had them forget me and their lives in Britain. If I did it too fast or if I did it wrong...I could have fried the circuits in their brains."

Severus' brow rose. He hadn't been aware of all of that. He knew she'd hidden them, but not that she'd fully wiped their memories. That was some very difficult magic, especially for someone her age. He knew she was brilliant, but even he hadn't thought she was capable of doing something of that nature. It couldn't have been easy for her. Any of it.

Draco frowned more. "You wiped their memories all on your own?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, Moody helped me with wiping their memories and intended to help me recover their lost memories too, only...he didn't survive. It was our secret and...with him being gone, I had to repair it on my own."

"Did it work?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yes, it just...took a while, though I'm sure Moody could have done it faster. While I was there I started dating this guy. He was a muggle who visited my mum's neighbors a lot. They were his aunt and uncle, I think. That's how I met him. Anyway, so knowing I was only there until I succeeded with my parents, I didn't let myself get attached."

A look of surprise on his face, Draco asked his next question. "So...you just used him for sex?"

Severus was surprised to hear that as well. He wouldn't have expected to hear anything like that from or about her.

Hermione shook her head. "No. He told me up front that he wasn't staying long and it was what it was. Neither of us got attached since we both knew it wouldn't really go anywhere. It started with us just hanging out for fun and went from there."

Draco pondered that. "I can't believe you got into a relationship that you knew wouldn't last long. You don't seem like the love them and leave them type."

Hermione sighed. "It wasn't like that. We were friends that just..."

"Became shag-buddies?" He finished for her.

Hermione shrugged. "Kind of, though it really wasn't like that. Anyway, he was only around for a few months and then...I started seeing this other bloke in town. He lived there and it could have gone somewhere more permanent, but...it didn't."

"Why not?" Draco asked as they headed down a new hallway, Snape still following them, curious as to her answers himself. "Was he bad in bed?"

Hermione smirked. "No, quite the opposite in fact. I just...couldn't see it going anywhere. There was chemistry...but that was all. He and I dated for a several months and then...it was time for me to leave. We parted on good terms and he said if I was ever back in Australia to look him up."

Draco looked over at her. "Was he a muggle too?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, he didn't know I was a witch though. I never told him and made sure I kept any and all magic away from him."

Draco frowned. "So...you let him shag you silly, but didn't confide in him about what you are?"

"First off, I never said I let him shag me silly." Even if he did, she added silently. "Second...I already said there was chemistry and nothing else. There wasn't any emotional connection and I didn't feel the desire to confide in him. To confide in a person there must be trust and..." She trailed off.

"You didn't trust him?" Draco asked as they neared the end of their route and started heading towards the dorm.

"I did, but not enough to tell him my secrets." She frowned. "Maybe I didn't fully trust him. That would explain why I always..." She stopped, not about to tell Draco that she'd let him tie her up.

Draco's brow rose at her stopping. "Always what?"

Hermione debated how to answer him. "Always kept my wand close by, just in case. Though I never needed it." It was vague enough.

"So how does all of that equal you getting with Weasley?" Draco asked, even as Severus rolled his eyes.

He would have asked why she needed her wand handy, but Draco didn't seem to wonder about that. The dark man was curious what exactly she was doing that justified her thinking she might need her magic.

Hermione frowned. "He was one of my best friends. There was bound to be that connection I'd wanted, and had yet to really find. I didn't fool myself into believing I was suddenly in love with him like that, though I did love him, just...as a friend. Everyone assumed we'd get together after the war and had I not left...we might have."

She took a breath. "We kind of danced around each other before the war and even kissed at the final battle, but...after I left we grew apart...very quickly it seemed. He started dating someone else and so did I, as I said. When he mentioned us getting back together this year, I debated it for a while and decided to give it a shot. But...I guess we grew farther apart in my absence than I'd realized."

Draco sighed. "Weasley's an idiot and a prat."

Hermione smirked. "Agreed."

"So now what?" Draco asked as they neared their dorm.

Hermione shrugged. "Now...I can't help but wonder if the emotional crap is really worth it. Had Lance, the last bloke in Australia, done what Ron did, I doubt I'd have really cared beyond getting angry and breaking things off. But, even angry at Ron...it hurt to find out how little he really cared. I thought we were at least friends."

Draco scoffed. "Don't let that idiot keep you from letting yourself get close to anyone. If you want that connection...then have it. Not every guy has the emotional range of a teaspoon. Take me for example. I might have a reputation for sleeping around at times, but even I want someone eventually that is more than just a good shag."

Hermione looked up at him as they stopped outside their portrait. "Really?" Sounding a bit skeptical.

Draco sighed. "Yes, Granger. Even I want something real someday. Can't just fuck about the rest of my life, now can I?"

Hermione shrugged. "Guess not. Though, I didn't mean I was giving up on the emotional thing all together. Just...not really looking for it right now either. It's more of the...if it happens, then it happens."

Draco said the password and the door opened, though neither really moved to go inside immediately. "Which is how it should be anyway. For someone so brilliant, you really are an idiot sometimes, Granger."

She scowled at him. "Gee, thanks, Draco. You really know how to charm a girl."

Draco smirked as he tossed his arm over her shoulder again. "I know, it's why you want to shag me."

Hermione growled and elbowed him in the ribs, smirking when he grunted in mild pain and dropped his arm. "You said you'd lay off the jokes, remember?"

Draco smirked. "I did, I just never said when I'd start laying off of them."

Her eyes narrowed and he quickly darted inside, laughing as she stood growling at him. "Bloody prat." Stalking inside after him, even though she knew he'd already run up to his room since she heard him on the stairs moments before his door slammed shut.

Severus stayed in the shadows until the portrait shut behind her. His thoughts on what all he'd heard. He knew they kind of had a tentative date set for after she graduated, but he wasn't sure how he felt about what he'd heard. She might want an emotional connection, but he wasn't that kind of wizard. On the other hand, he wasn't sure he liked that she was willing to ignore the emotional side of that kind of relationship either.

She wasn't the meaningless shag kind of woman and he wasn't really sure he wanted to be that for her either. He might not be into showing his emotions normally, but that didn't mean he didn't want the option, if he chose to do so.

He already had seen many things in her that interested him. She was smart; she had the capability of caring and showed that quite regularly with people. She did have a good sense of humor and ability to put up with more attitude than most people. Draco seemed to test that ability more than he should, Severus had noticed.

She could keep up with him intellectually and that was important. He was already attracted to her physically and her annoying traits were more tolerant than he'd expected to find. Or maybe she wasn't as bad as she used to be. Her goals for after graduation had peaked his interest as well.

He'd like to see her open that apothecary. Would like to know that his influence on her life had paid off, that she didn't waste her talent in potions. He could see it being successful too. There wasn't a decent one around that stocked anything other than the everyday potions. Pain potions, contraceptives, healing, stamina, pepper-up, all things of that nature. Nor did they have a decent supply since they didn't do their own brewing.

He himself had thought about opening one before coming back to teach. The only reason he hadn't was that he didn't have the patience to deal with most of the clientele that would shop in it. But she did. She could run it almost single-handedly. Assuming she had someone to help her brew the supply she'd inevitably need. Though he was sure she could keep up with that as well if she needed too.

He had told her that he did like getting to see those few that really showed their ability and skill in potion making, but they were so few and far between that it almost wasn't worth it. The everyday dunderheads were mostly what he ran across, but then he'd get that one student, like her, that made it worth the idiocy he dealt with to find them. To be able to mold that skill and talent into something good and worthwhile was fulfilling. But still rare.

Turning away, he headed back towards the dungeons and his private rooms. His thoughts still floating about in his mind.


A/N: Okay, so lets hope I can shake the writers block and get a new chapter posted soon. I hate writers block. lol. Personally, I really dig Draco in this story. He's more fun and very charmingly funny. lol. Or is it annoyingly funny? I tend to like both. lol. Okay, leave me your thoughts and I promise to post again soon. Take care.