Disclaimer: It's J.K.'s world, and I just like to play in it because she has the coolest toys, so welcome to the game. And when I'm done, I promise I'll put them all away.
A/N: Thank you to all who have reviewed! I shall keep continuing this as quickly as possible. This chapter is progressionary, and I hope you like it as much as you like the last one. Please review, I love reviews, and tell your friends!
Sunday evening had arrived at last as they laid lounging on the floor by the fire. She was held close in his arms, her head nestled up against his shoulder as they watched the dying flames dance in the grate. Hermione had no desire to leave him, however the school week was creeping up on them quicker then either of them cared to admit.
"You will have to go soon," he stated sadly, running his hand through her hair.
"I do not want to go," her voice was soft but firm as she rolled over and faced him, their bodies touching.
"Hermione…"
"No. I won't go." Her protest was not combative, rather peaceful as she pulled herself closer to him. The faint shadows from the fire reflected on his face and shadowed his eyes. She leaned her lips to his and kissed him gently. He was all too eager to return her kiss but stopped himself, looking sadly down into her eyes.
"You must go." He watched as her eyes filled with sorrow. "Hermione, please don't look at me like that. Surely, you knew that you could not stay here…" she frowned and looked up deep into his eyes as he sat up. Slowly, she rolled her head over and placed it in his lap, staring up at him. Her deep brown eyes shined up at him, as her chocolate brown hair fanned out over his legs. "My dear girl…" he was lost to her beauty and innocence as it radiated up at him.
"Severus, I'll go, but only if you really want me to." Her voice was like a siren's song against his ear, forever enchanting him. How could he tell her to leave? Try as he might, his lips would not cooperate with his vocal cords long enough to expel her from his chambers. It was as if a stronger power was forcing his mental clarity away into the back of a dark closet. Surely, if she stayed, the headmaster would never agree, then again what the headmaster didn't know certainly wouldn't kill him. "So do you really want me to go?" she asked.
"No Hermione, I do not wish you to go," he sighed and she smiled. "It would be as tragic for me as it would be for you if you were to leave. However I do not think it wise that we sleep together tonight." Her frown tortured his soul, as her big brown eyes seemed to droop with sorrow. She didn't even need to speak to convey the message that she disagreed. "Hermione…"
"I promise I won't wake you up again…" a scarlet tint came to her cheeks as she spoke and he couldn't help but smile. "I mean…not like that…not like this morning anyway…" Severus leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on her lips. "At least not on weekday mornings…" he gasped in surprise at her forwardness but then touched her lips with his finger.
"Shh…" Hermione giggled softly, his soft silky strands tickling her neck as he tilted his head down and planted a soft sensual kiss upon her lips. She embraced him instantly, her arms linking behind his neck and pulling him down on top of her. The sensation of his lips upon hers was enough to make any girl go weak in the knees. "My dear sweet Hermione…"
Her eyes beamed up at him as she brought her lips to his. "How lucky am I to have found comfort from this awful world in your arms Severus…" The soft crackling of the fire died before sparking up bright green. Severus stood immediately and helped her to her feet. "What's going on?"
"Floo. Quickly, go into my room, to the bathroom." She nodded and did as she was told, just in the nick of time. The fire sparked green once more and the head of Albus Dumbledore appeared in the grate. "Ah, headmaster…what brings you my way this evening?"
"Good to see you are feeling better Severus, I just wondered if you had gotten over your illness? And if not, whom should I deplore as, dare I say, a substitute for your class?" The kindly old wizard smiled through his long white whiskers and gazed knowingly through his half moon spectacles at the younger man.
"No Albus, a substitute will most definitely not be necessary. I shall return to my class tomorrow. However, I do feel as if I have developed a slight allergy to the food from the Great Hall. So, with permission granted, I shall take my meals of my own accord here in my chambers for a while."
The headmaster nodded. "I fear your allergy is called 'social discomfort,' Severus, but no matter. If you wish to dine alone in your chambers, so be it. If that is all, then my matters of business are done here. Goodnight." And with a soft pop, his head was gone and the tiny orange flames returned to the hearth.
"Only you won't be dining alone…" came Hermione's soft voice as she stepped from the bedroom door, wearing his long black robe. "I think I've developed a slight allergy to the food from the Great Hall…" she sighed dramatically. He couldn't help but chuckle and walk over to embrace her. Severus hugged her round her waist and swung her up in the air. "Oh!" she laughed.
"Hermione…there are not enough words to say what I feel right now so you will have to settle for a kiss instead."
She blushed. "That will do quite nicely I believe." Their lips met as he carried her back into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Her hair clung to her face and mixed with strands of his as he leaned down over her. "Mmm…" she sighed into his lips.
"Now if you'll excuse me…I'm going to go and shower before bed." She nodded and watched him walk to the bathroom door. He had gotten all the way there but turned as he heard his name.
"Severus?"
"Yes?"
"Nevermind…"
He rolled his eyes. "Hermione, you cannot start to say something and then say nevermind, it simply doesn't work with me. If you're going to be staying here, there are going to be some rules, and rule one is that you won't start to state an idea aloud and then not finish it." She giggled. "Rule two no giggling."
"And if I break the rules?"
"Then you'll be subject to punishment…by means of tickling!" he lunged at her and began to tickle her ribs all over.
"No!" she cried out in laughter. "Stop! Stop! Please!"
He relented for a moment looking at her. "Do we understand?"
"Rule three…you don't get to make all the rules!" she pushed on his chest and he stumbled back from the bed. "As such, I don't expect you to go about breaking the rules either…" her tone was mocking and full of lightheartedness. Another chaste kiss was exchanged between them.
"Very well, now if you don't mind, I am going to go shower before bed." He paused feeling as though he had said that before. Turning on his heel, Severus exited the bedroom via the bathroom door. Hermione looked at the door and held up three fingers, placing one down then another until she held no more. He came bursting back through the door. "What was it that you had wanted?"
"What?"
"The whole 'nevermind' thing…what was that all about?"
"It was nothing," she lied rather unconvincingly. "Honest."
"And Sybil Trewlaney can predict the future." They both burst out laughing at his quip before she crossed the room and stood in the doorway of the bathroom. He had again entered it and walked over to the shower, removing his shirt and trousers as he went. "Now Hermione, what was it that you had wanted to say?"
"Oh it's nothing…" she sighed, "I just thought you might be a little lonely in the shower…" Her voice had went from mocking to serious and his eyes studied her over as she blushed. "It was just a silly thought, forget I even mentioned it, that's why I said nevermind…"
Severus took two steps away from the shower and stood over her. "If you wish to shower with me…you may. However, I must digress…" he paused and thought better of it. "Nevermind."
"What?" she demanded. "You can't go neverminding things like that!"
"Touché…" his voice was melancholy as he turned his back to her and stepped out of his boxers. Not willing to accept defeat so readily, he stepped into the shower and drew the curtains closed around him. "Well?" he asked from behind closed curtains.
"Well what?"
Severus poked his head out and grinned at her, "Are you going to join me?" Hermione smiled and stepped toward him, her hands undoing her shirt and the boxers that she had been wearing. Another step and she was at the shower, wearing only her panties and bra. "You know…if you keep this up, you'll go through all my shirts in a week."
"And that's a problem because?" she asked dropping her knickers. "Could you undo this for me?" a spin on her heel and the clasp of her bra was at his mercy. His fingers slipped it undone and pushed the straps down off her shoulders before leaning over and nibbling at her shoulder. "Mmm…remember…rules…"
"I do not recall us making any rules of this nature…" his voice was low as he turned her to face him. "In fact…I don't believe that we've set any rules worth while keeping…" Hermione stepped into the shower and immediately fell into his arms.
"Shower then bed?" He nodded and pushed her back against the wall as he turned on the water for the shower. A stream of hot water sluiced down from the showerhead soaking them both as his lips met hers. Her hands tangled in his locks as they became wet and his hands held her close. She could feel herself becoming aroused and his arousal was eminent.
"Hermione…" she pulled herself away from him, the single slip of her name from his lip making her shiver. Her mind reeled. She knew it was unwise to start playing before bed, but felt as if it were unavoidable. The moment in which she had paused to evaluate the situation caught his attention. "What's the matter?" he asked.
"It's nothing…"
Severus grasped her chin firmly and stared deep into her eyes. "Do not lie to me Hermione." She melted beneath his stare, falling back just a bit, but his arms were there to catch her. "Perhaps this isn't such a good idea after all…"
"No!" her eyes went wide at first but she calmed her voice before speaking again. "I mean, please…I'm so very confused. This is all happening so fast. I don't want to leave you, I don't want to go back to being alone, but I don't want to pressure you, and I don't want you to think that every time we're together, it's all about what it's not about."
"Which is?"
Her cheeks turned scarlet as he gazed deeper still into her eyes. "I don't want you to think this is all about…well all about…"
"All about what Hermione?"
"It just seems like after this morning…" she searched his eyes, looking for the right words, but could not find them. "I don't know."
Severus brushed her hair from her face as the water continued to pour down on them. "I do think I understand what you are saying." His voice was soft, as he leaned in closer to her, so that she could hear him over the running water. "However let me throw this idea out for you." He drew in a deep breath before continuing. "When I first met Wendy, it turned out we were both social outcasts in the world and really didn't have anyone else to turn to. Our first few encounters, once civil, were really about just finding companionship, and filling the gap of being alone."
His finger traced down her neck as he spoke. "One night she had spent the night in my dormitory, as was common for her, however we fell asleep unclothed, which we both thought wouldn't be a problem. However, that lasted for all of about fifteen minutes."
"So then you-"
"Yes Hermione as unfathomable as it may seem, I had sex with a woman before she was my wife." It seemed rather interesting to hear him speaking of such things so freely, then again there she stood naked in his shower trying to decide what to do about her oncoming arousal. Nevertheless, she could not keep the blush out of her cheeks. "And after that night, for the next, two or three days, it made our relationship very awkward indeed. I don't know who made it worse, but between the two of us, we were afraid to be in the same room as one another, for the mere fact that the relationship might be based on something other then what a relationship should be based on."
"On sex."
"Yes, on sex." He rolled his eyes. "Why do I have the feeling you just like hearing me say that word?" To this, Hermione couldn't help but giggle.
"I'm sorry Severus, but it's not something I ever pictured myself talking to you about."
"Hermione, correct me if I'm wrong, but are you not standing naked in my shower?"
Again she blushed, "Touché Severus…touché."
"Listen to me, I don't know exactly where this leaves us, aside from very wet and warm in my shower, but I do know that I do not want you to go. And I don't want to not be able to be in the same room as you. I don't know what I want, though I do know it's not for you to leave."
She smiled at his words and leaned her head against his chest. "I don't know what I want either Severus, but I agree, I don't want to leave you," he nodded in agreement before dipping his head down to kiss her modestly. "And I do want to be in the same room as you, hell even the same bed as you, clothes or not."
"However I do think for now, at least for tonight, clothes would be a wise decision," Hermione agreed and traced her finger over his lips. "I also think we have showered long enough, the water is starting to run cold."
"Well that's uncool…" she added quirking her eyebrows up at the showerhead. "Must be a malfunction, Hogwarts plumbing never runs cold."
"Yes I've been meaning to call Filch to fix that…No matter, shall we get out then?" Together, they stepped from the shower and he tossed her a towel. "Dry off a while, we've both an early morning coming." At his words, the Hogwarts bells stroked ten.
"Very well…say Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"You don't suppose I could borrow a tee shirt and a pair of boxers to sleep in do you?" she asked as they entered the bedroom, both tucked away under a towel. "I mean it would save you the trouble of trying to retrieve more of my clothes…"
Severus stared at her. "You know, if you keep this up, I won't have any bloody tee shirts and boxers to give you. You've already ran through three sets." She giggled. "You find that funny do you? Well we'll just see about that when I'm completely out and you've got to wear my long wooly winter pajamas to bed." He spat out his tongue at her, acting a bit childish.
"Not that it would be a bad thing, as bloody cold as it is in these dungeons."
"Is my bed not warm enough for you Hermione?" he mocked.
"Only when you're in it," he smiled and tossed her a soft gray oxford tee and a pair of green Slytherin boxers before grabbing his own nightclothes and preparing for bed.
