JHey guys, it's me, Perky Thief here again, to bring you Chapter Nine of a Marriage of Convenience.

Sorry it's been so long since my last update, but I've been extremely busy with school and such. To make up for it, I've decided to make this chapter a little longer than all the others. In fact, it's been so long that I've had to reread my whole story in an attempt to remember all of the fine details. I noticed a few grammatical in some of my previous chapters. If any of you happen to observe some, please let me know in a review. I'm planning to go back and fix all of my little mistakes, but alass, I have no time. Woe is me :(

But, forget about that, back to the story.

So without further ado, here's Chapter Nine. Enjoy!

Title: A Marriage of Convenience

Chapter Nine: Date's and Debacles


Draco held Hermione's arm tightly within his as they walked through the streets of Hogsmeade. Unlike her last visit, there were barely any people wandering throughout Hogsmeade, a fact which made Hermione quite nervous.

She could remember all the eyes staring at them as the left Hogwarts. No one could quite figure out why two people who had been set on hating each other were walking arm in arm out of the castle. She had passed by Harry and Ron in the Entrance Hall. Harry seemed to be giving her some sort of a sympathetic look, while Ron averted her gaze completely. He truly didn't approve of her date with Draco, and why should he, for that matter? Ron was perfectly justified in hating Malfoy. After all, Draco had been a major asset to the reason why people occasionally made fun of him for various things. Apparently, Ron had never gotten over the whole "Weasley is our King" ordeal.

Draco touched Hermione gently on the shoulder with his other hand, bringing her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry we are only limited to Hogsmeade. I would have taken you some place much more worthy of your beauty, my dear."

"It's alright, Draco. I'm perfectly fine with Hogsmeade." Hermione had to admit that she did like how kind he was being towards her. It made her feel as if he truly enjoyed her presence.

"There's no need to be so humble about it. Dumbledore was a right fool in his idea that our date should be limited to Hogsmeade. The man is getting senile, I tell you." Draco ran a hand through his platinum hair.

Hermione frowned in annoyance. "Actually, Draco, I really am fine with Hogsmeade. And I don't appreciate the fact that you're calling Professor Dumbledore a fool. I happen to think he's a brilliant man." It greatly irritated her that Draco thought so little of Albus Dumbledore. Honestly, the man was helping to Draco a proper education, and this was how he showed his thanks…

"Oh, Hermione. Modest to the end. I like that about you. It's one of the many things that make you so desirable to me." Hermione was about to retort when he gave a sharp tug on her arm. "Here we are: our first stop for the night."

Hermione looked up at the sign above the shop that read Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. She smiled slightly at having been brought here. It made her life a little bit easier. She had been meaning to come and pick up a few Pheasant Feather quills.

"Come on," Draco said, pulling Hermione into the store. "I'm sure we can find a few things here to your likings." They browsed the store for a little while, walking up and down the aisles admiring the different types of quills displayed. Hermione marveled at the large variety of multicolored Dove Feather quills and the pleasant softness of them. She and Draco came to a stop in front of a large glass case containing a stunning Phoenix Feather quill. Hermione was in awe of the beautiful writing device, while Draco simply shrugged at it.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Hermione sighed as gazed at the quill in longing. She looked at the price tag; it read 7 Galleons. "I wish I could afford something like this."

"Don't worry about it," he said, trying to suppress a smirk. Draco left Hermione standing by the glass case and returned a moment later with an older saleswoman. He had her open the case and removed the quill. "I'll take that one and three Eagle Feather quills," he told the woman.

"Draco, are you nuts? Don't buy that quill. Save your money for something else."

"Anything for you, Hermione," he said, flipping a single galleon in his hand.

"No, really," Hermione protested. "You don't need to buy me that. It's too gaudy, and very over priced too. Come on, Draco, let's just go somewhere else." 'Liar,' she thought to herself. Hermione grimaced, fully aware of how much she wanted the beautiful quill. But that didn't mean that Draco should have to buy it for her. It would be worth more to her if she saved up her own money and bought it herself. She didn't want it to be some cheap gift used to purchase her love, not that she planned on loving Draco any time soon anyways.

Hermione looked at Draco, whom had obviously not cared about a word she said. He now trailed behind the saleswoman, heading to the check stand. It seemed he was going to buy it no matter how much Hermione protested. So, she stopped protesting.

They eventually left the shop with multiple quills all bagged up and returned to the cobblestone streets. "Where to now?" Draco asked Hermione.

"Anywhere is fine with me."

Draco looked thoughtful for a moment, gazing down the road. He grabbed a hold of her hand, "okay then. Follow me."

Hermione looked around with interest as to where Draco was taking her. He was moving relatively quick, constantly side-stepping other wizards who got in his way. When Draco came to a stop Hermione looked at the store in front of her. She let out a bored sigh as she realized that they were in front of Honeydukes Sweetshop. "Oh, Honeydukes…" Standing before the little shop honestly didn't impress Hermione very much. After all, she had been there only the other day with Jordan.

But Draco didn't seem to notice her lack of enthusiasm, however. He walked into the store with a large arrogant smile pasted upon his face. As he approached Mrs. Flume, who was seated behind the counter, he whispered something briefly to her. With a curt nod, she left the counter and headed to the back room. When Mrs. Flume emerged a moment later, she held a large basket in her hands. Draco slid a galleon across the countertop, took a hold of the basket and walked away.

"Follow me," he commanded to Hermione. He led her over to a small table and sat down. Hermione followed suit, trying to eye what was in the basket. "I had this ordered for you when I found out that we were going to have a date together. Go on, open it."

Hermione tentatively tore off the cellophane wrapping and gasped at what she saw inside. She gazed upon a really large collection of sweets, all contained in various wrappers of different colors and sizes. There were Chocolate Frogs, Liquorice Wands, Pepper Imps, Chocoballs, and almost every type of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. She saw Fizzing Whizzbees, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Ice Mice, and long strands of Toothflossing Stringmints. Dozens of Cockroach Clusters, Jelly Slugs, and Blood Lollipops lay scattered throughout the package. She even saw some Acid Pops and Sugar Quills, among many other things. In all honesty, Hermione was quite impressed. Draco had provided her with a varied selection of delectable sweets. He had provided nearly a dozen more types of candies than Jordan had, and in larger quantities too.

"Draco," Hermione said softly. "Wow. Thank you. You didn't have to go all out and do this for me. Really."

"Nonsense, Hermione," Draco replied. "I thought it would be obvious to you. You deserve the best of the best. No exceptions. I only wanted to get you the most amazing things physically possible. Alas, your beauty still outshines anything I could ever possibly buy for you. But for now, simply enjoy the sweets, my dear. And if you come across something you don't like, I'm sure Potter or Weasley would be more than happy to take it off your hands for you."

"Wait, you actually wouldn't mind if I shared with Ron or Harry?" Hermione asked incredibly.

"Of course not. They are your friends, aren't they? If you decided to pick me as your husband I'd have to accept them into our lives, right? I guess I feel like starting a little early. We might as well bury the hatchet at some point. Why not start now with a peaceful act of giving them some sweets?"

Hermione's mouth went slightly slack. Was Draco actually being civil let alone considering making amends with Harry and Ron? This was definitely a first in wizarding history. "You're serious?"

"Of course," Draco nodded solemnly.

"Oh, well um, wow. I never knew that you actually wanted to fix things between the three of you. But if that's how you feel then you should certainly try to repair your relationship with them. I'm sure they'd be at least somewhat agreeable." Hermione knew even before she said it that her words were nothing but a total white lie. Neither Ron nor Harry would ever consider becoming friends with Malfoy. Not even for the sake of Hermione. There was just too much damage that had been caused between them. Draco was better off keeping his feelings bottled up in hopeless ambition, that much she knew.

"I'm sure they will be," he agreed with her. Draco glanced down briefly at his watch. "It's almost eight thirty. We'd better get going," he said to Hermione. "We'll miss our dinner reservations if we waste our time here."

"Where are we going?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, don't you worry about that. I'm sure you'll love the place. They just opened it up about a month ago. I think it's down this road, near the Post Office." Draco swiftly weaved his way down the cobblestone streets, holding Hermione's hand tightly. They walked past all of the tiny shops that were getting ready to close for the night. It was relatively late, after all; the sky was considerably darker than when she first arrived in Hogsmeade. It had faded from a swirl of pinks and oranges to a deep bluish color. And now, there were even less people on the streets than before. The tiny village of Hogsmeade was slowly going to sleep right before their very eyes.

"Here we are," Draco said suddenly.

Hermione stopped walking and noticed that they now stood in front of a large building with various intricate shapes of architecture. An enchanted sign was attached to the building above the door. Dozens of tiny shooting stars continuously danced around sparkling blue letters that read "Blue Crescent Moon."

"Blue Crescent Moon?" Hermione muttered. She had never heard of it before. Draco must have been right; this restaurant was obviously newly constructed. Hermione peeked inside the window. It appeared to be very lavishly decorated, from what she could tell. She wondered how much it would cost to come here.

"The Blue Crescent Moon is supposedly the newest revelation in dining. They say the food is top notch." Draco stood before the restaurant puffing his chest up proudly. He apparently thought that this was the embodiment of impressiveness.

"They say?" Hermione questioned. "Who are they?"

"Um, you know…those people. The one's that go to restaurants and eat and stuff. You know…them."

Hermione looked at Draco and arched a slim eyebrow. The blonde obviously had no idea about what he was talking about. "You mean food critics?"

"Yeah, that's the word."

"Oh, ok. Just checking…"

"Come on," Draco said, grabbing a hold of Hermione's hand. "Let's go inside."

The pair walked inside and were immediately sat at a secluded table near the back. Hermione gazed around at the scenery before her. The wait staff moved around swiftly in matching black dress robes while they carried large platters of food and drinks. Dozens of bouquets of pink and red long stemmed roses were placed strategically around the interior. Marble statues of Greek gods and goddesses stood in various places, enchanted to wink and blow kisses at customers. The décor consisted of mostly dark reds and burgundies; it had an overall romantic aspect and air to it. For being called the Blue Crescent Moon, the place sure had a lot of reds and pinks inside it.

"Nice, isn't it?" Draco asked.

Hermione simply nodded her head. It was nice, true. In fact, she could even go so far as to call it fancy. But that didn't mean that it was particularly Hermione's taste. In all honesty, she preferred a simple little café over an elaborate restaurant any day.

A short plump wizard with moppy looking hair approached the table moments later, handing both Hermione and Draco menus. "Good evening. Will you be needing a moment to look over the menu?

Draco glanced at his menu briefly before turning back to the wizard. "I'll take the 20 oz. sirloin and lobster special. Rare."

The round wizard nodded. "And to drink, sir?"

"We'll take a bottle of your finest wine," Draco responded with an air of arrogance.

The wizard raised an eyebrow at the pair. "Might I ask how old you are, sir?"

Draco smirked to himself and reached into his pocket. He pulled out five galleons and placed them into the chubby hands of the little wizard. "Old enough."

"Ah, I see, sir," the waiter nodded his towards Draco in appreciation. "And for the lady?" he questioned, tilting his head in Hermione's direction.

"Oh, um," Hermione muttered quietly. She hardly had a chance to look at her menu let alone make a decision on what she wanted to eat. It was an expensive place, after all. She didn't really want to spend all of Draco's money on just one evening, at least not on only dinner. "I, um, haven't really decided yet. Maybe I could have just a few more minut-"

"She'll take the same as me," Draco interjected. "And maybe a side salad, as well."

The tubby wizard looked satisfied. He nodded his head curtly before taking the menus and leaving their table.

"Draco," Hermione said truthfully. "I don't think I can eat that much food. I'll never be able to finish it."

"It's alright," he waved off her comment. "I'm sure they'll find something useful to do with your scraps." Hermione raised an eyebrow at this comment, but said nothing more.

The two made small conversation, sticking mostly to school related issues. Draco didn't seem too interested in leading the conversation to a personal topic, Hermione noted. Not that she didn't mind, of course. The farther away from personal information, the better. But the way Draco eyed her…it felt rather eerie. Almost like his eyes were digging deep beneath her skin.

Hermione did her best to ignore it, for the most part. Dinner soon arrived, as well as the bottle of wine. The tiny waiter gave the two of them a strange lustful smile, Hermione realized. She wondered briefly what it could mean.

Draco took it upon himself to pour both him and Hermione a glass of wine. He took his cup in his hands and leaned back into his chair. Swirling it around a bit, Draco took a small sip. "Do you like the wine, Hermione?"

Hermione sipped a bit and tried to hide the feeling of bitterness on her tongue. "I prefer champagne," she said, taking another sip. "You know, Draco, I have to say…you're acting sort of different. It feels like you're trying to grow up. I don't know…it's just…not you."

For the briefest second, Hermione thought she saw a glint of anger in his eyes. Only for a second, before it vanished. Hermione smiled at the thought of catching him off guard.

"Of course not," Draco attempted to compose himself. "This is really how I am. All those other times at school, I just act tough. I mean, come on, someone has to watch out for Crabbe and Goyle. I just need to act smooth to show 'em who's boss. But what you see now, that's the real me. The me that only comes out at certain times. If the real "me" came out more often, then I could become extremely vulnerable. People could hold grudges against me, and possibly come after those who are close to me. I couldn't let that happen to you, Hermione," he said, lightly touching Hermione's hand. "You're too precious to me."

Hermione didn't say anything, nor did she intend too. That was probably the most idiotic speech she had ever been held captive in. Absolutely nothing in that statement made any sense. It only made him sound like even more of a moron. Let alone, he continuously jumped from one topic to another numerous times, possibly more. Hermione felt like her intelligence had been lessened as a result of that dialogue exchange. She nodded her head towards the blonde. Nodding would be a lot easier than responding with a verbal answer.

They ate dinner mostly in silence, with Draco occasionally commenting on the texture and tenderness of the meat. Hermione only nodded and smiled at these bursts of information. It really didn't faze her. The only thing she could think of was ending this date; it had been possibly the worst experience of her life. Better yet, it was the most boring experience of her life, even more so than Professor Trelwaney's pointless Divination class. There was very little chance of Draco making a positive impression on Hermione at this point. The main course was eventually finished, and Hermione nearly jumped for joy in her seat. Now that dinner was done, they would have to get ready to leave. But Hermione's joy was halted when Draco asked for the dessert menu. The plump little wizard brought Draco a menu, which immediately had his finger pointing to a dessert.

"That one," Draco said confidently.

"You're getting dessert, Draco?" Hermione asked, trying desperately to hide her dismay at this idea.

"Yup," he responded. "It is a special occasion, after all."

Hermione gave a small giggle then focused her attention on one of the enchanted statues.

Before long, the waiter came out carrying a silver platter. In front of Hermione, the waiter placed the platter. On the plate were three scoops of vanilla ice cream in a triangle pattern. Caramel was drizzled in various messy splatters all around the plate. On top of the ice cream, in the middle of the plate, was a shiny caramel shell made from hardened sugar.

"Pick it up," Draco nodded his head to Hermione.

Tentatively, Hermione reached out her hand and lifted the caramel shell. Underneath it was a small, black, velvet box. She gasped, staring at the rectangular receptacle. Draco smiled and nodded at Hermione. She slowly opened the tiny box. Inside was a brilliant sparkling ring. Upon closer examination, Hermione found that it was a diamond ring. A large round cut diamond lay in the center of a ring. There were small trillions on either side of the round one.

"Draco," Hermione gasped. "Please, I can't take this. This is too much. I know that you want to impress me, but don't do it by buying me extravagant things. First the quills, then the candy, and now this. It's way too much. Material things aren't that precious to me."

"I know that. I never took for a "material girl," but take the ring anyway. It might come in handy when trying to get rid of other men."

"No, I couldn't."

"Hermione," Draco said. "I insist. Take the ring and wear it. Besides, it suits you." Before Hermione could say anything and object, Draco raised his hand and signaled the waiter. "I'm fairly certain that this will cover the check and then some," he placed a small sack of clinking coins into the wizard's hand.

"Thank you, sir," the fat wizard replied.

Draco grabbed his cloak in one hand and reached for Hermione with the other. "Here," Draco whispered. "Let me help." He took the ring from the velvet box and slipped it onto Hermione's finger. "There, much better." He began to pull Hermione from the restaurant.

Hermione felt the ring on her finger. The metal felt cold and icy to the touch, like an angry shard of glass. It felt strange and made Hermione weary. "Draco, are you ready to start heading back towards the castle?"

"Not just yet, Hermione. We have just a few more stops ahead of us before we go back to Hogwarts."

"Well where are we going now?" Hermione asked.

"Madam Puddifoot's."

"Oh," Hermione replied, a frown overcoming her features. 'Puddifoot's again?' she thought to herself. 'Why can't Hogsmeade have more places to go?'

Hermione let Draco lead the way. She really didn't want to go to Madam Puddifoot's again. She would rather just go home. They stayed in the small tea café for barely a half hour, at which point, Hermione commented on how late it was. Draco promptly got the feeling that Hermione wanted to be leaving.

The two walked back to the Hogwarts in eerie silence. The noise was the light chirping of crickets nearby. They stood outside, in front of the castle door, when Draco commented. "Your ring looks great in the moonlight."

"Oh, yes. I suppose it does." Hermione gazed down at the sparkling object. It really did look fantastic against the light of the moon, it glittered brilliantly. When Hermione lifted her eyes from her ring, she noticed Draco's face to be very close to hers. He stared deeply into her eyes, with some thing Hermione could only classify as desire.

"Hermione…" he murmured, leaning in to kiss her. Before Hermione could react, his lips were on hers. His lips felt warm and moist, she noted. Draco slid his arms around her waist, pulling her extremely close to his body. She glanced around frantically, wanting desperately for the kiss to end. A moment later, a strange feeling forced Draco and Hermione. They both looked up to see Professor Snape standing before them, arms crossed, with a stern look on his face.

"I believe that it is past your curfew, Mr. Malfoy. You too, Miss Granger." Snape's face contorted into a nasty sneer as he eyed the pair of students standing before him.

"Professor Snape," Malfoy murmured. "Is this really necessary?"

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, I believe it is," Snape drawled. He glared hard at the blonde boy in front of him.

Draco glared back equally hard for a moment, before he glanced away. He gave a small laugh as he stared towards the floor. "Competition, I see. Fine, you win, Professor. I'll be going to bed now." Draco turned back to Hermione. He gave her a light kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight, beautiful. I had a wonderful time on our date," he emphasized on 'date,' obviously intending Snape to hear. "Goodnight, Hermione." He then turned around, giving Snape an evil glare, and continued into the castle.

As soon as Draco was out of earshot, Snape rounded in on Hermione. His fierce black eyes glared into her innocent chestnut ones. "How can you be so foolish? Did you take any warning against what I showed you in my office? You knew what Lucius's plans were. You know exactly what he wants to do to you. Do not let yourself get close to Draco. You don't know what his or Lucius's plans are. Malfoy could easily slip something into your food if you get too close to him. And then, no one will protect you." Snape continued to stare violently at the girl before him. He noticed her involuntarily shiver at his harsh words. Though it didn't please him to have to say these things, they were a necessity. Harsh, but true, nonetheless.

Hermione bowed her head low, trying desperately to avoid the piercing gaze of her Professor standing above her. "I'm sorry, sir." In truth, she was really sorry. Hermione supposed that she could have been more cautious than she actually was on her date.

"Sorry? Sorry, you foolish Gryffindor. Is that all you have to say for yourself? You know how dangerous this could have been. Don't you understand? You have been ignorant to many things in this night. You claim and make yourself known to be smart, but when it comes down to it, you are nothing but silly know-it-all. Have you at least learned anything from what I showed you?"

"Yes, sir…" she was silent for a long time. Hermione didn't quite know what to say. She knew what she ought to say, but couldn't completely put it into words. "I…I know that I shouldn't trust him, sir, but…" Hermione struggled with her words. "I don't know, he seemed so kind and nice and polite. I know it was unlike him but I felt like Draco had different intentions than those of his father. He might really want to marry me. Draco just might really want to be with me." Her words came out in a hushed tone barely above a whisper.

"True," Snape replied quietly. "There is that exceedingly small chance he might truly want you for a wife. But I find that highly doubtful, especially considering the past history of his family and their involvements. If Draco is anything like his father, then he'll want revenge just as much as Lucius."

Hermione raised her head and looked at her professor. "Revenge?"

Snape nodded at her comment. "And if it's anything like the 'revenge' Lucius is known for, then it will most likely be very painful. I've seen Lucius, personally, take out his acts of revenge on innocent young women…trust me, Miss Granger, you do not want to be a part of that."

Hermione gulped softly and shuddered at the thought of her professor's words. This was way too much information to be given at one time. Let alone she was being yelled and lectured at the same time because of her actions. Small tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. This night couldn't possibly get any worse. "What kind of revenge?"

The dark man turned his gaze to the stone floor. "You don't need to hear that. Just be content with what you know now." He obviously didn't want to tell her.

"Professor, please. I want to know."

Keeping his gaze directed at the ground, he spoke, "Imagine being stripped completely nude and being forced to live in a filthy dungeon. Imagine a fully grown wizard approaching you; your wand no where to be found. He tortures you with Cruciatus Curse and makes you his personal slave with the Imperius Curse. You're forced to lay there and be still while he forces himself upon you over and over again. Death Eaters stand behind him and watch the scene with total and complete amusement. You lay there, bruised and beaten, knowing that there's no possible way for you to escape. Knowing that you're trapped as a wife and a slave forever."

When Snape lifted his head, he saw Hermione's cheeks streaked with tears. He hadn't meant to make her cry but it was the only way. She wanted the truth and she got it. It may have been harsh, but it painted Hermione a picture of a possible vivid reality.

Snape sighed, not sure about what to say next. "Miss Granger," he started.

"Hermione," she cut him off.

"What?"

"Hermione," she took in a breath, tears still rolling down her cheeks. "You promised that you'd call me 'Hermione' when we're not around other students, remember?"

Snap was taken aback by this comment; he had completely forgotten about this little "agreement." He had made that promise with her. "You're right."

Hermione could have sworn that she saw a small smile grace upon his lips for a second. But only a second, no longer.

"Hermione, I'm not trying to scare you. But this threat is a reality; do not take the Malfoy's lightly. They will do everything in their power to bring you down, regardless of whether it's mentally or physically."

Hermione stood there for a moment, slowly taking in everything which had been said. There were still tears on her cheeks, some dry and other still wet, but at least her sobbing had stopped. "I'm sorry, Professor. I should have been more cautious."

"Severus. There aren't any other student around so, I believe you can call me Severus for this instant."

"Thank you, Severus. I know that I should have been more cautious, but Draco was just so charming, a little pathetic, granted, but charming nonetheless. I didn't really think he could be capable of the plan that Lucius has devised."

"Yes, but as I've said before, it could easily become a reality. Keep your guard up all the time, Miss Granger. You have been placed in a very vulnerable position. This Marriage Law has made you the prey of many men's eyes, Hermione."

Hermione smiled a bit at his choice of words. "Professor," she asked, noticing the angry glint in his eyes. "Is that a hint of jealousy I detect?"

Snape's eyebrows rose as she caught him off guard by her comment. Her Potion's Professor made no comment, but hardened his face once again as a sneer came across his features. He was obviously embarrassed by her question. Hermione giggled at his strange reaction to what she had said. Deciding to save him from further embarrassment, she said, "its okay, Severus. I understand what you're trying to tell me. I know that you are only looking out for my best interest. I'll keep my guard up from now on." She smiled politely, awaiting his response.

Snape seemed satisfied with her words and gave a curt nod of his head. "Good, I'm glad you understand the severity of the situation."

"Yes, sir," she replied. There was an awkward silence between the two of them for many moments. They both stared at one another as if waiting for the other to speak. Hermione kept her eyes directed towards her shoes most of the time, wondering what to say next. She continuously whispered things within her head that she could say next, debating whether or not to voice them.

Eventually, Severus cleared his throat. "It's getting rather late. Perhaps you should be getting to bed? I do believe that you have a Potions lesson in the morning. I hope you have done your homework for tomorrow's lesson."

Hermione smiled at his comment, "yes, sir. I believe I do, and I have indeed done the assignment. It should be up to your standards." She grinned inwardly, fully knowing that she would get top marks on the given homework assignment.

Snape nodded, smirking a bit. "Off to bed with you, then."

She turned to walk away but stopped and looked back at her professor. "Severus?" Hermione asked.

Severus had been watching her the whole time and felt his body tense up slightly when she turned to look back at him. Her eyes had a look of severe innocence as she spoke his name. "Yes?" he responded.

"Um," Hermione stuttered. "I was just wondering if you wanted to walk with me back to my room. I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to. I'm not trying to force you to or anything. I just thought that it might be nice to have a pleasant conversation with you. But if you don't want-."

Severus held up a clammy hand to silence her. "If you ever decided to stop speaking you be able to understand that I would be honored to walk you to your rooms." He gave her a straight face, never wavering.

"Oh, okay then," Hermione smiled.

Severus walked over to Hermione and offered her his arm, which she gratefully took. The two walked along the corridors talking endlessly of potions ingredients and their applications. All the while they spoke, Severus held on tightly to Hermione's arm. He kept a protective eye over her as they passed through the hallways.

Snape could have sworn that he saw what looked like a shadowy silhouette following them, but he waved it off. He knew perfectly well that he could defend both himself and Hermione if need be. He had no fear of anyone, especially Malfoy, interfering in his time with Hermione. 'My time,' Severus thought incredibly to himself. Since when did he value time with the girl? True, he had started to view her differently since the Marriage Law was introduced. But it was never anything more than that.

They continued their walk towards the portrait, behind which was Hermione's rooms. When they reached their destination, Hermione turned to look at her professor. "Thank you, for walking with me, I mean."

"Not at all," he responded. Severus brought her hand to his mouth and gave it a soft kiss. He let his lips linger there a few moments longer before releasing her hand.

"And thank you for also warning me about Malfoy. I know I should have taken your words more cautiously. Next time, I'll remember what you've told me." Hermione smiled genuinely at the man before her. After receiving a slight nod from her professor, she turned to step in the portrait. Hermione spoke the password and allowed the frame to swing open.

Looking back at Severus, she whispered softly, "goodnight, Severus." As she moved to step through, the heel of her shoe got caught on the hem of the green dress Draco had given her. Hermione stumbled and fell backwards. She braced herself for the upcoming contact of the solid stone floor, crossing her arms across her chest. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, dreading the impact. But it never came. Instead, she felt something warm and firm grab a hold of her. When Hermione opened her eyes, she found herself staring directly into the dark black ones of her professor. Her arms were stretched wide around Snape's waist and her head lay twisted on his chest. Hermione felt her professor's arms underneath hers, holding up her weight.

Hermione gazed upwards into Severus's eyes as he looked down into hers. Locking her eyes with his, she felt her breath become heavy and uneven. Hermione straightened her stance, still clutching tightly to the man before her. She lifted her arm and let her fingers tangle themselves within Severus's dark hair. "Your hair," she commented absently. "It's so silky…"

Severus didn't respond but merely took a sharp intake of breath. Similar to Hermione, he extended his own hand outward and placed it in her curly locks. He stroked the top of her head absentmindedly, staring directly into her eyes. Shutting them slowly, Severus lowered his head closer toward Hermione's. He could feel Hermione tense in his arms, but continued lowering his head anyway.

Hermione prepared herself for him to kiss her, licking her lips in a subconscious response. She closed her eyes, waiting for the contact to come between his lips and hers. But it never came.

Instead, Snape brought his mouth to her cheek and softly kissed the skin, reveling in the smoothness beneath his lips. He lifted his head up to find Hermione looking dazed, but slightly disappointed. He knew that she wanted something else. That she wanted to be kissed by him, that she had expected it. He smirked at the thought.

Severus knew all to well what she wanted, but was determined not to give it until after they had their date. After all, he did have something interesting planned for that upcoming Friday.

He helped Hermione stand up straight, still smirking at the disappointed look in her eye. "I'll see you in class tomorrow. Have a good night, Hermione." With a slight bow of his head, Snape whirled around and headed back towards the dungeons, leaving a confused Hermione to stand in the portrait entrance.


Thanks guys! Again, sorry for the extremely long wait. Hope it was worth it. Don't forget to Read & Review