"Severus!" Hermione gasped. She spun around to meet his black eyes, which were questioning. Her face reddened. "What did you hear?"

"I heard Miss Weasley ask if I was a good kisser," Snape replied. Hermione's blush deepened as she grew more and more aware of just how much he had heard. He simply smiled and asked, "Are you going to answer my question?"

Ginny made a face, seeing that what was coming was something she could live without seeing. "You need me, I'll be downstairs."

Snape and Hermione ignored her. "What question, Severus?" she asked, finally giving into her desire to call him by his first name. It had been a long time since she had stopped thinking of him as 'Professor.' But she was stubborn. She wanted him to stop calling her 'Miss Granger' before she began calling him Severus.

"Do you really think," he whispered, flicking his wand so that the door closed quietly. "That I am a good kisser? And that beneath all this black fabric I am attractive?" She didn't answer, even as he sat down next to her and took her hand. The only indication that she heard was that the blush that had been fading returned full force. "Hermione?" he asked when he saw she wasn't going to answer. "Why did you call me Severus?"

"Because I don't like calling you Professor." She turned her face away.

"Then why do you?"

"Because you insist on calling me Miss Granger."

Snape reached out and turned her face toward him. "Only because you insist on calling me Professor. I have wanted to call you Hermione since this relationship began."

She stared at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yes." He kissed her lips gently. "Hermione."

"Thank you, Severus." Then she admitted to something she had feared since they had arrived, since her argument with her mother. She pulled away and turned her back on him. "I hate… I don't want…"

"You hate what, Hermione?" Snape asked, trying to get her to turn around. "You don't want what?"

"I hate not to trust you. It makes me feel like a terrible person. But… ever since we came home… what do you see in me? Are you just… are you just using me? Or…"

Snape stared at her. "Are you genuinely worried that I'm just using you, Hermione?"

"No. Yes. Maybe. I don't know."

Snape sighed. "I see a smart beautiful woman. I see a powerful witch, but in spite of her skills, she is nothing more than a teacher. I see a woman who has far less confidence in herself than she should." Snape finally got her to turn around. He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I see a woman who is settling for far less than she deserves."

"Less than she deserves?"

Snape tried to smile, but failed. "I am not a foolish man, Hermione. I know that you are smart. I know you are talented. I know you are beautiful. I know that I am not the only man who could make you happy. I know there are many men out there who are likely far better looking and who make more money. I know that there is no reason you should be happy with me. What I do not know is why you are worried about me using you. I do not know why someone like you would be happy with someone like me." As he spoke, silent tears began rolling down Hermione's cheeks. He wiped them away one by one. "I do not know why you are crying. I do know that I would do anything in the world to make you stop."

She sniffled then said, "You promise?" He nodded. Then she wrapped her arms around him and said, "I don't want anything more, Severus." She kissed him, and he kissed her back. Both Hermione and Snape were acutely aware that they were on her bed. Hermione pulled Snape's shirt over his head, and he unbuttoned and unzipped her jeans. Both of them were beginning to live out a fantasy they had held since the beginning of the semester, touching each other uncertainly.

But before things could go any farther, the door was flung open, revealing Harry. A choking noise came from both Harry and Snape as Snape scrambled to pull his hands off of Hermione. Harry's face had paled to the point where he could have competed with Snape for lack of color. Except for the fact that he would have won, because Snape's face was touched by a very slight amount of color.

Hermione refused to look at either of them.

"Detention, Potter," Snape snapped, saying the first thing that came to mind. "Fifty points from Gryffindor."

Harry widened his eyes, shook his head in disbelief and said, "Olivia says dinner is ready. But I'm thinking you two aren't hungry like that at the moment. Come to that, I'm not exactly hungry any more. Next time, lock the door." And he left, more disturbed than he ever thought it was possible to be.

Hermione sat up, zipped and buttoned her pants and said, "Shall we go to dinner then?"

Snape's pale lips curved upward in the smile he saved for her. "I think so," he answered, pulling his shirt back on.

They went back down the stairs, holding hands. They sat down to eat, neither of them saying a word. True to his word, Harry didn't eat much. Both he and Ginny kept shooting them disapproving glances. Hermione's parents were still trying to figure out what was going on between their daughter and Severus Snape.

Dinner was civil, but awkward. Finally Jack cleared his throat and said, "Well, this was a very nice dinner, Olivia dear. Hermione and Ginny, thanks for your help too. But I think I'm about ready to hit the sack." Then he froze and did a quick head count. He looked at his wife. "Where is everyone sleeping?"

Olivia frowned. "Well… I assume… I don't know." She looked at a loss.

Hermione stepped in. "Ginny and Harry can take the guest room. Severus can sleep in my room. I'll spend the night on the couch."

Her parents nodded in agreement, happy with the arrangement. But Snape was not. "No. I will take the couch. I will not have you uncomfortable on my account."

"You are my guest," Hermione replied. "You will take the bed, I will take the couch. End of story. I won't hear anything more on the subject."

"What happened to being able to compromise?" Snape asked. "I want you to be comfortable."

Before Hermione could argue back, Ginny suggested, "You could both take the bed."

Harry choked on his glass of water, Mr. and Mrs. Granger both whipped their heads around to stare and Ginny, and Hermione and Snape watched each other. Ginny just grinned at the stunned looks on the faces of Hermione's parents. Neither Snape nor Hermione had any visible reaction, but they were both thinking about the fact that they had already spent the night together once. Harry continued choking.

"But… but…" Olivia stuttered.

"No," Jack answered. "Absolutely not."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Relax. It's not like they weren't already almost there earlier this afternoon."

Hermione's face verified Ginny's accusation as did Harry's muttering, "Don't remind me."

"And why would they do anything with you in the next room?"

Olivia took a deep breath then said, "Fine. You're an adult, Hermione. I can't control what you do any longer. I'm not stupid. I know what went on when you moved in with Ron. I know what's likely happening between you and Severus up at the school. This is your decision."

"Mother!" Hermione objected to her mother's obvious meaning at the same time her father objected, "Olivia!" to her agreeing with Ginny.

"Oh, Jack," Hermione's mother said. "Who are we kidding? She's not a little girl anymore, and we need to admit that."

"Mother!" Hermione said again. Olivia looked at her, and she looked significantly at Snape.

Her mother took a deep breath and said, "Jack, let's continue this conversation upstairs."

He frowned, but he followed his wife from the room. Hermione smiled, relieved. "Okay, now that they've disappeared to talk about my sex life, shall we clean up from dinner?" Then she turned to Snape and said, "So I guess it's up to you. You can take the bed, or you can share the bed. I'm not sleeping in my bed alone and letting you sleep on the couch, so don't even suggest it."

Snape frowned. "What about your father?" He waved his wand and several pans flew through the air, settling themselves in the sink.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "In twenty two years, I think I have seen my father win less than ten arguments with my mother. And she let him win those, because she was manipulating him to get what she really wanted."

"Should I be worried that this manipulative behavior might be genetic?" Snape asked as Hermione began washing the dishes by hand.

Hermione smiled. "Perhaps. So? Are you going to sleep alone in my bed or do you want my company?"

He looked at her and did something Harry had never seen before. He smiled. Actually smiled. "What do you think I would prefer, Hermione?"

She looked at him, trying to figure out what kind of game he was playing. Then she said the last thing Harry and Ginny needed to hear. "I hope you prefer the latter."


Well, there's that chapter. I still own… no one. Big surprise there.

Thanks to… animegrlsteph, LilacGrace444, notwritten, and cjnicole for their reviews. Love you all! :)