Author's Note: Thank you all for the reviews, sorry about the delay but a new job and real life has intruded on my writing time.
Dedicated to my amazing woman

"You heard me Matthias, Hermione is MY apprentice and is only assisting you to get her teaching qualifications. That does not give you cause to take advantage of her good nature."

A slow smile crossed the mans face, "I'm taking advantage of her?" He walked over to Minerva's desk and took a Ginger Newt from her plate, "And I thought that you were the one taking advantage."

Minerva gritted her teeth but resolved not to show him how rattled she was. "And what exactly are you implying?" Her voice was cold and threatening.

Matthias laughed, "I know that you are shagging her."

The headmistresses growled, stepping towards him, her eyes narrowed – changing colour from green to gold, her irises elongating into cat-like pupils. "THAT is none of your business!"

"I never said that it was, unless of course you would care to share..?" The growl rumbling from Minerva deepened into a snarl. "Just pointing out that you cannot criticise me when you are doing the same thing."

Nails extended into curved claws and she moved even closer. "Hermione is an adult and can make her own choices."

"You keep telling yourself that, meanwhile I will work her as hard as I choose... unless you want me to go to the governors with my discovery. Come now Minerva, we can both have what we want..."

The witch swallowed hard, amazed once again at the sheer cheek of the man. A series of rapid mental calculations brought Minerva to a shocking conclusion. "She is due to sit her first set of exams tomorrow, I am expecting her to have time to study for them."

"I suppose the paperwork can wait for another day." He moved towards the door, stopping only to tease Minerva, "By the way I didn't realise you were the rug-munching type."

She had to exert every ounce of self-control she possessed to resist the urge to rip his throat out – an urge not stemming solely from her animagus self.

* * *

Minerva dropped a sheet of parchment onto her desk, there were two sparse lines of calligraphy on the otherwise pristine paper. She turned towards the window and stood staring out into the school grounds – wondering just what she was going to tell Hermione.

It wasn't long before the door opened and the young woman entered Minerva's office. "Hi." Gentle arms wrapped around her waist, "Did you talk to Matthias? He didn't give me any paperwork to do today...?"

"Yes, he agreed to give you chance to revise before your exams."

Hermione tightened her arms slightly, hoping that she could dispel the strange mood that Minerva was in with a loving touch. "He had the strangest look on his face."

"He knows about us. I am not sure how he came by that information."

"What did he say to you Minerva?"

The older woman sighed turning to face Hermione, "He is threatening to tell the board of governors."

"We knew it would happen sooner or later, that isn't what is bothering you." Intense brown eyes bored into the Headmistress.

"That's part of it."

"What's the rest of it?" A gentle hand caressed the side of Minerva's face, "Tell me what's bothering you, please."

Minerva's sigh was heartfelt, "He said that I was taking advantage of you."

"And... you are worried that he might be right?"

Minerva pulled Hermione over to the sofa and hugged her close as they sat down. "I have to consider that he may have a point."

"I doubt that he has ever been right about anything."

The older witch chuckled before becoming serious once more, "You came back into my life desperately needing help Hermione."

"Yes I did but everything that has happened between us has been natural. You certainly have not taken any kind of advantage."

Minerva smiled, she still had a few lingering doubts but was mostly reassured by Hermione's words yet there was still something bothering her. "Um... Hermione?"

"Mmmmm?"

"What exactly does it mean to 'rug-munch'?" Hermione erupted into a fit of giggles at the question, the derogatory phrase could only have originated with Matthias. She leaned in closer and whispered in the older woman's ear.

* * *

It was only around nine in the evening that Hermione decided to quit revising, there was such a thing as being over prepared. Walking into her quarters she grinned at seeing Minerva in her bed reading a book.

"Finished your revision already?"

A cheeky grin spread across the young womans face, "I thought that perhaps some relaxation would be beneficial."

Minerva closed the book, giving her apprentice her full attention. "And how do you propose that you achieve that?"

Hermione sidled out of her outer robe and knelt on the bed next to her mentor, "I was thinking that perhaps you could help me with that..."

"Oh really?" There was a pause before Minerva grabbed the front of Hermione's inner robe and pulled her into a kiss. Hermione felt like her blood was on fire.

The young woman heard an amused purr in response to her acquiescence. Minerva's passionate lips devoured Hermione's, her tongue entered a willing mouth, a hand slid under the hem of a robe and up a soft thigh leaving goosebumps behind it. Abandoning plump lips Minerva's kisses began to caress Hermione's throat, her caressing fingers moving even higher – the young witch moaned loudly, "Oh Minerva."

The exploring hand stopped instantly, amused green eyes met Hermione's as Minerva pulled away. "A little randy are you?"

A slightly breathless nod was her only answer.

"A little frustrated perhaps?"

She shrugged slightly.

"Would you care to get... somewhat more so...?"

It was the young witches turn to chuckle, "What did you have in mind?"

Nimble fingers found the top clasp of Hermione's soft garment and slowly began to unfasten it. Hermione clenched her fists, willing her hands not to reach for the older woman of their own volition. The urge to hold and to touch was almost overpowering, she began to take rapid deep breaths. Minerva stopped again.

"Love?"

"I'm...ok..."

The older woman smirked in relief, her eyes returning to the alluring gap she had created in the top half of Hermione's inner robe. Fingers reached out once again and rapidly finished undoing the garment. Hermione remained on her knees, her eyes closed – focussing on the soft inadvertent brush of Minerva's fingers against her skin. Finally her robe fell open, revealing light blue practical underwear that nevertheless considerably raised the body temperature of the ebony haired witch.

In the previous months both of the witches had caught sight of the other while dressing but nothing could have prepared Minerva for the assault on her senses of seeing Hermione mostly naked in front of her. Their passion rose and plump lips captured Minerva's in a searing kiss, while hands began to explore the smooth skin of Hermione's stomach, the curve of her hip.

Time ceased to have meaning as they exchanged passionate kisses and caresses. Hermione's open robe had been tossed onto a chair and her bra had been removed by heated fingers, intent on exploration. The bedsheets were in a crumpled pile at the bottom of the bed, kicked aside by an impatient Headmistress, desperate for more intense contact. The young witch reached into Minerva's unbuttoned nightgown cupping a full naked breast in her hand. Tearing her lips from the older womans she began to press hot wet kisses against Minerva's throat and moved downwards. She used her body weight to press the older woman into the mattress and began to taste the exposed skin of Minerva's collarbone.

Something between a purr and a moan loudly erupted from the Headmistress, it was a completely uninhibited, uncharacteristic noise and it made Hermione pause. The last time they had spoken about this Minerva had said that she wasn't ready – Hermione had to listen to the inner voice that was her conscience.

"Minerva..." Her voice was lower than normal, almost a growl, breathless and intensely passionate. "Tell me to stop."

Intense green eyes locked onto Hermione's, they were dark with passion with just a ring of emerald visible around enlarged pupils. Her breathing was coming in uneven pants as she lay beneath Hermione, arms still locked around the almost naked young woman – holding her tightly.

Hermione looked deeply into those emerald depths, seeing passion warring with trepidation in her gaze and in it was her answer. She exhaled slowly and lowered her forehead to rest it on Minerva's shoulder, taking several minutes to steady her breathing.

"Thank you 'Mione." The older womans voice was soft, tender and full of emotion.

"I love you."

One of Minerva's hands slid into Hermione's hair, gently but firmly she raised the young woman's head. Her eyes interrogated chocolate ones, seeking confirmation of the truth behind her words. "You do?"

"How can I not?"

Minerva chuckled disbelievingly, stroking Hermione's face with the back of her fingers.

"Minerva, you are an amazing woman. I couldn't help falling for you."

"I had no idea that you felt that way."

Hermione kept her expression impassive but inwardly she was screaming, didn't Minerva feel the same way? Didn't Minerva care about her?

"Oh Hermione." Minerva pressed a kiss against Hermione's cheek. "I realise that I have not said it out loud but surely you know how I feel about you?"

Wordlessly the young woman shook her head; all of her doubts about her age and suitability for Minerva were once again in forefront of her mind. How could someone like Minerva McGonagall love me?

"Hermione, I do love you."

A tearful mocha gaze met Minerva's, "Really?"

"I would never have entered into our relationship, without feeling... what I feel."

An impulse drove Hermione to capture Minerva's lips with her own, while still passionate it was more than that, it was an emotional, tender and loving caress. The young woman rolled onto her side, her body still wrapped around the older womans in a possessive embrace.

"When did you realise that you loved me?"

Minerva chuckled again brushing her cheek against bushy hair. "The moment I figured out that I could not sleep without you beside me. It was not the nightmare that continued to draw me back, it was the sweet dreams I had in your presence that left me unable to resist."

"And the fact that I'm a woman?"

"That never bothered me, confused me yes because I had never been attracted to a woman before and had never even considered the possibility of what is happening between us."

"That's why you asked me all of those questions."

"Indeed and you faked a 'Cosmo' quiz to find out how I felt."

They both laughed, a joyous sound as they revelled in fully revealing their feelings for the first time. "Well I had to confirm my suspicions somehow."

"I am glad you did. You forced me to admit something out loud that I was scared to admit even to myself."

Hermione brushed an understanding kiss against Minerva's lips before sitting up and reaching for her nightgown. The older woman stared at Hermione's full breasts in wonder before reaching out to take the garment from the young womans hands.

"Minerva?"

The Headmistress smirked as she placed the nightgown back under Hermione's pillow, she reached down and grabbed the bedsheets. "Sleep with me?"

"You never have to ask me to do that."

"I do when you are mostly naked like you are now."

A Cheshire cat grin spread across Hermione's face. "No you don't." She lay down once again and allowed Minerva to roll her onto her side and felt the older woman snuggle up behind her. "Are putting me to bed?"

"As I recall you have a series of exams in the morning and you have been awake for a long time."

There was a moment of silence before Hermione replied, "Oh yeah."

"You sound like you had forgotten."

"It's your fault."

"How so?"

"You kiss me or touch me and I could forget my own name."

Minerva's arms tightened around Hermione, her lips caressed the bare skin of a shoulder. "I love you too, now go to sleep – you need to rest before the morning."