Hermione settled into the sofa Severus offered her, her eyes locked on the hundreds- possibly thousands of books that lined the walls of his sitting room.
The room was nothing like she would have expected, where she would have expected doom and gloom there were soft colors of grey, a warm fire burning in a hearth topped with little trinkets she itched to walk up to and observe.
"Tea, Ms. Lupin?" He questioned and she shook her head, her eyes finally landing on him. He'd removed his robes whilst her eyes had been roaming and she was surprised to see he was so lean beneath them, his frockcoat clinging to his torso in ways that made her lick her lips.
"No, water, please?" She wet her lips again and he gave a nod before he turned and exited the room. She pulled her own robes from her body, leaving her in a soft blue tunic shirt and blue jeans, her feet bare, she tossed the robes over the back of the couch and smiled at him when he stilled in the doorway, a tray of the necessities for tea and a glass of water clutched in his hands.
Hermione managed a shy smile.
"I thought that maybe because you had chosen to remove your robes it would be okay if I did the same?" She tipped her head at him, a sweet look on her face and his chest rose harshly before he gave a slight nod. His black hair had grown to his shoulders and it shifted silkily around his face when he did so.
"I suppose that would be the natural decision. Perhaps you would not mind if I dressed as I do in my private quarters. I do not mean to be rude, Ms. Lupin, but as these are my chambers and you are asking that I divulge certain information about myself…" She cocked an eyebrow at him, making him trail off.
Had he been rambling? She almost giggled, how cute!
Not something she would ever foresee thinking about the brooding potions master.
"No, no, it's fine, these are your chambers as you said, I want you to be comfortable!" She left out the part where she wanted to get to know him. She also left out the bit about wanting to see what he looked like beneath all of those layers, did he look like he did in her dreams.
A warm flush suffused her skin and she almost groaned aloud before she took a sip of the water he'd settled on a transfigured table.
His fingers unfastened the buttons of his frock coat quickly, expertly and soon it was slipping from his shoulders. Hermione watched, fascinated by the smooth movements of his hands and her breath caught in her throat when he tossed it gently atop her robes.
She stared at the two, one laying over the other and it made her stomach flip for reasons she simply could not understand.
He untucked his crisp white shirt and settled into a chair, toeing off his boots and giving a low sigh when they were gone from his feet.
Hermione grinned.
"I'm glad you're more comfortable. Wouldn't you rather sit over here, closer to the tea-tray?" She tipped her head, a coy smile on her lips and Severus' nostrils flared. His black eyes focused on the witch so intently she thought she would burn up under his gaze.
"Of course, Ms. Lupin, I simply did not wish to invade your personal space."
Hermione chewed her lip. Was it bad she wanted to scream he could invade her space any time he wanted to? She thought it may be, he was her professor after all.
Her professor she had dreams about on a near nightly basis.
She tried not to flush when he took long strides to her side and settled into the sofa beside her, one of his legs slung over the as he leaned back into the sofa, he was the picture of comfort.
Hermione tried not to inch towards him.
"So why were you so upset when you nearly ran me down?" She smiled, sipped her water and then settled it back onto the tray. He shook his head, black hair danced around his face and she watched him, ever observant.
"I had just come from a very difficult meeting, Ms. Lupin."
"Hermione, this is an informal meeting, I hardly see the need for formalities." She smirked at the dark look on his face and he swallowed and gave a slight nod.
"Of course, Hermione then."
"May I call you Severus?" All movement on his part ceased and she held her breath, waiting to be shot down.
"In the interest of our informal conversation…"
"Of course, only now, outside of class." Her fingers were fidgeting in her lap and she made a conscious effort to stop them.
"I suppose that is acceptable, Hermione." She liked the way he said her name, the way his lips formed around the syllables and the deep tone of his voice when he spoke it.
Unfortunately this, like so many other things also reminded her of the dreams, the way he would say her name whilst moving above her.
She took a large gulp of her water and cleared her throat.
"So what was this meeting about?"
"We were discussing the recent string of muggleborn deaths. We are afraid it has begun, the murders, and that we will need to take into consideration tactics for protecting the students." She gave a thoughtful nod, her eyes on her glass for a moment before coming back up to his.
They were still burning into her, like the coals in a cooling fire, still too hot to touch but black as night.
"Have you considered informing the students, giving them a chance to defend themselves, their families?" Hermione wet her lips, surprised by the look on his face, he gave a slight nod.
"It was mentioned, the other professors, apart from your father, feel it would be dangerous, many are not old enough to understand."
"Then we break it down, explain it more clearly. If we can teach them to accept a world of magic, we can teach them to protect themselves." She spoke passionately, a bit embarrassed by her own reaction to the topic.
"I will certainly bring your ideas to their attention."
Her hand settled on top of his on his leg, gave it a light squeeze. "I know you can work it out." She was confident, was she mistaken that he stared at her hand on top of his?
She pulled her fingers away, a flush coming over her face.
SSHG
Severus wanted to tug the witch on top of him when she'd settled her hand over his.
Was he simply convincing himself she'd been flirting with him, the way she'd removed her robes, the way she'd stared at his frock coat atop them. The little flushes that took her face, the way she licked her lips when she watched him.
Was there a chance she was as attracted to him as he was to her? Gods he hoped so.
And then she'd offered up her name, asked to call him by name. He cleared his throat and watched the witch, she was staring at the tea-tray with lost eyes.
"Certainly we can think of a much happier topic, Hermione." He cocked an eyebrow at her when her eyes flicked back up to him and she gave a soft smile.
"You're right, how are you feeling about the healing potions for the Ministry, they have had a week to settle, haven't they?" She tipped her head at him and he gave a smile, his lips tilting up faintly at the corners.
They settled quickly into comfortable conversation, much to Severus' pleasure. It was midnight before he sent her on her way to her dorm.
SSHG
A trip to Hogsmeade had seemed just the thing Hermione, Ginny, and Rose needed, all three prepared for the much cooler weather outside and set out early in the morning, intentions of having a long day in the small wizarding village so near their school.
Holidays were fast approaching and they needed to buy gifts not only for one another but for their friends. Saturdays, on the weekends students were allowed to leave the school Hogsmeade was always a bustle with other students, loud and chatty, some eating candy and trying to decide where to go next, others playing and gossiping outside of the different shops as they changed locations.
Hermione adored the atmosphere, the excitement in the air and the joy that seemed to permeate the area.
She broke away from Ginny and Rose when they'd finished having a mug of butterbeer to buy gifts.
It was as she was browsing through Tomes and Scrolls that something caught her eye. It was a book, obviously incredibly old, the binding barely holding it together. She pulled it from the shelf with a curious look and flipped open to the first page.
It was a first edition copy of Magick Moste Evil, By Godelot. She immediately thought of Professor Snape and, not quite understanding why it was available in Tomes and Scrolls pulled out her wand to run a few diagnostics on the text.
It was clean, as far as she could tell, and she made her way to the shop keeper with the book in tow. The man cocked an eyebrow at her as she purchased the book but she only let her hair fall in her face to hide her blush and tucked it away into her bag, the undetectable extension she'd added in third year came in handy in most every situation.
She thanked the man and left the shop with haste to find her gifts for Ginny, Rose, Fern, Harry, and of course Ronald, no matter how she didn't want to get him something. She'd bought her gifts for Remus and Sirius months and months prior, a special gift for each that she hoped would make them ecstatic.
It was as she was looking for Ginny and Rose that she felt a sick chill crawl up and down her spine, she couldn't exactly identify why until she looked a head and stilled in place immediately.
There, stood at the end of the path she was walking, just outside a shop doorway was Lucius Malfoy, a twisted smirk on his face, grey eyes locked on her.
She cleared her throat, tried to turn and walk the other way calmly but this only gave him the chance to catch up to her with long strides. His hand clamped down on her shoulder and she stilled, her heart in her throat.
"I do not see Snape about today, how convenient. Come with me quietly and I will let you live, for now." He spoke lowly into her ear and her blood was cold. Her stomach balled into knots. What did she do? How did she get out of this?