A/N: I know it has been a while since I uploaded, thank you for sticking with me! :) Hope you enjoy Chapter 14.
Hermione was studying in a corner of the library, furiously taking notes about the dark arts. The more she knew, the better she could correct her equation. And then perhaps her spell would finally work. She heard someone coming towards her but didn't lift her head until she realized they had not passed her, but stopped. She looked up smiling, expecting to see Harry and Ron.
"What do you want Malfoy?" she asked, her smile disappearing as she saw Malfoy flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. They didn't scare her. It actually pleased her to see them here, knowing that they died during the battle. Well, Crabbe and Goyle had, Malfoy she was not sure what had happened to him. Malfoy nodded to his two goons and they stepped away, turning around like bouncers guarding the entry to a club. Malfoy pulled out a chair to join her and lowered himself gracefully into the seat.
"You intrigue me, Granger," he revealed, and Hermione did her best to contain a disbelieving laugh. It came out as a small cough.
"Why is that?"
He leaned in, "Because you visit Snape at night and he doesn't give you detention or take away house points." He paused, letting her horror sink in. "What is it you do in exchange for being able to wander the castle at any hours that you please? Do you work for him, making him any potion he wants, like his little slave?" Hermione could not breathe. How did he know? He couldn't have seen her, she was careful. "Or do you let him touch you, like a little Mudblood whore?" His arm snaked forward to caress her shoulder tenderly and she slapped it away.
"Don't touch me," she hissed. He smiled, but it had no warmth in it.
"So which is it Granger? Whore or slave?" She stared at him, not willing to grace him with an answer. His smile spread, "And which will you be for me to make sure I don't tell anyone about your secret?"
Hermione widened her eyes and leaned forward, "I am neither his whore nor his slave, nor will I be yours. I am working on an independent project."
"In the middle of the night?" he asked smirking.
"Of course," she said leaning back, "Some potions have to be stirred every few hours." She paused, "You may not be good at potions, but even you should know that."
Anger flared in his eyes and he nodded tersely. "Crabbe, Goyle, let's go," he said as he stood up. Hermione concentrated on breathing so she wouldn't let her relief show. She refused to let herself be bullied. But Severus was not going to like this. Not at all.
Even though she was upset by the encounter with Malfoy, Hermione did not approach the Potions Classroom until she was supposed to that night. She refused to reveal any more about her relationship with Severus than she had to Draco. He was sitting at his desk as usual when she came striding in. When she quickly locked and warded the door he looked up at her through his hair, an eyebrow raised in question when he saw her face.
"Severus," she said and he stood up from the desk. "Malfoy saw me."
"Saw you…what?" he asked coming closer.
"He saw me with you."
His black eyes grew steely, "How much did he see?"
She shook her head, "Nothing I think. He just saw me come in here…or leave, late at night. But he could only come up with two reasons why I would be down here."
He raised an eyebrow, "And they are?"
"That I am your slave so I can walk around the castle at night," she said quietly.
"And the other?" he growled when she didn't provide it.
"That…" She didn't want to say it. It wasn't true. And it was going to make him angry, when all she wanted was for him to hold her until she forgot about Malfoy. "That I'm…your whore." She couldn't look at his face, but he lifted her chin to bring her eyes to his.
"Don't even think it," he said quietly. She shook her head, her eyes filling with tears.
"I don't. But that he would even think you would do that to someone…"
His face twisted, "You don't know what I've done Hermione."
She shook her head, "Stop that! I know you Severus. I knew you before you took the mark. I know you have done some bad things, and I know too that you regret them. Bbut you would never do that to me. And you would never do that now if you had any real choice in the matter."
He shook his head, "There is always a choice Hermione. Even then, even now. And any refusal to take another choice but the one that is presented to you is cowardice."
She pulled him down to her, pressing her lips against his, "You are not a coward. What you do constantly, is put yourself in danger for all of us. And how are you rewarded for your sacrifice? No one thanks you. You are injured frequently because of it. And you can't openly be with the woman who loves you. Think of all you have sacrificed for the greater good. So we can win. That is true bravery."
"What did you say?" he whispered.
"That you have true bravery?"
He shook his head, "Before that."
Hermione smiled, "Oh. That." She put her hands on his cheeks, "I want to be with you Severus." He wrapped his arms around her and brought her close to him fiercely.
He buried his face in the hair at her shoulder. "I can't lose you," he whispered, half hesitant about revealing the depth that he felt. Then he raised his head, "You are too precious to me. And I can't think…if anything were to…"
She shook her head, "Severus, I live through the battle. As do you. You won't lose me." She kissed him, then whispered, "I promise." He nodded and she kissed him again, the chaste kisses becoming deeper as she slipped her tongue into his mouth. She stepped back from him, her face burning. "Do…do you…is there…I mean, would you…" She snuck a glance at his face, pulled with patience.
"Was I supposed to understand that?" he questioned with a soft laugh, "Because I assure you, I did not." Still she hesitated. "Hermione," he sighed, "Just ask."
"Is there a way I could come visit you without being seen? Because I'd like to visit you more, and maybe stay sometimes?"
"Stay?" he asked, an eyebrow raised in amusement. His hands drifted from her shoulders to her waist and she shivered at the warmth in his hands. Her bum was pressed against a table, and his torso pressed against hers, but still she wanted him closer. Wanted the burn of his skin on hers, wanted…She stopped, forcing her racing heart to slow so she could concentrate. "Stay here in the lab?" he asked, his molten chocolate voice making her belly twist. She shook her head, all words had left her. Merlin, she wanted him. The problem was, he knew it. He lowered his mouth to her ear, whispering, "Where did you plan on staying?" He nipped her earlobe.
"With you," she breathed, her voice coming out slightly strangled.
"With me where?" he asked, a slight chuckle gracing his soft voice as he slowly kissed down her throat. Unconsciously she wove her hands in his hair. "Where, Hermione?" he prompted. She narrowed her eyes. Uh uh. Two could play at this game. She was not about to let him take all control. She moved her hands down his front, playing with the many buttons that ran down the length of his torso. She raised her eyes to his, slowly peering up at him through her lashes.
"I think you know," she said quietly with a smirk. His control snapped. He devoured her mouth hungrily, crushing her body to his. She tore at his buttons until she got the first layer off. Then with a sigh she pulled his shirt free from his trousers and slipped her hands up the back of his shirt, kneading her fingers in his back. He moaned and picked her up, setting her on the table. She wrapped her legs around his hips, bringing him closer, and she could feel how much he wanted her. Her belly spiked with desire and she tangled her hands in his hair again. She started tugging his shirt up, but he twisted away from her. She hopped off the desk, "What is it?"
He nodded, staying a bit away from her, "We have to stop Hermione, I can't…"
She frowned confused, "Why?"
He smiled softly and cupped her cheek with his palm, "Because I want to tear off your clothes and ravish you right here. And that is not how I want this to progress."
"How do you want it to progress?" she asked softly.
He sighed, sitting down heavily, "I don't want you to regret this. I want you to be absolutely certain."
She crossed her arms and glared at him, "I am certainly able of making up my own mind."
He frowned, "Have you done this before?"
"Done what before?"
He raised an eyebrow, irritated she was going to make him spell it out for her. "Are you a virgin?"
"Oh!" she laughed and shook her head, "No. I'm not." He narrowed his eyes, clearly wanting to ask who, but held himself back. "It was Ron," she said gently. "A few times before the battle."
His face twisted and he held up a hand, "Please no more." She smiled at his jealousy and went over to him. She sat on his lap, looking deeply into his eyes, "Severus, I do want this. But if you don't, then that is fine. I can wait until you are comfortable." He nodded, "I'd like to court you. Like I should have. I would ask your parent's permission, but that hardly seems appropriate as they think you are currently my student."
She grinned. "You are very old fashioned," she said fondly kissing him. "Besides," she said quietly, "They don't remember who I am in my time." At his look of confusion she explained that before she, Ron, and Harry went to look for the Horcruxes she had performed the memory charm on her parents, so they would be safe.
He nodded slowly, "It was the right thing to do. They will be safe." She smiled sadly and nodded. She hoped he was right. "May I have your approval, in place of your father's, for me to court you?" he asked, trying to distract her.
She laughed, "Of course." She paused. "What does courting entail exactly?"
He shrugged, "I would like to take you for a formal date.
She raised her eyebrows. What exactly would a date with Severus entail? Finally she nodded. She had never formally been on a date. So many questions were zipping through her mind. What was she supposed to wear? What were they going to do? Would he plan it, or would it all be up to her? She forced the questions down as he asked if the next night would be agreeable. She nodded, "I don't know when this Time Turner will take me back. Dumbledore estimated I would have roughly a year, but does that include the time I spent with you when you were a student? I don't know. But I'd rather do things that I want to do now so I am not surprised by the Time Turner like I was last time." But as she said it she realized she wasn't doing what she was supposed to be doing. Which was training the boys and fixing her equation. Instead she was being distracted by Severus' very fine lips far too often.
As if he could see where her mind was, he asked, "Have you made any progress with the equation?"
Hermione sighed and removed herself from his lap. "Bits, but it still isn't perfect. It needs a power equal to Voldemort's to even the equation. And Dumbledore has proved that his power is waning, he could not be Voldemort's antithesis. So until I figure out how to solve that problem, I don't know what else to do. The equation should work once I add in that variable."
He nodded, "It is a difficult problem. Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard I know."
She nodded. She could think of no other with his great supply of power combined with years of practicing his craft and gathering knowledge.