Hermione sat curled on Severus' sofa with a book folded open in front of her. He had told her to wait there for him while he prepared for their first date and so she waited as patiently as she possibly could.

On the outside.

On the inside she was a bouncing jumble of nerves that showed in the ever-present bounce of her foot.

"Are you ready my dear?" She let out a breath and looked up at him, he wore his usual frock coat and but his teaching robes were replaced with a much newer looking set of black robes. His hair was pulled back low at the nape of his neck and a strand fell forward into his face.

She swallowed and gave a little nod as she set the book down beside her and stood.

"You look amazing." She watched him with wide eyes, he chuckled but it was dark a dark sound as his eyes raked up her body. Black burned a path up her red silk robes to her bare neck, her hair pulled back in a loose bun that gathered curls around her face.

"I think it is I who owes that sentiment to you, witch." He strode quickly to her and took her hand in his, she gave a shy little smile. She wasn't sure why she felt shy all of a sudden, they'd spent the better part of the last three months as friends.

This was different though. She didn't know how, she just knew it was.

"Thank you." She beamed and it was all he could do to keep his heart in his own body and out of her hands. She would physically hold it as well as metaphorically if she gave him many more smiles like that.

"I should be thanking you, Hermione." He watched her face closely. "You honor me by allowing me to escort you this evening." She blushed.

She had been growing used to his formal speech but still yet, sometimes it made her heart flutter. She didn't think she ever wanted to be entirely accustomed to it.

"Where are we going?" She tipped her head to the side, a curious purse took over her lips and he smirked.

"Wouldn't you like to know." He teased and brought her hand into the crook of his arm as he lead her from his chambers and eventually from the dungeons and castle into the cool night air. She shivered and a warming charm fell over them like a warm cloak.

"Thank you, Sev." She smiled up at him and he had to remind his heart to keep beating.

Gods, what was the witch doing to him?

"My pleasure." His lips twitched as he lead her along the path to the lake, they had received their first snow of the season and the light white dust was settled across the ground.

Hermione's gasp at the scene in front of her when they came to the lake was all of the confirmation that she was happy with what he'd done that he could ever need.

Hermione stared at the scene in front of her with wide brown eyes, the glow of candles was soft around a little two person café table situated near the lake, a candle levitated near the center, no doubt holding a warming charm as she felt herself step into heated air the closer they came.

"Oh." The fingers of her free hand covered her mouth and when her eyes flicked to his face he was smirking- her smirk.
"This is beautiful." She whispered, her eyes trying to take it all in. He released her hand from the crook of his arm and led her to the table with a firm hand on the small of her back.

When she was seated and staring breathlessly at him from across the table a house elf, a free elf named Nibbly brought their food with a soft pop and vanished. She hardly had the focus to pay attention to the food that had been settled in front of her as Severus took her hand across the table and looked into her eyes.

Who cared about food when the man was staring at her like that?
She certainly didn't.

"Severus, this is wonderful, I can't believe you did this." She breathed, her heart fluttered in her chest.

He raised an eyebrow, playful smirk at the corner of his lips. "Do not grow too accustomed to this witch. I fear I have used up my romantic reserves for the year."

"Can we do it again next year?" The question was out of her mouth before she could even think about it. There was no way to know if they would be together the next year, if he would change his mind or not. It had just felt so normal, as if they would never not be together.

A real smile ghosted across his face and she blinked, it had come and gone so quickly she almost thought she'd imagined it.

"You plan to be with me this time next year?" The question wrapped warm around her, the hope that glinted in his eye enough to send her to the alter with him if he so desired.

She had to get herself pulled back in.

"Of course, if you haven't grown tired of me by then." She reached across the table and took his hand in hers. His fingers were warm around hers and she reveled in the sensation.

"I'm afraid I will never grow tired of you." He motioned to their food, his eyes finally flicking away from hers, though he did not release her hand. It danced warm chills up her arm and down her spine.

They ate in amicable silence, their hands still twined over the table and they did not release one another even as they stood and the table vanished from between them. The candles lingered and Severus used their twined hands to pull her to him.

She crashed delicately into his chest and finally with her hand free she balled both into the fabric of his robes. Her eyes were wide, head tilted back and staring up into his.

He smirked as he stared down at her.

"You have no idea how long I have waited to do this." His husky voice hit her ears like a shockwave, his breath drifted across her lips and they parted just the littlest bit. An invitation.

Slowly, torturously slow, his lips drifted towards hers until they claimed them. His soft lips molded to hers almost perfectly as the kiss began soft and gentle. It reached an intensely passionate crescendo rather quickly, his tongue begging for entrance.

Her inhale of breath, the raw hot sensation that rushed through her when it slipped inside and explored her. Took in the sweet taste of her. She inhaled deep through her nose and her hands snaked up around his neck to loosen his low ponytail and then fist in his hair.

He grasped her by her lower back and pulled her flush with him, his mouth lifted into a smirk when they finally broke away and she just stood there with her eyes closed. Her entire body was rioting, her mind going into overdrive as she tried to reconcile all of the sensations that rushed through her.

"Severus." She whispered, his lips still so close to hers she could flick her tongue out and lick them.

"Yes love?" His voice was huskier- if it was possible- against her lips and she shuddered beneath him.

"Again." She breathed and his lips claimed hers with a fierce passion, a low rumble coming from his chest and vibrating against her. Her thighs clenched and he felt the action. It brought another smirk to his lips and flush to her cheeks.

SSHG

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ginny questioned her friend over breakfast, Hermione's eyes seemed to snap back into focus as she looked at the redhead who watched her with a cocked eyebrow.

"Oh yea, fine, just thinking." She sighed dreamily and Ginny pursed her lips.

"Hey, get your head out of the clouds for a minute." Ginny snapped, the boys had gone off to help the new captain of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team and the girls were having a rare breakfast alone together.
"Who are you and what have you done with my Hermione?"

Hermione chuckled and brushed a bundle of curls behind her ear.

"Ginny, I think I'm in love." She sighed and if she'd though Ginny looked confused before then she was mistaken. Now Ginny's eyes were the size of saucers and Hermione burst out laughing.

"You've got to be kidding me! With who? Details, now!" The redhead demanded as she leaned across the table on her elbows, she was close to Hermione's face but it was a breach of personal space she'd grown accustomed to.

"You'd never believe me."

"It's not Snape is it? I though you were just trying to get Ron back when you told him that." Ginny admitted, her cheeks flushed a light red and Hermione shook her head, her fingers came up to brush through bushy locks.

"No, I wasn't trying to get back at him, or get him riled, or anything like that. I meant it, I'm with Professor Snape."

Ginny simply stared, dumbfounded.

"You can't be serious." The redhead whispered and shook her head, eyes wide.

"I am completely serious Ginny. We had our first date last night and it was the most wonderful date I could have ever imagined." She sighed dreamily, Ginny shook her head.

"I've stumbled into some type of alternate reality, haven't I?" She pinched herself but only winced when it hurt and looked around.
"Am I sleeping? Shouldn't have cake before bed I suppose." Hermione gave her best female friend a scolding look but shook her head in amusement.

She hadn't exactly expected ecstatic reactions; she simply didn't care. He was so much more important to her than their opinions of him, no matter what they were.