A/N: Lemon. That's the M part, if you're not feeling M-ish then I'd skip this chapter.

With the Christmas festivities behind her, Hermione came back to the castle to the emptiness in her rooms. She thought it peculiar. How often did she wish for some quiet and solitude and now that she had it, she was lonely. The energy that was left in the wake of the bustle of activity had vanished and there was a cold vacuum in its wake. She tried to read then tidy but she was distracted by the loneliness. When she had almost reached her end, the knock on her door seemed musical.

Hermione rushed to the door and pulled it open in a hurry, startling the man standing outside.

"Are you ok?" he asked concernedly.

"Oh, yes. It's just really quiet here and it's making me a bit mad," she admitted. He chuckled at her and came in.

"I brought a basket," he said. "Now, before you think that I'm a big sop, I'll have you know this is my annual gift from Minerva. Seems she thinks that cheese, salami and wine is the way to go. I suppose it's better than the blasted socks Albus used to give."

"It looks lovely," she said, taking the basket from him. "Let's see what's in this."

She placed the basket on the coffee table and unwrapped its contents, laying the spread before them. Severus noticed the three gifts left under her tree.

"Did they not want the gifts I sent?" he asked, trying not to sound hurt.

"Oh, they did, but they refused to open them without you here," she told him. "There was a great deal of discussion this morning about that very topic. They also have a gift for you but Emiline insisted they had to be opened when you were here."

Severus seemed uncomfortable.

"Is everything ok?" she asked him.

"I don't really know how to give presents to children so I had hoped that they'd just open them without me," he admitted.

"I see. Well, I suppose you'll have lesson one when they get back from their adventures," she smiled at him.

"Does this rule also apply to you?" he asked.

"Oh definitely," she nodded seriously, "I was told last night that I had to wait until this evening to open my gift."

He walked over to the tree and picked up the small box he had for her. He placed it on her lap and waited for her to open it.

She took it in her hands and held it for a moment. "I'm trying to remember the last time…"

"It's a new time, now," he interrupted. She carefully opened the paper and it revealed a small square box. When she opened the lid, there lay a necklace. The design was simple, three stones hanging one from the other, the top a diamond, the second a pearl, the third an amethyst.

"This is beautiful," she said, picking it up.

"The pearl is Emiline's birthstone, the amethyst, Alexander's and the diamond so you remember that like this gem, you are one of a kind and very precious," he told her.

She looked as if she was going to cry, "I don't know what to say."

"You say, 'Severus, help me put this on,'" he coached.

She turned her back to him and lifted up her hair. He took the necklace and gently placed it around her neck. As he fastened the clasp, he let his fingers fall on the soft skin at the nape of her neck, gently rubbing his thumbs over the base.

Hermione felt euphoric. She liked the way his fingers felt when they touched her, the feelings it made her experience. She slowly turned around to him and he was transfixed on her. He traced the necklace around her neck and followed it to the three stones hanging from the center.

"Resplendent," he murmured. Hermione sat in front of him, watching him diving in headlong in the moment. She wasn't afraid of his touch. He took the moment to run his fingers along the side of her jaw, tracing the line to her chin. Her breathing had started to change and before she could stop herself, she had climbed closer to him and initiated a deep, passionate kiss. Severus felt as if his heart had stopped beating entirely when their lips connected. Slow at first, the passion built slowly and the kiss turned from a gentle introduction to a thorough exploration, a fever building between them. Hermione felt as if her heart would explode in her chest. The pounding of her heart could be felt in her ears and she welcomed this strange new feeling with open arms. His body changed against her and she fell backwards on the sofa, pulling him down with her. He ran his hands over the sides of her body, never letting go of her lips. She returned the embrace, running her hands through his hair, eagerly connecting with every bit of his mouth. All reason had been lost. The burning continued to grow and he yearned for more contact. His hand slipped under her shirt and caressed her side, running over the edges of her ribcage to the sides of her bra. She lifted up to allow him better access. As he slipped the shirt over her head, he lost contact with her for only a moment. There she lay before him, like the night of the quidditch game, her pale skin gleaming like a thousand diamonds before him. The angle was awkward and as he stood, he scooped her up in one movement and moved into her bedroom in what seemed like only a few steps. He lay her gently on the bed and lifted his own shirt over his head. She ran her hands down his chest, memorizing with her fingers every contour before her. He ran his hands down her sides lightly, making her shudder just slightly beneath him. He reached behind her to free her breasts from their entrapment, tossing the article to the side of the bed. She lay half exposed before him and though she tried to conceal herself, he covered her with his own chest. He placed kisses on her ear and trailed them down her neck and collarbone, down her chest and finally to her breast. When he took its peak into his mouth, she drew a sharp intake of breath and gripped his arms tightly. He lavished attention on one then the other in turn, feeling her head toss to the side in pleasure. When he released, she felt the cold air blow across her chest and the raised peaks were an invitation to him. The moments or hours passed before her and she was unaware of who she was, lying beneath him. A sense of being outside of her own body overtook her and she felt as if she was coming apart beneath him.

When they parted for a moment, he looked into her eyes, drunk with the ecstasy that had long been due her. He moved to unbutton her trousers and remove them. As he slid them down her legs, she stiffened for a moment.

"Tell me to stop and I will," he told her but she shook her head. "No, talk to me," he stopped. "What do you want?"

"Don't stop," she whispered to him.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "This is a most sacred thing we are about to share, it has to be right for both of us," he confirmed.

"I'm sure. I want this. I love you," she told him and then stopped, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Shh," he calmed her. "I love you too. I thought you knew that already," he smiled.

She leaned up to kiss him and he continued to remove the trousers from her legs. She reached for the button on his trousers and unzipped them, allowing him to kick them off with some effort. With only her pants on, he ran his hands up and down her legs, using the pads of his fingers to reach into the hollow behind her knees, at the bend of her ankles and back up again, grazing over the most delicate part of her, eliciting a gasp of erotic surprise. He began his kisses down her stomach, skipping her center and carrying on down the sides of her legs. She had never felt so good in her life. The experience of sex had never before been something she anticipated but something fumbled through with one goal in mind but tonight, it was different, it was the journey not the destination. She began to writhe beneath him and he knew she was ready to share that precious moment with him. He slid her pants down her legs and tossed them unceremoniously to the floor. She felt bare before him, exposed, but she wasn't ashamed or scared but excited by the completion of the journey. He continued placing gentle kisses down her body, finally lighting on her most precious center. When his lips touched her, she gasped so hard it hurt. He was startled by her reaction and stopped, waiting for her body to release its tension. She slowly relaxed and opened herself to him. He settled slowly between her legs and began to place gentle kisses and then soft strokes at her center. She felt as if her very being were being caressed. The tenderness and giving of his ministrations were intoxicating and she soon found herself climbing to a height before crashing down in a dizzying spiral. She lay gasping for breath in a soft sweat as he kissed his way back to her mouth. She could feel his arousal near her and she focused her eyes for a moment to see him looking into her eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked again.

"Yes," she panted, "please."

And with one gentle movement, they were one. He waited for her to adjust, looking for any sign that she wasn't ready, that it was too much but the only response he received was for her to pull her legs up higher, inviting him deeper. He jerked slightly and her eyes bolted open.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "just a reaction. I won't hurt you. You know that don't you?"

"Yes," she said, "I know." And then she drew him down to her mouth as he settled between her. She felt completed. It was different than before. Perhaps she was too young or too inexperienced or perhaps her previous lovers had been inept but she felt the completion in her body and her mind. He watched her find her rhythm beneath him and he continued his ministrations. He could feel her beginning to quake beneath him. He wanted to warn her of the impending release but he couldn't, as she gasped his name in orgasm, he too came undone, arching his back with his own completion. He stayed with her, kissing her until it was no longer possible, then rolled to his side, pulling her into him, kissing her temples.

"I love you Hermione Granger," he told her.

She opened her eyes and looked at the man who had just given her the greatest physical experience of her life. "I love you too Severus Snape," she smiled then fell softly asleep beside him, tangled in his limbs and a sense of completed euphoria.