Thank you for all your wonderful reviews, and all of the follows and favorites. I'm still in awe at how well received this story is. Hope you enjoy this next chapter. We're going back to Hogwarts!

The rest of the holiday was filled with sex and studying. Severus and Hermione were always careful to not be out in the main house while Tobias was around, and Severus didn't dare go back into his mum's room. Their days were spent studying and reading, their nights filled with exploring each other's bodies. Severus didn't know how they were going to survive going back to school and having to spend their nights in separate areas of the castle.

The ride back to school was probably one of Severus's favorite train rides to date. As soon as they found an empty compartment, Severus locked and warded it and drew the blinds, and didn't waste a second before he had Hermione on his lap, bouncing on his cock while he fucked her. Where on the train ride from Hogwarts he found himself unsure and doubtful about what he was doing, the train ride back he was confident and assertive as he gripped his witches hips as he pushed his cock into her, causing her to scream out his name as she came. He didn't know where this newfound confidence came from, but he was feeling like a brand new person.

They pulled into Hogsmeade, and as Hermione adjusted her skirt and he fastened his pants back up, he was certain that this semester was going to be the best one yet.

**"Oh, god, Severus," Hermione said, as he thrust into her.

They were in one of the empty classrooms they used after classes on Mondays. They had found it hard to try and find time to be alone together in order to have sex since coming back to school. Hermione was still unsure about fooling around in the classrooms, because she really didn't want to get caught. But after a week of nothing more than hand holding and small kisses, Severus finally decided he was going to go for what he wanted. As soon as they had walked into the classroom, he'd shut and locked the door, and had Hermione pressed against it. He captured her lips, and shoved a hand up her skirt, massaging her clit. Hermione didn't put up a fight, and began to grind herself against him. He wasted no time to undo his fly, free his cock, lift her up and wrap her legs around his waste, and push into her.

He thrust into her, gripping her arse, pressing her against the door for leverage. They had never fucked standing up and the angle felt amazing. He could already feel Hermione tightening around him, and he knew she was close. He picked up his pace, slamming into her a little rougher than he was used to. He wasn't sure what was coming over him, but he loved it.

"Yes," Hermione hissed into his ear, digging her fingers into his back. "Yes, Severus, I'm so close, harder," she said.

Severus didn't need to be told twice, slamming into her again, harder, faster. He brought his mouth down her neck, and bit down. Hermione cried out as her orgasm hit her. Severus pumped a couple more times before spilling himself into her. After taking a second to catch his breath, he pulled his wand out of his back pocket, casting a cleansing charm on them, before setting Hermione down. He watched as she adjusted her skirt down, as he tucked his cock back into his pants.**

"Wow," Hermione said, still trying to catch her breath. Where on earth did that come from?"

Severus shrugged. "Well, it's been a week since we last were able to do anything besides kiss, and since today is my birthday, I figured what the hell. No time like the present."

"It's your birthday?" Hermione exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Severus shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I just didn't think to."

"If I had known it was your birthday, I would have taken you up to the Room of Requirement and done something a little more special than a quick fuck against the door of the classroom."

Severus smirked. "I don't know, I kind of enjoyed the quick fuck against the door. I think we should do it again and often."

Hermione smacked him on his arm. "You're lucky we didn't get caught. I don't think you put up a silencing charm."

Severus laughed. "You're right, I don't think I did."

Hermione shook her head at him. "What's gotten into you? Ever since we've been back, you've been different."

"Different, how?"

"I don't know, I can't really put my finger on it. You're walking around taller, you don't slouch anymore. Your hair is pushed back out of your face, so you're not hiding behind it. You just seem so much more...confident."

Severus smiled. "I feel a lot more confident."

"It's a good look on you," Hermione said. "What brought this change about?"

Severus shrugged. "I don't know, exactly. I think part of it is the fact that I'm shagging a beautiful witch who I can bring to orgasm. Feeling you fall apart around me, knowing that I did that, is certainly an ego boost. And I don't know, I think the meeting with The Dark Lord helped too."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "How so?"

He shrugged again. "I don't know. I guess, knowing that someone values what I do, my talents. That's a good feeling you know? He said I had talent. He wants me for my skills, that's never happened before."

"Severus," Hermione asked. "You're still planning on turning him down after graduation, right?"

Severus looked down at his feet.

"Severus?"

"I don't know," he said.

Hermione stumbled back, as if he had struck her. "What?"

"I said, I don't know."

"Since when have you been thinking about joining?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Just the last few days."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to die," Severus said. "And I've been thinking about it, and he's offering me a potions mastery with one of the best potioneers alive. Do you know how rare an opportunity that is? I would be an idiot to turn that down. Without his sponsorship, I won't be able to get a mastery, I'll just have to go work for the Ministry after graduation."

"And what's wrong with that?" Hermione asked. "It's what I'm probably going to do."

"It's not what I want to do," he said. "I've dreamt of being able to get a mastery since I started Hogwarts, and it's always seemed unattainable, and now, the opportunity to get one has fallen in my lap. It would be stupid to just let that slip away."

"And getting yourself branded with the Dark Mark and going to fight for a madman is the best way to do it?"

"It's the only way to do it!" Severus yelled. "You don't understand."

"Then make me understand. Tell me why you're even considering this!"

"Because I want to be important!" he yelled. "Because I like how it feels, to be wanted, needed. I don't want to give that up."

"What about us? What happened to wanting to get married, to settle down? What happened to that?"

"We still can!"

"No we can't!" Hermione screamed. "He threatened me, Severus. He told you to break up with me, or else. And you're just going to ignore that so you can gain some power? Get a leg up in the world?"

"I'll figure that out, I'll ask him to spare you. Maybe you can-"

"Stop right there, Severus Snape. Don't you utter another fucking syllable." Hermione reached up, covering her hands with her face. When she removed her hands, Severus noticed that she was crying. "I guess you were right all along."

"Right about what?" Severus asked, confused.

"Your theory about time," she said. "I guess it really is a loop."

Hermione pushed past him, unlocking the door, and storming out.

C'mon, they can't be happy all the time. Where's the fun in that? Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I have one more prewritten chapter left, so I'm on go time, and need to get my ass in gear and write you more chapters!