* Dilectus - Dear, Precious, Favorite… *

"'Mione, look… I'm… I'm sorry okay?" Hermione looked up to find Ron looming over her, she sat alone at the Gryffindor table, having made it to breakfast before the rest of Hogwarts' Gryffindors. Harry was standing behind him, pale arms crossed across a broadening chest and green eyes glimmering.

The redhead looked entirely put out to be forced to make the apology at all, still Hermione could only cock an eyebrow at him.

"Let's be clear on this, are you sorry for verbally assaulting me, or for shoving your tongue down my throat?" Harry's mouth fell slack, Hermione pursed her lips and tipped her head to the side. Short chestnut curls fell across her cheek as she stared up at the redhead from beneath her lashes.

"Oh Ron, you didn't…" Harry groaned, and whiskey colored eyes shifted from one boy to the other.

"Oh, he did, the bruises healed easily but it wasn't exactly how I envisioned my first snog." Her tone was biting, every bit as acidic as she'd ever sounded, and both watched her dumbfounded. Perhaps she'd been spending too much of her time with Slytherins?

"Hermione! I didn't- I didn't mean to! I got a little carried away, but I thought you wanted me?" He looked like a kicked puppy and Hermione felt a twinge of guilt, of sorrow for making him suffer.

"Look, let's just put it all behind us, okay?" She pushed a smile to her face and patted the space beside her with a hand. "Sit, I know you both must be starving." She added playfully, she was grateful when Harry was the one to take the seat beside her. She hadn't wanted to be so close to Ron, especially with Severus watching from the head table. He was liable to have a conniption and she was in no mood to calm him.

"Are you coming to Hogsmeade with us?" Harry asked around a mouthful of food after both boys had settled and begun stuffing their faces. Hermione shook her head and pursed her lips.

"It isn't polite to speak with your mouth full, Harry." Her tone reprimanded but her eyes sparkled teasingly and the boy-who-lived smiled back at her. "I've not missed a Hogsmeade day yet, have I?"

"No," it was Ron's turn to speak with his mouth full. He reminded her of a squirrel, or a chipmunk with his cheeks full as they were. "but you've been so busy lately." He waved his fork in a circular motion. Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes and gave a soft nod.

"I have a lot of projects to do for my upcoming apprenticeships, but it will be worth it in the end."

"S'long as you aren't using that bloody time turner again." Harry shuddered, Hermione rolled her eyes. That time turner had saved both Sirius and Buckbeak. She couldn't imagine why he was complaining about it.

"It wasn't that bad." Her eyes returned to the book she had settled in front of her as she popped a grape in her mouth. "Now quiet, I need to study." This earned her rolled eyes from both boys.

SSHG

"Severus, are you well?" Hermione slipped into his chambers as soon as she was able to leave the boys in the Gryffindor common room. They'd been discussing what they were going to do about Voldemort, how quiet he'd been of late. She'd also needed to make sure that Harry was keeping his Occlumentic walls up and not letting the terrible wizard into his head.

It could ruin everything if he was able to see the things Harry knew now that he was fully shielded. They'd been so careful with information up until that point- the time for hiding things from the 'chosen one' were long passed now, however. She knew even Dumbledore had realized it and had slowly begun to feed Harry the information he would need to win this war.

Hermione had suggested they begin dueling, perhaps even a small dueling club so they could all stay sharp. Death eaters would not take it easy on them just because they hadn't practiced.

"Severus?" She questioned again as she came closer to his chair, his form was slumped back in the seat, the firelight flickering in front of him as she rounded to face him. She wet her lips and brushed a hand down his cheek, he was warm, as warm as he ever was, and his chest rose and fell in peaceful rhythm.

His eyes opened at her touch and she gave him a curious look.

"You are far too distracting, my dove, I find myself watching you more than I sleep, it would seem." His voice was husky from sleep and she gave him a soft smile, bending to press a soft kiss to his lips before twining her fingers with his.

"Come to bed, Severus, you'll only wake up sore if you stay here." She urged him up with the hand she held and he obeyed, following her as she walked backwards to their sleeping chambers. He made to reach for his buttons, loosing her hand, and she stopped him with a soft touch. "Let me."

She undid the first of his buttons delicately, slowly, savoring the feeling of smooth jet beneath her fingers before she pressed the next through its eye. By the time she finished she realized he was breathing quite rapidly and his eyes were looked on her face.

Hermione gave him another soft smile as she pushed the frockcoat from his shoulders and followed suit with his white shirt. She undid the pearlescent buttons that decorated his wrists last and smoothed her hand over his own before slipping that shirt form his body as well.

"You're so beautiful." She breathed as she lay his shirt nearly across a chair in his room. His lips were on hers before she could say another word.

This kiss was insistent, deep from the start, and filled with such passion it stole her breath. Her lips parted freely for him and she reveled in the way he explored her mouth. His large hands grasped her hips and held her fast as he kissed her, thoroughly, until she was weak in the knees.

Severus ended the kiss in the same way he began most others, by pressing his lips to hers softly, over and over. His breath whispered across her mouth as he gently stroked her lips with his own for shorter and shorter intervals before he pulled away.

"Never stop kissing me like that." She exhaled, her forehead coming to rest against his. He smirked and brought his face up to kiss her head before pulling back.

"I believe you are over dressed, little dove." Long fingered hands caressed her shoulders before slipping down her sides to grasp the hem of her shirt. She lifted her arms, her lack of confidence warring with her desire to please him. "I would never harm you, sweet girl." Those slender fingers caressed her cheek and her eyes came open to stare straight into his.

"I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of disappointing you." He cocked a sharp eyebrow, his face blank otherwise.

"How could you possibly disappoint me?" She brought her arms up to wrap around herself but he caught them and held them out to her sides, her shirtless torso exposed to his assessing eyes.

"I just, I know I'm not like other women, I'm- I'm smaller, and I look like a boy…" She trailed, that gnawing sensation at her insides again. He emitted a low growl and pressed her arms to her sides, looking down at her.

"You do not look at all like a boy, dove. Where could you possibly have…Weasley." He spoke, a spark of realization lighting his eyes as he turned his gaze back down to her. "That imbecile would not understand true beauty if the Whomping Willow hit him with it. He is a child, Hermione, and you are far too beautiful for the likes of him. For the likes of myself. You shine witch, never forget that."

He was kissing her again, his lips gentle on hers as he pressed his fingers around the waist of her jeans and helped to push them down so she stood with him in only her bra and knickers. His kisses spurred her own fingers into a boldness they might not have otherwise had and she pushed the trousers from his hips. Both kicked out of their respective clothing before Severus took her hand in his and lead her to the bed.

When she was laying down he slipped into the sheets behind her and pulled them up over both their bodies. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her back into him, her back to his chest and she sighed her pleasure at the contact.

"This weekend you will meet with the Selwyn family, does this suit you?" She nodded softly, not wanting her voice to betray her nerves.

"What are they like?"

"Much nicer than the Malfoys, much less obnoxious than the Weasleys, and more sane than the Lovegoods." She could hear the slight chuckle in his voice and she pressed her head back against his lips. "They don't expect you to act like a pureblood, they know you've been raised with muggles."

"And they won't hate me for that? They aren't going to go after mum and dad are they?" Sudden panic gripped her, it was just as quickly soothed away by his hand caressing the soft skin of her side.

"No, little dove, I believe they would much sooner thank them for keeping you alive and well than harm them for raising you as their own." Her sigh of relief was the only sound in the room other than their breathing for a long moment.

"I hope I can do this."

"I know you can."