Am so happy that you liked the last chapter, thank you to those who reviews, as always your reviews make me very happy! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I had quite an awkward situation with a friend who's a guy last week and I found it really hard to look at couples after that so writing about one wasn't really an option. I didn't quite know how to get past it but yesterday I realised that I should just write it down as a story and so I did. For some reason, writing about the whole thing as if it were fiction helped me get past it. So when that was done, I could start writing the next chapter for this one, which I just finished. Hope you enjoy it.

Andrea xx

The clock struck three pm and announced the end of Hermione's final exam, the theory part of Transfigurations. She put down her quill and looked around her. There were more than one hundred students in the Great Hall, from different classes and years, and whilst most looked relieved that the exam was over, some were already worrying about not having done well enough. On the whole, Hermione was happy with her performance in the exams. Yes, there was the stressful moment in the Potions exam when she had been about to add half a teaspoon of chopped beetle wings too much but she had remembered not to. And that was only because Snape had taught her to do that, explaining that it made the potion a lot more potent, before telling her not to do it in the exam as the examiners did not want the students' own interpretations. Knowing that the examiners were not looking for the best possible potion had annoyed Hermione but she had accepted the fact and followed his advice.

The sound of the scraping of the chairs interrupted Hermione's train of thought and she realised that it was about time she left the room. She quickly gathered her things and left the room in silence, hoping to get out before Ginny caught up with her. Unfortunately, today was not one of her lucky days.

"Hey, Hermione!" Ginny called out to Hermione the moment she was in her line of sight. The young redhead approached her. "How did it go?"

"Okay, I think. I'm just so relieved that they're all over. You?" Hermione replied, doing her best not to show how annoyed she was.

"I had absolutely no idea what to write on the Animagus question but apart from that I think it went okay. I can't believe we're done! We need to celebrate, big time! Did you hear that McGonagall gave her permission for us to go down to Hogsmeade tonight?" Ginny asked, excitement obvious in her voice.

"Yes. I'm not sure I'll be able to make it though, Gin, I'm feeling quite tired," she lied.

"Hermione, seriously, the NEWTs are over! You have to celebrate with us!" Ginny protested.

"I'll relax now and let you know during supper," Hermione offered, trying to find a way out of the conversation. She had promised to visit Snape when she was done with her exams and she was dying to see him. The last week had been very intense, with her only being able to visit him twice due to how stressed she had been about the exams.

"Okay, see you at supper," Ginny replied, looking disappointed for a second before she turned to talk to her other friends.

Hermione felt bad for a second but then she shrugged and walked off in the direction of the dungeons.

She let her into Snape's office and found him at his desk, marking papers. Most students complained about the amount of homework Snape gave them, but after seeing how hard he worked, grading said homework, Snape was the only one Hermione felt sorry for.

"I'm done!" Hermione said and smiled broadly.

"How was it?" Snape asked as he walked around his desk.

"Okay, I think. I just can't believe they're all over," Hermione said quietly, with a wondering smile on her face. "It feels a bit unreal."

Snape wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him tightly. As always, Hermione reciprocated. Though today she pulled back after a few seconds.

"Look, I'm not your student anymore," Hermione pointed out and did her best impression of a sad puppy with pouting lips.

Snape looked uncomfortable for a moment and it was obvious he was deciding whether to kiss her or not.

"You have not received your diploma yet," he finally said after a few moments. One of his hands came up and cupped the back of her head and he pulled her towards him. He rested his chin on top of her head.

Hermione was slightly annoyed but understood his reasoning and deep down she knew that his way of always sticking to his morals was one of the things that attracted her to him.

"Well, how about we get out of Hogwarts for the afternoon? We've got about three hours until dinner, which is plenty of time. We could floo somewhere."

Snape contemplated her suggestion for a moment.

"Very well. Where do you want to go?" he asked.

"Somewhere where we don't know anyone, it would be nice to just go to a small village nearby, what do you think?"

"How about Dufftown?"

"Okay," Hermione said, still smiling, and pulled him towards the fireplace.

"There's a pub we can floo to, just say 'The Dufftown Dog' when you floo."

"I didn't know there was a magical community in Dufftown," Hermione said and grabbed some floo powder.

"There is, but it's not very big, then again neither is Dufftown. On second thought, perhaps we should leave the robes here," he said and discarded his so that he was just wearing what could be interpreted as a very old-fashioned muggle suit. "And maybe make you look like less of a school girl," he said and flicked his wand. A moment later Hermione's tie was gone along with the various Gryffindor badges.

Hermione looked down at herself for a moment before she changed her skirt and tights to a pair of black trousers. That would have to do, she decided.

"After you," Snape said smoothly and grabbed a handful of floo powder for himself.

Hermione stepped into the fireplace, called 'The Dufftown Dog' loudly and disappeared a moment later. She stepped out into what seemed like a small pub and brushed some soot off her arms.

"Welcome, Miss," the barman called from behind the bar disk.

Snape appeared, stepping out of the fireplace as graceful as ever.

"Good afternoon, Sir," the barman added.

"Want to go for a walk?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Snape replied and together they left the pub.

They were in a street that was quite small and very quiet. The town had less than 2000 inhabitants and since it was still in the afternoon, most of those were probably still at work or at school, leaving the streets practically empty.

"The river is that way, we could walk there," Snape said and gestured to the left.

"Sure," Hermione replied, feeling slightly nervous all of a sudden.

"But first there is something I want to do," Snape said and turned towards her. He placed one hand on one of her shoulders and the other one gently on her neck before tilting her head upwards slightly. The distance between them was closed as he pressed his lips against hers very softly.

It took Hermione a moment to react as she was a bit shocked by him being affectionate in public. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him back. After a few moments, Snape pulled back slightly, leaving an inch or two between them. His thin lips were smiling, as he looked straight into her eyes. Hermione beamed at him before closing the distance between them once more. Their first kiss did not make Hermione's knees weak, nor did it make her feel giddy. It did, however, make her feel warmth and happiness coursing throughout her body. But most of all, she felt content and relief, at finally being able to be affectionate with the man she liked. After a few more moments spent kissing, Snape pulled back and simply hugged her tightly. They stood embracing each other for a few minutes before Hermione stepped back and took his hand.

Snape had never been one for holding hands in public, not that he had had many offers, but he found that with Hermione, in a city where he did not know anyone, he did not mind. Instead of thinking about every step or move he made, the way he had for years, he was able to just enjoy walking hand in hand with Hermione, following her lead. It was exhilarating, to say the least.

"Have you been here before?" Hermione asked.

"A couple of times, mainly just to go to a pub close to Hogwarts but still somewhere where people don't know me," he said.

They reached the river Fiddich and decided to sit down in the grass next to the river. Snape cast a drying spell before they sat down. As it was June, the area was completely green.

Hermione leaned her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. Every few minutes or so, they kissed.

"You've no idea how happy I am to be able to sit here with you," Hermione said quietly, her voice almost a whisper, placing a kiss on Snape's cheek.

Snape's next words surprised her as he hardly ever spoke of his feelings.

"I feel the same way," he said and cupped both of her cheeks, looking into her eyes as he kissed her. He knew he was acting like a lovesick teenager but he could not care less.

It was the first time Hermione had ever been kissed in that way, making her feel as though someone liked her just for her and really saw her, not just liked the idea of her. She was over the moon.

"You know, in less than two weeks we'll be gone from Hogwarts," Hermione said, smiling at the thought. "I can't wait."

"Where do you want to go first?"

"I was thinking of Hamburg, what do you say?"

"Hamburg it is," he replied and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Have you spoken to the Headmistress yet?"

"I have tendered my resignation and let her know that I will be leaving at the end of term, at the same time as the students, but I have yet to tell her what I will be doing. I suppose we should go talk to her together at some point in the next two weeks. Though we have to be careful to make sure that she cannot tell that we are… romantically involved. It would be preferable if she could find out at the end of the summer."

"Yes, I agree," Hermione replied and remained quiet, thinking about her next question. "Severus, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I was just wondering, well, I mean, it's just that I know so little about your… romantic history," she said, feeling very silly.

Snape contemplated his answer, not wanting to tell her but on the other hand not wanting to lie to her.

"I had the occasional fling when I was younger but nothing serious. Since then, I have not been in a relationship with anyone, my working as a spy did not exactly facilitate romantic liaisons for me," he replied, sounding a bit rigid. After all, he was not proud over the fact that he had sometimes gone to prostitutes. "How about you?" he asked, biting his tongue before he could say something derogatory about Krum or the Weasley boy.

"Well, as I'm sure you know, I had short flings with Viktor Krum and Ron but I don't think of them as relationships. There was a guy in France last summer, called Laurent, but it was more… physical than romantic, I wouldn't say that it was a serious relationship. I… Severus, this is new to me," she admitted, hoping he wouldn't find her terribly childish and insecure.

"Me too," he admitted quietly, his words surprising her.

Hermione wrapped an arm around his waist and relished in the contact.

After an hour or so, Snape announced it was about time that they returned to the castle. They walked back up to the pub, hand in hand again, enjoying the moments of freedom, which were after all a promise of what was to come. When they approached the door to the pub, they stopped. Again, they kissed, with Snape running a finger along Hermione's face and down along her neck, sending comfortable shivers along her spine. This time, neither one pulled back for a long time but when they finally did, they were both breathless. Hermione placed a chaste final kiss on his lips before pulling him into the pub.

When they returned to Snape's office at Hogwarts, they both still wore smiles on their faces. They readjusted their clothes and smoothed their hair.

"Thank you, I needed that," Hermione said, smiling shyly.

"So did I, more than I had expected," he admitted softly.

"I think I will have to go to Hogsmeade with the others tonight or Ginny won't ever forgive me, but could I perhaps sleep here tonight?"

"I will wait for you," he said and caressed her cheek gently. I think you should join them, one final night as a student with people your age will do you good."

"I guess. See you later," she said and left his office, still smiling.

It took Snape uncharacteristically long to gather himself and put his mask in place. He did not think he had ever felt so content.

Please review, and please let me know if you think everything's too happy at the moment.