Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

The drip of the tap in the corner of the room came at seven second intervals; the fat droplets splashing into the basin loudly in the otherwise silent room.

Hermione tried to just zone it out and pretend the tap was not making noise. She was in the middle of her final assessment for her first month of training, and had to finish writing a short essay for the last portion of the test. She appreciated that becoming a Healer was a lot more involved than what she had been led to believe and was structured with exams, practicals, being paired with a qualified healer to shadow, and brewing, among other things. She was quite adept at all of these things, but having it channelled into something important she was working towards was gratifying.

She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, taking a deep breath and a moment to refocus herself to the task at hand. An hour later she sat back from her paper and sighed, rolling her shoulders that were sore from being hunched over at the desk she sat at. She placed her quill down on the desk and quickly flipped through the exam, re-reading all of her answers before she was satisfied that it was good enough to submit.

She stood up, and went to the door of the room she was in, and when she turned the doorknob, she felt the spells that sealed her into the room for the exam melt away.

'Ah, Miss Granger,' a voice exclaimed as she walked out of the room. 'Done already?! I suppose what they say about the Golden Girl is true.'

She turned to face the direction of the voice and saw Healer Barnaby was standing at the nurse station, reading over a chart. Barnaby was the Healer she had been assigned to for that month, and would be the one marking her exam and giving her a performance review. She was not very fond of him – he was a little arrogant, misogynistic, and had decided to give her the incredibly degrading nickname of 'Golden Girl' because of her association with Harry. But she held her tongue, did as she was bid, and was determined not to let him get under her skin because she had quite a lot to prove if she was going to be respected as an adult and Healer one day.

'And what do they say, sir?' she asked, carefully schooling her tone to that of polite indifference.

'That you are very… determined,' he said, ending his sentence diplomatically.

Hermione knew what people said about her – she was a driven, bushy-haired little swot who lived with her head inside a book. And perhaps she had been at one time in her life. But now she just wanted to heal people. She knew that she could do anything she set her mind to, but this is what spoke to her soul and she intended to see it through no matter how many Healer Barnabys tried to get in her way. Although she would be lying if she wasn't a little relieved that her month under this particular man's thumb was up.

'Thank you for your tutelage this month, Healer Barnaby,' she said politely, forcing a reserved smile onto her face.

'Come now, Granger, it hasn't been all bad, has it?' he said with a chuckle. 'Let me take you out for a drink to celebrate the end of your first assessment.'

Hermione felt an unpleasant shiver creep down her spine at his request. She had heard from some of the other female apprentices that he had been a bit of a flirt and had hit on them. Until that point she had largely been able to dodge that bullet, but it seemed even she was not immune to him.

'I'm flattered, but I'm afraid I have plans with my boyfriend this weekend,' she said with a cool smile. She felt a little strange referring to Severus as her boyfriend, but it was just easier in this instance.

Barnaby looked surprised by her reply. 'You have a boyfriend?'

She felt a twinge of annoyance at his disbelief. 'I do,' she answered, not offering up any more information. It really wasn't any of his business.

'Well, enjoy your weekend, I suppose,' he said.

'Same to you,' Hermione said, turning on her heel and heading to the staff locker-room.

She collected her beaded bag from her locker, hanging up her apprentice robes inside. She made her way out of the hospital and walked the short distance to the nearest Apparation point, and in seconds she was standing in the sitting room of Spinner's End. She immediately smelled something delicious in the air, and smiled, heading straight for the kitchen. She entered and saw her lover standing with his back to her, working away at the stove. She was thrilled. She hadn't seen him in person for a month, and she had missed him terribly.

Walking over to him, she slid her arms around his middle, resting her cheek against his back and sighing in contentment.

'Welcome home,' she murmured.

She heard and felt him chuckle. 'It's good to be home,' he replied, turning in her embrace so that he could return it.

She tilted her chin up invitingly, and he dipped his head down to kiss her. He gently drank from her lips and she happily accepted and returned it, her arms winding up and around his neck to try and get even closer to him. His hands stroked up and down her sides, causing her to shiver. It had been a long month without being able to touch or be touched by him, and she could feel the embers of arousal being lightly stoked in her belly.

She pulled away, breaking the kiss and taking a deep breath. 'I've missed you,' she admitted breathlessly.

'And I you,' he replied, leaning in to give her another swift kiss. 'This has been the longest month of my life.'

'For me too,' she replied. 'I had my first assessment today and I was so nervous. The Healer I was assigned to is an ass, but at least my month with him is up and I will have a new assignment come Monday. How is it at school? Did you have a good week?'

Severus drew her close and rested his chin atop her head. 'The students are as insufferable as I remember,' he replied. 'But in spite of that, I have enjoyed some aspects of returning to Hogwarts. Minerva and Poppy have both been mothering me and asking about you. You're very popular amongst the staff. Honestly, they'd have you back there in a heartbeat.'

She smiled, snuggling into his arms, pressing a kiss to the scars his unbuttoned collar exposed. She loved his crisp white shirts. He always smelled so good – clean and spicy. She felt his hands gently untuck her blouse from her skirt and then his warm hands were sweeping under it and his strong fingers gently kneaded her waist. She inhaled sharply as his hand reached her bra, and he deftly unhooked it.

She looked up at him then and could see that the desire building within her was reflected in his pitch black eyes. Hermione shifted backwards, taking one of his hands in her own and leading him towards the panel to the staircase. He waved a hand in the direction of the stove and let her walk ahead of him up the staircase and into his room. She had been continuing to sleep in her room down the hall despite their night and morning together before he returned to Hogwarts, so the main bedroom was pristine.

Once inside the room she began to unbutton her blouse, shrugging out of it and her bra at the same time before her hands went to the zip at the back of her skirt. She looked up at her lover as the zipper rasped down. He stared at her with what could only be described as hunger, and it sent a warmth through her that pooled between her legs. Her skirt dropped to the floor then and she stepped out of it, leaving her in just her work boots, stockings, and knickers.

He broke from his trance then and was soon on his knees before her, stalling her hands as she went to remove her stockings. She gasped softly as he kissed her knees through the sheer fabric, trailing his lips up her thighs before gently pressing a kiss to the crux of her thighs, still clothed, but she knew he would probably be able to feel the heat of her arousal radiating from her. She couldn't stop the small mewl of pleasure that his actions were drawing from her.

He gazed up at her and smirked, his long fingers coming up to peel her stockings and underwear down her legs in one go. He nudged her legs and grabbed her booted foot, helping to remove them so that she could step out of her underthings. No sooner had he cast them aside, he was on her again, sliding up her body and lifting her up into his arms. He strode over to the bed and placed her in the centre before making quick work of his own clothes and joining her.

An hour later they lay there, tucked up against one another and resting peacefully, their passion sated for the time being. Her head rested on his chest and her fingers drew slow circles on his right bicep. She had missed this part of their relationship as well. It was all still rather new to her, but she felt as though with each time she was learning some of the ropes from him. He was a very patient and generous lover, and she felt both incredibly comfortable, and completely swept away by him.

'We should probably get back down to the kitchen and eat,' he murmured, his fingers gently easing into her hair.

She nodded against him. 'I'm feeling a little peckish now,' she admitted.

They slowly eased out of the bed, casting a few cleansing charms and putting on their clothes. Hermione put her blouse back on but decided she didn't really need her bra at home, and she slid on her knickers and skirt but sent the remainder of her clothes to the laundry. Her boots found their way to the shoe rack downstairs, and she summoned her house slippers because the floors were getting cold now that it was well and truly autumn.

She followed Severus back down to the kitchen, where he lit the hob again and continued where he left off cooking earlier.

'What were you making?' she asked, sliding in beside him.

'Making a porcini broth to use as a stock for risotto,' he answered, summoning a spoon and dipping it into the liquid and holding it out for her to taste.

She opened her mouth, closing it over the spoon he proffered, and her eyes widened in appreciation. 'I like it,' she said with a smile. 'I can't wait to eat. Is there anything I can do?'

'You could finely chop the onions and garlic,' he said with a smirk.

She scrunched her nose but nodded. She loved the aromatics, and knew how much Severus disliked chopping them due to his unusually sensitive nose. He would often end up with tears streaming down his face uncontrollably until well after he had finished cooking when he had to chop onions for any prolonged periods. So she pulled out a chopping board and knife, and got to work. She loved this – working beside him in some capacity. It was something that she dearly missed from their summer together.

Soon enough he had finished with the broth and was soon by her side with another chopping board and knife, finely slicing up a variety of mushrooms. He was so quick – the man was a natural chef. She felt his arm brush against hers as they worked, but she didn't pull away and no words needed to be spoken. They both needed this time together.

In short order their preparations were done, and she sat behind the other side of the bench on the kitchen bar stool and watched as he finished cooking their meal. Rather than sitting at the table, they decided to stay at the kitchen bar on the stools and he poured a glass of white wine for each of them to accompany the food.

'Are you enjoying your apprenticeship?'

Hermione nodded. 'I am,' she answered. 'Although that Healer I was telling you about earlier was a sleazy flirt and all of the other apprentices warned me about him. Don't worry, he didn't make any moves on me… until today.'

'He did, did he?' Severus' voice had a slightly dangerous edge to it then.

She felt gratified that he was concerned and perhaps a little jealous. 'He just asked me out for a drink after work,' Hermione explained. 'I obviously said no and made it clear I was not available. He actually seemed a little surprised, but I suppose we haven't exactly been public about this and only a handful of our friends know.'

'Do you want us to be more publicly out?'

She shrugged. To be honest, she didn't hate the idea of being able to spend time out with him in the wizarding community. So far, all of their dates and planned future outings had taken place in the Muggle world and while she had loved the privacy earlier, it would make navigating awkward social situations a lot easier if people knew she was with Severus. She saw him put his spoon down and turn towards her, putting a gentle hand under her chin and lifting it to meet her eyes.

'Do you want people to know we are together?' he asked again, more serious this time.

She felt herself blush. 'Yes.'

He crushed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss and she was immediately awash with renewed hunger for him. She parted her lips and welcomed his questing tongue, tangling with him and pushing back to explore his mouth, the heat between them scorching through her. When they broke apart they rested their foreheads together to catch their breath.

'I have never wanted anyone to be associated with me in such a way before,' he admitted, his voice husky with emotion.

'I want to, Severus. I am not ashamed of being with you,' she told him. 'I never want to make you feel uncomfortable, and I know that being who we are, it could make our lives a little difficult for a while – we would lose a certain amount of privacy.'

'I had considered that,' he said as he resumed eating his risotto. 'But how could I possibly deny you this? Any man would be lucky to have you on their arm. I am flattered and completely astonished that you would want to be so openly associated with me. I am not well-liked by the public, even with my exoneration.'

'Let's go out for lunch tomorrow somewhere in Diagon Alley,' she suggested. 'We can do a little shopping and be seen out being affectionate but respectable. I will give Harry a little heads-up so that he can have it reported in The Quibbler to try and control how it gets out a little at first – just so that the Prophet can't sensationalise it or cast you in the role of villainous seducer.'

He chuckled at her last comment. 'I rather think you have been responsible for most of the seduction thus far, minx,' he teased.

'Well we have all weekend together if you are determined to redress the balance,' she said, challenging him.

He shot her a look of surprise. 'Why, Miss Granger,' he began. 'I do believe you are flirting with me.'

She smiled. 'Is that allowed?'

'I believe in relationships it is encouraged.'

'I like flirting with you,' she admitted, blushing. 'You deserve to have some affection shown to you. And I'd be lying if it didn't thrill me every time I shock a new reaction from you.'

He smirked at that comment, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her lips. They finished their dinner in companionable silence, and after cleaning up the kitchen, adjourned upstairs to the office, snuggling together on the lounge that had taken the place of the armchairs. After they had transfigured them, they decided to leave it that way so they would be able to sit close to one another. She yawned and laid her head on his shoulder, and he summoned a book from the shelf to read while they just shared the space.

'May I ask you a question, Hermione?'

She lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at him. 'Ask away.'

'The bedroom today, it was very clean. Almost as though it had not been touched since I was here last,' he murmured.

'That wasn't really a question,' she chided playfully.

He snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes. 'Why have you been sleeping in the guest room while I've been away at Hogwarts?'

She twisted her hands in her lap as was her nervous habit. 'I wasn't sure if I should stay in your room or not,' she admitted. 'We never really spoke about it.'

He nodded, conceding her point. 'I would like for you to consider that bedroom to be ours in future, if you would like,' he said. 'Render the other room for guests again and take over whatever space you please in the wardrobes and cupboards. Redecorate if it pleases you. There is nothing there that I am not comfortable sharing with you.'

'You want us to share a room?' she asked, a little surprised.

He leaned in close to her then so his lips were almost brushing hers so he could whisper. 'Hermione, I have had my fingers, tongue and cock all over and inside of you,' he said, his voice smooth as dark coffee and sin. 'What is mine, is yours. Move your things.'

She blushed, a pang of arousal immediately shooting to her groin at his filthy words. She felt a little dazed as she took in his black eyes. They looked like scorched iron filings and glittered with passion. His mouth was on her again then, taking her own in a sublime kiss before he trailed those hot kisses down her throat, stopping to suckle her clavicle. He swiftly unbuttoned her blouse, pushing aside the fabric to reveal her breasts, and immediately attacked her nipples with his hands and mouth, already tight with desire.

She had no idea how a conversation about shifting her things into the main bedroom had turned into this, but she was not going to complain. He had awoken something primal within her, and she arched herself up into his ministrations as he lightly grazed his teeth over her nipple, pulling back to blow on the flesh and watch them tighten further. She knew her knickers would be drenched. He worshipped her breasts, tonguing and tasting and squeezing.

'Gods, Severus –' she moaned as he nipped his way from her breasts to the edge of her skirt, tonguing her belly button.

His hands began pushing her skirt up her legs, and he grasped the top of her underwear, pulling them down off her long legs, tossing them aside and flipping the skirt up over her stomach, exposing her glistening centre. She had never been so glad to have learned how to groom her body hair. He eyed her hungrily, sliding his fingers over her wet folds, pausing to thumb her clit and drawing a gasp from her. Unsatisfied, he let two of his fingers slide into her, gently pressing them within. She moaned then and the sound seemed to please him.

So without any further ado, he pushed her legs further apart, shuffled down, and buried his face between her legs, licking, suckling and plunging his tongue within her.

'Fuck,' she swore, her hips arching into him. He grasped her hips with his firm hands, coming up to suckle on the turgid, pink little pleasure button. She could feel her climax was not far off and he redoubled his efforts. Sliding his two fingers back within her, punctuating his worship pf her sex with the thrusts of his nimble digits. Her hands gripped the lounge as she writhed against him.

'Come for me, pet,' he murmured against her, his rumbling voice thick with arousal and vibrating against her.

And she did. Hard. Her hips jerked and he continued to gently lap at her, soothing her overstimulated flesh as she came down from her high. He kissed his way back up her body, and looked for permission before plundering her mouth in a passionate kiss. She could feel his erection beneath his trousers rub against her as he made love to her mouth after one of the most incredible orgasms she had ever had.

'That was…' she said a little breathlessly.

He nodded knowingly. 'Incredible,' he finished for her. 'You are so exquisite in the throes of passion, Hermione.'

She let her hand drift down to the buttons of his trousers, rubbing the heel of her hand against his rigid cock. He reached down and grasped her hand, pulling it back up and pinning both of them behind her. He swiftly unbuttoned himself, reaching past his underwear and pulling his impressive organ into view, like velvet covered steel. She sat up then and pushed him to sit back on the couch, which he did reluctantly, and slid down his body, urging him to lift his hips so she could pull his pants down and off.

And without any further preamble, she placed her lips on his cock and began to suckle gently, swirling her tongue over the head and gripping the base of it with a firm hand and stroking. He groaned loudly and his head tilted back against the back of the lounge. Hermione smiled around him, pleased that she was able to make this wizard come apart in her hands and mouth. She started to take him deeper in her mouth, but her lack of experience made her a little shy of going too far, so she did her best to make up for that by stroking his cock and fondling his balls gently as she sucked, swirled, gently twisted and nipped at him.

She could tell he was getting close from the grip he had on the couch, his knuckles turning white, and the harsh pants coming in short bursts from his mouth. To his credit, he did not try to grasp her head and push her down onto him, and his hips only shifted slightly in time with her movements, letting her take the lead on what she was comfortable doing to him.

'Hermione,' he rasped, his jaw tight and his eyes squinting at her as she enthusiastically continued her ministrations. 'I'm going to come soon. You don't have long to remove your pretty little mouth, witch.'

She looked up at him, but did not stop. She wanted to see it through to the end. His nostrils flared slightly when he realised her intent, which only seemed to further arouse him. His hips jerked up and with a groan, she felt his hot seed spilling into her mouth. Greedily, she swallowed it, managing to only squint a little at the flavour. It was not bad, per se, but certainly not a taste or texture that she was used to. She continued to lick and stroke him until he began to deflate, spent and panting, his dark eyes staring right into hers. She released him, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, before sliding back up onto the couch and snuggling in beside him.

'I feel boneless,' Severus murmured, casting a cleansing charm over them with a wave of his hand. 'That was… unexpected.'

She smiled, feeling pleased with herself. 'I don't hear any complaints.'

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her and drawing her close. 'It almost makes me wonder if you really are as inexperienced as you say…' he said, grunting softly when she swatted his arm.

'It's incredible, really, what you can read about and learn from a book,' she said, flushing in spite of her flirtatious delivery.

She turned to see a smile curve his thin, warm lips and leaned up to steal a kiss from him. He shifted a little so that he could cast a charm to put his pants back on before pressing a kiss to the top of her curls.

'The joys of having a young little bookworm for a lover,' he said, not remotely joking. 'Although you may want to go easy on me, Hermione. I'm not exactly young anymore. I need a little recovery time.'

He picked up the book that lay discarded on the coffee table and opened it to get a little light reading in before they went to bed. Hermione decided she needed a shower, and she stood up, pressing a kiss to his cheek and heading for the doorway. When there, she paused and looked over at her lover.

'I need to get clean,' she explained.

'Move your things into my bathroom if you care to,' he said, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a small, lopsided smile. 'Although if you want to retain your own bathroom, you are certainly more than welcome to.'

She smiled at him. He was anxious, bless him. He wanted them to share space like a couple, which was flattering, and she was thrilled he cared for her enough to do so. She walked back over to him and sat beside him, plucking the book from his hands so that she could hold both of them. She loved his strong, elegant hands, and those long dexterous fingers.

'How about this. I shall move my things into the bathroom tonight, and tomorrow the rest of my things will find their way into our bedroom,' she said seriously, leaning down and pressing kisses to their joined hands.

She looked into his eyes and saw that he was surprised. She was certain it was because of her deliberate use of the word 'our'. He nodded at her then, lifting their hands up to his mouth and pressing kisses there in the same way she had before.

'That sounds… acceptable,' he said, his voice catching, thick with emotion.

She leaned forward and captured his lips, drinking in the sweetest kiss. If anyone had told her a few months ago that she would be in a relationship and living with Severus Snape, she would have had them carted off to the St. Mungo's psychiatric department. But there she was, and she thought to herself as she languidly enjoyed her lover's delicious mouth, that she might just be falling in love with him.

To be continued.

A/N – Thank you for patiently waiting for this chapter! Many thanks to my beta GeekLoveFan for all of her attention to detail!