A/N I await the verbal abuse. I took far too long to put this up, and I
apologize. I can't stand it when authors make readers wait, and now I'm
doing it! Like I said, I'm waiting for verbal abuse, throw whatever you
want at me *sniff* I can handle it.
Hermione lay awake that night thinking. She was incredibly happy that Severus wanted to marry her, but she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit afraid. She wasn't entirely ready to be a wife yet. She did love Severus with all her heart, but she wasn't sure if she could do what was expected of her.
Hermione turned in Severus' arms to watch him sleep. He looked so peaceful, with the lines of tension erased with slumber. She smiled to herself at the thought of her evil Potion's Master becoming her beloved husband. He had not asked anything of her tonight except to lay with him. She felt safer here in his arms, but soon she would have to do more than sleep in his bed. Hermione carefully dislodged his arm from around her waist and walked to the window. The cool summer's breeze floated carelessly across the garden to the open window where it caressed Hermione's face and hair.
Hermione shuddered at how the cool breeze felt so much like hands softly touching her skin. The memory of Voldemort upon her resurfaced, and made Hermione shake even more vionlently. The thought of a man's touch was frightening to Hermione now. Severus of course was very gentle with her, but what if she refused him? Would he take her like Voldemort had tried? Hermione shook her head banishing that last thought. Severus would never hurt her.
"Hermione?" She turned slowly to see Severus standing a few feet from her. He had apparently thought better of sneaking up on her. Last time he nearly drowned in a gigantic wave. Worry creased his brow as she turned back to the window.
"Hermione, what's wrong? Did you have another vision?" He took a few steps closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. He planted a quick kiss on the top of her head, before cushioning his chin on her shoulder. Hermione crossed her arms over his and sighed.
"I didn't have a vision." She answered while watching the flight of a white falcon that had suddenly appeared. "I was just…thinking." Severus smiled at this.
"What of?" He asked. His low voice rumbled down her shoulder, and she could feel it through his chest against her back.
"Nothing important." Heriome lied, hoping her voice didn't give her away. Unfortunately a small tremble had escaped.
"I suggest you tell me the truth Miss Granger." Severus said in his best snerring voice possible, which reminded Hermione of being back in the dungeons for a Potion lesson. She sighed again and turned in his arms to look him in the eyes. That was a mistake. As soon as she looked into his black pools Hermione instantly regretted that thoughts that had run through her mind earlier. Within his eyes she could only see the deepest of loves.
"I'm so sorry Severus!" She choked out before resting her head against his chest. Hermione felt like crying for doubting him, but knew better than to show tears right now. That would only make him worry more. He brought his hand up to stroke her hair.
"Whatever for?" Severus whispered, kissing her head again. She pulled away and stood next to the window. Her arms wrapped around her middle as though she were a small child.
"Nothing. Just nevermind." Hermione said quietly. She kept her gaze on the floor, unable to look him in the eyes anymore.
"You are making no sense Hermione." Severus stated taking a step closer to her, but she backed away, avoiding his touch. Severus scowled at her in confusion. "Hermione, what is wrong?"
"Nothing. Can…can we please just go back to bed?" Hermione's tone was pleading, though Severus wouldn't relent this time.
"Hermione, if you don't talk to me I will force it out of you." Severus smiled when her shoulder slumped in defeat. He took her gently by the hand and led her back to the bed where they sat down. Hermione took a deep breath, and then let out a nervous giggle. How on earth was she supposed to tell him this?
"It's nothing really. Well, maybe to you it is." Hermione looked to her hands, which were kneading the black silk of her nightgown. "I was just thinking…"
"Yes, you said that. Can I have the topic please?" He asked covering her hands with one of his own.
"I don't…I don't know if I…" Hermione stopped, trying to think of a delicate way to put this, but found none. So she decided to just blurt it out. "Ijustdon'tknowifI'mreadytohavesexwithyou."
Severus blinked a few times, obviously taken aback. This was the last thing he had thought she would worry about. What with the way Voldemort had…Understanding dawned on his face as she reluctantly looked back up. Hermione almost looked frightened of him. Severus smiled to put her at ease and she relaxed a little.
"Not every man takes a woman like that." He said softly. "I would never make you do something against your will"
"I know Severus. It's just that it scares me." Hermione frowned, trying to think of a better way to put this.
"What about it scares you?" Severus asked in a low whisper that sent chills down Hermione's spine. Hermione shook her head slowly.
"I don't know." She said truthfully. Severus took his hand off of hers and placed it gently around the back of her neck. Hermione gasped at the softness of his touch. She looked slowly into his eyes, which shined with a light Hermione had never seen before.
"Severus, I…"
"Tell when to stop, and I will." He said kissing the edge of her jaw. "I want to know what scares you, so that I can help you Hermione. I won't go any further than you tell me to. Agreed?"
Hermione nodded her head in consent, relishing the feel of his warms hands that traveled down her arm and around to the middle of her back. He applied a small amount of pressure, which made Hermione gasp again.
"Severus…" She whispered as his mouth left a warm trail of kisses down her neck. They fell softly to the bed. As their hands roamed over each others bodies' the falcon shriek out in alarm.
Hermione lay awake that night thinking. She was incredibly happy that Severus wanted to marry her, but she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit afraid. She wasn't entirely ready to be a wife yet. She did love Severus with all her heart, but she wasn't sure if she could do what was expected of her.
Hermione turned in Severus' arms to watch him sleep. He looked so peaceful, with the lines of tension erased with slumber. She smiled to herself at the thought of her evil Potion's Master becoming her beloved husband. He had not asked anything of her tonight except to lay with him. She felt safer here in his arms, but soon she would have to do more than sleep in his bed. Hermione carefully dislodged his arm from around her waist and walked to the window. The cool summer's breeze floated carelessly across the garden to the open window where it caressed Hermione's face and hair.
Hermione shuddered at how the cool breeze felt so much like hands softly touching her skin. The memory of Voldemort upon her resurfaced, and made Hermione shake even more vionlently. The thought of a man's touch was frightening to Hermione now. Severus of course was very gentle with her, but what if she refused him? Would he take her like Voldemort had tried? Hermione shook her head banishing that last thought. Severus would never hurt her.
"Hermione?" She turned slowly to see Severus standing a few feet from her. He had apparently thought better of sneaking up on her. Last time he nearly drowned in a gigantic wave. Worry creased his brow as she turned back to the window.
"Hermione, what's wrong? Did you have another vision?" He took a few steps closer and wrapped his arms around her waist. He planted a quick kiss on the top of her head, before cushioning his chin on her shoulder. Hermione crossed her arms over his and sighed.
"I didn't have a vision." She answered while watching the flight of a white falcon that had suddenly appeared. "I was just…thinking." Severus smiled at this.
"What of?" He asked. His low voice rumbled down her shoulder, and she could feel it through his chest against her back.
"Nothing important." Heriome lied, hoping her voice didn't give her away. Unfortunately a small tremble had escaped.
"I suggest you tell me the truth Miss Granger." Severus said in his best snerring voice possible, which reminded Hermione of being back in the dungeons for a Potion lesson. She sighed again and turned in his arms to look him in the eyes. That was a mistake. As soon as she looked into his black pools Hermione instantly regretted that thoughts that had run through her mind earlier. Within his eyes she could only see the deepest of loves.
"I'm so sorry Severus!" She choked out before resting her head against his chest. Hermione felt like crying for doubting him, but knew better than to show tears right now. That would only make him worry more. He brought his hand up to stroke her hair.
"Whatever for?" Severus whispered, kissing her head again. She pulled away and stood next to the window. Her arms wrapped around her middle as though she were a small child.
"Nothing. Just nevermind." Hermione said quietly. She kept her gaze on the floor, unable to look him in the eyes anymore.
"You are making no sense Hermione." Severus stated taking a step closer to her, but she backed away, avoiding his touch. Severus scowled at her in confusion. "Hermione, what is wrong?"
"Nothing. Can…can we please just go back to bed?" Hermione's tone was pleading, though Severus wouldn't relent this time.
"Hermione, if you don't talk to me I will force it out of you." Severus smiled when her shoulder slumped in defeat. He took her gently by the hand and led her back to the bed where they sat down. Hermione took a deep breath, and then let out a nervous giggle. How on earth was she supposed to tell him this?
"It's nothing really. Well, maybe to you it is." Hermione looked to her hands, which were kneading the black silk of her nightgown. "I was just thinking…"
"Yes, you said that. Can I have the topic please?" He asked covering her hands with one of his own.
"I don't…I don't know if I…" Hermione stopped, trying to think of a delicate way to put this, but found none. So she decided to just blurt it out. "Ijustdon'tknowifI'mreadytohavesexwithyou."
Severus blinked a few times, obviously taken aback. This was the last thing he had thought she would worry about. What with the way Voldemort had…Understanding dawned on his face as she reluctantly looked back up. Hermione almost looked frightened of him. Severus smiled to put her at ease and she relaxed a little.
"Not every man takes a woman like that." He said softly. "I would never make you do something against your will"
"I know Severus. It's just that it scares me." Hermione frowned, trying to think of a better way to put this.
"What about it scares you?" Severus asked in a low whisper that sent chills down Hermione's spine. Hermione shook her head slowly.
"I don't know." She said truthfully. Severus took his hand off of hers and placed it gently around the back of her neck. Hermione gasped at the softness of his touch. She looked slowly into his eyes, which shined with a light Hermione had never seen before.
"Severus, I…"
"Tell when to stop, and I will." He said kissing the edge of her jaw. "I want to know what scares you, so that I can help you Hermione. I won't go any further than you tell me to. Agreed?"
Hermione nodded her head in consent, relishing the feel of his warms hands that traveled down her arm and around to the middle of her back. He applied a small amount of pressure, which made Hermione gasp again.
"Severus…" She whispered as his mouth left a warm trail of kisses down her neck. They fell softly to the bed. As their hands roamed over each others bodies' the falcon shriek out in alarm.