Author's Note: Thanx 2 all my reviewers!!! Especially anyone who actually took the time to read the first chapter when it was all squashed together and barely understandable, you're all stars!
Sorry it's a shorter chapter, but...well, I just felt like writing a shorter chapter! ^_^
***
Hermione opened her eyes and froze. That was most definitely not her bedroom wall. If it wasn't hers, though, then whose was it?
The longer she stared at it, the more details came rushing back to her. She closed her eyes in shame as she recalled getting drunker and drunker and then practically throwing herself at Snape like some common slut...
So she knew, even before she turned to look, who the arm curled around her waist belonged to, whose steady breathing she could hear, whose bedroom was in.
Oh. My. God. I slept with my former teacher...
Slowly, so as not to wake him, she carefully moved his arm from her waist and slipped out of bed. She noticed with horror that her robes and underwear were discarded at different points around the room, and remembered with an increasing guilty feeling how each item had come to be where it was. She collected up her clothes and disappeared into what she presumed was the bathroom.
She dressed quickly before leaning on the sink and staring at her face in the mirror. What have I done? she thought frantically. I've got a boyfriend, for Christ's sake...
She knew that it was all her fault. She'd made the first move, she'd agreed to stay the night – if only she'd gone home, none of this would have happened...
There was another door which she knew must lead into the living room, and after that was the kitchen. Assuming that Snape wouldn't mind, she made herself a cup of black coffee – it was all she could face consuming – and sat at the kitchen table, slowly sipping it and wondering whether to leave without saying anything.
Her mind was suddenly made up for her, though – the door opened and Snape entered the kitchen, fully dressed in (big surprise) black robes. He was looking like she'd never seen him before – immensely guilty and at a loss for words.
"I made some coffee," she said mildly. "I hope you don't mind."
"No – no, of course not."
He made some coffee for himself and sat down at the kitchen table opposite her.
"Look, about last –"
"I didn't mean –"
They both spoke at the same time, and Hermione felt stupid.
"You first," she said. Snape stared into his coffee for a couple of seconds before he finally spoke.
"I didn't mean for last night to happen," he said, looking up at her.
"No, neither did I. But we were both drunk, weren't we, and it just...happened."
"Did we use any – er – I can't really remember..."
Hermione thought for a minute, trying to remember.
"No," she said finally. "No, we didn't."
"Well, I'll go downstairs now, I'll make you an Anti-Pregnancy Potion. It works for up to three days afterwards, so you'll be all right. You just have a shower or something if you want, I'll be back in about half an hour."
He stood up and left, and Hermione drank the rest of her coffee before going back to the bathroom. She quickly showered and magically dried her hair, then went back into the kitchen and sat at the table.
Snape returned within a few minutes. He handed her a small bottle containing a blue liquid and told her to drink it immediately, which she did, along with five glasses of water because it burned her throat.
"Is it supposed to do that?" she gasped, turning the tap off.
"There is supposed to be a slight burning, yes."
"Never mind slight, I think it's scorched my throat out..." She gulped down some more water. "Well, I'd – er – better be going..."
"Yes, you probably should."
"Bye, then."
"Goodbye."
With one last awkward half-smile, she left Snape's living quarters and made her way home.
***
"You were where?! I thought you were – you could have been dead for all I knew!"
"Yeah, well, I'm sorry."
"You should be – what's Harry going to say?" Hermione paled.
"Please don't tell him!"
"I'm not going to tell him," Ginny said severely, "But I think you should."
"Why? It meant nothing – we were both drunk –"
"You slept together!"
"Like you've never had one too many and had a one night stand!"
"Not with a teacher I haven't! God, Hermione, you are so stupid sometimes!"
"Oh, thanks!"
"Well, you are! I hope you took something –"
"He made me an Anti-Pregnancy Potion."
"Good, at least we don't have that to worry about."
"What's this 'we'?"
"You, then, whatever. I trust you're not going to see him gain?"
"That's right."
"Good. I don't know, Hermione..." Ginny sighed. "All the time I've known you, you've warned me against doing anything stupid, and now look what happened! Ironic, really."
"Very. Look, Ginny – I'm not going to tell Harry."
"Why?"
"Because I love him. He wouldn't understand. No matter how much I told him it meant nothing, the more he'd think it did. He's better off not knowing, trust me."
Ginny sighed again and pulled her friend into a hug.
"Well, you know him better than I do."
"Thanks, Ginny. I knew you'd understand."