**A/N** Dang, this thing just keeps getting more and more cheesy! Oh well-
I'm having fun writing it, and I've only got two or three chapters left to
write. I hope you guys are having fun with it! I won't be doing any more
writing until at least Thanksgiving unless I find myself in some extremely
unusual circumstances.
Hermione knew something was up when, during the next potions class, Snape gave her a detention with him without any provocation. She had simply nodded her head and continued to work, ignoring the sympathy she was receiving from Harry and Ron. If only they knew!
As much as she hated to admit it, Hermione was painfully curious about Snape's reaction to her confession that weekend. Would he really try to do the noble thing and reject her? Hermione grinned to herself as she thought, "I hope not!" As confident as she was of his feelings for her, Hermione couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
"Be here at 8:00 sharp, Miss Granger," he growled as she left the room with the other Gryffindors. She had simply nodded coolly but respectfully. Oh, yeah--she also walked very closely to him again so she could hear his breath catch. She loved being able to do that to him!
~~
That evening, Hermione felt increasingly on edge as she neared the dungeons. She'd insisted that Harry and Ron not accompany her--as much as she appreciated their concern she simply didn't want to deal with their unnecessary condolences.
"Well, if he does anything to you, just tell us and we'll hex him to Hades and back!" Ron snarled protectively. Hermione laughed and told him to do his homework. After the boys left, Hermione began to walk in the direction of the dungeons when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Gasping, she whipped around to see the Headmaster beaming down at her.
"Good luck, Hermione," he whispered, and walked off to his office. Hermione nodded solemnly even though there was no one to nod at, and reached Snape's classroom without any further interruptions. Raising a hand but not knocking immediately, Hermione drew in a deep, slightly shaky breath. Steeling herself for the worst, she knocked fearlessly.
"Enter," came his voice from inside, and Hermione obeyed. He was sitting behind his desk as usual, watching her intently. Standing, he beckoned her into his office. "Sit," he ordered, and Hermione made herself at home while trying to covertly admire the interesting books on the desk and the bizarre potions ingredients on the shelves.
Shutting the door behind him, Snape murmured a few powerful locking and silencing charms. Once ensconsed behind his desk, he rested his chin on his hand. Hermione could feel those eyes of his boring into her thoughtfully, and she chose to meet his gaze. Staring intrepidly into the black pools of his eyes, Hermione saw flickers of emotion that made themselves known, then disappeared just as quickly, hinting at wonderful things just beneath the surface.
Her stare was having an effect on him, so much so that Snape had to work hard in order to force himself to speak. Trying to ignore the shakiness of his breath, he prayed that Hermione didn't notice the tremor in his voice and began to speak.
"You said something very interesting to me before you left my classroom the other day, Miss Granger," he murmured. Hermione continued to look at him, nodding her assent. "And I wanted to know if you meant it." Hermione couldn't help smiling a little.
"I meant it." He looked slightly shocked, but had soon regained his composure. The look in his eyes had taken on a new level of intensity.
"Miss Granger--"
"Call me Hermione." He looked surprised again, but continued. "Hermione, do you know what you are saying?" Fighting the urge to roll her eyes.
"For Merlin's sake, Severus! You may have been a Death Eater, but you are also Robert Normans, and don't even try to deny it." She noticed him start when she addressed him by his first name, and he became even more tense when she remarked on his secret life as an author.
"What do you need me to do, take veritaserum? I've told you before, and I meant it then, and I mean it now. I love you." Hermione watched his face, searching desperately for a reaction. Suddenly, his entire expression changed. No longer was he wearing the stony mask he had shown her only seconds before. With only a few slight adjustments, his face was now communicating passionate emotion. Hermione looked into his eyes and never wanted to look away from the love she saw in them.
Before she could think about anything, he had leaned across the desk and captured her lips with his own. Hermione enthusiastically returned the kiss, inviting his tongue into her mouth and burying her hands in his hair. She couldn't help but groan with irritation when he pulled away, panting. His eyes captured hers again, and Hermione felt her heart leap. Happiness filled her, and she knew it was all because of him.
"I love you," he whispered, with a small, timid smile. Before long, Hermione had moved to his side of the desk and leaned down to kiss him yet again. When she pulled away, she was smiling.
"Well, now that we've taken care of that, tell me how you managed to keep the rest of Hogwarts from finding out that you were Robert Normans..."
Hermione knew something was up when, during the next potions class, Snape gave her a detention with him without any provocation. She had simply nodded her head and continued to work, ignoring the sympathy she was receiving from Harry and Ron. If only they knew!
As much as she hated to admit it, Hermione was painfully curious about Snape's reaction to her confession that weekend. Would he really try to do the noble thing and reject her? Hermione grinned to herself as she thought, "I hope not!" As confident as she was of his feelings for her, Hermione couldn't help feeling a little nervous.
"Be here at 8:00 sharp, Miss Granger," he growled as she left the room with the other Gryffindors. She had simply nodded coolly but respectfully. Oh, yeah--she also walked very closely to him again so she could hear his breath catch. She loved being able to do that to him!
~~
That evening, Hermione felt increasingly on edge as she neared the dungeons. She'd insisted that Harry and Ron not accompany her--as much as she appreciated their concern she simply didn't want to deal with their unnecessary condolences.
"Well, if he does anything to you, just tell us and we'll hex him to Hades and back!" Ron snarled protectively. Hermione laughed and told him to do his homework. After the boys left, Hermione began to walk in the direction of the dungeons when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Gasping, she whipped around to see the Headmaster beaming down at her.
"Good luck, Hermione," he whispered, and walked off to his office. Hermione nodded solemnly even though there was no one to nod at, and reached Snape's classroom without any further interruptions. Raising a hand but not knocking immediately, Hermione drew in a deep, slightly shaky breath. Steeling herself for the worst, she knocked fearlessly.
"Enter," came his voice from inside, and Hermione obeyed. He was sitting behind his desk as usual, watching her intently. Standing, he beckoned her into his office. "Sit," he ordered, and Hermione made herself at home while trying to covertly admire the interesting books on the desk and the bizarre potions ingredients on the shelves.
Shutting the door behind him, Snape murmured a few powerful locking and silencing charms. Once ensconsed behind his desk, he rested his chin on his hand. Hermione could feel those eyes of his boring into her thoughtfully, and she chose to meet his gaze. Staring intrepidly into the black pools of his eyes, Hermione saw flickers of emotion that made themselves known, then disappeared just as quickly, hinting at wonderful things just beneath the surface.
Her stare was having an effect on him, so much so that Snape had to work hard in order to force himself to speak. Trying to ignore the shakiness of his breath, he prayed that Hermione didn't notice the tremor in his voice and began to speak.
"You said something very interesting to me before you left my classroom the other day, Miss Granger," he murmured. Hermione continued to look at him, nodding her assent. "And I wanted to know if you meant it." Hermione couldn't help smiling a little.
"I meant it." He looked slightly shocked, but had soon regained his composure. The look in his eyes had taken on a new level of intensity.
"Miss Granger--"
"Call me Hermione." He looked surprised again, but continued. "Hermione, do you know what you are saying?" Fighting the urge to roll her eyes.
"For Merlin's sake, Severus! You may have been a Death Eater, but you are also Robert Normans, and don't even try to deny it." She noticed him start when she addressed him by his first name, and he became even more tense when she remarked on his secret life as an author.
"What do you need me to do, take veritaserum? I've told you before, and I meant it then, and I mean it now. I love you." Hermione watched his face, searching desperately for a reaction. Suddenly, his entire expression changed. No longer was he wearing the stony mask he had shown her only seconds before. With only a few slight adjustments, his face was now communicating passionate emotion. Hermione looked into his eyes and never wanted to look away from the love she saw in them.
Before she could think about anything, he had leaned across the desk and captured her lips with his own. Hermione enthusiastically returned the kiss, inviting his tongue into her mouth and burying her hands in his hair. She couldn't help but groan with irritation when he pulled away, panting. His eyes captured hers again, and Hermione felt her heart leap. Happiness filled her, and she knew it was all because of him.
"I love you," he whispered, with a small, timid smile. Before long, Hermione had moved to his side of the desk and leaned down to kiss him yet again. When she pulled away, she was smiling.
"Well, now that we've taken care of that, tell me how you managed to keep the rest of Hogwarts from finding out that you were Robert Normans..."