A/N: Get your pearls ready to clutch, it's getting hot in here! (Also, I have more planned for this. So don't worry, it's not ending just yet.)

Sobriety begins to dawn on her the moment she leaves the broom closet.

With the afterglow of her orgasm still burning through her, Hermione skips down the stairs and re-enters the dining room, slipping in unnoticed and pouring herself another drink. No one seems to have noticed their absence.

Holy shit, she thinks as memories of the last few minutes come back to her. Severus' strong arms, his coaxing voice in her ear, those fingers.

Maybe it was a stupid thing to do, but no one had ever made her come like that just from their hand alone. And standing, at that. Hermione takes a big drink.

The door opens again and Severus walks back in looking placid as ever. But when Hermione looks across the room and their gazes lock, she sees fire in his eyes and she feels that sweet dull ache between her legs.

What the fuck happens now?

Hermione can hardly believe how unlike herself she feels – but she wants him. Severus is pulled into a conversation with Harry and George and she watches as he talks to them, his calm demeanour only making her heart thunder quicker in her chest.

'Hermione?'

'Hm?' She turns to see Ron standing behind her looking unsure of himself. 'Oh,' she says. 'Hi.'

'Hey,' he clears his throat, the tips of his ears beginning to turn a little pink. 'I just wanted to come and see how you were doing.'

'I'm fine,' Hermione feels uncomfortable and shifts her weight. 'How are you?'

'Yeah alright,' Ron shrugs. He seems to find it difficult to meet her eyes. 'Good Christmas?'

Hermione doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. 'I mean,' she says slowly, raising her eyebrows. 'It's the first Christmas I've been single since we were at school. And we only broke up a few weeks ago.'

Ron nods. 'I'm sorry – that was insensitive –'

'Weasley.'

A voice behind Ron makes him jump a foot in the air and he spins round to see Severus, who inserts himself into their little group. Hermione feels relief wash over her.

'Snape,' he says, his entire demeanour changing immediately.

'Is everything alright here?'

'Fine,' Ron prickles. 'Just having a conversation with Hermione. A private conversation.'

'Ron,' she says sharply. 'Don't be rude.'

'I'm just saying,' he says, seemingly about to start arguing. But then Ron catches himself and takes a breath. 'Sorry. Good to see you, Hermione. I'll catch you later, alright?' He gives her a smile before moving to the other side of the room with Ginny, Harry and Molly who had been watching their exchange cautiously.

'Thanks for that,' Hermione mutters as soon as Ron is out of earshot.

'Are you okay?'

'I'm fine.'

'Just fine?' Severus asks innocently. Hermione grins.

'I'm pretty great,' she says.

'Glad to hear it.'

They fall into a momentary silence. 'It's getting late,' Hermione says. 'I should be going soon.'

'Oh,' Severus blinks. 'Yes, I should be heading back to the castle.'

Hermione bites her lower lip and drops her eyes down to the drink in her hand. 'Or,' she says, dragging it out a little. 'You don't have to go back to the castle.' Her eyes flick back up to his. She looks hopeful.

Severus sighs. 'Hermione,' he says.

'I get it, don't worry,' she says quickly. 'Say no more.'

'It's not because I don't want to –'

'I know,' she says, plastering a smile on her face. 'Upstairs was just –'

'Hermione.'

'I can forget about it –'

'Hermione.'

'Thanks though, it was so good –'

'Gods, woman, do you ever shut up?!' Severus sounds exasperated but when Hermione looks at him properly she can see amusement on his face.

'No,' she admits.

Severus laughs. 'Good to see that some things never change.' He sighs and takes a slight step forward. 'Look –'

'OI, HERMIONE!'

They both jump slightly and look over to where Molly and Arthur are donning their travelling cloaks and Harry is waving her over.

'Excuse me,' she mutters and crosses the room.

'We'd best be off,' Molly is saying to Harry and Ginny after hugging and kissing them both. 'Thank you for a lovely dinner and for having us. And Hermione –' Molly turns to her and pulls her into a bone-crushing hug. 'It was so lovely to see you. Don't be a stranger.'

'You too,' Hermione says.

'Good to see you, Hermione,' Arthur is the next to hug her.

'And you,' she says. 'Merry Christmas.'

'Merry Christmas, dear,' Molly beams. 'Oh and Severus – delightful to see you!' She pulls Severus into a hug who has come to join them and he emerges from the embrace with slightly pink cheeks.

'Good to see you as always, Molly,' he says courteously. 'Arthur,' he grasps the older Weasley's hand in a friendly shake.

'Severus.'

Molly claps her hands together. 'Right – off we go!'

And with a final round of goodbyes, Molly and Arthur disapparate back home.

The rest of them mill around before beginning to say goodbyes and disapparate home themselves.

'Thanks for the invite, Potter,' Severus says coolly, holding out a hand. 'It was … nice.'

Harry grins and ignores the hand, instead stepping forwards and pulling Severus into a hug. 'Thanks for coming, Severus,' he says.

'I'm sure I'll see you around at some point.'

'I'll let you know the next time I'm in Hogsmeade,' Harry says brightly. 'Maybe we can go for a drink.'

'Yes,' Severus says. 'Maybe.'

He says a farewell to Ginny before turning to Hermione.

'Granger,' he says curtly, with a twinkle in his eye. 'Good to see you.'

'And you,' she says, her words catching slightly in her throat.

'Next time you find yourself at Hogwarts for another mystery meeting, don't be afraid to … pay me a visit.'

She blinks. 'Oh – sure, yes of course.'

He gives her a knowing smile. 'See you soon.'

With a general goodbye to the rest of the group again, Severus disapparates and Hermione instantly feels his absence.

He gave her an orgasm in the upstairs broom closet. She still can't wrap her head around it but the knowledge of the secret warms her chest.

'I'd best be off, too,' she says. 'Thanks for this. It was really nice.'

Hugging Harry and Ginny, she turns to Ron and braves a smile.

'Bye, Mione,' Harry says.

'Love you,' Ginny gives her another hug. 'I'll come see you soon, okay?'

'Bye guys,' Hermione manages another smile feeling increasingly awkward.

'Can I walk you out?' Ron offers.

'No,' she says a little too quickly. 'I'm fine. Thank you.'

With a little wave, Hermione leaves the room and enters the quiet hallway. She suddenly feels herself relax at not having to pretend.

She walks down the hall and pulls her cloak from the stand, swinging it over her shoulders. She leaves the house and once outside, takes a deep lungful of the cold, crisp air. She plunges her hands deep in her pockets and –

What?

Her fingers enclose around a single piece of folded parchment which she extracts and opens. Written in impeccable script is: I'll wait at the corner of the street. Meet me, if you wish.

Her heart hammers in her throat and she grins down at the note.

Hermione walks hurriedly down the empty street and at the very end near a streetlamp, she sees his tall, dark figure. Her heart beats faster as she increases her pace, coming to a stop in front of him.

'Hey,' she says breathlessly.

'Evening, Granger,' Severus says. 'What brings you around these parts at this late hour on Christmas Day?'

'A mysterious note left in my cloak pocket,' she says playfully. 'I hope it's from a handsome stranger.'

Severus lifts an eyebrow. 'Well it was either sneaking it into your cloak or trying to get it in your cleavage.'

She laughs. 'I'd like to have seen you try.'

'Don't tempt me.'

Hermione giggles again. 'So – what did you want to say?' She asks, shifting her weight to her other side and rubbing her arms.

'You're cold,' he says. 'Is there somewhere we can go?'

Hermione shrugs. 'I live nearby,' she says. 'I don't want to be so presumptuous as to ask you over but –'

'Let's go.'

They set off in silence, Hermione leading them down various streets. The chill of the midnight air stings her cheeks and she pulls her cloak even tighter around her shoulders.

After ten minutes she guides them down a narrow side street and down a long driveway which ends in a single cottage.

'Here,' she says finally, fumbling for her keys with numb fingers.

They enter the house and Hermione immediately kicks off her heels and tosses her cloak onto the coat stand.

They're close together in the dimly lit, narrow hallway and it seems to dawn on them both at the same time. Hermione opens her mouth to say something but Severus gets there first.

'I can't stop thinking about you,' he says suddenly and quietly, his strained voice sounding almost tortured. 'Since you kissed me at that party two weeks ago, you're all I've thought about – every moment of every day. And then upstairs in that damn broom closet – Gods, Hermione –' Severus closes the short gap between them and Hermione aches to feel him kiss her again.

'I feel the same,' she breathes. 'I … I want you. That one kiss has sort of ruined my life.'

He laughs slightly. 'You're the one who initiated it,' he tells her.

'I know.'

'Do you regret it?'

She shakes her head. 'Never.'

Severus sighs. 'You know this doesn't have the possibility of a future, don't you?' He tells her gently, lifting a hand to gently trace her jawline.

Hermione raises an eyebrow. 'I'm horny at Christmastime and you single-handedly made me come harder than Ron ever did in five years,' she tells him and he smirks. 'I'm not exactly begging you for marriage.'

'Impudent wench,' he tells her.

'Severus,' she says his name in that way again. 'I want you.'

'I warn you, Hermione,' he says. 'If we do this – it won't be anything like you've been used to.'

She nods, her breaths coming in heavier. 'Good.'

Severus closes in on her again, walking her backwards a few steps until her back is against the wall and he's standing over her. Hermione looks up at him and swallows hard, her chest rising and falling.

'I know exactly what you want and how you want it,' his low baritone voice rumbles seductively.

'You … do?'

In one quick movement, Severus catches her by the wrist and pulls her forward a few inches before spinning her around and pushing her firmly up against the wall with her back to him.

He stands behind her, one hand wrapping around her waist to pull her flush against his chest. She can feel his erection and her knees feel weak. Fucking Merlin she wants him.

'You see, Granger,' he croons in her ear. 'You don't want to be courted. You don't want flowers and cordial dates and for some scrawny boy to politely and apologetically and clumsily make love to you. You want to be wanted. Needed. Desired. You want a real man to fuck you properly.'

'Severus –' she stammers, pushing her backside against him desperately. 'Please.'

His hand moves lower down her abdomen and his other hand wraps gently around her throat, his forearm braced over her chest. Hermione reaches up and clings to him.

'I can see it. I can feel it – you're so tired of being the perfect ladylike Golden Girl. Let me dirty that shine for you,' the rumble of his voice in her ear makes her shake. She's so wet and desperate for him to touch her.

'Please,' she mewls again, her hips beginning to make small movements against him.

He smirks into her neck. 'Please what?'

'Please fuck me,' she gasps. 'Sir.'

'Good girl.'

His lips come crashing down to hers and he kisses her hard. She moans into his mouth, turned on by the feeling of being trapped between Severus and the hallway wall.

'Hermione, I have to be serious for a moment,' he pulls away again and holds her hips firmly between his hands. 'Anything you don't want to do or are uncomfortable with, you tell me. The moment you say no, this all stops, alright?'

She nods.

'I need to hear you say it.'

'Alright,' she says. 'I understand.'

Severus nods once. 'Gods,' he mutters before kissing her again. Hermione melts right into him, reaching one arm up behind her to pull his head closer to her. His tongue sweeps over hers and Hermione pushes up against him again, earning a growl and feeling his erection get even harder.

'Please,' she begs again and Severus doesn't miss a beat kissing her and yanking her dress up to her waist.

'Mine,' he rasps as with one hand he unfastens his belt and finally frees his cock. 'You're all fucking mine tonight, Granger.'

'Yes sir,' she moans.

He fists one hand in her hair, yanking her head back onto his shoulder and biting down on the side of her neck and hearing her moan even louder. 'Spread those legs, girl,' he orders her. 'Let me touch that sweet pussy of yours again.'

Hermione steps her legs apart and Severus runs a hand up the front of her thigh and along the juncture of her legs. There's that lace underwear again that he still has no idea what colour it even is.

'Dripping for me already?' He croons in her ear.

'Yes,' she groans.

'So good,' he praises her and kisses her cheek. 'Such a good girl.'

Pulling her underwear to the side, Severus lines himself up at her entrance and pushes his hips against hers.

'Oh – fuck,' Hermione moans as he pulls out and pushes back inside her.

'Gods, Granger, you're so fucking tight,' he grits out, settling into a rhythm and feeling the way she contracts around his cock. He's struggling to keep focused and if he's not careful it's going to be over far sooner than he would like.

He continues to fuck her rough and hard against the wall of her hallway, both fully clothed and barely three feet inside the house.

'Harder,' she gasps, moving her hips to meet each thrust. He can sense her desperation in each movement of her body.

'You want me to fuck you harder?' He growls.

'Yes.'

Severus suddenly pulls out and spins her back to face him. Her face is flushed and her eyes are bright. He kisses her hard, pushing her back against the wall before running both hands down the back of her thighs, pulling them around his waist. He captures both her wrists in one hand and pins them over her head as he slams into her over and over again.

'Oh, yes –!' she cries out, feeling the new angle hit her even deeper inside. 'Severus, just – fucking – there.'

It's building in the pit of her belly, she can feel it. She can barely think straight and even though it hurts, it feels so fucking good. She's feeling something for the first time in months, and she might die if he stops.

'Severus –' she says suddenly. 'I'm going to come.'

'Me too,' he says through gritted teeth. 'Come for me, girl.'

'Don't stop,' she begs him. 'Don't fucking stop –' she's uttering nonsense in her delirium so close to falling off the edge and her words are encouraging him to let go. He drops her wrists and she immediately buries her hands in his hair. Their foreheads are pressed together and it's not going to take much longer until –

'Severus –!'

'Hermione.'

At the exact same time they release and Hermione screams his name as Severus drives into her, his face pressed against her neck as he fills her so entirely.

It's earth-shattering and world-ending and Hermione blinks away stars from her eyes, her breath coming in gasps and her legs shaking around Severus' waist. She drops them back to the floor and her dress falls back down. With effort, Severus lifts his head from her shoulder and straightens up, pushing his hair off his face.

Neither of them say anything for a moment, both of them catching their breaths. Hermione drops her head back to the wall and pushes her own hair off her forehead where a few curls had become plastered there with sweat.

'Fucking hell,' she says breathlessly.

'My sentiments exactly,' he replies.

More silence. They catch each other's eyes and they both laugh a little, tension instantly dissipated in the aftermath of the hottest sex that Hermione has ever had in her entire life.

'Do you want a drink?' She asks.

'Fuck yes.'

Severus steps back from her, putting himself back in his trousers and fastening his belt. Now that's done, it suddenly dawns on her the efficiency of their arrangement. They hadn't even seen each other naked.

Moving past him, Hermione walks a little further down the short hallway and turns left into a cosy living room. With a flick of her hand, the fire bursts into life in the hearth and Severus hovers in the doorway.

'Please,' she gestures to the plush red sofa. 'Make yourself comfortable.'

'Sure,' he takes a seat and feels his heart still hammering in his chest. It's been a long time since he fucked anyone like that. Holding a woman up against a wall is a young man's game.

Hermione walks over to a small drinks cabinet and pulls out two whiskey tumblers. She pours them both a healthy measure and turns back to Severus, handing him one of the glasses.

'Thanks.'

'You're welcome,' she takes a seat beside him and drinks deeply. 'Gosh,' she says. 'That was … the best sex I've ever had.'

'If Weasley is my only contender, I'm not surprised.'

Even in the lowlight he can see her blush. She looks down into her whiskey, swirling it lightly with a small movement in her wrist. 'We were together for a long time,' she says quietly. 'I didn't have – time – for anyone else.'

'Sorry,' Severus says gently. 'I wasn't trying to make fun of you.'

'I know.'

'And anyway – if that was anything to go by, it's his loss.'

She looks up at him and smiles. 'Severus,' she says. 'If that was anything to go by, it's a wonder to me that you've not been locked down by a woman years ago.'

Now it's time for Severus to look thoughtfully into his whiskey glass. 'I suppose … life got away from me a little.'

'There's still time,' Hermione reaches over and places a hand on his knee. Despite having just had sex in her hallway, the gesture feels too jarringly intimate and she immediately removes it, clearing her throat. 'You're not that old.'

Severus snorts with laughter. 'You certainly weren't complaining.'

They laugh companionably and the atmosphere relaxes again.

Hermione raises her glass. 'Merry Christmas, Severus.'

'Merry Christmas, Hermione,' he chimes his tumbler against hers and they drink deeply.