Suddenly, Hermione Granger felt a belonging. Like she was right, the perfect way her hips fit between his hands, and where her breasts rose sharply to meet his chest, and especially the way her lips felt between his. She felt as if everything she had never understood about the world had suddenly become de-crypted, translated, reborne. That each second he spent kissing her was one less minute she would have to spend finding enlightenment, one less moment chasing happiness. That this was where she was supposed to go all along, but had been too stupid, too arrogant, too blind to seek it.

Moments were stretched between them, and time stopped. His eyes remained open, as did hers, and they studied each other with equal wariness and fascination. It was she who pulled away.

She retreated cautiously, smiling nervously, and not knowing whether her legs would carry her to where she wanted to go. They didn't; instead, they crumpled, and she curled instinctively towards the ground, still trapped in his stare. He didn't move an inch to help her, he only watched, an aloof spectator that had only then realised that he was part of a larger equation.

Go away, she said and flinched at the sound of her own voice. She had never changed, not from the moment she had stepped into Hogwarts to the moment when she was released into the world on her own. The bossy, demanding tone still remained, as did stupid childish crushes, grudges and fears. Her face collapsed, and she looked like a punctured ghost, the white dress so carelessly strewn and her own pallor was ashen.

He shrugged so indifferently, that she stared for several seconds without a word. That's it?, she asked, incredulous; she had been expecting somewhat of a protest. You requested my presence and you request my departure. What more do you wish?, he replied sharply. Hermione honestly had no answer, and for once her endless books and knowledge could not aid her. I don't know, she faltered, staring at his boots. Her tear stricken face stared in an abhorrently honest reflection. She turned her head.

I will go, Granger, but at least know what you're leaving behind, he said, pridefully noting that his panic did not surface in his voice. I'm not marrying him, she said exasperated, but I still don't know what I want.

He rolled his eyes, None of us do, stupid girl. I shouldn't expect it from you anyway. Tell me what you want me to do. Hermione eye's narrowed a trifle, as she studied her sudden infatuation. He was so sinisterly magnetic, so darkly charismatic, and so incredibly, dangerously brilliant. She raised herself up, cursing as her boots bit into her legs. She was now nose level to him, and though it displeased her that she couldn't level her gaze, she was glad at least she could stand some ground.

I want you to stay, she said firmly, in a tone she knew he couldn't refuse. What, to watch you make a tactful fool of yourself?, he asked, slightly amused, I doubt even I would wish to see that.

No, you arse, she snapped, and saw his eyes flicker, stay here with me.

But I am here with you, he protested, wishing his heart would stop jumping around like an overstimulated hippogriff. He was preventing himself from leaping to conclusions, knowing that the woman would never request a relationship, even if after a kiss like that.

She gave a murmurof annoyance, Stay with me. Here. After this stupid wedding, and maybe we can further our personal discoveries, she said in one breath. For once, Severus Snape was completely, utterly, awesomely, overwhelmingly speechless. He stuttered, and stammered, and made inaudbile sounds, but none could even cover one bit of the spectrum of feelings he was experiencing. Some of them were new, most of them weren't.

Hermione looked almost embarassed, as though his gulping and strange utterances were part of an elaborate display of rejection. She looked stupendously disappointed and felt, if possible, even more humiliated.

Then I suppose you should go. After all, this thing was a waste of your time, she spat, giving him one of her stares reserved for times of great hatred. She swallowed hard, feeling the burn of tears and longing in her throat. All she wanted to do right now, was hug his shoes and have him drag her to the ends of the earth. She would become obesiescant to him, follow his every command, every whim. It was entirely an unsettling and unusual feeling. Hermione Granger was not one to be domesticated.

He gave a withering glance at her, and she felt self concious in her ruined make up and dishevelled clothes. She took a deep breath, and set about the task of trying to gracefully retrieve her dignity.

Do you actually believe, Granger, that I would leave after a kiss like that?. His tone was sharp and for a second, she thought herself to be back in his dungeons, under the spell of his outrageously erotic voice. But she wasn't fourteen anymore, she was fully grown, fully in control. And unfortunately, fully head over heels in love.


I don't know, Professor. You're a very unpredictable man, she breathed, trying to match his stare. His lips turned up in a smile, but so briefly, she thought it to be a trick of the light.

Is there a way to remedy this predicament?, he asked coyly, approaching her a lion might its prey. She couldn't stop from inching towards him, her legs and feet grudgingly moving to his magnetic core.

They say, Professor, the only way to tell is in a kiss, she whispered, and suddenly, his mouth was upon hers again, and his hands were everywhere at once. She gave a groan of pleasure, unwittingly rubbing herself against him. The corset, she noted, didn't hinder his explorations. His hips were narrow, his torso muscular but wiry. She could feel the vertabrae in his back. She didn't mind though, for she had always found Damien too bulky for her liking.

He had just found the laces, and was running his finger langorously over her creamy back, when both Harry, Ron and Dumbledore decided to express their best wishes by bursting in upon them.










A/N: Sorry for the cliffie and for not updating regularly. Still kind of a WIP, so do forgive. Anyway, this story is proving to be far more interesting than I thought.