A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming please.
"Well, erm," Hermione stuttered surprised by these words, obviously reading something into his request.
"No, sorry that sounded wrong," he said as he realised how his words had sounded. "I meant, to talk, it's the only place that the students can't get into, you understand, I can't be seen to be nice." Hermione laughed at this. He actually liked his horrible reputation as a cruel, unfeeling bastard.
'See Hermione, you're not so irresistible,' she thought to herself.
"Okay," she said out loud smiling up at him.
He led her to his room that was down in the dungeons not too far from the Slytherin common room, she assumed that Professor McGonagall's room had been near Gryffindor. She walked into the large room and saw it was just as she had imagined it. It was decorated in dark colours and the furniture was expensive. There was a chair and a sofa that were covered in some sort of silky material that felt wonderful. In the background though there was a large four poster bed with dark green hangings and matching bed covers. Hermione's attention kept getting drawn back to this item of furniture.
"So," Severus said as he sat down on the chair opposite her. "How did your lecture go? I heard two Gryffindor boys singing your praises." He asked thinking that it would perhaps be better not to mention their comment about her arse.
"Really, well I'm glad I got a few people interested, a lot don't listen," she said feeling a sense of triumph that she had got through to some of the students.
"Frustrating isn't it," he said, "talking to a room full of people who aren't listening and are only there because they have to be." He understood, of course he did, Harry and Ron never listened in his lessons.
"Yeah, sometimes I feel like Professor Binns, like I'm talking to a room full of people who are all fast asleep," she said and he laughed. She loved that sound, it was so rare but that's what made it special, as though it was reserved for a select few. And she was one of them.
"You're not like Binns, you're far more interesting." She blushed at his compliment and looked up at him. Their eyes met and they looked at each other intently for what must have been seconds but felt like eternity.
She dragged her eyes away and was about to stand up to leave when Severus spoke. He saw that she was about to leave, but he desperately wanted her to stay.
"Drink?" He offered. "I have tea and coffee." She made a split second decision to stay. It was a decision of instinct, if she'd been using her head she might not have stayed.
"Okay, coffee please," she said. He got up to make it heating the water up in a second with his wand. Hermione looked around and saw a bookshelf that was packed full of books, all of which appeared to be read. "You like reading?" She asked.
'No the books are there for decoration,' he thought sarcastically but bit that comment back.
"Yes, that's what happens when you're an only child," he said carrying their coffee over handing it to Hermione.
"I'm an only child too, I suppose that's why I read so much, I never really thought about it," Hermione said blowing on the coffee to cool it.
She dipped her finger into the drink lightly as she carried on reading the book titles. She ran the finger around the rim of the cup, so she wouldn't leave a lipstick mark on the probably expensive cup. She didn't realise how seductive the action was, and was unaware that her host was desperately trying to keep his thought clean, and shifting uncomfortably in the chair. She took a sip of her coffee and swallowed slowly; still unaware of how her behaviour was affecting Severus. Her tongue came out to clean the coffee of her bottom lip and Severus decided that enough was enough.
"Hermione," he said sitting next to her on the sofa, removing the cup from her hands and placing it on the table beside the chair. "Hermione, I realise that you are married, and that you feel that what happened at the party was a huge mistake but I am having a big problem with just seeing you as a friend." Hermione gasped at his confession, but she had to admit that it felt good, to know he found her so attractive.
His face was moving closer to hers and she knew what he was about to do. She knew that she should get out, stop him doing it but she couldn't, she wanted to stay, wanted him to kiss her.
She closed her eyes and her lips parted on their own accord, inviting him to kiss her. Her chest felt tighter, causing her to take shallower breaths, making her breathing sound laboured. A pleasant sensation was starting in her groin, and it was this sensation that kept her rooted to the spot.
His lips finally met hers and she felt a jolt of electricity go through her, turning that pleasant sensation into an ache, a desire to feel him touching her there. He brought his hand down to rest on her hip as he shifted on the sofa to get closer to her. She had missed the feeling of his warm hands on her body and this made her respond to the kiss. She pushed into him and parted her lips, hoping he would take the hint. He did, he sucked on her bottom lip for a while before he let his tongue wander into her mouth, languidly exploring.
He pushed her slightly and she slowly lay back until she was pressed against the silky material of the sofa. This was when the kiss became more heated, she put her arms around his neck and their tongues met. She felt light-headed, dizzy as if she was weightless, floating. The sensations were wonderful; she had never felt this way about a simple kiss, she didn't want it to end.
He pulled away slightly but that wasn't the end, those wonderfully soft lips of his worked their way down the column of her throat, hitting sensitive spot after sensitive spot, making her moan and writhe underneath him. He himself moaned at the heavenly feeling of her skin against his lips and her body beneath his.
She was about to let go of herself, give her body over to this man, knowing that he cold give her the pleasure that she wanted, craved, but she got an attack of conscience. Greg loved her, he had said so before, he'd chosen to spend the rest of his life with her and what did she do? Jump into someone else's bed the moment they had an argument.
"No," she said pushing herself up bringing both of them into a sitting position. He groaned but did not say anything. "I'm sorry, I can't do this. Greg, he loves me I can't do this to him. I'm sorry." With that she bolted out of the door as fast as she could, leaving Severus sitting on the sofa, still dazed after her abrupt departure.
Saying her goodbyes to Albus and the rest of the staff, who had drifted into her classroom to say hello earlier that day, she left the school and set off for home.
Her mind was reeling. She kept reliving those few moments over and over again. How could she have been so stupid? She should never have gone to his room with him; it was a stupid thing to do. At the party her excuse had been that she was drunk, but she had been completely sober this time, there was no excuse.
She got home to find a very angry Greg sitting on the bottom step of the stairs.
"Greg, what are you doing sitting there?" She asked and he stood up.
"Where have you been?" He asked his voice sounded quite menacing and it scared Hermione.
"I've been at my old school," she said taking off her coat. "I told you that."
"You were supposed to be back at one o'clock, it's now ten past three," he said through gritted teeth.
"Sorry I was talking to some of my old teachers, doing some catching up. Why what's wrong?" She asked worried about his behaviour.
"I was going to take you out," he said.
"Oh I didn't know, you didn't tell me about it."
"It was supposed to be a surprise, but you've ruined it now. All because of your friends at that school," he wrinkled his nose at the thought of her teachers and Hogwarts.
"I'm sorry Greg we can still go out," she said but he shook his head and waved his hand as if dismissing her.
"It's too late now. I have a Ministry function to go to." He walked away and Hermione followed him.
"Okay I'll get changed and we'll go. Just give me five minutes."
"You're not coming," he said putting on his coat.
"What?" She asked incredulously. "Why?"
"Because I don't want you to be there, it's embarrassing," he said and she gasped.
"I embarrass you?" She exclaimed folding her arms over her chest.
"Yes, I'm afraid that you'll say something about all this magic…"
"I'd never do that, we're not allowed to tell Muggles."
"See, you use words like that. You make me feel like something abnormal," he said as he opened the front door to leave.
"Greg you're not abnormal, we just come form different cultures." He wasn't listening anymore.
"I get back at five, it would be best if you weren't here."
"Are you kicking me out?" She asked feeling tears starting to well up in her eyes.
"No, I just need some time. I think you need some time to think as well." With that said he left the house, not even kissing her this time.
Hermione didn't know where to go. She tried Harry's London flat but he wasn't there, then she tried Ron but it was the same with him. The only other place was Draco and Claire's house in Hogsmead.
She apparated there and noticed a figure standing in their doorway. Severus. He looked up and saw Hermione standing there.
"It would appear they're not in," he said walking towards her. "Probably gone out with Harry and Ron.
"Yes, they're out too." He noticed that her eyes were red and puffy from crying.
"What's the matter," he asked his voice full of concern.
"Oh, nothing. Greg and I had a fight and he stormed out, I guess I needed someone to talk too," the tears kept on falling and she dabbed at her eyes to try and dry them.
"Oh, well if you want to talk I'm here," he said kindly. Hermione shook her head.
"I don't think that would be a good idea," she said.
"Look, we can go to dinner, a crowded restaurant, would that be okay?" She laughed and nodded her agreement.
They chose a French restaurant not far from Draco's house. It looked very expensive and posh and Hermione felt it was time to tell him that she hadn't any money on her.
"You think I was going to let you pay for dinner? What do you take me for?"
A tall thin man dressed in a smart black suit, with his dark brown hair slicked back with gel showed them to a table.
"I love the food here," Severus said. "I used to come here a lot but I haven't recently."
"I heard that you had a girlfriend, did you not bring her?" He smiled and laughed softly.
"No, she wasn't interested in having dinner with me, if you know what I mean." Hermione blushed. Yes she understood. "Not that I minded, it was good for me after the hell I've been through but I needed a lot more in the long run. Someone I could actually talk to, someone who actually cared that I have a brain."
"I think intelligence is important," Hermione said.
"I'm sure your husband feels quite intimidated by your intelligence."
"He's intelligent too," Hermione said defending her husband.
"Well good, I can't imagine you with someone who wasn't," he said as the wine that they had ordered arrived.
"So," Hermione said wanting to change the subject, "how is school?" He sneered a bit as he poured her some of the deep red wine.
"Fine, some good students, some bad. The same as every year really."
"Any Neville Longbottom's?" She asked grinning. He laughed and sipped his wine.
"Yes, every year has it's own Neville Longbottom," he said.
"And are you as horrible to them as you were to him?"
"Oh yes, of course. I don't believe in pandering to them, they need to learn that not everyone will be understanding."
"Yes but did you have to be so horrible, after a while you just stopped trying to teach him." Hermione was angry at the memories of how Severus used to treat her friend.
"Yes but I did help him," Severus said giving her a smug smile.
"No you didn't," she protested. "He had to have extra lessons of that Italian…" She trailed off as the truth dawned on her. "The Italian woman, Imelda. She's a relation of yours isn't she." He nodded.
"Yes, very goo Hermione, she works for my father's company. I realised that I wasn't getting through to him and thought the job called for a female tutor. I asked Dumbledore and he agreed to pay her for her trouble."
"Well, now I feel stupid. So you're really a nice guy then?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow at her and thought about her question for a moment.
"No, not always. You mustn't forget my past."
"I hadn't forgotten. It's hard to think of you as one of those people, even when we all hated you we couldn't believe you'd be capable of the things they did," Hermione said shivering at the thought of all the stories she'd been told.
"What sort of things?" He asked.
"Well, we were told about parties where people were raped and tortured," Hermione said not really wanting him to confess to being a part of this. She was surprised to hear a snort of laughter.
"My dear you have heard too many propaganda stories. Those things didn't happen, at least not at any of the parties I went to. People were killed but only because they stood in the way, they were stopping Voldemort and his followers achieve their goal. Any raping that went on was the sickness of certain individuals and it would have done it anyway, with or without Voldemort, Lucius malfoy for example was just a twisted psychopath."
"So why would people say they were like that?" Hermione asked.
"So that everyone would hate them, to prevent any further support. No some of the Death Eaters were murderers for the cause and some were just ordinary people who funded Voldemort."
They stayed silent while their food was brought to the table, not wanting anyone to hear this private conversation. Once the waiter had left Hermione asked the question that had been bothering her since they started this conversation.
"Did you ever kill anyone?" She asked fearing the answer. He smiled.
"Funnily enough I hadn't killed anyone until I joined the light," he said with an ironic laugh. "I worked in research. I tried to work out ways to make the Death Eaters stronger and fitter."
"Oh, well why did you leave?" She asked enjoying the taste of the lemon chicken she had ordered.
"That's a silly question. I left for the same reason that you never joined, because it was wrong, and I saw that, eventually," he said tucking into his meal as well.
"Why did you join in the first place?"
"Because I was angry with the world and Voldemort seemed to offer me what I wanted. It was all lies of course and I saw that eventually but I was taken in at first. At first I even supported the killings that went on."
"So," he said after a while. "Do you want to tell me what happened at home?" He asked.
"Oh, it was just an argument, you know how it is. I said something that he didn't like and then he said something back and stormed out."
"You were very upset," he said as if he didn't quite believe her story. "Are you sure that everything's okay?"
"I'm fine, we just had an argument, all married couples have them."
"I wouldn't know about that one. I've never been married." He said this with a certain sadness which made Hermione think that maybe he was regretting never getting married.
"Greg wanted to take me out, I was late home and then there was no time for us to go out."
"Why?"
"Because he had to go to a party, for the Ministry," she said.
"Why are you not with him?" Severus asked taking a swig of his drink.
"Erm, he didn't want me to go," she said not hiding how much this had upset her. "He was angry." She tried to defend him.
"He's a fool," Severus said. "I'd want you to be with me at a party."
"Would you?" She asked looking up at him, tears starting in her eyes again.
"Yes," he replied putting his hand over hers. "I don't think I need to hide how I feel about you anymore. How I've felt about you for a long time." She pulled her hand out from underneath his.
"You're right, this is good food," she said changing the subject. He sighed annoyed at her response.
"Hermione you're avoiding the subject," he said.
"I know, it's because I can't let you carry on with what you were saying," she said her eyes not meeting his. "I am married."
"To a man that doesn't want to be seen with you. Who leaves a party five minutes in?"
"He had an early meeting!" She said.
"Well done Hermione, you almost believed that yourself," he said.
"I love my husband," she stated but he was right, she was also trying to convince herself about that.
"Even after all that? Even when he makes you cry like this?" He said watching tear after tear roll down her face. She stood up.
"I seem to remember you making me cry a few times," she said and stormed out of the restaurant. Throwing down enough money for their meal Severus ran after her.
"Hermione!" He called after her running to catch her up. He was faster than she was so he managed it in no time. "Hermione please, I'm sorry."
"Please leave me alone," she said walking away from him but he stood in front of her. "Look I should never have gone to dinner with you. I can't see you again."
"Why, I know you feel the same way I do, why can't you see me again?" He asked.
"Because of Greg," she said tears flowing heavily now.
"What about Greg?" He asked. She went to say something else but she was cut off as he captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Against her volition she wrapped her arms around his neck pressing herself to him, returning the kiss. He broke away and rested his forehead on hers. "Does Greg make you feel like that?" He asked.
She screwed her eyes shut not wanting to look into his eyes, knowing she would be lost if she did. He didn't, she had never felt like this with Greg, but she could do once they had sorted their marital problems out.
"Greg is my husband and he loves me. I love him and despite any feelings I have for you I am already married to Greg." Her words were like a knife going through him, more pain full than any curse that he had had the misfortune to be under.
She pushed him away and he felt as though some part of him had been ripped away. Hermione was vaguely aware that she was crying. For some reason this hurt more than her arguments with Greg.
"Then you are right, we have nothing more to say to each other," Severus said, his voice no longer sounding powerful.
He walked away and Hermione felt like her heart had sunk to her stomach, and that her stomach had been ripped out. Her chest felt heavy and her throat hurt from crying.
"We can still be friends though, right?" She shouted after him. He stopped but did not turn around.
"I don't think that would be a good idea," he said and walked off out of sight.
Hermione didn't think anything could hurt this much. She felt so guilty that she was actually thinking about going with Severus, leaving Greg and running off with another man. But then she thought about Greg's feelings, how hurt he would be if he knew she had betrayed him. She had to make it up to him. She would do whatever it took.
When Severus got home the hurt he felt had transformed into anger, overwhelming anger. He slammed the door to his room shut and the noise reverberated down the hallway. He picked up a glass that was on his drinks table and hurled it across the room. It smashed with a tinkling noise on the stone wall and fell to the floor. Many other glasses followed this one and soon there were shards of glass everywhere.
He walked into his bathroom looking for something else to break. He stood in front of the small cabinet mirror and looked into it for a few minutes. Then he brought his arm back, made a fist and punched the glass, watching it crack, then shatter. The shards had cut into his hand but it took his mind off the sheer agony he felt in his chest.
He walked out of the bathroom and spotted a full, unopened bottle of whisky on top of his drinks cabinet. That would work as an effective anaesthetic, for now.
When Hermione got home Greg walked into the hall to greet her. She hadn't even taken her coat off when she launched into the speech that she had been rehearsing all the way home.
"Greg I'm so sorry about not coming home when I should have, and I'm very sorry that I made you feel uncomfortable by calling you a Muggle, I never meant it to have that affect. Please forgive me." She looked at him with pleading eyes, holding her breath for an answer.
"All right," he said after a while. "I will over look it this time…" He went to say more but Hermione threw herself at him, holding him so tight that he couldn't breathe properly.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said over and over again before she pulled his face down to kiss him.
He responded to the kiss, to her delight, and she wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck. When she pulled away they were both breathless.
"Shall we go to bed?" She asked suggestively and he nodded, following her up the stairs.
Later that night Hermione was lying bed trying not to look disappointed. She looked over at Greg, who had his back turned to her again.
"It's okay you know I understand," she said reaching out to him in the dark.
"Do you?" He asked bitterly.
"Yes, this happens to a lot of people. You could go and see your doctor," she suggested.
"Yes, maybe," he replied. "I'll think about it." This was good enough for her, at least he was willing to work for this marriage.
She rolled over and went to sleep. She may be able to control her behaviour but her subconscious was not something she command and she felt herself dreaming about making love to a man who loved her. Unfortunately that man was not Greg Layton.
