Why the hell did I agree to this? Snape asked himself for the fifth time. He was waiting in his office. Eight o' clock, and she would be here in minutes. She had of course, begged him to allow for small mishaps with her friends.

Why did I- Snape stopped, because there was a timid knock on his door. Attempting to compose himself, he said coldly,

"Enter." Hermione slipped in at his command, and shut the door behind her.

"You said you wished to speak. Miss Granger. Speak."

"I was merely waiting to be acknowledged," Hermione said sharply. He raised an eyebrow at this unexpected retort. Her backbone had grown back.

"Well?"

"Well, I think you're a real jerk," Hermione snapped. "I was under the impression you were a gentleman. Obviously, I was mistaken."

"Excuse me?" Damn, but she knew the right buttons to push.

"You said what happened in the classroom was wrong, but you made the first move, and you know it. You are not the fatherly type. You love me too, and I'm not going to let your foolish misconceptions of my maturity stand in the way of something that could help us both!"

"Who said anything about love?" Snape was on his feet now. Although she had not sat down, Hermione still seemed to tower over him.

"I did! I don't care what you allow yourself to think, I do love you. You're probably the first person I've loved since Aunt Tiff, and that means a lot to me."

"Miss Granger, I am not here to fufill your fantasies-"

"And I'm not here to fufill yours!" Snape took a step back in the face of Hermione's ire. She took a deep breath and continued more gently, "If nothing else, can't you tell me the real reason why you don't want me to be so close to you?"

"Because I am a marked man! Ever since the episode with the philosopher's stone, Voldemort has known that I am not on his side. As Potter reported, Voldemort knows full well I have returned to the side of the light, and will not go back. You are already in enough danger as Potter's friend. If it was known that you were my beloved. . . I don't want to lose you."

There, he had said it. She was special, she was all he wanted, and she was everything he could not have. To his surprise, Hermione did not seem put off in the least. She considered his points thoughtfully, and then said,

"I could say the same to you, you know. I am Harry's close friend, and they could use you to get to me. And through me, to Harry. I don't want to lose you either, and that's why I'm here. I came to you because I don't want to live alone for the rest of my life. Because I want to spend it with you."

"You don't know me, Hermione."

"I want to. Please?" Hermione pleaded. She had come here with every intention of bitching him out, but now she was begging him. Something she wished she had done the first time.

"Hermione-" Snape began very softly.

"Don't tell me now. It's Yule, and I don't think I could stand it if you left me now." Hermione put a hand up to cover her eyes, and she was enveloped by blackness. Severus placed a hand on her head, keeping her close to his chest.

"I never said no. Hermione, you are very much younger than I. You have yet to see all the horror I have. I don't know if I can open up to you. But, I am willing to try to let you be close to me. I reserve the right to tell you no, and you reserve the right to tell me no. To anything."

"Promise?" Hermione whispered, cursing herself for sounding so desperate.

"I swear," Severus whispered in return. He released her with reluctance. "I have to speak with your 'charming' guardian, and with the Headmaster."

"About what?" Hermione asked, confusion in her frown.

"About us-"

"Tiff knows, already. She's the one who told me to see you," Hermione said with a sheepish smile. "But why the Headmaster?"

"Because your safety is his concern. And he is my guardian." Severus gently shut her mouth with one long finger. She blushed, but could see none of his usual cold smirk.

"He is?" Hermione asked, once she had found her voice.

"Some other time," he told her gently. "You need to return to your room."

"May I have a kiss before I go?" Hermione asked cheekily. He gave her a genuine smile, and leaned down to kiss her cheek tenderly. Kissing his cheek just as lovingly, Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck and inhaled his scent.

"When can we meet again?" she asked when he released her reluctantly once again.

"I believe we still have a project we were working on."

"Did we? I thought it was several," Hermione said with a small smile. He blinked.

"You knew?"

"Well, yes, but I thought that as Potions Master, you would be working on many things at once. Er, what do I call you?"

"In front of your friends, Professor Snape. When we are alone, Severus will suffice. Just don't get excited about it." Listening to her laugh, Severus bit back his own. Not too fast, he chided himself.

"I guess I have to go now," Hermione said, once more cursing the fact that she had a very emotional voice.

"I will walk you to the stairs," Severus offered, and she smiled at him.

Even though there was rarely anyone in the dungeons besides himself, he did not want to chance it. He walked next to her, as if he was returning her from a detention. When they reached the top of the stairs and turned to go their separate ways, Hermione could not resist.

"Thank you, Professor. I really needed that."

"You are welcome Miss Granger, so long as you make an appointment. You will be in the classroom tomorrow night after dinner. Do not dawdle."

"Yes, Professor."