DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters, unfortunately, that privelage belongs to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. I do however own the story line and any ideas going with it. Please don't sue because I am only a poor girl whose imagination cannot come up with any original ideas for a world she could write in.

Love and Other Passions - Chapter Three - Your Worst Enemy Can Also Be Your Best Friend.

Hermione didn't sleep that night, the possibilities running over in her mind, playing with the ring she was wearing until the burning in her newest wound became too much.

Taking herself through the silent corridors of the school, Hermione walked quickly, fooling herself by thinking that the quicker she got to Madame Pomfrey, the better her chances of survival were. Hermione reached the hospital wing's doors, large brown-stained wood, her heart beating faster and heavier than ever before. Her hand lifted to the door handle, as she prepared to open it, when in the back of her head, she heard the familiar voice of her concience.

"You tell... we will be outcast... you will... you will never finish.... your schooling.... and you won't.... won't let that happen..... will you?"

Her concience disappeared quickly as it came and Hermione let her hand drop. There was no way that anyone, maybe not even Dumbledore, would let her stay a student at Hogwarts, because she had no control over what she might become. And although she couldn't stand him, or what he had done to her, she couldn't take away Draco's onlly opportunity to complete his schooling.

Where would she go? What could she do? Maybe... just maybe... there was only one place she could go. To him? That was the only option left.

~~~~

She rapped gently on the stone door, hoping her light tap would reverberate into the room beyond. And she waited, leaning against the wall across the corridor as the cold stone froze her skin. It took him a few minutes, but eventually, Severus appeared at the door. His silver and green boxers clung to muscular, unshaven thighs and a barely covering green satin dressing gown had clumsily been slipped over his shoulders.

Severus' eyebrows raised slightly, his lips forming an amused smile, "Miss Granger..." he mused, "How... nice... to see you."

"Not to sound forced, but... can I please come in before someone finds me out of bed at this time? I think Dumbledore would find it amusing that I was found talking to you at this time of night." Hermione asked.

"Yes... come in." Severus smiled, moving out of the doorway as he rubbed one eye.

Hermione walked into the dimly lit room, finding a seat by a huge stone desk and sitting, her legs slightly crossed.

"What brings you here at this time?" Severus asked, pouring two glasses of pumpkin juice and handing her one.

"You know full well what brings me here. Your son told me Sev..." Hermione stopped for a moment, "Pro... what am I supposed to call you?"

"Call me Severus. I have no son Hermione, and never have I been in love." his eyebrows narrowed and there was venom in his tone.

"The bird chirped and then did this." Hermione replied firmly, and feeling very silly, poked her tongue out at him, showing him the still-bleeding wound.

Severus' face dropped, and his eyes flashed with sudden knowledge of his son, "You chose him and he didn't tell you?"

Hermione nodded, sipping her juice. It stung the wound on her tongue and she started to see whispers of blood appear in the juice.

"So now you know, and... did you see Madame Pomfrey about it?" Severus asked, indicating the wound.

"No, I can't. If they know what has happened, then both Draco and I will be expelled. I want to finish my schooling Severus." Hermione whispered.

"Good, good. Have you tasted any blood but your own?" he asked.

"No, I know how it works Severus. I'm not what muggles call a 'book-worm' for nothing." Hermione sighed.

"So you are taking death over undeath and expulsion?" Severus asked, confused.

"No, I'm looking for another way out." Hermione asked, "Do you know of one? I thought you would be my only option, you being the Potions Master and all."

Serverus sighed, "I only wish there was something I could do Hermione. I couldn't save my own son when he was first born, and now you. Why is it that everyone that comes close to me ends up having their life ruined?"

"I have never been close to you Severus, what are you going on about?" Hermione questioned him.

"It started with Narcissa, Draco's mother, she was bitten while pregnant with Draco, which is how he ended up with the affliction. And now you, after I decided to act on my feelings, with your present this day, you have been bitten. It seems a never-ending cycle." Severus explained.

"There has to be some way that we can take back what has happened." Hermione urged.

"If there was, I would give it to you straight away." Severus said, his head hanging.

Hermione watched him carefully as he took out a book or two from his extensive library and started to flick through the pages. There was definately something alluring about her Potions Master, in those boxers, the muscles in his arms and chest twitching each time he turned a page or changed a book. She felt that way again, as she had with Draco. Only now it was more pronounced, more mature, as if Draco were only a plaything whereas Severus were a man, an older man, experienced and fine-tuned.

She stood, pulling her skirt down at the back where it had crumpled and stepped towards him, the glass of pumpkin juice barely held by her fingers. Just as he slammed the third book closed, the glass fell, smashing across the stone floor and spreading pumpking juice splatters up the side of her leg. Hermione ignored this, taking the book from his hands and putting it on a pile of other works. She straddled his lap, not entirely sure what she was going to do next, and with her arms around his neck, she kissed him, slowly at first.

Severus, not caring for tomorrow, as his love, or was it lust? for her being so great, held her close, responding to each kiss with more passion. His hand groped at her thigh, pushing the skirt towards the slim waist and he roughly pulled her plain white shirt from where it was tucked in. It moved towards her breast, gently feeling around her skin as they kissed. Wrapping her waist in his arm, he stood, carrying her across the room to where his four-poster bed sat, gently laying her down among the crumpled sheets.

She could feel him touching her in a distant way, as though this was what she needed to make it through. His hands feeling, sensing her every itch, they tore away the shirt, buttons flying to hit the wall across the way. Her chest heaved, begging him to explore her many curves, and he replied, leaving her lips behind as he kissed down her neck and towards the full bosom, entrapped between a layer of white-laced bra. Unlatching the front, his hand moved to the left, while the sweet warmth of his breath moved across her cold skin to the right.

A small gasp left her lips as his fingers took the nipple, teasing it gently, and his pointed tongue flicked snake-like at the other. His mouth closed over the nipple, suckling gently like a child. Hermione could not hold herself any longer, no matter how distant. Taking hold of the cool skin of his hand, she ran it down her waist and hitching her skirt, placed it over her panties, masaging the hand urgently, wanting. It was then she realised what had troubled her so long and how to repair the damage done by leaving her feelings so long.

~~~~

Ginny knocked on Hermione's door for the fifth time that morning, before walking away sullenly. The two of them were supposed to be revising for Ginny's half-year exams today, although the day after christmas, they had both agreed that if they did one a day every few days before school went back, then Ginny would have no trouble passing her tests.

'Maybe she got up early to get a good start.' Ginny thought.

Harry, Seamus and Neville had all gone down to breakfast fairly early that morning, being male, their stomachs were growling like they had been starved for the first 15 years of their lives. Ginny had slept in, and now, couldn't find any of them. She decided to make her way to the Great Hall, needing something to supress the stabbing pains of hunger in her belly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A/N: Be nice and R&R this fiction please? I promise not to be nasty if you do! *takes note of her crossed fingers* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~