A/N: Well, I admit this part is a week overdue for which I am sorry. I was
away last weekend (I love it when there's a holiday on Monday!) and so the
plot bunnies had to be put to pasture for a while. I hope you like this
chapter.
Anonymous, Lady of the Winter, Zoe - Thank you!
Beth Ann - You'll see.
Tegan - Thanks, sometimes it's good to be sneaky.
The Destructive Duo - I'm glad you think they are cute together g.
Part 15
At one point during the day on the way to a class, Hermione tried to talk to Ron but was met with rejection. "I don't want to talk to you!" Ron said tightly. "Just...just stay away from me." It hurt him in a place inside that he didn't know existed that she had rejected him. That she didn't think he was good enough for her.
Maybe one day he would be able to look at her without anger. But not today. He walked away, and with a heavy heart Hermione watched him go.
That night after Hermione had finished her dinner she left the Great Hall to freshen up before she slipped away to see Severus. However, she was waylaid by two people with determined gleams in their eyes..
"What do you want?" Hermione asked cautiously, her eyes widening when two words were mentioned that sent a shiver down her spine.
Later that night when most people were asleep, Professor Snape was busy marking papers in his office, pausing occasionally to dip his quill in his inkpot and then to resume writing (often scathing) comments on the student papers that passed before his eyes.
He had to admit to himself that he was wondering whether Hermione would be coming to see him as she had promised. Logically, he had no cause to worry for she was one that was scrupulous in keeping her promises. But doubts born from his naturally pessimistic nature began to whisper, 'maybe she has something better to do..maybe she's decided you're not worth the effort of a relationship...or maybe she will come and declare you are a lousy lover. After all, didn't Clara say that?'
Severus shook his dark head irritably. That way led to madness. Hermione hadn't been lying when she had said she loved him and had been eager to kiss him today in his classroom. That wasn't the sign of one with 'morning after' regrets. His voice was curt though when there was a firm knock on his door. "Who is it?"
"It's Hermione", came the reply.
"Come in then," he called, his voice softening.
Hermione opened the door quickly and shut it behind her equally quickly, looking slightly out of breath. "I didn't think I would get away!" she muttered. Severus put his quill down and stared at her in surprise. Her hair..his mouth twitched.
"Don't ask what happened to me, just don't!" Hermione said with dejection as she walked over to him where he was sitting behind his desk, visibly relaxing when he reached out and pulled her down onto his lap.
"It looks like you had a duel with a hairdresser..and the hairdresser won," he murmured in curiosity, reaching up a hand to gently tug one of her plaits. For indeed, instead of her usual plait, most of her hair was now arranged in numerous tiny plaits.
"Lavender and Parvati decided I needed a 'girls night' with them so they could console me for breaking up with Ron," Hermione sighed, blushing slightly in spite of herself to be sitting on his lap, feeling the warm strength of his legs underneath. Her friends had been too determined to have their way despite her excuse that she was busy, both of them agreeing with her in their room that she had done the right thing to separate from Ron ('anyone could see you weren't suited') and had spent a lot of time discussing the favourable attributes of the Gryffindor Quidditch team ('or the Slytherin team if you want to walk on the wild side like we did!'). She had barely made it out their room alive...
"I see.." Severus murmured, holding a plait up into the candlelight and looking closely at it. "Beads??" he enquired delicately, for small brown beads had been woven into the plaits.
"Don't laugh!" Hermione warned.
"As you wish," Severus murmured, seeking her mouth with his. With the sensation of her kisses in return and her warm arms moving to enclose him he could feel the coldness in his soul retreat, as it had last night when her warmth had surrounded him. She shifted restlessly on him and he bit back a cry of want. But despite his urge to carry her to his bed there were matters that needed to be discussed. Or rather, the matter of a certain wizard. He inwardly sighed and broke off the kiss.
Hermione made a soft sound of protest and went to kiss him again but he forestalled her by placing a hand over her mouth. "In a moment. Stop that..." he ordered in a strained voice when she gently licked his fingers. "I need to know about Sirius."
Hermione paused. Of course, she was to discuss the matter of Sirius with him. But was it her fault that all rational thought seemed to fly out of her head at the sight of Severus, who still radiated a brooding sensuality even when he was doing his best right now to glower at her. Very well. She might as well make it easier on them both for now, too. "All right, I'll go and get another chair," she sighed but when she went to stand up she felt his arm wrap around her waist and firmly pull her back onto his lap. "Stay. I do have enough self-control not to ravish you...yet," he said dryly. "Now, as I was saying, Sirius appears to be taking a certain...interest in you at the moment. Why is this?"
Hermione hesitated. She had made up her mind to tell him but explanations could be tricky. "Well," she began, "do you remember when we had that snow fight?"
Despite his determination to let his intellect rule, his eyes became a simmering black and his hand wandered down her spine. "I do," he murmured. "For a while there I forgot to loathe snow, for which you are to be blamed."
Hermione tried to ignore what his low-pitched voice was doing to her insides, coughed and made herself continue. "Well, it turns out that Sirius had er, been watching it. All of it."
Severus frowned and straightened slightly in the chair, muttering something under his breath that sounded like "damn voyeur". "Go on", he said tersely.
"Well, he came up to me later on and said that he thought I had more sense than to 'get involved' with you and that you would only hurt me. I didn't really believe him, although later I thought he had a point....", Hermione said reluctantly.
Severus opened his mouth to say something scathing about Sirius and his parentage when he paused, his mouth twisting. As much as he hated to admit it, Sirius had only been looking out for her at the time. When he noticed remembered hurt on Hermione's face his eyes flickered and he lifted a hand to gently touch her cheek. "You know if it were possible to take back the pain and start afresh with you the right way I would?" he said in a quiet, intense voice.
Hermione's mouth curved upwards in a small smile and she moved her cheek gently against his hand. "Yes, I know." Then she sobered. "I'm worried that when Sirius finds out about us - especially now - he might do something, like accuse you of 'seducing' me again and challenge you to a duel. I would hate for that to happen."
His eyes narrowed to slits but he kissed Hermione gently in reassurance. "That won't happen. But if Sirius does anything as half as idiotic as that - and since he's deluded into thinking you and Ron are ideal for each other he might - but he would regret it. And I would enjoy every moment in proving that to him." he said flatly.
A rueful expression appeared on her face. "Sirius probably thinks Ron would have been the 'right one' for me, I agree."
"He would probably think that as well when you're rearing a house full of Weasley's screaming brats, reduced to using house cleaning spells while he waltzes off to play Quidditch with Potter!" he growled.
Hermione shuddered at the thought. "No, thank you. I would rather continue my study of Potions..as your apprentice, perhaps," she said truthfully, wondering how he would react for Severus rarely took on apprentices.
Severus drew his head back, a look of intrigued surprise on his face. "You really wish to, don't you?" he murmured, studying her intently. "Not just because of me..very well. Provided you pass your final exams with flying colours..which I don't doubt..(at that Hermione flushed with pleasure) you may have a six month trial as my apprentice. If you manage to create a variety of original formulas that meet my standards, and we are not sick to death of each other," he added dryly, "then you may become a full apprentice in your own right."
"Thank you!" Hermione said in sincere relief and hugged him, smiling.
"But do not expect any special favours from me though," he whispered against her neck.
"You rarely give out special favours at all so I won't expect any," she assured him.
"Ah, more impertinence from you I see," he purred, moving his fingers to softly caress her breast, his hand easily cupping it.
"I thought we were having a short break from that," Hermione gasped, arching against him.
"We were. But having established that Sirius is merely an annoyance to be ignored, the break is over," he said firmly, gathering her up in his arms and carrying her off to the direction of his bedroom. "Besides, it's late and time for you to be in bed...."
To which Hermione had no trouble in agreeing with him.
Anonymous, Lady of the Winter, Zoe - Thank you!
Beth Ann - You'll see.
Tegan - Thanks, sometimes it's good to be sneaky.
The Destructive Duo - I'm glad you think they are cute together g.
Part 15
At one point during the day on the way to a class, Hermione tried to talk to Ron but was met with rejection. "I don't want to talk to you!" Ron said tightly. "Just...just stay away from me." It hurt him in a place inside that he didn't know existed that she had rejected him. That she didn't think he was good enough for her.
Maybe one day he would be able to look at her without anger. But not today. He walked away, and with a heavy heart Hermione watched him go.
That night after Hermione had finished her dinner she left the Great Hall to freshen up before she slipped away to see Severus. However, she was waylaid by two people with determined gleams in their eyes..
"What do you want?" Hermione asked cautiously, her eyes widening when two words were mentioned that sent a shiver down her spine.
Later that night when most people were asleep, Professor Snape was busy marking papers in his office, pausing occasionally to dip his quill in his inkpot and then to resume writing (often scathing) comments on the student papers that passed before his eyes.
He had to admit to himself that he was wondering whether Hermione would be coming to see him as she had promised. Logically, he had no cause to worry for she was one that was scrupulous in keeping her promises. But doubts born from his naturally pessimistic nature began to whisper, 'maybe she has something better to do..maybe she's decided you're not worth the effort of a relationship...or maybe she will come and declare you are a lousy lover. After all, didn't Clara say that?'
Severus shook his dark head irritably. That way led to madness. Hermione hadn't been lying when she had said she loved him and had been eager to kiss him today in his classroom. That wasn't the sign of one with 'morning after' regrets. His voice was curt though when there was a firm knock on his door. "Who is it?"
"It's Hermione", came the reply.
"Come in then," he called, his voice softening.
Hermione opened the door quickly and shut it behind her equally quickly, looking slightly out of breath. "I didn't think I would get away!" she muttered. Severus put his quill down and stared at her in surprise. Her hair..his mouth twitched.
"Don't ask what happened to me, just don't!" Hermione said with dejection as she walked over to him where he was sitting behind his desk, visibly relaxing when he reached out and pulled her down onto his lap.
"It looks like you had a duel with a hairdresser..and the hairdresser won," he murmured in curiosity, reaching up a hand to gently tug one of her plaits. For indeed, instead of her usual plait, most of her hair was now arranged in numerous tiny plaits.
"Lavender and Parvati decided I needed a 'girls night' with them so they could console me for breaking up with Ron," Hermione sighed, blushing slightly in spite of herself to be sitting on his lap, feeling the warm strength of his legs underneath. Her friends had been too determined to have their way despite her excuse that she was busy, both of them agreeing with her in their room that she had done the right thing to separate from Ron ('anyone could see you weren't suited') and had spent a lot of time discussing the favourable attributes of the Gryffindor Quidditch team ('or the Slytherin team if you want to walk on the wild side like we did!'). She had barely made it out their room alive...
"I see.." Severus murmured, holding a plait up into the candlelight and looking closely at it. "Beads??" he enquired delicately, for small brown beads had been woven into the plaits.
"Don't laugh!" Hermione warned.
"As you wish," Severus murmured, seeking her mouth with his. With the sensation of her kisses in return and her warm arms moving to enclose him he could feel the coldness in his soul retreat, as it had last night when her warmth had surrounded him. She shifted restlessly on him and he bit back a cry of want. But despite his urge to carry her to his bed there were matters that needed to be discussed. Or rather, the matter of a certain wizard. He inwardly sighed and broke off the kiss.
Hermione made a soft sound of protest and went to kiss him again but he forestalled her by placing a hand over her mouth. "In a moment. Stop that..." he ordered in a strained voice when she gently licked his fingers. "I need to know about Sirius."
Hermione paused. Of course, she was to discuss the matter of Sirius with him. But was it her fault that all rational thought seemed to fly out of her head at the sight of Severus, who still radiated a brooding sensuality even when he was doing his best right now to glower at her. Very well. She might as well make it easier on them both for now, too. "All right, I'll go and get another chair," she sighed but when she went to stand up she felt his arm wrap around her waist and firmly pull her back onto his lap. "Stay. I do have enough self-control not to ravish you...yet," he said dryly. "Now, as I was saying, Sirius appears to be taking a certain...interest in you at the moment. Why is this?"
Hermione hesitated. She had made up her mind to tell him but explanations could be tricky. "Well," she began, "do you remember when we had that snow fight?"
Despite his determination to let his intellect rule, his eyes became a simmering black and his hand wandered down her spine. "I do," he murmured. "For a while there I forgot to loathe snow, for which you are to be blamed."
Hermione tried to ignore what his low-pitched voice was doing to her insides, coughed and made herself continue. "Well, it turns out that Sirius had er, been watching it. All of it."
Severus frowned and straightened slightly in the chair, muttering something under his breath that sounded like "damn voyeur". "Go on", he said tersely.
"Well, he came up to me later on and said that he thought I had more sense than to 'get involved' with you and that you would only hurt me. I didn't really believe him, although later I thought he had a point....", Hermione said reluctantly.
Severus opened his mouth to say something scathing about Sirius and his parentage when he paused, his mouth twisting. As much as he hated to admit it, Sirius had only been looking out for her at the time. When he noticed remembered hurt on Hermione's face his eyes flickered and he lifted a hand to gently touch her cheek. "You know if it were possible to take back the pain and start afresh with you the right way I would?" he said in a quiet, intense voice.
Hermione's mouth curved upwards in a small smile and she moved her cheek gently against his hand. "Yes, I know." Then she sobered. "I'm worried that when Sirius finds out about us - especially now - he might do something, like accuse you of 'seducing' me again and challenge you to a duel. I would hate for that to happen."
His eyes narrowed to slits but he kissed Hermione gently in reassurance. "That won't happen. But if Sirius does anything as half as idiotic as that - and since he's deluded into thinking you and Ron are ideal for each other he might - but he would regret it. And I would enjoy every moment in proving that to him." he said flatly.
A rueful expression appeared on her face. "Sirius probably thinks Ron would have been the 'right one' for me, I agree."
"He would probably think that as well when you're rearing a house full of Weasley's screaming brats, reduced to using house cleaning spells while he waltzes off to play Quidditch with Potter!" he growled.
Hermione shuddered at the thought. "No, thank you. I would rather continue my study of Potions..as your apprentice, perhaps," she said truthfully, wondering how he would react for Severus rarely took on apprentices.
Severus drew his head back, a look of intrigued surprise on his face. "You really wish to, don't you?" he murmured, studying her intently. "Not just because of me..very well. Provided you pass your final exams with flying colours..which I don't doubt..(at that Hermione flushed with pleasure) you may have a six month trial as my apprentice. If you manage to create a variety of original formulas that meet my standards, and we are not sick to death of each other," he added dryly, "then you may become a full apprentice in your own right."
"Thank you!" Hermione said in sincere relief and hugged him, smiling.
"But do not expect any special favours from me though," he whispered against her neck.
"You rarely give out special favours at all so I won't expect any," she assured him.
"Ah, more impertinence from you I see," he purred, moving his fingers to softly caress her breast, his hand easily cupping it.
"I thought we were having a short break from that," Hermione gasped, arching against him.
"We were. But having established that Sirius is merely an annoyance to be ignored, the break is over," he said firmly, gathering her up in his arms and carrying her off to the direction of his bedroom. "Besides, it's late and time for you to be in bed...."
To which Hermione had no trouble in agreeing with him.
