Second to last chapter, everyone, a big YAY! I hope this satisfies any S/H cravings. Warning though to all readers, there is a semi-graphic sex scene in this chapter…kiddies beware. If you don't like it, or you're under age, I suggest playing somewhere else.

Ch. 7

Part Two

My Fantasy

Ron was right, in his own way, a bit of air would do her good. Hermione grabbed her cloak from inside the common room and left through the portrait hole, she really didn't care if she was late. After glancing at her muggle watch and seeing that it was only 1:00 'Mione walked out of the stone corridors into the overcast day. It was amazing how the skies were matching her mood, gloomy and grey, she had always thought that the atmosphere around Hogwarts picked up on her particular feelings.

If only the man wouldn't be so frustrating! Though she was loath to admit it, Hermione did find him attractive, extremely attractive. But he is a teacher! And a prat. Damn, damn, damn! It had been odd for Snape to admit his feelings to her, much more for her to even be considering them. Hermione allowed herself a smirk, what would Ron be thinking about her now? Oh, crap, she had forgot all about Ron, how was she going to break up with him? Complicated. She hated that word.

Hermione calmed herself and took a very deep breath, thinking in anger and frustration was no way to get through her problems. Shivering in her cloak, she looked up at the sky; more clouds were rolling in and it was getting colder. Weather in any part of the British Isles was impossible. The skies above her wished to prove her right as rain started falling, a rather cold rain, as a matter of fact. Hermione tried to walk back towards the castle but it was pouring buckets now and the sheets of rain were preventing her from seeing more than three feet ahead of her. The rain was turning the Hogwarts lawn into a bog and treacherous mud holes were starting to become prevalent in the once green grass.

A misstep and Hermione fell, twisting her ankle in the process. Cursing mentally, she drug herself up, limping in the direction that she thought Hogwarts stood. Ten minutes later, the gates of Hogwarts swam into view. Damn, damn, and damn! Hermione's step faltered and she leaned on the gates for support, this was making no sense at all. Not that anything at school ever did. Hermione sighed in annoyance and gingerly tested her weight on her leg again, the walk back was going to be difficult. Whatever had caused this storm wasn't going to let up, the question was what had exactly made it pop up.

The question was answered quickly when Hermione turned around once more to look in the direction of Hogwarts, her back against the gate. She didn't even have a chance to struggle when a hand snaked around the iron bars to grip her throat, choking the already weak Head Girl. Hermione thrashed about as well as she could but it didn't work. "No, girl, don't struggle, you'll only hurt yourself more. On second thought, go ahead, but you have to deliver a message to Dumbledore for me." She felt a wand point to her side and then searing pain ripped through her. Hermione screamed in agony and barely heard the maniacal laughter from the other side of the gate.

'Mione was let loose and fell to the ground. She knew without turning around that the attacker had apparated away already, there were no wards around the outside of the school. The young woman didn't even want to look at her side, it hurt enough as it was, she didn't need to see what damage the spell had caused and faint while trying to get back to school.

It was thirty minutes from hell to get back to the castle, and she was thankful that no one was in the halls. It didn't even strike Hermione as odd when she headed off towards the dungeons, more specifically to Snape's rooms. Her thoughts were muddled as it was, but the combination of a twisted ankle, the aftereffects of the curse, and the loss of blood that the curse caused had completely blanked her mind. It was becoming difficult to breathe by the time she reached Severus's door, Hermione slumped it, the oxygen in her blood becoming dangerously low. She didn't know how long it was before a serious looking Snape came to door, Hermione tried to smile, then fainted, blacking out before she even felt Severus catch her.

~o0o~

Severus gently lifted his student's prone form up and carried her into his rooms, it was too dangerous to take her up to the hospital wing. He placed Hermione onto his own bed to make sure that she was comfortable, at a closer look at the rain soaked girl the professor was aghast, how had she been able to even walk? After removing the cloak and her shoes he realized just how badly off Hermione was. Blood had soaked through her oxford shirt and her robes were clinging to her sides, while his healing skills were good, they weren't nearly that good. Severus needed to get Pomfrey down here right away. Before going to contact her and Albus through the floo, he wrapped Hermione up in a blanket. The girl was practically freezing, shivering while even unconscious.

As Severus contacted Albus, he noticed just how the man looked older than usual when he was told about Hermione. Dumbledore promised to get Madam Pomfrey and come down right away, until then, Snape just had to wait. And wait he did. Taking a place that Hermione's side, Severus grasped one of her cold hands in his own, hoping that she could be healed. Who ever had done this was going to pay, and pay dearly.

~o0o~

"Dear God, Albus, this is horrible. Miss Granger is in terrible shape, whomever did this to her isn't going to be on my good side." Poppy Pomfrey had even gasped when she examined Hogwart's Head Girl, no one should be wounded in that way. Whatever hex or curse that had been cast was extremely powerful, words were written, no cut, into Hermione's skin. At first, it had not seemed as horrible, but when the flesh refused to heal by magic, all started to worry. It was bad enough that she had been severely maimed, but it was worse that even Poppy didn't wish to move the poor girl to the hospital wing.

"Severus, Hermione will have to be kept here until her skin heals: if her body even so much as shifts the skin will break open again." Poppy turned back to the Headmaster, "I suggest that Severus look after her." It seemed as if Madam Pomfrey expected an argument from Snape because she plowed on. "These rooms are Severus's, he is closet to her, and I don't have time, plus there would be a panic once a student sees her. Let Professor Icona cover the class, no one is taking hers until next semester."

Severus carefully kept his face blank of emotions, if either suspected that he wished to stay with Hermione, they would wonder. But, Gods! This was his responsibility. He couldn't leave Hermione like this. Dumbledore didn't even hesitate in his answer, "Thank you, Poppy. I agree with you on this. Please tell Professor Snape what he needs to do. Possibly you could stabilize her first, too, Poppy." Dumbledore looked at Hermione again and seemed to shrink. It was disheartening.

"Professor Icona will take over your place immediately. I will tell Miss Grangers friends that she is on a potion's assignment with you in America, so please don't roam the halls. Keep her well," the Headmaster stared into Severus's eyes, shrugged, then left. Snape wondered what the old man had seen, but it didn't really matter anymore.

"Poppy, what do I need to do?"

~o0o~

"Harry, have you seen Hermione?"

Harry barely glanced up. "No, she's probably in the library."

"Oh, I'll see her later then, I guess." Ron sighed then went back to his homework.

~o0o~

It was dark, no, not exactly dark, just dim. And warm. It was comfortable. Hermione slowly realized that she was underneath a comforter, but she couldn't figure out why, nor could she understand why someone was holding her hand. She tried to move, but whimpered in pain when she tried. She could hear someone slit up and squeeze her hand.

"Go back to sleep, now, Hermione. You need your rest," She knew that voice, it was… it was… it was someone she needed, wanted. The name eluded her, but she felt safe, and fell back into a semi-comfortable sleep.

~o0o~

It wasn't unusual for Hermione to disappear at long stretches to the library, but not this long. Ron was starting to panic. HE had already searched the library and had come up with nothing, she wasn't in the common room, nor was she in the great hall. Ron had interrogated Ginny to find out if Hermione was in the girl's dormitory, but no luck. Now he was worried. Harry! That was it, Harry might know. I wish Dumbledore hadn't taken the map.

Ron barreled into the common room, where he had last seen Harry. "Harry? Harry, have you seen Hermione lately?" The redhead's chest heaved for a moment before he caught his breath.

"I haven't seen her since yesterday. I thought you had,"

"No, I haven't."

Harry began to look worried, "I just…she went to take a walk yesterday. I remember seeing her leave."

"There was that horrible storm yesterday, Good Gods! We have to go look for her." Ron dashed towards the door with Harry not too far behind, both trying to reconcile their guilt. Everything became a blur as they sped towards the school entrance, reflexes and intuition the only things that kept them from crashing into someone. But their reflexes weren't that quick: both Harry and Ron ended up in a head at Professor Dumbledore's feet, barely knocking down the old man.

"Sorry, Professor," Harry stuttered out, "We didn't see you there."

Dumbledore chuckled, "No, it seems not, where were you off to in such a hurry?"

Ron glanced at Harry quickly and turned back to the Headmaster. "We were looking for Hermione, sir."

"Oh, yes, Miss Granger is currently working in America with Professor Snape."

"Snape?!" Ron practically spat the name out.

"Yes, Professor Snape." Dumbledore admonished.

"Sorry, but what are they doing in America?" Harry smoothly sidestepped into the conversation, careful to keep Ron's anger under control.

"An advancement in medical potions, they had to leave quickly yesterday. Hermione asked me to tell you goodbye for her." Albus smiled at the two before wishing them a good day.

Harry sighed and Ron looked confused, "I didn't like the sound of that goodbye."

Ron agreed, "Me neither."

~o0o~

It was time to check on Hermione again, she had slept, but it was no telling how she had been affected. She looked like an angel when she slept: beautiful and innocent. The only thing was that Severus knew what marred her surface. From the girl's neck down was one huge scab, the symbols and words so casually cut into her only having recently started knitting back together. Snape knew that she would not only carry the physical scars, but the mental ones as well.

He heard a shift, then what should have been a scream from the bedroom and ran, hoping he wasn't too late. Snape came to a halt in front of his four poster—Hermione's eyes were those of a wild animal in fear. He would have to be careful, she could kill herself. "Hermione," he softly whispered.

Her eyes darted, feral, she was frightened. "Hermione," she eased down a little. "Hermione," some how he was at the edge of the bed, about to grab her hand. "Hermione," his mind eraled, Please come back to me.

A tense moment then the eyes…her eyes were human again. "hermione…" it was a question in a sigh.

"Severus," it was a sob, but she spoke and it had to be the best thing he had ever heard in his life.

"Hermione, you shouldn't be awake, your not healed, lay back down." It had come out in a rush, he was worried. Hermione laughed. "What? Hermione, please lay back down!" The laughter died to a quiet, but Hermione still smiled.

"I don't need to." She pulled the sheets back, not even worried about being mostly nude. Severus goggled.

The wounds were gone.

"Oh, Hermione," and Severus took Hermione into his arms, she didn't object.

~o0o~

"How did this happen? How did you heal? I saw and treated those wounds, even Poppy couldn't close them." Hermione just shrugged.

"I don't know. I woke up once and I couldn't remember anything, but then I woke up a second time and I felt as if every part of me was bleeding. Then I knew it was over." Somehow it wasn't coming together, it didn't fit.

"I should tell Albus that you're awake, he'll want to know about what happened." Snape got up to head towards the door, until Hermione put a hand on his arm.

"Please don't, Severus, I'm not ready to talk about it." When had she started calling him Severus? All he knew was that he liked it. The silence grew uncomfortable and Hermione spoke to fill the void. "How are we doing on the potions?"

"I still need your help on the Kokopeshi Pellia, but Pomfrey took over the Death Eater Catalyst." Severus looked at her strangely, but said nothing. Gods, he was so happy she was better.

"Severus?"

"Yes,"

"Do you love me?" Hermione hugged her knees to her chest, and looked at Severus through her lashes. She looked beautiful.

"I do, I know it's wrong but I do. Hermione, I love you."

She let her knees drop down, gently unfolding her limbs till she sat upright in her chair, facing him directly. There was an odd gleam in her eye, an aspect of herself that she had hidden possibly? "I'm sorry,"

Severus was confused, "Why?"

"Because I started something that I couldn't finish," and before Snape could ask, Hermione was on his lap. "But now I can." She lowered her head to his before finally meeting lips. This kiss wasn't innocent like the first time, it was deeper, darker. He couldn't understand her, but he no longer cared, she was in his arms and kissing him. This was his unattainable heaven. Hermione deepened the kiss, her tongue demanding entrance to Severus's mouth. She ran her hands up his chest, arms, tangling themselves into his silky hair before slowing herself down.

The kisses changed pace, they trailed lightly down. Hermione bit his lower lip and drew blood. Severus could taste it on his tongue, mingling with the taste of her: acrid and hot, while still being sweet. He watched her pull back and lick her lips, she wanted more, her eyes were dark with passion. "You were my fantasy, Severus." Hermione's hand helped him shrug off his robe, they both knew what the other wanted.

With shaking hands Severus reached out, the robe that was covering her was one of his own and came off easily. She was wearing only her under things, , he couldn't help but smirk at the thought. Hermione leaned farther back onto his knees and reached back behind her. Severus wanted to touch, to feel her smooth, lily-white flesh underneath his exploring hands. She didn't wish for him to, "Watch," so he did. Hermione was a goddess on this earth. They both fell into the sensations that were assaulting them. Rocking created friction, which only increased the steady moans that ripped from their throats in the throws of passion. In the final moments before climax, Severus watched with hazy eyes as Hermione rode him steadily. Somehow she had known what to do, and she had been a virgin, a spark went off in his mind, but was put out when her walls rippled around him. Severus let go along with the Goddess above him, the sweet sensation of sex won out, then the world exploded around him.

~o0o~

Hermione untangled her limbs from Severus and gathered her things, she smiled sadly at a bleary eyed Snape. "You always were my fantasy, thank you," a sigh, then, "I'm sorry." At this the man on the couch sat up.

"Hermione?" Severus fell into disbelief: Hermione Granger was gone.

.

..

Yes, I know, that was a horrible cliffhanger, but you still have one chapter left to read, trust me, it'll make more sense afterward. Before anyone points it out to me on a review, I did chicken out when it came to the sex scene, but my official word is that ff.net doesn't like anything really smutty. ;-) All I know is that I'm almost sure that I'm out of my writing slump, all the hectic things that have gone on in my life are pretty much gone, and since summer is approaching, (Or so my friends tell me, Seattle just isn't sunny) my schedule is freeing up. Be prepared for the next chapter, it may possibly be posted in two days.

~Her Lovers' Spy