I do not own one single solitary character or setting portrayed in this fic. I have no claim upon any part of the wonderful works of fiction created and owned solely by J.K. Rowling.

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Although still perplexed by Severus's unexpected comment, Hermione's curiosity about their temporary home consumed her as she stepped out of the elevator. She had not missed Roxana's comment about theirs being the only two units on the floor. As the Strand was a large building, she realized that the flats must be very large indeed.

With her very first glance she took in a moderately sized seating area similar in style to the one in the lobby. The only difference between the two, amazingly, was that their private seating area was done up in the Gryffindor colors. While she realized the decorator did not know Gryffindor from Schmiffindor, Hermione felt something akin to relief wash through her. She feasted her eyes approvingly on the burgundy and gold striped loveseat positioned opposite the elevator. Severus either did not notice or did not care. He was too busy searching his pockets for the key given to him by Mr. Corman.

"Damn!" he swore as is hand nearly broke through the fabric of his trousers while he searched his front pockets in vain. Unused to the small size of a muggle key, his search had caused him to circle around with his back to Hermione. Next, he shrugged his coat off and began to rummage its pockets in frustration. Hermione, who was beginning to feel impatient herself, was shaking her head at his antics when she suddenly spied a suspicious shape his rear pocket. It was the elusive key. Its small shape was highly visible because Snape, his hands plunging deeply in his front pockets, had pulled the fabric of his trousers tautly across his backside. Hermione's slight discomfort with his previous conversation was quickly replaced with fascination as her eyes took in this shapely, round, and very muscular part of his anatomy.

"Ummm, Severus?" she asked haltingly, "Severus, I think the key is in your back pocket."

"Thanks for telling me that now that I've just realized that fact!" he snapped over his shoulder.

"Hold still, perhaps I can help."

Hermione gently slid two fingers into the tight space of his back pocket. She immediately felt a rush of heat pass through her. This was the closest she had ever come to touching a man's rear end.

Severus, on the other hand, remained frozen as she slowly extracted the key from his pocket. He could feel her warm breath on the back of his neck, and he could feel himself beginning to respond physically to her touch. His reaction continued after she extracted the key. Neither of them moved as they each sought to get hold of their emotions before facing each other.

"Thank you," said Severus several seconds after a thank you was technically required. He calmly took the key from her and proceeded the few short steps to the end of the hall. There they found two doors standing across from each other. Hermione held up the crumpled paper with their address, and Severus inserted the key into the lock of an ornately detailed mahogany door on their left.

She noticed that his hand was shaking. She sensed intuitively that his awareness of her, as a woman, was the cause of his mild tremors. For Professor Snape's hand motions were considered to be extremely graceful. She wondered at his vulnerability and experienced a satisfaction that had the elusive characteristics that one of ten felt after winning something. She liked this thought so much that she felt a sliver of anticipation zip through her. She decided that she would like to try to elicit a similar response from him again. Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard Severus mutter,

"Ah, success at last!"

The door opened into a dimly lit entryway, which contained an ornate brass coat rack and an elegant gate-legged chair. They proceeded with tentative steps into the depths of the flat. They were both feeling anxious but for different reasons. As Hermione took in the opulent surroundings of her new home, she felt excited in a way she had never been before. Here before her was not only a place of beauty, but one of adventure as well. Incredibly, she was alone in a foreign country with an interesting man and no one to supervise her behavior. It no longer mattered that the man was Professor Snape. He had changed somehow during the course of their afternoon together. He had become someone infinitely more interesting and attractive to her.

"Perhaps there is something in this foreign air," she thought.

Severus felt nervous. Despite his intimidating ways, he knew he was going to have to rely on Hermione to help ease his transition into such completely unfamiliar surroundings. His eyes took in the luxury that surrounded him. The room before him was as ornate as the formal rooms in his boyhood home. Although, at the same time it was different in that it opened onto a hallway that appeared to run the length of the flat. It was like half of a mansion.

"Oh Severus," cooed Hermione. "This is beautiful. Come on, let's explore."

Taking him by the hand as if he were Edmund, and she Lucy, from "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe," Hermione artlessly pulled him along behind her. Once again, he felt disturbingly aware of her palm pressed closely to his. "What is it about this girl?" he thought. "She does something to me." Severus only half-acknowledged Hermione's enthusiasms as they began to explore. He had spent most of his life living in opulent homes, so this foreign, muggle version made no significant impact on him. He was relieved; however, to know that they were to live in comfort. His concern was not with the place, but rather with their situation. Foremost in his mind was the fact that he had never lived alone with a woman.

Despite his tendency to mistreat Hermione at school, he had long ago formed a grudging respect for Hogwart's best student. How could he not? She had shown on more than one occasion that she possessed a strength that eclipsed many of her teachers. Of course, she had that obnoxious Gryffindorian thirst for valor and heroism that was so unnecessary. However, unlike Potter and the Weasley boy, Hermione's Gryffindor character flaws were tempered with a pragmatism he seldom witnessed in magic folk of the purest blood.

Hermione Granger was the first muggle born student to ever gain his respect in his class. He was ashamed to admit that until she had come to Hogwarts, he had been tolerant of muggle borns but still mildly prejudiced. He'd assumed that their capabilities were less than those of pure blood. With Hermione it was impossible for a master teacher like himself to remain bigoted. She possessed in abundance those qualities that were the most desirable in their shared world. Her presence had actually served to strengthen his commitment to fight the Dark Lord, because he'd learned that he did not know very much about the potential of a muggle born witch or wizard. Perhaps there were dozens of Hermione's waiting to further enlighten them all.

Hermione's studiousness, her penchant for asking one to many questions, and her thirst for knowledge were equal to his own zest for acquisition of knowledge. Of course he went about the matter in a much more controlled and tasteful manner she did. However, it was because of their similarity of mind that he had rebuffed her continuously since she had come to Hogwarts. So while he admired her, he equally resented her for inspiring such an unfavorable comparison to himself. Perhaps if she had been in Slytherin house he would have been able to deal with the situation in a less aggressive manner.

He realized once again that he must maintain a professional distance between them while away from the school. It would never do for her to suspect that he was not as apathetic about her as she currently believed him to be. He had spent too much time cultivating his professorial solitude to jeopardize it for Hermione Granger.

"So, what do you think?" she asked.

"It'll do," he replied in a bored voice.

"You've got to be kidding Severus! Did you see the library! I can't believe I'm staying in what's probably one of the most expensive flats in America.

Severus remained silent.

"Come on," she said, "Let's go look at the bedrooms."

Once again she took his hand. He felt the now familiar charge pass through him as his skin made contact with hers. He wondered why she was so comfortable touching him. This was indeed unusual for a student. Contradicting his recent decision to maintain some distance between them, he decided he liked the way her hand felt in his. They continued down the long passageway as she opened doors to the left and right of them. There looked to be at least five bedrooms he thought as she opened the last door to the right.

"Ohhh," she breathed as they entered into a brightly colored room containing a large bed surrounded by sheer white hangings that flowed from a ringed centerpiece above it. "This is beautiful! I want to sleep here," she said sounding like a child. There was a door on the opposite side of the room next to a fireplace with an elaborate mantel. She wasted no time in pulling him in the direction of it. The door opened onto a large bathroom that was so impressive even Severus admired it.

Done up in bold shades of black and gold, the centerpiece of the room was a tub that looked like it had been poured from twenty-four karat gold. Six black marble steps led up to it. Against the longest wall was an immense shower. Severus, who had only lived in old homes, had never seen anything like it. It appeared to have over ten different showerheads. At the top of it was a large, rectangular faucet that looked as if it would provide a mini waterfall instead of a shower. Also in the room were separate vanity areas and a closed off room that must have contained the loo.

"I don't know which one I want to try first," said Hermione enthusiastically, "A bath or a shower."

Severus felt himself grow warm at the thought of her indulging in either. She, meanwhile had pulled him through another door into what was obviously a dual dressing area, and through a final one that lead to the other bedroom in what he now realized was the master suite.

"Wow!" said Hermione, "If this room doesn't have your name on it...."

For once, Severus had to readily agree with her, for this second bedroom was done up primarily in black. The centerpiece of it was a large bed with a thick black satin down comforter spread across it invitingly. It was masculine, but he felt disinclined to discuss the matter as he suddenly felt the effects of their too long day.

"Do you realize," he asked, "That everyone at Hogwarts has been in bed for hours. I'm hungry, but I think I'm too tired to eat."

"Well, I could whip up something for us," offered Hermione. "But I didn't notice a stocked pantry or refrigerator when we were in the kitchen. We could order out for a pizza I suppose."

"Excuse me," asked Severus in perplexed sarcasm. "Do I look like the sort of man to order in pizza. I have a better idea. Let's just wait to eat in the morning, because if we eat now it will feel like we're eating a large meal in the middle of the night. Which of course we are.....but.......At any rate, I saw something much more suited to the late hour, namely cognac. Go change into something comfortable and we'll have a drink before bed."

"But Severus," replied Hermione in mounting excitement, "Students aren't allowed to drink alcohol."

"My darling Hermione, after what we've endured today you can have the whole damned bottle as long as you share some with me. I'll see you in the library in a few minutes."

Hermione walked back to the front hall and grabbed her purchases from Duane Reed. As she approached her bedroom, she could here the sound of running water in their master bath. "Oh my," she realized, "I will be sharing a loo with him!" The thought embarrassed her so much that she quickly knocked, and then opened the door without waiting for him to answer. She haphazardly tossed his bag into the bathroom. She could hear his muffled curse as the stuff hit the marble floor noisily. She then quickly grabbed her new pajamas and went across the hall to another smaller bathroom where she showered and brushed her teeth. She was still in the process of brushing her hair as she proceeded to the library for her cognac. She felt concerned that she would seem like a gauche little girl to him. While she was no stranger to alcohol, she had never shared a glass with an adult of such refined taste and character as Severus Snape.

She felt relieved when she entered the library and found he was not there. Although, the presence of a roaring fire indicated that he had been there and left. She also realized that she too was very tired. Without thinking, she sat down on the soft rug in front of the fire and relaxed into the languorous feel of her hairbrush as she prepared to braid her hair for the night.

This was how Severus found her when he reentered the library carrying two snifters and an open bottle of Carte Noire. He felt transfixed by her as he watched her calmly pulling the brush through her long beautiful hair. Seated in front of the fire as she was, its light turned her hair into pure gold. Her youthful beauty took his breath away. A falling log broke the spell and he began to move toward her suddenly. She looked up at him with a dreamy smile on her face as he poured the cognac into the glasses. He reached down to hand a glass to her, and as she took it from his hand her fingers passed gently over his. At this contact she looked up and smiled at him in seductive innocence. Severus realized that the apparent invitation in her smile was unintentional; however, he could not stop his body's immediate reaction to her. As he felt himself harden in response to her, he had no other choice but to abruptly bid her good night.

Hermione felt a mixture of confusion, hurt, and disappointment as she watched him leave the room. "That," she said aloud, "Was positively Snapey." Without his company, the evening had suddenly become dull and she began to feel less excited and more fatigued with each passing second. For once, she didn't feel like being in a library, so she set the much- anticipated cognac on the side table without taking a sip and took herself off to bed.

She thought she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Instead, she found herself reviewing the entire events of the day. She was just wondering how Harry and Sirius were faring when she heard Severus bellowing her name from the master bath. Startled, she jumped out of bed and opened the door.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but...er, could you take a look at this bed for me."

Hermione followed behind him completely perplexed. "What in the world?" she thought.

As they entered the room, Severus dramatically held out a muscular arm and pointed at the bed saying, "That is not a bed!"

"What do you mean?" she replied stupidly. "Of course it's a bed. What else could it be?"

"No, no it's not. Watch this," he said as he laid his hand lightly on top of the down comforter. As he pressed harder, she noticed a slight ripple beneath the covers. She began to laugh.

"Severus?" she questioned looking at him as if he had two heads, "It's a waterbed."

"Excuse me, but it's a what?"

"A waterbed Silly! Haven't you ever slept in a waterbed?"

"You seem to forget Ms. Granger that I am not from the muggle world."

His sudden use of the formal "Ms. Granger" caused Hermione to realize that she had embarrassed him. Eager to get him back to his relaxed, informal cognac-offering self, Hermione decided to placate him by showing him how comfortable the bed could be. "I'm sorry Severus," she said teasingly. "You've seemed so comfortable today that I'd forgotten that much of this is unfamiliar to you. You'll just have to take my word on this one. You will love sleeping in this bed. Here, I'll show you."

With that she proceeded to lie down on top of the bed. Two factors immediately struck her. First of all, the bed was heated. She could feel its warmth seeping through the thick down comforter. Secondly, the bed itself was lovely. In fact, it was so comfortable that she immediately began to feel her body relax into its warm comfort.

Severus felt paralyzed as he watched her stretch herself full out on his bed. She was scantily dressed; having purchased nightclothes that consisted of thin pants and a dreaded tank top. Her full breasts seemed to relax under the weight of her top and spilled out slightly on either side. Severus once again shifted uncomfortably. He was as hard as a rock. He sat there staring at her for several minutes before calling softly out to her.

"Hermione.....Hermione.....I understand now.....Hermione......You can get up."

But there was no response. Severus realized in sudden horror that she had fallen asleep in his waterbed.