Ron stared. Clearly the picture was not getting to him.
"But you LIKE it?? When he touches you?!" He asked, his eyes wide and untrustful. Harry's demeanor had softened, and she mouthed 'thank you' to him silently. He nodded.
"YES, Ron!! I do. Why is that so hard to understand??" Hermione asked, her voice sharper than she had intended. Ron crossed his arms.
"I don't believe you. I don't."
Snape shrugged. Hermione glared. Suddenly she grabbed Snape's shoulders and pulled him to her. She pressed her lips to his, and his tongue slid into her mouth. His hand roamed over her back, rubbing her neck, and pulling through her hair. Harry looked away. Ron stared, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped. Hermione let out a moan and Harry cringed. Snape continued to feast on her skin, dropping bruising kisses all the way down her neck to the low neckline on her pjs. Hermione looked up, a steel gaze in her eyes as she watched Ron while Snape's lips still moved against her flesh. She then released his gaze to pull his face up to hers and kiss him deeply again. Ron looked like he was going to be sick.
"See?" Hermione said defiantly. She punctuated every word. "I. Like. It!!!" Snape pulled away from her, licking his lips slightly. Harry saw this and resisted the urge to vomit. He turned to Ron.
"There? Have you got your bloody proof now?!" He was angry, Hermione was angry, Snape was, well, not quite so angry. Had Ron really stopped to think about it he would have thought this rather odd, but apparently it was rather hard to be angry when Hermione Granger had her tongue in your mouth. A hot swoop of jealousy sprang through him, and he let out a frustrated growl before turning and storming out of the room. Hermione looked pleadingly at Harry.
"Yeah, I'll talk to him." He muttered before turning to leave. Hermione was at him just as he opened the door.
"You realize what would happen if certain people found out about this?" She asked, her voice laced with something darker. Harry nodded.
"You know you can trust Ginny obviously, and I won't say anything." He looked at her.
"Ron?" Hermione's voice was weak, she was worried.
"Ron's been after you for years, Hermione. He never had the guts or brains to go after you though. He's not going to want to go telling the world he lost you to Snape." He took a look at the professor, who raised an eyebrow. "Professor Snape." Harry corrected himself, and Hermione pulled him into a tight embrace. Cautious and very confused, Harry pulled away and left. He shut the door behind him, and Hermione heard the lock click into place.
In a flash Hermione was in Snape's arms. Down her cheek ran tears she hadn't known she'd been suppressing, but when he held her in his strong hands she felt safe. She whispered to him.
"Oh Severus! What are we going to do?" She breathed warmly into his chest, and he sighed, pulling his arms tighter around her.
"Shh, Hermione. Everything's going to be okay." He dropped his head to rest on hers, rocking back and forth slightly, the same as he would do to a child. Hermione stopped crying to speak.
"Why do they have to be such jackasses?! WHY is Ron so stupid?!" Her fists pounded into her bed, and Severus picked each one up in his own hands and kissed the tops of them.
"They'll come around, Hermione. Don't worry." Her tears soaked through his robes, and his embrace was crushing in a comfortable way. Hermione breathed deeply into his chest. Vaguely she noticed how nice he smelled.
"I'm here for you now." He whispered, and Hermione's tears eventually stopped. She looked up at him. Her cheeks were pale, her nose red, and her eyes had turned a different shade, but she was beautiful to Severus. He picked her up and helped her to her feet.
"Take me to your rooms. I don't want to sleep here tonight, and I want to feel you next to me." Hermione spoke softly, but Snape caught every word. He could pick her voice out through all of the noise in his classroom every time she spoke, and he listened as intently now as he would then. Hermione held him tightly as they stepped into the fire, and out into his rooms.
Snape lit a fire and warmed the bed with a spell. When he came out from the bathroom she was already in bed. Assuming she was asleep, he pulled the covers up and climbed in gingerly next to her. She was awake still, however, and spoke softly.
"Through everything that happens in this world, you're still you." And then, soft as a whisper, she began to sing, and Snape found himself transfixed, watching her full lips and hearing her voice.
"Through the darkness, I can see your light
And you will always shine, and I can feel your heart in mine,
Your face I've memorized,
I idolize just you.
I look up to...everything you are.
In my eyes you do no wrong,
I've loved you for so long, and after all is said and done,
You're still you.
After all, you're still you.
You walk past me...I can feel your pain.
Time changes everything, one truth always stays the same,
You're still you.
I will remember you, and what life put you through.
And is this cruel, and lonely world, I found one love...
You're still you.
After all, you're still you."
And when Severus reached down to stroke her hair and ask her about her song she was already asleep. He curled up next to her, and pulled the covers up to her ears, just the way she liked. He sighed, and wrapped his arms carefully around the girl next to him. In his mind a battle was being fought. Yes, he did dislike Potter and Weasley very, very much. But they were also Hermione's friends, and he would endure endless amounts of pain if her meant her happiness. Surely he could try to get to know the two of them a little better; perhaps be a little more friendly to them when not in class, filled with watching and suspicious eyes. Severus sighed. As much as he loved Hermione, getting to love her friends wasn't going to be easy. He had rather enjoyed their expressions as he kissed Hermione, making Ron believe her. He shook his head. How was he going to befriend two seventh year boys?! He rolled his eyes under his eyelids, since they were closed. And soon he fell into a restful sleep, his arms tightening around Hermione and pulling her to his warmth. In her sleep she smiled.
***************************************************
Emily Samantha sat a little uncomfortably in Professor Dumbledore's office. She kept crossing and uncrossing her legs, a fact than did not go unnoticed by her Headmaster. Besides for Flitwick, they were the only two in the room. Emily wasn't sure whether or not the absence of the Minister of Magic was in her favor, but she decided to be thankful. If things went wrong she could find herself in more than just a bit of trouble. Fortunately, she had managed to create an alibi. And a good one at that. She smiled inwardly despite her nervousness.
A/N: fanfare please!!! This, as the readers who've read the original version of this story will know, is where it leaves off. This is the cliff hanger I left myself to deal with last summer! Geez. So don't feel bad when I leave you in suspense, I do it to myself too. Except now I've got to get myself out of it! I'm going to start writing today. I'll have a chapter up in no more than two days, but it might not be as long as the others. I'd also like to ask a favor. Since this is new stuff, and I'd rather just get it up rather than proofread it myself a million times, I'm asking if one of you would please help me. I'd like someone who is proficient at grammar and who knows the story well, so they can catch me if I do something stupid and contradict myself (as I found when I proofread all of the previous chapters!). Someone who can read a chapter and get it back to me the same day, and someone who can do this any given day of the week would be absolutely wonderful. Please email me at thepurplebunni@hotmail.com if you are interested. THANKS!
"But you LIKE it?? When he touches you?!" He asked, his eyes wide and untrustful. Harry's demeanor had softened, and she mouthed 'thank you' to him silently. He nodded.
"YES, Ron!! I do. Why is that so hard to understand??" Hermione asked, her voice sharper than she had intended. Ron crossed his arms.
"I don't believe you. I don't."
Snape shrugged. Hermione glared. Suddenly she grabbed Snape's shoulders and pulled him to her. She pressed her lips to his, and his tongue slid into her mouth. His hand roamed over her back, rubbing her neck, and pulling through her hair. Harry looked away. Ron stared, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped. Hermione let out a moan and Harry cringed. Snape continued to feast on her skin, dropping bruising kisses all the way down her neck to the low neckline on her pjs. Hermione looked up, a steel gaze in her eyes as she watched Ron while Snape's lips still moved against her flesh. She then released his gaze to pull his face up to hers and kiss him deeply again. Ron looked like he was going to be sick.
"See?" Hermione said defiantly. She punctuated every word. "I. Like. It!!!" Snape pulled away from her, licking his lips slightly. Harry saw this and resisted the urge to vomit. He turned to Ron.
"There? Have you got your bloody proof now?!" He was angry, Hermione was angry, Snape was, well, not quite so angry. Had Ron really stopped to think about it he would have thought this rather odd, but apparently it was rather hard to be angry when Hermione Granger had her tongue in your mouth. A hot swoop of jealousy sprang through him, and he let out a frustrated growl before turning and storming out of the room. Hermione looked pleadingly at Harry.
"Yeah, I'll talk to him." He muttered before turning to leave. Hermione was at him just as he opened the door.
"You realize what would happen if certain people found out about this?" She asked, her voice laced with something darker. Harry nodded.
"You know you can trust Ginny obviously, and I won't say anything." He looked at her.
"Ron?" Hermione's voice was weak, she was worried.
"Ron's been after you for years, Hermione. He never had the guts or brains to go after you though. He's not going to want to go telling the world he lost you to Snape." He took a look at the professor, who raised an eyebrow. "Professor Snape." Harry corrected himself, and Hermione pulled him into a tight embrace. Cautious and very confused, Harry pulled away and left. He shut the door behind him, and Hermione heard the lock click into place.
In a flash Hermione was in Snape's arms. Down her cheek ran tears she hadn't known she'd been suppressing, but when he held her in his strong hands she felt safe. She whispered to him.
"Oh Severus! What are we going to do?" She breathed warmly into his chest, and he sighed, pulling his arms tighter around her.
"Shh, Hermione. Everything's going to be okay." He dropped his head to rest on hers, rocking back and forth slightly, the same as he would do to a child. Hermione stopped crying to speak.
"Why do they have to be such jackasses?! WHY is Ron so stupid?!" Her fists pounded into her bed, and Severus picked each one up in his own hands and kissed the tops of them.
"They'll come around, Hermione. Don't worry." Her tears soaked through his robes, and his embrace was crushing in a comfortable way. Hermione breathed deeply into his chest. Vaguely she noticed how nice he smelled.
"I'm here for you now." He whispered, and Hermione's tears eventually stopped. She looked up at him. Her cheeks were pale, her nose red, and her eyes had turned a different shade, but she was beautiful to Severus. He picked her up and helped her to her feet.
"Take me to your rooms. I don't want to sleep here tonight, and I want to feel you next to me." Hermione spoke softly, but Snape caught every word. He could pick her voice out through all of the noise in his classroom every time she spoke, and he listened as intently now as he would then. Hermione held him tightly as they stepped into the fire, and out into his rooms.
Snape lit a fire and warmed the bed with a spell. When he came out from the bathroom she was already in bed. Assuming she was asleep, he pulled the covers up and climbed in gingerly next to her. She was awake still, however, and spoke softly.
"Through everything that happens in this world, you're still you." And then, soft as a whisper, she began to sing, and Snape found himself transfixed, watching her full lips and hearing her voice.
"Through the darkness, I can see your light
And you will always shine, and I can feel your heart in mine,
Your face I've memorized,
I idolize just you.
I look up to...everything you are.
In my eyes you do no wrong,
I've loved you for so long, and after all is said and done,
You're still you.
After all, you're still you.
You walk past me...I can feel your pain.
Time changes everything, one truth always stays the same,
You're still you.
I will remember you, and what life put you through.
And is this cruel, and lonely world, I found one love...
You're still you.
After all, you're still you."
And when Severus reached down to stroke her hair and ask her about her song she was already asleep. He curled up next to her, and pulled the covers up to her ears, just the way she liked. He sighed, and wrapped his arms carefully around the girl next to him. In his mind a battle was being fought. Yes, he did dislike Potter and Weasley very, very much. But they were also Hermione's friends, and he would endure endless amounts of pain if her meant her happiness. Surely he could try to get to know the two of them a little better; perhaps be a little more friendly to them when not in class, filled with watching and suspicious eyes. Severus sighed. As much as he loved Hermione, getting to love her friends wasn't going to be easy. He had rather enjoyed their expressions as he kissed Hermione, making Ron believe her. He shook his head. How was he going to befriend two seventh year boys?! He rolled his eyes under his eyelids, since they were closed. And soon he fell into a restful sleep, his arms tightening around Hermione and pulling her to his warmth. In her sleep she smiled.
***************************************************
Emily Samantha sat a little uncomfortably in Professor Dumbledore's office. She kept crossing and uncrossing her legs, a fact than did not go unnoticed by her Headmaster. Besides for Flitwick, they were the only two in the room. Emily wasn't sure whether or not the absence of the Minister of Magic was in her favor, but she decided to be thankful. If things went wrong she could find herself in more than just a bit of trouble. Fortunately, she had managed to create an alibi. And a good one at that. She smiled inwardly despite her nervousness.
A/N: fanfare please!!! This, as the readers who've read the original version of this story will know, is where it leaves off. This is the cliff hanger I left myself to deal with last summer! Geez. So don't feel bad when I leave you in suspense, I do it to myself too. Except now I've got to get myself out of it! I'm going to start writing today. I'll have a chapter up in no more than two days, but it might not be as long as the others. I'd also like to ask a favor. Since this is new stuff, and I'd rather just get it up rather than proofread it myself a million times, I'm asking if one of you would please help me. I'd like someone who is proficient at grammar and who knows the story well, so they can catch me if I do something stupid and contradict myself (as I found when I proofread all of the previous chapters!). Someone who can read a chapter and get it back to me the same day, and someone who can do this any given day of the week would be absolutely wonderful. Please email me at thepurplebunni@hotmail.com if you are interested. THANKS!