A/N: OMG! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!! THIRTEEN REVIEWS IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS! WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO! DID I GET A SURPIRSE; THIS IS BETTER THAN MY BIRTHDAY! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! I SAW ALL THE REVIEWS AND HAVE WHIPPED OUT ANOTHER CHAPTER!! (Ravenously eats dogs biscuits dropped in from everyone)
Chapter 6: Now or Never
We are such stuff as dreams are made on…Hermione smiled. If only the magical world knew about Shakespeare. Hermione had spent the next few hours until dawn existing in a foggy world of bliss and dream. Severus, the man who had terrorized her from the very beginning of school, came this close, to kissing her. She realized that all the events of the past summer and school year all made sense: the strange friendliness, staring at her in class, the pictures, the staircase, the astronomy tower; all lead to spell the words L, O, V, E.
Harry and Ron had been fast asleep on the couch as she had come into the common room; she just put blankets over them and went up to the girl's dormitory without waking them. They looked so tired, and I'm glad they didn't see me when I came in, my face would have betrayed me. She smiled, somehow she didn't seem the least bit scared about what this new day would bring. She moved to get dressed, but realized she had never changed into her nightgown in the first place. Shrugging, she strode downstairs to meet the beautiful morning.
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Severus had with a flick of his wand cleared the equipment from the astronomy tower, feeling a little disgruntled. He'd come this close to kissing a student, one named Hermione Granger.
But she just wasn't Miss Granger anymore. She was Hermione, radiating in intelligence and knowledge, wavy curls of ecstasy for hair, and two candied hazelnuts for eyes, high cheekbones leading at a too-perfect angle to her two moist, full, blossoming lips that called to him from a cavern in his soul that had been locked up by hate, grief, and loneliness.
Snape never thought of himself as an extremely emotional man, but right now he had a steady ache in his chest, threatening to eat him alive unless he touched that beautiful body, kissed those lips…Snape shook himself, realizing he had been daydreaming and found it to be seven in the morning. He had not had any sleep that night, but did it really matter anymore? He rose from his office and walked purposefully to the Great Hall, humming.
Anyone who knew any better would have thought there was something really funny going on between Hermione and Snape, most just thought they were both off their rockers for separate reasons, but it was quite the opposite.
For the rest of the day, Hermione and Severus both in turn were caught daydreaming, knocking over something, doodling absently on paper, gazing off into space, their mind obviously on something else. There was no Potions class for sixth years that day; Hermione would not see Snape until her detention.
I would ask him for detention for the rest of the year, just to be with him, thought Hermione. But unfortunately, this would be too suspicious and Ron and Harry, if anybody would know something was up. She did her homework in a blinding speed, shoving food at dinner, and sprinting up to the Gryffindor Tower to the girls' bathrooms to get herself ready for detention with Snape, or rather, Severus. She put lipstick on, a deep red, with a charm to keep it from rubbing off. Then she used some wizarding gel to put in her hair to make her stubborn wavy hair cascade down her back and shoulders in envious waves. Then she put on her normal school robes, but underneath put on a revealing dark forest green laced top with a ruffled black skirt that went a couple inches above her knees.
By the time seven o' clock rolled around, Hermione had entered the Potions classroom, wearing what she thought would be a heavenly and irresistible perfume. Snape was waiting for her, and opened the door before she had a chance to knock. He coughed and then led her to the astronomy tower, where, once again, everything was set up.
Snape had walked very close behind Hermione, taking her in with his eyes. She smelled so good. Snape had the sudden urge to grab her and stop the ache in his body that had persisted him all day, it was worse than anything the Dark Lord could ever do to him. But, his mature, no-nonsense self kicked in, telling him he would have to resist and wait, but it was so hard.
Without a word, they set to work, working very close together, mentally communicating what was needed next in the Wolfsbane Potion. It had suddenly dawned on Hermione that previous night that the potion was for Remus Lupin, for the next month when he was to turn into a werewolf in two weeks.
The sexual, yes, sexual tension, was absolutely agonizing. They craved affection, something Snape had not really had felt since his own school years, and something Hermione was experiencing for the first time in her life.
Must…control….no, no, don't…dammit! Snape was having a world war inside his own head (if you can imagine that); he kept thinking, Kiss her, you big bloody coward, she's only a student! So what? But what will happen if we get caught? You won't, who would guess this? Severus Snape, in love? With Hermione Granger? No one. No one will know, just kiss her for god sake! He turned to look at the Hermione, and his jaw dropped and clattered onto his lap.
Hermione had taken off her school robes, apparently too warm in them; to reveal a low top, green (he smiled, a Slytherin color) and a short black skirt that he swore broke the school dress code. She was actually sexy. Severus Snape stood up; it was now or never.
Hermione turned to find Snape staring into her eyes; she was ready to lose herself in those ebony eyes, full of mystery, and sink into the pools of pleasure seen through the window of his eyes. His tall, comforting figure under those endless layers of robes, which, she suddenly observed, had disappeared, to reveal his true body shape. He was really, well, buff. He bulged with muscle, which sloped over his shoulders, back, and arms, and most likely his legs too. He was wearing a sleeveless tight fitting black tee shirt with black pants; it looked funny to see her Professor in such Muggle-looking clothes, but he was hot.
Snape closed the distance first, deciding he should take the initiative in this situation, being the older man. He took her face delicately in his hands, cupping his hands under her chin, and placed his forehead against hers, breathing deeply. Hermione lifted her arms to grace around his neck like vines, staring deeply into his eyes. She placed a kiss gently on his cheek, as if daring him to answer her challenge. Then Severus, her teacher, kissed her.
It was nothing like Hermione had ever experienced. Like a hot, prickling thick liquid, the kiss washed over her body, warmth dripping like red-hot liquid metal pouring down from her lips down her back all the way to her feet. She was filled with such passion she stood on tiptoe, burying her fingers in his hair, which was not greasy at all, but soft and silky. She did not bother breathing, that wasted too much of her energy. They kissed hungrily, barely stopping for air.
Severus Snape's ache in his chest and body was replaced with numerous explosions of sparks, his heart, surprisingly, beating slowly and rhythmically, his palms sweaty as one wrapped around her waist, the other buried in her hair. A hot, fiery emotion he had not felt ever in his entire life consumed him; lust. Hermione finally was about to faint from lack of oxygen, so she broke the kiss first. Snape looked at Hermione for the first time since they'd kissed, realizing with a ton of bricks smacking into his face and a million Impediment curses hitting his chest; he was kissing a student.
"This, is, insane," whispered Snape, trembling.
"Well, I may remind you that you kissed me first," Hermione said playfully, gently massaging his shoulders with her fingers.
"But…I, we, HERMIONE!" Hermione had reached around and squeezed his ass. "What the bloody fucking hell are you doing?" he gasped, turning a deep purple.
"Hmm, let me think about that, oh yeah, fraternizing with my teacher," said Hermione, amused.
"This isn't funny! Someone must've slipped something into our drinks, no doubt Remus, sick prat, at the Order. A love potion, yes, to make us fall for each other!"
"No, Severus," Hermione whispered, "This kind of love doesn't come from a potion," she stated, her voice brimming with affection.
"So, you're telling me that this is real? That we are kissing by our own will; you are touching me in inappropriate ways-STOPPIT! WHAT DID I JUST SAY??" Hermione had squeezed his ass again, laughing a full-throated laugh, showing all her beautiful white teeth; Snape did not care if they were straight or not.
"Is the Professor going to take fifty points away from poor Hermione? Or give, me, gasp, more detention?" taunted Hermione in a singsong voice.
"Ha, ha, no. This Professor is going to shut you up by kissing you," and with that, he swept her into another deep kiss, except this time much more gentle and lingering. He stroked a finger along her collarbone, and kissed her neck, and she reached up to kiss his eyelids, Snape running his hands down her back, then, slowly, ever so slowly, began to undo the laces that tied her shirt, with Hermione's fingers gently easing up his black shirt and slipping it off.
"Damn laces, can't get them undone." Hermione snorted with amusement as she rested her cheek against his bare chest. He kissed the top of her head gently, pulling her close.
They did not notice the soft padding footsteps of another person slowly climb the stairs to investigate on why the astronomy tower lights were out but voices could still be heard coming from the tower, well past midnight, coming closer to the tower door and the two within.
A/N: Ha! I wrote this immediately after I saw the reviews for chapter 5 (on Wednesday) on a school night! Keep 'em coming! I have risked much in this chapter, and who the hell is going to walk in on Severus and Hermione?? (Heehee, I can feel the power…) Yes, the reason behind the title was revealed, sorry, it's a bit corny, but so what! Wheeeeee!