Something to Worry About

Disclaimer: What makes you think I own them? Get royalties for them? Have anything but hopes of ever having them?! Sheesh….

A/N: See end of chapter.

~

It had been a long time since anyone had kissed him of their own free will. It felt good. No. Scratch that. It felt really good.

And this wasn't just a kiss. Or kissing. No. This was no-holds-barred snogging. That's right, snogging.

Not ordinary snogging, even. This was lips and teeth and tongues all over each other kind of snogging.

And she of the ever-bushy hair and explosive demeanor was snogging him against a wall. How they got there, he didn't remember. He didn't really care.

Her bum was clamped in his hands and he wanted it to stay there. Nice and soft. Just right for his palms. And he had found in his extensive investigation of the last twenty minutes that Hermione Granger was quite pleasantly plump in all of the right places. Who wanted a twig of a girl when you could have a voluptuous, curvy, sexy-

STUDENT!

He broke the kiss for the second time, pushing away the woman in his arms. No, not woman. Student. She was a student. His student. His assistant. This was wrong. Wrong-

"What's wrong?" she asked softly. Disappointment was stamped on her face. "Is it me? Is it some-"

He cut her off. "It's not you," he answered. "Well, it is, but it's not something you did."

"Then, what?" She looked somewhere between confused and relieved.

He took her hand in his, rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "You're a student. I'm your professor. It's not ethical."

"You're worried about professional ethics?"

"Yes. Even as an asset to the Order, Dumbledore still wouldn't hesitate to throw me out on my arse for getting involved with a student."

She thought about it, looking down at her fingers entwined with his. "I should probably go then."

"I think you should."

Disillusioned, she released herself from his grasp and took a few steps back. He averted his gaze as she tidied her appearance and picked up her schoolbag. "I'm still going to assist you, though, Professor." She looked him right in the eye.

"I don't think that that-"

She got close to him again. "Professor. Severus? Whether or not there are issues between us, you still need my help. Okay? I'm not going to tell anyone what just happened. It's between us."

He nodded.

She had just opened the door when he called her name. "Miss Granger?"

"Yes sir?"

"Be on time tomorrow."

She grinned. "Yes, Professor."

*

Ron nudged her, exasperated. "Honestly, Hermione, aren't you listening?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Ron. I didn't mean to… I was drifting away… What was the question?"

Ron looked at her, incredulous. "I asked you if you could help me study for the Potions test next Tuesday. Really, you've been on another planet for the last two days."

"Study tonight? I can't help you. I'm doing something else."

Both Harry and Ron looked crestfallen.

Ginny piped up from beside Harry. "You know, Hannah Abbot is in your Potions class, right? I heard she's top notch. You could ask her to tutor you during lunch."

Harry perked up, sending a look to the blonde Hufflepuff. He'd ask her as they left the Hall. But for now he would get back to his eggs and sausage.

Hermione sighed internally, and reached for the platter of breakfast croissants in front of her. She'd spent the last few days mulling over "The Incident" with the Professor. They'd not spoken about it, but the tension when they were alone was practically tangible.

You could cut it with a knife.

A butter knife.

A spoon.

She closed her eyes and was tempted to let her head crash into the table before her.

*

She was wandering in Transfiguration, too. So much so that McGonagal, in the middle of Hermione's daydream, snapped her fingers under the girl's nose, unable to otherwise get her attention.

"See me after class," the older woman said shortly.

Hermione, properly chastised, went back to her transfigurations.

McGonagal dismissed the class soon after, then took a seat at her desk and motioned Hermione to an extra chair, summoned from her office. Minerva rubbed her eyes tiredly beneath her glasses.

"What's bothering you, Hermione?"

Rarely had her professor been so familiar with her. Hermione fidgeted in her seat. "I don't know what you mean, Professor."

"Bollocks, girl. In all the years I've taught you, you've never been so unfocused. What's going on?"

"I- I don't want to talk about it. It's a private matter."

Minerva thought a moment before speaking. "Hermione, you know that you can talk to me whenever you want. Come to me when you're ready."

Hermione nodded, eyes averted. "Professor?"

"Yes?"

"If I tell you part of it, will it go any further than this room?"

McGonagal was taken aback. How bad was this problem? "I swear a wizard's oath."

"Okay. Here goes." Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she started. "I've got a problem. I have feelings for someone I shouldn't."

When she didn't go any finish, McGonagal spoke up. "That doesn't sound so bad. Who?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "I can't tell you that. But tell me- what would you do if you had feelings for someone, and they had feelings for you, but you shouldn't be together?"

Minerva looked straight into her student's eyes. "That depends on who it was, but in most cases, I'd throw caution to the winds and go for him."

Hermione smiled for the first time in two days. "Thanks."

She walked out feeling better about everything.

She walked out with a mission.

~

A/N: Many, many thanks to those who have reviewed this young fic both on WIKTT, here at ff.net, and in private e-mails. You guys so rock!

/Gavin\