The next several weeks passed by, with Severus and Hermione settling into a comfortable routine. Friday nights they would play chess in the staff lounge and Saturdays, when their schedules allowed, they would apparate to London. Hermione finished most of her Christmas shopping, but she was left wondering whether or not she should buy a gift for Severus. If she did purchase a gift, should it be something personal, or something impersonal?
As Thanksgiving approached, Hermione began to get nervous about where their relationship appeared to be heading. She wasn't sure she was ready to get into a relationship at all, let alone one with her former professor who she thought had despised her at one time.
The Saturday before Thanksgiving, Severus knocked on the door of her rooms. "Come in, Severus." She responded, wondering if her sitting room was exactly the place to have the conversation she was about to have.
Severus entered her rooms and looked rather startled when he noticed that she still had on her school robes. "Are we heading out today?" He asked her.
She looked slightly apologetic. "Severus, I think we need to have a talk before we go anywhere today."
Severus merely lifted his eyebrow and proceeded to sit in a chair by her fireplace. She offered him coffee, which he accepted.
She stopped and started several times, while he appeared to wait patiently. Finally she just blurted it out. "I need to know whether or not we're just going to be friends or if you were planning on taking this further than friends." She looked slightly horrified at how it had come out.
Severus looked at her for several moments, trying to phrase his thoughts so that he would not scare her off. He wasn't quite sure of what she wanted at this point; from the way she had blurted out her question. He certainly knew what he wanted from this. "Well..." he hesitated, still a little unsure of what he was going to say.
Hermione jumped in feet first. "I mean, well. I don't want you to think I'm opposed to the idea of taking our relationship further, because I don't think that I am. But, if you don't have plans of taking it further, then I don't want to make assumptions and make us both look like fools." She looked at her feet, not wanting him to see the uncertainty in her face.
He smiled, just barely. He should have expected this from a Griffyndor. Minerva had tried to warn him that Hermione wouldn't be content to let things just work their 'magic' so to speak. "Hermione, I am not going to rush you into anything that you don't want to do. I don't want this to turn into some fiasco like that silly song you were playing a couple of weeks ago. I would like to take this relationship to another level, but if it is not what you want, then I must say-I would be slightly disappointed. But I will always respect your wishes."
Hermione looked rather relieved. She was glad that she hadn't misinterpreted what she had seen over the last few weeks and that Minerva and Albus had not made more out of things than were actually there.
"Now, Miss Granger. What would you like to do today?" Severus asked her, glad that it was out in the open and out of the way.
"She looked at him, trying to decide what she was in the mood for. " Would you mind terribly if we went to Hogsmeade this weekend instead of to London? I have a hankering for some butterbeer and I must get Harry something from the Quidditch shop. " And maybe, she thought, I will be able to come up with some ideas for you.
"If that is what you desire Hermione, then it is what we shall do." He offered her his arm and they left her rooms.
Later that day, after she was comfortably full from the butterbeer and sweets from the sweet shop, they found themselves wandering the path beside the train tracks. "I hope I didn't embarrass you horribly this morning Severus." Hermione said looking up at him.
"Miss Granger, you should know me well enough after all these years and know that I don't embarrass easily." Severus scoffed lightly.
She stopped and turned to face him. "That's the problem Severus, I'm not sure how well I know you now. There's a side of you that as a student, I obviously never saw and this side that you are showing me now, I would never have dreamed of seeing in you."
"Ahhhhh, Miss Granger, sometimes the world is full of surprises, is it not?" He asked her.
"Yes Severus, yes it is." She gazed into his eyes. She felt pulled to him, wanting something, unsure of what it was.
Severus looked down at her, her eyes closed and her lips parted slightly. Was she really ready for this, he wondered? Well, he decided, I might as well tempt fate. He leaned in and kissed her gently. She pressed against him and he felt compelled to deepen his kiss. He explored her mouth gently with his tongue. She leaned even further into him. He recovered himself and pulled away gently. "Hermione, I don't think this is the time or the place for us to continue. Are you ready to head back" He asked of her, before he did something stupid and irresponsible.
She looked slightly hurt at his abruptness, but realized he was right. If they took this too fast, who knew what would happen. "Yes, let us head back. I'm sure there's something wonderful planned for dinner." She said sarcastically.
As Thanksgiving approached, Hermione began to get nervous about where their relationship appeared to be heading. She wasn't sure she was ready to get into a relationship at all, let alone one with her former professor who she thought had despised her at one time.
The Saturday before Thanksgiving, Severus knocked on the door of her rooms. "Come in, Severus." She responded, wondering if her sitting room was exactly the place to have the conversation she was about to have.
Severus entered her rooms and looked rather startled when he noticed that she still had on her school robes. "Are we heading out today?" He asked her.
She looked slightly apologetic. "Severus, I think we need to have a talk before we go anywhere today."
Severus merely lifted his eyebrow and proceeded to sit in a chair by her fireplace. She offered him coffee, which he accepted.
She stopped and started several times, while he appeared to wait patiently. Finally she just blurted it out. "I need to know whether or not we're just going to be friends or if you were planning on taking this further than friends." She looked slightly horrified at how it had come out.
Severus looked at her for several moments, trying to phrase his thoughts so that he would not scare her off. He wasn't quite sure of what she wanted at this point; from the way she had blurted out her question. He certainly knew what he wanted from this. "Well..." he hesitated, still a little unsure of what he was going to say.
Hermione jumped in feet first. "I mean, well. I don't want you to think I'm opposed to the idea of taking our relationship further, because I don't think that I am. But, if you don't have plans of taking it further, then I don't want to make assumptions and make us both look like fools." She looked at her feet, not wanting him to see the uncertainty in her face.
He smiled, just barely. He should have expected this from a Griffyndor. Minerva had tried to warn him that Hermione wouldn't be content to let things just work their 'magic' so to speak. "Hermione, I am not going to rush you into anything that you don't want to do. I don't want this to turn into some fiasco like that silly song you were playing a couple of weeks ago. I would like to take this relationship to another level, but if it is not what you want, then I must say-I would be slightly disappointed. But I will always respect your wishes."
Hermione looked rather relieved. She was glad that she hadn't misinterpreted what she had seen over the last few weeks and that Minerva and Albus had not made more out of things than were actually there.
"Now, Miss Granger. What would you like to do today?" Severus asked her, glad that it was out in the open and out of the way.
"She looked at him, trying to decide what she was in the mood for. " Would you mind terribly if we went to Hogsmeade this weekend instead of to London? I have a hankering for some butterbeer and I must get Harry something from the Quidditch shop. " And maybe, she thought, I will be able to come up with some ideas for you.
"If that is what you desire Hermione, then it is what we shall do." He offered her his arm and they left her rooms.
Later that day, after she was comfortably full from the butterbeer and sweets from the sweet shop, they found themselves wandering the path beside the train tracks. "I hope I didn't embarrass you horribly this morning Severus." Hermione said looking up at him.
"Miss Granger, you should know me well enough after all these years and know that I don't embarrass easily." Severus scoffed lightly.
She stopped and turned to face him. "That's the problem Severus, I'm not sure how well I know you now. There's a side of you that as a student, I obviously never saw and this side that you are showing me now, I would never have dreamed of seeing in you."
"Ahhhhh, Miss Granger, sometimes the world is full of surprises, is it not?" He asked her.
"Yes Severus, yes it is." She gazed into his eyes. She felt pulled to him, wanting something, unsure of what it was.
Severus looked down at her, her eyes closed and her lips parted slightly. Was she really ready for this, he wondered? Well, he decided, I might as well tempt fate. He leaned in and kissed her gently. She pressed against him and he felt compelled to deepen his kiss. He explored her mouth gently with his tongue. She leaned even further into him. He recovered himself and pulled away gently. "Hermione, I don't think this is the time or the place for us to continue. Are you ready to head back" He asked of her, before he did something stupid and irresponsible.
She looked slightly hurt at his abruptness, but realized he was right. If they took this too fast, who knew what would happen. "Yes, let us head back. I'm sure there's something wonderful planned for dinner." She said sarcastically.