The sun streamed in through the windows, hitting Hermione full in the face. She groaned and screwed up her eyes trying to block out the light that was hurting them, even through her closed eyelids.

"Morning sleepyhead!" Ginny said derisively as she flounced around the room, humming to herself. She was already washed and dressed and looked as annoyingly bright and bouncy as a spring rabbit to Hermione, who felt anything but.

She sat up in bed rubbing her eyes, pushed her long hair back over her shoulders and gave out a long resigned sigh. She knew the question was coming, it had to sooner or later.

"So, where did you get to last night?" Ginny asked eventually, raising her eyebrows expectantly. She had come over and sat down on the end of Hermiones bed.

When Hermione had arrived in the common room the previous night, she had been thankful that none of her friends had been in there and when she had got up to her dorm room that Ginny had been fast asleep. She had managed to creep into the room and slide into her bed without waking her, at least she hoped she had.

"I just went for a walk and lost track of time," Hermione answered groggily, sliding her knees up and wrapping her arms around them.

"You were a bit overdressed just for a walk weren't you?" Ginny said incredulously, indicating the clothes discarded on the floor the previous night. There was a pause, then Ginny pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes shrewdly

"You're seeing someone aren't you?" Ginny stated suddenly, making Hermiones stomach jolt. "It's okay, you can tell me. I know you probably think my first loyalty is with Ron, but you're my friend too, I mean, you have finished with him now, so you can go out with someone else if you like." She said trying to sound as if she meant it, but she had looked away and down at her hands.

"So, you really wouldn't mind if I went out with someone else?" Hermione queried, quite surprised

"No, I mean, I can't say I'm not disappointed that you and Ron split up, but if it wasn't working out, then what can you do?" Ginny looked at Hermione now, with a weak smile

"So who is he then? He's obviously not in our house... a Ravenclaw perhaps?" She asked.

Hermione thought very carefully before she answered, "Erm no, it's not..actually.. he's a Slytherin, but a nice one! Of course, I can't be open about our relationship, he's asked me not to tell anyone, he's scared of the reprisals he might get from the other Slytherins" which was basically true.

"You can tell me about him though..can't you?" Ginny queried

Hermione shook her head sadly, what she wanted to do more than anything else was talk to her one of her best friends about her new relationship, but she knew that she couldn't.

"Not even his name?" Ginny enquired further

Hermione bit her lip and didn't answer

"I don't know what's got into you lately Hermione, you've gone all secretive on me, we used to confide in each other. It's like you're pulling away from me, like you don't want to be my friend anymore!" Ginny said sulkily, looking close to tears.

"Oh Ginny it's not like that, it's just.." It's just that my lover is professor Snape! Oh yeah! I can really tell her that can't I? "Oh alright then it's... Gavin Godrick!" Hermione pulled the name straight off the top of her head; she didn't really know him, apart from that he was a 7th year, had once tried out for the Slytherin quidditch team and failed and that he was fairly good looking. At least he wasn't one of Malfoys gang, Ginny might accept him for that. She had, had to choose a Slytherin, as her curious friend was least likely to know him.

Ginny creased her brow for a moment as if thinking it over.

"How did you meet?" she asked eventually

"Oh, in Arithmancy" Hermione said quickly, she was the only one of the group of friends to do the subject, she had no idea if he did or not as it was mostly Ravenclaws in her class.

"So, do you love him?" Ginny kept on digging

"No...I wouldn't say we're in love or anything like that we just seem to like the same things that's all" Hermione answered, feeling like the lie that had started as a small puddle, was now growing into a lake.

After many more questions, Ginny eventually gave up, but Hermione knew she had her suspicions. Ginny was intuitive almost to the point of being psychic, well maybe she was, Hermione didn't know as she hadn't wanted to ask, not really believing in that sort of thing.

The rest of Sunday was spent as normal, doing homework or walking in the grounds, which was really very pleasant now, as the weather was sunny and warm. Then going to spend the afternoon in Hagrid's cottage for tea.

Monday morning soon came around and it was pretty evident that it was going to be a very hot day, the sky was bright blue without a single cloud and the temperature was already in the eighties by morning break.

Everyone was feeling hot and sticky by dinnertime and was trying to find the best cooling charms to relieve them-selves from it. After dinner it was Potions, a lesson that Hermione half looked forward to and half-dreaded lately.

She never knew what Severus, as she now allowed herself to call him, would be like towards her, but he always made her feel nervous whatever mood he was in. Yet even so, it still excited her to be near him, to think smugly to herself that she had seen parts of him the other students hadn't.

Harry and Hermione made their way to the dungeon classroom, hoping from some relief from the heatwave, when they got there. Most of the school, thanks mainly to thoughtful teachers, had been cooled down magically and somewhat due to the castle being naturally cool anyway. As they walked Hermione thought about her present situation, especially after her talk with Ginny and was following Harry blindly, as she ran everything over in her mind.

Trying to do too much homework, worrying about what Ron, Harry and Ginny would think if they found out the truth, a big huge weighty guilt about lying to them all and the overbearing heat were all taking their toll on Hermione that day. As they got closer to the classroom, her heart began pounding and her belly started doing somersaults. Just when they were nearly there though, Hermione realised that she had forgotten her cauldron, for the first time ever! She left Harry and ran back up to her room to get it. She saw it by her bed, the potions she would need for that days lesson, sitting inside. Grabbing it she ran back the way she had come, getting even hotter, if that was possible. Sweat was now running down her back and face and her hands felt sticky, but she didn't have time to stop and magic it away. When she got to the Potions classroom door, she quickly swiped her forehead with her robe, pushing back her hair at the same time. She took a deep breath and pulled her clothes straight, attempting to make her-self look more composed, before going in.

To her dismay, the only seat left in the room was the one no one ever wanted, right by a window, the one with a broken shutter, that Professor Snape had never bothered to replace. Even though they were in the dungeons there were small windows along the top of the walls on one side. Because this was Advanced Potions it was held in a different classroom than they used to use, this one was smaller and more comfortable, but often got hotter, mainly from all the fires lit under the cauldrons. It was almost like Snape wanted to put more pressure on his already put upon students, by making the room stuffy as well, as he hadn't bothered cooling it down like the other teachers had with their classrooms.

She entered the room as quietly as possible so as to try and not be noticed. Professor Snape was in full swing, explaining the effects of the potion they were about to make. Of course he noticed her straight away. Hermione wondered what his reaction would be. Would he still delight in humiliating her in front of others? Even after what they had done together.

"You are late Granger!" he said gruffly, stating the obvious, "get yourself set up quickly!"

That was it, no witty or cutting remarks, no snidey comments. Some of the Slytherins in the group gave each other surprised look's, but no one said anything.

Harry had already set himself up only slightly in front of where Hermione was, but unlike her, was out of the sun's glare. She set up her things and lit the fire under her cauldron ready, still feeling the after effects of the run, with her heart pounding (even though gentler now) and sweat still running down her face, neck and back. As 15 minutes ticked by, the heat she was already feeling seemed to have increased even more. The stress, the sun blazing in through the high window, bearing down on the side of her head and the heat from her cauldron all added up. She took off her robe and rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, but that wasn't enough. She twisted up her hair into a rough bun and made it stick with a touch of her wand; still not enough. Looking around and seeing that everyone was absorbed in their work she loosened her tie, then shrugged to herself and took it off, placing it on the desk beside her. She undid a couple of the top buttons on her white school shirt, then pulled it out from under her skirt, in order to flap it around and waft some air up onto her hot body. Feeling a little cooler she started to get on with her work again, concentrating hard as always, completely oblivious to the stares she was now attracting.

Suddenly she heard a quiet voice call her name, trying to get her attention. Looking up she saw Harry looking at her, trying to indicate something to her with his eyes. Hermione merely shook her head in derision, feeling irritated, she had no time for silly games right now, couldn't he see she was trying to concentrate? She ignored him until he gave up and carried on stirring her pot, adding a little more of this or that potion to get the mixture absolutely perfect.

She was just beginning to relax a little, when Severus Snape approached, his feet tapping on the stone floor as he walked. As she was at the back, he risked a small smile that other people wouldn't be able to see, when she looked up at him. He looked her up and down appraisingly, but Hermione really wished he wouldn't, not here, she was stressed enough as it was. She didn't dare react back, for fear of being seen. He tapped his chest with his wand a couple of times, raising his eyebrows in her direction, but to Hermione's relief, he suddenly heard someone calling him and walked away.

Why were people looking at her so much? Especially the boys in the class, who were whispering and sniggering quietly to each other after glancing in her direction, before Snape loomed over them that was, making them turn back to their simmering cauldrons.

Hermione, to her great relief, knew that her potion was about as near to perfection as it was going to get and stood back slightly, to get out of the direct glare from the window. She was still feeling the heat so she went as to grab the front of her shirt to waft it, in order to blow a draft over her again, then suddenly realised why everyone had been looking at her so much! She looked down, her belly did a sharp flip, making heat rise in her even more and a blush rushed into her cheeks. In her haste, instead of undoing just two top buttons she must have undone more by mistake! Exposing a good amount of cleavage, encased in a lace trimmed under-wired bra. Hermione hurriedly did up the buttons, her sweat drenched fingers slipping on the tiny bits of plastic.

Oh, the humiliation! She knew they would be on about this for weeks, using it as ammunition to embarrass her.

So that's what Harry had been trying to tell her and that's why Snape had been looking at her strangely and tapping his chest with his wand. Well at least he had cared enough to let me know, even if it wasn't very clear, she thought to herself.

Her potion finished, she filled a vial with the rather smelly liquid and left it on her desk while she packed up the rest of her things. She tapped her wand on her cauldron, uttering "scourgify!" which immediately cleared out the contents and left it sparkling clean. Then she packed all the spare ingredients into it. She watched as every one else started to make their way to the front, ready to hand in their vials. She waited for a while for the crowd to disperse and then went to pick up her own vial, but it was nowhere to be seen! She searched all over the desk, on the floor and then rummaged through her cauldron, not a sign of it! Where could it have gone? She began to panic, no matter that her and Severus were lovers he was still her teacher too and he had to have her potion to give her a mark! Students started to leave, talking quietly as she looked frantically for her potion vial. Harry had waited for a while, then he said he could wait no longer, as he and the rest of the quidditch team had booked the pitch to play a friendly game of quidditch with the Ravenclaw team, something they did sometimes out of season.

She was then left alone with Professor Snape.

He sat at his desk looking at her, a smile playing on his lips. She walked slowly over to him, trying to look more confident than she felt.

"I'm sorry but I can't find my vial of potion anywhere! Will you still be able to mark me, you saw that it was the right colour.."

"Of course you can't find your potion... because I have it here!" he held up the vial, with it's purplish liquid inside, his smile widening then into a grin. Hermione had never noticed before how pronounced his canines were and it unnerved her slightly.

"Why did you?..." she began, then as he pointed his wand and slammed the door to the classroom shut, chanting a sealing charm on it, she began to understand exactly why.

"You look a little hot Hermione, here let me help you" Snape said, getting up and moving towards her

"I do know how to cool myself off you know, it's not a very difficult spell! I just didn't have time before! I wouldn't have been so hot if you could be bothered cooling this damn classroom down!" Hermione said defensively

Professor Snape said nothing, but merely kept on smiling, reaching out his hands and putting them on each side of her head. He concentrated for a while, then Hermione started to feel coolness spreading over her whole body. This feeling was incredibly soothing and she soon felt much more relaxed.

"Why didn't you tell me that I had too many buttons undone, I was so embarrassed!" Hermione asked him

"I did try, but you ignored me, I thought maybe that was how you had meant to wear it"

"What!" Hermione said annoyed, but her anger just made him smile all the more. He slid his arms around her waist, making her shiver slightly in anticipation, feeling her anger slipping away. He leant forward, so close she could feel his breath on her cheeks. Hermione felt the tension within her increase as he moved in to kiss her, she sighed audibly as she felt his lips touch hers. Hermione returned the kiss with passion, warm, sensual feelings beginning to grow within in the pit of her belly as she did so. After the day she had, it felt so good to be in his arms again, the power he had over her made her feel helpless but it was a nice kind of helpless. The kind you feel when you're being pushed on a swing or being spun around on a roundabout and you know you have no power to stop it, but have no wish to, because it feels wonderful.

As they kissed he began to undo the buttons of her shirt again, then, after pulling it open, he began squeezing her breasts gently. He moved his hands down her body and smoothed them up again on the outside of her thighs, pushing up her skirt at the same time. He grabbed the the cheeks of her bottom, massaging them, making her sigh in ecstasy and part her legs to rub one against his.

Before she knew what was happening, Severus had manouvered her over to his desk and lowered her down onto it. He removed her underwear and after throwing off his cloak and undoing his jacket, began to make love to her. She couldn't believe it, Am I really doing this? She questioned her-self, Having sex on a desk - in a classroom! Well, I suppose we did do it in the library! She reasoned. It didn't seem to be bothering him though, as he pushed in and out of her rhythmically, panting softly. She forgot were she was then, concentrating only on him and the feelings that were now building up to a crescendo in her erogenous zones. He came to a shuddering halt, panting heavily and after a brief rest, began standing up, taking her with him.

She stood up, feeling flushed and still hot but for a different reason now and bent down quickly to retrieve her underwear from the floor. Leaning against the desk for support, she put them on again.

They both got dressed in silence, glancing up now and again and smiling. Hermione looked at her watch

"Damn, it's dinnertime! I'd better go!" she said, going over to her desk and collecting up her things.

"You can have dinner with me if you like" Professor Snape stated quietly, walking over to her.

Hermione didn't know what to do, if she said 'yes', she would be letting down her friends, if she said 'no' Severus might be affronted. She hesitated before giving her answer, biting her lip, as she always did when nervous.