Chapter 7: I want you

It had been a tender moment. After all the pain and the fear they had come together as one. She had calmed him, taken his care, and then helped him to bed. He had called her ridiculous, as it was hardly past noon, but she had insisted. And she stayed there humming gently and stroking his hair until, at last, he did finally fall asleep.

Hermione looked down and the man asleep in her arms. How odd that they were here now, after all that had happened. She stroked his hair back and kissed his forehead. He looked so helpless like this, so childlike. She sighed and snuggled closer to him overcoming a brief wave of panic.

He tired to rape you. She knew it. She hated it. His face contorted in his sleep as he rustled the bedcovers slightly. His mouth moved, forming words that had no volume. She lay facing him and stroked his cheek delicately. No, she thought, he stopped. He did the right thing. Besides all I have to show for it is fear… he's torturing himself. Even in his sleep.

"Severus," she stroked his check gently making claming sush noises. "It's okay Severus, I'm here. I'm here." He jumped violently and then lay calm as she continued to talk. "I love you, shhh, I love you."

Snape had been having the worst dream; the one where he relived those women, only now… now it was worse because Hermione had been added to the list. When she came forth he shied away but couldn't stop himself. He reveled in her screams.

Severus Snape jumped awake, but heard her voice lifting to calm him. She had stayed.

"I love you…" surely he had not heard such a thing… but then the words came again…and with them… the tears.

Hermione stopped cold upon seeing the tears leaking from his still shut eyes. What was going on in his head? She thought for a while, noting that the sun was going down now, before decided to wake him. "Severus?" She whispered gently getting within an inch of his face. "Severus wake up."

He roused as if waking and opened his eyes, blinking sleepily. "hmm?"

"Hello," she said gently. "How was your sleep?"

"Just fine," he said with little emotion. "What are you still doing here?" He saw her face fall as she moved from him.

"I was just seeing to you," she muttered, "I'll let you be now." She took her shoes from the floor and make for the front door.

Damn. Snape pushed the tangled covers from him with some difficulty and made to follow her, bare feet and nightclothes concerned him not. She was already at her things when he caught up. "Miss Granger," she cut him off.

"I'm sorry I bothered you Professor," she was brisk, fleeing the scene to avoid further damage to her pride. She walked quickly towards the door and he had to jog to catch her.

"Hermione," he gasped reaching for her arm. She stopped before they connected and turned to see him. She was smiling somewhat. "I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I… I simply thought that after… after what happened you would want to stay away from me." His mind was swimming. Everything in him told him to kiss her now, show her he meant it, but surely she would be reminded of his actions before. He pulled her closer and rested his head atop hers. As he let her go he kissed the top of her forehead and looked down smiling. "I'd like you to stay."

A voice cleared by the doorway and the two turned quickly backing away from each other somewhat. "So sorry to interrupt, Severus," Dumbledore's grating voice danced. "I was just coming to see how you two were getting on." A smile played on his lips. "May I assume all is well?"

Severus looked at Hermione eyes wide, but she simply smiled at him and then smiled at the headmaster. "Perfectly Well, Headmaster, thank you so much for your concern."

"Well then I shall leave you to your devices," he smiled and turned pausing at the doorway to close the doors. "Sweet dreams," he called back.

Severus looked at the door with confusion as did the lovely young woman before him. When she turned around there was a glint in her eye. He knew that look. "What are you thinking?"

She smiled. "Why nothing what makes you think I am thinking anything?" He smiled back.

"I know that look. You get it when you figure out a particularly hard part of a potion, or essay." He moved closer to her once again lifting a hand to her cheek. "What was it?"

"I dreamt of you last night," she whispered as she nuzzled his hand.

"Yes, I know. I told you the same." His look of confusion only increased when she smiled triumphantly.

"Exactly."

"I… I'm afraid I don't understand."

"What happened in your dream Severus?" She asked with a coy smile. "Tell me about it." Instantly his cheeks flushed.

"I… no… nothing really. I was grading papers, and you were there, that's all." She looked up at him, smiles all sugar and honey, and said,

"Would you show me, how it went, I mean."

"Uh.. of.. of course. Well," he said moving towards his desk. "I was sitting here grading my papers and you appeared. We spoke for a while and then you approached."

"Like this?" She asked doing just what she had the night before, placing herself on his desk.

"Ye… yes," he said shakily.

"And then?" She prompted.

"You uh…we talked some more. And you asked me to substitute the dream you for the real you."

"Oh? And what did you do?" She inquired innocently.

"I uh… um… I…" She leaned over kissing him gently. She took his hand in hers and guided it to her neck and then lower, to her shoulder… and lower still until his hand was cupping her breast. She gasped slightly at his touch and pulled away to kiss his neck and pull at his night clothes.

"Of course this isn't exactly how it went," she gasped pushing his shirt from his shoulders. "Your eyes were farther away… and you were more demanding." She let her fingers dance over his skin as she kissed him. The sun was almost completely down now; the room was darker than usual.

"How," he gasped between kisses and the undoing of buttons, "do you know?" She pushed her robes from her shoulders and stopped his hands from doing the rest.

"I was there, Severus," she whispered her hand moving to his pants. She slipped a finger inside the waistband teasingly and ran it over his stomach.

"How is that possible?"

"I believe we have the head master t thank for that," she gasped as her hand moved.

Anger flared briefly within him, but was quickly engulfed by the fire her hand provided. "Hermione," he said struggling to regain his composure. "Hermione, no, stop we can't."

"Why not?" She asked. He was flushed, even in the low light.

"I can't not like this. The dream was one thing, but I'm sure you've had more romantic…" she cut him off.

"I'm a virgin, Severus." He gaped at her and she looked indignant. "You don't have to look so surprised!"

"No, it's just that… I… well naturally I assumed… Surely Potter or Weasley…" She scoffed.

"I thought you were a man of intellect, Professor." He took her in his arms and kissed her deeply, a sense of pride and conquest that he would be where they had not, and at the same time gut wrenching shame that he had almost taken something so precious by force. She began to wiggle against him in a most delectable way.

"Oh Severus," she gasped writhing against him with clothes still between.

The two students who had crept in listened in shock to the continued moanings of Snape's unknown lover.

"Let's get out of here," Harry Potter whispered to a vibrant redhead. The redhead nodded and they left.

"Hermione, I can't…" She took his hand and guided him back to his rooms. She stood in his room and lit several candles; enough to light the room but not enough to chase away the shadows. He stood in his bottoms, his shirt in hand and gaped as she removed her shirt.

"Hermione," he said slowly but she took no heed. Slowly she removed her pants and looked up at him shyly. "I…" she continued removing her bra. It was cold in his rooms; he never felt a reason why the outside should not reflect his insides. He took a step forward as she removed her last article of clothing. "You," he said crossing the distance and letting his hand wander over her skin, "are a dazzling beauty." She blushed and shook her head but her caught her chin with his fingers, making her look into his eyes. "Yes, you are." Her hands moved to his bottoms and pushed them down. He stepped out of them on the floor and claimed her lips in a tender kiss.

"You don't have to do this," he gasped. "You don't have to prove anything."

"I'm not trying to, Severus," she said peppering his lips and neck with kisses and smiling prideful at his moans. "I want you. I told you before. I want you." With that his lips claimed hers as he picked her up to lay her on his bed.

A/N and Disclaimer:

Don't own it, don't take credit.

Sorry about the Cliff there, watch your step, but I ran out of time. I did however want to that all my reviewers for their support and critique. I really appreciate it. I think you … boost my ego a little too much, I'm not that amazing, but I thank you sincerely anyway.