Hermione didn't answer, so he added.
"Erm, I gather by the look on your face you weren't expecting me to be down here... was it ..Fred perhaps, that you were hoping to see?"
"Erm, well I.." Hermione began hesitantly, her face burning with embarrassment
"I mean if it was me you came to see, I'm very flattered but.." then he shook his head as if confused and averted his eyes, looking a little to the left of her.
"You're right, I was expecting Fred" she agreed quickly, "he asked me to meet him down here and I well...I didn't know youhad comedown here..why didn't you tell anyone you were moving rooms?..' she asked with a tone of quiet desperation.
Suddenly remembering, she ducked down to the corner where she had thrown her flimsy robe and hastily wrapped it back around her self.
"I did, but I didn't think it was important enough to tell everybody and I only moved here a couple of days ago. I decided that I should prefer it down here, as it's much quieter and I can concentrate so much better away from all the coming and going above." Then his face became more serious and on seeing that Hermione was now more covered up, he looked at her more directly. "By the way, that was a pretty mean trick of Fred's to send you down here like this, as I know for a fact he knew, that I was down here! He obviously wanted to humiliate you for some reason and I shall have a few words to say to him about that in the morning!" Remus remonstrated indignantly
"Oh please don't!" Hermione begged, "We're always playing tricks on each other, it'll just make him think he's got to me if you say anything!"
"Alright, but I think he is a total fool!" Remus stated earnestly, shaking his head, " the idiot doesn't know what he's missed!"
Remus's face then broke into a warm smile and he moved closer.
Hermione blushed crimson and smiled awkwardly in return
"Are you alright?" he asked, putting his hand on her shoulder
"Yes.. I'm fine – I mean I've just made a total fool of myself, but I suppose I'll get over it" she shrugged
"Don't worry, I've done that myself a few times in my life and I got over it fine! I'm sure you'll laugh about it later!" he snickered, "erm, I'm surprised you're going for Fred though, I didn't think he was your type and especially with him being your ex-boyfriends brother and all that?"
"Oh.. well, you know, sometimes these things just happen" Hermione replied shrugging again, "I thought he liked me, but I suppose I was wrong. It's probably for the best though really, it could have been a bit messy and awkward, if things had gone any further" she explained, looking down, trying to sound sad and regretful
"Yes..yes, I..I think you're probably right" he answered thoughtfully. Then after clearing his throat and looking a bit more upbeat he added
"Well, I suppose I'd better let you go then, before you err, catch cold or something.." he joked with a little chuckle
"Yes.." she answered with a nervous laugh and hurried over to the door, but just as she was about to turn the handle, she had a sudden thought and stopped.
"I really am sorry about this Remus, I hope you don't think I do this sort of thing all the time, because I don't and..and you won't tell anyone about it will you?"
"No of course not, your secret is safe with me and don't be sorry, its not every day a half naked woman comes walking into my room. It's made a nice change to be honest!" he smiled, looking rather whistful
"Thanks" Hermione replied gratefully, not really knowing how to take this answer and feeling a blush rising on her cheeks again.
Once she had wished him goodnight, she had hoped he would just close the door behind her but to her great annoyance, he stood in the doorway to watch her go. Thankfully, though, after she'd gone only five steps, he did at last step back into his room and close the door.
Waiting for some moments before deciding it was safe for her to move she tiptoed carefully back down the stairs and tried the handle of the door across from Remus's room. It wasn't locked and she walked in.
This room was in total darkness and she worried that after all that she'd gone through, Severus wasn't there. Just as she was about to tell the candles to light though, she felt someone grab her from behind.
She jumped, but then smiled - she knew exactly who it was
"Hello Severus!" She said, smiling slyly to her self
"How did you know it was me?" Severus's velvety voice responded, sounding a little disappointed
"Well it could hardly be anyone else, could it?" she asked, totally relieved that this time, it indeed wasn't.
He didn't answer and lit the candles instead.
He allowed Hermione to turn round and face him and she threw her arms enthusiastically around his chest and held him tightly. She breathed in his now familiar and comforting scent and then breathed out again with a moan of deep satisfaction. She was so happy and relieved to be in her lover's arms at last, that she felt tears springing into her eyes, but then blinked them away hurriedly, she didn't want anything to spoil this moment.
Struggling, Severus at last managed to pull her off him and held her out at arm's length. He looked her up and down and smiled appreciatively
"Well.. I gather you have missed me then!" he drawled, his eyes widening slightly. She smiled coquettishley
He pulled her back to him and put his hand on her hip, then stroked itupwards, gliding smoothly over the silky material of her chemise. When he reached her breast, he stopped and cupped it gently.
"That's good" he answered, almost in a whisper, "because I missed you, too. It has driven me mad thinking about you here, with all these other men." He continued, tipping the straps of her chemise down her arms to kiss her shoulders.
"After all, who could blame you for straying, when I'm away so much and when there are so many young, eligible men here to choose from.." he inferred teasingly, then suddenly, he stopped kissing and stood up straight. Still holding onto her, he looked directly into her eyes with his almost black ones. Hermione realised what he was doing a moment too late and even though she tried hard to blank her mind, she couldn't. After what he'd just said, the memory of Fred's kiss was still at the forefront of it.
He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, then backed away from her slightly
Hermione looked down and sighed ruefully.
"Why hadn't she just told Fred where to go? Why had she allowed it to happen? Damn this was going to spoil everything!"
She bit her lip and started to panic, worried about how he was going to react to her little 'indiscretion' with the roguish, red-haired twin
She felt pretty sure Severus was not the forgiving and forgetting type and hardly dared look at him. "Was he going to tell her to get out and never darken his door again?"
Hermione steeled herself and prepared for the worst
Authors note:
I apologise if any of the words are joined together, but everytime I save changes, it joins a diffeent set, so I give up!