I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the others. I just play around with them. I do no harm.

A/N: This chapter might qualify for an M rating. I'm not sure. Don't like, don't read the last part when he starts remembering.

Chapter Two: Ice Packs Don't Help Aching Hearts

Dorian walked through the halls of the castle. He was thankful it was summer, and the castle was basically empty. It gave him time to adjust to the difference the extra weight made to his body.

When he arrived at the painting that concealed his new rooms, he stopped. The painting, a young man in the attire of the 17th century bowed to him. Dorian returned the bow.

"Are you Professor Dorian Grey?" At Dorian's nod, he continued, "I will let you in. Do you want to set your password now?"

"Yes. My password is, 'Love melts frozen hearts.'"

The young man raised an eyebrow. The painting swung away from the wall and revealed a door. Dorian opened it, and stepped into a sitting room. The room was done in browns and golds, which Dorian would change when he had a chance. Off the sitting room to the right was a personal study. To the left of the sitting room was his bedroom, with a bathroom off of it. Directly behind the sitting room was a kitchen and dining area.

Dorian focused on unpacking the items he brought with him. By focusing on that, he could ignore what was going on inside of him, at least for a while. Eventually, however, his unpacking was done. There was nothing else left for him to distract himself with.

He sat down in a chair in front of the fireplace. Because it was still summer, the fireplace was cold and empty. That was how his heart felt. Dorian conjured a tea tray. He had given up alcohol years before, but the way he felt right now, he was tempted to start again.

He ached. He was not whole. In this time, even though he was in the right place, he was incomplete. His soul mate, even though she was here in the physical sense, was not bonded to him. His half of the bond was not attached to anything. Dorian knew he would have to set this pain aside. He would have to suppress his bond. Hermione, in this time, was not ready to be his soul mate. He had hurt her too much. It had taken many hours of conversation and companionship to overcome the hurt. She had several more years of school and training to go through. Since two of those years were here at Hogwarts, one as his student, Hermione was simply not available to him in any way right here, right now.

As Dorian sat, his mind began to drift. He remembered the night before. He had known he would be leaving, so his time with Hermione was doubly precious to him. He had begun simply by kissing her. He kissed every inch of her face, tracing her features and imprinting them more firmly in his mind. I would have to last him a year. He had gently kissed his way down to her neck, and had started nibbling on the side of her neck below her ear. Hermione had breathed out a slight moan.

"Severus, what are you doing? You don't have to seduce me. I'm your wife."

Without pausing in his exploration of her neck and shoulder, which he had uncovered by the simple charming away of her blouse, he replied, "Even a wife should be seduced once in a while. You are not taken for granted, and that should be shown to you on occasion."

Hermione's head lolled to the side, allowing him greater access to her neck and shoulder. "Well, in that case, I guess I should just lay back and enjoy it."

"Excellent idea. I love you, my heart."

"I love you, my soul." It was their standard response, but it was never just words. It was meant, every time.

Severus had worked his way slowly down his wife's body. By the time he reached her secret places, she was writhing on the bed, so aroused that his first touch between her legs sent her soaring. As she slowly recovered her breath, Severus had slipped between her legs, and entered her slowly. It was killing him to take it slow, but he was determined to make this a night to remember for a long time. He set a steady pace, not fast, but not too slow. He drove Hermione back up to the heights. This time, when she went over the edge, he went with her.

They lay entwined, recovering. After a while, Severus muttered a cleaning charm. He then began to drive her crazy with need again. He brought her to climax twice more, and climaxed himself once more, before they fell asleep in utter exhaustion. He woke her up once in the night, and made love again, declaring his love as he came.

Dorian shifted in his chair uncomfortably. Remembering had caused a problem. He supposed he should check out the shower. He hoped the water got cold enough.

A/N 2: Thanks to Jestana for her encouragement. The idea of a bond being two-sided, and needing to be completed comes from Ankha's wonderful story, Gold and Silver, Fire and Ice. If you haven't read it, I strongly encourage you to do so.