AN: Sorry for the freakin' long delay! I'm writing my BA paper this term and have been forced to prioritize my time in front of the computer on the essay. Hope you enjoy this chapter though.

Chapter Thirteen
Blushes and the Howler

Hermione was almost done brewing the Draught of Peace when Severus entered the lab – it was nearly four o'clock and if she had timed everything correctly, she should be finishing up at any moment. He walked slowly, stealthily, so that he would not startle her if was at the end of the critical stage of the potion where the hellebore was to be added. Walking into the shadow, he finally stopped when he was diagonally across from her. He watched her for a moment, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She had a swift, fluid movement, and her eyes were glued to the potion as she stirred counter-clockwise. From the intensity of her gaze, he could tell that she was fully absorbed and concentrated on the task before her. The minute she put the ladle down, he once again moved backwards out of the shadow and then quietly crept up behind her. When he was less than an arms length away from her, he noticed that she tensed, and he knew that she now was aware of his presence. He leaned forward a little.

"Hermione," he said silkily, his mouth mere inches away from her ear.

He heard her let out a quiet gasp when his breath tickled her ear and he smirked slightly as he peered down into the potion. Of course, it was perfect. He bowed his head down a fraction.

"You seem to have excelled with this potion. As you always seem to do," he added, letting out the small puffs of air that came with some of the voiced letters and some of the fricatives a little more pronounced so that she would feel his breath on her neck. "Well done."

Hermione closed her eyes as she felt the now familiar feelings that he kept awakening in her every time she felt his warm breath gently tickle the side of her neck. He had been doing this to her for the last couple of days and she wondered if he knew what such a simple thing was doing to her. A part of her thought he knew exactly what he was doing – he was after all a man who always thought through everything he said and did. Another part of her thought the exact opposite because of the confused expression she would notice on his face when her eyes would glaze over and her breathing became labored. Severus Snape was all in all a big, giant mystery to her.

Shew as beginning to wish that she knew exactly how to interpret the things that came out of the mouth of Severus Snape – how to crack his indestructible mask, to get a feeling of what was going on in his mind. The last couple of days had been great. He was opening up to her in a way she never would have dreamed of and she had the impression that they were actually friends now. But something else had changed as well, but she couldn't remember when or how things had changed. Suddenly he was just doing everything in his power to entice her. If he did it on purpose, she didn't know. All she knew was that Severus Snape was driving her insane.

"Thank you, sir," she breathed out as she turned on her heel to face him. "However, if you thought that this potion would be anything but perfect, that's an insult to me and my skill."

She smirked at him and he only rolled his eyes.

"Take praise as it is, Hermione. We wouldn't want you to get an ever bigger head than the one already residing on your head."

Hermione's face fell and her smirk turned into a pout. Severus wanted to curse at himself for causing that infernal pout to emerge. He doubted that she knew it, but her pout was damned cute and sexy at the same time. He wanted to kiss the pout away, but whenever that thought would cross his mind he would flinch away from it and internally smack himself over the head. It was inappropriate for him to think about her that way. He never would have thought that he would associate Hermione Granger with a word as powerfully loaded as sexy. But he couldn't deny it any longer. She had indeed grown up into a beautiful, sexy woman. And that pout was slowly driving him insane.

"You're terrible at giving praise, Severus," she said as her pout turned into a small smile before she turned back towards the potion. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Yes, I came to inquire if you wanted to join me on a quest to the apothecary in Hogsmeade. It dawned on me that we have run out of some basic essentials that cannot be procured on the grounds."

Hermione turned the burner off and then glanced at Severus.

"Will there be a chance of getting drinks at the Three Broomsticks after the quest to the apothecary?" she asked carefully.

Severus let out a mock groan.

"You will force me into socializing on a Wednesday afternoon?"

"I will indeed, Professor," Hermione answered, a big smile forming on her lips. "It's long overdue, I think."

Severus narrowed an eye in suspicion.

"Long over due that I buy you a drink, Hermione?"

Hermione shot him a look before she turned back to the potion to start bottling the liquid.

"No, Severus. It's high time that I buy you a drink. It's the least I can do after everything you've done for me. Wouldn't you agree?"

She glanced at him in time to see a small smile soften his features.

"I do believe you are correct, Hermione. Here, let me help you."

They spent ten minutes pouring the Draught of Peace into portion sized vials and then Hermione demanded the luxury of a shower and a change of clothes before they walked the short distance to Hogsmeade. For the first time in a long time she wanted to get a bit dolled up – put on something a wee bit nicer to wear and put a little makeup on. Severus Snape was making her feel like a woman again and she felt the need to show him that she indeed was a woman. She chose her favorite jeans and a tight, dark blue tank top that showed off her curves. After she had applied a bit of mascara and eyeliner, she met up with Severus at the Great Hall and she was delighted to see that his eyes widened a fraction when he saw her. Putting on her winter cloak (November was nearing and it was getting colder everyday outside), Hermione followed the Potions Master down the path to the small village.

They spent a delightful evening together in Hogsmeade. At the apothecary they found everything on Severus' list except for Mandrake root, which they were currently out of due to a bad harvest last season. As they sat down for drinks at the Three Broomsticks, Hermione knew she had chosen well in regards to her outfit. She doubted that Severus was conscious of it, but he was spending a lot of time staring at her and she was thoroughly enjoying having her looks appraised by him. She couldn't remember the last time a man had looked at like that – Merlin only knew how long it had been since Ron had looked at her with appreciation shinning through his eyes.

She took a sip of her white wine, trying to remember where in the discussion of the uses of moonstone they were and wondering if it was her turn to speak. If she didn't stop thinking about how much she enjoyed having Severus Snape stare at her, she would be completely lost in a a minute or two.

"Hermione, I cannot believe how you, with your knowledge of the theoretical aspects of potions making, can truly believe that moonstone can be used in potions that have nothing to do with procuring emotional balance – as you know, the stone has been thoroughly tested in all forms; powdered, melted, chopped up... and there hasn't even been an inkling that the stone can be used for anything else!"

"Yes, I know all of that," Hermione said dismissively and took yet another small sip of wine. "But tell me something, Severus. Has anyone ever thought of putting the stone completely whole into a potion? I have yet to read about anyone doing that."

Severus opened his mouth to retort, then snapped it shut as he realized that her question was a valid one. He racked his brain for a name, for someone who could have been bold enough to put a whole moonstone into a potion simply for the sake of testing it – after all, the gemstone was precious and rare enough to not foolishly tamper with needlessly.

"I understand your point, Hermione. This is something that needs to be researched. For now, how about some dinner? It's getting rather late and you must be hungry."

They ordered roast chicken with mashed potatoes from Madame Rosmerta (who kept shooting them incredulous looks) as they started a new topic on the latest advances within potions. Severus told her in strictest confidence that he had been able to construct a version of the Wolfsbane potion that would lessen the pain of the transformation.

"That's great, Severus! Why haven't you published it yet?"

Severus grimaced and then gulped down the rest of his firewhiskey.

"Because I have yet to test it. Seeing as Lupin is not around anymore to help me, I find myself without a test subject. He would always allow me to test any variety of the potion on him, as he was desperate to try to live life with Tonks as normally and easily as he could."

Hermione noticed the change in his mood, even though it was very subtle. If Severus grieved Lupin as a friend or as a test subjected, she didn't know. Nonetheless, she could see in his eyes that Severus had buried his past with this particular Marauder a long time ago.

"You know, Severus, you should count yourself lucky that this place isn't packed by students tonight," Hermione said suddenly, determined to lighten the mood.

Severus just raised one of his eyebrows in question and then waited for her to answer his unvoiced question. She shrugged a shoulder.

"Well, anyone who saw us would think that we're on a date."

Severus nearly choked on a piece of chicken and he coughed violently to clear his airways. He gave her a horrified look and she had to laugh at the shock she saw in his eyes.

"Come on, Severus, think about it. We're not wearing our usual robes, we're drinking alcohol, having dinner in a restaurant rather than at the school and we're sitting in a booth that is slightly hidden. For Merlin's sake, we're even laughing and smiling at each other! Have you not seen the incredulous looks Madame Rosmerta has been shooting our way? When I think about it, this even looks like a date to me."

Severus spluttered something incoherent, waving his fork around in midair as he tried, unsuccessfully, to gain the upper hand of this topic. It had never even occurred to him this could be considered a "date", as he had never actually been on a date before. It was a strange concept to him, because girls and women had always been a bit... weary of him – never had anyone been able to understand him fully, or even well enough to not be frightened of him in one way or the other. They had simply been interested in the physical aspects of a relationship... Wait, had Hermione said that this looked like a date to her? What in Merlin's name did that mean? The way she had said it, with a small smile playing on her lips and a short shrug of her shoulder, made him think that she wasn't opposed to the idea of them being on a date... Oh, for heaven's sake! They were not on a date!

"Miss Granger, are you jesting?" he finally said, forgetting to use her first name in his confusion.

Hermione let out a soft laughter and rolled her eyes at him.

"Severus, I will not allow you to start calling me 'Miss Granger' again," she said and gave him a wink. "And no, I'm not jesting. To anyone watching us, this could very well be a date. We both know that it isn't, but others don't."

Severus glanced around the room swiftly.

"But there is no one here but Madame Rosmerta," he said dumbly.

"Yes, which I way started this whole conversation by saying that you are lucky that there are no students around," she said slowly, as she tilted her head to watch him curiously. "Are you alright, Severus? You seem a little flustered, and usually you're not this dimwitted."

And then something happened that Hermione thought she'd never experience in the company of the ever composed Potions Master – the man blushed and averted his gaze, and she instinctively knew that he wasn't flushed because he was angry. Was it simply due to the fact that she had called him out on his strange behavior? She knew that he took great pride in his mask of indifference that made him seem cold and mean. To spare him more discomfort, she quickly changed the subject back to the much safer topic of potions.

As Severus walked her to the her quarters, Hermione felt more content than she had in years. She could hardly believe that she had spent such a pleasant evening with the Potions Master, as their past had been rather rocky.

"How come you never complimented me while I was in school, Severus?" she wondered as they entered the dungeons. "All my other teachers did."

Severus sighed softly, knowing that she sooner or later would have asked that question and yet he still wasn't sure how to answer it.

"I didn't really compliment anyone, Hermione," he started slowly, still pondering the question seriously.

"You complimented Malfoy," Hermione muttered under her breath and she saw out of the corner of her eye that the Potions Master rolled his eyes.

"Indeed I did compliment Draco, but I did so for a number of reasons. First and foremost, he is my godson and the only child I've ever really liked – it was hard for me to break the habit of showering him with praise when he came to school. Secondly, his father was a Death Eater, even though towards the end of the war, he lost faith in the Dark Lord."

He made a pause to gauge her reaction – she looked surprised at the news of Draco being his godson, which was not surprising. It had never been common knowledge outside of the Malfoy family.

"Which I suppose is one part of the reason for why I never complimented you – it would not look good for me, a Death Eater in disguise, to favor a muggleborn witch in front of a boy who reported every little thing the Golden Trio did during your years as students back to his father. I had an important role to play and did not want to compromise that to tell a girl how brilliant she was simply because everyone else was doing it. Also, as I have already pointed out, I never gave any students compliments. Don't take it personally."

By the end of his explanation, Hermione was bestowing him with that smile he still wasn't sure if he deserved. He gave her a surprised look, wondering what on earth he could have said that had made her so happy.

"You have no idea what you just said, do you?" Hermione laughed, seeing the confusion in his eyes. "You called me brilliant, Severus. Thank you – I didn't know you had it in you."

Severus rolled his eyes, but then gave her a rare, small smile in return. It was oddly pleasing to know that she was beginning to see that he was capable of changing. He never would have thought it, but the thought of changing into a slightly less surly person than he was know, didn't seem like a such a big deal as it might have been before. There was a bigger chance of them staying friends and in contact with each other after she left Hogwarts if he could prove to her that she was bringing out another side of him that he had long suppressed.

They said good night to each other when they reached Hermione's door. He gave his usual bow to her, but before he got the chance to turn on his heel, Hermione quickly stepped forward and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. His eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she pulled away quickly before he got a chance to push her away, but... It didn't seem as if he minded. There was no pushing and no sneer on his features, like she once would have expected to see after any kind of physical contact with the Potions Master. He simply looked surprised. And a little... confused. She gave him a quick smile.

"Good night, Severus."

That seemed to bring him to his senses, and he shook his head slightly to clear his mind.

"Good night, Hermione."

He watched her slip in through the door to her quarters and then stood rooted to the spot for another few moments before heading towards his own rooms. Sitting down in his favorite chair with a glass of Firewhiskey, he contemplated Hermione's behavior. He wasn't sure why he had started flirting with her in the first place – maybe he was just enjoying her reactions.

The first time he had noticed her slightly labored breathing, he had been observing her stirring a potion with not enough speed. He had grasped her hand and increased the speed of her movement as he softly told her what she had been doing wrong, only inches from her ear. She had stiffened for a moment and then she had dropped her mouth open, a quiet gasp escaping her lips. He had been surprised at the sound, and he had felt absolutely astounded as he wondered if she had gotten aroused.

The next day he had purposely gotten close enough to her to be able to whisper into her ear, to be able to see if her reaction had been a fluke, or if he actually possessed the ability to arouse Hermione Granger. It would seem as if he did – he had tested this hypothesis over ten times by now and every time her breathing had gotten labored, her eyelids had fluttered closed and twice she had even forgotten herself and leaned into him, molding her body along his. He couldn't understand it and he probably never could – she was a young, beautiful witch with her whole life ahead of her. What could she possibly see in a man like him?

As Severus sipped his firewhiskey, he came to the conclusion that she wasn't attracted to him – she was just craving male attention, and he was the only one giving it to her at the moment. Merlin only knew how long it had been since Ronald Weasley gave her any attention or appreciation. That... boy had simply taken what he wanted, discarding her as if she was yesterday's news as soon as he was done with her, treating her as something not worth bothering about. With this in mind, Severus finished his drink in one swift gulp and went to bed, satisfied with the logic he had found in his reasoning in Hermione Granger's peculiar reactions.

HP * HP * HP * HP * HP

Hermione stared with fear at the letter the owl had just dropped on the table in front of her. The letter was blood-red and glowing, and she knew without a doubt that Ginny had finally managed to figure out how to send her a Howler. She glanced at Severus, who was watching the letter wearily, before she noticed how quiet the Great Hall had gotten. A lot of the students were watching her with curiosity – some had even stood up from their seats, trying to get a better view of the event that was about the enfold. Dinners at Hogwarts were quite mundane, these days, and Hermione Granger getting a Howler was bound to be interesting.

"Severus, is there anything you can do?" she asked him quietly, giving him a pleading look.

Before he got a chance to reply, the Howler started hissing. Hermione immediately shot from the chair to her feet, ready to run in case the message proved to be too much for her. Just as the Howler was about to explode and reveal its content, Severus whipped his wand out and muttered something Hermione didn't catch, but the Howler froze. She turned to towards him with a look of surprise.

"Grab the letter and run towards my office. I don't know how long it will stay frozen. Go!"

As she grabbed the letter, Hermione ground out "come with me", the request made solely to the Potions Master and he followed her down the corridor without a second thought. Their hasty retreat caused most of the student body to break out in whispers, but the pair weren't bothered by it since they were out of the Hall in a few seconds. They were almost at Severus's office when the Howler suddenly burst to life – Severus quickly sent up a shield behind him, effectively eliminating the possibility of someone overhearing the Howler.

"HERMIONE GRANGER, HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND? RON WAS JUST HERE AND HE TOLD ME THAT WENT TO SEE YOU AT HOGWARTS TO TRY TO GET YOU TO SEE REASON AND COME WITH HIM HOME!"

Hermione winced at Ginny's accusative tone, trying her best not to let it affect her. She knew that whatever Ron had told his sister, he had made himself out to be the victim.

"I CAN BARELY BELIEVE WHAT HE TOLD ME, HERMIONE! RON CLAIMS THAT YOU REFUSED TO SPEAK TO HIM, AND THAT SNAPE INTERRUPTED HIS ATTEMPT TO GET YOU BACK HOME WHERE YOU BELONG BY STUNNING HIM? WHO THE HELL DOES THAT GREASY ASS THINK HE IS? WHAT RIGHT DID HE HAVE TO STUN MY BROTHER? AND TO MAKE IT WORSE, RON SAYS YOU LEFT HIM LIEING THERE! HOW CAN YOU HAVE STOOPED SO LOW? WHAT ARE YOU NOW, HERMIONE? SNAPE'S WHORE? THINK LONG AND HARD ON IF HE'S WORTH LOOSING EVERY ONE OF YOUR FRIENDS FOR! NEITHER ONE OF US WILL CONDONE YOU WHORING YOURSELF TO SEVERUS SNAPE!"

Ginny apparently thought she had made her point by now, because the Howler suddenly went quiet and started ripping itself to pieces. However, before the letter was entirely in pieces, the rest of it exploded. Hermione whirled around, knowing that only a spell could have caused a Howler to explode. Normally, Severus Snape always had his mask of indifference firmly placed over his features, but at this very moment, Hermione knew that she had never seen him look so angry. His wand was still pointed at the place where he had made the Howler explode and he was so angry that his hand was shaking. When he noticed that Hermione was watching him, he spared her a brief glance before he turned on his heel, waved his hand to make the shield disappear and then he quickly stalked away from her.

She hesitated for a moment before making up her mind about following him. She had to know what was going on in his head, she had to make sure that he wasn't angry with her. She had to run in order to catch up with him and they were halfway down the path to the gate of Hogwarts before she managed to grab a hold of his arm. He whirled around, catching Hermione by surprise. Before she fell backwards on her bum, Severus caught her arms and pulled her into him, his grip secure and tight around her wrists. Hermione didn't move, even though their noses were only inches apart. She let out a shaky breath, the intensity of his stare so strong that she was slightly afraid. Not that she thought he would harm her, in any way. She was scared of the implications of his stare.

"You might want to take a step back, Hermione," he whispered as he let go of her wrists. "We wouldn't want anyone to think that you are whoring yourself out to me."

"I don't care," Hermione said passionately, growling softly as he raised an eyebrow to show his skepticism. "I don't give a damn about what Ginny said, Severus. You and I know the truth."

She still hadn't moved away from him. On the contrary, she placed a hand on his chest, gently grabbing his shirt to keep him close.

"You must know me well enough to believe me when I say that I don't care."

They stood pressed against each other for quite some time, both winded from the rushed walk (or run, in Hermione's case) from the dungeons. Neither of them broke eye contact and Hermione could see the conflicting emotions behind Severus's black orbs.

"I am going to leave the grounds of Hogwarts for a few hours, Hermione," Severus finally said, glancing away from her. "I need... I need some distance."

Hermione wanted to cry. It felt as if he was leaving her, and the very thought almost sent her panicking.

"Please, Severus. Don't go."

Her whispered plead made him pause for a moment and he tilted his head slightly as he looked back into her eyes. There was a worried glint in her brown orbs and he felt compelled to tell her that everything would be alright.

"I'm just going to Hogsmeade, Hermione. There's no need to worry."

"But I will worry, Severus. Please, don't go. I just... I want..."

He couldn't stay here a moment longer. If he did, she might say something that he wasn't ready to hear. Something she would be saying in the heat of the moment, out of worry and fear.

"Hermione, I need you stay inside of the castle. Promise me that. If something happened to you when I'm not here..."

Hermione looked ready to cry, but she understood now that there was nothing she could do to make him stay.

"I promise, Severus," she said and he started turning away from her, but she grabbed his arm – he glanced at her over his shoulder, an unasked question in his eyes. "Just... be careful. And come back. You have to promise to come back – to me."

His eyes widened for a moment. She was a complete mystery to him. Why on earth did it seem like she cared so much for him? What had he done to deserve it? He swallowed thickly and nodded slowly. And then, before it would become too difficult to leave her, he spun on his heel and hurried down the path. Hermione watched until she couldn't see him any longer and then she hurried inside. As she neared her rooms, she came to a decision and walked straight past the door, heading towards Severus's quarters instead.

"Aconite," she muttered to the closed door and she heard it click open, allowing her entrance.

She wandered around his living room for a moment and she realized that she really did not want to snoop around his rooms. She just wanted... What did she want, really? From the corner of her eyes, she saw his bottle of Ogden's Firewhiskey and the answer came to her – she just wanted to have a glass to drink and to be here when he got back, so that she knew that she didn't have to worry about him anymore.

Four hours later, one glass of firewhiskey had become five and Hermione was currently sleeping soundly on the couch. This was how Severus found her at eleven o'clock when he returned from his visit to the Three Broomsticks, where he had indulged himself in a half a bottle of tequila – and not just any tequila, but a Milagro Añejo, a brand of tequila he had asked Madame Rosmerta to bring in solely for him, for moments when he seriously wanted a break from the hell that was his life.

Severus stared at the lithe form that was sleeping on his couch for a long time. He had never had a woman sleep in his quarters, and he really didn't know how to feel about it. As he got down on his knees on the floor next to her, he hesitated a few seconds before he woke her – she looked so peaceful and he really didn't want to disturb her. But... she couldn't just stay here all night.

"Hermione," he called softly, as he stroke a strand of her hair out of her face.

She stirred, but she didn't wake.

"Hermione," he called again, a little louder, as he shook her shoulders.

This time her eyes shot open and she looked around groggily. She was able to determine quite quickly that she was still drunk. It took a moment or two before her gaze settled on Severus's features.

"Hey," she whispered and gave him a tiny smile. "You came back."

"As promised," he answered, bestowing her with his rare smile. "Now will you tell me what you are doing here?"

She blinked in confusion and then she seemed to remember where she was. She sat up abruptly and shot him an apologetic look.

"I'm so sorry. I just... didn't know when you'd come back. And I wouldn't be able to sleep if I didn't know that you'd come back, so I thought I'd just come here and wait..."

She trailed off, wondering if he was angry with her. He didn't look mad... But with Severus Snape, one could never be quite sure.

"How did you get in?"

"I heard you say the password, the night Ron... You know," she answered, suddenly lost in thought as the memory of that night hit her like a punch in the stomach.

She furiously blinked away the tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes and then she felt a warm hand encircle her wrist. She snapped her eyes up to the Potions Master's, who looked as if he didn't quite know what to say. Again, they stared at each other for a long time and Hermione knew that she would not break the gaze willingly. Finally, Severus forced his eyes to the clock on the wall and he let out a small sigh.

"I think it is time for you to retire to your quarters, Hermione," he said slowly as he started to rise from the floor.

"Please don't send me away!" Hermione pleaded, shooting from the couch herself, which proved to be a very bad idea.

The alcohol she had earlier consumed was still heavily in her bloodstream – her balance was off, a fact she noticed the moment she stood up. She crashed into Severus, who was caught by surprise and not exactly sober himself and promptly fell backwards, his back landing safely on the couch, while Hermione ended up on top of him. Oh, this is very bad, Severus thought as he caught the look in her eyes. He struggled to sit up as Hermione struggled to stay on top of him. Finally, Severus was sitting in an upright position, while Hermione straddled him, her hands clutching the fabric of his shirt. Severus purposely let his arms rest of the couch. It was not a good idea for him to be touching her at the moment.

"I don't want you to send me away, Severus" Hermione whispered breathlessly and her lips parted as her eyes flickered down to his lips.

Severus's heart nearly stopped when he saw it and now he couldn't stop staring at her lips. She was clearly hoping and waiting for him to kiss her, but why in Merlin's name would she even want him to? Had she forgotten who he was? That she had spent most of her years at this school absolutely loathing him?

"What do you want then, Hermione?" he wondered softly as his eyes met hers again.

The look in her brown orbs was wild and scorching, as if she was trying to suppress passion. He didn't know what he had expected to hear her say, but the next thing that came out her mouth he never even would have taken into consideration.

"You. I want you."

AN: Please review! I love to hear any comments you have and it always helps my motivation to write, know that my readers enjoy what I've put so much work into. =) I really hope you won't have to wait as long for the next chapter.