A/N - Holy Cow, I am actually updating this AGAIN? Hehe. Enjoy!
When Hermione made it home that evening, Rolanda was sprawled out on the bed waiting for her. She told her about dinner and after explaining her reasoning to the older witch, Rolanda, still reluctant about letting her girlfriend stay with the Malfoys, told her that she would support her no matter what she chose. They laid together that night, simply holding each other, and the older witch reaffirmed her promise to stay with her, no matter what.
The next day, things moved very quickly. Draco showed up, shortly after Rolanda left and helped Hermione shrink down everything she owned and pack it into her school trunk. She could hardly believe that she had only graduated a couple of weeks ago. Everything had changed so quickly that her head was spinning. Once everything had been packed, she asked Draco if he minded coming back to get her in a couple of hours. He agreed readily, telling her to simply send him a patronus when she was ready to head to the manor.
Now, Hermione found herself wandering up to the office of the Headmistress. She wasn't sure how she had really ended up there. She had simply allowed her feet to take her where they wanted. Without really thinking about it, she whispered the password, "chocolate", and the gargoyle jumped aside, allowing her entry.
The young woman knocked politely and waited for the terse, "Enter" before opening the door and stepping through. Minerva was sat at her desk, spectacles low on the bridge of her nose, pouring over paperwork.
"Whatever the problem is, can it wait? I have a lot of ministry correspondence to answer and I really can't afford the distraction right now." Minerva never even looked up.
"Of course. I didn't mean to intrude." Hermione said, and turned to go.
"Hermione! Wait, dear, I didn't realize it was you." Minerva took off her glasses and stood, moving around her desk to greet her former student.
"I just wanted to say hello. I haven't seen you recently. I am sorry for interrupting your work." Hermione whispered.
"Hermione, darling, you are never an interruption. Come, sit down." She lead her young friend to the couch in front of the fire. "How are things?" she asked, hands clasped together in her lap.
"I am ok, I suppose. I had dinner with Draco last night. Minerva I-"
The older witch cut her off, raising her hand. "I know what you are going to say, Hermione, but you are in a relationship with Rolanda. I will not come between the two of you, and that is exactly what I was doing. I am sorry. I can't do it, dear. As much as it pains me to deny you this, I simply can't."
"Why?" Hermione whispered. "What happened?"
"Don't you know? Hermione I thought you would have worked it out by now." Minerva smiled sadly at the young witch seated next to her. She looked so scared and so fragile that Minerva couldn't help but hold her arms open to her. "Come here."
It didn't take more than a second for Hermione to launch herself across the couch and wrap her arms around Minerva's waist, knocking them both backwards into the cushions. It reminded them both of the position they had found themselves in only a few weeks before graduation.
"Oh, darling." Minerva murmured into the bushy hair tucked beneath her chin as she reveled in the feeling of having this young witch pressed so close to her. "I can't be with you at night, because curling up with you, holding you while you sleep is something that I dream of. Hermione. My sweet Hermione. I love you, and I can't have you. It is simply too painful for me to stay with you every night, when I know that it will never go further than that." she whispered.
Hermione froze, hearing those words, unsure how to respond. She pulled away, and looked down into emerald eyes. Eyes that captured her attention and she craved seeing. "Minerva," she whispered. "I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything, dearheart. Just let me hold you a little longer, before I have to let you go."
A dry sob escaped the young witch's throat. "Please, don't let go."
"I have to. You chose Rolanda. I have no claim on you." Minerva reasoned.
"But I didn't choose!" Hermione raged, she slid off Minerva and the couch, pacing like a caged tiger in front of the fire. "I didn't even know I had an option!"
"It does not matter. You are taken, my love. I can not take you from her."
"But I don't want to lose either of you, Minerva. Tell me what to do. How can I fix this?" Hermione begged. She slipped to her knees in front of the older witch and wrapped both arms around her. "Please. Tell me how I can fix us. I need you in my life."
Minerva, for her part was at a loss for words. She ran her fingers through the bushy hair and scratched lightly at the scalp beneath. "I will always be here for you when you need me. I will never turn you away. I do however, think that you should reconsider becoming a teacher in the fall. I do not think that it would be a wise idea, given the current state of our personal relationship."
Hermione froze. "You mean you don't want me here."
"That's not what I said, Hermione. Don't put words in my mouth. I simply said that it isn't a good idea. I think you should consider going to university before you make a decision on what you want to do with your life. You are still healing. Give yourself the time to finish that process. Than we can revisit the idea of you coming to work here."
"I will go to university, if you promise to consider it should I put in my application." Hermione said quietly, her face pressed into Minerva's stomach.
"I swear to you. That if your application comes across my desk, you will have the job. I just want you to be sure that this is what you want and that you have had the time to heal." Minerva pressed a kiss into her young love's hair.
"Thank you."
Minerva held Hermione close to her. Savoring the feeling of having the young witch in her arms once again. She fought back the overwhelming urge to pull her into her lap. She had truly missed this. The urge she felt was squashed fully when Hermione slid sideways into her lap and buried her face in her neck. Minerva whimpered softly.
"Hermione, I can't do this." She pulled away from the alluring brunette and carefully situated herself as far from her on the couch as she could. "I want you, more than I can tell you, and I can't have you. You are with Rolanda. I can't hold you and not want to have you."
Tears coursed down Hermione's face as she sobbed softly. "I understand. I won't bother you anymore." The young woman stood and moved to leave. She was stopped by a hand on her arm.
"Hermione," she whispered.
"Don't, Minerva, please." Hermione whispered softly. "You can't be near me without wanting me, but you never stopped to consider that I feel the same way. I want you. I need you as much as I need Rolanda and Draco and Severus. Please, if you can't do this, then let me go." Hermione didn't expect Minerva to haul her back into her arms and slant her mouth across hers.
Hermione's heart exploded in her chest and white spots popped behind her eyes. She wrapped her arms around Minerva's neck and pulled herself closer. Heat passed between them in all the places their bodies touched. From her fingers buried in silky black hair, to her thighs pressed tightly against the older woman's.
The need to breathe became great by the time they pulled away. "I had to know." Minerva whispered, bracing her forehead against Hermione's. "I needed to know."
"Know what?"
"How it would feel. Just once, I had to be completely selfish. Just once." Her lips returned to the soft ones of the young lady in her arms. This kiss was soft, lips sliding gently over each others, before a tongue, neither was sure whose, begged for entrance. Tongues tangled and danced. Breaths mingled erotically. Until Minerva pulled away a second time. "You need to leave." She whispered.
"I know." she stepped out of the embrace that felt so much like a safe haven. "Goodbye, Minerva." she said softly as tears slid hot paths down her cheeks.
"Goodbye, my dearest love."
A/N - GASP! Another one?! In the same night? WHAT?! Yay! Thank you for reading!