After the third and last recitation of Snape's virtues, Guido had left Hermione in peace.

Hermione lay in bed remembering, well, everything. She snuggled into her pillow and closed her eyes.

She'd put Severus out of her mind tomorrow. She thought back to the night she had impishly mentioned her preference for Snape Virtue Number Seven.


Slow, methodical and devious lovemaking leaves an indelible imprint both on the flesh and on the mind. Tonight, by candlelight, her lover chose to leave his mark on her willing body but not with his own flesh. Instead, he chose a simple, unpretentious scarf. One end of the scarf was curled securely around his hand. The opposite tip he let fall to hover above her body.

The silky scarf made its lazy way sinuously over her bare skin mimicking the same patterns that his fingers had traced not too long ago. One corner, one tip touched her skin just close enough to be felt yet so tantalizingly light as to leave her skin craving, arching to get closer. Her eyes followed the scarf's journey across her body. She had been instructed to stay still but the effort was costing her dearly. She tried to stay still but her body had long surrendered to the sensual lure.

Keeping his gaze on Hermione's face, Severus drew the scarf down the valley between her breasts with infinitesimal patience. As he repeated the journey upwards and downwards again, he bent down to feast on one taut nipple. Their bodies touched in no other place save for where his mouth met her breast. Her mind screamed to be touched more, everywhere, all at once. He felt her chest rise and fall rapid and shallow. He slid the scarf lower. As he did so, he bit down on her nipple - not hard enough to leave teeth marks but still sharp and sudden. Her body twitched and her breathing regressed to urgent, frantic panting. He blew on her nipple and sat back up to watch her. Perspiration was just starting to dampen her skin.

"Any special requests, Hermione?" Severus crooned. Severus brought the scarf lower tracing ever-narrowing circles around her navel.

Hermione took a deep breath before saying "Number seven, I need number seven."

"Need? I would think that three times tonight would be sufficient." Severus stooped to kiss her deeply. After reveling in her mouth, he dropped kisses on her forehead and nose then returned to feast on her lips once again.

After a long heady kiss, Hermione moaned unable to ignore the sensations from her belly. She gasped out "Think about it as making up for lost … lost time, Severus."

"I'm going to have a sore neck in the morning." Severus began to trail kisses and licks across her collarbone. He dropped the scarf on her belly and slid his hands between her legs.

"Take it out on your students then!" Hermione gasped again as Severus found her pleasure points with familiar ease. "Just do it, please!"

His mouth traveled down from her collarbone to her belly while one hand caressed her breast. All the while, he fingers stroked and circled her overeager petals down below. "Addiction is never a good thing. You may not be able to sit down tomorrow."

"That's a chance I'm more than willing to take." Her hand traveled up and down his bare back relearning his body once again. Their nights together were rare. She was not about to let the evening go to waste.

Without saying a word, Severus lifted her hips and placed a small pillow underneath her. She parted her legs sliding them over his shoulders tensing in anticipation. She never knew how he would start - a quick slash, a hard thrust or a playful meandering. What would it be tonight?

He did something completely different. He did not attack nor did he play right away. Instead, he played coy. He nuzzled her inner thighs. His tongue traced a circle of near unbearable sensation around her contours. His hands were never still. They cupped her calves, glided through under her knees before gently moving upwards. Hermione kept her silence knowing that begging would do nothing to hurry him.

Lapping and stropping was all right for most men, however, Severus being the man that he was found that combination wholly insufficient. He preferred to pay his most ardent attentions on the heart of the flower. He fingers parted her petals in the shape of an inverted letter V laying the heart open and vulnerable.

His tongue darted out jabbing hard at her feminine center awakening her desire. This he followed with quicksilver flicks to titillate and tease. Jab, flick, flick, flick, jab again over and over. Hermione's back arched. Her hand flew to his head and stroked that wonderful head. But she was waiting, still waiting for more. He teased her for a little while longer before he began to suck and blow. Hermione pressed his head lower trying to hurry him.

"Please, please, seven, seven, now." Hermione pleaded with him. Despite her promise to stay still she could not help herself. Her hips undulated. Her back arched again and again. His talented tongue dove and danced inside her without pause or mercy. "I need to- "

Her voice became one keening moan of pleasure as Severus slid two fingers inside. First up to the knuckles then deeper, slow then fast then slow again alternately plunging and withdrawing in time to his tongue's rousing caresses. Her surrender overtook his own need - a need that pressed urgently against his belly.

Her entire universe was centered in one place and in the man giving her pleasure. She was so close, so close. She couldn't feel her knees and legs anymore. Her body was slick with sweat while below he flicked his tongue faster still. Her desire and arousal spiraled higher but she knew the fall would be a passing heaven, but heaven still. For him, her surrender overtook his own need -a need that pressed urgently against his belly. He sucked longer and harder than ever. His fingers visited her pleasure places again and again.

Unable to withstand the onslaught anymore, she stiffened and then fell headlong in rush of sensation. He looked up needing to see her face while she took her pleasure. Slowly she regained her senses and she smiled at him. One of these days, number seven was going to be the death of her!