I know last update was not up to the mark. Hoping this chapter makes it better. Thank you for your reviews! They are really encouraging.

CHAPTER 17

"Where on earth did you go?" asked Snape.

"Why would you be concerned?" asked Hermione, trying to sound bored.

He gritted his teeth, his blood pressure rising.

"Why am I still bound to you?"

"I could ask you the same," she answered readily.

Snape took deep breaths, trying to control his anger.

She still had the bruise on her lips, no glamour placed and at that very moment she was dabbing at it as if it pained.

"I take it you didn't sleep with anyone."

"Neither did you," she said, not in the slightest bit fearful.

He knew if he spoke again, he would lose his temper.

After a moment's silence, Hermione spoke up.

"Tell me, Professor Snape; was last night a failure? Were the brothels all out of women?"

So he was back to Professor. He noticed.

He scowled, "What happened to you? Did your invisible lover dump you?"

The conversation was getting pointless.

"Why are we still bound? And why weren't we bound last night?"

"I don't have time for your questions. I have an errand to run," he said getting up, with Hermione mirroring his actions.

Great he was going to miss this night's dinner also!

The students were going to have wild imaginations!

"And you want me to come along to get the whiskers?"

"Of course not!" he cried out, turning to face her. The task was extremely dangerous and he would on no way bring Hermione to such risk.

"So, what do we do?" she asked softly, not taking her eyes from him and taking a step closer.

"M..mm…" he cleared his throat, why was his voice failing him at her close proximity? "Maybe Dumbledore will know a way."

She narrowed her eyes before saying, "I'm definitely not going to discuss this with him."

"So…what do you propose we do?" he asked in his silky voice, his eyes piercing into hers.

Instead of answering, she rose on her tip toes and placed a quick peck on his lips. He looked a little taken aback, though his eyes clearly registered disappointment when she withdrew.

She frowned, looking at their hands still bound.

"What?"

"No…I thought the kiss would unbind it. That's the only explanation why we were not bound last night."

Snape gave a thought to her argument. It made sense.

"Come here, I want to try something."

She looked at him quizzically.

He pulled her closer with his free hand, his thumb caressing the small of her back. She fluttered her eyes shut as he took her mouth in a sweet, slow, seductive kiss, his hands trailing up to cradle the back of her head. She curled her toes and dug her free hand's nails on his shoulder as a throbbing beneath her belly overtook her senses. She moaned in encouragement as his tongue seeked hers, fighting for superiority. When she felt that he would withdraw, she caught his lower lip with her teeth, intensifying the kiss. He still tasted of oranges. Only when it dissolved into a subtle taste of copper did she let go, her eyes fluttering open.

He bit the inner of his lip, rubbing off the blood from his lips with seductive swipe of his unbound hand, all the while locking his gaze with her. She also bit her lips to stop herself from saying anything stupid.

He knew he should stay away from her. His growing attraction for her only made it worse. Even then, he reached out and glided the lone hair that distracted him behind her ear.

"Prince Manor."

He raised his eyebrows quizzically.

"I slept at Granger's residence and when I woke up with your memories still intact I went to our house, Prince Manor."

Prince Manor. How did he forget? And he certainly liked it when she said, "our house".

"It appears we have found a solution to our bound hands," he said.

"It appears so," she nodded in acceptance.

She turned away from him to hide the blush that was appearing on her cheeks.

So this meant they would kiss every night.

Quite interesting, ain't it?

11: 00 pm

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Miss. Granger," he said sternly.

"Professor Snape," she mimicked him.

He shook his head as he let out a deep sigh. It felt like being in kindergarten.

"No Hermione. You are not accompanying me."

"Yes, I'm."

"Please stop. I'm getting a head ache."

"See, you are sick. You will need me."

"Merlin, do you even know what is done?"

"You cast a Homorphus Charm on the werewolf and then pluck its whiskers out," she said, as a matter of fact.

He snorted, "What do you think is a werewolf whisker?"

She twisted her lips, deep in thought, not noticing Snape swallow his desire at her simple innocent act.

"What is it?" she asked finally, totally hating the fact she didn't know.

"Monkshood, the Queen of Poisons."

"It is a plant?" she asked confused.

"To be exact, a flower and you don't know about it because it is restricted knowledge. It blooms only on lunar eclipse and that too exactly at 12 and withers within 12 seconds and there is only one plant in the Forbidden Forest."

"So how dangerous is it?"

"You can't pluck it with your hands or any other metal. It will melt immediately."

"So what do you do?"

"Selenium glass scissors is used to cut and drop it in a selenium glass vessel."

"Doesn't sound dangerous."

"Well, the catch is that the glass should be rubbed with human blood and if one petal is severed from the flower…." he took a deep breath before continuing, "…the blood donor dies."

She gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

There is no way she was going to let him do this alone.

"No, I won't let you do this alone. I will come with you and let it be my blood."

He turned to look at her, just in time to see a lone tear drop.

"Are you insane?"

"No, I'm not."

"I have been doing this for 10 years. There is nothing to worry."

"No, I'm not feeling good about this. Don't do it."

"Stop being like this and get some sleep."

"No Severus. I can't lose you."

He felt his features freeze at her words. In all his years, he had never heard this much concern, not even from Dumbledore or his mother.

"Hermione, I have done it before," he heard himself saying.

And with a strong need to comfort her, he embraced her.

He felt her tears on his robed, not that he cared.

"No Severus. I will not let you go," she said clutching on to his robes tighter.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he whispered after casting a Dis-Enervate spell on her to put her into a deep slumber.

He carried her to his bed room and placed her softly on his bed.

Placing a chaste kiss on her forehead, he disapparated.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

All that thing about werewolf whiskers being a flower. Trust me, I have no idea where that idea came from. I just wanted something dangerous. Whatever selenium, glass, blood, etc. are all crap I made up.