CHAPTER 20

"I...well..." started Snape.

"Save it! Apparate us back home now," said Hermione, trying to look angry.

Sighing he held out his hand, but stopped when he looked at her and saw a hint of smile she was trying to hide. Smirking he pulled her by her waist towards his side. She gasped in surprise as she turned to face him. His almond shaped eyes scanned hers.

The next time she looked around, she saw she was back in Hogwarts.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

SNAPE'S QUARTERS

SITTING ROOM

"So, what explanations do you have Professor?" she asked, pulling away and crossing her hands.

"Nothing..." he said as innocently as possible.

"Really?" she asked, raising her eyebrows and taking a step forward.

He stepped back, trying to avoid her gaze.

She stepped forward cornering him.

"You know wandless magic..." she said in dangerously low voice.

He bit the inside of his cheek, to stop himself from doing something that he could blame later on her proximity.

"...uhm...yes..."

"You know wandless magic," she stated again as she rose on her tip toes and put her hands around his neck, pressing herself against him.

"...hm..." he moaned against her, his eyes fluttering shut.

"You know wandless magic..." she whispered yet again nuzzling against his neck with her nose, but being crafty enough to leave a minuscule distance, sending shivers through him and making him yearn for contact.

"…Mione…"

She smiled before pulling away. His eyes shot open at the loss of contact all together.

"You are so unbelievable! You knew wandless magic and you didn't use it at the most convenient time! Perv! You didn't configure clothes for me in the shower that night!" she said all the while controlling her laughter.

"I'm not a perv! You are my wife!" he protested.

"Well, you didn't seem to acknowledge it at that moment!"

"Do you how hard it was to see you chewing your lips and batting your eyes, being all cute and nearly naked in front of me and not snog you senseless, right there?"

"You liked me ever since?" she asked, gasping in surprise.

"...well…maybe…I don't know…" he said, thoughtfully, "I really don't know when I started to like you."

"So, you like me?" she asked, slowly.

He frowned and asked, "You have a doubt?"

"No! I mean…well, I never thought you would like me."

"You are the most amazing student I have had, though a little irritating at times….don't give me that look…and I really missed a know-it-all student after you graduated. That night when I saw you in my couch, that's the first time, I observed what a beautiful woman you had grown out to be and when Dobby called you Mrs. Snape, I really hoped it wasn't just a dream…I don't know why, though…I didn't want you to be tied up with me. That's why I tried being distant and snarky at you."

She stared wide-eyed at her husband's confession. He was actually confessing his feelings to her?!

He cleared his throat and said, "This is the part you say something nice or give me a kiss."

She gave a little laugh, "I…I'm sorry…I just…I didn't think you would tell me your feelings. Thank you for that. And trust me that was the night I started liking you too. You being compassionate with Missy, helpful with the Weasleys and friendly with Harry, I saw a different side of you and started liking you ever since."

"How fortunate for me," he said smirking, encircling her waist and pulling her closer.

"I really thought you were going to kiss me that night in the library," he said, his eyes boring into hers.

She laughed, "But we did kiss in the morning."

"You call that a kiss? It was hardly a peck."

"Thanks to Bellatrix, we had our first proper kiss," she said wetting her lips at the memory.

"Ah! Bellatrix! By the way what was Victor Krum's problem? I know you were dating him in 4th year, I suppose."

She sighed, "Yes, it never worked and I moved on with Ron. Ever since the war, he tried to get back with me. But when I told him I was in love with Ron…" she felt his grip loosen a bit, "…he didn't bother me, some Quidditch pact. But thanks to your Rita Skeeter, he knew about us and has been bothering me ever since. But it was always when there were Ministry people around with roses and music and nonsense. I guess he became desperate today and did what he did."

"I see. I have some work to do. I guess I will be gone," he said moving away, his usual demeanor returning.

"Severus, wait. I didn't like either him or Ron like the way I like you now."

He simply nodded, getting ready to go. She held his hand and said, "I never loved Ron in real sense. Now that I think about it, why else would I have rejected his proposal not once but twice?"

She saw his features soften a little, but he still walked away.

"Severus," she called out nervously.

He turned to look at her and saw the desperation in her eyes and realized what message his actions might have seemed like.

"No…don't think anything…I..I really have work, Hermione."

Just then they heard someone call out for "Professor Snape" from the dungeon.

"See, the students are here for detention and I need to do something for Madam Pomfrey."

"I can help," she said, not wanting to spend the afternoon away from him.

"It's just some chocolate flavors she was asking for women with mood swings. You can't help much…" he stopped short, a smirk appearing on his face as a thought struck him, "…actually you can. Wait. Let me give the students some work and I will come back."

She went and sat in the couch.

She had seen his smirk, but didn't think much about it.

She gasped in surprise when she saw him come back holding a silky green blindfold and got up.

"You…you…you have seen my dreams?" she asked astonished.

"Yup!" he said hiding his smile.

"How could you? You have known all the while I have been dreaming about you?" she asked astonished and walking towards him.

It was Snape's turn to be astonished.

"You…you have been dreaming about me?" he asked.

"You didn't know?" she frowned.

"No…I just saw this much I guess," he said gesturing at the blindfold.

"Thank Merlin!" she said, placing a hand to her chest.

He leaned forward and asked in a low sensual voice, "So, what did I do in your dreams Mrs. Snape?"

He heard her swallow hard.

"What was this work you wanted to do?" she asked changing the subject.

He took the blindfold to her eyes and tied it behind her head. She placed her hands on the blindfold feeling it.

"I want you to taste the different flavors and tell me which you like the most."

"That's it? Why the blindfold?" she asked, darting her hands forward in an attempt to grasp him.

"So that color and textures don't influence your choice," he said slowly, pulling her to him.

Her questions were cut short with him brushing his lips against hers in a soft kiss.

"Are you ready?" he asked leading her to the couch.

"…hm," she said as she placed herself comfortably on the couch.

He was gone and returned after 5 minutes and the room was filled with the aroma of fresh chocolate, all tempting her and she suddenly realized she hadn't had lunch.

"Open your mouth," he said with sweet authoritativeness and she obliged and felt something soft on her lips. She bit into it and immediately felt the milk chocolate dissolving into a juicy taste of oranges. She savored it before saying, "I knew it. You love oranges, don't you?"

He didn't reply, but pressed his lips against hers, slipping his tongue into her mouth to savor the taste of his favorite fruit. She moaned in approval.

"Sweet", he whispered against her lips as he pulled away.

She parted her lips a little, ready for the next delicacy.

Once she felt it pressed on to her lips, she munched on it. This one was crunchy.

"…um…it's got nougat, almonds and bubbles. This is pretty usual, nothing you don't get in muggle stores," she said chewing away the remains.

"Hm…Try this," he said, giving her another one.

This one was incredibly soft and she sucked on it.

"It's got dark chocolate flavor in it with swirls of honey. A tantalizing combination, I must say. I like it," she said, taking her fingers to her lips to savor it better.

"How about this one?" he said, giving her yet another one.

"Oh! Strawberries in chocolate? Can you even do it? It's wonderful."

"And now for the last one," he said and looked at the box of chocolates he had. He had given her everything he had made for samples. Then, smirking he pulled out a chilly flavored one from the collection he had made especially for her and brought it near her parted lips. After a moment's hesitation of if he should do it, he pressed it softly on to her lips and she munched on it, not quite expecting her husband's prank.

"Oh Merlin!" she exclaimed, pulling the blindfold away from her eyes, spitting it and looking at him with watering eyes.

"Snape. I'm going to kill you!" she said, batting the air in front of her lips.

"Sh! The students will hear you," he said giving her the honey flavored chocolate.

"It's dark chocolate and has got a bitter taste to it, Severus. Oh Merlin! Professor Snape wants to kill me!" she shouted looking around for water.

"Don't shout. The whole school will hear you."

"I don't give a…umph…"

Snape's lips were pressed hard against hers in an attempt to shut her up. Her struggling just gave him the required entrance into her mouth. She stopped struggling and enjoyed the kiss as she tangled her hands around the back of his neck pulling him closer. His lips suckled and sucked on hers to ease the burning sensation. Satisfied that she would not shout more, he pulled away.

"Better?"

She smirked and said, "I could use another chilly chocolate."

"Witch," he hissed, pulling her onto him for yet another tantalizing kiss.

By the time they broke out for air, they realized that she was on top of him and he was lying comfortably on the couch. She realized the intimacy of the situation and the heat in her veins rose. She didn't know if she was ready for anything beyond this but nevertheless did not feel opposed to the idea. She allowed herself to lock her gaze with his and at once saw the pool of desire and insecurity in them.

"I need to confess something."

Her eyes urged him to go on.

"One week back I was at the Ministry to file a patent and I was told to use the machine you invented. And…when I doing the process in one particular machine, I did a mistake, so it told me to redo the whole process again and I got so worked up that I hexed it with a repair spell," he said slowly, letting the words sink into her.

Wide eyed, she balanced her weight on his shoulders and got up, but didn't answer anything. He also got up and saw that she was looking away.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulders, "Hermione…"

She turned to face him, her face masking any emotion she had and for the first time, Snape regretted not stopping her from removing her earrings.

"Say something."

She didn't instead just stared at him.

(TO BE CONTINUED)