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CHAPTER 21

"Say something," he said.

She didn't instead just stared at him.

He looked vulnerable.

Taking a deep breath he continued, "I should have told you. I...I'm sor…umph…" his monologue was cut short when he felt her soft lips pressed on his. It wasn't sensual or heated but sweet and loving. She put her arms around his neck and pressed her lips harder to his, but didn't part them. It was as if she just wanted him to shut up and didn't want him to apologize. A little while later, she gasped for air and pulled away, resting her forehead against his. His hands encircled her, pulling her closer to him.

"I'm glad you did what you did," she said in a whisper.

"And I'm glad you did what you did," he said, before capturing her mouth with his.

A call for "Professor Snape" from the dungeons pulled them apart.

He swore under his breath before going to send the students away while Hermione chuckled at her husband.

"So professor, I guess I will go home now," she said playfully as soon as he came back.

If he was taken aback at her statement, he didn't show it. He looked at her and immediately understood her playfulness.

"Wel…Well, alright then," he said nonchalantly inspecting his nails intently.

She frowned.

He was actually going to send her away? She was just playing with him.

She cleared her throat, "Alright then…" she said turning away, thinking of a way to stay back without expressing eagerness.

"Ow!"

Hermione immediately turned and saw him wincing in pain.

She dashed forward, "Severus! What is it?" she asked inspecting the hand he was looking at, indicating pain.

"It's the cut for the blood from last night. It won't heal by magic," he said smirking at her, knowing very well she wasn't looking at him to see it.

She looked up and immediately his face expressed pain.

"Maybe we should try muggle medicines."

"It didn't work. I tried."

"How did you even eat with this wound?"

"…hm…I used…no…I haven't eaten all day."

"Are you serious?! You haven't eaten all day? You need to look after your health and yourself," she said, going all, "mom" mode over him.

He shook his head smiling, "No, I don't need to."

"What?"

"I have you for that now," he said, tucking the lone hair that fell on her face behind her ear. She blushed a pale pink.

"And Mrs. Snape, when did you last have food?"

"…um…last night…" she said quietly, her smile dropping.

"Well, you need to look after your health and yourself," he said smirking and mimicking her.

Shaking her head, she smiled, "I don't need to. I have you for that now."

Both of them chuckled.

"I guess we should get some dinner. Do you want to go to the Great Hall?"

"And face all the students? No thank you. Maybe we should tell the elves to bring us some food here."

He gave it a little thought and then finally spoke up, "…if you don't mind, we could go out for dinner?" his eyes showed readiness for rejection.

She smiled and said, "I would love that."

"Are you sure? Don't you want to go back home?" he asked, trying to keep his standard "smirk" away from his face.

She chuckled knowing very well his intention.

Placing a chaste kiss on his lips, she said, "I'm home."

Grinning heavenly, he pulled her closer to apparate away.

HOGESMEADE

CHARIOT LeGRANDE

"I have never been here," she said as Snape opened the doors for her.

Unlike the cold from outside, the interior of the restaurant was warm, with bright lights and a feel-good atmosphere.

"Neither have I. I heard the food and ambiance is good."

She nodded as she followed him inside through the not so crowded restaurant.

Severus finally decided on the furthest most, dark corner of the restaurant and took off his robes and placed them on the chair before sitting on it.

Hermione looked around and saw that all of them had removed their robes, especially the women, who were decked in the latest Wizard World fashion. It was manners to remove her robes too, yet she sat on her seat opposite Severus with her robes on.

The table was narrow that their legs brushed against each other at times.

He looked up at her quirking his eyebrows, but didn't say anything when he saw her biting her lips nervously.

What was she wearing underneath that made her so nervous?

He saw her pull the robes closer around her.

Now, he definitely needed to know for sake of his sanity.

If the night progressed well, he might actually get to see it himself.

It wasn't like she was wearing anything underneath, was it?

His eyes widen at the possibility and he coughed to himself to mask his very apparent could-be realisation.

Stop it, Severus! , he chided himself.

"What do you want, Severus?" she asked glancing at the menu the waiter-elf had handed over to her.

"You…" he said before taking a sip of water.

Her eyes snapped up to look at him and she locked her eyes with his intense gaze.

Looking as poised as possible, he said, "You…choose."

She looked speechless for a moment before dipping her head to read the menu again, her blush very apparent.

She ordered her favorites and in 5 minutes the food appeared on their table.

"hm…what do we have here; Chicken spaghetti in creamy mushroom sauce, Roasted lamb with mixed vegetables in red wine sauce and champagne. Not bad."

"I didn't know what sauce you preferred. So I ordered both," she said picking up her fork.

She frowned seeing Snape try to pick up his fork with his wounded hand.

"Wait!"

He looked up and saw her get up and walk towards him to sit on the chair to his right.

He narrowed his eyes. She was very intent on swirling the spaghetti with her fork.

Without thinking, she brought the fork to his lips. He looked surprised, but took the bite all the while locking his gaze with her.

Her eyes gazed to his mouth, drinking in the way he chewed and the way Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. She felt her breath getting uneven as she imagined his mouth and tongue on her.

Stop it, Hermione! , she chided herself looking away.

Her hands trembled as she brought the fork to his lips yet again.

He was intently observing her and saw her getting redder by the minute.

He smiled.

He definitely shouldn't have let her take off those earrings.

"You should also eat."

"Huh?"

He raised his eyebrows and she looked away to hide her obvious blush. She immediately brought the fork to her lips and took a bite before turning to look at him.

He pointed to her lips and said, "…you have cream on your lips."

She shuddered at the very familiar deja-vu.

She brought her fingers to her lips to rub it off, but he held her wrist.

"We don't want that to go waste now, do we?" he said huskily and in a tug, she was pulled up to him. Her eyes fluttered shut when she felt his tongue on the corner of her lips before he captured her lips for a brain numbing kiss. When they parted for air, she saw that she was half straddled on his lap and her hands were resting on his neck, while his were around her waist. They would have sworn that the temperature in the room had doubled.

"Isn't your hand hurting?" she asked frowning.

He chuckled and brought his "supposedly" wounded hand to cup her face.

"Apparently not."

"You are so much a Slytherin," she snorted before dipping in to nuzzle his ear, then trailed her mouth down the column of his throat.

"Hermione, we need to…mm…finish our dinner," he whispered reluctantly.

She pulled away and with a pout she asked, "Do we have to?"

"We could always go home for dessert," he said with a smirk.

Grinning she got off his lap and sat on her seat.

"So what do you really do at work?" asked Snape, hoping to distract themselves until the dinner was over.

With gleaming eyes, she started to talk about her work in a rather animated way.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

SNAPE QUARTERS

BEDROOM

"What is there not to understand? It is just a charm that is infused with muggle technology."

"Ya, but how does it help? It could be done the traditional way."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Trust the Wizard World to accept something modern.

"You sound just like my colleagues," she said as he took of his coat and rolled the cuffs of his white shirt just below his elbows.

He smirked, "They are right."

"Hey!" she said raising her hand to hit his chest but he immediately caught her and pulled her towards him, his other hand resting on her waist.

Her eyes immediately snapped up to lock with his.

She sucked in air when she saw raw desire in them.

She was positive that he could hear her thumping heartbeat.

He looked composed but she could sense him struggling to control his uneven breath, his gaze drilling into hers.

Could tonight be the night?

(TO BE CONTINUED)