Severus snuggled me close. I love being close to Severus, maybe if I ask really nicely I'll never have to move. Severus played with my hair and out of nowhere said, "I'll never leave you, you know that right?"

I looked up at him, shocked and amazed for more reasons than one, "Huh?"

He smiled and kissed my nose, "I love you, you're mine. And more importantly, I'm yours. When I came back it was obvious that you thought I wouldn't."

I frowned, "I thought I had probably crossed the line."

He looked at me with so much love I thought my heart would break, "I don't have a line when it comes to you. And even if you did it would take more than you screaming at me and accusing me of short term memory loss to cross it."

"I thought it was the mixture of that and what you already believed..."

"That you and Remus were up to something unsavory? I didn't believe that."

What?!?

He smiled, "I was angry because I thought Remus had said something to upset you. Then I was angry that you thought I didn't believe you when you said it was only me you were with. But I never believed you'd done something wrong."

"But you looked pretty damn jealous to me."

"Well, in case you haven't realized yet, I'm always jealous when you're around another man; or anyone for that matter. If I had my way I wouldn't share you with anyone."

Now if that's not the sexiest thing I've ever heard, I don't know what is. "Oh really?"

He smirked, "Yes, really." He kissed my cheek down to my neck.

I smiled, "So you no longer think I'd go running off with some other man?"

He looked up at me and rested his head on my chest, "No, I don't think you would. And even if you did, I still would chase after you to get you back."

Oh... my... gosh... "You would?"

He smiled at me, soft and affectionate, "Of course. I love you."

I can see in his eyes that he means it. My heart begins to race. Nobody had ever said, let alone felt, something like that about me. All my life I've been disposable or worse. Now the man of my dreams was looking up at me with love in his eyes and basically telling me that he would never leave me, even if I deserved it. I pull him up to me for a kiss as he wraps me in his arms again.

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"Professor Snape!" I heard a faintly familiar voice scream. My back is pressed against Severus' front and his arm and leg are thrown over me, keeping me in place. I look at the clock; it must have been my imagination. Severus and I have been taking turns spending the night in each other's bedroom for the past few months and tonight was his night. I closed my eyes, attempting to go back to sleep. "Professor Snape, are you in heeerre uhhhhh..."

Severus and I both opened our eyes at the same time. There, in the open doorway, was Draco Malfoy along with Crabbe and Goyle... staring at us snuggling in the nude. I think Severus handled it admirably, all things considered...

Severus throws the sheet over me, making sure I'm covered, wrapping the blanket around his waist he stands up while yelling, "Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe, Mr. Goyle, has no one ever taught you how to knock?!? Three weeks detention for all of you and five points from Slytherin each!!!!"

Wow, points from Slytherin? I'm positively amazed!

"But... Professor Snape!" Malfoy whined.

"Don't but me! What was so damned important that you had to barge into my bedroom at two o'clock in the bloody morning?!?" Severus screamed, absolutely livid. Very sexy. What? It's not me he's angry at!

"There's a werewolf in Hogwarts." Draco said sheepishly.

Both Severus and I got wide eyed. Remus... He'd been missing from his classes for the past week. I'd assumed that he'd been locked up in the shrieking shack. I suppose I was wrong...

Severus shook his head and hissed, "Get into the Slytherin house right away! Don't let me catch you out at this time of night again!" He pulled on some pants and a shirt then turned to me and framed my face with his hands, giving me a short but loving kiss. "Stay here, I'll come back for you. Don't open the door for anyone else."

"I'm coming with you!" I said, starting out of bed.

He frowned at me, "No you aren't! You're going to stay in this room where it's safe, do you hear me?"

"I hear you, but I'm still coming with you! You're going to need help." I said, narrowing my eyes at him.

He crossed his arms and glared at me, "Do you know how to dispatch a werewolf?"

Shit. "No, but..."

He gave me a light shove back onto the bed, "Then sit here and wait until I get back!" Without another word he turned and left, locking me in.

Well, if that doesn't beat all. Here I am, stuck in Severus' bedroom while Severus is out hunting Remus. I have no doubt that Severus wouldn't hesitate to hurt Remus if he had to. Furthermore, what if Remus hadn't taken his potion? The one that made him a somewhat friendly werewolf. Severus might be seriously hurt! What to do? What to do?!? I got dressed and started pacing. I didn't even have my wand!

"Professor Snape! There's a werewolf on the loose and Professor Tingstrom is missing!" I heard Harry Potter scream, running into the classroom.

What a lovely, darling boy! "Harry! Harry let me out! I'm in here!" I screamed.

"Professor Tingstrom?" I heard Ron ask.

"Yes, unlock the damn door!" I screamed.

The door unlocked and I saw Harry and Ron standing there, looking shocked. "What the bloody hell are you doing in Professor Snape's bedroom Professor Tingstrom?" Ron screamed.

I smoothed out my dress and held my head high, "I don't want to talk about it right now. There's a werewolf on the loose. Come with me while I get my wand." I walked out the door with them following behind after a moment.

I look out the door and see... a werewolf. And it isn't Remus! Ok, now I don't feel obligated! I grab Harry and Ron and run back into Severus' bedroom and lock the door just in time to prevent the werewolf seeing us.

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"I would appreciate it if you didn't tell Professor Snape that I was about to leave the bedroom." I said, playing with Ron's hair absently as he laid his head on my lap as if I was his damned mother. He was quivering like a little girl for heaven's sake! Poor thing, too bad I don't have my candy with me.

Harry looked at me and said, "Why is that? Why were you in here in the first place?"

I thought for a moment about how I should answer that. Draco was Severus' pet, but I'm not completely sure that will keep him from telling on us. Harry and Ron caught me locked up in Severus' bedroom, and I'm a horrible liar so nothing I can think of sounds more plausible then the truth. Besides, Harry and Ron owe me for several instances of saving their asses (including this time) so they can keep my damn secret anyway. But just in case... "Professor Snape doesn't want me to get hurt."

"Ok..." Harry said, expectantly.

"What? I'm a girl!" I said, cursing myself as I said it. That was not any kind of excuse to be locked in Severus' bedroom if you asked me. But still, Harry's pretty chivalrous and might buy it.

"So is McGonagall, and he's never locked her in his bedroom." Harry said, his arms crossed. "Why does he care so much if you get hurt?"

Wait a second! I'm a teacher! I don't owe an explanation to him or anybody! But that sounds pretty incriminating doesn't it? I might as well just tell him. "Severus and I are... involved."

"As in..." Ron sat up and moved away from me, "He's your boyfriend?"

I sighed, Severus wouldn't be happy about this. It was his own damn fault for locking me in his bedroom though. "Yes Ron, I'm Professor Snape's girlfriend."

"EWWWW!!!!!" They both said unanimously.

I frowned angrily.

"How could you do such a thing Professor Tingstrom?" Harry asked, his face still showing disgust.

"And all this time I thought he just needed to get..." Ron started.

"Watch it Ronald Weasley!" I hissed.

They both looked at me in shock.

I crossed my arms and glared at them, "Professor Snape is a very capable and interesting man. I'm not ashamed of my relationship with him in the least."

"Then why didn't you tell anyone?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Do the phrases 'Ewwwww' and 'How could you do such a thing' ring any bells?" I asked crankily.

The boys blushed and Harry said, "I'm sorry Professor Tingstrom."

Ron nodded, "Yeah... sorry. You're still alright with me... even if you are dating that greasy git..."

"Ronald Weasley! I will not have you speak about a professor that way! Especially in his own bedroom! Ten points from Gryffindor!" I said, glaring.

He blushed and Harry slapped him upside the head.

Harry looked at me, "But he's right. You're still alright with us Professor Tingstrom. If you want to, we won't tell anybody else."

I smiled, "I would appreciate that boys."

Ron and Harry hugged me. I smiled and hugged back.

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Severus' POV It wasn't Remus, thank Merlin. If it had been Remus that I'd had to catch and send off to the ministry, I'm not completely sure that Katherine would ever completely forgive me. At another time, I wouldn't have minded sending Remus off to Azkaban and/or just plain letting out the fact that he is a werewolf. But now that Katherine is in my life, there's something more important to me than old grudges. Whether I liked it or not Remus was Katherine's friend, and that means that I keep Remus' secret for as long as it takes.

I walk up to my bedroom, hoping that she's still in there. Leave it to Katherine to disobey my orders and leave to go chasing after a damn werewolf without knowing exactly what she's doing. I smiled, I hated to admit it but that's something I love about her. I open the door and find a woman with long dark brown hair, big, brown, almond shaped eyes, soft features, a slim, curvy figure, a full bust, and creamy skin. I sighed with relief, Katherine had stayed. There had to be a catch. I looked on the floor and saw Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley looking at wizard trading cards. "What the bloody hell is going on here?!?" I scream. I'm not going to punish them too badly only because they're obviously the reason Katherine stayed put.

The two boys shoot to attention, "Uhm..."

"They were looking for you because of the werewolf and the fact that they thought I was missing. We saw the werewolf coming down the halls so I locked us all back in here." Katherine says calmly, as if it were nothing at all that the love of my life was nearly killed by a werewolf!

"And what exactly was the reason they were out in the hallways to find out about the werewolf in the first place?" I hiss.

The boys have their usual expression for when they know they're about to be punished.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor and I'll see you two in detention for the next week!" I scream.

They look surprised, considering the source I am being lenient.

"Now get out of my bedroom and go to your common room!" I hiss, pointing to the way out.

"Yes Professor." They say, starting towards the door. They stop and look back, smiling sheepishly and waving at Katherine. "Night Professor Tingstrom." Harry said.

Katherine smiles and waves at them, "Night boys!" She isn't helping!!!!!

"OUT!!!!" I scream. The boys run out and I slam the door behind them. I scowl at Katherine, "We both know that if those boys hadn't been in trouble you would have disobeyed me and gone out looking for the werewolf!"

She rolls her eyes at me, "Oh darn, and I thought that I seemed so innocent."

I frown.

She sighed, "I was going to go out and find you, yes. After I got my wand of course. What would you have me do? You were going out looking for a werewolf, what if you didn't come back? Then I'd have to live the rest of my life knowing that you died and all I did was sit on your bed waiting like a good little girl."

"And what if you had died? Do you think I would have taken it any better?" I ask, trying to sound more angry then desperate. Just the thought that she might have gotten hurt stops my heart from beating.

She blushed and looked down, "I suppose not." She looked up at me with those big brown eyes filled with apology and concern. "I just want you safe. With me."

I sigh and pinch the top of my nose. What am I going to do with her? I go over to the bed and hold her close, her head on my chest. "I suppose I'm grateful to the boys for keeping you here."

I could feel Katherine smile against my chest, but she didn't say anything. She's clever like that.

I kiss the top of her head and lay down while still holding onto her. She snuggles close to me and says, "I'm glad you're not hurt."

I hold her closer. I've never loved anyone even close to as much as I love this woman. I'd always thought that I didn't need love, was happy about it. But now that I've met Katherine, felt what loving her is like, I'll never be able to go on without her.

She looks up at me sheepishly, "So you're not mad anymore?"

How can I be mad at her when she's looking at me that way? "I suppose I don't have a reason to be... this time."

She smiles and kisses me on the cheek, "Thank you."

"Mhmm..." I say, smacking her on the behind, "Next time stay in the damn room without the boys."

She laughs and says, "Alright, alright... I'll try."

I glare at her and she just smiles at me. I can't help smiling back. What can I say? She's safe; I'm safe, nothing bad happened. Besides, she wouldn't be Katherine if she didn't even try to be overprotective, and I love her the way she is. "Just go to sleep Katherine."

She nods and snuggles closer to me as I pull the blanket over us. All I can say is... nobody else better come barging through that door tonight!