Chapter 7: Fights and Comfort

Hermione moved to place herself between Severus and the boys. "Put those things down, do you honestly think you can get away with hexing, jinxing, or otherwise cursing a professor?" Hermione said as calmly as she could manage. She tried to stare them down, to not much avail; they were too used to her doing this.

"I'm not going to put anything away Miss Granger you're sneaking around with a bloody snake for Merlin's sake." Harry yelled back at her raising his wand more.

Hermione knew what was coming and pulled her wand out to throw a body binding curse before he could get the first part of the spell from his lips. She turned quickly and cast a powerful shield charm as Ron's stunning spell flew straight for her and Severus. "EXSPELLIARMUS!" she shouted knocking Ron off of his feet. As he flew backwards she grabbed his wand and pointed both at the boys. "I warned you guys last night not to spy on me; you're going to have to face the consequences now. I will not tolerate this from either of you anymore I'm sick and tired of it; you just don't know how to leave well enough alone. I may one day decide that you deserve some form of forgiveness but that day IS NOT today."

She threw several concurrent jelly-legs jinxes, and bat bogey hexes at the boys. Her eyes were burning with pure fury at this point. She tossed a couple of light stunning spells one for each Harry and Ron before tossing Ron's wand back at him and storming off back through the village fuming at their audacity.

How could they do this to me, are they really that fucking stupid? Honestly I've never met a more incorrigible pair of idiots in my life. I told them what I do was none of their business and they go and do this, I have half a mind to go back and bloody break their ever snooping noses to bits.

Hermione thought to herself as she found herself at the village entrance.

She leaned against the fencing there and hung her head. She really liked Snape, but she felt guilty for doing what she had to her friends, they didn't really deserve all of what she threw at them, only about half of it, but she'd been so furious she couldn't have stopped herself in that moment even if she'd wanted to. Which at the time she hadn't, they did what she'd told them not to do, and it set her off. What's worse is that she'd run from Severus when she was finished.

Severus saw her leaning against the fence at the front of the village; he slowly approached her and saw that there were tears forming in her eyes. Those boys had pulled a right fowl move when Potter had tried to curse her and he understood how she was feeling. He pulled her into his arms and took her place leaning on the wrought iron. She cried into his chest for a good five minutes before she managed to gather her wits and look up at him.

"I'm so sorry you had to see me like that Severus but I just couldn't take it anymore, they've always pushed me. Like they expect more of me, like they expect me to behave and always do the proper thing. They really don't know me as well as they think, and I just couldn't handle it." She sighed and looked back down. "My friend, my supposed best friend tried to curse me; it was the last straw for me. He went too far, and I wasn't going to just take it lying down."

Severus stroked her hair and continued to hold her, to comfort her as best as he knew how. "It's all right Hermione, I understand and I agree with you, you had a right to fly off the handle. Potter went too far this time, even I realize that much." He placed a finger beneath her chin to face her to him. But the hurt he saw there rid him of all his intentions and instead of saying more words of comfort he lowered his head to hers.

As their lips met, all of Hermione's fears and worries flew out the window. She concluded that she'd be content to stay this way forever, with him. With Severus, she realized too late that she loved him, there was no turning back for her now, and there was nothing for her to do now, but stay there in his arms. She was content there; he made her feel so much better.

She kissed with such passion, a burning fire. That was all Severus had the capability to think as the stood there lips fusing, parting, then fusing again, in perfect non-synchronized rhythm. A rhythm only they knew. Hermione was perfect, she was gentle and fierce, she set off all the warning bells in his body, but he couldn't help but ignore this. He wanted her, her and no one else. He loved her, he knew it, and he knew that he needed to protect her from the hurt, all of the hurt in her life. But most of all he needed her; he needed all that she could offer to his bleak and empty existence.

When the two finally broke apart they realized the time, they were late for dinner, and it was no matter. They went back to the three Broomsticks and had a small dinner, just the two of them before they made their way slowly back to the castle.

By the time they got back, the feast was over and all of the students had gone back to their commons. They stood in the entrance hall for a moment just looking at each other, Hermione had noticed something he hadn't yet, and to prolong their moments together she wasn't at all inclined to point out the small bit of green and white foliage above their heads. How did they always end up in these situations? She asked herself.

"Severus," she said after a couple more moments, "you may want to kiss me now."

"Why's that Hermione?" he reiterated still looking her straight in the eyes, those devastatingly beautiful chocolate brown eyes.

Hermione merely pointed towards the ceiling above them, he didn't need to look up to know what was there. He simply placed his hands on her waist and pulled her as close to him as possible before his lips crashed down on hers, much the same way as all the many times before. He couldn't help himself; she was just too alluring to him. His tongue brushed against her lower lip asking for permission to enter. Hermione parted her lips ever so slightly before he attacked her mouth searching, claiming, and conquering. She tasted heavenly to him, like fresh strawberries after a midsummer rain. And she smelled just as good, if not better, he couldn't seem to get enough of her, and with the way she was responding she was in much the same fix.

Severus was the first to pull away, he looked at her as he whispered his next and rather finalizing statement, "Hermione, please, come with me, spend the night with me, I just can't go without you. I know it's sudden, and I understand if you don't want to or if you aren't ready, but please, come with me tonight." He asked almost desperately, he needed her, she needed him. There was no question about it, but it was up to her, was she really ready for that kind of commitment. God he hoped so…

A/N: Don't get too used to me updating like this, it's a one time thing for all of my favorite reviewers personofnoconcern, notwritten, and red rose. Thank you for sticking with me and reviewing! thank you to everyone else who's reviewed and favorited i really appreciate it!