Chapter 9

She could still taste him inside her mouth. Oh Merlin help her- she was tingling all over in places that she didn't even know that she had. She had just kissed him, him the man of her dreams, him the man she couldn't get out of her mind, him that he had to have more of. She thought she could very quite possibly be in love. She couldn't even think straight- her mind was cloudy and she felt like play dough, completely moldable in his hands. Now she understood why Ginny was stumbling hard when she came back from her date on Valentine's Day. Oh, but she hadn't even done that with him yet- just that kiss- that one kiss had proved to her that he wanted her. That he needed her.

Hermione banged on the door of the common room screaming the password repeatedly- not understanding why she couldn't get into the common room. Then she looked up and realized she was nowhere near the common room but banging on a blank wall- she wrapped her arms around her waist. Oh, she felt so woozy. How could she ever be with him if she felt this way about just the simple act of kissing him?

He had just made the worst mistake in his career. Kissing a student, yearning to fuck her senseless? He had NEVER done this and would NEVER do this if it wasn't Hermione. He felt so much passion between them when they kissed that he thought that for sure their bodies would ignite on fire. He had never kissed anyone like that before. He had loved Lily so much, she was his first kind love. But with Hermione- everything in his life seemed so much clearer.

How utterly DISGUSTING that he should feel this way. He didn't want happiness, he didn't deserve happiness and he swore that if she came near him again he would definitely disuade her. There would be no more stolen kisses in the night because he treasured his post at Hogwarts and refused to let her ruin it for him. No matter how he felt about her.

Ginny laughed as hard as she could as she saw Hermione walking through the door. Oh, my- something had definitely happened. She knew that she and Draco had an integral part in Hermione's happiness. She wondered what had happened and immediately shook Hermione as hard as she could.

"You have to tell me, you HAVE to tell me. What happened Hermione? I want details, Details GIRL!"

"He... he..." Hermione struggled

"Oh my word- Hermione what did he do to you? Did he shag you senseless? Are you ok? Did he hurt you? What was it like?" Ginny implored.

"He.. kissed me." Hermione smiled.

Ginny shrieked "AAAA."

"And it was wonderful." Hermione looked like she was about to pass out when Ginny took her hand and pulled her to sit down.

"And then what happened Hermione?"

"That's it. He told me that if I should ever forget how he truly felt about me, to remember that kiss." Hermione put the back of her hand across her forehead and fell flush onto the couch.

"Oh girl, you've got it BAD for him." Ginny was purely tickled by Hermione's response to a kiss. "I personally know that you and Ron had several snogging sessions- so you've kissed before. Why was it so special?"

"Because, it was him. And he is who I desire."

Hermione closed her eyes and began to imagine the kiss all over again as though it was on instant replay.

"Hermione, settle down! If you get this worked up over a kiss- how would you handle anything else? You are positively giddy over this- what would you do if he wanted to get to second base?" Ginny asked seriously.

"He can take me wherever he wants to, as long we're there together!" Hermione exclaimed, "Oh Ginny it was simply AMAZING."

Ginny felt like she was talking to a girlfriend who had just had the greatest sex of her life, but instead- she was talking to her best friend about kissing her professor who obviously had the hots for her.

Ginny smiled at Hermione.

Hermione sat up abruptly, "Is THIS how you have been feeling with Draco?"

"Oh honey, if you are feeling this way about a kiss- you will be a horrible sight when you reach the heights that Draco and I have reached."

"I still want to reach those heights. Oh Ginny what am I going to do?"

"Set up your next encounter- find time to spend with him. Get ready to shag." Ginny encouraged.

"If I can get through tonight without having several wet dreams wake me up, then I can move on to whatever is next." Hermione grinned like Ginny had never seen her grin before.

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Hermione felt so much unresolved tension in her belly as well as nervousness when she entered the classroom for Potions. She saw him but he ignored her while looking at all of the other students. He had put them into pairs to begin working on a new potions project and somehow she was paired up with Pansy.

Maybe it was an oversight from him as he might have forgotten what happened just a few days ago with Pansy and Ron. Nonetheless, she sat down next to Pansy who was bragging without even talking. Hermione didn't care, she thought Ron was an arse anyway. Let them have fun together- they both deserve each other.

They began working feverishly on their potion when Professor Snape walked over and stood right next to Pansy.

"Why Ms. Parkinson, you are doing a phenomenal job today. I would like everyone to notice how incredibly talented and intelligent this young witch is." He said as Pansy blushed in embarrasment. He thought SHE was smart?

Snape walked around to Hermione's side and said very loudly,

"Ms. Granger, you could stand to learn A LOT from Ms. Parkinson."

If Hermione thought the glares were on her before when they found out about Pansy and Ron they were certainly unmatched by the glares she was receiving now. No one had ever spoken negatively of Hermione's intellect.

Pansy smiled and then whispered to Hermione, "I know something you need to learn from me."

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

" How to meet Ron's needs."

" I don't care about him anymore. You can have him." Hermione whispered back with some stinging feelings inside.

"And just between you and me Hermione, I have plans to shag Professor Snape someday. It's obvious that he favors me." Pansy smiled with a look of lust in her eyes.

And that was the moment that Hermione punched her in the face.

"Both of you. What in the heck just happened in my classroom?" Professor Snape asked angrily.

"Like you would care" Hermione said totally hurt that Pansy said Snape favored her and he was making that perfectly clear in class today. Even after last night.

"You're right, I don't care. 20 points from both of your houses and if you are caught doing this again I will personally make sure that the punishments next time are a lot stricter. Now get out of my office. How dare you hurt my favorite student Ms. Granger?" he asked to her.

Pansy sauntered towards the door and winked suggestively before leaving Snape's office. She looked like she had gotten away with so much and that she was going to make good on the threat she gave right before Hermione punched her.

Hermione stared at him with complete dissapointment in her eyes. She said nothing, but turned to leave.

"If this is how you would like it to be, then I understand."

There, he had disuaded her. That was his intention and yet- he had also hurt her severely in the process. He felt terrible about how he had hurt her, but how was he supposed to keep his distance from her when she was coming way too close to comfort. He felt like an idiot, oh how he hoped he hadn't lost her. He cared for his eager Potions student and he knew that although he could live without her, that kiss last night meant that he didn't want to.

What was he supposed to do? Did she have some weird thought that he might actually love her? Riddiculous. Severus Snape, ever loving anyone? Well, it had happened once before- but then she died. He didn't deserve to be happy or to feel so enamored with anyone else since it was his fault that she had died. And as he began to feel sad about losing Lily he watched the most amazing woman walk back into his office.

"And by the way just so I can have the last word." Hermione began, "I adored our kiss last night. And, you're an arse!"

She stormed out of the classroom and furiously slammed the door.

Well, that wasn't the first time he had the door shut in his face and he was willing to bet that it wouldn't be the last. At least she had come back though.

Hermione shared what had happened in potions class with Ginny. Ginny allowed her to cry on her shoulder.

"Hermione. He is just afraid." Ginny soothed as she felt her friend sobbing into her shoulder.

" Afraid of what? I am just so stupid to believe that he could like me at all."

"Hermione, he does like you! Since when does he purposely pair off you and Pansy and then compliment her in class?"

"Since the last time, since.. well, since what happened last night." Hermione seethed. "What was he trying to prove to me? That it meant nothing to him?"

"Hermione, he isn't trying to prove anything of the sort. He is trying to make you give up. He knows that he wants you- but he doesn't feel that he can have you because he is your professor- he is trying to push you AWAY." Ginny explained.

"I know you are right, but he has my heart. He has to know that he has my heart."

"Let's go have lunch Hermione. It's time."

Hermione looked at Ginny and said, "I've lost my appetite. I'm not sure I will be able to eat again."

Three days later Harry was walking Hermione to her next class- he was so worried about her because she had been looking very sad during classes and he hadn't seen her eat at all in the past three days.

"Hermione, is everything ok?" Harry implored.

"Yes, everything is perfectly fine."

"You haven't been eating."

"I haven't been hungry."

"Why are you sad?"

"I'm not sad, just not finding too much to be happy about these days."

"Ron, I knew it! I'm sorry that he hurt you so Hermione."

"Ok, thanks Harry." She gave him a hug and walked into her class. When she sat down she buried her head to look like she was bored- she just needed to have another good cry.

"Draco, we've got problems."

"What kind of problems Ginny?"

"Well, not between you and I- but have you seen Hermione lately?"

"Yes Ginny I have and even though I detest her it bothers me that she is so sad. I mean I can't even tease her anymore. Her sadness has just sucked all the fun out of it." He gave a sheepish look.

"But not nearly as bad as Snape is doing. Do you know that he gave an entire class detention for no reason really?"

"Merlin Draco- what can we do to get them back together?"

"They were together?"

"No, but something DID happen. She was so happy afterwards and then he doted on Pansy in class while degrading her."

"Pansy- she always ruins everyone's fun." He said in a dismissive way.

"Not mine Draco." Ginny laughed and she pulled their two bodies together so she could meet him in a kiss.

It was the first time in three days that anyone had seen Hermione eating anything- some people were even worried that she had entirely disappeared from school. Oh how rumors liked to fly around Hogwarts.

Hermione looked down at her almost empty pumpkin juice and tried to see a reflection of happiness in the glass, but all she saw was a sad, confused, upset little witch.

She looked around to see if he was there at breakfast. She had suspicions as to where Ginny and Draco were and she didn't see Professor Snape at all, maybe it was best that she didn't see him anymore except for when she was in his classroom. She had been so STUPID to believe that his kiss meant anything.

An owl swooped down hurriedly by Hermione and left a letter. She was so excited to be able to have a letter from her mom or dad. She carefully opened the note it said:

"Meet me outside the Transfiguration classroom, come now!- Yours Truly-"

What was this about? She had an idea of who Yours Truly was, but why after what he did would he want to meet her? She was positively furious with him in how he treated her, she had offered what she had to him and then HE kissed her and pushed her away.

Well she was for certain that she wasn't going to allow him to do that again without some explanations! She'd meet him, but just this once.

What kind of a joke was this? He knew that she had wanted to blackmail him or something- so why did he give in? He knew better than to mess with a student. What an idiot for actually thinking that she really wanted him. And now he was going to lose his job over it.

'Oh hell Hermione. Why did I ever trust myself with you?'

The owl had arrived early this morning which said:

"Severus,

Meet me outside of the Transfiguration room at 9 am. –Yours Truly-"

He took a wild guess about who –Yours Truly- was and waited to find out exactly what the hell she wanted from him. An A on a project for once? Some recognition? He could only imagine what he would need to do once the Headmaster found out. He started drafting his goodbye letter to Hogwarts in his mind. And he had messed it up for HER. Oh he was fuming. He just couldn't wait to see what she wanted from him. Women!

Hermione reached the Transfiguration classroom and just as she was about to go in she saw Professor Snape coming down the hall.

"If we're going to do this, let's at least find some place quiet." He ordered her.

What in the hell was he talking about? If we're going to do this? Certainly he must not get the point that he had sincerely hurt her feelings for what he did. She wasn't going to do anything with him until he admitted his wrongs and apologized to her.

Snape pulled her into the empty Transfiguration room and said several spells over the door so that no one could get through. Unbeknownst to him- as he was whispering those spells and closed the door- just around the corner Ginny and Draco were grinning at what they had accomplished.

Snape and Hermione glared at each other both wishing to know what the other wanted. For about two minutes neither one of them said a thing.

Finally Hermione decided to break the silence. "Ok, so what do you want?"

"What do you mean what do I want?" he implored.

"Why am I here?"

" I don't know, why ARE you here?" he asked.

"You sent me an OWL you twit." She replied.

"Actually Ms. Granger I assure you that I did not."

"Don't you DARE Ms. Granger me. You know my name!"

They both looked confused.

Hermione continued to speak, "Then, you aren't –Yours Truly-?"

"No, I thought you were." He replied with a laugh. "We've been set up."

"Ginny.." Hermione seethed. "Well now that it was cleared up I guess you must want to be going now."

"Isn't this an ironic turn of events?" he smirked.

"I guess I must leave, but before I do- I wonder Ms. Granger if I could say two things."

"You're entitled. What do you need to say?"

"Well, it's more like three things, first of all, I too adored that kiss, yes I am an arse, and I have missed you. Good day to you." He said as he rushed off.

She immediately grabbed his hand before he left out the door.

"What did you say?" she asked anxiously.

"Oh, you mean the part where I said I had three things to tell you or the part where I said I had missed you."

Her face glowed in happiness.

"I missed you too! So Ginny was right about you." Hermione smiled.

"And just what praytell did Ms. Weasley say about me?" Snape curiously asked.

"She said that you still like me but you are too concerned about losing your job to act on it." She continued. "Further she said that you were a git and that was why you were treating me cruelly."

" I cannot picture Ms. Weasley saying anything of the sort." Snape assured her.

"Well, she did say the first part, but the last part I added in."

Her smile was literally lighting up the room. This was one of the most wonderful things about Hermione- the way her smile could completely brighten his day. How he wished she would always smile to warm his cold heart.

He fixed his eyes on her- she met his dark eyes as she smiled up at him. She smiled for him. He was the cause of her smile. That made him feel so good inside- damned feeling. A grin spread across his face as he began to ponder things.

So, he could lose his job and find a new one, or he could lose Hermione and never find another.

"Oh fuck it." Snape snapped.

"What?"

"I'm tired of trying to push you away from me when I want to have you SO badly."

"You do?"

"Of COURSE I do."

"Then why did you make it a point to upset me in front of the class when you distinctly knew that it was going to bother me and hurt my feelings, especially pairing me up with Pansy and do you know when I punched her? What she said?" Her voice speeded up to about 50 miles an hour. "She said something about teaching me alright how to please Ron which was fine by me, then she said that she would shag you and I couldn't handle that and then I punched her."

He moved closer to Hermione.

"Do you know Hermione what I think?"

"What do you think?"

"I think you should shut up about the whole thing and kiss me."

She moved her body closer to his and he crushed his mouth onto hers. She turned her head an opposite direction from his and felt his tongue enter her mouth passionately, a groan escaped her mouth and she closed her eyes and kissed him back.

They started gently kissing and then she wrapped her arms around his neck while they kissed. She began to pull on and play with his hair.

How did she ever figure out that was one of his biggest turn ons?

She pulled him closer into her body and wanted to feel the pressure of his body on top of hers- "Lay down with me" she cooed sweetly.

He carefully placed her on the ground where they continued to kiss. He felt amazing being passionate on top of her. He wanted to do so much more but they didn't have enough days in the week, for him to do what he wanted, to her body. He also wouldn't allow himself to rush through a sexual encounter like he had so many times before- because this time was different= she meant something to him as much as he hated to admit it.

He began to softly grind his body into hers and without even thinking about it she opened her legs wide for him- they both were feeling heat as though someone in the room brought a furnace in. The need, the desire, the want, the passion- all took them as they completely and utterly forgot about all of the world around them. All they knew in that moment was that they wanted to be together in this shared ecstasy.

Hermione couldn't believe how amazing he made her feel. He truly wanted her, and only her. He had missed her. Wow he felt so good to her body. Mmmm. She groaned deeply and he sighed her name "Oh, Hermione, touch me"

That was all it took and then she reached down with her right hand to feel his erection. Oh gods he felt so good. His cock was so large and hard- she hoped she would be able to be able to straddle him soon.

He reached his hands up her shirt and began to feel her breasts through the cotton covering them. He began to rub against her even more as he pinched her nipples.

" You are driving me CRAZY." She screamed.

"I'll make you crazy," he said as he lightly brought his fingertips down her sides and ran his hand softly over her sex.

"mmmmmmm" she hummed as he touched the outside.

Then she pushed him over and straddled his lap. She started rubbing herself against him and screaming cries of passion. He grabbed her breasts as she began to pull off her clothes- she started trying to unbutton his pants when they heard footsteps.

They immediately jumped away from one another, stood up, and tried to look as though nothing had happened at all when Professor McGonagall waltzed into the room.

"And here is my wonderful Transfiguration room. Which is.. oh.. I do hope I wasn't interupting anything Professor Snape, Ms. Granger."

"No you were not Professor McGonagall- I was just trying to help Ms. Granger locate."

"Something that was lost" Hermione continued.

"Yes, a lost textbook for my class that she thought she might have left here."

By the look on her face Hermione could tell that Professor McGonagall believed them. They luckily had escaped scrutiny.

"Well, I must be off." Snape walked quickly away with robes swishing behind him, then Hermione walked after him but keeping her distance.

As she walked she started to hear an AHEM, AHEM sound- she looked around and walked towards the sound- it was coming from one of the deeper alcoves. She walked inside and looked around. Her eyes fell upon Severus who quickly shielded her from view.

"I'm nowhere near done with you Hermione."

He teased.

" I should certainly hope not. And leave me unsatisfied?"

"We wouldn't want that now would we?" he said suggestively.

"Just kiss me" she begged- he leaned down and began to kiss her once again- their tongues tangoed in a rhythm that only they knew and abided by. A groan from deep within caused him to grab her even closer than before.

"I want so badly to feel you, to have you, to lose myself to you." Hermione panted.

" All in good time. As for now, we must go and pretend that nothing has happened if we ever wish to meet again under these circumstances."

She kissed him again for a quick goodbye kiss- he crushed his mouth to hers and pulled her hand down to cover his hardened cock.

"Don't forget Ms. Granger, this is waiting for you and only for you."

He turned around and left.

'Oh gods' Hermione thought.

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