Chapter 11
Hermione quietly tiptoed through the hallways. She was very careful to avoid Filch and Miss Norris. She also kept an eye out for Peeves and any other students that might be following her. She crept quietly to the door and knocked three times, the door opened a small crack and she walked in. The door slammed quickly behind her.
She didn't see him anywhere- where could he be? She looked in the bedroom and saw no one- but she did see something- a dozen red roses on the bed with a note that read "For Hermione- Happy Valentines Day. Bring one with you tonight."
Hermione smiled at how incredibly romantic he was being to her. She felt flutters in her heart- she couldn't believe he had gone through so much trouble for her. She felt so special when she noticed a small doorknob on the bed- was this a portal key? As she gently touched the doorknob she felt the familiar feeling of being sucked into a million pieces at once-
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'Where in the world is she?' he wondered as he glanced around the room. She was 5 minutes late- had she backed out at the last minute? Was he really going to have to have a beautiful dinner by himself in Italy? Maybe she didn't realize that the doorknob was a portal key and was confused. He had charmed the door to open only to her and close immediately after her.
Just as he prepared to get up and go find her himself he saw her. She was wearing the most exquisite black dress that barely covered her breasts. The slit in the dress for clevage was nearly at her bellybutton. The dress was strapless and adorable. It was the type of dress a girl would want to dance in. He never forgot when he saw her wearing that pink dress to the dance with Vicktor Krum, that was when she was a girl- and now- she had blossomed into woman. As she walked closer to him he felt a quickening in his heart- he stood up to meet her.
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Hermione could not believe the absolutely gorgeous restaurant that she was to meet him in. There were fountains, and statues of famous Italians throughout the restaurant as well as many beautiful flowers. She had brought the single rose and wondered why she needed to bring the rose. She didn't see him but when she stood tall on her heels she was finally able to see him. He was wearing the nicest black turtleneck sweater with a suit. He looked SO hot! She had never really seen his dressed up before like this and it was sincerely turning her on. She felt like a little girl at Christmas looking at the shape of the present before unwrapping it.
She was positively giddy with desire. Her face heated as she knew he saw her- their two eyes met as though no one else were there. She felt weak in her knees and was having very difficult time walking over to him without falling. Their eyes stayed locked on one another as though the entire world had faded away. Before she reached the table he stood up to meet her. How absolutely sweet he was.
"Hi Severus." She breathily said.
He grabbed her hand and bent down, "I am now going to kiss the most beautiful hand in the world." And he kissed her hand.
"I'm so glad to see you Hermione. Happy Valentine's Day." He could barely speak as the sheer beauty of her took his breath away.
As Hermione grabbed a seat to sit down she wondered why he wasn't pulling out her chair for her to sit down- wasn't that the proper thing to do? Then she looked up and him and blushed- his jaw had dropped and he stood just penetrating her with his eyes.
"Are you ok?" she asked.
"I was just wondering, how I got to be so lucky to take such a beautiful woman out tonight."
Hermione's heart about leapt out of her body. He had a way with words that she never would have known about. She blushed and said "I can't believe you have set this whole romantic thing up for me. You can't imagine how special I am feeling right now."
"Hermione you have made me feel very special these past few days. Come sit with me- let us dine together."
"Where are we at Severus?"
"We're in Italy my love."
She moved to his side which was a booth- he allowed her to get in first.
"After you beautiful."
"If you continue to do these types of things for me Severus, I think I am going to have to love you forever." She said this very intently and with passion.
It wasn't every day that Hermione told people that she loved them and he had heard her. She loved him, HIM! And wanted to love him forever.
He slid down next to her in the booth- they both drank the sparkling water given to them- and they said "Cheers!"
They couldn't stop looking at one another- it was as if no one else in the world were there.
"Oh Hermione, you look so beautiful tonight."
"And you look positively good enough to eat." She teased.
He turned to face her body and sweetly kissed her lips- she barely felt the touch of his lips on her mouth but it was so sexy. He was being so gentle with her and she hoped that this was a foreshadowing of the events for later tonight. She licked her lips to taste him and smiled.
He nervously tapped his fingers on the table, unsure about what to talk about with her because all he could think of to say is that he loved her and wanted to be with her forever. He certainly did not want to scare her off with being too forward in assuming where their relationship was going.
"You know Severus, this is the most beautiful restaurant I have ever been in before. I can't believe you brought me here."
"You deserve only the best." He smiled as he put his hand under the table to hold hers.
The waiter arrived and asked for their order.
"Are you hungry Hermione?" he asked.
"Not really, but I will eat with you."
"Oh just what I was hoping for. We'll have one bowl of the warm berry soup with mint gelato."
"Any wine for you tonight?" the waiter asked.
"Yes that would be lovely." Hermione said.
"Yes, the best glass of Moscato di Sorso Sennori for the lady and I please."
Hermione grinned and thanked the waiter.
"What in the world type of wine did you just order?"
"Only the best, grown in the vineyards here. The finest wine for the most beautiful lady in the room."
She could not believe how different he was acting and how romantic he was being towards her.
"What are you nervous about?" she asked.
"I am just humbled by your beauty and I hope that I am up to your standards."
"Up to MY standards? Oh Merlin I love you." She gasped and then pulled him into her with a much more physical kiss than he had given her earlier.
They were snogging and he was moving to second base as he reached under the table with his hand on her thigh and started moving it up more and more until he almost touched her spot of pleasure.
They both looked like newlyweds who couldn't keep their hands off of each other.
"Your wine sir," the waiter swirled the glass around and allowed Severus to smell the contents and take a small sip.
He nodded his head that this was acceptable.
He took Hermione's glass and handed it to her.
"Cheers my dear." He winked at her and they both took a deep drink from their cups.
"Oh this is just amazing!" she swooned over the treatment he was giving to her. She had never been romanced before like this- all she could think about was how tender it would be to make love with him tonight and she hoped that they would make love repeatedly. She had never been so passionately turned on before.
Her lips found his again- she just couldn't keep her lips off of his lips and she didn't care that everyone else was looking at them. She was in love with this man and knew that they would make each other happy for a very long time. She was afraid to be too bold as she felt that he may not have recognized the love between them.
He stopped kissing her. "If you don't stop kissing me like that we are NEVER going to finish our night."
She was savoring the wine and the taste that his lips had left on her mouth. "I really don't know if I will be able to stop, this is the most amazing night in my life."
"And it hasn't even begun yet." He smiled and winked suggestively.
Was it possible for a heart to jump out of a chest? She was afraid hers might be running away from her. She felt his hand on her thigh again. How could she have missed this incredibly gentle, sweet, loving side of him. All anyone ever saw of him was the angry, frustrated arse. He must really trust her to allow himself to be free with her. She blushed.
"What are you thinking about inside that mind of yours Ms. Granger?" he asked with a twinkle in his eye.
"Just, just about how amazingly romantic you are. And I could definitely get used to this." She yearned to kiss him again when the beautifully decorated dessert arrived. There were strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries in a fruit sauce arranged next to a small scoop of ice cream. So this is what they were having to eat? And why only one bowl?
She soon found out when he offered her a bite. He moved the spoon towards her mouth and began to feed her small bites of the food. It was delicious and she wasn't just thinking about the food. She gazed appreciatively up at him. She felt a part of it dribble down her lip and when she went to clean it off he removed her hand, and kissed her where it had spilled. She was about to burst into passionate flames- she felt like a queen, his queen and that she was totally being savored before she even went to bed with him.
She grabbed a spoon now and scooped some of the ice cream and berries onto it. Then she placed it in his mouth and he ate appreciatively. She saw a drop on the table from the food. She wiped it up with her finger and then began to suck on her finger trying to look innocent but instead turned him on completely.
"I have to get that visual out of my mind if we are going to continue our evening. I would rather continue our date as planned and if you continue to do that I'm afraid we would have to give the whole restaurant a show because I might lose control- bend you over the table and take you."
He looked serious about the proposition.
"Gods you're hot Severus." She swooned.
They kissed again and continued to feed each other their shared italian dessert and they sipped on their wine. It was the sweetest moment in the world that they both had ever shared.
Finally they were finished with their dessert the waiter returned.
"Was everything to your liking?" he questioned.
"Yes it was, thank you very much. Here is your payment- and now my lovely wife must bid you adieau." He kissed her hand and as they were leaving the waiter looked thrilled-
"Thank you SO much very kind sir. God bless you."
"What kind of a tip did you leave him Severus?"
"15% more than the meal. Isn't that what I'm supposed to give?"
"No, you're only supposed to give 15% of the total bill." She laughed, "You are SO not a muggle. And I'm not your wife...yet."
He smiled as she answered a question that had been on his mind lately.
They held hands and walked across the street and just as it started to rain they disapparated.
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