A/N: Hi everyone. Thank you all for the awesome reviews you left me, I loved them all. Thank you too for everyone still adding me to their alerts and faves. I'm blown away at how much of a response this story is generating. But I love it too. I think it's my best one so far.

Special Thanks to Kristine Thorne, my very lovley Beta. You have done a great job on this story and I love it. Thank you.

Chapter 18

They slept wrapped together the whole night. Their exhaustion so great that they barely moved at all in their sleep. Not that either would have wanted to anyway.

Severus woke first as the late morning sun filtered into the room. He was surprised at how refreshed and rested he felt considering how bone tired they had both been. Feeling her shift slightly beside him, he turned his head to look at Hermione. Her head resting on his shoulder, her hair fanning out around her, her face relaxed in her sleep, she looked utterly beautiful. He shifted just enough to be able to look down at her while she continued to sleep.

This tiny woman was completely amazing. He had meant it every time he said she was odd, because she was. The things she could do were astounding. He had never met a more powerful witch. At least he didn't think he had. But with all that power she held, she was still sweet and kind. She wasn't sick and twisted with her power like the Dark Lord was. She didn't seek to use that power to her advantage. Even if it meant hurting others to get more of it.

She was innocent in her way of looking at most things. Either they were right or wrong. If it was wrong, it must be stopped and the victims saved from whatever was happening to them. Her innocent views had confused him. He hadn't met anyone who looked at things like she did. Then, he found them slightly amusing, knowing she would be very disappointed to learn the world didn't work the way she thought it did.

Now he was simply amazed. He hoped she never lost her views on the world. He didn't want her to become jaded like so many people did when they found out how terrible the world really was.

His eyes skimmed over her face again before slipping down her lovely body. He hadn't taken the time to admire her fully naked elegance before. He had been so wrapped up in her that he hadn't been able to look away from her mesmerizing face.

Since the room had stayed so warm last night due to the fire, they had slept above the covers. So he took his time in studying her uncovered form.

His eyes took in her golden skin that was softer than some of the finest silks he had ever touched. Letting his gaze slip down her smooth body, he noticed slight discolorations here and there.

Shifting her to lay on a pillow instead of him, he sat up to see her better. He spotted more discolorations, and upon moving closer to see them better, he saw they were scars.

Like the ones on her shoulder, there were a few on her arms, a few deeper ones on her upper and lower legs, one or two on her belly, and one thin, narrow scar that ran from just under her left breast, curving down her entire side, to around her back.

What had happened to her? He didn't know, but he knew that these scars were why she kept her body hidden in jeans and long shirts. She didn't wear a skirt, minus that one long one at Christmas that hadn't shown an inch of skin, accept for her uniform, but her robes hid what the skirt didn't. Her knee socks hiding them as well.

Then, he spotted one that made him look back at her face in shock, while her's stayed relaxed in sleep. On her chest, below her shoulder and above her right breast, in the shape of an odd star. He had seen a scar like this one only once before. This was from a distinct spell. One only Death Eaters used.

This was why she fought the dummy Death Eaters. She had battled one or at least been hurt by one. He could only thank whatever god was listening for her having survived whatever happened to cause such a mark on her silky, golden skin.

He lifted her hand to press a soft kiss into it, but a discoloration there snagged his attention. Where had this one come from? He had never seen it before. He had seen her hands many times, but this had never been there before.

He would have sworn she hurt herself last night, but this looked old. He looked closer at it, but it was so faded and blurred that he almost couldn't tell what had done it. But it almost looked like words.

He stared hard at it, trying to make it out. But again, it was so blurred he couldn't see anything but what looked like the word 'provoke'. Even that word was hard to make out.

His eyes met her face again. What had she lived through that would cause all of this on her?

Seeing her shift and hearing her mutter slightly, he gently lowered her hand back down, and moved back to look at her face while resting on his propped up hand. He then saw a small scar on her neck he had never noticed before. It was just a tiny one on her throat, just under her jawbone where her pulse beat.

Where did that one come from? Why haven't I noticed it either? He wondered. Upon closer inspection, he paused. It almost looks like an old knife wound. Who would hold a knife to her throat? Assuming it's from a knife. Why does she have so many scars? But he didn't have any answers to his questions.

His eyes went to her face again. Watching as she scrunched up her nose then lifted a hand to rub it softly, before dropping her hand again. Only seconds later, her eyes fluttered open.

Hermione woke slowly and when the sunlight hit her eyes, she quickly shut them again. She was still tired and when she shifted she felt her body aching slightly. Especially in places that had never ached before, but knowing immediately why they did.

She sighed and forced her eyes open, seeing the strange ceiling over her head before she turned her head slightly and found Severus watching her silently. His expression was one of curiosity, his eyes though held a question and she was unsure of what it was.

She gave him a tentative smile even as a small blush seeped into her cheeks. His eyes warmed and he smiled back, knowing she was wondering if he had any regrets.

He leaned down and kissed her lips softly, assuring her that he didn't have any regrets from last night. When he pulled away, he saw her tentative smile blossom into a full, bright smile.

She shifted to her side, and winced slightly, making her smile disappear. His eyes took in her look of pain and he quickly got up. The red claw marks on his shoulders and back standing out on his luminescent skin as he turned from her, making her smile a little once again, knowing she gave them to him last night.

She watched him stride naked into the loo and heard him rustling around in there. The sound made her smile fade in a look of confusion as she wondered what he was doing.

He came back with a few vials in his hands. He handed her one and told her to drink it. She glanced at the label and sighed in relief. A mild pain potion is what the label said it was. She uncorked it, sniffed it briefly and finding it smelled right, she drank it down.

Severus, as her professor, had taught her right. Never drink something if you weren't completely positive of what it was.

Feeling her aches ease a bit, she sighed. Then, he handed her another one. She again read the label, took a sniff to ensure it was what it said it was, and drank the healing potion down too.

Within moments she felt all her aches downstairs disappear. Her muscles no longer felt tense and sore either. Though she still felt drained.

Then, he handed her a third vial. Making her smirk at seeing it was Pepper Up potion. She took a whiff before drinking it down and again within moments, felt like her body was fully rested.

She grinned at him. "Thank you. How did you know they would be in there?"

He sat down on the bed, leaning back on the pillows beside her head. "Most establishments like this have many restorative potions ready for any clientele that might over do it and need something to perk them back up. I'm sure with the amount of money you gave the bartender last night, he made sure everything was available for you."

She smiled again. "Good thing too."

He gave her a tiny smile, and then cocked his head to look at her as the smile slowly disappeared with his thoughts. Staring intently as he always did, though this time it unnerved her just a bit.

"So are you going to explain last night?" He asked her softly.

She frowned slightly and sat up, wrapping her arms around her raised knees. Feeling a bit shy about being naked, which was silly since he had already seen and touched her in the most intimate of ways the night before. "I don't have any regrets, if that's what you mean."

He smiled slightly. "Nor do I. But that wasn't what I meant. How did you apparate? How did you know of this place when I don't think you've been here before? Why do you carry so much money on you in your bag?"

She sighed. She knew he would ask eventually. "I knew of this place because I had heard about it. I heard it had rooms to rent if you needed some. I asked where it was and someone explained a while back. I also saw it when I came here to Hogsmede for your birthday present."

He saw a hint of a lie mixed in but for now let it go. She took a breath and went on. "I keep the money in my bag because I didn't want it stolen from my room. As for the apparation…Dumbledore gave me temporary permission since I'm old enough and have my license. I had to go to Diagon Alley to get a few things for school." All true, it just didn't happen all in that exact order. She just didn't want to keep lying if she didn't have to. She just hoped he bought her reasons.

He saw a hint of something in her eyes still, but wasn't sure what it was. For now he knew he would have to accept her answers since he doubted she would give him any other ones.

"What about how you lied to the bartender downstairs last night about our ages? You are terrible at lying and it came out smooth like it was the truth." He asked her.

She smiled. She had told the truth last night, which was why it hadn't seemed like she was lying. "Maybe I just needed it to be true so much that it came out sounding true." She had needed it to be true.

He shrugged. It was possible. "I am curious about something else too." He said, watching her.

She smirked. Of course he was, he wouldn't be him if he weren't curious. "Okay, what are you curious about?"

"Why do you have so many scars?" He asked.

Severus saw her eyes become guarded, like a wall coming up, saw her retreat into herself a bit. She doesn't want to tell me. He didn't like that she was keeping things from him, but he knew he too had his secrets.

Hermione chose her words carefully. "I got them when I was younger." So far that is true. "Kids get scars all the time and mine are no different in that regard. I guess I was just a bit…" A bit what? What can I say that isn't a lie? "…too active as a child." Hoping it didn't sound as lame to him as it did to her.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. Wow, that is pretty vague. "Can you tell me how you got them?" He especially wanted to know about the star shaped one on her chest, and the long one running down her side, not to mention the one on her neck.

Hermione frowned slightly as she struggled to find a way to explain without saying too much. Finally giving up she said the only thing that was true as she looked up at him. "I don't like to talk about them. I'm kind of sensitive where they are concerned. It's why I try to keep them covered. But, they are old and it's over."

He considered her answer. If she didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't make her talk about it. If she had faced a Death Eater, he could understand her not wanting to bring the memory to the surface. Which talking about it would bring it to the front of her mind.

He settled for something he thought might be easier for her to talk about. "What about the one on your hand? I've never seen it before. How is it I've not seen it when I've seen your hands many times and it wasn't there before? Why does it look like words?"

Hermione swallowed and looked at her hand that held the scar from her fifth year detention with Umbridge. She spoke without looking at him so he wouldn't see her lie. "I guess it does kind of look like words, I hadn't noticed. It's not words though. The reason you haven't seen it is I normally keep it glamored. The spell must have faded in my sleep with how tired I was." She said as she waved her hand over the scar and it vanished from sight.

He frowned at her and noticed the one on her neck was gone too from sight. It had looked like words, but maybe it was just a coincidence. But why hide it or the one on her neck? "So how did you get it?" Wondering if she would answer this one or evade it like the others.

She rubbed where the scar was on her hand. "I got it in my fifth year. Doing things that I…wasn't supposed to. I ended up getting in serious trouble over it too. Got detention with a vile woman that all my friends and I hated with a passion." It was true. She wasn't supposed to be apart of Dumbledore's Army and she had gotten detention for it.

She met his eyes, giving him a small smile. "So I think we should get cleaned up, dressed, and find some breakfast. We need to get back to the castle soon too. I'd be surprised if our absence wasn't missed."

Severus sighed. She was right. But he wasn't ready yet. He leaned over and kissed her again, wanting to savor this time alone with her. She parted her lips and met his tongue with her own. He wrapped his arm around her waist and slid her closer to him.

Her naked chest grazing his sent a spark shooting through him. He reached up and stroked his hand down the soft mass of curls on her head. Having gone to bed with them wet, they were more wild than usual, but he still loved her hair.

She shifted and climbed into his lap without breaking the kiss. Making him groan when all of her naked body pressed against his still naked one.

His hands slipped over her curves again as she sighed. He felt his body heating and he wanted to make love to her again.

She felt him growing beneath her and smiled. Gasping when his hand moved between them to find her hidden button. With just a few brushes on her tight bud, she was soaked and ready for him. She quickly flicked her wrist and placed a contraceptive charm on herself. Feeling the weird swirling as it took effect.

His hands went to her hips and lifted her, and she thought he was going to move her off of him, but he surprised her by lowering her again. Then, she felt him filling her and she gasped, finding that it didn't hurt at all.

When he filled her completely, he hissed in pleasure, but didn't move to give her a moment to adjust to him again. Though he wanted to. He wanted to buck up farther inside her.

When he felt her relax around him, he started to shift her hips on him. Teaching her how to move her hips and rock against him while on top.

Surprise filled her quickly as she found how much she enjoyed the feeling of riding him. Last night it had taken her so long to start enjoying him filling her again and again. But not this time.

He kept her movements slow as she got her rhythm down while she held his shoulders for balance. When she was moving on her own, he leaned in and kissed her, making her tighten slightly around him as she moaned. His fingers flexing on her soft hips as he moaned softly too.

It wasn't long before he was encouraging her to move faster on him, helping to guide her hips still. Raising his hips to meet her with each rise and fall of her on him. When the tightening started in her, her head fell back as she continued to move. Her hair hanging down her back in shimmering waves, only adding to the beauty of seeing her riding him wildly. Her pleasure making her moans louder and echo off the walls in their room.

His finger digging into her hip more as he felt his own body tightening, he knew he needed to take control back. He wanted her to scream like she had last night.

He quickly rolled them until she was on her back. His own thrusts taking over as he felt her tighten even more around him as the new position brought him deeper inside her and a soft whimper escaped her. He moved fast and hard in her, making her cry out as he hit her sweet spot again.

Another whimper escaped seconds before she exploded with the scream of his name on her lips. Her walls pulsing as she clenched around him, and pulled him over the edge with her. He grunted out his completion as he spilled inside her, his fingers digging into her soft hips once again.

Both panting as she pulled him down to rest on her. Her arms holding him tightly to her as her body still quivered around him. "I love you Severus." She whispered in his ear.

He shuddered against her at hearing her softly spoken words. "I love you too Hermione." He said, still amazed that she loved him back. He wasn't sure if anyone had ever loved him before. He still felt as if the impossible had happened with her in his life.

He pulled back and looked down at her flushed face. She grinned at him before speaking. "So you don't mind being in love with an insufferable know-it-all like me?"

He chuckled softly. "Well, the know-it-all part wouldn't be my first choice, but you are anything but insufferable."

She giggled as her eyes sparkled. "You say that now, but I'll bet you find me insufferable one day."

He shook his head at her. "I doubt it. But if I do, I'll still love you."

She smirked, ready to say more but she felt and heard her stomach growl. She laughed softly. "I think it's time to find some food. I've missed enough meals over the years with my bad habit of losing track of time. If it wasn't for mates Harry and Ron back home, I probably would have starved during my first six years of school."

He paused. She didn't talk about her home much. "So what are your friends Harry and Ron back home like?"

She smiled as she thought about it. "They're my best friends. We've been friends since our first year together at school. We got into so much mischief together too. It's a wonder we didn't end up expelled over the years or worse."

"Is this mischief how you got all your scars?" He asked curiously.

She nodded. "Some of them. They ended up with a few of their own too. I think we survived out of pure dumb luck at times. They saved me many times over the years and I saved them too. Though they annoyed the hell out of me at times, I can't imagine them not having been in my life. They're like my family. Brothers I never had."

He could understand that too. It's how he felt about her. Not the sibling part, that would be just wrong considering he was lying naked with her after making her scream in pleasure. But the part where he just couldn't imagine her not in his life now. "So, are you going to go see them after graduation?"

She met his eyes and he saw a hint of sadness. "I…I don't know. I'll have to see what happens I guess."

He heard her stomach growl and moved off of her. Pulling her up with him. "I'll let you get showered first. We should get moving, otherwise we might find ourselves in more trouble when we get back if we wait too long. I'm sure you're right that our absences will have been noticed by now."

She kissed him quickly and went to shower. He took his while she dressed. She had used cleansing and drying spells on their clothes. She was just straightening her mess of hair when he came out wrapped in a towel again.

She turned so he could dress with some privacy, though she wondered why she bothered. She had already seen him naked and he had seen her.

His arms came around her when he was done, and he kissed the side of her neck. She closed her eyes, wondering how she would be able to leave him now. Assuming Dumbledore found a way for her to leave that is.

Severus unwarded the door as she grabbed her bag and made their way downstairs with her hand tucked into his. What they found downstairs made them both swallow as Hermione quickly put up her walls to keep her thoughts private.

Dumbledore and McGonnigal were sitting at a table talking to the bartender. When the two students arrived in the room, the two teachers glanced up at them in relief.

"There you two are. We were worried something had happened." Minerva said.

The bartender glared at them and Hermione blushed as she realized they had been found out. Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling as he took in their appearance, not missing that they were holding hands.

"Come. You both must be starving by now with all you two did last night." Dumbledore said, making both students blush more and hope he didn't know what they had done in their room together.

Seeing Dumbledore chuckle as Minerva frowned at him, Hermione had a feeling he did know. That both professors did. Hermione ducked her head and took a seat that Severus pulled out for her.

Two plates arrived and they dug in. Dumbledore and Minerva sat waiting until they were done before speaking. Something Hermione was grateful for since it gave her chance to figure out what all she could say, especially in front of Severus.

When the plates were empty and their cups had been refilled, Dumbledore spoke. "So what exactly happened? All I know is that Mr. Lupin, Mr. Black, and Mr. Potter were frantic when they came to my office this morning looking like hell and holding your wand. Saying that we had to find you and make sure you were alright."

Hermione sighed in relief that they had found her wand. She understood their concern, but the boys had put her in an awkward situation by going to the Headmaster. She glanced at Severus and saw he was going to allow her to explain. Letting her decide how much information to give. She gave him a tiny, but grateful smile.

Hermione looked at the Headmaster and McGonnigal. "Severus and I were out last night and ended up by the Whomping Willow tree. It seems Remus's potion didn't work last night so the wolf was in charge instead of Remus. He went to attack us and we ran. I lost my wand along the way. Sirius and James tried to stop him, to protect us, but the werewolf was too strong. I shot several stunning spells at Remus wandlessly, but he kept coming."

Hermione took a sip of her coffee before going on. "I was tired from running and using so much wandless magic. I didn't know if the apparation permissions I had included side-along apparation into the castle. I just hoped I could apparate us both out without my wand. I had never tried it before last night."

Hermione swallowed. "I brought us here and got us a room because I was too drained to try and apparate again. Not to mention that we were half frozen and it wasn't safe to try walking with Remus loose on the grounds. We fell asleep as soon as we got warm again. When we woke up, we knew we needed to get back."

She had left out many details, fighting a blush that she knew was trying to rise. By the small smile Dumbledore gave her, she figured he knew some of what all she had left out. But still she tried to keep her walls in place.

Minerva looked baffled to learn that Hermione had been in so much danger. Especially knowing the girl had been through so much already. "Are you two alright?"

Both students nodded. Hermione smiled slightly at the woman. "Yes, Professor McGonnigal. We were mostly just tired and cold last night after being caught out in the rain."

Dumbledore was watching Hermione. "Ms. Brown, why were you two out that late at night anyway?"

Knowing how badly Hermione lied normally, Severus spoke up. "We were just walking the grounds sir. We didn't realize about the full moon with how many clouds were covering it."

Hermione met Severus' gaze quickly but didn't react one way or another and then looked back at Dumbledore. Dumbledore simply quirked a brow at them both as Minerva frowned.

"You both should have known better than to be out that late." McGonnigal said, not having the ability to read minds and taking what they said at face value. She knew Hermione was honest.

Hermione blushed. She should have known better. "Yes ma'am. I'm sorry. It won't happen again. Are the boys alright?"

Minerva shook her head at the girl in exasperation. "You could have been killed and you're worried about them? They're fine. Some cuts and scrapes, but fine. They were treated by Poppy and sent back to their dorms. Mr. Lupin is still in the hospital wing, but I'm sure you know why. He normally is for a few days after his transformations, but he's a bit more sore than usual from all the spells you threw at him though."

Severus bit back a smirk. He wasn't surprised Hermione had asked after them, they were her friends and she was a caring person. It was part of what he loved about her. She cared more about other people than she did for herself sometimes. Something that he had rarely seen in people during his life.

The four of them floo'd back to Dumbledore's office and after a bit more chastisement from Minerva, they were sent back to their dorms after Hermione got her wand back. Hermione kept her hand in Severus' the whole time while they were mildly chewed out.

He walked her back to her dorm, still holding her hand, and after a quick and highly electric kiss, he let her go inside. Heading to his own dorm after leaving her.

A/N: Well there you have it. I hope you all liked that chapter. More coming soon, I'm still working on spring cleaning. Yes, I know its summer, but I'm running behind. Please leave me your thoughts, I'd love to read them. Take care everyone.