A/N: Hello everyone. I finally got to all the reviews. They were absolutely wonderful and I loved them all, thank you. Thank you too, everyone still adding to their alerts/faves. Your support still astounds me. I just saw today that we cleared the 900 mark on review. Holy schnikey. You guys have doubled the reviews from my last story. I give you all mad props, cause you all rock.

Okay, moving on...we are back in the present day/future-depending on how you look at it. We will stay in the present from here on end and won't be back in the seventies at all. I'm sorry to anyone hoping to get a glimpse of after she left, but it was time to simply bring the story forward. Take care everyone. As always, Please Read and Review.

Special Thanks to very lovely beta, Kristine Thorne, who has done a great job on this story.

Special Thanks as well, to my second beta, PandaHeart, who has done a fabulous job too on these last few chapters. Both of you guys are fantabulous. ( I seem to like odd words, I've noticed. lol.)

Chapter 32

2000-Hermione's Return

Hermione landed with a thump and a yelp. Even after all these years she still couldn't land gracefully after touching a port key. She slowly sat up, the tiny trinket still in her hand. Her bum and side throbbed a bit from her landing, but otherwise she was fine. She had no clue where she was.

She hadn't had a chance to fully talk to Minerva, so she didn't know what it was that was so important for them to discuss. She had only gotten part of what she was trying to tell her, when she had seen the trinket.

The tiny Little Red Riding Hood figurine that she had bought Lily for Christmas had been sitting there, just as pretty as the day she bought it. Curiosity had made her reach for it, not knowing it was a port key.

She shouldn't have just reached out and grabbed it like that. But now she needed to figure out where she was. All she knew was that she was in a dimly lit room that looked like a library and held a large desk that faced the doorway.

She stood slowly, wincing a bit when she felt her stiff side still aching a little. Pulling off her robes, and moving her shirt out of the way to check herself out, finding she was fine. She realized that she had fallen and banged herself into an overstuffed chair with no arms, which was next to the desk.

She set the figurine down on the corner of the desk and slowly turned, setting her robes on the same chair she had banged in to, and tucking her shirt again. She examined the room and realized that wherever it was that she was, she had not been here before.

Whose ever library it was though, it was well stocked. She was facing the shelves with her back still to the door as she looked at the hundreds of books lining every wall of the place.

She took a step towards the desk, wondering if it might hold a clue to as to where she was when she felt a hand grab her arm and spun her about. Her free hand flying out automatically, punching whomever it was hard in the chest, and knocked the person back a few feet. Making them let go as they stumbled back just enough, that she was able to place a shield around herself wandlessly to protect herself as she looked around.

She didn't see anyone, but knew they were now staring silently at her while disillusioned. She quickly pulled her wand, holding it in her right hand, poised to throw a spell as her left hand still held her shield in place.

Her eyes still searching for her assailant, "Who are you? Show yourself." She said.

Severus stared at her in shock still, not noticing the minor ache in his chest from her fist hitting it. Why is she here? How is she here? He knew what date she had left and it wasn't time yet. She was early.

He frowned slightly as he took in her stance. Why is she pointing her wand at me? Didn't Minerva tell her before sending her here?

He saw her eyes shifting about the room again, ready to defend herself and realized that he still had his disillusionment spell in place. The one he had placed upon hearing someone arrive. The one he forgot about the moment he realized it was her.

He hadn't known who it was before coming in, but he was still supposed to be dead. At least until her return. Is this her or is it the other one? The one who doesn't know me as anything other than as her professor?

He took a moment to scan her hand, and saw his ring on her finger and felt his breathing speed up just a fraction. No, this is her. My Hermione. She's just early.

Hermione looked around again. "I said who are you? I won't ask again. Either show yourself, or I start throwing spells." She said again as she backed up a step, a touch of panic lacing her voice.

Severus frowned, not understanding the fear he heard from her. His Hermione was brave, no matter what she faced. He saw her wand shifting just a bit. Lifting, ready to attack or defend as needed.

He quickly pulled the disillusionment spell from himself. Watching her eyes went wide as she gasped at seeing him, her wand falling from her grasp to land on the softly carpeted floor.

She backed up another step as her hand fell that held her shield, making him frown even more. He saw her wand zoom back to her hand silently with a flick of her wrist.

Why is she backing away? He didn't understand.

He took a step towards her but she held up her hand. Not in preparation for a spell, but as if to ward him off. He saw her other hand clenching around her wand tightly as she stared at him.

"No." She said firmly, her lips forming into a firm line across her mouth as her eyes hardened.

He felt his heart clench. No? Why would she tell me no? What is this? Does she not want me anymore? Have her letters all been lies? Have I been waiting for her for nothing?

Hermione continued to stare at him, not believing he was real. He's dead. I saw him die. I didn't get to warn him. Both Minerva and Dumbledore swore they couldn't change anything. This has to be a lie.

They stared silently at one another for several moments. Finally Hermione took a deep breath. "This isn't funny. I'm not joking, I don't know what's going on, but you stay away from me."

His frown deepened even as his body stiffened. "I don't…understand." He said slowly.

She continued to merely stare at him, taking in his features, as she stood poised, looking like she was about to run. Though she had no idea where she might run. He didn't understand? He's dead. He can't be here.

When she didn't speak he growled slightly and took another step towards her. But she backed up again, bumping into the desk behind her as her wand hand came up, ready for anything.

"Why are you backing away? What is this?" He demanded.

Hermione swallowed. His voice was identical too and it was making things worse for her. This is crazy. He can't be here. I must be going mad.

"I could ask you the same thing. What is this? If this is some sick joke, I swear I will kill you. I never wanted to take another life again…but I will over this. Who are you?" She said in a low voice.

He frowned at her in confusion. Who am I? She knows who I am. Did something go wrong with her coming back? Has she lost her memory somehow? "I'm Severus Snape. You know me. You have to know me, Hermione."

She raised an eyebrow at him, not believing him for a second. "Obviously you know me. So who are you?" He opened his mouth, but her lip curled into a snarl as she spoke again.

Her normally sweet and melodious voice nothing more than a harsh growl now. "Don't say Severus Snape. You're not him. He's…" She trailed off, closing her eyes for just a moment, squeezed them shut tightly as she swallowed. When she opened them again, he saw tears glistening in her eyes. "…he's dead. I saw him die." Her voice strained but soft now.

He understood instantly and relaxed. She doesn't know. She didn't know Minerva had saved him that night. Why doesn't she know? Why didn't Minerva tell her?

"Who are you?" She whispered as a tear escaped and ran down her cheek. Her hand that held her wand trembling as she kept it pointed at him.

His eyes softened. "Hermione. It's me." He saw her shake head gently and another tear escaped. "It is, love. I swear." He slowly started moving closer to her, but she didn't back up. She couldn't since she was backed into the desk.

He came to stand right in front of her as her wand trembled more, along with the rest of her. "Hermione, Minerva saved me. You saved me. You told Minerva what happened and she made sure she was there. She knew she couldn't let you come back to nothing."

More tears escaped. She wanted to believe, but couldn't. "This must be a dream. Or I've gone insane. This can't be real. If you lived…I'd remember it. Why don't I remember it if this is real?" She whispered as she looked up into his piercing black eyes. Her wand slowly lowering weakly as she up stared at him.

He reached up and cupped her cheek, her eyes closing at the contact. "I don't know why Minerva sent you here without telling you. You wouldn't have anything change in your memories because you didn't see her save me. You still think I'm dead when you go back to my seventh year. But it's truly me. I survived. I've been waiting so long for you to come back to me."

She opened her eyes, reaching up hesitantly and cupping his cheek softly like he was doing her. "Is it really you? Are you really here?" She asked him softly, her eyes taking in his face. His long black hair, his sharp black eyes, his long and slightly crooked nose.

Her words identical to the ones she had spoken when he first met her that day in the hospital wing. They finally made sense to him. She had believed him dead before too. Her question to him that same day, her asking if she was dead, now made sense too.

He smiled softly at her. "I'm really here." He whispered a moment before he bent down to kiss her. His chest clenching once again when her sweet lips finally touched his for the first time after so long. He had missed her so much and now she was here with him again. His wait was finally over.

She slowly moved her lips with his, more tears escaping as she parted her lips to taste him. He tasted just like he had before. Clean and slightly sweet.

His scent was the same, only now with a hint of the herbs he worked with. This was him. He was real. If she was by some chance dreaming, she prayed she never woke up.

He slowly deepened the kiss. Her flavor as intoxicating now as it had been twenty years ago. His hand slipped from her cheek, to down around her waist. Pulling her closer against him as he glided his tongue across hers. Tasting her tears, but not able to pull back from kissing her more.

Her arms came around his neck as she stood on her toes, slipping her fingers into his dark silky locks. It had only been a matter of hours since she had left him, but those hours had been sheer hell for her. She could only imagine what he had gone through these last two decades waiting on her.

She pulled back to look into his eyes, but he simply dragged her back to him. Not wanting to waste a single moment on anything but holding her again as his lips ravished hers.

She moaned softly against him and he felt his body react instantly. No other woman had been able to replace her. No other woman could arouse him so deeply with only a sound. With only a kiss.

He forced himself to let her go, to pull back gently from her. They needed to talk. He had things to tell her. She might know some of what he had lived through, but she didn't know all of it. He refused to have any more secrets between them.

"Hermione, I have so much to tell you. I need you to know everything before…anything else happens." He said staring into her slightly glazed eyes that still held a hint of her tears.

Hermione forced her brain to function again. She forced herself to hear and understand what he just said. "What?" She asked in a breathless voice as she struggled to focus. "What do you have to tell me that can't wait?"

He smiled slightly before he looked serious again and a bit sad as what all he needed to tell her came to mind. "Hermione…I'm not the same man I was twenty years ago. I've done things…horrible things. Things I'm ashamed of. I can't…I can't let us go any farther until you know about them. I don't want anymore secrets or lies between us."

He had to let her make her choice too. If after she knew everything and she chose to be with him, he would love her fiercely until the end of time. But if it was too much for her and she couldn't get past it…he'd still love her, but he would let her go. Even thought it would kill him immensely to do so.

Hermione frowned slightly. "Severus, I don't expect you to be the same man. You have…been through so much. Hell, I'm not the same person I was before the war. But I know all you've done. What you've had to do. Do you think it matters?"

He forced himself to stay calm and not crush her to him like he wanted to. "Hermione, you don't know it all. I saw you tell Minerva everything you knew. I saw you show her. You didn't know everything."

She smiled softly, making his chest flutter again. "I didn't show Minerva everything I knew. I only showed her the important things. I know what and who you are, Severus. Have you forgotten that I grew up around you? I saw how mean you were to the students. I saw how cold you could be. I know you're not an easy man by any means. But I fell in love with who were back in your seventh year and only added it to the man I knew of back in this time. I fell in love with all of you. Anything I don't know now…I'll learn. But I'll still love you."

He felt his body tremble at her words, knew she felt it too. "Hermione…you didn't see it all. The things I did for the Dark Lord while terrorizing muggleborns and those that were called blood traitors. The things I did just to torture them before I killed them. That is what I mean."

Hermione felt the tears gather in her eyes at his obvious pain and self-torture. "Did you do those things because you wanted to? Or because you were forced to do them so you could keep your cover?"

He frowned. "I didn't want to do any of it. But I had too. Otherwise he would have known I wasn't loyal to him and known I was a spy."

She smiled again. "Then, that's all I need to know."

He didn't understand. Why is she making this so easy on me? After what I have done? Why take my word so easily without demanding proof of some kind?

Seeing his confusion her smile deepened. She reached up and cupped his cheeks again in her soft petite hands. "Severus, have you forgotten me so much in these last twenty years? Did you forget all that I've told you? All that I've written to you about? I know you're a good man, inside and out. I have faith in you. You would never hurt anyone like that unless you had no choice."

He closed his eyes at hearing her. She forgave him without him even asking her to. He didn't know what he had ever truly done to deserve her, but he was glad he had done it. But there was more that he knew she didn't know.

He opened his eyes again, anguish filling them at what he had to tell her. "It's more than that. Hermione…I…I haven't been faithful to only you. Before your first letter…"

She pulled back to stare at him incredulously. Seeing her expression he braced for her anger, for her disgust. But she surprised him once again.

"Did you think I'd expect you to be? I was gone for twenty years, Severus. Did you think I wouldn't understand that a lot can happen in twenty years? Did you think I'd expect you to stay celibate for twenty years? I only had to wait a handful of hours to be with you again, but you've waited decades." She said, trying to make him understand.

He stared at her in shock. "You truly don't mind?"

She smiled. "For what you did while I was gone? No. If you come to me later and tell me you cheated on me? You better hope you can out run me. I'll curse your hide so quick it will make your head spin."

His lips curved as relief surrounded him. "I doubt you can out duel me now, witch."

She grinned even more as mischief started to dance in her eyes now that her tears were gone. "Care to put that to the test?"

He chuckled softly and pulled her back into his arms. "Later. I have twenty years to catch up on."

His lips found hers again and she didn't protest in the least. Her body heated instantly, wanting him just as much as she always did. She opened her mouth and let him in as his fingers flexed on her soft skin at her waist at the first taste of her once again.

Her own fingers found his silky locks again, as she stood on her tiptoes to reach him better. Wondering if he had gotten taller since she left, she didn't remember needing to stand so far on her toes to reach him. She knew he had gotten broader. His chest was wider and more muscled, as were his arms and shoulders.

He picked her up and set her onto the desk as he went on tasting her sweet lips. Hermione didn't even notice that her bum was still a bit sore from her earlier graceless landing.

His knee pressed against hers to make them open for him. Her thighs parted quickly so he could stand between them as his hands slid softly up her sides automatically to cup her breasts. His thumb brushing against her nipples in the way he remembered that she liked.

She arched against him as she moaned softly. She opened and pushed his black vest off of him to the floor. Normally he was a rather neat person and would never have put his clothes on the floor, but at that moment, he didn't care in the least. All he cared about was that she was in his arms again.

He pulled back slightly and looked at her dazed eyes. He saw them cloud in confusion at him stopping. "Hermione, I can't…I have wanted you for so long that I don't know how long I can wait to have you fully again." He said softly.

She smiled up at him. "Then, have me."

His eyes searched hers as he stroked her cheek lightly. "Are you sure? Don't you want to wait until you get to know me again?"

Her eyes softened even more as she cupped his cheek again in her right hand. "I do know you, Severus. I don't need to wait. I don't want to wait. I was miserable for days before I left you, thinking I'd never see you again. I've been miserable these last several hours thinking I had lost you completely. I can only imagine what its been like for you."

He smiled gingerly, bringing her hand cupping his cheek to his lips again, brushing a gentle kiss over it, before leaning down and kissing her. Her right hand still trapped in his left one. She turned her hand slightly and entwined their fingers. Their lips parted again to brush their tongues together roughly as their passion built.

He pushed the skirt of her uniform farther up her thighs with his free hand, his fingers skimming over her lace knickers. Her lace underwear had always driven him crazy. He hooked his fingers around them and found her moist heat.

She gasped when he found her hidden nub. She hadn't been expecting him to touch her there so soon. But she knew he was impatient to have her. As impatient as she was too.

It didn't take much to get her wiggling around on the desk and moaning against his mouth. He slipped a finger inside her and with an expert twist, he brushed over her sweet spot and made her cry out as the first wave washed over her instantly.

He smirked against her lips. Slipping a second finger in to join the first, curling them again and again, as his thumb brushed over her sensitive button.

She clutched as his shoulders, shoulders that were wider now than they had been in his youth. She tore her mouth away and gasping out as a second wave started building quickly.

He attacked her neck as he worked her, loving the sounds she was making. He had missed those as well. He missed hearing her gasp in surprise, as her eyes grew wide. Missed hearing her moan as he aroused her and drove her crazy. Missed hearing her whimper when she was close to the edge. And he missed hearing her scream his name.

She whimpered right on schedule as her walls started to pulse around his fingers. He nipped at her sensitive ear, making her cry out as she exploded.

He pulled back to look down into her flushed face, his eyes blazing with desire at finally being able to make love to her again. "I don't know how gentle I can be with you. I want you too badly to go slow and be easy."

She smiled as she panted, trying to get her heart rate back under control. "Severus, I don't want gentle right now either. I thought I'd lost you for good. I want to feel you, hard and deep and know that I haven't lost you at all."

With a wave of his hand they were both instantly naked. She was still panting slightly as she took in what he had done with a single wave. Her lips curved as with a flick of her own hand a contraceptive spell was cast. "You gotten better at that I see."

He grinned as he pulled her hips to the edge of the desk. Her legs slipped around his waist automatically. "That's not the only thing I've gotten better at." He told her before plunging inside her.

She cried out and he hissed in pure pleasure at the feel of her walls surrounding him once again after so many years. He took a moment to savor the feeling of her still slightly pulsing walls.

"Sweet Merlin woman, I had almost forgotten just how wonderful you feel." He groaned out.

She purposely flexed her walls around him tighter, pulling another groan from him. "Then, lets make sure you're fully reminded."

He stared down at her, his eyes warming as he locked his tender gaze with hers. "I love you, Hermione."

Her breath caught in her throat at his affectionate look. She never expected to see him look at her like that as the man she knew from her childhood. She would have thought that the sentimental and devoted glances were only a thing of his youth.

"I love you too, Severus." She whispered to him, emotion choking her voice.

He growled, pulled back and slammed into her. She cried out again, her nails digging into his pale shoulders from the pleasure he gave her. He reared back and slammed into her again, eliciting another piercing shriek of pleasure.

Then, he was moving, fast and hard inside her, unable to be gentle right now, even though part of him wanted to be. Gentle would come later. Now was the time for the animal inside him, clawing from his need at not having had her for so long.

He pounded into her over and over again. One arm around her waist, pressing up the length of her spine, holding her firmly to him so she couldn't move away, not that she tried. The other was at her hip, his fingers digging into her soft skin.

Hermione was moaning out with each harsh thrust. Her nails scraping down his back as he rode her harder than he ever had before. His eyes on her face as he moved, watching each flicker of emotion that crossed it.

He rotated and ground his hips against her, brushing her sweet spot and making her cry out again as her eyes dilated slightly in her ecstasy. His angle shifting just enough that instead of brushing it, he was hitting it directly with each stroke. Her eyes rolled back as she exploded around him ferociously.

Clamping down on him, as he gritted his teeth and kept moving. Her scream of gratification echoed off the walls of the library. Causing a shiver to dance down his spine as he drove into her again and again.

He felt his body start to tighten and tried to hold back his release. He wasn't ready. He wanted to hear her scream again. He needed to hear her scream again.

His mouth found hers, his tongue warring with hers briefly before he pulled his mouth away and pressed her body back onto the desk. Hooking her legs over his shoulders as he pounded into her harder and faster, lifting her hips with each stroke.

Hermione whimpered as her fourth orgasm of the night started building again. She clutched at the edge of the desk above her head. Trying to keep herself grounded to something, as she felt like she was spiraling out of control more and more. Her body quivering as the coil tightened even more inside her, almost painful in its pleasure.

"That's it love. Scream for me again. I want to hear you scream my name." He encouraged with a grunt as he felt his own body tightening more. He knew he wouldn't last much longer.

He reached between them and found her little bundle of nerves. With just a few tiny flicks, her inner muscled seized tightly around him as her walls vibrated even more. Then, she screamed his name just as he wanted. Exactly like he remembered her doing so in the past.

His couldn't hold on any longer. With a hoarse shout he detonated inside her with a final slam of his hips. Feeling his body shuddering from the force of his release.

He placed his palms flat on the desk to keep from collapsing on her. His breaths coming in deep heaves, as he saw her gasping for air as well, while her inner muscles still twitched around him from her intense orgasms.

His eyes closed as the deep satisfaction that always came from being with her, filled him once again. A peace he hadn't known since she vanished that day so long ago settling in place.

He felt her move and opened his eyes. She sat up and wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. He felt another shudder race through him as he too held her close. She was his again and he was never letting her go this time.

A/N: See I told you guys to stop growling at me. Like she was really going to walk away...sheesh. lol. I hope you guys loved where the port key took her, and the lemons as well. Personally, I think adult Snape is much sexier...but I really like Alan Rickman so...yeah. lol. More coming soon. Please leave me your thoughts or predictions. I love them all. We still have several more chapters to go. Take care everyone.