JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I'VE POSTED A NEW L/H ONE-SHOT CALLED 'BELONGING'. POP OVER AND CHECK IT OUT. :) ;)

Things continue for now as Severus and Hermione are finally able to talk in full knowledge of how they feel about each other. The ball is looming on the horizon, but I think it is important to establish the depth of their relationship before then.

Saw HBP yesterday - absolutely wonderful, although could have done with more Snape time on screen. AR utterly mesmerising - voice, clothes and hair!!! (Since when was his hair so damn fine!? And all those buttons ... and the collar ... very sexy collar!!!) Just to say - the muse is fired!

I will continue to post every other day, so even though there hasn't been a huge amount of action, I am moving things along towards the ball ... still, it's all important.

Apologies for not responding to reviews yet - will do so ASAP.


When they finally glanced at the time they saw that it was past three o'clock in the afternoon. They had completely missed lunch. Hermione felt a twinge in her stomach and rolled over to pick up the telephone. She requested some sandwiches to be brought to the room.

After replacing the receiver, she flopped down onto the bed. He was staring at her.

"Sorry. Do you mind me doing that? We could go out if you want."

"Ah, but that would mean you would have to put some clothes on, and that would be terribly disappointing."

She giggled again and sighed. "I can't tell you how wonderful it is to be away from that place. I mean, I love it, and I have adored my time there, but I can't keep up the charade any more, and I'm sick of lessons and homework and studying and dorms and set meals and alphabetical order and house points and ... bloody teachers!" She glared at him in mock defiance. He looked mildly affronted, then reached over suddenly and tickled her mercilessly. She laughed so hard and desperately in an attempt to escape his fingers that she fell off the bed and landed with an ungainly thud on the floor, which caused her laughter to continue unabated.

He leaned over and looked down at her still giggling hopelessly. It was the most beautiful sound in the world.

She eventually managed to stem the hilarity, and then reached up a hand towards him. "Well don't just lie there gawping at me! Aren't you going to come to my rescue, oh knight in shining armour?"

He raised a cynical eyebrow. More giggles. Then slowly she felt the hard floor disappear from beneath her. The room seemed to be falling away around her. She eventually realised he was levitating her over onto the bed. Her mouth opened in wonder for a moment, but before she knew it, she had come to rest gently next to him on the bed again.

She pouted. "That's not fair. You were supposed to lift me up in your strong, manly arms and carry me boldly to safety. You cheated."

He rolled his eyes. "There is no pleasing some people. I thought you'd like it."

She pecked his lips. "Only kidding. I loved it. I like it when you use your powers skilfully but subtlely."

"Skilfully but subtlely?" He did not sound convinced.

"Yes. I think that describes you very well. Skilful and subtle."

He rolled his eyes again. "I should imagine your fellow students have a few other adjectives at their disposal when describing me."

She smiled ruefully. "I don't care less about my fellow students' opinions of you."

"They are still a part of your life."

"Yes. And those that I want to stay a part of my life will accept you as they accept me."

He looked away. "You have tremendous faith in your friends."

"I choose them carefully. We've all been through it, you know. They understand far more than you give them credit for."

"Perhaps."

They lay still for a moment, she stroked his face, thinking over his declaration of earlier. He seemed to realise what was going through her mind as his face softened into a deeper smile than she had ever seen before. A moment of complete understanding passed between them. Then she suddenly grinned mischievously and declared, "Now this won't do at all. At least half an hour has gone by without us engaging in any sexual activity whatsoever. We'll forget how to do it. Come on!"

With that, they set about remedying the situation.

At eight o'clock they managed to shower and stagger downstairs to the hotel restaurant for supper.

They had a drink in the bar afterwards. There were a few other couples there, all intimately engrossed in each other. Hermione and Severus were no different. It was so liberating for them to be able to kiss and touch and laugh together in public with no fear of recrimination. They were more exhibitionist than they would ever dream of being normally simply because they could be. At one point she felt his hand quest up the dress she had put on for the evening, and was sure people would notice. She did not care and placed her own hand on top of it, pressing it hard into her. He kissed down her neck, nibbling and sucking the sensitive flesh he found there.

"Did you really not mind what I did to you on Friday night?"

"At the time, hardly at all, and with hindsight, most certainly not. In fact ..." He moved up to her ear and whispered sensuously, "Perhaps you could do it again sometime?"

She laughed a little and moved to look him in the eyes. "Would you like that?"

"I believe I would like that very much indeed." He kissed her deeply; she groaned audibly. The barman looked across at them with slight disapproval, especially when he noticed where the man with the long black hair had his hand.

He called across to them in an authoritative Glaswegian accent. "Excuse me, sir. The hotel provides rooms for that sort of activity."

Snape turned to glare at him. A sudden cold chill ran through the barman who looked nervous to the point of fear. Hermione merely laughed and stood up quickly, pulling Severus with her. "Come on, you."

They got into the lift. Severus still looked disgruntled. "I'm not used to being told off," he hissed.

Hermione couldn't stop giggling. "God, if looks could kill! Acts of public indecency are not permitted, you know. The poor man was only doing his job. He looked pretty worried when you turned to him. You have the ability to reduce even the most hardened Scotsman to a drivelling wreck with one look. I love it!"

He looked at her sharply, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "It may have been slightly more than a look."

She glanced at him. "Be careful. You know as well as anyone what would happen if you used magic on a muggle."

"It just slipped out. Do not worry. It could not have been detected or identified."

Once inside the room it took less than a minute for their clothes to come off and their bodies to join once again.

As they lay panting afterwards, tiredness finally creeping over them both, Hermione realised with a sense of despair that they had to return to Hogwarts the next day.

"What time will we have to be back tomorrow?"

"We have to check out of here by noon, but there is no immediate rush to get back to the castle. Early afternoon, I suppose. I have duties in the evening."

"It's less than a month until the exams. There are a few others taking them with me. People doing resits from the summer. I suppose I should focus on them properly at some point."

"You are more than well-prepared, even without the extra work I am sure you will put in. You will find them very straightforward. Besides, they are entirely unnecessary. You already have job offers, which may I remind you, you must accept on Monday. But do you really think the Ministry, or any other employer for that matter, will care less whether you have NEWTs or not at this stage. You are Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake!"

She was taken aback at the force of his compliments, so unusual was it to hear him praising anyone. Still, she felt obliged to explain her actions to him.

"I'm not taking these exams for anyone but myself. Academic excellence has, or rather had, been the defining characteristic of my life for as long as I can remember. I know the delights of it have paled recently, but still, I would not forgive myself if I did not get my NEWTs. I don't want my grandchildren to ask me in the future, 'What NEWTs did you get, Grandma?' and for me to have to answer, 'Well, actually, I copped out and didn't get any.'"

"You could reply, "Well, actually, at the time of the exams I was off solving the deepest, darkest of mysteries which threatened our very existence on this planet and means more in itself than about a million pathetic little exam marks which aren't worth the paper they are printed on."

She opened her mouth to pretend to be outraged, but could only close it again and smile up at him, kissing him lightly on the chest. "I think we've both had enough of academic life, don't you?"

He smiled back. "Yes."

"I'll work hard for a few weeks and then that's it ... done."

"Done."

He reached down to kiss her.

"And of course, there are the delights of the ball in two weeks."

She slapped him lightly on the torso. "Stop talking about the bloody ball! You never know, I may even be able to wangle a dance of sorts with you. There are some formal group dances. Teachers dance too. We may be able to engage in some permissible physical contact in full view of everyone!"

"I do not dance."

She smirked at him. "We'll see about that."

He repeated firmly. "I do not dance," he was moving down her body until his mouth was resting just above her clit, "but I can do this." His tongue descended and swirled. She moaned loudly and gave herself up to him.

After at least two more orgasms each, they finally fell into a deep sleep. Hermione was not troubled by any more dreams, and woke up feeling remarkably rested the next day.

They went downstairs for a full breakfast. It was strange being able to eat right next to each other. Hermione thought over all the meal times she had spent unable to concentrate on her food because her eyes were permanently trained on high table where he sat imperiously, ignoring both students and fellow staff members.

They returned to their room. Hermione crossed to the window and looked out. There was a light mist floating over the gardens and the flag was hanging limply from the castle ramparts. Edinburgh was slowly waking up to a lazy Sunday. He came and stood behind her, drawing his hands around her waist to pull her into him. She leaned against his shoulder.

"What time is it?"

"Just gone nine," he drawled amidst kisses to her neck.

"Three more hours of heaven."

"Hmm."

"Severus?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For this. It has been amazing in itself but has also shown me so much, clearly."

He was silent for a time before replying, "I know."

"I cannot describe the feeling of being able to be with you when I want, how I want, and without worrying about who's seeing us."

"Likewise."

She thought for a while. "Still, we've had some moments at the castle, haven't we?"

"That's one way of putting it," he drawled, continuing his attention to her neck.

Her mind replayed their most intense times together. "God, that time after I saw you with McGonagall – do you remember – we went into that corridor, up against the wall. You put your hand over my mouth – so good, so good ..."

He turned her around, and his hand moved up again, mimicking his actions of then. He opened her mouth with his fingers and she sucked them hard into her.

"You like that?"

"Uh huh," she could only just groan.

His other hand was at her belt and buttons, undoing her jeans and letting them slip down her legs. His fingers then slipped quickly between her legs. He hissed out with revelation. "Always so wet for me ..." he groaned, "always so wet for me."

Another moan of agreement from her.

He furrowed his brow in concentration as two fingers reached deep up inside her, drawing out the confirmation of his effect on her. He brought them out and up to his face, looking at his damp fingers curiously, before placing them in his own mouth and licking off her essence. She closed her eyes in delight.

His hands had now moved to her shirt, and were concertedly but languidly undoing the buttons, studying the flesh revealed beneath as if for the first time.

"What about you?" she managed to breathe out in query.

"What about me what?" He was still studying her pale silky flesh as if it was a subject of utmost fascination.

"Which do you remember most of our more ... dangerous ... encounters?"

He did not speak for a while, slipping her shirt from her shoulders and reaching into her bra to place one breast on top of the cup, pushing it up into a bubbling mound of milky white beauty. He smiled a little to himself before lowering his mouth to the nipple.

Between sucks he drawled out against her soft flesh. "The time you came so beautifully for me while the rest of that class of dunderheads continued destroying their potions through incompetence and ignorance, entirely unaware of what was happening just behind them." She laughed with delight at the memory. "And the time you stood before me, touching, bringing yourself to pleasure ... so compliant, so trusting ... so exquisite, my love, my heart ..."

Her own heart jumped at his words, and she stroked his head. One hand had returned to her soaking folds, one was at her other breast, now sitting atop her bra like its twin. He occasionally brought his head back to gaze at them in quiet appreciation before lowering it again to suck gently at the nipples.

"We had some ... interesting ... moments early on," she mused when her mind allowed her to focus on thought. She wondered how he would react to what she said next. "There seemed to be a certain control issue."

He raised an eyebrow, his voice taking on a cynical edge, "A control issue?"

"You know what I mean. The denial of eye-contact, the insistence on student-teacher protocol, taking away house-points, setting essays ..."

He did not respond.

"Did that turn you on?" she dared ask.

She waited for an answer. At length she got one.

"Yes."

His calm and frank response momentarily angered her, but his candour instead confirmed entirely her own feelings on his treatment of her early on. Why deny it?

"As it did me."

"I know."

He had now removed her bra, and was pushing her jeans off her legs altogether. She continued her questions. "Do you like to be in control?"

"You know I do."

"Not on Friday night?"

"Clearly not."

"What was different then?"

"I was completely secure in my feelings for you ... and in yours for me. I no longer needed to reassure myself of it through any exertion of power. It was utterly liberating."

He was kneeling before her, helping her out of the last of her clothes, until she stood completely naked before him. He slowly stood again. His eyes had poured over her body in exactly the same manner throughout their conversation, as though he was trying to remember every detail of her. His expression had been completely passive, but with a burn of intense concentration in his eyes. It made Hermione feel like the only other human being in the world. A thought suddenly took hold of her which inexplicably gripped her stomach and twisted. She asked urgently.

"Promise me you won't always relinquish control to me?"

He at last looked her in the eyes, his features impenetrable, a reminder of the old, cold visage she had known for so long. Under the circumstances it merely fuelled her lust even more. She let out a slight moan of longing. He brought his hand up to her chin and tilted her head slightly, appraising her face and eyes last of all in his examination of her body.

"Oh ... I think I can quite easily promise that." His eyes moved to her mouth which instinctively fell open. He spoke coldly. "Kneel on the bed."

She obeyed immediately.

Moving behind her, he surveyed the sight of her ripe rear swaying before him. She daren't look round, but heard his belt buckle being unclasped. Another moan of expectation. Hermione heard him move to her and with a suddenness which shocked even her, he grabbed her hips and thrust fully, hitting her cervix immediately. He groaned deep as he felt himself embedded in her depths. The force had pushed her up the bed, but she adjusted immediately and moved back to keep him as deep inside her as she could.

He stopped and she relished the feel of his enormity within her. Despite the build-up, her sudden impalement on him had taken her aback and she enjoyed the time to adjust to the feel of him.

"You are utter perfection," he said with plain sincerity. "I will live because of you, with you, within you ... there is no other way."

His words moved her so profoundly she found tears filling her eyes once again, and was relieved he was behind her and could not see. He started to move again, each time he thrust, her name fell from his lips.

"Hermione ... Hermione ... Hermione ..."

This time she had no words. She knelt before him, meeting him, enclosing him within her. She thought her soul would burst and, again, was grateful for the distraction of the pleasure his strokes were eliciting in her. He pushed perfectly along her g-spot over and over. Despite the intense repetition of his movements, he seemed in no hurry to end their pleasure, and she felt the rapture building deliciously and inexorably within her.

He continued chanting her name, barely audibly, but religiously behind her. She hardly heard it now, so focused was she on her body preparing to melt around him.

Her breathing became ragged and her muscles tensed. The shift in her body signalled to him the imminence of her climax and brought a surge towards his own. He thrust ever harder and deeper, if that was possible, and gripped her hips forcefully. She moaned, low and soft to start, then building in intensity, until at last she could only sob out with amazement as ecstasy tore through her, spreading through her limbs. Her insides pulsed unremittingly around him and as he felt them he burst into her, his own pleasure as intense as hers, exploding out of him and making his head spin so much he thought he may pass out. At that moment he fell completely silent.

As they lay on the bed afterwards, the reality of their approaching departure started to press itself onto their consciousness. That sinking feeling she used to get at junior school started to grip Hermione and she nuzzled against him to try to keep it at bay. He seemed to sense her unease and held her close.

They continued to lie in bed until the last possible moment, their bodies hardly ever separate. Hermione had never realised such a connection with another human being possible. She wondered if she would cope without him being inside or at least close beside her constantly when they returned. She knew she would, but at that moment it was not possible to imagine it. Little did she know it, but Severus was thinking exactly the same thing.

When the time inevitably came for them to leave the room, they gathered their things in silence and as they opened the door, both turned back into it and gave the setting of their most intense happiness and pleasure a final longing look. Then with a last smile at each other, they closed the door behind them.

They stayed in Edinburgh for as long as they dared, enjoying a lunch up near the castle. It was a cold day and Hermione huddled in close to him as they strolled through the city. He was completely relaxed, walking remarkably slowly for him and she noticed even had hands in his pockets at some points. She smiled up at him, and when he looked down at her quizzically, she merely broadened her grin and reached up for a kiss.

As they were walking through the gardens the bells of the city started to strike around them. Hermione counted three chimes sounding from various bell towers. She heard them only as a knell, summoning her back to the oppressive institutionalism of the castle. He stopped and looked down at her, an equally gloomy expression on his face.

"You don't need to say it," she bemoaned. "I've got stuff to do too. We'd better go."

They walked as slowly as they could back to the transporting spot in the deserted alleyway. Hermione was feeling strangely detached and did not even look at him as he drew his wand to take them away from their little bubble of bliss. Then with sudden force she felt herself pulled into him. He spun her around and held her head up to look at him. His lips crashed down onto hers with an intensity that took even Hermione by surprise.

When at last he broke away, he searched her eyes one more time. "Thank you. Thank you for the happiest two days of my life."

She held his gaze as images of her past suddenly swamped her head. Could she give him the answer she felt he deserved at that moment? She paused, thinking, then answered with complete sincerity, "And mine."

She had never seen such a tender, contented look on his face. With one final kiss, he clasped his wand, grabbed her round the waist and murmured some words. The granite buildings were pulled away from them and within mere seconds, Hermione found herself back in the Potions classroom, still clasping the waist of her teacher.

The contrast to their previous surroundings of the hotel could not have been starker. The sights, sounds and smells around her were relentlessly familiar, and spoke of little but him. Indeed this room had been the sight of the start of it all, of great pleasure and happiness in recent weeks, but at that moment, standing there next to the neat desks and the bottles and books lining the shelves, all Hermione Granger wanted to do was weep.

Snape too stood awkwardly for a moment, and a sudden sense of unease swept over Hermione. Would all that had happened between them, all his words and declarations, be wiped out due to their return to this place? Would it strip him of his resolve? She looked fearfully at him.

But then he crossed to her, and his face broke into a remarkably reassuring smile. His hands came up and cupped her face, tilting it to look into her eyes. "Now, as much as it pains me for this to end, we must remind ourselves that in a few short weeks we can spend the rest of our lives together free and easy. I'm afraid I must spend the remainder of this delicious day preparing for next week. Some of those intolerable students are taking their NEWTs in a few weeks, and I suppose I had better do what I can to ensure that they receive relatively decent results." He smirked down at her. "There's one in particular ... pesters me continually, trying to impress, reasonable knowledge, I concede, but ... an insufferable know-it-all nonetheless." His grin broadened. She smacked him playfully on the chest and he let out a mock groan of pain. But his good humour and sensible approach to his tasks had reassured her and she returned his smile.

"I'll see you at supper," he continued.

"Back to longing looks across the dining hall?"

"For now. I quite like longing looks across the dining hall."

She grinned. "Me too."

With a final kiss which made her swoon in its intensity, they stretched away from each other, the last thing to part their fingertips, flesh touching and reaching out for each other until the last possible moment.

And then she turned and started to leave the room. She had reached the door when he called across to her urgently, "Hermione!"

She spun back, shocked at his insistence. He was staring after her, but his words carried across the room effortlessly. "I love you."

Her face broke into the warmest smile. "I love you too."

She wanted to rush across to him again. He seemed to sense it, because he spoke quickly to prevent it, "Go now, my darling. You can return here tonight. I will be waiting."

She turned and left before it became increasingly impossible to do so.

Hermione went straight to the library and found remarkably that she could focus on her work quite effortlessly. She only saw her friends at dinner and Ginny looked up with relief as she sat next to her.

"Where the hell have you been? I know you left a note telling me not to worry, but still – it would have been nice to have known where you'd gone just in case."

"In case what?"

"Well, you know ..."

Hermione looked distinctly clueless. "The big bad wolf got me?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I was just a little concerned, that's all. Anyway – how was your ... dirty weekend?"

Hermione grinned. "Wonderful, completely and utterly delectable and ... very dirty."

Ginny could only grin back. "Wish I could say the same. I spent it watching Quidditch in the rain and studying the origins of apparition."

"Did it rain on Saturday? I was inside all day – didn't notice."

"Shut it, Granger," mumbled her friend. "Your delectable Potions Master looks pretty happy too. I've never seen him so relaxed. He looks different – not bad, actually, even I'll admit."

Hermione looked up to high table. Snape had come and sat next to McGonagall as usual. For once he was engaging her in an animated discussion. At one point she made a comment and he actually laughed so audibly that the whole first few rows of students looked up at him in surprise. McGonagall had an equal look of astonishment on her face.

Hermione smiled to herself and stared up at him until he met her eyes. His were dancing as she had never seen before. He was almost a different person. He smiled across at her and she lowered her head, returning to her food, although after her lunch, she hardly felt like eating a thing.

After supper she spent a while catching up with Ginny. She did not tell her all that had passed between Severus and herself but enough to reassure her friend of her happiness.

"Any news here?" she eventually asked.

"Not really," Ginny sighed. "Harry owled. Asked how you were. Lawrence was asking for you."

"Oh."

"He doesn't stop talking about the ball. I reckon he thinks that's his chance. He's not going to push things till then, but expect a full on charm offensive at that point."

Hermione groaned and hung her head in her hands. She got up. "I'll see you tomorrow, Gin. Take care."

"Can't bear to be parted even for one night?"

She looked down at her friend. "No. We can't."

Ginny smiled up at her, resigned, "Go on then. See you tomorrow."

Hermione made her way to the dungeons as unobtrusively as possible. When she entered his classroom there was no sign of him. She called softly but got no response. Walking through to his rooms at the back, the door suddenly slammed behind her and she spun to find him standing tall and vital behind her.

"God!" she exclaimed, hand on her heart. "You made me jump! I didn't think you were here."

"Why not? I told you I would be waiting for you." He was already removing her clothing. She reached up to his shirt to do the same.

"I know. It's just you normally wait in the classroom. Sorry I was so long. I was chatting to Ginny. It's good to see her again. I didn't tell her much about our trip but it was good to be able to reassure her that all is well. God, you looked so happy at supper. McGonagall looked shell-shocked. I don't think she knew what had come over you. I bet everyone ..."

"Miss Granger?" he said, removing her bra and letting it fall to the floor.

"Yes?" she looked down as his head descended to her breast.

"Shut up."


Anything you say, Professor ...

If you have an opinion, please feel free to share it ... ;)

More very soon indeed.