AN/: Sorry for the wait, I rewrote this chapter three times because it wasn't coming out the way I wanted it to! Hopefully this one sits well with you! Anyhow, thank you to those who favourited and followed, and another HUGE thanks to Nastytashy, riaroo400, , purplehedgehog13, TWILIGHTER110323, cbrendible, Smithback, CrazySlytherin, FrancineHibiscus, Arendora andPaladium for reviewing, this one is for you :) Date night will either be the next chapter or the one following, it depends on how things go...

Enjoy!


Chapter 8: Falling.

"There you are, Severus," The door flung open revealing Lucius Malfoy in dishevelled robes.

Hermione didn't move away from Severus and kept herself pressed against the arm that held the open journal. It slammed shut with a thump, then Severus shielded her with his back. I can't see.

She leant to the side to observe the ageing Malfoy. He wasn't old looking - he seems the same as normal - you could just tell he'd been through a lot. It was a comical sight to see his hair a mess from a romp with one of the working women.

"I see you've found something to occupy yourself with while I'm busy," His judgemental eyes tried to look her over, but Snape made sure he couldn't see any part of her body that wasn't her face. "Where's my son-" A small frame collided with Lucius' back, jostling him forward a step.

"I'm terribly sorry, sir," Jenny rambled her face flushing with colour. Lucius swept his eyes down her form curiously then looked away. "Annette's had a fall."

"Is she alright?" Hermione scrambled off the desk and straightened out her work clothes.

"You know what her knees like, it might keep her off her feet for a few days," Jenny explained. "She said there is something up here that she uses to put on it."

Snape returned to the cabinet that held numerous bottles and took a phial which contained a thick paste, then handed it to Jenny.

"Thank you," She ran her fingers along the label. "Hopefully her injury will allow her to get some rest. She works too much."

"I'll come down and see her," Hermione glanced around the room. "Where's my bag?"

"The foyer," Snape grunted, looking annoyed from the disturbance.

"Oh..." Her eyes widened. I've left the book in there with Draco. "Bugger!" Hermione ran out of the room and down the corridor. She spotted her open bag which no longer contained the book. Snape came up behind her, and his hand rested on her lower back. "Draco has the book."

A door slammed shut from below the balcony, and she rushed out immediately spotting Draco heading towards the apparition point with the book in his hand. He turned to look at her. His face bore mortification, anger, realisation. All of those emotions conflicting with one another. Then, he disappeared in a whirl of robes.

"W-Where do you think he's gone?" Her words came out fast, and she turned to face Snape. "What if he does something to the book?"

She caught sight of his hand moving towards her face, but he stopped, realising the two person audience behind him.

"Why did Draco leave?" Lucius asked.

"Erm..." Hermione's cheeks flushed, not knowing what to say.

"Miss Granger has been refusing to let your son read a rare book of hers. They've been squabbling over it whenever they crossed paths. It seems Draco took advantage when she left her bag alone with him. He must've run off to read it."

"My son needs to get a life. I'm ready to leave now, Severus," Lucius walked away, burning an odd look into the back of Jenny's head.

"Did he steal that book about soulmates?" Jenny asked. "He's a smart boy, why does he wish to read such fiction?"

Hermione felt Snape's eyes on her. I forgot to tell him about Jenny.

"I'm not sure," She shrugged. "I'll come down in a few minutes to see how Annette is holding up."

"Very well," Jenny left with a confused look on her face.

"She knows about the book?" Snape turned to her causing Hermione to tilt her head back a little.

"She can read it."

"Oh," He grunted. "We need to talk to Annette. She might have some answers."

Hermione nodded. "We should ask her tomorrow evening? Will you be here then?"

"I'm afraid not," He whispered. "I'm supervising the Hogsmeade trip, and then I have some important meetings that I must attend."

"OK," She looked down at the floor. "I'll get some answers tomorrow, then tell you what I discover at our dinner," The mention of their date made her blush. "Shall I meet you here?"

"Yes," He brought his hand up and cupped her chin. There was a strange look in his eyes, one that she'd never seen before. It made her feel warm inside and relaxed all of her anxiety. I like feeling this way. "I'll see you on Sunday, Hermione."

A sweet smile graced her lips, and he stole a quick kiss from them. "I cannot wait for Sunday."

Snape smiled a little, then walked from the balcony and out of the foyer. I'm making a vow right now; Sunday evening will be the night that I finally get to have Severus Snape. Hermione could only wish that he was making a similar promise.

...

Harry heard the crack of someone disapparating in the back garden. He turned his head towards the open living room door, then looked around at his trashed surroundings. He had abused the place until exhaustion took over and he found himself sleeping off some of the alcohol. It has only been a few hours. Merlin, I need to apologise.

He struggled to his feet and grabbed the side of his pounding head. The past week had been difficult, but Hermione was still around cheering him on over his little achievements. On Tuesday she'd baked him some biscuits because he hadn't drunk a single drop of alcohol the day before. I enjoyed the feeling of being appreciated.

Harry frowned at the thought of her; I never meant to shout at her like that...I don't know what made me so angry. He was lying, of course, he knew what had triggered his rage. The fact that he hadn't been drinking himself into oblivion left him open to having dreams, but yet, he didn't have any. Not a single one. It was like his mind had only been made to entertain dreams of Draco.

He winced, that son of a bitch. I hate him. He thanked Merlin every day that he hadn't heard from the blond git for two long years. Their dreams were manageable thanks to the alcohol. Harry looked at the broken bottle of firewhisky. I'm such a mess.

The back door opened, then shut with a thud. Harry staggered over to the door and stepped out into the hall to wait for her. He was ready to grovel at her feet to beg for her forgiveness. He'd do anything to have her stroke his hair and tell him everything will be OK.

I sound like a child.

He didn't catch sight of her and couldn't hear any movement. Maybe she just stopped by to grab something. She has every right to be pissed at me. Harry stumbled back into the living room and sat down on the sofa with his head in his hands.

The door creaked behind him. "Hermione, I'm so sorry for what I did-" He paused in horror at the sight of Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway.

Harry felt the oxygen leave his lungs making his chest rapidly rise and fall for air. His mouth parted a little, and his face flooded red in anger. He couldn't tell what was going on inside of Draco's mind; his face held his usual sneer.

Harry's throat became dry - probably from the alcohol - but he managed to find the words he'd been searching for. "Get the fuck out of my house, Malfoy!" He spat with all the venom he could muster up. How the bloody hell did he get in here!?

"Quieten down, Potter," The way he said his name caused a shiver to rock his spine. "I have much to discuss with you," His smug eyes observed the messy room. "Did you have a tantrum?"

"Fuck you!" He snapped back. "I don't want to talk to you!"

Draco flinched. "You'll listen to what I have to say."

"Malfoy, I'm deadly serious. Get out before I curse you!" He hissed scanning the trashed room for his wand, then growled when he couldn't see it anywhere. "I don't want to talk to you..." He whispered sinking back into the sofa. "Just leave me, please."

Harry heard him move around the sofa, then take a seat at the far end. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at the book in his hand. That's the book Hermione showed me. How did he get that?

"Granger seems to have a peculiar reading habit," Draco drawled. "She hardly seems like the type to indulge herself in fantasy texts, and I know she prefers facts in her reading. So, imagine my surprise when I happen to find a book such as this in her possession."

That's the book she asked if I could see...I lied to her.

"It appears to have a unique concealment charm on it. One that only allows specific people to see the text hidden inside," Draco raked his eyes over him, leaving a trail of goosebumps. "Potter-"

"I don't want you here," Harry strained. "I don't want you here. You've fucked up my life enough already, and I can't stand to be in your presence any longer."

Draco let some of his hair cover his face. "Potter it appears you cannot take rejection well-"

"This isn't about rejection!" Harry yelled, getting to his feet. Dizziness tried to overpower him, but he pushed through the haziness. "Yes, I would've been equally upset if you'd just told me you didn't return my affections. However, I would've gotten over it eventually, moved on with my life, but you decided to humiliate me in front of strangers. Hermione had to pay someone from the Prophet not to publish a story about it! You called me a faggot, do you realise how offensive that is? But, I shouldn't have expected much, you're a Malfoy after all - a Death Eater."

Draco got to his feet, leaving the book on the sofa. He stalked over with no emotion on his profile and stood eye level with him. His empty eyes moved over Harry's face, and he swore they lingered at his lips for a millisecond longer. Draco finally looked into his eyes.

"However, it's a Death Eater that you like," He whispered. "A Malfoy who you confessed to."

"I can assure you whatever feelings I thought I had, are gone," Harry said roughly. "I have better things to do with my life then like a vile ferret."

Draco narrowed his beautiful eyes at him, and Harry fought back the urge to touch him. Being this close to him was difficult, he could almost feel his breath against his face, almost imagine what it felt like to touch him.

His eyes zoned in on the faint colour appearing on Draco's pale complexion. Harry's eyes immediately shot back to his. It was hard not to think about what it meant, and his rapid heartbeat was fuelling the desire he always had to push away.

Harry thought back to their dreams; the only time he was ever happy. To begin with, their nighttime affairs had been a fight against real feelings. An argument that turned into a kiss, a competition which escalated to a fumbling over robes, brushing hands when on patrol at Hogwarts. All of those innocent dreams had built up the tension until one night it exploded. They'd found themselves arguing over what had been occurring and kept pushing one another's buttons - it was easy to do - until Harry snapped and made a move. He had meant it innocently, but before they knew it, both of them lay on a pile of discarded clothes letting the heat from the fireplace consume them.

That dream had been the one that prompted Draco to march into his workplace and scream at him to stop messing with his dreams.

"Why are you here?" Harry hissed.

"To talk to you about something," He growled back. I want to kiss him so badly right now.

"Do you ever wonder if it would feel any different from our dreams?" Harry had to admit that his mild drunken state was in control now. "That if we kissed it would feel better than our nightly encounters?"

"I don't think of such things!" He snapped, but he didn't take a step back. Interesting.

"Are you sure, Malfoy?" Harry poked his finger at Draco's chest. "Because I think you do."

"You have no idea what I think about," He retorted. "Not a single clue."

Harry's eyes fell on his lips. "What would you do if I kissed you?"

"You better back the hell off me, Potter."

"No, why don't you back away?" He didn't take his eyes away from Draco's mouth. "You're the one who came here. How else did you expect me to react? You've messed up my whole life," He looked back up at him. "I'm selfish enough to let my desires take control."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't dare try to touch me-"

Harry growled, then crashed his lips against Draco's, who immediately tried to push him off. The kiss was awkward, and it resembled a likeness to the first kiss they'd shared in their dreams. He grazed his tongue gently along Draco's lips begging for a reaction. However, he got nothing in response, so he gave up.

It was hard to pull away, and Harry couldn't stand that Draco wasn't feeling the same way as him. Could he not feel the heat? The desire? Perhaps I cannot deal with rejection.

Harry looked at Draco's reddened face, then took a step back. He was standing rigidly in the centre of the room with a look that was miles away in his eyes. Suddenly, he felt something shift in the air around him. Harry could smell Draco - a fragrance of honeysuckles surrounded by a dewy woodland day. The distinct scent was easy to identify, how odd? Harry mused.

Draco inhaled sharply, bringing his attention back to Harry. He moved his eyes down his body, then inhaled again. Something flashed in his eyes, but his familiar sneer masked it moments later.

"Harry, are you in here-What the hell did you do to the living room?" Hermione exclaimed, and as her eyes moved around the trashed room, she finally noticed Malfoy. "How did you get here?"

"It doesn't matter," He grunted coarsely. "I was just leaving."

"I think that might be for the best," She said, eyeing up Harry's trembling form. "You aren't taking my book with you."

Draco stiffened. "I have every right to the book-"

"Malfoy, I promise to talk to you about it at a later date. However, right now you're trespassing. Leave."

Her clear instructions got him moving, and Draco left without looking back.

...

Hermione sighed, then massaged her forehead. She waved her wand to clear up the living room and retrieved the book from the sofa. She could feel Harry watching her closely, not knowing what to say.

"Harry just go to bed, and we'll talk in the morning," She said holding the book to her chest.

"I lied about the book," He admitted.

"I know," She whispered back. "We've a lot to discuss, but you need to sleep off the alcohol."

"'Mione, I'm so sorry that I lashed out," He stepped closer, and she shook her head.

"Go to bed," Hermione flashed him a simple smile, then nodded at the door. "I forgive you Harry, but you need to rest."

"So do you, I know you haven't slept well this week-" She pointed at the door. "O-OK."

Harry reluctantly walked out of the room, and she lit the fire. I wonder what Draco said to him? How did that git get in here? It's going to be a long weekend.

Hermione's to-do list so far was:

. Question Annette.

. Explain the situation to Harry.

. Talk things over with Draco.

. Possibly inform Jenny that she has a soulmate.

. Pass on her findings of the book to Severus.

. Go on a date.

. Then, hopefully, spend the night with the man that had haunted her dreams for weeks.

I'm going to be exhausted by Monday - in a good way if Sunday goes to plan, she smirked. Hermione glanced down at the book, she wished to read more, but she was currently feeling tired. The fire was making her sleepy, so she conjured a blanket from her room and lay down on the sofa. The firelight glowed against her skin, and she nuzzled her face into the pillow. Please let me have a dream...

Snow fell on Hogwarts, coating the surface with white softness. The dungeons were unbelievably cold, but Hermione managed to make it through without catching her death. She opened up the door to Severus' private quarters and smiled when the heat from the fire hit her. He wasn't around at the moment, busy dealing with a group of Slytherins who had stayed behind for the Christmas holidays.

She was bringing him a present - her. She was wrapped up in silky green robes with a black ribbon around her waist hoping that he'd be unwrapping her tonight.

Hermione sauntered over to his desk and sat on the edge to wait. She allowed her bare leg to come free as she placed it over the other. Her hair rested on top of her head in frizzy curls a few of them hung loosely adding to her sex appeal. She was a very enchanting present to unwrap.

The door slowly opened revealing the dark figure of her professor. A look of annoyance knotted his features until his gaze rested on hers. She watched a devious smirk spread out on his face, and his eyes darkened at the sight of her on his desk.

"Evening, Professor Snape. I've come to give you your Christmas present," She tilted her head to the side innocently.

"You have?" He asked, kicking the door shut behind him. "I don't see a present anywhere?" He stalked towards her.

"Come closer, and you'll see the ribbon that you need to undo," Her sultry look made blood rush straight to his cock. She sensed his sudden arousal and smirked with triumph.

Hermione rose to her feet and looked up at him. He towered over her in all his predatory glory, fuelling the fire burning in her stomach. She placed her hand on his firm chest, then slowly walked her fingers down to his belt.

"I'll unwrap you afterwards," She whispered and stepped back a little. Snape reached out his large hand, then tugged on the black ribbon. It easily came undone and fluttered to the floor. Her green robes revealed her black lacy bra and thong that were hiding beneath. The sight caused Severus to moisten his dry lips.

He reached up and pushed the green silk from her shoulders, allowing it to fall to the floor with the ribbon. His hands branded her skin, and her lips parted slightly.

Severus captured her full lips against his in a passionate kiss. She pushed herself up on the tip of her toes to give her more height, and he wrapped his arm around her waist, then cupped the back of her head.

They moved perfectly against one another, grinding their cores together to create more heat. Hermione moaned into his heavenly mouth and ran her hand up to his neck to wrap his soft hair around her fingers.

Severus dropped his hand to the strap of her bra and swiftly undid the clasp. She stepped back a little to remove it, then immediately returned to his warmth. They didn't break away from their kiss, both of them revelling in the feel of want and desire.

Hermione's nipples hardened against his covered body, and his panting chest created more friction against them. She pulled away letting her head sink back with a moan, and he began to ravish her neck intensely.

He walked her backwards into his bedroom, and she was grateful for the arm supporting her waist. They soon landed on the bed, and Severus trailed kisses along her collarbone and down to her breast.

His fiery eyes looked up at her, and an ecstatic smile grew on her face when she felt his breath on her right nipple. His sharp tongue darted out to brush against it, and she arched into his mouth. Unfamiliar emotions flooded her body from his mere touch, and all she wanted was for him to be inside of her.

Hermione tangled her fingers into his hair as he moved his mouth from her breast and down her flat stomach. She watched him through hooded eyes that filled up with lust. The slight stubble on his chin brushed against the skin above her thong, and he curled his fingers around the sides then pulled them down her long legs.

An animalistic noise came from his chest, and before she could catch her breath, his mouth descended on her wet heat. She cried out in pleasure and her eyes glazed over in rapture. The feel of his tongue against her swollen bud set her nerve endings alight, and she tightened her hold on his hair.

"Severus..." She whimpered, and his rumbled groan vibrated her core causing her to cry out again. He continued magically moving his tongue along her, bringing her closer to the edge. Her persistent wiggling and arching turned him on more, and the subtle purrs arising from her red lips drew him close to his peak before he was even inside of her.

Severus slipped a large digit inside of her, and he felt her walls stretch around him, accommodating more as he pushed a second finger into her. She was warm and enticing, lying on his bed whimpering in need; she was the real picture of ecstasy.

"Please..." She whispered, but the rest of the words weren't audible because she buried her face into the mattress. He kept moving his tongue against her wet heat, consistently pumping his fingers inside of her.

Hermione's body started to tense violently, and she felt the wave of an orgasm splash over her. She cried out his name and pushed herself further into his mouth. A white light clouded her vision just before she felt like she was falling.

Huh?

Hermione's eyes flew open. Holy crap I'm falling! She landed on a bundle of dark bedsheets in a freezing room. The mattress beneath her was soft, much like the bed in her dream. Wait, this does look like the bed I was on-

"Hermione?" She scrambled off the mattress at the sound of Snape's husky voice, then glanced down at the clothes she'd fallen asleep in. "How the heck did you get here?"

She stared blankly at a shirtless Snape who was lying in his bed with a slight colour to his cheeks. I don't understand, one minute I was experiencing the best dream orgasm I've ever had, then I'm here...in Severus' room. At Hogwarts.