It Happened One Hallow's Eve

by Ms-Figg

Honorable!Snape and Student!Hermione Severus Snape is sent to save Hermione from evil ghosts. Her innocence is a liability. But she doesn't want to be innocent. They must survive until sunrise. A relationship develops. AUAR, Graphic Lemon,MF

3. Part 2

It Happened One Hallow's Eve Part 2

Hermione lay there in the dark, her belly tight as she tried to come to terms with the feelings taking over her body. She would probably never have the opportunity to be alone with the Potions Master in such a way again. When she returned to class, he would return to being the cold, distant aloof instructor he always was…at least until she graduated. Then he planned to court her, with the result of having a relationship with her, which meant they would be intimate.

Hermione shivered a little as she remembered his kiss. Hermione had been kissed by Ron before, but never been affected like she had when the Professor kissed her. He made her feel hungry all over. All of her previous kisses had been closed-mouthed, though Ron tried to slip her the tongue on more than one occasion. The idea of it turned the witch off. But with the Professor she had opened her mouth, hoping he would take advantage and invade it. He had licked her lips, but not gone any further. She wished he had.

The witch sighed. There was a slow dull throb between her legs that sharpened as she thought about the wizard lying in the dark across the room from her. Hermione was not a natural seductress. She had drawn on what she knew about male sexuality from a book she had read called "Wizards Do, But Witches Do Too." In the book it explained how wizards were visual beings when it came to sex, and were excited by the physical attributes of the female body. They didn't need emotion or tender feelings. The sight of a breast, buttock or thigh was enough to get them randy. So…she took off her clothes, hoping the Professor was a textbook example of the male species.

In Hermione's case, he was. But he was also disciplined. He would stay in his bed as if chained to it, no matter how aroused he felt. She was a barely legal witch for gods' sake, and she was in his charge. Severus had never laid an untoward hand on any female student, and believe it or not there had been one or two over the years who had crushes on the wizard. In their case however, they truly were "crushed" when they approached him and Severus turned them away harshly, telling them to go find some randy seventh-year wizard to shag and taking away House points for "improper sexual behavior." He threatened to reveal exactly what that behavior was if they continued to harass him. His method was effective. Randy as the young witches had been for him, not one wanted her fellow students to know.

Severus lay there in the dark, wishing sunrise would come quickly. He felt uncomfortable sharing a room with Hermione almost naked. Gods she had a lovely little body. She was a bit heavier than he expected. She was small but well cushioned. The wizard sighed as he throbbed a bit. Would this night never end? Presently, the Potions Master fell into a fitful sleep.

Hermione however, stayed awake. It was very dark. Then she thought she heard something and picked up her wand off the nightstand.

"Lumos," she whispered, igniting it and peering about. She saw nothing. She raised the wand high and looked over towards the Professor's bed. She couldn't see him clearly, but it seemed he really was asleep now.

"Nox," she breathed, and the wand went out. She replaced it on the stand and lay back down, thinking about the Professor again. It was more than likely that once they began to court, he would end up deflowering her. But it seemed so far in the future. Like most young people, Hermione wanted everything right away, though she understood the need for patience in most things.

But this was not most things.

Her brow furrowed and her heart skipped a beat at her next naughty thought. The Professor told her he would not be mean or cruel to a witch he was courting. He wasn't courting her, but he wanted to. That meant that he would be very unlikely to be mean to her if she did something he didn't really approve of. What if…

Hermione felt her heart begin to pound. The witch had learned early on that if she wanted something, she had to go after it. Normally, that applied to knowledge and learning…but in this case…it applied to a wizard made of flesh and blood. What was the worst he could do?

Turn her away.

And the best he could do?

Hermione shuddered as an absolutely delicious feeling washed over her body.

She made her decision.

---

Severus was dreaming of running through the castle corridor dragging Hermione behind him as they were pursued by a huge number of ghosts, much more than were actually in the castle. They ran into a cul-de-sac and the wizard found he couldn't disapparate. He curled around Hermione in an attempt to protect her from the howling horde approaching.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Granger…I've failed you," he breathed.

Suddenly the wizard started and woke up.

"What the…" he began as he felt a warm body next to him. He sat up slightly.

"Lights," he said to the room.

Suddenly the room lit up and he saw Hermione was curled up next to him, apparently asleep and totally nude. His eyes widened in shock.

"Lights out," he said hoarsely.

"Professor," Hermione's soft voice rose up from the darkness. Severus scooted away from her.

"Miss Granger, this is highly inappropriate," the wizard said, hearing the rawness in his own voice. "You must go back to your own bed."

"I want to sleep with you," the witch said, moving closer to the wizard until she pressed against his fully clothed body, "Like you'd sleep with an adult witch."

"No," he said to the voice in the darkness, thankful he couldn't see Hermione. "You are only seventeen and you are my student, Miss Granger."

"I'm eighteen. The time turner aged me when I used it for classes and whatnot in my third year. Anyway, I am the age of consent, Professor. Besides, when I graduate and you court me…you're going to be the one to deflower me. What difference does it make if you do it then or now? I want you to do it now," the witch said.

"Miss Granger, I was sent here to protect you, not to take advantage of you," the wizard said, cursing the erection that was tenting his trousers. He was mortified to hear the witch chuckle rather sexily.

"You're not the one trying to take advantage, Professor. I am," she said.

Severus could hear the smile in her voice. He knew it was a naughty one.

"I will not be seduced by a child," he said determinedly.

"Professor, I know you saw my body. I'm young, but I'm no child," Hermione said, "And you could make me a woman."

"Please go back to your bed, Miss Granger," the wizard said, sounding as if he were in pain. He was glad the witch couldn't see him. He knew his desire for her was clearly visible on his face.

"Low light," the witch suddenly said to the room. The ROR was softly illuminated, as if by candlelight. Severus quickly closed his eyes as the witch sat up next to him.

"Professor, I want you to deflower me. I have feelings for you. I've dreamed about you several times. I think you're so sexy, and I really would like my first experience to be with someone who knows what he's doing. You wouldn't be taking advantage of me, only giving me what I asked for," she said softly.

Severus groaned. He couldn't help it. He kept his eyes tightly closed.

"No," he said again, his voice strained.

Hermione decided to try another tact. The Professor was very covetous of the things he owned. She wondered if he was as protective and territorial about her. There was only one way to find out.

"Professor, I'm young and having sexual feelings. They're very strong. Ronald Weasley has asked me to shag him several times. I've always told him no, but there's been some times when I really wanted to just give in…to get rid of these feelings taking over my body…" she said. "I just fought it though. But…I'm afraid that one night I might not be able to say no…"

Severus' nostrils flared and his eyes opened and shifted to the witch's face. He hoisted himself up on his elbows, scowling blackly.

"You will not let Ronald Weasley touch you," he breathed jealously, "Or any wizard. You will save yourself for me, Hermione Granger. For me alone."

The witch's eyes went wide. The Professor had used her first name for the first time. And he looked very angry. Hermione felt a quiver inside her as the wizard's dark eyes slowly drifted down her body.

"You're beautiful," he said, his voice low and silky as he drank in her nakedness.

Hermione knew she wasn't any great beauty. She was passable, but that was about it. Perhaps if she wore makeup, she'd look better, but she didn't like it and really didn't feel she needed it. She was fine as she was. At least her hair was manageable now. But the way the Potions Master sounded when he said she was beautiful…she felt he truly meant it. He wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it.

"Show me how beautiful I am," she said, lying down on her back and looking at the wizard.

"Only seventeen and such a temptress," the Potions Master hissed, fighting back the urge to touch her soft skin.

"Eighteen," the witch corrected, shifting her legs slightly. Being naked and so close to the wizard was making the ache she felt more pronounced. She was so turned on.

Severus' nostrils flared as he smelled the witch's arousal. It was musky and clean. Innocent. A virgin's arousal.

"You must get out of my bed, Miss Granger," he said again…his voice not holding as much conviction as it did before.

"Call me Hermione, Professor…just for tonight," the witch breathed up at him.

He looked down on her.

"You must leave my bed, Hermione. I don't…I don't want to do this," he said.

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes glittering.

"Now I know why you are such an honest, straightforward wizard, Professor," the witch said, giving him a small smile, "It's because you're such a horrible liar."

Severus knew that wasn't completely true. He lied constantly and was quite good at it. However, those lies did not involve a beautiful, nude young virgin he dearly wanted to possess. His resolve was breaking.

"Yes, I am lying, Hermione…but only to protect your virtue," he said softly. "Giving yourself to your Potions Professor will not do anything for your good name. Particularly if the said Potions Master is myself. I am not well thought of, witch."

"I don't care what anyone thinks of you," Hermione said vehemently, "You are the bravest most courageous wizard I know. Yes, you are sarcastic and even cruel to people sometimes, but look at what you go through…what you have to bear all alone. Torture, deception, death…and no one appreciates it. No one cares. But I care, Professor…I really do. I always worry that when you are summoned you might not come back. It would be horrible if you never came back."

Severus looked down at Hermione, his chest tightening. No one had ever told him that they cared about what happened to him. Not even Albus, though he did care and the wizard knew it. He just wasn't too sure it was because he'd be minus a spy or not. But Hermione's worry was real. Sincere.

"You would miss me, Hermione?" the Professor asked her, his dark eyes searching her face.

"I would mourn you until the day I died," the witch said sincerely. "Especially since I know you have feelings for me…honorable feelings. I think a lesser wizard would have taken advantage of this situation and deflowered me the moment it was feasible. But you didn't Professor. And if I don't press you…you won't. And I want you to."

Severus stared down at Hermione, his throat tightening. He cleared it and swallowed. Gods, she made it sound so simple, so innocent.

"Professor…I hate to say this, but what if…if in the coming months…you don't come back? We will never have had the chance to do this…to share this. I will always wish this night had happened for the rest of my life. I will always wish you were the one who taught me what this feeling in me is all about. Yes, there could be someone else…but I know it wouldn't be as wonderful as it would be with you," Hermione said softly, her amber eyes shining up at him. "I don't want this night to pass without you becoming a part of me. I want this. I want you, Professor. Please."

Severus hesitated for a moment, studying her face. Such need and longing were in her eyes. It was hard to resist her. Too hard.

"Merlin," the wizard said softly, lowering his mouth to Hermione's and kissing her, capturing her lips and suckling on them gently. The witch moaned as a slow burn washed over her, her body arching into his, hot skin meeting cool fabric. But the wizard could feel her heat.

Severus pulled away from Hermione's mouth, his face slightly contorted as his conscience battled with his hunger. The witch's eyes were fairly glowing with desire.

"Please," she said again, wrapping her arms around his neck.

It was a fairly short if desperate battle.

"The gods forgive me," the wizard breathed, kissing her again.

---

Hermione felt her body begin to tremble uncontrollably as the wizard kissed her again, his lips more demanding. She wasn't afraid however…she just couldn't seem to stop. Severus drew back from her, his dark eyes full of something she was unfamiliar with.

"You're trembling. Are you afraid, Hermione? Because if you are we can…" he began, starting to pull away. Hermione held on to his neck tightly so he couldn't withdraw any further.

"No. No, I'm not afraid…I just can't seem to stop trembling…it's my body…it's not me," the witch said, almost desperately.

The witch's curly hair was partially covering her face. Severus swept it aside. Desire was making her tremble. His organ pulsed in reaction to her need.

"You know deflowerment hurts, don't you?" he asked her softly, one pale hand moving to the top button of his shirt and unfastening it. Hermione watched as the pale skin of his throat came into view.

"Yes," Hermione said in almost a whisper, mesmerized as the wizard's hand moved to the next button, then the next, more of his torso being revealed. "I don't think you'd hurt me too much, would you Professor?"

Severus pulled his shirt out of his trousers and continued unfastening it, looking at Hermione. He had been known to become rather "overzealous" during sex either to the delight or consternation to the witch he happened to be with. He would have to be mindful of Hermione…he couldn't let go on the young witch. He would have to restrain himself. His shirt completely open now, the Potions Master gently removed her arms from around his neck and sat up so he could access his cuffs and remove his shirt entirely. He tossed it over the side of the bed.

"No, not too much, Hermione. It is my sincere desire to make your first experience a good one, but if I start to hurt you…you must tell me," he said, his eyes darkening.

Hermione didn't reply at first. Her eyes were resting on Severus' naked upper body. It was pale, lean and muscular, his chest and abdomen well defined. His arms were corded. He was built very strongly. She never imagined he looked like that beneath his robes. Hermione's eyes fell to his trousers. There was a huge, long lump in his lap.

"I'll tell you," she said in a small voice.

The witch swallowed as the wizard pulled up one leg, then the other removing his boots and socks. After sticking the socks in the boots, he reached over her and dropped them to the floor. Then the Potions Master lay back down and began to unfasten the button of his trousers. He turned his head and looked at her.

"Have you ever seen a man's cock before, Hermione?" he asked her.

The witch reddened a bit at his use of the word 'cock' but he said it so naturally, her embarrassment faded quickly. He wasn't trying to be dirty.

"Not a real one. I've seen them in textbooks," the witch replied. "Ron wanted to show me his, but I didn't want to see it. I told to him keep it in his trousers or I'd hex it."

Severus smirked for a moment, before scowling slightly. It was funny how the witch responded, but not funny at all that Mr. Weasley was trying to show her his goods. After tonight, Severus would consider Hermione his. He would have to find a way to make Mr. Weasley stop making advances without being obvious.

The wizard lifted his hips and slid his trousers down. He wore black silk boxers underneath them. He kept them on, not wanting to frighten the young witch before preparing her properly.

Hermione watched as he pulled one long leg out of his trousers, then the other. He also dropped them on the floor, reaching over her body and looking down at her as he did so. Hermione thought she saw hesitance in his eyes.

"Are you nervous, Professor?" she asked him.

Severus' eyes swept down her body once more. Yes, he was nervous. He was about to take his most brilliant student. Yet his nervousness was more for her, than for him. Severus was very well hung. He could hurt her if he wasn't careful.

"No," he lied. "Are you?"

Hermione nodded.

"But I still want you to do it," she said, not wanting him to change his mind.

"Do it," he repeated, his eyes softening uncharacteristically. Hermione was so innocent he couldn't maintain his cynical demeanor. But she needed to use more mature terms with him. "Hermione, there are terms to describe what we are about to do that I would prefer to hear from you rather than "do it." I'm not a sixth-year."

She blinked up at him.

"What are they?" she asked.

"Have sex. Make love. Shag," he replied. Hermione reddened again.

"There are differences though. 'Have sex' is a clinical term for sexual intercourse…devoid of emotion. "Make love' implies that both parties are driven by love or strong emotions of tenderness. 'Shag' means the act is based on a physical attraction."

Hermione looked up at him.

"What will we be doing, Professor? Having sex?" she asked him.

He shook his head.

"No, it will be more than that," he replied, unconsciously licking his lips.

"Making love?" the witch pressed.

Severus shook his head.

"I have strong feelings for you, as you do for me…but we are not in love, Hermione…at least not the way I understand love to be. Still, it will be more than shagging. My attraction to you is more than physical. I appreciate your mind and your character as well. You are going to be a force to be reckoned with when you come into your own, witch. I would like to be there when that happens," he said silkily.

Hermione looked up at the wizard. She would like him to be there as well. She felt safe with him…protected.

"I would like you to be there too, Professor," she said softly.

The wizard looked down on her. Gods…such simple honesty.

"Severus. Call me Severus tonight, Hermione. We are no longer teacher and student. We are man and woman…on equal footing," he said to the witch, moving closer to her carefully. "Though I will be teaching you tonight."

"Severus," Hermione said experimentally. It was strange saying his name. She had called him Professor for so long, it felt as if his title were his name. She looked up at him, feeling more connected than ever now.

"Then teach me, Severus," she said softly, "Teach me everything you know."

Severus quirked his lips at her. Hermione wasn't ready for everything he knew. He didn't know if she would ever be ready for that.

"One thing at a time, Hermione. Your lust for knowledge has to be tempered in this case. You would never survive me if I showed you everything I knew sexually. I will only give you an introduction tonight…I believe it will be enough for you," he said.

"I don't think I will ever get enough of you, Pro…Severus," she replied, feeling her belly flare up again.

The wizard shook his head. Hermione could easily make him forget her innocence if he listened to her for too long.

"The time for talking is past now," he said, his voice becoming low and seductive. "It's time for our bodies to speak to each other."

He lay on his side and gently drew Hermione into him, her soft breasts mashed against his chest. She was soft, her body warm and trembling. He looked at her once more.

"Beautiful," he breathed, kissing her deeply, this time slipping his tongue into her heat. Hermione moaned as she felt his supple muscle lick at her tongue gently, then curl around it, caressing it. Gods, it was so intimate, so intense. She felt his hands begin to move over her back, strong, masculine…firm. Slightly rough against her skin…it felt wonderful and she purred like a kitten as the Potions Master kissed and caressed her.

Carefully, Severus pressed his loins against the witch, letting her feel his erection beneath his boxers. Hermione jerked slightly as she felt the wizard's hard length press against her. It was hot and she felt it throbbing. A powerful gush poured out of her and she gasped against Severus' mouth as her need intensified. Her arms went back around his neck and she instinctively slid her body up and down against his erection, trying to find relief…but the friction was only making her feel hotter and more frustrated as the fabric between them kept her from full contact.

"Easy witch, easy," the Professor breathed, his hands moving to her sides and brushing the sides of her breasts.

Hermione arched into him again, her kisses becoming more frantic. She began to caress the wizard back, wanting to feel his hard, lean body under her hands. She froze as her fingers explored his back. She felt the scars from the whippings he received from the Dark Lord. Severus stopped kissing her for a moment, though his hands continued to move. Her skin was so soft, he couldn't stop touching her.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, noticing her eyes welling up. His hands stopped moving now. "Do you want me to stop?"

Gods, he hoped not. He was invested now. He had to have her.

"No…it's just…your scars. Oh Severus," she sobbed, tears dripping from her eyes.

"Shhh, don't cry. Don't cry, Hermione," the wizard said soothingly, beginning to caress her again…this time to comfort her. "It's part of my service to the Order. The price of trying to save the wizarding world. Now shhh."

Hermione gulped back her tears and kissed the wizard fiercely. He had no one. No one to share his pain with. Now…he had her.

Severus felt her increased ardor and increased his exploration of her body, running his hands over her hips and thighs, then slowly sweeping them over her buttocks. The witch pressed back into his hands wanting more contact. He gave it to her, pulling her into him and working his organ against her body. Severus was panting now, losing himself in the young witch, but trying to maintain some control as his hands gripped and fondled her full breast, Hermione almost sobbing with pleasure. Everywhere the wizard's hands touched left a trail of fire behind, and his mouth was a furnace. She wanted to burn up in his arms.

"Severus," she breathed.

Suddenly, Hermione's hand closed over his member through the fabric of his boxers, both witch and wizard gasping at the contact. Severus slid his hand down her belly and gently between her thighs. Her core was steaming…wet and ready. Hermione cried out as the wizard petted her gently, then carefully slid a finger between her labia, touching her nub. The witch let out a pretty little cry, and the wizard groaned in response. Severus felt like just ripping off his boxers and plunging inside her…but he fought it. That wasn't the way to take the luscious little witch. They continued to pet each other until both were covered in perspiration and breathless with need. Severus couldn't remember the last time a witch made him respond the way Hermione did.

He was savoring his hunger for her…letting it take him to the edge. Desire had never been such a heady thing.

"Take off your boxers, Severus," Hermione pleaded, writhing against him. "I want to feel you against me. I want to see your body."

Severus stopped petting the witch and brought his hand to his nose, sniffing her juices…then cleaned his fingers with his mouth, a look of bliss on his face. If this wasn't her first time, he would eat her out unmercifully, she tasted so good. But instead he fell to her throat, the witch turning her head to offer more access and sighing with pleasure.

Then he drew back and said, "Once these boxers come off, Hermione…there's no turning back."

"I don't want to turn back…I want to go forward," she panted at him, pulling at the elastic of his boxers impatiently. "Take them off!"

There was such an animal urgency in the young witch's voice that Severus complied, shifting back from her and rolling to his back, lifting his hips and pulling down his boxers, his erection springing out, hard and ready for action.

Hermione's eyes went wide at the sight of it, and she immediately sat up and moved downward so she could examine it more closely.

Severus lay on his back, hardly daring to breathe as the young witch unabashedly lifted his huge tool, running her finger over the head of it. A small choked sound escaped him.

"You're huge," the witch breathed, her hands moving over his length, squeezing and caressing as she moved it back and forth so she could see all sides of it. Severus' hips buckled and his fingers dug into the mattress, clenching and unclenching, his jaw tense and a tick in his cheek.

Then the witch kissed it.

Severus' hands flew up and he hauled a squealing Hermione back up to the head of the bed.

"What?" she asked as he roughly pushed her down on her back, his eyes hard with lust.

"You were about to go someplace you have no business going yet, witch. You are too inquisitive," he growled, trying to regain control.

"I just wanted to taste it," she said, "It's clean and it smells good. I just wanted to see what it would be like to put my mouth on it."

Severus groaned inwardly. Oh the little, innocent seductress. When she was well initiated, he had a feeling Hermione was going to be something extraordinary. His tool might be clean, but she had been about to get very, very dirty.

"One thing at a time," he said, "First, the deflowering…then the extras," the wizard said, rolling on top of Hermione and pressing his shaft between her legs, meeting her core with his hardness.

"Oh my gods," the witch gasped as the Potions Master began to hump her gently, emulating the sex act, familiarizing her with the motions. The witch met his thrusts, moaning, arching and sighing, her body hot, soft and moist beneath his. Suddenly, Severus couldn't hold back anymore…he had to be inside this beautiful, sexy little witch.

"Are you ready for me, Hermione?" he panted against her mouth. "Are you ready to be deflowered?"

"Hours ago," the witch gasped back. "Do it, Severus. Gods, I want to feel you inside me taking away this ache I have."

"It will be one ache for another," he breathed, shifting lower and grasping his organ, placing it against her heat.

Severus ran his finger over her entrance, checking for adequate lubrication. He needn't have worried. Hermione was primed and ready. He touched the elastic skin of her hymen and positioned himself against it. Hermione gasped and buckled as she felt his hardness pressed against her. He was so big.

"Lift your legs as high as you can and hold on to me," the wizard said, his eyes full of a mixture of concern and lust. He was trembling slightly with anticipation.

Hermione did so, her amber eyes glistening as the wizard looked down at her.

"Thank you for this, Hermione," he breathed, driving forward hard, feeling her hymen stretch then snap, the witch shrieking, her nails digging into his shoulders. Severus' mouth dropped open as he buried himself into the tightest, sweetest little sleeve he had ever felt in his life. The wizard let out a long groan as he forced himself to stay still and let Hermione get used to his size.

Tears dripped from the corner of Hermione's eyes, but she clutched the wizard, feeling his thickness filling her, pulsing and possessing her. He was inside her…he was part of her now, and that was what she wanted…to feel him this way. Her snarky Potions Master was hers now. This was the first pain he ever caused her that she wanted from him.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked Hermione hoarsely, looking down at her face, finding it almost hard to believe he was actually inside her. But the delicious heat and pressure around him said otherwise

"It hurt," she said softly, her voice quavering. Severus kissed her forehead.

"I know…but it will get better in a little while…when I start to move. It will become much better, Hermione…for both of us," he promised.

The wizard lowered his head and kissed her gently, waiting for the initial pain to subside.

---

Hermione lay beneath Severus, caught up in a thousand different emotions as she felt the wizard sheathed snugly inside her, his mouth warm and gentle against hers, the weight and heat of his hard, lean body a balm for her own.

Severus was going through his own set of emotions. Hermione's inner warmth was tight and sweet around him, the soft curves of her body beneath his a welcome respite. This was no one night interlude with a randy, willing witch. This was the beginning of something more…a long thought of but impossible to believe dream moving to the edge of his reality. A witch of his own that he could relate to and respect, almost his intellectual equal, a woman who could help him and challenge him. He knew he would not tire of the inquisitive, brilliant witch.

Yes, there were some obstacles. Voldemort being first and foremost, then the opinions of others. Severus knew he could weather the storm of controversy, accusations and judgments…but could Hermione? Would she be strong enough to stay with him? He looked down at her, the witch's eyes softly glowing with passion and need. Again he was struck by how beautiful she was…it was a beauty that lay beneath the skin. He had heard of inner beauty, but this was the first time the wizard ever saw it for himself.

"Does it still hurt?' he asked Hermione softly.

"Stings a little," she whispered up at him, feeling suddenly shy and embarrassed that he had her in such a position. That she had asked him for this. He was her teacher for gods' sake. What must he think of her?

Hermione turned her face away from the wizard. Severus saw the change in her eyes and knew something wasn't right. She most likely wouldn't tell him what was wrong.

"Legilimens," Severus said, entering her mind and seeing her thoughts. Scowling, he stopped the spell and turned her face back toward him.

"I think," he said, "that you are beautiful, passionate and driven. I think you have given me something precious and wonderful. I think you the most intelligent, brilliant young witch I have ever met, and I think I am the luckiest wizard on the planet at this moment. I know what it is to desire something so greatly I would do almost anything to achieve it, Hermione. You followed your heart…your heart is what made this happen. I find nothing wrong with that, witch. Nothing at all."

Hermione looked up at him.

"Honestly, Severus?" she asked him, her voice trembling.

"Honestly. I will never lie to you," he said sincerely.

He meant it.

Hermione looked up at Severus gratefully, her conscience eased and her body flaring up again. She wanted to feel him.

"The pain is gone," she breathed.

The Potions Master's eyes went hot, and once again he reminded himself that Hermione was new to this, and no matter how delicious she felt, he would have to maintain control. Watching Hermione's face, he slowly pulled back, sliding through her softness, the witch's mouth making an "O" as he did so. Then he eased back, biting his lip against the tightness of her body sliding over him.

"Oh gods, that feels so good," Hermione moaned as he returned to her. Severus' nostrils flared, as he withdrew and entered her again, Hermione's mouth dropping, her head leaning back into the pillow with pleasure.

"You're so big, Professor…oh…oh…" the witch groaned, her voice shuddering as she arched up against him. He didn't care she used his title. She wasn't thinking now

Severus let out his own groan as he looked down on the passionate witch, watching her face contort with bliss as he slowly and gently thrust inside her, parting her over and over again. The wizard shifted his hips slightly to change his angle, the change making Hermione gasp in delight and lock her legs around his lower back.

"Damn," Severus breathed, holding steady, his every stroke focused on giving Hermione the greatest pleasure. The witch was clinging to him now, arms and legs entwined around his pale body as he flexed into her. He lowered his mouth to hers and possessed it, his tongue now immersed in her heat as well. She tasted, sounded and felt like heaven. It was so hard to keep from driving into her like a madman…but he held on, determined the witch would have a good experience she could handle. He was receiving pleasure as well.

This was the first time Severus had ever put a witch's physical needs before his own. But then again, Hermione was the first virgin he had ever had. This was a gift she gave him, and he didn't want to abuse it. Abuse her.

Hermione was far from being abused. Gods, Severus felt so good, holding her, kissing her, stroking into her ache, closer to her than anyone had ever been. She didn't know sex would feel so good. Yet as the wizard moved inside her, sighing gently into her mouth, she had a feeling that he wasn't getting as much out of this as she was. She pulled away from his lips, her eyes smoky as she looked up at him.

"There's more isn't there?" she gasped up at Severus, whose dark eyes smoldered down at her. "You aren't doing this like you want to. I can tell."

Severus stopped moving.

"This is about you, witch. It's good to you, isn't it?" he asked her.

"No…it's about us…not me," she said, pushing her hips upward, making the wizard groan as she slid around him. Circe.

"I want you to feel good too," the witch said.

"You feel exquisite, Hermione. You do make me feel good," the wizard assured her. Hermione's brow furrowed.

"I know you do more than this…it can be better for you," she said insistently.

"There will be time for that witch," Severus said, beginning to move again, Hermione arching up as his body began gently flexing between her thighs, his hardness filling her, insistent but restrained. Suddenly she thrust her pelvis forward hard, Severus letting out a curse as she forced him deeper, hitting her cervix harder than he intended.

"Oh! Oh! Gods that felt good…oh do that again, Severus…please," Hermione groaned as the small ache went through her. It was a satisfying ache. She wanted to feel it again.

Severus looked down at her. Hermione certainly didn't have a problem asking for what she wanted. Thank the gods she was so innocent, or she'd most likely be demanding he twist her into pretzels. But he found he liked her forwardness. Much better than her lying there like most witches he engaged did…just moaning…or shrieking. All right, she wanted harder? He could do that…but still show restraint.

The wizard lifted his hips and drove into her with a bit more power, the witch letting out a loud gasp and buckling slightly. Damn, that felt so good.

"Oh…keep going. Faster," Hermione gasped, her legs unwrapping and her small hands sliding down his back to his buttocks. Severus groaned as he felt her grip him so intimately, pulling at him hungrily.

Severus began to stroke Hermione deeper and faster as she asked, his eyes rolling up into his head as he jerked her body slightly. He rose on his hands, looking down at her, his eyes glittering as her breasts bounced and her neck arched, the witch's voice washing over him, shrill and sweet. The Potions Master looked down at his organ as it poled in and out of the undulating witch. It was covered with pinkish-white lubrication…her blood and her juices. He closed his eyes and willed himself to keep control as he rode Hermione hungrily. It would be so easy to let go and hammer the witch within an inch of her life.

Hermione was in ecstasy as the Potions Master took her, his lank black hair swinging around his pale face, his features contorting so one moment he looked as if in pain, and the next moment experiencing intense pleasure. She had never seen this expression on him before. Usually he wore a permanent scowl.

Well, Severus certainly wasn't scowling now as he looked down at her, his body starting to glisten in the low light of the room as he sweated over her, discipline putting the most strain on the wizard as he fought to maintain the level of intercourse he thought best for the witch. Hermione wasn't helping, pulling on his buttocks the way she was, trying to make him take her harder.

Severus managed to keep control and the couple went at it for quite a while, perspiration dripping off the wizard and landing on the witch as she moaned and urged him on. The Potions Master was caught between the heaven of her body and the hell of his own urge to really let go. Hermione was so responsive, vocal, tight, wet, passionate and beautiful. Not knowing when he would have her like this next was also working against him. He needed to bring the witch to her peak soon, or he'd lose it.

The moment the wizard thought this, Hermione began to keen, her voice shrilly and her eyes widening in shock as her body locked down, squeezing Severus so hard the wizard felt his nads would pop off. Then came the cry, and the gush and the wonderful heat of her orgasm, washing over him, the wizard gasping as the witch writhed under him. He dropped and kissed her, forcing his way through her pulsing body, her inner throb and shuddering body bringing him to the edge.

Suddenly the wizard realized he hadn't used a contraceptive spell on the witch. With a hiss, he pulled out of Hermione, coming all over her belly, groaning as he spilled his seed all over her soft skin. Hermione was beyond caring as she floated gently in her own little pleasure-filled world, completely absorbed in her release.

Severus watched as his member pulsed, shooting jet after jet of sperm on Hermione's flat belly, filling in her navel and dribbling down her sides. He had to admit, it was very erotic, though he would have loved to come inside her. He would still have to give her a "Morning After" potion however. He could have still impregnated her with his pre-cum, which contained a small amount of sperm. She was too young to have a child, and he'd have hell explaining it to both Albus and the Dark Lord.

Spent, he dropped on Hermione's body, feeling the slick warmth of his come against his own body now. He lay with his face buried in the pillow and Hermione's wild hair, panting. As soon as he found his voice he told Hermione he was sorry.

"About what?" the witch panted, her heart still pounding, "You were wonderful. It was so good."

The wizard lifted his head and gave her a light kiss.

"I am sorry for not thinking to protect you from conceiving, which resulted in the rather sticky situation we are both in," he replied, feeling the stickiness of his release between their bodies and grimacing slightly.

"So that's why you pulled out of me," she said softly. "I didn't know what happened…if you were supposed to do that."

"Preferably, I'm not," he replied, "But in this case it was the wisest thing to do. You don't need a child at this early stage of your life. You have other things to do before becoming a mother. Tomorrow you must come to my lab, and I will give you a potion to make sure you didn't conceive."

Hermione nodded, then wrapped her arms around the wizard's neck and kissed him tenderly. She wasn't very skilled at kissing, but that just made it even sweeter for the wizard. She would learn.

"I'm glad we did this," Hermione said when she broke the kiss.

"As am I. You have made me a very happy wizard, Hermione Granger. And I haven't had much happiness in my life. It is quite a gift you have given me," he said to her, studying her face and thinking how strange life was. Who would have thought the little buck-toothed, bushy-haired know-it-all that descended on Hogwarts seven years ago would grow into a woman he felt he could connect to. He smoothed her hair out of her face.

"We are going to have to hide this, Hermione," he said to her soberly. "We can't let anyone know we were intimate. It would cause…problems."

"I know," Hermione said, thinking of the horror of not only Ron and Harry, but the entire house of Gryffindor. She would most likely be branded a slut by the rest of the school. Of course, if it got out, they could use the ghosts for an excuse…but eventually the truth would come out…the ghosts saying they escaped them. She looked at the wizard.

"How am I going to stay away from you?" she asked him, her voice full of emotion.

Severus had been thinking the same thing.

"We are just going to have to exercise restraint," he said softly. "We're going to have to fight our feelings."

Hermione's brow furrowed.

"Well, we aren't doing very well with that. Currently the score is: Feelings one, Restraint zero," she said.

Severus chuckled.

"The game isn't over yet. I am a disciplined wizard. I will be able to control this, though you might find yourself quite frustrated with me. I can't act any different towards you. But I want you to practice your Occlumency skills. They are going to be quite important in keeping me alive," the wizard said soberly. "You know I am a spy…and when you graduate, I am going to have to ask the Dark Lord for permission to court you under the guise of keeping tabs on Mr. Potter and corrupting you. I am sure he will agree. It is possible that some time in the future he will want to see you. You have to be able to keep the truth about me hidden. If you can't…I am done for."

"I will start working on it immediately. I won't betray you Severus," the witch said softly. "I would never betray you."

The wizard felt his heart swell a bit. No one had ever given him his or her loyalty before, and he knew if Hermione were anything…it was loyal. Most likely she would die before revealing the truth about him. One very good aspect about bedding a Gryffindor.

"I believe you, Hermione," he replied, kissing her once more before rolling off her body and climbing over her to retrieve his wand from his trouser pocket. He scourgified the witch then himself, and pulled on his boxers, Hermione watching him with glistening eyes.

"I guess that means tonight is over," the witch said wistfully as the wizard climbed back into the bed and lay down next to her. Severus slipped an arm under her shoulder and pulled her naked body into him, an eyebrow arched as he looked at her sideways.

"You are going to have to learn restraint and discipline, witch. That was enough for tonight. You are new at this, and I think it best if we go slowly. Since I am much older than you, I expect you to draw on my wisdom and my example," the wizard said rather imperiously.

Hermione couldn't help snorting. His example? That meant she'd be snarking around Hogwarts the same as he did. It wasn't going to happen. As far as his discipline and restraint went…she'd gotten around that once…she was sure she could do it again given enough time. Hermione had no intention of waiting until she graduated to have sex with the Potions Master, even if she had to break his wards in the middle of the night and climb into his bed naked again. It had been that good.

Severus heard the snort and scowled. Already she was being difficult. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her little curl-covered head. Well, there was more than one way to tame a willful little Gryffindor.

"I mean it, Hermione. My wisdom and example," he reiterated.

"Umm hmmm," Hermione murmured non-committally, snuggling into the wizard, her eyes heavy. She was very tired, and her body had a delicious little burn from the wizard's attentions. The witch was very satisfied with her first time and her first lover.

Perhaps he would be her only lover.

"Good night, Severus," she said sleepily.

"Good night, Hermione," the Potions Master replied, his arm tightening reflexively as she curled into him. This was quite nice. Quite nice indeed.

The pair fell into a sated sleep, waiting for sunrise and the real world to return.

---

Severus and Hermione woke up early to find the green ecto-covering gone from the walls of the Room of Requirement. They dressed in silence, Hermione walking over to her own bed and gathering up her clothes. Severus watched as she dressed, his dark eyes solemn.

When she was finished, she turned to look at him.

"I'm ready," she said softly.

The wizard strode over to her and looked down on her upturned face.

"It's back to the real world, Hermione," he said, "I expect you to keep our secret."

"I will," the witch responded.

Severus seemed cold and distant now. Had she made a mistake?

Suddenly the wizard drew her into his arms and kissed her gently.

No, she hadn't.

Severus broke the kiss and licked his lips.

"That will have to tide us over until graduation," he said to the witch, "Now, let us depart. When you tell about your adventure, tell it as it was until we reached the Room of Requirement. After that, we slept. End of story. Stick to that."

Hermione nodded, and Severus strode to the door and pushed it open, letting the witch out and glancing back at the beds, which fuzzed out and disappeared. He exited the room, pulling the door closed behind him. It promptly disappeared.

First the couple apparated to the subdungeons so Hermione could collect her backpack, then they apparated to the main hall. There was not a ghost to be seen. Most likely they were in hiding, ashamed of how they had lost control. That suited the Potions Master just fine. He could live without seeing another blasted ghost for the rest of his life.

They took the shifting stairs down to the main floor and exited out the double doors. It was an uncharacteristically sunny day, though somewhat cool due to the time of year. They stood on the staircase outside the castle, looking across the grounds.

"They should be returning soon," Severus said unnecessarily.

He felt rather awkward…completely out of character for him. Well, this was all new. He was used to keeping secrets, but it was rather different when the secret was standing right next to him.

"Yes, they should be," Hermione agreed. Then she looked at Severus.

"Professor?" she said, reverting to his title, "Do…do I look any different?"

Severus rested his dark eyes on the witch. She looked a bit flushed, but that was the extent of it. She was worrying too much. He had the cure for that.

"I assure you, Miss Granger, you don't have the words "I Shagged My Potions Master" stamped across your forehead," he replied snarkily.

Ah, he felt much better.

Hermione scowled at him and was about to say something very ugly when he arched an eyebrow at her.

"Remember, I can't act any differently toward you, Miss Granger. I might as well get back in character now," the wizard said evenly, smirking a bit.

Hermione swallowed down her response, and smiled a little herself. Yes, he did have to return to the snarky bastard they all loved to hate. Well, all except her.

"They're back," the Potions Master said.

Hermione looked across the grounds and saw a crowd of students approaching, Albus and the other staff leading the way. Harry and Ron were right in front with them, looking for all the world as if they wanted to break into a run when they saw her and the Potions Master standing in front of the castle.

"Let's go," Severus said to the witch, scowling as usual as he stalked down the stairs and strode toward Albus, Hermione right behind him.

Minerva looked both angry and relieved as she saw her prize student following behind the dark wizard in one piece. She'd have a few words for the witch to be sure. Imagine, hiding out in the castle where no one could find her.

Severus stopped in front of Albus, the students streaming past them, giving Hermione curious looks as they did so. Minerva, Harry and Ron gathered around them, the young wizards giving the Potions Master suspicious looks, and staring at Hermione as if to see was there anything different about her. She looked all right.

Minerva stalked up to Hermione and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're all right, Hermione," the Transfiguration Professor said, her eyes glistening as she released her. She turned to Severus. "Thank you for retrieving her Severus."

The wizard nodded a welcome, Ron's blue eyes still resting on him suspiciously.

Minerva turned to Hermione, suddenly stern.

"After everyone is settled in young lady, you are to come to my office. We are going to have a discussion about your little disappearing act. You could have been killed!" she said, frowning at the witch.

"Yes Professor," Hermione said in a small voice.

Albus caught Severus by the sleeve and drew the wizard aside. Harry and Ron strained to hear what was being said.

"Severus, did you…" the Headmaster began, his eyes dark.

"I didn't have to deflower the witch," the Potions Master said smoothly, "We found protection in the Room of Requirement after a bit of running about."

Well, the wizard didn't lie. He didn't have to deflower Hermione, though he did.

The Headmaster looked relieved.

"Thank the gods," he said, "That could have caused her much trauma."

Severus nodded, thinking about the witch orgasming.

"Yes, it certainly could have," he agreed.

Albus patted him on the shoulder.

"A job well done, Severus. You are to be commended," Albus said.

"Thank you sir," the wizard replied.

Ron and Harry walked up to Hermione anxiously.

"What happened?" they both asked her at the same time.

Hermione proceeded to tell them about how the Professor saved her from Nearly Headless Nick, and how they apparated all around the castle and battled the ghosts in the protective circle and finally made it to the ROR, getting in using the Solarius spell, then spent an uneventful night waiting for sunrise.

"Snape didn't try to put the moves on you did he?" Ron asked her, his nostrils flaring.

"No, he didn't," Hermione said honestly. After all, it was she who put the moves on him.

"Good. I…we were worried," Ron said. Harry nodded agreement.

"Draco says the Professor wants you," Harry said, watching the witch for reaction.

"Wants me for what? To test dangerous potions?" Hermione replied.

Severus was talking to the other heads of houses now, but he was aware of the witch talking to her two friends. His eyes shifted and he saw that Draco Malfoy hadn't entered the castle with the rest of the Slytherins and was looking at the witch intensely.

"He wants to shag you," Ron hissed.

Hermione reddened.

"Don't be stupid Ron," she said to him, frowning.

The wizard looked relieved at her response. So did Harry.

"Yeah…I suppose it is stupid. Like you'd let the greasy git touch you," the wizard said.

Hermione didn't reply.

Suddenly Ron's stomach growled loudly.

"I'm bloody starved," he said, "Come on, Hermione…Harry. Let's go get something to eat."

Hermione hung back.

"I want to talk to the Headmaster first. I'll be along in a bit," she lied. She just wanted some time to herself. But Harry and Ron never seemed to understand that, since they were practically stuck together by the hip. That's why she was in the subdungeons in the first place. Luckily, they gave in easily this time.

"All right then," Harry said, "See you in a bit. And I'm glad you're all right."

Harry started walking toward the castle. Ron looked at Hermione.

"I'm glad you're all right too," he said, walking forward and trying to kiss her on the mouth. Hermione moved her head.

"I told you about trying to kiss me in public, Ron. We don't go out," the witch said, frowning at him.

"I know that. I just wanted to show you how glad I am you're all right," the wizard said sullenly.

"You can just tell me," she replied.

"Fine then," Ron said, stalking off angrily.

Hermione sighed. She was going to have to do something about him.

Draco saw an opening and sauntered up to Hermione, who scowled. Talking to Draco was never good. He stood there looking at her.

The staff were all talking animatedly, Severus standing among them. He looked over and saw Draco with Hermione. His eyes narrowed slightly.

"What do you want, Draco?" Hermione asked him, sounding irritated.

Draco's eyes narrowed.

"He did you, didn't he Granger? The Professor," he asked her, studying her face intently. Hermione colored.

"Shut up Draco. You're a real ass," she replied.

"I know he did. I can tell your cherry's been popped. I've popped enough myself to know," the wizard said. "So how was it? Did you suck him off?"

"Leave me alone, Draco," Hermione said, starting to walk away. Draco caught her by the sleeve of her robe..

"I bet he shagged the shit out of you. I've heard he likes to cause witches pain," the wizard breathed, his mouth twisted in a leer. "I heard he has a huge tool and makes them take it up the…"

"And what else have you heard about me, Mr. Malfoy?" Severus said, standing behind the wizard, his arms folded and eyes narrowed.

Draco spun, his gray eyes wide with terror as he faced the Potions Master, who was looking at him with a sober expression.

"I…er…nothing sir," Draco said lamely.

Severus stared at him imperiously a moment, the young wizard seeming to shrink beneath his gaze.

"I do not appreciate you implying that I've done anything untoward with any student, Mr. Malfoy…nor do I appreciate you speculating on my sexual preferences particularly in front of a female student. You will accompany me to my office where we will discuss your punishment and the appropriate point loss. Not only was what you said to Miss Granger lewd and offensive, but it was something a true gentleman of breeding would never ever do. You shame your sire and your bloodline, Mr. Malfoy. I thought you a better wizard than that," Severus said scathingly.

Draco hung his head.

Severus frowned at the blonde wizard.

"Don't you have something to say to Miss Granger," he asked Draco pointedly.

Draco lifted his eyes to Hermione.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Hermione looked at him, but said nothing. Severus turned to her.

"I was on my way to speak to you, Miss Granger, when I overheard Mr. Malfoy. Now that I have dealt with him, I will deal with you. One hundred points from Gryffindor for forcing me to have to come search for you," he said silkily. "It was quite inconvenient."

"What?" Hermione yelled, outraged.

"And another twenty-five points for raising your voice to a teacher," he added as the witch fumed. "Would you like to try for twenty-five more?"

Draco smiled. The Potions Master must not have shagged the witch if he were taking points for having to rescue her.

Hermione stared at Severus sullenly as he arched an eyebrow at her. There was a hint of mirth in his eyes at her outrage.

"No sir," she spat, pronouncing the word "sir" like a curse.

"Good. Now come along, Mr. Malfoy," the wizard said, turning with a billow of robes and striding off.

Draco gave Hermione a nasty smirk and followed him. At least he wasn't the only one who got in trouble.

Hermione stared after the wizard, her hands clenched into fists. Then she relaxed and began to think logically. More than likely the wizard had taken points from her to throw Draco off. She hadn't responded to him well. He could have told his father what he suspected and word gotten back to Voldemort. So Severus had done what he had to.

But damn it, did he have to seem to enjoy it so much?

Well, he was the Potions Master.

Of course he did.

"Miss Granger?" a voice said to her. Hermione turned to see the Headmaster looking at her with some concern.

"Yes, Headmaster?" she responded.

"How are you, my dear?" he asked her. They both started walking toward the castle.

"I'm fine sir. There were some scary moments, but the Professor was wonderful. He saved my life," she said, trying not to think of him flexing over her, his dark eyes filled with pleasure.

"Yes. The Potions Master is quite special. A very selfless wizard when all is taken into consideration," the Headmaster said, looking at the witch sideways. "A pity he leads such a cold and lonely life. You would think that he deserves some kind of happiness to balance the evil he faces every day. A very sad situation, don't you think, Miss Granger?"

Hermione felt a sympathetic pulse in her heart for the wizard.

"Yes," she said softly, "Very sad."

She would do her best to make him as happy as possible.

She and the Headmaster walked up the castle stairs and entered the main hall.

Albus turned to the witch.

"I am on my way to the Great Hall for a bite to eat. Coming, Miss Granger?" he asked the witch. Hermione shook her head.

"No sir. I'm still kind of tired. I'll have something in Gryffindor Tower, Headmaster," she replied.

"Very well, Miss Granger. I am very happy that you survived the night…intact," he said, a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

Hermione looked at him sharply for a moment, then decided he was just stating he was glad her soul wasn't taken.

"Thank you, Headmaster. Goodbye," the witch said, heading for the main stairwell.

"Goodbye, Miss Granger," the wizard responded.

Albus watched Hermione walk up the stairs for a moment, then began to walk toward the Great Hall.

"I may be old, but I'm not blind," he thought to himself. "That witch has a glow about her that didn't come from the autumn air. Severus told me he didn't have to deflower Miss Granger… but that doesn't mean he didn't."

---

Hermione's first order of business when she arrived at Gryffindor tower was to see Professor McGonagall and take her lumps for her disappearance. The Head of House was in her office eating a bowl of soup that smelled delicious. Hermione immediately decided soup and a sandwich was definitely in order as she sat and listened to Minerva scold her for being so irresponsible, thoughtless and putting both her life and the Professor's life in grave danger.

Hermione wanted to point out she had no idea about the ghosts, but that would have been no defense. No one knew until Albus accidentally discovered what was going to happen. Plus, if she tried to defend herself, Minerva could have gone on for hours. When it came time for her punishment, Hermione informed the witch Professor Snape had already taken one hundred and twenty-five points from her.

Minerva's face cinched up as if she had consumed a pint of very sour lemon juice.

"One hundred and twenty-five points? For rescuing you? I swear, that wizard will use any excuse to try and wrest the House Cup from Gryffindor," she seethed. "And here I was thinking he was being selfless. Oooh, he gets my goat."

Minerva let Hermione go with a stern warning, and the witch tiredly headed for her room. She was head girl, so had private accommodations…not that it helped. People were forever knocking on her door for something. There were a few housemates in the common room, looking at her curiously as she passed. They wanted to ask about what happened when she was locked in the castle with the Professor, but the witch looked quite unapproachable as she passed, her face pinched and brows slightly furrowed. Hermione was known to get quite sharp when she didn't want to be bothered, so they left her alone for now.

Hermione entered her bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. Her eyes fell on the nightstand. A small bottle made of black glass was resting there without a label. A small piece of parchment was next to it. She picked up the note and read it. The handwriting was clear and quite elegant.

Hermione, I had a house elf deliver this potion to your room, rather than have you come to my office. You know what it is for.

That was all the note said. There was no reference to what the potion was or who sent the note, though Hermione knew it was from Severus. His penmanship on paper was quite different than it was in the classroom. Most of the time the students had to study the scrawl for a moment or two before they could understand what he'd written. Obviously he made his notes difficult to read on purpose. Hermione smirked. The wizard was so perverse.

The moment Hermione put the note down on the nightstand, it burst into a self-contained flame and turned to ash. The Professor certainly was cautious.

Hermione opened the bottle and sniffed it. It smelled like black licorice. She grimaced. Black licorice was disgusting…but she needed to drink it. The witch pinched her nose closed and gulped the liquid down, waiting a few seconds before releasing it, making a terrible face as she tasted the gross potion. When Hermione put the bottle back down on the nightstand, it turned to powder.

Yes, Severus was being extremely cautious. He wanted no evidence left.

Hermione pulled out her wand and scourgified the ash and powder, then put the wand on the nightstand. She then stood up and began to undress, planning to get a nice shower, eat, then afterwards spend a bit of time studying and working on an essay that was due in three weeks for Advanced Charms. Classes were suspended for the day, but would start up again tomorrow.

---

After a resting up and having an uneventful day, Hermione felt refreshed and walked down to the common room where quite a large group of her housemates were gathered. They were actually there because of her. They wanted to hear the story about what happened with the ghosts and purposely made sure no one disturbed her, hoping she would be in a good mood when she came down from the room. Their method worked. Hermione was feeling quite amicable.

"Hi Hermione," Neville Longbottom said to her smiling, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Neville," the witch said, smiling back at him.

Neville had made it into Severus' Advanced Potions class, despite the wizard's best efforts to get rid of the determined Gryffindor. The young wizard wasn't a natural, but passable and actually did quite well with plant-based potions. He hadn't exploded a cauldron in ages. Hermione admired him for sticking with Potions. The Professor was still very mean to him, but over the years, Neville had toughened up and Severus' comments didn't sting like they used to.

He had also grown into quite a good-looking wizard, his once pudgy body changing into stockiness. He was muscular, broad-shouldered and looked as if he could snap a wizard in half, though he had one of the sweetest dispositions in Hogwarts. He was also extremely shy around witches, though plenty were interested in him.

"Um, Hermione," the wizard asked, swallowing a little, "Could you tell us what happened yesterday? We'd really like to know."

Hermione looked around at the sea of expectant faces. Ron and Harry weren't there, but they already knew the story.

"All right," she said. Immediately everyone started talking excitedly, Dean Thomas guiding Hermione to a sofa, the students gathering around her as she launched into the story."

"Blimey! Nick tried to do you in?" Seamus asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Hermione nodded.

"But the Professor hit him with a Congealing spell then pulled me into the office and told me what was going on. Then we apparated to the subdungeons…"

Hermione told the students everything…well almost everything. They oohed and ahhed.

"Snape sounds almost decent," one student said, "Almost."

"He was saving his own ass too," another student said.

"Still he protected her," another Gryffindor pointed out.

"He's a teacher. He had to. He's still a greasy dungeon bat," another student said.

A huge argument broke out about the Potions Master's role in saving Hermione, mostly between the males. Some of the witches pulled Hermione to the side as the boys argued.

"Someone said that the ghosts were after you because you were a virgin," Ginny Weasley said, her brown eyes wide.

Hermione nodded.

"Yes. I was considered pure, so they wanted my soul badly. Evil likes taking innocence best," the witch replied.

"They said that…if the Professor couldn't get the ghosts to leave you alone…he'd have to shag you," Ginny pressed. The other girls moved closer.

"Yes…that was an option. But we managed to get into the ROR and it protected us, so he didn't have to deflower me," she said evenly.

"But you slept in the same room with him. Did he try anything?" another witch asked her.

"No," Hermione said. "We had beds on opposite sides of the room."

Hermione didn't want to blatantly lie so left it at that.

A couple of the witches looked disappointed. They were hoping for something steamier than that.

"I'd be scared to sleep in the same room with him," Parvati said, frowning. "He looks like the kind of wizard that would slip into your bed naked in the middle of the night."

Hermione did her best not to color at the witch's remark. That had been exactly what happened, but it was she who did the "slipping."

Only Ginny Weasley didn't look horrified at what Parvati suggested about the wizard.

"Professor Snape is hot," the red-haired witch said. "I wouldn't mind a go at him. He's so dark and intense. I bet he's awesome in the sack."

Ginny was a sixth-year, but was sexually active, much to Ron's chagrin. He hadn't heard about it from any wizard, but did overhear her talking with Pavarti about shagging some wizard from Ravenclaw one morning when he walked into the common room and the witches didn't hear him approach, they were so busy giggling. He was furious and demanded who it was, and after a heated argument was left with a bat bogey wrapped around his face as Ginny stormed off, her secret intact.

That morning at breakfast, Ron spent much of his time glaring at the Ravenclaw table trying to figure out which of the wizards had defiled his little sister. Of course he couldn't do it. So he started shadowing her, borrowing Harry's invisibility cloak. He ruined it however when he jumped a Hufflepuff wizard who kissed Ginny in front of the Fat Lady after walking her back from supper. It had been an innocent kiss, but Ron was enraged, ripping off the invisibility cloak, roaring like a manticora and charging the startled young man. He cost Gryffindor fifty points and received a week's worth of detentions for his actions.

Professor McGonagall took him aside and told him it was perfectly natural for a witch of Ginny's age to "experiment." Ron wasn't having it. But Harry stopped letting him use the invisibility cloak…particularly since he liked Ginny himself and didn't want to have to fight Ron if he went out with her. Ron was furious at him for a while, but got over it. He was still horribly overprotective however, and if a wizard dated Ginny, he either had to hide it or fight Ron.

Hermione looked at Ginny sharply as the other witches gagged and made disparaging noises of ultimate disgust.

"You are one sick witch, Ginny."

"Ewww. I feel like I need a bath,"

"One word. Therapy. Lots and lots of therapy."

Hermione felt a twinge of jealousy as she eyed Ginny. The Professor wouldn't be interested in the witch, but it still steamed her that Ginny thought he was shaggable. Ginny looked back at her curiously.

"What do you think, Hermione? Is Professor Snape shaggable to you?" the witch inquired.

"I think that topic shouldn't even be discussed. He's a teacher," the witch replied, "I won't dignify it with an answer."

Hermione walked off with her nose in the air, the witches looking after her.

Ginny smirked.

"She thinks he's shaggable," she said with certainty as the other witches gagged again.

Ew.

---

Hermione slept surprisingly well that night. She had no dreams about the dark wizard at all and woke up refreshed and ready for the day. Maybe she would be able to keep her distance until she graduated. Her feelings yesterday could have just been…well…afterglow. Now, in the bright light of day, she felt she could handle this.

Until she went to Potions class that is.

The witch found it very hard to focus as the Professor went about his normal duties, demonstrating a new potion. Hermione's eyes focused on his hands as he worked, those same hands that had caressed and explored her body. She listened to his low silky voice as he described the processes needed to create the potion and a shudder went through the witch as she remembered how he sounded while taking her, how that silkiness was all for her as he thrust inside her body.

Severus' eyes swept over the witch several times as he taught the class, and he noticed her faraway look. She wasn't paying attention.

"Miss Granger," he said sharply. Hermione looked at him startled.

"Please tell me how the arrowgrass is supposed to be prepared for this potion. Is it to be chopped, diced or pulverized?" he asked her.

Hermione's eyes shifted wildly as she tried to remember what he said.

"Chopped?" she responded.

"No. Pulverized. Ten points from Gryffindor for not listening, Miss Granger and see me after class," the wizard said. "And whatever you are thinking about, I suggest you stop and pay attention."

"Yes sir," Hermione answered, chastised.

After class let out, Hermione walked up to the Potions Master's desk.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" she said to him, her amber eyes drinking the wizard in.

Severus sighed.

"You have to focus on your work, Miss Granger. I do not want your grades to suffer. I am not going to bolster your grades for you…it would be a disservice. You are my best pupil. I want you to continue being so," he said, his dark eyes resting on the witch and sweeping over her. He felt a small pulse as he thought about her naked under him the night before, but he pushed the image back.

"I'm sorry…it's just so soon. I need time, Professor," she responded, "I can't just push what happened between us out of my mind like that. It was my first time."

Severus understood, but she would still have to work at it.

"You must do it, Hermione," he said, using her given name. "You have to show me strength, witch. I have to trust you will keep our secret."

"I'll try to do better," the witch promised, "but did you have to take points?"

Severus looked at her coolly.

"Of course I did. You weren't paying attention. Besides, you are a Gryffindor. I live to take points from your house," he said, arching an eyebrow at her.

Hermione scowled at him.

Severus drummed his fingers on his desktop for a moment, considering the witch, then said, "Our situation has nothing to do with House rivalry. I'm not going to change how I deal with Gryffindor. I have the House Cup to think of and I plan to make it ours this year by any means necessary. I can only suggest you stay focused so you are not responsible for a great amount of point loss because I will take them at every opportunity," Severus said evenly, his dark eyes glittering, "from any and every student…including you."

Hermione colored.

"Professor McGongall is right about you. You'd do anything to gain the House Cup. You're so competitive it's insane," Hermione said.

Severus simply looked at her.

"And this is something new to you? You've been here seven years, Miss Granger…you should have some slight inkling as to how I operate by now. A night with you hasn't changed that," he said coldly.

Hermione let out a little cry of indignation, grabbed her backpack off her desk and stormed out of the room. He was insufferable.

"Ten points for leaving without being properly dismissed, Miss Granger," Severus called after her. He was answered by another frustrated cry. The wizard smirked.

He'd have the witch's ardor cooled toward him inside of a week. Then after graduation he could ignite her again. He looked forward to that.

The Potions Master allowed himself to dwell on Hermione's passion for him for a delicious moment, then again pushed the witch from his mind, opening his desk drawer and pulling out the lesson plan for his next class.

He couldn't spend his time thinking about the witch.

He had work to do.

---

Severus' plan of cooling Hermione's ardor down was working quite well. The witch did dream about him however, except those dreams consisted of her hexing him in a number of very nasty and satisfying ways rather than engaging him. Some of the things she turned him into were: a snake (of course), a stinkbug, a muggle skunk, a lab niffler which she fed a very deadly potion and in one dream she shrunk his head down to the size of a walnut, then he squeaked at her "Fifty points from Gryffindor Miss Granger!"

Ron had been after her for a little snogging over the month, but Hermione told him time and time again she felt they should stop experimenting and that she wasn't interested in him that way. Ron believed the witch was just playing hard to get and if he kept after her she would give in. The wizard was stubborn that way.

Things were going well as far as keeping the secret of what happened between the witch and the Potions Master a secret, but after six weeks of nothing, Hermione was hit with a very erotic dream that was so real and lucid, she could actually feel the Potions Master inside of her. The witch had a powerful orgasm in her sleep and woke up craving the wizard. It was terrible. How had he just crept into her dreams like that?

It was because even though the Professor was out of mind…he wasn't out of body, and Hermione's body was having urges…urges only Severus could meet.

Hermione did fairly well hiding her new bout of desire for the wizard in his class the next day, but when she handed in her homework parchment, there was a note attached to it. Severus didn't see it until after the class was dismissed and Hermione was gone. It only had a small message on it.

"I've started dreaming about us."

Severus read the simple statement three times before he crumpled it up and threw it into the trash bin. He didn't need the details…the witch was having erotic dreams and therefore sexual feelings for him. She wanted him again, or soon would. Well, she would just have to control herself. They had to be careful. He couldn't afford to be caught in a compromising position with the witch, though he had a feeling that Albus knew what happened between them. It was something in the way the wizard looked at him in the Great Hall the morning after he had taken Hermione. That twinkle was so damn annoying, and it was focused directly on him.

But the Headmaster hadn't confronted him directly, so if he did know, it seemed he was willing to let things take their course. But even if Albus didn't react negatively, that was no reason to risk ridicule. Actually, it wasn't himself Severus was worried about. It was Hermione. She would be the one who would be targeted, who would be judged. After all, everyone at Hogwarts considered him capable of anything, but not the goody-two-shoes Hermione Granger.

Severus smirked. After that night he was sure Hermione had never been a goody-two-shoes. It was merely assumed she was because she studied so hard and kept her marks up. That meant nothing.

That witch could be as wicked as they came when she wanted.

---

That night when Hermione went on her head girl rounds, Ron followed her, determined to steal a few kisses from the witch. He had noticed at supper that she was getting rather dreamy-eyed…she always looked like that when she was up for a good snogging. Ron thought that she might even be ready for something more than snogging. There had been a few times when things had gotten rather hot and heavy between them, but Hermione wouldn't go through with it, though Ron felt she really wanted to.

This is what kept him hopeful and chasing after the witch. He had shagged a couple of witches at Hogwarts, but Hermione was something special. She wasn't the kind of witch any bloke could shag and it was this exclusiveness that attracted Ron. He wanted to be the first to break down her resolve. It would be a coup if he could make the witch hot enough to accept him. Hermione was a challenge, and Ron loved a challenge.

Ron disillusioned himself and followed Hermione quietly as she checked the main hall, ducking behind armor to hide his shimmer when she made her second passes. She greeted the Head boy in passing, a Ravenclaw named Charles Periwinkle. He would start at the upper floors of the castle and Hermione would start at the bottom, then they would check behind each other, Hermione finishing at the top. Then Severus would do a final round. He didn't check the castle at any certain hour, but changed the time of his rounds…using the element of surprise to catch students who pretty much knew where the Head boy and girl would be since their rounds were scheduled.

Tonight the wizard left for his rounds early with the intentions of seeing Hermione and speaking to her about the note she had given him. Charles had already passed the Potions Master in the upper corridors, greeting the dour, pale and next to soundless wizard as he did so. Severus nodded at him with his trademark scowl and continued on.

Severus needed to reiterate to the witch how important it was for her to remain strong and in control of her emotions. Yet, despite his discipline and the appearance of him being totally in control, Severus had been having his own recurring dreams about Hermione, one or two of which resulting in a rather sticky end for the wizard, who woke up, scourgified himself and muttered about reacting to dreams like a sixth-year before falling back into an agitated sleep. Having the object of his desire in such close proximity was slowly taking its toll on the wizard as well. But he was still able to restrain himself.

Ron followed Hermione down the corridor that led to the infirmary and waited in a niche for the witch to come back up. He had no idea Severus had just turned down the corridor and was approaching. When the unsuspecting witch passed him, Ron grabbed her, catching her wrist so she couldn't pull her wand, covering her mouth with his other hand and pulling her back into the niche. He was still disillusioned and Hermione was terrified, struggling frantically, kicking back and trying to bite the hand covering her mouth.

"Ssh, Hermione it's me," Ron said against her ear. Slowly the witch stopped struggling and Ron released her, removing his disillusionment and using his body to block the way out of the niche.

"Ron what the hell do you think you're doing?" Hermione hissed at him, straightening her robes. "You're out after curfew. I'm going to have to take points and assign you detention."

"Aw Hermione, you don't have to do that. I only wanted to see you alone," Ron said, his blue eyes searching her face.

Severus had very sharp ears and heard the pair talking. He didn't know who it was, but went into stealth mode, slow approach.

"You look like you could use a good snogging. You won't let me kiss you in public so I thought I'd follow you and we could have some privacy," the wizard said, moving a bit closer to her.

"Ron, I don't need to be snogged. At least not by you," Hermione said, frowning at him.

Ron laughed.

"There's no one else but me, Hermione. I know that. Now give us a kiss," he said, suddenly pushing Hermione into the wall and capturing her lips.

Hermione was so shocked she didn't react for a moment. Unfortunately that moment was when Severus appeared in front of the niche and witnessed Ron kissing her. The wizard's eyes narrowed as he watched them.

Then he bellowed, "Mr. Weasley! Miss Granger! What the hell is going on here?"

Shocked, Ron leapt away from Hermione who stared at Severus in horror. The wizard's face was contorted with rage as he looked at her.

"Professor…this isn't what it looks like," she said in a pleading voice.

Severus sneered at her.

"I believe it is what it looks like, Miss Granger. The Head girl abusing her privileges to suit her own ends," he said accusingly. "Are your hormones that much out of control that you invited Mr. Weasley to accompany you on your rounds for a quick shag?"

Hermione reddened furiously.

"No! I did no such thing!" she declared. "He surprised me!"

"You didn't look surprised when his lips were locked to yours," the wizard responded. Then he spun on Ron.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor for being out after curfew, and another fifty points for inappropriate sexual behavior, Mr. Weasley…now return to your house immediately," Severus said, murder in his eyes as he looked at the red-haired wizard.

"Yes sir," Ron said, giving Hermione an apologetic look before quickly walking away. He hadn't meant to get her in trouble. He just wanted a few kisses. Severus watched him go then turned back to Hermione, who was looking at him with a bit of fear in her eyes. What was he going to do to her?

"You couldn't wait for me, could you Hermione?" he said in a quiet voice. "Your dreams made you so randy you were willing to engage Mr. Weasley as a substitute for me. Congratulations, Miss Granger…you managed to fool me. I believed you beyond such behavior…such betrayal. You should have let Mr. Weasley deflower you and left me out of this. I should never have touched you."

His dark eyes were cold as they looked at her.

"I see now you are unsuitable for courtship. Maybe you're suitable for a good detached shagging, but not to be courted as a witch worthy of a relationship," he continued, his voice raw with disappointment. "I had hopes for you, witch. Hopes for us. I should have known it wouldn't work out."

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had just told the wizard it wasn't what it looked like, and he acted as if he hadn't heard her…drawing his own erroneous conclusion as if he were all knowing. Well, he wasn't.

"Why won't you listen to me, Severus? You're always so ready to think the worst. You have no idea what you are talking about," Hermione seethed at him. "Ron followed me without my knowing, grabbed me and pulled me in here, then kissed me. I was so shocked I didn't react at first…then you showed up. I know what it looked like but I don't want Ron. I only want you. Just you."

Hermione stared up at him, her breasts heaving with emotion, her jaw thrust out. Severus knew this look. It was her standard, "I'm standing my ground" look. She often wore it when arguing a point she knew was correct. Severus often had his students debate over the proper uses of certain potions. Hermione was an excellent debater, loaded with facts, figures and examples whenever she was scheduled to participate. She could take pro or con with equal proficiency. He stared at her. Maybe she was telling him the truth.

She was right too. He always thought the worst of people when they did something that affected him negatively. He generally thought the worst of people overall. Maybe he did jump to conclusions, but he wanted to be sure.

"Legilimens," he said softly, looking into her mind to see exactly what happened. Yes, he saw her scolding Ron for being out after curfew, and heard her tell him she didn't need to be snogged by him, and Ron moving in and kissing her when she was off-guard.

The wizard pulled out of her mind.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I jumped to conclusions. You are right. I do have tendency to think the worst. It is just because I am invested in you, witch that I reacted as I did. Seeing that idiot kissing you was a shock for me," the wizard said, not willing to tell Hermione it was painful for him. That it hurt him. He wasn't willing to let her know that he was so easily affected when it came to her. He had to appear strong.

Hermione scowled up at him. He had said terrible things about her…he wasn't going to get off with a simple "I'm sorry."

"So, I'm only suitable for a detached shagging, am I" she said to him, "Is that what happened that night in the ROR, Severus? You can tell me the truth. I can handle it," she said, her voice quavering.

Severus' eyes widened and his heart clutched painfully in his chest. He was about to lose the witch if he didn't do something to make her forgive him.

"No. No, it wasn't Hermione. What we did, what you gave me, has meaning…has deeper implications. I wasn't detached, witch…I was immersed in you. I am still immersed in you. I…I…dream about you too," the wizard admitted, hoping this common ground would ease her anger. "But I can't act on it. And seeing Mr. Weasley kissing you was distressing…because I can't do what he was doing. Not now. He was giving you something I can't Hermione. Do you see why I was upset? If you had seen me kissing another witch, how would you have felt? How would you have reacted?"

"I probably would have hexed both of you," the witch replied.

Severus nodded.

"I couldn't hex you, so I lashed out at you," Severus explained. "I intentionally wanted to hurt you. I am…quite good at hurting others verbally. It is an immediate response, a weapon I use to protect myself and punish others. Believe me…I am very sorry."

Hermione looked at him, suddenly feeling very tired.

"I have to get back to Gryffindor house, Severus. We can talk about this another time, after I settle down. You hurt me. I'm going to need some time," Hermione said, starting to walk past him.

Desperate, Severus caught her by her arm. He couldn't let her return to her house feeling this way. She might stew in it and decide she didn't want to continue with him. He couldn't blame the witch. He had said some very cruel things to her. Still…

"Wait, you told Mr. Weasley that you didn't want to snog him. I assume you meant you wanted to snog me," he said softly.

Hermione had her second shocked kiss of the night, but this one she melted into as Severus let his passion out, taking her mouth hungrily and intimately, their breaths quickening as he drew Hermione into his hard lean body, his organ reacting to the witch's closeness and swelling immediately.

Hermione was once again covered by that honey-like fire as the Potions Master reminded her of what she felt for him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she let go, giving in to his passion. She gasped as she felt his organ pressing into her, and the ache she felt that night in the ROR once again throbbed inside her.

Severus broke the kiss.

"Severus," Hermione breathed, pressing into him hungrily.

"I know, witch," he said in a raw voice as he looked down at her, "I know, but we can't."

"Yes we can. A silencing spell and a disillusionment spell. No one will see or hear us," she said softly, moving against him now.

"Merlin," Severus thought, his eyes closing with pleasure as Hermione ground against his body, doing her best to seduce him. She was quite good at it for a witch who had only been shagged once…but she was good at it then too.

Severus steeled himself and pushed her away, holding the witch at arm's length.

"We can't. We have to remain strong," he said hoarsely.

"I don't want to be strong. I want to be weak…very, very weak," Hermione replied, her eyes half-lidded and blazing.

She had forgotten all about Ron and Severus' reaction. All she wanted was to feel the Potions Master inside her again. Her body had overridden her mind, just as Severus hoped it would. Now being angry at him would be the last thing on her mind when she returned to her house.

"Well, you are going to be strong," the wizard said with more conviction, gently guiding her out of the niche and leading the witch up the corridor. They appeared on the landing. Two shifting sets of stairwells swung towards them and connected…one leading up and the other leading down. Severus pushed Hermione on to the stairwell leading up to Gryffindor tower.

"Up you go," he said to the witch, who looked at him longingly. "You need to finish your rounds and get to bed."

"Bed," Hermione repeated dreamily.

"Your bed," the wizard said sternly. "Now good night, witch."

Severus mounted the other set of stairs and began descending as it moved to the next connecting set. Hermione watched him go and sighed. She was so fucking weak for him. What he said was enough to end whatever relationship they had…but…she didn't want to end it. Besides, everyone was entitled to make one mistake. Even a snarky Potions Master. By the way he kissed her, it was clear he didn't mean what he said about her being unsuitable. He still wanted her. Damn he had such restraint.

Hermione let out another sigh and walked up the stairs to check the next corridor. As she walked down the hall, she heard the definite sounds of shagging. She stopped, listened for a moment, then turned back around. Whoever it was, let them have their moment this time.

She knew exactly how they felt.

---

A/N: Well, that was a nasty bit of business. Ron…he's something else. Severus immediately went into accusatory mode. Well, that's to be expected considering how he lives. Hermione would have been well within her rights to break it off with him then and there. But that kiss. Let's face it, a few of us girls have forgiven our men for saying or doing really stupid and hurtful things because of how we feel about them and how they make us feel. It's a terrible weakness, but it happens…and that's just what happened here. You're damn lucky Severus Snape. You better watch your tongue from here on out. Please review.