Author's Note: First let me thank everyone who had reviewed, alerted, or put this story on their favorites it means a lot to me and keeps me writing.

Warning: If you couldn't guess from the last chapter this one is…. Sexual in nature, and honestly you don't absolutely have to read it to understand what happens next. If you skip to the ending A/N there will be a condensed version of what is discovered in this chapter.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Do I really need to say that I don't own them? I'm just playing with someone else's toys and do return them in the same shape I have found them (well that may not always be the case).

When they reached the side of the bed she stepped back from him running her hands up his chest to the clasp of his robes, undoing the clasp she pushed his robe to the floor. She undid every button then pushed the coat from his shoulders letting it fall to the floor behind him.

Severus started to reach out but then drew his hand back, he wouldn't touch unless she told him to. She was the master to him in this place.

Hermione watched as he lowered his hand, taking she said.

"I want you to touch me." Turning her back to him she asked. "Unzip me?"

Severus reached up with shaking hands that he balled for a moment before grabbing the tongue of the zipper slowly sliding it down to the top of her rear. Hermione sucked in a breath at the feel of his lips on the skin he exposed, she felt his hands lightly push the sleeves down her arms letting the dress fall to the floor. She sucked in a breath as he ran his fingertips back up to her shoulders.

Severus watched the goose bumps rise on her skin at his touch, as he ran his fingers back down her arms he leaned over lightly kissing her shoulder as he intertwined their fingers together. She brought his arms around her middle as she stepped back against him leaning her head to the side giving him access to her neck. He placed light kisses along her neck, darting his tongue out to taste her. He could feel her shiver at his light touches.

Hermione let go of his hands moving she sat on the bed after kicking the dress away, Severus watched her in the black bra and panties she wore. He became more aware of his erection pressing against his pants.

"Boots." She said.

Severus leaned over pulling one at a time off, placing light kisses along her calves as he did so. He kicked off his boots at the same time.

She reached for his shirt pulling it out of the waist band of his pants before going to work on the buttons. With every button she slipped through the hole she would lean up placing a kiss to the patch of skin that was exposed. When she could pull the sides of his shirt apart enough she ran light kisses along the scar on his neck from Nagini.

She reached for his pants unbuttoning them carefully pushing them to the floor before going back to his shirt buttons, she undid the next one pulling the side back to place a kiss on his chest making him hiss in a breath. When she undid the next button something caught her eye, she undid the next two buttons quickly pulling the shirt fully open.

She gasped when she finally saw what caught her eye, their rings. Her stomach tightened at the sight and she felt a heat between her legs. Severus looked down to see what drew such a reaction out of her watching as her hand shook as she reached out to touch the rings hanging around his neck.

"How long?" she asked her voice shaky.

"Since the day you left." He said realizing that his voice was full of emotion.

"Severus." She whispered his name as she touched them, she wanted him right now. He had kept her close to his heart since the day she walked out the door telling him that she didn't love him. She was overcome with the need to have him inside her right now.

She climbed back on the bed saying,

"Make love to me Severus, now."

He looked at her the raw desire he saw there made his control slip for a moment as he leaned down capturing her mouth with his in a searing kiss that left them both breathless.

"Severus I need to feel you inside me right now. Love me."

He moved to between her legs, when he was at her entrance he took her hand in his as she wrapped her legs around him.

He slowly entered her watching as she closed her eyes throwing her head back at the feel of him inside her.

"Hermione look at me." He said quietly. She opened her eyes to stare into his. He knew in his soul that this was how it should have been the first time they made love, she was so tight around him. He sucked in a breath closing his eyes, as he laid his head lightly on her shoulder. He felt her fingers in his hair.

"Hermione, you feel so…." He raised up over her again, "This is how it should have been."

He closed his eyes again, just feeling her. He felt her shaking hand on his face, he opened his eyes looking down at her finally she said,

"I can't believe you kept them."

"It was all I had left of you."

"Severus."

He let go of her hand leaning down on his elbows taking her mouth with his, he kissed her deeply wanting to never forget how welcoming, warm, and loving she was.

He looked into her eyes and knew in that moment that she had forgiven everything, that he accepted she had forgiven him, and he knew that he had forgiven himself.

He moved his hips back, almost pulling out of her to slowly enter her again. She was so hot and wet, he never wanted to do more than love her this way.

"You're so beautiful Hermione." He said to her, her hands went to his arms gripping his biceps.

Slowly he moved in and out of her until she was shaking under him, her nails digging into his back. Words were lost in whimpers and gasp.

"Severus, please." She begged as he moved over her slowly still.

He knew he was right on the edge, if he moved just right or faster he would loose himself in all of this and he wanted to hear her scream his name as he made her come undone around him.

He stopped himself fully sheathed in her, he leaned down on his elbows again kissing her lips then her neck. He raised above her again, looking into her eyes.

"My beautiful angel." He whispered to her, he watched as her hand came to the rings around his neck again.

"You kept them, close to your heart. I…."

He watched as she closed her eyes, tears slipping out of the corners. He leaned down kissing them away before saying,

"Don't cry my witch."

"Overwhelmed." She breathed out, at this moment so close to the edge of a climax knowing that he did love her the whole time.

He moved up onto his hands again, he started moving in and out of her faster. He felt her moving to meet his thrust as her breath quickened.

"Yes my angel, let go."

He felt her tighten around him moments before she screamed.

"Severus!"

Her tighter around him sent him spilling into her with her name on his lips.

"Hermione." He ground out as he thrust into her one last time.

He collapsed on top of her, mindful to not put his weight fully on her. He was breathing hard matching hers, she was shaking still and he ran his shaking hand into her hair.

His breathing calmed, he said.

"Hermione." She had been running her hand up and down his back for some time now staring off toward the wall away from him.

"Did I hurt….." he started causing her to whip her head around to face him. He saw the tears on her face, his heart lurched thinking it was something he had done.

"Still overwhelmed." She said quietly.

"Don't cry, we don't…."

She laid her palm on his cheek saying,

"Shut up Severus, I'm just… this is how I always wished it was. I love you Severus…. The rings…. It's all just… don't ever…" she gave up trying to tell him anything, she couldn't at the moment her mind was still trying to process all of it. He leaned up kissing her lightly on the lips that he deepened quickly, when she pulled back she said,

"You always kiss me like it's the first time or the last."

"If you don't….."

"Don't you dare, I love it. Makes me feel like you don't take this for granted."

"I never will." He said moving off of her laying on his side gathering her into his arms, he was no where ready to let her go yet. "I will never take any of this for granted. Your still shaking."

"It's just…. Everything was so…. Right. Promise me it will always be this way."

"For as long as I'm able." He kissed the top of her head as his eyes closed.

"Hermione, I will always keep you in my heart. Your truly mine."

"Yes I am."

That was the last words he heard as he drifted off to sleep knowing that he was truly forgiven for his past transgression against her and that he had forgiven himself.

Author's Note: Comments really do make me smile and brighten my day.

Ok for those of you who skipped to here: Hermione discovered that he was wearing their wedding rings on a chain around his neck since she left. Severus discovered that he had been forgiven and forgave himself.

Also I wanted to let you know that I have a couple of Severus/Hermione videos on youtube, the link is in my profile.