Oh my gosh you guys, I apologise for how shamefully long it took me to update! I hit a huge writers block, and then a lot of stuff in real life went down, and it's been a busy few weeks. But now, I'm back on the writing track and having way too much fun (mixed with tears because it's ending) writing the rest of this story! I hope you enjoy, and drop off a review. I loved the ones from last chapter, thank you so much!

"Will this work?"

"It vill. I've practised this many times, the spell vorks," Vegar said impatiently, in a hushed voice. The two men were crouched in the shadow of a building, shrouded in an invisibility spell, and a spell that stopped a listener from hearing their voices, all though Vegar didn't want to take chances, and so spoke in a voice almost softer than a whisper.

Lestrange nodded, all he needed was conformation and that was all. Vegar had come to him a few nights ago and told him of a spell he had discovered in one of his father's tomes. It was a way around the fact that you can't track someone if they apparate. The spell was cast on an article of clothing that the person was wearing, and you track the clothing. The result, usually, would be the same as tracking the person.

So they lay in waiting, neither wizard speaking more than necessary as the night wore on.

She comes this way every night, where is she? Vegar asked himself as he strained to see down the street. The yellow lamps granted only limited visibility, and it was difficult to see past the lighted areas and into the darkness. There was no reason why the Granger woman should have taken a different route to her apparation spot. Vegar looked around swiftly, before letting out a long breath as the sight of Granger's cloaked figure came into view as she walked briskly to the corner.

Vegar smiled to himself. It was all coming together. He brought his wand up, and trained it on the bushy haired witch. His eyes watched her come closer with a cool hardness, she and Snape were just an obstacle to him, and he care not an ounce for either. When she passed the spot they were couched in, he waited until she was ten meters away from them, and he whispered the words to the spell, and watched with satisfaction as the light, barely visible blue spell hit her shoe.

"And now, we wait for an hour, and then send out the finding spell, right?" Lestrange asked.

"No. Ve need to find a map and a small object. Ven ve cast the finding spell at the object, if vill go to the place on the map vere the shoe is, along with Snape and Granger."

"Severus, I've been thinking." Hermione said as she looked down at the list of patients in her hand.

"Always a productive past time," came the wry reply. "What were you thinking about?"

Hermione wrinkled her nose in his direction, but answered his question anyways. "About who has been casting the curse. We haven't had any recent victims, it's like the person or persons found out about the cure and stopped."

"Well, it would be surprising if they haven't heard about it yet. The Minister had made no efforts to hide the fact that patients are being completely cured, in fact I believe he has a Daily Prophet article lined up to talk about it. I was asked to write a few lines on how we came about the discovery," Severus said. "But you're right. Someone should be figuring that out, and I wonder who it is, since Potter's been indisposed recently."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "I think I'll ask to see the Minister tomorrow. Someone needs to get back on the case, I'm sure he wouldn't mind discussing it."

"Very well," Severus said before he stood up, leaning back slightly to relieve the tension in his back from sitting. "I have another batch of potion to make. Have you thought of any names for it yet?"

"No," Hermione said with a shake of her head. "Nothing comes to mind. I'd like to find out the name of the curse, and maybe then it will come to us."

Severus snorted. "You'll have to find the person casting it first."

Hermione grinned up at him before stretching languorously across the couch. "Today was busy. There's only a dozen more patients to cure before that's it. There was a mountain of paperwork to be done that I'm still cringing just to think about. Ugh, I'm glad today is nearly done."

Severus looked down at the witch, and raised an eyebrow. "The day, yes. The night, however, leaves more to be explored."

Hermione blushed at the husky quality his deep tones had acquired at the last words, and she smirked up at him. "Oh? Perhaps you should lead on," she said, her eyes sparkling.

Severus let out a low growl, and bent down quickly, scooping Hermione into his arms before he headed for the stairs. Once in their bedroom, he toed the door shut behind him, and proceeded to toss a laughing Hermione onto the bed unceremoniously. He quickly divested himself of his clothes while Hermione did the same, and then he smoothly laid down, grabbing her wrist and drawing Hermione on top of him in one smooth motion.

"And what plans did you have for this night?" Hermione asked in a low voice before she nibbled along his jawline.

"Many. And all involving you," came the reply as he slid his hands up and down her body.

Hermione smiled, and moved her lips to his, moaning into his mouth as his nimble fingers went straight to her quim. Touching, pressing, exploring. Every moment served to add more fuel to the fire building in her centre, and Hermione, not for the first time, thought that going to sleep to this every night was something she would love for the rest of her life.

Severus' breath hitched as Hermione began to roll her hips, grinding herself against his hand, her eyes half closed as she began to moan. He contented himself with watching the sight of Hermione succumb to the sensations she was experiencing, but after a minute or two he quickly grew impatient.

In one smooth move, he flipped her over, and entered her, sheathing himself in her warmth to the hilt. Hermione's flew open as she gasped at the sudden feeling of being filled completely. Her gaze met his, and neither looked away as Severus started to move, rolling his hips so the movement ended in grinding against her quim.

Hermione's back arched as the friction became too much, and her climax gripped her while Severus continued moving in and out of her, his breathing and thrusts becoming more erratic as his release approached.

Hermione let out a low moan as the last wave of her orgasm receded. Severus decided it was time for a change of pace, and he leaned back and placed Hermione ankles on his shoulders, his hands holding her thighs steady. He pulled out and entered her roughly, and Hermione cried out at the new depth the position allowed. Severus held nothing back, his thrusts hard and fast, and Hermione could do naught but enjoy the ride. She felt another orgasm creep up on her, and she started moaning feverishly as Severus continued to hit the sweet spot deep inside her over and over again.

Severus groaned as Hermione tensed, her muscles flexing around him. The pressure became too much, and he thrust deep inside her with a growl as his release came over him. Hermione's back arched, and she fell over the edge with his name on her lips.

Her legs fell down from his shoulders, and Severus leaned over her, burying his nose between her neck and shoulders and breathing deeply. Hermione's breathing slowly evened out, and she let a contented sigh.

Severus chuckled quietly as Hermione, none too gently, shoved him off her and rolled him over so she could lie against his side. "You're a man of many talents, Professor," she said.

"Don't sell yourself short," he replied, bringing his arm around her shoulders and twirling a finger around a curl.

Hermione smiled and hummed in response, feeling the lull of sleep come upon her now that she was settled in. She nuzzled Severus' chest, her eyes drooping shut.

Severus took a deep breath, enjoying the feel of Hermione's breathing, even in her sleep, against his chest. Not for the first time, and most certainly not for the last, Severus found himself wondering how he got so lucky. He was done questioning what had happened for the most part, he just enjoyed it. But he couldn't help that one question from appearing in his mind every so often.

He sighed. There was really only a few words in the English language to adequately describe what he felt for Hermione, and he knew he would say them to her sometime, but for now, he spoke them out to the room in a whisper, assured that the person he directed the words to was fast asleep. "I love you," he said before he succumbed to sleep.

The words, all though whispered, were heard. Hermione smiled.

Outside, two men in thick, woolen cloaks, stood at the edge of what looked like a snow covered field, peering into the darkness, trying to see past the falling snow.

"This damned snow needs to stop," Lestrange uttered as he shook himself free of the falling snow. "It's March already."

Vegar shrugged. Coming from up north, he had never really known anything but snow, so it had no effect on him now. "This is the edge. Can you feel it?"

Lestrange shook his head. "Can't feel a thing beside the cold. Why, again, can't I cast myself a warming charm?"

"Any magic vithin the perimeter of these wards vill be detected," Vegar said. His partner was a powerful wizard, but sometimes, more often than not, the subtleties of precise magic escaped him. "These wards are very good. Snape is quite skilled."

The shoe that they had jinxed had led them directly to where Spinner's End was situated, and all though Snape's wards prevented them from seeing the mansion, Vegar knew they were in the right place.

"What about that hum?" Lestrange asked, stomping his feet in an attempt to bring the warmth to them.

"It's the hum of magic. The wards are very thick, and vell thought out." Vegar replied. "It vill take me a few days to break through them, and not be discovered. It vill have to be meticulous, unraveling each magical thread individually."

"Yeah, yeah. Just as long as you can do it," Lestrange said. He had no interest in the mechanics of what it took to disable a ward. He just wanted it done. It was time they got a move on, and the same blood thirsty feelings from his Death Eater days were starting to become aroused, he wanted to see Snape writhe in pain for his betrayal.

Back in the mansion, the two occupants slept deeply and pleasantly, entirely unaware of the danger that was slowly but surely encroaching upon them.