Here's a nice fluffy chapter for you all. Enjoy your holidays, and Happy Christmas to all who celebrate! I'll be updating after Christmas. :) Thank you so much for the reviews, I can't believe my story has reached over a hundred already! I'm absolutely blown away. Thank you all, and enjoy!

The next afternoon, Hermione was in the kitchen, writing a letter. Aurelia was perched close by, warbling a light tune softly. Hermione closed her eyes at the enchanting tune Aurelia was singing, and didn't notice Severus standing silently in the doorway.

Hermione started to sing, and the golden bird quickly changed its tune to match Hermione's song, and Severus found himself slightly awestruck at the sounds the witch and her familiar were making. It was utterly beautiful, and whilst Severus had no idea what song it was that Hermione was singing, he appreciated the lyrics nonetheless.

"Someday, when my life has passed me by, I'll look around and wonder why you were always there for me," Hermione let the words roll of her tongue, amazing that Aurelia was keeping up with her. Smirking slightly, Hermione stopped singing and reached out to gently brush the golden birds plumage. Aurelia trilled a single note, and flew off. Hermione turned to watch her bird fly, and nearly had a heart attack at the sight of Severus standing in the doorway. "Damn it all to hell, Severus! Why must you do that? Next time I swear I'm going to expire where I stand," Hermione said shrilly, glaring at the man.

Severus smirked slightly and walked to where the witch sat, bending down to brush his lips along her cheek. "Old habits die hard, is that not what they say?"

"Kill yours please, before it kills me, then," Hermione replied exasperatedly as she bent into his touch.

"What are you writing?" Severus asked nonchalantly as he noticed the quill in her hands.

"Just a note to Harry, asking him to distract Ron one of these days whilst I go and retrieve all my possessions. I'll have to rent a storage unit or something, I guess."

Severus glared at her witheringly. "If you are not as blind as you make yourself seem, you'll have noticed I have several empty rooms in this house that you can store your possessions in. You live here now, and until that changes your possessions are as welcome as you."

Hermione smiled at Severus, somewhat shyly. She didn't exactly know why, but the idea of having everything she owned here with her made the entire situation seem so much more solid. It was as if it were permanent, and whilst Hermione enjoyed whatever was happening between her and Severus greatly; the idea of 'moving in' so completely scared her slightly. "Thank you," she said with some trepidation.

Severus caught the note of fear in Hermione's voice, and eyed her warily, hoping beyond himself that she wasn't second-thinking their situation. "Is that not acceptable?"

Hermione shook her head quickly. "No, no that's fine, more than fine, actually. It's just...well, never mind. It's really nothing."

Severus rolled his eyes at Hermione's nervous rambling. "Your nervousness is quite reassuring, Miss Granger."

Hermione grinned sheepishly at him. Her trepidations were quite irrational, and she didn't think Severus would particularly enjoy being burdened with them. "I'm glad," she replied just as wryly. Standing up, she arched back, trying to release her spine of the ache it held from sitting for so long.

Severus eyed Hermione's figure appreciatively, and growled slightly. Moving forwards swiftly, he reached out and grabbed Hermione's hips, tugging her towards him as she squeaked in surprise. "Provocative little minx," he snarled softly in her ear as his arm snaked around her waist to splay his hand across her lower back, pressing her closer to him.

Hermione blushed slightly when she realized what a view she had just given Severus. "So I'm officially moving in," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Severus eyed Hermione curiously, quickly putting the pieces together. She was scared, he realized. Scared of moving in and having the same thing that Weasley did to her happen again. "You are," he agreed guardedly.

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "You may want to ward a few things you would prefer untouched, because I have many items of décor," she said slyly, a slight smirk on her face.

"If you even think of redecorating, I will have no reservations about hexing you to the wall."

Hermione winked at him, and turned to walk out of the kitchen. "I'll try not to," she called over her shoulder.

Severus rolled his eyes, and followed her out, settling in the armchair. Hermione lay stretched out on the couch, reading a rather thick looking tome. Summoning a book, Severus started to read, and the two read in companionable silence for a couple hours; the silence punctuated only by the low rustle of turning pages.

"Severus, how difficult to think it is to become an animagus?" Hermione asked suddenly. There was a chapter in the book she was reading that focused entirely on the subject. She had never really paid the idea much mind in the past, as she had always been to busy to undertake the journey of becoming one. However, after reading the portion in the book, she found herself supremely interested in the idea.

Severus jerked up from his book. "Have you not read about it already?" he eyed her suspiciously. If he knew Hermione at all, she would have already researched the subject extensively.

"Well, no, not recently. This book had a small part on it, and interested me. I mean, I've always sort of wanted to become an animagus, but I never had the time for dedication towards it."

Severus nodded thoughtfully. In truth, he was unsurprised at Hermione's interest in becoming an animagus. She excelled at nearly every other branch of magic, except Divination, which Severus did not begrudge her for. In his mind, Divination was more worthless than the Weasley boy. It made sense that Hermione would have eventually come across the theory behind becoming an animagus, and wish to try for it. "It is difficult, and it does take time. You were right in not pursuing the idea whilst you were busy with other things. The journey is rather time consuming."

Hermione looked at Severus appraisingly; he sounded as if he knew from experience. "How do you know?"

Severus looked at Hermione long and hard, wondering if he should tell her or not. He was quickly leaning towards no, as he was unregistered, and as much as he enjoyed Hermione and her decisions to stay, there was a hint of distrust towards her. He had never experienced someone caring for him in any way, and despite himself, he found himself waiting warily for the day when she decided she didn't want more.

But, he realized, in order for their relationship to grow deeper, he would eventually have to tell her things about himself. "Because I am one," he replied evenly. "Unregistered, though I hardly walk around as my animagus, due to its rather...inconspicuous form."

Hermione's eyebrows nearly disappeared into her hair. "You are?"

Severus glared at her. "I hardly think it is that surprising. We are alike in many ways, Miss Granger, including academically. The magic behind becoming an animagus interested me greatly at the time, as I am sure it does to you now."

Hermione grinned, he was right; they were alike in many ways. "What is your form?"

Severus sighed heavily and stood up. He knew as soon as he mentioned it he would have to show her. I truth, he was quite satisfied with his animagus, and if he could, he would wander around in it more often. But the streets of London weren't accustomed to large animals roaming the streets. Concentrating silently, he sifted through the many layers of his mind, down to the basic core of his being. Letting the elemental feeling magic flow through him, his opened his eyes to Hermione's rather shocked face. Mouth open like a fish, again. Snarling, he flicked an ear.

"You're a lynx?" Hermione said with a gasp. The large cat standing in front of her seemed to glare at her question, and Hermione giggled slightly. A lynx. It fit perfectly too, and explained his uncanny silence when he walked. It was cat-like, and it was a certainly right that his animagus would take the form of some sort of feline.

Severus lightly hopped onto the couch, and rubbed against Hermione's shoulder. Purring lightly, it came out as more of a growl, and Hermione jumped slightly despite herself. Smirking at Hermione's reaction, Severus hopped down, and sat down, concentrating again.

Opening his eyes, he noticed Hermione had a very amused expression on her face, and he looked down to see he was sitting in a position that resembled a frog. Scowling he stood up quickly. "Yes, I am a lynx. A common one, though. Not a particularly special species. But nevertheless, if I were to walk through the streets of London as a large cat, many muggles would never venture outside again from sheer fright."

Hermione bit back her laugh from seeing Severus in such an undignified position, and nodded in understanding. "It is a fitting form, though."

"It is a well known fact that ones animagus often reflects the most basics of a persons character. Rita Skeeter, for example. Her instinctual personality is one of gossip, listening in, and gathering unknown information about her targets. A beetle suited her perfectly, as it was nondescript, easy to hide, and virtually undetectable."

Hermione stared at Severus. "How would you know that Rita Skeeter is an animagus?"

Severus glared at Hermione. "I knew before you pieced it together in your fourth year. I too, had suspicions about why exactly the woman was getting so many unsavory details about the unfortunate people she wrote about, and I questioned Draco immediately after his name appeared in the paper as a source. Whilst he remained silent on the matter, I figured out that he was giving information to something or someone, and it only took an evenings mutterings to finally put the pieces together. Although I must admit, the method you used to keep the damned woman quiet was admirably Slytherin, indeed."

Hermione smirked at that. She had let Rita go after the war, telling her she didn't exactly care what she wrote from henceforth, although she didn't bother to remove the threat that she lorded over the woman for so long. "Yes, well, someone needed to reign her foul quill in. Nearly everything she wrote was so abhorrent, I was surprised no one checked her sooner."

"People enjoy a good scandal, and Rita enjoyed exploiting secrets almost as much as people enjoyed reading that sort of filth," Severus said indifferently as he took a seat beside Hermione on the couch. "The media enhances people's worst vices."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Unfortunately true," Turning, she crossed her legs and sat facing Severus. "Do you think I could become an animagus?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "I doubt there is anything I could say to stop you, so yes, I believe you could, even if it is only through sheer defiance and perseverance."

Hermione smirked slightly, he had a point. "How do I get started?"

"It is mostly mental work," Severus replied. "It requires you to basically sift through and examine everything that makes you whole. It also has somewhat of an elemental aspect; every wizard has a certain magical track that is all their own, and it is the same with animaguses. To my knowledge, no two animaguses have had the same animal, as each reflects the differentiating personality traits of the individual."

"So what you're saying is I need to meditate, and often, and basically get to the root core of...well, me?"

Severus nodded, pleased that Hermione had caught on quickly. "It takes time to recognize the depths of your consciousness in the way that you need to in order to essentially find yourself, and you did some of it whilst attracting Aurelia. It's the same principle, for for being an animagus, you must go much deeper."

"I should get started then," Hermione mused. "I could drink some tea, to help calm myself, and then I'll sit for an hour and try to do what you said."

Severus nodded. He watched Hermione get up to go to the kitchen to set the water on, and he waited patiently for her to return. When she did, she plopped right back down on the couch. "Ten minutes, then I'll go lock myself up in my room," she said. "I can't have you interrupting me, I'd never succeed."

Severus's lip twitched, and be moved quickly, grabbing Hermione and twisting her so that she found herself straddling his thighs. Growling softly, he leaned up and kissed her neck, scraping his teeth along the sensitive flesh; Hermione arched up, giving him greater access to her neck. "For now, we have ten minutes, and I do not intend for them to go to waste."