Severus woke to an empty bed, again the sound of a shower running caught his ear and this time, less surprised, he pulled himself from his bed and summoned a house elf to take care of the sheets, Flicky, the house elf, left behind a meal for the 'sweet' Hermione Granger and 'bossy' Master Snape before he vanished with a soft crack.
And of course 'bossy' Master Snape, had burnt toast. It hadn't been a surprise, the elves thought it funny to pick on him, he took it for affection and shrugged it off.
When she stepped from his bathroom dressed in only a towel he watched her with narrowed eyes and she blushed from the edge of the towel to the tip of her ears.
"Hermione…" He breathed, staring at her, his eyes focused on the slight swell of her breast above the rim of the towel.
"Sorry, sorry, I'll go get dressed, I thought you would still be sleeping." She squeaked and made to escape but he stopped her, his body a wall between herself and the door.
"I have something you can wear." His voice had dropped several octaves and she watched him with wide amber eyes. His body slid against hers as he passed her to his wardrobe and pulled free a white shirt. Handed it over.
"Breakfast is there, on the bed, I will be out momentarily." He looked at her pointedly, clear instruction not to leave. She settled on the edge of the freshly made bed and smiled, her fingers caressed the smooth material of his shirt.
She slipped it over her head and laughed when she was forced to roll up the sleeves to have hands again. She could hear the shower running and pulled her wand from her robes from the night before, a quick charm to dry her hair and it was thick curls around her face again.
She brushed her fingers through it softly and turned to lean back on the bed, against the headboard.
It was only a few minutes later Severus came out, hair wet and dripping around his face and a towel slung low on his hips. She observed him without a word as he disappeared behind the door of his wardrobe only to reappear in a pair of black boxer shorts moments later.
He cocked an eyebrow at her as if daring her to say something but she only smirked and remained silent.
He toweled his hair, left it damp around his face and slipped on a pair of trousers, nothing more, before he slipped onto the bed across from her. She could see every rigid scar that decorated his flesh. Like little medals of honor, she almost reached out to touch them but thought better of it.
He always caught her fingers when she tried to touch the one on his neck, she thought he would probably be the same about these.
They ate in comfortable silence and when their plates were gone she gave him a quizzical look.
"Aren't you going to work today?" She half-whispered, her eyes cast down to the soft black sheets on his bed. He caught her chin, tipped it up and looked her straight in the eye.
"No, Hermione, we are going to talk, and then I am going to spend the day with you. Soon students will return and we will not have this time together."
"Together? Was I wrong? I thought you'd been avoiding me for the last week." She narrowed her eyes, watched his black eyes closely, he could keep his face blank, but his eyes would always betray him.
"I was, yes." He admitted, paused when she tensed, he wanted to reach out to her but first, first he needed to say his peace, and then, if she allowed it, he could hold her.
"Go on, I know there's more." She watched him expectantly, eyebrow raised, waiting for the rest. He took a breath of release, she would let him explain himself, it was the most wondrous feeling knowing that.
"I thought, Hermione, I want to pursue you, I want to take you out, hold you, wake up beside you, but…stupidly, I thought you needed space. Weasley had only just hurt you so, I couldn't push you, try to start something that you were not ready for." His black eyes were honest, locked onto hers and she blinked, her lips pursed.
"I asked you not to leave me. I meant it, don't leave me alone, Severus, I can't handle it." Her eyes were so open, so honest. "I wanted to be with you, before Ronald…and I knew you only thought of me as an apprentice, and then you said those things after…and I got my hopes up." She wrapped her arms around herself, breathed in the smell of him that lingered in his shirt.
He forced himself not to lean forward.
Would she forgive him this?
"It was the wrong choice, I see that now. You worried me so much witch, when you vanished, I thought you'd been taken, killed, the worst images ran through my head. It was like slow torture. I learned something, however, something so very important." She looked up at him, amber eyes sparkled and he held out his hand palm up, she looked at it, an offer.
She knew it didn't mean he wanted to dance this time.
Her soft smile was tentative, her hand shook when she reached out for his.
He'd really shaken her faith in him. He knew that, still she took his hand, allowed him to pull her to his chest.
The warm flesh of her cheek against his chilled chest was magnificent, she pulled herself into his lap, her legs curled beneath her as she leaned into him.
"What did you learn?" She breathed into his chest, his warm breath caressed the top of her hair as his lips settled there.
"That if anything were to happen to you, I would be lost. You've been a fixture here for such a short time, yet somehow it feels like this room, these chambers, that library never existed without you." She tipped her head back and looked up into his face, he pressed his lips to her forehead.
"I'm sorry I worried you." It was her turn, her lips pressed to the underside of his jaw, his arms tightened around her and she smiled.
"It was my own doing, am I forgiven for my idiocy?" He pulled back to better see her face, she pursed her lips as if in thought before she smirked up at him.
"I know how you can repent." Her fingers danced across one of the scars on his shoulder and he tensed, the sensation so incredibly strange, not unwelcome, her touch was so delicate.
"What is it you require of me, witch?" He grunted and she wet her lips, her eyes sparkling.
Dumbledore had taught him well that was never a good sign.
"Kiss me Severus, like you mean it, show me how much you want this." There was a challenging lilt to her voice and his eyes immediately found her lips and narrowed there.
"That is all?" His voice dropped an octave as he stared at her mouth, she shivered in his arms.
Perhaps she hadn't thought that through very well.
"I will not be too easily won." She taunted, yes, she'd lost her mind.
"As you say, witch." He smirked, gave her no opportunity to taunt him further. His lips took hers, sweet and slow at first, a gentle caress. When the fingers of her right hand found his hair the kiss deepened and she gasped against his lips.
He needed no more permission, his tongue found the cavern of her mouth, caressed hers and explored her, tasted every flavor of her sweetness. She moaned and the kiss deepened further, his hands came up to fist in her hair, tugged her head back to increase his access as he dominated her mouth.
He pushed her back, his mouth still on hers and fell above her, his hands came up to grasp the sides of her head as he held her to him. Devoured her.
She was lost in the sensation, the forceful push yet soft lips that declared exactly how much he wanted her.
He was showing her, showing her how he wished to possess her in the push of his kiss, how he wanted to love her in the gentle strokes of his tongue, how he wanted to burn her alive in his groan of pleasure at the taste of her mouth.
She squirmed beneath him, her fingers dug into his back, he'd grown accustomed to the sensation. Knew now, she was holding on to him, no intention of ever letting go.
As he pushed her back into the mattress, his hands on either side of her face, holding her, proving to her how much he wanted her he didn't care. She could hold on to him forever and he would remain.
As long as he was breathing he would never go from her again.
He pulled back, his eyes locked on her face, her eyes took a moment to flutter open as he stared down at her plumped, reddened lips.
His thumbs stroked her temples gently, reverently.
"Have I proven myself, witch?" His voice was a deep rasp, every ounce of desire burning behind the words.
"I think I require a second showing." She blinked up at him, her eyes sparkling and he knew, he was forgiven, had proven himself.
Still his mouth took hers again, and again.
Their day was spent in much this way, laying in his bed sharing the most intense kisses of the witch, and the wizard's lives.