Chapter 5

A/N I'm not sure if anyone is reading this or is interested in me continuing it. I'll wait to see if anyone follows or reviews. If not I'll just take it down. Thanks to anyone who read it to this chapter. I'd love to know what you think!

Dinner in the great hall was one of the best nights Hermione had had in a long time. She caught up with all her old teachers who had become good friends following the battle. They ate well and drank wine. Hermione would look up to occasionally find Severus' eyes on her. She would blush than get back to her conversation with whomever she was speaking to. After dinner was over Severus offered to walk with her back towards their quarters. As she walked a bit in front of her he took notice, as he always did when she was around, of how mature she'd become. He noticed her lean legs and hourglass shaped body. Her once unruly hair had tamed and fell softly down to just above her tight arse.

"Hermione," Severus began, "would you like to come in for some tea?"

Severus was disappointed when she said no, but almost smiled when she said, "I will, however, come in for some firewhiskey."

He spoke his password and took down his wards to allow her entrance to his quarters. They were set up just like hers with the kitchen off to the side of the living room and the one door she knew lead to his bedroom. He bid her to sit on the couch while he got their drinks.

"So tell me Hermione, why haven't I seen here to visit you yet?" Hermione took the drink he handed her and frowned.

"He and I are no longer seeing one another." Severus couldn't control the way his heart leapt when he learned this.

"May I ask why?" Hermione downed her entire drink and retold the night that landed her in 's. At the end Severus was so angry he wanted to apparate directly into Azkaban and handle Ron himself.

"I am very sorry to hear that Hermione."

"It wasn't so bad. I don't remember getting hit and only felt pain for a few minutes after I woke up. I'd wanted to leave Ron for awhile and this just helped push me over the edge."

"While I am sorry that happened to you, I meant that I was sorry the Weasley boy was conscious when he left. Had I been there, I assure you he would have suffered greatly." Hermione smiled at her friend's protection of her. He got up to refresh their drinks. Hermione looked up and watched him yawn and stretch, exposing midriff. She didn't know if it was the firewhiskey, or not, but she found herself growing aroused looking at his bare skin.

He sat back down and said matter of factly;" I think you're a beautiful woman and I would like to ask you to go to dinner with me. Not like our normal dinners, but a date?"

Hermione was shocked. Severus had definitely changed since the war and Harry's reveal of whose side he was on, but this wasn't something she'd expected. She was thoroughly excited by it.

"I would love to," she replied.

Severus, while maintaining his cool exterior was overjoyed inside. He almost smiled at the witch, but controlled himself enough to calmly say, "How about Friday night? Weekends are free for us to go as we please, even when students are here. Unless of course you have duty."

"Friday is great," Hermione said.

She stood to leave saying that she was tired. He walked her to the door where they looked awkwardly at each other. She leaned forward while he leaned back. Then she leaned back and he leaned forward. Hermione decided to kiss his cheek and left after saying goodnight. She got back to her room feeling lightheaded with excitement.

She knew she was losing feelings for Ron as soon as she and Severus had started meeting for meals. She thought it was because of his stimulating conversation that she knew she would never get with Ron. However, she was now beginning to think it was because she had subconsciously been attracted to Severus.

She laid down in bed and thought of dinner with Severus not knowing he was doing the same thing in his own bed.