Author's Notes: OK so there is drama in this chapter, for better for worse these two are about to clash again and they are each going to come to their own shocking revelations.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, the fandom, books, movies or characters etc. I make no money from writing this story. It's just for kicks!

Chapter Twenty-five

Severus couldn't believe that the young witch beneath him was so damaged, not the scars; the scars didn't bother him in the slightest, it was mentally. Hermione didn't believe that she was attractive, he knew that many witches had issues with their appearance but Hermione seemed to believe that because she wasn't the most beautiful girl in school and she now had scars on top of that, that no one could possibly want her. Didn't she realise that not every wizard had the same idea of what was attractive? Didn't she realise that wizards and witches all found completely different things attractive; after all she was for some bizarre reason attracted to him.

He wouldn't say that he was without attractive qualities exactly, he had managed to seduce a few witches closer to his own age over the years; but he had played on his strengths, his voice, his experience and the fact that they had seen him as dangerous. It was somewhat more surprising to find that such a young, attractive witch with her whole future ahead of her, who had seen her share of darkness, would find him attractive. Still, he certainly wasn't going to complain that she found him attractive enough to be underneath him right now.

His hands roamed the soft flesh beneath him and he reflexively bucked his hips, pressing against her hot centre. He pulled back slightly, without letting his lips leave hers. This gave him enough room to slide his hand down to her front to the waistband of her knickers.

Hermione hadn't even noticed the path his hands had taken until he cupped her, sliding his fingers gently over her centre a few times, before he withdrew slightly. He grabbed the waistband of her knickers and tugged them down her hips insistently. His lips left hers as he leaned down further to remove them. He slid one hand awkwardly underneath her back to undo the fastenings on her bra, to allow it to be pulled from her body also. His lips found a sensitive spot on her hipbone to nibble and kiss, drawing a groan from the young witch. His hand resumed its exploration between her legs, he stroked her slowly and deliberately, before probing her entrance slightly to gather the nectar there and spread it over her lips. He stroked her faster now that she was more lubricated; he smirked against her skin when he heard a loud gasp from her lips, letting him know that her sensitive spot was ready for him. He circled her clit with his fingers and she began to pant.

Hermione let her eyes drift shut at the feelings the dark haired wizard brought her. Her hands felt a little lost now that she couldn't grip him and struggled for purchase in the sheets below her. She felt him bite at her hip some more and then she wasn't really sure what he was doing. She came undone; she could only just remember to breathe before she let out a load whimpering noise and felt all her muscles tense. Then her body was on fire with ecstasy, the waves of pleasure flew through every nerve for a few moments before beginning to recede once more. Her body shuddered slightly as she recovered and began to come back to reality.

After carefully pocketing the corked vial, Severus found he couldn't help himself – he bent lower and pressed his tongue against her. He had to taste her. Nothing could be more erotic than watching such a young witch in the throes of ecstasy brought on by his hand, save possibly being inside her to feel those inner muscles tensing around his cock. He growled slightly at the thought and began to lick her in long lazy strokes, tasting her essence with each swipe. She continued to groan and pant under his caresses until her orgasm faded. He slowly eased off and pulled away.

"I'm sorry I forgot tha-" she started suddenly.

"Done." He interrupted, retrieving the small glass vial and handing it to her.

"Oh...I didn't even notice..." she flushed.

"I believe I shall take that as a compliment." He smirked, stalking up her body again and kissing her. She couldn't control the buck of her hips as she felt his body slid along her again. She still wanted him. Even after the absolute bliss she had just experienced, it wasn't enough; it would never be enough until she felt him inside her.

The dark wizard kissed her languidly and his hands roamed her body, squeezing the skin of her waist, her hips. She felt so incredible under him, it took all his self control not to tear off his clothes and drive into her fully.

"Please..." he heard her breathe. He glanced down at her to meet her lust filled gaze. Her hips ground against him torturously. "Please, I want-"

"No." He said abruptly. Her pleading for the very thing her wanted to do had shocked him back to reality. This was most empathically not how she deserved to lose her innocence. Not to him, not here, not now. She deserved love. She had held out this long for an emotional connection and he couldn't give her that. "You're not thinking clearly Hermione. I will not take advantage of your current state; you will only regret it later."

"No!" she protested. "I wouldn't regret it!"

"You deserve things that I cannot give you. We have discussed this before." He pulled away from her and moved to sit on the bed next to her, partially turned away from her.

"I am so sick of your lack of self worth Severus!" she snapped, grabbing the blanket from the end of the bed to cover herself.

"This isn't about my self worth nor my lack of it, this is about you." He told her. "You waited for it to be special, you waited for it to mean something."

"It does." She countered, grabbing her clothes from the floor. "How can you imply that it would mean nothing? Am I nothing to you Severus? Should I go back to calling you Sir now? Was this just part of the curriculum that you felt the need to help me with?"

"Out." He said bluntly, tugging his shirt on and turning his back on her before he lost his temper.

"No." She replied, putting on her own clothes. "We aren't done."

"I can't love you." He said quietly. "You deserve love and I cannot love you."

"Can not or will not?!" she snapped, grabbing her jumper from the floor and storming from the room.

Severus sighed and dropped backwards to lie on his bed. That hadn't gone exactly as planned. To be honest, had she not begun to beg him for more he probably would have let his own arousal get away from him and gone through with it.

He covered his face with his hands. Why did women do nothing but confuse and frustrate him?!

Hermione paced her room for a while before grabbing a cloak. She needed to leave. It was the holidays, so she didn't need to be here. She could finish her last potion when she returned, for now she just needed to get out of the castle. She headed up the spiral staircase and into the viaduct entrance before heading up the stairs to the corridor. It was times like this she wished that her fireplace was connected to the floo network, but it wasn't yet because she wasn't a officially a Professor yet. It would not be connected until September when she took over as Potions Mistress full time. She didn't want to worry anyone else by using their fireplaces so she went to the one place that she could think of...the Defence office. It was cold crossing the transfiguration courtyard and she momentarily wished that she had changed clothes.

It seemed to take forever to reach the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom; she made her way to the back of the room and up the stairs to the office. Luckily for her, the wards admitted her into the office as she was currently teaching the first year Defence class.

The moment that she stepped out at the Burrow couldn't have come sooner and she promptly dropped to the floor in front of the fireplace and broke down.

"Hello?" a voice called from upstairs.

"Who's there?" another voice.

"What's going on?" another voice.

"Go back to bed Ginny dear." Molly's voice said. "Your father thought he heard something."

"What's wrong Gin?"

"Ginerva Weasley! What have you been told about boys sleeping in your room?!" Molly demanded suddenly. "I specifically told you that Harry are not allowed to sleep in your room in this house until I see a ring on that finger!"

Hermione got to her feet and wiped her tears away, as she saw a lit wand coming down the stairs. She saw George and smiled sheepishly at him.

"It's only me." She said. "Sorry for waking everyone."

"Don't worry Mum; it looks like you scared away the burglar!" George shouted up to his mother. "I thought you were going to meet us at the end of the week?"

"I was." She replied biting her lip. "I changed my mind."

"Snape was an arsehole?" he asked. "He always is at Christmas." Hermione couldn't help it, a sob slipped out and the tears came back full force. George was beside her in a heartbeat, pulling her into his arms tightly. "Hey, 'Mione...what on earth did he do?"

"He didn't." She sobbed. "That's the problem." She knew other members of the family were gathering downstairs without even looking but couldn't bring herself to be embarrassed enough to stop crying.

"Oh Hermione." Molly murmured, pulling her from George and into a motherly embrace.

"So what exactly did the git do or not do?" Ron asked.

"Nothing." Ginny replied quietly. "She did."

"Did what?" Ron asked.

"Oh Hermione, you didn't?" Harry sighed, stepping closer to his friend.

"Didn't what?!" Ron asked loudly.

"She fell in love with him." Ginny replied.

"She what?!" Ron stared between his sister and the crying witch with his eyes wide.

"I did." Hermione whispered. "I do...I love him." It felt like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders just from admitting it. She hadn't even known it until she had seen the way Molly had looked at her with such sympathy. Both the Weasley witches had obviously seen it coming before she did.

How could she have been so stupid? She knew she cared about him, she knew that she was attracted to him but to fall in love with Severus Snape?! Fortunately, no one seemed to be spouting their negative views on the man or questioning her sanity...she was actually surprised about that.

A short while later Molly and Arthur had ushered everyone back to their rooms. Hermione went to Ginny's room with her and as soon as the house was silent Harry and Ron snuck into the girls room where she was already filling Ginny in on the details. Not the intimate details of course but the over all picture.

"Hermione...I'm sorry." Harry sighed. "I saw that you liked him...I just hoped that you wouldn't get this far."

"I know you guys don't like him but-"

"This has nothing to do with my opinion on him." He corrected. "What I think doesn't matter...not if you're happy but Hermione he-...his heart closed off a long time ago and I don't think he'll ever be able to open it again."

"I know...I really have a thing for hopeless causes." She whispered.

"Well, I happen to still think he's a git. Not to mention that he's old!" Ron spoke up.

"Yes well, the age gap is a bit but not impossible." Hermione said through tight lips. "Still I suppose it's all moot now anyway."

"So...what did he say?" Harry asked.

"Oh I haven't told him." Hermione replied. "We had a moment of...attraction. Then he shut me out, said he could never love me... I didn't even realise until I got here that the reason I was so upset was because I loved him."

"What on earth could be attractive about Snape?" Ron asked, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"His voice." Ginny piped up. "Plus the older man thing."

"Extremely intelligent." Hermione added. "Not to mention brave and honourable."

"And he's a Potion's Master so he must be good with his hands." Ginny smirked, causing the boys to screw their eyes shut, as if to block out the thought. Hermione felt herself begin to flush heavily at the thought of the older wizard's hands and what they had been doing mere hours ago. Part of her wished so much that they had been able to continue what they were doing. She desperately wanted to see and explore the places under his clothes. She was curious what it would be like to return the favour...what it would feel like to have that part of him in her mouth or inside her. Why was he so determined not to let her in?

"Hogwarts to Hermione, hello?" Ginny murmured, nudging her to get her attention.

"You know what, it's fine." Hermione said suddenly. "If he wants to keep shutting me out then that's fine, I'll let him. I can't keep putting myself out there for him...I'll drive myself crazy if I do."

With her mind made up Hermione climbed into the bed with Ginny and the boys went back to Ron's room.

Severus wasn't surprised that Hermione didn't make it to breakfast. He had upset her and her anger hadn't hidden the hurt in her eyes from him. What did surprise him is that he felt bad about upsetting her, really bad. He frowned at the thought, not only was he going soft but it appeared he had actually grown attached to the little witch.

"Is our Hermione having a lie in or overworking herself this morning?" Minerva asked him, a little while later.

"Why should I know?!" he barked.

"Your rooms are on the same corridor as hers Severus, you were the most likely one to know." The headmistress replied, narrowing her eyes at him. "What have you done?"

"And why Minerva do you assume I must have done something, simply because your little Gryffindor chose not to join us for breakfast?" he asked smoothly.

"Because you sounded rather defensive." She replied. "Very well, I'm sure you wouldn't have been foolish enough to repeat your mistakes." Severus stood abruptly and exited the hall. He didn't know exactly what Minerva meant by repeating his mistakes and he didn't want to know, whatever the woman thought she knew she was wrong.

By the time he reached his classroom his mood had worsened and it was an unfortunate house elf that bore the brunt of his anger moments later.

"What do you want?!" he roared, when the small elf popped into the room.

"P-pardon Pocky P-Professor, I was just to be leaving Miss Granger's breakfast for her..." the elf stammered, bowing its head apologetically.

"Then go leave it in her rooms, she will not be using this room today." He growled.

"B-but Miss Granger is not being in her rooms, Hogwarts Headmistress told Pocky to check Potion's rooms...Miss Granger is not being here...Pocky has failed Headmistress!" the elf whimpered.

"She's what?!" the Potion's Master thundered, flinging the platter out of the terrified elf's hand and across the floor. Pocky the elf cowered as the dark wizard swept past him and left the classroom and didn't dare move until he heard the door slam afterwards.

Author's Notes: So Hermione realised she loves him and that a physical relationship with no chance of love is only going to break her heart...but he's going after her! Is it sad that I'm all excited over my own story right now, so much that I'm starting the next chapter right now!