AN: Thank you for all the support! It is deeply appreciated!
It had been years since she'd been held like this. Her body fit into her partner's as if they had been designed for each other. The arms around her were firm, secure, yet not overpowering. If she'd wanted to leave she could, but if she had her way she'd be in this man's grasp forever. She hummed as she slid closer to his body, inhaling the aroma that was only him. His scent was peppermint with a hint of sage, absolutely intoxicating. Ron must've used a different cologne, one which was driving her wild.
"Ms. Granger!"
The arms around her were gone, replaced with a deep, loud voice.
"What are you doing in my bed?"
She pried open an eye. That voice wasn't Ron's. In fact, that voice was one she hadn't heard in years. Why would he be in her dreams though? She'd given him little thought between the time she graduated Hogwarts and the Malfoys' wedding. Why would he be in one of the most pleasant dreams she'd had in years?
"Ms. Granger, I demand you wake up and explain why you are in my bed!"
Nobody had called her "Ms. Granger" in years. In fact, only one person insisted on using that moniker, the one person who a few days ago had refused to dignify her with a civil conversation.
"Wake up and explain yourself!"
He yanked the pillow out from under her, which brought her back to reality. She jolted awake and gasped. In Ron's place was Severus Snape shaking, snarling, and gritting his teeth. Her surroundings came into clearer view. There were no pictures of her on the wall, only bookshelves filled to the brim with potions journals and tomes of medical books. She couldn't say she wasn't intrigued by the titles, except she wasn't supposed to be here.
"Ms. Granger! Why are you in my room?"
Her heart raced as she saw the hardness of the man's eyes. She then glanced down at her ruby neglige, the one which barely covered her.
"What are you doing here?" He demanded.
"I," she glanced around, still getting her bearings. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" he snapped.
"No," she mused aloud. "This must be some weird dream."
"A dream?"
"Yes," she looked into his eyes. "I am certain this is some type of dream."
"Do you mean to tell me you routinely dream of landing in my bed? If so, I cannot say I have the same nocturnal imaginings."
"This is your bed?"
"Yes, look around. These are my quarters!"
She glanced around the room, taking note of the books, as well as the dampness of the dungeons.
"Now, do you believe this is real?"
She blinked. Even in her wildest dreams, she couldn't imagine so many books, nor could she imagine how his natural scent would ensnare her senses. Her heart raced as it sank in that in her dreams, she didn't tend to smell anything, nor did she feel the chill in the room that she did at that moment.
"Do you still believe this is a dream?" His voice was low, almost a warning.
"No!" She grabbed his sheets and covered herself. The neglige had been worn for Ron's pleasure. Another man wasn't meant to see it, especially if he was a former professor.
"I strongly suggest you leave immediately before something regrettable occurs," Snape warned.
"I don't understand. How did I get here?" Hermione's eyes darted around.
"I don't know, nor do I care." He pulled the blankets and sheets away from her. "All I know is that it is time for you to leave."
"Well I care as to why I'm here," she snapped. "When I fell asleep I was in my own bed waiting for Ron.."
"Obviously he is not present."
"Obviously."
"How and why did you come here?"
"If I knew I would tell you and make sure I never returned to your dingy quarters!" She shouted.
He scowled. "My quarters are tastefully decorated."
"It looks like a abandoned, dusty, dim library in here."
"And here I thought you loved libraries."
"I love libraries, but most have windows. Don't you ever want to see the sun?"
"Most days, no."
"Well most other people do. A portrait, picture, or some other artwork would be pleasant as well. This place is depressing."
"If it is so terrible why did you come here?"
"I don't know! All I know is that I was in my bed last night. I recall staying up waiting for Ron and," her eyes grew. "Ron must be so worried about me."
"Then I'd suggest going to him immediately so I can properly begin my day," he answered.
"What time is it?"
"I set my alarm spell for seven so," he glanced at the clock on the wall. "It is seven ten."
"Shit, I have a campaign meeting in fifty minutes."
"Then I'd suggest you leave now."
"No," she snapped. "Not until you tell me how I got here."
"I haven't the foggiest clue."
She glared at him.
"I mean it," he argued. "I do not know how you wound up in my bed, nor do I care. All I want is for you to leave immediately and never return."
"What did you do, cast a spell to bring me here?"
"Why would I want you in my quarters?"
"I don't know. You tell me."
"I do not want you here, and I never will. Your presence is a complication I have no interest in enduring. Leave now!"
"I suppose you wouldn't bring me here," she scratched her chin. "You wouldn't even speak to me after the wedding. You couldn't give me the benefit of a decent conversation."
"I do not want to extend that benefit towards you today. Leave now!"
She stared at him, still piecing together the situation. If she didn't feel the cool of the dungeons, she'd swear she was still dreaming. Still, she could make out every one of Severus' features in precise detail. Her dreams often took on a fuzzy quality. The man before her was clear, and his voice strident.
"Ms. Granger, you are trespassing," Severus warned. "Leave before I call Filch to escort you out."
Hermione didn't need to be told to leave again. Instead, she raced to the floo, called out her address, and fled the scene.
Upon seeing her leave, Severus blinked and groaned. Then, he began going about his day, cursing Ms. Granger for making him late for breakfast.
Hermione stepped through the floo. Having no time to brush herself off, she darted to her room. If she'd had her wits about her, she would've cooked up a story for why she was gone for the night. If she told Ron she spent the morning asleep in the arms of another man, a man who believed the only kind of conversation she warranted was getting screamed at, he would lose his mind.
"Ron!" She called out before rushing to her bedroom.
No sign of him.
Her stomach sank. There was a good chance he was already at work. If so, what kind of mental state was he in? Was he infuriated with her? Had he sent someone to search for her because he was concerned? If there was a missing person's report on her, how long until the press got a hold of it? Merlin how was she going to explain any of this away?
"Ron!" She yelled before rushing to her closet to grab her fine robes. Somehow, she needed to appear put together, or Lavender would complain of having nothing to work with when Hermione made her speech on healthcare in front of the healers of St. Mungo's. Breakfast was no longer an option, but if she hurried, she could find Ron and apologize for her absence. If she was lucky, she could stall for an explanation and be early for her meeting.
"'Mione?"
Her body froze as she pulled a pinstripe suit from her closet . She gave a nervous laugh, but did not look back. "Ron, uh, good morning."
"More like a loud morning."
"Yes, well, I was looking for you."
"You didn't have to be so loud about it," he moaned.
She spun around. He yawned and held his head. Only one eye was open.
"Ron, I want to apologize for last night," she began.
"Yes, well, you need to learn not to be such a stick in the mud. You could've stayed longer if you'd done the sensible thing and had another drink of punch."
"What?" She asked.
"Yeah, people talked once you left. They wondered if you were sick, or if you were really as mad at me as you said you were."
She swallowed. Apparently, leaving the party early was a worse offense than waking up in Professor Snape's bed.
"I didn't mean to abandon you," she replied in a quieter voice.
"It's fine for now, but try to be more social next time," he stretched and opened his other eye. "It will make things more pleasant for both of us if I can have a fianceé who I can take out and who enjoys herself without needing to read a book."
"Yes," she drawled. "That would be nice for you."
"Anyway, I told work I would be a couple of hours late," he groaned. "I would've missed the whole day, but too many other people called in sick, so someone has to work this morning."
"I would imagine with the way everyone drank last night that they're quite hungover."
"Yeah," his lips curled upwards. "But we had so much fun. I mean, you missed the great parts, like Kingsley singing karaoke and telling us all the fun auror stories which took place during the war."
She frowned. Of course he'd use that party as a campaign opportunity. How could she have expected anything less?
"Anyway, we stayed up until two, but it was worth it."
"Wait," she shook her head. "You didn't get home until two?"
"Yeah, and I was so tired I slept on the couch." He blushed. "I may need you to wash my good robes. I spilled some punch on them, and they're probably wrinkled from me passing out on the couch."
"You didn't come to bed at all," her chest felt as if it had been stabbed. Not only was he not the man who held her this morning, but he didn't want to be the man who held her this morning.
"No," he answered. "Couldn't you tell when you woke up alone?"
"Yes, I did, I mean." She sighed. "I just had a dream that you were beside me. It was so real that I believed you were there for a few minutes. That's why I was yelling trying to find you. I thought something had happened when I woke up alone."
"Yeah, sorry about that." He blushed. "I shouldn't be at any parties tomorrow night, so maybe we can spend some time together then."
"Yes, we can," she relaxed. It was as if the Severus Snape incident had never occurred. Nobody other than her former professor knew that she'd awakened in his bed. Given that Snape wasn't eager to share that information, her secret was safe.
"Geesh it must have been some dream," Ron grinned. "You were screaming for me."
"Yes, well, I got a little carried away," she laughed. "It shouldn't happen again."
"I would hope not. You were quite loud." He winced. "Gave me a splitting headache, er at least made the one I had hurt more."
"Sorry about that."
"It's fine. I mean, if you want me near you, then you must care for me. That's always nice."
"Of course I want you near me. I love you," Hermione insisted. "I want to wake up next to you every morning for the rest of my life. When you aren't there, I become frightened because I need you with me."
He approached her before kissing her on the cheek. "You'll never be without me again."
"No, I won't," she relaxed.
There was nothing more to fear. This Snape thing would blow over. By the evening, it would be forgotten. For the rest of her life, she would wake up next to the man she loved. Of that she was certain.
Severus Snape was never going to be in her life again. She was more certain of that than anything else in her life.