To all my lovely reviewers:

Thank you so much! You make me smile! And without the inspirational cookies :-) progress would be much slower indeed.

11 Detention starts

10 January 2000

"Mr. Malfoy, is meanwhile everything fully arranged for your stay?"

Hermione, who had put all effort she could muster into concentrating on her book over dinner, flinched slightly at hearing the so familiar smooth voice unexpectedly behind her.

"I was assured that it is as arranged as it'll ever get," Draco answered, deprecation clearly audible in his voice, which made Hermione grin. The Hogwarts experience for her was more authentic with a Malfoy around, but she nevertheless hoped, he would not side with the people baiting her.

"I shall rest assured in the knowledge that such high-level complaints are thank-worthily a sign of an otherwise problem-free life," Severus snarled.

Hermione, with her back to both men, now grinned broadly.

"Should you happen to have real complaints, come to my office between nine and ten," the smooth voice added. A small lump formed in her stomach, a trace of jealousy due to Severus' offer for Draco to have a chat about the day. Simultaneously her lip twitched slightly when she recognized that interpreting Slytherin-talk meanwhile came naturally to her.

It had already been about four hours ago that she had regretted having passed up Severus offer to drop by under the guise of officially serving detentions tonight. Hermione had wanted to make it on her own and not to be dependent on Severus, who here at school in fact was head of a competing House as well. The Manchester Christmas bubble was over.

Her musings were interrupted when she heard the same smooth voice that had just talked to Draco saying her name behind her back. "Miss Granger, you want to be careful with library property." Instantly Hermione loosened her grip on the book, the page was slightly crumpled already. Maybe I'm more strained than I thought, she mused. "And keep chewing, detention starts in half an hour. Don't be late!"

She looked after him when he swirled out of the Great Hall. The notion that he had ignored her wish and ordered her to a private meeting with him tonight made the lump in her stomach dissolve that had formed due to his offer for Draco. She had felt him watching her during meals and he must have recognized her tension. While she finished her vegetables, Hermione became aware that she would surely indeed be serving detentions, likely additionally to a private chat, and she secretly crossed her fingers that this first session would indeed be completely supervised by his private and not his teacher persona. She could do with some support in adapting to the new old situation.

.o.O.o.

For goodness sake you've slept in one bed with him. Why are you nervous now? Exactly because of that, she concluded for herself. Hermione kept debating inwardly on her way down to the dungeons trying to calm herself. It took her three deep breaths to finally knock at his office door, but now, there in the doorframe, he was: Semi-private Severus with only his white button-down shirt and a waistcoat on. He stepped aside to let her enter and Muffliatoed his office after having closed the door behind them.

"Good evening," she greeted nervously.

Severus, who assessed her standing there with folded arms and insecurity written all over her form, simply pulled Hermione into a hug. They had had Potions class today and their new personal relationship was challenged by its secrecy and the hierarchical environment here at school; and of course by the fact that this place didn't qualify to ensure the feelings of safety she had had back in Spinner's End.

"How was your first day?" he asked.

"Better than expected in some ways and not so much in others. Yours?"

He chuckled shortly.

"Accurate summary. How about telling me over tea who I have to skin before preparing the first stage of the beautiful painkiller?"

She impulsively clung to his suit, while the feeling of inappropriateness competed with her relief that he indeed was private Severus tonight.

"Of course only after we've finished this," he whispered and continued simply holding her until she was ready to let go.

Brewing together was relaxing, Severus admitted to himself, but when the hourglass chimed 9.30 o'clock, he called it a day for her.

"Severus, what about detentions? I know you handed out daily attendance until the NEWTS and that my firstborn will take over when starting school here, but how have you planned it in detail?"

"The consequences for your offspring are, sadly for him or her, not open to discussion, but I'm willing to modify yours to current needs."

He grinned.

"I better don't speculate about the possibility of me having no child at all and how this may affect the long term effects of my punishment," she weighed in.

He fully turned towards her now.

"I even insist to refrain from speculating about such a waste of promising genes in favor of talking about the near future."

Quickly she busied herself with cleaning to distract from the pain over the baby problem that surely showed in her face despite being sweetened by his compliment, which was neither vague nor with much potential of misinterpretation. In the last second, she remembered the tragic love story between Harry's mum and him and swallowed a comment on how his having no kids as one of the most talented Potions master and powerful wizards in their world was a waste too. Severus simply continued, when she didn't speak.

"I expect you here the next two days. Then detentions will be handled according to what circumstances call for."

"Always at this short notice? I mean it's hard for me to plan, when I'm-,"

"-at my mercy?" he asked and tried not to show his emotions on her implication.

Now she stared into his eyes. "I searched for a positively connoted expression," she said firmly.

"I promised academic usefulness, remember? And I don't intend bossing you around."

"I don't intend to be trouble," she returned.

Severus smirked now. "Well, we mustn't forget that you're a Gryffindor, so you might cause- well-intended trouble anyways," he said mockingly and she made a face.

"See, it starts already: Rude faces for your professor during detentions. Not even considerate enough to make them behind his back-," he said with feigned indignation.

"- nah, you ended them for tonight already," she intervened chuckling.

"It nevertheless shows that I shouldn't start the new term with negligence towards students from especially-, say, rebellious Houses and thus I'll just start making plans for your offspring. And should you realize in January 2020 that you've indeed wasted your genes, I expect you here for detentions on Tuesdays and Thursdays at seven, starting on- wait-," he stopped and counted, "the 14th. Understood?"

She chuckled. "I don't know what's more shocking, that you think I indeed do plan that far ahead or that you obviously plan to still teach here in twenty years. I'll definitely be here on the 14th and already around six for dinner as surely not a single minute must be wasted for talking you out of this, because I obviously won't have been successful doing so with the numerous letters I will have written and tea-times I will have forced on you," she teased.

Feeling his heart skip a beat at the implication of their maintained contact, his lips curled up into a smirk. "Dinner sounds reasonable." Severus managed to stop himself before his lips made contact with her forehead and instead just hugged her shortly. "Off you go now. You need to be fit for classes and detention."

.o.O.o.

On Tuesday night after they had finished stage two of the potion and were cleaning the utensils, Hermione decided to try to take advantage of his generous attitude towards her of late. At least she felt that she'd do exactly this with her request.

"Sir, may I ask a favor?"

Her formal approach and guilty tone rang a bell with Severus.

"You may. If I grant it is a totally different matter," he answered and eyed her enquiringly.

This admittedly made her nervous, but backing down was out of the question now. Staring at her hands while polishing the knife she had used for chopping, she started, "Now that NEWTS prep really turns into the focus, I feel like needing some clarity regarding my achievements in Transfiguration and Defense. Remus is open to discourse, he asked me into his office tomorrow, but Minerva is- not happy with me, as was to be expected, and I'm sure I continuously won't receive any feedback on anything I hand in," she looked at him now, "Could you please read two of them from last term that I had some issues with and give me a feedback?"

Severus pierced her with his gaze once again taken aback by the older woman's behavior, while Hermione felt her muscles cramp under his stare, which suddenly seemed to trigger an anxiety attack. She kept mentally telling herself that it was okay to have asked this and begged her body to believe that there was no need to panic, because her brain knew this very well. Nevertheless, she felt like trying to smooth out the range of her request.

"I know it's not your special field and you're not my Head of House, but maybe just a general opinion-," she said shakily. Suddenly she couldn't believe that she had dared shouting at this man only about a fortnight ago.

"How do you know she's read them at all?" he asked ignoring her question.

"I don't, but she signed them all."

She recognized that she really somehow was afraid of his reaction. His teacher persona in the school environment had undoubtedly left an impression over the years and that he additionally seemed distanced and annoyed right now didn't help. On comparing the emotional turmoil that had presented itself during the holidays in his house with the relatively low number of anxiety attacks, the level of safety she had felt there became clear. Some minor incident – and this conversation didn't even qualify as one at all since she was just asking for academic help – would not have triggered panic there. The hostile school environment impacted her heavily and the loss of proximity already got to her. Two weeks hadn't sufficed to sustainably fill her mental storage for closeness and reassurance – of course not! The sudden attack tightened its grip, her neck got clammy and her heart pounded heavily; time to concentrate on breathing.

"I don't want to take advantage, sir, I just-," she trailed off, her voice hoarse and slightly despaired at the arising sickness she felt now.

The voice corresponded well with her increasingly paling face, which made the Potions master postpone calculating possible steps on staff level in favor of focusing on the unsettled young woman in front of him. He had originally intended to put some distance between them tonight in order to ease both their transition, but at the sight of her, he dropped this plan immediately.

"You're surely not, you crazy witch! Let's go," Severus suddenly shoved her towards the door and only then recognized the knife in her hand and the white knuckles.

"I could put it aside for you for classes if you like it that much."

He tried to sound airily, hoping to relax her. Instead he saw big brown desperate eyes locking with his. Severus reacted immediately, he had no intention to make her concede her inability to let go of the knife out loud, so he took her hand in his and softly rubbed along her cramping fingers.

"You're doing great in facing your demons," he was interrupted by a sob, "I'll walk you to your quarters and you give me your essays. I'll read them until tomorrow and we'll talk them through during detentions. It's not taking advantage."

He continued the rubbing and Hermione fought crying with relief about his attitude and that he hadn't simply defined the scope of his and Remus' responsibilities in dismissal of her question.

"Thank you." Her body slowly relaxed and the knife fell on the table. As if oblivious to it, Severus now stretched her fingers and stroked them lengthwise. Hermione resisted the desire to snuggle up to him.

"I won't butter you up."

"I know. I really want your opinion."

"Masochist."

"That's cheating, Draco blabbed it," she teased.

"Puh," he smirked. "Blood circulation alright again?" He squeezed her hand.

"Yes, thanks. I was nervous," she conceded.

"Understandable! After all I might have asked you to give me your firstborn in exchange for my service," he squeezed her hand.

"You're close enough to such demands, Rumpelstiltskin."

She chuckled and he joined in.

"Panic attack due to asking for academic help and daring to call me Rumpelstiltskin within ten minutes. Merlin! That brain of yours works in mysterious ways," he shook his head theatrically, "Let's go now, my well-intended troublemaker."

.o.O.o.

They walked in silence and Hermione dwelled on the fact that Muggle-related jokes where not lost on him. In her quarters Hermione went for Accioing the two essays from her desk with all the piled-up papers on it, while Severus secretly put a tiny parcel onto her sofa. He looked around the room and his lips twitched slightly at the sight of the overboarding bookshelves. Otherwise the room was minimalist and very cozy. She had hexed the obligatory colors of sofa and armchairs from Gryffndor scarlet to a neutral grey.

Focusing on the essays in his hands he arched his signature eyebrow at her. "Give me the rest of the unmarked ones and the ones Lupin didn't feedback on."

Hermione looked stricken.

"Oh, he'll do that now," she answered, while the other unmarked essays landed in Severus' hands.

"I'll take them anyway," he beckoned to her to finally Accio the missing papers for him.

"When is your appointment?"

"Tomorrow, after the last class."

He nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll read the Defense essays first and feedback on them tomorrow during lunch break and then you take them to Lupin to get his as well," he told her.

"He already said that he'll do this. You really don't have to do extra work- especially not overnight," she said guiltily.

"Good to hear he rediscovered his sense of duty as well, but I'd like to make sure, it'll be fair. It's a bit early for you to trust him fully," he arched his eyebrow at her.

She got the message, advanced him and tilted her head slightly.

"I still don't make trust allowances without deserving actions," she ensured and Severus nodded approvingly before closing the last distance between them and pressing a kiss on her hair.

"You'll want to use an Enlargement Charm on something on your sofa," he half-whispered, before adding in a normal voice, "Sleep tight. I see you tomorrow at 12.45 sharp in my office."

He waited in front of her door until he heard a small howl of joy. In love with my blanket, he mused. It warmed his heart and in the darkness of the corridor he allowed himself to smile.