Chapter 5: A New Year to Remember

Some time after one in the morning she had run into him outside. She had been exiting the pub at about the same time he was heading down the path towards her.

'Fancy seeing you here,' she had slurred.

'You seem a little intoxicated there, Miss Granger.'

'Really now? Granger? After seeing your bare buttocks I would think I have earned the right to be referred to by my first name.'

'Then we would have never had this reverting interchange.'

He smirked at her.

She hrumphed at him.

She then turned and walked away from him.

Soon, he was in step with her, and the two were walking away from the pub in silence.

'I'm not drunk,' she said, breaking the silence.

They continued walking.

'What then pray tell prompted the proclamation?'

'It was-' She paused in mid-thought for a moment, then continued, 'It was just friendly conversation.'

'And we are friendly, are we?'

She glanced up at him to her left. Severus looked on ahead - he matched her slower pace.

'Most people would say sleeping together twice definitely calls for it.'

Even as she said it in her best attempt at nonchalance, she felt the heat rise from her neck to her cheeks.

'Once.'

Obviously sensing her face scrunching in confusion, he continued, 'You slept in my bed once. Sex, that's different; that happened three times.'

His lips were at the precipice of a smirk.

Smug bastard, she thought as she felt the blush deepen - focusing her eyes forward.

'Yes, right. Of course.'

There was another moment of silence, before Severus spoken up, 'Where exactly are you headed?'

'Home.'

'And you're walking?'

'Just to the apparition point.'

'We passed that five meters back.'

Hermione stopped. She looked around, realising he was right.

They walked back the five meters or so in silence. The snow fell slowly upon Hogsmeades, the impressions of their footprints barely visible as they crossed them.

Once at the apparition point, Hermione turned to Severus.

'And where are you going?'

He smirked at her - it was a smirk that seemed more cheerful and mischievous than usual, at least it did to her.

'To the pub.'

Unable to help herself Hermione burst out into a laugh at him.

'To the pub?' She asked, rhetorically, the laughing at its end. 'That's where I ran into you,' she finished.

'I am quite aware of that, Hermione.'

At the use of her first name, she smiled at up him.

'Would you like a cup of tea or something?'

Her courage was flying high.

'Tea would be nice.'

She was certain that he had almost smiled at her. More surprising than Severus Snape smiling was the fact that he extend his arm to her.

'Lead the way, Hermione.'

Now he was just teasing her; but she didn't care. Hermione enjoyed hearing her name in his smooth baritone. Taking his arm, she side apparated them to West London.

#

They appeared next to a brick building with a distinct pop.

'I live in a muggle neighbourhood,' she explained.

She guide him into her building, up in the elevator and to her door. All the while her hand remained in the crook of his arm. The thought of letting go had not crossed her mind. And it did not seem like Severus had minded.

It was at her door that Hermione removed her hand, quite reluctantly, to search through her purse for her keys. Whilst it would have been easy enough to use an alohamora, it would not do well to risk a muggle neighbour seeing her. So when she located her keys, she did the very muggle task of opening her door with it.

Walking in to her flat she immediately regretted not tidying up before she had left the evening before. Books and parchments littered the small table in front of the fireplace. More books were piled on the table in the dining area. She hoped that he would have to understand, he was an academic after all. Turning to him, she was stunned to find him so close behind her.

He was quick to reach for her arms, steadying her, and saving her from stumbling.

'Thanks,' she said, her gaze drifting up to meet his,'Tea?'

'Yes.'

He still had not let go of her arms, and nor had she made any move to prepare tea. All the while her honey brown eyes stared up at his obsidian black.

At some point one of his hands had begun to move leisurely over her skin in small circles. Then his other hand moved to tuck a mass of her mane behind her ear. He traced along it and down her jaw with his fingers. His thumb brushed along her lower lip. She parted her lips instinctively for him.

'Happy New Year, Hermione.'

He smiled at her then.

'Happy New Year, Severus,' she responded, not even realising she had spoken.

Slowly, too slowly for her, he bent to kiss her. The hand at her chin tilting her head just so. This kiss was unlike the others Hermione and Severus had shared. There was no rush. Lightly his lips moved over hers. When she pulled at his lower lip, he abided her request and parted his.

In the middle of the living room in her flat, Severus held her close against him. One hand at her back pulling her in and the other in her hair at the nape. The two softly got acquainted to the other's lips. With one hand at his neck, brushing, in measured strokes, against the exposed skin there, the other pulled at his shirt. Untucking it from his pants, her hand moved over his waist to his lower back.

Eventually when they had made it to the bedroom, their fourth coupling had, just as their kisses, been gentle and purposeful. Passionate, but not hurried. That evening the two leisurely acquainted themselves with each other. Severus learnt what made Hermione giggle (behind the knees and the lower back when touched just so), and what made her moan. She found that the right pressure turned the Potions Master into a groaning, moaning putty in her hands. She also found great enjoyment each time he begged her for more, especially as her name escaped his lips.

The next morning as Hermione was taking the kettle off the stove he walked out of her bedroom with purpose.

'Tea?' She asked, smiling at him over her shoulder.

Severus was fully dressed, and looked determined.

'No, I need to be going.'

'I owe you tea.'

She placed two cups of steaming hot tea on the now cleared table. The books sat piled on and around the third and fourth chairs. In front of the two empty chairs, accompanying the cups of tea were two plates of toast, eggs and a side of strawberries.

'I believe I may have unintentionally misled you, Miss Granger.'

'Back to the Miss Granger nonsense, are we?'

She took in his silence, and continued, 'Breakfast is sustenance, not commitment.'

'Of course, that's-'

She smiled at him as he spoke, interrupting him mid sentence, 'I don't want a relationship. With you or anyone. I - This thing you and I are doing, that's been nice.'

After staring at her for sometime, he finally removed his cloak, and draping it along the back of the chair he sat down.

'Yes, nice,' he said, noticing that none of the chairs around the table matched.

He picked up the knife and fork and cut into the toast.

'Quite enjoyable actually.'

She now looked at him from behind hooded lids.

He caught the light blush appearing at the base of her neck.

'No relationship.'

He took a bite.

'Nope.'

The blush deepened just as she continued, 'I would not be adverse to this - thing happening once or twice again.'

Silence filled the room. Severus watched Hermione as he considered her statement. She did not dare look up from her eggs, knowing she had spoken out of turn and too boldly.

After some time Severus spoke. With a smirk perfectly glued in place, all he said was: 'And then some.'

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that. Sharing your thoughts is highly encouraged! Reviews feed my soul :)