My step was quick, motivated by the coldness of the floor under my feet.

The castle was quiet. Lit torches showed the way, but I knew exactly where I was and could do this walk in my sleep. Bloody hell, I thought to myself, this castle is freezing. The slap of my bare feet was my only company. I gathered up the two ends of my cloak in my hands so I wouldn't trip over it.

Down and down I went towards the dungeons. The closer I got, the more nervous I became, all the while trying to stop my mind from convincing me that I should have stayed put. What would Poppy think when I'm missed on the next rounds and she finds my bed empty?

Each fleeting thought made my step slow and slower until I stopped completely. Taking a look behind me, the corridor seemed to become darker. Should I go back? I stood for a few moments, almost hopping from one foot to the other. I reasoned that I was nearer to my old rooms than the hospital wing. "I'll just go and check. He won't be there, then I'll head back." With reassured determination, I set off again to my original destination. The last few meters seemed to take the longest; it was like the castle lengthened the corridor.

Out of breath, not from exertion but nervous excitement, I came face to face with my old rooms. I had already entered the classroom and gone through to the back towards the living quarters.

I mused for a moment that I was able to open the classroom door, but I was resolved to move onward towards the quarters. I lifted my hand to knock, but paused. This was silly; he wouldn't even be in these rooms, as he's headmaster now. Whose room would these be now? How come they haven't warded the classroom?

I drop my hand. I stand there, feeling like an age has passed - I look at the door handle and touch it lightly with a finger, seeing if I feel any magic on it.

Nothing?

I wrap the rest of my fingers around the ring lever, and the door clicks open lightly. Silently, I enter the room.

The room is in darkness apart from a small dying fire in the hearth in the living area. Bravely, I step further into the room, and thankfully, because it was so dark from the corridor, my eyes were already adjusted. I can see Severus sleeping in his wing chair with a tumbler filled with dark liquid held in his left hand. The glint of a gold band on his third finger catches my eye.

I feel guilty seeing him in such a vulnerable state, but this is why I'm here; I need to see him.

I stepped closer, grateful that we had a thick rug near the fireplace. My freezing toes were numb, and as I crouched to the floor, my feet were close to the dying fire. Any form of heat was welcome. I was level with his knees, unsure of how I should proceed. The glass tumbler looked likely to be dropped, so I gently wrapped my fingers around the edge of the glass and applied a small amount of pressure to take it from his grasp. By doing so, he tensed and immediately awoke.

His eyes locked on mine, and I tried to convey with mine that I was a friend, not a foe. Waking a wizard is not a wise thing to do; waking a wizard such as Severus is almost suicidal.

His grip tightened on the glass for a second, but then relaxed, letting me lift the glass from him. Balancing myself using his knee, I placed the glass on the small coffee table to my side.

I turned fully back to him, and his hand reached out to touch my face. "Are you real?"

I placed my free hand over his in answer - a sound that I'd never heard from him before, like a wounded animal. His fingers pushed forward, gripping through my hair as he used me as leverage to pull me to him, half on him and half of him to me. Our foreheads met, and he whispered, "Hermione."

The angle he's got us in is not entirely comfortable, but I surrender to it, letting my whole weight rest on him.

I whisper, "I am here, Severus."

His mouth searches for mine; his tongue surges into my mouth, dominant and demanding. I match him, lacing my fingers into his hair, pulling him closer still to me. We both need air, ending up gasping.

One more tug and he's got me sitting fully on his lap, his arms encasing me in a bone-breaking hug. We sit for a moment, refuelling our lungs with air. As I sat completely immobilized, a lock of his hair in my fingertips was all I could control. I began twirling this lock around my finger. All the energy in my body fades; the combined heat of our bodies and the rhythm of his heart make my eyes drop once again. I fight against it. I don't want sleep; I want him.

The fire crackles, and the last thing I remember is him kissing my forehead. It's such a contrast to his actions before. I smile to myself and drift off to sleep.