Chapter 10
Finally, the summer had ended and Hermione couldn't wait to be reunited with Severus once more. She boarded the carriages with Ron and entered Hogwarts for their 6th year. She dropped her trunk off at the Gryffindor common room, got changed into her school dress robes and headed for the Great hall.
Has she entered with Ron and Ginny, Hermione connected eyes with Severus from across the room. She gave him a quick discreet smile before placing herself down at her house table. She knew he would have smiled back, but even a glimpse of emotion shown by the man and people wouldn't suspect that something was wrong.
As the feast went on, Harry finally joined them, after being missing from the remainder of their journey to school. Dumbledore began to make his traditional speech about which parts of Hogwarts are out of bounds and what staff changes there will be this year. Hermione usually switched off her hearing and stared at Severus for the announcement. She didn't care who taught her for what. She was going to succeed in anything she studied anyways. That's until the headmaster revealed something that broke her stare. This caused her eyes to flicker over to Dumbledore and back at Severus several times.
Dumbledore had just released news that Snape would be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year. She tried to catch his attention, over the Slytherins cheers, but he was now in conversation with Professor Slughorn... The new Potions professor. Of course he was trying to avoid her eye contact now. He never mentioned this in any of his letters to her. Surely he couldn't have skipped over this tiny bit of information.
As soon as the students was ushered to bed. Hermione took her first detour to the dungeons and waited for Severus to return. As she got there she made herself comfortable again with the familiar surroundings. She poured him a glass of Firewhiskey and her a cup of Butterbeer. She didn't want to start the year off with an argument or question him about his lack of information in his letters. She had been wanting him for so long and didn't want to mess it up.
He finally entered through the door, 15 minutes after her arrival. Hermione greeted him with a wide grin. "Welcome home, Honey." Hermione seductively said teasing him, as she crossed the room with both drinks in hand.
Severus' surprised expression turned into a delighted one, as he accepted the Firewhiskey from her grasp. "Well this is a pleasant surprise."
Hermione grabbed him by the neck and gave him a long lingering kiss, tenderly on his lips. He wanted more but she pulled away, with their hands still entwined. She led him over to his couch for them to talk. "Are we celebrating something?" He asked suspiciously sitting down next to her. Noticing music in the background and the dimmed lights.
"I've just missed you, that's all." Hermione tried to hide her fake smile as she took a slip of her drink. But Severus wasn't that easy to fool.
"My dear, what is it?" Severus placed his glassed down and raised her chin gently with his finger to look at him.
Hermione's looked puzzled, "Why didn't you tell me about your job?" it was now Severus' turn to look away.
It wasn't that he forgot to tell her. He just didn't want her to worry, or have a change of mind about him due to his own desires. Severus stood up and walked away turning his back towards her. "I was afraid."
"Afraid? Of what?" Hermione remarked, following him. She stood behind his form waiting for a response.
"Of what you would think of me..." Severus turned around finally looking at her again.
Hermione cupped his cheek in comfort. "Severus, you achieved one of your life long dreams. How could I think any less of you?" She searched his eyes.
"There's something else, I've been meaning to talk to you about..." Severus poured out in the heat of the moment. He was about to tell her about the unbreakable vow and how he was Draco's protector. But why spoil the moment? They were alone together again, after 2 months of longing for each other.
Hermione lowered Severus' forehead to hers, as they gazed into each other's eyes. Every thought on his mind quickly vanished. She was too alluring to ignore. As soon as they knew it, their lips crashed together and Severus was towering Hermione on the couch. They removed their clothes gradually and he kissed every part of her body lightly. Taking every part of her delicate form in.
They both knew that they both weren't ready just yet, to take things to the next level. They just wanted to feel each other's presences. But still it was a perfect first night back.
Hermione exited his rooms near to midnight and filled her own bed in the Gryffindor tower. Tomorrow was a new day. Lessons will start and she had a good feeling that this year will be a lot better than last year.
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After lunch the next day, Hermione rushed off to potions and left Ron and Harry to their free period. She was actually quite intrigued to learn from Professor Slughorn. Although she knew in her heart that Severus would always be her potions master.
Just as Slughorn began his demonstration at the start of the lesson, the class was interrupted by her two best friends. She was happy that she wasn't on her own for the class. Hermione greeted them with a smile as she answered Slughorn's question and introduced herself.
"This is Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world. It smells differently to each person, according to what attracts them." Hermione explained stepping over to the brewing potion.
She took in the fumes from the concoction. "For example, I smell... books, ink, new parchment and ... the dungeons." She breathed out the last bit, hoping no one had heard her. She quickly returned to her place from where she had previously observed.
In the next few minutes Professor Slughorn ushered everyone away, to start brewing the potion themselves. Hermione cracked on with her work, taking the task with pleasure. As she was the best at everything she did. But this time it was different. This time she was getting more and more frustrated with her potion. This time he wasn't there to teach her. She couldn't understand if it was the absence of her favourite teacher or the way she was brewing the potion, that caused her to mess things up so badly.
It mustn't have been that hard if Harry was getting the hang of it. Although she was sure she noticed, that the ratty old book he was following was annotated thoroughly. Which each stir of her potion, Hermione's hair heightened ever more slightly in stress. Her perfect chocolate curls were now in a bushy chaos.
As it was near to the end of the lesson and Professor Slughorn checked each person's potion. For the first time in her life she was embarrassed by her work. To her annoyance she had to be tormented, by Harry stealing her limelight in a lesson he hated.
After lesson, Hermione was about to take a detour to Severus' room, but then remembered he taught Dark Arts now and he would be up in the castle more often. So she ascended the stairs from the Dungeons with Ron and Harry. She took a redirection after she told her friends, that she was heading for the library.
Hermione waited down the corridor, until Snape dismissed his class for the day. Once his 2nd year students fled from the classroom, she gave it a good amount of time before entering. She knocked and entered through the door, before he could respond. His demeaning look soften once he realised who had just walked in. Hermione smiled and walked over to him, observing the newly furnished classroom.
Hermione could tell Severus had imposed his own personality into the room, with rather dark decors and curtains drawn over the windows. The room was lit by candlelight, leading to a gloomier atmosphere. She immediately thought she was back in the dungeons again.
"Love what you've done with the place." She stated sarcastically, whilst she pecked his lips with a supple kiss.
Severus kissed her back, and before she knew it. Hermione was perched on the edge of his desk. "Your arrogance gives me hope, Granger." Hermione snickered lightly at his response, whilst their lips touched more firmly this time. He stood between her legs, as he placed his hands on her waist pulling himself closer to her body.
"Did you get it then?" Severus looked down at her willingly, after they parted for air.
"Get what?" She asked in confusion.
Severus straightened his stance, "The Felix Felicis? Slughorn taught you about the draught of living death, did he not?"
Hermione shifted off the desk uncomfortably not wanting to talk about her shame. "Well... no exactly." She couldn't bring herself to look at him after that.
Severus now looked at her in confusion. "Are you telling me, that the brightest witch of her age didn't brew a perfectly simple potion?" He couldn't help the corners of his mouth rise up into a side smirk.
She looked up at him, seeing the amusement in his eyes and hit the man playfully on the upper arm. "Aye! It's harder than you think." Before she lowered her glaze again in disappointment.
Severus walked over to the young woman and cupped her cheek in sorrow. "Hermione, it's perfectly normal too-"
Hermione shot her tearful eyes up at him "Not for me it isn't."
"If it makes you feel any better. In my 6th year, It took me several attempts to brew it perfectly as well." Severus explained trying to reassure her.
Hermione just looked up slightly to force a smile, but he wasn't entirely convinced.
"Come with me. Ill saw you how a real potions master brews his potions. Slughorn probably overlooked a few ingredient's whilst demonstrating that's all." Severus took her hand in his and led Hermione to the back of the classroom and up the flight of stairs to his office.
Hermione was grateful for the time he took out of his leisure time to help her with her potions. Although what are boyfriends for?
Even though they were now in a Dark Arts office. It looked very much like his potions classroom but smaller. A cauldron was already set up on a desk at the edge of the room and all's Snape had to do was grab a few ingredients from his box, that was hidden away.
Whilst Severus set up his work station, Hermione brought a stool over to where he was working and placed it down so she had a clear view from where he demonstrated. Over time Hermione just sat there and admired how elegant he was stirring his potion, sometimes loosing himself in the moment.
To her surprise, she noticed the way Severus produced his work. It was near enough the same way Harry did in class. The certain amount of Sopophorus beans he used and the way he released the juices gave him away entirely. She didn't want to question him on it though and kept the thought to herself.
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They now entered the month of November and snow thickly coated the surroundings of Hogwarts, as it was predicted every year. Hermione, Ron and Harry had just come back from the three broomsticks and witnessed the curse of Katie Bell. Over the warm fuzz from the alcohol it gave Hermione, she to found the scene horrifying as if she was still sober.
The three of them was then summoned to Professor McGonagall, who inspected the necklace Katie was given in the girl's toilets of the Hogsmeade pub. Severus showed up as well, to confirm his co-workers inspection. He was a little taken back to find Hermione in trouble again, with her friends. He truly thought she'd known better than to hang around with them two idiots.
They exchanged glances a couple of times discreetly. Severus was unaware that she had been to the pub before he got there, but now it was clear. Hermione stumbled and swayed slightly due to the warm fuzz that clouded over her. She shook her head a little to clear her mind from the gloomy overcast.
Professor McGonagall requested that they should all go back to the Gryffindor common room at once, but Hermione didn't want too. She felt more happy and free than ever. She barely ever got drunk and when she did, it was like a heavy weight had lifted from her shoulders.
Hermione waited for Severus back in his private rooms. As she waited restlessly, alone with her thoughts. Because that's all she could ever do in his room. She had never rooted through his personal things, as she wasn't even sure he had any.
The young women felt mischievous and began to look in every place she hadn't touched. Surely he would never know. She opened one of his nightstands and found an old picture from 20 years ago of him in his youth, with a pretty redhead. To Hermione the girl was stunning and jealously ran through her veins wondering who she was. She now regretted snooping at all. It only made her mad and curious.
She took a seat in the armchair and waited for Severus. Her curiosity still wasn't satisfied. Hermione jumped as the door opened and Severus entered the room. With the first glance at her, he knew something was wrong.
"Hey Sev!" her voice was seductive. "I was waiting for you. I hope you don't mind."
Hermione floated over to him happily and gave him a soft kiss, as she slung her arms around his neck. He tasted the alcohol on her lips and tried to push her away gently, as the kiss got more passionate. He made his way towards the couch and she followed.
"Hermione, you're drunk!" Severus eyed her up warily.
"So what? It's nice breaking the rules once in a while!" He enjoyed the fact that Hermione was happy, although she was drunk. He found it slightly irresponsible. But with how much she had worked throughout school, he also knew she deserved to be stress free once in a while.
His thoughts were disturbed by her body pressing against his. She had climbed on to him and now saddled his lap. "Hermione don't do that-"
But Hermione wasn't bothered in the slightest she wanted to show her love to the man before her. Kissing his neck eagerly. "Why? I know you want it too." And he did, but not like that.
She wasn't ready and he was aware of it. It was the drink talking not his Gryffindor know it all. Severus tried to push her away carefully, not having to be physical with her.
A tap on the window saved Severus' from the difficult situation. Hermione flew off him and seated on the couch again straightening her clothes, as Severus opened the window.
"It's for you." He said in surprise.
"For me?" From who?" He gave her the letter and let the owl fly away, back to its owner. After having read the letter, she folded it in half and placed it in the back pocket of her jeans.
Severus raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement and held out his hand to see the letter. But she just shrugged it off as if it was nothing.
"It's nothing important. Don't worry about it." Hermione blushed in embarrassment, still perched on the couch next to him.
"Really Granger? You expect me to believe that?" Severus said with his arm draped over the back of the couch, as he faced her.
"You should just take my word for it." Hermione stated, leaning in to kiss him like before.
Severus avoided her kiss, still not completely convinced about the letter.
"Let me guess. It's from Dumbledore isn't it? Telling you, you've won an award for most awards." Severus teased her on her academic achievements.
"Sev please, just let it go. "Hermione kissed him finally on the lips, but to her annoyance Severus broke it off shortly after.
"Maybe it's a love letter from one of your admirers... like Cormac." He suggested with a pestering smug look plastered on his face. As she leant against his chest.
Hermione dropped her forehead down on his chest in frustration. Once she finally looked back up at him, a smile grew on her face due to his curious mind.
"How can I convince you, that you're the only one for me?" Hermione said flirtingly, with a sexy smirk upon her face. As she lowered her lips to Severus'.
He finally gave in to her temptation. His lips brushed other hers lightly, as she got lost in the heat of the moment. He deepened the kiss more, causing Hermione to lose all focus. Severus then pushed Hermione back onto the couch, into a laid down position and swiped the letter from her back pocket.
The man removed himself for the furniture and stood up straight, opening her letter up. He walked away swiftly in amusement. Hermione still lay on the couch, foolishly humbled by his luring trick. Her hands hid the embarrassment on her face.
Severus skimmed read the first few lines before recognising what it was. He started reading the letter out loud, teasing Hermione even further.
"I Professor Horace Slughorn would be glad to have you –" Hermione tried to grab the letter from his grasp, but he held it higher at arm's length. Getting a satisfied kick out of his playfulness. "(with your desired partner) at my Christmas party" she now began to jump up and down on the spot lazily, as the alcohol was still in her system. "For my Slug Club."
"Sev please stop." She moaned in amusement, continuing to receive the letter from him. He moved away from her but she didn't follow. Only watched him from across the room.
"Well Lily, this is quite an achievement." Severus mocked. His mischievous smile vanished once he comprehended his words.
He dared to even look up at Hermione as she sharply breathed in. Hermione stood there in shock trying to act soberer, to understand what she had just heard. He called her by another women's name.
"What did you just say?" She knew exactly what he said, but wanted to hear it from him just to confirm.