It felt like he rarely saw the higher floors of the castle but for when he went to fetch more books. This semester especially he had been in and out of the library like a bloody yoyo.
Well he had meetings with Minerva now and then, but he could floo himself there so it really didn't count since he only saw her office.
Severus nodded his gratitude to Madam Pince as she turned off the lights after him. The hour of curfew had stricken and the deputy headmaster strode down a disserted corridor.
Damn Winter. Couldn't the man have had the foresight to not go bonkers and not leave his daughter with the deluded idea to following in his footsteps?
Not becoming bonkers but becoming a potions master...mistress.
Good thing the two of them were close to done. The girl was annoying Severus no end.
It had seemed the only right thing to do, taking her on as a gesture of gratitude to her father, his former tutor, and she had saved his life, even if she hadn't meant to.
She might just have shrugged at him when he had asked her about it, but no matter how much Ari said that she hated all of her Death-eater relations, she didn't actually want them to die. Especially not Draco Malfoy.
Severus suspected she had brewed the brew of Second Breath thinking firstly of her fragile sweetheart.
She would never confess to it, she didn't need to.
But gods help him if she wasn't soon sent of to another Potions Master for the second part of her training.
She enjoyed ticking him off, he was sure of it. The mentions of his mulish determination of not giving in to his feelings for Miss Granger, the voiced and very correct assumptions that he had feelings for Miss Granger, was becoming a more frequent topic than the apprenticeship or even the potion processes.
It was enough to make Severus want to rip that annoying little head of that annoying little body and use it as a doorstop.
He looked down at the two books he carried. They were his ticket to a Winter free life.
Footsteps and the sound of voices reached him as he walked through the supposedly empty school. He was heading towards the knot were the first floor entwined the upper levels of the school with the lower. The voices were ascending from the dudgeons.
Other teachers maybe or prefects one their last round heading back to their rooms?
He should have known his luck. Especially since he didn't have one.
Miss Granger, accompanied by the source of Miss Winters recently acquired insanity, young mister Malfoy.
How quaint.
They were walking level with him but on the floor beneath his. They would cross paths as he descended the staircase up ahead.
They appeared not to have noticed him as they seemed to be engrossed in a discussion of some sort.
He slowed his pace and hid in the gloomy shadows.
Severus hadn't seen Miss Granger for over a month. Not up close and he hadn't really allowed himself to more then glimpse her during dining hours.
Her beautiful curls bobbed in her wake hinting of their soft nature. Her lushes lips parting and delicately closing as her bell-like voice formed words. Her sensual grace as her young curved body moved closer to the stairs and inevitably, to him.
Miss Granger, the source of all his troubles. Without her he would be thankfully dead and rid of this world. Without her he would not have found out that one of his students was his soul's desire. Without her he would not repeatedly have found said student having her lips pressed to his. Without her he would not have had to dance with a half-his-age young woman at a stupid ball function. Without her he would never have had the heart aching discovery that she was not only his soul's desire but his soul desire and love...
Now he found himself lurking in the shadows apparently lusting after his student. A dirty old man indeed. What would she think of him if she saw him?
He pushed himself out of the dark and moved forward. Trying to reclaim his dignity. He reached the stairs at the same time the duo on the other level did.
Her amber coloured eyes found his and she froze with her foot on the first step.
He looked down at her with bored annoyance.
The blond boy next to Miss Granger looked between them and then mumbled something Severus couldn't hear.
As Draco set of up the stairs leaving his co-Head standing there like some doe in headlights Severus wondered what the boy knew.
Surly he didn't take his air-headed girlfriend's ramblings seriously, and Miss Granger had surly not professed anything to her archrival.
The suddenly suspiciously rushed boy dispread behind Severus without meeting his gaze.
The Potions Master shook his head and started to walk down the stairs.
The girl at its landing appeared not to have blinked let alone moved since she had seen him.
Severus rolled his eyes.
"Is there something you wish to say Miss Granger or are you just overwhelmed by my presents?"
As he stopped walking and just looked inquiringly at her it seemed that she would finally come alive. She looked away from him.
"I'm sorry sir, I just haven't seen you in a while"
"And what a fine vacation it has been" Severus observed making his face seem pleased.
Miss Granger just twitched her lips in an uncommitted way.
"I was almost sure I wouldn't see you again until I took my NEWT's" her eyes turned back up at him. Their expression slammed in to him like sledgehammer. He stood up straighter by the shear force
"I thought we had come to an agreement that you wouldn't bother me with your...attachment ever again Miss Granger."
She frowned
"I haven't even touched the subject sir."
"I think your eyes speak for you Miss Granger."
"I can't help my eyes sir." She started to walk up the stairs. Was this a challenge to see if he would back from her? He didn't move. "I can't help how I see you, I can only stop looking."
"Do you wish to spew more sugar-coated obscenities over me or would you just leave so I can go back to my vacation?"
"No one is holding you here sir." Her voice seemed seductively suggestive when it said those words, and also a bit disappointed.
"Ah, well then. I will be forced seeing you again at your NEWTs Miss Granger." Severus stared down the stairs again.
Miss Granger didn't move. She was looking at her shoes.
He had succeeded in hurting her again. It had been his objective so he should have been pleased. He should have.
"It was nice seeing you again Professor." Miss Granger whispered as he was about to passed her.
"The pleasure is all yours Miss Granger" he turned to her "And you get going before I deduct poin..."
Severus had somehow misjudges the distance between him and the young woman. With eyes widening in horror he saw his gesturing arm strike her over the face. Oh lord he had hit her.
Miss Granger must have tried to avoid the blow. Alas her movement together with his strike made her lose her balance.
The impact and surprise made her take a step backwards. He saw her fall backwards.
Her beautiful eyes were already widened in shock as his hand had hit her face now they widened even more as fear took a grip on her.
She had already fallen down Hogwarts stairs. Severus remembered the crumpled figure bleeding on the stone floor.
His arm shot out catching her. He pulled her back to him.
Holding her close. He had her. What would he have done if he hadn't caught her? He couldn't let anything happen to her.
Her delicate body against him, her hair smelled sweetly with a hint of citrus.
...
He was holding Hermione Granger to him. One couldn't squeeze a paper between them.
Damnation...
Careful to keep his face placid Severus risked a look down. What must she think of him?
Her mouth was slightly opened in surprise and her eyes glittered with wonder.
There were none else there to see his slip but her. Only she would know that had held her tenderly to him.
Hermione, his biggest wise.
Hermione, who's love he had to battle daily to not give in to.
Hermione, who he was holding to him.
One arm around her waist the other sneaking up to her face. His index finger stroked her cheek. She leaned in to his touch.
The intoxicating smell of her, her seductive lips. Her lips... so close...
The tall man leaned down, the younger woman closed her eyes.
On the stair in the middle of a dark school a sinister old professor forgot all of his principles and kissed the woman who loved him.
The kiss ended.
He still held her face as they broke apart.
She looked at him glowing with joy.
"You Do feel for me Severus" she dared not but whisper. Maybe the dream would end and she would wake up cold and alone in her bed.
His black eyes just looked at her. Was there a pain in them?
She stroked his cheek smiling.
At first it seemed that he would lean down to kiss her again but he stopped midway.
Her beloved Professor dropped his hands from her and looked away.
He stepped from and around her, he started to walk down the stairs again.
No...
"NO! You are not leaving! Not this time!" she grabbed his arm. "You kissed me! You kissed ME!" she was crying and screaming but she didn't care.
He didn't turn, the bustard didn't turn.
"I'm sorry Hermione but I can't." he tugged his arm out of her grip.
"The Fuck You Can! And you WILL!" she followed him and grabbed him again. This time he turned.
"No." his face showing emotion for the first time. Real feelings, apart form shook or anger or exasperation she had never seen that before. He was sad. He was beautiful. "I can't condemn you to suffer my love."
He had said love.
She glared at him.
"Fuck You! Condemn Me!" she stepped closer to him and her words grew softer "Please let me suffer you."
He looked at her. He seemed to almost hunger for her. Oh how she wanted him.
"No" was all he said and turned from her again.
She tried to hold on to him but he was too strong.
He left her on the stairs.
Hermione looked after him.
He wouldn't get away now.
She turned and walked up the stairs.
He loved her back.