Outside the Fire

Disclaimer: Okay, no matter how many times I repeat it to myself, they're still not mine. Damn.

A/N: A great big thanks go to all my reviewers out there, and to Sunglow for beta reading, and to my lovely husband who checks my work without complaint.

Outside the Fire

Chapter 10 - When shit hits the fan, Harry Potter still comes up smelling of roses..

Severus came to his senses when he felt small hands bringing his own in between their tightly pressed bodies and two buttons popped open on Hermione's jeans. She wiggled against him and guided his hand down the back of the loosened denim and over a satin-covered bottom.
"Stop!" he wrenched his mouth away from hers and drew in a deep breathe.
"Why?" Two voices asked. Severus looked up to see Salazar leaning against his frame, watching them intently. Hermione leant her head against his chest, one hand still in his hair, the other buried under his shirt and caressing his back. She licked a path from his ear to his chin, feeling the pulse thudding under her tongue. She felt his hand glide over her bottom as he removed it and shivered, and then she was gently placed at arms length.
"Because I says so, and I am not arguing with a portrait and an inebriated eighteen year old." he ran a shaky hand through his hair and turned away, willing his arousal to recede. She was going to regret this in the morning.
"I'm not drunk." Hermione protested and Severus finally turned to face her, noting the flushed cheeks and swollen lips.
"I think you'd better leave, Miss Granger."
"Can't we discuss what just happened?"
"Nothing happened," Severus said, "End of discussion."
"Fine. Nothing happened. Yet."
"Ever."
"We'll see."
"No, we will not see." Severus folded his arms defensively.
"Fine."
"Fine."
"I'll see you in the morning." Hermione folded her arms. "Nine o'clock."
"Pardon?"
"You said I could assist you," she pointed out. Severus opened his mouth to deny it, but Salazar interrupted.
"So you did, Severus. And Slytherins don't go back on their word, do they?"
"I thought that was Gryffindors?" Hermione turned to the portrait.
"We Slytherins just don't like it spread around too much." Salazar straightened up, "Come, Miss Granger, I will escort you back to your rooms, seeing as the Professor here has had an attack of conscience." he looked at Severus, "More fool he."
"At least I have a conscience." he said, "And I don't seduce students."
"I think it was the other way around." Salazar said.
"She's drunk. She'll regret this tomorrow."
"I'm still here, you know, and I'm not drunk." Hermione huffed and picked up her robe. "If you would escort me back, Sir, I'll let Professor Snape brood in peace." she turned on her heel.
"You might want to button your trousers first, Miss Granger." Salazar pointed out, bringing Severus's attention to her dipped waistband.
"And take that mangy cat with you." Severus snapped. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and slowly did up the buttons, smoothing down her t-shirt and taking her time over it. Severus felt his mouth go dry.
"I'll meet you outside." Salazar disappeared from the portrait, leaving them alone apart from the ginger cat.
"Goodnight, Miss Granger."
Hermione sighed and stepped forward. Severus moved back an inch before stiffening.
"Oh for God's sake! I kissed you. I enjoyed it. I'd have been happy to take it further too, so don't start blaming yourself over it." she stepped closer, "Oh, don't worry, I'm not going to attack you again, but I will tell you this, and listen carefully, Professor. I'm not going to go away and forget this." she poked him in the chest.
"I suggest you do just that, Miss Granger, because it won't happen again."
"Keep telling yourself that, Professor, and you may start to believe it." before he could blink, Hermione pressed another kiss on his lips and then darted away, scooping up her cat on the way to the door. "See you in the morning." she called and closed it after her.
"In shock, is he?" Salazar asked as she leaned against the door.
"Possibly."
"Wasn't expecting a pretty young thing to jump him, was he?"
"No." Hermione waited for him to appear in the next portrait, "Think I'll have another shot at him?"
"I'd wait a bit before trying again," he said, "Lull him into a false sense of security."
"Should I get Draco and Harry involved, do you think?" she mused, then looked sideways as he skipped ahead two portraits, "Salazar? What's the matter?"
"You didn't hear this from me."
"Hear what?" she demanded.
"A portrait hears and sees many things in this castle."
"I know that. So what am I not hearing from you?"
"I'm not sure I should tell you,"
"I have a months pass to the Restricted Section. I'm sure there's something in there that will prevent portraits from moving." She stopped and tapped her foot.
"You drive a hard bargain, Hermione Granger."
"I know. Well?"
"This conversation is not for empty corridors." Was all he said and headed off towards the Head Girl's rooms.
"What are you doing so far from Slytherin, Salazar?" the portrait of Godric Gryffindor challenged when they neared her door.
"I have legitimate business with the Head Girl," he said arrogantly.
"Is this true, Miss Granger?"
"Yes, Sir Godric."
"Well, if the old lecher gives you any trouble, I'm only outside the door."
"As if you haven't been caught spying in the locker rooms, you old reprobate."
"As much as I like listening to you two arguing, it's late and Salazar and I have something to discuss." Hermione said impatiently, opening her door. Crookshanks sauntered in and jumped up on the bed. Salazar moved into a picture of a landscape and sat on a rock, arranging his robes around himself.
"Okay, start talking," Hermione threw her robe over a chair and started shimmying out of her jeans. As she stripped down to her bra and knickers, Salazar sighed appreciatively.
"If only I weren't a portrait..."
"Godric was right, you are a lecher." She pulled her nightdress over her underwear and turned her back on him, undoing her bra and wriggling out of it.
"Shall I tell Severus what he's missing?"
"If you like, now stop procrastinating and start talking."
"All right. Tell me what attracted you to Severus Snape."
She shrugged, "He's intelligent, sharp, tall, dark and sexy."
"But is it a recent attraction?"
"It started not long before Halloween, why?"
"Have you had any dreams about him?"
"Yes, why?" she climbed on the bed.
"Erotic dreams?"
"God, yes. How did you know?"
"Didn't you think it strange?"
"Will you get to the point!"
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"If you don't get a move on I'm getting dressed and going to the library."
"The young are so impatient," he tutted, fully intending to relay back to Severus what she looked like in her satin nightdress, "It's just that there have been cases of Legilimency being used to influence dreams," he hinted.
"But there's only three Legilimens in the castle, Dumbledore, Severus and.."
"Harry Potter." He finished for her. Hermione didn't know whether she felt admiration for Harry's daring or anger for the betrayal of her privacy. Her emotions were clear for Salazar to interpret.
"He only wants you to find someone like his friends have." Salazar said gently as her eyes filled with tears. She dashed them away with shaking fingers.
"He could have just asked." Her voice was thick.
"Would you have admitted that you were lonely?"
"Probably not," she wiped her cheeks. "So he thought that Severus Snape was my ideal partner, did he?"
"Along with Weasley, Malfoy and Zabini. It seems that Gryffindors and Slytherins compliment each other."
"Sounds to me like they're all as devious as each other." She snorted.
"That too," he stood up, "Will you be all right?"
"Yes, thank you for your concern. I'll deal with Harry in the morning."
"Perhaps we can talk again sometime?" he bowed to her.
"I'd like that." She slid under the covers of her bed and extinguished the lights.

Ten minutes later, Sar apr appeared above the fireplace to find Severus with a cigarette in one hand and a firewhiskey in the other.
"You can be such an idiot sometimes, Severus." He said, "If it was me in your place she'd have hit that bed so hard it'd still be bouncing."
"It's just as well you're not in my place then," he said morosely.
"I've just had a glimpse of what you turned down," the portrait said slyly, "and she's ripe for the picking."
Severus glared up at the founder of Slytherin, "Stay out of her rooms."
"She wears a blue satin nightdress, Severus, and she could have been warming your bed tonight. She was all over you and you turned her away."
"Shut up, Salazar." Severus flicked his half smoked cigarette in the fire. "She was drunk. She'll have forgotten it in the morning."
"No she wasn't, Severus. She wanted you. She still wants you, and if you forget the rules for once you can have her."
"Goodnight, Salazar." Severus swallowed his drink and stood up, snuffing out the candles and went into his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

~~@~~

Severus was in full Victorian mode when Hermione entered the classroom at precisely nine o'clock the following morning. Seeing that he was in full denial, she decided not to push it, but act as if nothing had happened the night before. She greeted him pleasantly and then proceeded to lay out the ingredients for the potion thad dad discussed the day before.

"I have to see the Headmaster, Miss Granger. I'll be back in half an hour." Severus picked up a scroll of parchment and left the room. She was chopping wormwood when the door opened and Harry and Draco poked their heads around the door.
"You okay, 'Mione?" Harry asked. She narrowed her eyes at him.
"That's debatable, Harry Potter."
"Uh oh, what did you do?" Draco asked his lover.
"Dunno, what have I done 'Mione?"
"Don't you 'Mione me, Potter. You know what you've done." Her knife sliced through the root savagely.
"No, I don't." Harry was puzzled.
"How about practicing Dark Arts on a supposed friend?" the knife banged down as she swept the root into her cauldron.
"Err.." Harry swallowed, "How did you..?"
"I promised not to tell." She stirred carefully, "How could you, Harry?"
"I only wanted to know what sort of man you found attractive," he slumped onto a chair next to her and tried his puppy dog eyes on her.
"Oh, Harry," she sighed.
"Well, did you see Severus last night when you left us?" Draco sat down on the other side of her and tried to deflect some of the flak Harry was getting.
"Yes."
"And?"
"Nothing happened."
"You sound disappointed."
"Oh, all right, I wished him Happy New Year."
"And?"
"I kissed him."
"Well?"
"He kissed me back, for all of ten seconds." She fibbed.
"You are disappointed."
"Of course I'm bloody disappointed, you prats," she hissed, "Harry's made sure I've been dreaming about him for the last two months!"
"I only went in twice, 'Mione," Harry held up his hand, "Once to see what you found attractive in a man, and second to plant a suggestion. Dreaming of Severus is your own doing, and boy, do you have some imagination!"
"Oh."
"Yeah, thanks, Granger." Draco grinned.
"What for?"
"The second time Harry came back we had the hottest sex ever."
Hermione flushed bright red, "I don't think I wanted to know that."
"Anyway, if you need any help with him, we're at your service, Milady." Draco bowed, unconsciously echoing Salazar Slytherin, "Along with Millie, Ron, Blaise and Ginny."
"There is something inherently wrong about this scenario," she said, "What on earth possessed you?"
"I was Ron's idea initially, okay as a joke really, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that you would be good for each other." Harry said earnestly, "You're both brilliant, you're lonely, although it would kill you to admit it, and you're both so focussed on academic work that it scares the shit out of most of us."
"So what makes you so sure that Severus will be attracted to me, of all people."
"Face it, Hermione, he snaps at you, you snap back. If there wasn't something there, you'd be ignoring each other." Draco pointed out.
"Okay, so there's something betwus. us. That doesn't mean he's going to give in."
"He already has on one level, or you wouldn't be here helping him."
"I can't believe I'm sitting here discussing this with you."
"Seducing Severus? Hey, we're men, we're the best ones for the job. How else will you know what turns us on?" Harry said.
"Harry, you're gay. Draco turns you on, not me."
"Can't be all that different, can it?" he turned to Draco, who shook his head.
"My love, you can be so innocent at times. Remember those wet kisses? You must have realised that girls are light years apart from us."
"Okay, so maybe Ron and Blaise will be more helpful."
"I think you've all been helpful enough." Hermione said firmly, "If I need any further help, I'll ask, okay? But for the moment, stay out of it, and stay out of my head." She cast a firm glance at Harry, who had the grace to look sheepish.
"Okay, we'll give you until the end of February, and then we'll discuss this again." Harry stood up and hugged her. Draco came forward and kissed her cheek.
"Oh, Hermione? Don't you want to know what I got Sev for you?"
"Yes, in case he says something."
"A black silk scarf."
"Draco!"
"I couldn't resist." He shrugged.
"Puzzled the life out of him, I'll tell you that." Harry piped up, "I was there when he opened it. He has no idea why you gave it to him."

She frowned as she realised that Harry had been privy to her innermost desirand and found that she wasn't at all comfortable with it.
"I still hate what you did, Harry. It was immoral and invasive. You should know better than most."
"I'm sorry, really sorry, Hermione. Can you forgive me?" he put his head on her shoulder, encircling her in his arms.
"Just don't ever do it again," she knew she couldn't stay angry with Harry for long.
"Can we do anything, or get you anything?" he looked down at her.
"Just let me do this on my own, will you? And no doing anything without discussing it with me first."

~~@~~

Severus strode down the corridor towards the Headmaster's office. He wasn't looking forward to this, but after last night it was the only option he had. Years of control and self-restraint had crumbled at the hands and mouth of an eighteen year old, and for the first time in his teaching career he'd been ready to bed a student. A few had tried before, but they'd been dismissed with a few harsh words. Miss Granger, Hermione, had been different though. Salazar had been right, she wouldn't have objected to being tossed on the bed, and the blood rushed south as he remembered how flexible she was from the Room of Requirement. Years of dancing would have given her strong thigh muscles and he fantasised briefly about them being clamped around his waist.

Walking became uncomfortable, and he was supremely grateful for his teaching robes, because his erection was now pressed firmly against the front of his trousers. He paused for a while in front of the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office; it wouldn't do to face the Headmaster with a raging hard-on. Clenching his fingers around the scroll, he spoke the latest password relating to the Headmaster's unhealthy obsession with confectionary. The gargoyle stirred and the staircase was revealed; this would be only one of numerous times he'd been reluctant to start up those stone steps.

Taking a steadying breath, Severus started up the stairs, entering the open doorway. A humming Headmaster was pottering around on the upper balcony, but turned when he heard the door snick shut. A very stiff Severus Snape was standing in front of his desk, a closed expression on his face. Dumbledore wondered what had happened to bring that particular look back on his friend's face. Moving surprisingly quickly for a wizard over 150 years old, he descended the spiral staircase and welcomed his friend.
"Severus, Happy New Year to you."
"And to you, Albus." He nodded stiffly, not really knowing how he was going to handle this.
"Tea?" Dumbledore indicated that Severus sit down.
"No, thank you." Severus sat, and crossed his legs uncomfortably.
"I didn't expect to see you today."
"I know. Here, Albus, this should explain everything." Severus placed the slightly crumpled scroll in front of Dumbledore. Seeing the determined look on his face, Albus picked it up and calmly read it.
"This is dated at the beginning of term, Severus. Why wait until now to give it to me?"
"I wanted to be sure I was making the right decision."
"And you're sure now?"
"Yes. I will see this year out, according to my contract, but no longer."
"I suppose I should have expected this." Albus took his glasses off and wiped them absently.
"Yes, you should have."
"It's no use trying to persuade you otherwise?"
"No. This coming term will be my last."
"What will you do, Severus?"
"Research, publish some long overdue work." He shrugged.
"Are you sure I can't change your mind?"
"No. I've been here too long, Albus."
"Is there something you're not telling me?" shrewd eyes looked at him from over the glasses. Severus kept his expression closed and his defences up.
"About what?"
"I heard that young Harry and Draco wish to bond."
Severus snorted, and shook his head, "Foolishness, that's what it is."
"But you haven't forbidden it."
"I doubt I would be able to prevent either Draco or Potter from doing anything they wanted."
"Within reason, Severus, within reason. They are reasonable boys, Severus. If it would hurt anyone, they wouldn't do it."
Severus wondered what he was talking about. Albus stood up and started to pace, which Severus found surprising, as Albus was more often wont to offer lemon drops rather than show any anxiety.
"Many would find it to be foolishness on their part, for two teenagers to join together at such an early age. But they know what they're doing. For years they have been alone, and now, thanks in part to you, they have each other. Does their situation have any bearing on this?" Dumbledore indicated the scroll. Severus almost laughed when he realised what Albus was implying. Had he really been that successful in hiding behind the façade? He scrubbed his hands oves fas face and looked his friend in the eye, debating whether to let the lie stand.
"No. It just brings it home to me how old I have become. I do not want to spend my remaining years frustrated by idiot children. I want solitude and privacy, Albus, and I do not get that here. Please do not make it more difficult for me."
"I suppose I should be grateful that you have stayed this long." Dumbledore sighed.
"I wasn't meant to be a teacher, Albus, you know that."
"But you have been a great asset to this school. Just look at Harry and Draco."
"Let's not."
"What about Miss Granger?"
"What about her?" Severus asked suspiciously. He knows, he knows.
"She's expected to graduate top of her class in most subjects. Are you saying that you haven't pushed her to the limit of her potential?"
Severus privately thought that after last night she would be the one doing all the pushing.
"I push them all. I just don't like it when they push back."
"Ah, and the fact that she will be here in September also has no bearing on your resignation?"
"Albus, I'm tired. Can you not just accept that my penance is served?"
"Oh, Severus. Is that what you think this is?"
"Isn't it?" Severus smiled bitterly. "I have no illusions about myself. Most people would be happy if I disappeared."
"We are not most people." Albus rested his hand gently on Severus's shoulder.
"No, and for that I am grateful. Will you accept that?"
"Yes, my boy. I will be sorry to see you go."

Damn. He was going to get away with it. The old man really didn't have a clue what this was really about. He had no idea that all Severus was doing was running. Running so far and so fast no one was going to catch him. Now all he had to do was worry about a certain brown-haired Gryffindor with a predatory gleam in her eye..

Severus stood up and gathered his robes around him. Nodding curtly, he left the headmaster to ponder on his friends' sudden decision to resign. Albus sighed as he sat behind his desk, looking again at the crumpled scroll. A few short sentences were all it contained; the sum total of what Severus thought was the result of nearly eighteen years. As he'd told Severus, he'd expected it to land on his desk eight months ago, as soon as the summer term had ended. He had no idea why Severus had decided to return, unless it was out of a misplaced sense of duty. He sighed again and rubbed the bridge of his nose where his glasses usually sat, thinking again that he should have insisted that Severus take that sabbatical. Perhaps they were all getting too old for this.

~~@~~

Harry and Draco were gone by the time Severus made his way back down to the dungeons. He paused in the doorway and watched Hermione stand over her cauldron, a look of deep concentration on her face as she stirred in a figure of eight, her rod held at the precise angle prescribed by him. This was the girl who'd made Polyjuice Potion in her second year, and for a moment he felt a pang of regret that he hadn't offered her an apprenticeship himself. Almost as if she sensed him, she looked up suddenly and his breath caught as he saw the way her eyes gleamed mischievously at him. There was no way she was going to let him forget about last night.

He gathered his dignity and robes around himself and strode into the room, a carefully neutral expression on his face. He'd given his word to her that she could help him, and he'd keep it even if it killed her. Around the end of the worktable, he stopped beside her and checked the cauldron, noting the correct colour and consistency, together with the scent of jasmine drifting across from his assistant as she sliced pixie wings neatly. Inhaling a deep breath, he picked up his own knife and started chopping.

Hermione had decided to let sleeping Potion Masters lie and not go with the teasing mercilessly as Draco had suggested. A sultry (or as sultry as she could make) look from under her lashes would have to do. She hadn't had much practice with it, but Draco had given her a good demonstration that had had Harry yanking him out of the classroom and back to their room. She smiled to herself when she remembered the blank look on Harry's face as Draco had gazed up at him from his seat, his grey eyes glittering though a shield of thick, lush eyelashes. She'd kill for those eyelashes, and knew any number of girls who would too. Draco knew exactly how to use them, and did so with sickening regularity in Harry's direction. It was amazing how Draco managed to convey an air of delicacy about him when he stood two inches taller than Harry, but just one flutter of those lashes had both sexes falling over themselves to please him. Harry had his hands full with that one, definitely.

Severus and Hermione chopped, sliced, diced and shredded in silence for the rest of the morning, apart from the murmured instructions Severus made. She kept comments to the minimum, and found after all that she didn't feel confident enough to flirt shamelessly as her friends had suggested. Perhaps it had been the drink talking last night. Oh God, she'd made an idiot of herself with her teacher! Snap out of it, Hermione! You knew exactly what you were doing, and who with! Didn't he respond last night? Yes, and we both enjoyed it, and don't you forget it, she reminded herself sharply. You've set yourself on this course and you've never failed at anything yet. A faint shiver ran through her as she realised what lay at the end of all this; her and Severus in bed.

Decision made, but not sure how she was going to proceed, she started to hum softly to herself.
"What are you doing?" Severus asked.
"Extracting Flobberworm mucus." She said absently.
"No, the noise you're making."
"Oh. I'm humming."
"You sing too?" there was an undercurrent of amusement in his tone.
"Heavens, no! Absolutely tone deaf, same as Dad. Dogs howl when we start singing."
"Oh? I'd assumed you excelled at everything."
"Why, Professor! Was that a compliment?"
"Perhaps a left-handed one."
"Or a right-handed insult?"
"Please shut up."
"Shutting up, sir."
"Why have I not tried that in class?" he raised his eyes to the ceiling.
"Why have you not tried asking politely?" she countered sweetly, trying the seductive glance from under her lashes. Nothing. Damn.
"Would it have worked?" he told his body to behave itself after her glance went straight to his groin.
"You never know." she shrugged, "A little bit of courtesy goes a long way."
"Please pass the hemlock."
"Here you go, Professor." Hermione waved her wand and levitated the jar all the way across the room. Severus looked from the jar to her, noting again the mischievous look in her eyes. What? her eyes said.
"Do that again and you'll get tossed out of this room."
"Thought you might appreciate the joke." She shrugged again.
"You thought wrong."
"Ah, joke quota used up this decade?"
"For the next two, actually." He couldn't understand where this playful banter was coming from. He wondered if Albus had slipped him something in his tea, but then remembered he hadn't drunk anything. Damn. He levitated the hemlock back to his workstation and added it to his cauldron. In ten minutes they were bottling the result and Hermione was cleaning the mess up efficiently with a cleaning charm. She leaned against the desk afterwards and observed Severus as he locked up the storage cupboard. His sixth sense radar was beeping as he sensed her watching him. With a sigh, he turned to face her.
"Well?"
"Are we going to discuss last night, Professor?"
"Will you leave me alone if we do?"
"If you want."
"Then we discuss it." He indicated that she sit down and he leaned against a workstation, preferring to have the advantage of height.
"I wasn't drunk." She started, determined to clear that misconception up first.
"Pardon?"
"I wasn't drunk. Last night. I wasn't drunk. I knew exactly what I was doing." Hermione leant forwards a little.
"Why, then? Was it just a little fun with the nasty teacher?" his calm voice was in direct contrast to his flinty eyes.
"No!" Hermione's curls bounced as her head shook, "I like you." It was time for a little honesty. Severus snorted in disbelief. Hermione grinned. "Okay, I don't know you well enough yet, but I am attracted to you."
"Why?"
"I don't know why! Call it hormones or whatever, but there isn't anyone else around here that attracts me like you do!" she stood up and started pacing. "You drive me up the wall!"
"And round the bend?" he relaxed a little, realising that there was a mutual attraction here, regardless of the fact that he didn't want there to be.
"Going all the way through the plumbing too." She stopped and smiled up at him.
"You're still a student, and what I said last night is true." He pointed out.
"But you did enjoy it?" she'd moved close enough for him to smell her shampoo.
"I'd have to be dead not to have enjoyed it, Miss Granger." He said dryly, still wanting to run as far away as he could. This was not the direction he'd wanted this conversation to go in.
"Oh goody, seeing as I'm not into necrophilia." Her tone was just as dry. A small smile twitched at the corner of his mouth and he shook his head resignedly.
"Did you mean it?" he asked abruptly.
"That I wanted to take it further? Yes, I do, Professor. Maybe the drink gave me that extra push, but you should know of all people how determined I can be."
"What happened, Miss Granger?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm finding it hard believe this change in your character."
"Can we talk about this somewhere else?" she swung away from him, hoping to be invited to his rooms. He tossed her robe to her.
"Come, then." He held the door for her and allowed her to precede him. She followed in silence as he led her towards the main entrance and they headed towards the lake, their footsteps crunching on the iced over snow.
"We're being very civilised about this." She murmured.
"One of us is an adult."
"So what does that make you?" she laughed and stepped sideways as he looked sharply at her.
"Answer my question." He refused to be distracted, and wanted to know why she'd changed all of a sudden. Hermione's demeanour turned serious. If she didn't handle this correctly they'd go back to square one.
"It's hard to explain," she started, "but I think it all started after the first match of the season. There was a party in our common room, you know, the usual celebration that goes on. Harry persuaded your team to come along."
"I know."
"You..? Of course, not a lot gets past you, does it? Anyway, that's when I noticed that everyone seemed to be pairing up. Draco and Harry were already together, but Ron wanted Millie and Blaise was going after Ginny. Huh, even Neville was chatting up Lavender."
"Oh, I think I'm going to be sick."
"What? They make a cute couple!"
"Longbottom and Brown? Please!"
She smacked his arm playfully and then stared, horrified at her own temerity.
"I..I.."
"Five points for violence, Miss Granger. I suppose I should be grateful that wasn't my nose."
"Bit hard to miss." She sniggered and was rewarded by the twitch that indicated he was slightly amused.
"So, everyone was pairing up.." he prompted.
"Everyone was pairing up, and I..wasn't."
"Pairing up."
"No." she took a deep breath, "All I had were books."
"And chocolate."
"How.on'ton't answer that, I don't want to know." By this time they'd reached the lake and Hermione scuffed her boots along the sand. "Thank you for my present, by the way."
"You're welcome." He shrugged. "So?"
"So, you started to piss me off and Harry suggested I take out my frustration on a punch bag."
"Potter did?"
"Well, he first suggested sex as a great tension reliever."
"He would."
"Can I finish this please? It's embarrassing enough as it is."
"Go ahead."
"And then Neville's exploding cauldron happened, and Halloween happened, and Michael Corner happened, and every girl and some boyse lue lusting after you. And then that scene in the gym happened and please just feel free to jump in and stop me revealing anything more embarrassing." She finished in a rush, her cheeks flaming.
"So you've felt this way since Halloween?"
"I just said so, didn't I?"
"Why me, though?"
"Haven't you been in this situation before?"
"A few times." He admitted reluctantly.
"I imagine you didn't take those girls for a walk around the lake though."
"No, they usually get tossed in."
"You're taking this very calmly."
"This is all a hallucination, so I can afford to be calm."
"You're noingoing to let me in, are you?" she stopped under the shadows of a large willow tree.
"What do you mean?"
"You're trying to let me down gently, am I right?"
"Hermione, I cannot afford to have any kind of relations with a student." He turned to face her.
"You are letting me down gently."
"I'm sorry, Hermione."
"Can I still help you? If I promise not to push?"
"I don't think that would be wise, do you?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're too ethical for your own good?"
"No, but I've been told what a bastard I can be many times."
"I do like you, Professor."
"I hate to admit this, but sometimes you're not as irritating as you once were."
"High praise indeed!" there was a slight hitch to her voice and she turned back towards the castle. He stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"I am flattered, Hermione, truly. But I'm too old for this and you have a bright future in front of you." He looked down into her over bright eyes, and almost brushed hismb omb over her full bottom lip. He restrained himself with difficulty, not realising she'd seen the hunger in his eyes.
"It's all right, Professor, I understand." Inside, she was elated. He wanted her!
"Really?"
"Of course. I'm too young for you. I understand." She ducked her head to hide her smile. Severus's eyes narrowed. She was taking this better than he'd expected, but as he had no idea what was going on in her head, he'd have to leave it at that.
"I'd better get back then. Are you coming?"
"No thanks, Professor. I'm going to stay out here for a little while. I'll be back in time for lunch."
"Thank you for your help this morning."
"My pleasure. It's nice to see a master at work."
"Until later, then, Miss Granger." He gave a slight bow and strode back towards the castle.

Hermione watched him go with a gleam in her eye. She could afford to wait, she thought. It was only a matter of time before she drove him nuts, and she knew exacthe phe people who would help her...

TBC

A/N: I've really struggled with this chapter, but I think I'm back on track. Hopefully, it won't take as long to update the next chapter. Moonglow.