All the way

Hermione opened her eyes slowly. It was dark and she could feel the rising and falling of Severus\' chest under her. She sighed. So much for letting him be more independent and not getting attached, not that she was.

And holy cow! What if Ron had decided to come all the way through the floo? She knew that he and Harry didn\'t know about what she had done to get Severus out. They would be livid.

Hermione shifted and felt around on the floor for her wand. When she found it, she waved it. Severus\' pajama pants popped onto him and Hermiones night dress appeared on her.

She sat up a little and put her wand on the table. She had just let go, when two strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and pulled her back down. Hermione sighed and melted into Severus\' embrace.

\"More sleep...\" He muttered.

Hermione smiled and then frowned. How on earth had she let this happen? It had been the best fuck she had ever had, although quick, but she felt guilty. She felt like she had taken advantage of him when he had nothing concrete in his life.

Well, soon that would change. Soon he would be back at Hogwarts. After a few terms, Hermione could persuade Minerva to give him the job full time and then she would be out of his life.

She could spend a year out with Harry and Ron, even go to live out in America. No one would know what had happened over here in England, about the appeal and all. She could start a fresh. Apart from a small pang in her chest, it sounded perfect.

Hermione closed her eyes. The arms around her tightened.
____________________________________________________

Severus opened his eyes. He was still on the sofa, but Hermione was gone. He sat up quickly, looking around. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw her sitting in the chair opposite.

She was painting her nails on the coffee table.

Looking up, she smiled, \"Awake at last, sleepy?\"

\"When did you wake up?\" He ignored her question as he sat up straight.

\"A few hours ago,\" She replaced the lid on pot of pink varnish. Picking up her wand, she put a drying charm on them, \"I\'m going out.\"

\"Where?\" Severus asked possessively.

\"To see Harry and Ron and put there heads straight. I think Ron had quite a shock last night, I swear he thinks I’m still a virgin.\" She laughed and stood up shoving her wand into her coat pocket.

Severus stood up and sauntered over to her, until he towered over her. Hermione hooked one arm around his neck and pulled herself up. She pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth and stepped back.

\"I\'ll be back in a few hours. Don\'t answer the door, don\'t leave the house, don\'t open the curtains and don\'t touch that thing in the fridge. I think it might be alive.\" She smiled, \"Be good. See you later.\" She waved and with a \'pop\' she was gone.

And with her absents, Severus felt quite a loss.
____________________________________________________

Hermione apperated directly into Harry and Ron’s apartment. They were sitting on the sofa watching some show on T.V.

\"Hey Hermione!\" Harry grinned, \"I heard about your little... mark.\"

\"Yes, I bet you did.\" Hermione scowled at Ron who scowled back.

\"So... Who was he? Where did you meet him? How old is he? What does he look like? Where -\" Ron started angrily.

\"I have known him a long time, he is forty one, he has black hair and I’m not telling you any more.\" Hermione said firmly.

\"FORTY ONE!!\" Ron bellowed, \"He’s old enough to be your father! He\'s taking advantage of you! That mark! He wants to own you!\"

\"Ronald Weasley!\" Hermione shouted, \"You are supposed to be my best friend! You are supposed to know me! Obviously you don\'t know me if you think I’m THAT FUCKING HELPLESS! OBVIOUSLY YOU DON\'T KNOW ME IF YOU THINK THAT I WOULD LET MYSELF BE ‘OWNED’!!!”

\"WOA WOA WOA!!!\" Harry stood up and looked between the two angry people, \"Hermione, we only want to look out for you. Ron, Hermione can look out for herself!\"

\"That doesn\'t make sense!\" Ron jumped up, \"Tell us who he is or I’ll... I’ll...\"

\"You\'ll what Ron? Stutter at me?\" Hermione screamed.

\"TELL ME WHO THE FUCKER IS THAT\'S DOING YOU!!!\"

\"I thought,\" Hermione said quietly, \"That by coming here I could explain to you what happened last night because I was scared that you would think I was \'being done\' by some one horrible. But now, I couldn\'t careless if you think I shagged Voldemort last night! I can make up my own mind about who I want to have sex with! No matter what you think, I am not a virgin. Actually, I’ve probably been with more people than you two put together. Don\'t floo me, I don\'t want you telling me what I can and can\'t do any more!\"

Angrily, Hermione apperated back to her flat.
____________________________________________________

Severus was sitting on the sofa waiting, when Hermione came home. She looked flushed and angry. Severus stood up and walked up behind her.

He snaked his arms around her middle and rested his head on her shoulder. She stiffened; So Severus pulled her in tighter to him.

\"Bastards...\" He heard her hiss, \"Complete fucking bastards. Gods, Ron made me sound like some fucking whore!\"

Roughly, she pulled out of his arms and stalked into the kitchen. Severus followed her scowling.

\"Owned... My ass! Fucking prick.\" She was muttering curses as she poured herself some wine.

\"I take it that you visit didn\'t go well.\" Severus murmured as he walked up behind her again.

\"That is the understatement of the millennium,\" She scoffed, \"If you listened to them you would think that I was some stunning Goddess that must be protected by others because she couldn\'t do it herself! I mean, it’s not like I’ve fought numerous Death Eaters, or played against a giant murderous chess set, or been in a horrible forest with a werewolf, or helped TWO wrongly imprisoned convicts who were both believed to be cold blooded killers!\"

\"Sshh...\" Severus put his hands on her waist, \"They are being their usual idiot selves. If they cannot see what a brave woman you are, then it is their loss. Although,\" He placed his mouth right next to her ear and whispered, \"They do get one thing right...\"

\"Oh yes,\" She said doubtfully, \"and what is that?\"

\"That you are a stunning Goddess.\"

She went completely still in his hands.