Snape's Room in the Basement

Being Headmaster does not give poor Severus as much freedom as Ginny hoped it would...

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Snape stared down at her for a long time before answering. "You know I'm the Headmaster now. Why are you asking and why are you looking at me with that evil glint in your eye?"

"No reason." Ginny said, giggling. "I've just never fucked a Headmaster before."

"Oh Merlin." He sighed, rolling over onto his back. "You are incorrigible."

"Yes I am." She said, propping herself up on his chest to stare down at him. "But you love it."

"No." He said softly, reaching up to brush the long strands of hair away from her face. "I love you."

"Why do you look so sad? You're the Headmaster. You're in charge. We can be together whenever we want now."

"Oh Lioness." He said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "You really don't understand do you?"

She shook her head, a growing unease rising up in her stomach.

"I'm not in charge. The Dark Lord is. He is the one who named me Headmaster and they are his orders I must follow." He reached up and gently stroked her hair. "I am being watched more closely then ever before. Every move I make is being monitored and reported back to the Dark Lord. Why do you think I brought you here? To the one room that can't be plotted, monitored?"

"But…I…" Tears clogged her throat making it hard for her to speak.

"Ginny. Look at me." He said firmly.

She turned her tear filled eyes to stare into his black ones. She could read the pain and the loneliness in them.

"Ginny we were not careful. Professor Dumbledore suspected that we were involved."

She shook her head in denial; he reached up and placed his hands on her face, holding it still.

"We cannot make that same mistake. There is too much at stake."

"But….."

"No Ginny. No 'buts'. I am being watched by the Carrows. There are portraits on the walls that can and will report my every move back to The Dark Lord. Students from my own house that would just love to report that I have been disloyal. That I have been consorting with a "blood traitor"? I will not risk it. I cannot risk it. The Dark Lord must continue to believe I am thoroughly with him. I could not bear it if anything were to happen to you because of my carelessness."

"I won't even get to see you in class." Ginny sobbed.

"Come here." He murmured, pulling her close to him and holding her tightly in his arms. He stroked her hair while she cried.

"Ginny. I need you to promise me that you will not try to sneak to see me or do anything to cause the Carrow's to punish you."

She nodded her head against his chest, reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes. "This is so unfair." She whispered. "Will this ever be over?"

"I don't know." He whispered his voice husky. "I wish I did. Will you kiss me now?"

She shook her head and pressed her face tightly to his chest. He held her and stroked her hair while she cried.

"Shhhhh Ginny." He crooned softly to her, trying to comfort her, his own heart aching painfully.

"Ginny? Please look at me."

She raised her tear stained face and gazed into his eyes. Reaching up, he carefully wiped her tears away with his thumbs.

"You have given me something so special. I loved someone once, a long, long time ago and she broke my heart. I never thought I could ever feel this way again. But I do. I feel it with you. I love you more then I ever thought possible."

"Who?" She sniffled. "Who did you love?"

"Just someone I knew in school. It's not important now. Will you please kiss me?"

She nodded her head and pressed her lips against his. They lay together, kissing softly and passionately. Whispering soft words of comfort and encouragement. He entered her gently and held her tightly to his chest, both trying to memorize the feeling of this moment, of each other.

As he moved inside of her, Ginny reached up to stroke his face. "Does it really have to be like this?"

"I am afraid so. I cannot ignore my promises or my responsibilities."

"I hate this fucking war."

"So do I." He groaned as he pressed himself deeper inside of her. "So do I."

They moved slowly together, neither one really wanting to reach a climax, knowing that their time together was coming to a close. For what seemed like hours, they moved together, kissing, touching and stroking. Eventually the friction became too much to bear and they came together, clutching and crying.

They dressed slowly, pausing frequently to kiss or touch. All too soon it was time for them to part.

"Please remember your promise to me." Severus said, wrapping her up in a tight embrace. "I need you to stay safe for me."

"Can you promise me the same thing?" She asked staring up at him, her eyes fierce.

"I cannot." He said softly. "I can only promise to do my best. My life has become much more valuable to me as of late."

They kissed fiercely one last time before leaving the Room of Requirement. Snape led her grimly to the corridor leading to the Gryffindor common room.

"Good Evening, Ms. Weasley." He said stiffly.

"Good evening Headmaster Snape." She said sadly before slipping through the portrait hole and out of his sight.