Bei Mir Bist Du Schon

Chapter Four’s Missing A/N: A lot of people write Dumbledore showing the same affection to Severus that he does to Harry (using affectionate terms, speaking kindly, even when Harry was wrong)—I never noticed him doing this. In fact, in reading The Prince’s Tale, I was startled by the absence of any kind of such behavior. It’s all business with the possible exception of when they are standing together and Dumbledore suggests that Severus was sorted into the wrong house.




Chapter Five
Passing By




Come Potions class on Monday, Hermione received her notes at the start of class. Professor Snape did not spare them a glance, and she thought she was off the hook. Upon unrolling the parchment, however, she nearly fell out of her seat. Near where she had embossed his initials and drawn a heart around them was written in that distinctive spidery script:

“Kindly stay after class and explain yourself. –SS”

Heavens, she had never been so embarrassed. Her face burned red for so long Harry asked if she needed to go to the hospital wing. She politely waved him off as she began preparing her workstation to brew. There was no escape, and she would have to own up to what she had done. Before getting started, she was careful to add a concealment charm to that specific part of the parchment, lest anyone else spy the questionable content of her notes.

Noting her reaction, Severus smirked to himself. Signing the note “SS” had indeed been an inspired touch. He wanted, more than anything, to know her motivation in writing what she had.
The simple fact was that when he dared to be honest with himself, something which did not occur often, he hoped to everything that she wasn’t just playing around or worse yet, referring to some Muggle he had no way of knowing about.

Some time later, after both had spent what might have been the most agonizing class period ever trying to mentally prepare for what was about to happen, naturally striving to prevent any of this from showing on their faces, potions were bottled and class was dismissed. The last class of the day. The best thing Minerva had done when she took over was take time to make schedules routine, so one always knew what to expect, or what to dread. No surprises here.

As the classroom drained, Hermione shook off Harry and Ron by claiming she had a technical question concerning the Potion she had just made. They didn’t want to stick around and listen to Hermione try to debate with Snape; that would be wicked.

Once the last student was gone, she walked to the door and shut it firmly. She had absolutely no desire for word of this to get out. Hesitantly, Hermione approached Professor Snape at his desk.

He did not look at her until she was standing next to him, having boldly crossed behind the desk. He slowly raised his eyes and fixed them hungrily on her face.

“I knew I wouldn’t get out of this that easily,” she said with a nervous grin. “Collecting something without intending to look at it…”

Severus cleared his throat, “Actually, I had no intention of looking over any of the papers. I only looked over yours, and only because you made such a fuss when I tried to collect it.”

“I see.”

“Why,” he began cautiously, “did you write what you did?”

He definitely got points for being direct. Hermione flushed and narrowed her eyes. She looked almost… angry.

“You read it,” she said tersely, “I think it is fairly self-explanatory… unless of course the point of this exercise is to further humiliate me I should think you would just let it go.”

Severus was utterly surprised by her response. She looked as if she were about to cry. He tried to figure out how to backpedal safely but effectively. The best thing to do was screw professionalism and even the playing field.

“Miss Granger, I do not seek to embarrass you. I am certain that when you composed your notes you had no idea that perhaps the sentiment you seemed to express was… reciprocated.”

Shock was all Hermione knew. Did Professor Snape just insinuate that he had feelings for her? She suddenly felt lightheaded and swayed on her feet. Fortunately, it seemed her luck was improving. She did not land hard on the floor, but rather lightly in her professor’s strong arms, half laying across his lap. In her attempts to right herself, she nearly sent both of them to the floor. In response, Severus tightened his grip on the girl so that she couldn’t move. In doing so he had also pulled her securely into his lap, purely by coincidence. Happy, happy coincidence.

Sadly enough, for Severus happy and guilty were close cousins. His face drew up as if in anticipation of a reprimand. Hermione smiled at him.

“Did you mean what you said?” she asked with a serious expression on her face.

“Miss Granger, I am many things, few of which are good. I am not, however, the kind of man who uses falsehood to harm women in any way.”

She observed him carefully. She had known he was an honorable man, but this… this situation was beyond belief. Hermione had imagined she would be alone forever so certain was she that there were no men she could stand long enough to get to know. Of course, there were Ron and Harry, but they could be quite annoying at times (like when they would talk about nothing other than what would help the Chudley Cannons) and were too much like little brothers. For the first time, there was hope of not being alone.

She did not trust her voice just yet; this was a life-altering thing, whether or not it lasted. She gently disengaged her arms and slipped them around his neck. Hermione noticed a light went on somewhere behind her professor’s eyes when she did this.

“What do you want this to be?” he inquired, hunger still evident in his eyes.

“I don’t know,” Hermione responded slowly, “but I definitely want to pursue it. I never thought—”

Severus realized she thought she had said too much.

“Never thought what, Hermione?”

She looked up sharply when he used her given name.

“I never thought I’d find someone…”

“Someone who…” he prompted.

“Someone who I wanted to have a relationship with.”

“I understand that feeling,” he said, smiling just a little.

“So, what are we going to do about,” Hermione gestured with one hand at the air between them, “this?”

“Whatever you want,” Severus said.

Hermione heaved a huge sigh. “Honestly, Professor—”

“Don’t call me that you silly girl,” he snapped, “you make me sound like a perverted old man.”

“What if it’s a perverted old man I want?” she asked coyly.

Severus rolled his eyes. “We need to get out of here.”

“Good point. Filch will probably be coming along to clean up, won’t he?”

“Yes, best to follow me.”

With that, he helped her stand and led her through the classroom to his office, and through a door under a tapestry on the far wall. They entered what she could only assume were his private quarters.

He led her through a nice looking entryway on through to a sitting room. He sat on the couch and motioned for her to sit beside him. She opted to return herself to his lap, putting an arm around him again and trailing her other hand lightly across his chest and down his arm; she sat there amusing herself by playing with his hand.

For his part, Severus tried desperately to not think about how good her body felt against his; her warm shape in his lap, stimulating things that ought not be stimulated just yet. He had to take his mind off this situation immediately. He cleared his throat.

“There was a staff meeting this morning,” he began lamely.

“Indeed? And what riveting subjects did the Headmistress dream up for you all to sit around discussing on an otherwise nice Saturday morning?”

“There is to be a Harvest Ball… attendance is mandatory.”

Hermione could sense the groan that followed that sentence.

“I’m sorry,” she said, knowing that he had chosen to live a life of solitude of late.

“I am not,” he said with a smirk.

“And why is that, -professor-?” Two could play that game.

“Because it seems I have an assigned dance partner for the first part of the evening.”

“I see. And is she… pretty?”

“I would say so. Quite beautiful, actually. You have no idea,” he purred.

Hermione couldn’t believe her ears. He was flirting with her, he had to be.

“Do you imagine you can get her tipsy and have your wicked way with her before the night is through?” Hermione asked, tracing her finger around the inside of his arm for emphasis.

“Well, that is entirely up to her. Given my way, I would not involve alcohol. I should hope that any woman I set upon to seduce into my bed would come of her own free, uninhibited will.”

“So am I to take it that this dance partner you have described is a Gryffindor student? One with a certain position of power?”

“You mean one the Headmistress has control over? Yes. In fact, she is head girl.”

“Well, I bet you must be proud of yourself, landing a date with the head girl. You know, she has her own room.” She paused. “You fiend! You just wanted to get with her so you could do it in the head girl’s room!”

“Ah! Caught red-handed.” He smiled at her and her attention was drawn to his lips.

“Can I kiss you?” she asked bluntly.

“I wish you would,” he said, capturing her head gently and guiding her lips to his.

The first kiss was a chaste kiss. When he pulled away, he noticed Hermione looked slightly bemused. She proceeded to pull his head back down and kiss him soundly. He had let her take the lead, not knowing what her level of comfort would be, but clearly she was not having any difficulty with the fact that she was snogging a professor and known Death Eater. He knew he would cut out his own heart before he allowed any harm to befall her, and perhaps she had picked this up.

Now he had the measure of the situation, Severus insinuated his tongue between her lips, lapping at her tongue and exploring the inside of her mouth. Hermione sighed and tightened her hold on him. It was a relaxing kiss unlike any she had ever had before—all others being the hurried response to a dare or the result of fate and a spinning bottle. It was gentle, pleasant, and terribly arousing. Yet he was nothing if not a gentleman. His hands never strayed from her waist, nor did he permit her to come into contact with his growing erection.

Hermione noticed his kisses growing more insistent. Her face was flushed, heart beating fast. She was wetter than she had ever been before, she knew it. Severus’ tongue was doing wicked things, pale imitations of an act she desperately wanted but knew there would be no convincing him tonight. She sucked greedily on his tongue and moaned, trying to bring herself in contact with his hard, cloth-covered flesh.

She could tell he would have like that, because his hands twitched, but caught her before she reached her destination.

Pulling her away gently, he kissed her forehead.

She made a slight whining sound.

He smiled indulgently, “That’s enough for now, you silly girl. It is nearly time for dinner, and you will be missed. You need to go eat and you need to go get some rest.”

Hermione was disappointed, but she did not want to end their time together on a sour note.

“Yes, -sir- and may I just say that you do sound like an old man now.” She smiled at him and embraced him before following him back toward the office and the rest of the castle.

When they reached the classroom door, he held it open saying in a low voice, “Silly girl, take care of yourself. We will be together again soon.”

She smiled at his promise and hurried along to dinner.

After she was out of his line of sight, Severus made a bee-line for the shower and cold water.



A/N: Lemons in the next chapter, or the chapter after that. Anyway, they aren’t far off. Don’t despair!