For the Greater Good

A/N: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I really enjoyed the bribes of chocolate, coffee, and pop-tarts if I would update soon. I hope this will make up for being so evil last chapter. Warning: Lime alert!

***

"Are you fucking insane?" Snape bellowed.

Hermione at first had been furious with the Minister, but when Snape said that, she whirled around on him and gasped in indignation.

"Oh, what's that supposed to mean? What am I? An old hag?" she thundered.

"Oh, spare me your hurt feminine pride, Miss Granger! I'm sure when you were just a little girl in your frilly, pink room, you always dreamt of marrying your future, hideous, greasy, bat of a Potions master!" he snarled.

"Alright, stop!" Kingsley shouted as he began to pace nervously. "I can't make you two do anything you don't want to do, but I'm begging you both. We are in a season of transition and turmoil. Scandal and weakness amongst the staff at this school will only result in tearing down this entire institution. You both know we cannot force magical parents to bring their children here; they can be educated at home, and there are other magical institutions that Muggle parents can send their children to if they wish. Hogwarts has always been counted as the finest educational institution in all of Wizarding Europe! I know I am asking a lot, and I won't force you, but it really would make things so much easier. Besides, Hermione, you said it yourself, nearly an entire generation has been wiped out. Whom will you marry? And Severus, if you would make half an effort at marriage and parenthood as you give your potions, you would make an outstanding husband and father, I'm sure. You both are bright, intelligent, and powerful in your magic. Together you could have talented, powerful children. Please consider what I'm saying, Severus, Hermione?"

They both looked at the minister and then at each other. Hermione spoke up. "Let us please have some time to consider your thoughts, Minister," she said shyly. Inside she was a wreck. What will Severus say?

Snape cleared his throat and said deeply, "I agree with Miss Granger." He did not look at her again.

Kingsley clapped his hands together and smiled. "Well, it is the best I can hope for at this point. At least, it was not a 'no'! I shall give you a week to decide."

***

Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress sat in an uncomfortable silence as the minutes ticked away slowly. Neither one knew where to begin. They had gotten along quite well since the war had ended, finding that their preconceptions of each other were inaccurate outside of the classroom setting. She found that he was not nearly as harsh now that he wasn't forced to lead a double life, and he found that she was not as much a know-it-all, rather a young woman with a true love of knowledge. They had become close companions. Both had envisioned a future relationship with the other, even if neither had admitted it. Now, both witch and wizard were nervous wrecks. Who was going to stick their neck out first? Hermione decided, being the Gryffindor she was, to attack the problem head on.

"Well, Severus, I think that we should discuss this 'possibility' or-or 'opportunity' the Minister has given us." She cringed inside at how badly she had handled that.

She waited for a crushing reply, but none came. Instead, Severus was speechless it seemed. Or, he was very much deep in thought. Hermione sat back uneasily and waited for him to speak.

Thank God, she spoke first! he thought. Snape could never have managed the courage to do it. After all, a man has his pride! How would it look, a man old enough to be her father trying to coerce her into marriage? She'd run screaming into the night, or would she? He regarded her. She was really getting to him. He would never admit it to anyone, not even her, but she had been the guest star in many a naughty fantasy when he was alone in bed and could not sleep. The past month with her continuously by his side had been the most frustrating, annoying, exhilarating, and challenging time of his life. She was so much smaller than he was, but she was a ball of fire that never seemed to run out of flame. She was determined, headstrong, self-reliant, and she knew her own mind. And what a mind! She was brilliant, intelligent, and clever. It also didn't hurt that she had a very pleasant figure that he was itching to uncover. Every day for a week now, he had been pitching tents every time she had come into his personal space. It was quickly becoming pure torture for him. Once he had been able to sneak a peek down her top and saw she had a delicious little cleavage. He wished he could remember that awful day when they were stripped naked in front of each other after the battle as fodder for a fantasy, but she had been covered in so much copious amounts of mud and blood that he ran the risk of being turned off permanently. So, now what was he going to say?

"What are your thoughts, Hermione?" Oh, so very Slytherin, Severus!

She seemed to agree. She crossed her arms and scowled at him. "That was a very underhanded maneuver, Severus! I took the high road and broke the silence. The very least you could do, as a gentleman, is to speak your mind first!"

He felt like an utter prat. Well, here goes...

"Hermione, I think you and I would be very well-suited for each other. We have common interests, goals, likes, and it seems our futures are set on the same path, at least for the foreseeable future. I realize this is not the most ideal of marriage proposals, but I would be very honored if you would become my wife." There! Now sit back and wait for her hex your dangly bits off, you dunderhead!

"I accept, Severus," she answered softly, her eyes concentrating on her hands folded in her lap.

He blinked several times in astonishment and then got up from behind his desk, sitting down next to her on the sofa.

"Yes?" he asked, not quite believing his ears.

"Yes," she murmured. Her face was blazing red.

He didn't know how to interpret that. He sat dumbly, wondering what he was supposed to do next.

"W-would you like to kiss me?" she stammered. Hermione was so nervous, she thought she would faint dead away. She would never admit it to anyone, ever, but she had been thinking of him while they had worked together this past month. She would stare at his hands and how dexterous they were, and she would watch his mouth as he spoke, wondering what they would feel like on her. She remembered how good it had felt to be held by him when she was so desperately sad after visiting the graves of Harry and the Weasleys. He had carried her back to the castle and had felt so strong and powerful. She knew she was blushing terribly now as visions of what it would be like underneath him, naked, being taken by him, danced unbidden through her head. He was so intense and passionate about so many things; she wanted desperately to know if he went about lovemaking the same way.

He leaned in and when that wasn't close enough for him, he slid his arm around her waist, roughly pulled her flush against him, and tasted her lips. He didn't just kiss her, he tasted her. She felt a shiver run throughout her body. The hair on her arms stood up and her nipples hardened against the scratchy lace of her bra. She thought it was either hotter than blazes in the room, or she was coming down with a fever. He continued to taste her lips with his lips, teeth, and tongue. She felt she was going into sensory overload. His mouth felt so good on hers, his smell...is that cologne? It's very nice, she thought. Then his arm was around her, holding her firmly against his chest. His body was hard, and she wanted to wrap her arms around him, but she was unsure of herself. She gasped, and he took the opportunity to delve into her mouth. She was terrified and excited all at once. She didn't know about kissing. She had kissed Ron once, but it had been a disaster, and she had certainly never French-kissed before. She was scared she was doing it wrong, and he must have sensed her fear, for he stopped.

"Did you not like it?" he asked softly.

She had to take a moment to catch her breath. "Oh, yes, I did. I-I just don't know how to do what you were doing." She covered her face with her hands in mortification. She couldn't even say the word "French-kissing" to the man she had just agreed to marry. If she couldn't even say that word to his face, she was in for a world of embarrassment when the wedding night came around!

Severus lowered her hands and darkened the room. She couldn't see barely anything but an outline of him.

"What is this?" she asked nervously.

"I thought perhaps, in the dark, not being able to see me, it would be easier to talk to me about some things. You don't have to worry about body language, posturing, blushing, or looking me in the eye." He took a deep steadying breath. "Tell me, Hermione. Were you sincere in your acceptance of my proposal?"

"Oh, yes!" she said eagerly. "Please, don't think about the kiss as an indicator of my wanting to marry you."

"Hermione, have you ever kissed anyone before?" he asked gently.

"Uh, once, but it was terrible, and my mouth was closed," she said in complete embarrassment. God, I sound pathetic!

"Perhaps, I took things a bit too far. Would you like for me to give you a simple, small kiss on your lips to start?" he asked softly.

"Please," she breathed. His voice is so hypnotic!

He leaned into her, and she could feel his breath on her cheek before his lips brushed hers and then came back and placed a firmer hold on her waist, deepening the kiss. It was so nice, like touching heaven, that she involuntarily sighed noticeably, and he chuckled.

She was embarrassed and lowered her head. He was laughing at her!

"Hermione," he whispered seductively in her ear, "you have the softest lips. I could kiss you for hours and hours."

She found that his words and that voice had a way of making their way down to between her legs. She was so warm and tingly, and she didn't want it to end.

"May I kiss you?" she asked nervously.

"Oh, yes, Hermione, please," he groaned.

She took advantage of the dark and kissed him the way he kissed her. Soon she found her body was taking over for her, and she was kissing him with her open mouth. She didn't even know what the hell she was doing, but it sure felt bloody fantastic! Soon, she felt his arms around her, and she wrapped her arms around him in return, taking her time to slide up his arms and feel around to his back. She loved the feel of his robes under her fingers. He broke from their kiss to taste her neck. She was in flight, as if she were no longer earthbound. His hands wandered their way to her collarbone, tracing delicately the bone and lightly slipped down to lightly graze her breasts. She was breathing hard now and she hoped he wouldn't stop. She felt her face was on fire and all she could think about was how her mind was screaming at her to tell him to touch her nipples. She desperately wanted to, but she couldn't say the word "nipple" to him!

She pressed her chest into his suggestively, hoping he would take the hint. He broke off the kiss and nuzzled her ear whispering, "Hermione? Are you alright?"

"Um-hmm," she answered as she pushed harder against his chest.

He chuckled deeply in her ear. She moaned and gripped his arms.

"You want something badly, don't you, Hermione?" he whispered softly.

"Yes."

"Tell me." His voice held a ghost of his commanding professor's voice to it, but she was too embarrassed.

"May I look in your mind, Hermione?" he asked silkily.

"Yes," she breathed.

He broke from her, took his wand, and whispered, "Legilimens." He sat back and watched the glow in her eyes from his wand. He placed his wand down and asked seriously, "Are you sure, Hermione?"

"Um, what do you mean?" she asked nervously. She knew there was many things she wanted him to do, but only one she was willing to do this night.

He began to unbutton her blouse as he whispered in her ear what he had seen.

"Yes, that," she said excitedly.

He chuckled again and eased her shirt out of her waistband. His hands were warm and so large against her rather small chest. She was just starting to wonder if this had been such a good idea when she felt her bra pushed up, freeing her breasts, and his skilled hands grazed her nipples. She choked out a cry of pleasure, and he delved into her mouth again. This is good...this is so good! Hermione thought over and over. She felt him pick her up by her waist and straddle her onto his lap. His legs felt like steel against her inner thighs. She was unsure and lost her balance, falling forward, and nearly smothered him with her small breasts.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry!" she whispered.

"Why are you whispering, Hermione?" he said in his normal tone.

She was humiliated and hurriedly pulled down her bra and buttoned her blouse. He let her dress in private before turning on the lights. She was beet-red and went to get her things to leave when he stopped her and made her sit back down.

"What's wrong?" he asked concerned.

"I'm so stupid! I nearly suffocated you!" she said hopelessly mortified.

He laughed. Out from his throat came a rich throaty laugh that made her smile in spite of herself.

"Oh believe me, Hermione. If I were to die, I couldn't think of a more enjoyable way!" he said as he chuckled deeply.

She cleared her throat and straightened herself. She wanted to tell him he was being very indecent and shouldn't say things like that, but she found that she enjoyed it, and the smirk on his face told her he knew it as well. There was only one thing to do: make a quick exit!