52- Valentine's Day... of Doom? Part Two of Two

Please see previous chapter for Disclaimer and Author's Note.

*part two of two*

As her hands snaked over his chest and down his body, Snape uttered a groan, then pulled back, pinning her with a smouldering gaze and saying, "You bloody vixen; if you're going to start something, then you had better make sure your door is locked, and Silenced for good measure."

Brows climbing in acknowledgement of his statement, Hermione dutifully picked up her wand, casting a couple of different locking spells and changing the password to her door. Then, with a wicked glance at Snape, she cast a Silencing Charm as well, flourishing her wrist in a variation of the standard movement.

Snape cocked an eyebrow at her. "What was that? Did you just do what I think you did?"

Hermione assumed a prim air and retorted, "Well, if you think I just cast a spell that works both ways, then yes. Not only will we not be heard in the corridor, but we won't be disturbed by anyone trying to knock on my door. And, tomorrow, if anyone asks, I'll just tell them that I felt unwell and did exactly that." She shrugged and flashed a cheeky grin. "I think they can manage without me for one night. Not like I get bothered much anyway."

Snape's eyes lit up with surprised appreciation for her tactic. "Of course, if you like, we could always adjourn back to my room."

Hermione shook her head and said, "No. It's only fair that we get to stay here, too. Besides, I won't mind being able to smell your scent on my sheets later..."

Snape's cock twitched at her words. Heart speeding up as his desire increased, he lowered his lids, eyeing her with predatory intent, and she gasped. His lips spread in a feral grin and he closed the distance between them, purring as he pinned her with a fierce kiss.

Hermione moaned into his mouth, goose flesh erupting all along her body in response to his mouth on hers. They grabbed at each other, limbs entwining, pressing against each other heatedly as they snogged. After several minutes, in which their breath came faster and shallower, Snape wrenched away and flicked his fingers, muttering, "Nox." The lights in the room all guttered out, and Hermione voiced a sultry laugh.

The moonlight was streaming through her window, giving them enough light to see by, and washing them in a cool glow. Revelling in the chance to abandon themselves to desire, they found themselves impatiently tugging at clothing, trying to slide buttons through buttonholes and slip hooks from eyes. Frustrated with the awkward struggling, they separated, sighing in exasperation and grimacing.

Catching Snape's eye, Hermione chuckled, wryly pointing out, "You had a point earlier."

"Which one?"

"About how things I may read about can differ from reality. Clothes always seem to miraculously disappear in stories!" She rolled her eyes and Snape snorted.

Reaching for his wand, he tilted his head and said, "I am a wizard, my love. It may not be miraculous, but it can be magical..."

Bursting out laughing, Hermione shook her head and reached toward her feet. "I'll pass this time. But I am going to get more comfortable." She started untying the laces on the hiking boots she had worn to Hogsmeade, and Snape surreptitiously toed his boots off, stripping his socks off and stuffing them into the boots. Fortunately, her room was warm enough that he didn't think his feet would get cold.

Hermione cast a sheepish grin at him as she followed his lead, peeling her socks away and furtively shoving them under her bed. Then, standing, she crossed her arms, gripping the hem of her jumper to lift it over her head.

Snape watched her hungrily. She had dressed very much like she had when they had gone to London, and when she removed the jumper, a long-sleeved knit top was revealed. Snape absently shrugged out of his robes, idly pushing them off the foot of the bed onto the floor.

Hermione tossed the jumper toward her hamper and looked back at Snape, pausing to goggle at him in just his shirtsleeves and trousers. Her chest tightened as the intimacy of it hit her. Granted, she had seen him in less, and in more, but never yet had she seen him in what he regularly wore beneath his stark, imposing teaching robes. He had truly revealed himself to her, and she ached with the joy of it.

She gazed at him in wonder, crossing to stand between his knees as he sat on the edge of her bed. Cupping his face, she kissed him, travelling back to nuzzle his ear and murmur, "I love you, Severus. I'm so happy you're here."

Snape's arms tightened convulsively around her and he exhaled heavily before replying, "As am I. I couldn't wish for anything more, my love."

She pulled back and locked eyes with him, and he was stunned by the heat crackling in her gaze. Her voice was low and seductive as she said, "I could..." With that, she eyed him with a determined look and pressed against his shoulders, pushing him back onto the bed. Snape blinked, taken aback by her aggression. He fell back onto his elbows, watching her as she slid her fingers down his chest.

Hermione licked her lips, methodically opening each button on his shirt. When she had reached his waist, she flicked a glance back up at Snape, tugging to untuck his shirttails from his trousers. Snape's stomach muscles contracted and his hips twitched as she resolutely reached for the closures of his trousers, carefully opening them.

Snape's heart pounded and his breathing came short and shallow. The roaring in his ears intensified as Hermione slowly undressed him. His head was spinning; he had never experienced anything quite like the intimacy involved in such an act.

When she had pulled his shirt from within his trousers and opened his trousers at the waist, she slipped her hands beneath the fabric and smoothed up his stomach and chest, sweeping the front panels of his shirt to the sides, baring him. Her eyes burned as they stared intently at the thin line of dark hair that trailed from his navel down beneath his waistband. She could see that he was hard for her, and her body throbbed with want.

Snape's hunger for Hermione mounted, and he sat up, gripping her hands where they lay on his chest. Kissing her fiercely, he placed her hands on his shoulders and then reached down to the hem of her shirt. His fingertips snuck under it and traced lightly along her waist, making her shiver at the ticklish sensations. She twined her fingers in his hair as he leisurely stroked his way up her sides, shoving the fabric up as he went. When he felt her bra under his questing fingers, he slid his thumbs forward, slipping over the swell of her breasts, across her nipples.

Hermione moaned at the sweep of his thumbs over her tight nipples. His hands were warm as they cupped her breasts, gently fondling them through the fabric of her bra. Hermione pressed toward him, and a low growl from Snape sent a jolt of heat through her again. She gasped, and Snape took the opportunity to nuzzle along her jaw toward her neck. Her erratic gasps and sighs fired his ardour, and he gathered her shirt, guiding it over her shoulders. Hermione took the hint and backed away, allowing him to pull it off her.

Her hair tumbled down over her face, dishevelled from removing the knit top, and she reached up to shove it out of her eyes. Snape, his own shirt hanging behind his shoulders and around his upper arms, simply stared at her. Standing there, clad in her jeans and bra, hair tangled, lips full and glistening, eyes dark, gilded by the moonlight...Snape was awed by how beautifully erotic she looked.

His voice was a hoarse rasp as he said, "Good gods, Hermione, you are a vision."

Hermione smiled shyly at the compliment, ducking her head modestly. She bit her lip, then glanced back up at him through her lashes. "Speaking of vision," she murmured, "can I please see you tonight?"

Snape's eyes snapped open wide, and his breath caught. Everything they had done had been in the dark, by touch only. He had seen quite a bit of her the next morning when he had tried to wake her, and he had seen even more when he had snuck up to her room to find her nude atop her covers, but she hadn't seen him. His cock jumped vehemently.

Swallowing hard, he whispered, "I think that could be arranged."

Hermione's chest heaved in response, and her eyelids fluttered. Eyes glittering, she cast a heated gaze at him and breathed, "Join me?" Gesturing at the bed, she tilted her head and climbed onto it. Snape scrambled to turn around and crawl further up, alongside her. They faced each other, on their knees, sitting back on their heels. Hermione shot a faint smile at him and nodded pointedly at their position. "Like in London..."

Snape recognized the similarity and smiled. Hermione reached forward and pushed his shirt completely off, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her breasts against his chest. Snape dipped his head to nip her neck and murmured in her ear, "Only better..." With that, his hands travelled up her back and unhooked her bra.

Hermione moaned, arching her back. Snape's fingers grazed over her shoulder blades, pushing the straps over the points of her shoulders, letting them fall down, along her arms. Even though it was still winter, the heat they created between them boiled their blood and fired their desire, keeping them warm without each successive layer of clothing. Hermione leant back, letting Snape's lips trail down her throat and over her collarbone, his nose nudging her bra away from her breasts until it fell to her elbows, at which point, she pulled free of it and flung it away.

Snape covered her breasts with soft kisses, delighting in the softness of her skin. When he laved one nipple, Hermione cried out, shuddering. She raked her hands through his hair, dragging her nails across his scalp and tightening her fists, holding him there. Not that he really wanted to move anyway...

Snape's cock throbbed painfully, trapped within his trousers. In an attempt to relieve some of the pressure, he guided Hermione to turn and lie back, so he could lie beside her. Once she was comfortably stretched out on her back, he fitted his long frame to one side of her, his mouth still lavishing attention on one nipple as his hand snaked down to unbutton her jeans. Hermione moaned encouragement, reaching down to help him.

Once undone, he tugged and she squirmed, and together they managed to pull her jeans down below her arse. Punctuated by frustrated huffs, Hermione finally struggled out of them and kicked them to the floor. Snape slid one leg along hers to rest between them, enjoying the feel of her squeezing her legs around his and rocking. He could feel her heat through her knickers and his trousers.

They were practically devouring each other, hands roaming, when Hermione broke the kiss and panted, "Your turn." Snape blinked at her, perplexed, and she pointedly reached for his waistband, tugging at it.

Breath catching, Snape closed his eyes briefly, feeling the surge of sensation in his cock. Swallowing hard, he rolled away, lying on his back and furtively reaching for the half-opened fly of his trousers. Hermione propped herself up on one elbow, facing Snape, her breast pressing against his bicep. Snape cast a quick glance at her, and was slightly taken aback by the avid interest in her eyes as they were trained on his groin.

Carefully, he lifted his hips and hooked his thumbs beneath the fabric, easing the trousers down without catching on his erection. Rocking up to a sitting position, he pulled the trousers completely off, flicking them over the end of the bed. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Hermione breathing quickly, her lips parted. She reached up and wrapped her hand around his upper arm, urging him to lie back down. Heart pounding in anxiety, Snape eased back until he was once again lying beside her. Both of them stared fixedly at his boxers, tented so much so that the elastic was pulling away from his hips.

Hermione laid a hand on his belly, rubbing in soothing circles, spiralling out until she dipped beneath the elastic. Snape twitched under her caresses, hyper-sensitive to her touch. Hermione squirmed further down the bed, curling forward to rest her head on his ribs. Reflexively, Snape's hand rose to stroke her hair. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the exquisite sensations of her explorations.

Hermione slipped her hand within his boxers...she was only slightly surprised to see that they were plain white cotton...and wrapped her fingers around his shaft, squeezing gently. Snape's groan simply served to encourage her. Stroking along his length, she pressed his cock toward his belly, bending her wrist to shove the fabric away. Once the glistening head was free of the elastic, she shoved the waistband down further, letting his cock spring forward again, this time with the fabric bunched at the base of his erection.

She paused then, gazing with rapt fascination at him. In a flurry of movement, she cast a whispered Lumos at the candle nearest her, spilling faint golden light along his lean form in addition to the milky glow of moonlight. She had learnt his contours by touch, but now she could see the colouration, the springy curls at the base, the flare of the head, the tracing of veins along the length. It looked so awkward. It certainly wasn't a thing of beauty, but it did send sparks through her centre, knowing as she did how much pleasure it could give...to both of them!

Snape, in the meantime, had tensed, his brows drawing together in a worried frown. As soon as she had exposed him, he sucked in a breath and held it, without meaning to. When she ever-so-gently touched him again, that breath exploded out of him in a huge whoosh, and pinpoints of light swam against his closed eyelids. He felt his cock bouncing in response to her feather-light touch, and his stomach muscles contracted, lifting his shoulders off the bed and startling Hermione.

Whipping around to look at him, Hermione's eyes were wide with alarm as she said, "Are you all right?"

Snape collapsed again at the absence of her touch, and he panted, "Yes... I think so..."

Gazing at him with concern, she queried, "Did I hurt you?"

Snape opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "No. I'm fine. Just..."

He paused so long that Hermione frowned. "Just what?" Wriggling back up the bed to peer into his face, she murmured, "Severus?"

Snape forced himself to look at her, and the solicitous concern in her eyes blanketed him. By sheer force of will, he opened up to her and admitted what he perceived as a weakness. "It's a bit... overwhelming."

To his surprise, Hermione's worried expression melted into a huge smile. She wrapped her arms around him and whispered, "I know. It is. But, it's wonderful. And so worth it. Trust me."

He felt as if he were drowning in the love pouring from her. She had a point. She had been the one experiencing so many new things with him, and he had been the one gentling her through everything. Now, their positions had reversed, and he realized that if she trusted him so completely, he had to extend the same courtesy.

Caressing his chest, Hermione murmured, "Relax, dearest. I merely want to enjoy you as much as I can. There's nothing to worry about."

Snape swallowed again, grinding his teeth. Breathing deeply through his nose, he eyed her solemnly and nodded. Hermione flashed a beatific smile at him and slithered back down his stomach so she could explore again. This time, when she ventured to push at his pants, he reached down to help her. Once they were past his knees, he moved his legs, kicking them away.

Finally, he was lying there, in all his naked glory, for her to enjoy. Hermione sat up, her hair tumbling forward and covering her breasts. Sucking on her lower lip, she looked brazenly at Snape and lifted onto her knees, pushing her knickers past her hips. Snape's eyes flashed as he watched her intently. She sank to one side, wriggling out of her knickers and dropping them over the edge of the bed.

They stared at each other for a long moment, etching the image of the other's nude form in their minds. Snape reached for her, catching her hand in his, and she lifted their hands, pressing his palm to her cheek and leaning into it.

"I love you."

Snape's chest tightened at her impassioned words, and his thumb swept forward over her lips. "I love you, Hermione."

She smiled and laid her other hand on his belly, just below his navel. He gasped and his muscles twitched. She let her gaze travel over him, seeing the smattering of dark hair on his chest thinning to that devastating treasure trail along his belly, circling his navel and continuing down to widen again into a thick triangle framing his cock and balls, then thinning back out on his legs. His cock stood at attention, bobbing erratically as he breathed.

She reverently reached out and wrapped her hand around his shaft again, stroking up and down. Snape groaned again. Leaning forward, she propped herself on her other hand and whispered in his ear, her curls tickling his face, "I want to watch it this time. I want to do to you what we did before, but I want to see you."

His eyes rolled back in his head and he moaned. "Let me touch you."

Hermione pulled back up, gazing at him in confusion. Snape's hand scrabbled between them, sliding along her knee and between her legs until he could cup her mound in his hand. She jerked, gasping in surprise, and her hand squeezed spastically on his cock. A startled, "Oh!" burst from her lips.

Snape gloried in the slick heat that coated her curls under his fingers. He caressed her swollen lips and she stroked his cock in return. A ragged groan was wrenched from his throat, and Hermione renewed her actions with vigour.

Shifting beside him, she spread her knees in invitation, sinking back on her heels as she settled close enough that she could easily stroke him and he could touch her. For every one of Snape's grunts and groans, Hermione voiced a matching whimper and moan.

Hermione was always a quick study, and having learnt something, didn't easily forget it. Thus it was that she remembered how to touch Snape, pumping her fist along his cock, stroking and squeezing in her mission to bring him pleasure. Their breathing and noises came faster and louder, so willing were they to abandon themselves to their bliss.

Snape slipped one long finger along her cleft, delving into her, fluttering within her and thrusting shallowly. Hermione increased the pressure and pace of her stroking, rocking against Snape's hand as she went. Tilting her hips, she ground her clit against Snape's wrist, almost shrieking, "Severus!" in her shock as she suddenly crested her peak, climaxing with a convulsive shudder, drenching his hand even more.

Snape felt her orgasm approaching, and his balls tightened. He knew he was so close. When her cunt clamped down on his finger, and she keened in ecstasy, he let loose a ragged groan, chanting, "Yes, yes, come for me. Gods, yes, Hermione, love, oh gods, yes, now, Hermione, now!" He nearly howled that final "now" as he bucked upward, thrusting into her hand as he came, shooting forth and dripping over her knuckles.

Spiralling down from her orgasm, Hermione heard Snape's litany and snapped her eyes open, her fevered gaze locked on the spectacle that followed her peak. She watched his muscles ripple along his entire body, the cords of his neck standing out, rigid, as his head canted back and he grimaced in divine agony. His hips rocked shamelessly, driving his swelling cock into her hand. Then, with a shudder that washed over him from head to toe and back again, she felt and saw the milky liquid spurting forth, warm and slick as it coated her hand.

Snape's hand was limp under her, and he lay there panting as he came back to reality. Hermione watched him, unblinking, unwilling to move until he told her to. Finally, he swallowed and rasped, "You may let go now." Dutifully, Hermione released him, snatching her hand back quickly. Fascinated, she stared at his cock as it slowly seemed to deflate, coming to rest against his thatch of dark hair.

Her hand was still wet with his come, and she peered at it with interest. Snape forced himself to open his eyes, casting a wary glance at her. She realized he was looking at her and caught his eye. Snape gingerly pulled his hand from between her thighs, and she shivered. His hand was coated with her juices as well. They both kept looking between their hands and each other, until finally Hermione lifted her hand closer to her face, and with a defiant, triumphant look, flicked her tongue out to taste.

Snape groaned, then greedily brought his fingers to his lips, sucking them clean as he watched her with smouldering eyes. She licked delicately at the fluid, pausing thoughtfully as she considered the flavour. Soberly, she locked eyes with him and purred, "Definitely interesting. I bet it would taste better directly from your cock, though."

Snape sucked in a sharp breath, utterly unprepared for such a wanton statement. Before he could reply, they were startled by Crookshanks meowing, pouncing at the floor by her door. His tail was straight up, and he kept jumping and batting at the floor in a predatory fashion.

Annoyed, Hermione hissed, "Crookshanks, hush!" She flashed an aggrieved look at Snape and muttered, "I'm sorry, Severus, I don't know what has got into him. What a way to spoil the mood."

Snape finally propped himself up on his elbows, frowning at the cat's antics. He reached for his wand to cast cleansing charms, quirking a wry, lopsided grin. "Love, after a performance like that, even he..." He glanced back at the animal, trailing off. Brow furrowing in concern, he rolled to the side, leaning forward to get a better look at what Crookshanks was attacking.

His gut turned into a block of ice. It wasn't a bug. Well, not in the literal sense. An inch or two inside the door, a small flesh-coloured blob was visible at the end of a strand that stretched under the door. Body tensing with almost paralytic fear, Snape's eyes went wide, and Hermione said, "Severus?"

Snape slashed his hand toward her in a violent motion to be quiet. Swiftly, quietly, he shot to his feet, shoving his feet into his trousers and yanking them up. He approached the door with his wand at the ready, and Hermione crouched on the bed, bewildered yet terrified at the abject horror on Snape's face. Scrambling for her robe, she shrugged into it and crawled across the bed, peering down at the blob. Dread froze her heart, and she shot an agonized look at Snape, who was plastered along the wall by her door, preparing to fling it open.

They locked eyes, both recognizing the thing that had attracted Crookshanks's attention. It was none other than a Weasley Extendable Ear.

**** ************

Hermione wasn't the only one who had been irritated by public displays of affection all day. But, in his case, he was merely irritated that he wasn't participating in said displays with Hermione. He started to wonder about her and Neville, particularly since she had been practically hanging on him for most of the day. It had proved nigh on impossible to separate her from her other seventh-year friends. So, giving up on getting a chance to approach her while in Hogsmeade, he went about his business of buying her a gift, planning to surprise her with it later that evening.

At dinner, he had been trying to catch her eye, wanting to ask her to be his valentine, but she kept looking elsewhere. Finally, as she had left, and Neville had made his announcements to the others that she didn't want to be disturbed, a flare of excitement washed over him, simmering in his belly in anticipation.

Upon crossing through the common room on his way to his dormitory, he had averted his eyes from the passionate embraces of the couples scattered in the corners, cheeks flushing with the desire to be one of those couples, snogging Hermione. Drawing the curtains of his bed, he dug her gift out of his bag of purchases. Remembering her reaction to the mousse at Christmas, he knew she really liked chocolate, and he had bought a deluxe assortment from Honeydukes. Wrapping gold ribbon around the gift box, he tied a bow, slipping the charmed rose he had found at Madam Puddifoot's into the knot. The rose was stasis-charmed, so it was kept at the peak of its beauty. He had purposefully chosen a red rose, hoping she would understand how much he liked her.

His stomach roiled with anxiety as he waited for the evening to wane. He knew she didn't want to be disturbed, but surely she only meant not to bother her with problems. Certainly she would be pleased to be surprised with such a romantic gesture of tender feelings. Still, he worried that she might not answer. And, there was that gnawing fear that perhaps her excuse was really a ruse to spend the evening with Neville. He had made a big deal about telling the others to leave her alone...

His brows lowered in a fierce scowl. Ignoring the other boys in the dormitory, he wrenched his curtains open and lunged down his bed toward the trunk at the foot. With a grim, determined air, he rooted around in his trunk until he found the box of gags and other items he had ordered from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. His eyes lit up and a calculating smile spread his lips as he pulled out the long, stretchy, flesh-coloured strand that was one of a pair of Extendable Ears. Coiling it around his fingers, he backed up onto his bed again, re-closing the curtains.

Time seemed to drag on forever as he waited for his fellow sixth-years to go to sleep. Once the lights were all doused, and he heard nought but breathing, he carefully slipped from his bed and tiptoed out of the room, Hermione's gift hidden under his robe.

There were still a few couples in the common room when he passed through. But, they were so involved with each other that they never noticed his presence. He gingerly scampered past them, hurrying down the corridor to Hermione's room. At the end of the corridor, he faced her door. Screwing his courage to the sticking point, he took a deep breath and knocked. He didn't want to startle her, and he didn't want anyone else to possibly hear from within the common room, so he knocked softly at first. When there was no answer, he tried again. Still nothing.

Knocking harder, he said, "Hermione? Are you there? I need to talk to you." After a beat of silence, he tried again. Wondering at the lack of response, he leant forward and laid his ear against the wood. That was when he felt the tingle of magic against his skin.

"The door is charmed! It must be a Silencing Charm. No wonder she hasn't answered. She probably hasn't heard me... I wonder if she's asleep. Or maybe she has someone in there with her...Neville!" He frowned again, spitting the other boy's name. Jealousy rose up within him, and he dropped to the floor on his knees, placing her present in front of him and unwinding the Extendable Ear. Fitting one end in his ear, he fed the other end under her door. Once it passed the edge of the wood, he heard it: harsh breathing and moaning.

Rocking back on his heels, his eyes flew open in astonishment. She was in there with someone! Shaky fingers pushed the other end further in, morbid fascination taking over, making him want to know just who had managed to land such a prize as Hermione.

The sounds of passion rose, and he heard her voice climbing in pitch as she suddenly cried, "Severus!"

It was as if the world had stopped. Completely frozen in shock, he hardly breathed or blinked as his mind reeled with the import of that name. Thus, when an answering voice began chanting her name, howling in ecstasy, he struggled to draw breath, trying to keep from passing out in amazement. He knew that voice. He knew that name. That was Snape in there with Hermione, so obviously engaged in lustful activity!

He didn't know what to do. So traumatized was he from the surprise that he couldn't seem to form a coherent thought in his overwhelmed brain. He could barely fathom the words that he heard following the explosive climax from within. Even so, at Hermione's low voice saying the word "cock," his eyes rolled back in his head, and he sucked in a breath, swaying on the spot. His heart was pounding painfully fast, and his head was swimming. He heard Snape's distinctive voice saying something and trailing off, followed by Hermione once again saying "Severus," but he wasn't aware enough of what their exchange could mean as he knelt in the corridor, eavesdropping on their liaison.

Thus it was that he was thoroughly taken by surprise when the door slammed open and a terrifying hiss pronounced, "Petrificus Totalus!"

He felt his body straightening out and going rigid on the floor, and his eyes flew open in time to see Snape, half-dressed and dishevelled, pointing his wand at him from Hermione's doorway. In the background, he saw an equally dishevelled Hermione crouching on the bed, her hands over her mouth to stifle her shriek of, "...Colin!"

In a matter of seconds, Snape had ducked out of the door and dragged Colin into Hermione's room, her package scudding along the floor ahead of him. With the door shut behind them, Snape hastily cast an Imperturbable Charm on it, having learnt that lesson from the current disaster.

Snape's face was paper white, and his eyes were huge with fear and worry. Tears were spilling over Hermione's fingers where they were still covering her mouth. The room was charged with emotion, and one corner of Colin's mind idly wondered if the Full-Body Bind would keep him from losing bladder control in his terror.

Snape stooped to lift the Extendable Ear from the floor, his knuckles white with the ferocity of his grip. His chest was rising and falling rapidly as he panted in shock. Hermione's breathing was erratic as she shuddered with sobs.

Snape and Hermione locked eyes, at a loss for what to do next. Gulping back a wail, Hermione extended a hand toward Snape, who leapt across Colin to enfold her in his arms, stroking her hair and muttering soothing assurances to calm her.

"Shhh. Hermione, love, we'll figure something out. I promise. I don't know what yet, but we'll come up with something. It'll all work out. Shh. It's okay."

Colin wondered if he were somehow trapped in a nightmare. Had he fallen asleep while waiting to leave his dormitory? It was the only explanation that made any sense. He gazed at the floating blossoms near her ceiling in dazed fascination.

Hermione's hands clawed at Snape's back as she wept. Snape continued caressing her hair, but he turned his head enough to cast a murderous look at Colin's petrified form. If he had been able, Colin would have screamed in fear at the doom in Snape's black eyes.

Finally, Hermione's sobs eased enough that her choked words were understandable. "He could... destroy us... Dumbledore... what... do we do... now?"

She pulled away from Snape's chest, peering up at him, only to see him glaring balefully at Colin, his expression promising torture beyond imagination. Taken aback by the merciless threat in her lover's eyes, she cupped his cheek and guided Snape to look at her.

In a faint rasp, she said, "No, Severus. Don't hurt him. You can't. It'll only make things worse."

The menace in his low growl chilled both Hermione and Colin. "Even though he so rightfully deserves it?"

Hermione closed her eyes and rested her forehead on Snape's. "Don't. Just don't. I know how you feel, Severus, but we've seen enough violence to last several lifetimes."

Snape grimaced, his jaw throbbing as he ground his teeth. He exhaled harshly through his nose, muscles tense. On the floor, Colin felt the cold, wet trails of tears as they streaked along his temples. He prayed to any god he could think of to save him from Snape.

Snape seemed to shudder, and he squeezed Hermione so tight she gasped. But, she knew he had regained control of his rage, and she kissed him gratefully. In his head, Colin heard his own voice shrieking in outrage and horror at the sight.

Hermione gently urged Snape to sit with her on the bed. He moved to join her, then abruptly turned away to finish fastening his trousers. Colin's eyes rolled back in his head. Hermione wrapped her robe around herself and tied the sash firmly. Snape slid onto the bed beside her, and they stared down at Colin.

Snape wrapped his arm around Hermione, and she clasped his other hand in hers. Together, they sat, gazing dazedly at the catastrophe that was Colin on the floor in front of them. Snape eventually murmured, "We need to know how much he heard. How long was he out there?"

Hermione nodded quickly. "I suppose we could release him and ask. I don't see his wand, do you?"

Colin nearly choked on the agonized sob trying to rise from his paralyzed throat. She was right! He was completely defenceless.

Snape seemed to consider for a moment, then said, "I could always bind him and then release the spell. It won't matter if he screams; not with that Imperturbable Charm on the door." He tossed his head in frustration and spat, "Dammit! Why didn't we think of that in the first place? Damn those Weasleys and their bloody pranks!"

Hermione shot a reproachful look at Snape. "That's not fair, Severus. Just think how helpful the ink has been for us. It's not their fault that Colin crossed all lines of decency." She turned a fuming glare on Colin.

Snape pursed his lips, seething. "Hermione, there's only one way out of this."

She turned curious eyes on him. "Do we swear him to secrecy like we did with Ginny? I don't know that we can trust him, not with the low tactics he's already displayed."

Colin protested vehemently in his head, wishing he could defend himself and his actions. He just wanted to get closer to her! He did everything because of how much he liked her!

Snape cut a withering glance at Hermione and heaved an exasperated sigh. "Of course we can't trust him! There is no enjoining someone to keep our secret this time. You were ready to take the step with Ginny..."

Hermione's eyes widened in comprehension. "Obliviate him!"

Snape's head inclined in a slow nod. "Exactly. But, to do the thing properly, we need to know how much time needs to be erased, and we'll have to figure out something to explain why he's in the corridor outside your door. Unless you can think of some way to reasonably get him elsewhere. But, that's a bit trickier, since that means we might run into others."

Hermione stared into the middle distance, eyes flickering as she thought furiously. "A really good memory charm not only removes the target memory but also allows what amounts to a sort of post-hypnotic suggestion to replace it. We've learnt about them in theory, but actual practice is left for those who proceed on to further education toward joining the Ministry. All we've learnt is the basic memory charm, and it only erases about fifteen seconds at the most." She cast a worried look back at Snape. "How do you propose we find out how much we have to erase?"

Snape cocked a brow as if to indicate that was hardly a question worth asking and retorted, "Legilimency, of course."

Hermione rolled her eyes, disgusted that she hadn't thought of that herself and nodded. "Of course." Then, she gazed back at Colin. "Go on, then."

Snape's expression hardened as he rose and stalked over to peer down at the boy. He stood beside Colin's head and stared down at him. After a beat, he gracefully dropped to a squat, pinning Colin with an icy, determined gaze. Colin tried to blink, but he couldn't, and Snape stabbed into his mind with a viciousness that left him reeling under the onslaught.

Images of Hermione flooded his brain, showcasing just how much he had been watching her. The way he followed her and the other seventh-years around, his gift purchases, his anxious wait in his dormitory, the trek to her door, the earth-shattering discovery of Hermione's relationship with Snape through his eavesdropping... all of that flashed by, and Snape's face contorted with fury and hate above him. Withdrawing ruthlessly, Snape shot to his feet and spun, his hands in trembling fists at his sides.

Hermione watched the invasion with a sense of pitying horror. Then, she clamped down on her feeling of pity and steeled herself for the necessity of what they had to do.

Snape's eyes were hard and flinty as he rasped, "He heard everything. We have no choice."

Hermione swallowed against the lump that kept rising to her throat. Snape crossed back to the bed and dropped to his knees in front of her. Gripping her arms, he locked eyes with her, willing her to be strong. "Hermione, love, I know you don't want this, but we have to wipe his memory. And, you must convince him, for good, that you want nothing to do with him. I know it hurts you to hurt others, but you must. If you don't, then he may continue pursuing you, and we may not get a chance for damage control next time."

Hermione bit her lip to still its trembling and nodded, misery drowning in the tears that insisted on welling up again. Snape reached up and tenderly caressed her cheek, wiping away a tear with his thumb. Then, he snapped his attention back to Colin.

Crossing back to tower over the boy, Snape said, "I will use Legilimency to aid me in Obliviating him, and then we will release him and place him back in the corridor. Once we remove the Imperturbable Charm, you'll be able to hear his knock. I'll hide, and it'll be up to you to get rid of him once and for all." He cast a grim look at Hermione. "Be merciless. There is no room left for pity."

Sniffling, Hermione croaked, "I know."

After a beat, Snape huffed and focused on Colin, about to begin his task, but Hermione gasped, "Wait!"

Scowling balefully, Snape cut a glance at her and growled, "What?"

Gesturing about the room, Hermione hissed, "What about all the flowers? If he sees them, it's going to be even harder to throw him off. How would I explain them?"

Snape's eyes darted around the veritable bower he had created, and he rebelled at having to dispose of it all so quickly. Lip curling, baring his teeth in mutinous, impotent fury, he shot a death-glare at Colin. In a terrifying hiss, he said, "Damn you, boy. I could cheerfully Crucio you for ruining my gift."

Hermione's soft, sympathetic-yet-warning, "Severus..." stopped him. Once again exhaling harshly through his nose, teeth grinding, he brandished his wand at the flowers, whirling them into a vortex that disappeared with a "pop."

The sweet scent was all that remained of his surprise. Chest heaving, Snape returned to Colin, invading his mind with Legilimency, pointing his wand at him and muttering, "Obliviate," keeping his wand trained on the boy until he had erased enough. Then, while Colin was under the temporary fog that followed a memory charm, he dashed to the door, opening it a crack and peering out. Seeing the corridor empty, he roughly shoved the boy out the door, kicking the box of chocolates after him. Then, with only the tip of his wand still sticking through the door, he released the Full-Body Bind and shut the door with a snap.

Whirling, he pinned Hermione with a meaningful glare and swept past her to her bathroom, pausing only long enough to lift the Imperturbable Charm from her door before shutting her bathroom door between them.

Hermione felt dazed from the roller-coaster of emotions she had already experienced. She sat, rigid with tension, waiting for Colin to knock. Eventually, it came. Wiping her face and sniffling again, she crossed to her door, summoning all of her acting abilities to pull off the most important "role" of her life so far.

She opened the door a crack and peeked out. Colin, still looking a bit woozy, was standing there with the box of chocolates. He blinked at her and said, "Hermione?"

Deciding to be harsh from the start, Hermione frowned at him and said coldly, "What do you want, Colin? It's late, and I thought I had made it perfectly clear that I didn't want to be disturbed."

Colin flushed faintly. With an attempt at a winning smile, he said, "Oh, I thought you meant not to bother you with problems. But, I have something for you." He proffered the package, complete with the rose in the ribbon. Ducking his head shyly, he continued, "This is for you. I know you like chocolate. And... and the rose is for you, too." He blinked rapidly as he recited, "Sweets and beauty for someone sweet and beautiful. Will you be my valentine, Hermione?"

Hermione closed her eyes and bowed her head. After a pause, in which she could feel Colin's anxiety growing, she looked back up at him, expression tightly controlled and grim. "No." Colin's hopeful expression crumbled, and he looked as if he had been slapped in the face. Hermione forged on, "I cannot accept your gift, Colin. And I won't be your valentine." Colin's outstretched hands dropped, and his eyes widened.

Hermione opened the door more so she could face him completely. Hands in tight fists at her sides, she drew herself up stiffly and glared at Colin. "Get this through your head once and for all. Stop following me. Leave me alone. I don't like you, and I'm not going to like you. Ever. Keep your chocolates. I don't want them, and I don't want you. I tried to be kind about it before, and I tried to tell you how I felt, but you refused to listen! I'm sorry to have to be so horrid, but you've left me no choice! Find someone else to pin your pathetic crush on, and let me be." She paused, breathing heavily with emotion.

Colin looked devastated. He stared at her like a betrayed puppy. In the moment of silence, he pulled the rose from the ribbon and tried once more to give it to Hermione. His voice shook as he said, "Then... w-would you at least keep this... as a token of... how much I like you?"

Hermione's stomach clenched painfully, and she took the rose, twirling it in her fingers. Then, in a move calculated to cause the most pain, she locked eyes with Colin and dropped the rose to the floor, stepping on the bloom and grinding the petals into the stone. Colin let loose a noise reminiscent of a mouse being trod on, and Hermione fought to keep the tears from welling up again.

Completely aghast, Colin stared at Hermione, eyes bright and glassy, face blotchy, and breath ragged. He struggled to swallow. Hermione ground her teeth and uttered a hoarse, "You have your answer, Colin. Go to bed. Don't make me go to McGonagall and tell her how much you've been harassing me."

Colin sucked in a breath, sounding like he had been kicked in the gut. Blinking at Hermione like he had never seen her before, he backed away unsteadily. Hermione gripped the door frame, refusing to back down until he was gone. She watched him as he stumbled down the corridor, shoulders bowed and head down. Once he turned the corner into the common room, he ducked back to cast one last look at her, and she pointedly kicked the crushed rose across the corridor into the opposite wall. His eyes fluttered closed, and he shrank back around the corner.

Hermione forced herself to wait, just in case he tried to come back, then, stomach roiling, heart thundering, she backed into her room and slammed the door shut, collapsing to the floor in a heap.

Snape peeked through the bathroom door and saw her crumpled by the door, leaning against it as sobs once again tore from her throat. Casting another Imperturbable Charm at the door as he went, he rushed through her room to her, kneeling and cradling her in his arms.

Snape's murmur was gentle as he said, "You were marvellous, love. I know it was horrid, but you were brilliant. I daresay he'll never bother you again. We're safe now. It's okay. I promise. We'll be fine."

He and Hermione rocked back and forth, Snape stroking her soothingly until she quieted. His chest was wet from her streaming eyes and nose, but he didn't care. When she was once again calm, he guided her to stand and sit on the bed. Handing her a quickly Summoned handkerchief, he sat beside her, peering worriedly at her blank expression.

"I'll be right back, love. Don't move." Snape squeezed her hand and stood, Disapparating. He popped into existence in his bathroom, wrenching open his cabinet and searching for a Calming Draught. Clutching it like a talisman, he Apparated back to Hermione's room.

Hermione hadn't budged. She sat, morosely staring at the floor. Snape urged her to swallow a dose of the Calming Draught, and she submitted without protest. Carefully tugging her to her feet, Snape pulled the covers down the bed, then helped her out of her robe. She was still naked under it, but Snape was far too concerned about her to be distracted by her nudity. He guided her to lie down, frowning again in worry as she almost immediately curled up on her side in a foetal position.

Crookshanks jumped onto the bed, sniffing at her, and she grabbed him, hugging him to her. Snape, grateful that the animal seemed to comfort her, heaved a sigh and doused the remaining lights, shrugging out of his trousers again and crawling into the bed behind Hermione. Fitting himself against her, he drew the covers over them and wrapped her in his embrace, listening to Crookshanks's lulling purr.

There was a long moment of near-silence, then Snape whispered, "I'm so sorry, Hermione. Try to rest, dear heart. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll take care of you. I promise I'll be here when you wake up. Just rest. You'll feel better when you wake." He pressed a fervent kiss against her trapezius and murmured, "I love you."

He lay awake for a long while, listening to her breathing finally even out as she dropped off to sleep. Sadness overtook him at the disastrous end to their blissfully-begun liaison, and he fell into a fitful doze, primed to wake at the first sign of Hermione rousing.