A Beautiful Day

Thanks to Madbrilliant for lending me her beta skills!

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Chapter 10 - A Beautiful Day

The sun shone down on the balcony and reflected off the glasses on the wrought iron table in the centre.

Severus glanced across at the beautiful woman in the wrought iron chair across from where he sat. She was hugging her legs to her chest and staring out silently over the castle grounds before them, her silky curls cascading over her right shoulder. She looked so peaceful with a small smile on her lips, wearing a ruby sweater and comfortable long house pants. He had never seen such a beautiful woman in his entire life. Hermione Granger was one in a million, and he was certain that he was in love with her.

Hermione looked over to him and smiled at him brightly. His breath left his chest, and he returned the smile briefly before standing up and walking over to her, holding his hand out to her. She placed her hand in his and unfolded herself from the chair, standing and wrapping her arms around his neck, placing a peck on his lips.

'The students will be returning tomorrow,' she said softly, pressing her lips against his again lightly.

'Mmmhmm... I know they are,' he replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and brushing his lips against hers, closing his eyes.

'We won't be able to sit around like this any more,' she said with a small sigh. 'I'm going to miss this – you know – just you and me alone here.'

Severus felt a smile curve his mouth before he leaned in and claimed a deep kiss from her, allowing his tongue to creep past his lips, brushing across hers. She parted her lips willingly and let her own tongue wander out for a taste. This was the most intimate kiss that they had shared thus far, and Hermione was quite surprised that he was being this open with her. They kissed languidly for several minutes before they pulled back for some air.

'I'll miss this too,' he said a tad breathlessly.

Hermione gently brushed her lips against his again and pressed her forehead against his, cuddling up close to him. Severus smiled, closing his eyes once more and surrendering to the closeness. He breathed in deeply, reveling in the honeysuckle smell on her silky brown curls, letting one of his hands wander up to her hair and twirl a curl around a long, pale finger. He felt his insides melt when he felt her hand slide into the hair at the back of his head.

'Let's go down to Hogsmeade,' she suggested softly. 'We can take the few students left down with us and let them do a little shopping before school resumes.'

'Anything you want to do,' he agreed with a nod.

Hermione pulled away and smiled happily at him, holding one of his hands in her smaller one. 'I'm going to go and get changed quickly so we can leave,' she said, placing a kiss on his cheek. 'Would you please go and tell the students?'

He nodded. 'Go and make yourself glamorous,' he teased, stroking a thumb over her hand. 'I'm sure it won't take very much.'

She grinned at him as she walked into his office and Flooed to her rooms. Butterflies were rioting within her stomach. She had never felt like that before. Just being around Severus made her feel like she was floating and like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was definitely in love with that man. Grinning like a fool, she skipped into her bedroom and opened the wardrobe, grabbing a white blouse from a hanger and placing it on the bed. She flitted back to the drawers and pulled out a pair of charcoal grey trousers to match, and a beige sweater to wear over the shirt.

Once she stripped out of her slouchy clothes, she re-dressed in what she had taken out of her wardrobe and then went to the bathroom. She tried to tame her hair into something, but with a sigh, walked out, unsuccessful. She grabbed her long black coat from the hook near the door to her chambers and pulled it on along with her shoes, and went back to the fireplace in her sitting room. She tossed in some Floo powder and stepped in, calling the out for Snape's office and walking out casually at the other end.

She saw the students all standing around in a circle, chatting to each other quietly. They looked up at her as she entered. 'Are you ready to go to Hogsmeade?' she asked them cheerfully.

The smallest girl walked away from the group and stood before her, reaching out and taking her hand. 'Can I walk with you?' she asked, tugging her hand and smiling up at her. She was smaller than most of the students at Hogwarts and was cute with big blue eyes and her blonde hair tied in pig-tail braids.

'Certainly you can,' Hermione replied, giving her hand a squeeze. 'What's your name?' she asked curiously.

'Megan Cabot. I am a first year in Gryffindor,' she answered immediately, offering the other information voluntarily.

'I was a Gryffindor too,' Hermione said with a smile.

Megan nodded with a grin. 'I know, and now you're our Head of House too,' she said enthusiastically.

'And I suppose you think she is a wonderful Head of House and Professor, am I correct Miss Cabot?' asked a deep, silky voice from behind them.

Hermione looked over her shoulder and saw Severus closing the door that led to his chambers, wearing his usual black, but a long black winter coat instead of his usual robes for the trip. His silky black hair hung around his face and shoulders, and the look in his eyes as they looked over her made her stomach do a back-flip. She was still amazed that she could make Severus Snape look at her that way.

'Professor Granger is the best,' she said simply, which made Hermione grin a little, and Severus smirk.

'Are you all ready to leave?' Severus asked, addressing the other students.

There was a murmur of agreement, and they all left the office and walked down to the Entrance Hall. Leaving the Hall, they all walked down on the pathway to Hogsmeade, Megan clinging tightly to Hermione's side. Severus walked along on her other side, not touching her except for the casual brush of his hand against her every now and then. She smiled, catching his hand the next time it brushed hers.

He looked over at her in shock, but did not release her hand. The three students ahead of them seemed totally oblivious to anything going on, so he didn't feel that he needed to let go of her hand. In any case, he was pleased to be able to hold her hand and walk with her in that way. She seemed to be genuinely happy about holding his hand, and so he decided to let her set the pace of their relationship.

'Sev?' she asked quietly.

He leaned closer to her to listen to what she had to say. 'Yes?' he whispered back, letting his thumb stroke over the back of her hand.

'Please don't let go of my hand – even when we get to Hogsmeade, okay?' she asked in as quiet a voice as she could.

'I promise I won't,' he agreed, lifting their joined hands to his mouth and placing a gentle kiss over her knuckles.

They continued walking until they all finally reached Hogsmeade and the two older students ran off together, promising to meet their professors at the Three Broomsticks at two in the afternoon. Then Megan Cabot went off with the third-year girl that was there also, leaving Hermione and Severus alone together once more. She maintained her hold on his hand and tugged him in the direction that she wanted to walk in. He followed willingly, wondering when he had become such a simpering, love-sick school boy, when he had never been anything like that when he was at school.

'Where are we going?' he asked as she pulled him along.

'When I was still at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and I used to come here all of the time whenever there was a Hogsmeade weekend,' she replied as they approached a clearing in the woodsy area just outside of the town.

'You and your miscreant friends,' he grumbled, wrapping his arms around her from behind and leaning his chin on her shoulder, moving her hair and pressing a kiss against the back of her neck. 'Always getting into trouble and breaking the rules.'

Hermione smiled and leaned backwards into his embrace, reaching up a hand and threading it into his hair momentarily before stroking his cheek. Warmth was radiating and spreading between them, melting the ice around Severus' heart more and more as time passed. She turned her head and pulled his down to meet his mouth in a lush kiss. Once she had a taste of him, she found that she couldn't get enough. The taste of spice, tea, and mint was still on his tongue from breakfast and performing his dental hygiene routine.

'This is a nice place,' he murmured when she pulled away for a breath. 'We should come here more often, don't you think?'

She smiled and nodded in agreement, her lips slightly swollen from all of the kisses that they had shared that day. Turning around to face him, she could see that his cheeks were flushed and his lips were a little fuller after their activities. She liked the way that he looked and wondered how he would look in the throes of passion. She felt herself get warm just thinking about doing that to him.

'Yes, we should come here more often,' she agreed, stroking his cheek and smiling at him in the way that he loved so much.

'Let's get back to Hogsmeade, sweet,' he said softly, taking her hand in his. 'We can order your supplies for the Potions stores while we are there.'

She nodded in agreement, and the pair walked hand in hand back into the village, ignoring the strange looks that they got every now and then from people they passed in the street. If Hermione noticed, she certainly didn't seem to care, so Severus decided to ignore it also. He was not ashamed to be seen with a strong, brilliant, beautiful woman like Hermione. On the contrary, he had never been more proud or happier about anything in his entire life.

'Did you need to do anything while we are in Hogsmeade?' she asked as they approached the Apothecary.

He shook his head and led the way inside, letting go of her hand to take a basket and head straight to the ingredient shelves. Once they had finished collecting everything they needed, they ordered what the shop didn't have. Afterwards, they walked out and went straight to the Three Broomsticks to have lunch and await their students.

Hermione had never been happier.

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