Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: My bank account has like $36 currently, I'm not Jo.

Epilogue:

Severus and Hermione's relationship progressed rather slowly by the standards of her peers. They exchanged owls and books all during the next year, as Hermione had decided to come back to Hogwarts to finish her seventh year properly.

Though no one but their most intimate friends knew of their mutual interest, they still maintained a polite distance, even for Headmaster and Head Girl.

Harry made a grand gesture of proposing to Ginny. By special permission of the Headmaster, he flew into the great hall on his Firebolt. In front of the entire student body, he got on one knee and offered her a diamond ring and the rest of his life.

Amid the thunderous applause, two pairs of eyes met and made a silent pact.

Severus broke from her gaze first to congratulate the couple. As he hugged them both, he whispered his words of advice, "Never let your love go unspoken. Never leave questions unasked. Let no one and nothing come between you."

Their wedding was described as the 'social event of the millennium.' Ginny was beautiful; Harry finally got a real family of his own.

Ron and Lavender married and six months later; they had a set of twin boys.

Neville began to apprentice with Professor Sprout. Luna left to pursue a field career in Magical Zoology. Draco married Astoria Greengrass after she'd left school.

Hermione tried not to wish that her relationship with Severus would move faster. She loved that they could talk freely on any subject, both personal and professional. She appreciated his support as she completed her education and chose her career path.

Physically, however, they'd made very little progress. A casual observer would have assumed they were long-time colleagues, or perhaps an uncle and his niece. She could count the number of times he'd kissed her on one hand. On rare occasions, he held her hand or would sometimes sit with his arm around her shoulders, but that was it.

When she'd been accepted as apprentice to Professor Vector, she thought for a moment that he might invite her to share the Headmaster's tower with him. In true 'old-fashioned' Severus style, he'd shown her to the suite of rooms on the second floor after reminding her of the rule against un-chaperoned visits from members of the opposite gender.

In talking to Ginny one day, she'd decided she was desperate. Ginny encouraged her to ask him outright. So Hermione steeled her courage and at dinner that night, she sprung the question upon him.

They sat, in what Severus thought was companionable silence, in Severus' quarters. Hermione suddenly took a big breath. "Severus, do you want me?" she asked.

Looking like he'd recently taken a golf club between the eyes, Severus stared back at her. "Want you?"

She could feel the tears welling in her eyes. "Yes. Do you desire me physically? Do you have feelings for me that extend or might extend beyond friendship?"

Severus sat in silence for 3,258 seconds (Hermione knew this because she counted). She stood and turned from the table. Before she could get further than two or three feet, Severus found his voice.

"Wait." She stopped but did not turn.

"Hermione, I've avoided the physical side of our relationship. Though my feelings for you have nothing to do with it. I do have a desire for you, I swear I do. But..."

Hermione laughed humourlessly. "It's the 'but' that makes all the difference, Severus. I can be your friend. There's nothing more that need be said." Her voice broke on the last word.

"No, Hermione. You don't understand." He spun her around, the force of the movement causing her to collide with his chest. His arm snaked around her waist.

When she was securely pinned against him, Severus spoke, his lips just brushing her ear. "You misunderstand. I do want you. I have wanted you since you were my student. I would never have admitted it, not even to myself. I love you. I have tried to build our emotional bond over these years, convincing myself along the way that you would rather not have a physical relationship with me."

She was frozen, mesmerized by his voice and by the gentle tickling of his lips against her ear. She waited, not daring to breathe, hoping he would continue.

Severus pulled back to look in her in the eye. "I can only ask you to forgive me. You see, I've only ever been with two women in my lifetime. One of them was only one time, and that was years ago. The other 'relationship' was rather short lived, and I'm afraid I didn't gain much experience from it either. So you see, I didn't want you to be disappointed in my... my skills as a... as a lover."

Hermione blushed from chin to the roots of her hair, but she did not look away. "As long as you want me, that's all the 'skill' I require of you. Severus, please."

She knew that he needed reassurance just as much as she did.

Severus smiled at her and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "Does this appease you?"

Hermione smiled. "No. One might kiss a relative or a dear friend in just same way."

Severus nodded, taking the hand he held by the wrist and slowly lowering it until it was pressed against the warm hardness straining against the placket of his trousers. Her eyes grew wide, and he claimed her mouth again. This time, he brushed his tongue enticingly over her lips.

His voice was husky, rough, velvet as he spoke. "I assure you, not one of my relatives has ever had anything like this effect on me."

"Then why..."

His lips found hers, and this time, he showed no restraint. When he needed air, he pulled away. His lips just grazed her ear as he said, "Because, my love, I wanted to be sure our relationship was deep and meaningful rather than one based on lust or whims."

Hermione moaned and opened her mouth to allow him access. They tasted each other as their tongues danced and explored. Hermione had yet to move her hand, and she took the opportunity to squeeze slightly, eliciting another long moan from Severus.

"Oh, gods, Hermione. Are you certain?"

"Oh, yes, Severus. Yes."

"Say that again."

Hermione looked at him, her eyes dark with passion. "Yes."

"Say my name," he growled.

Her breathing became even shallower. "Make me."

That was all he needed to hear. He put away his own fears and insecurities and gave free rein to his need for her. "I fully intend to, my love."

Their hands worked feverishly at buttons, pulling garments free and tossing them without design. Severus' shirt landed in the fire, and one of Hermione's stockings landed over the flame of a candle. It melted slowly in the heat.

Hermione felt much the same way. His wicked mouth worked on her right nipple while his hands ran over her backside and thighs. She ground into him and whimpered, still needing more.

Severus felt as though his brain was in a fog. His awareness consisted solely of her body, the sounds she made, and the sensation of pleasure that seemed to emanate from within her.

She pulled away from him abruptly. He groaned in protest, but she ignored him. She smiled at him, rather wickedly. "I've always wanted to try something. You may have to direct me a bit, but I'm a fast learner." With that said, she fell to her knees in front of him, and Severus felt the room spin.

She leaned forward, mouth open. He knew nothing but warmth and wetness. Her moans sent physical and emotional tremors through his body, each landing in his groin.

She pulled back and smiled up at him. "Say my name." She refocused on her task.

He looked down at her and just managed to growl, "Her. My. Ohhhh. Neeee..."

He had to stop her, or else this would be over before it started. He meant to make this last; he would worship her, savour her.

"Gods, Hermione, you must stop now." He put his hands on her shoulders and pulled back gently, freeing himself from her mouth.

She was breathing heavily and looked crestfallen. He smiled as he pulled her straight up into his arms. "No, love. I very much enjoyed your attentions. Our first time should be the most earth shattering. Had you continued, I believe we'd be finished, at least for awhile..." His fingers stroked her back as he carried her to his bed.

He had little confidence in his ability to please her, and so he relied on the best tool in his arsenal...his voice.

"Close your eyes, Hermione." She complied, and he set her on her feet, guiding her until the backs of her knees touched the mattress. She was breathing heavily, unable to control her shaking.

He took a deep breath, willing his voice to be still and seductive. "Tell me what you want, Hermione. Tell me what you need."

She was gasping now, and he could tell by the goose pimples that broke over her skin that he was affecting her. "I... I want..."

"Yes?" he prompted. "Tell me what you want, Hermione. Tell me what you'd like me to do."

"God, I want you. I want you!" She was shaking now, and he could see the dark stain on the front of her knickers.

"You want me to what? IF you want something, you must ask for it. Now, Tell. Me. What. You. Want."

Hermione was now shaking, her nipples pointing straight out from her chest. The moisture from her knickers had now also coated the silky, smooth skin of her inner thighs. When she spoke, her voice came out in a harsh whisper. "Just touch me, please. I want you hands or your mouth on me. I d-don't care which."

His knees nearly buckled at her declaration, but he couldn't waste what she'd given him. He extended a finger and ran it lightly over her breast, grazing her nipple. She sighed and shifted her weight.

"Yes, you do want me. Oh, yes, I believe you do. Beg me. Beg me and say my name."

She seemed to be fighting with herself, trying to work up the courage to speak. Finally as she writhed, trying to again make contact with his fingers, she screamed out, "Fuck me, Severus. Oh, please, fuck me. I need you so bad."

He was weak in the knees, his head spinning. "I'm going to. Oh, gods, yes..." His resolve broke, and he could not wait and could not stand to continue his game.

He grasped her around the backs of her thighs and dumped her onto his bed. He was shaking as he removed her knickers and lowered his face to her mound.

For the next few moments, the entire world seemed to diminish until there was nothing left but her body, her scent, her taste.

Every voice in his head was screaming for him to show no weakness and keep quiet. However, he could feel her holding back. He needed to do something to put her over the edge.

"Oh, gods, Hermione. Do you have any idea what you do to me?" He breathed the words against her sensitive centre, causing her to utter a sound halfway between a moan and a sigh. "This is better than anything I could have imagined. So much better..."

She suddenly pulled away from him. He was unsettled at her abrupt withdrawal. "I need to feel you. Oh, God, please don't make me wait! I want you. I want you."

And with hitherto unknown strength, Hermione roughly pulled him over so that he was on his back, and she was positioned above him.

As her wetness touched his tumescent shaft, he had to grit his teeth and picture his great aunt starkers to stop himself from coming all over her.

"A moment, my love." He didn't want to wait, but he also wanted to last more than a heartbeat inside her. When he'd gotten sufficient control, he opened his eyes to look at her.

Seeing her above him, flushed and glistening, with heavy-lidded, lust-filled eyes and swollen lips, he had to restart the cool down process all over again.

He laughed slightly without thinking. Suddenly, he noticed that Hermione was gone. She had moved to the opposite side of the bed with her back to him.

Reality dawned on him like cold water.

"Hermione?"

"You kn-knew I w-wasn't experienced. There's no need to laugh. I am, after all, doing my best." She sounded as though she were sobbing.

Severus immediately crawled to her side and laid a gentle hand on her back. "I'm so sorry, my love. You see, I wasn't laughing at you. Quite the contrary. I was laughing at myself. In spite of my 'advanced age,' I'm reacting to you like a randy, under-sexed fourth year. I have stopped you only to stop myself from ruining the moment by severely abbreviating our coupling." He looked at her.

She slowly turned her head to the side to look cautiously back at him. "What?"

Severus looked deep into her eyes, and whispered, "You arouse me to the point that I could very easily come just by looking at you. Add that to your voice, your delectable smell, and the way you look right now, and, well, I'm done for."

Severus took a deep breath and gently pushed a lock of hair back from her face. "I pulled away from you not because I lack desire or motivation, but because you overwhelm me."

She leaned in and kissed him. It was slow, searching, and gentle. After only a moment, she pulled away. "Open your eyes, Severus. I want to see you. I want you to watch me."

She kissed him again; this time, he could see the sparks that flew within the deep, chocolate pools of her eyes. He wondered if the black fire in his eyes had a similar effect on her.

Somehow, this newfound intimacy added a new dimension to the sensuality between them, but it had the unexpected benefit of making both of them want to slow things down.

Their mouths parted, and Severus trailed kisses down her jaw line. When he reached her ear, he whispered, "I want to go slow, this first time. I want to remember every second. I want to treasure you."

He felt her chest convulse and a wetness slide down her cheek. He kissed away her tears as he laid her gently on her back.

"I've waited so long," she whispered.

"We have the rest of our lives..." he purred. Their kisses became more passionate, but they were still slow and teasing.

He paused for only a moment, poised at her entrance. He looked into her eyes, mutely asking, one last time, for permission.

She seemed to pierce him with her gaze. "I am already yours. Claim me." And he did.

A/N: I want to thank the amazing kizzy7. She has had to hold my hand, give me advice and clean up a sea of commas for me. Truly, I am lucky to work with her!!!