Bloody Hell

A/N: Much thanks to my wonderful betas Gemma & Kat

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling

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“Fred? George?” Hermione called out as she shook herself awake, yawning softly before pushing herself up in her chair. Could have sworn I heard them. I wonder how long I was out, she thought. Looking around the library she estimated that she had been asleep maybe twenty minutes at the most. If I had been here too long, Madame Pince would have found me and tossed me out. As she looked about, she spotted a pitcher and glass. That wasn’t there before, maybe one of the house-elves put it there. Though if Fred and George were really here, maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to drink it, she thought with a slight frown.

Picking the pitcher up, she looked inside only to find water. Well it doesn’t have any odor, and it certainly looks like it’s just water, she thought as she sniffed the contents of the pitcher carefully. Noticing that her mouth did indeed feel dry, she poured herself a glass and sat back down with her book. Draining the glass of its contents, she set it down as she picked up where she had left off in her reading.

Slowly her eyes began to get heavier, her head dropping to her chest as she started to fall asleep again. Struggling, she lifted her head, blinking her eyes several times in an attempt to wake up. Maybe I should just go back up to my room before..., her thought was left unfinished as she soon fell asleep once more.

~~~~

“Where in Merlin’s beard is that bloody book?” Severus groused as he wandered down yet another aisle in the library.

“Sssh!” Turning around his robes flaring out, he spied Madame Pince at the end of the aisle with a finger against her lips. Giving a slight nod of her head, as if she had just made a note in her head about Severus, she then continued on her way.

“Bloody vulture,” he muttered. Stalking down the isle with a slip of parchment in his hand, he kept steady track of the call numbers on the book bindings, but the number he needed just never appeared. Probably some dunderhead took it out and never returned it. Or worse, reshelved it incorrectly.

Taking yet another turn, he found himself in one of the more private corners of the library. With the back of an armchair facing him, he took in the scene from the pile of books on the table and the soft snoring sounds. Pursing his lips together as he wondered if he could take House points for students sleeping outside of their dormitories, he approached the sleeping figure. Turning to the stack of books first, his eyes quickly scanned the titles. Little twit has my book! Wheeling around now, fully intent to deduct House points, he came face to face with a sleeping Hermione Granger.

His features almost softened, turning from a deep and angry scowl into a simple grimace. No doubt, studying herself to the point of near exhaustion again. Sitting down in a chair, he was almost at a loss of what to do. Obviously I should wake her and send her on her way... but she does look so peaceful. Most likely it’s been the only amount of sleep she’s gotten in awhile if she’s taken to falling asleep in the library of all places. Watching her sleep, he suppressed a slight smile as she softly sighed in her sleep and twisted to try to find a more comfortable position in the chair. I really shouldn’t be doing this, he thought with a quick frown. She’s Minerva’s apprentice for Circe’s sake. Not to mention she’s practically betrothed to that dunderhead Weasley. As he continued to watch her, his thoughts turned even more towards Hermione.

He wasn’t quite sure when he had first actually noticed she had grown from an annoying know-it-all child into an intelligent and attractive young woman. It hadn’t been that great of a shock when he had learned that she was to become Minerva’s apprentice. The pair had a close relationship, especially after Hermione’s parents had been murdered during the war. Don’t you wish you had offered her that apprenticeship now? a voice in the back of his head goaded.

Nonsense. If I had offered, and she had accepted, it would have made things even more awkward. While he did regret that he missed the chance of once again teaching her, he was glad to be out of the student/teacher dynamic. It made him feel less guilty about the erotic daydreams he had been having lately. Best not to start thinking about that, he admonished himself. His thoughts took another turn: Actually if she’s here, where is Weasley?

As he thought about it, he was surprised that she wasn’t at the Burrow for the weekend. Earlier in the semester, he had seen the pair together over the weekend or she would be away. Minerva always bragged that even through she was seeing that annoying prat, she never let her work suffer. Perhaps all is not well in paradise, he thought with a quirk of his brows before he scowled again. What business is it of mine, who she’s seeing? Doesn’t matter one whit that I think she could do better.

~~~

Almost as if Hermione were able to hear Severus lecturing himself, she began to stir. “Severus?” she murmured softly before stretching languidly. Giving a soft yawn as she woke up, she opened her eyes to find a surprised Potions master. Smiling warming at Severus, Hermione moved to sit up straighter in the armchair. “Afternoon, Professor Snape.”

“Good afternoon, Miss Granger,” Severus replied an eyebrow quirking upwards at her warm reception.

Looking at Professor Snape, Hermione felt her insides turn hot as his low voice ran silkily over her skin. Merlin’s beard, what’s come over me? Staring at Professor Snape, it took all of her willpower not to lick her lips, as images of her and Severus cavorting in bed swam through her mind. She wondered just what she might find underneath all the buttons and fabric that he covered himself with. Hermione finally found her voice again. “Professor Snape?”

“Yes?” Severus felt most perplexed. The girl looks like she wants to devour me whole.

“I think I love you.”

“Bloody hell!” bellowed Ron Weasley as he rounded the corner to the pair, his face flushed from running to the library from the Quidditch pitch.