Love Me Do
Chapter 10 of 20
HogwartsClassof91Hermione is a quick learner.
ReviewedChapter 10: Love Me Do
While Severus filled the encroaching darkness with a Conjured lantern, Hermione thought back to his words and tried to remember what had finally clicked in her mind. He had instructed her to concentrate on both his hands and the space around him. Always before, she had focused solely on her body and lifting it into the air. But perhaps if she also thought about the space around her body, as she had done with Severus’s hands, it might work in a similar fashion.
She closed her eyes, her chin down. Power surged through her body, and she pulled it into her mind until it buzzed like a thousand angry bees. She thought about the air above her, the precise spot her body needed to be. Then she focused on the space currently occupied by her body. In her mind, she saw the spaces shift, top exchanged for bottom, air for ground. Beads of sweat appeared on her upper lip, so intense was her concentration. She did not notice. Her mind was entirely occupied by the intangible spaces and the need to manipulate them. She willed them into motion, and all at once it became so clear, so simple. The most natural thing in the world. She felt the breeze stir her hair and opened her eyes with a smile. Her head was level with the treetops.
Yes!
She tested her new ability and repeated the steps until she rose higher. As she gained altitude, the air became chilled and thin, but she delighted in the frosty evening. Her confidence grew. Gradually, she was able to relinquish some of the all-consuming focus and allow her thoughts to stray. She felt like a baby who had just learnt to walk, moving from uncertain to unstoppable in the blink of an eye. After several minutes, her subconscious assumed the role of navigator. She no longer had to envision or fixate on each and every step. The jerky starts and stops soon gave way to smooth, graceful arcs. She experimented with speed, seeing just how fast and then how slow she could go. To fly through the air, in complete control and yet totally unrestrained, was the most liberating experience she’d known, far surpassing anything she’d imagined. She made a sweeping circle around the perimeter of the field and then twirled in a mid-air spiral, like a flying ballerina, laughter spilling forth from the sheer delight of such freedom, such exhilaration.
“Show-off,” said a deep voice behind her.
She stopped spinning and turned. Severus moved towards her through the air, his arms crossed. The bored expression on his face couldn’t quite hide the admiration in his eyes. She beamed a smile, and when he returned it, she flew at him, throwing her arms around his neck and covering his mouth with noisy, wet kisses.
If her actions surprised him, he recovered quickly. His arms wound around her back and pulled her against his chest. Hungry lips found hers, greedy and demanding as he manoeuvred their bodies to the ground.
He deepened the kiss, and although her brain told her to proceed with caution, she ignored it and opened her mouth. She shivered when his tongue swept against hers. Her arms tightened around his neck. Desire formed a knot within her, a desperate pull that only grew stronger, eager for more.
More.
That’s what she wanted… needed. More. Now.
And then what?
The question niggled at her, cooling her blood. She suspected that having more of him right now would only leaving her wanting even more later. And not in a purely physical sense, either. It was enough to temper the longing. She drew back, a slow retreat from a battle she wasn’t prepared to surrender.
He gazed at her. Desire coloured his face, dark and raw. His shoulders rose and fell with his rapid, deeps breaths. He seemed to hover on the edges of control, but he slowly lowered his arms and straightened his back.
“I did it,” she whispered with a smile. “I flew.”
“I noticed.”
“You’re a wonderful instructor,” she said.
He snorted. “This is the first time anyone has accused me of that."
“Thank you so much for teaching me.”
"You’re welcome.”
“Too bad you didn’t take my wager,” she said. “I cannot believe we were able to do that in one lesson.”
His brows drew together. “You won’t require any more lessons,” he said.
“No,” she agreed with a chuckle. It was quite unlike him to state the obvious. And was that disappointment she saw on his face?
“But you will still attend the Ministry ball with me.” His tone did not question—it commanded.
“Of course. Are you going to dance with me at the ball?”
He grimaced. “Are you going to require such foolishness?”
“Oh, absolutely.”
“Then I could hardly escape it,” he said and inclined his head. “I’m quite obviously yours to command.”
She felt another pang of longing, but this was much different than the lust and desire she’d just experienced. She placed her hand on his cheek. “If only that were true.”
He seemed embarrassed by the turn of conversation and stepped away. His formal bow made her smile. “I will see you on the nineteenth,” he said, naming the date of the ball.
“Goodbye,” she whispered as he spun from view.
She chewed on her lower lip, deep in thought. Although the idea of a relationship with Severus Snape had seemed the most ridiculous thing in the world just a month ago, she couldn’t imagine anything she wanted more right now. But how to convince him of that? Gathering her cloak, she turned and Disapparated. The snap of determination echoed in her head.
She had some serious shopping to do.
My heartfelt thanks, as always, go to Karelia for her beta skills.
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Latest 25 Reviews for All You Need Is Love
294 Reviews | 7.78/10 Average
That was sweet and hot!
Great! Congratulations =]
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it. :-)
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it. :-)
I love the humour throughout this -- and found your Lucius to be quite apt/sympathetic. :) Thank you for sharing!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
And thank you for reading! I'm delighted you found the story humorous ... I had great fun writing it!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
And thank you for reading! I'm delighted you found the story humorous ... I had great fun writing it!
Sweet read I love your writing style!!!!! well done! hugs~dee
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Thank you so much - this story was great fun to write. Thanks for the shiny stars!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Thank you so much - this story was great fun to write. Thanks for the shiny stars!
Ok, I had to stop mid- read to tell you that chappie was funny!!! LOL "to be honest I'm not even sure she's a woman" I would have loved to read an interaction between the two"women"! Funny stuff! hugs~dee
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Tee hee. That would be an awesomely fun little one-shot to write!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Tee hee. That would be an awesomely fun little one-shot to write!
You're right. Your take on Lucius was a bit disturbing. I think if I hadn't read A Murder of Crows first it wouldn't have bothered me so much. But in your universe I find it hard to make Lucius anything but... mean and dangerous. I liked how this one worked out though. It's cute. Fluffy. IEE! Warm fuzzy feelings! Are you thinking of writing anymore stories? Just wondering. I haven't written anything in years (and had destroyed any evidence of such) so I understand the combination of family, real life stuff, lack of motivation, etc. But I do hope you write again sometime. I like your style. :)
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
My beta (karelia) is a big fan of Lucius, so his character in this story was a quasi-apology for making her read evil!Lucius in A Murder of Crows. It was extremely disturbing to write him so differently here, I assure you! If not outright cruel, he will always remain cold and self-serving in my mind (even when he ends up differently in my stories). I might return to fan-fiction some day, but I doubt I will ever again write an epic. The idea of a one-shot here or there is fun to imagine, though. Right now, I am about 1/3 of the way through an original novel I began in mid-November,as part of NaNoWriMo (after finishing Crows). It took months to get through the first three chapters, but since then, I have managed slow but steady progress. It's nothing ground-breaking: a modern-day romance with some mystery and suspense thrown in. But the alpha readers who've seen it have spoiled me with mountains of praise (Little Beloved said the flirty, witty, snappy banter was so good it literally blew her away!), and I'm greatly encouraged by the feedback so far. Once this is done, I have ideas (too many ideas, probably) for several more original stories, so I will likely be focused on original fics for quite some time. I'm a big believer in "never say never," though, so you may yet see me around the fan-fic world in the future. Have you ever thought about writing again? Check out the book "The Artist's Way" if you've considered it and need a gentle push. Good luck!
Response from marilynnedayle (Reviewer)
When you get novel published, I'd love to have the info. :)
The 'wonderful, lovely, amazing books' line made me laugh. Of course, in times of stress, Hermione would cling to the idea of her books as an anchor to sanity. Poor dear...
I enjoyed this immensely. You had me laughing out loud almost every chapter. I can't wait to read more of your stories (SS/HG hopefully). 
The 'their' in the note should be 'there'.
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Please see the next line:“Excellent spelling, Lavender,” she said aloud, snorting at the mistaken use of ‘their’ instead of ‘there’. Couldn’t they make her the butt of their jokes without insulting the English language in the process?It was intentional! o.O
Hello, just exploring this site for the first time. I normally hang around at either ashwinder or ff.net(mostly the latter because i like to filter stories). I like the chapter title/Beatle reference!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Thanks so much for leaving a review ... And welcome to TPP! I post on Ash and FFN, too, although my user ID on those sites is Hogwarts_91. I'm glad you like the Beatles references - I had great fun choosing all the chapter titles!!
What a suprise to come back from holiday! The story finished. I must say a brilliant ending. I've loved this from beginning to end. The banter between them was great plus the Lemons were amazing.
Feel free to write a sequel, because I wonder if those knickers could take the strain.
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
But of course ... they're magic knickers! :-) I'm delighted you enjoyed the story. I had great fun writing it and hoped it would be well-received (since it was my first attempt at humor). Thanks so much for the review and stars!
Lovely, simply lovely.
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Thank you so very much - I'm delighted you enjoyed it!
Lovely. I have enjoyed every single word of this lovely story of how Lavender's jealousy of Hermione had led to her being with the only man who could complete her, complement her, and make her and himself happy.Using the names of Beatles' songs as chapter titles was a fun way of hinting at what new revelation each new chapter held in store. Severus had taught her to fly in more ways than one, and seeing them come together this way was such a joy. I was really tickled to find out that Kingsley had given him the same "don't you dare break her heart" lecture that he had given Hermione.
Thank you for such a wonderful story, and I'll be on the look out for the next chapter of "A Murder of Crows," another one of my favorites from your pen.
Beth
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Beth. I had such fun writing this story that reading praise for it is like receiving a bonus. The Beatles tunes were a joy to pick from, but I confess I could have decreased the number of chapters if I hadn't been so eager to incorporate more titles. And I'm really glad you liked the dual lectures from Kingsley - I actually added/altered that after the Exchange, and I think it adds a nice touch to the story. Thanks again, Beth - you always spoil me!
what a delightfully delicious decoction! thank you so much for sharing your unique vision, time and talent. p.s. loved severus' deconstruction of lav-lav!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Tee hee ... That was rather fun to imagine. I'm so pleased you enjoyed this tale - thanks so much for reading it!
Oh I did enjoy that!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
I'm so glad to hear it! Thanks for reading, and thanks for the lovely stars!
Yay! Severus saves the day!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Always! :-)
ha ha!!! Oh that Lavender Brown makes me so MAD!!! Grr.
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
She's rather nasty in this fic, isn't she? I wonder if I'd have written her different if I'd seen the sixth movie BEFORE writing this? Hmmm...
Ohhh, very nice.
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Why, thank you. They certainly thought so!
Wow, this is a wonderful story. All the sad, painful things they are discussing. I was so sad about the way DH ended and I longed for there to be something better for Snape. Someone who cared about Snape without him being useful to them in some way. Someone who would appreciate the good in him and not be scared off by the bad.Very very good.
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
I couldn't agree more! I had never even heard of fan-fiction when I read DH, but I discovered it last year and was soooo pleased to have a forum in which we can imagine different (better) endings for this character. He deserved so much more! Thank you for reading, and thank you for the lovely stars!
Lovely. All my favorite fanfics finish much too soon, however. But I somehow missed that you are the very same author who is currently in the process of writing A Murder of Crows, another favorite of mine, so I shan't be too disappointed ;)
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Why, thank you! I had to laugh when you said it finished 'too soon,' however. The Exchange had suggested 1500-word stories, so I was really kicking myself for writing a 30k behemoth (this was the first Exchange I've participated in). What a delight to imagine someone would want more rather than less! :-) Thank you so much for reading and for leaving the lovely stars. Oh - and I'm so glad you're enjoying 'A Murder of Crows,' too. (It's pretty much the same story as this, isn't it? Bwahaha.) The next chapter of 'Crows' has been sent for beta, so I should be posting it soon.
Thanks so much for such fun!! Keep up the good work!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
You are quite welcome! Thanks so much for reading and leaving a review!
the end?? love it... it's such a fun fic!
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Yes, the end. It's probably a very good thing the Exchange had a deadline, otherwise I might have dragged this out for another 20 chapters! Thanks so much for reading - I'm delighted you liked it!
Nice story. Thank you for the good read :)The scene at the inn will hold in my memory for a while i think :)
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
And thank you so much for the lovely review. So glad I could provide something memorable. (I know I will never look at a little country inn quite the same way again.)
This was absolutely fabulous. I enjoyed every minute of it. An added bonus was the speed with which you posted. Talk about instant gratification! Will you write a sequel of their ongoing courtship? Hmm?
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
You are too kind ... I enjoyed every minute of reading your lovely reviews! I believe I will leave the sequel to your imagination (or a future Exchange prompt!). I haven't updated my WIP (A Murder of Crows) since March (eeep!), so I'll likely be begging the muse for inspiration on that before anything else. But I can't tell you how delighted I am that you'd even suggest it - you've made my day!!
Awwwwwwww...how sweet! I love the way in which Severus came to Hermione's rescue -- again! Lavender got what exactly was coming to her, if you ask me...what a nasty little specimen she is! Not to mention the fact that while she can dish it out, she apparently can't really swallow it herself. And then Severus got all jealous over the fact that Hermione's knickers were in Kingsley's desk (perhaps it wasn't the best idea to send them to her at work, hmmmm?)
Response from HogwartsClassof91 (Author of All You Need Is Love)
Not the best idea, no ... but very much like a man, yes? :-) I'm delighted you enjoyed the story. Thanks so much for reading and leaving feedback. I was rather at a loss with the whole "rescue" prompt, as I'm not a particular fan of Hermione as a victim, but then I realized there are several ways in which someone can be rescued, and not all of them are demeaning. (Not that I spared her from demeaning acts in this fic, LOL!) Thanks again!