He is not exhausted.

"Well, 'exhausted' might have been a bit of an overstatement." Severus's lips twitched in amusement. He lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers. Their lips met again, and her eyes fluttered shut. They had negotiated their terms. For the moment, at least, this was real. And Merlin, how she had missed Severus.

Months. It had been months since she'd kissed him. Want and need that she'd repressed and denied came bubbling to the surface. She really had just come here to... well, not look after Severus, nothing so mothering. Despite their age difference that had never been a facet of their relationship. Besides, she wasn't the kind who was warm enough to be called 'motherly', and he certainly never would have accepted that, least of all from a lover. But she had been genuinely concerned about him. Of course she had. Once upon a time, not so very long ago, she had professed feelings for him. And while her practical nature didn't leave her susceptible to flights of fancy, she certainly had the capacity to love.

Severus's hand snaked around her waist, drawing her onto his lap. She pushed against his shoulders. She had to catch her breath, savour the moment. Sitting back on her knees—perhaps not the most comfortable of moves—she looked at Severus. He wasn't smiling, no, but his face had lost the pinched, hard look that had plagued his features these past few years, particularly the last few months. Her eyes met his, and she gasped for breath again. It wasn't want or need that she saw in them. No, it was desire, hunger.

His fingers threaded under her stern chignon and pulled her back towards him. Their kisses became more desperate, more frantic until, finally, Severus lifted her from his lap and eased her back onto the bed.

Severus unclasped her cloak and shoved it off her shoulders. He flicked open the buttons on her dress. He parted the fabric, his lips never leaving hers. She reached for his buttons, but he batted her hands away as he kissed and sucked her earlobe, her neck, her shoulder until he had opened enough dress to reach her breasts. They both moaned as his lips wrapped around her nipple. His hands continued unfastening her dress, occasionally pausing to caress some uncovered bit of skin.

"Please," she found herself begging as one hand traced the inside of her thigh.

"Please, what?" he asked, the corners of his mouth finally lifting into an actual smile.

She nearly growled. Pushing him onto his back, she yanked at her dress and crawled over him. Her hair spilled over her naked shoulders onto his waistcoat, distinguishable only by the occasional strands of silver. She set to work on his cloak. Three buttons in, she kissed him again, and her fingers were soon trapped between them as he pulled her close. She freed another four buttons before Severus began fishing for his wand and cast a spell to banish his clothing elsewhere.

Minerva willed herself not to think about how long it had been, how much thinner Severus felt beneath her, or how this could very well be their last time together. No, this was an occasion to celebrate, to rejoice in whatever moments they could seize during these unbelievably stressful and hectic times.

Wriggling her body into position, her lips never leaving his, she slid against him, thrilling when he moaned and pushed up against her. She raised her hips and settled down onto him, ignoring all the reminders that it had been far too long since they had done this. Holding him close, relishing his skin against hers, feeling him move inside her, showing her affection in a way that even Severus would accept, all this was worth whatever hoops they would have to jump through to meet again.

Her hips rocked against his, and Severus slid his hand between them, bringing her closer with every arc of movement. Soon enough, her hip movements became erratic. This was not a position to which she was accustomed, and it was clear her sex kitten days were long over. Before her knees could protest too loudly, Severus manoeuvred her onto her back and settled on his elbows above her. Their lips joined again, and she found it increasingly difficult to maintain the tight hold she kept on her emotions.

Her hands curled around his head and his shoulder, and finally—finally—she came. A short burst of sensation and it was over. Not the most earthshaking climax of their relationship, but enjoyable all the same. It was a treasure: she was fully cognizant of her lover's rough pants, the way he grunted her name as his hips ground faster and faster against her, and the throaty cries as he threw his head back and lost control. All the while she clutched him as tightly as possible.

Severus lay gasping above her, the bulk of his weight still resting on his arms. The reality of what they'd nearly lost—what they'd already lost—hit her full force, and tears leaked from her eyes. A tiny sob escaped her, and she felt Severus tense against her. She swallowed and blinked, shepherding her emotions again. Becoming a blubbering fool wouldn't change the situation, and Severus didn't need, or deserve, an emotional outburst.

She steadied her breath and kissed his shoulder as she stroked the curve of his back. He kissed her as he withdrew then nestled beside her, his arm wrapping around her. He stroked her hair, which was assuredly more tangled than a Bowtruckle's nest. She smiled at him. "So... do you think we can arrange to do this again sometime?"

Chuckling, Severus replied, "Yes, even if I have to respell the wards in the entire castle myself."

Minerva's grin widened. "Flatterer." She stretched and turned to curl up against him. "I fully understand the need for security, but I really don't want to return to my rooms, I really would much rather sleep for days in this bed. I'd forgotten how much more comfortable your mattress is. I've missed it."

"I'm so glad it's the mattress and not my presence in it," Severus said dryly, grunting as he shoved himself from the bed.

She flipped over and bolted upright. "Severus! I was teasing!"

At this, Severus's lips upturned in an unmistakable grin. "Relax, Minerva, I'm only going out to stalk the halls and set those wards we discussed. Give me your necklace." At her quizzical look, he prompted, "For the Portkey."

She unclasped the necklace and passed it to him. He closed his eyes in concentration, his lips barely moving as he directed his wand over the pendant. "Portus Minerva or Portus Severus." He handed it back, grasping her hand for a moment. Several spells later, he was cleaned and dressed. The linens were freshened and her clothes stacked within easy reach on the bedside table. The worry lines and tension were back in place on Severus's face. Her lover was erased by the stern Headmaster. Then, with a parting nod, he was out of the door.

Shoving the bedspread and sheets back, she burrowed underneath the covers, summoning her wand and casting a Warming Charm for good measure. She thought about Severus, wandering the halls, casting the spells that would keep their secrets, and she struggled to keep her heart from racing. To distract herself, she recalled the tenderness and hunger of their coupling, and the way that sex had, as always, broken down the walls between them.

At least within these walls, with the security measures they'd devised, they could find comfort and escape. She was safe. Yes, she might be called away at any moment, but here, now, she was safe. And when Severus returned, perhaps they would reach for one another once again.