Domesticity

Disclaimer: It's not my creation, but I do enjoy manipulating things. No money for me though. Enjoy.

A big thanks goes to my beta, Charmed_Nay, and to my friends over at Potter_Place.

Severus didn't feel quite comfortable with what had happened with Hermione. Yes, he'd wanted it, needed it, but there was something that was bothering him. To him, it seemed like they had just shared something on a more intimate level than he had ever shared with anyone before. It wasn't the fact that he'd lost control like some overly hormonal schoolboy. There was much more to it than that. Even though he didn't enter her, it felt as though he'd given more of himself to her than he had intended.

He didn't like it. She would always have his loyalty, his desire, and his protection, but he didn't want to lose any more than that to her. Not now. Many things suddenly worried him at once. What if something happened to him? Who would protect her? Who would have her? His eyes narrowed. What if Potter defeated his Master and Dumbledore tried to interfere with his relationship with her? She'd already said that she would like to stay with him once her schooling was completed, but what if something happened to change that? What if his Master became displeased with him and harmed her by way of punishment? Severus' mood darkened even more. What if someone that didn't like him sought her out purposely? He would hate to see what Rabastan or Bellatrix would do with her. He would, of course, destroy any of those that would try to come between them. He was most anxious as to what Lucius' centaur would see.

I can't describe what I feel at this moment.

Severus repeated her words in his mind. He had felt what she'd spoken of, but he told her to remain silent. If she had said the words, he might have repeated them to her. But did he mean them truly? Love was something that changed a man. He couldn't afford to change. He needed his wits about him. There would be time for that later. Love was dangerous. Both Dumbledore and the Dark Lord would have a hold over him. The Dark Lord would respect his lust and desire to see his line carried on, but he didn't want him to know that he felt anything more than possessiveness and companionship. Dumbledore would likely dangle Hermione in front of him to make certain things went his way. "He's practically doing that now," Severus groused aloud. To consummate their relationship at this point would be disastrous. He wouldn't be able to hide or deny his feelings.

After their quick interlude, he'd briefly been at a loss for words. Anything that he could have told her may have been used against him later. She would never know how grateful he was when she leant forward to kiss him and pretended that nothing was amiss after they'd hastily righted their clothing. He'd actually been a little nervous and embarrassed. It wasn't every day that he did something such as that. He'd relieved himself in front of her...not that she truly noticed. That was simply private, yet he hadn't a care. Control. He had truly planned on taking her right there on that old couch. I lost control. Lost it and just didn't care. It was meant to be. He schooled his features as he heard the door open, signaling that her bath was complete. The small smile that had found its way to his lips disappeared. They would have to have a talk about things.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus shook his head in annoyance. "Will you not just let up?"

"I want to know why this is so important to you. I know you feel guilty because she fancies you, and her being upset with seeing us together made her leave the pub that day. I just don't understand why you are acting as you are! It's like you're in love with her," Tonks said hotly.

"She's a child."

"Not so much of a child that she wouldn't be attractive to you. The age difference doesn't matter much!" She threw herself down onto the couch. "I'm going to ask you something, and I don't want you to take this the wrong way. Has something happened between the two of you in the past to cause her to fancy you so deeply?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "Nymphadora, in my good conscience, I would never allow anything to happen with her. I admit to being flattered. My heart is with you."

Mollified, Tonks said, "I hope she's all right."

"As do I," he admitted. "I just feel responsible for this. If I could have talked her into staying, she wouldn't be off with that damn Malfoy boy, those kids would still be alive, and we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"Here," she said, patting the floor in front of her. "Sit. Looks like you need a massage."

Remus was no fool. He needed to allow this in order to change the subject. There were things he had never told her. He'd never told anyone about that fateful night he'd spent with the young witch at Grimmauld Place when he'd kissed her. He was the only one that treated her like an adult after her young lover had been killed. There was a lot of mollycoddling, and she'd resented it. So, in short, she was drawn to him for the way he handled her. She'd confided things to him...things of her intimate actions with her lover, her dreams, and her feelings. He had been surprised to find out that they'd had a lot more in common than he had realized.

At the time, he'd been talking with Nymphadora, but they weren't officially a couple. She had been trying to get him to see her as a potential mate, but he had felt that by allowing himself to love her would only burden her and bring discrimination upon her. She was never one to give up easily. In all honesty, he'd been fighting inappropriate feelings for Arthur and Molly's daughter. That had been hard to deal with, but he couldn't stop talking to Ginny. He hadn't wanted to let her down or make her think that he'd abandoned her. Therefore, they'd continued talking up until the kiss. Once he'd kissed her, he'd held her tightly and pretended to fall asleep. When she'd left the room, he'd fled as quickly as possible.

He hadn't known what to do. He'd been frightened and appalled about what had happened. He'd lose the trust of everyone he cared for if it got out. His only hope was that Ginny would never tell anyone. He knew that she'd fallen for him. He truly was flattered, but he'd made the mistake of never discouraging it. It was then that he'd decided to develop his relationship with Nymphadora. He'd thought that the girl would forget about him, realizing he'd taken a lover, and think he didn't remember the kiss. This, taking a lover, was a decision that he did not regret.

He and Nymphadora got along well, and he'd been able to put a halt to the feelings for the young witch. It wasn't until he'd found out that she'd still been having a rough time of it that he'd felt horrible about how he'd handled things. Instead of talking to her like a man, he'd run off and was unable to face his actions. She wouldn't be in such a predicament if he'd faced up to what he'd done. She would have understood that they could never be and moved on.

When he'd asked to speak with her that day in the pub, he'd intended to tell her about the prank played on Tonks by the twins, to tell her that his lover had not tried to betray him with Harry, and to make her understand that he was truly happy. He'd been a coward that day. He'd not wanted to discuss the kiss or their past. He'd simply meant to dissuade her from wanting him. The moment he'd gotten that letter with the horrid things about Tonks he knew he'd have to talk to her about everything. When he'd gone in answer to Snape's summons that day near the Shrieking Shack, guilt over the situation began to eat away at his soul. He needed to find her. He needed to explain things. He needed to clear his conscience. When the full moon came upon them, he'd be certain to take his Wolfsbane and talk Dumbledore into allowing him onto Hogwarts grounds to try to track her and the young Malfoy. He'd know her scent any place. And if Malfoy has taken advantage of her in any way, nothing will stop me from seeking revenge.

"How's that, love?" Tonks asked, breaking into his chain of thoughts.

"Much better," he said, turning to smile at her.

"I love you," she whispered, lowering her face to his.

"I love you," he answered honestly, moving to kiss her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione set their places at the dinner table while Severus finished up in the kitchen. "I saw that you had wine in the refrigerator," she commented.

"Yes, I do," he said, pausing to look at her. "Is that your way of asking to have some?"

"Do I really have to ask?" she blurted, suddenly annoyed. "Last time I checked I was a woman of legal age."

Severus strode towards her, pulled her by the arm, and sat her down at the table. "I might as well do this now," he said casually, taking a seat next to her. "You need to learn to stop reading things into what I say. I only meant that you were asking if we could have that with dinner, not that you were asking for permission." He shook his head in annoyance. "I find your outbursts to be annoying."

She couldn't believe he'd handled her that way, but she knew better than to push her luck. "I'm just feeling a little uncomfortable right now. We had the most amazing sex earlier, and everything was great. When I came out of the bath, you started ignoring me again! I hate being ignored. When someone is...disappointed in someone else, they should just tell them so that they can fix it."

Her eyes shifted away from his. She didn't want him to know what she was thinking. To Hermione, it seemed that he'd enjoyed their interlude, but when she'd finished having her bath, he seemed indifferent, not wanting to talk. It was only natural to worry that he'd found her lacking.

Sighing, he said, "Hermione, we did not have sex."

"Well, it might as well have been. I don't understand why you are acting this way. Everything was fine before. What did I do wrong? Is this about last night? My outburst?"

"Nothing is wrong. I was just getting our dinner ready. Sometimes I prefer to work in silence if you don't mind." He glared at her. "We did not have sex. Sex is so much different. Something I shall show you when you are ready."

"I am ready," she said, glaring back at him. "How could you think that I'm not?"

"Emotionally," he said softly. "That next step would change everything, and I admit to not being prepared for it."

"Oh," she said, looking away. What man turned down an offering such as this? They were alone, and she was at his disposal. What more could he ask for? She wanted him, wanted him badly. He'd made her feel things that she hadn't felt before, and she was anxious to know what else there was, anxious to know the feeling of completeness that he could give her.

He placed a finger on her chin and lifted her face so that she had to look into his eyes. He stayed that way for a few minutes, and she felt uncertain under such piercing scrutiny. "Severus?"

Leaning forward slightly, he kissed her chastely. "Don't ever think that I don't want you," he said quietly, taking her hand and placing it against his groin.

She gasped in surprise. He was aroused, and all she'd done was sit next to him. Perhaps her insecurities were childish. There had to be more to his decision to deny her, and she would find out what it was.

"I always want you," he continued. "When I take you, and I shall take you, Hermione, it will be on my terms."

"W-what might those terms be?" she asked, swallowing thickly.

"For one, I would like to be certain that you are emotionally ready to have that type of relationship, especially with me." He smirked. "Not everyone will approve of our union."

"But we don't have to tell anyone until..."

"Once I have you, I'll not be wanting to let you go. Therefore, if Dumbledore came here and ordered me to allow you to go to Hogwarts, I would want to rebel, knowing that I couldn't be without you."

"I'm of age. He can't tell me what to do."

"Spoken like a defiant woman that is not thinking clearly. We cannot afford to cause trouble with him at a time such as this. Don't you think Potter would be disturbed? Sometimes you have to put what you want to the side momentarily." Only momentarily. He pulled her into his lap. "I didn't want to bed you whilst you were still my student because of a promise to the headmaster. I suppose I must have some honor. Although you are not my student at the moment, there is a chance that things could pass, and you could be again. Would you be willing to stop our couplings until classes were completed?"

"No," she breathed, snuggling closer. "I would drop Potions. Seek an independent credit. Anything."

"Really?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, I read that a student can drop a class at any point during their final year and seek an independent class to receive credit for it. I could still sit for my N.E.W.T. in Potions. You wouldn't be administering that."

"Tempting," he said, mouth lowering to nibble on her neck.

"I-it is," she said distractedly. "I want to give myself to you. All of me. I want you to possess me and do what you will. It only seems right." She didn't realize that she'd said those words aloud until he made some sort of growling noise and began ravishing her neck in earnest. Dinner completely forgotten about, he stood up, taking her with him and quickly made his way to their bedroom.

Hermione's eyes widened. She must have said something that had struck a nerve. It appeared that he would throw caution to the wind and have her anyway. She was suddenly nervous. Would she know what to do? What if he didn't find her up to his usual standards? "Severus? Are we going to...?"

"Yes," he hissed between passionate bites on her shoulder.

"That feels good," she commented.

He stopped and placed her on her feet just before the bed. He pulled away her shirt, and his head moved immediately to capture one of her nipples with his mouth. He suckled and bit his way around it, flicking his tongue quickly.

"Oh, God, yes," she said. "I don't care about Dumbledore or any of them. I just need you."

He gently pushed her back onto the bed, her legs still dangling over the side. His mouth halted its ministrations once she was on her back. "Damn it." He moved away from her completely, plopping down beside her, leaving her partially undressed. "We must wait. Don't you see that? Once I have you, there will be no denying things. It can be used against me. I never realized that before today."

It dawned on Hermione that he was referring to his feelings for her. If he made love to her, there would be no denying that he loved her. That had to be it. If he loved her, he wouldn't be able to hide it, and it would be used against him by either of his masters. She knew what must be done.

"Let's set our boundaries. What is going too far?" she asked, lying on her side to face him.

He moved to face her, extending a hand to stroke her hair and push it from her face. "I can think of a number of things that we could do that would be acceptable, but those might well lead us into the wrong territory."

"Kissing is all right?"

"Yes."

"Earlier...the couch...is that all right?"

He shook his head. "I nearly lost control. That's why I exposed myself in that way. I was intent on taking things further."

She hadn't been aware of all that much. The feelings of his mouth and hands had been distracting. "I would have liked to have returned the favor," she said softly. Deciding to be mature about the situation, she said, "Look, I know you care about me, and I understand that you'd like to wait until things are more settled. I am ready when you are." She smiled. "I just want you to know that."

Severus nodded. "Agreed."

"I want to kiss. I want you to hold me. If we happen to go a little farther, I won't deny you, and I will be ready." She kissed the hand that was stroking her face. "I'm going to try to not act so impulsively and blurt things...like with the wine earlier and the pillows last night."

"Excellent," he said. "You must try not to tempt me, Hermione. I am but a man."

Hermione giggled. "Now, let's go eat our dinner and have that talk."

"Very well," he said, getting up and holding a hand out to her. Once he pulled her up, he said cheekily, "I suppose you might want to dress." Even as he spoke the words, he reached out to cup and fondle her right breast, passing his thumb over her hardened nipple and causing her to shiver. Realizing what he was doing, he dropped his hand and stepped away. "I apologize. It seems this will be harder than I imagined."

She shrugged and pulled on her blouse. "Come on." She held out her hand and pulled him towards the kitchen.

During their meal, he explained to her about his desire to connect their grate to his at Hogwarts. "It would be easier for me. You could come over to my quarters there if you'd like, or I could Floo here to check on you during the day."

"That sounds good, but why do you not look interested in that?"

"Dumbledore will then have access to us," he said blandly. "I don't know that I want him showing up in the middle of the night and finding us alone and in bed." He nodded to himself. "I'll just ward the Floo."

"Alone? Does he think someone is here with us?" She noticed that he looked guilty. "Severus? Does he?"

"I told him we would stay in separate rooms, and I would borrow a female house-elf to stay with us." He shrugged. "I will not have you in another room, and I don't want some elf wandering about either."

"Isn't he going to know you didn't bring one?"

Sighing, Severus nodded. "Probably."

Hermione took a long sip of her wine thinking about what the headmaster had requested. A house-elf wouldn't have stopped them from doing anything inappropriate. But she would have definitely answered any questions he would ask. She supposed just knowing would make a difference. He would be able to confront Severus about their arrangements. Severus' next words and his cool expression made her shiver involuntarily.

"It would be wise for him to not push me. I might be forced to retaliate."

She was certain he hadn't meant to say that aloud, but then he looked at her squarely.

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yes," she said, nodding.

"Is that so?" he asked darkly, leaning closer. "What if I could somehow see that Potter would lose the war when he faced the Dark Lord? What if I decided to cut my losses now and fully support the Death Eaters? Would you still be so willing? Would you still want me?"

"But...but you wouldn't. Dumbledore trusts you. You've been helping us all this time. You wouldn't."

"He would do well not to push me," he said, eyes glinting wickedly.

Just as quickly as it had begun, the moment ended. Her lover smirked and shook his head as if he'd been toying with her. He went back to eating as if nothing had happened. Hermione wasn't certain that he wasn't telling the truth just now. She shivered again. Would she be so willing? Would she still want him? Harry's face came to mind, and she had no choice but to put the entire situation out of her mind. She would not be forced to choose. Severus was just joking. He had to be.

"I don't mind going to Hogwarts with you or staying here. In fact, if I stayed here, I could do some work about the house. Would you mind if I painted or used a magic to change things a little?" she asked hopefully. She was afraid that he would take this the wrong way.

He looked around and took in the walls and ceiling. "It does need some work, but I couldn't allow you to do that. I suppose I should do that."

"Severus, I want to do it. You said that we could be housemates after the term ended, and if this is going to be my home, then I'd like to do some things around here." She smiled. "It'd be no different than the work I've done at my own house. Well, the painting anyway." She took a sip of her wine and thought for a moment. "Could you bring home a book that gives a witch tips about things they can do to magically improve their home?"

"I suppose I could." He seemed uncertain. "Why would you want to do this?"

Hermione stopped herself from giving him a scathing retort. "I would like to live in a comfortable home. A home that gives the impression of being cared for, a home that says the people inhabiting it are happy and proud of it. It would give me something extra to do while you are teaching. The meager amount of schoolwork that they've sent isn't enough to truly keep me busy."

"Very well," he said, a hint of a smile playing upon his lips. He nodded to the door that led to the mysterious sealed room. "Any room but that one. Understood?"

"I promise. I'll not redecorate your private room," she said cheekily. "Do you care to tell me where you went to last night?"

"No."

"All right," she said, feeling a little put out. She supposed she had been pushing things. "Care to read a bit of Byron tonight?"

He nodded. "Certainly."

"What is it?" she asked, noticing his frown.

"I suppose I am anxious about meeting with the headmaster tomorrow. I can hide anything from him, but I am certain that you couldn't. Then, if he realizes that I've been lying to him, it might make my job a little harder."

"So bring home a house-elf. I don't care. We'll just do as you said anyway and not let things go any farther sexually."

"But it may report that we share a bed. I admit that I've grown accustomed to having you with me at night."

Hermione smiled. "Same here."

"You never did answer me. What career are you going to pursue after you complete your studies?"

"Harry, Ron, and I talked about being Aurors, but I don't know that I will enjoy that. I'm thinking that maybe I could apply at the Ministry for a job. I'll likely have all of my N.E.W.T.s when I take my tests. At least, I hope I have them all. Therefore, I don't have to decide right now. Professor McGonagall says that some people are sought after for their scores alone. I thought maybe someone would make an offer for me." She smiled. "I supposed I never thought farther than that because I wanted to see what the boys would do."

"Interesting. Might I make some suggestions?"

"Of course," Hermione said, pleased that they were speaking about their future. She would think about things later. There was no reason why her night should be ruined over what he'd probably meant as a joke.

They talked late into the night, and when they went to bed, they simply kissed and held each other. There was no pressure on either of them to do anything more. The first week passed by quickly. Dumbledore didn't question him on anything other than Hermione's well being. Severus had established a Floo connection, which only recognized him or her. It seemed that he had some sort of pull with Madame Edgecombe at the Ministry, and she was able to connect his grates together without it being on public record. His own spells ensured that only he or she could use it. They'd developed a routine. In the morning, he would get breakfast together for the both of them. She would Floo to his quarters to share lunch with him, and he would forego the evening meal at the school to eat with her at home. She always had something prepared for him. After that, they spent the evening together either reading or working. It was a lovely arrangement. She had the rest of the time to herself.

He'd brought home some books for her to read dealing with home improvements. In the week, she'd made progress, and the home already looked different. The walls were painted, the ceilings were painted, the tiles and wood on the floors were repaired and waxed, and all of the furniture had been refurbished. That had been the hardest and most draining job, but the result was worth it. With each improvement, she could feel Severus warming up to the idea of fixing up his home.

When the weekend came, he'd decided to take an active part in his house's restoration. Each loo worked properly, and he'd fixed the Muggle appliances, enabling her to wash and dry their clothes. She hated sending their laundry to Hogwarts, and she didn't feel comfortable just cleaning them with magic. Everything seemed to be going perfectly. He'd only had to leave during the night twice, but he'd returned quickly enough, saying Dumbledore had had a lead on Draco's whereabouts. Both times, he'd gone out for naught.

Near the end of the second week, he came home in a foul mood. "What is it?" she asked, not certain she wanted to know. "The students give you a hard time?"

"Dumbledore," he said angrily, "knows about this!" He pointed from her to his chest. "He isn't happy, but he knows that I will not budge. He wants us to start staying at the castle. There are unused staff quarters that could be available for you. It's where he's keeping Potter!"

"Oh, no, but I really like it here. I don't want to go to Hogwarts. This feels like my home. I don't want to leave," she said in annoyance.

"Does it?"

"Yes."

The small smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. "Hermione, it's either that or Potter comes here while we are here alone. That means that the headmaster would be here during his spare time. I won't have that boy here acting as my chaperone, and I certainly don't need Dumbledore here to watch over me. Fucking hell," he groused.

"No, I don't think Harry should come here either." She smiled. "Look, we can go back to the castle. I am certain that we can still sleep together at night. If that's what it takes to restore Dumbledore's faith in you and in me, then we'll do it." She moved into his open arms. "I couldn't sleep without you holding me."

Severus sighed. "I think he wants you and Potter to share quarters. Each of you would have a private bedchamber, but you'd share a common room." He nearly growled the next sentence. "He dared to say that he could put a ward on your room to ensure no male could enter if it would make me feel better about you sharing quarters with Boy Fucking Wonder. I imagine it's to keep me out!" He pushed away from her. "I need to be alone."

She watched in wonder as he moved to the bookshelf behind the couch. A flick of his wand saw it open, and she watched him ascend some stairs before it closed again. Had that room been there all along? What was in there? Why had he kept it a secret? She sat down on the couch, shocked. There was so much about this man that she truly didn't know. The dark conversation they'd shared over dinner weeks prior came back to her. Would he truly turn against Dumbledore if he was pushed too far? She thought about the way he crept out of bed the night before to wait in the kitchen for an owl to appear. He'd done that a couple of times, but she'd not let on that she'd watched him. She'd heard him mumble Lucius' name. She was uncertain if the letters were about him or from him. He always destroyed them after, and there was no way of knowing what his replies were. She couldn't say anything because he'd think she'd been spying on him. Now, she wished she'd confronted him. Quickly, she made her way to their bedroom. She had her own thinking to do.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ginny threw her hands up in exasperation. "Draco, how much longer do we have to stay here? I am going nutters! All we've had to eat over the past couple of days is a load of sweets."

"Well, I'm certainly not used to living like this either. If you'll remember, I'm doing this for you. You need to appreciate me a little more!" he retorted hotly.

"I think we should go to Dumbledore. Either that or we need to leave. You said it yourself. You were almost caught the last two times that you went into town. Snape isn't going to give up. Neither is the headmaster. They want to protect us," she pleaded.

"Don't speak about things that you don't know about! Snape..." Draco looked away, voice trailing off. "I say we try to get out of Scotland. We'll come back when the bloody war is over!"

"We haven't any money!"

"I have a private account. I can make a withdrawal. My father doesn't even know I have it." He nodded. "That's what we'll do."

"I am certain that they'll be looking for you to turn up. My brother happens to work there!"

"Yeah? How will they know it is I who is doing the withdrawing? It's not under my real name. I made a wager with a Goblin and won. He had to give me a vault under an assumed name. He'll not be telling anyone anytime soon. How would that look to his superiors?" He smirked. "We can do this. Just the two of us."

Ginny smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm just tired of being here. I want a nice, hot bath."

"You can use that pool of water that we've been using for now," he said cheekily, pulling her so that her head rested on his chest just below his chin. "I know it's cold, but I can't use magic to heat it for you. It'll have to do for now. I'll make it up to you. I promise. We can go to Ollivander, talk to him privately, and get a new wand. He owes my father a favor. I can call him on it."

"That would be nice." She kissed his chest lightly and felt him stiffen. She looked up into his normally cool eyes and saw something warm flickering there. Uncertainty. Need. "I would like to kiss you."

"Is that so?"

She didn't bother answering. She tilted her head up to place a chaste kiss upon his lips. When she moved to pull away, his arms held her tightly, and his mouth descended upon hers again. This time their lips parted. When he ended the kiss, she pulled away. "I'll go wash up." She could feel her cheeks heating as she fled. She'd just kissed Draco Malfoy! They'd been together for nearly three full weeks, and although they'd held each other, they'd never kissed before. It wasn't the same heated type of kiss that she'd shared with Remus, but it was something more. Something promising. If she didn't know better, she'd say that he fancied her. Fancied her enough to wait until she had a clear mind about things before he'd try to push her into doing something she'd regret.

Remus. She hadn't been thinking about him as much. She supposed it never would have worked out. Her parents wouldn't have allowed the union, and he did seem happy with Tonks. Her expression soured. Tonks. She hated that he had been landed with a woman that would try to snog other men. He deserved better. Ginny grinned. It was the first time she'd really thought of things that way. Usually when she thought of Tonks, she listed many reasons why she would make a better lover for him than the other witch would. This time, she simply wished he had someone that loved him completely. She simply wanted him to be happy and not get hurt. Draco's smoldering gaze from after their kiss came to mind. Perhaps things were happening as they were meant to be.

Could it be that she was meant to be with Draco? Earlier in her life, she only dreamed of being married to Harry Potter. Then, she'd had other dates and realized that Harry wouldn't ever feel that way about her. Dean had made her happy while they were together, and he'd been her first lover. When he'd died, she'd felt lost. Remus had been there for her, but she saw her feelings now for what they were. She was on the rebound and simply reaching out to someone that was there. It could have been anyone, and she'd probably have felt the same way. Shrugging, she began pulling away her clothing, picked up the bar of soap they'd placed near the edge, and walked into the cold pool of water to have a quick wash. For the first time in months, things were looking better for her. She missed her friends and family, but for some reason, she felt that being with Draco was exactly what she was supposed to do with her life.

Southern's Notes: Unfortunately, it seems that our couple's closeness is about to be disrupted. I am certain that they will find ways to sneak about, but it won't be the same, will it? Hmmm! Maybe it will be better. I remember those days. However, Severus isn't taking this well, as he's used to having his witch with him, and Hermione is starting to think things over. What if he follows through with that threat during dinner? Would she betray him to help Harry? Or would she betray Harry to help Snape? Those things will be on her mind. I think they should be. I just wonder if she's starting to doubt her wizard.

I hope that Lupin's POV and Ginny's POV answered some questions that you might have had. I wonder, though, if we've heard the end of the kissing bit? Lucius will make an appearance in the next chapter. Dumbledore is really putting a strain on Snape. Heehee... Potter at his house? Yeah, right. I wonder what they will decide. As always, requests welcome. Let me know if you have questions.