Part 2

Part Two

The last of the third-years quietly filed out of the Defence classroom the next morning. Severus knew they would wait until they were far down the corridor and out of range of his immediate wrath before they reverted to their normal exuberant selves. He didn't bother to look up from his desk as the door closed behind them, intent on reviewing his plans for the next lesson.

"What did Draco want?"

A mixture of shock and anger swept through him, yet his face was impassive when he raised his gaze to see Hermione standing before his desk.

Shock that she'd managed to make her way across the room without him noticing...obviously, his formerly well-honed survival instincts had been dulled by the past few years of relative peace. Anger that she'd obviously been spying on him.

"I was unaware that you'd decided to take up a new career in espionage, Hermione."

She leaned toward him, placing both hands atop the desk to brace herself, and brought her lips close to his ear to whisper, "The walls have ears."

The sudden twinge of discomfort must have been visible in his eyes because Hermione stood up and laughed. "Actually, Minerva ran into me before breakfast. She knew Draco was in the castle last night and thought he was visiting me."

He glanced toward the still closed classroom door, for once grateful that none of his seventh-years had decided to come to class early. With deliberate, menacing steps, Severus moved around his desk to join Hermione, eventually leaning his hip against it at her side and crossing his arms, hands tucked under the fabric of his robes.

"Dare I ask why Minerva would think such a thing?" There was something off in his voice, something that gave the question a darker undertone than he was comfortable with. After all, there was no real reason why he should be bothered by the clumsy insinuations of a gossiping old witch. It wasn't as if Draco and Hermione's burgeoning relationship was a surprise to him. For all he knew, Draco could have gone straight to her as soon as Severus kicked him out...not long after they'd struck their bargain.

His lips twisted as he remembered sitting at his desk after Draco had left, staring at the mostly blank parchment that contained only the words, "My dear Hermione," and then, farther down the page, "Why do you have such awful taste in suitors? You deserve so much better."

Severus had crumpled the parchment into a ball and tossed it toward the fireplace before stumbling off to bed.

Hermione laughed again, and Severus thought she might have even rolled her eyes as she too leaned against the desk. "Even though you have been too busy to talk with me these last few days, I did promise to take certain precautions before meeting with Draco. Since I couldn't very well tell you, I made sure Minerva knew where I was going, who I was meeting, and how long I thought I would be gone. I went up to visit her when I returned to the castle, and we had a small nightcap before I toddled off to bed."

She smoothed down the front of her robes, fingers picking at small flecks of dust or possibly cat hair. "I assumed that since he wasn't here to visit me, and since I also doubt he'd suddenly taken a fancy to one of the seventh-years, Draco was here to see you. Was I wrong?"

"Fishing for information?"

Hermione continued to fidget with her robes for a moment, the tension in her jaw leading him to suspect she was about to deny it. After a moment, she looked up, almost defiantly, and met his gaze. "Perhaps."

It was Severus who looked away first.

"You should be proud. I don't remember the last time I saw Draco so disconcerted," he offered as his way of conceding that she had not been wrong.

He heard her exhale, a long drawn-out huff that managed to sound almost wistful. Severus lowered his head, letting his hair fall forward so that he could watch her through the dark curtain. She was staring straight ahead, as if looking at something in the far distance that he could not see.

"That wasn't my intention. I just ... I don't know how much Draco told you about our conversation last night, but it was not what I was expecting."

Severus saw her blink slowly, the corners of her lips tilting downward in a way that had him wishing he could somehow end her pensiveness.

"Although, if I'd taken any time to think about it, it was exactly what I should have expected," she continued.

He frowned, not sure he was following her line of thought.

"He was very analytical about it, you see. Someone, and I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say it was Draco, had put a fair bit of thought into the idea of the two of us...as a couple. It was all very smooth. Rehearsed."

Her voice turned distant in a way that Severus did not like. "Emotionless."

Hermione blinked again and shook her head as if to clear it.

"You sound disappointed. I am told you could do much worse than Draco Malfoy."

She laughed, and Severus felt an unexpected jolt of pleasure that he'd been the one to cause her mirth.

"I suppose there are worse things, this is true. What witch wouldn't jump at the chance to be seen on Draco's arm?"

"And yet, you are ... unhappy?"

He felt, more than saw, her shrug. Severus hadn't realized they were quite so close together. "Not unhappy, just ... wishing for the moon."

"Explain."

"You'll think me silly."

"Most likely, but that has never stopped you before. Tell me what you meant. Tell me what you wish for."

"I want ... to be admired, wanted, loved. For me. Not because I'm Harry Potter's friend, or because people consider me famous, or because they want to send a message by being seen with me. I want someone to want me because I'm a swotty bookworm with an atrocious sense of humor and unspeakable hair."

"You do ask for a lot, don't you," Severus deadpanned.

Hermione looked horrified for a moment, then seemed to realize he was joking. She hit him on the arm with her closed fist, just hard enough to be unpleasant. "You are an arse."

"So I've heard."

~oOo~

He slid the quill back into its stand without looking, eyes otherwise occupied in scanning over the parchment one more time and making sure it was adequate.

Perfect.

Severus harrumphed at the nauseatingly sentimental thought. The only reason he'd spent the past several hours composing a single letter was because he had sworn to Draco that he would give the endeavor his best efforts. It had absolutely nothing to do with his earlier conversation with Hermione, or some overly mawkish desire to fulfill her wish, even if it was only a temporary illusion.

Properly reassured that there was no reason anyone, including himself, could question his motives, Severus finished blotting the valediction until he was sure the ink would not smear. He carefully folded the letter, scribbled a quick note to Draco, and bundled both together for delivery.

The house-elf he summoned was more than delighted at being asked to make sure the missive reached its proper destination.

He did feel an uncomfortable twinge of something that could have been unease in the pit of his stomach as the elf disappeared, the small letter-bundle clutched in its pale, long-fingered hand.

After a moment's consideration, Severus decided it was merely indigestion brought on by eating that second pasty at supper and shuffled to bed.

~oOo~

The staff room was relatively peaceful, considering Aurora and Pomona were in the corner arguing over next week's match between the Holyhead Harpies and the Caerphilly Catapults. Severus was seated near the sofa where Hermione had spread out her lesson plans. Filius perched atop a chair near the fire, reading the Daily Prophet and occasionally grumbling over some article about the latest shenanigans in the Ministry.

The fire flared green, and a letter flew from the grate, landing on the floor in front of the fireplace. Filius obligingly flicked his wand and levitated the letter closer until he could see to whom it was addressed. With a flourish, he sent the letter drifting toward Hermione. "It's for you, my dear."

Severus could clearly see the green of the Malfoy wax seal as the letter floated past.

He wasn't the only one. Pomona perked up as Hermione snatched it out of the air. Before Hermione could tuck the letter into her robes, Pomona tittered, "Is that from your young Mister Malfoy?"

Hermione looked as if she was going to protest...cheeks paler than he could remember seeing them since the last time she'd been partnered with Longbottom in one of his classes...before silently nodding.

"Aren't you going to read it?"

Severus thought Hermione looked rather reluctant as she broke the seal. He watched as she skimmed the letter, her eyes going wide in response. His memory supplied the words she was reading.

My dear Hermione,

This is not a declaration of love. It is far too early for such sentiment; the courtship has barely begun.

You asked to be wooed, dear Hermione, and wooed you shall be.

The rest of the letter spoke of admiration for her confidence, her intellect, her grace, and kindness. There followed a request for continued permission to pay court, in the hopes of establishing a friendship and, eventually, more.

And finally, he had ended the letter with two carefully chosen words. Your Admirer.

"Will there be another endowment to the Hogwarts' greenhouses forthcoming?" Pomona snickered.

"Or, by any chance, anything of interest for the Astronomy department? I have heard that Abraxas Malfoy had, at one time, a magnificent example of a Cassegrain telescope in his collection," added Aurora, sounding disturbingly eager.

"I'm afraid not, ladies," Hermione replied, eyeing them reproachfully over the top of the parchment.

She returned her attention to the letter, and Severus let his eyes wander over her face, trying to read her expression.

He thought she was pleased with it. There appeared to be a small, winsome smile upon her lips which boded well.

"Don't keep us in suspense, dear. What does it say?" His study of Hermione was interrupted by the Herbology professor once more.

"Perhaps she does not wish to share with the room at large, Pomona. I thought that private correspondence, by its very definition, would be considered private." Severus cast her a withering look to go along with his chastisement.

"Oh, tosh, Severus. You're just jealous that no one sends you love letters."

"Thank the heavens for that," he sneered. "For surely that would be a sign of the coming apocalypse, would it not?"

From across the room, he could hear Filius giggling.

He felt the niggling weight of someone's gaze upon him and turned his head to find the source. Hermione was watching him, her eyes thoughtful, lower lip tucked ever so slightly between her teeth in the manner he had come to associate with a Hermione who was deep in thought. He wasn't sure why her scrutiny made him uneasy, but it did.

Severus returned her look with one of his own, one eyebrow slightly raised in inquiry.

Hermione glanced down at the letter, then back up at him. After a moment, she nodded toward the door and began to gather her things.

He humphed in annoyance, but got up from his chair and moved to hold the door open for her. As they stepped into the corridor outside, Severus heard Pomona grumbling, "I bet she tells him what it says. Waste of good gossip, that is."

The door swung shut behind them before Aurora could offer her opinion.

"As much as I usually appreciate any excuse to get away from that pair of nosy parkers, I was comfortable, and Filius' commentary on the current bumblings of the Ministry was entertaining enough. I'm assuming you had a reason for dragging me out here?"

He noticed that Hermione merely rolled her eyes rather than pointing out that she had done no such thing. Severus briefly felt his lips twitch in amusement.

She lead him further from the staff room door...and any eager ears that might have been pressed against it...and offered the letter to him.

Severus hesitated before taking it. "That letter was not meant for my eyes, Hermione."

"Please, just read it."

With obvious reluctance, Severus unfolded the parchment and let his eyes wander across the words he already knew by heart. To his horror, the idiot boy hadn't even bothered to copy the letter in his own handwriting. Draco had managed to remember to sign it; the large, elaborate D followed by indecipherable squiggles that made up his usual signature stood out under the clear, carefully formed letters that Severus had penned. Severus had taken pains to make sure Draco could read each word and had not reverted to his usual spidery scrawl. Perhaps the difference would be enough to keep Hermione from recognizing the true author.

He looked up to find her watching him and was not surprised to see that she was once again torturing her lower lip between her teeth. "Stop that." The admonishment came out softer than he expected, almost gentle.

She blinked, seemingly caught by surprise. "Pardon?"

"Never mind." Severus shook his head, annoyed with himself. He waved the letter in her direction. "What am I supposed to be looking for?"

Does she know?

Hermione took the parchment back and studied it once more. "Don't you think it's a bit ... out of character? For Draco?"

"Do you know him well enough that you would consider yourself an expert on what is in-character for him?" Severus asked.

"Well," Hermione began, looking slightly defensive, "I remember how he was in school..."

"That was a long time ago. You've changed since then. I've changed. Is it so far-fetched to think that Draco has as well?"

Her doubt seemed to be wavering. Severus pushed forward, pointing toward the parchment. "Perhaps the author of that letter is trying to tell you something that he has been unable to express until now."

"Do you really think so?"

"There's only one way to know for certain."

Hermione searched his expression for a moment, and Severus wondered what she was looking for. Whatever it was, she seemed to have found it because the tension seemed to melt from her shoulders and her lips softened.

"You're right." She held the letter up between them. "The man who wrote this ... I'd be a fool not to see where this could lead, wouldn't I? You've given me much to think about, Severus. Thank you."

Hermione surprised him by leaning close and pressing an all-too-brief kiss against his cheek. Severus was stunned into momentary paralysis by the soft warmth of her lips against his skin, and by the time he was able to react, she was already disappearing down the corridor.

As he watched her walk away, Severus felt the strangest urge to transfigure Draco into a dust mop.

~oOo~

Severus wasn't particularly surprised when his fire flared green the next evening and Draco's voice floated out. "Severus, I must speak with you."

Setting aside the book he'd been reading, Severus stood to greet his visitor. His voice wasn't particularly welcoming as he granted Draco permission to come through.

The blond wrinkled his nose as he stepped into sitting room and used his wand to remove any traces of Floo powder or ash from his robes. Once he was satisfied that he was immaculate once more, Draco brandished a small packet of parchment in the air. "What is the meaning of this?"

"What makes you think I have any idea what 'this' is?" Severus replied, though he did have his suspicions. Hermione had confided earlier in the day that she had sent a reply to Draco's letter, and though she hadn't given him any specifics, she had been in high spirits.

"She wrote back. She wants to continue our 'correspondence' and is amiable to forming a friendship and...perhaps...more between us. What sort of Mooncalf shit is that?" Draco flung Hermione's letter at Severus, who caught it before it could connect with his chest.

"Did you even bother reading the letter you sent her? Or do you make a habit of blindly signing your name to anything put before you, Draco?" His fingers itched to unfold the parchment, but he waited, not wanting to appear eager in front of the other man.

Draco's fair skin took on the faintest flush of pink, and he refused to look directly at Severus. "I was ... distracted, the night you sent it."

Severus briefly searched his memory. Ah, yes. He sneered and moved across the room to seat himself behind his desk. "I do remember Poppy mentioning something she'd read in the gossip pages, something about young Miss Greengrass being spotted in the company of Adrian Pucey. As you and Miss Greengrass have parted company, that couldn't have been what was so distracting, could it?"

"Bugger off, Snape."

A nasty smile twisted his lips as Severus replied, "You're the visitor here; perhaps it is you who should leave?"

Draco's fists clenched at his side, and he took a deep breath before pointing toward Hermione's letter, which was now sitting upon Severus' desk. "Not before we deal with that."

"As you wish." Severus made a show of opening the letter and flattening the parchment against the desktop to read it. Her note was brief, addressed to her admirer, and it confirmed what Draco had already told him. There was also a mention of wanting to get to know the man behind the persona, but that wasn't unexpected in light of their discussion the day before.

"This seems straightforward enough, even for you, Draco. What were you expecting?"

"I was expecting that once she knew I was serious about being a couple, that she'd ..."

"Eagerly fall at your feet?" Did the idiot even know her?

"No, of course not." Draco ran his hand through his hair.

Severus was annoyed to see that the blond locks effortlessly settled back into place. He refused to think about how unkempt his own must look after a day of demonstrating and dodging hexes in the classroom. Not that it mattered; no one cared what he looked like, and there was absolutely no reason to compare himself to the other man.

Draco crossed the room and perched his arse on the edge of the desk, ignoring Severus' scowl. "I wasn't expecting her to want another letter. I figured we'd send one, she'd see I was willing to play along with this wooing nonsense, and then we'd attend a few parties, have a few meals together, that sort of thing."

"Be spotted by the papers, photographed canoodling in all the right places, have your names linked amongst all the right people?" Severus helpfully supplied.

Draco didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed.

"Exactly. Then, after a proper time, if things went well and we were both amiable, we'd announce our engagement and eventually marry."

"Why, Draco, I never knew you had such a passionate nature."

He could tell by the way Draco's face scrunched up that the younger man was fighting to keep from letting loose with whatever retort was on the tip of his tongue. Smart boy.

Battle apparently won, Draco finally spoke, "Let's just focus on the matter at hand, shall we?"

Severus used two of his fingers to slide the parchment across the desk toward Draco. "Simple enough. You answer it."

Horrified did not begin to describe Draco's expression. "And say what?"

"Tell her what you just told me. Tell her you're madly in love with her. Tell her you fancy goats. I do not care what you tell her. I did my part...the door is open, now it's up to you to step through it." Severus leaned back in his chair, arms crossed across his chest, clearly indicating that he was done with the subject.

Draco glared at him, then smiled in a way that made Severus uneasy. It was the same sort of smile Lucius wore whenever he ended up with the upper hand in some dealing or another. Draco slid the letter back across the desk, nearly pushing the parchment into Severus' lap. "I've always envied your way with words, Severus. You've always known just what to say, whether you were cutting someone down or holding our rapt attention in class. I need your skill, and you will assist me because I have two words of my own."

He stood up and leaned across the desk. "Life. Debt."

Draco jumped back as if expecting to be hit by the Cruciatus and almost looked surprised when Severus didn't even bother to scowl in his direction.

"That's the best you can do?" Severus shook his head, giving Draco a pitying look. "Fine. But your father's influence and favors will only stretch so far, Draco. Eventually, you will have to stand on your own two feet."

The blond briefly looked thoughtful, then flashed Severus a youthful grin. "But not today. You'll have to excuse me for running off, but I'm meeting Adrian for drinks. Astoria has already broken his heart, you see, and now he wants to tell me all about how she callously used him. I plan on ordering the most expensive cognac they have on the premises...on his tab, of course...and drink him under the table."

Severus wondered why he even bothered trying. He waved Draco off and waited until the other man had disappeared through the Floo to reach for a clean piece of parchment. After a moment's hesitation, he began to write.

My dear Hermione,

You have no idea how your response moved me.

~oOo~

The dichotomy of the next six weeks was enough to drive Severus to drink, although he had learned his lesson about overindulging with firewhisky. That's how he had ended up in this mess in the first place, after all.

By day, he was Hermione's coworker and friend, sharing sarcastic quips and the occasional chocolate biscuit. By night, he labored over love letters, each more personal and intimate than the last, crafting phrases that carefully straddled the line between misdirection and truth.

It was very important to him that he had not lied to Hermione. He had let her form her own...incorrect...conclusions and omitted certain details, but he had never lied.

The distinction would provide little comfort in the face of Hermione's inevitable feelings of betrayal if his part in the Malfoys' scheme were ever to come to light.

Which it would, eventually, because that's how these sorts of things always play out in my life, Severus thought one night as he contemplated the ceiling above his bed.

He'd grown closer to her over the last few weeks, through reading her letters and, unexpectedly, during their daily talks. They'd been friends before, but now they were more. Once she'd confided her desire for romance, the proverbial floodgates had opened. She told him of her childhood, how she wanted to be the prime minister when she was five, and even confessed her "unholy addiction" to Curly Wurlys. Severus, for his part, had briefly glossed over the highlights of his own youth, confirmed that he had been in love with Lily Evans and that she would always hold a place in his heart but nearly dying had a way of putting things into prospective, and had grudgingly admitted that Potter might not be as repugnant as he had originally thought.

Their talks were never dull, serious one day and filled with teasing and laughter (mostly hers) the next. Quite often, they parted company with the press of her lips against his cheek. So often, in fact, that Severus had begun to anticipate that moment, going so far as to proffer his cheek for her kiss when she leaned closer. Once, he'd even caught himself feeling inexplicably bereft when she had left without the gesture.

That's when he realized what he'd done.

That moment when he'd watched her weave her way through a sea of milling students and knew that it would have been disastrous for his reputation to be seen receiving a buss on the cheek from a fellow staff member and yet still wished she had done so anyway – that was when he knew he'd fallen for her.

He had fallen for the girl, but she had fallen for the handsome boy, and it was all Severus' fault.

And wasn't that just a phenomenal cock-up?

He stared into the darkness of his bedroom and wondered when he'd become so utterly pathetic.

~oOo~

The last thing Severus expected to see when he strode through the dungeon corridors on the way to retrieve a reference book from his rooms was Hermione and Draco in front of her classroom. Hermione smiled when he approached, and if Draco was displeased to see him, the younger man hid it well. If anything, he seemed relieved that Severus had joined them.

Draco quickly made his excuses, reassuring Hermione that he would have stayed to continue their discussion if the Headmistress hadn't been expecting him shortly. Then he grasped her hand and brought it to his lips, briefly sweeping them against her knuckles. With a nod toward Severus, Draco left them.

As soon as they were alone, Hermione laughed. The sound was joyous, and it made Severus ache to hear it again.

She turned toward him and performed an awkward curtsy, offering her hand. "M'lord."

He really had no choice but to take it, replying with an equally formal, "M'lady," as he bowed over her fingers. He could feel his heart pounding, could hear the blood rushing, as he brushed his lips across the softness of her skin. Somehow, he mustered the self-discipline to raise his head, expecting to see her ready smile. Hoping to hear her laughter once more.

There was a smile, but a soft, thoughtful one. "It's time."

"Time for what?" Severus asked, reluctantly releasing her hand.

"Time to stop hiding behind the letters."

Bile rose up into the back of this throat, forcing him to swallow hard.

"That's why I asked Draco to stop by for a moment," Hermione continued, seemingly oblivious to his distress. "I want to spend time with the man I've grown to know through those letters. I think ... I think it's time to let him know how I feel. Face to face."

Severus drew in a deep breath and tried to sound supportive, even though he wanted to tell her it was far too early to even consider such a thing. "Did you tell him? What did he say?"

Hermione looked down the corridor in the direction Draco had disappeared. "I haven't told him yet. It's not just something you blurt out in the hallway, you know?"

Somehow Severus managed to nod in response. If she and Draco hadn't talked, then there might still be time.

Time to do what? Men like me only get the girl in fairy tales. Better her friendship than nothing at all.

She reached out to pat his arm. "Don't look so glum. I'm sure I'll tell him this weekend, when the moment is right. In the meantime, you can come help me figure out what is stuck to the ceiling in my classroom. It's puce and bubbling, and I'm almost positive it tried to move out of the way when I poked it with a stick earlier."

~oOo~

The last essay was graded for the night, the bottle of red ink stoppered, and the various aches and twinges along his spine told Severus that he'd spent far too long hunched over his desk. Carefully, he rolled his neck and stretched his arms above his head, trying to work the kinks out.

A glance toward the clock over the mantel showed that less than five minutes had passed since the last time he'd looked. It was late, but not late enough for Hermione to be home yet, not if Draco had dragged her out to one of those posh restaurants that prided themselves on "ambiance" and clientele rather than appetizing food. Severus had spent more than one excruciatingly long evening out with the Malfoys, longing for a good steak and kidney pie while Lucius droned on with occasional pauses to "savor" his glass of astronomically expensive port.

Another hour. Perhaps two if they don't come straight back to the castle.

Assuming she comes back at all, tonight.

On that pleasant thought, Severus decided that he was done for the day. The little brats were all tucked into their beds, and if they weren't, he didn't really give a flying fuck. The papers were graded, the castle was quiet, and Severus was going to drink himself into a stupor.

Good plan. Bloody brilliant plan, if I do say so myself. But first, a bit of preparation.

Severus extinguished the candles in the room, leaving only the fire for illumination. He arranged his favorite chair in front of the fire, summoned an ottoman for his feet, and placed a crystal goblet and a bottle of elf-made wine on a table within reach. Satisfied that the room met his requirements for comfort, he turned his attention to himself. Teaching robes and frock coat were not conducive to a relaxing night in front of a warm fire. Moments later, he settled into his chair with a sigh, wearing a loose dressing gown and a well-worn pair of sleep pants, his feet bare.

With his first sip of wine, Severus cleared his mind, refusing to think of Hermione or Draco or Hermione and Draco.

His eyes had grown heavy, the wine pleasantly dulling his senses to the point at which he might have dozed off, when the fire flared higher and the flames turned green. He started awake, nearly dropping his glass. His fingers were closing around his wand before he realized it was Hermione's voice coming through the grate.

"Severus? Are you still awake?"

For the brief moment, he considered ignoring her.

He set his glass aside and leaned toward the fireplace, elbows balanced on his knees so he could call out to her. "Yes. Did you need something?"

He could see her in the flames. If she'd worn cosmetics for her evening out, he couldn't tell. Most of her hair was still up in some sort of complicated hairstyle that women tended to favor when they were trying to impress a potential mate, but rogue curls had already managed to escape their confinement.

She was breathtaking.

He saw her look over her shoulder into her room, then turn back to him. "Can I come through?"

Yes! No! Shit.

"It's late, Hermione. Can it wait until morning?"

Another glance over her shoulder. Whatever she saw seemed to make her even more determined. "Now would be best, I think. Please, Severus."

"All right. Come on." He stood, tightening the belt of his dressing gown as he waited for her to step into the room.

He hadn't been expecting her to be dressed for bed. The hem of her pale nightgown peeked out from under the bottom of her blue robe. Her toenails were painted, dark against the white of her skin. He stared at her toes, unable to make out the exact shade of polish in the low light from the fire, and realized he'd missed whatever she said as she brushed her robes clean.

"What was that?"

"I said, 'Thank you.' I hope you don't mind if I stay for a few minutes. Draco's at my door and I just don't want to deal with him any more tonight." She looked around the room and noticed the half-finished bottle of wine. "Oh, may I have some?"

Without thought, Severus retrieved a second goblet and poured some wine for her. Their fingers nearly touched as he offered the goblet to her, and he was absurdly disappointed that they did not. He gestured toward the sofa for her to sit, then returned to his own chair.

Severus waited until she'd made herself comfortable...feet tucked up beside her and covered by the edge of her robe...and she'd had a sip of wine before asking why she was hiding from Draco.

Hermione sighed and rolled her neck as if trying to alleviate some of the tension in it. Another large curl fell free and brushed against her shoulder. "Well, things started out well enough, I suppose. He took me to a lovely restaurant, very pretty. Lots of beautiful people. I'm glad I'd thought to wear my good heels, even though they kill my feet. Anyway, we talked as the meal progressed and ..."

She paused to take another sip of wine. "To make a long story short...well, shortish at any rate...at some point over the cheese course, Draco kissed me."

Judging from the involuntary spasms going on around his right eye, Severus suspected he was in danger of developing a facial tic.

"He kissed you, and it was bad enough to drive you into hiding?" Though his tone was light and teasing, Severus was anything but.

"The kiss itself wasn't bad; it's what happened after. There we were, his lips on mine, barely even touching really, and then there was this awful screech. We both jerked back in time to see this woman storming through the restaurant...she really was quite beautiful. Lovely dress." Another sip of wine.

She was trying to drive him mad; she had to be. Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The point, Hermione, please try to come to it sometime soon."

"Fine. Apparently, she was Draco's not-too-distant ex, and she was rather unhappy to spot him swapping spit with another at 'their' restaurant. You think I was embarrassed by the stink she was making, you should have seen her date."

Severus blinked, his mind latching on to one phrase and refusing to let it go. "Did you honestly just say 'swapping spit?'"

She blushed deep enough that he could see it even in the low light. "I may have slightly understated the kiss, but it was really not a big deal. Just a tiny bit of tongue on his part, truly."

He stood, the wine in his stomach threatening to stage a revolt, and moved deeper into the shadows behind his chair. "Feel free to refrain from sharing any further details that involve bodily fluids, please."

"As you can imagine, at that point, I was pretty much done with supper. However, she wasn't done giving Draco a piece of her mind. I admit, I took the cowardly way out, and as soon as I saw an opening to escape, I ran for it."

"Of course you did. It's what any sane person would have done, I'm sure." Severus gripped the back of his chair in both hands until his knuckles turned white. "And now Draco is in the castle, wanting to pick up where you left off, no doubt?"

She looked thoughtful, then shrugged. "Something like that, I suppose. To be honest, I was planning to cut the evening short before all that started. I wanted to come back to the castle. You see, there was something that I needed to..."

Several rapid knocks interrupted her, and both heads swiveled to stare at the door to his sitting room.

"Are you expecting company?" whispered Hermione.

"Do I look like I was expecting visitors?" Severus hissed right back.

After a brief pause, the knocking started up again, this time accompanied by Draco's voice demanding to be let in.

"Annoying little scrotum," Hermione muttered under her breath, which, perversely, seemed to brighten Severus' mood a tad. She looked at him, all impossibly wide eyed and desperate, and Severus suspected he was about to do something phenomenally stupid.

With a sigh, he hurriedly ushered her toward the bedroom. Without even glancing into the darkened room...he was aware of the state he'd left it in, the day's clothes tossed haphazardly on the floor, boots sticking out from under the bed...Severus gently pushed her in and closed the door.

First, he cast a quick Imperturbable Charm at the bedroom door because who knew what sort of nonsense Draco was going to attempt to demand of him this time. Another flick of his wand had her goblet rushing toward his hand, and he drained the last of the contents before shoving it into the liquor cabinet and out of sight.

Then, once he was sure the sitting room held no more evidence that Hermione had been there that night, Severus put on his most menacing "you have done a Bad Thing and now you must be punished" face and jerked open the door.

Draco nearly fell into the room.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Severus thundered. Not that he had any clue, himself, other than "very late."

"Have you seen Hermione tonight?" Draco didn't even have the decency to look the tiniest bit intimidated. Severus noted that the blond's hair was mussed and he had a vibrant red smudge on his collar.

"I thought she was spending the evening with you?" He casually leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and watched Draco pace around the space between his desk and the sitting area near the fireplace.

"She was, but then she left. I tried her room, but she didn't answer."

"You must have done something to cause her to leave you in the lurch and avoid you. Did you offer to show her your broom collection?"

"What? No, I...those brooms are highly valuable collectables!" Draco wasn't distracted for long. "Everything was fine, I thought. She wasn't terribly talkative, but I had several anecdotes to share, and she found them amusing enough. Then, as I was reaching for the Camembert de Normandie, she told me she wasn't sure we were right for each other."

That caught his attention. "I'm sorry. She what?"

"I know!" Draco threw his hands up in the air. "She kept on about needing more than just sexual attraction, that we didn't have the connection she needed. What's so wrong with sexual attraction is what I want to know?"

Severus was still trying understand what Hermione was playing at, making it very clear to him that she was falling for Draco, then turning around and telling Draco she wasn't interested. He let Draco whinge while he tried to work out the puzzle in his mind.

Eventually, he noticed that Draco had come to a standstill and was obviously waiting for a response from him. "You're absolutely right." He had no idea what he'd just agreed to, but it seemed to appease the younger man.

"So, then I kissed her. I think I was well on my way to convincing her to give us a chance...she seemed to be gaining enthusiasm for the idea, if you know what I mean...when Astoria popped up from nowhere." Draco began to pace again.

"How dare she get upset with me for taking Hermione there! That restaurant has been a favorite of my family for decades, long before we were even a couple! If anyone should have been ashamed to show their face there, it should have been her and that hulking buffoon she had following her around. I'm almost positive he had some troll in his bloodline."

The tic was back. Severus made a mental note to talk to Poppy in the morning.

"Troll boy tried to interrupt us at one point, but Astoria told him to toddle off back to his cave. Then the owner politely suggested that we take our disagreement to one of his private rooms, and by that time, Hermione was gone."

It truly was late, the pleasant elf-made wine-induced fog had evaporated long ago, and Severus was tired. Very, very tired.

He pointed to the stain on Draco's collar. "I'm going to hazard a guess that that is not Professor Granger's lipstick?"

"That is not the point, Severus," snapped Draco. "I need to speak with her, to explain what happened. If she's not in her room, and not here, where else would she have gone? Where does Potter live? She wouldn't go to the Weasel, would she?"

"Take this small bit of advice, Draco. Do not go to Weasley or Potter's home this evening, pounding on their doors like you did mine, demanding to speak with Professor Granger. If she is with one of them, and not safely tucked into her own bed, fast asleep, you will end up flat on your back with a wand digging into your neck before you can even draw your next breath. Neither of those two take kindly to seeing their friend upset. Nor, I imagine, to being woken up in the middle of the night by a nattering idiot." Severus pulled the door open and gestured toward the corridor outside. "Go home. Send her a note in the morning. Or don't. I do not care at this point; I just want to go to bed. Get. Out."

Thankfully, Draco did as requested, pouting the entire way.

Severus locked the door, then leaned his forehead against the cool wood as he debated what to do with the woman hiding in his bedroom.

He could just leave her there and find somewhere else to sleep. Filius would probably give him shelter if Severus asked.

Only the thought of the potentially crippling backache that would result from a night spent on the tiny professor's equally tiny sofa kept him from seriously considering it.

He straightened up, smoothed down his disheveled hair, and squared his shoulders, readying himself for battle.

What he wasn't expecting, when the door opened to let enough light into the room for him to make out shapes, was to see the large lump huddled under the covers on his bed.

"Hermione?" For some reason her name came out as a whisper.

Severus crept closer on silent feet. "Hermione." His voice was a little firmer, a little louder now.

No answer. Not even a twitch from the lump on the bed.

"Lumos."

In the soft wash of light from his wand, Severus was able to confirm that she had tucked herself in and was fast asleep.

Not quite the way he'd dreamt of finding her in his bed. She certainly hadn't been snoring in his imagination, although he had to admit the soft huffing noises she was making might not be classified as snores in the strictest of senses.

Still, the fact remained that he was knackered, practically swaying on his feet, and she was smack dab in the middle of his mattress.

"Hermione."

She moved slightly, and he thought he saw the glint of her eyes peeking over the edge of the blanket.

"Draco's gone."

"Fabulous," she mumbled, half asleep. Hermione shifted away from him, and he thought she was going to get up on the other side, but she simply cuddled into the pillow and closed her eyes again. "Turn the light off and come to bed."

That's when he realized she had moved over to make room for him. She actually expected him to crawl into bed with her.

Was she out of her mind? Was he?

Severus had done many things he later regretted in life, and this was probably going to be one of them, but that did not stop him from whispering, "Nox," and setting his wand on the nightstand. He took off his dressing robe and draped it across the foot of the bed, then slid under the covers, leaving a respectable distance between himself and Hermione.

Her breathing had almost evened out when his last bit of doubt hit. "Hermione, are you..."

Suddenly, there were feminine fingers pressed against his lips, silencing him. Then warm breath against his ear. "Shh. No more talk. Sleeping time now. Talk in the morning."

The fingers on his lips slid lower until her hand settled against his chest, not far from his heart. His own hand came up to cover hers, and Severus let himself drift off to sleep.

~oOo~

Sunlight filtered through the enchanted window, brightening the room just enough to rouse him. He took a deep breath and felt a warm weight across his chest. Severus' eyes popped open, and his head turned to find Hermione already awake and watching him from her pillow.

"Morning."

"Good morning," he managed to reply as if they were greeting each other at the High Table over breakfast instead of in his bed.

Breakfast. That could be a good excuse for getting up. And dressed. And not mentally calculating the distance between them and wondering if she would notice if he began shifting toward her direction.

The more he thought about it, the more getting dressed seemed like a brilliantly fantastic idea.

"He's in love with her, you know."

That was a non sequitur if he'd ever heard one. "Who?"

"Draco." She sat up, adjusting her pillow behind her so she could lean against the headboard. "He's in love with what's-her-name."

"Astoria. Astoria Greengrass." He didn't like the feeling of having to look up at her. Severus sat up as well, tucking the blanket across his chest and under his arms for warmth. The fire had died out long ago, and the dungeons remained cool year-round.

"Is that her name? She's very pretty."

She didn't sound upset. Severus never claimed to be an expert on women, far from it, but shouldn't she be upset?

"There were rumors that they would marry one day before they split up. You're taking this rather well. Surprisingly well, actually." He couldn't help but be suspicious.

"That's because I already figured out he didn't really want to be with me. Oh, he wouldn't have been opposed to having sex, I'm sure. But he didn't really care about me."

How was he supposed to respond to that? If he confirmed that she was right, would he be violating the agreement he'd made with Lucius? He'd be lying if he told her she was wrong; he knew for a fact Draco had only started pursuing her to make his father happy.

Hermione dropped her gaze to her hands, tangled together on her lap. "Not like the man who wrote me those letters does. At least, I hope he does."

Severus felt as if someone had cast a Stunner straight at his chest. "Draco..."

"Didn't write the letters." She lifted her head and gave him a tentative smile. "But I think we both know who did."

So many words were trying to force their way past his lips, and none of them seemed adequate. Was this the moment when it all ended? Or, his foolish heart insisted, could this be the beginning? She had said that she hoped the author cared about her. If she thought...knew...that he was the one ...

She must have been able to see something of the terror he was feeling in his expression because her smile began to wilt. "Unless...have I been mistaken? Were they just words to you?"

Hermione looked as if she were going to be sick. She drew the covers back and started to crawl out of bed before Severus' hand on her arm stopped her.

"I meant every word."

Suddenly his arms were full of Hermione, her unexpected weight nearly tipping them both over the side of the bed. He could feel her lips against his cheek, his jaw, and finally, finally, against his own lips.

At first he was content just to have her in his arms, to be allowed to rub his cheek against her absurd hair, to smell her scent; but then their tentative kisses, formerly chaste and brief, began to linger.

One of them, probably him, although he couldn't be positive it wasn't her, parted their lips, and his world shifted.

Long moments passed with only their soft murmurs and hums in the air, interspersed with the slight rasp of long fingers tangling in curls. As tempting as it was to try to take things a step or two further, Severus didn't want to ruin the moment by asking for more than Hermione was comfortable with. Besides, there were still things he didn't understand, questions that needed to be asked.

He kissed her one last time, then drew back so that he could see her face. "How did you know?"

Hermione smiled. "I had my suspicions from the start. The handwriting, you see."

Of course. It was just like her to pick up on something like that.

"You didn't say anything."

"I wasn't certain. I'd just received this beautiful letter, telling me the sorts of things I'd wanted to hear for so long. Even you have to admit, that's not exactly your style. What if I was wrong? You would have laughed in my face."

Severus wanted to deny it, but there was every chance that she wasn't far off the mark. "Probably not in your face. Nearby, but not directly in your face."

"That's ... less reassuring than you might think." She giggled softly, then leaned against his chest, tucking her head under his chin. "Then there was the way you ended the letter. Your Admirer? Just a day after I'd confided how much I wanted to be admired? The timing could have been a coincidence, but it still seemed ... significant somehow."

"When were you certain?"

"Honestly? Just a bit ago when you told me you'd meant what you wrote. However, I was almost convinced I was right when you kissed my hand in the hall the day Draco visited. It felt ... it felt like the first time I ever cast a spell, like I had ball lightning at my fingertips. I knew that even if Draco had been the one writing the letters, he wasn't the one I wanted." She cuddled closer, and Severus wrapped his arms around her even tighter.

"Yet you let him kiss you last night, despite that," he growled.

"Well, there was still that tiny little bit of doubt." Hermione pushed away from his chest and lifted her face closer to his. "Would it make you feel better if I said that kissing him did nothing for me?"

"It doesn't hurt," he grumpily conceded.

"What if I told you it was horrible, and something I never wished to repeat in my entire life? Utterly disgusting. Horrific. His breath smelled of moldy cheese and cabbage. I may have thrown up a little."

Severus scowled. "Now I know you're lying."

Her answering smile was almost infectious. He very nearly caught himself returning it.

"Of course I am. Not about it doing nothing for me; it really didn't. But all the rest ... blatantly untrue. He's skilled enough, but there was no real passion." Hermione looked at his lips in a way that made his blood warm. "Not like when you kiss me."

He started to lean closer, intent on doing just that, but she shook her head. "I've been blathering on for awhile now, but I would feel better if I made it clear that I think I've fallen in love with you. I just wanted to get that out in the open."

Now it was his turn to stop her from instigating a kiss. "You tell me you think you love me, and you don't even want to know if I feel the same?" What kind of a man did she take him for?

"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready. Are you going to kiss me now, or what?"

He did.

~oOo~

Pomona flipped through her copy of the Daily Prophet, eagerly skipping to the society pages in search of the latest scandals.

"Oh, Severus, look at this! Draco Malfoy got married! You're still friends with the family, aren't you? Isn't that exciting? Look, Aurora, it's that sweet young Greengrass girl. They eloped! Don't they make a handsome couple?"

Severus managed to drown out her incessant chattering, turning his attention to the fluttering activity near the ceiling.

The nondescript school owl was easily lost amongst the parliament of owls that were still delivering the morning mail, but Severus had been tracking it from the moment it flew into the Great Hall.

It swooped toward the High Table, dropping a letter next to the plate of the Potions mistress.

Severus watched out of the corner of his eye as she picked it up and examined the black wax seal that bore the image of two S's, entwined. She broke the seal and withdrew the folded parchment.

My dearest Hermione,

Someone once told me that I had a way with words, yet there are times when I try to tell you how much you mean to me and my voice remains silent.

Do you remember that first letter, sent nearly a year ago? I remember telling you that the man who wrote it was trying to tell you things he couldn't bring himself to say in person.

This past year, I've tried to show you how I felt in the things I did, the way I held you, kissed you, rubbed your sore feet, procured untold amounts of Curly Wurlys, let you drag me to Potter's wedding with only a mild protest, and more.

I've done everything save say the words.

You've told me, many times, that you know how I feel. That you don't need to hear it to know it's true.

But I want to tell you.

Now.

He waited until she raised her head to lean close enough to whisper in her ear.

"I love you. For now and forevermore, I will admire and love you until our dying days. Will you marry me?"

He chose to take her stunned silence as a good sign. Luckily, he was rewarded for his rare moment of optimism when she smiled.

"Yes. How could there be any doubt?" She leaned over and kissed him, ignoring all the stunned Hufflepuffs who had been innocently eating their breakfasts.

"You know they'll be talking about that for the rest of the year," Severus grumbled, although he hadn't made a move to discourage her.

"Just wait until they hear we're engaged, and their little heads start to explode once they realize that means we're probably having sex. With each other, even."

It wasn't just the Hufflepuffs that looked traumatized as Severus' laughter filled the Great Hall.

~The End~