The Music of the Night

CHAPTER 10: The Music of The Night

Albus Dumbledore was desperately trying to hide the grin on his face as the normally detached Severus Snape standing in front of him looked as if he would blush at any moment. The man looked much better these days since he had taken to spending a good deal of time with Hermione Granger. His complexion was still pale, but it seemed to have lost its sallow appearance. He looked as if he had begun to take a bit better care of himself, although his shoulder length black hair still had a greasy sheen to it. The haircut he had gotten in Hogsmeade added a little body to it without taking away any length. He could still make it hang in front of his face like a curtain if he wanted. The boy looked good; he looked happy.

"What can I do for you, my boy?" Dumbledore asked jovially, popping a few lemon drops into his mouth. He gestured to the chair sitting in front of his desk.

Snape folded his long frame into the chair and stared across the desk at the older wizard. The past few weeks had been the best he could remember. Hermione had developed a habit of staying with him later and later in the evenings after she mustered the courage to ask him to touch her. He smiled as he remembered her warm curves settled against him as he sat in her expanded armchair and held her in his lap as she read to him. There were times he would tell her the happier stories of his childhood, of his mother bringing him books or entertaining him by making his toys fly across the room. A vision of Hermione with a child appeared to him again, making his heart ache for such a joy.

Reaching out and grasping a handful of the sweetly sour candies on the desk, Severus said, "I would like to have Hermione and myself excused from our duties from six p.m. Friday afternoon to the same time on Sunday. I would also like to have permission for the two of us to leave the grounds for the duration of this time." He gave Dumbledore a grin that rivaled his own and dropped several of the candies in his mouth.

Dumbledore chuckled and nodded his head. "Good for you, boy! I think we can run the place without the two of you for a couple days. You two go and enjoy yourselves. I'll arrange for your rounds to be covered while you're away."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione's nerves were as frayed as humanly possible. She wished Severus would hurry; they were supposed to leave soon. Her overnight bag was sitting on the sofa with her toiletries, a skirt, a pair of capri pants, some comfortable jeans, several pale blouses, some comfortable flats, and the closest Hermione Granger would ever come to a little black dress. Severus had explicitly asked her to bring an evening dress, although he was being irritatingly secretive about why. Perhaps he planned on taking her out to dinner at a stylish restaurant in Muggle London. That's where they were going; he'd told her that much.

She was twirling a stray curl around her finger when there was a knock on her door. "Hermione, are you ready to go?" It was Severus. By the sound of his voice, he was nervous too.

"Yes, give me just one second, Severus!" she called back. She quickly made sure she had everything she needed before casting a few wards over her Floo connection and her potions cabinet. Her wand was slipped into a small pocket on her skirt before she picked up her bag and headed for the door. The sight that met her eyes was enough to make her breath hitch.

She had never seen Severus in anything other than his teaching robes. And yet, there he stood in a pair of nicely fitting black dress pants and a light gray button down shirt. His own overnight bag was hanging off his shoulder, and a black jacket was draped over his arm. He'd pulled his hair back with an elastic, the shorter portions at the front swinging against his cheeks. He looked positively gorgeous, delectable even. This weekend might turn out better than I thought, she mused.

Merlin, but she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, he thought happily as he glanced over her form. She wore a pale blue sleeveless blouse and cardigan with a darker hued skirt that fell below her knees. A pair of simple Mary Jane's adorned her feet. Her small overnight bag was hanging from her fingers as she stared back at him, her mouth gaping open slightly. Severus was almost positive his own was doing the same.

"Do close your mouth, Severus, before something flies in," she giggled, perching on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. She smiled as his mouth popped shut and a faint trace of pink rose on his face. "You look..."

"Positively radiant," he managed, dropping his bag and coat to the floor before he pulled Hermione toward him for a kiss. Her bag joined his on the floor as her arms came around his back to hold him close. The kiss was unhurried and sweet as he trailed soft caresses from her lips to the base of her throat. She tasted like peach wine and felt like heaven in his arms. Her warm curves were cushioned against him, her hands tracing soothingly across his back. He kissed her neck once more and rested his forehead against her shoulder. "You look absolutely beautiful, Hermione."

Hermione smiled and turned to kiss his hair. "Thank you," she murmured breathlessly. "You look stunning yourself, Severus."

This time Hermione was sure she caught him blushing as he pulled away from her and rose to his full height. He was smirking smugly as he ran his hands along her arms. "As enjoyable as this is, I believe we are on the verge of being late." He took his jacket from the floor, dusted it off, and slipped it on before retrieving their bags. Hermione took her own and reached out for his hand. Severus laced his fingers with hers and brought her hand to his lips. "Come on then; we'll miss our reservation."

With that, Severus led her quickly from the castle to the Apparation point outside the gates. He gathered her into his arms and kissed the top of her head as he Disapparated them away.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

They reappeared in an alley in old Muggle London a few moments later. Severus laced his fingers into Hermione's and led her from the shadowed alley. He smiled happily as her eyes lit up at the sight of the quaint building. The sign over the door read The Dickens Inn. She squeezed his hand softly, hoping like hell that he didn't notice her nervousness.

Wordlessly, Severus led her to the entrance and held the door open for her. Hermione felt almost identical to the way she had felt as she entered Hogwarts for the first time. Her gaze was everywhere at once, taking in the Victorian décor of the lobby. Her honey eyes were glowing with adoration as she let Snape lead her to the desk.

"Good evening, sir," said the elderly woman behind the desk. She smiled softly at the couple. Don't they look sweet, she thought as she watched the young girl stare around the room while the gentleman with her smiled indulgently. "How may we be of service to you?"

"Ah, yes. I have a confirmed reservation for the weekend. Snape would be the name," Severus replied nervously. Hermione was still oblivious at his side, taking in the bust of Charles Dickens on the desk.

The woman searched quickly through an open ledger before her. "Here we are, Mister Snape. If you will follow me, I'll take you to your room." She stepped out from behind the desk and waited for Severus and Hermione to follow her.

"Oh, Severus, this place is beautiful!" Hermione exclaimed as they climbed the staircase to the upper floors. "You didn't have to do this."

"It's for you, little one. Everything I do is for you. I am giving you fair warning now, get used to being adored," he murmured as the woman opened the door to their room on the third floor.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hermione, we are going to miss our dinner reservations!" Severus called exasperatedly through the bathroom door. "You've been in there for hours!"

"Have not!" she called back playfully. "Five more minutes, Severus. I promise."

Severus groaned and sank down onto the edge of the queen-sized bed. He smiled as he thought of Hermione sleeping next to him the night before. She seemed so nervous, standing at the end of the bed in her cream, knee-length nightgown, her curls spilling over her shoulder as she worried her bottom lip. He had already gotten into bed in his gray pajamas and was sitting against the headboard reading the complimentary Dickens novel that was on the nightstand.

"Is there a problem, little one?" he asked, glancing over the top of his book. His eyes were drawn to her lips, the bottom one nicely plumped. Her face was flushed a bit, and her hands were toying with her curls.

"Just give me a moment, Severus. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around the thought of sleeping with you," she mumbled, her eyes closed. She looked terribly nervous and sexy at the same time.

He chuckled lightly, causing her eyes to pop open at the sound. He grinned lopsidedly and turned the covers back on her side of the bed. "I've told you before, not until you are completely ready, little one. We will merely be sleeping in the same bed for the weekend."

It seemed as if a bit of her tension eased when he said this. She moved toward the head of the bed and slid beneath the covers. "What were you reading?" she asked, moving a bit closer to him. She sighed contentedly as he put his arm around her and held her close to his side. She rested her head on his shoulder as he turned the cover toward her.

"Great Expectations. Pity I won't have the time to finish it." He had closed the book then and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. They settled into bed in the darkness, her head still on his shoulder and her arm thrown over his stomach. He stroked her back and arm lightly until they both drifted off to sleep.

The bathroom door opened and drew Severus from his thoughts. Hermione was standing in the doorway looking more beautiful than he could remember. She had twisted her hair into an elegant up-do with curls framing her face. She wore very little makeup, just a little mascara and sheer gloss, and yet her face was positively glowing. The black dress she wore fell just above her knees in a rustle of soft fabric. The neckline revealed a glimpse of the swells of her breasts, accentuated by the pendant dangling around her neck. She smiled at him as he rose to take her hand.

I must be the luckiest man alive, he thought as he brought her hand to his lips. "You look ravishing," he murmured, lacing his fingers with hers. "I'm glad I know where you will be sleeping tonight."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Severus had taken her to dinner at an Italian restaurant near Hyde Park. He had made reservations there as well, and apparently he had made them in Italian. Hermione had stood completely in awe as he conversed with their waiter in rapid, flawless Italian. It was amazing, the things she was learning about this man each day she spent with him. Not only was he an outstanding potions maker, he was well read, much more gentle and kind than she could ever have thought, and a linguist. She snickered into her napkin as he handed their menus back to the waiter with thanks.

"What's so funny?" he asked incredulously. He felt his heart melt when she gifted him with one of her gorgeous smiles. "Do you find me amusing, Hermione?"

"I find you extremely interesting, Severus. I've never realized how little I know about you. I had no idea you spoke Italian."

He smirked. "I also speak French, Spanish, and a bit of German," he replied smugly. "I've tried my hand at Gaelic but have never had the time to really study it."

Dinner had passed with pleasant conversation and good wine. Hermione asked him a myriad of questions about his interests and objects of study. She found him to be intrigued by Arithmancy and an avid student of Astronomy. The more he talked, the closer to him she felt. Perhaps it was the fact that they had shared a bed the night before. Perhaps it was the way his voice wrapped around her like cool silk and drew her into a place of warmth. Perhaps it was simply the fact that he made her feel loved for the first time in a very long while.

When they left the restaurant, Severus pulled her into an out of sight area. He pulled something from the pocket of his jacket and handed it to her. "Wear this, Hermione."

Confused, she stared at the cloth in her hand. It was a black silk scarf. "A scarf, Severus? It's not even that cold."

He chuckled and smiled indulgently. "As a blindfold, little one. Our next stop for the evening is a surprise." When she looked at him with a bit of apprehension, he pulled her into his arms and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "It's nothing, I promise. You don't have to."

Noting the slightly disappointed air of his voice, Hermione pulled back and tied the scarf around her eyes. "I'm trusting you to make sure I don't kill myself walking blindly, Severus. Are we understood?" she asked, trying to sound stern between giggles. It felt wonderful to make someone happy, to have someone else want to make her happy.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and began to lead her to the street. He hailed a cab and whispered the address to the driver. The ride was short and smooth while Hermione tried fruitlessly to remember the way they had come. Two rights, a left, another right, left... wait, was that a turn or a circle? Where in the hell are we going? Severus helped her from the cab a few minutes later and came to stand behind her. There were strong lights filtering through the cloth over her eyes as she felt his fingers on the knot at the back of her head.

As he carefully removed her blindfold, he leaned to whisper in her ear. "Surprise, my Hermione." His hands came to rest on her shoulders, the silk scarf dangling from his grasp to tickle her back, as they stared up at the marquee above the theater.

"The Polish Philharmonic?" Hermione asked, breathless. The symphony. Severus Snape had brought her to the symphony. As soon as the thought settled in her mind, she turned and enveloped him in a loving embrace. She stood on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his lips. "Severus Snape, you're bloody wonderful, do you know that?"

He smirked as he offered his arm to her to lead her inside. This weekend had been a wonderful idea. The whole thing had been worth the look of wonder and glee that Hermione had worn since they arrived at the inn.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The slight pop! of Apparation startled a few birds outside the Hogwarts grounds as Severus and Hermione reappeared at six o'clock Sunday evening. They took their time strolling up the sloping lawns toward the castle, both unwilling for their weekend to end. It had been wonderful for both of them, getting to know each other in a new setting. Most of all, Severus regretted having to go back to his own bed. It felt so right to have Hermione in his arms, holding her close and protecting her as she slept. The next few nights were going to be terribly lonely.

Severus pulled her into a warm embrace at the door to the castle. He rained gentle kisses over her forehead, her cheeks, and her nose before capturing her lips. His tongue dueled with hers in a languid kiss and he held her close, trying to memorize the feel of her body against him. When he released her, they were both breathless.

"I will see you at dinner, little one," he murmured against her lips. "I am going to miss you tonight."

He felt her smile before she answered. "I had a wonderful time, Severus. I love you," she whispered before she turned and disappeared toward the dungeons.

And I you, he thought as he made his way to his chambers to get ready for dinner and the return to life as usual.

A/N: I hope this chapter doesn't seem too choppy. I thought about drawing it out into a second part but thought I'd leave it as is. Needless to say it was a nice get away for the two of them. This chapter picks back up with the Phantom theme. You can find the lyrics that inspired this chapter here: http://www.metrolyrics.com/lyrics/880992941/Phantom_Of_The_Opera/Music_of_the_Night

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the store. I've a craving for lemons. *wink and snicker*