Guiding Lumos

Disclaimer: I've borrowed some of J.K.R.'s characters and am having a bit of fun with them. No Galleons are coming my way, and I shall return the characters shortly.

Thanks to my beta, CocoaChristy, who has graciously stepped in for my busy beta, Charmed_Nay.

"Nox," Severus said quietly, easing down next to her. She'd been unusually quiet since she'd taken her bath, and he was undecided if it bothered him or made things easier. He meant what he'd told her earlier. If he started something...even something as innocent as kissing...he was uncertain if he'd want to stop.

For a moment, he felt ridiculously nervous. There was no call for it, as all he needed to do was turn over and ignore the fact that her warm body was resting beside him...a body that could give him pleasure. Visions of sliding into her heated center passed through his mind, and he quickly shook them away.

He couldn't carry on that way with a colleague. Well, he could, but he couldn't do it with this colleague. Even as his mind tried to justify his reasoning as to why he shouldn't initiate anything more with Hermione, he thought of the way her cheeks reddened in indignation as she ranted about that submissive portion of the story. He'd enjoyed seeing the way her chest heaved, full breasts moving up and down with each breath. And the way they'd come together, lips, hands, and bodies moving together as if choreographed by passion itself. The way the flesh of her breast felt against him palm had nearly been his undoing. He felt himself tighten with arousal.

Turning to his side before he could change his mind, he leaned up on one elbow and placed the palm of his free hand on her face, which was already turned towards him as if expecting his action.

"I'm going to kiss you, Hermione Granger," he said, voice low. When she did nothing but lick her lips in anticipation, he lowered his head slowly, giving her time to change her mind if she needed it. He was uncertain what would happen between them, but he'd given her fair warning earlier that he was inclined to carnally know her fully if she allowed it. He hoped that she would.

He pressed his lips to hers in one soft, chaste kiss after another before parting his lips a little to suck and nibble on her lower lip, causing her mouth to open. When he deepened their kiss, tongue moving to explore her mouth, he felt a peculiar sensation sweep through him. His nerves were tingling with sensitivity while his mind was awakening to the idea that this was something different.

Or it could be something different...if he'd allow it to be. She'd seemed so disappointed when he'd alluded to the fact that he didn't want anything more, even friendship, once they left the room. It was his gut instinct that if he would but ask, she could be his for something that would last more than one awkward night. Dare he try?

Moaning in frustration when he ended the kiss, Hermione said, "Do it again."

A chaste kiss was all he gave her before resting his forehead against hers. "This is very tempting, but I think that I should bring things to a halt now whilst we still have our wits about us."

"We're both consenting adults here," she replied, bringing a hand up to slowly rub his back. "I've not felt so good for so long. You make me feel..."

"What?" he prodded when her voice trailed away.

"Confused."

It was not the answer he wanted to hear, but he could certainly understand how she was feeling, for he felt very much confused where she was concerned. Moving his lips to her earlobe, he whispered, "I want very much to have you." He punctuated his words by nuzzling the flesh below her ear, eliciting a moan of pleasure from her. From the way she arched against him and responded to his voice and touches, he knew that she could be his, and for some reason, knowing that was enough for him... for now.

"Oh," she said, hands clutching the fabric of his nightshirt tightly.

Flicking his tongue over her lobe and tracing the outline of her ear before moving back to whisper, "But I think that to do so here and now would change things between us. I am uncertain if it would be for the best."

"I-I want you, too," she replied in an attempt to weaken his resolve.

"Perhaps we can come to some arrangement...outside of this room?" It was then that he pulled back to look at her, noting her flushed face and wide eyes. "You mentioned having dinner together and possibly being friends after we leave this room."

"Friends?" she asked dazedly.

"At first..." he said in what he hoped was a suggestive voice. The instant she smiled in agreement, he kissed her again, sealing their decision to take things slowly. Although his penis didn't seem to understand why it was not being satisfied, his mind took pleasure in holding her intimately during the night, occasionally kissing or caressing her lightly and having her reciprocate in kind.

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

Hermione giggled as she read the first paragraph in the eighty-ninth chapter of the story. "Now, we have to learn about the Chudley Cannons and what a great team they are?"

Severus snickered. "This author must have taken a hallucinogen. They are a bunch of no talent fools who think riding a broom is..."

Hermione gasped. "Look at this!"

Ronald Weasley flew his broom over towards the stands and waved at Hermione. Even though his bulging eyes were looking at her big, wide, round pregnant stomach, he sensed the sneaky Snitch passing by him and snatched it from thin air. It was the fastest the Cannons had ever won a game. The crowd went wild...even the twins in Hermione's stomach were cheering Uncle Won-Won on his success by moving about.

"It has to be him," Severus said certainly.

"Well, it's definitely someone who knows all of us closely." She frowned. "But why would they put him as the Seeker? He's a Keeper."

Severus shrugged. "Personally, I can't see as how they would put Weasley on any Quidditch team."

Flipping through a few more pages, Hermione said, "I've noticed that there is never any mention of the ghosts at Hogwarts. Why would they be excluded? They're very much a part of our lives here."

Severus looked about suspiciously and raised his voice somewhat, "And they'd better not have anything to do with us being locked into this room either."

She grinned and groaned as something in the text caught her eye.

Hermione yelled as she saw the cauldron's liquid bubbling and heard it hissing dangerously. "It's going to explode!" she screeched. The only problem was that she had been standing on top of a tall ladder putting Snape's ingredients in order. She couldn't run to safety.

"My God! The babies! I must get her to St. Mungo's," he said aloud, easily lifting his hefty load up and dashing off to the grate with her. "Widenupikus!" he called out just before he got there. The fireplace widened and enabled him to enter with ease while still holding her.

"You know, why didn't I see this coming?" Hermione asked, smirking at his horrified expression. "They are obviously trying to find something else to make the plot interesting now that they are nearing a hundred chapters and have used up many different plotlines."

Severus replied, tone bored, "I'm sure she'll be fine." His eyebrows rose. "If the author planned on killing her off, there wouldn't be all of this left," he said, pointing at the thick, unread portion that remained.

"I just don't know what more there could be," she said, turning a few pages. "Oh, look. We're parents," she teased, nodding to the paragraph. "Here. I'll read it to you. 'Severus looked down at his daughter and smiled. She had inherited the black color of his hair, but it lay in curly waves against her head. He was glad that she had her mother's curls, and from a look at her eyes, he saw that they were black like his. His son on the other hand had brown eyes like his mother, and his hair was brown like Hermione's, too, but it was straight and lank like Severus' own. Proudly, he looked over at his worn out wife who was sleeping away her exhaustion. He wondered when she'd be able to spread those legs and let him have some sex again.'"

"So," he began, horrified expression in place, "they are the perfect mix of each of us then."

"Uh-huh," she replied. "It could very well turn out like that, I suppose. Genetics and all that, but it's a little too neatly done."

"Oh, I'm sure," he said sarcastically. "Little matching replicas of us. Why, I'll bet they'll even have a perfect blend of our demeanors...one being a Potions expert and the other being a librarian."

"Well, if the author had given one of them bright green eyes or red hair, you'd be accusing me of shagging Ron or Harry!" Hermione said, grinning as his expression soured even more.

"Don't speak of them and sex at the same time," he said, wrinkling his nose. "What's next in the story?"

"It appears that this chapter is coming from Crookshanks's point of view."

Severus grumbled, "Who cares what a cat thinks?"

"Well, for one, I care," Hermione said firmly. "He's got feelings, too, you know!"

"Is that right? When he's cleaning himself, do you think he..." He abruptly stopped talking. He'd been about to ask a rather lewd question. What's gotten into me? One night of near intimacy, and I become this comfortable with her?

She bit her lip in an attempt to keep from laughing. Suddenly, her cheeks pinked in a becoming blush.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

"I'd rather not say," she said evasively.

"Oh, I think you want to say, but you're too embarrassed." When she averted her eyes, he continued. "Did your dear familiar happen upon you whilst in a... compromising position?"

She nodded. "He seemed affronted!"

Severus pictured the orange fur ball pouncing up onto her bed as she pleasured herself, pausing in amazement and wondering what she was doing. Changing the subject, he pointed at the parchment. "It appears that we cannot agree on names for our children."

"Good grief. They are debating on Severmione Janobias Snape for the daughter and Herverus Tobane Snape for the boy." She frowned. "Parents don't really go through all this trouble to name their children after them do they? I mean, these names are atrocious."

"I have no idea what these berks are about." Shaking his head, he added, "And they are already arguing over what House the children will be sorted into."

Once their laughter subsided, an awkward silence ensued. He began remembering their shared kisses and wondered if she was doing the same at that very moment. She would have been willing. How could I have turned away from that? he asked himself. Another voice reasonably answered, Because she is your coworker. You can't honestly be thinking of anything further. It would complicate things. When you would have enough, she would be unwilling to let go.

His brow furrowed slightly. Before anything has started, I'm already thinking of ending it.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, watching him carefully.

"Nothing," he said abruptly, unable to voice what had been on his mind. Instead, he busied himself with the story again.

Hermione and Severus had a beautiful wedding. Her wedding party was made up of Ginny, Parvati, Lavender, and the two Gryffindor girls that also shared her dorm with her back at Hogwarts. Severus had Remus, Harry, Ron, Arthur Weasley, and Kingsley Shacklebolt on his side.

The best surprise for everyone was when Hagrid came riding in on Sirius' old motorbike.

"Hang on," Hermione said. "I thought Hagrid was killed in one of the other chapters by that disgruntled centaur?"

"Apparently, he has pulled a Dark Lord and has returned from the beyond," Severus said dryly. "It seems that our author's imagination knows no bounds."

"I'll say," she agreed.

To his surprise, she reached over and took his hand in hers, tracing the back of his hand with the pad of her thumb. The tickly sensation from such a soft touch was overwhelming. What magic was afoot in the room? He would have to clear his mind and think things over once they escaped. It was possible that they were under the influence of magic, and he would not allow himself to carry on like a fool only to be rebuffed.

Unable to resist, however, he clasped his fingers over hers and scooted a little closer. "Shall we?"

Severus sat back against the headboard...still wearing his Hermione's fluffy, pink bathrobe...and debated on telling her the news he'd learned.

"What are you laughing at?" Severus asked, mocking indignation.

"Oh, I just never thought you'd be the pink type. I think our author enjoys pastels... especially where you're concerned."

"Pity," he said blandly. "I'm partial to black and grey. Therefore, it must be one of your miscreant friends responsible for this."

"But why would they pair me with you?" she blurted.

"Why wouldn't they?" he countered, not allowing her to snatch her hand away.

"Well, we've never gotten on." She shrugged. "What I mean to say is that..."

"Yes?"

"I'm glad that we were stuck in this room together, Severus," she confessed. "If... if this wouldn't have happened, we might never have attempted to talk like this, to get to know each other, or to... er... you know, snog."

"Liked that, did you?" he asked smugly, noting her eyes had taken on a dreamy look.

"You know I did," she said, easing closer.

Their faces were so close; she only had to pucker her lips to graze his.

"I did," he admitted. "However, I must wonder if some trickery is occurring."

Breaking the spell, she moved back to look at him, eyes clear of her daze. "What do you mean?" she asked uncertainly.

"I believe we shall talk about that later... after we leave this room," he said firmly.

After putting the babies to sleep, Hermione made her way to join her lover in their bed. "It's about time we have a moment," she said quietly, pulling her nightdress away. "Though I have only given birth last night to two large babies, I can't stop myself from wanting to make love to you."

"I would accept your invitation, my dear, but we must talk about something," Severus replied, taking off the purple bathrobe and handing it to his wife to cover her naked body from his eyes, which didn't really mind looking at her because she was sexy.

"Forgot they used pink a while ago," Hermione commented eliciting a snort from her companion.

"Oh, my word," Hermione breathed. "Something must be terribly wrong for you to deny me! Dang!"

"Yes," Severus agreed. "I will make him rue the day that he came up against me." He shook his fist at the ceiling as if ex-Death Eater Joe Blow could see him. "You'll always remember that this day was the day that you almost tricked Severus Tobias Sexonlegrus Snape!"

Hermione had broken into a peal of laughter at the author's latest idiocy. Fearing that she was unable to catch her breath, Severus began to tap her on the back with his palm. "Are you quite all right?" he asked when she was finally breathing steadily.

"Yes, I just...Severus! The door! It's open!" she exclaimed, jumping up and sending parchment flying about.

He followed suit, wand drawn. Flicking his wand, he said, "It's open. No tricks!"

A change passed over them immediately, and he thought that it might be as he feared: their comradeship being only the working of magic.

"I almost hate to leave," she said softly from behind him.

He turned around to face her. "Even so, collect the parchment. I believe we have someone to see about this!"

She quickly collected the parchment and followed him out of the room. When they rounded the corridor, they met up with a humming Dumbledore who seemed quite interested in a painting.

"Severus! Back so soon?" he greeted jovially. "Hello, Miss Granger."

"Back so soon?" Severus questioned dubiously. "So, you are the one behind this nonsense!"

Dumbledore looked from one to the other and calmly said, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Hermione spoke then. "Sir, we've been trapped inside that room for over two days! Surely you noticed our absence, right?"

"I am just on my way back to the staff room. Severus left my office only a few minutes ago. It seemed that the papers that I'd thought were in my office were forgotten back in the staff room." He looked at Severus. "Did you find them?"

"Before I could get there, I ran into Hermione, and she brought these papers to my attention!" He pointed a long finger at the stack of parchments she held against her chest. "It appears that someone here at Hogwarts decided to write a long tale of rubbish about us and our lives! I, for one, believe you are behind this travesty!"

Dumbledore reached forward and gestured for the parchments. "May I?" he asked kindly. When Hermione handed them to him, he looked them over briefly, the seriousness leaving his face to be replaced by mirth.

"Think that's funny, do you?" Severus said, unimpressed by the headmaster's reaction. "I demand to..."

"You really had me going there," Dumbledore said. His eyes lingered on Hermione for a moment. "Asking Miss Granger to go along with things was a good touch. I would never have suspected her to be the type to play pranks."

"Pranks?" Hermione and Severus questioned in unison.

The laughter faded from the headmaster's face as Severus snatched the parchments from him. "Those are the papers of approval that the Ministry sent." He pointed to the seal. "See? I told you they would approve of your project." He looked at Hermione and confided, "Severus is trying to develop a potion that will enable time travel again, as their attempts have failed miserably. He needed permission from the Ministry, of course, to go ahead with his testing."

"But this was not what was on these parchments!" Severus said, stunned expression on his face. "There were pages upon pages of written fiction."

"Indeed?" Dumbledore asked with a chuckle.

"Yes," Hermione said seriously. She backed up and pointed towards the adjacent corridor. "We've been locked away in that room there reading for the past three days. Look. It's just there."

Dumbledore looked at the stones lining the walls. "There's no doorway."

Severus and Hermione exchanged looks of shock.

"Maybe you should both see Poppy," Dumbledore advised. "I wouldn't put it past some of our more clever students to play a prank on their professors. Let's hope nothing serious has been cast." He nodded. "I must be off. Good evening." Humming, he quickly departed.

"Can you believe this?" she asked, not really expecting a reply.

"Someone will pay for making a fool of me," Severus said, turned on his heel, and left her standing alone in the corridor.

A feeling of disappointment settled over her. He's free of the room now, so he figures he's free of me. She'd been a fool to think that he was acting seriously. And what had he been saying about trickery?

The soft tones of a silky voice broke through her pondering. "Are you coming, Hermione?" he asked from behind her. "I believe we have arrangements for dinner?"

She turned to look into his eyes and was surprised to see sincerity. "Yes, I thought it might have slipped your mind."

"Only for a moment." He gave her a small smile. "Come. We must begin plotting our revenge."

Hermione quickly moved to his side as they made their way down to his quarters. She gave the corridor one last glance and found no proof that any door had ever existed. She vowed that she would return later to explore everything thoroughly. For now, she had a date with destiny.

Southern's Notes: I definitely intend to reveal who was behind the story and the secrets to the private room. I'm going to let you guess for a couple of days before I upload the epilogue, which is already written. Teehee! Thanks so much for reading. I am truly sorry for the delay. I had many issues, but they are mostly all settled now, giving me plenty of free time.

Stop by my LJ if you'd like. Cheers!

http://www.livejournal.com/users/southernwitch69/

Christy's Notes: I have absolutely adored this story! And I can say, the ending is brilliant!! I can't wait to see the guesses...