Another Step Closer

Disclaimer: All characters are for J.K.R. of course. Plot thought of by Betz. The other stuff belongs to me!

As always, a big thanks to the brilliant Charmed Nay for being my beta!

Severus looked down to the sleeping girl on the bed below. It would be so easy to take advantage of this. She'd passed out in his arms. He sat down on her bed for a moment to think. When she had been missing from the evening meal, he'd assumed that she had given in to her pesky friends and had gone out with them to see Charlie. The two berks showed up for the meal and dared ask if he'd seen her. He had felt relieved and assumed that she was up in her chambers, but then he'd seen her leaving Minerva's office later, as he was doing his rounds.

She had been stunning. Her hair had been pulled up in a sophisticated twist, and she'd been wearing a very sexy Muggle dress under a light cloak. Severus had been pulled to her. He'd followed her to the gates and Apparated a few moments after she had. He had found himself in Hogsmeade. His curiosity had been piqued, wondering whom she had a date with. He'd barely been able to see into the pub's windows without being obvious that he was looking. He'd simply waited in the shadow of the alley next to the pub for some sign of her and her date. It was a moment of triumph when he'd heard Fleur Delacour and the twin chits walking past his hiding spot. They were on about Hermione only wanting a girls' night, and they couldn't understand why she never had a man. One even pondered if she had taken a liking to witches instead of wizards.

Severus had Disapparated back to Hogwarts with that thought on his mind. If that was the case, then his quest for her body was a lost cause. How could he compete with another woman? He'd put a charm near the gate to let him know when she came back, and the signal had sounded about four hours later. A once over of the castle told him that she had not come in, so he knew exactly where to look. The lake. It was always the lake. When he'd found her, she had been mumbling something to herself about her parents and the right choice. He hadn't really meant to let her know that he was watching, but before he could stop himself, he'd been sitting next to her. He had been surprised when she'd attempted to storm off because of his comment about her not being a student.

Had she meant to ask if he saw her as a woman? It had seemed like it, so he'd stopped her. How was he supposed to have known that she would lose her balance and land in a most precarious position on his lap? He'd enjoyed the feel of her there. He'd nearly kissed her. The desire, the need, and the pull had been too great. As his lips had descended upon hers, she had whispered that she accepted his offer. He'd nearly bolted away. He'd thought that she realized that the ad in the Evening Prophet had been his, but then she'd shocked him. She'd thought that he'd been asking her to attend some conference. One he hadn't noticed.

Just as he'd been about to explain that he had no idea about it, her eyes had rolled back in her head, and she'd passed out in his arms. The truth of the matter was that he'd wanted her to see his ad. He'd wanted her to wonder about it. She never looked over the Evening Edition, and that was the only edition where his ad was placed. He'd sat by the lake holding her for nearly half an hour before finally carrying her to her chambers.

Now, here he sat on the bed, next to her sleeping form. He'd removed her cloak and shoes, but he dared not touch her dress. The temptation would be too great. Even now, his fingers were idly entwining themselves in some of her escaped locks. She wanted to accompany me to that conference. Was she just into her cups and talking out of her head? Did she mean it? The paper was here, folded next to her bed. Reluctantly, he moved away from her to read what she had referred to.

There it was. Open to the page, and she had even circled it. So, she had decided to accompany him. Why? His eyes narrowed. He'd not given her any reason to believe that he would want her company. Did she simply want to? He wasn't sure that she would even remember their small conversation. How could he broach the subject with her again without looking like an arse? He would have to think on it. Looking back to the woman, he moved closer until his lips grazed her ear. "Sleep well, Miss Granger," he whispered. Before he could stop himself, his tongue came out to lick the skin under her earlobe lightly. To his horror, he realized that his hand had moved to rest just below the curve of her breast. Damn it! Severus jumped away from the temptress and fled to his chambers.

What had he been thinking? Merlin, but she tasted so sweet. The feel of the weight of her breast was now imprinted on the top of his hand. He had to have her. He pulled his clothes away from his body and allowed his hand to snake down to his shaft. He was thick and hard with the need for her. He would have her. Somehow. Hell, if she liked witches, he would convert her. He would take Polyjuice Potion. Anything.

As he began to slowly stroke himself, he wondered if Lovegood had told her about the gigolo's response. He hoped so. Perhaps she would be curious about it. He could also use this conference to his advantage, if he had the nerve to approach the subject. Yes, he would do it. His need was too great to be denied for much longer. Remembering his tongue on her throat, her breast against his hand, and her tangy scent, he brought himself to a shuddering climax. If she only knew what she did to him.

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

There was a knock on his door just as he was about to head up for breakfast. "Enter," he called out. To his surprise, Hermione walked in, looking completely refreshed from her night's rest.

"Professor? I just wanted to say thanks for seeing me to my room last night," she said softly, biting her lower lip in wait for his response.

"I am going to breakfast, Professor Granger. Surely, you could have told me at the table?" He hadn't meant to sound so rough, but it irked him that she could look so bright on a morning such as this. He'd been up most of the night thinking about what he'd done while she'd slept, and he had been thinking about what he could have done.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't mean to intrude, but I won't be at breakfast. I slept in today, and I've missed my early morning run. By the time I am done, I'll have missed the meal and the chance to say thanks." She started to close the door.

"Hold on a moment, Professor," he said, walking towards her. She'd not slip away this easily. She had come far out of her way to talk to him, after all. "I think after having no dinner last night, then drinking as much as you did, you should have a little breakfast. You can always go out for a run later," he said smoothly. "You may walk up with me, if you'd like."

She smiled. "I suppose you are right. I could do with a spot of breakfast." After a few moments of silence, she added, "You should try running in the morning sometimes, sir. It is so beautiful in the morning. So relaxing and peaceful. It does a world of good for me."

I am out there nearly every day to watch you. "That's not really my cup of tea, if you know what I mean. I have other ways of relaxing," he said curtly.

"Sir, about last night... I feel ridiculous," she said quickly.

"About?"

"That... conference. I thought you meant to ask me to go, but if I am remembering correctly, you seemed to not know what I had meant. I apologize for my forwardness," she said, not meeting his eyes.

He paused as if in thought. "Miss Granger, I admit that I had no idea what you were on about at that moment, but after reflecting on it briefly, I think that the conference would be interesting. Both of our fields would be discussed. I would not be opposed to an overnight trip to attend it." He gave her a tiny smile, resembling a smirk. "That is, if you are interested."

"I would," she said eagerly. "Thank you, Professor."

He nodded, opening the door to the hall for her. Weasley and Potter were already there, and their mouths gaped open. Severus smiled smugly, pulled out Hermione's chair for her, and helped her scoot in.

He jovially dug into his kippers, trying to hear exactly what the two idiots were whispering about.

Minerva elbowed him. "Have a good night, Severus?" Her eyebrows wriggled a few times conspiratively. "Or, a good morning?"

He sneered at her audacity. "I would suggest that you not jump to conclusions, my dear. Nothing is amiss, nor shall it be."

Minerva nodded slightly, smirking at him. What the bloody hell was the woman thinking? What if Hermione had heard her snippy little comment? He watched in disgust as Minerva leaned towards Albus and began whispering something. He'd have to be very careful around those two. They were meddlesome and would no doubt try to help things along. Sure enough, Albus' twinkling eyes met his own. He smirked slightly before returning to his breakfast.

"Er... Hermione, uh, Charlie was asking after you last night. Seemed a side disappointed that you didn't show up," Weasley said.

"Well, I decided to spend the evening with the girls instead. At least they don't call me horrid little names behind my back," she said sourly.

"Oh, come on. It's just a joke," Harry said. "He didn't mean anything by it. Honestly."

Ron began laughing. "Right. Just a joke you know! He said, 'Where's Hermione? Her-my-icy-woman, after all.' It was bloody funny."

"I don't find it amusing in the least, and I intend to owl him later today. He's being immature. Furthermore, I don't appreciate you two rubbing it in my face," Hermione said hotly. She seemed to be about to leave when Severus put a hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Granger, don't worry about those boys. After the binge you had last night, you need to eat something. You've not had a decent meal since yesterday," Severus said, nodding for her to eat.

"You're right," she agreed.

"Oi, Snape! How the bloody hell do you know what she had to drink last night? And keeping tabs on what she eats, are you?" Ron asked suspiciously.

Severus was about to give a scathing remark when Potter waved for Ron to shut up. "Well, they did come in together. Probably had drinks in the dungeons before shagging like Pixies."

"How dare you?" Severus bit out. "Never make any assumptions as to what I do in my private time, Potter, and you, Weasley, what I do doesn't really concern you, now does it? Don't make the mistake of questioning me again, or we might find that you may have a little accident whilst out on the grounds." Severus was angry. The nice little repartee that he had exchanged with Hermione was likely now ruined.

Both boys grumbled something about being sorry, but he noticed that Hermione was paler than normal. Why did those brats have to choose to work at Hogwarts?

She turned to him suddenly. "Professor, I am sorry about that. I'll have a talk with them."

"I assure you that I am above worrying about what children have to say about me, Miss Granger." He wondered if he'd said something wrong, for she seemed slightly put out by what he'd said. Did she think that he thought her a child? Hadn't they cleared that up the night before? Perhaps not. "In saying that, I mean that those two act like children, even though they are adults." He must have said the right thing, as she gave him a soft smile.

"Don't I know it," she mumbled. "Thanks." She finished eating her meal in silence and left the table without a word to her two friends. He watched her leave and longed to follow her. He sighed. This would not do. He'd have to think of something... and soon. Could he wait the three weeks before having her to himself at the conference?

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

Hermione didn't know if she should jump for joy or waylay Harry and Ron for being idiots! They'd almost ruined everything... again. Professor Snape had agreed to take her to the conference. Granted, she had ended up asking him, sort of, but they would still be going together. He'd never know exactly how much courage it had taken her to go down to the dungeons to thank him for bringing her into the castle the previous night. Before she had passed out, she foggily remembered his mouth had been lowering to hers, and his eyes had kept darting to her lips. That memory alone had given her the strength to see him. She'd needed to feel out if he was interested in her on some level. He did say that he no longer saw her as a former student.

At first, he had seemed glad to see her, but then he'd retorted with his usual bite. That had disappointed her a little, but when he'd offered to escort her to breakfast, she'd felt better. She had the need to clear the air, so she'd mentioned the conference. She had waited nervously for his reply, and it was one that made her ecstatic! He'd thought that the idea was a good one. The only thing that puzzled her was the paper. Why had he given it to her if not for that? Perhaps it had only been a friendly gesture. They had been chatting a little more lately, mostly when Harry and Ron were away.

She'd nearly died from embarrassment when Ron and Harry started having a go at her once again... in front of Severus, but he'd taken up for her. Again. He had seemed a bit offended that they would dare to think that he'd spent any time with her, much less having a shag, but at least he didn't hold it against her. He'd even stopped her from leaving. She sighed happily.

"What can I do to get you to really notice me, Professor?"

The conference would be her chance. They would be alone, and he had said it would be an overnight trip. That was to be expected. It was far from the castle, and it would likely end late into the evening. She could use this to her advantage. Perhaps she could ask him to a late dinner. What type of woman appealed to him? Hermione frowned, looking into the mirror. She didn't feel all that attractive most days, but she wasn't all that bad. Running had given her more confidence in her body, but something was still missing. She was young and inexperienced in many ways. He had just made thirty-nine in January. How many women had he made love to? If something of that nature did occur between them, would she be able to please him? The library would have books on this. She made a mental note to check into it.

A knock sounding on her door brought her out of her thoughts.

"Who is it?"

"Harry and Ron."

Her mood darkened as she opened the door and glared at the two boys.

"Hermione, we've come to apologize," Harry said quickly.

"Well, come in then." She directed them to the chairs before her fire, and then she sat down, looking at them expectantly. "Well? Explain yourselves!"

Ron spoke first. "I was just making a joke... about the Charlie thing. Mind, he did say that, but I didn't realize it would bother you so much."

"I shouldn't have let him carry on," Harry said quickly. "I'm sorry for what I said about Professor Snape. I was talking low, didn't think he'd be listening in."

"You knew he was listening! I had just asked him how he'd known about what she'd had to eat and drink." Ron nodded at his logic. "So, this time it is your fault."

"What's done is done," Hermione said impatiently. "I'd just appreciate it if you'd stop saying those things, especially in front of someone else. It does bother me."

"Fair enough," Harry said.

"Out with it. How did the git know? We are curious," Ron blurted.

"Not that it is any of your concern, but I passed out near the lake last night when I came back from the pub. He was kind enough to see me to my quarters. I ran into him this morning, thanked him, and we happened to walk into the hall together." Hermione smiled. She'd left out the important bits, but she'd not let them ruin that!

"All right then," Ron said. "Sounds innocent enough. I just don't like how he noses about in our conversations lately. Then, when you left today, the prat followed you with his eyes the whole way. Looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't."

Harry grinned. "Who cares? Why didn't you come meet us last night? When the others came, we had hoped that the rest of you would show."

"I didn't exactly feel comfortable, what with what Charlie said about me. I imagine you lot had quite a laugh about that," she said, shaking her head disapprovingly. "Just because I'm not a loose girl doesn't mean that I am a prude. Maybe I've just not found the right man yet. Maybe I am waiting until I get married."

"But why?" Ron asked incredulously.

Harry remained silent.

"Well, why not?" she inquired.

"I mean, say you do meet a bloke that you fancy, don't you want to... you know... show him how you feel about him?"

Harry interrupted her rebuttal. "Well, she just said she was going to wait for someone she fancied. Didn't you listen?"

"Yeah, I heard her," Ron said hotly, "but how is she going to show him if she hasn't a clue how? Far as I know, she's not had a boyfriend besides Vicky, and Charlie said she was a right little ice queen in the sack!"

"GET OUT NOW!" Hermione couldn't believe her ears. Ron was such an imbecile at times. "My sex life is not your business, and as far as your brother is concerned, I was lying in bed, minding my own business, when he came barging in. Of course I left! Any respectable girl would!"

"You left?" Ron asked, looking confused.

"Barged in?" Harry asked, equally puzzled.

"Yes. He told me that he had a bed for me, and I shouldn't wake up my mates. So I went to bed, and he followed me in... thinking to share it with me. Now get out," she spat.

"Hermione, I am sorry. I think I'll have a word with the git. He led us to believe that you wanted him to... you know," Harry said softly, looking peeved. "You did the right thing."

"Bloody hell, the lying git! You'll have to stand in line, Harry. Had us thinking you were egging him on, he did! Sorry, Mione," he said sheepishly.

"Look, just leave it. I'll owl him and tell him I don't appreciate his little tales about me. Honestly, though, it was a misunderstanding. I thought he had a bed for me to use alone, and he actually meant I could use his bed with him in it. I've got to get up to the library. I'll talk to you both later," she said, moving to open the door for them.

After they left, she began thinking about what Ron had said. He was right. If she did have some intimate time with Professor Snape, how would she know what to do? What he would like? What he expected?

"There is only so much one can learn from books," she mumbled sorrowfully as she flung herself onto her bed. She turned over and saw the paper.

She shakily took the paper in hand and flipped to the back. Maybe she should contact this Libertine fellow. According to Luna's letter, she fit his description of what he desired in a woman. Maybe she could acquire his services a couple of times between now and the conference. She would be paying him, so if she only wanted a few pointers, he would likely accept her money without worrying about sex. She sprinted to the library for a book. Once she reviewed some of the chapters quickly, she knew what she needed to do. She sat down to write her letter.

Mr. R. Libertine,

Hermione J. Granger

She read over the note. There. No false pretenses, and if the bloke was looking for an easy Galleon or two, this would appeal to him. He had expressed his desire for someone with long, wavy, brown hair, brown eyes, and someone willing to talk into the night. Well, that fit her picture perfectly. Hopefully, she would hear back from the fellow. This man could make or break a possible relationship with Professor Snape. Severus.

She rarely thought of him as Severus. It seemed just too intimate, especially since he'd never called her by her given name. He was such a mystery. Such a gentleman. He hadn't even bothered to remove her dress when he'd brought her back to her bedroom. Other men wouldn't have been so chivalrous. Hermione's cheeks flushed at the remembrance of her sexy dream she'd had. She had dreamt that he was caressing her gently and kissing her softly. When she had woken later in the night, she was disappointed that it hadn't been true.

What if he did try to make love to her the night at the conference? Would she freeze up as she had with Charlie? Would thoughts of her parents chase away what could very well be a night of passion? No. Impossible. This was the man she thought of. This was the man that she would willingly allow to touch her if he wanted to. That was the point to this Libertine meeting. She would learn how to entice him somehow. Picking up her book again, she went back to reading. She would study this thoroughly and talk with the hired man about it. He would know what she needed. Perhaps, she might let him show her a bit as well. She would have to see.

A/N: Well, it appears they will be having a meeting soon. I wonder what Sev's reaction will be to her letter?