Moving Forward

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!

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He couldn't believe it! Hermione had agreed to have dinner with him, and she clearly wanted to work things out. This made Severus happy and grateful, yet it annoyed him. She thought it was easy to just forget what had transpired between the two of them? He was in love with her. There was no question about it, but yet he didn't trust her to act so immaturely again. Couldn't she have just confronted him without seeking such punishment? When he believed that she was begging and demanding for Libertine's touch, he believed that she was blatantly betraying him and had no remorse. That had hurt. He'd nearly begged her to change her mind. Yes, she had a right to be angry with him for the things he had done, but he did feel justified to some extent.

Was he sorry? Only part of him. The part of me that is upset about being caught. He smirked only for a moment though. I suppose I did betray her trust and invaded her privacy. I will not be sorry for trying to get to know her when I thought I could never have her.He would do it again if given the choice without knowing what the future held. She had contacted him, after all. This was entirely her doing. Of course, he'd written the extra note to Lovegood, and he'd tried to throw his ad in her face. However, she had owled him of her own free will. She decided to turn to a hired man. She was lucky that it was he that she'd chosen. Some other gigolo may have taken advantage of her innocence.

Hell, he'd tried to break things off with her. He would never have touched her during their second meeting if she hadn't insisted on touching him first. A man could only endure so much. If he hadn't helped her to build her confidence or to give her a small amount of experience, their first weekend together might not have been as pleasant. It was all about love. All of it. Could they work through things? Would this not always come up in the future? Could he forgive her for her means of revenge? She'd made him feel as if his life was over, as if there was no hope for any happiness.

It would be the only way they could move forward. He'd have to forgive her and try to forget it. He would also request that she do the same. Would it be weak of him to apologize? Would she think she'd won something over him? Did that really matter in the end as long as he had her? He should apologize, and he would after dinner. That might help to smooth things over. Severus decided to let her do all of the talking this night, not that her chatter had ever been a problem before. She would have to lead them where they were meant to go. It was time to fetch her to come down. Severus made his way to her chambers.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione had been contemplating on what she'd say first. There were so many thoughts in her mind, so many things to tell him. Where to start? She loved him. She wanted a life with him. Things had been so beautiful. For a long while she had been attracted to him, and when she finally thought he was interested, well, it had made her so happy. When she'd found out about his deception, it seemed like nothing would ever be good for her again. It had felt good to hurt him the other night...at first.

Only when she heard the plea in his voice, the tremble of his lip, and the sorrow in his eyes did she realize that she'd gone too far, and by then, it was too late. He had been driven over the edge. Harry was right. They both let pride get in the way of their relationship. How long would it have taken for her to go to him if she hadn't run into him near the lake? It would have been much longer. Pride and fear both contributed to reasons for her to stay away. Hang on! What the hell was he doing out there anyway? She smiled. He had probably orchestrated the entire thing purposely so that they might talk.

Severus loves me still. Why would he have been so afraid that I'd fall off the Astronomy Tower otherwise? When she'd realized that he'd feared for her life and came to 'rescue' her from the Tower, she knew that no matter how harsh his words had been, how discernable his expression had been, he still loved her and wanted her safe. They had a lot to talk about. She would let him lead things the way he wanted them to be. She didn't want to appear pushy or put pressure on him. They each had a lot to account for.

~~~~~~~~~~

Just as he rounded the corridor near Hermione's chambers when he heard a noise. He paused and looked up and down the way. There was only an old suit of armor near by. Shrugging Severus continued on. "Psst, mate! This way," a hushed masculine voice said. "Oi!"

Raising his eyebrows at the old knight, he strode towards it cautiously. It was likely Peeves up to mischief. He drew his wand slowly. "Show yourself," he commanded.

To his surprise, Ronald Weasley crept out from behind the suit of armor with his hands up in surrender. "Don't hex," the boy said, grinning madly.

"Weasley," he said distastefully. Not again! "What are you doing skulking about Hermione's corridor?" He hated to ask. The boy had been accosting him all about the castle the last couple of days wanting to know about the gigolo business.

"Harry said that Hermione said that you said you would meet her here at this time."

"Speak clearly, boy. What is it you want?" Severus said becoming annoyed.

"I wanted to show you something," Weasley said proudly, pushing a paper towards Severus. "Go on. Give it a read."

A Real Bloke For The Ladies

Tired of having a ruddy husband that doesn't know how to treat you? Give me an owl. I can perform your fantasies.

Stress of the job has you down? Send an owl to me. I'll massage all your problems away.

Just looking for a bloody good time? You know what to do. Let me shag you!

~The Wicked Rake~

All prices vary. Send picture with owl.

Let the owling begin!

Don't be shy!

It's not a sin!

I'm your guy!

Time to give in!

Ron was nodding happily when Severus looked back up to him. A light chuckle escaped his lips. With wording like this, he'd never get a woman to owl him. He sounded like an imbecile. "See that there?" he asked, pointing to the poem. "Wrote that meself, I did!"

"How proud you must be," Severus commented dryly. "Now if you would excuse me, I have to see to Hermione."

"Thanks, mate," Weasley said, practically skipping off in the other direction. Good Lord, but that one was a real berk.

Severus knocked on Hermione's door. She opened it immediately as if she'd been waiting just on the other side. Dark eyes met brown and locked. Hermione smiled faintly. He looked ravishing. He'd chosen to wear dark blue dress robes, and he smelled delicious. I love you, Severus. I want to be with you for always. Just tell me what I must do.

She was beautiful. No other witch could have made him prouder. She'd taken the time to tame her hair. She wore periwinkle robes and a matching dress underneath. She was radiant. She reminded him of everything good in the world. Merlin, but I love you. I'll not let you go. He held out his hand, and she placed hers in his grasp, intertwining her fingers with his. They silently made their way back down to his chambers. Once there, he finally pulled their locked hands up to his lips to place a small kiss on her hand. "You look lovely," he murmured.

"Thanks," she said softly. "You look handsome."

He simply nodded and led her into his chambers. The House Elves had decorated the table elegantly and placed their food trays there already. The candles on the table had been lit. All he needed to do was lower the lamps around the room, and they would have a perfect, romantic dinner setting. He'd never done anything like this, and he'd had to go to the library to look up a few things to be sure he instructed the Elves correctly. He wanted things to be perfect for her. The only reason he left the chores up to his helpers was that he didn't trust himself to make things just right. He pulled out her chair. "I hope you don't mind lamb chops and roasted potatoes."

"Not at all," she said brightly.

"I've some Red Currant Rum. Would you like some?" he asked politely.

"Yes, please," replied Hermione. She took the glass he'd filled for her. Everything was beautiful. He'd really gone through a lot of trouble on her behalf. Severus turned down the lamps and seated himself across from her. "Thanks for allowing me to come."

"Thanks for accepting."

After a moment, she said, "Hand me your plate. I will fill it for you." When he just looked at her oddly, she reached over and served him. She then filled her own plate. "It's quite good," she said conversationally.

"Indeed," he murmured. She had served his plate without having to ask, not that he had intended to. He was simply waiting for her to make the first move out of politeness. It was...touching. It made him wonder if they would always be that way. His parents had never gotten on this well as far as he knew. They'd had an arranged marriage, so it never was about love for them. Without realizing what he was doing, he began talking about his childhood.

"My mother loved periwinkle," he said. "A large number of her things were in that shade there." He nodded to her clothing. "My mother's family was well off, and after a few generations of heavy spending, my father's family needed an alliance to a wealthy family. My father ended up dwindling most of my mother's fortune away though she was able to be sure to provision some for me."

He had mentioned this to her before, but he'd never seemed so subdued when he spoke of it. Was he finally trying to explain things to her? "I'm glad she had the foresight to do so."

"She told me once that she thought she could love him, but he was only nice until the marriage had been performed. He was a cold man after that. Most of the time, he would yell at us in a drunken stupor. He had lady friends that he would taunt her with." He took a sip of his drink. "I hated him, yet I respected him. That changed eventually. No matter what I did, he would always find fault. I was too weak, too much like my mother, or too ignorant."

"How horrible. I can't imagine growing up like that, but I suppose subtle comments can be just as damning," she commented, reaching over to softly stroke his hand for a moment.

"Are your parents that much like mine?" he asked doubtfully.

"No, I was never yelled at, but they have their own methods to disguise their displeasure in me and the choices that I make. It's the little things sometimes that get to me," she said, sadly remembering. "There is always something that I could have done better."

"Such as?"

"Well, for instance, once I made 96% on a potions end of term exam, and my father said that he was very proud of me. Unfortunately, if I had studied harder, used bigger words, and added a foot of parchment more, I could have achieved a higher percentage." She smiled ruefully. "He always said that every little percent counted, and he'd hate to have a daughter that missed out on being great by 1%. He'd hate to have a daughter that would settle for only being good."

"That is still an excellent grade. What the hell is wrong with him?" he asked angrily.

"It's just the way they are, Severus. Remember when Draco hexed my teeth?" Severus shook his head and tried to remember. "Well, anyway, it was back in forth year. He and Harry had an exchange. Draco's hex hit me instead. I allowed Poppy to fix my teeth, and I let her carry on a bit so that they weren't as large as they were before. My mother had a fit."

"But, why? You were only doing what you had to do."

"They are both dentists. They don't believe that magic should be used on the body. I heard for years about how I should have trusted their methods with my mouth if I was unhappy with my appearance." She smiled. "They wanted me to go to a Muggle university after I graduated here. Imagine their disappointment when I chose to stay on. Now, I'm getting old and letting all worthy men pass me by."

"Good Lord," Severus said. "Not much better than my father. I suppose you should be glad that you still have them. I miss my mother. If I could have my father as he was before he passed on, then maybe I wouldn't mind having him back. He was a very bitter man. My punishments used to be to lock me up in the attic for a couple of hours. If my mother would try to intervene, he'd do unspeakable things." Severus shuddered and pushed those thoughts away. "Hermione, how can you care about me now after all I have said to you in the past?"

"Well, that was different. We had a student and teacher relationship then. I've grown to know you as a colleague and a man now. I like what I see, Severus." She smirked. "And, you? Why would you care for an insufferable know it all?"

"This may come as a shock to you, but I quite enjoyed our bantering in staff meetings and at meals. I was very sorry to see your friends show up here," he said honestly.

"That didn't need to change. I enjoyed it as well, and I missed it."

"I don't like them. They annoy me. I really don't know if we'll ever be able to have a civil relationship, and it bothers me because I know that you would like us to." He refilled their glasses. "Care for some more potatoes?"

"No, I have plenty," she said as he began to scoop a bit more into his plate. "I don't expect you to be best mates, Severus, but I would like you to get along on some level. Harry said that you three had a nice talk the other night, and you allowed them to sleep over at your home. He and Ron also claim that you've been friendly with them lately."

"Friendly? Every time I turn around Weasley is there asking me abou..." he looked away. Damn. Why had he brought that up?

"What project is he working on? Do you know?" she asked.

Was this a test? Surely the brat would have told her his plans. They were best friends after all. "Did he not tell you?"

"Not really," she admitted. "Would you? I'll not say anything."

Severus sucked in a deep breath. "He would like to try his luck as a hired man." He held his breath, waiting for her roar of disapproval. Instead, he heard laughter. He looked her way and saw that she was holding her face in attempt to contain herself.

"I might have known! After you told them, he asked me what kind of room we would meet in, how the owl exchanges were made, and just odd things. I was wondering what he was playing at!"

Chuckling with relief, Severus said, "You won't believe what he's done now. He has placed an ad in the paper. It's atrocious. No one will reply to him."

After their laughter faded, Hermione decided it was time to initiate their needed talk. "Why did you really become a gigolo, Severus?"

"You," he said simply, sipping his rum. "I wanted to find someone like you."

"Why not just ask me out? You really hadn't intended to ask me to the conference?"

"No, I was trying to get you to notice my ad," he admitted, cheeks splotching momentarily. "Hermione, there is something you need to know. A few months ago, I started wa..." He couldn't tell her that. She would think him a pervert.

"Tell me everything. We need this," she said. She placed her hand over his.

"Well, I was coming back from a terrible jaunt that I'd had. I saw you running in my direction. I hid, of course, not wanting to talk, and you stopped right near me. You proceeded to undress and have an early morning swim. I'd never seen anything more beautiful than when you came up from the water. It was an instant attraction." He noted that she hadn't withdrawn her hand yet.

"So, you saw me without my clothes?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, but I thought you'd only paused to stretch. Next thing I knew, you were undressing. If I had called out, it would have been embarrassing," he said.

"But, you stayed and watched anyway. Did you not divert your eyes?"

"No, I wanted to see you," he whispered. "I am a man, Hermione, and trust me. I loved what I saw. It made me see you differently. Not just as a sex object, but as someone that I could see myself with. Someone sexy and smart is hard to find."

"Severus, if you felt that way, why couldn't you have come to me? Had you no faith in me?" she asked, looking stung.

"It was an insecurity in myself, pride, and stubbornness that kept me away. I never thought you would be interested in me. I became obsessed with you. I went out nearly every day to see if you were out, and I admit it freely. I did watch you. I tried to tell myself at first that it was for your own protection. Something could have come out of the forest to attack you or something in the lake could have attacked you. It was more than that. I wanted to see what I knew would never be mine." He pulled his hand from hers to move a strand of hair from his face. He was heartened when he put it back on the table hers sought it out.

"Strangely enough, I don't mind that you watched. Not now that I know you, but I wish you would have come to me. We could have skipped all of this."

"Well, at some point, I overheard Rolanda and Pomona talking about a hired man. The idea struck me that I could do much the same. I could become a gigolo, find someone that resembled you, had intelligence, and I would woo her, eventually making her my own Hermione. I never took on a client without checking her out. Most I knew before I even had to have a look, like Lovegood. Others though, I would make a point to see first. If they didn't faintly resemble you, I didn't accept them. There were only four, as you know already, that I took on. One was much like you, but she wasn't very smart. I found her company...enjoyable." He paused.

"It's all right, Severus. I can handle it. Go on," she urged, squeezing his hand.

"The second one, I did see a couple of times, but she was in a shaky marriage. I finally gave her advice, and thankfully never heard from her again. The third one was one time only. She was simply new in town. The fourth one, well, that's Lonnie." He felt her nails dig into his hand for a moment. "She and I saw each other a few times as well. She had odd tastes and was also...enjoyable, but she was married. I knew it would never go any place. I knew neither of the two would be anything like you, but I kept seeing them." He sighed exasperatingly. "I was alone, Hermione. I had no one. If I had known that one day you would give me a chance, I would never have done it."

"I can understand that, but why would you purposely try to get me to hire you? Wouldn't you have felt horrible about it? Dishonest?" she asked softly, hoping not to embarrass him.

"No," he said firmly. "I wanted you, and the Slytherin in me decided to use whatever tactics I could to have you. I am sorry if you find that dishonorable, but my feelings for you were, no, are real." She simply nodded, pulled her hand away, and stood up. Damn! Did he lose her already? He'd only just found her again.

Hermione moved around to stand behind her lover, placing her arms around his body and her head on his shoulder. "I just wish you would have talked to me, Severus. That was wrong. I was under the impression that you were a stranger."

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he said, voice cracking slightly. She was right. It was wrong, but part of him would never regret it. It had given him the confidence to approach her and her the confidence to approach him. It was exactly what they needed.

"I forgive you," she whispered. "Do you forgive me?"

He hesitated for only a moment. "I do, but I wish you had confronted me. I thought...I thought you were willingly betraying me with another man. I don't think I've ever felt so utterly disappointed."

"That was wrong of me. I found myself questioning your motives and your feelings for me. It wasn't until I was already there and saw how it was affecting you that I came clean. I never meant to hurt you so badly, and I am so very sorry," she whispered, kissing his neck lightly. "If you decide to give us another chance, I can guarantee that I'll never hurt you again."

"Of course I want another chance. I'll try to make this up to you somehow," he declared, turning to brush her lips softly. "How did you figure it out?"

Hermione blushed. "Well, before we even went to Cardiff, I found that note from Lonnie. It was crumpled, and I figured it was rubbish that simply missed the grate. I wanted to be sure, so I opened it to check. I wasn't trying to pry. Honestly."

"Understandable," he said with a nod. "Go on."

"Well, I assumed she was your lover, so I asked a few little questions. You said there was nobody of importance, so I assumed that things had remained broken off. I didn't let it bother me. Well, maybe a little. I didn't know if I could compete with her, what she looked like, and that sort of thing. I did wonder about her often."

"Hermione, I will point her out to you if you'd like. She is nowhere near as beautiful as you are. Nor does she possess your intelligence. Lonnie never had me completely," he said honestly.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "Anyway, the other night as I was going to bed, I saw my hair elastic in your drawer. First, I thought it was sweet of you to keep it near. Then, I realized that I had lost it when I was with Libertine. That, the letter, the scar on your leg, things you'd said, the owl, Lonnie's letter, and just everything made me think. It just all fell into place."

"And, you actually believed that I had set out to purposely use you? Dishonor you?"

"Well, yes, part of me did, and that part of me was the one that formed a plan of vengeance. We need to begin again, and try to push those thoughts and feelings away. I can do it. Can you?" she asked hopefully.

"What do I do? Where do I start?"

"We work together. Both of us. I think we should take things slowly this time. Start over. Forget Libertine. Forget what I did. I want to know everything about you, and I want you to know everything about me. I want you to meet my parents even though they will likely find something to disapprove about. I want to go to your house to spend time with you." She kissed his lips again and smiled at him. "What do you want?"

"All of that. Everything. Forever," he said, kissing her again. This time he seeked entrance to her mouth to deepen the kiss. She allowed it, but only for a few moments.

"I love you." Please say it.

She said it! "And, I love you," he echoed. Their lips met again. Severus twisted around to pull her onto his lap. After several moments of kissing, their breathing began to some in excited jolts. He began to frantically kiss her neck. "Hermione, if I don't stop now..." He half hoped she would tell him to carry on, but he'd respect her wishes. Either way.

"I know the feeling. Let's just take a week first. Learn each other inside and out," she said before nipping at his neck. He groaned. "Or, at least a few days," she amended breathlessly.

He had to remove her from his lap before he told her to forget the days without. Hermione would never be rid of him now. She was within his grasp again, and he would do what he needed to do to be sure that she remained with him. "Let's go to my home. Just us for the week."

"All right. When?"

"Tomorrow," he blurted.

"I'll be ready early," she said, pulling him up to stand next to her. "I think that I should go, Severus. It's hard not to...touch you."

He nodded and took her hand. "Dinner was lovely, but our talk was inspirational. It makes me want to be a better man and do kinder things. Almost," he said, thinking of her two bratty friends. Why should he waste kindnesses on them? "I am pleased, Hermione. We can make this work."

"I'm sure of it as well," Hermione agreed. When they reached her chambers, she asked if he wanted to come in. He declined, knowing it would be too hard to resist the urge to make love to her. He left her feeling as if nothing in the world could ever go wrong again. As long as she loved him, it would be perfect. Hermione smiled as her lover made his way back to his dungeons. Things would be fine between them again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Day 1

Hermione allowed Severus to Apparate them to his home. It was quite nice and cozy. It was much larger than the home she'd come from, and the grounds were large. They spent most of the day walking around. They'd had lunch out on the grounds near a small stream. Near the nightfall, he showed her where his mother's flower garden used to be.

"Oh, this is lovely. I love the little brick wall there and that tree. I could imagine myself sitting there reading a book while smelling the scent of flowers floating about."

"My mother used to sit there," he said. "She told me that when she was a young girl, it was her favorite spot."

Hermione didn't know if she should feel guilty or happy that he was able to speak so freely. He had such a sad look about him when he talked about his mother. It was as if being home had changed him a little. He seemed more relaxed, sort of as he was in Cardiff. "It's beautiful here, Severus."

"Thanks. You ready to go in?"

"Yes, I would like some dinner, a bath, and a nice book," she said, allowing him to pull her up. For a moment, he pulled her into his arms to hold her.

"I'm glad you are here."

"Thanks for inviting me, Severus."

They shared a companionable evening, each reading their own book while cuddling near his fire. When she was ready to turn in, she said, "I'm tired."

"Allow me to escort you to your room," he said softly. He walked her to her door. "I would love to come in, Hermione, but I won't pressure you. I know you wanted to take this time to platonically get to know each other. Good night." Severus kissed her and with a nod he left her longing for more. She secretly wished she hadn't said that rubbish about waiting. What was the big deal? It wasn't like they'd not made love before.

Day 2

"I can't believe you talked me into this!" Severus exclaimed, splashing water on his beloved once more.

"Oh, I love playing in the water! It reminds me of when I was a young girl. My grandmother used to come on vacations with us. She used to always have fun with me in the pools, streams, or beaches. My parents usually snuck away for a bit of privacy," Hermione said pulling Severus down with her. Their eyes met only briefly before Hermione straddled his lap to kiss him. Minutes later she pulled away for a breath. "I've missed this."

"As have I," he murmured. His lips found her neck as her hands found the bulge in his pants. He groaned loudly. "Hermione, if you keep that up, I'll have to take you right here."

She was fascinated with the way he felt through his trousers. It was as if she could outline nearly every inch of him. Luckily it was positioned sideways, or it might peek out the top of his trousers. "Oh, yes," she moaned as his tongue darted out to pet her ear. The breathing in her ear was a turn on in itself.

Severus couldn't do this. Later she would say they moved to fast. She wanted to wait, and they would wait. He wouldn't pressure her into anything. Seduction wasn't fair, and he wouldn't be accused of anything. "We need to stop," he said firmly. "Please, Hermione. We promised ourselves."

"All right," she agreed, removing her fingers. "But, I hated not sleeping in your bed last night. I was a bit lonely being in a strange house and all that. Would you mind if I at least shared your bed, love? Being both adults, I'm sure we can control ourselves."

Good Lord! I am not made of iron! "Of course," he lied. How the hell would he be able to keep his hands off of her? Hours later, after they'd gone through every book in his personal library, they finally made their way to bed. Severus lay down first and looked to his lover expectantly.

She slowly made her way to him and relaxed in his arms. He could sense that she wanted to say something, but she remained silent. He kissed her forehead and tightened his hold. In return, she kissed his collarbone and held him tighter. "Sweet dreams," she whispered.

"They will be...now," he replied delicately. "Now that you are in my arms again."

Day 3

Hermione's eyes were narrowed. He was sitting there reading his paper like nothing in the world was wrong, like he wasn't frustrated! She had hardly slept the night before, wanting to climb onto him and take him into her. "Severus," she said finally.

"Yes?"

"Remember our conversation over dinner in your chambers the other night?"

"Of course."

"I didn't mean it." Please know what I'm talking about. I don't want to feel like an idiot. I need you. I want you. Make love to me. I can't stand it anymore.

"Sorry?" he asked innocently. "We talked for nearly two hours. Which part did you not mean? You do want to be here, right?"

"Yes, I want to be here, but I want to...I want make love to you. Why wait? It's ridiculous," she said finally, staring at his mouth instead of his eyes.

Yes! She said it! She admitted openly that this was too much. The night they'd spent in each other's arms must have been just as hard on her. "I only wait because you felt we needed time. I wouldn't rush you, Hermione. Take the time you need."

"To hell with time. I need you."

He raised an eyebrow and set his paper down before leaning forward. "Is that so?" he asked seductively.

"Hell yes," she breathed, leaning forward. "Kiss me."

"As you wish," he commented, pulling her face to his for a soft kiss. She moaned in protest as he pulled away. He stood and took in her appearance. Why had he not noticed how scantily dressed she was? She had come down wearing a sleeveless, low cut blouse and a short skirt. Her feet were bare and her hair was pulled up in an elastic band. From his standing position, he could see right down into her shirt and make out her tantalizing cleavage. To hell with proper! Like a mad man, a hasty sweep of his hand across the top of the table sent everything flying onto the floor. He pulled Hermione up and over to his side and laid her on her back, letting her legs dangle. "I want you right here and now."

"Yes," she whimpered as his mouth found her throat. Her nimble little fingers easily unbuckled and unbuttoned his trousers. She pulled those down as best as she could, along with his underpants. His hard cock sprung out freely into her hands. She stroked him quickly and helped to guide him to her.

"Now? Like this?" he asked.

"Yes, now."

Without any further action or words, he ripped the ties apart on her knickers, and he pushed into her, slowly, easily. He wanted to savor the feeling that he'd gone without for so long. She was wet already, so he hadn't much trouble sliding in. His little witch was so responsive. Her body was ready to welcome him after only a few kisses, nips, and caresses. Even now she was arching against him, pulling him all the way in to her with her legs. When he was all the way in, he paused to look into her eyes. "I've missed this."

"God, me too," she murmured. She lifted her head to meet his lips when they heard a loud popping noise.

"Master has a mess," one of his two House Elves said, surveying the floor. Hermione and Severus both glared at the creature as its eyes finally went from the floor to them. "Oh, begging your pardon, master, mistress." The Elf popped away.

They both began laughing, slightly embarrassed. "I suppose it would have been prudent for me to carry you to bed." He pulled all the way out and pressed back in quickly. "Ungh. But, I couldn't, whew, damn, wait."

Hermione silenced him by bringing her lips to his as they moved together in a frantic, nearly rough fashion. It had been nearly a week since they'd had each other. The groans and growls coming from his throat and filling her mouth along with his tongue had her feeling hotter than ever. "Don't stop," she finally screeched, tearing her mouth from his, bucking wildly against him. From this position, it was as if he was filling her more deeply. "Oh, my!"

"I can't stop. I can't. I can't. I'm going to come," he was saying in a youthfully, carefree voice. "Hermione!"

"Severus!" The waves of feeling had crested for a moment and slammed onto shore. The swells of pleasure slowly receded leaving only two spent lovers panting and sweating. "Severus, that...was...intense," Hermione said, punctuating each word with a kiss upon his face.

"I'm not done yet," he said arrogantly, moving to stand. He had remained mostly hard. Still buried within his lover, he walked up to his bedchamber. The journey was slow with her added weight, and he couldn't see much with her mouth locked onto his. Finally his bed came into sight, and he happily plopped her down. "What shall I do to you first?" he asked in a mocking tone.

"Scourgify?" she asked cheekily. They both chuckled.

"Very well, although, I do hate to leave my current position," he said, moving within her.

"Ah, wait. Awww, don't go," she whined when he pulled away.

"It was your suggestion," he said blandly, pulling his wand from his sleeve pocket. He went about cleaning them both, and he took the time to undress himself completely this time. Severus unfastened her blouse, pulling it away from her skin. She shimmied the skirt down as he unclasped her bra.

"Come to me," she said, opening her arms to him.

"Oh, I shall come, Hermione," he said seductively. "But, not until you do."

He slid onto the bed again and nestled between her thighs. "You're going to...oh Lord," she moaned as his tongue and fingers found her crux. It appeared that she never lasted long. Why? How could he hold himself back so easily? She tried to concentrate on what he was doing instead of just going with the feelings in order to prolong it. His tongue was applying perfect pressure and licking her in intimate circles. Two of his slender fingers were dipping in and out of her flesh. How does he know exactly where to curve his finger to...ooh, make me feel so bloody good? Thoughts left. Feelings overcame her as his mouth began suckling and nibbling more forcefully. "I love you. I do. I love you. Love me. SEV-ER-US," she gasped, trying to pull his head as snug to her body as she could in attempt to feel his mouth completely as she quivered against his face. He pulled free to watch her for a moment.

"I do," he said, gliding up her body. "Love you." Severus slid into her warm, welcoming depths. For the second time that morning, he was home. He'd never let her go. Anything she wanted, he would try to give her. Nothing would stand in the way of their happiness again. "Beautiful," he murmured. Pounding into her had never felt better. Everything was in the open. There were no more lies. Nothing to hide. It was the start of a great new life. Pushing all thoughts to the side, he concentrated on following his lover into her little piece of heaven. Over and over her slammed into her until the seed burst forth, finding a temporary home within her. "Hermione," he called softly into her ear. "Always." Never leaving her, they fell asleep tangling in each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Five Weeks Later

"Bloody hell," Ron complained. "Not this one again." He handed Harry a parchment. "You take her, mate."

Harry took the parchment, and his face scrunched up. "No way, mate. I had her last time, and anyway, we've not got any Polyjuice Potion. I'm afraid she's all yours."

Severus and Hermione looked at each other and shook their heads in disbelief. Ron's gigolo business had accumulated a handful of clients. On a couple of occasions, he'd requested help from Harry, if appointments overlapped. Hermione asked, "What's wrong with that one?" She nodded to the parchment in Harry's hand.

"Always going on about some bloke that she used to see, but he left her just after her husband did. Likes it really rough. Too wild if you ask me," Ron said.

"Well, don't reply to her any longer," Hermione suggested. "Harry can't always help you out when you get in a bind anyway."

"Oi! She pays a good bit of galleons, she does," Ron protested.

"Then stop complaining."

"And, Harry doesn't mind a couple of shags. Do you, Harry?" he asked.

"No, I don't. It's just odd though," Harry said. "Here, I'll reply for you. We'll tell her to meet you about seven?"

"Can't I'm with that new client at seven. Unless you want to take her," Ron said hopefully.

"Well, where is her picture?" Harry asked, making to grab what Ron had in her hands.

"Oh, honestly!" Hermione huffed. "Come on, Severus. Your cauldron should be ready for the next set of ingredients now."

Severus stood to follow his lover to the dungeons. "Have a good night," he said with a smirk. He still didn't like the brats much, but they did prove to be quite entertaining. Weasley hadn't had many replies at first until Hermione reworded his ad for him. She'd explained that the wording was dreadful, and she never would have sent an owl to him. Just as they reached the door, they heard Potter say one name. Severus cringed. It was Lonnie.

Hermione spun around and made her way to Harry before snatching the parchment from him. Aha! It was the same handwriting. So, the little tart had moved on and forgotten her idle threats to Libertine then. "Severus, have you not got at least one dose of Polyjuice Potion?"

"Now, Hermione, you wouldn't dare," he said moving forward.

"I just want to see her," Hermione said mockingly. "It's a woman thing. I doubt you would understand."

"What's so important about this Lonnie?" Ron asked. "She's a nightmare. Can't blame the blokes for ditching her. Right menace if you ask me."

Hermione turned to him. "Where and when will you meet her?" she asked. "I won't interrupt, but I want to see her. Please."

"Er...all right. We've been meeting at the Hog's Head for a drink, and then we rent a room out back. I'm going to meet her at eight tonight since Harry is going to take my new client. Go have a drink then," he said nonchalantly. "Mind, I won't have any peek show going on when it's down to business."

"As if we would be interested in seein-"

"Shush, Severus," Hermione interrupted. "We'll be having a drink ourselves. Cheers."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"That's her," her lover whispered. Hermione looked up from her spot in the shadows and saw a fairly tall woman with long, wild, brown hair. She was build a bit stocky, and when she spoke to Ron, she sounded a bit manly.

"Well, she's not really all that pretty," Hermione said tartly. Even with a couple of oddities, the woman was not hard to look on nonetheless.

"Hermione," Severus said, reaching for her hand. "Nobody compares to you. I love you. Only you. Never doubt me."

"I'll never doubt you again, Severus," she said, kissing the hand cradling hers. She grinned evilly as she raised her wand. "Diffindo," she whispered twice, slicing the two thin straps on the woman's dress.

"Oh!" Lonnie exclaimed as her dress slid down. She grabbed at the silky material to keep her breasts hidden. "My dress!"

Before Severus could say a word, Hermione was up and walking towards the distressed witch. "Need some help?" she asked sweetly.

"My straps broke," she said with a slight whine.

"Er, I'm sure this nice witch can help," Ron, disguised as a gigolo, said. Hermione could see him swallowing nervously.

"Sure, hold this," she said, handing the woman her glass. "I'll tie the straps up behind you like a halter top. It should be all right until you can mend it or change."

"Thanks," the witch drawled, turning around. Hermione quickly tied her straps.

"There. That should keep you covered," she said sweetly, reaching for her drink. She pretended to trip on Ron's foot though and tumbled into the witch. "Oh, bloody hell! I'm so clumsy. Oh, no!" The witch had fallen into the bar, and the red liquor had spilled all along the front of her dress, ruining it. Hermione knew that no cleaning charm would get every bit of that out. "Scourgify," she said quickly. "Tsk. Tsk. Sorry. It looks as though you'll have a bit of a stain there."

Lonnie was seething. "Thanks for all your help," she said through gritted teeth. She pulled on Ron's hand. "Let's go." Hermione watched the pair make way for the door. "Diffindo," she whispered again. The seam in the back of her dress ripped apart giving anyone willing a nice view of her furry peach knickers. A few blokes started catcalling, but the oblivious pair walked on.

"Had fun?" Severus asked, scoffing at her. "You should have just introduced yourself as Libertine's lover and been done with it."

"Oh, honestly! She won't know it was I, Severus. I was being a friendly witch after all. A bit clumsy, mind, but a friendly one all the same."

"A naughty witch. Why don't I take you back to the castle and give you a little spanking for being such a bad girl," he whispered seductively into her ear. "I have a little punishment in mind for you, silly girl."

"Is that so, Professor?

"Indeed."

"Well, what are you waiting for then? Take me back to the castle and begin my chastisement." He kissed her cheek and led her to the door. "I do love you, Hermione."

"I love you as well, Severus," she said. Cheekily, she added, "You're stuck with me forever you know. Can you handle that?"

"I know I can. Come here," he pulled her to his chest and kissed her roughly before Apparating back to the gates in front of the castle.

---

A/N: Well, it's been fun, and this concludes my little gigolo tale. I had debated on an epilogue of sorts, but that is up to you. If you'd like to draw your own conclusions, I won't mind. Thanks to Betz for making this challenge over at WIKTT, and thanks to my brilliant beta, Nay.

I have another answer to the gigolo challenge. It's named "Vengeance is Sweet!" You can find it here at Ashwinder. I will be adding a second chapter to it now that I've finished this one. Have a read.