Musings and New Resolves

Hermione knew that it was early morning as the sun had yet to peak its warm face through her bedroom window. She slowly moved her body within the cocooned warmth of her blankets. Arching her back in a feline gesture with her arms stretched out and her legs tucked under her she let out a deep, purr-like sigh.

Crookshanks sensed his mistress stirring and lazily stalked his way across the bed to garner her attention.

Hermione smiled when she felt the demanding, familiar nuzzle against her face he made with his furry head. She lifted her hand from within the blankets and reached up to scratch him firmly behind his ears, eliciting a purr of appreciation from her fluffy charge.

While she lay there (her cat contented with the fact his mistress was distracted enough to unconsciously lavish attention upon him), Hermione was analysing her fierce reaction to the twins' prank yesterday.

She'd never condoned the way her peers had spoke ill of the Professor in school and had never been shy about reprimanding them for doing so. She knew he was an asshole of the largest kind, with a sharp tongue and a quick wit many never grasped, all wrapped up in a sour demeanour that was completely unapproachable. Hermione always thought, that it wasn't his fault they couldn't read between the lines and understand his subtle humour and backhanded compliments. She thought he was rather funny, if you were quick enough to decipher and understand everything he was saying. Hermione often found it hard to hold herself in check and keep from laughing out loud in class at some of his comments and quick-witted drawls. Less she found herself on the receiving end of a glare, point loss or worse, detention.

But she didn't have to worry about being punished with point losses and detentions anymore. And by the way things had been going with Snape shedding his snarky potions master persona (even with all the embarrassing events of the past twenty-four hours) she wouldn't have to worry about the glares either.

Hermione thought about the way Snape...no Severus now, had been so far. He was obviously eager to shed his intimidating nature with his colleagues, as he had been nothing but charming and polite to them both. Which made her briefly wonder where the other person who was to join their department had gotten to.

He held the same love and excitement she did for research and was extremely sharp, which she had always respected him for, along with all the sacrifices he made and danger he had put himself in line for.

Research was such an extremely open field to be working in that there were no guidelines or structure to follow. It was all about expanding your mind beyond the box you lived in. Ignoring the guidelines and rebuilding the structure, that's what it was all about; that's what she loved about it, the freedom to make your own rules. She vaguely wondered if her friendship with Harry and Ron along with all their adventures was what had influenced her desire to work outside the box.

She didn't doubt that herself and Severus would be making some major breakthroughs in the future, they were both sharp, dedicated scholars for the sheer joy of it and she found herself smiling and genuinely happy over the prospect. Obviously he valued her intelligence and input or she wouldn't be a part of his team at R.O.A.M. Right?

Things had been messed up badly yesterday. What a disaster that had been. She sighed and propped herself upon her pillows before laying down again, with her fingers interlaced behind her head she watched as the first rays of dawn filtered across her ceiling.

Crookshanks was a bit miffed about losing her attention but he settled for making himself comfortable on Hermione's chest. Laying his head on her shoulder in the crook of her neck he purred contently as he cuddled into her warmth.

Hermione tilted her head and laid her cheek upon the comforting warmth his body he provided, while she pondered how to handle the uncanny events from yesterday. She closed her eyes against the vibrations her familiar's purr was emitting, allowing a smile to play across her lips as she recalled the intensive kiss she had shared with her intelligent, quick-witted boss. Truth be told she had enjoyed the experience, more than she would be willing to admit to anyone else.

Did he actually kiss like that all the time? Was he normally that attentive and intense?

Hermione supposed that it was in fact a magical induced experience and that she might as well forget about it and put it behind her. There was no point in dwelling on it, since it was highly unlikely that it was about to happen again. She didn't want the awkwardness of the situation to have any ramifications on their work and resolved to be an adult about it and carry on as if nothing happened.

She found herself feeling a little disappointed over the fact that it hadn't been real and idly wondered if the intensity or reaction towards one another, would've been the same had there been no magical aid involved.

Hermione sighed and distractedly pet her cat on last time, before deciding that this line of thought was useless and unproductive if she wanted things at work to resemble normalcy. So with a resolve in place, that she wouldn't allow either party to feel uncomfortable. She hauled herself gracefully out of bed for breakfast.

With her morning coffee and a plate full of fresh fruit she made her way through the French doors onto the balcony breathing in the crisp morning air that met her there. She placed the platter of fruits upon a little round, café style table and approached the balcony savouring the first taste of her morning coffee.

Hermione gently brushed the palm of a hand along the tops the herbs that rested in one of the terracotta planters that hung from her railing. She breathed in deeply and smiled contently, enjoying the peacefulness of early morning and the aroma's that drifted into her senses. She reached back to her breakfast platter and gracefully snagged a sliver of mango that drizzled sticky juices into her palm and down her arm.

She was wearing a rather expensive teddy made of soft peach silk, the wrap to match left casually open. It had been a graduating gift from her mother. So not wanting to stain and ruin her lovely sleepwear she shrugged of the wrap quickly and carefully, the second the morning air caressed her unshielded body she felt her nipples tighten and goose flesh rise on her skin. She greedily lapped away at her arm running her tongue from her elbow to her wrist, openly groaning at the effort to contort her self and moaning from the sheer pleasure of tasting the sticky sweetness upon her skin.

After she finished eating her fill of the sweet fleshy fruits she had prepared, she slowly licked and sucked the remains of sticky goodness from her fingers savouring the left over juices.

She snapped her head up with alert eyes staring across the road she could have sworn she heard a pop from apparition. Which was odd since she lived in a muggle neighbourhood. She shrugged lightly after sensing no one around, coming to the conclusion that it must have been a car backfiring somewhere on the block. She lovingly tended to her basic little potion and herb garden before she headed inside for a shower and then got ready for work.

Poor Severus. He hadn't been able to help himself. Hermione was like a drug to him and he had succumbed wholeheartedly, becoming addicted. He had woken up before dawn and tortured himself yet again with yesterday's events. He wasn't sure how much more he could endure but he knew if he acted on impulse he could ruin everything. He just had to see her though, just a glimpse a quick look to satisfy his need for her. With that resolve in place he quickly cast a cleansing charm, summoned his clothes on and apparated outside her flat.

When he arrived the sun was just breaking over the horizon and seeing as how he didn't have the cover of nights darkness he cast a quick 'see me not' charm lest he be spotted.

He sighed with relief when he spotted shadowy movement within her apartment she was up and about, he would be sure to get at least a peek at her as she would surely come out onto the balcony and tend to her plants before she left. He wasn't disappointed either for when she did come out onto the balcony his breath hitched and his trousers tightened.

He viewed what was most likely her morning routine the way she sashayed through the French doors with a small contented smile with such grace, was a tell tale sign that she did this often. The beautiful silky nightclothes she wore only aided to make her body look more graceful and shaped. The peach colour of her garments accentuating the creamy skin that wrapped around her body, adding an exquisite backdrop to her bed tussled golden curls. He decided that this was definitely his favoured view of her she looked so warm and inviting in her relaxed state.

He was about to leave feeling that he'd got the glimpse he came for, when all of a sudden she started to shrug out of her wrap and proceed to lick and suck at her arm. His cock jumped at the site of her own mouth lavishly working her flesh and he could clearly see the darkened colour and tightness of her nipples through her nightie. Gods, how he wanted this woman, this intelligent warm lovely creature that stood but a few yards away. He had to get out of here he was sorely tempted to apparate onto her balcony and ravish her senseless. As he apparated away a plan started to form in his sly little mind, if he was going to claim her as his he was going to have to work more quickly, his body and mind were becoming impatient.