Close Your Eyes

Disclaimer: All characters belong to the great JKR. I am only borrowing to pay homage.

AN: Thanks to all who have reviewed. You're a hardy bunch. An extra spiffy thanks to Ariadne, who, bless her heart, has survived this chapter more times than should be considered healthy. All in the name of team Of Debts. *raises glass*

Enjoy

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Hermione smiled and, leaning closer, whispered, "Everyone's looking at us."

"Nervous?" With a smug look, he imitated her, whispering, "You'll need to do this, you know."

Hermione pushed him a little. "Very funny. Proud of yourself, are you?"

"Now, if you must know, it is clearly a large achievement. Surely there is some admiration for that?"

Hermione laughed. "Oh, really? Right. Would you like points? We'll need to check to see if Filch has patched the hourglass together yet."

Severus quirked a smile, then leaned in as if to tell her a secret. "I must advise you of an impending subject change."

"Ah, I see. I'm listening," Hermione said, tilting her head.

The glint in his eye returned. Hermione decided she loved that look, even though it meant trouble.

Severus stood straight and passed a glare around the room, sending people hastily to find either an excuse for a conversation or to find somewhere else to look. Ron's stare lingered a moment longer than the others' before he tried to touch one of the swirling dragons. Immediately, all of them went for his hand at once, biting and flapping their wings fiercely.

"I believe I owe you something," Severus said quietly. He raised an eyebrow as if to prompt her for the correct answer.

"Really?" she said, ignoring the fact that his expression was rapidly traveling towards irritation. "I'll use a phrase of yours: please enlighten me."

Appearing nonchalant, he drawled, "It is something we have discussed in detail before."

"Is it now?"

With a smirk, he replied, "Yes. Actually, it was something you requested quite adamantly."

"Oh," she said, smiling and pretending to search her memory. She examined the ceiling for a clue.

Severus crossed his arms, staring at her in a way that made her feel both uncomfortable and warm at the same time. After a moment, he shrugged and stated, "Fine, I shall be in the lab."

He flashed a smug grin as if daring her to ask, then began walking casually towards the office door. He completely ignored the looks of the remaining Order members, who were doing a poor job of acting busy as he passed.

Hermione sat down and couldn't help but laugh while watching him go.

After Severus closed the door behind him, Tonks sat next to Hermione. "The man kisses you like that in front of everyone, and you let him leave?"

Hermione shrugged and looked towards the door with a grin on her face that couldn't be prevented. He was playing with her, and she knew it. Hermione was certain that her knowing that he knew, and that she knew he was playing, only made sense to the two of them. It practically hurt to figure it out.

"Are you mental?" Tonks asked and pushed Hermione until she had no choice but to get up. "Go to him!"

Hermione laughed. "He's just playing with me."

"And what are we talking about?" Ginny said, throwing an arm around Hermione. "By the way, Hermione, that was a right spectacular kiss. Ron almost passed out! It was quite fun."

"Exactly!" Tonks said, gesturing with frustration towards Hermione. "The man does something stunningly romantic, and she just watches him walk out."

"Are you mental?" Ginny asked incredulously.

"See? Two opinions. Now go!" Tonks said, shooing her away.

"Fine, fine, I'm going," Hermione said, laughing, holding her hands up in surrender. A battle of wills he wants...

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Severus was passing through the Entrance Hall when he heard her approach. He had gone so far as to unfasten the top two buttons of his frock coat after removing his outer robes, shaking out bits of glass and dirt from the evening's events. The sound of her footfalls clearly meant she was jogging, but then he heard her slow to a more respectable speed.

"Ah, here we go again," he thought, struggling to remove the smirk from his face.

Hermione moved up alongside him, asking casually, "Heading to the dungeons, are we?"

"Would seem so, yes," he said, admiring the repair work to the Entrance Hall ceiling. "Are you all right? You seem out of breath."

"I was running to catch up to you," she said, and gesturing to his chest, she noted, "You've allowed a button or two to slip there."

"It is summer," he said in a dry voice, glancing sideways at her.

Rolling her eyes, she said, "Oh, I see."

Severus stopped and faced her. "And just what are you insinuating?"

"Oh, nothing." She stepped closer to him, fingering the third button threateningly, taking hold and tilting it, just slightly, so that it was poised to slip. "You're warm."

Severus grinned and backed away. "It's hot, and I've had an interesting day."

"Oh, I understand. Then you'll be relieved to remove the coat," Hermione said and followed him, sliding her hand lightly over the wool, dragging her fingertips over the fabric.

He stopped trying to escape her and stood, absorbed by her hand's motions. Both hands, lightly trailing over the surface, along his chest, up around the collar, down to his waistline, to the coat's edge and back. Hermione watched as his eyes slid closed, and she leaned closer, placing a single, soft kiss along his jaw-line, lingering, watching him grit his teeth, no doubt trying to resist showing any reaction. A battle of wills. Tracing the edges to where the coat parted, gripping it in one hand and tugging on the buttons with the other.

One more button through the hole.

Her hand pressed against his side, slipping around to his back to hold him close. He brought his head forward against hers and opened his eyes. Slowly, he shook his head, a small movement. His hand joined hers and grasped it, stopping its movements.

Severus motioned towards the Entrance Hall stairs, attempting to sound casual as he struggled with her over the buttons. "I think we've been here before. While I am sure everyone would love to happen upon a repeat performance, I do not care to be found..."

Suddenly her lips were on his, her hands shoving under his coat and behind him, nails against his shirt, driving in and dragging down. He staggered backwards, into the shadows, only stopping when he hit the stone wall, pausing long enough to register that they were between two hourglasses. Positive that his heart had stopped, leaving him desperate for breath. The physical body and spirit at odds, battling for precedence, betraying each other for their own gain. All resistance in the name of remaining proper left him in that moment; she had such control over him he was helpless to not hold her tightly and fall further into the act, shoving reason aside. Lifting from the kiss only long enough to gasp as she raked her nails down his back again, looking into his eyes in a way that made his heart both seize and burn with a passionate fire at once. He pushed forward, taking his robes and covering both of them, plunging her into darkness. It did nothing to slow her; in fact, it only drove her on to kiss along his throat, laughing softly as he gasped. This time it was she who shoved his hair aside and, with a simple breath, elicited a moan that he failed to catch in time.

Allowing his head to fall back, he forgot himself and dropped his robes, allowing fresh air to wash over them. Hermione kissed along his throat and jaw lightly, edging them both back to reason. She watched his face as she reached up, released the clasp holding his robes, and smiled devilishly as they fell to the floor.

"Tell me," he said, measuring his breath and trying to ignore how he needed to swallow to continue, "are the robes the only thing keeping you from tearing me apart like this?" He surveyed the fact that his outer robes were now strewn across the base of the Hufflepuff hourglass and his coat resembled something that had been torn open by an animal.

Not bothering to appear embarrassed, she responded decidedly, "You should lose the robes and only wear the coat – if anything."

After taking a look down at himself, Severus raised his eyebrow. "I fear the consequences. Would it be possible for me to travel anywhere without molestation?"

"Doubtful," she said laughingly and stepped towards him again.

"I see," he said thoughtfully, trying to reassemble his coat and becoming frustrated when the buttons were misaligned.

Hermione sighed. "Allow me."

"Pray tell," he asked, watching as she worked her way up his chest, taking more time than necessary to finish. "What prompted this? Was it the dramatic entry or the rather romantic public display of affection?"

With a slightly surprised expression, Hermione asked, "Do you plan these things?"

"I plan many things, but no, spontaneous expressions of emotion are not among them. That was genuine, I'm afraid. I would never lie when it comes to love," he said, his expression sincere. He continued on his way towards the dungeons.

"I believe you."

Severus nodded as they turned a corner. "Excellent choice. You'd do well to believe in true love."

"And why is that?"

"Because..." he said, letting his gaze fall to the floor as he spoke, "True love never lies. One's soul is laid so bare that there is no hope of deception. Even the most stoic falls victim to unorthodox, and yes, even stunning expressions of love and truthful confessions of emotion. There is no other way to live. It turns thoughts of tomorrow and next week into passionate vows of undying loyalty and devotion – not only for a lifetime, but an eternity."

When he caught her looking at him knowingly, he added, "So I've read."

Hermione stopped and observed him for a moment before asking, "You're describing yourself, aren't you?"

Turning to face her, he studied her face before nodding slightly.

Hermione reached out and gently brushed the hair away from his face. She traced his jaw lightly and said, "I've noticed you do that, Severus. You speak of things as if you're an outsider, but in reality it's you. You've never told anyone of any feelings before, have you?"

He didn't answer. Hermione thought she saw traces of suspicion hidden in the shadows in his eyes.

"You can speak to me directly. I would never tell."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "You enjoy vast outpourings of thoughts and feelings?"

Hermione chuckled. "Well, not all the time – but, yes. Of course, I would never want your incredibly sharp wit to fade."

"Poppy would have me sedated and tied down if I turned emotional," he said with a smirk.

Waving her hand, she said, "Besides, what would I do without this never-ending war of words with you?"

He shrugged. "I shudder to think of the lack of color in the sky should we speak in plain generalities to each other."

"That surely would be a tragedy."

He held her hand and carefully intertwined their fingers. "While I have free license to express myself without dozens of witnesses..."

When she saw his eyes, she stilled, watching how he turned her hand over in his.

"I meant every word I said to you the other night. I remember you – coming at night, holding my hand. My nights are far from restful. Only your being there changed that – if only for a short while."

"I was only checking on you."

Examining how their fingers joined, he continued, "I pride myself on noticing every minute detail in life. I notice these things, Hermione. Every single one of them. I feel confident enough to say that nothing can express love more than the accumulation of small acts of caring such as these."

Hermione smiled slightly. "Like when you torture me endlessly with words? Your way of showing you care..."

With a shrug, he said, "I do try to please."

"Exactly. Back to our first topic," Hermione declared.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he asked, "Which was?"

"Tell me you don't know what prompted me to practically strip you in the Entrance Hall," she said and began to lead him in the direction of the rooms.

"I do not," he said innocently.

Instead of arguing further, Hermione shook her head and simply pulled him in the correct direction.

Severus appeared impressed at her forwardness, but allowed her to lead. "That was quite an eloquent way of telling me to stop talking."

"Hush," she said, turning to catch the amused look on his face.

They had neared the last turn before his rooms when he spoke again.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione couldn't help but stop dead.

"If I may speak – or is it too much of an impertinence? Shall I remain silent for all eternity, or is there a time limit to the restriction of my voice?"

She pushed her finger into his chest. "You're testing me."

Severus appeared threatened, a smirk playing on his lips. Placing a hand over his heart, he countered, "It was a simple question."

"You're being difficult, you know. I think you know exactly what you're doing."

He gestured to himself, as if humbly pleading a case. "If that is your opinion, then who am I to offer an argument? There is no doubt that you possess ample research to support your claim."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "I think you enjoy frustrating me with words. Your weapon of choice."

Severus observed how she still held onto his hand, clutching it possessively. He lifted her hand and stepped behind her. Standing close enough to barely touch. Daring her. His lips just a fraction from her ear... "Frustrating? You believe me to be – frustrating?"

She held her ground, ignoring how his voice permeated her very world. She closed her eyes against the torch-lit hallway. "At times..."

Severus nodded as if accepting her point, then, gripping her shoulders, turned her around and swiftly shoved her against the wall. Hermione hit the corner of a portrait, sliding it up off its hook. It fell to the floor. Grasping her wrist, he roughly pinned it against another portrait, eliciting a string of insults and the hasty evacuation of its occupant.

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips against hers, slowly, methodically. Kissing softly, lighter each time, ending with a simple touch. Hermione dropped her head, staring down at his chest, too stunned for words, unsure if her heart was still beating. Both of them stood, breathing hard, hovering painfully close to each other's lips. Severus pressed himself harder against her and drew his fingers slowly down her side, watching his hand travel to her hip, gripping her.

"Frustrating is such a strong word – and Merlin knows I do love words," Severus whispered into her ear. "Wouldn't you say it is more like – challenging?"

Barely able to breathe, Hermione whispered in agreement, "I do love a challenge."

A soft chuckle against her neck. Her knees gave a little, but he caught her by pushing against her harder.

"Severus, that..." Her breath hitched as he shifted, watching her through his tousled hair. "That is not helping."

Whispering surrounded them, interjected with gasping and other mutterings of indignation. The fallen portraits' inhabitants, now lying face down on the floor, could only voice their protests to the stone.

He watched her gaze drift up to her trapped wrist, then back into his amused eyes. A standoff. She twisted her free hand in his hair, forcing him to bow slightly. He grinned, looking up at her through the dark, parted curtains before letting his gaze fall.

"Severus..." she said, glancing towards where the door to his rooms stood, "we're nearly there."

"Are we?" he said casually, dipping his head low to barely touch his lips to her throat. He gripped her wrist tighter, then brought it behind her back. Hot breath against her neck, high up behind her ear, moving through her hair. The closeness without touch driving her mad.

A kiss spreading into a grin against her skin, a devious one – of that she had no doubt.

The rumbling of his voice. "Oh – we have yet to begin."

He tugged her collar aside to gain better access, growling as he moved to the back of her neck, his hair brushing her chin as he moved lower with shuddering breaths...

Hermione groaned and let go of his hair, throwing her hand out against the wall. She grasped onto something only to have it give way. Another round of shouts and a crash told her that it was yet another portrait.

A large painting depicting a picnic scene across the hall was becoming quite crowded, and there weren't enough fans to go around. When Hermione's knees gave a little more, Severus took the opportunity to shift against her again.

A round of gasps and whispers. More arrivals.

Hermione twisted her hand in his frock coat, forcing open the top button she had fastened only minutes earlier. She tilted her head up, drawing him in for another heart-stopping kiss. A smirk even before she broke the kiss, clutched his coat – and pushed him away.

Groans and whispers of disbelief erupted from the picnic-goers and their uninvited guests.

Silently watching her, he followed as she moved towards the door to the rooms, reached behind her back and opened the door.

The paintings' whispering and shuffling through frames to get a better view disturbed the silence. Comments on the audacity of such a public display were drowned out by insistent hushing as he took her hand and kissed it once – then again, as if it were his most precious possession. Hermione smiled as he looked up at her, his lips lingering on her hand.

When he straightened up, she reached out and placed her hand against his chest, tracing the rough wool. A faint smile, fingering the second button, hooking her finger over it, contemplating.

He stood patiently, watching her hands. The balance of power wavering between them.

Slowly, he moved closer, his eyes traveling up to where she had her hand against the door frame.

"You dance well..." he said barely above a whisper, breathing each word as he wrapped an arm around her waist, placed his hand over hers and pried her fingers from the door frame.

She grinned at him, her eyes briefly moving to the portrait across the hall. Several occupants were waiting with baited breath, their hands clasped against their chests. A few were fervently making motions for her to kiss him.

"Yes...," he murmured, bringing her arm behind her back and moving to kiss her throat. He backed her slowly, deeper into the room. "Resist if you wish, for it would most definitely make it a reward worth fighting for..."

He reached one hand behind his back, and the door shut against a round of disappointed groans in the hallway.

She moaned as his breath washed over her, his hair trailing across her chest as he shifted to kiss along her collarbone. Letting her head fall back, from her distracted mind came the thought that one never looks at the ceiling unless frustrated with a problem or in the throes of passion.

"I shall win," he said, allowing the vibration of his voice to sink into her chest, "in the end."

She hoped he didn't sense how his voice affected her. "Yes, I do know." She stared him in the eyes. "Don't do that."

He splayed his hand across her chest and pressed. "Hermione, I needn't use Legilimency to know."

Shaking her head, she placed her hand over his. "Traitorous heart."

"I have heard that, yes," he murmured into her ear, and then, moving his hand aside, he started to trail light kisses in a slow, methodical, circular pattern.

"What are you doing to me?" she said to the ceiling, attempting to keep her breathing under control as he chuckled and moved lower.

"You wish me to stop?" Severus said and started to back away, a devious grin on his face.

Hermione took a fistful of his hair, pulled him to her, and all but growled, "Don't you dare."

She dug her nails into his coat, catching on the buttons, pushing her hands between their bodies to grab hold. Severus made no attempt to help her, continuing his relentless pace down her neck, lingering at her throat, biting gently before moving further down.

"Problem?" he whispered. A low chuckle against her breastbone, spreading directly into her heart.

Hermione took hold of his coat, turned and shoved him against the wall with enough force to shake a portrait free to crash loudly to the floor.

"Impressive," he said, laughing softly, although there was a trace of surprise in his eyes. "We are gaining quite the reputation, it seems."

"Quiet," Hermione ordered, becoming frustrated with the unyielding nature of thick wool. In a fit of frustration, she inserted both hands in between the maddening row of buttons, looked directly into his eyes, raised eyebrows and all, and tore open his coat, sending buttons flying.

Severus chuckled, watching several buttons rolling in circles before they finally fell down. "Impatient woman, you've ruined it..."

Hermione interrupted him with a kiss, slid her hands inside the coat, and pushed it off his shoulders. It fell to the floor. "Afterwards, I will teach you a new spell called Reparo."

He grinned against her lips, raising his hand to stroke her hair.

"You enjoy this," Hermione said, grasping his shirt. "Admit it."

He clasped his hands around her waist. "And what if I do?"

"Then I must admit that I am deeply in love with this side of you," Hermione said decisively.

Severus quirked a smile and said thoughtfully, "I see. More alluring than random insults, is it?"

Nodding, she said casually, "Much more."

With a grin, his tone descended as he moved to murmur in her ear, "Oh, but have I told you that the exchange of words can be more erotic than touch?"

As soon as his first breath brushed her ear, the chills almost obscured everything he said. After a moment of intense concentration, she replied, with her head on his shoulder, "Really? You may have mentioned it."

"That if I were to do this in the way I prefer, I would start by mentioning something to you early in the day. In passing, mind you. In plain words, so that, if overheard, they would mean nothing to the casual listener, but they would, between us, ignite an undeniable fire. Later on, I would corner you and ask innocent questions, which again, only to you, would mean much more. Sometime in the afternoon, I just may brush your hand slightly and speak to you with only a significant gaze. Nothing overt, just enough to get your attention and let you know that you are mine, and yes, I do intend to act on my rights of possession. I may even be so bold as to do any of these things while you are with others. If you can so much as complete a sentence while I either look at you or pass by, I have not succeeded. The measure of success is that, by the end of the day, your only desire is for night to come."

"That would be an incredible tease."

As if he were insulted, he said with a hand over his heart, "A 'tease' implies that I would have no intention of delivering. I would say it is more of a promise."

"You do have a point there," she conceded.

Severus smirked. "Excellent. Let's continue."

He leaned closer, just shy of completely pressing against her. Barely touching his forehead to hers, he murmured, "Do you recall my description of seduction?"

"Vividly."

"What I believe I mentioned is that the anticipation of the event is far stronger than any aphrodisiac. It raises the sensitivity to a level where only the slightest hint of a touch drives desire higher," he whispered, then, almost imperceptibly, touched her face with his fingers. He trailed his hand down her arm and along her back with a maddening lightness. Every nerve felt alive as he moved his fingers in a long, looping pattern across her shoulders and the back of her neck. They stood painfully close, breathing the same small space of air.

He lifted her hand. On her face, a questioning look. He lowered his head as he turned her hand over, exposing her palm. She stood still, her eyes tracking his descent. With a slow trace of a movement, he laid a singular kiss in the center of her palm.

No movement could ever replace how he was perfectly circling around her hand, loving every inch of her skin. His eyes slipped closed as he carefully laid light kisses in a precise pattern, waiting – before moving on to another place – then touching again. Breath washing over her hand before he began another turn, crossing over itself, rising up to her fingers and traveling outwards – swaying gently and returning to the sensitive center, now aching for his kiss. Her breath caught as he hovered over that place, trembling for that one touch, exquisitely alive, crying for completion. He opened his eyes and lifted her hand, turning it so she could see his face.

Staring directly into her eyes, he moved painfully slowly, his gaze locked on hers until her eyes closed. A soft moan escaped her as he barely kissed the center of her palm. She gasped as his lips brushed against her skin, astonished that something so innocent, so ordinary, could be transformed into something so perfectly erotic.

Hermione could only straighten her knees to keep from collapsing; she resisted the urge to grab hold of him immediately. Instead, she waited, breathing in shallow degrees, moving from one to the next with intense concentration on control.

Lost in herself, she was almost startled when he purred, "Forgetting to breathe already? I must say we are ahead of schedule."

"Um..." she started, then, shaking her head clear, said, "Yes."

Severus moved his hand into her hair. "Beautiful," he murmured before kissing her lips gently. He carefully ensured that he softly kissed every inch along her collarbone before returning once more to stare into her eyes.

"No more words?" he asked with a grin. "That is quite a shift."

"How do you do that?" she asked dreamily.

He quirked a smile, betraying that he knew exactly what she meant. "Do what?"

"Know exactly what to do."

"I don't. It's an illusion," he said while moving her hair aside to busy himself in the sensitive place just behind her ear.

Gasping slightly, she held onto his shoulders as her knees gave a little. "It is not," she managed in disbelief.

"Hermione, when someone is admitting they aren't an expert in something, especially someone as egotistical as I, you do not accuse them of exaggerating their inadequacies," he said, gradually backing her into the bedroom.

"But you said..."

"I merely meant that I observe very carefully what is required, then act accordingly. Apparently that talent is well received, as opposed to the predominantly primitive strategy men employ, which is to simply conquer, declare victory, and flee the scene."

Hermione nodded her head slowly in agreement.

He took her hand again and this time traced tantalizingly light circles in her palm. "Does this still mean what I think it does?"

With a dawning smile, she said while watching him, "It does." Her hand was so painfully alive, his simple touch threatened to send her to the floor.

"Tell me."

Hermione sighed, then, tilting her head, said, "It means 'I want you.'"

"Really? I had no idea of your motives," he said, glancing up just long enough to maneuver her into the bedroom.

Severus observed her discovery of where they were and said with a slight bow, "I do believe I shall turn things over to you."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, I can't..."

He moved closer, tilting his head in question, dragging his fingers along the sheets, rippling them into peaks. Bringing his eyes up to hers, he asked, "Did I just bring an impostor in here, or are you still the same Hermione Granger who half attacked me not more than two minutes ago?"

Blushing, she muttered, "Well, yes, but..."

Severus placed his hands on her shoulders and watched as his fingers trailed down her arms to her hands and out to her fingers. She stilled, watching how the candlelight threw a soft shadow along his face, half-concealing him in the dark.

He leaned closer in small degrees, lowering his gaze to where he held her hands in his. Touching her cheek as he moved his lips towards her ear, took a shuddered breath and murmured, "You have more power than you may believe."

The argument left Hermione, and she became lost in his dark eyes. A calm came over her, so calm she lost track of herself as he stood before her. After a moment of thought, she waved her wand, lowering the candlelight before pushing him gently to sit on the bed. He complied and looked at her with a deep, soulful gaze that, to her, seemed able to stop anything in the world to hold her forever.

Hermione moved onto the bed, barely touching her lips to his neck, moving higher and leaving the slightest touch of a kiss as she circled behind him. He hung his head forward, allowing his hair to slide into curtains, obscuring his face from her. Several times she simply lingered, allowing her breath to wash over him before moving on slowly. She took the sudden intake of his breath as a good sign and continued, holding him from behind with an arm around his chest. She worked his shirt open with her arms over his shoulders, and he allowed her to help him remove it, moving his arms back slowly for fear of ruining Poppy's work yet again. Hermione had no need to place a hand on his heart to feel it; its pounding was evident anywhere she touched.

When she moved in front of him, Severus growled loudly and pulled her down, kissing her deeply with a rising need. Hermione responded by straddling him and raking her nails lightly down his sides, just as she had that night out by the greenhouses. As they kissed, the urgency rose, and her hands traveled to his hips. A low noise escaped his throat as his breath became more and more ragged. She held a hand over his heart as she moved in lazy circles, leaving light kisses along each rib while making sure to let her hair splay across him. Whenever he made any attempt to rise, she dug her nails into him gently, demanding he stay still.

She spent several long minutes simply moving in a random pattern around his scar, then upwards to his throat. The sensation of her breath there seemed to drive him nearly mad, so she moved in that vicinity carefully, coming closer, then receding several times. Hermione moved slowly, feeling her own heart running wild with his gasp or groan, her hands shaking as she held onto his arms. Lost in the moment, the feel of his hands in her hair, grasping hold, pulling her down. Lowering herself, she rested on him, kissing along his collarbone, then along his neck to his ear. He hissed and held her even tighter, and her breath caught along with his, rising, connected. His chest rose and fell as he took deep shuddering breaths, gasping slightly after every swallow.

"It's warm in here," she said softly, trailing a finger lightly down his chest. She raised her head to look into his eyes, which held an intense fire that bespoke a power held barely in check.

Severus stared at her for a moment before understanding appeared in his eyes.

"Close your eyes."

She lay down next to him and complied. Severus waved his right hand, and a strong wind picked up around them. The scent of cool, damp earth filled the air, the wild, electric charge of an approaching storm infused the atmosphere, and, off in the distance, thunder rumbled, slightly rattling the portraits on the wall.

Hermione smiled without opening her eyes. "I don't need to open them to know."

Severus closed his hand, and a soft breeze swept past the candles, extinguishing them. "No. However, you will miss this."

He pointed again, and the ceiling, mimicking the Great Hall, dissolved to reveal a disturbed sky. The contrast of the light gray clouds as they gathered ominously seemed surreal against the blackness of the night.

When the first branching streak of lightning flooded the room with instant light, Hermione said with wonder, "You remembered."

"It is my purpose in life to remember everything that makes you happy. Until the day I die, I promise you," he murmured.

Severus leaned on one arm next to her, carefully intertwined her fingers with his, and whispered, "It is your magic too. You may direct it however you please."

Hermione looked deep into his eyes and then gazed up at the sky. She thought she'd like the wind a bit stronger and for a light rain to fall. She was astonished to feel the wind pick up and a cool mist come to rest on her face.

Severus answered her question before she could ask. "It is yours. As am I." He showed her that he was no longer directing the sky by removing his hand from hers.

Hermione gasped softly while watching the clouds sweep across the sky. She pulled him towards her and kissed him with a passion only held close to one's heart, only to be revealed in a moment such as this. He slowly moved to brace himself over her, fighting a losing battle to hold back.

Hermione raised her hand, watching it shake slightly as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Tell me," he said in a raspy voice.

Gathering courage, she tilted her head and whispered in his ear, "Take me."

"Will you have me forever?"

"Oh, yes, always."

He stared intensely at her, his eyes shining in the dark, the wind sweeping his hair across his face. Tossing his hair to one side, he growled passionately, "Do not ever doubt my love."

In a fierce voice, she dug her nails into his arms and declared, "Never."

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Several times throughout the night, the sounds of a violent thunderstorm could be heard. The crashing sounds of thunder rolled through the halls, sending the portrait inhabitants to complain of the noise. What was most puzzling was that if someone looked out any window, they would only be met with a clear, peaceful, star-filled night sky.

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AN: Review?