Part Two, Day Four

Thanks to my dear beta, Dacian Goddess.

I make no profit from this.

"Good morning, Severus!" Hermione exclaimed loudly when she came into Severus's living room.

He was already sitting near the windows, an old-looking book in his hands. "Good morning, Hermione."

Hermione joined him, but before she sat down in her own armchair, she took Severus by surprise by leaning over to him and frankly planting her lips on his. "I think we can call ourselves a couple now, and couples share good morning kisses."

He smirked. "I don't know what research you did to reach that conclusion, but this idea has merit. Could you explain it to me again?"

"Don't act dumb. It doesn't become you." But she kissed him again all the same.

Severus cast a regretful glance at the wooden clock that adorned one of the walls; it was a gift from Hermione. "I suggest we get down to the Great Hall, lest we miss breakfast altogether."

"Right. Hmm, Severus? I'm going to give Ginny the speech I wrote for Harry yesterday. After that, if she has time, I'd like to spend some time with her during her free period this morning. Is that all right with you?"

"How long?"

"An hour, an hour and a half at most."

"I think I can manage that long without you. I will only make sure that I don't leave my office."

He would have done it just for her smile, but the kiss she gave him, albeit brief, was a very nice icing on the cake.

They separated as they came into the Great Hall: Hermione headed for the Gryffindor table, and Severus for his seat at the staff table.

"I had been starting to wonder if you two would make it to breakfast," McGonagall pointed out coldly.

Severus took his time to pull his chair and to sit down. "Why wouldn't we?"

She huffed. "You both missed dinner yesterday, and you're late for breakfast."

Severus, who had been reaching for a bit of toast, stopped moving and slowly turned to his Deputy. "Minerva, we missed dinner because putting away the flowers for the celebration took more time than expected." From her seat, Pomona nodded vigorously. "And I don't see what concern it was of yours. I did not leave the castle. I was there if you needed me, which obviously you didn't. As for this morning, we are not late, since breakfast isn't finished."

The other teachers noticed the tension between their bosses, but it is a truth universally acknowledged, that one never gains anything by meddling into one's superiors' disagreements, and so they made as if nothing was amiss...though they looked on and listened in as much as they could.

"You know what I mean!"

"Minerva, if you have any concerns, I must ask you to come to my office to share them with me. Right now, I need sustenance."

Hermione taking her seat on the other side of Severus put an end to the argument.

"Did you give Potter's speech to Miss Weasley?"

"Yes. Harry should get it some time this morning. I'm starving! I must still be famished from all that flower handling we did yesterday."

Severus chuckled softly, but it was enough to draw attention. Filius and Pomona exchanged a knowing look; Madam Hooch had her head bent down over her porridge, her shoulders shaking with mirth; Hagrid still had his contemplative look; Madam Pomfrey, well, it was as if she had not noticed anything. It seemed Minerva's only ally was the Muggle Studies teacher, John Milestone, but the man had never gained any points for Hufflepuff when Severus was his teacher.

Later in the morning, Hermione headed for the Room of Requirement to meet Ginny and Luna. The weather was not very inviting today, so an outdoor meeting was out of question, and there were few places in the castle for inter-Houses meetings.

"Hermione!" Ginny greeted her. "I feel like it's been months since we've spoken together."

Hermione smiled. "It's actually been months. Two months."

"That long?" Luna asked. "You're right. It was during the Easter holidays."

The Room had conjured a cosy lounge in different shades of green for the girls, complete with a coffee table, tea and biscuits.

Ginny sprawled herself on a sofa and grabbed a biscuit. "So, how's your life, Hermione?"

"Always the same, you know. I help Severus in his Headmaster's duties, and he teaches me his knowledge," Hermione answered while taking a seat in a very plush armchair. But she could not prevent a slight blush from taking residence on her cheeks, which of course did not go unnoticed by Ginny.

"I suppose you get on with him rather well. You looked very comfortable together this morning," Luna said. She was sitting cross-legged on another sofa.

"Well, you know," Hermione tried to sound casual, "we practically live together, so it's really better if we get along well." She did not fool her friends one bit.

"How well along do you get?" Ginny queried, her eyes alert, watching out for her friend's body language.

Luna's silvery grey eyes were upon her as well, though not as intimidating as Ginny's.

"I think we're friends," Hermione replied airily.

Ginny raised an eyebrow in an eerie imitation of Severus. "Friends, really?"

Annoyed, Hermione retorted tartly, "Yes. Why not? He's human, you know. He has a heart."

"Did you dump Ron for him?" Ginny asked seriously.

"What? Er, no. Ron and I weren't working anymore. In our last days together, we spent nearly all our time quarrelling."

"I know," Ginny sighed. "I would have liked it if you'd been my sister-in-law one day."

"We're still friends. That must count for something."

Ginny nodded.

The three girls switched the conversation to other topics after that, but Ginny promised herself to keep an eye on her friend and the Headmaster. There was something going on between those two, and she did not want to be the last to know. Besides, Hermione might need help in diffusing the situation if her suspicions were true and if Severus Snape and she ever went public.

While Hermione was trying to divert her friends' attention from her burgeoning relationship with Severus...she did not want any interference at this stage, nor at any other stage for that matter...the latter was facing a very irritated Minerva McGonagall. Sitting stiffly in an armchair in front of Severus's desk, she attacked him without preamble. "What is going on between you and Hermione?"

Severus looked equally irritated. "Minerva, why are you asking?"

"Because I wouldn't think it appropriate if there was something beyond friendship between the two of you. I'm not prying into your private lives, but you must be an example for this school." She breathed deeply and looked at him over the rim of her glasses. "I must admit that I would have preferred for her to be with someone her age, but my personal preferences are not important. You know that I've thought of retiring at the end of this school year. Since I've known Hermione as a colleague, the qualities I'd discerned in her as a student were confirmed in the young woman she's become. I had hoped for her to be my replacement, since the other teachers either aren't willing to take the job or simply don't have the abilities required. What do you think would happen if she were appointed as your Deputy while being known as your... dear friend? The school's reputation, your and Hermione's reputations are at stake."

Severus digested his colleague's words, then spoke, "I must admit to not having thought that far. In fact, I had not thought of you retiring until recently."

"So," Minerva resumed without letting him finish, "what are you going to do?"

"I thank you for your concern," Severus answered her curtly. "I can assure you that neither the school's reputation nor mine or Hermione's will be questionable. Now, I have some paperwork to take care of, if you don't mind." He looked at her square in the eyes while dismissing her, letting her know that she ought to obey him. It was plain that she had irritated him with her meddling. What he hid well was the fact her words had hit the mark and he needed to think things through.

"Very well. I hope you'll keep your word." As stiffly as she was sitting, she stood up and left Severus's office.

I really don't need this kind of complication, Severus complained inwardly. Well, better strike while the iron is hot. I'll talk to Hermione about it today.

That's how, after an uneventful day, Severus and Hermione found themselves in their armchairs...transfigured into a single sofa...in Severus's living room, discussing Hermione's future.

"Hermione? I suppose you aren't planning on being my personal aide forever?"

"Not really," she mumbled, looking out of the window.

"Don't be embarrassed to tell me the truth. If we are to be a couple for more than a couple of days, we must be sincere with each other. I won't hold it against you if you want to have a career that doesn't involve me." He squeezed her hand to reassure her.

"In fact, I've been thinking of joining the Ministry, the Magical Law Enforcement Department to be precise. I want to make certain things, like discrimination or enslavement, change in the Wizarding world."

Severus felt smug. Here go your plans, Minerva. "Hermione," he grabbed her chin to ensure she would look at him, "I'm glad to hear your plans don't involve Hogwarts. Minerva was in my office this morning and already planning your future, or your professional doom would be a better way to put it."

"How so?"

"She's making plans for retiring next year, and she envisioned you as her replacement. She was worried that our relationship would tarnish your appointment or the school's reputation."

Hermione frowned and crossed her arms. "She should have discussed this with me in the first place. She can't know better than me what I want to do. I wanted to speak with you about it first. I'll need to train you to deal alone and discreetly with your muscle incidents, especially the most embarrassing ones, before I can take any other position. And we need to organise how we're going to meet if I'm not your personal aide anymore. For starters, I'll probably have to leave the castle."

"You've given this a lot of thought, it seems." He admired her foresight and was annoyed by it at the same time, since it implied she imagined living without him.

"I didn't always know if you reciprocated my feelings," she admitted weakly.

"Now that you know, what is your mind coming up with to deal with our situation?"

"I will hire a flat connected to the Floo network in London so that you'll be able to come and see me as often as you can," Hermione stated confidently.

"Or the other way around: you come to see me as often as you can," Severus replied.

"I agree. It sounds like a good plan, doesn't it?"

"Indeed." He bent his head forwards and kissed her, softly at first, caressing her lips with his. Soon enough, they both parted their lips, and before they realised it, they were kissing passionately with their tongues as entangled as their limbs as they reclined on the sofa. Without knowing how it happened, Severus found himself cradled between Hermione's clothed legs and grinding his erection against the much too covered juncture of her legs. He propped himself up on his arms. His breath came in heavy pants, and his skin has taken an unusual pink tinge. Hermione reflected idly that it was the first time she had seen a black fire burning, and that fire was Severus's eyes as they took in her flushed face and wanton expression.

"We stop now or we don't stop at all," he said.

"I don't want to stop." She stroked his face with tenderness. "We've been practically living together for a year now. We know our own minds. It's more than time than we give in."

Severus did not know what swelled more at her words, his penis or his heart. "I want nothing more than to take you to bed right now," he croaked, his voice hoarse with desire. "But I don't want our... interlude... to have repercussions in nine months time."

"Don't worry, Severus. I never stopped taking my contraceptives after I broke up with Ron."

He stood up and helped Hermione on her feet, more to keep a physical contact with her than because she really needed it, but then...

When they reached Severus's four-poster, which was draped with dark green and grey curtains, their mouths found each other once more. "I... have... thought... of you... on this bed," Severus managed to say between kisses.

Hermione had a naughty smile. "How did you think of me?" she asked against his mouth.

"You will find out very soon." He grabbed her hand and put it on his erection.

"Did you touch yourself?" she queried daringly, blushingly, as she fondled him through his robe.

"Yesssss," he moaned. And, trapping her hand between their bodies, he recaptured her lips with his and literally shoved his tongue into her mouth.

After a while, they separated from each other. Wordlessly, for their eyes said it all, they undressed under each other's appreciative eyes. Severus was very pale and not too hairy, though more so than Ron, but Ron had freckles. He was not built like an athlete, but his metabolism was very kind with him and absorbed greedily anything that Severus ate. Hermione wondered if he had scars, but in the dim light of the bedroom she could not say.

For his part, Severus admired Hermione's womanly body. She was not fat, but she had the right curves in the right places. Her rather sedentary work at Hogwarts had not distorted her frame, though Severus reflected he might encourage her to practice some exercise in the future to keep in shape. He did not fancy her looking like a Molly Weasley alter ego in twenty years. Yes, he reflected, he pictured himself still with Hermione in twenty years. Then, he ceased to think when Hermione stretched onto his satin bedspread, the very one on which he had masturbated to thoughts of her. She gazed at him expectantly. "Come here, Severus," she whispered.

He joined her on the bed, lying down next to her so that his eyes had an unimpeded access to her feminine form. She returned the scrutiny. Tentatively, she reached out one hand to his chest and started to explore his body. He knew she had slept with Ron Weasley and hoped she would not find his older body lacking in comparison. He let her caress his torso and watched carefully her expression.

"Touch me." He complied. His hand wandered to her breasts, pinching and taunting her nipples. She arched against him.

"More." He moved down her body to put his mouth on her breasts, and her hands flew to his head, treading thin fingers through his lank, black hair and holding him against her. Instinctively, she threw a leg over his hip, and his thigh slid between hers, higher and higher until she could feed the tension in her clitoris by rubbing it against his limb. She made soft noises of pleasure, and she could not keep her eyes open. She could not wait anymore. She would explode if she did not have him inside of her soon.

"Now."

"Yesssss."

Pushing her onto her back, Severus took his place between her naked thighs and teased his erection a bit against her moist entrance.

"Now!"

He slid into her and kissed her with even more passion than previously. She wrapped her legs snugly around him. Neither was prepared when they were assaulted by their unleashed emotions and sensations. They started to move frantically, not knowing how else they could release the tension that threatened to make their hearts and bodies explode with unprecedented physical pleasure and unbearable heat. Their orgasms washed over them violently and nearly simultaneously. They screamed without restraint, startling the dozing portraits in the Headmaster's office two doors away.

"I win," Phineas Nigellus conceitedly announced to a miffed Dilys Derwent.

It took Severus and Hermione several minutes to come down from the highs their first coupling had brought them.

"Will it be like that every time?" Hermione asked in a whisper tinged with awe.

Severus, who was lying above her, answered into her neck, where he had buried his face, "I don't think so, but it bodes very well for the future." After a while, "Please, stay with me." He felt her nod her agreement.

With great effort, they moved from their intimate position and slid under the soft cotton sheets. They felt asleep cuddled together, still not feeling the need to speak.