Chapter 4 – U Tebya Krasiviye Ruki
Disclaimer: Oh, please, you know this isn't mine. +-Rolls eye dramatically-+ If you need another reminder, just look at the site that you're reading this from. There you go, look up at the website…Go figure, huh?
A/N: The title of this chapter, I know, is in a rough English form since I don't have a proper Cyrillic program, nor do I think this site would support it. Not sure. Anyways, it means 'You have beautiful hands'. Something that I think properly fits for Severus. Nothing sexier than a man with 'beautiful' hands.
Finally, in honor of the Chapter title, here is a folk poem from Russia. It is mildly adult orientated so I'll put the translation at the end of the Chapter.
Na dvore siren' tsvetyot,
Vetka k verke klonistya.
Paren' devushku yebyot –
Hochet posnakmoit' sya
"I still liked the first one you tried on the best," Minerva stated.
Hermione frowned at her, and then looked down at the dark blue robe she had on.
"Really? Are you sure?" Hermione questioned, plucking the robe in question off the bed where Minerva sat watching the impromptu fashion show.
"Honey, trust me. Not only does it look good on you, but it's also the color of his House." Minerva replied as Hermione ducked back behind the dressing screen to change yet again. "Not a very subtle move, but when it comes to Severus you have to be as blunt as possible, even if that means wearing green and acting like a Slytherin for a day."
"I'm so excited," Hermione giggled, emerging from behind the screen for hopefully the last time that evening. The final choice was a dark mossy green robe that was trimmed in a litter shade of green around the sleeves and hem.
"I'm still shocked that he asked you to his quarters," Minerva said, watching as Hermione went towards her dresser to dig through her jewelry.
"You don't think he really only wants to play chess," Hermione asked as she fastened an earring in her ear. "Do you?"
"If he just wanted to play chess, darling, he would have met you at the lounge." Minerva replied with a little wiggle of her eyebrows.
"Really?" Hermione questioned, trying to reassure herself that she wasn't looking further into a night of chess playing for something more than what was already there.
"I'm sure you'll know for sure after tonight. But I'm going with the theory that he has finally pulled his head out of the sand and realized what he has been missing all this time."
Hermione grinned at Minerva in the mirror as she secured a comb in her hair. She struggled a little with the second one, wanting them to be perfectly even, and seeing as how her hair refused to do what she wanted, it took a while to not have a stray curl flipping up somewhere where it shouldn't.
"So, how do I look?" Hermione asked, giving Minerva a little twirl.
"Stunning. Now can we go to dinner? I'm absolutely starved."
"Of course."
Hermione linked her arm through Minerva's, and they made their way to the Great Hall for the evening meal.
sssSSSHHHhhh
Severus felt his stomach tighten as Professor Granger and Minerva came into the hall. The two women were talking quietly to themselves, their arms laced together. They looked like two women sharing intimate secrets. Professor Granger broke away from their tight walk and laughed out loud. She then swatted at the older woman, and they broke away so that they could take their seats at the table.
Severus could still hear the residual giggles as she took her regular seat two down from him. For once, he wished that Minerva would have not been there, or if the two women at the least would have switched chairs. He wanted desperately to sit next to Professor Granger.
He had noticed her change in attire for the evening. He also hadn't missed the fact that she chose green robes to wear. If it was on accident, or if the color choice had been deliberate, he wasn't going to argue because they looked stunning on her. The biggest change though was her hair. She had decided to wear it down, with only two little combs keeping it back and out of her face. Severus could feel his fingers itch, wondering what it would feel like to bury them in her hair. To be able to feel those tresses wrapped around his fingers as he pulled her close to kiss him.
To kiss her.
That was a new thought for sure.
Most of his thoughts, up until the kissing one, had only been to wonder what it would be like to be companionable to Professor Granger. To sit with her and have lengthy conversations. To walk the halls in the evenings, taking points off on students that were out past curfew. To play chess together in the evenings, but never had his thoughts wandered so far as to kissing.
Perhaps now that he had taken the first step and Professor Granger hadn't run away screaming from him, his mind was relaxing and beginning to wonder what it would be like to continue on the pleasurable path that he had found himself on.
To kiss her, would be a marvelous experience no doubt. To wind his fingers in her hair, to pull her body close to his and plunder her mouth with his until she was breathless would certainly be marvelous. To see the always-proper Professor Granger panting with desire, a desire that he inspired, had him almost groaning with longing right at the Head Table.
How would he ever survive the evening with the thoughts that were running through his head? He would be blessed beyond means if she allowed him to kiss her hand at the evening even though he was now having thoughts of wanting to kiss a lot more than her hand.
Severus knew that if he jumped her the second she came through his door, would be a sure fire way to scare the woman away forever. Any woman for that matter. He would have to control himself; there was no way around it. He wasn't going to ruin a perfectly good chance with Professor Granger no matter how badly his body wanted to.
"Professor Snape?" Professor Granger's voice broke into his mental tirade at himself.
Severus looked up and noted that most of the students were gone, as well as most of the faculty.
"Did you still want to play tonight?" She asked. It wasn't hard for him to pick up the thoughts of doubt from her. How she could ever doubt that she didn't look pretty enough in that lovely green robe was something that he would never understand.
"Of course," Severus replied, pushing away the plate of food that he had been playing with for over and hour. "Shall we?" He asked, waiting for her to rise from the table and follow him.
Severus led her out the side door behind the Head Table, and began the walk back to his quarters. Several times he glanced at Professor Granger, not believing that he had actually invited her to his quarters and she had agreed. A woman had agreed to willingly join him for the evening. A pretty woman at that. One that had thoughts of what he looked like naked, and one that he had thoughts of kissing.
For some reason, it felt more like a date, rather than two colleagues meeting for a companionable game of chess.
Severus had to hide his grin as they came to his door. Again is stomach was jumping around, hoping that she would like what she saw inside. It took him all morning to persuade the House Elves to help him with his quarters. Clearly, they had still been upset about him banishing them from his quarters ever since one had the misfortune of popping in on him after a rather hair raising day. He hadn't minded the fact that he now had to clean up his quarters. But for this evening he had to practically plead with them to straighten things up, bring in some flowers, and make sure the fire was in perfect shape.
"After you," he murmured, opening the door and allowing her to enter first.
The gasp that he heard eased his jumping stomach. Severus saw her eyes dart around his room. They lingered on the glass windows looking out into the lake, before the crackle of the fire drew her eyes to the right. He didn't miss how her eyes grew wider as they scanned the room, no doubt counting all six floral arrangements that he had specifically ordered just that morning. He was pleased to see that the House Elves had done a good job.
"It's beautiful," Hermione whispered, walking into the room.
She walked along the wall the housed a collection of books, and allowed herself the pleasure of trailing her fingers along the spines.
"You have a wonderful book collection."
"Thank you," Severus replied, not knowing if he should offer her the privilege of borrowing some of his books from time to time. Instead, he began his duties as a host. "May I offer you a drink?"
"Yes, please." Hermione wandered back towards where Severus stood at the side bar pouring their drinks, her eyes trying to take in as much as humanly possible.
"It's a Merlot. A habit that Albus has when ever he goes places is to bring me yet another bottle," Severus said, handing Hermione a full glass.
Hermione took a test sip. "It is perfect."
"One thing that Albus can do well in life, and that is to select a good wine." Severus added, taking up his own glass and leading them to the table that he had set out already.
"You're quarters are wonderful," Hermione commented, taking the offered seat. Severus saw the smile when she looked at the fire.
"What a perfect spot to play, he wasn't lying when he said he had more comfortable seating. This chair is divine." She set her wine glass on the side table. "The flowers are lovely. I wouldn't have fingered him as a man that kept flowers in his rooms, or perhaps they're here because I'm here. Wouldn't that be nice? The view though is spectacular. No wonder he never leaves his rooms. If I had a view like that, I'd never leave either."
Severus was pleased that his plan had worked; Professor Granger had noted the little things that he had done just for her. Perhaps he would send her off that evening with a few of the flowers.
"So," Hermione began looking over the board and admiring the chess set that Severus had. "How was your Tuesday morning?" She asked with a knowing smile. If he had been history making cruel yesterday, there was no telling how far he would have gone that morning with the Advanced Potions class.
"No one fainted, if that's what you're trying to get at," Severus replied, moving the first piece. He picked up his wine glass and took a sip. "But the work load I placed on them made yesterday look like a walk in the park for the other students."
"Don't you think it's all a little drastic?" Hermione questioned, countering his move with one of her own.
"Certainly not," Severus replied, moving his bishop out onto the board.
"Albus will talk with you no doubt." Hermione replied, moving a pawn of her own. "That is, if he hasn't already."
"I expect to be graced with his presence some time tomorrow, after the Hour Glasses in the Main Hall becomes significantly emptier." He moved another pawn, and then settled back in his seat. "I will have more than enough students to do some sample preparations along with some cleaning that I've been putting off for several months. You don't by chance need any extra assistance do you?"
"Are you trying to pawn off your detentions on me?" Hermione questioned.
"Not per say," Severus replied, moving another piece on the board. "I'd still over see the detentions, but I can see to it that they do some work that you may need to have done."
Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "I never would have thought I'd see the day where I'd consider receiving detention candidates as a blessing." Hermione moved her knight out onto the board. "I'd love to take a couple some time this week. My room could always use a good cleaning, not to mention a brave soul to continue working on Binn's old office. You wouldn't believe the mess it's in."
"Then it's settled," Severus said with a smirk. "I'll no doubt have several starting up tomorrow. Perhaps I should bring a couple by after dinner?"
"That would be perfect. I'll be sure to find them plenty to do," Hermione replied watching as Severus nudged one of his pieces forward.
He tapped the base of his pawn gently, until it got up and moved. Hermione couldn't help but notice his fingers again. They were long, yet didn't look weak. Beautiful hands.
Severus leaned back in his seat, a grin playing at his lips after hearing Professor Granger's appraisal of his fingers. He was pleased that she was looking over his person, and even more pleased to hear that she enjoyed doing so. Why she had such a fascination with his hands and what were attached to them was beyond him. Perhaps it was a woman thing that he would never understand. At least she was looking at him, and that was all that mattered if he wished to take another step with her.
"May I get you more wine?" Severus asked, noting that his chess partner's glass was almost empty.
"Yes, please," Hermione, replied, handing him the glass only after emptying the rest of its contents.
Severus refilled her glass and decided to top off his own. As he brought hers back, he couldn't help but notice how perfectly relaxed she look in his chair by the fire. She looked quite content being with him, so he decided to make another move and see if she noticed or not.
"Would you like anything else?" Severus asked. The question asked in just the right manner so that it left it open to how she could answer. Severus handed Professor Granger her glass and made sure that their hands touched while doing so. He allowed himself the pleasure of running his hand along her wrist, down her hand, and over her fingers. He was pleased to feel her shiver.
"He voluntarily touched me," Hermione gasped. "The time I touched his arm he cringed. To have him touch me…" Her voice trailed off, clearly letting him know that she didn't miss the importance of such a small display on his part.
Severus in reply, took his seat once again and waited for Professor Granger to direct her attentions back to the game, may it be the one on the board before them, or the one that they clearly knew for certain was going on between the two of them.
The response he received was a clear sign that she enjoyed the step he had taken with her and that she wouldn't mind taking another.
Hermione had brushed her hair back over her shoulder, set her wine glass down, and scooted her chair a little closer to the table. To Severus' surprise, and enjoyment, Hermione demurely crossed her legs, making sure that her leg would brush up against his underneath the chess table. Severus eyed the woman across from him, wondering if she realized that what she was doing was an under the table footsie game with him, but she just rested her chin in her hand and studied the board before them. There was the constant reminder of her leg brushing against his.
Should he press his leg back? He wasn't quite sure, so he took a sip of wine, shifted in his chair, and accidentally allowed his own leg to press back against hers. He waited for an angry kick to come, but it never did. All Professor Granger did was select her piece to move, and then look up at him with those wondrous eyes of hers.
Severus wasn't sure how he wanted to proceed next. Instead, he prodded his bishop forward to take a pawn of hers. He stalled, using their game of chess as a cover. Though he wondered if deep down, either of them had really wanted to spend the evening together playing chess. Clearly, Professor Granger was more intent on playing a game of footsie with him.
Her. Professor Granger. Professor Hermione Granger. Hermione.
He could think of her as Hermione now. After all, he had thought about kissing her already, the least he could do would be to refer to her by her given name. His only problem was, that she had never given him permission to do so. All these years he was in the rut of first calling her Miss Granger. Sometimes, when he had been upset or cross it had just been Granger. Now that she was working with him, her title changed to Professor. Never though had she given him the leeway that she had given to other members of the staff. In fact, she still called him by his proper title as well. Perhaps she had the same upbringing on the subject as he had and wouldn't allow him to do so unless he asked or she told him to.
"I would like to ask something of you," Severus began, taking a leap off the edge of solitary happiness into one of friendship. Hermione's inner dialog of chess moves stopped, and she looked up at him.
"Ask away," she replied quite simply with a smile as she drank more of her wine.
"Seeing as how we are playing chess together, a habit that I would like to continue, I do not see a reason why you can not call me Severus while we are not in front of students."
Hermione blinked several times at him, her mouth open just enough so that he could see the pinkness of her tongue.
"Really?" She asked, clearly a little stunned by his request.
"To call him by his first name… he's never granted me that privilege before. Perhaps he'll finally call me by mine."
"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't certain."
"On one condition."
"Depends on what that condition is," Severus countered.
"Call me Hermione. Not Miss Granger, Professor Granger, or heaven forbid just Granger. Hermione, just Hermione."
Such an easy request, when she could have asked the world of him at that moment.
"Sounds fair enough, Hermione," Severus replied, trying out her name on his tongue for the first time out loud. Hermione grinned like a fool across from him.
"Severus."
They played in silence until Severus won the first match.
"I'm beginning to think you cheat," Hermione grumbled, leaning back in her chair with a frown as she looked at her king whom was standing on the chess board with his arms folded looking quite cross with her for loosing.
"I, would never do such a thing," Severus replied trying to sound scandalized. Severus tapped his wand to the board and the pieces slowly walked back to their places. Hermione's dragged their feet back to their places after having lost the first round.
"I think you do. First off, you give me this wonderful wine." Hermione said, finishing her second glass. "It's impairing my playing capabilities."
"Care for another glass then?" Severus whispered over the chessboard.
"I would love one as a matter of fact."
Again, Severus took her glass and refilled it along with his own.
"I'm assuming there's another method that I use in order to cheat?" Severus asked as he sat back down, handing Hermione's glass back to her.
"You're talking. It should be against the law for you to talk while playing chess." Hermione replied quite frankly.
Severus couldn't help but chuckle. It was amusing to see Hermione with a little alcohol in her. He'd never been witness to such a sight, though he did hear from several sources about her indulgence in the liquid about a year ago at the Weasley's summer party. What ever had happened that night caused her to never repeat her actions again, now he could see why seeing as how she was getting quite chatty. No doubt she had allowed her lips to become a little too loose.
"Why would you come to a conclusion such as that?" Severus questioned, wondering where this idea had come from.
"Because," she began, moving the first piece on the chessboard. Severus could not miss the blatant pressure she gave him on his leg. It felt like her foot was working its way up his calf. "You simply have the most wonderful voice. It can be, actually is, quite distracting."
"Really now?" Severus chuckled, his eyebrow shooting up. "I will have to talk to you more often then, if that is how you feel about the matter."
"Bloody cheater," Hermione purred.
Hermione leaned back in her chair and allowed Severus command of the board, but as he reached forward to nudge his pawn, he almost toppled his entire front line when he felt her foot delve under the hem of his robe and travel up his bare leg right up to his knee.
It took every ounce of self control not to cough up a lung at the rather forward advance Hermione played on him, and he tried to take it as best as any other man could. In the end, he ended up glaring daggers at her whispering cheater at her across the board.
Her only response was an evil grin over the rim of her wine glass.
"It looks like I found a good way to distract you, Severus," Hermione said, continuing her ministrations to his leg.
Severus could feel his body jump to attention as her foot gently rubbed long circles up and down his calf. All his head could make of the moment was to chant over and over, so close, so close, so close.
"You are doing a lot more than distracting me."
"Am I now? I wonder what else might work then?" She gave him a devilish smile before averting her attention back to the board.
"What game are you playing, Hermione?" Severus asked right out, wondering if it was a game of chess she came to play that evening, or something more.
He hoped it was something more.
"At the moment, I am playing chess," she replied, finishing her move. "I hope we can continue this one," she whispered, her foot caressing his leg once again.
"Say yes, say yes, say yes, oh dear God let him say yes." Hermione's thoughts chanted in his head.
Severus grinned, knowing that she was just as nervous about their new found situation as he was.
"I play to the end," Severus replied, wondering if she caught his innuendo. "That is, unless you decide to quit."
"Oh, I don't quit," Hermione, replied. "Ever."
Three hours later, and a bottle of wine drunker, Hermione finally managed to defeat Severus at their fifth game of chess.
"I told you I'd win," she said with a yawn, followed by a back arching stretch.
"It's because you cheat," Severus grumbled.
For the rest of the evening, he had been distracted by Hermione's personal thoughts that wove around the two of them making love in some rather interesting places. Her running commentary on what she would do to him with only her tongue was the final straw that lost him the game. In the future, he would have to remember to keep a mental wall up around her, or the entire castle would see evidence of what he truly thought of Professor Hermione Granger.
As it was, he was biting the inner part of his cheek, reminding himself that no matter how badly he wanted to, he could not push the chessboard and table aside and ravish the woman right there on the floor in front of the fireplace. The thought was tempting, but he didn't know if he would be able to keep any amount of control in tacked once he was able to touch her skin.
Her smooth, pale skin.
Perhaps he would take a sampling of more than her hand before the evening was through.
"I had a lovely time tonight." Hermione said right after another yawn.
"We will have to do a repeat performance." Severus rose along with her, and escorted her to the door. He opened the door, and waved her through. Though he was blocking her thoughts he could still see the confusion on her face by his actions.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, watching as Severus closed the door behind them.
"Escorting you to your rooms of course." Severus replied.
He held out his arm, and waited to see how she would respond.
The pleasant look of shock quickly dissolved into a smile as she wound her arm through his.
"You are constantly surprising me, Severus," Hermione began, as Severus led her through the hallways. "First, you actually play chess with me on your own accord. We then continued to have a lovely conversation, followed by second one this evening."
"I'm beginning to see a trend here as well," Severus added.
"But then there are the flowers. I didn't know you kept flowers in your quarters," Hermione said, looking up at him as they walked.
"I was having a lady as a guest for the evening. Flowers are a suitable choice when entertaining the fairer sex," Severus replied, remembering the manners his mother had ground into him long ago. With a reassuring pat, Severus double checked his robe pocket and was content on feeling what lay inside.
"See, another surprise."
"That I have manners? Why is that such a surprise?" He asked. Didn't all men treat the women then intended to woo in this fashion, or was he doing it all wrong? She would have said something if he was doing it wrong, wouldn't she? Or should he just take a peak and see what she was really feeling? No, Severus corrected himself; he wouldn't be able to control himself if he had another look inside Hermione's head for the evening. A lady indeed. No proper lady thought of the things she thought of.
"You're a gentleman, Severus. That's quite rare now a days," Hermione replied, holding his arm closer to her person.
"Because I am a man, Hermione, and not an infantile little boy that relates anything dealing with women to some kind of sport or another. It's not how fast you play the game Hermione, it's how well you do it."
"Like Quidditch?"
"Precisely." Severus affirmed. "You are, regrettably, friends with two of the most infantile little boys that I know of at the moment. No doubt they have poisoned your mind with their behavior."
"I've just never…" Hermione began, "The flowers were a nice touch. Thank you." Severus didn't miss the blush that graced her cheeks.
"They will always be there when you come then."
He brought them to a stop in front of a portrait of a young couple on a swing. They, unlike the old man from the night before, did not make a sound at their presence.
"Again, I had a lovely time." Hermione said, slowly pulling her arm from his, not wanting to break the contact.
"It was a pleasure having you," Severus replied.
"You'll bring the students by after dinner?" Hermione asked, trying to keep the small talk going as long as possible. Anything to not have Severus leave her quite yet.
"How many will you require?" Severus asked with a smirk.
"Six I think should cover it. Possibly seven if there's one in there that's trustworthy enough to help grade papers."
"Then seven it shall be."
Severus looked down at Hermione. It was the first time that he realized how truly short she was, her head only coming up to his chest.
Now was the part of the evening that he was uncertain of. Should he shake hands? Perhaps a hug? Would it be too cold of him to just walk away, especially after their active game of footsie that evening? Or should he dare to kiss her? Would she allow him to kiss her was more like it. Was it too early in the game to steal a kiss? He could easily check to make sure, but then she may just put ideas in his head that would not be appropriate to do in a hallway.
Would a simple kiss goodnight be too forward after their first evening together? How was he supposed to know with out cheating?
Instead, Severus fell back on the old art of reading body language. Hermione had taken a half step closer to him, making the distance he would have to travel a little less than four feet. She was smiling, which was always a good sign. But when her tongue darted out to moisten her lips, it was like a sign went off that said, 'Kiss Me'. Why else would a woman decide to choose that opportune moment to lick her lips unless she wanted to make them more lush and inviting for a kiss?
So he went for it.
He leaned in, hoping against hope that he wouldn't collide with her like a fumbling fifth year. Half way to his mark, he allowed his eyes to close. What he didn't expect was to meet her lips a lot sooner than when he had expected. Hermione had taken it upon herself to close the rest of the distance and latch herself onto him.
Severus groaned as her lips parted gently beneath his. The simple groan echoed in Hermione, and her hands wound up his arms and found their places running through his hair. Between the sensations of her lips caressing his, her fingers sending electric shocks through his scalp and the feel of her body pressed tight to his caused all upper brain function to come to a grinding halt. All he could think of was making this woman in his arms his.
He buried his own hands into her mass of hair, finally being able to feel what it was like to wind those luscious locks around his fingers.
When or how, he did not know, but he had backed Hermione up against the wall and continued to assault her mouth with his own. He could taste the wine from that evening as his tongue explored her mouth. He took the pleasure in nibbling those lips that he had often seen her do at staff meetings and realized why she found it to be such an addictive habit.
Severus explored her face with her lips. Covering her chin and then her jaw. Finally he was able to taste the skin of her throat, and he knew right then and there that he could die a happy man after doing so. He was tempted to leave a mark on her pale skin. So that she, and everyone that saw her the next day, would know that she was his.
He was dieing. He was truly dieing, and he was running to get to this heaven that Hermione was taking him to.
But like all good things, it had to end. And since it was a good thing for Severus, that meant that it was going to end badly.
"Ahem." A throat was cleared behind Severus.
Severus looked up at Hermione, her eyes were glazed over with lust, her hair was absolutely disheveled, and her robes were quite rumpled. There was no mistaking what had just happened to her. Not to mention that she was panting, her warm breath like heaven against his cheek.
Severus gave her one last kiss on her kiss swollen lips before turning around and seeing who had enough balls in all of the Wizarding World to dare break up his snogging session in the hallways.
Murder was the one thing that flashed through his mind followed closely by mutilation of said person's eyeballs.
Trying to protect what little dignity they had left, Severus turned fully around, trying to block Hermione behind him by doing so.
"Yes?" He asked in a snarl that no student had ever had the misfortune of being witness too. It did not have the effect that he desired, as the party breaker-upper only smiled.
"I do say, isn't it past curfew? And displaying your affections so publicly," Albus chuckled. "Ten points from Slytherin and ten points for Gryffindor," the Headmaster laughed out. "I had assumed your age and experience would have kept you inside private quarters, and not out in the halls like the students."
Severus heard Hermione start to giggle behind him. They had been caught, by the Headmaster no less.
"Headmaster," Severus all but snarled. "I was just making sure that Hermione arrived at her quarters safely. One never knows what may be lurking in the halls at this hour."
Albus' eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. The fact that Severus used Hermione's name did not get past him.
"I'm sure that you two can do better." Albus said. "Five points, Severus, to Slytherin. For being a gentleman and walking a lady to her door." Albus gave Severus a wink. "You'll both be in your beds by the time I walk back this way," he called, continuing down the hallway.
Once Severus relaxed and allowed Hermione to move behind him, the sounds of an all out belly laugh could be heard, followed closely ball the hissing and complaining from the portraits at having been awakened.
"What, pray tell, is so funny?" Severus grumbled, rubbing his hands over his face. He could still feel the heat from the embarrassment at being caught kissing Hermione in the hallways. Never had he ever been caught in such a compromising situation.
"We got caught snogging in the hall. By Albus," Hermione cackled.
After many agonizingly embarrassing moments for Severus, Hermione calmed down enough to talk and breath at the same time.
"I shouldn't have done that." Severus stated.
"Done what?" The laughter was now completely gone.
"Kissed you. It was inappropriate, and in the halls like a bloody teenager no less."
"But I liked it. So thank you," Hermione said, reaching up to wind her fingers back into his hair. She pulled him down for a breath-stealing kiss, but before they could get out of hand again, she pulled away. "I had a wonderful time, and perhaps we could continue sometime seeing as how Albus so rudely interrupted us?"
"A wonderful idea." Severus took her hand in his, leaned down, and placed a chaste kiss on the back of her hand. While he was leaning over her hand, he discretely withdrew what he had hidden in his robe pocket earlier. "Goodnight, Hermione," Severus all but whispered, handing her a single red rose.
Hermione stood speechless, holding the single red rose, as Severus left, disappearing into the darkness of the hallways.
He had kissed her.
Severus would have skipped down the hallways if it were something he was known to do. Instead, he ran over ever blissful second that he had with her. He put to memory the taste of her lips, how they felt as they moved beneath his. The way her hair felt as he ran his fingers through it. The way she smelled as he kissed the delicate area between her neck and shoulder. The way she moaned with absolute pleasure as he ravished her against the wall just outside her quarters.
Severus hurried through the halls back to his quarters, not only because he didn't want to have the misfortune of meeting up with Albus again, but more importantly the fact that he require a very, very, cold shower.
A/N: Russian folk poems consist of four lines or two couplets. In case you wanted to know. But on to the English version:
The Lilacs blossom in the yard,
In the breeze their branches bend.
Lad fucks lass, both long and hard.
And says, "I hope you'll be my friend."
Gotta love those Russian poets. Don't they just know the words to a woman's heart? I couldn't help it; I got a crack out of reading that one.
The next Chapter will be coming soon, so keep your shorties on. It'll get done faster if someone comes over and plasters my room for me…… I had to try.