Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Comlete rights go to the genius mind of Jo Rowling.

Falling in love with someone her own age was one thing. Falling in love with a teacher however was totally different. Were the information to be revealed to any outside source, she could possibly be led to further devastation than her desires already allotted her. That is why she kept it a secret; all of it – for years.

She spent the good portion of Severus Snape's classes working hard to get some sort of recognition from him, yet never attaining it in the slightest. But she did get the opportune chances to sneak a glance at him from over her cauldron, only to find him staring back at her with something a little stronger than mere curiosity. This led her to believe that she possibly was sought out in the eyes of her Potions Master as he was in her own.

It was now quarter past one in the morning and Hermione was shivering from the chill her bones suffered caused by the occasional, yet strong, drafts in the library. She was hidden by both Harry's Invisibility Cloak and (as if that wasn't enough) the row of shelves that separated her from the one she was watching.

Severus Snape was seated on a two-seater couch in the middle of the library, engulfed in a book about the effects of taking certain potions based upon age. He was seemingly ignorant to Hermione's presence, as was every Friday night for the past five weeks when Hermione first discovered her teacher's love for late night reading.

Peering through the space between shelves, Hermione was content with watching Severus flip through the pages, swallowed in their information. However, she wasn't as keen to his perceptions as she thought when he surprised her by saying;

"This is week number five, Miss. Granger. I would have thought that by now you would've mustered up enough Gryffindor courage to at least say something, rather than just stare at me," Severus spoke, eyes remaining on the pages in his book.

Eyes wide with terror and embarrassment, Hermione stood up, took the cloak off, and replied, "Y-You knew I was here?"

"Of course I did. Why do you think I kept coming back?" Severus looked up at his student as he spoke.

Struck by confusion, Hermione just stood awkwardly, waiting for him to continue. She received no verbal response, but the Slytherin Headmaster did hold one hand out to her, beckoning her to sit beside him. She did so, having a hard time deciphering whether the current events were her sleep deprived mind playing tricks on her, or if the situation was, in fact, real.

He wrapped an arm around her shivering frame, holding her close to his warm chest.

Hermione decided to take advantage of the situation so she nuzzled her head into the nape of his neck, enjoying the moment.

He placed chaste kisses on her head, one hand making comforting motions on her back, while the other grasped her chin gently and pulled her into an innocent kiss.

Laying her head back on his chest, Hermione decided that whether it all was real or fake, the feel of that kiss sparked something in her heart. Severus Snape was no longer her desire, but rather her newfound addiction.