Disclaimer: I do not claim any of JK Rowling's characters and locations to be my own. I am merely using her brain children in my perverted fantasies for your reading pleasures. Please note the characters are not as they are in JK's versions and my stories are not canon (I cannot stand it when I see reviewers on other SS/HG stories complaining that certain parts of their story does not follow what happened in the books…you're reading fan fiction where SS and HG get it on… that whole concept doesn't follow the books lol Rant over haha)

Thank you for your reviews for the last chapter, I am glad you enjoyed muahahaha.

Italics are the character's internal thoughts.

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Enjoy!

Severus smirked slightly as he swung open the door to his office and his eyes landed on a rather startled Hermione Granger with her hand poised in mid air ready to knock.

"Good evening, Miss Granger. You are punctual for your detention at least." He raised his eyebrows high, almost into his dark hairline.

"Good evening Sir." She ignored his jibe and slipped past him and into his office.

"Take off your robe Miss Granger. The work I have set aside for us both is rather… stifling. The heat will be intense and you would not appreciate being weighed down with so many layers of clothing."

Hermione nodded and began to remove her cloak, swallowing thickly after hearing him utter the words 'Take off your robe'. She could guess that those words would come back to haunt her when she was alone in her rooms. She couldn't help but gasp when she turned around to find Snape without his usual heavy coat jacket on. He stood before her in his dragon-hide boots, black dress trousers and white dress shirt which for Snape was basically nudity. He was removing his cravat when his eyes met with hers.

"Problem?" He enquired with a smirk.

"Um… no… it's just strange seeing you without your robes on. I don't think I've ever seen you without them on before."

"Well believe it or not, there is a man underneath all the layers of clothing. I even have skin underneath this." He whispered in mock scandal.

Hermione couldn't help but grin back at him and turned back to removing her robes. She bit her lip to steel her nerves as she faced him. If Snape noticed the much shortened school skirt, low cut white school shirt showing her large breasts and her heels, he didn't show it. He merely folded his jacket and motioned Hermione to follow him through to his private lab to begin their task.

Severus had noticed her attire. Merlin's balls he had noticed her attire and he had to dig deep and use all of his self control to not fling up her skirt, bend her over the table and have his wicked way with her, abandoning his plan completely.

Severus was happy with the way things were going on the sexual attraction front and had decided to lay off on the erotic dreams for a few nights as he now wanted to concentrate on the more emotional side of a potential relationship between himself and Hermione. You see, Severus was playing for keeps. He didn't want to just fuck Hermione and send her on her way. He was pretty much in love with her and planned on ensnaring her affections as well as her knickers by the time he was finishing with his plans. Now, he wanted to concentrate on letting Hermione see the real him. As much as he really was a snarky bastard, there were many other sides to Severus Snape that the majority of the world had not been privy to. He was well read, loved movies, enjoyed swimming and played the piano very well. He was also extremely generous to those he deemed worthy, he was kind and patient when he wanted to be and he had a cold and cutting sense of humour that could be positively charming when you got to know him better. He wanted her to see him at his best for a change as he was almost certain that throughout her years as his pupil, she had seen him at his worst.

"Did I hear you correctly when you said tonight we were going to be working together Sir?" She laid back against the work bench, resting on her elbows and thrusting her chest out towards him.

Severus swallowed thickly, the little chit was trying to be seductive and she was bloody good at it. This thoroughly heartened him and if anything strengthened him further to stick to his plan of getting to know her first before any physical elements were introduced. Her tits did look amazing in that shirt though, he had to admit.

"Indeed we are Miss Granger. You are, I must admit, one of my better students if not the best and I believe you are skilled enough to assist me with this project. I had planned on approaching you to assist me anyway but your detention has merely presented us to meet slightly sooner than I had anticipated – I shall require your help for a few nights a week for the next two months if you find that suitable? It is my belief also, that you and I will be compatible together so while we are working in this room, you shall call me Severus and I, if it agreeable to you, will call you Hermione."

Hermione blushed under his praise and genuinely smiled at him, all pretence of seduction left her as she looked at the admiration in his eyes.

He's actually going to treat me as his equal. I can't go through with Ginny's seduction plan. If he is willing to treat me as an adult woman… then maybe he can get to know me and I can get to know him? Maybe I can get to know the real Severus Snape? Yes, I believe I shall forget Ginny's plan but… minor flirtation isn't such a bad idea, is it? He can be rather playful… and I find that side of him incredibly sexy.

"I would be happy to assist you… Severus... and I am more than happy for you to address me by my given name." She smiled at him sweetly and her breath caught when he favoured her with a dashing smile in return. He loved the way his name sounded on her lips.

"Splendid. Let's get to it, today we will begin a project on scar removal treatment."

"I thought there was already a successful amount of treatments out there already? How do you plan on improving on what is already out there?"Hermione asked, genuinely intrigued.

Severus looked at her solemnly, "Not all scars can be treated by the current ointments and lotions that are available on the market at this moment in time. Magical scars, most of which would have been accumulated during the war effort have an extremely low success rate of removal, particularly scars that have been made using Dark Magic. "

"You mean like this one?" She gingerly lifted the sleeve of her shirt and cancelled the glamour she had placed on her 'Mudblood' scar.

Severus's face took on a furious look as he grabbed her forearm to inspect the graffiti more closely, "Who…"

"Bellatrix."

"I knew I should have killed that bitch in the first war. When did she have the opportunity to give you that?" He growled,

"When the snatchers caught us… they took us to Malfoy Manor and well, being the only Muggleborn in the group, Bellatrix took great pleasure in torturing me. She broke three of my fingers, cracked two ribs and crucio'd me within an inch of my life. She thought it was highly amusing to carve this into my flesh with her trusty dagger."

"I did not know. I am sorry. I would have stopped her if I had known." Hermione smiled at how soft his voice had gotten, his guilt evident.

"Do not apologise! Please. There is only one person responsible for what happened to me that day and Molly Weasley stomped her Pureblooded arse into the ground at the Final Battle. It doesn't bother me anymore, not really. I have other scars too that bother me more than this one. I've got a cracker that starts from my shoulder and follows down the centre of my chest and around the bottom of my breast." She tried her best not to blush as Severus blatantly stared at her chest as she motioned the direction of the scar with her finger.

Severus coughed awkwardly as he realised he had been staring at her tit for the past minute or so.

"And would you want to remove these scars?"

Hermione thought for a minute, "The one from Dolohov on my chest and the little ones that are scattered on my stomach and back…yes I would want to get rid of them."

"And the one on your arm?"

"I know you will probably think I am bonkers but I would like to keep it. Oh, don't look at me like that! It's been my driving force to get on with my life since I got it. During the war it made me more determined to survive and help to make the transition into magical society a peaceful one for future Muggleborn witches and wizards. It's made me determined to find happiness in life… to earn a decent living that I love and one day… to be with the man I love. I've earned the right to a perfect life and I intend to claim it."

"Well… I do think you are bonkers for wanting to keep it but if that horrid word on your arm makes you the strong woman you are… who am I to argue? So, who would this man you love be? Do I know him?"

He tried to sound as casual as possible but the way Hermione grinned at him let him know that she was aware of the little attraction playing out between them.

"Well, I've already met him and yes you know him rather well. I'm just waiting until we know each other a little better before I pounce."

"Indeed?" He smirked back at her, covering her scar on her arm with her sleeve once again.

"Oh yes but that discussion is for another time Severus. Now, you were saying about magical scarring… you wish to create a lotion that eradicates them in their entirety?"

"To be honest, initially I had myself in mind. My body is covered in scars and of course, I would like to remove the Dark Mark from my arm."

He unconsciously took hold of his wrist in his other hand, shame of his past mistake present in the tone of his voice. Hermione shocked him when she gently removed his hand and unbuttoned his cuff before she rolled the sleeve up and revealed his Dark Mark.

"It disgusts me." He said in a low voice, unsure of what Hermione was thinking. Was he foolish to ask her to assist on this project? Had he just reminded her of the monster he used to be?

"It shouldn't disgust you. You are the bravest man I have ever met, the bravest man that the magical world has ever produced and you have nothing to be ashamed of when you look down at that tattoo. When you took this mark you were a young and angry boy who was angry at the world that treated you so harshly but you were a young and angry boy who eventually saw the error of his ways and turned to the side of light. You were a spy for so many years and took so many risks that you have repented for your mistakes in your youth ten times over. I understand why you would want to get rid of it as it is rather gory looking but don't ever be ashamed of your past. You are a magnificent man and you should never forget that. I certainly don't."

Severus's heart was beating out of his chest as she spoke to him. She was so passionate and sure of her words about him. It made him feel so much joy that she didn't hold his past against him like so many others did. He had to access all of his self control to not sweep her off her feet and snog her senseless.

"You are an extraordinary witch, Hermione. It heartens me that you think so highly of me but I would like to remove the mark and my other scars from my body completely. I see them as the marks of my mistakes rather than badges of valour. I believe it would help me to feel less like… damaged goods." He grinned at her as he re-buttoned his cuff and pushed a large tome towards her. "I'd like to spend a bit of time on the theory tonight… cell tissue and the like… and begin some practical experiments on our next meeting, does that sound agreeable to you?"

"Of course, whatever you think is best."

He stood up and walked over to fetch another copy of the tome for himself when Hermione called over to him, "Oh and Severus? You'll never be damaged goods in my eyes."

He gave her a genuine smile at that, "Thank Heavens for that."

a/n: some serious discussion in there but I think it's nice to see Severus and Hermione getting to know one another and get that teeeeeeny bit closer buy confiding in each other like that. Next chapter will be more delicious, I swear lol Please review!