AN: Hello everyone. I'm re-reposting because yesterday I had some problems and some parts were missing. Please, forgive me ;)

This story takes place during one of the deleted scenes of Half-Blood Prince (the one where Snape is standing in front of a window, looking at the black sky). What came to my mind was: what would have happened if someone had found him that night? What if that person was Hermione Granger?

It will be told in two different points of view: the first will be Hermione's, while the second chapter will be dedicated to Severus.

Please let me know what you think.

Now, word to Hermione!

Hermione PoV

Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Prefect, had fallen asleep in the library. She couldn't believe it herself, but with everything that was taking place at the school she didn't sleep well anymore. She was planning on waiting for Harry's return from his mission with the Headmaster and to do that she had decided to do something useful and do some research. But it seemed that fate didn't agree with her. So, now she had to return to Gryffindor tower without being seen, since it was already past curfew.

'Oh my, I'll never be able to make it,' she thought, as she pushed her books in the bag and started to leave.

She was walking as quietly as possible and the silence around her proved to be source of musings.

'Things are changing so much. Nothing is as before anymore. Something is definitely coming,' she thought as she stopped in front of a window. The sky outside was completely black and full of clouds, but there was a strange light coming in. It was somewhat eerie.

"Even the teachers are worried, it's pretty evident," she said to herself as she watched professor McGonagall stare at the sky from her chambers. 'The Headmaster is clearly sure something is about to happen since he has taken Harry on a mission and Professor Snape…'

Well, Professor Snape was clearly the same sarcastic, bitter and cruel man. Nothing in that matter had changed, he still favoured Slytherins and hated Harry and his friends as always. But there was something in him that cried "help me!". Obviously, he would never admit it, but Hermione had noticed that there were more lines in his face; lines that came from sleepless nights and tiresome days. There were dark rings around his eyes and the light that was there now and then, was no more.

'Light? What are you saying, Hermione?' she admonished herself. 'There's no light in Snape's eyes.'

'Oh, no light, you say?' said a voice in her head. 'That's not what you were thinking while you were asleep.'

"It was just a dream, nothing important," she said aloud, leaving the place in front of the window.

Nothing important. That's what she's been repeating to convince herself.

It all started three months ago when she had run into him. He had been incredibly angry. He had removed twenty points from her for "not being able to look where you are going, Miss Granger". But as he steadied her she had felt his sinewy chest under her hands. She had been noticing him more since that day.

Ok, so maybe she had a crush on the man.

'Well, now that I've admitted it I can just as well enjoy myself,' she thought as she let her mind wander to her dream.

Hermione was studying in the library when she realized that the information she was looking for was not in the books that she had taken.

"It will take me a lifetime to do this project," she whined as she stood and went to the bookshelf where she knew she'd find what she was looking for. However, it seemed that someone else was already there. Professor Snape was standing between the two lines of shelves of the library. One of his hands was caressing the binding of the books while the other was stroking his lips, as if in thoughts.

Hermione wondered how those hands would feel on her body, caressing her. And those lips…

"Miss Granger," said Snape, as he turned towards her. "Is there something you need?"

The girl jumped out of her thoughts and realized she had been staring at her professor.

"Ehm, no… I mean, yes. I need a… book," she replied nervously, moving towards the point where the book was. There was just a problem: that place was exactly between Snape and the bookshelf.

As she stepped forward, she brushed against him and a shiver run through her body. She felt him tense behind her, but, strangely enough, he did not move.

As she turned around, the book in her hands, she noticed that she was standing right in front of her professor and that he had taken some steps towards her. His eyes were fixed on her face and she could physically sense the intensity of his look.

Hermione moved forward, never taking her eyes from him. They stared at each other for some time and then, they were kissing.

One of Snape's arms went around her waist, the other was on the shelf behind her, trapping her between himself and the books. Hermione freed one of her hands and tangled it into his hair, deepening the kiss. Some minutes later (or was it hours? She had lost track of time) she felt the hand on her waist leave and move towards the book that she was still holding. Happy that she could now touch him more freely, she let it go, winding her arm around his neck.

"Thanks for the book, Hermione," he whispered against her lips, leaving her breathless against the bookshelf.

As she walked in front of the Defence Classroom she noticed that the door was open, and she decided to peer into it. And there, standing in front of a window on the other side of the classroom, was none other than the object of her thoughts and dreams. Professor Snape hands were clasped in fists behind his back and his shoulders were bowed, as if the weight of the whole world rested on him.

Hermione was enthralled. Seeing him like this only confirmed her fears and all she wanted to do was to run up to him and hug him. To whisper in his ear that he was not alone and that she trusted him. But of course, he would reject and belittle her were she to follow her thoughts. Shaking her head sadly she tried to tiptoe in front of the door without giving herself away. Her back towards the door, she didn't see his shoulders tense, as if sensing he was not alone anymore.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Miss Granger?" she heard him whisper quietly, but in the silence of the castle he could have as well shouted it.

Hermione turned around and saw that he hadn't moved from his spot.

'How did he know it was me?' she wondered, entering the classroom, fearfully.

"Hem… yes, I fell asleep in the library waiting for Harry… I was heading back to the Tower, I swear… it won't happen again, Professor..." she babbled nervously.

"Nevertheless…" he said, turning around and staring at her for a full minute. "It is well past curfew and if I'm not wrong it's not your patrol duties, so you shouldn't be strolling around the castle."

"I wasn't strolling, Professor. Really, I was just heading back to the Tower…"

"You've already said that, Miss Granger. I heard it the first time," he snapped, turning his back on her and looking at the sky outside.

The young girl stared at him again. She couldn't help it, really. He was acting very strangely tonight. Yes, he had been somewhat snarky, but he didn't say anything really unpleasant. And, furthermore, he hadn't taken points from her and neither given her detention yet. She wondered what was wrong, what was troubling him. His large shoulders were, once again, hunched forward and all she wanted to do was run her hands along his back to soothe him.

"Anyone else would have left by now, Miss Granger," he said, interrupting her musings.

"I am not anyone else," she replied taking the last steps that were separating them. Shoulder to shoulder they looked at the clouds that were becoming denser.

"It's coming, isn't it?" she said, looking at his profile. She had never been so near her Professor and she decided she was going to take advantage of this new situation. She saw that at her question his jaw tightened, and his chest filled with a deep breath.

"I was right to call you an insufferable know-it-all," he replied sighing, but without a hint of venom in his voice and Hermione didn't feel at all offended. She smiled lightly, never taking her eyes from his face.

"I'll have to agree with you, Professor. I've been quite insufferable."

The Potions Master snorted, turning his head toward the young woman.

'Is that a hint of a smile?' she thought, looking as the corner of his lips moved slightly. She couldn't help herself and she extended a hand towards his face to have a physical proof of this strange, and yet desired, situation. He was looking at her as if she was some strange creature, but he didn't move an inch.

A thunder startled them, turning their attention back to the black sky.

"You should go back to your dormitory, Miss Granger," whispered Snape.

"Yes, sir," she replied, knowing that the moment and her chance were both gone. But she wanted him to know that he wasn't alone, the she trusted him and, so, she did the first thing that came to her mind. Standing on her tiptoes she leaned towards him, ready to leave a quick kiss on his cheek and then leave as fast as possible before he got angry. She was almost there, when he suddenly turned towards her, and her lips landed on his cold ones before she could help it. She could see his eyes widen in shock and in what she thought was anger.

"I'm so sorry, sir… I didn't mean to… well…" she stammered as she tried to leave the room before he reacted. However, she was not so lucky because as soon as she reached the first line of desks he was upon her, catching her left arm in his hand and preventing her from fleeting.

"What was that?" he snarled.

"Sir, I'm really sorry. I swear, I just… I just wanted to give you a kiss on the cheek and then you turned and…" she babbled, not able to look at him.

"Look at me, girl!" he cried. "Why would you want to kiss me?"

Hermione Granger had never seen her Professor so out of his element. He was so angry that his pale face had become red and his eyes were so alive that she thought that if she left with a detention she would be lucky.

'Well, if I'm going to get a detention either way, I can as well be honest and tell him everything,' she decided, raising her head and staring into his face.

"Because I care for you, sir. I have for a while. I think about you constantly and I find myself entranced with your wit and your intelligence. I've been watching you for months. Really watching. And you've changed so much. You look as if you are carrying the weight of the whole world and I wanted you to know that you're not alone in this. I trust you."

She never took her eyes from him as she delivered her speech and she saw so many emotions on his face: anger, confusion, sadness and despair. Something must have clicked in him because, before she knew what was happening, she was in his arms and he was kissing her with an intensity that would have made her melt into the floor had he not been crushing her against his chest.

Hermione Granger prided herself to be a person of intellect, one that always thought before acting, but in that moment, with Severus' arms around her, she ignored her brain for once and decided to make the most of this moment with this broken, and yet wonderful, man.

The young woman felt him move the hand on her arm to her back, so she moved hers on his chest and towards his neck, where she clasped them behind his head, preventing him from moving away from her.

As the back of her legs hit a desk she felt his tongue beg for entrance and she obliged him by meeting it with hers.

'Merlin, this is heaven,' she thought as he bent a little to help her sit on the desk.

They continued to snog (there really wasn't another word for it) for some time. How much, she didn't know. It felt like hours, to be honest, but it may have been days for all she cared. She just wanted to continue to feel him against her, his lips on hers and his arms around her.

However, nature was against her and it seemed that they were both in need of oxygen.

'Oxygen? What is it? I just need him to kiss me,' she thought, as they parted.

They were both panting heavily, and he rested his forehead on hers, never opening his eyes.

"You really should be going back to your tower, girl. It's not safe to be around, trust me," he whispered, raising his head and looking at her as if to judge her reaction.

Hermione understood that he was just looking after her welfare and, furthermore, Harry must have been back by now. She wanted to know how his mission had gone. So, she nodded slowly, realising that her hands were still caressing the nape of his neck.

"I do trust you," she said, giving him one last kiss and hopping down from the desk.

She picked up her bag from the floor ('How the hell did it get there?') and headed for the door. Once there, she couldn't help but turn back. Severus was still there, looking at her as if he was feeling happy, guilty, sad and relieved at the same time. She smiled at him, hoping to make him understand that she didn't regret anything, and the she left skipping back to the Gryffindor Tower.

She didn't know that the man that had been kissing her would be killing the Headmaster in a matter of minutes and that this was really the last time that she saw him, before his death.