"Miss Granger, you need to leave now," Severus' deep, smooth baritone had taken on a husky edge since she slipped into his room just after midnight.

"Why?" Hermione's own voice was little more than a whisper as she leaned against the door. "I'm not a little girl any more, haven't been for quite a few years now."

Severus took a long shuddering breath and Hermione noticed the way his eyes skirted down her body again. "I am quite aware of that but that does not take away from the fact that this is very inappropriate." He turned away sharply and showed her his back. "Look, I don't know what game it is you're playing but it's not in any way shape or form funny, so just leave."

Understanding lit a bulb in Hermione's usually quick-witted head. Standing very still she watched him stride to the side-table. He wore a pair of simple but expertly pressed black trousers and a white shirt, tie and buttons undone. Not looking at her he poured himself a shot of brandy and down it in one go. His hand was shaking just a little.

He really didn't realize how incredibly attractive and sexy he was, a fact that had in no doubt been aided by the cruel spiteful words of one Sirius Black. Hermione decided to give that so-called man a good clip round the ear… later.

"Severus, look at me."

"No." The word was simple and he followed through, deliberately not looking in her direction.

"Look at me!" The harder tone got his attention and without meaning to he turned his dark gaze to her.

Their eyes met and held and Hermione felt her chest tighten with what she saw. He was strung so tightly, just waiting for the axe to fall, for the maniacal laughter to start from some secret hiding space. If she was going to help him it would be an uphill climb. A joke about loving to ride tickled at the edge of her mind but she shoved it away. This was not the time.

"Am I laughing, Severus?"

He shook his head but this time his gaze remained locked with hers.

"Do I look in any way amused but this or by you?"

"No," he replied impatiently. "What's your point?"

"The point is this isn't a joke. I am a grown woman who has respected you for many years." This caught him off guard. "And tonight I've come here to beg you to make love to me."

His breath hissed through his teeth but he said nothing. Instead he stood statue still with the window at his back and the waxing moon over his left shoulder.

He may not have said anything but neither had he out-right thrown her out. Hermione took this as a good sign.

She licked her suddenly dry lips and with deliberate slowness started to unbutton her blouse. His eyes followed her movements and she noticed the new glint in his almost black eyes, the way he licked his own lips in what looked like anticipation.

"You shouldn't be doing that," he said and his voice was a hoarse whisper.

"Shouldn't I?" The blouse dropped to her elbows and she let it drop to the floor.

"There's so much happening right now… This is not the time to…" He was grasping at straws.

Slowly she unzipped her short business skirt and walked towards him. When she was right in front of the tall Potion's Master she let the skirt pool around her feet. Looking up at him she took his hands in hers and brought them to feel the slim, soft curve of her waist.

"I want you, Severus Snape. I'm not expecting anything from you; a pot of gold or a wedding ring." She used his arms as leverage and managed on tiptoes to slide her lips to the shell of his ear where she whispered, "I want you to fuck my brains out."

The unexpectedness of her crude words made him groan with lust and she could feel his erection spring into action behind the zip of his pants.

Breathing hard his head fell forward and his eyes shut. After a moment his fingers began to move gently over the silky flesh of her waist and stomach. With the pads of his long fingers he explored her. His large hands stroked and caressed her arms, her hips, her bottom and she let him. The feel of those expert hands finally put to good use was pure heaven and Hermione felt herself purr under his exploration.

All at once his arms wrapped around her, pulling her flush against his chest and with a sigh he buried his face in her long brown curls. His hot breath gusted against her throat and shoulder and that sensitive spot where they met sending excited shivers all down Hermione's spine.

But with a quick, sharp movement Severus suddenly pulled back and stepped away. Without meeting her gaze he knelt and picked up her skirt and handed it to her. "Leave."

"W… What?" She felt dazed and confused as she looked at his closed expression. "Did I do something wrong?"

He swallowed hard and something in his strong jaw ticked but he didn't speak again.

Hermione backed away, holding the skirt against her chest till she was at the door. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes but she blinked them away impatiently and turned to leave. At the last moment she decided to make one last ditch attempt and pulled out an ace.

"Fine." She nodded and opened the door before adding, "Sirius is right up the hall, maybe he'll…"

She never finished that sentence. Before the next word could even form on her lips Severus was there. The door slammed at her back and she was shoved against it, sandwiched between rock hard wizard and hard wooden door.

His hands planted either side of her head and he looked down at her with an expression she'd never seen before. Beyond dark, beyond angry, beyond passion… Without words he dipped his mouth and caught hers in a kiss that took her breath away.

The world stopped in that kiss and stars fell from the sky when his hands finally closed in to frame her face. It was everything a kiss should have been. His lips were firm as he expertly coxed hers apart to taste her.

Hermione moaned in delight at the taste of brandy on his lips. The kisses varied between deep and passionate and quick teasing nips. He let out a growl and it was the single sexiest sound Hermione had ever heard and her corresponding whimper seemed to affect him the same way.

His hands slipped down her body to cup her thighs and with impossible strength he lifted her and wrapped her legs around his hips. Still kissing he carried her to the bed and together they fell onto the soft covers.

As she edged up the bed he crawled up with her muttering, "No way in hell you're going to Black tonight my little witch."

"Sure about that?" She smiled coyly. "Not going to change your mind?"

He answered her question by sitting up on his knees and yanking his shirt back and down his arms and throwing it off to the side. He fell back, supporting himself on his hands as his mouth kissed down around her jaw and throat.

"I believe that you wanted me to… How did you say it?" He leaned in and caught her bottom lip between his teeth and sucked sending heat right down to her core. "Say it."

It was getting hard to breath and Hermione felt her cheeks flush as she remembered her words earlier. "I'm not sure I can… Can't believe I managed to say it the first time."

For the first time since she'd snuck into his room, Severus smiled. "There she is," he murmured before taking her lips again. After a long moment he added, "If you won't say it, I guess I'll just have to make you." And with that his mouth kissed hotly down her throat, down her stomach and finally down her thigh.

She couldn't hold back the giggle bubbling up as his lips grazed over her knee. "You'll never make me say it."

"I beg to differ," he drawled and slowly kissed back upwards till his mouth was hovering just above her panties.

He hooked his thumbs in the sides of her panties and she giggled again as he pulled them down over her legs and feet. "I won't say it."

He chuckled deep in his throat and dragged his hot mouth up her inner thigh before parting them wider. The first flick of his tongue on her already swollen clit earned him a shocked cry, the second and third firm lick made her whole body vibrate.

"Oh God, Severus…" Her toes curled and her whole body arched back. His name was a constant whisper on her lips as he used his mouth on her. Tension mounted and her whole body tensed with anticipation as sweetness flooded over and over from her pussy right to her fingertips.

Her whole body vibrated on the barest edge of climax. "Severus… Oh…" She gripped and sheets in anticipation. It had been a long time since she'd had a really good orgasm, no way Ronald had ever been up to the game. Her voice a delighted whisper she said, "You really are quite good at this."

Another lap of his rough tongue brought her another millimetre closer and she let out an excited mew only for it to turn into a panicked cry when he suddenly pulled away.

On the edge of bliss, on the edge of sanity she could barely draw breath. All she could do was look up wide-eyed at the smug wizard grinning down at her.

"What do you want, Miss Granger?" he asked and his voice was melted chocolate.

She shook her head and locked ankles with his, spreading her thighs wider. "I can't… Please…" She begged and lifted her hips, unconsciously searching for what she wanted. "I swear Severus if you don't get on with it you'll be bottling glory and stoppering death in hell!"

He laughed and it was possibly the first time she'd ever heard him do so. It was a wonderful sound, deep and loud and it made his eyes glow. Against her lips he flicked out his tongue and nipped at her so sensually she mewed again, rotating her hips urgently.

She felt him reach down between them and the sound of a lowering zipper was the sweetest music. He searched her face and their eyes locked as he guided himself to her moist opening. "I know what you want," he said against her lips.

"I want you."

"You want this…" The last word hissed out between clenched teeth.

In one smooth movement he shifted to his knees and brought her with him so she was straddling then gripping her thighs again he forced her down, impaling her on his cock. Her cry was met by his rough grunt and for a long time they stayed absolutely still, clinging to one another in their joint efforts for control.

He was bigger than she expected. She felt full and stretched in a way she hadn't before and before she was ready he began to move. He drew nearly all the way out, breathing through his control then thrust back in… Hard.

And that was how he took her; hard, fast, deep, violent. The position was new to Hermione but she didn't even think to complain or feel uncertain. Each hard slam of his cock into her body both filled her and rubbed perfectly against her clit so with each thrust her shoved her higher and higher towards her climax even as he sort his.

When she finally came it was with a scream of pure bliss and he cried out with her, a gasping breathless roar as he wrapped his arms around her tightly and with rapid pumping hips found his own completion.

They made love twice more before morning woke the rest of the Order home-base. Once slow and languid both still in that nice place between waking and blissful sleep that lead to soft climatic pleasure that just kept flowing from one to the other for what felt like hours. The second time he caught her again against the door, lifted her easily and slammed himself home. It was rough and their breaths came hard gusting against mouths less than an inch apart.

When she finally dressed they exchanged the briefest of kisses and a smile that told many stories. Maybe now he could move on from Lily and love again… And maybe that lucky woman would be Hermione. Maybe.