Here's where the lemony stuff starts! As in, don't read if you aren't a mature adult!

I read my reviews, and someone pointed out that it's Legilimency, not Occlumency used in the first chapter. Also, Hermione wouldn't have to ask for the Daniel's name, you're completely right! I sometimes accidently skim over details like these. I'll go back and fix them!

Just then, a song started to play that neither Severus nor Hermione would soon forget.

"Ewww, what is this sappy mess?!" one of the students called out. The band that was on their second break of the night sat at the back table with the professors looking on. They shrugged in response to the unpopularity of the slow song.

No one was dancing, but Hermione and Severus didn't notice. Their eyes never left one another.

In every heart there is a room
A sanctuary safe and strong
To heal the wounds from lovers past
Until a new one comes along

Severus took Hermione's hand and his face turned red.

"Severus Snape, I had no idea you could blush!"

"Blush? I have no idea what you're talking about."

Hermione giggled. "This song is so sweet. You've been surprising me all night."

I spoke to you in cautious tones
You answered me with no pretense
And still I feel I said too much
My silence is my self defense

And every time I've held a rose
It seems I only felt the thorns
And so it goes, and so it goes
And so will you soon I suppose

Their moods both turned from playful to serious. Hermione listened carefully to the lyrics of the song as they continued to move in perfect harmony with one another.

But if my silence made you leave
Then that would be my worst mistake
So I will share this room with you
And you can have this heart to break

And this is why my eyes are closed
It's just as well for all I've seen
And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

Hermione was suddenly aware of Severus' warm breath against her neck; the way his hand rested on her waist with the perfect amount of softness and grip; the way he smelled like soap and linen. She had come to take these subtleties of his for granted.

The moment was here: they both knew it. Unknowingly being watched by nearly two hundred students and staff members, Severus and Hermione slowed to a stop as the music continued to play.

Her three friends, which surprisingly included Ron, stood on the outer edge of the circle being formed around the star couple of the night. "Wow," Harry whispered in Ginny's ear. "I wouldn't have guessed they would…fit so well together."

"Tell me about it."

A very inebriated Professor McGonagall smiled and patted her hands together. "Isn't this wonderful, Hagrid?…Hagrid?"

Rubeus was crying enormous, drunken tears of joy.

"You two are ridiculous," Madam Pince said. Argus nodded his head in agreement. Clearly their honeymoon phase was already over.

While all the attention was focused on them, Hermione and Severus had the same words in mind.

God, I love him so much.

Merlin, I love this woman.

The song continued to play.

So I would choose to be with you
That's if the choice were mine to make
But you can make decisions too
And you can have this heart to break

And so it goes, and so it goes
And you're the only one who knows

Severus bent down slightly and kissed Hermione with near ferocity. It's almost like our lips were sculpted for one another, Hermione thought dreamily. She pulled back for just a few seconds and whispered, "I love you."

Severus looked down into her eyes. "I love you, too." There was no hesitation whatsoever. They both knew they were each telling the truth.

When they returned to their kiss, it took them almost a whole minute to realize that the room had gone oddly quiet. They slowly pulled away from one another and realized everyone was staring at them, smiling, hands covering their mouths.

Hermione looked around and saw her friends. "Umm, hi."

The Great Hall erupted in laughter and applause. Hermione and Severus hastily made their way off the dance floor.

"Let's get out of here," Hermione whispered as they inched closer to the double doors.

"Please," he begged.

Just as they were almost out, so close to freedom, a voice stopped them dead in their tracks.

"Off already?" Ray Thompson smirked.

Severus tried to look threatening and failed miserably.

"Ray, I don't even know where to begin. I can't believe you and Daniel…he lied to me, you know! And what were you trying to accomplish, anyway?! Oh, bother. This evening was great. Thanks," she rambled. "I would give you a hug, but given your obsession with my body…"

Ray laughed heartily. "No disrespect, Professor Granger, but I'm not really obsessed with your body."

"So the Polyjuice was a lie as well?"

"Psh, of course not! I wouldn't have suffered a whole months' detention with Professor Snape just for shits and giggles."

"Mr. Thompson," Severus warned.

Bro, you can thank me later, Ray thought to himself.

Daniel walked up behind Ray. "Umm, hello professors."

"Daniel," Hermione greeted.

"I came out here to get you, Ray. Come on, the girls are waiting for us!"

"Coming!"

The two boys ran back into the crowd. Ray turned back around and smiled, and Hermione rolled her eyes.

She turned to look at Severus. Their moment from earlier was gone, but the sexual tension still lied beneath the surface. "Your room?" she asked bravely.

"I was hoping you would say that."

They nearly ran down the hallway giggling like teenagers. When they finally got to the end of the professors' corridor, Severus nervously fidgeted with the doorknob. Keep it together, he told himself. It wasn't like him to be so…unsure around a woman. But Hermione wasn't just any woman.

Hermione was almost too blinded by her lust and newfound love of this man that she hardly felt anxious at all. When they entered the room, she began covering his entire face with kisses.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too. And now, I want you to fuck me."

Severus moaned into her mouth, which now covered his own. "With pleasure."

Before she knew it, Hermione was being pushed up against a wall. Severus' tongue moved from her mouth down her neck, until he reached the scoop neck of her dress. She turned around and allowed him to unzip her.

The loving exchanges that they shared earlier were now lost amidst animalistic desire. Severus ran his hands along Hermione's body, stopping at her thighs and teasing her. She writhed against the wall eagerly.

"Please," she begged.

His hand finally grazed her panties and she gasped in response. His fingers moved in a circular motion until Hermione couldn't take it any longer. She pulled his hand away and stepped out of her underwear.

It took all of Severus' willpower to keep from plunging into her right then and there. Slow, he repeated in his head. How long had it been since he was with a woman? It must have been years.

He continued pleasuring her until her erratic moans came to a peak. She came undone in his hands with her back still against the cold wall.

When her body relaxed again, she pounced on him with a newfound ferocity. He broke their kiss for a few precious seconds to ask, "Bedroom?"

"Yes, yes!" she cried. This was far, far better than her past experiences with Ron. This was nearly perfect.

Severus practically carried her into his bedroom, fumbling with the doorknob impatiently. Hermione giggled.

"Impatient, are we?"

"You're one to talk," he replied with a smile.

He gently placed her on the bed. Hermione reached back and took her bra off so that she was now completely naked. "Your turn," she said.

He began to strip off all of his clothing in front of her. Hermione got even wetter as she watched on. She could tell that he was slightly nervous – maybe he hadn't done this in a while? At any rate, his uncertainty was oddly endearing. And hot.

He slid his boxers down to reveal his member, which was hard as a rock. Hermione grinned teasingly. I'm going to have such fun with this.

Severus stared down at the beautiful witch on his bed. His feelings of self-consciousness evaporated when he saw the smile she was giving him. Before he knew it, she was kneeling on his bed and grabbing his arms. She brought his hands up to her chest.

He didn't need telling twice. He played with her perfect breasts for a moment before she slipped lower and licked his member cautiously. She looked up at him and smiled.

Oh my…

"Hermione, please. I'm not going to last long."

She rose up again and was thrown on her back by Severus. They kissed roughly and full of lust until he finally plunged into her. She cried out in ecstasy and a bit of pain. She grinded against him frantically and he tried his best to last long, to no avail. They both came together less than five minutes later.

"Oh, Severus!"

"Hermione!"

They collapsed on one another, their breathing rhythmic and heavy. "That. was. amazing," Hermione said in between breaths.

Severus smiled. "Indeed, it was. I love you, Hermione."

Her heart swelled at his words. "I love you, too."

"You'll stay with me, won't you?"

"Of course. Besides, we have all night to make up for all the lost time."

"Lost time?" he asked in confusion.

"Yes. All the years before now that we have loathed one another."

He smiled dreamily. "If you would have told me three years ago that you'd be in my bed tonight…"

"You wouldn't have believed it?"

"No. There is no way I would have thought a beautiful, smart witch like yourself…"

"Stop it. You're the sexiest man I've ever been with, Severus. And I love you."

"Well, I was hoping that I'd rank higher than Mr. Weasley."

She smacked him on the arm. They drifted off to sleep within minutes.

…

Hermione awoke to the sound of kids playing quidditch outside. Severus was holding her comfortably, so she didn't move for fear of waking him.

I can't believe this is really happening, she mused. She thought dreamily of last night. Her thoughts were abruptly halted with a loud knock on the door.

"Severus," she whispered. He opened his eyes and saw Hermione next to him naked. He leaned over and kissed her.

"Not now. Someone is at the door."

That seemed to jolt him awake. He reached on the floor for clothes and ended up walking into the living room in sweatpants and an old cloak. Hermione bounced off the bed and grabbed an oversized shirt from his closet.

"Hello, Snape. How are you feeling?"

It was the Headmistress. Severus stared at her dumbly until he found his voice. "Fine," he drawled. "You?"

"Oh, I'm alright. I came to apologize for my drunken stupor last night. Hagrid and Flitwick told me they had the dance under control, and I'm afraid I went a bit…too far."

"It's no problem," Severus said. Why did he care whether she was too drunk to function last night?

Professor McGonagall peaked around the corner nonchalantly. Severus caught her eye and opened his mouth in bewilderment. The old woman was prying to see if Hermione spent the night! To his horror, at that moment, Hermione peaked around the corner of the bedroom wearing his shirt.

"Professor," she greeted.

"Hermione. Hello, dear. Well, I'd best be going. Oh, and here is your Muggle mp3 back," she said with a wink. She placed the small black device into Severus' hands and closed the door before he could retaliate.

"What a meddling, old…"

Hermione interrupted him with a giggle. "Typical," she said. Severus forgot about his anger and made his way toward her.

…

"Twenty galleons!" Professor McGonagall said proudly.

"Fine. But you practically cheated, what with that modified music player and all!"

"That is irrelevant," the older witch smirked. Poppy reluctantly handed her twenty galleons.

…

"You think they'll ever find out what we did for them?" Ray asked Daniel as they made their way to Gryffindor Quidditch practice.

"We? I did all the work. All you did was try to steal Polyjuice ingredients for your own personal satisfaction."

Ray stopped walking and hit his chest as if in pain. "I can't believe you'd think me so selfish. I did it for the cause."

"Right. The Cause? Is that what we're calling it now?"

Ray stopped again. He put his hands on Daniel's shoulders.

"Daniel. Remember when you were sent to Snape's office that one day? You said Granger and Snape really hated each other. Now they're dating. That is a miracle within itself. And that, my friend, is why we're calling it The Cause."

"Don't forget about the music player we modified for the dance to play only their songs."

"We're geniuses, buddy. Geniuses. And now, we won't fail Potions!"

Daniel hit him on the shoulder. "Always an ulterior motive."

"Of course."

…

A/N: The song used was And So it Goes by Billy Joel. I think this story has pretty much come to an end! I'll probably add an afterwards for the next chapter. I hope this was a fun story to read and more lighthearted than other SSHG stories! I mentioned in another chapter that I'm thinking about writing a longer story when I have the time, so be on the lookout for that! Thanks again!