A/N: I have no idea why this ship is so intriguing to me at the moment, but I felt the need to pair up Sev and Hermione once more just for fun. Enjoy and have a Happy Christmas!

Summary: HG/SS Smut for the sake of smut. Hermione gets caught by Snape taking something the trio needs in their hunt for horcruxes. Canon for the most part. I only changed what I had to.

She had never seen him so angry, so willing to physically grab her roughly by her dainty wrist and pull her into his classroom behind him. As he swung her around and let go, her feet couldn't keep up with the forward momentum, and she collided with his desk. She cried out at the pain that burned through her hip, and she knew she would have a black and blue there later. Not that it mattered. They were at war and she was already covered in cuts, bruises and the gruesome and still raw carving of the word, "mudblood" that now decorated her forearm courtesy of Bellatrix Lestrange.

"I've known for quite some time that you had been stealing from my stores Miss Granger, but this time I've caught you red-handed," Professor Snape said in an eerily calm voice, the flash of anger in his eyes the only thing betraying the fury that bubbled beneath the surface. "And what, may I ask are you doing back at Hogwarts? Don't you think your presence here is a bit unwise in this climate? It's far too dangerous for the likes of you to come snooping around this school."

"Sir, you don't understand," she started, her voice coming out strained and shaky from obvious intimidation.

Snape looked at the girl curiously. Was she still calling him 'sir' because she still trusted him somehow, or was she just too intimidated to call him what she really wanted.

"I understand, you stupid girl. I understand that you have no respect for me or for this school. I understand that years of sneaking around in the corridors and taking what you and your friends want has made you think you can get away with it, but this time, you've gone too far! Do you know how rare those herbs you've attempted to nick are? It would take Professor Sprout six months to grow another crop, and they only grow in the fall!" his face was flushing red with anger now as he spoke each syllable slowly and precisely, the spaces between them deliberately designed to strike fear into the heart of anyone who dared argue with him. Hermione pressed herself further into his desk in an effort to get away from him as he stalked closer to her, spit flying as he reprimanded her.

"We needed it," she stated weakly, her breath catching as his eyes flared.

Snape charged at the girl, crossing the small gap between them in three steps, slamming his hands onto the desktop on either side of her small frame. "Miss Granger, I know you and your pathetic friends enjoy your little identity crises. I'm sure it's great fun to be someone else for a moment, but polyjuice is not the most important use of those herbs. I need them for healing potions. With the war coming to a head soon, do you not think we will be needing them?"

His face was close to hers, his scent invading her senses, and she breathed in the earthy smell of freshly brewed potions that clung to the fabric of his robes. Deep down, she knew she had wanted to be caught. Sneaking back into the castle to steal ingredients for their trip to Gringotts to search out a horcrux in the Lestrange vault may have been stupid, but she needed the potion materials… and she needed to see Snape one last time. Something in her gut had told her he was still on their side. She never believed it was his choice alone to kill Dumbledore, and rumors coming out of the school had not even hinted towards his unfair treatment of any students, not even Gryffindors. She had a hunch that he was Dumbledore's man through and through, and he had just confirmed her thoughts by his frenzy over not being able to provide healing potions for the possible battle that would take place at the school. True, he could have been making the potions to heal Death Eater's, but Hermione knew that wasn't the case. He had been too angry that she had risked her life by going there, and there were other things that hinted to his innocence.

"Sir, why did you put a fake Sword of Gryffindor in Bellatrix's vault?"

Understanding washed over Snape's face as he stared down at the girl. She knew. He should have known a meddling little know it all like Granger would use logic to discover his true loyalties. "For the same reason I gave the real one to Potter," he mumbled in response, his hands still firmly planted on either side of the girl as she trembled in front of him.

"I knew it!" she cried, her eyes welling up with tears. He had cast the Doe. It all made perfect sense now. Why didn't she see it before? It was clear that he had hidden away the real sword for Harry. "I defended you for so many years, and I knew deep down that you could be trusted. Harry won't believe it!"

"You mustn't tell," he demanded in a threatening tone.

"But sir, Harry…"

"Must never find out where my true loyalties lie. Not until I am able to tell him myself."

Hermione's smile faltered. How could she be expected to keep such a secret from her best friend? Snape was on their side, an ally, and she was to let Harry continue to hate him? The man was innocent and decent in spite of his general nastiness, and he was bloody brilliant! Imagine what they could accomplish if Snape was free to help them!

"But sir, you could work together. We could all work together!"

He lunged forward again, his face mere inches from hers. "Don't you understand how dangerous that would be?"

"We need you," she murmured, her heart tripping at his close proximity to her.

"You have me. You just didn't know it until now," he said with a sigh, seemingly irritated to admit it. "It's too dangerous," he repeated.

His scent washed over her again, and all she could think about was the schoolgirl crush she harbored for him for quite a few years. True, her feelings wavered for a moment after he killed Dumbledore, but now, here he was, inches from her, and on the right side of the fight. Her heart fluttered in her chest as they stared into each other's' eyes.

"It's already dangerous, sir," she whispered. "We're already on the run… you're lying to you know who… any or all of us could die every minute of every day."

"So, by all means, make it all the more risky?" he spat, angrily. "I thought you were brighter than that, Miss Granger. Turns out you're just as senseless and impulsive as the two dunderheads you run around with. You deserve each other. The Chosen One and his witless sidekicks!" Sarcasm and content dripped off of every word as he scowled down at her, his eyebrows drawn tightly together in distaste.

She shook her head. She was no longer talking about whether or not to keep Snape's secret. She was only now thinking of living her life in a way that she would die without regret. Her eyes broke from his long enough to glance down at his lips, pressed together in a thin, hard line of disdain. "Why are you so angry sir? Why do you take your discontent out on everyone around you? Is it because you have never been loved? What has happened to make you who you are?"

Snape took a step back, astonished at just how much this young girl… no, young lady… could pick up on. Damn her for being so intuitive and meddlesome. Could he keep nothing from her? "You are overstepping a boundary, Miss Granger. You are delving into something that is none of your business."

Hermione straightened herself, rising from her almost sitting position against his desk, and took a step closer to him. She tried to close the gap between them as he continued to move away from her. Eventually though, she managed to back him against one of the students' worktables. "That's it, isn't it? Who was she, Professor, and why do you torment yourself over her?"

Snape swallowed and looked down, thus breaking eye contact with the relentless girl. "Have you ever regretted something so deeply, Miss Granger, that it changed your entire course in life?"

Understanding washed over her as she remembered how upset Harry had been to discover that Snape had been the one to pass on the prophecy to Voldemort. As she realized that Snape had been spending the last seventeen years of his life trying to make amends with the death of the Potters, a tear came to her eye.

Snape was still averting his gaze from hers, silently praying that she wouldn't discover his secret, but he should have known better. If there are answers to be found, Hermione Granger would be the one to unearth them. He hated to admit it, but the girl was absolutely brilliant. He heard her sniffle, and his eyes involuntarily shifted to meet hers once more. It was obvious that she had figured it out, and being a girl, it struck her as hopelessly romantic. He on the other hand, just saw himself as hopeless… period.

Her hand came up to rest against his cheek, and he found himself leaning into her palm, welcoming the soft warmth he found there. How long had it been since someone had touched him like that? Had anyone, ever? He wasn't sure. Perhaps Lily, once upon a time had comforted him out of friendship, but he wasn't positive. He'd hid his feelings even then, so would she have ever seen the need to comfort him, really? No, he was certain no one had ever touched him so softly and affectionately before. Why would they? He was far too prickly for anyone to attempt to get close to.

"Lily?" Hermione whispered. It came out as a question, but she already knew the answer. He nodded, only once in affirmation, and for the first time in her life, she saw a softer, more vulnerable Snape as a single, tiny tear escaped his eye and glided down the outside of his prominent nose. "It all makes sense," she said, stepping closer to him.

"Does it?" he asked with disdain. "It seems to me that it makes no sense at all. She never loved me, and yet, I won't let go. She had so obviously moved on and here I am, sixteen years after her death, still feeling like I lost the love of my life… but she was never mine to lose."

"But it explains why you hate Harry so much, and why you've done nothing but protect him. Even when he fired curses at you, you did nothing but block him… and I knew it. I KNEW you were good!" Hermione was grinning widely, wishing she could tell Harry and Ron, 'I told you so,' but what she did next surprised her.

Snape was staggered by what happened next. The girl had flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He stiffened instantly, his own arms being held out at his sides rather than embracing her in return. "Whatever are you doing, you silly girl?" he asked, his face twisted in disbelief.

She released him, and took a step backward, instantly mourning for the loss of his warm body against hers. "I'm sorry, sir… I just… I don't know. I guess I feel vindicated, and I feel like I need to thank you for all you've done… and I feel like I don't want to walk out this door tonight with regrets, because we don't know what will happen next."

Snape swallowed a lump in his throat as he noticed the way the girl was looking at him. It was almost… lustful. "Regrets? What regrets could you possibly have?"

Hermione took a deep breath and took another step closer to the Headmaster, coming so close she could feel the heat radiating off his tall frame. Slowly, she brought her hand up and laid it on his chest, marveling out how strong and solid he felt. She allowed her other hand to glide up his abdomen further and further until it had slipped around his neck. She could feel her heart pounding nervously as she looked up at him, praying he wouldn't become repulsed and throw her off of him.

"Hermione," he whispered, not even realizing that he had used her first name until the sound of it caused her face to brighten a bit. He gathered her hands in his and removed them from his person. Instead of dropping them and pushing her away, he simply held them as he continued to speak. "It sounds horribly romantic that I've held onto my regret over Lily for so long, but it's nothing to lose your head over. It's not romance. It's guilt, and nothing more."

"Is that why you think I want to do this?" Hermione protested. She shook her head. "I've had a crush on you for so long, sir. I've always wondered what it would be like to kiss you or have your hands on me. The only thing that added fuel to this fire was the fact that I now know for certain that I can trust you."

Her fingers had tightened around his as he held her hands, and he felt his heart skip a beat. This girl wanted to be with him for no other reason than she was attracted to him? Someone had a crush on him? Was it even possible? "You're too young for me," he said, finally releasing her hands and turning to walk away from her.

"I am of age. Besides, what does age matter?" she cried. "Really, now, when our entire world is in danger, what does it matter? If we die, if Voldemort wins and our world comes to an end, will it matter? All that matters to me is that you want to be with me. If you can honestly say that your pulse didn't quicken at the thought of making love to me, if you can say that you didn't picture it in your head when I offered myself to you, I will walk out that door and never discuss it again."

"You were my student," he said, a quiver in his normally strong voice giving his desire away.

"Yes. I was your student. Past tense. In case you haven't noticed, I've dropped out." She was working her way closer to him again. She could see his resolve crumbling as she stepped in front of him and placed her hands on his chest once more.

"You have dropped out, haven't you?" he said, a hint of playfulness in his tone. "That is both against the rules of this school and now, illegal."

She nodded, biting her lip as she looked up at him. "Yes, sir. I've been a very bad girl."

"Indeed. And you've come here tonight with the intent to steal from me."

"Yes, sir. I'm very… very… naughty."

Hermione watched the rise and fall of his Adam's apple as he swallowed thickly.

"You should then, of course, be punished," he purred, and she knew he was all hers.

"I will accept whatever penance you see fit, sir,"

His lips were on hers in an instant, kissing her in the frenzied, confident, sensual way only a grown man could. What had she been doing wasting her time with boys up until this point, pining away over the likes of Viktor Krum and Ron Weasley? She quickly dismissed thoughts of the ginger from her mind as she highly doubted he could make her feel the way Severus Snape was making her feel at that particular moment. His lips, firm, yet so soft pressed against hers in such a way that she felt it to her toes, and when those lips parted, and she felt his tongue brush across her lips, she felt it to her very core. In no time at all, those lips had made her ache and throb for him in ways she never knew she could.

The kiss broke, and the pair stared at each other in disbelief as their breathing returned to normal. Each of them seemed in awe as they wondered how they had come to be in that moment, neither of them believing the other would want to be with them. Yet, want was all they had. Want, and lust and desire were all that hung thickly in the air between them. There was a sexual tension present that would cause them to simply burst into flames if they didn't just break and do something about it.

Snape ran his hands up Hermione's arms, and she watched his eyes follow their path. As his fingertips lightly trailed over her shoulders, and then up her neck to bury in her long, unruly locks of chestnut curls, his eyes met hers, revealing a fire that burned behind the coal colored orbs. Her own hands had been hanging limply at her sides as her mind slowly processed what was happening between her and her ex-professor, but now, they were tingling, aching to touch the enigmatic man that was holding her so closely to his solid form.

She rested her hands at his waistband. She wanted so much to disrobe him, to slowly reveal him to herself inch by glorious inch, but he had other things in mind. He backed her toward his desk again, stopping only when her arse came in contact with its rounded wooden edge. There was a spark in his eyes as she looked up at him questioningly, then a smirk spread across his lips. "Bend over the desk," he growled, leaning close to the shell of her ear so his deep, smoky baritone could rumble through her and ignite every nerve ending throughout her body.

Hermione spun around slowly, bending her body slightly over the smooth surface of the desk. Displeased, Snape pressed a hand between her shoulder blades and forced her down further. He took her arms and spread them across the tabletop over her head, and in response, Hermione spread her fingers out and pressed her palms to the desk.

Hermione's breathing had gotten shallower, revealing her excitement to Snape as his hand ran down her spine and over the swell of her arse, which was now sticking up in the air as if she was waiting for his touch as a cat would do. She was so young, so smooth and flawless, and Snape could feel his trousers tightening around his ever-growing erection. He leaned over her body, forcing his manhood against her backside purposefully before pressing his lips to her ear. "Are you sure about this, Miss Granger? Do you really want to do this?"

Hermione could feel him, steel hard and substantial against her arse, and a bit of fear overtook her. He was a man, and his parts did reflect that fully. Then she felt his breath on her neck and his half-whispered questioning. Do I really want to do this? She thought to herself, as he ground himself on her once more, causing her center to ignite and drip with arousal. "Yes, please, sir. I need you," she pleaded, praying for their clothing to simply disappear so she could feel his skin on hers.

"That's a good girl," he whispered against her ear as he pushed the hair away from her neck and placed a hot, moist kiss on her pulse point. "And have me, you shall… after your punishment."

Snape straightened himself, running his hands along her sides until he reached the waistband of her Muggle jeans. Slipping his hands beneath her body, he felt her lift a bit for him, but not far enough to make him force her back to the desktop. He unbuttoned the garment and slid the zipper down slowly as he placed a kiss between her shoulder blades. Leisurely, he slid the jeans over her hips and down her legs until they pooled around her ankles. His breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight of her arse, concealed only by a flimsy layer of black lace knickers. He tried to think of a time he would have believed Hermione Granger to be the type of girl to wear sexy underthings, but he could not. What a delicious surprise.

Her legs seemed to go on forever, long and slim, and perfectly sculpted. The very sight of them made him want to forgo the prerequisite punishment and strip the rest of the clothing from her body. He wondered what other marvels her body held for his eyes to feast upon.

Instead, he refocused, and knelt behind her, running his hands up her thighs and back down again. He could feel her squirming under his touch and his cock twitched in its confinement. He pulled the jeans from around her ankles and tossed them aside then, gently, he pushed her legs apart. He gasped as he looked at the black lace that wrapped her core. It was so soaked through with her arousal that Snape could smell her, and he felt that familiar twitch once more.

"Please," Hermione whimpered, frustration thick in her voice.

"What is it, you want, love?" Snape teased, his hands continuing to run over her exposed flesh.

"Punish me, touch me… for Merlin's sake fuck me… anything!" she cried, her nails digging into the desktop, scarring the wood.

Smirking, Snape leaned closer and sunk his teeth into the lace covered flesh of her bottom, causing the girl to cry out in a mix of pleasure and pain. "You may want to be careful when you say, 'anything.' You may get what you wish for," he drawled, surprised himself at just how playful he was being.

"Sir, please," she begged again.

Standing once more, Snape slipped the knickers down her legs, revealing her perfectly round ass to him. He let out a deep breath of approval and palmed her arse cheeks, squeezing them appreciatively. "Beautiful," he whispered, more to himself than to her. He ran his hands lightly over the rounded flesh one last time before pulling one hand back and swinging, hard. His palm came in contact with her arse with a loud crack that echoed off the stone walls of the large room. Hermione cried out and writhed, her fingers grasping the very edge of the desk as she braced herself for a second impact.

She was granted that second impact, then a third, a fourth and a fifth. By this point, she was whimpering and her flesh was bright red with the imprint of Snape's large hand. "Almost, love," he said, soothingly before shifting his body so his other hand could deliver an equivalent five spankings to the opposite cheek.

The punishment had ended, and Hermione was still clutching the desktop, moaning approvingly. Snape snickered to himself at the realization that the young witch had rather enjoyed her punishment, and rewarded her by dipping his hand between her thighs and running his fingertips through her slit. It was there that he felt the wetness that had pooled there during the spanking.

"Oh, you are a naughty girl, aren't you Miss Granger," he teased as he spread the wetness over her, flicking her overly sensitive clit a few times before removing his hand and bringing his fingers to his lips so he could suck off the nectar. "Get up, girl," he ordered, and her limp-with-desire frame slowly stood and turned to face him. "Down," he demanded, and she perched herself on the edge of the desk.

Snape reached inside his robes and removed his wand, waving it over her body to discard the remainder of her clothing. Her small, yet round breasts were revealed to him now, and he wanted nothing more than to suck on her nipples until they flushed red and stood in hardened peaks, but her glistening center kept calling to him, and he fell to his knees in front of her.

"Lie back," he said, the edge in his voice lost and now clouded with blatant desire.

Hermione did as she was told, her bare back pressing into the cool wood as Snape took her legs and draped them over his shoulders. He kissed her thighs, starting at her knees and moving higher until his lips were met with the wetness that had leaked from her and begun to drip down her legs. She was a wanton little thing, so on fire, burning with passion… for him. The thought thrilled and excited him. He had never encountered a woman who wanted him, truly wanted HIM. He would take full advantage of this, of that he was certain.

His face was so close to her sex now, and the scent of her was making his mouth water. He was overwhelmed with the desire to tease and touch her until she finally fell apart, screaming his name. His arms wrapped around her thighs, as he lowered his mouth to her, tasting her from bottom to top. She bucked from the sudden contact, and his arms tightened around her thighs, holding her still for him as he ran his tongue through her slit again.

Hermione was flushed with desire, her breathing erratic. She had never felt like this before. He'd barely done anything and yet, she felt as if the next caress of his tongue would send her careening over the edge he'd had her perched so tentatively on since the moment he'd first kissed her. Every brush of his fingers had set her skin on fire. Every well placed press of his lips left her dizzy with yearning. And now, as his tongue moved over her most sensitive bundle of nerves she was so crazed with desire that she was ready to plead with him to fuck her.

"Severus," she whimpered as his tongue continued its assault on her nether region. Her brain was screaming at her not to be so familiar with the professor, but as she felt herself crash over the edge, it didn't matter anymore. "Fuck! Severus… Oh God," she moaned loudly, modesty forgotten as the cries of pleasure took over and her climax became all that mattered anymore.

Snape sucked her clit between his lips, causing a violent aftershock to ripple through her body. He released her slowly, licking her softly a couple more times as she slowly came down from the heights of pleasure. Her sighs and muted whimpers were music to Snape's ears, but nothing could ever sound more melodic than hearing his given name ripped from the lips of this lustful young witch. It was comforting evidence that she was not seeing another man as she closed her eyes. It was proof that she only wanted him, if only for this one lost moment in time.

He rose from the kneeling position he had taken minutes earlier, and stood between her legs, watching the rise and fall of her breasts as her breathing gradually returned to normal. He wanted to let her recover and yet give her no reprieve all at once. As a compromise in his mind's eye, he decided to slowly work her back into a frenzy again. His hands flowed up her body, caressing the soft, smooth expanse of flesh from her navel to her breasts. Her back arched clear off the desk as he cupped the rounded mounds then rolled one nipple between his thumb and forefinger, pinching it gently before doing the same to its twin.

Hermione quivered beneath him, longing for more from him. Her knees drew up along his body, clenching his body between them as she raised her hips to grind against his fully clothed erection. Her arms reached for him, wrapping around his neck and coaxing him down so she could place a heated kiss on his lips. Their mouths explored, tasted each other, their tongues dancing together as Snape's fingers continued to pinch her nipples into stiff peaks.

He was amazed by the woman lying beneath him. Her mouth showed so much need. After years of ridicule about his "greasy" hair, feeling her fingers twined in his locks while she held him to her was intoxicating. She was even embracing his flaws. He felt her free hand run down his neck and over his chest and abdomen before he felt the tug of her fingers at his waistband. Suddenly, it seemed unfair that she was bare beneath him while he remained fully dressed.

"I'll get it, love," he whispered, coarsely against her lips. He found his wand and made quick work of vanishing his clothes, granting her wish for more of him. He pressed his naked form against hers, kissing her deeply until she pushed him away gently.

He looked down at her quizzically, wondering why she was suddenly pushing him off of her. Were his scars and pale skin so repulsive that a woman so on fire for him only seconds earlier was now turned off?

"I want to see you," Hermione said softly, pushing him by the shoulders.

"No, you don't. Trust me," he said, shaking his head. "As a matter of fact," He waved his wand and extinguished the candles that lit the room. "Now you won't have to see me at all."

Hermione shook her head, determined. She yanked his wand from his hand and whispered, "Lumos!"

The wand tip illuminated the room, and Snape sighed in defeat and took his wand back from Hermione, lighting the candles again with a quick flick of his wrist. "You asked for it," he mumbled, standing.

Hermione looked over his body, pale and glowing in the candlelight. She took note of the raised pink scars and the smaller, thinner white ones. There was a fresher gash across his ribcage that he tried to cover by crossing his arms uncomfortably. Hermione stood and physically pushed his arms down so she could trace the roadmap of lines etched into his body.

"Hideous, aren't I?" He sneered. At least now she knows why I dress so as little as possible is exposed, he thought.

She shook her head in response, her fingers trailing over a long scar below his navel. "No, Severus," she whispered. "You are the furthest thing from hideous. Nothing I see repulses me. Every scar just shows me how worthy you are of love. The sacrifices you've made…" she trailed off, tears filling her eyes as she wondered how much pain he had gone through in order to protect others. "You're a hero, sir."

He watched her intently as her eyes followed her fingers on their journey over his past injuries. He never thought of himself as a hero. He was Dumbledore's puppet, Lily's hopeless traitor, Potter's unwitting protector, but never a hero. Looking into Hermione's eyes and hearing her call him one almost made him believe it. At the very least, he believed that she honestly viewed him as a hero, and for now, that was enough.

He slipped his hands into her hair, holding her head between them as she looked up at him. He was filled with gratitude and something that felt an awful lot like love as they eyes held each other's gaze for a moment. His lips met hers, softly at first, then more urgently.

Hermione broke the kiss, smirking up at him before dropping to her knees in front of him. She pressed her mouth to the scar below his navel, and Snape let out a hiss. She was only a few inches above the part of him that was straining for more attention from her pretty little mouth.

She knew what he wanted. She was young, but she wasn't as naïve as some might believe. She also knew she could tease and taunt him much as he had done to her. She ran her hands up his thighs, dragging her nails lightly across his skin and causing gooseflesh to rise in her wake. She felt him intertwine his fingers in her hair, coaxing her to lower her mouth to the throbbing erection that awaited her. She licked her lips, smirking. Soon, he would be begging her to continue.

She ran her hand over his stiff cock, her fingers wrapping around the soft, velvety skin. She stroked him lightly and heard a soft moan escape his lips. Leaning in, she ran her tongue from base to lip so softly he barely felt it, yet it was enough to make his member jump in her hand.

"Hermione," he rasped out. "Please, girl. You're killing me."

Hermione stifled a snicker then wrapped her lips around the very tip of him, sucking lightly at the head as his finger tightened around the handful of hair he'd gathered. She was rewarded with a moan as she slid her mouth lower, taking as much of him into her mouth as she could handle.

Snape's head fell back as Hermione continued to suckle his cock, moving her head up and down in a steady rhythm. He could feel himself getting close to exploding. His knees were getting shaky and threatened to give out as his climax became imminent.

"Stop," he ordered, suddenly, tugging her hair lightly.

He pulled Hermione to her feet then against his body, crushing her mouth with his in a fiery kiss. He lifted her easily, placing her on the edge of the desk once more. She willingly wrapped her legs around his waist, gasping as his cock pressed against her aching center. She had more than shown him that her attraction to him was real, and it gave him the confidence to return his attention to her once more.

No longer self-conscious, his mouth moved down the side of her neck, sucking the flesh there lightly before nipping at her earlobe. Hermione's head fell backward, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she reveled in the feeling of his mouth on her skin.

"More," she whimpered.

"What is it you want, love?" Snape asked, his mouth moving from her neck to her mouth once more.

She kissed him back heatedly, and then broke the kiss, whispering, "Fuck me, Severus. Please. I need you, now."

His fingers ran down her thighs before hooking around her knees and pulling her even closer to the edge of the desk. He kissed her one more time, then looked in her eyes, holding the eye contact as he slowly slid inside her warm, tight body. She inhaled sharply, her eyes sliding shut as her body struggled to accept his girth. "Are you ok?" he whispered, concern etched in his features as she looked back at him.

She nodded and kissed him, holding his face between her hands as he began to move against her. He rested his forehead against hers as they found a slow rhythm. It was the most intimate moment of his life. He had never felt so connected with another human being. Sure, there had been heated fucks with some of Voldemort's followers. There was the occasional one night stand or random Muggle woman. After all, a man had needs. Yet, he had never been with someone so fully. His body, mind and soul were present as he made love to Hermione.

Hermione was even less experienced. She had only had sex one other time and never came before Severus. What was happening to her now as he slowly thrust into her body was entirely foreign. She was moaning, gasping for air and clutching the flesh of his shoulders so tightly, she was sure she was leaving marks.

"Severus," she sighed as he thrust into her again. "I've never felt…" she trailed off.

He kissed her before answering. "I know, Hermione… Me either."

His hands were wrapped around her, holding her tightly against him as he continued to move in and out of her slick body. He couldn't get close enough to her. There couldn't be enough of her flesh pressed against his. He felt like he could stay there inside her for the rest of his life and be perfectly happy there.

But it wasn't meant to be. His hips were moving faster now, slamming into her roughly as she cried out in pleasure. They were tumbling toward their completion, and there was no stopping it now. He could feel her walls beginning to spasm and tighten and her moans were getting louder. His control was slipping as he felt her nails bite into his shoulders, and then in the next thrust, she was coming, her walls squeezing his cock tightly, the intense rhythm pulling his own orgasm from him.

He spilled into her, his hips continuing to move against her as the last drop was milked from him. Her legs wrapped around his waist, holding him inside her as her hands held his face. Their eyes connected and she kissed him, her tongue swirling over his lightly before she broke from him, blinking tears away.

Neither of them had to say it. It was a goodbye kiss. She had to return to her friends to complete whatever mission it was that Dumbledore had sent them on. He had to remain at Hogwarts seemingly working with Voldemort while simultaneously helping Potter and protecting the students all at once. If there was any future for them, it was off in the distance somewhere, and could only exist if Voldemort was vanquished and they both survived.

In other words, they had no chance.

He slipped from her body reluctantly, and kissed her once more, longing to keep her with him just a little while longer. "You have to go," he said, trying to keep his voice strong. "They'll be worried about you, and the last thing I need is Potter and Weasley showing up here looking for you."

She nodded, smiling weakly even as tears filled her eyes. "Thank you, sir. Tonight was perfect."

He nodded in agreement and reached for his wand. He flicked over her and then himself, cleansing and dressing them in an instant. "I'll walk you to the apparation point. If the Carrows see you…"

Hermione didn't tell him about the Marauder's map, so she agreed to be escorted. They were just through the gates when she turned to him, tears in her eyes, threatening to spill down her was so much to say, but he spoke first, breaking her thought.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he whispered before pressing a jar containing the herbs she had come to steal into her palm.

"For what?" she asked, concern in her eyes.

Snape swallowed thickly. He knew what he had to do, and it killed him to do it. The girl couldn't be distracted. The final battle could be any day now and remaining focused would be important. She knew the truth about his feelings for Lily, and somehow in only a few short hours, they had developed feelings for each other. It just wouldn't do.

"For this," He turned his wand on her and whispered, "Obliviate."

Hermione blinked and looked around. She was alone, but felt the presence of someone else. She didn't know that Snape watched her from behind the stone wall that separated Hogwarts from Hogsmeade. She felt confused, but she knew why she had come. The last thing she remembered was wrapping her hand around a jar in Professor Snape's private stores.

She opened her hand, looking down at the very bottle she came for. She had achieved her goal and got out of the castle, but she couldn't for the life of her, remember how.

Shaking it off, she disapparated back to Harry and Ron, leaving Snape close to tears in the darkness.

Their polyjuice potion was a success. They had the horcrux from Bellatrix's vault in hand and were now on their way to Hogwarts to look for another. Ron and Harry were worried about running into Snape, but something in Hermione's gut left her feeling confident that Snape would not give them an ounce of trouble.

Only hours later, she stared down at Snape, watching him die, and she felt a pang of intense sadness. Something inside was mourning for her ex-professor as he lay bleeding on the floor of the Shrieking Shack. She watched him give Harry his memories, then struggle for his wand. He was seconds from death, and Hermione's breath hitched as the tears started to fall.

She rushed to his side, practically pushing Harry out of the way as she placed Snape's wand into his weak hand. "What is it sir?"

Snape gasped for air, trying to find the last bit of energy in his body to do what he needed to do. He pointed his wand at Hermione, gurgling as he countered the Obliviate he used on her. As the memory of their night together flooded back to Hermione, he looked into her eyes one last time and rasped, "Thank… you… Hermione."

She grasped his hand in hers, tears flowing freely now as she watched the only man she had ever felt complete with die in a pool of his own blood.