Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Harry Potter; J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. has that firmly in hand!

Author's Notes: Just a little drabble I wrote a while back and decided recently to have my Beta look at. It's silly, and fluffy… you've been warned, so that means flames aren't allowed! I do hope you enjoy!


Snape heard the quiet sniffling as he passed by the Transfiguration door. Normally he would not care, but his curiosity took hold, and he paused in his descent to the dungeons to peek his head into the Transfiguration classroom.

Professor Hermione Granger was sitting at her desk, her face buried in her hands, her shoulders rising and falling with her quiet sobs. She was murmuring something into her palms, and every now and again shaking her head. Snape raised a brow and opened the door slowly, but it made a noise anyway, announcing his arrival.

Hermione's head snapped up and he saw the tear stains on her cheeks, her cinnamon eyes shining bright with even more tears, her eyelids swollen. Her lips were open in surprise, and her hands were up in front of her face at the shock of him in front of her.

"Severus!" she exhaled, and hurried to turn her chair around. He saw her fumbling with her robes as if trying to hide what he had seen. "You startled me." Her voice was hoarse.

"Did I?" Snape wasn't sure why his feet kept moving toward her desk. He'd never seen her cry, and he hadn't wanted to. She was too beautiful for that. Suddenly, a rage swept through him. Why was she crying? Who had made her cry? His expression darkened as he stormed around her desk and swiveled her around to face him. "Why are you crying?" he demanded, taking hold of her delicate shoulders and shaking her gently.

Hermione tried to hide her face. "It's nothing, Severus…"

"Hermione," he growled, using his thumb and forefinger to capture her chin and lift her face. "Tell me."

She suddenly burst out crying, her whole body wracked with sobs as she leaned forward to hide her face against his chest.

"You didn't hold my hand at dinner!" she wailed, her fists clenching as they wrapped in his black robes.

Snape frowned, his hands on her shoulders going slack. What in Merlin's name… she was crying because he wouldn't hold her hand at dinner? He had been the one to make her cry? He was slightly annoyed she would cry this hard over something that seemed so trivial…

"I was eating…" he explained sheepishly, then cursed inwardly for even offering an explanation. He didn't do explanations.

"You don't care for me!" she howled as tears soaked through his teaching robes.

Snape had had enough. He stood at his full height, bringing Hermione up from her chair. His arms wrapped tightly around her, one hand entangling in her curls and grasping the nape of her neck. He molded her body to his, and claimed her lips with his own.

When they parted, Hermione hiccupped and continued wiping away her tears. "You always try to distract me that way."

Snape narrowed his dark eyes at her. "What has you so insecure, Hermione? Even you must admit this is a bit dramatic."

Hermione sniffed indignantly as she rested her hands on his chest. "You spent the whole summer making love to me and telling me how beautiful I am…" She didn't look at him as she murmured, "Of course, the whole summer. You're ashamed to be seen with me in public."

Throwing his hands up in the air, Snape rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. "You're impossible, woman. Most of the staff is already aware of our… affiliation; do you want to announce it to the students, as well?"

Hermione's head snapped up. Indignant, she repeated, "Affiliation?" Head held high, she turned away from him and stalked toward her quarters, throwing her mass of curls over her shoulder as she went.

Realizing he'd merely directed her emotions from sadness and hurt to anger and hurt, he quickly made to catch up with her. He took her elbow and tried to spin her around, but she kept going, forcing him to enter her quarters with her.

She started taking off her robes, and Snape stood frozen to the spot as she stripped down to her skivvies before facing him. One of her brows was raised, and she had her hands on her hips.


His mouth was agape, and he hastened to shut it. He'd seen her in her undergarments plenty of delicious times, but he was confused by her actions. He'd thought she would deny him tonight. Slowly, he started unbuttoning his teaching robes, his eyes steadfast on her.

"Hermione, I'll shout it from the Astronomy Tower if that's what it takes to appease you," he promised fervently, his eyes running over her wild hair and silky skin, her ample curves and the lacy fabric that covered his favorite bits.

"I think a kiss goodnight should do it, Severus. Oh… you've already given me one of those." She smiled evilly. "Well then, goodnight. See you at breakfast?" With that, she pivoted on her heel and gracefully entered her bedroom. He heard the lock click.

Nostrils flaring, a furious glare aimed at the door, he stomped out of her rooms and headed to the dungeons.

The next morning, he escorted Hermione down to the Great Hall, pulled out her chair for her at the High Table, and held her hand the entire meal – thanking the higher powers he was ambidextrous.