Check Mate

Secrets Are Meant To Be Told

Severus still hadn't kissed her. There had been one moment when Hermione thought for certain he would, but Ron had knocked on the door and Severus had pulled away faster from her than if she had cast a Blasting Curse. She had taken to kissing him goodnight on the cheek before she left the lab each night in the hopes of encouraging him. If she were to put her lips that closely to his, eventually she hoped that he would take the hint and kiss her. She finally got results on the third night.

"Goodnight," she whispered, tilting her head up slightly and pecking him on the cheek. She started to pull away, but he grasped her arms and pulled her close again. Hesitating, they took a moment to arrange their noses so as not to bump them. And then his lips were on hers, a gentle pressure, a slow rhythm.

"Goodnight," he said with a smirk when he released her.

"They always are when I'm with you," she whispered into his ear in what she hoped was a seductive tone. He looked momentarily shocked, and Hermione knew she had achieved her aim, but he quickly recovered.

"That's not what you were saying last week," he said sarcastically. She frowned at him.

"I refuse to argue with you anymore about the efficacy of belladonna in restorative potions."

"Because you know I'm right," he said before kissing her again. She had wanted him to kiss her, but not if he planned on using it as a tactic to win arguments. She never won as it was, and she never would at this rate.

"I'll never admit it," she argued.

"If you insist on being wrong then I suggest you go to bed," he said wryly.

"Yours or mine?"

"I need to finish this potion," he answered. He kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose, and then pushed her towards the door, the one that led to the hallway and her bedroom, not the one that led to his room. Despite that, she made her way to bed with a dreamy smile.

The smile stayed plastered to her face as she put on her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and climbed into bed. It was even there when she woke up in the morning, as she dressed and made her way down to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Hermione, we need to talk to you," Harry said to her after they had finished eating. Ron stood next to him, looking serious and shaking his head in agreement. Nodding, she followed her two friends into the drawing room.

"We know about Snape," Ron said with no introduction.

"Know what about Snape," she said, trying desperately to hide her surprise, the smile suddenly gone. She was still adjusting to the idea that she was snogging her former Potions professor, and she wasn't sure she was quite ready to share that information with anyone else, especially Ron and Harry. What if it didn't work out? And to be honest, this was Severus Snape she was talking about here, so the possibility of either her hexing him into oblivion for some insensitive remark about her hair, friends, or potions, or him throwing a few silencing charms her way when she asked too many questions was very high. These sorts of things were not the things one built successful, healthy, and long lasting relationships on.

"Lavender told us about you two visiting her," Harry explained.

"And we figured it out from there," Ron said.

"Figured out what exactly?" she asked.

"Well you've been acting funny lately," Harry started.

"Staring off into space, grinning goofily, and you've been spending a lot of time up there in your makeshift lab," Ron listed. "We thought maybe you were under the Imperio Curse."