I present to you the smut chapter that kicked off my 3 year writers block. Sorry about that. H X

Hermione returned home that evening feeling like a dead girl walking. She kicked off her heels at the door, in the small dimlyh lit hallway and padded into the living room. Severus was not sat in his armchair, as she had come to expect. Hermione thought nothing of it, and continued into the kitchen.

Severus was poised wand in hand, and was directing several cooking processes at once, looking like a orchestra conductor. He was peeling potatoes and cutting up greens whilst pan-frying a large filet of steak. Hermione almost fell to her knees in awe. She felt like the proverbial weary traveler who was seeing food properly for the first time in months.

"What's all this?" She asked, stunned. With a flick of his wand, Severus had pulled a chair out from the table and nodded for Hermione to sit down. A small glass of wine soared over to her. The lights were dimmed and there were even a few candles at the center of the small table.

"A dinner to say thank you. For being the best know-it-all I know." Severus said with his back turned to her.

She laughed disbelievingly. "You didn't need to-"

"It was the only way I could think of to get you to stop working and take some time for yourself." He admitted.

Hermione sipped her wine and relaxed into her seat. "Its the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me."

"Well that isn't surprising knowing the company you keep." Severus turned and Hermione could see the faint blush on his cheek from the heat of the stove.

"Never mind that." She said, the tone in her voice told Severus not to go there.

It was true, Hermione was always the person to organised surprises for her friends. Every year, without fail she had reminded Harry and Ron of the other's birthday, so that they might receive presents on time. She had even gone to the effort of baking Harry a cake for his last birthday, though had never gotten the chance to give it to him. Harry and Ron had repaid her with late presents and hasty apologies when it came to her own celebrations. She had always chalked it down to being the only female in the group, but now she realized that there really was no excuse.

Severus had been thinking about doing something nice for Hermione, for the past couple of days. He was mostly inspired by Lucius Malfoy (he hated to admit it) who had showered Narcissa with gifts and sentiments constantly for as long as Severus had known them. He knew that Hermione wouldn't want a large gift or a grand public gesture; it wasn't her style. So he decided to make them both a quiet romantic meal. The Order of Merlin Ceremony had provided him with the opportunity, what with her being out of the house all day. He had even cleared up around the house a little, and changed their bedding.

Severus looked over at Hermione, and admired her for a second. She really was beautiful. He wanted to tell her so but found himself unable to. He wished that he could romance her with his words, but instead he held his tongue, too used to hiding his true feelings.

Hermione caught him staring and they both blushed. Severus turned away to the stove and Hermione tried her best to lighten the mood. "I'm a little suspicious. What do you want Severus Snape?"

He chuckled, continuing with the food. "Nothing. Why must I want something? Can't I just be kind?"

Hermione grinned. "Minerva once told me that you were anything but kind."

"I am deeply offended" Severus said with absolutely no emotion in his voice. "I simply wished to surprise you with dinner." He said, resolutely.

Pausing, Hermione considered his answer. She had been trying to fathom out Severus's love language (a theory Ginny had told her about). Severus was certainly not someone who offered words of adoration, nor was he a man who spent money on gifts. Hermione concluded that he showed his love by being present. In the past, Severus had out right refused to spend time with people who's company he didn't enjoy. She also knew that he showed his love through small gestures. Severus seemed to enjoy making Hermione breakfast even though he rarely ate it himself.

Hermione didn't know where Severus stood on physical love. Sometimes, it felt like he was happy to offer her touch, and yet he would flinch when she reciprocated. Perhaps it was something that would improve with time.

As for her own love language, Hermione knew that she craved Severus's touch the most. She loved it when he would scootch closer to her at night, when he thought she was asleep. Some days Severus would barely touch her and it would make Hermione feel insecure about their relationship, although she knew that she was being ridiculous.

"I love you." Hermione near-whispered, as though she was hoping that he wouldn't hear it.

She couldn't see it, but Severus smiled. "I know." He replied, equally as softly.

Hermione did know that he loved her. It had taken them both an embarrassingly long time to get to this point, but she was over-joyed. Even if Severus never said the words, Hermione knew she would still be happy.

Hermione twirled a lock of hair around her finger, watching as Severus plated up the food. He stood bent over the counter, completely absorbed in the task at hand, unaware of Hermione's stare. His shirt sleeves were rolled to his elbows without even an attempt to conceal his dark mark or the scars that littered his arms. Severus tucked his hair behind his ear, something that Hermione had never seen him do before. It was oddly endearing.

Since when had she behaved like a love-sick puppy?

Severus brought the two plates over, placing one down on the table in front of the empty chair, opposite Hermione, and the other on the table in front of her. Before Severus sat down, he bent and kissed Hermione carefully. She craned her neck upwards to meet him, ignoring the awkward angle and kissed him back eagerly. Severus nipped at her bottom lip and Hermione moaned into his mouth wantonly. She hardly had the presence of mind to embarrassed by her actions, all thoughts were replaced by the feeling of Severus' lips against her own.

As though someone had flicked a switch, a jolt of electricity surged through Hermione's body from her lips to her toes. It felt like she had downed a cocktail of anticipation and anxiety and excitement. The effects were only growing as Severus continued to kiss her.

Clearly shocked at her reaction, Severus held the back of her chair to steady himself. He never anticipated that the witch would sweep him off of his feet - literally - when he bent down to kiss her. His brain marveled at the young woman in front of him There was a stirring in his nether regions, which he tried his best to conceal (although it was admittedly a hard task).

After they parted, albeit reluctantly, Hermione licked her lips still tasting Severus on them even after he had sat down. She surveyed her food. A fat steak with potatoes and greens, and a peppercorn sauce on the side. Hermione was so hungry. But the question was, would food satisfy her or was she craving something else entirely?

"Would you be offended if I was to suggest that we put a stasis charm over the food and head up to the bedroom?" She asked him, her confidence seemingly coming out of nowhere.

Severus looked at her curiously but decided not to comment. He set down his knife and fork with a sly smile. His eyes didn't leave hers. "If that is what you wish?"

Nodding, Hermione got to her feet. Severus had walked around to her side of the table in no time, pulling her chin up so that he could catch her mouth with his once more. Hermione stood on her tiptoes, leaning into the kiss and pressing her body right up to his. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, and lower back in an attempt to keep her close. 

Severus thought that she would be the one to drive him insane. He tried hard not to move his hand lower and fought the urge to buck up against her hip. He had exercised the greatest control over his life for the past 20 years, with Lord Voldemort watching his every breath. Surely he could manage just this one night, to hold back and go easy on her.

"We should go upstairs now, or we wont-" Hermione said without taking her lips off of Severus's. He nodded, stepping back and taking her hand. Hermione let him lead her upstairs, her anxieties were surprisingly absent.

The door to the bedroom felt like the doorway to all things sinful and un-discussed. Hermione gasped as she reached it, worrying irrationally that the inside might suddenly be filled with metal bars and leather whips and strange men wearing masks. But once she had passed the threshold (and saw nothing but their bed and personal items inside) Hermione relaxed.

Severus was watching her patiently.

Hermione noticed that his obsidian eyes were locked on her, and she blushed. "I don't know how to do this."

Severus took a step towards Hermione. She closed the gap, timidly and he wrapped his arms around her waist. They were close enough to him that he could smell the scent of her shampoo. "I could teach you?" He offered.

"Yes" Hermione breathed, closing her eyes as Severus bent to kiss her shoulder.

She was the most bewitching little thing that Severus had ever had the pleasure of knowing, he thought. His well built structure of self control was beginning to collapse at the foundations. She was perfect for him.

"Are you scared?" He asked, migrating to kiss the base of her neck.

Hermione shook her head, causing her hair to flick at Severus's face. "You're lying to me." He whispered.

Hermione looked bashful at being caught but Severus didn't press the subject. Instead, his lips pressed against her neck, and Hermione whimpered. She felt uneasy on her feet but his arms around her waist kept her from stumbling. She felt utterly consumed by him. Without warning, Severus bit gently at Hermione's neck, and ran his tongue over her skin. She mewled.

Severus could taste her skin like this for hours, but he didn't think the zip holding his trousers together would last that long. His lips traveled to just below her ear, where Hermione could feel his breath against her neck. "May I remove your dress?"

Biting her inner cheek, Hermione nodded. She swallowed, and mentally reassessed whether this was truly what she wanted. It was hard to think clearly when she felt so hot in her knickers.

Severus paused and looked at Hermione, who had her eyes closed and was very red in the face. He didn't want to lay her down on the bed just yet, because he didn't want to make her feel closed in, or threatened. But he also didn't want to make her feel exposed, which was increasingly difficult since his brain was screaming at him to take Hermione's clothes off.

His fingers found the zip on the back of her dress. Severus ducked to press their lips together, pushing his tongue past her lips to explore her mouth. An ample distraction. She whimpered, and Severus smirked in success. He slowly dragged the zip down her back, until her dress was hanging off her.

"Are you worried about what I might think of you when I see you unclothed?" He whispered. Hermione nodded, after deliberating it in her head for three seconds.

As Severus pushed the dress off of Hermione's shoulders, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "I already think that you are the most exquisite young lady that I've ever laid eyes on."

Severus let the dress fall to her ankles, and he reconnected their lips, not letting his eyes fall below her chin. Hermione panicked a little, worried that she hadn't put enough thought into her choice of underwear. She wore a black t-shirt bra and plain grey bikini knickers. In fact, now that she thought about it, she didn't even own anything lacy. Severus ceased Hermione's wanderings by unleashing her hair from her pony tail, allowing it to fall past her shoulders.

Severus unbuttoned his frock coat using a silent spell, and shrugged it off without breaking his kiss with Hermione. Her arms were around his neck, holding him close. Her fingers traced the thick scarred flesh around his neck, from ear to ear. Hermione wanted to kiss the skin there but didn't feel brave enough to do so. It was an unspoken topic of conversation. Hermione knew that Severus liked to keep his collars buttoned to his chin, and so she was shocked that he hadn't shied away from her touch.

"Please be gentle." Severus croaked. "You may touch, but the skin is still tender." Hermione had never heard him sound so raw and exposed. She nodded, and pressed a feather light kiss to the base of his neck, causing Severus to shiver.

She squeezed her eyes shut as his hands snaked around Hermione's back, undoing the clasp of her bra and sliding it off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. Severus's white shirt had joined the pile of clothing on the floor and Severus took a step back, finally allowing himself to look at the witch who stood before him. He was an incredibly lucky man. Severus took both of Hermione's hands in his own.

"You're going to have to open your eyes to walk to the bed." He said, matter-of-factly.

Hermione giggled and did as she was told, drinking in the sight of shirtless Severus. He would never see himself as she did, or love himself as she did. In fact, Hermione doubted that Severus had ever been happy with his appearance, even before the abuse. She hadn't considered that he would be as anxious as she was.

Hermione let Severus tug her into bed with him. He rolled on top of her, looking down with hungry eyes. "Are you comfortable with this?"

"Yes." Hermione groaned sinfully. Her hand curled around his neck, pulling his lips towards her own. The fire in her belly was fulled whenever their lips connected. Hermione could feel the electricity surge through her body against. The buzz spread over her shoulders down her arms, and along her feet. She couldn't move for the intensity of the heat. She was completely at his mercy. 

Severus ignored his own primal urges and began kissing and licking down Hermione's body, starting from her breast bone and ending just above her knickers. He ran a careful finger along the hem. "May I take these off?"

Swallowing thickly, Hermione locked eyes with Severus and nodded. She was beginning to feel nervous, but she supposed that it was normal for a girl to be anxious before her first time. Except, it wasnt the first time a man had touched her down there. Hermione made an effort to push back the memory that robbed Severus of the pleasure of having her first. She placed her trauma in a locked box at the back of her mind, and promised herself that she would think about it later.

Hermione lifted her hips and let him slide her underwear down her legs, exposing her warm and sticky womanhood. Severus discovered that his self control was wearing even thinner, and he used a hand to squeeze himself through his trousers. His other hand was other wise occupied attending to Hermione.

He nudged her legs open a little, making her gasp. Hermione clutched at the bed sheets, anticipating Severus's next move. "May I?" He whispered.

Severus ran his thumb along her slit, and Hermione squeezed her eyes firmly shut again. "Yes please." 

Hermione whined as Severus inserted his finger into her warmth, making her tense around him. Severus gritted his teeth, feeling all the blood in his body run south. 

"Have you ever touched yourself?" He said in a hushed tone. She nodded. "Like this, or do you do something else?" Hermione didn't answer, but she didn't need to. "Show me?" 

Severus watched as Hermione, utterly abashed, allowed her hand to slither down between her legs, to rub her little nub. After a few tense seconds, her shoulders dropped and she relaxed more. Her breathing fell more into pants, whilst little moans slipped from her lips. Hermione looked truly debauched. Combined with the effort of Severus's finger, she was inches away from being completely ruined. Severus thought that her might revert back to his teenage years and finish in his trousers, just from watching her. 

Hermione made a noise of protest as Severus removed his finger. She opened her eyes and pleaded at him silently, to give her more. It broke his heart. He had stripped himself of his trousers in record time and was on top of her, connecting their lips in a sweet kiss. Hermione was burning for him. 

"May I?" He whispered, pressing his hips against hers. Hermione groaned at the feeling of him. Her head was spinning happily and she had a nervous flutter in her tummy. 

"Yes. Please." She breathed, lifting her hips to meet his, so that they met with more pressure, making Severus truly moan. 

When they finally met, Hermione almost screamed (in the best way). Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open. Severus buried his face in her neck, feeling her stretch around him. He was trying so hard not to lose himself. Having been alone for most of his life, there was only so far that his right hand could take him, and it was nothing like the feeling of entering a woman for the first time. He took Hermione's hands and placed them on his chest, letting her explore as she desired. Hermione ran her fingertips over the scars on her lover's skin, some were darker than others. She hadn't imagined that he would be this way, but she was glad that he was comfortable enough in his own skin to let her explore. Hermione thought of her own scars, particularly the one on her arm, and cringed.

But then Severus moved, and Hermione forgot everything. 

She knew that Severus was holding back, as he pushed in and out of her with such care. She could see the clench of his jaw and the tenseness of his shoulders. But she couldn't bring herself to care about it, not since he was stretching her so deliciously. 

Severus buried his face into Hermione's neck, not caring about her invasive hair. He placed a hand under her bum, using it to lift her hips in time with his own. She was making exquisite little pants and moans and whimpers that were driving him insane. Hermione sneaked a hand between her legs, rubbing herself on her special spot again, feeling twinges of pleasure shoot across her entire body. She felt weightless, like a floating could. Meanwhile, Severus was having an internal battle, fighting against his instincts which were telling him to ruin her. He had no idea where all of his self-control was coming from, but he had a hunch that he was in short supply. 

"So perfect." Severus chanted, over and over again like a mad man. 

For an immeasurable amount of time they stayed lost in each other, panting and sweating and moaning, letting their bodies slide against each other. Severus was nearing the edge of the cliff. He descended his mouth upon hers, feeling her moan against her lips. His legs were beginning to shake. It was as though he had hit a wall, every nerve fiber in his body was screaming as he spilled himself inside of her. Wave after wave of energy pulse through him, until he could no long keep himself upright. 

He rolled over onto the bed next to Hermione, was lay sweaty and out of breath. Her hair was tangled underneath her but at that moment in time, Hermione dint have a care in the world. Severus took her hand and brought it up to his lips. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Hermione's voice sounded scratchy. "Yes. Thank you."

She meant to thank him for many things. He had given her everything, and she had taken it without ever pausing and considering it. Hermione thought that she didn't deserve the patience and the kindness he had shown her. It occurred to her that when Severus had taken her in, he had known she wouldn't be able to give nothing in return and yet he had still been so generous. All she could do was love him, maybe that was what he craved. She knew now that Severus Snape deserved to be loved.

"Do you want me to help you finish?" Severus asked timidly. He placed his hand on Hermione's tummy.

"No." She whispered, covering his hand with her own. "I'm tired."

He squeezed her hand. "Aren't I supposed to be the old man?" Severus teased. He pulled her closer to him, burying his nose in her hair.

Hermione laughed. "We just had sex for the first time, and you're seriously reminding me that you're way older than me?"

Severus enjoyed being with her in this way. There was no way to hide behind masks or social boundaries. "You make me sound like I'm in my 70s."

"You're not? I don't know how old you are." Hermione sassed back, knowing full well she'd get a rise from him.

Severus growled at her playfully. "You're in for it now, Granger."

Hermione shrieked as Severus dug his fingers in her ribs and tried to squirm away from him. "Okay, stop! I take it back." She pleaded.

"Good." He said, easing up on her.

"Seriously though, when were you born?" Hermione asked curiously as she shuffled to get comfy.

"Don't push your luck, My Dear." Severus reprimanded.