The hidden door to Snape's office was warded to keep out anyone who might find the secret passage that led there. Except Hermione of course; Snape had excluded her from its protection spells. She stood for a moment watching him from behind as he sat at his desk, but she couldn't stay away for long. She moved forward and put her arms around him and her lips on his neck, kissing around to ... His head jerked involuntarily when her tongue touched his ear. She knew he liked the feeling but disliked the weakness of vulnerability.

"Fancy a shag do you, Miss Granger?"

She loved his voice, that little bite beneath the cool measured tones.

"That's Mrs. Snape to you, Professor. And yes, I'm panting for it actually."

"I'm busy," he said dismissively.

"No matter. I'll get started anyway."

It was a game they played sometimes. Snape feigning indifference, Hermione discovering how quickly she could make him drop his quill and moan. Her hand moved down his chest and inside his robe. She felt his stomach muscles flutter as she unbuttoned his coat. His breath was faster and audible as she opened his pants and released him. Her fingers measured his length.

"Hmm, seven ... seven and a half ... yes, seven and three quarter inches with proportionate girth. Completely erect and extremely hard. That's quite a wand you have."

"Uhhh ..." The quill blotched ink on parchment as it fell from suddenly nerveless fingers. He groaned again.

"Oh, that was too easy," Hermione told him. "Either I'm getting much better or your will is weakening."

Snape pulled her around and tumbled her into his lap. "It could be both. Or perhaps I've realized it's to my advantage to surrender sooner."

The chair was large enough for her to straddle him comfortably.

Later she murmured, "Do you still have work to do?"

"Yes," he replied. "But thanks to you I may be finished for the night."

"We'll see."

Snape had continued working after all when Hermione left his office. An hour later he proceeded to their suite of rooms. Hermione was reading in bed. She was naked and there was a look in her eye that said she wasn't done with him yet.

He was suddenly afraid that tonight was the night he had been half expecting since they got together. The difference in their ages bothered neither of them. Snape was far from old especially in the measure of a wizard's life, but he was aware that he was no longer a very young man and he had a wife half his age. There had been no problem yet for which he was profoundly grateful considering the frequency of their love life. But his luck was about to run out. He undressed slowly and got in bed. Hermione was all over him which he definitely appreciated. She was as desirable as ever and yet ... nothing. He was going through the motions but it wasn't happening.

There were remedies of course. Just as Muggles had Viagra, wizards had various spells and potions but they weren't well-tested and the results were unpredictable. Besides, it was a point of pride not to need anything.

Hermione became aware of his lack of response as she was bound to do eventually. She started kissing and licking her way down his body. On a list of his favorite things fellatio would normally place quite high but he didn't think it would work tonight and he preferred to spare her disappointment and embarrassment. It was too late to spare himself. He didn't push her away, but simply drew the sheet between them.

Hermione got the message and stopped. She hugged him and whispered, "It's all right."

"It most certainly is not."

She looked at him seriously. "Yes, I quite see that it isn't from your point of view. But really, it doesn't matter. I was just playing; it doesn't always have to lead to more."

"That's lucky," he said cuttingly.

"We had a very nice time earlier. And this morning. And last night." She was trying to gently tease him out of his humiliation.

"I hope the memories can sustain you."

"Oh, Severus, it's not as if we'll never have sex again."

"I'm glad you're so sure."

Enough was enough. Hermione was fed up. "I suppose you think it's all joy being a woman. Only a man has pressure to perform, right? Naturally a woman is always gagging for it and ready to pop in 30 seconds. Just think about bleeding every month for decades. And if we don't bleed it's because we are incubating a human being who has taken over our body for nine months. And we don't mind because we foolishly fancy ourselves in love with the father!"

Hermione flounced from the bed, pink and pretty, breasts and bum bouncing. She was still ranting but Snape had stopped listening. Something was stirring. Hermione jerked open a drawer, pulled out a silky chemise and slipped it over her head. It fell past her hips as she turned around.

"Take it off and come here," he ordered.

"What?" Hermione stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes widened with understanding. "Oh!" She launched herself at the bed. She didn't remove the chemise, simply lifted it a few inches as he flung the sheet off. She impaled herself and sank down with a sigh and suddenly everything was all right. Better, in fact. Their earlier activity had taken the edge off and he lasted longer than usual. Hermione had come several times and was begging him to join her when he finally did. She collapsed against his chest, her wild hair in Snape's face. He quite liked it.

"You just needed more time to recover," she said. "You're not impotent."

He winced at the word all men dread. "Recovery seems to have begun when you started shouting at me."

"Really?" Hermione looked intrigued. "If that's all it takes, the problem is solved."

"Apparently I enjoy being used and abused."

"Well then, you're certainly married to the right witch."

Yes I am, Snape thought as he drifted off.