Disclaimer: I do not own anything and make no money off the characters.
A/N: Just a little plot bunny that refused to leave me alone until I wrote it all down. One-Shot. Hope you enjoy!
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was almost done for the school year. It was late April in Scotland, and while it wasn't particularly warm or sunny, excitement was in the air for both students and professors alike. The snow had melted only a week or so before but that did not stop students from rushing out to sit on the lawn by the Black Lake and dream about summertime. The occasional professor could also be seen strolling the grounds, thankful for the fresh air. That could not be said about Professor Granger. Today, she remained inside the castle, locked down deep in the dungeons in her lab.
The Potions Mistress had taken up the vacant potions professor spot nearly four years ago. At first, she had never dreamed of coming back to Hogwarts. She had wanted to start a career with a corporate potions company and focus on her true passion: research. But Minerva McGonagall had come to her two years after she had gotten her Masters asking her to come back to Hogwarts and take on the position. She was planning on retiring and Severus Snape was to become Headmaster.
Hermione had almost said 'no' based on this fact alone. Severus Snape had been the one person that had filled most of her thoughts and nightly dreams since the end of the war. She alone had gone back to the Shrieking Shack to retrieve his body only to find him alive and breathing, but just barely. She rarely left his side during those first few weeks at St. Mungo's. The Healers all said he had prepared well; taking anti-venom daily as well as a few other precautionary potions, and keeping a bezoar on his person. But, they insisted, he would not have lasted much longer if Hermione hadn't gotten to him when she did.
She came to visit his room every day until one day he suddenly wasn't there. Thinking something terrible had happened, she ran to the closest Healer and demanded to know what had happened. Hermione was surprised to hear that nothing had befallen him, he simply checked himself out earlier in the morning and that no one knew where he had gone. Hermione was shocked and a little disappointed but what had she expected. This was exactly how Severus Snape acted.
That was the last time she had seen him when Minerva came to see her. She couldn't tell Minerva 'no'. So here she was, nearly four years later, working at Hogwarts alongside the new Headmaster.
The first year was awkward for the both of them. Hermione had a different teaching style than Snape and the latter usually liked to visit her classroom and critique her. Hermione quickly put an end to that. Slowly, over the next few years they established a tentative friendship. Neither bringing up the events that took place after the war. Hermione thought it was better that he didn't know and Severus was trying to forget. However, the pair quickly determined that the actually had a lot in common. Their friendship grew deeper to the point where they rarely spent time without the other. Hermione easily considered Severus to be one of her closest friends.
That is why, on the first beautiful day of spring, instead of strolling the grounds, the pair was locked down in the dungeon. Hermione had demanded that she be allowed to do independent research on potions during her free time at Hogwarts. Snape had only been too happy to agree with a catch. He wanted to assist her in whatever she was working on. At first, Hermione refused. It was her work and her ideas. It was only after some time as friends that he assured her that he did not want any credit, he merely wanted to help. While he may be the Headmaster now, his true passion would always be potions.
They were both down in her potions laboratory working on the final stages of an experimental potion. Hermione had yet to tell him exactly what the potion did but from the ingredients she had him working with he had an idea. Snape was surprised to say the least. He never figured Miss Granger would ever want to work on something like this; she was too dedicated to noble causes and things like that. He did, however, know there was a need in a certain market of the magical community for such a potion. He definitely was not speaking for himself.
"Severus, I believe we are done!" Hermione exclaimed as she added the last drop of horklump juice.
Snape smirked. "I would be excited for you Professor Granger if I knew what it was I helped you create."
Hermione laughed. "Sorry Headmaster, you'll just have to wait for the convention in Paris like every other potions master. For now you can call it potion #37. I'm sure you have an idea already, and no doubt your idea is correct." She said as she bottled up a couple of samples. She needed to send them to the review board for a trial before there were any real celebrations.
Snape frowned. "You assume I'm going to the convention."
"You go every year." She responded without looking at him.
"I may not go this year. There is nothing of interest to me on agenda, not even your little potion here, seeing as I do not need it." He said defiantly.
Hermione turned around to look at him. "You will." She said simply before placing the samples on a high shelf. She didn't need any students accidentally getting a hold of it. She paused before putting the last sample up and instead turned to give it to Snape. "Here, if you want to know about it so badly, take a sample. I strongly suggest you don't use it until after the students leave, however."
He quickly took the offered sample from her and placed it in the back pocket of his robes. It didn't matter if he didn't exactly need it. A potioneer often tested his own experiments and since it was non-lethal and supposedly good for recreational use, why not.
"Enough of potions for the day," Hermione said as she grabbed his arm. "It's the first nice spring day of the year. Everyone is outside besides us and I think even you need some fresh air once in a while." She stated as she guided his to the doors of the lab.
Snape was about to start yelling his objections when a third year Hufflepuff slammed the door open and ran directly into him. The boy bounced off of him, falling to the floor. Snape was forced, rather hard, back into one of Hermione's desks, which probably prevented him from falling to the floor.
The third year looked up at the Headmaster with so much fear in his eyes that Hermione thought he would start to cry. "I am so sorry Headmaster Snape. I didn't know anyone besides Professor Granger would be here." The boy said, standing up.
Snape's eyes flashed with anger. "Would it be any better if you had run in here and knocked Professor Granger over? Twenty points from Hufflepuff for your clumsiness."
"What did you need Mr. Matthews?" Hermione asked before things could get any worse for the boy. Snape always got defensive when it came to her and she did not need him frightening a third year.
"I came to hand in my late essay professor. I'm sorry about it being late." Matthews stammered as he handed her the parchment.
"It's no problem Mr. Matthews. You had a note from the hospital wing. Just next time make sure to come during my office hours to drop off assignments." Hermione responded kindly.
Matthews nodded and practically ran out of the lab. He did not want to lose any more points for his house.
After he left, Hermione turned to Snape. "Did you have to scare him to death? He's only a third year!"
Snape's eyebrows both rose into his hairline. "He ran into me!" He demanded.
"It was clearly an accident Severus." Hermione stated.
Snape merely shrugged. The boy was clearly at fault for the altercation and stating he would rather have ran into Hermione. How dare he? Did the boy have no sense of manners? Snape stepped away from the desk table and headed towards the door. This was his only chance to escape from walking around the grounds with her and he was going to take it. Not that he didn't like being in her company; in fact, he rather enjoyed. But the mood was clearly gone now.
That was until he felt a dripping sensation down his pant leg. Looking down he could barely make out a faint lime green color as it trailed down his pant leg and absorbed into his skin. The glass bottle that contained the potion had broken, damn.
"Professor Granger." He said after a pause. "I think it's now imperative that you tell me exactly what the potion we were working on does." Snape stated, trying to remain clam but he could already feel a warming sensation running through his blood.
"What?" She asked. "Why?"
Snape narrowed his eyes at her. "Because it is currently spilling down my pant leg, thanks to Mr. Matthews." He explained as he removed his outer cloak and any unnecessary clothing as to not get it contaminated by the potion.
Hermione's face turned beet red. "Oh Severus, I am so sorry!" She exclaimed and quickly rushed over and tried to clean some of it off his pant leg with her own cloak.
"It's a little late for that professor. I can already tell you that most has been absorbed into my skin. Now what does your damn potion do!" Severus snapped.
Hermione blushed. This is the one situation she had hoped to avoid with him. This would clearly ruin any chance she had with him. He would never want to be anything more than friends with her after this. Thinking quickly, she pulled him through the adjoining door between the lab and her personal quarters and then pushed him down into a plush blue armchair. Hoping that if he was sitting, he would be less angry with her.
She collected herself with a deep breath. "I'm sure you already have an idea of what it does from the ingredients. You're highly intelligent. It's different from others on the market. Instead of lasting for a certain length of time, it will only last as long as the user wants. Also, the strength of the potion is affected by the feelings the user has for the person they are with. That's why I targeted it more for couples than those looking for a quick hook up." She explained.
"And the fact that older men are willing to pay a lot more to keep their love lives alive." Snape said smirking.
"Yes, well that is part of it." Hermione said with a slight smile. "But, I wouldn't be worried too much Severus. While you will feel some effects of the potion, such as a warming sensation and other slight increases, the potion won't truly affect you unless you have feelings for someone near you and since we are stuck in the castle, I don't think that will be a problem."
Severus felt his stomach drop. Of course that would be his downfall, and here he thought he could get out of this without any embarrassing setbacks.
Hermione, oblivious to the sudden look of dread that crossed his face, continued on. "So I suggest you just go spend the afternoon in your quarters and you should be good to go by supper."
Snape remained silent. Was it better to suffer in silence or tell her his secret and possibly gain a solution to his problem? "That's all well and good but what if that isn't exactly true professor?"
Hermione's eyes widened at his admission. A million different possibilities ran through her mind. Who in the castle did he fancy? There were only so many female staff and then students, but no he wouldn't do that. Maybe someone in Hogsmeade? That was crazy. How had she not known? She thought they were close friends. Maybe they weren't all that close as she thought. That hurt a lot. She had honestly thought she had a chance with him only to find that chance was already gone.
"Well then…" She stammered. "You would probably be feeling a warming sensation and other feelings, like I said. There will also be a strong urge to be close to the person you have feelings for and to…you know…complete the act with them. But the potion only enhances your natural feelings, it doesn't create anything false. It gives you " She explained as her blush deepened.
"I thought you said the potion only lasted as long as the user desired." Snape remarked, trying desperately to get himself under control. It would do him no good to charge at the girl like a caveman; even if that's exactly what the potion was telling him to do.
"Well that's only afterwards. But, it does have a natural expiration time of five hours if no action is taken." Hermione stated.
"So I'm stuck feeling this urge for five whole hours?" Snape yelled, standing up from the chair. Could this day get any worse?
"Well you could always try asking this women to sleep with you and get it over with." Hermione said matter-of-factually.
"As if it were that simple." He mumbled.
"Severus, I know you. If you actually have feelings for this women then I am almost certain she has feelings for you as well. You're quite interesting and charming when you actually let your guard down." She said as she watched him pace around her quarters. He didn't even seem to notice where he was at, otherwise she was sure he would have made a snarky comment about it already. She couldn't help but feel horrible about the whole situation and now she was actually trying to push him away so that he could find happiness, even if it wasn't with her.
"Would you be speaking from personal experience Hermione?" He asked as he took a step closer to her. If he was going to endure this torture regardless, he may as well go down swinging.
Hermione looked up at him. There was no way he could be implying what she thought. He had always kept their relationship strictly platonic, no matter how many times she had tried to change that. She couldn't count the number of times she had asked him to dinner or tea and been turned down. "Possibly, but I doubt the feeling is mutual."
"We will see about that." Snape said as he swiftly bent down to kiss her lips.
Hermione was stunned but she didn't pull away. Why would she? She had waited so long for this. Eventually, Severus was the one who took a step back. "Do you still believe the feeling is not mutual?" He asked.
Hermione didn't say anything; thinking that if she did it would ruin whatever moment they were in. Instead, she simply took a step forward and closed the distance between them. The next kiss between them was nothing like before. It was all passion and fire. The feelings that they both had been holding back for so long came forward. Her hands came up to tangle in his long hair, drawing him even closer. His hands came up on her back to hold her tight to him. Their lips clashed in a vicious battle.
Severus could feel the damn potion rushing through his veins and all he could think about was getting Hermione to the bed as quickly as possible. He picked her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his slim waist. Thankfully he had removed all unnecessary clothing earlier when the potion bottle broke. Hermione started to slowly kiss her way down his jaw line, nipping his neck occasionally. Gods, did the women want this to end before it got started?
Hermione quickly started to unbutton his white undershirt and pushed her hands inside to spread across his chest. In that moment he had finally made his way to her bed and placed her down onto it before climbing on top of her. His hands came up on either side of her head, careful not to pull any of the chestnut curls that had sprawled out everywhere. His knee had found its way to rest between her legs, just barely touching the place she wanted him most. It was the best kind of torture. Hermione ground herself down on his knee to create some friction, earning a soft moan from both of them. Severus kissed her again in an almost brutal fashion. Hermione's nails dug into his shoulders. Neither of them was willing to surrender to the other. They would have to be equals in this.
Hermione's hands slowly left his shoulders, trailing ever so lightly down his body. It was almost as if she was trying to memorize every line and angle of his body. She focused on getting rid of his pants and pushing them down over his hips. Severus got the idea and kicked them off the rest of the way.
"Hermione, are you sure about this?" He asked as he kissed a line down her neck. He needed to get the words out before he completely lost all ability to form complete sentences and the witch below him was making that increasingly difficult. He nipped at her earlobe when she merely nodded. She was more interested in kicking her down skirt down then answering him. "I need to hear you say it witch." He growled at her as he started to back off of her.
"Yes. I want it! Severus please!" Hermione nearly yelled as she tried to pull him back. There was no way she could stop now. She was completely bare beneath him now and extremely turned on by that prospect. She grabbed him arms and pulled him down onto her again. This time she could feel his hard member hot against her thigh. She shifted slightly causing it to bump up against her folds. They both gasped at the sensation.
Severus was currently kissing his way down her body. He had started right below her ear, alternating between kissing and nipping. Slowly making his way down her neck to her collarbone, licking the length of it. Spending not nearly enough time on each of her perfectly hard dusty nipples, giving equal attention to both before continuing further. Hermione was writhing below him, the man was going to make her scream before they had even truly gotten started. Finally, he reached his destination. His body had shifted down so his head was now between her thighs, his breath hot against her skin. She nearly screamed when she felt the first swipe of his tongue against her fold. Hermione's hands fisted into the sheets to keep herself still. She couldn't stop the moans and gasps that came out of her as he continued to torture her with his tongue. Soon, one long finger was inserted into her and she did scream then. A second and third followed and she couldn't take much more. She was completely overwhelmed by the feelings he was giving her. No one before had ever even come close to this. When his thumb pressed down on her clit she flew apart, screaming his name. His fingers continued to thrust inside her as she rode out wave after wave of her orgasm.
When she finally came down from her high, Severus kissed her hard. To see this beautiful witch fall apart below him was indescribable. He was achingly hard and needed to be in her now. He positioned himself at her entrance and felt her juices coat the head and moaned. Gods, this witch tortured him without even trying. When Hermione looked up at him and nodded her consent he pushed into her in one long thrust and filled her to the hilt. The moans that came from both of them filled the room. Severus filled her so completely. She was so tight and hot around him that he needed to take a moment to collect himself or he would spend himself right then and there.
Hermione, however, was not as patient. Within a few seconds she was pushing against him, urging him to start moving. She needed him to start moving, he was driving her crazy. The slow rhythm he started at first was not much better. Slowly pulling nearly all the way out and then thrusting all the in to the hilt, bumping against her cervix every time making her gasp. Her nails dug into his shoulders. "Faster." She gasped as he thrust particularly hard.
Severus smirked. "As you wish." He mumbled into her ear as he increased his pace. Driving into her now with everything he had. They were both quickly nearing their points and he was determined to make her fall apart again before he did. He changed the angle and hit that spot that made her scream. It was music to his ears. He could feel her walls starting to flutter around him and knew she was so close. Three more fast, hard thrusts later and she was falling apart all over again. Her walls clenching around him, pulling him over the edge with her. He yelled her name as he released inside her. It was incredible, no one else he had been with could compare to her. Careful not to crush her, he rolled onto his side as he pulled out of her. He laid there staring at the ceiling for a moment, collecting his breath. Hermione laid next to him, her legs still entwined with his. He loved the feel of her lying with him. It was definitely something he could get used to.
Hermione could not believe the turns today had taken. Less than an hour ago she had just been silently pining for the headmaster, hoping one day he would notice her as more than just a close friend. Now, he was lying next to her, his hand twirling one of her errant curls, having just given her the best shag of her life. She would not let him run and hide away from her. Now that they had been together, she didn't think she could ever be with anyone else.
"Well Professor Granger, I do believe potion #37 will be successful in your target market. Have you decided to do a trial before the convention?" He asked.
Hermione smiled. "I have thought of it, but I believe our accidental trial was more than enough evidence for me. However, I always believe in testing multiple times to get a definite conclusion. Maybe this time without the potion?"
Severus smirked. "Anything for you." He said as he kissed her. Maybe something good would actually come from this disaster of a day. He would definitely have to find a way to give Mr. Matthews a few points for his help.