Love Can Be a Battle or a War

by Ms-Figg

Order soldiers Hermione Granger and Severus Snape can't get along. Tonks and Kingsley suggest they need to shag. What? Are they crazy? Severus is just insufferable and Hermione an aggravating little chit. They're mad...both of them. Or are they? AU

2. Love Can Be a Battle or a War Part 2

Love Can Be a Battle or a War Part 2

The Order meeting went off smoothly. Albus informed the squad leaders of the progress being made routing out the deatheater cells. More informants were coming forward after seeing how successfully the Order was decimating the rogue wizards. It was all positive news. During the meeting Severus sat at the back of the room, where he always sat, his black eyes burning a hole in Hermione's back. The witch must have been aware of it on some level, because she kept rolling her shoulders as if trying to shrug something off of them.

Severus knew he had gotten a rise out of Hermione when he took her hand and instructed her on slicing tomatoes, his double-entendre clearly understood by the witch. She had stared up at him, and he could see her attraction to him in her eyes. If Tonks had not been there, he might have kissed her at that moment to see what her reaction would be. He had never really noticed how beautiful her eyes were, flecked with gold when the light hit them right. She also smelled of jasmine, a scent he had always found pleasant.

When Tonks left the room after his suggestive comment to Hermione, the witch had started as if waking up from a dream, gave him a rather startled look and without a word crossed the over to the kitchen table and started pouring the pumpkin juice. He was tempted to follow her, but thought better of it. When Tonks told her to join him to finish cutting up the vegetables for the salad, he couldn't resist commenting on how she had been avoiding him, in a roundabout way, of course. Her response of chopping the top off the carrot and her declaration that she was no longer running had thrown him. Definitely a clear warning that she could handle herself. He'd like to think it was really a challenge.

Kingsley said there was supposed to be music at the mixer tonight. Severus enjoyed music, despite the fact that he didn't usually participate in dancing. Minerva being the exception. She wouldn't leave him alone until he tripped the light ad nauseam with her. Maybe he could hem Hermione into a dance. A nice, slow, close one. He'd be watching for his chance.

---

The meeting over, he and Kingsley quickly cleared the room and magically enlarged it, shifting the chairs to positions along the wall and moving the tables off to the side where they would be laden with food and drink. Tonks and Hermione brought out the food, and more guests started arriving. Remus Lupin showed up, looking a bit pale. The full moon had recently passed. Most of the Weasleys put in an appearance. Molly, Arthur, Percy, Ginny, Bill and Ronald. Fred, George and Charlie were not in evidence tonight. Severus was especially appreciative of the twins' absence. They were terrible pranksters. Last time they were at the mixer, they had added a lust potion to the punch that was invoked when you said their surname Weasley. Then they walked about asking people to introduce them. Luckily it was a weak potion, easily nullified with a built-in catch phrase. Remarkable really what those young wizards could come up with. Too bad they wasted their talents on creating jokes and pranks.

Severus pressed himself against the wall as Sybil Trelawney swooped by like a huge glittering dragonfly, trailing scarves behind her. Sybil had a crush on him for the past twelve years, and no matter how he tried, he could not get the woman to get the message he was not interested. The divination teacher insisted their love was written in the stars. Severus wished he could find a large celestial eraser. He hoped she stayed away from the wine tonight…last time she got drunk she had forced him into a dark corner, caressed his fly and told him she wanted to read the bumps on his head. It had taken weeks for him to recover from that experience.

A few Ministry officials were in attendance as well. Severus would avoid them as they would no doubt do with him. His snub of the Order of Merlin was still a sore point. How the Ministry expected him to accept a medal from them after all the hell they put him through, was beyond him. They treated him like a criminal for weeks, and suddenly they thought they could patch it up with a bit of gold on a string. No. He refused to ease their consciences. They could all kiss his pale ass. Severus looked around to see if he could locate Hermione. The witch was nowhere to be seen. He walked to the kitchen to see if she might be fixing more food, but no one was in there. He exited the kitchen and saw her descending the stairwell. She was wearing a form-flattering blue dress. It was low-cut in front, but not too low, showing just the right amount of creamy cleavage. Her chestnut hair was piled on her head, a few strands framing her face. She looked delicious. The Potions Master watched her descend the staircase with hooded eyes.

The moment she hit the main floor, wizards surrounded her. The Potions Master scowled at this. Yet Hermione managed to break through the crowd, smiling politely and shaking her head in negation. She walked over to Albus, kissed him and engaged him in conversation. Severus walked over to the liquor table and poured himself a firewhiskey, his eyes locked on Hermione as she hugged Ron Weasley, who was introducing her to a pretty young blonde witch on his arm. Most likely his girlfriend. Ron worked with his father at the Ministry and had a secure position. No doubt Molly was pushing him to marry and start a brood of redheaded Weasleys of his own. Suddenly the music started. It was quite upbeat and the floor cleared out so the dancing could start. Severus watched as couple after couple got on the floor. He stared at Ronald Weasley, who was doing some kind of odd robotic, popping like dance. He kept the rhythm surprisingly well. His girlfriend was bouncing her derriere in quite an alarming manner and several wizards had their eyes glued to it, their irises jumping up and down in tangent with her motions.

Severus was surprised to see Hermione drinking wine, quite freely. After a couple of glasses, she too got on the dance floor. The young woman could really dance. Although she wasn't bouncing like Weasley's girlfriend, many male eyes were on her as well. She had a time getting off the dance floor. He watched as she crossed over to a chair and sat down, fanning herself with her hand. A wizard brought her another glass of wine, which she took, smiling as he joined her and engaged her in conversation. He was a good-looking young wizard, one of those pretty boys that turned witches' heads when he passed. Severus would have liked to snap his neck.

The Potions Master started when the wizard suddenly placed a hand on Hermione's thigh and squeezed it. Hermione looked at the wizard, her brow slightly furrowed. Severus didn't see what happened next because a couple of guests walked through his line of vision. When he could see again, the wizard was leaning back in his chair, wine all over his white shirt, and holding what looked like a napkin over his right eye. Hermione was nowhere to be seen. Severus smirked. He looked around and located her by the food table, a slight scowl still on her face. A slow song came on and the Potions Master walked over to where the witch was standing, and pretended to look over the food.

"Really, Hermione. Must you assault the guests?" he purred at her.

"Yes, if they can't keep their hands to themselves. He's lucky that's all I did to him," she growled, her amber eyes narrowed as she looked over at the wine drenched wizard, "Just because he's young and good-looking doesn't mean he can paw all over every witch he spends five minutes with. Really."

"Generally being young and good-looking is a license to do just that," Severus commented, turning and standing beside Hermione, his hands clasped behind his back. "It's the old, ugly wizards like myself that are denied that privilege."

Hermione looked up at him for a moment, then looked back across the crowd.

"You're not that old," she replied. "Thirty-nine in wizarding years is like your early twenties in muggle years."

Severus arched an eyebrow at her.

"So, am I to assume, by your neglecting to comment, that I am 'that ugly'?" he asked her.

Hermione let out a giggle. It was a rather inebriated giggle at that.

"No, I did that on purpose. You're not that bad," she said. Then she looked at him, startled. "I must be really buzzed to have told you that."

Hmm. Buzzed eh? Maybe he could use this to his advantage.

"Since you're so buzzed, maybe there's something else you'd like to tell me," the Potions Master said in a low voice, his black eyes glittering. Hermione looked at him a moment, then blushed.

"No, there's nothing I have to tell you," Hermione said. Nothing other than she kissed his golem and it turned her on. She'd just keep that little bit of information to herself.

"See?" Severus said to her.

Hermione frowned up at him.

"See what?" she asked.

"See, we can have a conversation without biting each other's head off," he replied.

"That's only because I'm feeling really good right now, and refuse to let you ruin it for me," Hermione said. "I came to a decision today that I wouldn't let you affect me."

The wine was certainly loosening the witch's lips.

"Affect you how, Hermione?" the Potions Master asked her silkily, leaning in a bit. Hermione immediately registered his proximity and stepped away.

"Any type of way," she snapped.

"I see," Severus said. He was silent a few moments, then asked, "Hermione, would you like to dance?"

"With you?" she asked, her brow furrowed.

"Of course with me. You think I would ask you to dance with someone else?" he responded.

"But you don't dance with anyone but Minerva," she said looking at him.

"Tonight, I'd like to dance with you," he replied, "Let's call a truce for one dance, Hermione."

Hermione looked up at him, and remembered the golem kissing her. His eyes flickered a little as he saw desire then uncertainty pass over her face. Deciding quickly, he took her hand and led her out to the dance floor. She didn't resist. The Professor drew her close, placing one hand on her waist, and taking the other in his hand. Then they began to sway slowly in time with the music.

Hermione was surprised at how fluid the Potions Master was. He spun with her gently as they moved through the crowd. Quite a few eyes were on them. No one had seen the Professor dance with anyone but Minerva for years. Tonks, watching from the sidelines, nudged Kingsley in the ribs and grinned like a Cheshire cat.

Hermione was enjoying the dance. The Potions Master's smooth moves were soothing, and without knowing it, she rested her head against him, closing her eyes. She could hear his heartbeat, strong and steady.

Severus was very aware of Hermione's curves resting against his body. It had been a long, long time since he had held a woman this close. She had leaned her head against his chest, content to let him guide her around the floor at will. It was quite nice. If it wasn't for all the eyes that were on them, he would have danced her off into some dark corner, and found out if Hermione would let him kiss her. Maybe do a little more than kiss her. No, he would have to wait.

"You seem to be enjoying the dance," he said to the witch leaning against him.

"You dance divinely," she responded, lifting her head and looking up at him with a smirk.

In answer, the Potions Master suddenly pushed Hermione outward, spun her neatly beneath his arm, drew her back and dipped her, following her down, his face very close to hers. He held her poised over one arm, his body resting lightly against hers. Hermione's amber eyes were wide with surprise.

"Thank you," he said to the breathless witch, his lips close enough to kiss her, before he straightened and continued the dance. That had been one smooth move. Everyone on the floor noticed it. Finally, the song came to an end, and the Professor escorted Hermione off the floor.

He walked her back over to the food table. The witch looked slightly dazed, and it wasn't because of the wine. When Severus dipped her, she had hoped that he would kiss her. But he wouldn't have, not with everyone watching. She looked up at him.

"Thank you for the dance, Severus," she said.

"You're quite welcome," he replied. He was about to ask her would she like another glass of wine, when he spotted Sybil Trelawney pushing her way through the guests, and making a beeline straight toward him. She looked like she'd had one too many. His eyes widened.

"Ah, Hermione, I'm afraid I must go," he said quickly, not taking his eyes off the approaching Professor. Hermione was suddenly very disappointed he was leaving.

"Why?" she asked him.

"Something just came up," he said, darting through the crowd and disappearing like a ghost. He had cast a disillusionment charm on himself.

"How rude," Hermione said to herself. But then again, this was Severus. Why would she think him to be anything other than rude?

Hermione felt someone poking her in the shoulder. She turned to see Sybil Trelawney staring at her through those magnifying lenses she called glasses. She really did look like a big dragonfly.

"Where'd he go?" Sybil asked, her voice slightly slurred.

"Where'd who go?" Hermione responded, perplexed.

"My man, that's who. The one you were just crawling all over on the dance floor, you little trollop!" the drunken women said accusingly.

"Who? Severus?" Hermione said, blinking at the woman disbelievingly.

"Yeesh," Sybil replied, swaying slightly, "Our love is written in the starrrrrs."

Hermione suppressed a laugh. Now she knew why Severus had left so quickly. Hermione pointed Sybil in the direction Severus had taken.

"He went that way," she said, trying not to grin at the irate woman.

"All right. You just stay away from him. He's mine, understand?" Sybil said, poking Hermione's shoulder again for emphasis.

"Completely," Hermione assured her.

"Good," Sybil said, turning in the direction Hermione pointed.

Hermione watched as Sybil started after Severus. Her mind flickered back to Severus' comment about her running from him like a rabbit through the halls of Grimmauld Place.

"Sybil, wait!" Hermione said, following the witch.

The Divination teacher turned back.

"What?" she asked frowning.

"You want me to help you find him?" Hermione offered, grinning wickedly.

"Sure," Sybil replied, looking at her in a much more friendly way.

"Okay, you go that way and I'll go this way," Hermione said. Both women took off through the crowd.

The dance had been nice, but payback was a bitch.

---

Hermione made a quick round through the crowd, knowing Severus preferred quiet areas of the room. As everyone was getting pretty rowdy, there were few quiet areas left. She decided to check the rooms off the halls. She had got halfway down the corridor when she noticed the door to the library was closed and light coming from beneath it. The library door was always left open. She crept down to the door and placed her ear against it. She could hear music. Music?

Very carefully she twisted the handle, and slowly opened the door. She stuck her head around the corner. Severus was in there all right. He was sitting in an armchair with his back to the door, facing the fireplace. It looked like he was reading. A small wizarding wireless radio sat on the table next to the chair. It was playing classical music. Hermione smiled and pulled the door quietly closed.

Grinning, she hurried back to the mixer and located Sybil, who was almost in tears because she couldn't find the Potions Master.

"Don't cry Sybil, I found him. He's waiting for you in the library, so you two can have some privacy," Hermione said soothingly, patting the witch on her back as she guided her towards the room holding the unsuspecting Professor.

Sybil removed a hanky from her purse and wiped her eyes with it, then blew her nose loudly.

"Really?" she asked the smiling witch.

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. Sybil smiled.

"I think you should touch up your lips a bit, Sybil," Hermione said, "You want to look nice for him."

"Yes. Yes I do," Sybil agreed. She pulled out a tube of lipstick and smeared it on. She did a decent job considering she was blasted.

"How's that look?" she asked Hermione. It was good and thick.

"Perfect," Hermione grinned at her.

The two witches approached the library door. Hermione turned the witch towards her.

"Now Sybil, go in quietly, ok? Let him be surprised. And have fun," Hermione said.

Sybil opened the door a few inches and slipped in. Hermione quickly cast four wards on the door, then waited, listening. At first, she didn't hear anything. Then there was a huge crash.

"Sybil! How did you find me?" roared the Professor.

"A little witch told me," Sybil replied. Hermione covered her mouth.

"Now, Sybil…I've told you time and time again, I'm flattered but I'm just not interested," Severus' voice said reasonably. Silence followed then.

"Sybil. Sybil? What are you doing? Put that back on! Don't…gods…don't take that off!"

There was more crashing, then the handle on the door rattled furiously.

Hermione heard the Professor curse on the other side of the door…then

"Sybil…Sybil …you're drunk…you don't know what you're…"

There was another crash, silence then more frantic rattling of the door.

"Gods damn it! Who the fuck warded the door?" came Severus' angry voice. It was moving all over the room. Sybil wasn't saying anything. Hermione presumed she was stalking him. She covered her mouth. Severus' voice rose again.

"Sybil, I promised Albus I wouldn't hex you anymore, but … if you do not cease immedia…don't touch me there…immediately …stop it!…you're going to force me to….hey!"

There was another crash and the sounds of a desperate struggle. Then some kissing noises and a rather hoarse male scream. Hermione was bouncing up and down hysterically, both hands over her mouth now.

Then she heard Severus say, "Stupefy!"

Everything went quiet.

Hermione fled.

---

Hermione looked for Severus to return to the mixer, but he never did. Neither did Sybil. The mixer ended at about two o'clock. Hermione helped Kingsley and Tonks clean up, transfiguring her dress into sweats and a t-shirt, and her shoes into trainers. Then she dragged herself up the stairs, headed for bed. She was just about to open the door when suddenly she was grabbed and pressed tight against the wall. She tried to do a move to break the hold of her unseen attacker, but her arms were locked tightly above her head, and weight was pressing against her entire body. She could make out a shimmer.

"I bet you thought that was very funny, Hermione," came Severus' voice. He sounded angry. She realized it was the Potions Master who had her pinned to the wall. He was disillusioned. She tried to play dumb.

"What are you talking about, Severus?" she said innocently.

"Don't lie to me. I know you sent Sybil into the library. She told me after I got some sober-up potion down her. You told her I wanted some privacy with her," he snarled.

Hermione felt him press against her harder.

"It was just a joke, Severus, surely you can take a joke," she responded. She was starting to heat up a bit. The Potions Master suddenly appeared. He was scowling down at her. He still didn't let her go.

"I don't do jokes," he seethed.

"Well, I'm sorry," Hermione said. The Professor backed off of her, but continued to hold her hands tightly above her head, and stood slanted to the side, in case she tried to knee him.

"Sorry? Do you have any idea what I went through in that room?" he said, shuddering.

Hermione wanted to laugh at the horrified look on his face. Good for him.

"Hermione…she stripped. Buck-naked. I had to watch that happen. I'm lucky to still have my sight," he said, frowning down at her.

Now she really wanted to laugh.

"Then, she came after me. Chased me all around the library. I was backing away from her and tripped over the end table…and…and…she tackled me. Naked. Sybil. Naked. It was like wrestling a skeleton wrapped in nothing but skin," he said, shuddering some more.

Hermione burst out laughing. She couldn't help it. Severus released one of her hands and quickly cast a silencing charm around them. He then released her. He stared down at her.

"Do you know what it's like to have a kiss forced on you by someone you don't particularly care for?" he asked her in a low voice.

"No," Hermione lied. Severus blinked at her several times.

Then he kissed her.

Hermione struggled against him at first, but it was the golem all over again. The Potions Master felt her surrender to the kiss, and like the golem, deepened it. She tasted wonderful. Hot, soft, wet…he moved into Hermione, pressing his body against hers as he claimed her mouth with more and more passion. The witch was beginning to tremble, and he wrapped his arms around her, lifted her and pulled her body tight against him, sliding one hand into her hair and pressing her back into the wall. He was getting aroused, very aroused.

Hermione was completely on fire. There was an ache throbbing between her legs, though her mind was screaming no, no, her body wasn't responding to it. It was only when she felt Severus push his erection against her that she was able to gasp out, "No! Let me go, Severus."

The same as with the golem.

The Potions Master released her, setting her back on the floor, but stood close with his hands pressed to the wall on either side of her, trapping her between them. His black eyes were hard with lust, and he was breathing heavily as if controlling himself with effort.

"Hermione," he panted, "That was not the response of someone being kissed by someone they didn't particularly care for. That was the response of someone who wanted to be kissed."

He licked his lips, his eyes fixed hungrily to hers.

"And the way your body is quaking, I dare say it is the response of someone who wants to be more than kissed," he said. "Do you want me to do more than kiss you, Hermione?"

"No. I just want to go to bed," she said in a small voice. She was still breathing heavily. Still trembling from his contact.

"My bed, or yours?" he asked her, still sounding barely in control.

"Mine," she said, "Alone."

"You really believe that's what you want?" he asked her.

She nodded.

For a moment, it looked like the wizard wasn't going to let her go.

"Kingsley was right. About everything," the Potions Master said, dropping his arms.

"Kingsley? What did Kingsley say?" Hermione asked weakly.

The Potions Master didn't want to get the Auror in hot water with Hermione, but he did want to startle her with the truth.

"He said I was attracted to you," the Potions Master said quietly. "I think, Hermione, that instead of fighting you, I should be shagging you."

Hermione felt a wash of heat drop between her legs.

"I've got to go to bed," she said, pushing past him and rushing into her room, closing the door and locking it. Then she pressed her ear against it, listening.

The Potions Master stood there on the other side of the door. He could practically feel her on the other side of it. Feel her heat. He leaned close to the door, at the height he imagined her ear was.

"This isn't over, Hermione. There can only be one end to this. I'm a wizard that doesn't want much…but what I want, I get. And I want you." he said. Then he turned and walked to his room.

Hermione heard him walk away. She had also heard what he said before he walked away. Hermione rolled until her back was against the door. Then she slowly slid down it, feeling utterly exhausted and completely aflame. Damn. Severus had put her on notice. He intended to have her.

What the fuck was she going to do now?

---

At about eleven o'clock the next morning, Hermione padded into the kitchen in her flannel pajamas and bare feet, ready to kill for coffee. She hadn't slept well. She tossed and turned all night, disturbed by dreams she couldn't recall. Tonks was sitting at the kitchen table in an open house robe, drinking some green tea. She also looked exhausted, but by the grin plastered on Kingsley's face, who was sitting next to her, Hermione didn't think it was dreams that kept the Auror awake all night.

"Morning," Hermione said, heading for the coffee pot.

"Morning, 'Mione" said Tonks tiredly. Kingsley just nodded and grinned at the barefoot witch. He had a cup of coffee in front of him, and his brown eyes kept flicking over Tonks in a very possessive kind of way.

Hermione walked by Tonks, paused, then did a double take.

"Tonks! Are those extra arms?" Hermione said, staring at the Auror. "And what happened to your hair?"

Tonks weakly lifted two extra sets of arms that jutted out from under the open robe. They had been resting on the table and seemed to have a noticeably gold tinge to them. Actually, Tonks had a rather golden hue all over. Her hair was long, black and tied up in a knot on the top of her head in a rather oriental fashion. Hermione stared at her.

"Yeah, they're left over from last night, or this morning rather. I had to make good on a promise to the 'warrior' over here," Tonks replied, gesturing with her head towards the grinning Kingsley, "I'm just too exhausted to morph back yet. It happens sometimes."

Hermione looked at Kingsley. The black Auror was looking decidedly smug as he looked at Tonks, the grin still on his face. He hadn't said a word since Hermione entered the kitchen, he was gazing so intently at his gold-tinged lover.

Hermione didn't even want to try to imagine what those two must have been doing.

"You'd better hope the Ministry doesn't call you out on an emergency assignment," Hermione said as she poured herself the last cup of coffee. She added a teaspoon of sugar, stirred it and carried it over to the kitchen table, and sat across from the two Aurors.

Tonks looked at Hermione, and smiled.

"I saw you dancing with Severus last night. That was quite a dip he gave you," Tonks said, "You two looked good together out there."

Hermione made a noise. Tonks wrinkled her gold forehead.

"What was that? Didn't you have a good time?" the Auror asked the witch.

"Well, up to a point," Hermione said.

Kingsley looked from Tonks to Hermione, then back to Tonks. He stood up.

"I know when there's a female moment approaching. I'll just make myself scarce," he said, bending down and kissing Tonks. It was a little longer than a peck. "See you later, Durga"

He left, still grinning.

Hermione looked at Tonks with her eyebrows raised. "Durga?"

"Hindu goddess. His fantasy girl. The man is a total freak. Anyway…what happened last night?" the Auror asked.

Hermione told Tonks about the joke she played on Severus.

"You locked Severus in a room with Sybil Trelawney?" Tonks said in awe, before she busted out in hoots of laughter. "Oh my gods. The poor man. Good thing he doesn't know you were behind it. He'd be livid."

"He does know," Hermione said, "Sybil remembered everything. When he sobered her up, she spilled the beans."

Tonks sobered immediately.

"How do you know she did that?" Tonks asked her.

"Severus told me, when he pinned me up against a wall last night…just before he kissed me," Hermione said in one quick breath.

"Severus pinned you up against a wall and kissed you?" Tonks repeated.

Hermione nodded.

"Gods, I think I need to go and change my knickers," Tonks said, looking down at herself.

"Tonks," Hermione said in a somewhat pleading voice, "I need you to be serious. That's not all that happened."

The witch told Tonks word for word what Severus said to her last night. The Auror was staring at her with her mouth open.

"And you didn't go to his room?" Tonks asked, looking at Hermione like she belonged in St. Mungo's. "Or bring him in yours? Why? And don't hand me that dragon shit that you didn't want to. We both know that's a lie."

Hermione dropped her head. "I don't know. He was kissing me and pressing against me, and it was feeling…well…good. Then I felt him…his…his…"

"Cock?" Tonks asked, her eyebrow arched.

Hermione scowled at her. "Yes…and I just freaked out and told him to let me go and put me down."

"Was it big?" Tonks asked, her hazel eyes huge.

"I don't know!" Hermione snapped at her.

"Well, you said you felt it. You must have been able to tell something," Tonks started to argue.

"Tonks, I was not focusing on the size of his cock!" Hermione yelled at her, thoroughly frustrated with the Auror. She was not being sympathetic at all.

At that moment, Severus entered the kitchen, his eyebrows raised.

"I take it you witches aren't discussing roosters," he purred, looking at the both of them.

Tonks had her hand over her mouth, trying her best not to laugh as Hermione turned a deep shade of purple.

Severus' black eyes fell on Tonks. They swept over her.

"I see Kingsley finally got his Durga fantasy," he commented.

Tonks frowned at him.

"How do you know about that?" she asked him, miffed.

"Wizards also talk, my dear," Severus said glibly. "Though our conversations about cocks differ significantly from yours. With men, size doesn't matter. We're more concerned with 'placement'."

Here, his eyes fell directly on Hermione. She felt a bit of heat in her belly at his look.

Severus walked over to the coffeepot.

Tonks looked at Hermione and made an "O" with the thumb and forefinger of one hand, then stuck her other forefinger through the hole, jerking it back and forth and nodding toward Severus, smiling enthusiastically.

Hermione gave her an absolutely murderous look and waved at her to stop it.

Severus looked in the coffeepot, snorted and scowled. He turned and looked at the steaming cup of coffee in front of Hermione.

Both women stopped gesticulating at each other and looked at him innocently.

"I see once again you've taken the last cup of coffee and not put on another pot," Severus said, leveling his eyes at Hermione.

"It's after eleven. How was I supposed to know you'd come snarking down here wanting coffee so late?" Hermione replied, frowning at him.

Severus looked at her. Hermione prepared herself for the onslaught, but the Potions Master reached up to the cabinet, opened it, took out the coffee and a filter, and proceeded to prepare another pot of coffee. Both women watched him dispose of the old grounds and filter, put in the new filter and fresh coffee, cover it and add the water. He zapped the machine so it started working. The coffeemaker was a gift to the Order from Arthur Weasley. It was a Mr. Coffee that he reconfigured to run on magic. The coffee pot began to fill up.

Severus turned around and leaned against the counter, his arms folded. His black eyes fell on Hermione again.

"You're going to learn to show me consideration," he said quietly, "that's one of the first things I'm going to teach you."

Hermione scowled at him. "Teach me? You're no longer my Professor. I don't need you to teach me anything," she said..

Severus' eyes flicked over to Tonks for a moment, then back at Hermione.

Tonks, noticing his look asked, "Should I go?" She started to rise.

"Yes," Severus said, still looking at Hermione.

"No!" Hermione blurted, looking at Tonks with a "don't leave me" expression on her face. Tonks reluctantly sat back down. Hermione would have to talk to the wizard alone sooner or later.

Severus looked back at the coffee pot and saw it was full. He took a cup out of the rack, rinsed it out and poured himself a steaming cup of fresh coffee. He didn't add anything to it. He started to leave the kitchen. He stopped behind Tonks and looked over at Hermione, his eyes hard.

"Tonks isn't always going to be around, Hermione," he said to her, again in that quiet, rather dangerous voice, "Sooner or later you're going to be alone with me." Then he left the kitchen.

Both witches looked after him.

"I'm definitely going to have to change my knickers," Tonks said with a sigh. "What a wizard."

---

Hermione took a shower and changed into her workout clothing. She was so uptight, she figured she'd go down to the ROR and generate a random scenario and work off some stress. She opened the bedroom door and peered out. Seeing no one she headed down the stairs and walked straight into Severus. He was sitting in the living room, reading the Daily Prophet. He looked up at her.

Hermione steeled herself, raised her chin and walked past him, her belly in knots. He had a rather amused expression on his face for a moment…then went back to reading the paper. Hermione opened the cellar, walked down the stairs and past Tonks and Kingsley's office. Both Aurors were in there, their heads bowed over a parchment. Kingsley had a quill in his hand and was marking something down. Tonks, now fully restored to her fair, spiky-headed, two-armed self, looked up and waved at the witch. Hermione waved back and pointed at the ROR in askance. Tonks nodded. That meant they didn't need to use the room.

Hermione walked to the far wall and made the intricate passes that made the entrance appear. Hermione pushed the room door open, and walked in. The ROR was empty. It had not yet generated her scenario, its magic divining that she wanted to select it.

"Random generation, one opponent," she said.

The room shimmered and a scenario appeared. Hermione gasped, turned and exited the room immediately. She walked quickly past the Aurors' office and back up the stairs. Tonks looked after her puzzled.

"Wait here, Kingsley," she said. The Auror walked out of the office and toward the ROR. Hermione had not bothered to reseal the door, she left so quickly…this meant the scenario in the room was most likely still present.

Tonks pushed open the door and looked in. She doubled over with laughter.

"Kingsley!" she gasped, "Kingsley, come here, quick!"

The huge Auror put his quill down and walked out of the office.

"What is it, Rabbit?" he asked.

"You've GOT to see this," Tonks gasped, her face completely red with laughter.

Kingsley approached the door and looked in. He blinked for a moment and then started chuckling.

"No wonder she flew out of here," he said, grinning.

The ROR had generated a scenario and one opponent all right. It created a bedroom, with a huge four-poster bed in the center and candles all around. In the bed, half covered by a green silk sheet, propped up on his elbow and looking quite lusty was the golem of Severus Snape. It appeared the golem was naked.

She should have specified "training" Tonks suggested.

Kingsley looked at her. "As inexperienced as Hermione seems to be with these matters, she probably would have gotten the same scenario. She needs to just go ahead and sleep with the wizard. If the ROR gives her a scenario like this, then it's really the most important thing she needs to do."

"It shouldn't be long now," Tonks said to Kingsley, "Severus told her he wanted her last night."

Kingsley raised his eyebrows.

"He did?" the Auror asked.

"Yes, and get how he told her, Tonks said, looking dreamy, "'I'm not a wizard that wants much, but what I want, I get. And I want you.' How the hell did she resist that?"

"Damn," Kingsley said, looking impressed, "That man surprises me more every day. I might have to go get some pointers from him."

Tonks cocked her head and looked at the Auror.

"Oh, I don't know about that, Kingsley. Your pointer seems to do the job just fine," she said wickedly, her hazel eyes taking on a bit of a glow. Kingsley knew that look.

"Now, Rabbit…" he said warningly.

Tonks pulled the Auror back into their office.

"Tonks..." Kingsley said as she backed him up and pushed him so he fell back heavily into the swivel chair. Tonks pulled out her wand and waved it, her hazel eyes on him. Kingsley heard the office door click and lock.

"Tonks, we have work to finish," the Auror said, weakly.

Tonks grinned, waved her wand again, and all the windows were blacked out.

"Tonks!"

---

Hermione took the stairs two at a time, heading back to the main floor. Even the ROR was against her. She opened the door and saw Severus was still sitting in the living room, reading the Daily Prophet. He looked up at her again. Their eyes met.

As Hermione looked at the Potions Master, something inside her just gave way. Everyone saw it, she knew it, and he knew it. Yes, he was her former teacher, yes…he was her nemesis for the past three years. Yes, he knew just how to tick her off. But yet, she was attracted to him. She'd heard it said you can't always choose who you love. She didn't know if she loved Severus, but she knew he did things to her that no one else did. And underneath all his meanness, he really was a good man. She could do a lot worse.

She did find him attractive. She always had. Tonks was right in her description of him, Hermione just couldn't admit it to herself. His darkness appealed to her. The witch knew she would have no peace until what had to be done was done. And it wasn't because Severus would pursue her. It was because deep inside she really did want to be intimate with him. Maybe afterwards they'd find that the strong attraction between them was just a curiosity about each other that needed to be explored.

Hermione sighed, and walked into the living room, plopping herself down in the armchair next to Severus'. He looked quite surprised she joined him. She looked at him, her amber eyes rather tired.

"Who will I fight with?" she asked him.

"Excuse me?" the Potions Master said, folding up the newspaper and giving her his full attention.

"If you and I become lovers, Severus…who will I have to fight with?" she asked him again.

The Potions Master knew she had conceded. He looked at the young witch squarely. Her concession made her look older somehow. But she looked kind of haggard too, as if she'd been beaten down. He had to handle this carefully.

"Well, I doubt our natures will change very much, Hermione. Most likely we will still fight. I am not easy to get along with even in the most ideal situations," he admitted. "I enjoy getting you upset, after all. I have ever since you first arrived at Hogwarts. It's a part of my nature now. I don't think that aspect of me will change. However, your tolerance might."

Hermione sat back in the chair and stared at the fireplace.

"I don't know how this happened," she said, "I don't understand how you got to me like this. You never did anything to make yourself remotely attractive to me. You never hit on me, or made any untoward sexual remarks, though what you did say was pretty bad. I've never seen you without your robes. I have no idea what your body is like. The things that logically lead to attraction just aren't present here, Severus. All I see are things that should repel me. It makes no sense."

The Potions Master looked at her and listened. He didn't say anything. He decided just to let her talk.

"I'm not a virgin," she said. She told him about Sergio, and her experience with the Bulgarian

The Potions Master looked at her, then said quietly, "You might not have a maidenhead, Hermione, but you are still a virgin, at least in my eyes."

Hermione didn't reply. They sat there in silence for a while, each deep in their own thoughts. Hermione spoke again.

"I don't know how to go about this," she said, "How to approach this, Severus."

"Talking to me is a start, Hermione," Severus replied, his black eyes sweeping over her. She had drawn her legs up into the armchair and wrapped her arms around them. Her chin was resting on her knees. When she spoke, she didn't look at him but stared into the fireplace as if drawing strength from it.

"When?" she asked.

"When what?" Severus responded.

"When will we do it? Have sex? When do you want me to come to you?" she asked in a small voice.

Severus rather thought it was a "let's just get this over with" voice. It didn't please him. Typical Granger. Now she was hiding behind martyrdom. He fought back a snide comment.

"I'll come for you," he said darkly, "when the time is right."

Severus didn't want to give her a time and a place. He could imagine the witch sitting and twisting her hands as if waiting for the hour of execution to fall upon her. He didn't want her walking into his arms as if she were walking to the gallows. He originally thought that Hermione accepting and admitting her own desire for him would be all he'd need to take her. But she was treating her need like a curse. He wanted her wanting him. Right now, all he could expect from the witch was submission. He wanted passion. He wanted her on the edge of pursuing him. Then, their coming together would be something extraordinary.

He had waited this long. According to Kingsley it was three years of foreplay. He could wait a little longer.

Hermione looked at Severus strangely. She had thought once she agreed to engage him, he'd be on her like a niffler on gold. What was this 'when the time is right' shit? She knew. He was still going to play games with her. She frowned.

"Last night you were ready to bore a new hole in me," she said, scowling at him. "Now you do an about face. And they say women are fickle."

Severus scowled back at her.

"Last night you weren't playing martyr," he spat back at her, "you were ready for shagging. I should have just taken you. It would have been better than this pathetic "I give up, I give in" nonsense you are running past me now."

"How dare you!" Hermione said, jumping out of her chair and putting her hands on her hips. "I humble myself, come to you and tell you I want to do this, and now you're complaining I'm not fucking hot enough? You are an ASS, Severus Snape," she snapped, storming off upstairs toward her room.

"I'll come for you when you're ready!" Severus yelled after her.

"Fuck you!" Hermione called back down.

Severus sat back in his armchair. He really wasn't as angry as he had portrayed. He had wanted to pull her out of her self-pitying state. And he did. The witch that cursed him from the upper landing was the witch he wanted. The defiant, outspoken, indomitable, infuriating Hermione Granger. Not the shadow that was sitting in the armchair next to him moments before, humbling herself.

Now, how was he going to get that Hermione in his bed? He thought about it.

Hm. Now that's an idea.

---

Hermione was still in her training clothes when she finally came out of her room, fuming and walked downstairs. No one was in the living room. She walked into the kitchen. Tonks and Kingsley were there, and Tonks looked like the proverbial dragon that swallowed the canary. Her pixie face had a mischievous smile on it. Kingsley was studiously studying his nails. The remains of their supper was sitting in front of them.

"Heya Hermione," Tonks greeted her, grinning wickedly, "We saw your 'opponent' in the ROR this morning."

She and Kingsley both dissolved into helpless laughter. Hermione scowled at the both of them and walked over to the pot on the stove to see what they made for dinner. Severus walked in. He immediately saw Hermione, and his eyebrows drew together blackly. Then his black eyes fell on the Aurors, who immediately tried to get themselves together. Severus knew by the way they avoided his eyes that the joke had something to do with him. And by the way Hermione was scowling over the pot of food she was examining, it was something at her expense.

He knew no one would tell him what the joke was, so he employed a little room-wide legilimency. All three should have similar thoughts about one specific idea or incident. He touched Tonks first, and saw himself in a bed, naked, propped up on his arm. This startled him. Where had she seen this? The room he was in was completely unfamiliar. He looked into Kingsley's mind next. The Auror was walking towards Tonks and the open door of the ROR. The Auror looked in, and there Severus was, again in the bed. The Potions Master then delved into Hermione's mind, and saw the entire scene unfold. The witch asking the room for a random scene generation with one opponent, and his golem appearing in the bed in front of her. Ah, now he understood. The ROR was the rock cake that broke the Thestral's back. That's why she came to him. She felt thoroughly defeated. Well, that must have thrown her for a loop.

Hermione was spooning some stew into a plate.

"I hope you leave some," Severus said, "I'm extremely hungry. For food that is."

He saw Hermione pause.

"Someone did a fine job of killing my other appetite," he finished.

He just managed to get out of the kitchen door before the plate of stew hit it.

Severus stood in the corridor smirking. So, she was sensitive about what he said this afternoon. She was in battle mode too. He hurried upstairs to change clothes. This was going to be fun. If he did this right, maybe he wouldn't have to wait after all.

Hermione scourgified the mess off the kitchen door as Tonks and Kingsley looked at her soberly. They had heard what Severus said to set her off, and guessed the dynamics to their stormy attraction for each other had changed. Tonks looked at Hermione curiously as the witch scraped every remaining bit of food out of the pot and put it on her plate, then filled the empty pot with water and set it in the sink. Let him eat that.

Hermione stalked over to the kitchen table, sat down and started eating. She was still mad at the Aurors for teasing her about the golem the ROR generated this morning.

"I take it you and Severus are at a new level," Tonks said, looking at the witch as she chewed her food angrily. Hermione leveled a hard gaze at the Auror, then looked back down at her plate, gathering more food on her fork.

"Come on, Hermione. We were just teasing," Kingsley said, grinning at her. "You have to admit it was pretty funny."

"To you, maybe," Hermione grumped.

"What was Severus talking about, Hermione?" Tonks asked her outright.

Hermione looked up at the Auror, then her amber eyes cut to Kingsley, who rose.

"All right. I know where this is going. See you later," he said, picking up his plate and putting it in the sink, then striding out the kitchen door. The two witches watched him go.

Tonks fixed Hermione with her hazel eyes. "All right then, spill it."

"I told Severus I was willing to…to…"

"Shag him?" Tonks said excitedly. She always went right to the meat, that one.

Hermione scowled at her a moment.

"Yes," she said.

"Ooh, so when are you doing the dirty deed? Or did you do it already?" Tonks asked, her hazel eyes practically glowing. She was ecstatic Hermione was finally going to get good and laid.

"No…we haven't done anything. He said I was trying to be a martyr and he'd come for me when the time was right," Hermione said.

Tonks looked perplexed.

"What did you do, Hermione? This morning it looked like he wanted to take you right here in the kitchen. You must have done something to cool him off," the Auror said.

Hermione shrugged.

"When I was coming upstairs from the ROR and saw him sitting in the living room, I just realized I was fighting the evitable. It was going to happen, so I just gave in and told him I'd do it," she said.

"You…gave in." Tonks repeated. The Auror looked thoughtful. "All right, you tell me every single thing you said and did from the time you left the ROR until the end of your conversation with Severus," Tonks said. "I'm good at this stuff. Men might seem tough, but they are sensitive too. Even Severus."

Hermione snorted. "The only place that man is probably sensitive is the part he wants to stick in me," she said, frowning.

Tonks grinned. "All right. Give me all the details."

Hermione painstakingly went over the sequence of events that led to the final blowup between them. Tonks asked a question here or there. When Hermione finished, the Auror wrinkled her brow and looked at her seriously.

"He still wants you. But not the you that was folded up in that armchair. He likes the Hermione that fights with him and stands up to him. Not the one that folds and says, ok, just do me," Tonks said. "He's attracted by your passion, Hermione. He could probably work it up in you if he just accepted what you said and took you to bed, but he wants you to be the woman he battles with every day. Not a submissive. More like an equal, know what I mean?"

Hermione looked at her. Tonks voice grew soft.

"Hermione, Severus isn't like other wizards. He's alone because he hadn't found a woman that really attracted him or aroused him. He spent so many years living a lie that, I don't know, maybe he just wanted something real when he came out of all of that. He could've just gone to the brothel and shagged somebody, you know? That's what most wizards would have done. He feels something's special about you. Something honest and real. You challenge him, you aren't afraid of him like most people are. I've seen people cringe when he walks into a room. You never cringe or fold. You never treat him with kid gloves like the rest of the people he deals with. You'll tell him go fuck off if he irks you. That's what he likes, Hermione, your spirit. He's not going to touch you if you're not yourself. He wants the whole package. It's not just the sex. That he can get anywhere. And all you offered him today was just sex. That's what's wrong," the Auror said.

Hermione ran her hand through her hair and looked at the Auror. Tonks might be a bit on the wild side, but the witch could always hit the mark in a situation. People always underestimated her, and that's why she was so good at what she did for the Order and for the Ministry. She interrogated deatheaters, and from the pieces she gleaned from several sources, she could put together an entire picture, and they never even knew they had given her anything to work with. Tonks was just that good. Hermione sighed.

It was true. She did have a defeatist attitude when she talked to Severus today, and he picked up on it. She had tossed the Potions Master into the same bag as other wizards, men ruled by their lust and happy with a woman who was willing to fall on her back and let them have their way. Severus never cut corners or took the easy route in anything he did. Just because something was offered him didn't mean he'd take it. What happened with the Order of Merlin, the most coveted medal in wizarding society proved that. He turned it down, because it wasn't given honestly. It was offered to ease the Ministry's conscience.

She should have known he wouldn't want her like that, just giving in. It was a cheat. But she hadn't been thinking about him. Just herself. No wonder he had become so angry.

"I think I understand Tonks. Thanks for clearing that up for me," Hermione said to the Auror warmly.

"It's what I do," the Auror said modestly. Then her eyes glittered.

"You need to go and straighten this out so you can get to the goodies. I'm telling you, when you finally get together with that wizard your toes are going to be perpetually curled. I can see it in his eyes," the Auror grinned at her. "It's been years for him. He'll be an animal."

Hermione looked doubtful.

"I don't know if I can do 'animal' Tonks," she said.

"Tell me, when he gets near you, does your belly heat up?" Tonks asked her.

Hermione nodded.

"When he had you pinned against the wall, did you feel like you were on fire?"

"Yes," Hermione admitted.

"And when he pressed against you, did you get an ache between your legs? I know you made him let you go…but did that happen?"

Hermione nodded again.

"You'll do 'animal' just fine," the Auror grinned at her, "You need to go find him and let him know you know what he needs from you. Talk to him. Shit, snog him. I guarantee that will get you smoking just the way he wants you. Remember this too, Hermione. You want him just as much as he wants you. Don't play the submissive role. Or the shy retiring type. He's the kind of wizard you should enjoy. Have fun with. Get freaky with. You're a tiger. Rowr." Tonks clawed at the air. Hermione laughed.

"A tiger. All right Tonks, I'll find him," she said, rising from the table. Her belly was all fluttery.

Tonks looked at her.

"Hell, you'd better do more than find him. I don't like my pep talks wasted. I expect to hear about some serious shagging tomorrow morning. Every blinking detail," the Auror said with a very serious look on her face. "Now go get him."

Hermione gave Tonks a small smile and left the kitchen.

---

She was walking toward the living room, when she saw Severus walking toward her. He was in training gear. Sweats, t-shirt and trainers. All black of course. She had never seen him in workout clothes before. She could see his body now. He was lean, and on the verge of broad shouldered. He was definitely muscular, but in an athletic kind of way. She could see the sinews in his arms. He stopped in front of her.

"Severus, I want to…" she began. Severus pushed her shoulder, hard.

"What are you doing?" Hermione said, frowning slightly. Severus pushed her again, forcing her back.

"I'm tired of you throwing things at me," he said silkily, "If you have some aggression you want to take out against me, we can do it in a more exacting manner than you throwing plates of stew and cups of coffee at me when my back is turned."

"I can't beat you in full contact," Hermione said, scowling at him. Her fists were balled. She didn't like him pushing her.

"So we'll spar then. Throws, locks and holds. Pulled punches and kicks. There will be some contact. Some…bruises. Unless you're afraid you can't even handle that," he purred at her. "Or are you still in your "I give up, I give in" mode? In that case, you're already beaten and would be a waste of my time."

That was it. Hermione poked him hard in his chest.

"I've been waiting to get you back for over a year. Ever since you kicked me from behind, you bastard!" she spat. "Sure, I'll spar you."

Severus looked at the irate witch. Her eyes were flashing, her mouth was curled in a snarl, her breathing was heavy, excited. She exuded defiance from every pore. Yes…this was a good catalyst. He felt a little throb of desire.

"Let's go then," he said, jerking his head toward the stairway leading to the ROR.

"I'm already there," Hermione growled, walking toward the cellar, her fists clenched to her sides.

Severus followed, smirking, his black eyes focused on the witch as she stalked angrily ahead of him.

If this didn't inspire her passion, at least he'd get to kick her ass.

---

Hermione and Severus walked down the cellar stairs to the training area beneath Grimmauld Place. Neither said a word. Hermione's eyes were narrowed, and her hands clenched to her sides. All she could think of was her fist making contact with Severus' face one good time. She'd gladly take an ass kicking for that privilege.

Severus, on the other hand was in full-blown sex mode. Hermione this way made his blood boil. He wanted to beat her, yes, but in an entirely different way than Hermione wanted her satisfaction. She technically wasn't a virgin, though she had never experienced a satisfactory sex act. And since she wasn't a virgin, he had no intentions on treating her like one. She was tough. Having her in a bed would have been nice, but it definitely wasn't necessary. Mats would be fine.

Hermione approached the wall to the ROR and made the necessary passes for the door to appear. She pushed her way in, followed by Severus. The ROR created a very simple scenario for them. Padded floors and walls. There was a stack of mats in the corner. Hermione immediately began to loosen up, bouncing up and down, rolling her head and shoulders, doing a few kicks and punches.

She surreptiously watched as Severus took a stance and tensed his muscles, bulking up for a moment. He rolled his shoulders back, and she heard a cracking noise. He rolled his neck from side to side, and there was also a popping sound. He did a couple of leg stretches. Then he cracked both his fists. Hermione stared at him a moment. The Potions Master was extremely strong. Ah well. She'd have to count on her ability to use her size and quickness.

She did a backbend, then flipped over neatly. This was followed by two splits, one to the front and one to the sides. Severus looked at the witch as she bounced with her legs spread out on either side of her, and stifled a groan. He hadn't realized she was so…flexible. If she didn't stop bouncing soon, she'd see for herself the answer to Tonks' question about how big he was. The Potions Master turned away from her and did a few kicks and punches.

Finally they both finished their warm-ups. Twenty meters apart, they faced each other, narrowed amber eyes meeting steady black eyes. Hermione took a defensive stance, right shoulder forward, hands held open and slightly curled, right foot slightly forward. Her eyes swept over Severus. He had long legs and arms. She would have to get inside of his striking distance to do any damage. She would have to go for close contact. There'd be no other way she could touch him. She hoped her battles with his golem would pay off. Hopefully the ROR had made it nearly as skilled as the Potions Master.

Severus lowered his hands and took a deep breath before taking his own stance, his black eyes taking in the witch's body language. He was watching for any telltale sign of when she would attack. They faced each other this way for about ten seconds before Hermione charged the Potions Master, throwing a flurry of kicks and blows, which he countered.

The Potions Master dropped low to sweep Hermione's feet from under her, but she knew the move, jumped and kicked him in the chest, knocking him on his ass. It seemed the golem did use the Potions Master's technique. Hermione smiled at him sweetly before taking her stance again.

Severus looked up at her for a moment, stood up and dusted himself off. Then he launched himself at her, feinting a front kick, then catching her in the side of the head with his elbow when she dodged. He pulled the blow, but only slightly. She staggered to the left, but recovered quickly. She shook her head and began to circle him, her eyes full of fire. She looked magnificent to the wizard. Perhaps he shouldn't have been admiring her, because the witch darted in suddenly, grasped his arm, twisted her body into his, dropped and threw him over her shoulder, slamming him hard to the mat. Damn she was fast. Hermione stomped on Severus' stomach for good measure, before dancing away, just managing to escape his sweeping grab at her leg. Normally she would have gone for his groin with the stomp, but, well, she really didn't want to do him any damage there.

The stomp didn't hurt Severus a bit. He was so strongly built he was able to absorb it. The Potions Master stood up again, his black eyes glittering.

"I see battling my golem in the middle of the night has paid off for you, somewhat," he commented.

Hermione shrugged and gave him a half-assed smile. She wasn't going to waste time talking. She had an ass to kick. She was growing more confident, having taken him down two times. She decided to try the same move again, figuring he wouldn't expect her to do the same move twice, and she circled him again, changing up her stance from time to time to keep him guessing. Hermione feinted left, and Severus pretended to be fooled, but when she darted in, the Potions Master grabbed her, lifted her up and flipped her over, throwing her hard to the ground, then dropping on her hard with an elbow to the stomach. He connected, but Hermione managed to punch him in the face, hard. She worked on her solar plexus muscles and was also able to absorb the blow, though there was some pain. Before the Potions Master could get up, Hermione slipped her arms under his and attempted to put him in a full nelson, but he extended his long arms over his head and pulled downward, slipping away. She only managed to hang on to him with her hands, trying to use her body weight to keep him off-balance while she attempted to tangle his long legs in her own.

They wrestled, applying and slipping locks and holds, Hermione's small body twisting and curling. Her limberness helped keep her mobile, Severus unable to apply painful locks because she simply bent along with his motions. They rolled over and over, struggling against each other, each trying to gain the advantage. Severus gave her a blow to the head that stunned her for a moment, and he was able to pin her down with her arms extended over her head, his long body lying full length on top of hers. He looked down at her.

"Now, isn't this an interesting position, Hermione?" he asked. Hermione was panting, her breasts heaving, her amber eyes furious as they looked up at the wizard.

"You've got me. Let me up," she hissed at him

The Potions Master stared down at her, his black eyes heating up reminding her of the hot, hard look he gave her last night when he had her against the wall. She swallowed, and felt desire flaring in her belly. Then he smirked, and rolled off her.

He stood up, looking down at her.

"Well, Hermione…by the look on your face, you look like you're torn between fighting me or shagging me. Personally, I hope you shag better than you fight. If you don't, then I'm sure to be disappointed," he sneered at her. Hermione turned bright red and leaped to her feet.

"Why you arrogant son of a …"she said, her amber eyes flashing furiously as she attacked him with vicious kicks and blows. She was full contact now, and Severus was hard put to block her furious assault on him. Inwardly, he was loving it. She was mad, and you can't fight well when you're angry.

"How…do you….know you won't…disappoint me?" Hermione spat as she continued her attack, backing the Potions Master up. They were moving toward the stack of mats in the corner of the room.

Severus blocked a particularly brutal kick with his forearms.

"Because, unlike you…I know…how to shag," he panted. Hermione paused in her attack to catch her breath. She was covered with a sheen of sweat, her hair sticking to her face. She pushed it out of the way.

"You don't know what I know," she hissed at him.

"I know you're afraid to let go," the Potions Master said, his black eyes fixed to hers, "I know you'd rather take the bitch's way out and just give in to me like you have no passion or needs of your own."

"You're wrong!" she yelled at him, rushing forward and tackling him so forcefully she knocked the wind out of the wizard. They fell on the stack of mats, Severus landing on his back. Hermione quickly straddled him, holding his arms down, shifting her weight to her arms to try and keep him pinned. But she knew she wasn't strong enough to keep him down, but for right now she had the upper hand. Bitch's way out, eh?

Severus was trying to catch his breath, and looking up at the witch glaring down at him. Suddenly Hermione punched him hard in the side of the head.

"I don't take the bitch's way out of anything. Anything!" she seethed.

Then she kissed him.

---

What made him think he knew her so well? She had no passion? Hermione pressed her lips against the Potion Master's with a vengeance. She'd show him she had more passion than he ever dared imagine.

She held his arms down and kissed him roughly, her lips crushing his as they moved against his mouth hungrily. Pressing didn't seem enough, so she pulled at his lips, capturing them between her own, suckling and letting her teeth worry the soft skin, before she remembered his kiss the night before and forced his mouth open, sliding her tongue inside, and lapping at his mouth slowly, deeply, laving, licking, sucking at his tongue, showing him she also had the ability to possess him strongly with a kiss.

Severus had been taken by surprise by the witch. She had punched him pretty good and before his anger could fully extend itself, she had captured his mouth passionately and possessively. This was not a submissive kiss…it had fire in it, determination, anger and something feral. Hermione plainly wasn't giving. She was taking and Severus welcomed her invasion. And when she pushed her tongue into his mouth, demanding he receive her, the Potions Master felt something in him ignite, desire racing down his spine and swelling so swiftly he felt dizzy with the need to get inside this witch and let their bodies go to war

As Hermione possessed Severus' mouth, she was aware of her need pulsing first through her belly, then flowing like honey to the apex of her thighs where it became a sweet, hungry ache and realized she was tired of that ache receding time after time without relief. She released Severus' mouth and looked down at him, seeing him for what he was, an infuriating, arrogant, domineering bastard who she wanted to need her. She needed him to need her if he needed no one else.

"Still say I have no passion?" she panted at him, "or shall I show you again, Severus?"

Severus looked up at Hermione, then suddenly bucked his body up and pulled his arms to the side and out of her grasp, making her fall on him. He deftly rolled over on the struggling witch, grabbing her wrists and pinning her body with his chest, his legs off to the side.

"You may have a little, witch, but you'll submit to my passion," he said, his hair curtaining his face and his black eyes glinting down at her. "It's greater than yours."

"No I won't," she responded, her nostrils flared as she struggled, "I'll never submit."

"We'll see. It's time," he said to her, "You'll be all mine, Hermione Granger. I'm going to be…how do the muggles say it? Ah, yes. Your Daddy."

Severus had heard this term while watching a moving picture box in a store in muggle London, and liked it He'd been dying to use it on the witch, and this seemed the perfect time, particularly since he meant to have the little hellcat screaming his name.

"My daddy?" Hermione said, laughing, "That's a muggle term. Do you even know what that means?"

"Yes," he replied, "It means I'm finally going to have you under control, you little minx. There'll be no smart-assed retorts. No snide little remarks. The only words that you'll be saying to me, Hermione, will be, 'Severus' and 'Please'.

His threats were making Hermione hotter and hotter. She didn't know if he could take her to the place where she'd think he was her daddy, but she didn't intend to make the journey easy. She might not be experienced, but logic told her that the real facts were while he was shagging her, she'd be shagging him…and that would put them on even ground despite his threats.

"You talk as if you're going to be doing this by yourself, Severus. You think you know me, but you don't. You might be calling me "Mommy" before this is over," she responded.

"You have a lot of mouth, Hermione," Severus said, his dark eyes growing hot.

"I can back it up, too," she said, her amber eyes flashing at him.

Severus kissed her hard, shoving his tongue between her lips and raping the witch's mouth. She strained against him, battling his tongue, determined that he knew she was not going to let him just ravish her. She had needs of her own to fulfill with this maddening wizard. But gods, his mouth was amazing, and soon she was lost in the kiss, as was he, and it was the perfect balance between surrender and possession.

Severus released her mouth, his organ throbbing. He let go of her wrists and rolled off her.

Severus stood up and looked down at the witch with challenge in his eyes. Hermione rose to her feet and stood facing him, her eyes narrowed.

Severus pulled his t-shirt over his head in one smooth motion, revealing his pale torso. Hermione gazed at it unabashedly. She then grasped her own t-shirt and pulled it over her head, revealing her full breasts and strong abdomen. There was no shyness as she met his eyes.

Severus' let his gaze drop to her breasts for a moment. He drew in a stuttered breath to calm his reaction before he met her eyes, his hands going to the drawstring of his sweats. Hermione dropped her hand to her drawstring as well, and they both undid the strings, and removed their pants in tangent. They stood up, eyeing each other, rather appreciatively…though they each strove to remain poker-faced

Severus swallowed as he looked at her white bikini cut panties and creamy thighs. He could just make out the patch of chestnut hair beneath the thin fabric. Hermione's eyes widened as she saw the huge tent in Severus' silk boxers, but then narrowed with determination as their eyes met again. She refused to be frightened. She drew on her intellect for strength. If she could pass a child, then she could handle the length and thickness of the Potions Master.

His nostrils flaring, Severus was ready for the unveiling. In his earlier days, before his self-imposed celibacy, he had women back out of encounters because of his size. Now he'd test Hermione's mettle for sure. He was looking forward to her reaction, though he hoped she wouldn't try to break and run. He'd catch her. He had no intentions of letting her get away from him when he was this close to shagging her.

Hermione looked at Severus' face, and thought he was looking rather smug. She snorted when she thought about his comment in the kitchen about men not being concerned about size. Obviously, he thought quite highly of his endowment. Well, she didn't care how big he was. Women were made to accommodate men. She could handle it.

Severus hooked his finger into the waistband of his silk boxers. Hermione slipped her hands into either side of her panties. They drew their undergarments down, stepped out of them and tossed them aside. Then they straightened. Severus smirked as Hermione's eyes dropped to his tool. He was fully erect and pulsing, ready to shag the shit out of the witch. Hermione looked at his member calmly, willing herself to remember that she would be able to handle it. The head was mushroomed and a dark pink. Raised veins encircled the long, thick shaft. It looked strong, but delicate. Hermione felt a strong pulse of desire deep inside her, followed by a gush of warmth. It was so sudden and unexpected, that she shuddered and unconsciously bit her lip. Severus saw this, and fought back a groan at how sexy she looked and how ready she was. Hermione lifted her eyes to his again.

"Now that I've seen you naked," she said to the wizard, "I've figured out the reason for your lack of charm. Mother Nature excluded it to make more room for your cock."

Severus raised an eyebrow at her. The witch still had mouth. Minx.

"We'll soon see how much room you have," he growled, stepping toward her menacingly.

Hermione's belly flipped when he moved toward her, but she showed no sign of it, and instead of withdrawing, she stepped forward, reached out with both hands and ran her fingers and palms over Severus' chest and ribbed abdomen, taking in every ridge and ripple, her eyes narrowed and intense, her fingertips stopping just above his pubic hair. Severus drew in a breath at her bold exploration. He had thought there would be some hesitation. But no, she wanted to touch him.

"Is that the boundary line?" he mocked her, seeing how she stopped her exploration just above his erection.

"No, just a rest stop," she replied, sliding her hand down and grasping him.

Severus hissed with surprise and jerked at the warmth of her small hand gripping him. Inside, Hermione's heart was beating what felt like a thousand beats a minute. His organ was hot and heavy. She could feel its pulse in her palm. The skin was soft, silken and easily slid over the hardness beneath. She began to caress him, watching and listening to his reaction. She had the power at the moment, and was going to take advantage of it.

The Potions Master closed his eyes as Hermione's hands caressed him, sliding gently along him shaft, sending jolts of pleasure through his body as she intimately touched him. Yes, the witch had heart. He brought his pale hands up and brushed them against the tips of her breasts, which instantly hardened, and she went half-lidded. He slid his palms around the fullness of her globes. They were firm and heavy, and he heard a purr issue from the back of her throat as he squeezed them, her hand tightening around him.

Hermione brought her other hand up and began to caress his torso and belly again, as she familiarized herself with his hard organ. She slid her hand around his waist and up his back. Suddenly, she stopped her ministrations, her amber eyes looking up at him, wide and unreadable.

"Turn around," she whispered, her eyes glistening. Severus turned.

Hermione looked in horror at the wicked pattern of raised stripes that covered the wizard's back from his shoulder to his lower back. The Potions Master closed his eyes as the witch gently traced the patterns slowly with her fingertips, drawing them across his body gently, almost reverently.

"Oh my gods, Severus," Hermione whispered, "Oh gods…I never knew how you suffered."

He felt Hermione's arms gently encircle his waist as she began to kiss each and every scar on his back. He shuddered as her mouth moved over his skin softly.

Hermione had known about the Cruciatus curses the Potions Master took, but she had never known he had been whipped and beaten. By the number of scars and raised tissue, it had happened more than a few times.

"You went through this for us. All of us," she whispered to him through her kisses.

"I did what I had to do, Hermione. Nothing more," he breathed as the witch continued to kiss his back, her hands sliding over his belly and torso. Finally he turned around in her arms and looked down at the witch, who continued kissing his torso. Her eyes were tightly closed and she was shaking with emotion. His stripes had truly affected her.

"Hermione," he said softly.

"Yes," she replied. Even her voice was shaking.

"It's all right," he said, sliding his hands over her shoulders and down her back. Her skin was so soft. He throbbed against her, and she pressed into him, moving against him hungrily.

"I don't want to wait anymore," she said, reaching up and grasping his shoulders, and pulling him down. Her entire body felt like one great aching ball of need. She wanted the Potions Master badly. It was as if the scars on his body brought home to her what a special man he was, and she wanted to feel him inside her, losing himself in her, with her. Hermione gently dropped to the mat on her back and Severus followed her down, lowering his body on to hers. He looked down at her for a moment, then nudged her legs apart, adjusting himself between her thighs. He felt her hips press up against him, and his eyes glittered as he pulled her knees up and positioned himself against her wet, heated opening. There was so much more he could do to her, but the urgency of his need was too great. He wanted her impaled. Now.

Hermione was gasping as she felt him nestle against her ache. She felt his body tense, his muscles bunching as if he were a spring ready to uncoil.

"Wait," she said, her amber eyes glowing with need.

He looked at her, his eyes dark with lust and his tight body aching to spring loose.

"I just want you to know that this isn't submission. This is acceptance, Severus."

His brow furrowed.

"Acceptance, Hermione?" he growled, "Good. Accept this, then."

His eyes locked to the witch's face, the Potions Master thrust into her.

Hard.

"Oh shit!" Hermione gasped.

She arched as Severus plowed into her, shifting his angle of entry in the process so he hit bottom even harder when he filled her. The witch let out a choked squeal of mixed pleasure and pain

Severus' eyes flickered up to the whites with pleasure as he slid deep into Hermione's soft, virgin-tight sleeve, her hot juices bathing him in wet heat. He looked down at the panting witch, who was trying to relax around him and rolled his pelvis lustfully, twisting inside her and making her buckle, gasping. Gods she felt and sounded good

"Did you just say 'Daddy?'" Severus breathed, holding still, enjoying her softness around him as he gave her a chance to adjust to his size. Hermione's amber eyes were glistening wetly.

"No," she whispered, almost overwhelmed by how delicious and right Severus felt, throbbing so deep inside her

Severus pulled back and thrust into Hermione again, his eyes fixed to her face, which was contorting, this time with more pleasure than pain as he slid through her, jerking her body, caressing her searing insides, soothing the burning ache within her by replacing it with his own sweet sting. Again the Potions Master held still, pulsing inside Hermione's tightness, feeling a sense of victory that the infuriating, captivating young witch was wrapped around him at last.

Hermione suddenly rolled her hips experimentally, and was rewarded with a hiss, then a groan from Severus, as well as receiving a luscious burst of pleasure for herself as she manipulated him inside her. Her amber eyes narrowed a bit as she looked up at him. The witch was always a quick study. Severus looked down at her appreciatively.

"Trying to learn some new tricks?" he breathed.

In answer, Hermione flexed her inner muscles, squeezing his length inside her and making him grunt in surprise and pleasure as she tightened around him.

"Yessss,' he hissed, and began to possess her, lifting himself up on his arms and arching into her, hitting her with long, strong strokes, biting his lip, his dark eyes closed in pleasure as her juices gushed around him. Hermione began to moan as he set his rhythm, burying himself between her thighs, his lean body sliding over hers. Hermione met his thrusts, tilting her pelvis and guiding his stroke deeper, creating greater friction, tightening around him, her hot walls clamping, gripping and massaging his organ, making the Potions Master growl with delight. Damn. She was a natural.

Severus dug his toes into the mat and pistoned into her, his balls banging against her ass as Hermione began to cry out in pleasure, short rhythmic screams and shrieks torn from the witch as he hit bottom over and over, groaning as she continued to roll and pump her hips, her small hands gripping his buttocks, pulling him to her wantonly, and wriggling deliciously around his plunging member, making him drive into her harder, the thump of her hips and slap of his body making an odd, steady heartbeat echo through the ROR. He watched Hermione as they rippled together and she was a beautiful animal, covered with a sheen of perspiration, her hair spread wildly around her head, some fallen across her face, her amber eyes on fire, seeming to stare somewhere beyond him as she fought to meet him, taking his power, his urgency, his desire and throwing it back at him lustfully, equal in her own power, her own urgency and her own desperate desire

Hermione now knew what it meant to be possessed by a man, as the Potions Master slaked his thirst for her body with his own, his hardness hungry, insistent, a harsh but tender sword cutting through her, an extension of his being probing, reaching, demanding every inch of flesh, every note of passion he could pull from her. There was no coldness now, no remoteness, no passionless, black-eyed ice-king. He was all heat, all possession, all focus and all hers as he claimed her, and the bubble of bliss that was swelling inside her was all the proof she needed that his passion was real, at least for this eternal moment. She gave herself over to him, but not quietly, not submissively…his hunger was her hunger, they were mirror images, surging, melding, melting into each other, both reflecting the same consuming need for completion that could only come from each other.

As Severus plunged into the passionate, beautiful witch crying out beneath him, meeting him thrust for thrust, stroke for delicious stroke, giving herself to him even as she took her pleasure from him, he knew he couldn't get this satisfaction, this sense of wholeness from shagging any other witch. Hermione's fire carried over from the conflicts and the small wars they engaged in, he could feel her flame burning deep inside her as he sheathed himself repeatedly in the warmth of her body, and he was totally and mortally consumed by it. As he stroked her, he stoked her, she was blistering around him now, her amber eyes hot and pleading as they locked with his, Hermione straining to reach some unknown pinnacle and pitch over it, sweat pouring freely off her petite, strong body as she worked fervently to find and solve the urgent mystery boiling up inside her.

Severus, seeing the desperation in her eyes, dropped on the witch, slipped his hands under her back and gripped her shoulders. Using her body for leverage, he pulled himself forward, ramming to the hilt inside her, causing her to scream his name for the first time, making his chest grow tight as he continued to drive into her, lying skin to skin, his face turned toward hers, whispering tender obscenities as he took her almost brutally, encouraging her to surrender, to let go and let him take her where she needed to go. Hermione began to shudder beneath him, lost to everything but Severus' words and his powerful possession. He pounded into her frantically, doing his best to release her, and sweetness burst beneath the ache, flooding Hermione's body with bliss. She arched powerfully, lifting the Potions Master and howling his name, before she was flung outward, spinning, lost to intense pleasure.

The Potions Master hissed as the shuddering Hermione screamed his name and tightened around him like a living, pulsing vise, gripping him so strongly he was locked inside her, unable to do anything but groan as her orgasm washed over him like a liquid wildfire, setting off his own powerful release, his seed pouring through him as if a dam had burst, filling the witch to overflowing as he strained against her, groaning, grimacing, his mouth going slack. Every muscle in his body went taunt with an almost unbearable pleasure as he experienced his first climax in years.

Severus shot and shot into Hermione's quaking body, the pulsing stream of come seeming endless, his balls pumping gush after gush of rich creamy sperm. After what seemed like hours, the Potions Master was finally spent, his chest heaving as he lay on the witch still shuddering beneath him, his face buried in her jasmine-scented hair. He could feel her heart beating against his own pounding heart, almost in tangent. They were soaked and Hermione was lying in a puddle of perspiration. She was beyond caring at this point, riding out the final delicious pulses of her orgasm, Severus softening inside her. She had never experienced anything so good in all her life. No wonder so many people were sex-crazy. Sergio had set her back years.

After a few minutes of cooling off, Hermione began to shiver, rousing Severus, who lazily cast a scourgify on them both, and the mat, then collapsed on Hermione again, sighing deeply as he nestled on top of her soft body, still inside her, his face turned toward hers, his eyes closed.

Hermione's amber eyes swept over the Potions Master's face. His features were softened, relaxed, and for the first time since she'd known him, he looked content. She smiled and brushed away a lock of silky black hair that had fallen across his big beak of a nose.

"Still think I can't shag?" she said softly. She could tell he wasn't asleep.

"You're passable," he said shortly. Hermione frowned.

"What do you mean, passable? I really threw it on you," she said angrily, "You couldn't even close your mouth!"

Severus' black eyes opened and fixed on her.

"I wish you'd close yours. I'm trying to recover from all the work I had to do," he said, closing his eyes again.

Hermione pushed him off of her.

"Work YOU had to do? What work? Your cock's so big it does all the work for you! Too bad it's not detachable," she said, scowling at him.

"You can always get a detached cock. It's called a dildo," Severus responded. "You keep this annoying whining up and it will be a wise investment for your future."

Hermione lay there a moment. Then she hit a startled Severus right in the eye, slid off the mat and jumped to her feet, wincing a little.

"All right, let's go," she said, putting her hands up, "Come on, you and me."

Severus was sitting up, holding his eye and scowling. He looked at the witch for a moment with his one good orb, then slid his long, lean body to the edge of the pile of mats, stood up and faced her. He lowered his hand. A nice bruise was forming. He'd have a shiner in the morning. Severus poked around his eye with his finger, winced at the tenderness, then looked at her blackly before putting up his hands. He made a "come and get some" motion with his pale fingers. Hermione's eyes narrowed.

The two lovers studied each other for a moment, then charged.

Some wars just aren't meant to end.

THE END

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A/N: And that is the end of "Love Can Be a Battle or a War." Thanks for reading.