**Disclaimer: I am not the author of Harry Potter and own no rights to characters or universe. The plot however, is mine alone.**
Author's Note: I didn't have a lot of time to polish this one up for you guys, so hopefully it's up to the standard you've come to expect.
Content Warning: This is the one you guys have been waiting for. Smut ahead. While I tried to keep it tasteful, it is rather graphic. If that's not your thing, think long and hard *ahem* before continuing. But who are we kidding? Who doesn't like some good "clean" smut? Mind the M rating. It's not just there for kicks!
Chapter Nine
/\*/\*/\
Hermione – 17 September 2001-Monday
Hermione arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast, now clean and feeling rather refreshed. She'd opted for black robes, as usual, but these were trimmed in a rich violet that made her feel a little bit pretty but still professional. Her step faltered though when she saw Severus in his usual seat right next to hers. She truly had not expected him to be here. After the way he'd dismissed her from his lab, she'd expected him to be avoiding her. Then again, perhaps he'd been counting on the same.
Struggling to remain outwardly neutral, Hermione slid into her seat. Her intense peripheral focus on the man next to her allowed her to observe him tensing slightly. Oh yeah, he definitely hadn't expected to see her this morning.
"Good morning, Severus," she offered, since it was her customary greeting, and she was trying to act like everything was entirely normal. Like the best dream she'd had since the war hadn't featured him less than an hour ago. Like they hadn't hit second base in his lab last night. Like she didn't want to scream at the man, demand to know why he'd kissed her, and if it would be possible to make him do it again.
"Granger," he replied, only slightly more stiffly than normal.
They didn't speak any more throughout the meal, and Hermione found that she was grateful for it. Severus, it seemed, wanted to forget that anything at all had happened between them. While she didn't necessarily want that, she kind of figured that it was the best she could hope for under the circumstances. So, while she burned with the desire to talk to him about what had happened, she held her tongue. If she just gave it a little time, she was pretty sure that they could put the whole thing behind them. It broke her heart, but she was sure that it was for the best if she wanted any shot at being his friend.
Focusing on her classes all day was more effort than it should have been. She knew that her students deserved her entire focus, but it turned out that she was human after all. Everything seemed to remind her of Severus today. He turned up for lunch and dinner as well. While she was tempted to sneak down the kitchen or take the meals in her room, that was no way to pretend that nothing had happened between them.
Despite her very adult resolutions however, every time her arm came close to brushing against his at the dining table she felt her whole body heat up like she was a silly teenager with a crush. It was infuriating!
As the week continued, Hermione found herself struggling to focus on her task for Luna in order to avoid thinking about Severus and hopefully retain some of her sanity. She spent all of her free time in the library, pouring through book after book from the restricted section in an effort to locate Luna's "Goblet of Death".
When she saw Severus at meals, she found the tension between them gradually beginning to ebb. It made her wonder if he felt it too, though probably not in quite the same way. She really did try not to think about what their lustful kiss might now look like through his eyes. She tried not to think about it through her eyes either, as that usually led to the necessity of a chilly shower. When they happened to pass in the halls, it was usually with and nod and a murmured "Severus/Granger" being exchanged.
It was late Friday evening, while pouring through yet another book, that Hermione finally found it. She'd been reading through so many books that she'd actually stopped expecting to find anything. The research had become just something to distract herself rather than an actual search.
There was no picture. Just a single page in an ancient text about cursed objects that had been lost or destroyed centuries ago. It was called Bledrun's Last Drink rather than the Goblet of Death, which didn't really surprise her. When the Quibbler did get something right, it was usually wrong by some degree. She scanned the page quickly, working to commit every word to memory. While it didn't prove Luna's theory, it certainly corroborated.
The goblet evidently did change form, transfiguring itself in moments to copy any drinking apparatus that it was placed next to. The original form of the goblet was unknown. It had reputedly been used to assassinate more than one notable official of its day, but was eventually lost. Some believed that it had been destroyed while others assumed that it truly had been lost, mixed in with some dishes that someone had stored away and forgotten.
She read over the page twice more before she was thoroughly convinced that she'd taken as much from it as she could. Considering how old and obscure it seemed to be, she doubted that she'd find it in another book there, so more research was moot.
Now she just had to figure out what to do with what she'd found. Upon reading the obituary again, Hermione was convinced that Luna's hunch was possible, and the eccentric witch had been right about Voriette. She felt that it deserved more consideration, but she definitely didn't have enough to send to the Ministry and actually expect anything to be done about it. The last thing she wanted was for the Prophet to get hold of a tip that Hermione had become some kind of nut preaching insane theories and expecting something to be done about it.
She woke from the same old nightmare Saturday morning and tried not to dwell on it as she got ready for the day. As she had done every day for nearly a week, she put an effort into not thinking about her one happy dream or lamenting that it had not come again. That, she was sure, had been a product of a very ill-fated, though utterly unforgettable kiss.
/\*/\*/\
Severus – 21 September 2001-Saturday
Severus found himself watching the young witch next to him as she sat down at his side. For the first time in nearly a week, she didn't seem to even notice his presence. He found himself surprisingly disappointed at the sudden lack of attention, even if he had been constantly uncomfortable under her subtle scrutiny.
After waiting a couple minutes to see if she would offer the usual pleasantry, he realized that she wasn't going to. "Good morning, Granger," he offered instead.
"Good morning, Severus," she replied automatically. She didn't look at him or otherwise acknowledge that she was speaking to him at all. Her brow was slightly furrowed and she occasionally moved her lips as though muttering to herself though he couldn't hear anything even as close as he was. She certainly seemed concerned about something, and he was certain that it wasn't him for once.
"Are you okay?" he finally had to ask. He'd meant to speak quietly so as not to alert the whole table, but it came out softer than he'd expected.
She finally turned to look at him, surprise in her rich brown eyes. He wasn't certain if it was his question, his tone, or the mere fact that he was talking to her that surprised her the most. They hadn't actually spoken anything but pleasantries to each other since… Since that damnably foolish kiss.
"I was just thinking," she replied obscurely.
When she seemed on the point of dismissing his existence again, he decided that it was going to be necessary to push her a bit. "The subject, I gather, is a secret," he said just as dryly as he could manage.
She focused on him again with an adorable little frown. "No."
Severus couldn't decide if he was more amused or frustrated by her evasion since he honestly didn't think that she was doing it on purpose. She was simply so distracted that she wasn't paying enough attention to him to pick up on the fact that he was trying to get her to tell him more. "Do you mean for me to drag it out of you word by word?" he asked, his tone conveying his confused emotions.
She seemed surprised by his question, as though she'd thought their conversation over. It took her only a moment to recover. "I'm doing some research for a friend," she finally explained. "It has turned up something rather interesting. I'm pretty sure it's nothing though."
And then she turned away from him again, going back to her food with that thoughtful frown pinching her brow once more.
He allowed her to eat then, trying to focus on his own food.
"How are you coming with the books you borrowed?" he finally asked, determined to try to get passed Sunday night. Apart from anything else he might feel for her, the irritating woman was the only friend he had right now.
Her brow rose as she looked at him, "I haven't really had time to read them this week," she admitted. "I've been terribly busy. Do you need them back?"
"Not at all," he assured her, though he was surprised that she hadn't read them. She'd seemed so excited about them that she'd read a good portion before she'd even left his rooms that night. Then the next day she'd come to him talking about something that had been near the end of one of them. Now, a week later she hadn't even picked them up again.
Hermione Granger avoiding a book was just odd. It made him wonder if he was the cause. Probably he was giving himself too much credit, but she clearly thought something of their kiss as there had been such tension between the two of them ever since. He was convinced that the tension, at least, had been mutual.
She went back to ignoring him after just a small smile to acknowledge what he had last said. Upon observing her, he didn't think that he was the cause of her strange mood today. Apart from the fact that she was so effortlessly ignoring him, she seemed to be ignoring everyone else as well.
She finished eating quickly and left the table without a parting pleasantry to anyone, even when Minerva spoke to her. Severus watched after the young witch for a moment, wondering if he had destroyed any real chance at friendship when he'd kissed her.
/\*/\*/\
Hermione
Chasing an idea that had struck her during breakfast, Hermione went directly to the library from the Great Hall. She sifted through the restricted section until she found the book that she needed. She'd come across it earlier in the week but quickly passed over it as it had little about actual artifacts.
She opened it now and scanned through the pages until she found what she wanted. She read over it several times, then closed the book and hurried back to her rooms. Grabbing her purse and cloak, she left Hogwarts.
Once beyond the wards, she fished in her purse, using an accio to retrieve the map that she wanted, then unfolded it and scanned it carefully. Once she'd found what she wanted, she turned on the spot and disapparated.
Hermione arrived with a louder than usual crack of sound and a slight stumble at the unfamiliar location. She looked around warily, her hand gripping her wand in her sleeve reflexively. She seemed to be in the right place. A smallish but ancient cemetery. In the distance she could see the forlorn shapes of run-down buildings that had once made up a thriving port town. There was little left to it now, but it looked like the cemetery was still used as she could spot a recently dug grave nearby.
"Quaere Kitterwhal," she whispered to her wand before sending off the simple tracking spell. She quickly moved to follow the smoky trail through the cemetery, jogging between rows of crypts and trying not to step on any graves. Finally, the trail ended with the smoke swirling its way around the name Kitterwhal where it was engraved above the door on one of the larger crypts before dissipating.
Hermione worked to slow her breathing as she looked at the crypt before her. She needed to get back to running again. Just because she was now less likely to find herself running for her life didn't mean that she should let herself get complacent.
"Constant vigilance!" she barked quietly and chuckled at herself. Those were words she'd come to live by over the last four years or so. Moody had been right about that.
With that in mind, she disillusioned herself before opening the lock on the crypt with a quiet Alohamora. It was dark inside and she neither saw nor heard anything, so after a moment, she cast a Lumos on her wand. What it revealed was not surprising. Cold stone walls and floor, a little dust, and rows of tombs lined up against each wall. Seven in all, with space for three more. The oldest dated back over two hundred years.
She found the newest one with "Daniel" carved into the lid of the tomb. Taking a steadying breath, she levitated the lid and moved it aside.
And she nearly dropped it on the floor when the stench hit her. Daniel had been here nearly two weeks. Long enough to smell really foul, and he looked just as bad.
Struggling not to throw up, Hermione set the lid on top of the next tomb and cast a quick bubble head. Finally able to breathe, she allowed a moment for her stomach to settle before turning back to the rather terrible contents of the tomb. Suddenly, she hoped her body would be burned when she died. The thought of ending up like poor Daniel Kitterwhal, even if no one ever disturbed her body to see her, was such that she was making plans to have a will written up stating her desire.
She'd seen some terrible things in the last four or five years, but no matter how terribly a corpse was desecrated, she still preferred them fresher than this.
Using the diagnostic spell that she had researched after breakfast, Hermione quickly deciphered the glowing script. A muggle autopsy had been inconclusive, but even so long after his death, Hermione could tell enough with this spell to be certain that dark magic had killed this man. It very well could have been Bledrun's Last Drink.
Regardless, she now knew that a muggle had been killed by dark magic. That was enough information to send to the Ministry. They could take it from here, for which she was very glad. She had absolutely no desire to see anything like this ever again. It was possible that it had been an accidental death. If the goblet truly had ended up mixed into some muggle's antique tea set, it was possible that this man had simply had the misfortune of drinking from the wrong cup. Even if that was the case, of course, it was prudent that the cup be found and stored away safely at the Ministry where it could do no more harm.
After replacing the lid on the tomb and locking the crypt behind her, Hermione returned to her rooms at Hogwarts and penned a letter to Harry. As he was an Auror now, there was a good chance that he could see to it that something was done about this sooner rather than later. She was careful not to mention Luna in the letter since she was inclined to agree with the witch that it would not be taken as seriously if she was the source. Even by Harry.
While she waited for a reply, she settled down in front of her fire with Severus' book, determined the finish it. She opted to skip lunch as food did not sound particularly appetizing after her little fieldtrip. Instead, she stayed in her rooms and sipped some minty tea while she read.
It took a little while for her to stop thinking about the wizard that had written the book and focus on the words, but she eventually managed to make some progress. She was able to finish that book relatively quickly and moved onto the next.
It was getting dark outside when her reading was interrupted by an owl tapping at her window.
"Hello, Kaddis," Hermione smiled as the owl swooped into her sitting room. The large black owl looked about as opposite from Hedwig as possible while still being an owl. It had taken Harry almost two years to replace his last owl, and he had not done so lightly.
Kaddis nipped affectionately at Hermione's hand as the witch retrieved the message. She unrolled it and read.
Hermione,
I was happy to hear from you, but I admit that the subject surprised me. You're a teacher now, how did you come across this? Don't worry, I've already brought it to Robards' attention. Considering that it came from you, he seemed ready to take it seriously. He sent Marcus to check the tomb and confirmed that he was killed by dark magic. I can keep you updated if you want, but I really want to know how you found this. Bledrun's Last Drink hasn't been seen in centuries. I've instructed Kaddis to pester you until you reply.
Harry
Hermione sighed at the bird and sat down at her desk to send a reply. She'd been right about not mentioning Luna. Robards had decided to take it serious because it came from Hermione, not Loony Luna Lovegood.
Harry,
This was brought to my attention by a friend. Please don't ask who as the person wishes to remain anonymous to avoid being connected to any of this. My friend read about it in a muggle paper and made the connection to an article in last month's issue of the Quibbler. I, of course, researched it extensively before passing it on to you. I'm sure you're busy enough without chasing down hunches. While I hope the goblet hasn't resurfaced, the alternative is not pleasant either.
Please do keep me appraised of any progress as I do now feel some connection to this whole thing.
Hermione
P.S. WHAT DID YOU SAY TO KADDIS? HE'S EATING MY HAIR!
She sealed the letter quickly and the bird finally stopped picking at her hair so that she could tie the letter to his leg. She huffed an exasperated sigh as the bird hopped out the window, then chuckled softly as it winged its way toward London.
She turned back toward her book eagerly as she'd been engrossed in it when Harry's letter had arrived. She took her dinner in her quarters that night just because she couldn't bear to put the book down long enough to go to the Great Hall.
/\*/\*/\
Hermione poured the Dittany potion down Severus' throat, then took three tries to properly cast the healing spell with her hands shaking so badly. Rather than leaving then, as she had actually done at the time, she cradled his head in her hands and pressed her forehead to his, weeping and begging him to wake up.
She started violently when she felt his hands slide around her back. She jerked away from him enough to see his clear, dark eyes staring back at her with concern.
He tenderly wiped tears from her cheek with one finger and frowned at her. "Why do you always cry over me?" he asked gently. "You know that I did not die that day."
Hermione blinked and realized that they were lying on his bed again. She drew away from him enough to wipe her own tears, then snuggled into his chest, where he willingly engulfed her in his embrace once more.
"I should have done more," she admitted softly. "I should have acted sooner. I should have had an anti-venin. I should have learned more healing spells that year. I should have-"
"Hermione," he interrupted softly.
She lifted her face to look at him, biting her lip to keep from rambling on.
"You saved my life," he said firmly. "You did everything that you could, and vastly more than anyone else would have in that moment. You are my guardian angel," he smiled sadly, running his fingers softly through her hair.
She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes and trying to make herself believe the words.
"My beautiful angel," he said quietly.
Hermione's eyes flew open and focused on his. "You think I'm beautiful?" she asked. Even though she was aware that it was only a dream and would mean nothing when she had woken, she loved hearing it on his velvety voice.
"Do you consider me a fool, Hermione?" he asked with some of his more typical snide sharpness in his tone.
"No," she said warily, concerned that this may become a bad dream.
His eyes softened again though. "Then you won't ask me that question again. Only a fool could not see how beautiful you are."
While she didn't normally fish for compliments, she could not help but preen a bit at his words. She leaned in to kiss his lips gently. "I would love to see this side of you, Severus," she admitted. "I wonder if you have ever allowed anyone to see it." She also wondered if there was any truth to it, but she was enjoying the illusion too much to dwell on that at the moment.
He stared at her for a long moment with a very strange look on his face. Then his eyes widened slightly and he leaned forward, kissing her more forcefully, more as he had that night in his lab.
After a moment of surprise, she returned the kiss with interest, moaning softly as his tongue began to explore her mouth. Her hand tangled in his hair and she rolled until she was on top of him, pinning him to the bed with mouth and hips. She pressed her weight firmly into his lap and felt her reward somewhat… larger than she would have guessed.
She moaned appreciatively, then sat up, staring down at him hungrily. She yanked her shirt off smoothly and then fell over him again as he moaned into her mouth. His hands found her back and her bra quickly fell down her arms. His hands were exploring the flesh he'd bared before she could even move to free her arms and she shivered beneath his warm touch.
His hands snaked around her back suddenly and he rolled her over on the bed so that he was on top of her. After a long moment, he drew his mouth from hers, taking his time appreciating the sight of her before he drew his wand. With a flick of his wrist, all the buttons of his robes fell free and he tossed the garment to the floor before removing the t-shirt that he wore beneath.
"Oh, Severus," Hermione breathed, her hands coming to rest on his hips before slowly gliding their way over the hard, if not extremely defined, muscles of his torso. Considering that he'd spent three years in bed, he looked absolutely fantastic. His pale skin was criss-crossed with scars, some small and some quite large, but they couldn't detract at all from his beauty. If anything, they enhanced it in her eyes. This was a real man with scars to show for the challenges of his life, not some silly boy playing at life and love.
She leaned up enough to taste his nipple, just grazing it with her teeth, then slowly worked her way across his chest with tongue and lips until she could close her mouth over the other nipple. Severus hissed as her teeth brushed it and she looked up to see him drop his head back in pleasure.
Smiling against his silky skin, she drew herself out from under him, slowly leaning forward more and more to force him onto his back with his head toward the foot of the massive bed. Once she had him where she wanted him, she settled her hands just above his knees and slowly began to caress her way up his legs while her mouth trekked down toward his belt.
"Oh Gods…" she heard Severus breathe and her mouth twisted into a smile again.
Her hands finally claimed her prize and she stroked her way up him slowly and firmly while he groaned his pleasure. He was most definitely well endowed.
Her fingers found the buckle of his belt and began to work it free when his wand flashed in front of her and the belt unfastened itself, pants following suit. "Patience, Severus," she laughed, leaning up to kiss him again.
He grunted his response and she made her way down once more, slowly and deliberately sliding his pants over his firm arse and down his long legs. Only when his pants had joined his robes on the floor did she allow herself to appreciate what she had discovered.
"Wow, Severus," she breathed, drinking in his naked body.
Severus lifted his head to study her face for a moment, then surged up with leonine agility, bowling her over and coming to rest on top of her. His hands slipped beneath the waist of her pants and he literally tore them off her. She practically screamed in excitement as her underwear followed.
He inserted his hips between her legs, and she felt him settle against her very wet opening.
"Oh God, Severus! Take me!" she screamed desperately as he hesitated.
A grin of pure triumph curled those luscious lips. His muscles bunched and he surged into her…
/\*/\*/\
Hermione woke with a strangled scream, lurching up from where she'd fallen asleep draped across her sofa.
"Mother of fuck!" she screamed at the empty room.
Thank you so much to everyone who is following this story or added it to your favorites list. You guys are awesome. Reading your reviews helps to keep me glued to my computer writing the next chapter, so please send me your thoughts!
Edited: 10 September 2013
