Chapter 11
Hermione was concerned, but not altogether surprised, to see Professor Snape standing at the front of the DADA classroom the following afternoon, glaring at the entering sixth-year Gryffindor Slytherin class in his usual sullen, imperious way, as if he hated them all.
From what she had overhead in the hospital wing the previous evening, he had been seriously hurt, injured enough for him to have sought help from Madam Pomfrey, and for the Medi-witch to have detained him in the school infirmary. And yet today he was standing ready to teach a class, as if nothing untoward had occurred? No wonder he always looked so annoyed, the man must be in considerable pain.
She snuck a look at Malfoy, who had slid himself into a desk across the classroom uncharacteristically quietly, as if he were hoping not be noticed. She watched him raise his blonde head to the front, meeting the eye of his professor and they exchanged a quick, but tense, look. Draco undoubtedly knew what had happened to Snape the previous evening, and he looked guilty and uncomfortable.
Snape bade them to open their books, smoothly beginning the lesson by announcing that they would be revisiting shield charms, since many of them had proved so inept at the previous lesson. Shield charms, he explained, were a witch or wizard's front line of urgent defence when finding themselves at the end of an unfriendly wand.
"It is imperative that every one of you is proficient in this skill," he told the assembled students in a low, urgent tone. "To enter battle without the capability to cast a basic Protego shield around yourself would be tantamount to suicide."
There were a few audible gasps from the seated students as he paused to allow the impact of his words to sink in. He was warning them. Again. They would be foolish not to heed every single one of his words.
He cleared the desks to the side with a cursory flick of his wand, causing everyone to leap from their chairs in shock before they themselves were swept to the walls with the furniture, and instructed them to divide themselves into pairs ... with a partner from the opposite house. This command was issued with a slight twist to the side of his mouth, as if he delighted in watching the discomfort of the students.
Hermione didn't care. She would far rather throw a jinx at a Slytherin than at Ron, or Harry, or especially poor Neville. Although ... sending a catty little hex at Lavender Brown might provide some satisfaction at the given time, as her dorm-mate's behaviour continued to be bitchy and annoying.
The atmosphere in the classroom was awkward and no one was making a move to find a partner. She squared her shoulders, lifted her chin and crossed the room towards the assembled group of Slytherin boys.
"Come on then, Malfoy," she invited, with a moderate degree of threat, "let's see what you've got."
Draco's eyebrows shot up into his improbably blonde hairline, for a second his nonchalant demeanour slipping, being replaced by a look of slight panic.
"Like I'm going to partner you, Granger," he spat.
"You have a partner, Mr Malfoy," Snape called from the teaching dais. "Step up, boy. And the same for the rest of you. Partner up immediately and begin as you have been instructed, unless you wish to see your housepoints fall."
The others followed her lead, Gryffindors mostly approaching the unwilling Slytherins, rather than the other way around, she was pleased to note. Harry and Ron had partnered with Crabbe and Goyle, and she had no doubt they would wipe the floor with each of them, given their DA training.
"I'll jinx you first, shall I, Granger?"
There was an evil gleam in Draco's eye, and his thin mouth was curled in a nasty smirk.
"By all means, Malfoy."
I'm ready for you, you cowardly little shit.
"Tantallegra!"
"Protego!"
She easily repelled his first jinx, a nasty little spell designed to cause exhaustion and humiliation by making the victim dance endlessly. Her shield was strong, complete, and the jinx bounced straight off the shimmering surface.
He now looked concerned, as it was her turn to cast.
"Densaugeo!"
Hermione had not forgotten the hex he had cast on her in third year, causing her front teeth to grow at an alarming rate, leaving her looking like a ridiculous human beaver, and it was no coincidence she had selected this spell for her first attempt.
Draco got his shield up just in time, although his Protego had been a weaker cast than hers, and she saw him lift his hand to his mouth as if he had experienced a brief snap of pain in his front teeth.
Nearly got you there.
"You'll need to do better than that, Malfoy. Who knows when you might find yourself on the end of an ... unfriendly wand."
He stepped towards her, leaning forwards so that no one could hear his words, so close that his nose was almost in her hair.
"Fuck you, Granger. I'm not even trying. This class is a waste of my time."
She made no acknowledgement that his words had rattled her, and instead settled herself into a defensive position, ready for his next cast.
At the end of the lesson, almost every student was reliably performing a Protego, although a few still needed help, and Millicent Bulstrode had been sent to the hospital wing with an unstoppable nosebleed after failing to block a bat-bogey hex from Dean Thomas. Clearly her fellow Gryffindor had learnt that from his girlfriend. Bat-bogeys were Ginny's speciality.
The desks were returned to their original positions with a flick of Snape's wand, and their books were packed away as they made to depart for their respective common rooms, this having been the final lesson of the day.
"Miss Granger, a word before you leave, please," Snape said, quietly, beckoning her curtly to approach his desk.
"What have you done?" Harry asked her, concerned.
"No idea. Although Malfoy was whispering abuse in my ear the whole time we were practising, no doubt that will end up being my fault."
Harry rolled his eyes.
"Probably. What a git. As if something could ever be precious Malfoy's fault. We'll wait for you in the common room, ok? Come as soon as you can."
"Don't be silly. Go down to dinner, I'll meet you there."
"Thanks Hermione," Ron added gratefully, chivvying Harry out before she could change her mind and delay the start of his evening feed.
She watched her friends depart, and walked up to Snape's desk as the final person left the room.
"Sir?"
He lifted his head from the book he had been studying, shaking his long hair back from his face where it had fallen into his eyes as he bent forward, most likely watching the students exit through the black curtain.
"For what reason did you find it necessary to follow me to the infirmary last night, Miss Granger?"
"I didn't follow you there, Sir. I was there first."
He raised a dangerous eyebrow to indicate that he did not believe her in the slightest.
"Are you ok?"
He paused, as if taken aback by her concern.
"I am ... healing satisfactorily."
"Will we be having a lesson tonight, Sir? We have one scheduled, but as you are probably in pain, we can postpone."
She thought they would still be having private lessons after he had fucked her?
"Miss Granger, I do not think it is appropriate that we continue our private tutorials, after our ... recent interactions."
"But Sir, I really would like to continue. I find our lessons varied and interesting. I promise to behave myself from now on."
He regarded her for a short while, not speaking, before rising to his feet and walking around his desk to face her. She was on the raised platform and he was two steps below her on the floor, making their height difference much more equal. He leaned towards her, placing his lips so close to her ear that she could feel the heat of his breath. It felt completely different to when Draco had made the same gesture earlier, that had felt oppressive and threatening, where as this felt ... exquisitely sensual.
"It is not your behaviour that I am worried about, Granger," he whispered.
He drew back and looked at her, allowing her to process the full meaning behind his words.
"I can handle you," she replied, defiantly.
He barked a small, rueful laugh.
"Your shield charms today were most satisfactory. I watched you successfully repel every jinx that Malfoy cast at you. Potter's instruction was clearly effective."
She looked away, guiltily. Of course, he would know everything about the not-so-secret DA meetings.
"Are you aware how to cast a longer-lasting protective shield?"
That caught her attention.
"No?"
"Watch."
He stepped back and seated himself upon a desk in the first row before casting around himself in an X shape, non-verbally of course. He disappeared, along with the desk.
What?
"Send a jinx to where you know I am sitting," his disembodied voice instructed.
Her jelly-legs jinx dissipated into thin air, and he re-materialised.
"What was that?"
"That, Miss Granger, is a protective enchantment that can be used to defend and secrete a hiding place. It cannot be seen, and has the additional benefit that if a spell is fired against it, it will not bounce off as it would from a basic Protego, thus not giving away your hiding place."
"That is amazing. What is the incantation?"
"It is Cave Inimicum. It is accompanied by the X formation of your wand. If well cast, those on the other side of the shield will not be able to see, hear or touch you."
"But, I heard you."
He gave her a disapproving look for her stupidity.
"Because I allowed you to."
Ah. Of course.
He moved half a dozen desks into a cluster with a swish of his wand.
"Now, cast the shield around everything, both the desks and ourselves. Your wand movement will need to be large to cover the full area."
Cave Inimicum.
Nothing appeared to happen.
"How do I know if it has worked?"
"Quite simply, you don't. There can be a sense of protection, but in reality you can only hope that your casting is sound. Should it be a matter of life and death that you are concealed, it would be wise to cast additional protection. Salvio Hexia, for example, provides a constant protection against magical attack. Protego Totalum gives a more long-lasting and complete shield. You would be wise to cast a disillusionment charm over the entire area to make yourself invisible; and to block sound ..."
"You could use a Muffliato," she murmured, interrupting him.
Snape regarded her suspiciously.
"How do you know that spell?" he demanded.
"Harry has an old, second-hand potions textbook. It's full of scribbles in the margins; I think he found the incantation there. He uses it all the time, its rather annoying actually."
"I see," he replied, slowly, curling the syllables on his tongue as if he were considering something.
"I shall now step outside your shield to see if it is effective."
It didn't take more than a split-second for Snape to deconstruct her poorly-cast protective shield, and she looked aghast, making him smirk in amusement.
"You cannot be perfect at everything the first time you attempt it. Allow me to assist you. Copy my wand movements. You must be more definite, more precise, and yet more subtle in your casting."
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Despite it being an unwise move, he stepped in behind her, taking hold of her wand hand and settling his fingers around her slim wrist.
"Relax your grip," he instructed, quietly, squeezing gently against either side, knowing she would feel the tendons release, and that would soften her grip on her wand.
"Take your wand up here for the first point of the X, before bringing it down here, and then without breaking the cast, swish it up to the second height – curl it ... like a snake ... like smoke ... unending."
Professor Snape was whispering urgently against her ear, his voice low and heady, beginning to hypnotise her as he had done before. He was moving her arm with his as he demonstrated the movements over again, as if determined she should understand this. It must be important. As her body moved, so did his, pressed to her back.
"Cast the incantation now," he breathed.
"Cave Inimicum."
Hermione felt a curious wave of protection wash over her.
"Do you feel that?" he asked, and she nodded.
"That is the feeling that you will experience when your shield is successfully cast."
He had not let go of her arm, her back was still pressed against his upper body, and she felt him use the other hand to take hold of the top of her free arm, beginning to lightly squeeze her upper arm. Almost involuntarily, she leaned her head back against him, only a tiny movement, but it was enough to feel a deep sigh resonate from his chest.
"And this, Miss Granger," he growled, "is why I cannot be trusted to be alone with you."
"I don't care, Sir," she replied.
"You should care. These lessons are at an end."
"No, please ..."
Snape unexpectedly pushed her forwards, bending her at the waist so that her upper body was flat against the desk, and she gasped at the sudden movement, but her stomach lurched with a shot of arousal, forcibly reminded of when he'd been behind her before, and her secret wish that he had done exactly this.
He wasted no time and flipped her skirt up over her arse, grabbing hold of her knickers and pulling the material hard to one side, dipping his fingers between her lips to search for her entrance.
Leaning over her, squashing her against the hard surface, she could feel him fumbling with his fly in one hand whilst he hissed hoarsely and desperately in her ear.
"I need your consent, Miss Granger. I need it now."
"You have it."
"You are a fool, girl. As am I. But I cannot resist you."
Severus straightened up, his hand guiding his cock towards her before finding what he so urgently sought. He pushed inside her, craving the tight heat of her cunt around his invading prick. She felt just as heavenly as he remembered, of course she fucking did.
Holding her hips steady, once he was fully seated inside her, he began to thrust without style or finesse, needing nothing more than to piston into this little witch like an express train that had lost its brakes. He pounded faster and faster, feeling as if he slowed for an instant then she would be snatched from his grasp and his pleasure denied. He had a furious need to mark that which was his, if only for the most brief of moments.
"Coming ... coming ... fuck," he bit out, his balls pulsing with the seed that he was about to expel.
Unnghh. Ohhh. Fucking hell. He had forced his load into her, and her channel was pulsing around his cock, fluttering and contracting, her breathing loud and heavy.
Had she just come? Had he made her orgasm simply by fucking her?
Severus pulled his dick out of her as quickly as he had shoved it in, casting a cleansing charm upon them both and snapping her knickers back into place before guiding her back to standing upright and turning her around. Belatedly, he sent a contraceptive spell to her abdomen, and finally, cancelled her excellent shield charm that had thankfully would have concealed their actions to anyone who may have visited the classroom unexpectedly.
"Still think you can handle me, Miss Granger?"
The girl was not able to formulate a coherent reply.
"And that is why I have no choice but to end your private lessons. Once and for all. Do not visit me again outside of timetabled classes. I apologise to you most sincerely for my appalling lack of good manners. You are not ... hurt, I hope?"
"No, Professor, I'm not hurt, but ..."
"Enough. You must go, Miss Granger. Do not forget tonight's lesson, at least, not the part about shield charms anyway."
"I will remember it all, Sir."
"As will I, Granger," he replied, unable to keep the tone of regret from his voice.
She gathered her bag and walked out of the classroom, pulling the heavy wooden door closed behind her.
As will I.
For the whole of my fucking life, no doubt.