Chapter 14

"There is a small boy who will need his father, once all this is over."

Remus bowed his head in shame at Snape's words, for Severus was entirely correct, of course. He must not allow himself to be swept away in the adventure of the moment, to be seduced into leaving the sanctuary of Grimmauld Place by the glamour of running headlong into battle against the Dark Lord. For he had something that his friend Sirius had not – hindsight.

After his own experiences in the battles of the Department of Mysteries, the Astronomy Tower the night Dumbledore died, racing through the skies against Death Eaters with seven Potters and throughout Hogwarts castle in the dreadful 'end' to the war just a few weeks ago, Remus had finally learned.

He had begged Tonks to return home, the night she had been killed, to flee from Hogwarts, to stay in the safety of her mother's house with their son. But she had refused – her desire to be with him and the alluring intensity of being needed at the battle had cost Teddy his mother, Remus his wife, and Tonks her own life.

If she had only stayed at home as he had implored her to do.

That was his choice now. He had a second chance to save his son from being an orphan, all he had to do was stay home. It was not boring, or dull, or cowardly, to ensure your child had a father, when they'd already lost their mother in tragic circumstances. If they were successful, if they managed in their small number to restore order to the world, he would return for his son, the blue-haired infant who resembled his beautiful mother in every way. He was determined to be a father that Edward Lupin could be proud of.

But, right now, there was much to be done. Dangerous work that he had no intention of drawing Teddy into. He was safe in a wizarding household with his grandmother, for now.

For sheer good sense and practicality, there was no way Remus could reveal himself in the wider wizarding world. He was a known werewolf, and would be sought either by the feral werewolves he had sought to align himself with at Dumbledore's instruction, by an official for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, or by Death Eaters, who knew he was a high-profile member of the Order of the Phoenix, and a confirmed ally of Albus Dumbledore.

Lupin had no job to return to where he could be of use, like Fleur or Kingsley or Audrina, and he could not be a spy, as Severus was doing. In truth, Snape's role sounded hellish – he wouldn't wish it upon his worst enemy, which was ironic, considering how many years he'd hated the Slytherin wizard for. Well, maybe hate was a strong word. He'd despised Severus in school, of course, gleefully encouraged by James and Sirius, and afterwards, for Snape's association with Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but in the recent years – not so much.

The year Remus had taught at Hogwarts, Severus had spent many of his own free hours to brew him perfect Wolfsbane, which had allowed him almost a year free of the worst of his lycanthropic symptoms. It had been blissful, he thought ruefully, as the prospect of another cycle locked in the cellar of Grimmauld Place loomed dark on the horizon.

Yes, he had been furious that Severus had outed him as werewolf because he'd been pissed off over the incident in his third year Defence lesson, the one that involved the Boggart and Neville Longbottom's grandmother, but just because the man was a petty-minded git didn't mean that his heart wasn't essentially in the right place, however dark and skewed it appeared.

He was the last of the Marauders. Sirius, James and Peter were all dead, each taken either directly or indirectly via the whims of Tom Marvolo Riddle. Not that Peter's death turned out to be all that tragic in the end, for the treacherous rat had stolen twelve years of Sirius Black's life and sent him to his death still branded as a mass-murderer. The truth had died with Pettigrew. Maybe, in the future, when all this was over, he could try and clear Black's name - if anyone would ever listen to a werewolf.

Remus would do as he was advised, and he would be a fool not to. He was warm and safe inside Grimmauld Place, undetectable under the new Fidelius charm and now in the legal ownership of Hermione Granger, thanks to Harry's forethought in having made a Will at his young age. The lump that rose in his throat when he thought of the tragic life that James and Lily's only son had lived, threatened to choke tears from him – but weeping would not help anyone, would not solve anything.

Snape had ensured a reliable supply of good food, delivered hot, regularly and providing him with better nourishment than he'd had in years, excepting during his short marriage, where his wife's Auror pay had supported them both, much to his own self-disgust at living on her charity.

Tonks was always furious when he'd described it thus, telling him in her own inimitable manner to get his head out of his arse and accept the way life was, so that they could enjoy their marriage, and each other. He smiled. Never once had he understood why she loved him, but only knew that she did, wholeheartedly. It would be disrespectful to her memory to suggest he had not deserved it, to suggest that her choices had been flawed.

Discussions went on. All communications would go via Grimmauld Place, and it would be a safe house for any allies that they were able to pick up along the way. Hermione was currently writing a second letter to Charlie Weasley in Romania, for she'd sent a previous one to which she had not received a reply, and they'd wondered if it had ever been received, hoping it had not been intercepted by the wrong hands. She was directing Charlie to Grimmauld Place, telling him once again the heart-breaking news about the fates that had befallen the rest of his family.

Fleur would be returning to Gringotts, Audrina to St Mungo's, and Kingsley was going to attempt an audacious return to the lions' den of the Ministry. Severus was still walking his precarious tightrope at Hogwarts, although now he had the support of Minerva as well as Hermione, which could only be a good thing.

Hermione had explained that another female Muggle-born was being effectively held as a sexual hostage by the Death Eater Yaxley, and Minerva confirmed this, sharing the terrible story of the hours after the battle, where she had worked tirelessly alongside the house-elves to remove all the Muggle-borns from Hogwarts before they could be rounded up. The elves ability to Apparate outside magical wards and restrictions had been the key to her success.

The older witch's voice had cracked as she'd admitted that Hermione and the other girl had been helping her, since both had indicated they had no home to go to, outside of the school. Hermione had then revealed the Obliviation of her parents to ensure their safety, to the widespread shock of everyone else in the room.

"Orla's Muggle parents were killed by Death Eaters on a raid, for the sole crime of having produced a magical child. If I hadn't done what I did, that probably would have been my parents, too. I did the right thing," she had announced, certain of her actions, and Remus admired her for it.

Minerva and Hermione had explained together about the murder of Dean Thomas, who had died in a valiant but ultimately useless attempt to protect the other girl, Orla, and how Snape had stepped up and insisted on being 'gifted' with Hermione, in order to ensure the same fate did not befall her. Severus looked distinctly uncomfortable, and Remus was not sure why, since he was doing a noble thing and had no reason to be embarrassed, for they all believed him.

As the discussion went on, Lupin realised that the enforced time alone together with a student was probably excruciating for such a surly, solitary wizard as Snape, but Hermione was such a pleasant, intelligent girl it couldn't be that bad, surely? But then he supposed that having to pretend he was repeatedly raping and abusing the girl must be difficult, as must be the overnight stays.

Hermione had explained that Snape was conjuring visible bruises and injuries on her to give credence to their pretence, showing everyone her wrists and neck, which had nasty but clever markings on them that were fading just as real bruising would do. Minerva had visibly winced at this, but had made no comment, simply nodded her head, gravely.

There was an awkwardness between them, though. Hermione seemed unable to meet his eye as she did with everyone else, and when she did, they both displayed signs of embarrassment. More than once, he had noticed Snape discreetly watching her through the lank curtain of his hair.

Severus and Hermione had been rather late tonight, why? His mind began racing towards a conclusion he had not prepared for.

They had only to step through the Floo from his office at Hogwarts, a journey of a few seconds. It was not like either of them to be less than on-the-dot punctual, for they were both as irritatingly anal about timekeeping as the other. Lupin remembered many time that Hermione had berated Harry and Ron for their lackadaisical attitudes, and Severus had been a complete smug bastard in school – always where he was supposed to be at the right time – uniform correct and smirking like an arsehole as the Marauders had tumbled into classrooms ten minutes late with forgotten books and Gryffindor ties askew.

Remus suddenly realised what his sensitive nose was picking up on, the reason for his unusual sense of disquiet that he had not paid heed to until now. As a werewolf, his olfactory nerves were far more highly-tuned than a normal human's, and he could detect smells that a human would not be able to.

It was the smell of sex.

He had noticed it as soon as she stepped through the Floo and embraced him in greeting, although he hadn't identified it for what it was. Had the smell had been present before Hermione and Severus had entered the kitchen? He couldn't remember, but he had strong doubts that Minerva had been shagging in her Hogwarts office, and unless Kingsley and his wife had been going at it seconds before attending an order meeting …

Hermione was sitting next him, at right angles, on the corner of the large table. Now that he'd noticed it, the smell was all-pervading, intoxicating even, that sweet smell of arousal fulfilled. It was unlikely to have been noticed by others around her, but he knew.

There was of course the possibility that Hermione was engaged in a sexual relationship with another student – he knew from experience that there were lots of places to secrete yourself and a willing partner for sex or immature fumblings in Gryffindor Tower alone, not to mention the rest of the castle. He felt a little calmer after remembering this. Of course, Severus would not be interfering with her, nor would she allow it. If he had been raping her, they certainly wouldn't both be sat here now, making plans with the Order.

But they couldn't look at each other … and she'd arrived here with him …

Lupin's suspicions were giving him a stomach ache, so he stood up and offered to make everyone a cup of tea. As he lit the stove and set the kettle to boil, he glanced over at the table. He would not say anything. He would observe, and he would listen.

For now.

-xxx-

Three hours later, Snape followed Granger back through the Floo into his office, the night was still pitch-black, and there were several more hours to go until the dawn broke over the school grounds.

It had been a productive meeting, and having Minerva McGonagall as a second ally within the castle was an unexpected bonus. At the very least, it would mean he wasn't universally loathed within the staff room.

The two of them had discussed the need to be careful, however. It would arouse suspicion if the teaching staff all suddenly decided they liked the headmaster again and started treating him thus. Minerva would have to be as openly disdainful as she had been so far, and not tell the other professors anything, not yet.

Lupin had disconcerted him as they'd left. He had not said anything as such, but his sharp eyes had flicked between himself and Miss Granger in a rather suspicious way that suggested there was something he was trying to ascertain.

Severus had attempted to be very discreet, but his admiration of Granger as she was speaking had of course nudged his compulsion with a sharp elbow, leaving him sitting there gawping like a besotted teenager as she addressed the group of adults with maturity and assertiveness. Granger was just like he had been at that age – an arrogant little know-it-all like him, that believed their opinion was the only one that mattered. If he'd been at school with her he'd have probably fancied her even more than he had Lily Evans. He obviously had a penchant for feisty, beautiful Gryffindors, and he internally berated himself for his own idiocy. He really was pathetic.

She turned to him as soon as he'd stepped over the grate, standing too close to him, her eyes too luminous and shining with too much enthusiasm.

"That went so well! I can't believe Professor McGonagall was there, that was amazing!"

He arched a slow eyebrow, his groin beginning to throb helplessly at her proximity. Everything they'd done sexually tonight, it was no surprise the compulsion was noisy, and hungry for more.

"Shouldn't you be referring to her as Minerva?" he mocked, "since Lupin made such a show of you not needing to use titles?"

"I think that was only for Order meetings, perhaps not for school."

He took a step closer to her, searching her brown eyes for signs that the compulsion was affecting her also.

"You would not use given names in school?"

Snape saw her take a deep gulp. She knew he was compelled. She knew. She could recognise it for what it was, and met his eyes without shame.

"Only if it was … wanted."

Without missing a beat, he slipped his hand around the back of her neck as quickly as a striking snake, pushing his fingers up through her hair and cupping the back of her head, searing his black eyes into hers.

"Do it."

"Do you, want it … Severus?"

His fucking cock clearly wanted it, as the damn thing sprang to attention as if every pint of blood in his body had just been sent screeching down there in a dire emergency. It took all his sodding control not to actually pass out on the hearth rug. He gripped her head tighter.

"Say it again," he growled.

"Severus."

"I do want it. I want you," he replied, roughly.

"I'm all yours."

Snape groaned, an earthy, rumbling sound that was almost painful. He grabbed hold of her upper arm and swung her around, pushing her up against the wall next to the fireplace, cushioning the back of her head with his hand that was still clamped there as he fixed his hips against hers to pin her in place, leaving her in no doubt of his erection that had sprung forth at her words. He pressed his mouth hard upon hers, forcing his tongue urgently between her lips and dragging her own out to duel, feeling her hands begin to rub his flanks, her unbidden, unexpected touch driving him higher.

"If only you were all mine … Hermione," he breathed, after the first passionate kiss, grasping a fistful of her hair. "If only this were real and you were here of your own volition, and I had you pressed up against my office wall because you wanted to be here, and not because you were compelled to do so."

He kissed her hard again, enjoying the sounds of weak protest that she was gasping into his mouth. She was a delicious witch and no mistake; it was difficult to think of this as a curse or a punishment when all he could do was grind against her, spilling unadvised feelings as if he'd swallowed Veritaserum.

"I'm here now," she whispered, when he had stopped kissing to draw a much-needed breath, lest he actually expire.

With a flick of his fingers, he divested her of the clothing on the lower half of her body, and pushed his own trousers and shorts down to his knees, enjoying her squeak as the cool air hit her nudity.

"Put your legs around my waist," he instructed, lifting her up so that she could do so, keeping her pressed against the wall as he guided his eager cock inside the wet hole she had just opened for him so beautifully.

"Fucking hell," he bit out, as he pushed himself home.

"Oh! That's good," she gasped, moving her hands up to clutch upon his shoulders, just as a willing participant would do, just as a lover would do.

Damn it all to hell. For the few moments that this encounter was going to last, he was going to pretend. He wasn't going to guiltily pound into her like some kind of fucked-up rapist, he was going to take every bit of pleasure that this young witch was gifting him with.

"You feel good, Hermione Granger. I do not believe that you have any idea how delicious you feel from the inside. Your hot little cunt is like pleasure incarnate around my cock."

He saw the blush on her face, and wondered if it was from his words or his fucking. Hopefully both. She slid one of her hands from his shoulders to the back of his neck, and he felt an exquisite rush of pleasure as she tentatively touched his hair, pushing her fingers into the long black tangles for the first time. A shudder of further arousal ran through him at her sensual touch, and he growled, bucking into a series of quick, hard thrusts that would leave her in no doubt how she was arousing him.

She was a quick study, and began to massage the back of his scalp as he had done to her, inciting every one of his hair follicles to stand on end, as if craning for her touch, for her attention. Groaning loudly, he pushed his mouth against hers, capturing her lips yet again and feeling them full and swollen under his own as he continued to fuck her into the wall, keeping her steady with one hand on her hip, where he could feel her beginning to squirm delightfully with her own eagerness.

Severus could feel her stomach heaving against his own. Why had he not stripped them both naked? As it was, their top halves were fully clothed, and his own trousers were around mid-calf now, slipping down with the rapid motions of his hips. He pressed upwards, pushing her up the wall with every thrust, enjoying every squeak and pant she made, for she was chasing her own climax as surely as he was chasing his.

He slid his hand down her hip and under her bare arse, his long fingers seeking a further prize from his fake lover. He dabbled around, excited by feeling his own prick impaling her, and the novelty of his most private parts against hers. His fingertips felt for the skin of her vagina around his cock, it was moving, sucking him in with every thrust. Sliding further back, he stroked one finger around the puckered, rougher skin of her little rear end, smirking as she jumped at the new feeling.

"Merlin!" she exclaimed, her buttocks clenching involuntarily.

"Relax, Hermione" he crooned, "this can be very pleasurable if you allow it."

Keeping a soft stroke on her bum cheeks, he continued to kiss her mouth and thrust into her pussy until he felt her unclench them.

"I want to touch all of you, little girl. No part of you, is distasteful to me."

Severus slipped his finger back to her arsehole and began to tickle around it, enjoying her flinching in what he sincerely hoped was pleasure, hopping around on his cock, and the sensation was driving him ever-closer to coming. Using his fingertip to put a little pressure around her back entrance and speeding the movement of his hips at the same time, he knew he had her, as she pushed back against the wall, allowing him to access her neck and clamp his lips to the side of her throat, sucking hard as he pistoned into her, thrusting through the spams of her climax to reach his own, heaving and huffing loudly with each deep pump.

"Fuck. Holy fuck. Holy fuckkk …."

He came, and it was huge. He could hear his dangling balls slapping against her with the force of his thrusts, her back thudding against the wall behind. He held her fully in his arms as they recovered their breath, not able to stop himself covering her mouth with wet, sloppy kisses as she pulled strands of his mussed hair away from their conjoined lips.

"Professor, I …"

"He's not here," Snape gasped, lips mauling hers most ungracefully."

"Severus."

"Unghh … Again."

She broke the kiss and pulled his head towards her, poking her little nose under his hair and next to his ear, as he so enjoyed doing to her.

"Severus," she whispered, and her breath felt like a fluttering faerie on the shell of his ear. "I'm still here."

Pushing every thought of the inappropriateness of his actions to the back of his mind and locking them up, he lifted Hermione from the wall and placed her on her feet for just one second before scooping her up under her knees and squiring her across the room, towards the panelled wall of his bedchamber that they had exited all those hours earlier to leave for the meeting.

As they reached the four-poster, he wandlessly removed the rest of their clothes and crawled into bed still holding her in his arms, placing her in the middle of the mattress and curling himself around her.

"Just for tonight, Hermione, allow me to pretend. Pretend that we are lovers, and that all this is normal and consensual, so that I may sleep alongside you believing that we are nothing but a witch and wizard who gain pleasure from each other's minds and bodies, for I have never tasted anything so sweet as you."

She was silent for a long time, and he was about to bolt for the bathroom in mortification at his own words, for she must surely be horrified to hear such words from her greasy professor now that her compulsion had been satisfied, when he felt her hands clutch around his embracing arm.

"Just for tonight, Severus," she whispered.