WARNING: Sexual Content


Chapter Fifty-One—Fear

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Hermione and Severus were alone in the dungeon corridors. Their footsteps echoed.

"So…Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick seemed surprised," Hermione said hesitantly.

Severus looked down at her.

"And Professor Sinistra bet ten galleons that we would never be a couple."

He still didn't say anything.

"Are you sure…you won't be…ostracized, or something?"

Professor Snape faced forward. "You would rather they didn't see us?" The hand clasped with hers stiffened.

Hermione stopped. "That's not what I meant."

He hadn't lost his temper with her since the summer—and he intended to keep it that way. So he stayed silent, waiting for her to explain, despite the thoughts pounding against his skull, telling him Hermione was ashamed.

"I don't want the other professors to think less of you. You don't believe me." Severus looked cold, angry, like he had during his first month at the Granger-household.

"Why should they think less of me? Am I doing something wrong?"

"I don't think so—but I'm not them."

"It will be more likely that people will think less of you, not me."

Hermione's warm hand rested against his cheek. "Severus…have you been thinking that way the whole time?"

He cast his black eyes to the floor. "Recently."

"Why?"

"One of your best friends made you cry, simply because you have affections for me. I can't imagine the rest of the world will be as gentle."

Hermione pouted. "How did you know that?" She hadn't told him that's why she had been crying her eyes out the other day.

"If you remember, Potter never finished his Occlumency lessons." He now looked flippant. At least the ice had disappeared from his eyes.

"You just look into people's minds whenever you want?" she mumbled.

Severus turned up his nose. "It is hard not to waltz right in, when the dolt is glaring at me all throughout class." Staring at the shadowy space at the end of the corridor, he said, "People will think the same way Potter does."

Hermione drew her hand back, looking only at his collar. "Are you…going to leave me?"

The two stood toe to toe in the cold corridor. A draft whistled through. "No." Brown eyes peeked up at him. "I need you."

"Really?" Hermione drifted closer, touching his face. He nodded beneath her hand. Hermione's soft lips warmed Severus's mouth.

"You're not going to leave me?" he asked. A grown man, all but begging for reassurance—pitiful. Painful, pitiful, and embarrassing.

"You haven't scared me off, yet," she said, giving him a rueful grin. "Even though I know you tried your hardest."

"I must be losing my touch." Hermione giggled and kissed him repeatedly. When she drew back, she tried to look playfully stern. "Professor, you know the rules—no snogging in the corridor."

Severus's deep laughter echoed down the hall. "I don't think that rule applies to professors—but it does apply to the Head Girl." Grabbing her hand, the two resumed their walk to his office.

"I do hope you aren't going to give me detention. We have a busy day tomorrow and I don't think I can fit it into my schedule."

"You're a clever girl, Miss Granger—I'm sure you can convince me to postpone your detention to a later date," he said in her ear as they paused in front of his office door.

Hermione stifled her giggles with her hand. "Don't be dirty, Severus," she said as he unlocked his door.

The man looked smug. "I didn't say a single dirty thing."

"I know how your mind works, Severus Snape." She clung to his arm as they ventured through his dark office.

"Do you?"

"I do."

Severus pointed his wand at the hearth, igniting a fire in the grate. "Then what am I thinking at this very moment?"

"You're thinking that you would like to kiss me."

His hand brushed her wavy locks. "Dearest, I think that every moment of the day." Instead of kissing her, he swept past to his bedroom, smirking at Hermione's put-out pout.

Hermione tried to rub warmth back into her arms. Leaning in the doorway, she watched Severus rummage in his wardrobe for something. "It's freezing in here."

He hummed his acknowledgment.

"Why haven't you ever moved up to the first floor or something?"

"I have to be near my Slytherins." In his scarred hands, he held one of his white shirts. "All of your clothes are upstairs."

"I suppose I'll have to sleep starkers then." Hermione pulled her boots off her feet and tossed them under the bed.

Professor Snape smirked at her. "As much as that would delight me, we have a busy day tomorrow, and I couldn't bear it if you caught even a cold." He cradled her hips between his hands, his shirt fluttering against her leg. "I don't think you could fit it into your busy schedule."

She leaned into his chest, her lips less than a centimetre from his jaw. "Wouldn't you keep me warm?"

"Bats aren't much known for their warmth." Hermione jumped as his frigid fingers slid under her jumper.

"You're not a bat, you're a Potions Master."

Severus pulled Hermione's shirt over her arms. "What if all the rumors are true? What if I really do turn into a vampire at night to stalk the halls?"

Hermione stood on her tiptoes, little hands bracing against Severus's chest. "How exciting."

Severus laughed at her as he unbuttoned her jeans. "There is something seriously wrong with schoolgirls—they find vampirism exciting."

The Head Girl could have thought of a witty retort, but she decided to kiss the Potions Master's lower lip instead. She grinned against his mouth as he pushed her jeans to the floor. This time last year, she had no thought for the Potions Master of Hogwarts—he sneered at her, gave Harry a hard time—had implied she had horrendous buckteeth—and now, she stood barely clothed in his bedroom.

He kissed her neck as she attempted to unbutton his frock coat for him.

"Are twenty-eight buttons really necessary, Severus?" she asked as she slid the last cuff-link from its hole.

"I thought you liked them?" he smirked.

Hermione grumbled something as she pushed his jacket and shirtsleeves away. Careful, gentle, she made sure not to disturb the bandages on his arm. Did every man find a woman as sweet as Hermione to love him? Bossy, short, occasionally lacking in backbone; brown hair he knew would be a mess if she didn't bother with it in the morning; she trusted and forgave far too easily; her feelings often stymied her brilliant mind—despite it all, Severus found her perfect. No scar or oddly placed freckle (like the one below her ear) could change his mind.

Severus thumbed one of the nipples beneath Hermione's plain black bra. Her brown eyes darted up at him while she tried to undo his belt buckle. She bit her lower lip. Orange fire light flickered through the bedroom door. Hermione felt goose bumps race up the back of her legs. Severus's bandages scratched against her back as he embraced her, holding her tight to his chest. Her soft skin smelled like baking vanilla. They didn't care which tongue in whose mouth—the endorphins pumping through their veins chased away the cold. He suckled her neck, undoing her bra in the process.

Hands sliding over her ribs, caressing her breasts, Severus maneuvered Hermione towards the bed. Looking at Hermione, sitting on his bed wearing only blue panties, Severus hardened. Hermione was peering up at him with those perfect brown eyes, innocent, but begging, tinted with lust.

"You have to take off your shoes," she said.

Severus plucked his extra shirt from the corner of the bed. He handed it to Hermione before he knelt down to untie his shoes. He pressed his cheek into her smooth leg. Black hair brushed Hermione's knees.

Hermione swung the shirt over her shoulders, smiling down at the man she loved. Everything he did was dignified, even the way he showed affection. Ron and Lavender snogged in the halls every chance they had. Ginny sat on Harry's lap in the Great Hall sometimes. Severus opened doors for Hermione and focused only on her when she was speaking. The woman danced her fingers through Severus's shining hair.

"You know, I remember a time when nobody thought you were sweet," she remarked.

Severus looked up at her, his chin on her knee. "You're the only one who should think that now."

"I won't tell," she said. "Too many people."

The man pressed his smirking lips to her knee before he leaned forward to kiss her properly. He climbed above her, his expert hands sliding beneath the shirt Hermione hadn't bothered to button.

"I am glad the Dark Lord almost ruined my summer," he murmured while she kissed him.

"Almost?" she queried. She pulled his belt from his trousers as he answered.

"It was quite miserable, for a while. Eventually, I could stand to be around you."

"Oh, Severus, I think we both know I'm the tolerable one in this couple."

Severus bit her bottom lip; Hermione giggled, knowing she was right. She closed her eyes, feeling Severus press his lips over her jaw, her cheek, leading up to her ear. The back of one of his cold fingers caressed her nipple as his warm tongue stroked her ear. Hermione jerked as the zipper of his trousers pressed into her soft thigh. Hermione pushed against Severus's shoulders, moved him onto his back.

On her knees, she pulled his trousers and pants away, flinging them off once they cleared his feet. She straddled his hips. Pleasuring herself against his naked, stiff cock, her panties became soaked. Severus drew her close to pluck kisses from her lips. Nimble fingers pressed into her back, dripped down her spine. Hermione purred against his mouth; his hands pressed into the space between her shoulders were somehow erotic. She could feel her hard scar between her chest and his. She kissed him harder, burying her tongue in his throat, because he didn't care about her scar—Severus thought she was beautiful. Severus loved her.

Severus gripped her hair in both hands, his hips reaching up to meet the apex of her thighs every time she ground against him. Their hot breath heated the stone-walled room better than the fire in the sitting room.

The last time they had made love—the first time—Severus had been careful with her; Hermione had been scared and he could feel it, feel her shaking. Severus had held her gently, as if she could leave his arms at any time. Now, he held on, wrapped his arms around her to lay her on her back. He pinned her arms above her head and forced her legs apart. Hermione keened against him. She could barely breathe—his mouth barely left hers for a second. His hands slid down her extended arms, stopping at her breasts. Hermione tangled her hands in her hair, writhing with desire. His tongue on her neck mimicked the circular pattern of his thumbs on her nipples. His warm thighs pressed against hers.

Severus's mouth moved down to her breasts. His lips felt her heartbeat before he tasted the pink flesh of her peaked nipples. Hermione was panting, her cunt pulsing, begging for attention. As Severus's tongue and mouth claimed her nipples, his hands slid the panties from her waist.

With a flick of his finger, her panties flung to the floor. Hermione looked at them, wondering how he did that until Severus cupped her face. He held her chin. His black eyes poured into Hermione's brown irises. He watched Hermione's every gasp and flush as he slid into her. Hermione felt her cunt tighten then gratefully squeeze around Severus's cock. Those eyes, devouring her at the same time he claimed her body, never left Hermione's face.

She wanted him to look away but he never did. He watched her curly brown hair shuffle over his pillow and her tongue dart over her lips. He watched her eyelashes flutter and the rapid pulse in her neck. He watched her lips part as her breathing became tinted with moaning.

The pressure between her legs, inside her body became jagged as Severus slid harder and faster against her clit. The tight tingling in her cunt grew stronger, made Hermione feel weak and tense at the same time. "Kiss me," she begged.

His tongue in her mouth and his cock in her cunt ignited her orgasm. Her body felt like screaming, every skin cell tingling. She broke away from his kiss, tossing her head back and arching into his body. Severus held her hands, tangled their fingers together as her cum draped around his cock. Severus bit down so hard on her neck she bruised. Her drenched, pulsing cunt pulled him deeper, clenching around him. She was panting, locking her legs around his waist. Severus thrust inside of her, feeling the ether and wound-up stress pulse out of his body, rushing through his aching cock.