Author's Notes:
I am deeply indebted to Ms. JK Rowling for creating the magical world of Harry Potter. Some of us are still living in the magical universe. This is another one of my Severus & Hermione one-shots. Somehow, I can't get the pair out of my silly mind. I hope you enjoy reading this.
"A Slytherin?" Hermione grimaced.
"Yes, Hermione. A Slytherin! They are the real challenge after all." Harry smirked, glancing at his new boyfriend, Draco.
"Actually, Granger. Let's make it a bit more interesting. How about…the Head of Slytherins?" Draco added, with a mischievous smile.
There was an instant roar of approval and cheering from the group of players.
"What? Are you all out of your senses? He is a professor, for God's sake!" Hermione shouted to the excited crowd.
"That didn't stop you from having a crush on him." Ginny teased. Really, now her sole confidant was letting out all her secrets. Hermione knew that this Truth-Or-Dare game was a bad idea to begin with.
"That should just make it more fun, don't you think?" Draco laughed.
The rest of them all seemed to agree with him. Only Ron and Neville showed some signs of aversion at the idea of her snogging the infamous Professor Snape, but they both were too drunk to object.
"But he's a professor. Isn't there any rule against a student accosting a professor?" Hermione argued her only chance.
"Oh c'mon 'Mione. If there was one, wouldn't you have read about it already?" Harry countered.
"Besides, I do think it will do him some good. And trust me, he's my Godfather. I've never really seen him with a woman before." Draco added.
"I agree. He needs to let go of his childhood attraction now. It'll definitely do him some good." Harry said, reaching out his arm around Draco's shoulders. Of course! The two love-birds seemed to agree on everything these days.
"It'll be good for you too." Ginny winked.
"I don't know…" Hermione muttered, unsure.
"You are not likely to get a chance like this again, Hermione." Luna said, in her usual serene voice. Even the drinks didn't seem to faze the girl.
The players didn't take this as a good sign and started shouting their disapproval and booing her. Some were eager to point out that she was smearing the name of Gryffindor House; of course the first to do that was Lavender Brown. Somehow, she remained the only person at Hogwarts who harbored ill feelings towards her, jealousy mostly.
She didn't know whether it was because of her pride or the sudden courage gained by the small amount of alcohol she'd consumed that made her assent to the stupid dare. Their exams were over that very day, so technically she wasn't really going to kiss her professor, she reasoned.
"Fine, I'll do it." Hermione shouted out.
The crowd cheered and hooted.
"But how will we know you've actually done it?" Luna questioned.
"Actually, that is a very good question." Parvati agreed.
"I've got that." Draco said. He pulled out a globe from his pocket. "This is a Taskscope. Works almost like a Remembrall, only the smoke turns red if you fail to perform the task it is spelled to monitor. Look." He muttered something into the sphere and passed the device to Hermione.
As soon as she took it in her hands, red smoke filled the glass sphere.
"Wicked!" Ron exclaimed.
"And how long did you have that for, Draco?" Blaise asked, raising his brow.
"All term. Mother gifted it to me for helping with the N.E.W.T.s preparations." Draco answered, guiltily.
"Well, that's settled then. Now, when are you going to perform your Dare, Hermione?" Harry asked, eager to brush away the attention from the blonde boy.
"Actually, now would be a good time. Professor Snape is usually in his chambers at this time." Blaise offered.
"Yeah, and the password to his personal chambers is 'Golpalott'." Draco added, enthusiastically.
Of course, a true Potions Master that he was. Hermione couldn't have expected any less.
"Fine." Hermione huffed, drinking down the full glass in front of her in a single gulp and then rose up from her seat.
"The exit is that way. Why are you going towards your dormitory? Scared, already?" Lavender scoffed.
"No, Lav-Lav. If I'm going to kiss a professor much less the one I have a crush on, then I'll make sure I look damn good doing that." Hermione answered, smugly.
"Great thought, Hermione. Let me help you then." Ginny said, getting up. She was joined by Luna, Parvati and surprisingly Pansy Parkinson.
Once the girls were all inside the dormitory, Hermione said, "Thank you, Pansy. I really appreciate your help."
"No problem, Hermione. We should all be helping each other, that's what the classmates should do, don't they? Anyway, no one else can tell you how to actually ensnare a Slytherin better than me. I've certainly had the most training of all." Pansy grinned.
"Okay, Miss Slytherin. Tell us what you need." Ginny asked.
After half an hour, an elegant dress, a thorough hair styling and a whole lot of make-up later, Hermione walked out the dormitory to the whistles of the boys waiting in the Common Room, and the jealous glare of Lavender Brown. That certainly made Hermione more confident of her plan. The girls all reassured her that she looked perfectly tempting, but they were all a bit trippy themselves.
"No cheating, Hermione. You know we'll be watching." Harry warned, tapping at the Marauder's Map, as Hermione slipped out of the Portrait. She didn't even bother answering him that she never did cheat.
When Hermione was out of earshot, Harry whispered to his boyfriend, "Are you sure this will work out fine, Draco?"
Draco glanced at Pansy, who gave him a thumbs-up and he mouthed a thank-you to her. Satisfied, he turned to the concerned Harry.
"They needed the push, Harry. Besides, like you've been saying for months, Granger needs to find her own chance at love. And so does, Severus." Draco replied.
"Well, let's hope for the best." Harry murmured, snuggling into Draco's arms.
As Hermione descended down towards the dungeons, a shiver ran through her body. Damn, Pansy had made her wear a strapless dress. Or was it something else that was causing the chill?
At last, Hermione reached the blank Portrait that guarded the Potions Master's chambers. She hesitated at the door for a good five minutes, before finally muttering the password and entering through.
Severus Snape was comfortably lounging on his armchair by the fire, reading the latest edition of the Potions Weekly, after having just had a refreshing shower. Soon his mind wandered off to the things in his professional life right now. This year had been relatively peaceful for him. With the Dark Lord finally dead, he no longer had to play a double-sided spy and life was simpler with just being a teacher. He had obviously chosen to remain a teacher at Hogwarts, which gave him the perfect opportunity to stay aloof from the rest of the Wizarding world.
Severus loved his solitude; it was the only thing that calmed his troubled mind. The rest of the world was just full of enough blithering idiots to hold any interest to him. Of course, sometimes even he craved for a companion, but he had eventually learnt to live through those weak moments.
The N.E.W.T. students had finished their exams that day, and he was sure all of them had done well. And at least one of them was going to get the full score. That would be, Hermione Granger of course. In her very first year, she had solved his complex riddle in mere minutes, impressing him with her logical and analytical skills. Even though he didn't appreciate her total reliance on textbooks, he knew that the girl was exceptionally gifted at magic, one of the few students he was proud of teaching.
His thoughts were interrupted by distinct clanking of heels approaching him. The sound immediately raised his interest; he wasn't really the type of man to be visited by heel-clad witches in the middle of the night. He kept his journal down and rose off of his chair to look around.
The vision of the witch walking towards him in all her glory, made him blink twice to make sure that what he was looking at was indeed real. The very student he'd been thinking about was before him, but something was completely different about her.
Hermione Granger was wearing a dress that he would never ever imagine her in; he never thought the young witch was so bold in her clothing choices. Not that he was complaining; she looked absolutely stunning.
Looking at her, Severus was reassured why black was his favorite color. Her brown hair was no longer bushy; it was sleek and fell down her shoulders in soft curls. Her make-up was flawless, bringing out her brown eyes and her diamond earrings complimented her so well he thought they were made just for her. Her sleeveless dress had a very deep neckline, showing off her gloriously shaped breasts as she walked. The snug fitting of her dress accentuated her curves and the high thigh split at her left leg, revealed her perfectly toned legs; her silver and black heels completing her look.
She stopped right in front of him with a wondrous expression on her face as she considered him and breathed, "Wow!"
Severus couldn't stop himself from exclaiming, "Wow, Indeed!"
And then, the weight of their current situation dawned on him. He was wearing only his black trousers, as he wasn't expecting any visitors tonight. Well, usually he could count on his visitors to knock before they entered his private chambers. His hair was still wet from his shower, hence the look of appraisal and exclamation from his student.
Severus cleared his throat. "Miss Granger, what brings you here at my chambers at this hour? And how did you get my password?"
Hermione's eyes were still roaming at his bare chest as she said, "Hermione, my name is 'Hermione'."
"I am aware of your first name, Miss Granger. But I prefer to refer to my students by their last names."
"Technically, I am no longer your student anymore, professor. I completed my N.E.W.T. exams today, and since the grading will be done by the Ministry officials, I am now relieved from your charge as a student."
Such cheek. "Be that as it may Miss Granger, may I enquire why you've decided to intrude into my chambers at this very late hour?"
"Her-my-oh-nee," she said slowly and clearly.
Severus was growing impatient. However, he couldn't decide whether it was due to the witch's obstinacy or her alluring appearance.
He gritted his teeth and said, "Hermione, what do you want?"
The young witch stepped closer to him. "What do I want? Hmm…let me see."
She circled around him, eyeing his body unabashedly. Severus suddenly felt self-conscious; he was a well-built man but his body had too many scars to make it undesirable. And yet she had an open admiration in her eyes, as they gazed through all of his scars on his bare skin.
At last, she stopped in front of him and spoke, "I want you. All of you; your scars, your past, your pain and your love."
These words felt alien to his ears. Was she Imperiused? The enthralling witch was so close to him now that he could smell her fragrance. There was a strong appealing scent of roses and just a hint of… FireWhiskey!
That did explain things, to an extent. The girl was drunk; why else would she be saying these things to him? A small part of him wanted to take advantage of the young attractive witch falling herself over to him, but he wasn't a coward.
With a bit of effort, Severus stepped away from Hermione and summoned a Hangover Potion from his supplies. He held out the vial to her, "Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better." He added after a thought, "Hermione."
The witch raised her eyes in protest. "I am not drunk, I am right in my senses. I only had a couple of drinks; just to gain enough courage, you know."
Severus didn't believe her. "Hermione, we can't have any further discussions if you don't drink this."
This had the desired effect and she snatched up the vial and drank it down.
"Satisfied?"
"Indeed. Now tell me, why exactly are you here?" Severus asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"I… Well, the final year students were playing a game of Truth-Or-Dare and I was given a task." The now-sober witch replied uneasily.
"To intrude into my chambers?" Severus prompted.
"Not exactly."
"I am still waiting for your answer, Her-my-oh-nee."
"I was supposed to… kiss you."
A moment of silence followed.
Hermione was aghast. She knew that she had made a mistake by telling the professor the truth, and now his fury was sure to be followed. Now that the effect of the drinks had worn off, she didn't feel so confident after all.
"Is that why you came here dressed like that? And decided to seduce me by feeding me such lies?" His voice was blank and yet she could detect the coldness in it.
Hermione's face fell. She answered in a low voice, "I never meant to hurt you."
"I don't care what you meant, girl. And neither do I care about your stupid tasks. Now get out of my chambers, before I hurt you." He snarled.
"I never actually lied." Hermione whispered, before fleeing from his chambers.
Once Hermione was out into the cold corridors of the dungeons, she took a deep breath and sat down on the stairs leading up to the rest of the castle.
Severus had stopped in his tracks. What the hell did she imply by saying she wasn't lying? Did she really mean it when she said that she desired him? Surely, she sounded convincing enough, but wasn't that because she'd been drunk?
After a few minutes of worthless pacing and pondering, Severus decided to confront the witch who had rattled his thoughts so much. He wasn't sure he would find her; she must've gone back to her Tower by now. And yet he felt that he should make sure she reached there unscathed.
Severus put on a black shirt and exited his chambers. When he reached the staircase leading up to the rest of the castle, he found Hermione sitting at the end of the steps, looking even more striking in the light of the torches despite her miserable mood.
"Miss- Hermione, you do realize that you'll catch a cold if you continue to sit down here, much less in that dress, don't you?" He asked, cynically.
"I really don't care about the cold right now." came an unhappy reply.
"What do you care about then?" He asked softly, sitting down beside her.
Hermione looked into his eyes curiously. He found her warm brown eyes looking for some sort of assurance that he was no longer angry. "I care about having disappointed you."
"You shouldn't care about me at all. As you have pointed out earlier yourself, I am not even your teacher anymore." He said, tearing his eyes away from her.
"I… I don't think I can stop now. I have gone too far." She said, more to herself than to him.
Severus looked at the girl beside him in surprise. She was so young, so intelligent and had so much to look forward to in her future life. Surely, there would be a long line of wizards begging for her attention, and yet she was clamoring for him, the greasy old bat of the dungeons!
"It's just a matter of one night, Hermione. You have your whole life in front of you." He said, in an assuring tone.
She just stared at her hands. "You… you won't understand how I feel."
Of course, he did. Very well. He had fallen in love with a girl once, the only girl who had ever tolerated his presence, and who never reciprocated his feelings. He had felt his heart break into pieces and he'd never felt the same again. But then again, he wasn't the same person as Hermione Granger. She was a hero, a survivor. And she was much better without him in her life.
"You know, after tomorrow, you would hardly give me enough thought." He tried to console her.
Hermione just stared at him in disbelief, shaking her head. After a moment, she looked into his eyes and said determinedly, "Look into my mind."
Severus was thrown back at this request. Why was the girl intending to bare her mind to her, willingly showing him her deepest secrets? Did she really trust him that much? She would probably be the first one.
He hesitated, still unsure whether he should accept the witch's strange request.
"Please." She begged; her voice rough with unshed tears.
And then, Severus couldn't deny her wish.
He looked into her brown inviting eyes and muttered, "Legilimens!"
Severus had expected to find the layers of her mind and her internal resistance against his attack, but he was allowed instant entry to her memories, and they all seemed to have been specifically selected by her, something he'd never witnessed before. She indeed was a gifted witch!
He was standing in the Great Hall, where Harry was telling the Dark Lord that Severus Snape wasn't his and how he had successfully managed to deceive him and how the death of Dumbledore was actually planned between them; and her heart was filled with a new-found admiration…
He heard Harry go on about his unrequited love for Lily, how that made him change his loyalties. He felt her sorrow at his heartbreak and her sadness at his indulgence in Dark Arts but he also felt her rejoice at him finally choosing the right side and her wonder at his ability to love…
He was now standing in the Gryffindor Common Room, where Ronald Weasley was telling Hermione that he was no longer satisfied by their relationship, and felt her guilt when instead of feeling sad, she was feeling relieved…
He was in his Potions classroom, where he was delivering his usual lecture and Hermione listened to his every word with rapt attention, he could feel her respect for his knowledge and detail to intricacy; and that she actually found his voice seductive...
The Potions class was just over and Hermione enthusiastically made her way to him, trying to have a talk and thank him for saving all their lives, he felt her disappointment as he dismissed her without hearing a word of what she had to say…
He was in the Room of Requirement where Hermione was sitting all alone, thinking about him, and he could feel her longing for him…
He was in the Gryffindor Common Room where the final year students had decided to celebrate the end of their exams by playing the silly game of 'Truth-Or-Dare' where Harry had given her the dare of kissing a Slytherin while Malfoy amended that to the Head of the Slytherin. And Luna reminded Hermione that this was probably the last chance for her to tell him about her feelings, he could feel her desperation and also the fear of rejection…
He was in his own chambers, shirtless with his hair still dripping wet. He felt Hermione's desire as she took in his appearance. She started viewing his scars, and he felt her wonder at his courage, at what he had been through and endured. There was no pity or aversion in her mind, just pure admiration and desire when she had said that she wanted him…
When Severus finally pulled out of her mind, a tear rolled down his right cheek. This girl loved him. In fact, she revealed to him what love really was. The attraction he held for Lily in his teenage years wasn't love. He had been holding on to his obstinate idea of love for too long, and hadn't even known that it wasn't really Love. Love was respecting a person for his abilities, accepting them for who they are despite all their faults, and not just the physical attraction you felt in their presence.
When he finally turned to Hermione again, she was watching him with a warm expression, "Now you know; I wasn't really lying to you. And I would never want to hurt you."
"Hermione… I don't deserve you. You are so young and pure. And you have your entire life ahead of you." He sighed.
"And yet, all I desire is you. My life, however long it will be, will never be happier than it will be with you. I love you, Severus Snape."
Severus wasn't sure what made him do it; the sincerity in her voice, the longing in her eyes or his own overwhelming emotions; he didn't care. He leaned towards her, cupped her face in both his hands and kissed her.
Hermione responded with equal fervor, entwining her hands in Severus's smooth black hair. Both were pressing their tongues down each other's mouths, afraid the spell will end too soon. But it didn't. The passionate kiss soon turned into gentle and tender caressing and they broke apart when they were both out of breath.
"I'm still curious about one thing, though." Severus told the now blushing Hermione.
"About what?" she enquired.
"What was the dress for?" Severus said, tracing the slit at her left thigh.
"Why? Don't you like it?"
"I love it. But, you still didn't answer my question."
"Well, I was told it was a fool proof way to ensnare a Slytherin." Hermione said in a seductive voice.
"And do you really think you could ensnare a Slytherin like myself, Gryffindor Princess?" He teased.
Hermione stood up gracefully and twirled, showing off her legs and swaying her breasts. "Oh, I think I can."
Severus didn't hold himself back this time as he got up and pulled his girl close to him and apparated straight to his bedroom.
Hermione blinked in surprise to find herself in Severus's strong arms and the unfamiliar setting of his bedroom.
"And here I thought you couldn't apparate in or out of Hogwarts!" She exclaimed.
"I can. And tonight, I'm going to show you much more of my abilities as I tell you how much I love you, Miss Hermione Granger." He replied in a low voice.
Hermione blushed, catching the meaning behind his words.
"But first, let's get you out of this amazing dress that I love you so much in." Severus whispered in her ears, moving his hands to her back, finding the zipper of the black dress.
Harry and Draco were the only ones left in the Gryffindor Common Room, the rest of them had retired to their beds spent. Harry glanced at the entwined dots of 'Severus Snape' and 'Hermione Granger' at the Potions Master's private chambers and looked to his boyfriend.
"You were right, they did find each other."
It was evident from Harry's voice how happy he was with their plan's outcome. Draco put his arm around his shoulders and replied with a wink,
"Told you; all they needed was a little push. Now, I believe the Heads Dormitory is going to be empty for the night. Mind if I Slytherin?"
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