Author's Note:Aaaaaall right. Final chapter. I had to go for heat, didn't I? ;) A final massive thank you to debjunk for her beta work, and to herroyalgoddess for the plunny. May you all enjoy, my lovelies!
Chapter 4
His hands flexed on the stirring rod, counting almost desperately. His heat had been steady for years. Decades, in fact. It wasn't due for six days and yet here he stood, stomach cramping and sweat beading along his temples and upper lip. He had sent Charlene home at the first signs, knowing he could never hide it. He was just thankful that it was Travis' day off—sending both of them home would have aroused suspicion. He could finish these orders alone, then get word to Hermione.
Years of practice meant that he had erratic 'research trips' set out throughout the months to hide the obvious three-month heat cycle. Research, ingredient-gathering...anything he could come up with. It had been harder at Hogwarts, citing random illnesses or simply teaching his classes through the easiest parts. He was supposed to have left in two days for this "trip".
But no.
He counted louder, his free hand clenching and unclenching to stop himself from shaking with need. Severus jerked his head to the side at the last minute to stop the droplet of sweat on his nose from falling into his cauldron. It would not do to ruin this particular brew. It was finicky on a good day.
And today was not a good day.
Severus had never had a heat hit him this hard before. His was a slow build, not this sudden, wrenching burn. Perhaps it was the month he had had with Hermione. The nearness of his alpha, the numerous times she had bitten him.
A pleasant shiver down his spine nearly ruined his concentration as the memory triggered the phantom sensation of her teeth nipping at him.
Ruthlessly, he focused, pushing away all thoughts of his alpha's body entwined with his, of her sharing his bed and breakfast table, of her curling into his body as they read on the sofa.
Nearly an hour had passed before he was able to reduce the brew to a simmer for the requisite 28-hours, his cock hard and straining. Leaving a terse note to his employees to finish the brews, and that he was leaving early, was a monumental effort. It took him three tries to cast a Patronus, and when he did, his doe was a wavering thing, a testament to his distraction.
He had to gasp out his destination when he threw his Floo powder into the flames. His body was burning, aching. His gut clenched and twisted as he spun through the green flames, the cramps incredibly painful.
He shed his clothes as he stumbled out of the sitting room, his body on fire. Buttons scattered across the worn wooden stairs, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He had never been caught so unprepared, and he nearly took the door off of his wardrobe trying to get to his nest.
It took him several attempts to smooth it into place to his satisfaction, ensuring the stitching was displayed just so.
Hermione will be here, he told himself over and over, fisting his erection in an attempt to keep the madness at bay. Alpha will make it all better.
He was near a second dry climax when the fire downstairs roared and footsteps thudded up the narrow staircase.
"Severus!" Her voice was sweet music to his ears.
"Hermione," his voice deep and full of need.
And then she was there, panting in his doorway, her curls wild and escaping the lopsided bun. She smiled at him and the heat lay quiet for the moment as her scent enveloped him. Alpha is here. My mate will make it stop.
"I need you," Severus said, extending his hand to her.
"I know, I got your message," she said, her tone reassuring.
She pulled off her robes, underthings following her shoes into an untidy heap on his bedroom floor. "It started early?"
"Yes," he said, his voice a moan. "Never...been...like this..."
"It's all right," Hermione said, coming closer. "I'm here. I'll take care of you."
She stepped across the soft rug towards the bed, admiring him. God, he was gorgeous like this. His pale limbs splayed like a sacrifice, his angular features drawn in desperation, his cock hard and waiting.
Waiting for his alpha. His mate.
For her.
God, was there anything sexier than a man practically vibrating with need for you? To see that naked lust in his eyes when you were still dressed? Especially this man, who was curt and sarcastic until she had him naked in bed. Then he was hers, and only hers.
The fragrance of him was heady today. The desperation he felt carried through it, and she was wet and slick before her hands even touched the soft velvet of his nest.
His fingers slid over the rich blue fabric, and she caught the self-conscious movement. "It's beautiful, Severus. Perfect. Like you."
He really was, even as his face grew taut with need, the raven of his hair complimented by the hue of his nest. He groaned, his head falling back. If he hadn't been so consumed, he probably would have given her a derisive snort.
"Please," he murmured. "I need you, please..."
Hermione bent to kiss his fevered brow, sweeping her hands over his chest. His back arched as she brushed her lips over his neck, her tongue tasting the salt of his skin. She whispered soothing nonsense, wanting to draw the first time out. She had no idea what to expect from a heat mating as a female alpha.
Severus gave himself over to the sensations, to the relief. He wouldn't be facing the desire and madness alone again. She was here, with him. Touching him. Her fingers were a balm to the fierce heat pricking his skin. The inability to ejaculate, to end the madness, would no longer plague him with her here to mate with him properly.
Kissing his neck, Hermione lowered her hand to his cock. His skin was hot to the touch, the thick flesh throbbing with his heartbeat. He groaned, a needy sound that shot straight to her sex, and she nipped at his skin. She stroked the familiar curve of him as he panted, crying out. He pulsed in her hand, but no semen dripped down her fingers.
With a frown, she lifted her head and studied his face. He looked tormented, murmuring 'please', his eyes closed.
Hermione released him and straddled his waist.
"Look at me," she demanded.
She waited for him to meet her gaze before she grasped him once more and sank down, amazed that she was wet enough to take his full length and girth in without any extra assistance. Or perhaps it was the regular sex they'd been sharing.
His hips bucked with a strangled shout, and her brain scrambled for a moment as he hit the perfect spot inside.
Oooh, fuck, she thought.
He was incredibly hard, and that single buck had driven him deep inside. She exhaled slowly, her core clenching around him, and Hermione reached to take his hands. She used him to steady herself, pushing on his palms to aid her as she began to move up and down his length.
Severus arched beneath her, thrusting up to meet her movements. He felt drugged with lust, the heat no longer creeping through his veins but roaring.
She hissed his name on one particular motion, letting go of his hands to reach back and grasp his thighs, beginning to ride him in earnest.
"Fuck!" he cried, scrabbling to grab her knees. He could see his own cock sliding in and out of her, glistening with her pleasure. "Please! Don't stop!"
Hermione felt powerful as he begged her, encouraging her to take him. His nails dug into her skin, and she bit her lip. He felt so fucking good. He was made for her. Every stroke had him in just the perfect place and her orgasm was coiling, building. His room was filled with the meaty slap of her arse meeting his thighs, the heavy salty scent of damn good sex. Her loose hairs stuck to her neck and face as she rode him, increasing her speed.
Everything wound tighter in her as she neared her peak—something inside her felt tight, and then it was almost impossible to move as she came.
Severus cried out beneath her as the muscles of her perfect, perfect quim tightened around him like a ring. He couldn't move, couldn't thrust, as she came. His own climax left him in a hot, pulsing rush, shooting into her womb and kept in place by the female version of an alpha's knot.
Hermione panted, wide-eyed and staring at his ceiling in disbelief even as her body tingled. She hadn't known her body could do that, could strangle his cock and keep his come inside her. Her heart was thundering against her ribs, her hands still clenching his bony knees.
"Thank you," he gasped, and she looked at him. The cords of his neck stood out, his cock still hard and embedded inside her as he panted. "That..."
"Amazing," she said.
She lifted one hand and flexed her fingers experimentally. Convinced she hadn't done either of them any lasting damaged, she let go and leaned forward. His shaft felt so right within her.
She caressed the side of his face, and he leaned into it, his eyes fluttering closed.
God but he was beautiful then, his features marked with peace. He was perfect in his abandonment. Perfect and hers.
Only hers.
Hermione smiled and bent to kiss him gently when she realised just why his heat was early.
The whole point of heat was to reproduce. He was syncing to her cycle. She was almost two weeks since her last menstruation.
Ah, hell.
Her smile faltered, and she swore that once they'd recovered she'd tell him.
Severus took her like a man possessed. Fertile. She was fertile.
And he didn't give a flying fuck. If she didn't want children, they'd handle it after his heat. If she did, well, he'd been alone this long, a family may be nice. He wasn't opposed as long as it was what she wanted.
His cock stroked in and out of her perfect quim, her knees hooked over his shoulders to allow him the perfect angle to strike the spongy spot inside of her that made her quiver and gasp. Hermione—his alpha—was looking up at him with adoration, her mouth hanging open in the most satisfying way.
Suddenly, she grew tight around him once more, and he dropped her legs to press his chest against hers. He wanted to be as close to her as he could when she came so he could whisper sweet nothings to her.
Or rather, that was his intention, but then she knotted around him, sending him into perfect, blissful torment even as she bit his mating gland. He came with a roar, claimed and wanted.
Hermione was Alpha.
Alpha was here.
And she always would be.
The End
