Insufferable Attraction

SeverusxHermione

Rated NC-17

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters from the franchise. That honor belongs to JK Rowling

Author's Note: Thanks so much to my brother for creating the cover art for this story. I really like how it turned out and I appreciate the time and work he put into making it. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and stay tuned for more to come. XOXO, SehunsBae37.

Insufferable Attraction

Chapter 13

Severus grumbled and cursed in irritation as he climbed the stairs to exit his Potions Lab. He had messed up a batch of Skele-Gro for Madame Pompfrey by adding one too many Scarab beetles by mistake, a simple but stupid mistake on his part and it irritated him greatly. The potion was ruined, and he had decided to cool his head about it. Therefore, he had decided to leave his lab and go make a cup of coffee and read a book in his armchair.

Leaving the Potions Lab, Severus closed the door behind him and walked down the hallway to enter the main room of his home. As he did, he stopped at the sight before him. Lying on his couch was Hermione, her fast asleep with a book lying face down on her stomach. Her head was resting lightly on the throw pillow and her face turned slightly towards him, her arm not holding the book lying above her head and her legs bent slightly at the knee. She looked so innocent and her posture was almost seductive, even more so when she stretched a bit in her sleep and her breasts raised up as she arched her back before settling back down again.

Seeing her do that made Severus' mouth go a bit dry, his traitorous mind going back to the night of their consummation. He remembered how she had bared herself to him and how her perky breasts had felt against his bare chest, how her nipples had tightened during their consummation and bounced as he thrust in and out of her. He remembered how her face had expressed complete and utter ecstasy, pleasure that he had bestowed upon her. Her gentle hands had held onto him tightly and her center had clenched around him so wonderfully. His felt his member twitch in his trousers at the memory of how tight she had been around him. Severus hadn't really had a chance to think about it much at the time, as he had been more concerned about making sure Hermione had been comfortable since it had been her first time. But looking back on it now, he too had experienced great pleasure and it was hard for him to believe that it had been because of the young woman lying before him.

Silently Severus walked over to the brunette and bent down in front of the couch. Black eyes roamed over Hermione's sleeping face, taking in her sooty lashes that rested gently against her cheeks, cute button nose that had a light scattering of freckles across it, and pouty pink lips. Her wild curls were splayed around her head like a halo and it seemed to only accent the natural beauty of Hermione Granger. Or Snape rather. I suppose I should start thinking that now, Severus thought. She is my wife now.

Hermione sighed in her sleep, the movement almost startling Severus as he believed her to be waking up. However, she only seemed to be settling into sleep once again. Before he realized it, Severus found himself smiling softly as he continued to gaze upon the brunette. He then slowly raised his large hand and rested it against her head, lightly stroking her soft curly hair. As he did, Hermione seemed to turn her head towards him more, as if unconsciously seeking his touch more and mumbled in her sleep, "Severus."

Black eyes widened in surprise and his hand stilled, his whole body going rigid. She had called his name in her sleep. Was she…was Hermione dreaming about him? Or was she reacting to his presence and touch? Whatever the reason, it didn't stop the fact that his heart had begun to beat a little faster in his chest at her soft mumbling of his name. Severus once again roamed over her face and gentle features before once again settling on her pouty lips once again. Looking at them, he suddenly found himself wanting to…to kiss them, to kiss her. They hadn't kissed when they had been bonded, as there was no need to as it wasn't a real wedding, just a formal bonding. However, he realized that he actually wanted to. Before he knew it, Severus was bending his head closer and closer to hers, his lips just a hair's breadth from touching Hermione's.

The sound of the Floo brought Severus back to the world around him and he quickly stood up just as Narcissa stepped out of the green flames. She brushed the soot off her robes before greeting, "Hello Severus."

"Narcissa," Severus replied coolly.

Narcissa stared at Severus for a moment, taking note of how though he seemed collected and stoic as usual, there was some sort of nervous air about him. Her blue eyes drifted to the couch where she spotted Hermione lying on it asleep. Taking note that Severus was standing next to the couch, next to the young brunette, she gave him a knowing look with a small smirk on her face. The smirk grew as Severus glared at her before turning to walk into his kitchen. Narcissa shook her head as she followed thinking, I think Severus might have been trying to kiss his new wife.

Stepping into the kitchen, Narcissa found Severus making a cup of black coffee and a cup of tea. He floated them over to the kitchen table where they both sat down and each took a sip of their respective drinks. Once she did Narcissa asked, "So how is married life?"

"What about it?" Severus asked nonchalantly.

"Are you adjusting well?"

The Potions Master hummed before saying, "I suppose, though I can't say much has changed."

The blonde witch pursed her lips and said, "Don't tell me that you are still holing yourself up in your Potions lab."

"Not always, I do read sometimes."

"What about going out to do something different? Experience some fun with new Mrs. Snape?"

Severus thought back to two days ago when Hermione herself had suggested they do something fun to shake up their usual routine following Potter's and Greengrass' bonding ceremony. They had ended up going into London and watching a few Muggles perform Shakespeare's Macbeth. It had actually been interesting to watch and afterwards they had left talking about the play, as well as their preferred Shakespeare plays. While Severus admitted he was partial to Hamlet and Othello, he was surprised to hear that Hermione preferred A Midsummer Night's Dream. When stating he thought she would have liked Romeo and Juliet more as most young women, Hermione had shaken her head and stated that the love story was too complicated for her liking and couldn't wrap her mind how one could fall in love in a single night at and be willing to give up their lives a matter of days later. She had also believed that with the characters—or at least Juliet—being adolescents, they wouldn't particularly understand love and sacrifice the way someone older would. It had been nice to hear her opinion about the story and why she thought how she did, rather than his own of how of how the main characters were stupid children who knew nothing of the world they lived in and were just going with their own selfish desires.

Narcissa looked at Severus and noted how his mind seemed to drift off, his black eyes drifting to look out into the living room where Hermione was lying on the couch. Seeing him do so made Narcissa smile, making her believe that her old friend cared for his new wife more than he let on or more than he realized. She believed it wouldn't be long before he was completely smitten with Hermione. Even so, he probably still found her to be insufferable at times.

Remembering Narcissa's question, Severus answered, "We went into London and saw a play of Macbeth. We also had an intellectual talk about Shakespeare's plays."

Nodding the blonde witch said, "That sounds nice, something more your speed. Keep doing things with her and continue to get to know her, Severus. I think you'll find it rewarding and she will keep you young. Well, younger than you already are."

"I am not young. I am twenty years her senior."

"You are nineteen years older, not a full twenty years."

"I'm still older and that isn't going to change. Not that it matters, we're already bonded and she's stuck with someone like me as her husband."

The blonde pursed her lips and shook her head. "Severus, stop saying 'someone like you'. I believe any woman would be lucky to have you as their husband and I believe Hermione is lucky to have you. And you are lucky to have her as well. I still believe she is good for you, and it is obvious you are attracted to her."

Severus stiffened for a moment before asking, "What makes you say that?"

"So I'm supposed to just ignore the fact that you were about to kiss your wife before I Flooed in?"

"I wasn't."

"Don't lie to me, Severus. You may not love Hermione, but you care for her and are attracted to her enough to want to kiss her."

"She's insufferable."

"Then you are insufferably attracted to her. Don't try and deny it, Severus. In one way or another you care for that girl in there."

As Narcissa took another sip of her tea, Severus glared down into his coffee as her words rolled around in his head. Of course, he cared for Hermione. She was once his student and now that they were married, it was his responsibility as a husband to look out for her well-being; even he knew that much. But there was no way in Merlin he was attracted to her. Even as he thought that, his traitorous mind went back to how he had taken in the brunette's beauty as she slept and how he had been about to kiss her. Perhaps he was more attracted to Hermione than he had thought. No, no he wasn't by any means. But then what had that been in the living room right before Narcissa showed up?

With his mind going back and forth with the denial made his head begin to throb and he rubbed his temple. He suddenly wanted to lie down himself and just forget everything that had happened not too long ago. Even so, his mind couldn't let go of the fact that he was definitely attracted to his wife in one way or another.

Seeing that her confrontation had seemed to back the younger man into a corner, Narcissa took another sip of tea before standing. Taking her leave Narcissa said, "I'll leave you to your thoughts then, Severus. I just came over to see how things were going since your marriage."

She walked out of the kitchen back to the living room to head to the fireplace, Severus following behind her. Grabbing some Floo Powder, she tossed it into the fireplace, watching as green flames erupted from it. Before she stepped into the flames, she turned back to Severus and asked, "Before I go, how was the consummation?"

"Goodbye Narcissa," Severus said dismissively, causing the witch to giggle before stepping into the green flames and Flooing away.

As soon as Narcissa disappeared, Hermione took that moment to finally wake up. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes with her fists before looking at her husband standing before the fireplace that was dwindling down green flames. Blinking she asked, "Did someone leave?"

Nodding Severus answered, "Narcissa. She stopped by to visit briefly."

"Oh, I'm sorry I slept through her visit."

"It's fine, she wasn't bothered by it."

Hermione nodded and stretched a bit before saying, "I wonder how Harry and Daphne are doing."

Severus let out a grunt before replying, "I'm sure they're fine together. I just wonder how Miss Weasley reacted or will react to the news. It was in the Daily Prophet this morning."

Hearing this Hermione's eyes widened before saying, "I hope Harry remembered to close off his Floo. He's allowed all access between the Burrow and Grimmauld Place."

"Then it is only a matter of time before Ginny shows up there."

"Perhaps we should go just in case we have to intervene."

Severus raised an eyebrow at Hermione before shaking his head. "As it is Miss Weasley, I'd suggest letting Mr. Potter handle it."

Hermione looked off to the side, wondering if Harry actually would be able to handle Ginny's reaction to his marriage to Daphne. She just hoped it didn't turn explosive.

Daphne snuggled closer to Harry in his bed, her naked body pressed up against his own with her head on his chest. She and Harry had consummated their vows the night before and she couldn't believe how much of a wonderful, generous lover Harry had turned out to be. They had also done it again that morning and had just been lazing around in bed for most of the day. She shivered when she felt his fingers trail up and down her spine and she giggled before looking up into his green eyes.

"We should probably get up soon," Daphne said. "We have to eat and I'm getting hungry."

In response Harry's stomach growled and the two of them laughed. However, the laughter stopped when the sound of the Floo was heard from downstairs. Looking at her new husband Daphne asked, "Are you expecting anyone?"

Frowning Harry answered, "No."

Hearing the sound of stomping footsteps ascending the stairs, the two of them sat up in bed and Daphne pulled the sheets up over her naked breasts just as the bedroom door was thrust open to reveal Ginny Weasley.