Chapter 5 -Trapped-
Hermione held her breath. Anxiously, she watched their future selves enter the room. Snape was carrying their little daughter, who happily told him about the 'potion' she had brewed at Hagrid's that day. He listened quite interested to her explanations.
"Really? And what happens, if you add bits of gravel to an essence of mud and weeds?" he asked fondly.
The little girl smiled. "It'll get you all muddy in the face, if you don't look out, and dump them too quickly into the cauldron!" she giggled.
"Oh," he remarked grinning, "that must have been a surprise." His eyes suddenly filled with concern, "You do know it's not a real potion, Tina?" he asked worriedly. "You wouldn't drink it, would you?!"
The little girl gave him a familiar smirk at that. "Of course, Daddy!" she sneered. "I'm not stupid. I'm four years old," she declared proudly, "and I know things like that!"
"Of course you do. You're my clever girl," he kissed her cheek. "I just wanted to be sure about it, Tina."
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Hermione's eyes were drawn to a glimpse of red at her side. She hadn't noticed, Crookshanks had entered the room with them. He sniffed around and looked in their direction, his bright yellow eyes staring at the spot where they were hiding beneath the cloak. She could feel Snape's grip tighten around her. He was obviously just as worried as she was.
Suddenly she noticed how close they were to each other. She could feel the warmth of his body on her back. His chin leaned against her temple. His arms were still wrapped around her and she was literally sitting in his lap.
It was completely out of the question to move right now but she realised, she cared very little about the unfamiliar closeness. It was similar to the situation when he had embraced her during their time-travelling. For some strange reason it gave her a feeling of safety and support. She felt the tension leave her body as she leaned back on him.
After a few seconds, Crookshanks turned away from them. With a great leap, he jumped into the armchair and curled up between the various dolls. Hermione silently released her breath and was just about to relax, when Tina suddenly approached their hiding place.
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The little girl knelt down very close to them and started to rearrange some of the wooden bits of 'Hogwarts'.
The future Hermione turned her head at her little daughter. "Oh no, Tina, it's quite late already. I think you should leave the rest for tomorrow, Sweetie."
The little girl's beetle-black eyes searched for the one she expected to support her. "Ohh- but I still haven't finished the Astronomy Tower – Daddy!? You promised to help me with that."
Hermione could feel Snape chuckling slightly in her back. "Cunning little witch," she heard him mutter under his breath, "it's unbelievable."
Hermione's lips formed into a smile, too. But the very next second her eyes widened with shock. "Shhht," she hissed anxiously, "Be quiet! They'll hear us?"
"You may not like me," Snape sneered in a dangerously low voice, "but I'm – not – an idiot, Miss Granger. I cast a Muffling Spell on the cloak, when I threw it over our heads. It's not as strong as a real Silencing Spell, so don't speak loudly or make any sudden movements - I would have needed my wand for a spell like that - but it allows us to whisper."
"Ohh," Hermione breathed tentatively. "Does that mean, you don't have your wand, Professor?"
"Honestly, Miss Granger," he sneered, "it almost hurts to see a brilliant mind like yours do such slow thinking. Of course I have my wand! But I could hardly whip it out, perform a Silencing Spell, drag you out of that nook, prevent you from slamming your head on the bookshelf by catching you and throw the cloak over our heads all at once. I'm sorry if I destroy your illusions, but I'm only human - and it was a close thing anyway," he added sarcastically.
"S-so you –you-" she stammered, confused, and his lips formed into a smirk again.
"Do you think you could manage to speak in whole sentences, Miss Granger?"
"It was wand-less magic?!" she asked excitedly. "Really?!"
"Yes," he replied calmly, "That's why I couldn't perform a real Silencing Spell."
"Wow- " she muttered, impressed, "That's splendid, Professor!"
His lips switched and he almost broke into a smile at her praise. "Thank you for that assessment, Miss Granger," he sneered sarcastically, "I really appreciate it."
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The future Snape fell to pieces at his little girl's pleading gaze. "All right Sweetheart," he smiled, "but just the Astronomy Tower."
Hermione watched, thunderstruck, while he kneeled down on the floor next to her. The little girl clapped her hands with joy. "Oh fine, Daddy! I'll get some more stones! Just wait ..." With that she jumped to her feet and ran out of the room.
'Daddy-Snape' kept sitting at the floor and looked at his wife, who shook her head in amusement at him. "You're a hopeless case, you know that Severus?" she smiled. "How is she supposed to ever learn the meaning of 'no', if you're acting like that? Hagrid is quite right. You're twisted around her little finger - and she knows it."
"So what?" he smiled, playing with one of the wooden bits in his hands. "I'm enjoying it greatly. Like I enjoy being twisted around your little finger as well. I know I am. But I don't mind it at all. I'm happy. I don't want to have it any other way."
They exchanged a tender glance and smiled at each other.
"Let Tina finish her Astronomy Tower – she has so much fun and if she stays up half an hour longer, it won't do any harm."
Right then, little Tina appeared again, carrying a large box of wooden bits.
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"Oh my," Hermione heard Snape sigh behind her, "that's enough for a detailed model of Hogsmeade as well. Are you seated comfortably, Miss Granger? This might take some time."
"I'm fine," she assured him in a low whisper. "But maybe you could move your right leg slightly, Professor? My foot is starting to get tired this way."
"Oh-" he carefully shifted his position a little. "Is this better?"
"Yes, lots better, thank you Professor."
"You're welcome, Miss Granger."
They silently watched his future self and little Tina build an amazingly detailed model of the Astronomy Tower out of various-shaped wooden blocks.
"And these, Tina?" the future Snape asked and held up a different block.
"That's going to be Hagrid's hut," she told him. "We can build it afterwards."
"Oh no-" the Snape in Hermione's back moaned and she giggled softly.
"Shhht-" he hissed annoyed, tightening his grip around her. "Shut up you little fool! The spell can't cover careless giggling noises like these. They mustn't know we're here!"
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"No Tina," they heard his future self respond softly. "It's really time to go to bed now."
The little girl's eyes went wide at that. "Oh Daddy," she pleaded. "Couldn't we at least – start - with the Divination Tower? Oh pleeeease?!"
The other Hermione, who had returned from the bathroom wearing her night-dress, gave him a mock smile, but said nothing.
"No princess," he answered, smiling back at his wife, "Sybil will have to wait until tomorrow, I'm sorry."
The future Hermione nodded appreciatively at that statement and he grinned proudly. "Come on now, Tina," he got up and reached out his hand. The little girl followed the order a little reluctantly. "All right," she finally agreed, "but tomorrow we'll continue?"
"Of course, we will."
She smiled. "Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"May I take Crookshanks to my room with me again?"
The future Snape exchanged a brief glance with his wife, then nodded. "Yes, but you'll leave the door ajar so he can get out if he wants, will you?"
"Oh yes, of course I will," the little girl beamed. Carefully she picked the sleeping tomcat up and carried him to her room.
Afterwards she hurried in the bathroom to get ready for bed. "Crookshanks didn't mind I disturbed him to carry him to my room. He just stretched and yawned as I put him on the bed - he's already back asleep again," she called from the bathroom.
"Well that's very wise of him," the future Hermione remarked, grinning "and you should join him at that now, Dear."
She smiled at her husband. "I'll have a check on her to make sure she brushes her teeth correctly."
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"Oh honestly," Snape frowned, "can't they simply leave the room all together for once, so we can get out of here? I don't want to be trapped like this all night."
"Neither do I," Hermione gave back in annoyance. "This is hardly the position I'd want to spend the night in."
"I can't see what you've to complain about, Miss Granger," he frowned. "Would you have preferred to get caught by them, perhaps?"
"By us, you mean."
"That's not us," he frowned back, "that's a poor lovesick fool and his manipulative wife."
"What's manipulative about her?" Hermione arched her brows at him.
"He worships the floor she steps on and she teases the poor man all the time."
"But it's all meant well - she loves him."
"She, Miss Granger?" he mocked. "Didn't you just tell me - they - were us?"
"Ewm," Hermione grumbled, awkwardly aware of what that sentence sounded like.
"So maybe it's not – us - then," Snape concluded dryly. "They are 'mysteries' to me, Miss Granger," he hissed, "they are behaving completely strangely. We can't even guess what their reaction will be if they discover us in their bedroom."
"But we look like them."
"I was under the impression, you were familiar with the effects of Polyjuice Potion, Miss Granger," he sneered.
Hermione blushed with embarrassment at the memory of her unpleasant experience with that potion in her second year. "Maybe they know about the potion we're looking for," she suggested shyly, "Dumbledore said, it might be possible."
"Do you want to risk that, Miss Granger?" Snape glared at her.
"No-" she responded timidly.
"So - I'd really appreciate it, if you dropped that idea now," his lips were pressed into a thin line. "Oh, what's that?" he suddenly frowned at the sight of his future self, who obviously started to prepare for bed, too. "It's hardly nine o'clock, what on earth is he doing?"
Hermione couldn't help but grin. "Well, I imagine he's going to bed, Professor."
"That early?" Snape remarked startled. "Oh damn," he hissed all of a sudden, "what is he doing now?!"
Hermione noticed, the future Snape began to take his robes off. "O-oh-" she tried her best to suppress a broad grin, but wasn't too successful at it. Well - that might become quite interesting –
The Snape in front of her eyes was already busy unbuttoning his black, long-sleeved shirt and she could catch a glimpse on curly black hair, covering his chest – it was not a bad sight at all.
"Miss Granger," the Snape in her back hissed in annoyance. "Don't stare at me like that!"
"I'm not staring at - you - Professor," Hermione told him in her sweetest voice. "That's not you – that's 'the lovesick fool', remember?"
"Close your eyes!" he snapped sharply. "There's nothing for you to look at!!"
She noticed the trace of panic in his voice and her grin widened. "But Professor-" she started again – but was cut short by his sharp order.
"Miss Granger, I - insist - you close your eyes at once!" he glared. "Don't you dare watch me – erw, him er-w – well, erw- Don't you dare watch – this-" he sounded so embarrassed it was almost cute.
Obediently, Hermione pretended to close her eyes, but watched his future self from beneath lowered lashes, without Snape's notice. She had to admit, he looked rather good. He was out of that shirt now. His skin was pale, like his face, but it looked really good that way. It simply suited him. She couldn't imagine him with a tan. He had a nice back, narrow hips and was surprisingly lean and muscular, for a man who spent most of his time teaching or working in a lab. The major muscle groups were outlined without being prominent. She felt a slight flutter in the pit of her stomach as she allowed her eyes to wander down his bare chest. He wasn't half as skinny as she had imagined, but quite lean and good-looking. She felt her heartbeat quicken and her throat went dry at the thought of what she would so obviously do with this man.
Well not with that one, who was taking his clothes off in front of her eyes right now, but with the one who was sitting at her back, and whose arms still held her in a tight embrace. With the one who now leaned forward to check if her eyes were really closed. "You aren't looking, are you -?" he asked suspiciously.
She felt a wave of heat rush through her body at his closeness. "O-of course not, P-Professor," she assured him a little too quickly.
"I don't trust you," he muttered softly into her ear. She felt his warm breath tickling her neck and shivered slightly, but couldn't take her eyes off of his future self, nonetheless. The last she saw, were his slender, fine-boned hands opening the belt buckle of his black slacks, before a hand covered her eyes and kept everything else from her view.
"O-ooh -" she gasped, disappointed.
"Ha! -So I was right-" Snape whispered triumphantly, his breath brushed softy across her skin again. She shivered once more. It made the little hairs at the back of her neck stand on end.
"Are you cold, Miss Granger?" he mocked in a low voice. Now that her eyes were safety covered by his hand, he sounded a lot more comfortable with the situation.
"N-not exactly," she croaked out, feeling kind of nervous, now as she couldn't see her surroundings anymore. It made her feel his nearness all the more.
"Well," Snape chuckled and leaned closer to her, "I supposed so-" he whispered smoothly, his lips brushing her ear just a split second before he leaned back.
Hermione whimpered with surprise at the soft contact and he chuckled again. She felt kind of vulnerable. After all, she was sitting in his lap. And being restricted to the ability to hear and feel, made her notice every contact even more intensely.
"Be careful, Miss Granger, I'm not that lovesick fool over there, who's completely wrapped around your finger. Don't mess with me-" he told her softly.
Hermione whimpered again, completely caught in her confused feelings of – well, she couldn't even tell what exactly she felt right now. She was kind of excited, but not frightened.
In a strange way she felt sheltered, but not calm at all. She felt terribly insecure and nervous to be precise, but she didn't want to move away from him.
Her heartbeat rushed so madly, she was sure he could see her pulse throbbing where his warm breath brushed across her throat. She felt so weak, but loved it – she loved being weak right now. With another slight whimpering sound, she leaned her head back against his shoulder and turned her face towards his.
His hand slipped away from her eyes at that. It glided smoothly down across her cheek and came to rest at the tender flesh of her neck. The back of his thumb traced in a caressing movement along her jaw line, his index touching some sensitive spot behind her ear. She couldn't tell if it was an unintentional movement, or if he did it on purpose.
It felt wonderful, and her strong reaction to his gentleness was a shock to herself. She knew she was acting strange and would probably regret it when she came to her senses again, but she simply couldn't fight the strong feelings of longing deep in her chest. All she wanted right now, was his lips on hers. She remembered, how good it had felt to kiss his future self earlier that day. She still hadn't recovered from the strange feeling of tenderness she had felt for him then.
She could have opened her eyes now – but she didn't. She simply leaned closer to him and snuggled her face against the place where the curve of his neck met his shoulder. She felt his pulse at her temple. It was rapid, like her own. She noticed his very special scent again, as she had done as he had held her safe in his arms on their journey. She had noticed the same scent on his future self, too.
She loved it - it made her throat get tight with tension. She felt so strange. She felt his heart hammering in his chest which was pressed to her back, and just wanted to lean closer to him – she wanted to feel his lips on hers – she - couldn't think of any good reason why, but she wanted to be kissed by him – right now. It felt so good to be in his arms like this – it felt so right –
Well, if everything they had found in this time would come true, it probably was right. Their future selves seemed to care so deeply about each other. They seemed to be so much in love.
He wasn't right to think these were strangers. It was them. She wondered if she would feel the same way at his kiss as she had felt when his future self had kissed her, this morning – she wanted to know -
In a nervous gesture, she bit her lower lip and noticed he drew in a sharp breath at that. Slowly and longingly she tilted her head back and sighed, barely audible.
"Be very careful, Miss Granger," he breathed softly "and if you're wise, you get out of my lap now."
"O-oh," she stammered but didn't move at all.
When she looked up, she met his black, intense eyes. They weren't cold and empty, the way they usually were. They were oddly alive. There was something strange and unreadable in them. His face was only inches from hers and she was almost sure, he would kiss her – now –
Her heart beat like mad with joy and excitement - she closed her eyes again.
Slowly and carefully, he leaned forward – some strands of his hair brushed across her cheek. Once more, she wondered how soft and silky it felt. He hesitated, his lips almost touched hers as he spoke. "Be careful what you wish for, Miss Granger," he muttered in a low, silky kind of voice, "you might be given it."
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The low creaking noise of a door made them snap out of it. Hermione noticed with surprise that her future self had returned from the bathroom. 'She' was already sitting in bed. Her feather quill scratched over the pages of a small leather-bound book.
Hermione raised her eyebrows with surprise as she recognized her diary.
A smiling Snape in midnight-blue pyjamas appeared in the doorway. He watched the young woman in bed with loving eyes. "I'll have a look at Tina. Then I'll come to bed, too."
"All right Sev," she returned his smile tenderly, "but don't take too long, will you? I'm almost done with this," she pointed at the well-thumbed diary in her hands.
"No," he smiled gently, "I'll be right back. I won't let you wait too long, I promise." He crossed the room and left for the study next door, which obviously lead to Tina's room.
After only a few moments he was back. 'His' Hermione raised her eyebrows in surprise at him. "Wow, that was quick-"
"She's already asleep," he told her smiling.
"Oh, that's a nice change, for once," she grinned. "Maybe there's hope."
"We'll get further disturbances to deprive us of a good night's sleep, soon enough, I suppose," he smiled. With a flip of his wand he extinguished the light. The bedroom was filled only by the soft glow of the single candle on her bedside table now.
The dark shape of his shadow danced across the walls in flickering movement as, he lifted the covers and crawled into bed next to her. Her lips switched slightly as he crept closer.
The present Hermione noticed, that the future Snape rested his chin at 'his' Hermione's shoulder and closed his arms around her in just the same way the present Snape held her right now.
And the future Hermione's reaction to this was quite similar to her own. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes as his lips brushed across the soft skin of her ear. "Sev-erus-"
"Aren't you done yet, Darling?" he asked softly and started to place tiny kisses at her neck.
"No-" she sighed, "but -oh, Sev, don't distract me, will you? You know," she giggled, "I can't think straight, if you breathe at my neck and hold me like this-"
"Oh yes," he murmured, "I know that quite well …"
Not only the future, but also the present Snape chuckled at that declaration and Hermione noticed, how very close her own-time-Snape's lips were to just the same sensitive spot of her neck right now. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the memory of her strange reaction to his warm breath at her ear and throat – she had practically begged him to kiss her. How embarrassing.
The Hermione in bed didn't seem to have any second thoughts though. With a soft sigh, she put the diary down and turned towards her smiling husband. "All right – you've won," she admitted with a slight laugh. "I'll finish that entry tomorrow."
"That's nice to hear," he whispered softly, before his lips covered hers in a loving kiss and her arms wound themselves around his neck.
The present Hermione shifted uneasily in her place in her own-time-Snape's lap and his grip tightened around her to keep her still. Both of them stared in horror at the cuddling, kissing couple on the bed. When the activities became more passionate there, the tension between them became unbearable. Hermione wanted to inform the pair of their presence, but Snape didn't agree to this.
"So what-" she whispered, annoyed, "would you rather stay in place and watch what happens?"
"Miss Granger," he hissed at her, "don't be ridiculous! I can hardly think of anything I would want to watch less. I want to get out of here as soon as possible …"
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Hermione shivered slightly as the future Snape moaned her name softly.
'His' Hermione had started to slightly caress his ear and neck with her lips and the tip of her tongue and he most obviously liked it a lot. "Yes, Sevvie-Darling?" she teased mischievously.
"Stop this, or .."
"Or what?" she whispered innocently, shoving her hands slowly under his pyjama-shirt. She started to caress his shoulders and chest in gentle, tiny circles, while she softly nibbled on his earlobe and neck. "Don't you like this?"
"You know I do," he moaned slightly, moving his hands through her thick masses of hair as he rolled her onto her back.
"O-oh yes, you like it." she smiled as she pressed her hips closer to his, "you like it a lot, don't you Love?!"
"Mm-Her-m-ione," he sighed as her tongue started to softly tease him, slipping into his ear, and her hands wandered down his back, caressing their way to the edge of his pyjama-trousers.
"A-re you sure?" he whispered softly. "You know, what this will lead to, if you keep driving me crazy like this…"
"I know-" she laughed softly, "that's why I do it!"
"Oh – are you sure, you're feeling up to this again, Love?"
She grinned broadly at that. "Oh yes, very sure. How about you? Oh dear," she chuckled, "I guess I don't need to ask."
A half muffled laughing was his response as he gently bit her neck. "Oh- Hermione," he breathed softly, kissing his way down her skin. "You know all too well -- I'd -- love -- to – continue - like -this –but…" he nuzzled her neck affectionately. "But you were so sick today – and tired – and I fear it might have been caused by what we did last night - you know - all the times we – had it then. I - I don't want to – exhaust you further – my Darling." He kissed her very tenderly.
Hermione softly cupped his face in both of her hands at that. "Oh Severus – it's not because of – this – it's – well – it's just because of – the baby."
He smiled back very lovingly at her. "So it's definitely – because of – this." he kissed her again, "Isn't it?"
She laughed at that. "Well, if you look at things, this way – it probably is."
He kissed her once more, longer this time and more intense. "I love you, Hermione – I love you so much."
"So do I, Sev- so do I." She returned his kiss passionately.
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"So do I," the present Hermione hissed back through gritted teeth. "I want to get out of here, too. I don't want to witness this either. But – just in case you didn't notice – that door over there, is locked. Professor!"
"Miss Granger- just for once in your life – hold your tongue!" Snape snapped at her in a low voice.
'Great choice of words,' he complemented himself the next second, 'really – bloody brilliant.'
The same thought apparently occurred to Hermione and she broke into a fit of laughter. But when she felt Snape freeze with shock at the sound of it, the laughter died in her throat. She clapped one hand over her mouth and stared at him with frightened eyes.
The pair on the bed jumped with surprise.
"" TINA !?""
Hermione slipped off from under the cloak. "No, it's me- erw- us- I –I'm sorry…"
A/N: I'm sorry, too – because I didn't post more soon. Thank you for all the reviews. They are great encouragement.
Thanks to Misao and SilentG for revising this chapter.
*The Duck* I really hope the gap between updates hasn't been 'the end of you'. It would be terrible, if you couldn't finish 'Bellus Rose'.
*thelovemut* Ihi -ih, I like that name - obviously. I liked it ever since I read E. T. A. Hoffmann's 'Der goldene Topf' in school. Serpentina is the daughter of a man, who is said to be a wizard. He has a lab in his house and lots of old books and manuscripts with strange signs that don't belong to any known language. Serpentina is an animagus, who transforms into a golden-green snake. I guess it fits quite well. And at least the poor girl is called 'Tina'.
*Ehann* Thanks for your e-mail and review. Once again, compliments to your story: 'Lost and found'. I'm enjoying it greatly.
Serpentina