9.
Good women are no fun.
She landed on a cold marble floor in an untidy heap. She felt nauseous the sleeve of her robe matted to her arm as blood trickled from her mark into her hand. Hermione inhaled deeply trying to detach herself from the numbing pain in her arm.
" A side-effect of mark, my dear. Eventually it will cease to bleed. You can remove the mask. It is only us here after all."
Hermione's head snapped up to the figure sitting in the armchair across from the hearth. She quickly bowed in front of him slipping the mask into her pocket.
" My Lord."
" Hermione, please join me." He pointed a long finger to the opposite chair. She stood shakily and slowly eased herself into the chair gritting her teeth when her armed brushed against her side, sending a fresh wave of pain into her arm. She blinked quickly willing herself not to cry.
" I have called you here today to ask for your help on a small task." He smiled his face glowing in the firelight.
" Anything, my Lord." She inclined her head in acceptance.
" I have come to understand you have a working relationship with your Professor." She nodded. " Severus, I'm afraid has been withdrawing from us and I feel we may loose him."
" How so, my lord." Hermione asked quietly.
" I feel that he is leaking out crucial information to your Headmaster. " His lip curled in disgust when he spoke. " Which is why, I want you to involve yourself with him. Not only in your research but personally as well." He eyed her carefully.
Hermione's mind was working frantically. " Personally…oh god, please don't let that mean what I think it means."
" You are a very beautiful witch, Hermione." He rose slowly advancing towards her. He reached out a long finger and caressed her cheek. " I have no doubt that this will be easy for you, I am sure Severus, finds you desirable already."
" Perhaps, my lord." She suppressed a shudder.
" Hermione." He held her chin forcefully looking
into her eyes. " I will not have a traitor in my circle. I need you to find out
if he is faithful to us. I trust you understand the importance? If you succeed
the rewards shall be boundless. Anything you desire I will provide. However if
you fail…" He squeezed harder.
Her jaw was beginning to ache
under the pressure of his touch.
" Of course, my lord. Thank you, I shall endeavor to expose his intent for our cause."
He leaned down to her ear running his tongue across her lobe, sucking before whispering. " Good girl. Although I am sorry for the condition he is in. Perhaps, you will seek out compensation after you succeed."
Hermione swallowed back the urge to vomit all over him.
" Now I must insist you get started right away. I will call you again in a few weeks to check on your progress."
She stood, bowing her head. " Yes, my l-lord. Good evening." She fumbled inside her pocket for her watch and with a pop she was gone.
~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~
She landed back in the lab scrambling to her feet quickly. The lab was empty but Severus' office door was open. She could see him bent over his desk writing. " Ugh when did I start calling him Severus?" She thought. " Probably when you found out you have to seduce him and find out if he's loyal of Voldemort." A traitorous voice chirped. She walked slowly towards him.
" Professor?" She called. His eyes snapped to her quickly.
" Miss. Granger, I see you've returned." His eyes floated down to her left arm that was saturated with blood making the fabric of her cloak glisten. " Miss. Granger you're bleeding all over my floor." He stood, grabbing her arm careful not to be too forceful as he walked her over to a washbasin.
" Wash it thoroughly it would do no good for it to get infected." She rolled her sleeve up gently allowing the water to flow over the burn, as the sink filled with blood.
Snape was at her side once again with a small hand towel and a bottle of some sort of salve. Hermione looked up into his face, searching his eyes. He gently wiped off her swollen arm, breaking eye contact.
" No one is to touch another's mark, you'll need to keep applying this twice a day, it should stop it from bleeding when you're summoned." He swallowed.
" Thank you, Severus." She smiled as her fingers brushed against his hand as she took hold of the bottle.
He looked intensely at her and stepped back.
" Miss. Granger, might I suggest we get some work down tonight?"
She nodded as she rubbed the ointment onto her skin then rolled down her sleeve, noticing Snape starring at her arm with a pained expression on his face. He quickly steeled his face as he twisted out of his office. She followed him removing and shrinking her death eater cloak as she went. Leaving her in her school uniform.
They worked through the better part of night, Hermione recalling all she had learned from her meeting. " Voldemort believes Snape to be a spy. I'm supposed to seduce him into confiding in me about his plans… I'm supposed to seduce him?" She mentally snorted at this thought. " How am I supposed to convince him?" She thought angrily as she chopped a ginger root, then stopped suddenly a look of inspiration came over her as a smile tugged at her lips. " Well the forbidden fruit certainly should appeal to a man such as himself. And if he refuses I know he's " too moral to deflower a virgin"." She held in the urge to chuckle. Hermione's eyes wandered over to her Professors sitting form. His hair was pulled back bound at his neck. His shoulders hunched over a bubbling cauldron as the steam rose into his face. Hermione turned a lip up in disgust. " I want my own bloody lab and library after this little "favor"."
The clock struck midnight and Hermione inwardly groaned. She was beyond tired. She quickly cleaned her area, intent on leaving for bed.
" Good evening, sir." She spoke softly as she headed for the door not bothering to hear his reply. She was halfway to the dormitory when she realized she forgot her salve.
" Damn it." She groaned as she walked back to the dungeons.
She pushed open the heavy door and stopped in her tracks. There was her Professor head bent into his hands his hair falling around his face. He had taken off his coat leaving him in a white dress shirt. " He looks so breakable." Hermione thought to herself and for the second time she felt her heart twist violently for him, and it angered her to no end. "He is a traitor." She thought.
" You're starring at me, Miss. Granger." Snape's voice cut through her thoughts, sending a shiver down her neck. There was glint in her eye; she smiled.
" Indeed I was, Severus." She walked soothingly over to him as she reached up her hand to his shoulder. " Time to lay the bait." She thought as she rubbed tenderly into his neck leaning into his ear.
" Indeed I was." And she took his earlobe between her teeth. She heard him suck in a breath.
" Miss. Granger-"
" Hermione." She corrected him as she slid her hands down into his shirt toying with a top button.
" Hermione." He purred as he shifted slightly on his stool bringing his hand up and burying it in her hair.
A/N: Okay there's a reason that I'm stopping at this point. I'm very new to the rules of Fanfiction.net, which means I don't know how graphic I can get. So I'm going to review the rules then write the next chapter with a big disclaimer… But have no fear I will return. :0) P.s- I don't know about you but I so wanted to slap Hermione for her horrible thoughts… She should be honored I'm even letting her touch him… anyway… hope you're enjoying the story so far. Any comments, or criticism are welcomed. :0)
