Lend me your love tonight

by Katta (KET on ff.net)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They all belong to J.K. Rowling, of course, of course. I'm sorry if I've borrowed them for a bit, but I am making no money from it.

A/N: Please note this story is rated 'R'.

Chapter 8: Just flood my darkness with your light

Snape stood speechless with the unconscious Hermione in his arms. He didn't know what she'd done or why, all he knew was that she had succeeded – the Devil had chosen to release him. He couldn't imagine why on earth she had done this for him, but he owed his life to her.

Slowly Hermione opened her eyes and smiled at him.

'You're OK,' she said.

'Evidently,' said Snape with his usual sarcasm. Then he realised with alarm how much she was shivering.

'I'll get a blanket,' he said and started to put her down.

'Don't leave me,' said Hermione with real alarm in her voice and clung tightly to him.

Snape realised that he wasn't going to be able to fetch anything for her, so he wrapped his robes around her. She stilled a little. And so they stood for quite a while. Snape gradually became more and more aware that he was holding a naked woman in his arms. He felt a desire flood his body. Silently he berated himself – she saved your life and this is how you reward her, by lusting after her! But he could do nothing but stand there holding her.

Presently, Hermione seemed a little calmer although she was still deathly cold. Snape said, 'I've got a quilt in my bedroom. How about we walk together in there. I won't let go of you. And then I can wrap you up in the quilt.'

Hermione nodded and let him put her down. They made their way tightly together into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. Snape bundled her up in his quilt. Then he wrapped his arms tightly round the outside and held her.

He was aware that he needed something to steady his nerves, and he suspected Hermione was, too. As soon as he thought it safe, he made a suggestion, 'I have everything for making tea in this room. I won't leave you alone, but if you'll let me go over to the fireplace, I'll make us both a cuppa.'

Hermione nodded and Snape let go of her. When he turned back round, cups of tea in hand, he found her still tightly wrapped in the quilt, but she had freed one arm to receive the tea. He thought that slim naked arm was the most erotic thing he had ever seen. He handed her the cup and sat down next to her, slipping his free arm around her waist. They sat like that looking at each other for a moment, and then almost without knowing how, they bent forward into a kiss.

It was a pretty chaste affair, that first kiss, not least because they were both holding steaming hot cups of tea. Snape broke the kiss and carefully leant down to put his cup on the floor. Hermione reached her out for him to do the same with hers. And then he encircled her with his arm and embarked on a kiss that was wholly different to the first.

When they came up for air, Hermione said, 'I need you … tonight.'

Snape's eyes were pools of black as he looked at her and nodded slowly.

The words of a song came into Hermione's mind. Either the room was magically keyed to music running through people's minds, or Dumbledore's portrait in the outer office had something to do with it. Either way, no sooner had she thought of it than the beautiful lyrics boomed through the room:

Lend me your love tonight

Don't ask me who or what is right

I have no strength, I cannot fight

Just flood my darkness with your light.

Snape laid her down carefully on the bed and unwrapped the quilt, running his hands along her body. She moaned and bucked at his touch. Then she reached up to start undoing his shirt. But Snape took her wrist gently but firmly, stopping her. He reached across to the bedside cabinet and grabbed his wand. With one wave, all the lights went out. Hermione heard him mutter something else in the ensuing darkness and, with a soft fluttering, all his clothes disappeared. She reached for his body and pulled him to her. He pushed her knees apart and sank into the space.

Hermione was used to Michael's approach to foreplay, which was so prolonged and ineffectual that she had often wondered whether he would mind if she took a book to bed with her. She therefore gave a squeak of surprise when Snape entered her immediately. But she was already in such a state of arousal that a mere touch from his fingers was sending her spiralling to ecstasy. Snape felt her eagerness and had to fight hard to restrain himself. He was like a whirlwind, who swept round her, through her, engulfed her. His energy was electric.

Once it was over, he sank by her side. She snuggled into his arms and fell into a deep sleep, happy and sated. A few minutes later, Snape was asleep, too.

~@~@~@~

Snape woke first in the pale grey light of the early dawn. He wasn't used to sleeping very much and now he lay watching the woman in his bed.

He understood precisely the meaning of what she had said last night. I need you … tonight. She had needed him there and then to banish the feeling of the Devil on her body. It held no promise of continuation. Perhaps it had all been a side effect of her ordeal. Perhaps he should have stopped her. Perhaps he should have restrained himself. Perhaps she would feel that he had taken advantage of her. Perhaps she would wake and look at him with revulsion. He hadn't wanted her to see his fifty year old body last night, but now in cold the dawn light it was inevitable.

By the time Hermione began to stir, Snape had convinced himself that she would run screaming from the bedroom. He was surprised how much this thought hurt. And so it was with trepidation that he watched her open her eyes.

Muzzy with sleep, it took Hermione a few moments to realise where she was. Then she looked up at Snape, smiled and said, 'My, were you a revelation last night!'

He felt a bubble begin to expand within him and fill him with more happiness than he had ever felt in his whole life.

~@~@~@~

They made love again, but completely differently. A slow, comfortable, early morning screw, tender and passionate at the same time.

When they lay in each others arms afterwards, Snape said, 'When you were with your husband …'

Hermione raised herself on her elbows and put on serious face.

'Severus Snape! If you think that I'm going to discuss my marital sex life with you …'

Snape hastily started to apologise, fearing he had gone too far. But Hermione's face softened into a smile.

'Let's just say that he quoted as one of the reasons why he wanted a divorce, that I was frigid.'

'You? Frigid?' said Snape in disbelief.

So Hermione said again what she had said to Michael. 'There is no such thing as a frigid woman – only a woman who is with the wrong man.'

She thought that Snape would laugh, but his face grew serious. He placed one finger on her forehead and ran it lightly down to the tip of her nose. Then he asked, 'Does that mean that I am the right man for you?'

'So it would appear. So it would appear,' replied Hermione.