Bubble Bath 2
"I'll wash your back for you if you like?"
There was a horrid moment of absolute silence. Hermione thought that she may have just made the biggest mistake of her life. She tried to slide back under the suds, which suddenly seemed a very insubstantial barrier between her and embarrassment.
Snape's face froze in between one expression and the next, caught with his mouth open.
In other circumstances, Hermione thought she would find that fact that Severus Snape was capable of being shocked amusing. Now she was just wishing that her wand was in her hand, that she had obtained her Apparation licence, and, whilst she was at it, she thought wryly, she may as well wish that the Anti-apparation wards at Hogwarts had been taken down. It was all about as likely as getting a positive response from the frozen statue that was Professor Snape.
She was trying to work out some way of making it out of the bathroom with her dignity intact - fat chance of that - or at least without showing any more flesh that was strictly necessary, when something of her uncertainty must have registered with Severus.
He opened his mouth to speak. For a moment she thought he was going to say something to smoothe over the awkwardness they now found themselves in, and allow her to escape to her room and cry her eyes out.
He seemed to think better of what he was going to say, then, taking another breath, he said, "I don't find that sort of comment entertaining, Miss Granger. Such puerile remarks may pass for wit amongst your dullard Gryffindor cronies, but I can assure you that I am not amused."
Only Severus would think that a naked young lady sitting in his bath and offering to scrub his back was trying to have a joke at his expense.
"I can assure you, Severus, that my Gryffindor cronies not dullards. They," she stressed, "would at least have the brains to recognise when someone is making a pass at them, and have the consideration to treat such an offer with the courtesy it merits."
He blinked, then his expression softened. He looked intrigued and horrified in about equal proportions.
The sense of anticipation was painful. Her heart was beating triple time. Would he say yes, now that he knew she was serious? He watched her breasts as she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. Seeing his dark eyes glitter with some strong emotion gave her hope.
He sighed. That sounded ominous. "I'm sorry, Miss Grang.. Hermione, but it would be totally inappropriate to take you up on your suggestion whilst you are still a student at Hogwarts."
So, he's interested. The very least she was coming away with was an agreement to defer things for the three weeks left of school. Hermione had never been a very patient girl, and she wasn't keen to wait that long. Besides the notion that she was in some way vulnerable and in need of protection from Big Bad Professors this week, but not next month was just silly.
"I now what I am doing. I am not a child. If I was old enough to face Voldermort, I am certainly old enough to decide who I want to sleep with."
"Nonetheless." He was adamant. "I must ask you to leave."
"If you insist," she said calmly. "Hand me a towel, will you," and with that she stood up, allowing the foam to slide down her glistening body.
Hermione found the fact that he hadn't handed her the towel encouraging. Actually, she found the fact that he hadn't run screaming from the room encouraging. Nor had he burst out laughing, or made some comment about crude Gryffindor seduction tactics lacking finesse. All of which he was perfectly capable of if he wasn't interested in her. But what was most encouraging of all was the way he was tracking the movement of one particular dribble of foam making its way from her breast to her thigh.
That was the look of a man fighting a battle with his conscience and losing.
She stepped out of the bath and moved to the towel rail. Picking up the smallest one there, she began to dry herself off. He watched her movements with interest, leaning one shoulder casually against the wall, but made no move to touch her. "There," she said brightly. "All done. I'll leave to your bath then."
He didn't say anything, but straightened from his slouch. He undid the belt of his robe, slipped it from his shoulders, and hung it on a hook on the wall. When he turned back he caught her looking at the musculature of his thighs and buttocks. The view from the front was even better though, and it was clear that his conscience was most definitely on holiday. He had liked what he had seen. And she liked what she was seeing.
Her mouth dry, she watched as he eased himself into the bath.
"Perhaps I will take you up on that offer after all," he said.
A/N I have set up a yahoo group for those of you who wanted to be notified of updates. I will also be posting there my entry for the NaNoWriMo competition (which basically asks you to write 50,000 words before 30/11) in November before editing it and posting it here. See my profile for details.
"I'll wash your back for you if you like?"
There was a horrid moment of absolute silence. Hermione thought that she may have just made the biggest mistake of her life. She tried to slide back under the suds, which suddenly seemed a very insubstantial barrier between her and embarrassment.
Snape's face froze in between one expression and the next, caught with his mouth open.
In other circumstances, Hermione thought she would find that fact that Severus Snape was capable of being shocked amusing. Now she was just wishing that her wand was in her hand, that she had obtained her Apparation licence, and, whilst she was at it, she thought wryly, she may as well wish that the Anti-apparation wards at Hogwarts had been taken down. It was all about as likely as getting a positive response from the frozen statue that was Professor Snape.
She was trying to work out some way of making it out of the bathroom with her dignity intact - fat chance of that - or at least without showing any more flesh that was strictly necessary, when something of her uncertainty must have registered with Severus.
He opened his mouth to speak. For a moment she thought he was going to say something to smoothe over the awkwardness they now found themselves in, and allow her to escape to her room and cry her eyes out.
He seemed to think better of what he was going to say, then, taking another breath, he said, "I don't find that sort of comment entertaining, Miss Granger. Such puerile remarks may pass for wit amongst your dullard Gryffindor cronies, but I can assure you that I am not amused."
Only Severus would think that a naked young lady sitting in his bath and offering to scrub his back was trying to have a joke at his expense.
"I can assure you, Severus, that my Gryffindor cronies not dullards. They," she stressed, "would at least have the brains to recognise when someone is making a pass at them, and have the consideration to treat such an offer with the courtesy it merits."
He blinked, then his expression softened. He looked intrigued and horrified in about equal proportions.
The sense of anticipation was painful. Her heart was beating triple time. Would he say yes, now that he knew she was serious? He watched her breasts as she took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself. Seeing his dark eyes glitter with some strong emotion gave her hope.
He sighed. That sounded ominous. "I'm sorry, Miss Grang.. Hermione, but it would be totally inappropriate to take you up on your suggestion whilst you are still a student at Hogwarts."
So, he's interested. The very least she was coming away with was an agreement to defer things for the three weeks left of school. Hermione had never been a very patient girl, and she wasn't keen to wait that long. Besides the notion that she was in some way vulnerable and in need of protection from Big Bad Professors this week, but not next month was just silly.
"I now what I am doing. I am not a child. If I was old enough to face Voldermort, I am certainly old enough to decide who I want to sleep with."
"Nonetheless." He was adamant. "I must ask you to leave."
"If you insist," she said calmly. "Hand me a towel, will you," and with that she stood up, allowing the foam to slide down her glistening body.
Hermione found the fact that he hadn't handed her the towel encouraging. Actually, she found the fact that he hadn't run screaming from the room encouraging. Nor had he burst out laughing, or made some comment about crude Gryffindor seduction tactics lacking finesse. All of which he was perfectly capable of if he wasn't interested in her. But what was most encouraging of all was the way he was tracking the movement of one particular dribble of foam making its way from her breast to her thigh.
That was the look of a man fighting a battle with his conscience and losing.
She stepped out of the bath and moved to the towel rail. Picking up the smallest one there, she began to dry herself off. He watched her movements with interest, leaning one shoulder casually against the wall, but made no move to touch her. "There," she said brightly. "All done. I'll leave to your bath then."
He didn't say anything, but straightened from his slouch. He undid the belt of his robe, slipped it from his shoulders, and hung it on a hook on the wall. When he turned back he caught her looking at the musculature of his thighs and buttocks. The view from the front was even better though, and it was clear that his conscience was most definitely on holiday. He had liked what he had seen. And she liked what she was seeing.
Her mouth dry, she watched as he eased himself into the bath.
"Perhaps I will take you up on that offer after all," he said.
A/N I have set up a yahoo group for those of you who wanted to be notified of updates. I will also be posting there my entry for the NaNoWriMo competition (which basically asks you to write 50,000 words before 30/11) in November before editing it and posting it here. See my profile for details.
