CONFRONTATIONS
(Part 2)
The gathering that night had left Hermione quite shaken . Things only got worse during the days to follow. Though she didn't have any direct confrontation with Severus, she could sense his eyes on her whenever he was somewhere near her. The meals in the great hall were becoming more of an ordeal for her. She lost all her appetite when in proximity to him. And her reaction to his presence made her feel extremely guilty around her husband. She had been snapping at him and Sara all week and feeling even worse as a result. Draco had become rather quite of late and usually was himself only when playing with Sara. He had started looking at her with a speculative look in his eyes which made her insides squirm. She didn't want him to know that one look from Snape still made her quiver with desire and she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to keep this from him much longer.
But at least Sara was being spared of this strange tension in the atmosphere. Or was she? Even she was rather behaving strangely, very quiet and well behaved whenever with Hermione; which wasn't quite often what with the house-elves, rest of the staff and students doting over her almost all the time; she rarely spent any time with them nowadays and whenever she did she would try to take Draco away somewhere to play with her as if trying to avoid Hermione.
"Maybe I am being too harsh with her nowadays!" thought Hermione sighing, sipping her coffee when Sara once again dragged Draco away saying she wanted to play with the squid in the lake.
But then she had been worried senseless about Sara too. She simply couldn't understand how they couldn't see it. How they couldn't perceive what was so obvious to her? Those raven black hair ,those deep, black, brooding eyes.....that sly smile....ofcourse anyone with half a brain could see that she was Severus' daughter! She lived in the constant dread of someone coming over and inquiring about Sara's parentage. Mercifully it hadn't happened yet but what if.....
"Oh hell, it's no use fretting over such occurrences until I actually encounter them!" she thought rather frustrated with the whole goddamned scenario. The whole week had had quite visible effects on her. The shadows under her eyes had been deepening day by day and she had been not just a little irritable the whole week and this dreadful headache hadn't left her even for a moment. Severus hadn't tried to talk to her or touch her again and somehow it had left her nerves quite raw, the tension in her body mounting up till she thought she would burst! The dreams she had been having lately had left her totally incapable of looking Draco in eye in the mornings. They were so vivid and so real she and Severus doing things......oh even thinking about them made her blush! Life was becoming more intolerable each passing day. She was cursing the day she got that letter from Minerva and told Draco about it! What couldn't she give to go back to that mundane yet peaceful existence!
Her head was throbbing now. She had already done the paperwork in the afternoon. "Maybe she should get some rest now. It was Sunday tomorrow and they had already accepted an invitation for spending the whole day at Harry and Ginny's. It might just give her break she needed." she thought quite exasperatedly. "Oh hell! She had taken the last dose of that blasted potion last night! She didn't have the strength to make it right now. Better go get some from Madam Pomfrey!" she realized cursing herself inwardly.
"Hermione! How nice to see you dear. Is everything alright...Sara is fine, isn't she?" asked Poppy hurrying over to her looking a bit worried.
"Oh Sara is just fine Poppy, thank you. It's me. I need some headache potion and sleeping draught." Hermione said smiling reassuringly.
"Oh good to hear that dear, just love that little angel of yours, we all do! And Draco is such a doting father to her ,who could have imagined! Lucky girl you! Such a wise choice you made though we all didn't think so at that time, mind you! But now looking at all of you...can't say you could have done better than that, dear!" She said sighing a wistful smile.
"Umm, yeah you are right.Uh, could I have that headache potion now please, the headache is getting quite unbearable now."
"Oh sorry dear, it just slipped my mind . Now that you mention it you are looking quite terrible, dear. What is it,Hermione are you missing your former home, or should we expect some good news soon,dear?" she asked chuckling affably. "it is high time you add another member to your family,what with Sara already four, I am sure a nice little brother or sister would do her good. You know dear how spoilt the only child becomes!"
"Considering that Draco and I are the only children too in our respective families........" She started quite irritably but immediately regretted it seeing the hurt and shock in Madame Pomfrey's eyes.
"Oh I am so sorry Poppy! It is just this stupid headache that is getting on my nerves." She said apologetically. The nice old lady nodded understandingly, but looking at that mischevious glint returning in her eyes, Hermione added hastily "And no, I am not expecting or any such thing it is just this change of place and change of weather that my body has not come to terms with as yet. So I was just planning to catch on a little bit of sleep and relax today."
"Of course my dear, I will get it right away." She returned after a few minutes which Hermione had spent pacing impatiently.
"Oh dear I am so sorry, but I just exhausted my supply today! I had asked Severus to prepare a fresh batch, what with these kids, so careless specially on weekends; I need it for myself most of the times!" She blabbered on genially looking a bit apologetic.
"Maybe you can get it from Severus...Oh! Here he is now....speak of the devil..." she chuckled suddenly.
Hermione regretted ever having come here as soon as she heard the words. But it was too late to regret.
"What exactly were you advising Miss Granger to get from me ,Poppy?" His deep voice resonated in her ears, sending goose bumps down her body.
"Mrs. Malfoy now, Severus!" Madame Pomfrey chided him good-naturedly before adding, "Oh you have brought the potions I had asked for, and right in time too. Hermione wanted some of these for herself as well."
"Does she now, I wonder why." He droned, his velvety voice surrounding her whole body like mist. She could even feel his eyes on her back, stiffening her spine.
"Now, now, Severus, don't be naughty." Madame Pomfrey chuckled wagging her finger at him, before taking the box of medicines from him. "Even I thought the same thing mind you, but it's not that. She is just feeling a bit out of sorts." "Here you are, dear, take whatever you want." She said passing on the package to Hermione. But his voice stopped her hand midway, "Oh you can keep this supply, Poppy, it is for you. I will give Hermione some from my own supply; as it is I made a bit more than I would need." He had done it again. The way her name sounded in his velvety voice had made her go week in the knees already.
"Ok." Poppy shrugged not sensing the undercurrents electrifying the air surrounding them. "Take care then dear and come back for a checkup if you don't feel better by tomorrow." She added to Hermione. Hermione nodded dumbly, feeling too tongue tied to utter another word, before turning and following Severus .
All the way she felt like a woman possessed. His voice still reverberating in her ears though he hadn't even said a word since they had left the infirmary. Suddenly nothing mattered anymore. No one mattered anymore. The whole world dissolved into a meaningless existence when she was faced with reality of this man; the man she still loved and lusted for. She realized that she could go on following this enigmatic man's footsteps to the other end of the world, without being bothered by the thought of another day . And in this zombie like manner ,smiling to herself and unconcerned with the rest of the world she trailed him to his office in the dungeons. The door closing on her as she entered the office, closed her mind completely to the world outside as he turned to face her; her whole body throbbing with suppressed longing, molten lava pounding in her veins clouding her vision and senses, to everything except the need shrieking inside her; the need to posses this man once again, to have him inside her; the primeval need to feel complete in his arms once again; even if just for a few moments......
(Part 2)
The gathering that night had left Hermione quite shaken . Things only got worse during the days to follow. Though she didn't have any direct confrontation with Severus, she could sense his eyes on her whenever he was somewhere near her. The meals in the great hall were becoming more of an ordeal for her. She lost all her appetite when in proximity to him. And her reaction to his presence made her feel extremely guilty around her husband. She had been snapping at him and Sara all week and feeling even worse as a result. Draco had become rather quite of late and usually was himself only when playing with Sara. He had started looking at her with a speculative look in his eyes which made her insides squirm. She didn't want him to know that one look from Snape still made her quiver with desire and she was afraid that she wouldn't be able to keep this from him much longer.
But at least Sara was being spared of this strange tension in the atmosphere. Or was she? Even she was rather behaving strangely, very quiet and well behaved whenever with Hermione; which wasn't quite often what with the house-elves, rest of the staff and students doting over her almost all the time; she rarely spent any time with them nowadays and whenever she did she would try to take Draco away somewhere to play with her as if trying to avoid Hermione.
"Maybe I am being too harsh with her nowadays!" thought Hermione sighing, sipping her coffee when Sara once again dragged Draco away saying she wanted to play with the squid in the lake.
But then she had been worried senseless about Sara too. She simply couldn't understand how they couldn't see it. How they couldn't perceive what was so obvious to her? Those raven black hair ,those deep, black, brooding eyes.....that sly smile....ofcourse anyone with half a brain could see that she was Severus' daughter! She lived in the constant dread of someone coming over and inquiring about Sara's parentage. Mercifully it hadn't happened yet but what if.....
"Oh hell, it's no use fretting over such occurrences until I actually encounter them!" she thought rather frustrated with the whole goddamned scenario. The whole week had had quite visible effects on her. The shadows under her eyes had been deepening day by day and she had been not just a little irritable the whole week and this dreadful headache hadn't left her even for a moment. Severus hadn't tried to talk to her or touch her again and somehow it had left her nerves quite raw, the tension in her body mounting up till she thought she would burst! The dreams she had been having lately had left her totally incapable of looking Draco in eye in the mornings. They were so vivid and so real she and Severus doing things......oh even thinking about them made her blush! Life was becoming more intolerable each passing day. She was cursing the day she got that letter from Minerva and told Draco about it! What couldn't she give to go back to that mundane yet peaceful existence!
Her head was throbbing now. She had already done the paperwork in the afternoon. "Maybe she should get some rest now. It was Sunday tomorrow and they had already accepted an invitation for spending the whole day at Harry and Ginny's. It might just give her break she needed." she thought quite exasperatedly. "Oh hell! She had taken the last dose of that blasted potion last night! She didn't have the strength to make it right now. Better go get some from Madam Pomfrey!" she realized cursing herself inwardly.
"Hermione! How nice to see you dear. Is everything alright...Sara is fine, isn't she?" asked Poppy hurrying over to her looking a bit worried.
"Oh Sara is just fine Poppy, thank you. It's me. I need some headache potion and sleeping draught." Hermione said smiling reassuringly.
"Oh good to hear that dear, just love that little angel of yours, we all do! And Draco is such a doting father to her ,who could have imagined! Lucky girl you! Such a wise choice you made though we all didn't think so at that time, mind you! But now looking at all of you...can't say you could have done better than that, dear!" She said sighing a wistful smile.
"Umm, yeah you are right.Uh, could I have that headache potion now please, the headache is getting quite unbearable now."
"Oh sorry dear, it just slipped my mind . Now that you mention it you are looking quite terrible, dear. What is it,Hermione are you missing your former home, or should we expect some good news soon,dear?" she asked chuckling affably. "it is high time you add another member to your family,what with Sara already four, I am sure a nice little brother or sister would do her good. You know dear how spoilt the only child becomes!"
"Considering that Draco and I are the only children too in our respective families........" She started quite irritably but immediately regretted it seeing the hurt and shock in Madame Pomfrey's eyes.
"Oh I am so sorry Poppy! It is just this stupid headache that is getting on my nerves." She said apologetically. The nice old lady nodded understandingly, but looking at that mischevious glint returning in her eyes, Hermione added hastily "And no, I am not expecting or any such thing it is just this change of place and change of weather that my body has not come to terms with as yet. So I was just planning to catch on a little bit of sleep and relax today."
"Of course my dear, I will get it right away." She returned after a few minutes which Hermione had spent pacing impatiently.
"Oh dear I am so sorry, but I just exhausted my supply today! I had asked Severus to prepare a fresh batch, what with these kids, so careless specially on weekends; I need it for myself most of the times!" She blabbered on genially looking a bit apologetic.
"Maybe you can get it from Severus...Oh! Here he is now....speak of the devil..." she chuckled suddenly.
Hermione regretted ever having come here as soon as she heard the words. But it was too late to regret.
"What exactly were you advising Miss Granger to get from me ,Poppy?" His deep voice resonated in her ears, sending goose bumps down her body.
"Mrs. Malfoy now, Severus!" Madame Pomfrey chided him good-naturedly before adding, "Oh you have brought the potions I had asked for, and right in time too. Hermione wanted some of these for herself as well."
"Does she now, I wonder why." He droned, his velvety voice surrounding her whole body like mist. She could even feel his eyes on her back, stiffening her spine.
"Now, now, Severus, don't be naughty." Madame Pomfrey chuckled wagging her finger at him, before taking the box of medicines from him. "Even I thought the same thing mind you, but it's not that. She is just feeling a bit out of sorts." "Here you are, dear, take whatever you want." She said passing on the package to Hermione. But his voice stopped her hand midway, "Oh you can keep this supply, Poppy, it is for you. I will give Hermione some from my own supply; as it is I made a bit more than I would need." He had done it again. The way her name sounded in his velvety voice had made her go week in the knees already.
"Ok." Poppy shrugged not sensing the undercurrents electrifying the air surrounding them. "Take care then dear and come back for a checkup if you don't feel better by tomorrow." She added to Hermione. Hermione nodded dumbly, feeling too tongue tied to utter another word, before turning and following Severus .
All the way she felt like a woman possessed. His voice still reverberating in her ears though he hadn't even said a word since they had left the infirmary. Suddenly nothing mattered anymore. No one mattered anymore. The whole world dissolved into a meaningless existence when she was faced with reality of this man; the man she still loved and lusted for. She realized that she could go on following this enigmatic man's footsteps to the other end of the world, without being bothered by the thought of another day . And in this zombie like manner ,smiling to herself and unconcerned with the rest of the world she trailed him to his office in the dungeons. The door closing on her as she entered the office, closed her mind completely to the world outside as he turned to face her; her whole body throbbing with suppressed longing, molten lava pounding in her veins clouding her vision and senses, to everything except the need shrieking inside her; the need to posses this man once again, to have him inside her; the primeval need to feel complete in his arms once again; even if just for a few moments......