A Certain Urge

Chapter Two

His words skittered across her consciousness provoking every nerve ending her body possessed. She remembered running after him all afire to knock his self-righteous arrogance down to the level of mere mortals. She thought she'd had him when she had revealed her preference for strip poker. With his provocative statement, the blasted man had turned the tables on her.

She was not about to surrender without giving as good as she got. When desperate, one must be brazen, she thought. "Do you have a preference, Professor?"

"Only one, Miss Granger," Snape took hold of one small hand. He lightly stroked her hand with his thumb. He could feel her pulse beating fast and furious. He let a full minute pass before continuing. "- that it be you, here, now, with me."

Hermione swallowed hard. He can't be serious? "Will ... will the headmaster approve of this?"

"If this teaches you the error of your ways, how can he not approve?" Snape cajoled. Think you that I am a boy easily manipulated, Miss Granger. Foolish assumption.

Hermione's inner suspicious eye was rolling heavenward again. I'm calling your bluff, professor. "This game is strictly off the record? Just between us?"

"I consider our activities tonight to be well outside of the official curriculum, Miss Granger. As such, I am not likely to be indiscreet. I will understand if you feel inadequate to the challenge I represent." Snape replied. "Are you having second thoughts?"

Feeling the need to remind him of whom he was dealing with, Hermione put her other hand on top of his. While rubbing his hand between her own, she leaned into him. Her next words were said distinctly and with clear emphasis. "Seconds, thirds and fourths, Professor. Let us begin."

Snape held himself still. It would not do to allow a reaction, any reaction, to breach his outward calm. Inwardly, he cursed himself for letting his guard down and underestimating the girl. "No woman, definitely a woman" he corrected his thoughts which he immediately amended with "woman student," then "his woman student." He calmly extricated his hand from her hands then moved to a seat opposite hers. Severus removed the poker chips from the table.

Hermione placed the card deck on the table for him to cut. Snape took his wand and pointed it at the deck. Hermione had no clue what he was about. "Foolish wand waving, Professor?"

"I noticed that you did not place the consequence spell on the deck earlier. I was about to do so. What should we play for?"

"I thought we had agreed to strip poker?" Hermione was genuinely confused. "You know, no chips or money."

Severus was equally confused. He did not reply. As the silence between them stretched longer, Severus realized that the uncommon look of incomprehension upon her face was not feigned. Could he, Dumbledore, McGonagall and Pomfrey have overreacted? They'd forgotten to factor in that she was muggle-born after all. She may be a know-it-all but there must be gaps in her knowledge especially in the social skills arena.

He studied the girl more carefully. There is only one way to be certain. "What will the prize be, Ms Granger? One night, every night for a week, seduction, domination, flirtation, kinky, straight, fetish, role playing, my room, your room, a fantasy room? What sort of consequence shall satisfy you?"

"Consequence from this game? What ... what does that have to do with our game?" Hermione had to admit to being more than a little curious of several of the things he had mentioned. Perhaps, some research in the library was called for - tomorrow.

Snape had his answer. We were wrong. "Wizards poker rules, Ms Granger. From what you've said, I can only deduce that you've only played poker, strip or otherwise, by muggle conventions such as using muggle money, gnuts, sickles or galleons. The wizarding version of gamesmanship and wagering is very different."

"What differences? No one mentioned anything," Hermione said defensively.

"That is now all too obvious," Snape lay his wand aside. "The first thing you should be made aware of is the absolute rule that when a game is entered into, it must be completed either through a win or a loss or if all parties come to an agreement of some kind. This first rule applies to all games and wagers. However, every game has a subset of rules. In the example of wizards poker, there are consequences and rewards. There is the consequence of losing the game completely. This is usually a task which the loser must fulfill to the satisfaction of the winner. The rewards are reserved for winning hands. If I lose I would have to pay a forfeit and you will be rewarded with that forfeit which may be whatever I had declared during that hand. If I lose a hand, for example, I would have to reward you for winning by doing whatever was specified in my forfeit as long as you do not find it objectionable. There are, shall we say, tangible penalties if the consequences are not fulfilled."

"What exactly are all the rules, Professor, I can't help feeling that you're only telling me half the story," Hermione asked shrewdly. "My not knowing these rules had something to do with the headmaster speaking to me didn't it?"

"Yes, it did, Miss Granger. Wizarding poker is not a rare vice among our students. Students, due to youth and lack of financial resources, usually play for sexual favors. We, the headmaster and heads of houses, thought that you were sexually coercing your poker opponents. In effect, we believed that you were winning the forfeits but prolonging the completion of the games themselves thereby causing undue distress to the losers. As I indicated, there are lingering emotional effects of unfulfilled consequences on all concerned. We all noticed a higher increase in male students falling asleep in our classes. Add to that the unusual congregations of male students in your vicinity and the telltale conversations about poker, we felt our conclusions were valid."

"In other words, you all think I've been teasing the boys."

"Simplistic but essentially true."

"Professor, I did not force any of them to play. In fact, I won a few key games for Gryffindor months ago. It spiralled out of control after that."

"Miss Granger, by wizarding rules, when two people enter into a wager or a contest then both sides are magically compelled to remain in the game until the game is finally, fully resolved. Students under our care must be protected from such harm, self-inflicted or not."

"Compelled? In what way?"

"I suggest that you ask Minerva about that." Snape advised. "Furthermore, I strongly suggest that you research wizarding games and how these games and the players are affected by magic. I advise that you cease and desist any further poker sessions with anyone until you are better informed."

"Couldn't you teach me, Professor? We're here, now."

"Miss Granger, I am your teacher."

"And I am asking to be taught, sir." Hermione could sense the professor backpedaling his way out of a situation of his making. She was not about to let him off so easily. Making him this uncomfortable is a small bit of revenge. She may never get another chance and one should not waste opportunities. "There are a few more weeks left to graduation, Professor. I'm bound to be invited to more games. If I don't know why my actions are wrong, then how can anyone expect me to stop?"

"The headmaster's warning was not a request, Miss Granger. Do not take it lightly."

"All right, then. As you are unable to provide me with sufficient instruction, I'll ask Professor Lupin to explain -"

"Fine!" Snape barked. "If you are so eager to learn, Miss Granger, the instruction should at the very least be of the highest caliber of skill and execution."

"I completely agree, professor. I would like to add that some things are better explained hands on. Only we should go slow, of course, until I catch up. Maybe demonstrate to me with one hand how the ..the rules work in their proper context." She requested of him not looking at all innocent. "Then, afterwards we can decide on the consequences. Five card stud, first and last cards down with bets each round, agreed?"

"I agree to one hand of poker to illustrate, in the most basic of terms, the nature of forfeits and rewards. Is that agreed to and understood?"

"Yes, Professor." Hermione sat up straighter in her chair. Her attention was solely on him. Snape tapped the deck of cards and said a spell unknown to her.

"I have placed a simple consequence. We are bound to complete one hand of poker and the loser must pay the forfeit. Are you ready? Please remember that this was at your request."

"Yes, Professor. And may I assume that you are not holding back on my account?"

"Miss Granger, you will realize shortly how seriously I take this game," Snape cut the cards quickly before his conscience got the better of him. "Deal."