Muttering a long string of obscenities under his breath Snape moved slowly and painfully towards his desk where he slumped down into the chair with a muffled groan while gritting his teeth. Running long pale fingers back through the wild and tangled mess of his black hair he leaned forward in the chair to rest his elbows on the edge of his desk, summoning a cup of tea with a languid flick of his wrist. For a while he stared sullenly at the spoon stirring cream and sugar into his tea, the steam rising like silvery tendrils to stroke his weary mind. Fitful dreams and endless tossing and turning had left Snape more exhausted and morose than when he had laid down, his entire body ached, muscles straining and twinging with each minute movement.
Soon his focus switched to the large closed door to his bedchambers, no sound coming from within the room, no sign that she was even there, could this have been some horrendous nightmare? he wondered as he rose slowly to his feet and in small shuffling steps made his way across the room pausing for a moment with his hand extended towards the door handle. What if she is in there? What if she is sleeping? What if she sleeps nude! he thought as his fingers extended towards the handle, slowly closing around it subconsciously. Severus you pervert, you can't think things like that, she is a pupil, still a child… well almost a woman, and women have needs don't they, women… stop it this instant! Growling fiercely while his mind raged he sucked in a deep breath and pursing his lips together as quietly as possible pushed the door open, slipping inside in the small shaft of sunlight that slipped across the floor, shinning on the robes draped chair in the corner before he slid the door closed behind him.
All I am doing is retrieving my robes, I do not even have to look at the annoying girl, I can even pretend that she isn't even there, sleeping in my bed, leaving her scent upon my pillows, her long bare legs rubbing against my sheets, her… oh for Merlin's sake man snap out of it! You are not a sniveling pathetic teenager; you are no longer ruled by your unruly and ill-timed hormones. Now grow a damn spine and stop skulking around your own damned room! Swiftly straightening and throwing his shoulders back in a stance of defiance he began to stride across the room in the same pretentious and arrogant manner with which he roamed the halls intimidating students and teachers alike.
However, the soft muffled moan coming from the draped and shadowy form of his bed stopped him dead in his tracks, that barely audible and utterly innocent sound rousing something deep within him, piquing his interest and drawing him as if on a string across the room. He found himself unable to resist the beckoning call of the soft sounds she made, his feet moving unwilled across the bare stone until he came to a shuffling halt next to the bed. The room was still thick with shadow, the heavy velvet drapes at the enchanted windows blocking out much of the bright morning sunlight, leaving Hermione shrouded in shadow beneath the canopy of his bed.
The darkness, however, was not so thick that Severus could not make out the form of her lying with her back to him, the bushy mass of her curls splayed across the dark pillows, the deliciously plump curve of her shoulder and upper arm visible above the blanket which she had drawn up close to herself. Another soft murmur left her lips in a rush of breath as she rolled onto her back, her face now turned towards him, her features a picture of serenity and peacefulness, foolish emotions he had never known.
His eyes languidly followed the flowing curves of her body, studying her soft rounded cheeks, a feathery soft arc of lashes laying against them, twitching and fluttering every now and then as she continued to mumble inaudibly in her sleep. Rose colored lips pursed for a moment as her otherwise smooth forehead knitted in a frown, her brows meeting in a small furrow. Her face still held some of the childish roundness that he so despised, yet her cheeks had indeed narrowed some since she first arrived at Hogwarts, her chin now well defined and narrow rather than the almost plump appearance it had once had. Cheek bones rose in deliciously high arches, giving her a look of both soft femininity and severity whenever she would return one of his scowls with an equally cold and ferocious one of her own.
He did in fact admire the way that her petite mouth would purse in a petulant frown of displeasure whenever she caught him glaring at her, the way in which her amber eyes would darken to a deep chocolate brown, full of heat and distrust, her gaze radiating a viciousness that no one else could see. Yes, she is indeed cold and cruel just as I deep down inside, she hides it well from those idiots she calls friends, but she can't hide it from me, cruelty knows cruelty he thought as he pictured her eyes focused on him with animosity.
But for now she looked calm, peaceful and perhaps even innocent while her rosy lips parted to let out a long breath that was on the verge of being a moan. Ah yes, sweet innocence, lovely naïve Hermione, how I would love to crush your innocent notions of the world and show you all the dark wondrous pleasures that are just beyond your reach he found himself thinking as he gazed down upon her sleeping face. He could not deny the cruelty that still lingered in his heart, the animosity that he continued to harbor for her, for the long six years he had had to deal with her petulant disposition and insistence on being a constant know-it-all, the proverbial fly in his ointment, a never-ending irritation like a pebble in his shoe that would never go away no matter how strongly he tried to dislodge it.
And yet, despite all the hatred he possessed for her, he was also fascinated by her, by her unquenchable thirst for knowledge that seemed to consume her to the point of distancing her from her friends. She rarely ventured into Hogsmeade with Potter and his ever-present dull-witted side kick Weasley, she seemed more content to spend her spare time in the library or her house common room reading a wide variety of books, on the persistent quest for knowledge. At that moment he could not stop himself from studying the small nuances of her sleeping face that somehow in his mind had begun to set her apart from the rest of the wretched fools he had the misfortune of babysitting during the year, her sharp wit and often foolishly courageous habit of trying to battle with him in a struggle for power had become an endless source of amusement in his otherwise dull and listless life.
Another soft moan from her parted and deliciously plump lips roused him from his reverie, her arms restlessly pushing against the thick velvet blanket; pushing it down to her hips revealing the somewhat worn and faded button up shirt she wore, the once midnight blue fabric now a dull steel blue making her skin seem all the more pale against the collar and rolled up sleeves. Severus' eyes drank in the sight of her hungrily, finally drawing away from her face to flow over the sweeping lines of her long graceful neck, watching her pulse beating rapidly in her throat, that small movement tantalizing and mouthwatering as a dark and hideous part of himself was roused at the sight of it. Disturbing memories of his actions as a Death Eater danced through his mind like flickering images of nightmares long ago repressed, a nauseating shudder passing through him as he tried to push the memories away as they continued to brush against the inside of his skull like heated silk rippling over his mind.
Shaking his head slowly to clear his clouded and conflicted mind he continued to watch her sleep, finding some guilty pleasure in the fact that she was completely unaware of his ravenous gaze passing over her, memorizing each small detail of her body. The milky white flesh of her throat gave way to that of her chest, which rose and fell in a steady rhythm that entranced the despised and feared potion's master. The shirt lay open upon her chest, the first few buttons undone just enough to reveal the subtle swell of her breasts and the small crease between them that he knew would deepen into a sumptuous crevice into which he could delve a hot and probing tongue to taste the sweet saltiness of her flesh.
Involuntarily shuddering and fighting to restrain a moan of his own, thoughts and images of ravishing her flitted through his mind, his hand unconsciously rising towards her before he could catch himself. As realization of his movements hit he froze in an almost crushing panic as he stared at his extended hand frozen in the air, outstretched fingers trembling with a burning need to run them over her heated and baby soft skin. Do not be foolish Severus; she is but a child, an annoying one at that! You know better than anyone how much you despise her… yes, but she also fascinates and intrigues me… that is well enough, but you need not to touch her nonetheless. Be intrigued all you want, but for Merlin's sake keep your damned hands to yourself his mind raged back and forth as his hand began to tremble all the more violently as the two sides of his brain fought for control of the reaching limb.
The continuous turmoil within his mind distracted Severus enough that another movement of Hermione's sleeping body brought her heated flesh dangerously close to his tingling fingertips as she rolled towards him once more. A sluggish movement of her arm and Severus found his fingers brushing against the fabric of her shirt sleeve. The fabric had been worn thin and soft over time, feeling like silk beneath his fingers while the heat of her flesh seemed to flow through the shirt searing his fingertips causing him to quickly draw back his hand as if from a flame with a hiss rushing through clenched teeth.
Enough of this foolish indulgence! his mind snapped ferociously as he drew his hand towards his chest, cradling it there as if the small touch had truly burned his fingers, his eyes narrowing fiercely as he watched her a moment longer. With a barely restrained growl of anger and frustration he turned sharply on his heel and striding over to the chair in the corner quickly retrieved his robes and walked into the bathroom, carefully closing the door behind him so as not to wake her.
Hanging his robes on the back of the door he rested his palms on the cool polished marble of the sink, hunching his shoulders slightly as he stared intently at his own reflection in the mirror. Dark gleaming eyes staring back at him full of malice and suspicion, his pale lips drawn thin and tight with a sneer of contempt as he slowly shook his head.
"You miserable old fool" he scolded himself as he watched his thick black hair falling into his face, hiding the small creases at the corners of his eyes. Turning on the tap that had been crafted to resemble the head of a hissing snake he let the sink fill with hot water, the steam rising from it to dampen and curl the hair around his face until a light sheen covered his skin, his dark eyelashes growing heavy and thick with moisture. Finally bending at the waist he delved his hands into the water, grimacing and hissing at its almost scolding heat before splashing it over his face, hoping the dull pain would help to quiet and ease his racing mind and distract his body from its other more demanding aches and needs.
Once his face was tingling with a dull pain and thoroughly flushed with heat he let the sink drain and stood for a long while staring at the man reflected in the mirror. Severus had never had the ridiculous notion that he was handsome or even remotely attractive, but as he stood there watching his chest rise and fall with his somewhat labored breaths he supposed he was not entirely repulsive. True, his skin was perhaps what some might consider pallid and even deathly pale, and yes his nose was indeed a little too large for his otherwise narrow and angular face, but he was altogether rather slim and toned due to the many hours spent without rest while researching, often ignoring his body's demands for food or sleep. His shoulders were broad and strong looking, his arms well defined though still lean, something that had sometimes been an advantage, for despise the wiry look of his limbs they were indeed quite powerful. Lean arms gave way to equally pale hands with long, lithe fingers that were nimble and fast, yet powerful enough to snap a neck in a heartbeat. He was thankfully not overly hairy, with no more than a small cluster of black hairs surrounding small rose colored nipples and a fine trail leading down from his navel and into his trousers.
Again pushing his thick hair back from his face he sighed in frustration as it fell into his eyes once more as soon as he lowered his hands. For a brief moment longer he stared into the mirror, his lips curling into a sneer as he turned away from it swiftly and began dressing, grateful that he could not see the reflection of the shinny and pale pink scars that littered his back in an intricate web of pain and misery.
Once dressed he quietly opened the bathroom door and slid back into his bedchamber, his eyes firmly focused on the door as he began to stride across the room in long and fast steps, determined to avoid looking at the girl sleeping in his bed. A deep flush rose to Severus' otherwise deathly pale cheeks, his heart speeding up and his breath catching in his throat as he heard the breathy, sleep-induced moan coming from the shrouded bed.
"Professor Snape…" Hermione moaned out in her sleep, her brows knitting together as she tossed and turned on the bed. Severus quickly gave himself a swift mental slap as he found himself turning and taking a step towards the bed, his fingers outstretched to caress her smooth and heated skin. Freezing and grimacing as if he had been seen the Dark Lord himself appear before him. This is madness Severus, remove yourself from this room at once and quit fawning over something that will never be yours… but she is dreaming about me… yes, and it is probably a nightmare, now leave! his mind screamed at him as he fought to turn and leave.
"No… please don't…" Hermione continued in her restless sleep, the sound of her protest at once causing Severus' face to contort into one of severe displeasure and disgust with himself. See, she does not want you; she is having a nightmare about you, now leave before you do something else foolish! Swiftly he turned on his heel and strode out of the room, the rest of Hermione's plea lost and muffled in the pillow as she whimpered,
"Please Professor, don't stop."
With a sudden start Hermione sat bolt upright in the bed, looking around the darkened room in a daze as she watched the hem of Snape's robes disappearing through the doorway before the large and heavy door shut firmly behind him, leaving her alone in the darkness. Looking to the chair in the corner of the room, she saw it now devoid of his robes, the clean scent of him still lingering in the air as she looked around the once again empty room.
Lying back against the pillows she let out a long sigh of frustration and confusion, snippets of her dreams seeping back into her mind. Resting her arms across her eyes she idly pushed the hair back from her face and closed her eyes tightly while scolding herself mentally. Miss Hermione Granger, for Merlin's sake what do you think you are doing having such illicit dreams about one of your professors? And of all the professors you could have picked you had to choose the most infuriating, brusque and intolerable one of them all! Shaking her head solemnly she rubbed her face vigorously trying to rub the sleep from her eyes and the dirty thoughts from her mind.
Many long moments later with a resounding sigh of frustration Hermione accepted the fact that sleep would not come again and help to erase the sordid thoughts that continued to swirl in her mind. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed she sucked in a sharp breath through clenched teeth as her feet made contact with the painfully cold floor. You would think this damn place could invest in some bloody carpet! she scowled heatedly as with sluggish and shuffling steps she made her way across the room and into the shadowy bathroom.
Venturing into the darkened room Hermione fumbled blindly searching for a light switch, finding nothing beneath her grasping fingers except the cold stone wall, and then the edge of the marble basin with her knees. Choking back a volley of curses that would make even the most crude of sailors blush she mumbled a quick "Lumos" through clenched teeth, the room suddenly flooding with a soft light. Figures that the old bat wouldn't believe in electricity she fumed to herself before glancing up into the mirror.
"Merlin, do I look terrible" she murmured aloud as she ran a hand back through the tangle that was her hair, her fingers getting caught in a rather large rats nest.
"Yes you do" replied the mirror sardonically, her reflection taking on a sneer that would match one of Snape's, "you look like you got drug through a hedge backwards, now kindly remove yourself from my presence you silly girl!" her reflection continued before crossing its arms over its chest, her chest, and turning away with it's nose high in the air.
Shaking her head and sighing Hermione turned away and shuffled towards the shower disrobing with as much finesse as Ron and Harry shedding their Quidditch gear in the Gryffindor common room.
"Figures that his mirror would be as rude and snide as he is" she mumbled while stepping into the shower and letting the warm water cascade over her, quickly slicking down the tangled mass of her hair.
"I heard that!" the mirror snapped before looking away with a sneer once more as if it were too good to show her reflection. Sighing heavily Hermione leaned into the warm and comforting water; bowing her head she pressed the heated skin of her forehead against the cool slick tile of the shower, feeling the water flow down her spine like so many fast marching fingers.
"This is going to be hell" Hermione muttered to the wall, her breath coming back hot against her face as she closed her eyes and titled her head back into the heated stream of water, letting it flow back into her hair.
"You got that right" replied her reflection under its breath with a scowl fixed on Hermione's young face.