Warning

This story is not suitable for readers under the age of sixteen. It contains sexual content, including some non-consensual, and may offend some readers. If this subject is offensive to you, please do not read this story.

Chapter 12 - Surprises

It really wasn't clear to Hermione at what point she realized she was awake. The barrier between dreams and reality seemed to be hazy and the transition from one to the other was gradual. She had no memory of her dreams, except for feelings of peace and utter contentment. Her whole body was warm, and she felt almost as though she were floating. Totally relaxed, and she allowed her mind to drift, surrendering completely to the feeling of perfect tranquility.

Gradually, she became aware of more physical senses. Her body was being stroked and caressed gently, and there was something else. It was a warmth between her legs that was the source of this sensation. She sighed and stretched her whole length. Wonderful. There was movement. Her body was responding with gentle motion as she finally got the sensation into focus. Severus was well below the covers of the bed, and his tongue was taking long slow strokes at the most sensitive part of her body. It was heaven. It was perfect.

She moaned slightly. This was the most amazing way to wake up! Taking his time, Severus teased and coaxed her, not letting her become too excited too quickly. He drew out the experience, leading her to the edge, then drawing her back, letting her get closer and closer then pulling her away. Hermione could never have imagined a feeling like it. After a long and wonderfully pleasurable experience, Severus finally brought her to a blissful climax, and she lay, breathing hard, wanting to hold that moment for as long as possible. But he didn't stop. His tongue was still caressing her, and she found herself still responding with her excited body. "Severus!" She could hardly breathe his name as he brought her to a second climax, shuddering, and feeling as though she could stand no more pleasure.

This time he gave her a moment to come down from her high, then began moving upwards. He kissed her stomach lightly, then moved to her breasts. She arched her back, pushing herself up to meet his suckling lips, and moved her hands down under the covers to stroke his back. She could feel his erection on her leg, and smiled in anticipation.

Eventually, he continued his journey upwards, his head protruding from the covers, as he looked up at her with his dark eyes gleaming. With a smile, he kissed her lips and she felt him pushing his hardness into her. It was the perfect finish to her amazing awakening, and it was only when they lay, satisfied and content, in each other's arms, that he whispered into her ear, "Good Morning, Hermione."

Despite her wish to stay in Severus' bed - and Severus' arms - all morning, Hermione had to get moving. She had to clear up her things in the classroom and get her bag, then head back to the Gryffindor tower to her room before anyone realized she had not been back last night. Harry and Ron might have stayed up to wait for her, but she would just have to tell them that she arrived very late.

The professor went first into the Potions classroom, to check that all was clear, then Hermione followed. She began collecting her things together as Severus cleared up the spilled ingredients and ruined potion.

Suddenly, something caught her eye on the floor behind a desk. Her stomach gave a jolt as she picked it up, recognizing it immediately. "Severus!" She held it up to him, knowing that he would recognize it as well. It was Harry's invisibility cloak.

The implications of this hit Snape with a shock. "Damn the boy!" he snapped, angrily. "Why can't he just stay out of things that are nothing to do with him?" Quickly, he told Hermione of Filch's visit in the night. "I had no idea he was talking about Potter and Weasley."

Hermione thought quickly. It seemed that Filch did not know about the invisibility cloak, but Harry and Ron would assume that Snape would find it. Unless... "I'll take the cloak with me," she said. "I'll tell them that I left my things here last night, and left Gryffindor early this morning to get them. I found the cloak and brought it back."

"How will you explain last night?"

Again, she thought. "If Filch was at your door around one o'clock, then we know that they weren't in the tower at that time. If I say I arrived then, they won't know I wasn't there all night. I'll tell them that you said you wouldn't be back in the classroom until this morning. That's why I wasn't worried about leaving my things when I went to visit my boyfriend!"

Their stories now straight, Hermione headed for the door, pausing for a final embrace.

Snape sighed. "I hate the fact that you have to lie to them. Deception doesn't suit you."

"Would you rather I told them the truth?" laughed Hermione.

He pretended to consider this for a moment. "Well - on second thoughts... !"

Hermione was very glad that she'd taken the invisibility cloak back to the Gryffindor tower, as it went some way towards smoothing things over with her friends, after last night. She really couldn't see how they could blame her for what had happened - after all, it was they who were spying on her - but neither could she get too angry with them for their underhand methods. She was lying to them, and it was sweet that they were worried about her.

She had rushed to her room as soon as she'd got through the portrait hole, grabbed her books for her first class, and been sitting in the common-room waiting for them when they'd come down for breakfast.

"Ron! Harry!" she called, as soon as she saw them. "What on earth happened last night? I went out early to get my books from the Potions classroom, and found your cloak there!"

Harry gaped as she handed it out to him. "You mean Snape didn't get it?"

"He won't have even been into the classroom yet," she told them. "He left last night while I was working, and said he wouldn't be back. I left my things there last night, then went back to get them early this morning."

Ron was breathing a sigh of relief. "We thought Snape was going to kill you when he saw everything left there. But... even if you planned to go back this morning, it's not like you to leave things in a mess like that." Clearly he was still suspicious.

At least for this, Hermione could tell them half the truth. "Well, when my - boyfriend - came in, I really wasn't thinking about my project." Ron and Harry were looking very uncomfortable about this, but she continued. "I know it's not like me, but can't I be spontaneous occasionally?"

Clearly, the two boys found the topic of Hermione's love life a little uncomfortable, and Harry changed the subject, or so he thought, to Professor Snape. Breakfast was spent discussing what punishment they would receive for being in his classroom in the middle of the night. Hermione heard all the details from them, about being dragged off to Filch's office, lectures being given, records being written and files being updated with this latest infraction. But having to deal with Filch was nowhere near as bad as the punishment they knew they were in for tonight. They thought of the previous detentions they'd had with Snape, and wondered what new horrors he would dream up for them this time.

Hermione found this an awkward conversation. The dislike of Snape had always been something they'd had very much in common, and, until recently, she would have joined in the conversation wholeheartedly. As far as Harry and Ron were concerned, nothing had changed in regard to the hated Potions Master, but for Hermione, it was as though they were talking about a completely different person. She had no idea how Severus would treat them tonight. Maybe his attitude had changed towards them, but she doubted it. And why should it? Why would her relationship with him have any bearing on how he treated her friends? She was torn between not wanting to put them through a detention that she knew they would hate, and not wanting to feel that her relationship with the teacher would compromise his position and integrity. Thankfully, she realized, it was not her decision to make. Severus had to be the one to determine how to act in this situation, and she would accept that. In the meantime, she simply had to grit her teeth and listen to her friends run down her lover, trying not to jump to his defense!

Avoiding listening to the conversation, her mind wandered happily back to her waking moments that morning, as it had been doing since the moment she had left him. It had been the most incredible experience! His touch. His tongue! She felt her body reacting at the mere thought of him kissing her. It had been less than two hours since she'd climbed out of his bed, and yet she could think of little else. Making it through the day was going to be difficult. She would go to Ron and Harry's detention with them, she decided, and work on her project while they were there, but that was hours away! How would she cope in the meantime? Even thinking about him made her feel warm and ...

"Hermione?" Ron's voice cut into her thoughts. "What's up? You were miles away!"

Not miles, thought Hermione, just in the dungeon.

They finished breakfast and headed to their first class.

At ten to eight that evening, the three friends were heading down to the dungeon - Ron and Harry miserable and dejected, Hermione with her heart fluttering at the thought of seeing Severus after so many long hours without him. Just as they were about to start down the long steps into the depth, a voice called out to them from behind.

"Miss. Granger?" It was Professor Dumbledore.

Hermione's fluttering heart stopped still. Stay calm, she told herself. It could be nothing.

"I'm glad I ran into you. I wonder if we might have a chat?" His voice was friendly and his smile warm, but Dumbledore was not one to give away too much.

She forced a smile and tried to keep her voice light. "Of course, Professor Dumbledore."

Harry and Ron paused with her, then at the Headmaster's "Carry on, Gentlemen. I believe you have a detention," they continued, reluctantly, down the steps.