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Unlikely Partners

Chapter 16

Hermione was walking through the bedroom to return to the dining area when Severus entered the room.

His eyes held no trace of emotion as they focused on her face. He stopped to stand in front of her. Though he was more than an arm's length away from her, Hermione had an urge to back away from him.

The intensity of his gaze on her nearly made her flinch. She fought to suppress the response and held his gaze with brazen determination. She would not give him the satisfaction of seeing that he had some kind of hold on her.

Severus moved one step closer to her, his action deliberately measured and effortlessly executed. Now he was inside her circle of personal space. Hermione set her jaw and forced herself to remain where she was.

And here I thought I'd won. I guess I won't make that mistake again. Why isn't he saying anything? Is he trying to intimidate me with that look on his face? Does he think I'll run from the room and then let him go back to ignoring me? Too bad if that's what he thinks. That's not going to happen.

"Surprised, Miss Granger?" Severus asked slowly.

"Do I look surprised, Snape?"

Severus waited a beat before speaking again.

"You're trying to hide it. If you tell me otherwise, you'll only prove to me that you're not as incredibly intelligent as your test scores would suggest."

Hermione swallowed, unable to decide how to respond.

I don't like being backed into corners, Snape, she thought. It's obvious he wants me to admit to my surprise at his sudden appearance in this room. And it's equally obvious that there's no way I can evade giving him a straight answer to his question.

Fine, Snape. I'll acquiesce to your peremptory request.

Hermione straightened her spine.

"Alright. I confess that I am surprised to see you walk into this room. Perhaps you'll tell me why you're here."

Though even as she said those words, Hermione felt a strange chill run down her spine. She was standing in a bedroom with her former potions professor. No, it wasn't just a bedroom. It was his bedroom.

You didn't really think about the consequences of your actions just now, did you? she asked herself. Did you think he'd just continue to ignore you until you had to practically scream his name? You knew that little flirtation would have some kind of effect on him, Hermione! He's certainly not made of stone. But you never imagined he'd do this.

And what, exactly, is this?

This is what happens when you act without fully thinking things through.

Severus regarded her unblinking eyes.

"But, surely, Miss Granger, you must know why I'm here," he told her in a silken tone. "After all, when a woman knowingly instigates sexually arousing thoughts in a man, does she not expect him to respond appropriately?"

Hermione had braced herself for his response, but could do nothing to stop her breath from hitching in her throat at the stark clarity of his question.

He's trying to shock me. He's bluffing, he only wants to scare me into leaving him alone.

And he's boxed me into a corner again. I have no choice but to give him an answer.

But what was she going to say?

Gee, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to make you feel that way, definitely wasn't going to work.

But staying mute about the subject wasn't going to help the situation either.

"I didn't intend to cause you to have any kind of sexual reaction," Hermione told him evenly. She wanted to blurt the sentence out as quickly as she could, but she made herself deliver the words without hurrying through them.

"No?" Severus asked with a hint of a satisfied smirk on his face. "You know, I might almost believe you. But the thing of it is, you could have easily gotten my attention by doing something that didn't involve any kind of physical contact."

"I wanted to do something you wouldn't expect," Hermione told him quickly.

"I would think that someone as clever as you can be would carefully consider all the possible consequences of such an action, and then only proceed with its execution after consciously accepting those consequences."

"I'll remember to think about the consequences of my actions from now on," Hermione said honestly.

"Make sure that you do. For all actions have consequences, Miss Granger. Some bad, others not necessarily good or bad, and still others that are decidedly good."

Hermione stood rooted to the spot, unable to look away from the dark depth's of Severus's eyes.

"Admit you didn't think about the consequences of getting my attention the way that you did," Severus told her, taking a small step closer to her.

"Any thoughts of consequences must have slipped my mind," Hermione told him truthfully.

Severus came closer to her he was less than a hand's width away from her now, and the heat of his body so close to hers effectively aroused her.

"Admit you need to be shown how serious the consequences of a single action can be," he murmured in her ear, his breath tickling her skin.

"Yes, I think you need to show me,"

Severus bent his head down and brought his lips to her mouth. His kiss was firm and commanding, yet strangely gentle. Hermione brought her hands up to his neck and slowly moved her lips against his. Severus's hands came to rest on Hermione's sides as the first kiss was broken. Hermione tilted her head back a little more and Severus pressed his lips to hers a second time in a hungry, open mouthed kiss.

This kiss was harder than the first. Severus tasted Hermione fully, running his tongue along the inside of her mouth. Hermione met his tongue with her own and Severus expertly teased it without mercy, laughing low in his throat when Hermione moaned audibly and tightened her grip on his neck.

Severus took his time ravishing her mouth with his tongue, paying careful attention to the spots that would pleasure her the most. When he finally pulled his tongue away he kissed her possessively, taking her bottom lip in his teeth before he briefly broke contact to take a breath.

Severus tightened his grip on Hermione and returned his lips to hers, kissing her deeply. Hermione slid her hands down from his neck to the front of his shirt and began undoing the buttons of the charcoal grey garment with an urgent need. In seconds she had his shirt open at the front. She ran her hands up and down his hot flesh as they continued to kiss with passionate fervor.

The muscles of his chest were hard and smooth. Hermione reached up and pushed his shirt off of his shoulders. Severus moved his hands back so that she could free him the article of clothing. Hermione got the shirt off of his body and dropped it on the floor. She then reached up and placed her hands on back around his neck her fingers tightening in the hair at the nape of his neck.

Severus moved away from her lips and placed his mouth along her neck. Hermione jerked against him at the contact. He kissed her flesh with lustful abandon, licking the skin above her collarbone with erotic interest.

Hermione leaned her head to the side in pure ecstacy, vaguely noticing how this was like the very first Occlumency induced image of them together.

Was the magical attraction of the Occlumency still controlling them? Or was this a passion of a different kind, originating on its own without the help of ancient magic?

Hermione couldn't think straight with what Severus was doing to her and she didn't want to think about anything except the man who pleasuring her.

Severus kissed the area where Hermione's quickened pulse beat beneath her skin. Severus then worked his way up to her left ear. He nipped her ear lightly before placing an ardent kiss on it, making Hermione involuntarily let out another exclamation of pleasure.

"Enjoying the lesson?" Severus whispered wickedly.

"That depends," Hermione told him. "Is it over?"

"Of course not, Miss Granger. It's only just beginning. I don't think you've learned how important it is to realise the possible consequences an action has before you proceed to carry it out. And that if you ever forget to think about those consequences, you'll be forced to cope with them unprepared. You know, if you aren't aware of the consequences beforehand, they can be quite hard to deal with," Severus told her in a low tone.

"Are the consequences I so utterly failed to consider of the kind that are quite hard to deal with?" Hermione asked a bit breathlessly.

Severus shifted her body against him.

"I believe you can answer that question yourself," he told her, staring into her dark gaze.

Hermione smiled alluringly. She then rubbed her hip against his arousal.

"I think I like consequences that are 'quite hard' to deal with," she said to him while holding his gaze. She trailed her right hand down his his chest and stomach, stopping when she reached the front of his black trousers. Hermione could feel that he was thick and hot beneath the confining material.

She cupped the front of his pants with her palm and he kissed her fiercely, letting out a groan as her hand moved over him. Hermione laughed into his mouth and moved her other hand down so that she could pull down the trousers' zipper. She had just gotten the top button undone when suddenly Severus and inexplicably pulled away.

Hermione stared at him, at a loss for what had caused him to stiffen as if he was in immense pain, until her eyes fell on the skin of his right forearm where the Dark Mark was burning black.

Severus stood with his head bowed as he took in deep breath to steady himself.

"Hand me my shirt," he told her hollowly. Hermione quickly picked up the shirt and straightened it out before giving it to Severus.

Severus was eerily quiet as he put his shirt on and closed his trousers. He gave Hermione a pained look.

"I'll be back as soon as I can."

"How long?" Hermione asked.

"I can't say. I doubt it will be longer than a couple of hours,"

"If you don't see me when you return, you'll probably find me in your bathroom."

Severus nodded grimly.

"I'm, . . . I'm sorry."

"Don't be. When he calls, you have to go. I understand," Hermione told him seriously.

Severus turned away and left the room. As Hermione heard the door that opened into the hallway shut, she immediately felt a wave of oppressive air envelope the room, just as she had felt when she first set foot inside the mansion.

With Severus gone, she would have to deal with the affects of Voldemort's presence alone.

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Severus hurried to the parlor. Dozens of Voldemort's followers, the youngest present being nineteen, the oldest fifty-four were all moving to assemble in the large room. Undoubtedly many of them had Apparated from places miles away. All of them had placed serving Voldemort above everything else in their lives.

Severus moved through the crowd of Death Eaters to take his place at the right of Voldemort's onyx desk. Hanging from the ceiling, in the center of the room, was a multi-tiered crystal chandelier, lit by magic.

Severus turned to the wizard seated behind the desk and gave a reverent half bow.

It always amazed Severus that Voldemort, for all his power and reputation of being Britain's darkest wizard since the time of the Middle Ages, could not tell that he harbored a bone-deep unadulterated hatred for him. When Severus stood by Voldemort's side, the desire to destroy him was always present, though always carefully buried and hidden. But it was always there, and every day that Voldemort accepted Severus' facade, he wondered just how truly powerful the dark wizard was.

By now Voldemort's most loyal servants had formed a wide semi-circle around his desk and were waiting expectantly for him to speak. Voldemort rose silently and walked to stand in front of the assembled Death Eaters. Severus stayed beside the desk. As Voldemort's most favored, he was an echelon above the gathered Death Eaters. When Voldemort spoke to those who had yet to prove themselves he let Severus stand and watch, using him as an example of the great honor they could achieve by serving him well.

"I have called all of you here today for two reasons," Voldemort began. "There are two tasks I wish to accomplish and I need the help of my most loyal to do so."

Voldemort moved to one side of the semi-circle and began to slowly walk past the people whom he called his truest allies.

"You are all aware that two of our own, are shall I say, missing. Narcissa and Draco have seemed to have vanished without a trace. I want to know where they are." Voldemort announced, stressing the syllables of the last sentence with commanding authority.

"I want someone to find them," Voldemort told the crowd evenly. "And I want them both brought to me, willingly or unwillingly. Who among you will gladly take on this task?"

There was a chorus of "I will"s throughout the crowd. From his vantage point, Severus could see the faces of everyone present. His gaze came to rest on Bellatrix as the reply quickly traveled down the line. Her face was unreadable. But, Severus noticed, it didn't show its usual cold determination. In fact, for the first time since Severus had had the displeasure of meeting her acquaintance, Bellatrix's face did not have that perpetual "elegant sneer" he had grown so used to seeing on it.

Someone who was less observant than Severus would never have picked up on the difference. Fortunately, Severus was much more observant than most and easily spotted the anomaly.

Though what it meant, he couldn't say for sure. Perhaps Bellatrix did have some sort of loyalty to her sister and nephew. Perhaps she was having difficulty with resolving herself to put her loyalty to Voldemort before her loyalty to her family.

When it was Bellatrix's turn to reply, she did so loudly and with conviction.

But was the sound of her voice really a good indication of her intentions? And just why were the Malfoys keeping well away from Voldemort? Narcissa hadn't done anything wrong. And though Draco had failed at casting the killing curse on Dumbledore, had it not been for him, the Death Eaters never would have gotten inside the castle.

And if Severus's suspicions about the what Draco's task really was were correct, that Voldemort never meant for Draco to kill Dumbledore at all and that Narcissa making the Unbreakable Vow with him was just a set up to find out once and for all where his true loyalties lay, there really was no obvious reason for the Malfoys to suddenly disappear.

Where were they and why were they there? And what were they doing?

At last when everyone had given an affirmative response, Voldemort stepped back from the crowd.

"As soon as you leave, you will begin your search for Narcissa and Draco Malfoy. You will individually report to me with anything you learn about their whereabouts. You will tell me everything you find out, no matter how insignificant the details may seem."

There was a fervent reply of "yes, master" and Voldemort paused in his speech.

"Good. Now I shall move on to the other issue that needs addressing. You all know that I no longer have a spy within the Order of the Phoenix. Severus here has shown his true colours and has done what none of you ever could. But though the Great Albus Dumbledore is now rotting in the ground, and the Order is wounded with grief at the old fool's death, it is still a force of opposition against me. I had hoped that Severus might have been able to weaken it from within and destroy it entirely, but alas, things could not turn out to happen that way. The Order is still strong.

"I wish to utterly crush its strength to resist. I will allow the Order of the Phoenix to stand against me no longer! I want it fatally weakened before I am strong enough to fight Potter for the last time. You are all aware that it has one of Fenrir's werewolves within its ranks. Fenrir tells me that though he can effortlessly control the minds of every werewolf within the catacombs beneath where we stand, he cannot make the Order's werewolf submit to his will. I want to know why.

"You will form into groups and together you will perform advanced scrying spells to see and hear what The Order is doing. The spells which I speak of require unwavering concentration and effort. If you are unable to perform them successfully, you will suffer my displeasure. If I were strong enough, I'd perform these spells myself." Voldemort said as he looked out at the faces of the people.

Scrying, the act of magically conjuring an image of a person or a place onto a clear surface was not in and of itself part of the Dark Arts. If someone did it without any malevolent intentions, it was regarded as complex, but certainly not harmful magic.

But if scrying was done for dark purposes, a blood payment on part of the witch or wizard performing the spell was demanded by whatever force allowed the scryed image to exist. It was said that if a dark witch or wizard demanded to see enough images, they would be damned to spend eternity in hell as punishment for repeatedly using the art of scrying to facilitate an act of evil. For a dark wizard such as Voldemort, having his followers scry the Order and see what its members were doing, gave him an invaluable advantage.

The only good thing about the scrying of the Dark Arts was that it could only be performed after dark.

Still, there was enough that the Death Eaters could see then that could jeopardize the Orders' plans. Severus would have to warn Remus to not take his potion at night, when he might be watched, and to not discuss his name at night with anyone, unless of course it was mentioned in context of him being a Death Eater. Though most attempts at scrying did not produce any sound to go along with the image, there were a few Death Eaters that could easily read lips. The Order could take no chances.

By the looks on the faces of some of the Death Eaters, they were none too pleased that Voldemort had asked this of them, but were trying hard to hide it.

Undoubtedly some had figured that they would easily be able scry the Malfoys and would receive praise from their lord at having been able to quickly report to him about their precise location.

Severus listened to the rest of Voldemort's speech and when Voldemort finally decided to dismiss the group, he waited for everyone to leave the parlor before speaking to the dark wizard.

"Is there anything I can do for you, milord?" Severus forced himself to ask. Voldemort turned and regarded him with his unearthly crimson-brown eyes.

"As a matter of fact, there is, Severus. I want you to keep an eye on Bella for me. I need you to make sure she no longer has any loyalties toward her sister and nephew.".

"It will be done," said Severus, giving the evil creature before him an elegant nod.

"I know I can count on you to serve me well. If only all my Death Eaters were as true to me as you are."

"It's my greatest pleasure to serve you," Severus told him.

He waited for Voldemort to dismiss him, but instead the dark wizard asked about the condition of Hermione. Severus told him what he wanted to hear.

"It is only the second day and her spirit is still strong. But that won't last much longer,"

Voldemort twisted his lips into a perverse simulation of a smile.

"I'm glad to hear it," Voldemort said to him.

Severus was then dismissed and he left Voldemort at a careful pace. He could not allow any of his actions in front of Voldemort to arouse suspicion.

Only when he was down the hall, within sight of the staircase, did he allow himself to relax. He let his thoughts return to Hermione.

How long had the meeting lasted? Perhaps an hour?

However long it had lasted, Severus only hoped it wasn't long enough to cause her severe anguish.

A/N: I know this chapter had to evoke some kind of opinion in you. I really want to hear from all my readers so please don't be silent. If you want to write an intelligently written flame or semi-flame, you may do so and I will reply to you, telling you why I defend my decisions. If you didn't like the chapter, please let me know why you didn't like it. And if you liked it, what exactly did you like about it?