Well, when life gives you lemons! 🍋 (I am life, giving you lots of lemons)
Chapter 31. Giving Thanks
Severus wanted to kill him. He truly did. Every dark bone in his body that lusted for the killing curse screamed at him to take Draco out into the yard and torture him for sport. The boy had strangled Hermione, nearly killed her and left her bruised. He had led me to believe that he was going to let her die for the sake of his parents and simply avoided talking to me about it. The prat deserves to die, he fumed internally as he marched down to the dungeon. Like a good little Slytherin, he was waiting outside with Pansy Parkinson and quite obviously flirting with her. The blonde's eyes widened upon seeing his professor and nearly pushed himself away from the girl.
"Mister Malfoy, a minute?" He demanded, eyeing Miss Parkinson from his periphery. She gave a pathetic huff then turned away and went into the common room. It took all his power and dedication to Hermione not to grab his godson by the throat and drain the life from his eyes as he had nearly done to his witch, but he managed to refrain from doing so. He motioned for the younger wizard to follow him to the abandoned classroom a couple paces away and slammed the door shut behind them. "If you ever, and I mean ever attempt to strangle another student in these halls ever again I will not hesitate to end you," he threatened, slamming his hand down on a desk. The boy jumped and looked deathly pale. "You are lucky Miss Granger has a right steady head on her shoulders or I certainly would not have given you such a warning. In any case, she has an idea about how to keep herself alive, more than you could offer-"
"Professor," Draco interjected, but Severus wasn't having it.
"Silence!" He commanded, making the boy sit down in the chair closes to him and blanch even further. "You caused her to become the object of the Dark Lord's rage and you will fix it if you ever want to live long enough to see if she will ever forgive you." He bit his tongue, knowing that he was on edge enough that he might accidentally admit to his relationship with the witch. "For now, you will remain civil, as if you are dating, and as if you know nothing of His plot, understood?"
"Yessir," the blond squeaked, his throat likely tight from anxiety.
"Good, there will be no fights. In fact, I highly recommend you become more public with your affections so that the rumours get back to the Dark Lord. The more comfortable he is that his plan will go through, the less likely he is to kill you. I have sworn to protect you and that is all I am doing, do you understand?" He repeated his question.
"Yes," Draco whispered, squaring his shoulders and swallowing hard. He obviously was building up the courage to add something, to change the plan and Severus could tell. The way the blond tapped his finger against his knuckles and chewed his lip meant he was biding his time. He was waiting for the perfect time to object.
"Good," Severus stated firmly, turning away from the boy.
"But sir-" Draco spoke up, making Severus turn to face him suddenly and slam his fist down on the desk once more. Invading the boy's space, he glowered at him. There was no way in hell the little shit was going to mess up the plan to keep Hermione safe and he would know that. The boy didn't waver though, holding his jaw set strongly even though he was nearly nose-to-nose with the man who was definitely ready to at least maim the boy.
"If you haven't figured it out Mister Malfoy, there is a war going on and you have bloody well slammed yourself into the middle of it. Except you didn't only bring yourself, you brought Miss Granger with you. I am sworn to protect you and so help me Merlin, I will, but you need to own up to the situation and get her out of it on your own," Severus spat, tensing his shoulders. He pushed away from the boy and began pacing to relieve the tension.
"Sir how am I going to protect Hermione?" Draco spoke evenly, surprising Severus, to say the least. He didn't let it show though, as he processed the question.
"The Time-Turner project you and Miss Granger are working on has benefits outside your N.E.W.T grading. You will use it to go back in time and save Hermione," he began, reciting the girl's plan. "It will give you an alibi for the time of her rescue and therefore save your parents in addition to your witch. Events are fated to happen the way they do for a reason, and Miss Granger is not meant to die." Now he was prophesizing. He knew nothing, though, which he began to wonder was the case with Albus as well. He didn't know Hermione would make it out alive, or that he would even make it to the beginning of the war, but he hoped.
"Understood." There was a pause between them as Draco obviously gathered the courage to ask the true question he had been holding back. "And you give me permission to snog Hermione?" Severus closed his eyes and felt the rage begin to boil once more.
"I believe it is her permission you will need for that task," he seethed, refusing to look at his godson.
"But you love her," Draco added as-a-matter-of-factly, practically baiting his godfather. Severus wanted to punch the boy, more than he had before. He was hell-bent on proving this relationship and it was very possible it could ruin everything. Ruin everything he had fought for with Dumbledore and Voldemort and McGonagall. With Hermione.
"For the last time Draco, that is not the case and you will not go about spreading lies of your own insecurity," he assured, attempting to remain as sincere as possible. He knew that raging about was not the way to get that through the boy's head, as it hadn't work thus far.
"But I know you do." How? He challenged mentally, gritting his teeth, but letting the boy continue. "Tessa told me." Severus cocked an eyebrow at the mention of the witch. He had managed to go quite a while without really giving her much or any thought and he was hoping that she might become completely irrelevant. She was looking for her parents, sure, and she looked a bit like Miss Parkinson, but he had heard nothing about a family reunion taking place from Voldemort. He assumed, as she had also not reached out to him, that the witch had given up on her pursuit or simply given up on him.
Still, her name resurfacing had his hairs standing on end. Slowly, he turned to face his godson, who sat still but as smug as ever in his chair. There was a hint of jealousy in his eyes, but he seemed most proud of himself for finally confirming what he thought he knew. Severus pushed aside the anger that came with that, however, and focused on the topic at hand.
"Tessa?"
-x-
After his conversation with Draco, he had been on the hunt for the witch who had somehow broken into Hogwarts and fed the boy truth she should not have known. That Draco should not have known. He skipped his dinner and spent the entire evening in search of her, to get to the bottom of the conspiracy. She wasn't at the bookshop or in her flat, and he had spent a good three hours walking around London looking for her. He tried Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade, but the witch was nowhere to be found. It was likely that she didn't want to be found, which would make the most sense. He had asked the portraits to report to him if there was a suspicious witch puttering about the castle, but he had yet to hear anything from them as he paced the length of his office.
It was against his better judgement that he allowed Draco to remain with his memories of the conversation, to keep believing he knew the truth about Severus and Hermione. It was the truth, or far too close to it for his comfort. How does he know so much about it? How did he know they'd had sex? The question plagued him more than the question of where on earth the mystery witch from the muggle bookshop had ended up. More than anything he wanted to seek out Hermione, to make sure she was okay. Somehow, he managed to restrain himself to his chambers and await news.
"Severus?" Dumbledore's voice beaconed from the floo. The younger wizard groaned and hissed a short enter before summoning his Firewhisky and pouring himself two fingers. He knocked back the fluid gratefully as he sat down in his desk chair and watched as the Headmaster glided into his office. "Starting your weekend off correctly, Severus?" He teased, coming to a stop just short of the bookcases. The potions master rolled his eyes and helped himself to another couple of shots of the fiery liquid. "Severus, I have heard from some of the portraits that you're in search of a witch in the castle. Care to inform me of who exactly it is we're looking for?"
"Miss Tessa appears to have been able to find our Mister Malfoy and feed him some sensitive information that pertains to the plot against Miss Granger," Severus divulged.
"Oh? And what might that be?" He felt the keen tug of the Headmaster trying to dig into his brain and quickly vanished the conversation between himself and the boy, slamming his shields down in front.
"Not a clue, he wouldn't tell me," he offered with a cock of his brow before taking another swig of the whisky. "It seems to me that teaching the boy Occlumency was not the best decision after all," he added sarcastically, finishing his fourth glass.
"I would recommend going lighter on the whisky, Severus, you never know when you'll be needed," the grey wizard cautioned. The ominous tone that came along with everything the elder wizard prophesized always got under Snape's skin and generally led to him heeding the warning set out for him. That night, however, was not one of those times and he defiantly poured himself a fifth helping.
"Bite me, old man. You are to die, and I am to kill you. Miss Granger is to die and you're doing nothing to save her. And now I'm hearing that there is information that is being shared with my godson from some witch I decided to bring to Hogwarts that could potentially destroy everything. How she knows anything is beyond me," Severus ranted, mostly under his breath though he knew the man standing beside him could very well hear him. "Just let me drink."
"It seems, Severus, that you have gotten yourself into quite the uncomfortable situation. Perhaps it would be best to remove yourself from it? As I have said, I am handling the plot against Miss Granger and you are only to arrange my death should Mister Malfoy fail. Miss Tessa, however, is a new addition to your qualms and I will surely look into that," Dumbledore stated as he turned to leave the room. "And Severus? I really would suggest laying off the whisky for tonight. I have a feeling you will be needed," Albus prophesied, sending a shiver down Severus' spine. He watched from his periphery as the older wizard departed back through the floo and felt his entire body begin to tense.
He just lied to my bloody face. The old fucker just told me he was handling Hermione's safety when I know for a fact that nothing is being done. How can he possibly expect me to let that happen? He uses everyone to his whim and lets them die for him. Potter, Draco, Hermione, me. Everyone in his bloody existence is just fucking expendable to him.
"Oh, sod off, old man," he grumbled, tossing his tumbler to the wall and hearing it shatter against the brick. He knew that Dumbledore had long since left his office by the time of his outburst, but the build-up of rage had been too much for him to bear much longer and had to let it out somehow. Thoughts of seeking out Hermione swirled in his slowly deteriorating mind. He wanted to smell her, to touch her, kiss her. As he let himself sink into a bit of a daydream, letting his head fall back, the sensation of fur rubbing against his leg stirred him. Opening one eye, he peeked down to see the ginger feline rubbing up against his leg, purring loudly and shedding everywhere. Reaching down, he felt the cat's collar and found a scroll of parchment. He cocked his eyebrow and unravelled it.
Room of Requirements. NOW.
Hermione's handwriting was distinct but urgent, so he quickly gathered his bearings and stood. Disillusioning himself, he stormed out of his office and up to the seventh-floor corridor. The door made itself known to him and he stepped through, cancelling his charm. The scene that greeted him was definitely not the one he was expecting and definitely made his jaw drop just a bit more than he would have liked. Whether it was because of his nearly 10 fingers worth of Firewhisky, or the aroma of Hermione in the air, he was immediately aroused. There were candles floating about a large four-poster bed. The main attraction, however, was Hermione herself.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, the young witch donned a rather intricate looking bra and matching pants. Her hair had been tamed and fell in looser curls over her shoulders and rested along her collarbone. Her brown eyes were fixed on him and he slowly approached the stunningly beautiful witch before him. "Good evening, Severus," she whispered, swallowing hard as she likely attempted to maintain her nerve. She stood, to meet him, and he took in her beautiful form. Her breasts were just a touch too large for the brassiere she had chosen and puffed out a bit from the top. Her hips were filling out a bit more than he remembered, giving her a perfect curve to her body that made shivers scatter over his skin. She took a step forward and instantly fell backwards as she slipped on her wand. He reached out to help her, but he was a bit too far away to do any good. Thankfully, she was able to grab onto one of the bed's posters and steadied herself.
She winced and laughed, grabbing her midsection and blushing with embarrassment. "Sorry," she whispered but he only let out a soft chuckle. The witch kicked her wand out of the way and it rolled towards the fireplace that crackled away. "Stupid wands," Hermione grumbled but he just continued walking towards her. When he finally reached the witch, he let his fingers trail up her sides as he gazed into her eyes.
"Good evening, Hermione," he breathed back to her, before hungrily taking her mouth in his and pressing himself to her. She moaned at the touch and bent her leg around him. Taking her cue, he lifted her from the floor and gripped her arse firmly. Her soft flesh only made him harden further as he carried her to the bed. There was nothing he wanted more than to fuck her right there, but he knew that she had gone through too much for him to opt to be selfish. Laying her down on the sheets he kissed down her neck, feeling her squirm beneath him. He noted that there was no bruise on her neck, but it still may have been tender, so he was very careful to ensure the pressure he placed on it was soft and just enough to make her shiver. He felt as she reached out and massaged his member through his trousers, making him growl into her neck. He continued down her form, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra and toss it to the floor.
Grabbing a nipple in his mouth, he sucked gently at the tender nub and carefully massaged the other as she moaned and gasped. Her fingers gripped his hair as she did everything in her power to press her sex against him and grind. Obliging, he moved his arm down between her legs and pressed his fist against her clit. Hungrily, she began grinding against it, her squeaks and moans becoming louder and more desperate as he kissed down her torso. He dragged his lips along the slight curve of her abdomen, her pregnancy hardly showing, if at all, before he moved his hand to grip the edge of her pants. Practically tearing them from her body, he released her hot sex and examined it happily.
He bent forward and sucked slowly at the lips guarding her nub, resting his hands on her hips. Severus felt Hermione's fingers grip around his own as he took her nub into his mouth. The moment he did so, he felt her come undone, her clit pulsing against his tongue and he looked up at her in surprise. Panting, she bucked her hips, nearly hitting him the face and giggled through moans. "That's been getting easier since the pregnancy," she laughed when she began to come down from her high.
"Oh?" He inquired simply, standing up to bend over and kiss her. She responded happily, wrapping her legs around his hips and pulling him on top of her gradually. Smiling against her lips, he broke the kiss and stood up, ridding himself of his robes and trousers. Hermione sat up and got onto her stomach, gripping the edge of his pants and pulling them down to release his erect cock. To his surprise, she gripped it and licked the tip of it slowly, looking up at him. The way her eyes met his, filled with lust, only proved to make him more aroused and he entwined his fingers in her hair as she returned her focus. Skillfully, the witch sucked and toyed with the head of his cock, sliding it along her tongue in such a way that made him strain to keep from finishing in her mouth. Gritting his teeth, he let the pleasure sit in his stomach, but never allowed himself to get close, refusing to finish the encounter through oral sex. He felt her tongue flick on the sensitive flesh of his member, how she sucked at it just enough to get him tense before she released it and licked a line from its base back to the head.
Placing a finger below her chin, he tilted her away from his cock and squatted down to meet her lips with his own. "Sit up," he commanded quietly. Eagerly, she obliged, getting onto her knees. He stood up as well, gripping her bottom again to lift her onto him. Wrapping her legs around his hips, she impaled herself on his cock and a groan escaped her that only drew him closer to his finale. He let her down on the bed, keeping himself inside her and began pumping into her channel. He watched as she chewed her lips and forced her eyes shut in concentration. Short gasps left her lips as she began to flush pink. With every thrust her breasts jumped and her sex tensed around him. His eyes nearly rolled back in his skull when she joined him in her pleasure by snaking her hand down her body to toy with her clit.
As she had the first time, Hermione came easily, arching her back and bucking her hips through her orgasm. Watching her writhe in pleasure made him easily reach his own peak and join her in the thralls of ecstasy. Gritting his teeth, he allowed himself to collapse beside her. The two breathed heavily and he opened his eyes to look down at the girl who was staring up at him confidently, a smirk sitting on her mouth. With a laugh, he closed his eyes and wrapped an arm around her. The mattress compressed beside him and he felt her move to straddle him. He opened his eyes a second before she captured his mouth with her own for a short kiss. "Thank you," she whispered against his lips. "I needed that."
"Thank you, Hermione. I needed that too," he responded. She relaxed into him, nuzzling her head into the crook of his neck and playing with the hair on his chest. He ran his fingers delicately through her curls but was careful not to get stuck as he replayed their encounter in his head. "How did you know how to do that?" He asked quietly, regretting the question the moment it left his mouth. Hermione simply laughed, heartedly, against his chest. Sitting up, she looked down at him, twisting her face to keep from laughing further but she couldn't help it. A little yelp of a giggle escaped her lips and she clapped her hand over it quickly. "What?" He questioned again, trying hard to keep her contagious smile from betraying him. That too was a failure and he allowed himself a chuckle.
"I did some research," she answered sheepishly, covering her eyes as she sat back on her legs. He felt her moisture and heat against his shaft as she laughed a bit more.
"What kind of research?" He prodded, feeling himself regain a bit of his stamina. The professor bit his lip as his cock hardened a bit under her and made sure not to waver his gaze from her face.
"Not all books in the restricted section are about dark magic," she insinuated, adjusting herself a bit in such a way that it almost felt erotic. The mood shifted, and she leaned forward a bit, kissing him again and snaking her arm between them to grip his cock. "Again?" She whispered, nibbling on his bottom lip. He wanted to scream yes, the devour her once more but he simply nodded eagerly. The smirk returned to her lip as she released him from her grip and simply ground against his member. He felt himself fully harden and she briefly lifted herself from him, to position his cock at her entrance before lowering herself onto him. The speed made him growl, gripping her hips and guiding her to ride him. She bent forward and kissed him, leaving him the leverage to begin thrusting into her slowly.
"I'm going to have to read that book, Miss Granger," he groaned against her lips.
"I'll absolutely give you the name," she whispered, kissing down his neck before settling near his ear and breathing softly, "Professor Snape." Her simple comment made him more aroused than he ever thought possible and began pumping into her hard and fast. She gripped his shoulders and practically screamed as he pleasured them. "Fuck, Severus," she called out, pulling his hair slightly as he fucked her. He lasted longer that time and made her orgasm twice more. Their session was loud and primal and something he would genuinely never forget as he desperately pumped her full of him once more.
They found themselves laying normally in the bed, cuddled up, and he kissed her forehead. "You are unbelievable," he mumbled in awe as she hugged him tightly. "I genuinely think I need to thank you for that. It was incredible," he continued, caught up in the moment. She was lowering his defences and getting into his heart. Nothing could embarrass him in front of her and honesty seemed to pour out of him. She simply laughed a bit, a soft hum as she nuzzled into him tighter. The bliss of it all easily distracted them both from the countdown hovering over their heads. It didn't last long, however, as a burn shot up his arm and made him hiss. "Fuck," he growled.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! (in Canada)