Sorry, it's been so long, my work-life-balance is subpar. I hope you're all still enjoying this little Sevmione love story!

Chapter 41. Possession

"Snape," the weary voice of a battered boy shook Severus from his focus. The potion's master didn't have to look up to know that Draco Malfoy had entered his office. It was barely past lunch and Severus had yet to figure out how he would bring up the brat's lying tendencies and his secret visits to Hermione. His Hermione. The thought made his anger boil so he pushed it aside and took a sharp inhale of breath.

"What do you want, Draco?" He hissed, letting his jealousy get the better of him, the thought of the two talking about his child over tea still lingered in the corners of his mind. Snape's eye twitched at the blond sat across from him and he dared to keep his eyes fixed on the parchment in front of him. The words on the page seemed to blur together as he worked to contain his simmering jealousy. He'd fallen behind on his research having been caught in a one-man losing battle. This afternoon, however, he had finally managed to gather enough focus and time to go over a paper he'd written for a Potions journal. He could barely imagine the time before he'd be enraptured by his witch.

"It's about Hermione," Draco started. Severus sneered, clenching his jaw while attempting to maintain composure. Of course, Hermione was allowed her friends, and it was his brilliant idea that got them into their particular mess. If it weren't for him, she would be off with Harmless Potter and Clueless Weasley. Instead, he'd managed to push her into the arms of another. Though he continued to press the idea, against his bitter doubt, that the two were just friends. "We haven't spoken since she came back, and I'm worried."

Gods, I'm going to put head through a wall.

"Worried?" Severus groaned, his ability to mask his emotions growing weaker by the day. He'd blame it on the witch, that she had softened him, broken through his protective layer. But there was nothing she could do that would ever warrant such an accusation. If his shields were failing, it was his fault.

"I'm going to kill-" Draco glanced around as if someone may have been listening in and leaned in closer. Lowering his voice, he continued "Dumbledore, in less than a month and she has absolutely no idea. I want to protect her, get her far away from this battle, to do something. Anything." Draco's desperation began to seep from his expression and his words. "She's already fallen into Voldemort's radar once before and I'll be damned if I let it happen again."

"Is that why you were running off to see her? You were worried?" Severus snapped, every muscle in his body tensing. This hadn't been exactly how he wanted to slip it into the conversation, but it was too late to take it back now. For a brief flash, Severus wished he'd bitten his tongue and allowed the younger wizard a chance to vent, however, it dissipated the moment Draco's eyes flashed open in surprise.

"What?" The boy knew he'd be discovered, and yet he played dumb. This only fueled the anger bubbling up throughout their entire interaction. His face was hot with rage as he forced down all that he could to keep from lunging at this blond in front of him.

"I heard about your little visits with Miss Granger, yet you neglected to mention any of them to me in any of the countless times you came bounding into my office to complain about how much you missed the girl! You can't possibly tell me that you are worried about her when you knew first hand how she was doing. As far as anyone else is concerned you are her boyfriend," Snape spat the word he despised from his lips. "And as far as the few who do know about our particular predicament, you are the father of her child. While that falsehood may serve to save my hide as much as it does yours and hers, you will do best, Draco, to not. Go. Believing in it."

"Sir I-"

"I am not finished, Draco" the Professor fumed. "If you have come here looking for permission to inform Miss Granger as to the plot against the Headmaster then you will be sorely disappointed. You may be weeks away from committing murder, but you won't have to live with the fact that the witch who is carrying your child now hates you. Because she is not carrying your child Draco."

"I know, sir." The boy looked as sombre as ever, sitting small in his seat with a flush of red over his cheeks. Severus reigned himself in, noting how easily he lost control when speaking of Hermione. Of his child. Straightening his postured, he sat back a bit in his chair and hardened his expression. Swearing to himself that he would no longer allow himself to expel his emotions as he had just done.

"Spectacular," Severus concluded, his tone dripping in sarcasm. "Is there anything else?"

Draco bit his lip in contemplation as if he were debating on saying something more. Whatever it was, the boy stuffed it down and stood up. "No, I'd best be off." While there was a hint of curiosity nipping at the edges of the professor's mind, he simply did not care to look at the young Malfoy's face for a moment longer than was absolutely necessary.

When the door shut behind him, Severus stood, his chair falling over with a loud bang as he slammed his fists down on the hard wooden top of his desk. He was seething, his back tense as he hissed through his breaths. That entitled, sneaky little prick thinks he can simply-

His thoughts were interrupted by the soft creak of his door opening once more. His gaze flashed to the person in the door frame, half expecting his godson to have returned to retaliate, or share what had been sitting on the tip of his tongue. He was shocked, however, to find the Headmaster staring at him sternly. The elder wizard's cheeks had hollowed and his eyes were darkening. His hand that held the door was rotting away, his robes seemed far less colourful.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Severus spoke, pressing all of his emotions back behind the wall he had worked so hard to build. It may have been weaker, but it would still function enough to withhold his thoughts from Dumbledore. His shield allowed him to quickly regain what composure he could muster as the elder wizard strode towards him.

"I believe the pain and anger you are experiencing, Severus, is my fault." Severus wanted to laugh heartedly at the statement. That man had become the master of all things misery in Snape's life and he was only now admitting to it. Though it was likely as hollow as every promise the elder wizard had ever uttered. "I shouldn't have offered up your tutoring services to Miss Granger," Dumbledore explained. Snape's heart stopped at the mention of the girl's name. "Had I known there was anything more going on, I would have stopped it sooner, I would have never made the suggestion," he continued.

"I'm not sure what exactly it is that you believe to be happening between myself and Miss Granger, but I assure you-"

"Don't lie to a dying man, Severus, it will not do good for your soul when I am dead." His sparkling blues had dulled even more and yet still portrayed the sort of omniscience that Severus always dreaded. "You may be cunning, Severus, but you are no match for the Headmaster of Hogwarts. I have eyes and ears everywhere, what you are doing is no secret to me, nor has it ever been." Severus sucked in a sharp breath through his nose. How strange it was to have to comfort of secrecy ripped from underneath oneself. He'd been caught in many a lie, but he'd always managed to talk his way out of them, prove through his actions that he would not deceive. Now, however, he felt hopeless.

"Headmaster, I-" His gut seemed to be falling out of his corpse, his throat catching all of his breaths before they reached his lungs.

"Severus I am far too close to death to be monitoring your romantic life any longer. She is of age and, unfortunately, was removed from your tutelage just a bit too late, I suppose." Dumbledore sighed as if weighing that burden on his shoulders. "However, you must remember your purpose. She will not save you in this war, Severus. It does not serve the wizarding world to dwell on love, surely you've learned that lesson by now." The sting of the old man's words chipped at Snape's composure.

Severus wanted to protest, to explain to him how much she meant to him. That he would protect her and Harry. Whatever it took to keep her in his life, he was willing to sacrifice it all. He held his words back, praying that somehow he might still be able to work his way out of the truth if he simply never admitted to it.

"Your affair will have to stop, Severus, right here and now. By engaging her, you have done nothing but place Miss Granger in harm's way and I refuse to allow it to continue." The guilt slapped Snape in the face, making him wince. "The more Tom learns of her importance, of her brilliance, the more likely she is to be a target. You are an information feed to the enemy, Severus, and by continuing this romance with the girl, you are allowing Tom to have an advantage over you that he should not have. You do not want to be her death, do you, Severus?" The question hit him harder and he stepped back at the blow. "Not after what happened to Lily." The image of Lily's lifeless face flashed behind his eyes. "Her son needs his best friend to get him through this war and I will not have you interrupting that destiny."

-x-

It was if the castle were conspiring against him. After Dumbledore has excused himself from Snape's office, Severus had decided a walk around the grounds would help clear his mind and help him organise his next move. He had spent about an hour wandering about the Great Lake and had come up with no solution. Mindlessly, he made his way back to his office. However, as he rounded the corner to the staircase leading to the main floor, he found his godson and Hermione stood opposite one another with the latter pressed against the wall. They looked at him simultaneously, Draco's neck nearly snapping, and Hermione slunk out from the blond's reach. She dared to step forward towards the professor, but Draco grabbed her wrist and kept her close. The sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor made Severus pull his stare away from his love and he returned to his office.

He slammed the door behind him, the anger once again building up in his stomach. The image of Draco's hand grasped around Hermione's wrist, how anyone coming upon that scene would think nothing more of it. They could be happy. He would never have that luxury. He could not hold Hermione's hand in the hall or kiss her goodnight, no matter how much he desired her, she was always just out of reach. The castle might be living and scheming against me, but I refuse to allow an exaggerated lump of stone to keep me from her, he fought internally. Throwing himself into his desk chair, he summoned the papers of exams he had been preparing for finals. Channelling his anger, he wrote more difficult questions that required such lengthy answers the fourth year brats would have hand cramps by the end of the first hour.

"Professor?" Hermione's sweet voice broke through the looming fog and Severus lifted his head. Behind the girl with the wild brown curls stood Draco with his face firm as he followed her in. The sight of his godson soured his mood just a bit from the calm that seemed to follow Hermione with her. It was as though simply her presence was all that was needed to balance him out.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" He prodded, tensing his back as he sat up straighter. His gaze trailed over her form, a t-shirt lay loose over her torso and her legs were hugged by a pair of jeans that seemed a bit too short. He knew there was a glamour weighing on her, but he could picture the swollen form beneath. She tucked a strand of untamed hair behind her ear, the curls getting more unruly with the humidity of summer, and she approached him cautiously.

The sound of Draco shutting the door barely roused the older wizard from his trance and the girl's entire demeanour seemed to change. "Well, Draco and I were studying a bit together and he could tell I was getting a bit antsy-"

"She was bringing you up in every sentence and we weren't even studying Defence," Draco pipped up, his tone was the audio form of an eye-roll. Hermione brushed him off with a flick of her wrist and took the seat opposite Snape.

"As I was saying... I wanted to see you and he kindly offered to wait outside with me, so that it looked like we were just..." Her voice trailed off and a smirk tugged at her lip, noting that she was proud of her cunning plan. "Just sneaking in a bit of questioning before the exam on Friday."

"Friday," Severus repeated, his eyes tracing the form of her lips that had since grown into a beaming smile. Oh, Dumbledore will hate me for this, he mused, relishing in the thought of spiting the old man.

"Yes, Friday. I thought we could all chat?" Hermione's voice hooking with hope.

"I'll order tea," Severus stated and in a sweeping motion, he stood and walked to his chambers to use the floo. It took him a moment, as he made the order with the kitchens, to realise that she had been referring to the three of them. Draco, himself, and Hermione, all chatting. Not just the two of them. Begrudgingly, he ordered another cup for the unwanted guest and returned to his office. His godson had taken up a post in the seat beside Hermione's and he eyed her warily as she peered around the room. He caught a whiff of her, a mix of honey and citrus, which he assumed was her shampoo. The scent beckoning him to lose himself in her wild locks.

"How is studying going for you both? Prepared for your exams?" He pushed out what small talk he could think of, attempting to maintain his balance around his guests. Hermione had experienced enough of him to break through such meaningless banter, and his godson was rather privy to his darker side. It seemed, however, that the combination of the two of them presented as if he were with another person entirely. A stranger.

"It's going well," Hermione chimed in first. "Ronald knows about my pregnancy, but we obliviated Harry so that we wouldn't start another fight over it. Draco and I have been keeping a rather low profile as to not poke Harry's sensitivity over the topic of the two of us. And well, frankly, I'd rather be sitting here with you all the time- No offence, Draco," the brunette was rambling, but Severus relished in every detail she provided him. "And well, this glamour is quickly becoming a bother and I feel nauseous all the time. I almost wish everyone knew I was pregnant so I didn't have to hide it all the time. I hate hiding things. I just want to study, or read, or sleep without having to worry that someone is going to see my bump and tell the whole school about. How many people do you really think will believe this child is Draco's? I mean, I guess the students would, but the teachers? Professor McGonagall? She must see that I'm still hopelessly in love with you. She can't possibly be fooled by our charade."

"I understand," Severus breathed, absorbing her every word. His love was all worked up and she wanted to vent to him. She had chosen him. Desperately, he wanted to reach for her hand and calm her, but he was wary of Dumbledore's warning. Eyes and ears everywhere, the professor repeated mentally.

"But you don't understand!" Hermione huffed, pushing her chair back a bit. Her response caught Severus by surprise, as though she would automatically find reassurance in his words, no matter what they were. The witch's face had morphed to one of anger as she whipped out of her wand and cancelled the glamour on her abdomen. The sight of her bump made a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, but the huff she made as she leaned back in her chair made him snap back to reality. "You don't have to hide anything other than her unrelenting love for me. That's easy, you're the most stoic man in this entire castle! Yet here I am, sweating all the time, my back hurts, I want to vomit but I don't, and I don't even have the father to comfort me through all of this because I fell in love with my bloody professor!"

Draco opened his mouth, but Severus silenced him. Nothing that boy would have to say would help calm her. Nothing he had to say would bring her any comfort. He wracked his brain trying to come up with something he could say that would help her. "I love you," he whispered, having let the silence linger just a bit too long.

Hermione burst into tears.

Shit.

Severus stood once more in a swift motion. "Draco, mind the door," he commanded, moving to Hermione's side and sweeping her up into an embrace. He whispered cooling charms and rubbed small circles on her back as he kissed her forehead. "I love you," he breathed again, resting his cheek on her head as she struggled for breath and sniffled through her tears.

"Professor, someone's coming," Draco warned. Oh for fuck's sake, Severus grumbled internally. Could the fates not allow him ten minutes to comfort the mother of his child? Severus gave her one last squeeze before returning to his desk chair. As it happened, a house-elf popped into the room and placed a tray of tea and biscuits on his desk. Draco returned to his chair and Hermione steadied her breathing, sitting up a bit straighter and mumbling the glamour charm once more.

The office door opened with a crash and the other two-thirds of the golden trio stumbled into the room. Severus sent them an unamused glare before they caught their breath enough to speak. "Hermione, we need you." Weasley gasped, holding onto Harry for support.

"Now," Potter asserted.

-x-

Severus managed to finish reviewing his essay and the questions for all his exams in the rest of that afternoon. He forced himself to delve into work as to not let his mind wander to what exactly it was that was so important it drew his Hermione from him. Now, unfortunately, it was nighttime and he was staring up at the ceiling in his empty bed. It wasn't as though Hermione had spent many nights curled up at his side, but this evening he was particularly enveloped in the absence of her warmth. He decided, then, that it a walk around that castle would perhaps clear his mind a touch.

Swinging his legs from the bed, his foot collided with a soft creature that ran away at the impact. Crookshanks tottered back and rubbed up against Snape's hanging foot, flicking his tail as the wizard's toes reached the feline's lower back. "Can I help you, cat?" Snape grumbled. While he was never one for pets, having never had that particular luxury in life, anything that was connected to Hermione softened his normal icy demeanour.

Crookshanks then strolled out his door, which he did not remember leaving open, into the living area of his chambers. He followed, wondering where it was the cat had managed to come from and was shocked to see his Hermione standing by the fireplace. Before she noticed his arrival, she bent down to scoop up her pet. As she stood, she startled, jumping a bit and clutching the orange furball just a little bit tighter.

"Severus, you're awake," Hermione breathed, a smile spreading across her face. "I didn't want to wake you but Crookshanks jumped out of my arms. I didn't mean to bring him. He followed me out and I was almost here by the time I noticed, so I thought I should at least carry him." As she rambled, Severus practically floated towards her, wrapping his arms around the pair and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. Everything he knew told him that she shouldn't be there, in his chambers. That if they were caught, he would surely be told off by the headmaster. He'd managed to convince the dying wizard to allow her return, and now he was abusing that gift to see her under the express orders not to.

Hermione titled her head and captured his lips in a kiss, letting her cat jump from her arms so she could wrap them around his neck and pull him in close. She pressed her bump against his abdomen, feeling her magic bind with his as they lingered on each other's mouths. He trailed his hands down her sides, feeling the soft cotton fabric of her tank top and the silkiness of her shorts. He desperately wanted to slip his hands underneath them and grip her bottom but something held him back. That something disappeared when Hermione plunged her fingers into his hair and tugged. Lifting her from the floor, he took her bottom lip in his mouth and chewed on it gently, carrying her to his bed.

He let himself down onto the bed, the witch straddling his hips with her knees. The witch wasted no time ridding herself of her shirt, allowing her swollen breasts to escape. His hands slid up her sides to cup them, his eyes lingering on the perfect curve developing underneath them. She moaned hoarsely, catching Severus unaware of the pleasure he was providing her with nothing but a simple massage. She ground against his cock which hardened in his thin trousers. Without a thought, he gripped the hem of her short and tore them from her body. He hadn't meant to destroy her clothes, but he was in a rush to feel her once more. Ridding himself of his trousers, he wasted no time thrusting into her, which elicited a hearty moan. He held her hips as she rocked herself on him, gripping her own breasts and massaging them. Her head fell back in pleasure as he relished in every squeak and groan escaping her.

It wasn't as though she had been all that difficult to please in the past, but he had always made sure to spend enough time on her needs for her to reach climax. However, it seemed like only seconds before she was breathing heavily and muscles tensed as her grinding became more erratic. He stopped her, shifting his hips for leverage before slamming into her faster. She nearly collapsed as her orgasm wracked through her, resting her hand on his chest for support as her legs twitched.

Gathering her up, he placed her on her side and saddled up next to her. He kissed her gently, to which she responded with fierceness. She once again tugged on his hair and moaned into their kiss. Hermione reached down between them and gripped his cock, rubbing it once before positioning it at her entrance. He took the hint, thrusting into her once more. Her eyes closed as she bit down on her lip, holding onto his shoulders as he fucked her. The ease with which she reached her second peak thrilled him, to the point of him reaching his own climax. The witch smiled, kissing him softly this time and pressing every inch of herself against him.

"I love you," she whispered, touching his nose with hers. Severus ran his fingers over her curls and sighed. This is how it should be, he mused.

"I love you too."

Threw in a little lemon for you at the end there. Hopefully finally finishing this chapter gets me into writing more. Sorry you all had to wait so long for this update!