Warning: Sexual content

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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT – IN SPRING COMES DANGER

Severus and Hermione stood together in front of the staff table, their shoulders drawn back and their chins high as they watched the students file in after the break. They had been expecting students to be kept at home after they ran back to their parents about what was happening, but they hadn't expected it to be this bad. The already demolished population had seemed to have halved, those who stayed seemed weary yet defiant. The staff was short a few people, but Hermione hoped those who were gone were in hiding. When everyone was in their places and she and Severus sat in their seats, she glanced down at the wide neckline of her robes where the delicate chain disappeared and the comforting warmth pressing against the base of her sternum. At the present moment, she didn't need the necklace to tell her Severus was alive when she was constantly at his heels or he was barking directions at her from about his private labs as they brewed and he instructed her.

Once Christmas had occurred, they had gotten back to work, practicing potions, challenging charms, offensive magic, memorizing exhaustingly extensive herbology. In the few quiet moments Hermione would get to herself after they brewed, she would collect her notes and put together ideas she had no time to form when they were moving from lesson to lesson like madmen. But at least her thoughts were in one place to come back to some day. Some day. That was a terrifying concept, the debate of survival versus destruction, and at this point Hermione had no idea where the trio was with their search. They could be doing well, or they could be at a total loss, although Severus had said that during his last meeting with the Dark Lord, the leader had been volatile and anxious, which Severus attributed to the fact that at this point the Dark Lord could feel the parts of his soul dying. Hermione hoped it hurt.

The first week of classes was less productive learning and more the tension between the venomous trio of the Carrows and Filch and the rest of the school. The second week felt like full force rebellion. Hermione had to admit that Severus was fantastic at balancing his control of the Carrows with his helpfulness to the new D.A. and anything else he could stick his nose in without causing suspicions. They shared their bed and their bathroom, but Severus barely had enough time to be flustered that she still wore clothes to bed, and they could only snag a quick shag here and there, less fulfilling that the relentless bedding he wish they could get up to. Maybe after. Maybe if they both survived. He had almost laughed out loud at himself one evening thinking that way, regardless of how this war went he was a dead man or a jailed man, neither gave way to relentless shagging. And even if that wasn't the case, the war still had to be fought, what if after, everything changed? She would be reunited with her friends and whoever else. When would she have time to bed the ugly old git? Or the desire?

This line of thinking only diminished the number of shags they could fit into a week but Hermione didn't seem to notice, a student rebellion was afoot almost constantly, and the long term professors were at war with the Carrows. Defiance flared up at every turn. And so did the consequences. Severus admired Hermione's determination, her face seemed always battle ready and he thought ferocity looked good on her. He hoped that ferocity would survive to the end of the war, that it meant she might live. He reached for the pocket watch and pressed it against his ribs to be certain of its warmth even though he could see Hermione across the lab from him, her back hunched over the table, nose shoved in her notes, hair more wild than usual. As if sensing his stare, she suddenly glanced up and smiled distractedly at him. He exhaled deeply through his nose and returned to his own work.

SHSHSH

The snows melted and the grounds came alive with flora and fauna, the beauty conflicted heavily with the impending doom that shrouded the castle. The tension was palpable, everyone uneasy with the awareness that Voldemort had to make a move soon. Hermione swore she felt static in the air, a dissonant humming that plagued the school. It was before dawn even broke one April morning that Severus jerked awake in the bed beside her, pulling her from her own restless sleep, fulling awake after a quick stretch of her body.

"What is it?" She asked, reaching out a hand for his shoulder.

"He's summoning us." Severus said shortly, flinging the covers back and dressing by magic.

Hermione sucked in air but got up and dressed quickly as well, ready to go almost as fast as Severus. He nodded once to her and grasped her arms, apparating them outside of Malfoy manor. He strode to the front doors, shoving them open, Hermione bustling in behind him. The manor was stuffed with people and creatures and the Dark Lord looked somewhere between murderous and pleased with his forces. Silence eventually drifted down among the crowd and when it was near absolute, Voldemort began his speech, effectively making the silence complete.

"My followers, my army, the time has come. We will destroy Hogwarts at the break of day in two weeks' time from now. The battle plans are thus…"

Hermione couldn't listen to it all, couldn't absorb it all. She felt herself trembling but couldn't stop it, her eyes were fixated on Voldemort's mouth as it moved and formed devastation from sound. She tried to focus, to ground herself, but what was left to cling to if Hogwarts got blasted apart? If the people in it didn't survive? Warmth pressed against her sternum, pushing up into her chest from the bottom. Her hand automatically moved up to touch the marble pendant, warm with someone else's life. She breathed a few times and glanced up at Severus. She could ground herself with this, always, it drew her attention away from everything that was not Severus. This was good. She straightened her posture and tuned back in, only to realize the battle plans were ending. Voldemort's dismissal was as jolting as his summons and Severus led Hermione back outside, she was aware of the stares of some as they moved. She couldn't read the expressions, but she was sure if she was here under any other circumstances, if she wasn't Severus' thrall, horrible things would be happening to her. She wasn't paying attention when Severus apparated them back into their rooms and the violent tug at her belly nearly caused her to vomit.

"You weren't paying attention, were you?" His voice was accusatory, stern.

"I tried, but I couldn't. It was too much."

His face stayed steely, impassive. "Of course." He said coolly. It wasn't personal thought, she could tell he too had battled with the concept of what was to come, but perhaps in a different way. They stared at each other a long time.

"Do we warn the school?" Hermione asked.

"If you can do it subtly, you may."

Hermione sighed and it seemed to break the moment apart, Severus flopped onto a nearby chair, starting a fire in the fireplace and summoning a bottle of something from wherever he kept his stash. Hermione sat on the corner of the couch nearest him, fingering the warm marble through her shirt. Soon it would be all over, one way or another, she knew nothing would happen beyond this attack, the war would end.

"Do you remember what I told you in the cabin?"

"About Harry?"

"Yes. You must tell him if I cannot, it is critical to us winning with war."

"You know I will Severus."

He glanced over at her, downed the molten brown drink he had poured himself and stood up, towering before her. Hermione's breath hitched. She knew that look. She stood too, pressed so closely between the couch and Severus that she couldn't straighten her legs. He reached out and pushed her hair behind her shoulders, observing her. He smirked at the blouse she had buttoned crookedly and vanished it, stepping forward and spinning them so he landed on the couch with her straddled above him. "I want you." He snarled, his teeth nipping at her collarbones, his hands tugging at her lower back so she was pressed tightly against him. She hummed, her hips already rolling in the smallest circles possible, tiny movements to provoke friction.

"I couldn't tell." She gasped out sarcastically, arching her back to press her bare chest to him. His lips twitched in a sneer and he nudged her back from him just enough for him to lower his mouth to her chest, sucking at the skin, nibbling closer and closer to her nipples until he closed his mouth over them, sucking hard, shuddering his teeth over the newly hardened peaks. Her hips were rolling in earnest now, grinding out a desperate rhythm in his lap, he urged her on with his hands on her hips, faster, rougher, he knew she could feel his hard cock through their trousers, he could feel her riding the bulge of it. He resumed his attack on her nipples, his hands slipping into her slacks to squeeze her arse as he urged on her restless humping. She keened a wonderful sound, her hands tangling in his hair, her hips moved rapidly, losing their rhythm. She cried out, her fingernails digging into his scalp and as soon as she came he vanished her pants, her still flowing juices dribbling onto his trousers, he reached between them, freeing his aching throbbing cock and before he could guide her, she was there, impaling herself on him in one rapid motion. One hand tugged on her hair, the other dug into her arse. "Fucking hell." He rumbled, watching the pendant swing from her neck as she thrust herself upon him, a glowing tracker of their sexuality.

Her hips twisted a little at the end of each thrust, a desperate attempt to grind her clit against anything she could reach and he watched in awe as her swelling clit battled against one of the buttons on his frock coat, her wetness spreading all over the black of his clothing. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He jerked his hips up to meet hers, his hand still tugging at her hair, her other slithered around her arsecheeks. He didn't need to guide her, her need to come perfected her thrusts, her breasts bounced deliciously before him, her arse jiggled in his hand, he ran his fingers up her spine and back down, pushing his digits through the warmth of her crevice, massaging past her puckered hole to feel where his cock was slamming in and out of her wonderful wetness. Fuck. He clamped down on her nipples with his teeth again, her moans and pants sharpened to keens and cries and shouting his name. The pool of wetness threatening to spoil his trousers multiplied, her walls contracted around his throbbing, aching cock and he slammed into her, adding his own fluids to the wet mix. I can feel when you cum inside me, "Fuck!" He shouted his hips jerking spasmodically against his will as he remembered what she had told him, tugging more out of his orgasm. They panted against each other's necks for a while before Hermione slid to the side, curling against his arm. She giggled.

"What?" He tried to snap at her but it was ineffective.

"You look quite ravished."

He dared to look down at himself and almost laughed, still buttoned up to the throat in his overbearing robes, his softening cock laying on a pool of both their cum, the front of his trousers and robes stained. He smirked. "Indeed, I do." He leaned back again and closed his eyes.

SHSHSH

Hermione was able to pass on news of the impending attack to Neville but she didn't dare try to tell anyone else and she couldn't be sure who he would pass the news onto. There was little time to prepare by then, only a few days, and they passed quickly. By the evening before the battle, the Carrows were in place to launch their assault from inside the walls, as, technically, were Hermione and Severus. In reality, the pair was sitting naked in bed, a bottle of firewhiskey for each of them, taking drinks and discussing how they might show their true colors. They joked darkly about acts of heroism and sacrifice. They had sex, ate a meal brought to them by a kitchen elf, and returned to drinking in bed. Both doubted they would be able to sleep tonight.

"I'm glad we got this time, Severus." Hermione said seriously, pushing herself up to sit cross-legged beside him.

"What time would that be?"

Hermione motioned vaguely at the air around them. "All of it. The cabin, the Malfoys, here. I'm glad you're good."

Severus' lips pinched in a predictable fashion. "I am not a good man."

Hermione heaved a sigh and clamboured over him, sitting on his thighs, pressing her palms against the scattering of black chest hair. "You are. And I can prove it." Hermione leaned in to kiss him, pressing her lips against his startled ones, in all this time he had never kissed her, not on the mouth. She moved her lips slowly against his, warming him to the idea before his lips started to move too. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, tasting, exploring. He returned the favor and Hermione moaned. She slithered her hands up along his collar bones, across his shoulders, tracing paths up his neck to his jaw. Her fingers traces his hairline, his cheeks, a gossamer touch where their mouths moves together. His erection twtiched and swelled against her thigh, she sucked in air, the heat catching fire low in her belly, spreading warmth in a wave of wetness that slipped out between her folds. The ache in her clit begged to be relieved but she denied it, and denied Severus' cock swelling hotter and hotter.

"Hermione…" he groaned, pulling their lips apart so he could fasten his mouth to her throat and suck. Hard. The heat booked up from between her thighs and targeted the pleasurable sharpness of the hickey forming on her neck, shooting back down to her clit as Severus ended the sucking with a quick nip of her skin. Hermione groaned and finally closed the distance between them, dragging her wetness along his length. Severus growled a curse against her hair and wrapped his arms around her, flexing his hips upwards. She dragged back along his length and adjusted before slowly, slowly easing his swollen cock into her swollen heat. Severus made a wonderful sound in the back of his throat that went straight to the apex of where their bodies were joined. She rode atop him slowly, achingly, relishing in the smooth glide of his cock in and out of her body. Hermione squeaked when Severus thrust up and toppled her sideways, pulling her onto her back and nesting between her thighs. The angle altered their movements from a building grind to a fierce rhythm that hit perfectly on that sweet spot inside Hermione and the ache inside her turned to raging lightening. She gasped out Severus' name with each thrust, her sharp cries echoed by her nails carving half-moons in Severus' arse and stripes along his back.

"Please!" She gasped, coiling around him. Severus didn't deny her or delay her peak this time, he thrust harder, deeper, twin aches growing in their chests as their bodies seized into perfect orgasms. Sweaty bodies shuddered together, locked in one beautiful instant of time, breathing raggedly against each other's necks. They stayed like that. Hermione might have dozed off, safe under the weight of Severus, but she couldn't be sure.

They slipped apart, Severus offering his shirt to wipe away their cum nestled against her skin.

They dressed slowly. Hermione buttoned his shirt. Severus hooked her bra, drawing the straps up get arms. Hermione adjusted his cravat around his throat. Severus looped a scarf around here.

They stood, facing each other, black eyes entangled with honeyed ones. Hermione let out a breath that fluttered a lock of hair that teased her cheek. Severus inhaled her exhale, touching the tips of his fingers to that trembling lock.

Hermione fixed the end of the pocket watch's chain to a button on Severus' frock coat and tucked the timepiece into his pocket. He could feel it's heat against his waist.

Severus adjusted the clap of her necklace around to the back of her neck and tucked the pendent under her sweater. The warmth of the marble bummed against it's usual spot on her sternum.

They leaned into each other, a quick, chaste kiss, and turned and walked out of the rooms side by side, assuming the positions the Dark Lord had demanded of them. It was time.