CHAPTER 15
He knew that voice very well.
How could he not?
He turned to face the woman he most hated on earth.
"Bellatrix."
"Severus."
Her time in Azkaban had taken a toll on her appearance and she looked horrible as ever.
"What are you doing here?" he asked wishing he was dreaming.
"Oh Severus! Aren't you happy to see me? Maybe we should to sit down to have some coffee," she said in her pathetic voice.
"I have better things to do," he said, his jaw tightening.
"Ha…as sly as ever."
"How did you even get in here?"
"I have my ways, Severus," she said taking her wand and admiring it.
Severus tightened the hold of his wand.
In all these years, he knew more than enough not to trust her.
"What do you want?"
"I heard…of your unfortunate mishap," she said watching him intently.
His face masked whatever annoyance he had.
"What are you talking about?" he asked irritated, though he knew very well what she was going to say. And, man, he wasn't in a mood to discuss it.
Especially with her.
"I hear there is a Mrs. Snape," she said taking a step forward and stamping on his robes.
He yanked away his robes and in a dangerously low voice said, "That's none your concern."
"But, it is, Severus. After you rejected me not once but thrice."
"Yes, I'm married. But, that's not your concern," he snapped back.
She leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Tell me Severus. Did she seduce you?"
That is just when Hermione entered the room.
Irked, he stepped back, his back to Hermione, not wanting to touch her even to slap her.
"Just leave, before your regret escaping Azkaban," he said warningly.
Bellatrix caught sight of Hermione and she sneered.
"So the mudblood did manage to seduce?" she asked loud enough for her to hear, but not before casting a wordless spell on Severus.
Hermione frowned, what was that terrible excuse for a woman doing in Hogwarts, especially in the Dungeons, with her husband?
When her sight met Hermione, she shivered. She hated that lady. It was because of her, that she wore permanent glamour in her hand.
"So the mudblood did manage to seduce?"
She cringed at the word.
It had been ages since she had heard someone say it.
It never hurted this much before.
But when her husband stood there without defending her dignity, it hurt.
It hurt hard.
She felt tears forming and willed herself to stop not wanting to show that she had won.
Mudblood.
She had called his wife a mudblood and he couldn't say anything.
Why couldn't he say anything?
Darn it, the bitch had cast a Silencio spell, wordlessly.
That is when he heard a desk topple over.
He turned in an instant to see the last of Hermione's robes as she left the dungeon.
CORRIDORS
She ran.
She brushed her tears and ran.
She didn't know how long she ran.
She finally stopped when she hit a dead-end.
"Hermione?"
Brushing her tears, she turned to see Neville.
"Ah! Professor Longbottom. How are you?" she asked smiling weakly at her old friend.
"Splendid. How are you? What are you doing here alone? Are you alright? You look like you have been crying. Did Professor Snape say something?"
"Wow! You talk so much. Who would have even thought that Neville Longbottom would talk so much?"
He smiled sheepishly, "I guess Hannah has changed me."
"Thanks to her, then. I am fine Neville. No worries. We should catch up some time."
"Sure. Anytime. I assume you are going to be staying here now that you have married him."
"I'm not sure…"
"Yes, she will be staying here with me."
Her head snapped to her side to see her husband, his menacing gaze fixed on his old student he loved tormenting.
"Prof…Professor Snape," he said stammering.
Hermione sighed, in all these years he hadn't let go off his fear of the Professor. That wasn't the issue anymore as he stepped closer to her and wrapped a protective arm around her waist. She gaped at him. The nerve of the man after what he had done in the dungeon. He didn't turn to look at her but was very well aware of her reaction. He knew Neville meant no harm but when he saw him with her, he had the urge to remind, maybe just to himself, that she was his wife.
"Professor Longbottom, if you can excuse us. I need to talk to my wife," he said in an unusually calm voice.
"Su..Sure sir. I will be gone," he bowed before leaving.
As soon as he left, she yanked his hand off and freed herself and started walking in the direction of the Great Hall.
"Hermione, wait!"
The man had become very comfortable with the use of her first name and had no trouble saying it.
She just walked away.
He followed her cursing himself. Never had he thought he would actually be behind a woman like this.
"Potter was here."
That stunned her. She stopped walking and turned to see him.
"Why was Harry here?" she asked narrowing her eyes.
"To take Bellatrix back to Azkaban. He is an Auror after all."
"You turned her up?" she asked suddenly curious.
"Yes," he said confused. Why was she surprised?
"I didn't think you would do that to your pureblood pal."
Ah! Here it was. The matter with the blood.
"Hermione…"
"What do you want? You could have just left her and told her to kill me. It could have helped us both," she said as if she was asking him to cut a cake.
"Are you insane?" his voice rising along with his blood pressure.
By now some students getting ready for dinner had assembled just far enough to see and hear the conversation between them. It wasn't every day they get to see something as interesting as this.
"Oh please. Don't put up this charade. We both know you hate me beyond anything. You always have. I'm after all a Mudblood."
His fury reached his peek. She knew she was in a dangerous place but stood there gathering all her Griffindor courage as she folded her arms across her chest.
He took a step forward and as Hermione was already against a wall, she had no escape.
"Mudblood?" he asked so softly as if it was an endearment, just enough for her to hear.
She couldn't stare at his fury filled eyes and closed her eyes.
She could feel his breath on her face.
And then with no warning whatsoever, his lips found hers. She gasped and he used the opportunity to suck on her lower lips. It wasn't soft and passionate but rather deep and demanding. He pressed himself against her, her body fitting itself to his. She tried to pull her mouth from him, but that only deepened it more. She fought his grip by hiting against his chest with her fists, not that it made any difference. His left hand tangled itself in her hair as he pulled her closer, tasting her cherry blossom lips, as his right hand settled on her waist. His lips were bruising her. When his tongue found its way inside, she stopped hitting him slowly and responded. With a satisfied moan, he caressed her hair and tugged at her upper lip. She responded with an equal fervor nibbling his lower lip, her toes curling. Then, exchanging lips, he bit her lower lip as she his upper lip. His wet lips tasted of oranges. Why oranges? she wondered. It was pure ecstasy. It hurt but was worth it. She gave a painful moan as she snapped her eyes open to see his eyes closed. She felt him suck and lick on her lip again before he opened his eyes and ended the kiss.
"That blood didn't taste one bit like mud," he said in an almost threatening whisper.
Slowly, she licked her swollen lips and at once tasted her own blood.
"I dare you to say that word again," he added in the same voice.
"Severus…" she started vulnerably.
His hands either side of her head, his head dipped in to place a soft, light kiss on the bruise, before pulling away.
"She had a Silencio spell on me," he said slowly.
Her eyes widen in realization.
He had wanted to defend her after all.
"I…I'm sorry."
A clearing of the throat snapped them to reality. Hermione felt herself turn a bright shade of red when she realized what the audience had witnessed.
Albus looked at them through his half-moon glasses with his usual twinkle.
"All of you to the Great Hall. Dinner is served."
The whole school.
Literally the whole school had witnessed it.
How the hell was he supposed to face them after this?
How the hell was he supposed to face Hermione after this?
Oh God! What had he done? And why was he feel something, he shouldn't be feeling?
(TO BE CONTINUED)