Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery

by Ms-Figg

A reluctant Severus Snape is ardently pursued by Hermione. A few tantrums, hexes, nasty spells and wellplaced knees later an understanding is reached...sort of: RemusOFC too. Yummy. Alternate Universe, Humor, Lemons, Oral, Anal, More.

3. Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery 3

Severus apparated into his rooms, walked directly to the floo. Albus must have kept the flames lit in hopes of their return. He adjusted the witch in his arms, grabbed some floo powder and tossed it in.

"The infirmary," he said, then stepped through.

"Poppy!" he bellowed as he ran with the witch, depositing her in an empty cot and drawing the curtains around them. He began to unfasten her robes. Poppy appeared.

"Severus, where have you be…" she stopped as she saw Hermione, pale and breathing shallowly. She drew out her wand and ran it over her as Severus parted her robes. She had on a t-shirt and jeans underneath. Poppy immediately divestoed all her clothes, leaving the witch naked. Severus looked down on her body, but was too concerned about her condition to find her arousing.

Poppy tried to examine her, but the spell wouldn't work.

"She's warded," Severus said, "A repelling spell."

Poppy quickly removed the spell, then ran the wand over Hermione again.

"She's barely alive," Poppy said as she pulled the sheet over her. "What happened Severus?"

"She was hit with the Killing Curse," he said. Poppy covered her mouth with her hand in horror.

She immediately applied a hydrating spell, then asked Severus to tell her the situation under which the spell was applied. He did.

"Voldemort's dead, then?" she asked him.

"Yes," Severus replied as he watched the medi-witch run her wand over Hermione's body, the tip of it glowing blue with healing power. "I just don't understand why Miss Granger isn't. She took a full blast just before he died."

"That is probably because the Dark Lord was dying, and although he cast the spell, he did not have enough power left in him for it to kill her completely. But she has been damaged. Badly," the medi-witch said.

"Will she live?" the Potions Master asked, his black eyes resting on her pale face.

"I don't know. She looks like she's had a rough few days," the medi-witch observed, noting the dark circles under the witch's eyes.

"We were working around the clock without much sleep or nourishment," he replied.

Poppy left him standing by her bedside as she went for some potions to build her body up. Hopefully if she could strengthen the witch physically, her body would heal naturally. Severus looked down at the witch.

"Why is such an intelligent witch as yourself, so fucking stupid?" he seethed at her. He wasn't really angry with the witch, he just felt helpless.

Poppy returned with the potions and a kind of funnel with a long tube attached to it. Severus looked at the contraption.

"A muggle design. I thought it could be useful. I can get liquids down her this way," she said.

The witch tilted Hermione's head back then pulled her mouth open. She applied a kind of gel to the tube, then fed it into Hermione's mouth until the funnel was resting against her lips. She then lifted the witch slightly and began pouring potion after potion down her throat, presumably to her stomach. Severus helped her by holding Hermione up. Some color came back to the witch, but she didn't regain consciousness.

Poppy ran her wand over the witch again. Her mouth stretched in a thin, satisfied line.

"Much better," she said, "All we can do now is wait. Will you be staying, Severus?"

"No. I need to report the Dark Lord's demise to Albus, then retire to my rooms. I am exhausted," he said. He turned and left the infirmary.

Poppy looked after him, finding it strange he would leave the witch like this. Anytime one of his students was injured in class, he stayed with them until they at least regained consciousness. Well, he did have to see Albus. She looked back down at Hermione, brushing her tangled hair back. The poor, poor dear.

---

Severus debriefed Albus of all that had occurred from the day he and Hermione left until their return tonight. The Headmaster was appalled at the Dark Lord's attempt to kill his deatheaters, but not surprised. He was a most evil wizard.

"And Hermione?" he asked.

"She took a Killing curse…meant for me," the Potions Master said in a low voice. "Luckily, the Dark Lord was on the brink of death when he cast it, and it didn't kill her. But she is in bad shape."

"Are you all right, Severus?" the Headmaster asked him, worry in his voice.

Severus looked up at the white-haired wizard sharply.

"Of course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be all right?" he snapped at the wizard, "the Dark Lord is dead and I am free at last."

He frowned at the Headmaster. Albus looked at him soberly.

"It's not your fault, Severus. She's a Gryffindor. She would gladly lay down her life for another," he said gently.

Severus slammed his hand on Albus' desk before he could stop himself.

"No one asked her to lay down her life! I didn't need protecting!" he yelled, "I didn't need her to jump in front of a spell meant for me! I didn't ask her to do anything…anything at all but stay out of the way, Albus. But no, she had to be a fucking hero. Now look at her…the stupid little chit! If she dies, it will be her own fault."

Albus nodded.

"Yes it will be, Severus. It was her call. Obviously she thought of your well-being before her own. I am sure she didn't mean to be hurt. She was reacting to someone she cared deeply about being in danger," Albus said.

Severus looked up at him, startled. He knew.

"Severus, I've known about how Miss Granger's felt about you since her seventh year. I also kept tabs on her in university. She never once went out on a date, or took up with any young wizard, though plenty were in pursuit of her. I know she is a focused young woman, but I suspected in her heart she already had a man she loved. She wouldn't betray that love despite the wizard she fell in love with had no use for her. A sad thing really, to love someone who doesn't love you back," the Headmaster said.

"Yes it is," Severus replied, somewhat relieved that the Headmaster had not yet divined his purely physical interest in the young witch. "But you know my nature Headmaster, and how I feel about women."

"Yes, I know about your bigotry, Severus. How you judge them all by that one," the Headmaster replied, frowning at him slightly.

"It was more than that one, Albus. I've exposed more women for what they are than I care to count," he replied, "they all are untrustworthy and unfaithful. It was not just that one."

Albus looked at the wizard, and tapped two fingers on his desk.

"Severus, did it ever occur to you that those "unfaithful" women may not have acted in such a way if you hadn't made it your business to tempt them into your arms? That maybe you are so gifted at seduction, they couldn't help themselves? You made it a point to target witches in long-term relationships, women who may have been in a rut, or not been as happy as you presumed they were from the start? You decided to 'test' them as if you were some kind of authority on fidelity. You had no right to do that."

"You went out on a mission to ruin those women, Severus. You were seeking revenge, trying to make their men as miserable as you were. You took a perverse joy in informing them you bedded their wives or lovers. How many times did those women tell you no, before you finally convinced them? I am certain not every woman whose 'duplicity' you proved said yes to you the first time around. Didn't you in fact hound them until they acquiesced, then condemned them? They might have remained faithful if you had not been so determined that they wouldn't be."

Severus didn't say anything, but he had been very persistent with many of the women. It was as if he wouldn't take no for an answer, making his moves on them every chance he got until he bedded them…then exposed them.

"The women weren't whores, Severus. Most wizards would have left them alone after being told no. But not you. You made them into whores with your persistence, your bitterness, ruining good relationships and lives as you did so. Finally, you withdrew from all of them, telling yourself you proved an entire sex's unworthiness and using it as an excuse not to risk your heart again. Now, you will probably saddle that sweet witch who loves you and risked everything for you for whatever reason, with the same erroneous title of 'whore' based on your own lascivious actions. You are truly a miserable man, Severus, and it goes far beyond your former service as a spy to the Order. You impose your misery on yourself, and on others. It is your own fault you are alone and unhappy."

Albus adjusted his glasses. The glare on them wasn't just from the torches as he looked at the Potions Master.

"I only hope that you don't ruin Hermione Granger. She doesn't deserve that…especially with what she was willing to do to save you," Albus concluded.

Severus stared at the Headmaster for several moments, then rose.

"If you are through, Headmaster," Severus said, "I will retire to my rooms."

Albus looked up at him with a very obvious frown now.

"Your rooms? Aren't you going to check on Hermione's condition?" he asked the Potions Master.

"Yes, tomorrow, after I am rested and have seen to the condition of my classroom. Hopefully it hasn't been destroyed in my absence," he said smoothly.

Now, Albus didn't curse often, but this was one occasion that he let out an expletive that made the Potions Master's brows lift and several parchments on his desk to ignite. He put them out with his hands and scowled at Severus.

"Just go then," the Headmaster said.

It also wasn't often that he felt the urge to hex his staff members, but he definitely had an itchy palm at this moment.

Severus looked at the irate Headmaster, shrugged then stepped through the floo.

The Headmaster shook his head.

"Severus, Severus, you blind, pig-headed idiot," he muttered under his breath, his blue eyes focused on the green flames. "You are and have always been your own worst enemy."

---

Severus stepped through the floo into his study, and was immediately accosted by an overjoyed, and glossy black Raucous. The raven fluttered and beat around his head excitedly, trying to perch on his shoulder and preen his hair with joy.

"Stop, Raucous!" Severus said, waving his hands at the over-excited bird.

Finally Raucous settled on the back of the armchair, his black eyes glittering with happiness. He sent the wizard an image of great crowds of cheering people, confetti and released balloons.

"Thank you, Raucous. I am glad to be back," he replied to the raven.

Raucous then sent him an image of devil-Hermione, followed by a question mark.

"She is in the infirmary, very badly hurt," Severus replied.

The raven looked stunned for a moment as he saw the image of Hermione slamming into Severus, pushing him out of the way and being enveloped in a spell that was obviously meant for him. He let out a squawk.

"She may have saved my life, yes," the Potions Master said with irritation.

The raven didn't like Hermione, but this definitely softened him toward the witch quite a bit. She had saved the best master the bird ever had.

Severus walked into his bedroom, undressed and got into bed, Raucous perching on the headboard. He lay there with his arms behind his head, thinking of Albus' speech and the witch lying near death in the infirmary. Lying in his place.

"Raucous," he said to the raven, who pulled his head out from under his wing, "I want you to do something for me."

The bird hopped down on to the bed and looked at him expectantly.

"I want you to go to the infirmary and watch over Hermione for me. Send me images. Will you do that?"

The bird squawked assent.

"Thank you," Severus said to the familiar.

The Potions Master rolled out of bed and walked to the floo, followed by Raucous. He threw in some floo powder. The flames turned green and Raucous fluttered through. He returned to his bed and saw Madam Pomfrey in his mind through the connection. She had her hands on her hips and was talking to the raven.

"Oh, so he sent you to watch her, eh? That's something, I guess. Well let me get some parchment to place under the chair to catch anything you may drop," she said.

Raucous squawked at her derisively.

"I know you are housebroken, Raucous, but I don't want to open windows for you. Hermione might catch a chill," she said, divining why the bird was upset. Poppy left, presumably to get some parchment.

Severus watched from the raven's point of view as the bird walked up to the privacy curtain, and after several attempts at finding the opening, walked through and fluttered up to a chair near Hermione's bed. The bird looked at her and made a soft noise. She looked peaceful, as if she were just asleep and not fighting for her life.

Severus watched her through Raucous' eyes for a long while until he drifted off to sleep. Even then, her image was clear and strong against his closed lids.

---

Severus had breakfast in the Great Hall and visited the infirmary, to check on her condition.

"No improvement," Poppy said, her eyes sad.

Severus sat with her for five minutes. That's all he could stand. He returned to the dungeons and his classes to try and undo the damage Albus caused while he was away. The old wizard obviously had never heard of a lesson plan. Raucous stayed on watching the witch, and sent him images.

Severus taught class with a kind of dual vision. He saw Hermione start to spasm and Raucous called out. Madam Pomfrey rushed over with her wand and tried to stop the spasming, but it went on for about ten minutes before it stopped. Hermione lay there pale. Poppy administered more potions but the witch's color didn't change.

After class, Severus returned to the infirmary. Poppy still had no good news. Severus stayed twenty minutes this time before going to supper, and spending the rest of the evening going over parchments. Raucous remained by Hermione's bedside, sending the Potions Master images. Hermione was spasming quite frequently now, and didn't seem to be improving at all. Severus watched as Harry, Ron and Ginny came to visit her, all of them crying.

Her parents arrived too, and spent several hours in vigil, Hermione's mother tenderly brushing the witch's hair, then bursting into tears as her father held the distraught woman. They too, left, deciding not to stay at the castle for one reason or another. Severus expected it was because they were too upset to be in the magical world that damaged their child. Poppy tended Hermione throughout the night, Severus watching on and off, the witch set strongly in his mind.

At about five in the morning, Severus was awakened by a voice coming from the floo in his study. It was Poppy.

"Severus? Severus!" the medi-witch called.

Severus looked at the image of Hermione. She was extremely pale and Albus Dumbledore sat beside her, holding her hand.

Severus quickly dressed and walked into the study.

"Yes Poppy?" he answered the witch.

"You'd better come. She hasn't much time left…that is…if you want to," the medi-witch said.

Severus stood there a moment. Then he picked up some floo powder, threw it in the flames and stepped through the floo.

He arrived in the infirmary, and Poppy walked beside him as he headed for the privacy curtain that concealed Hermione.

"Her condition has been steadily deteriorating, Severus. The spasms are interrupting her healing. It seems her body is shutting down. There's nothing else I can do," the medi-witch said, tears rolling down her face, "She's dying."

Severus pulled back the curtain and entered. He walked up to Hermione's cot and looked down at her. Her skin was paler than his, her face sunken and her lips blue. She was breathing shallowly, every now and then a small tremor shaking her. The Potions Master looked at Albus and Poppy.

"May I be alone with her?" he asked them. Both nodded. Albus rose and Severus took his seat. Both witch and wizard left the dark wizard alone with the dying witch.

Severus looked down at Hermione. What a difference between this pale creature, and the vibrant, aggravating witch he knew. He touched her hand…it was cold as ice.

"I know I told you to withdraw from me, Miss Granger, but I never realized at what lengths you would go to do just that," he said to the witch. She shuddered.

He blinked down at her.

"I guess you're going to die a virgin after all. A shame really. I had planned…" his voice faltered.

"You know, Albus told me something last night I needed to hear. Something about myself…my own self-righteousness. He gave me something to think about, something that hit home," he said.

He took the witch's cold hand in his own and brought it to his lips. He didn't kiss it. He just held it there, the cold palm pressed against his mouth, stealing his heat.

"Miss Granger…you might have been the one, you know. You were stubborn enough to break me, make me second-guess myself. You might have been stubborn enough to make me feel love. I'm not saying I would have turned into some sweet canary cream…but I might have been happy. You are exceptional. You always have been from the first time I watched you walk into Hogwarts. You were so eager, so happy, so willing to learn how to be the best witch you could be. You were meant for great things. In your second year you were brewing potions seventh years could barely get a handle on…and you questioned everything…gods you were so annoying, but so inspiring. I gave you hell because everyone else was bowing down to your intelligence. You didn't need that. You needed to be challenged and tested and tried. That's why you never got the marks you deserved, because I wanted more from you. You stepped up time and time again."

"I saw how you were treated by the other students. Used for your mind, cast aside in the social strata. But you didn't curl up and cry. You didn't feel sorry for yourself that you were an odd duck. You embraced your oddness and made up your mind you would excel. You were brilliant. Brilliant. I was quite taken by your infatuation with me. It was a guilty pleasure to watch your fantasies. But you were becoming one of them. One of those unfaithful, untrustworthy women. Your purity was marred in my eyes by your sex. Albus made me see last night, that I created those women I envisioned…calculatingly and coldly. I beat them down until I could prove them unworthy. I made them unworthy, Miss Granger. Because of the one woman that broke my heart."

"I'm sorry I waited now. I should have taken what you offered me, given you what you wanted from me. So few have ever wanted anything from me without strings or conditions. You stomached everything, everything and continued to feel kindness towards me. I told you I am not a kind man, and I will probably never be one now, now that you are leaving this world. I'm not saying you would have changed me…but the truth is my situation has changed with the death of the Dark Lord. I can be who I want now. I am not bound anymore. Happiness seems something that is not so distant anymore. But who would want me other than you?"

Severus took her hand from his mouth. She shuddered again, her breath growing shallower.

"Damn you, Miss Granger," he said his face contorting. His eyes were getting wet and he couldn't help it.

"Why the fuck couldn't you just stay put? Why did your damnable Gryffindor nature choose to make its appearance right at the moment Voldemort cast that spell. If I had died, then it would have been a deserved death. I am guilty of so many wrongs and so many deaths by keeping that bastard alive as long as I did. You have taken my death, Miss Granger, and given me your young life…and a guilt that I will never be free from. There is nothing I can do to make this right. You only wanted to be with me. No conditions. Nothing. Then you tried to be free of me, and I wouldn't let you go. If I had been less selfish, and let my blood free you…then you would not be dying in front of my eyes. You would be studying, experiencing, growing…making your beautiful plans for an important future. But now…now you will only be fodder for flowers and worms. See what love does, Miss Granger? See what a killer it really is?"

He pressed Hermione's hand to his forehead.

"I am going to mourn you until the day I die. Not because I love you, but because I extinguished you. You would have been a bright flame in the wizarding world. Why did you have to love a man as miserable as me? Why did you have to become familiar with a man of such misery? Why did you throw your life away for a love that was never whole? Why did you think me even worthy, Miss Granger? I was not worthy."

Hermione sighed deeply, shuddered, then fell still.

Severus blinked down at her, and felt water streaming down his face for the first time in thirty years. There was no need to run and call Poppy. There was nothing more the medi-witch could do. Nothing more anyone could do.

Hermione Granger was gone.

---

Hermione blinked. Why was she in the infirmary? She was just in Voldemort's stronghold. She looked to her right and saw Severus sitting on a chair. He was…he was…

Hermione's jaw dropped. He was holding her hand. But how could that be when she was standing right next to him. What was going on here?

Hermione walked closer. The wizard was crying. Severus Snape crying?

She got a bad feeling in her stomach. She looked at herself. She was pale and not breathing.

Shit. She was dead. But she wasn't dead…she was right here.

"Severus!" she called to the wizard.

He made no motion. He just sat there looking at her, tears rolling down his face. She made an attempt to shake his shoulder, but her hand passed right through him.

She stared at him. He looked so lost…so not in control. He wasn't sobbing. There wasn't even a true expression on his face. He was just staring at her blankly, tears rolling down his face. She could tell he didn't want to cry, but the tears were coming despite his wishes.

She was dead. Voldemort must have killed her. She remember him casting the spell at Severus, and the Potions Master not seeing it coming, and her running to push him out of the way. Then, she was here.

Suddenly, the tears on Severus' face froze in place. He didn't move.

What was going on now?

"Is that greasy git actually crying?" said a voice behind her. "I can't fucking believe it. I didn't know he even had tear ducts. I tried to make him cry so many times in school. Well, at least I got a chance to see it."

Hermione spun around and found herself looking into the bearded face and bright eyes of Sirius Black.

"Sirius! What are you doing here? You're dead," Hermione said, shocked.

The wizard looked over at the bed containing Hermione's body.

"Well, you aren't exactly the picture of health yourself," he said, smiling at her and opening his arms.

Hermione walked into them. He was warm and solid. They embraced for several moments, then Sirius released her. He looked at the Potions Master.

"What's going on with Snape?" he asked her, his eyes becoming a bit intense.

"He's upset because I died," she responded. She still couldn't believe this.

"Why would that bother him? He doesn't care about anyone…never did," Sirius said.

Hermione scowled at the wizard.

"You know damn well he cares. He was in the Order just like you, and made a lot of sacrifices for the wizarding world!" Hermione retorted.

Sirius held his hands up.

"Okay, okay. I don't feel like hearing the praises of Severus Snape again. I hear it enough already," he said.

Hermione looked perplexed.

"What do you mean?" she asked him, "You hear enough of his praises."

"Old Snapey is the topic of a lot of debate here in the Afterlife. Most are of the opinion he is some kind of fucking hero. I don't agree of course…but then again, I hate him," Sirius said.

"It sounds to me like there are a lot of smart people in the Afterlife, then," Hermione said, "He brought about the death of Voldemort."

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Actually, the snake brought about the death of Voldemort. I don't understand why everyone wants to give that snarky bastard credit for shit he didn't do," Sirius said. "And anyway, Voldemort might be out of the way down here, but he is already starting shit where I'm from."

"Voldemort's alive?" Hermione asked.

"In a matter of speaking, yes and no. Earthwise, no, he's dead. But Afterlife-wise that bastard and his deatheaters are alive and well. He's already trying to recruit new members," Sirius said, scowling.

Hermione was truly confused now.

"I don't understand," she said.

Sirius looked at her.

"Well, it's like this Hermione. When you die, it's like slipping off a cloak. Your physical body is tossed, but your spiritual body…the eternal part of you continues. And so does life. We have our battles here just like on earth, and we pass on from this plane, just as we do from earth, becoming more and more spiritual until we are part of the whole again. A.K.A. reaching Heaven. Then we can come back and start over if we want. But in the meantime, we have our trials and tribulations just like we do on earth," he said, looking over at her body again.

"That's amazing," she said, "We really do continue."

"Yep. And most of us are no angels, let me tell you," he said, shaking his head.

"Do you still use magic?" she asked.

"Of a sort. Wandless. Pretty powerful for the most part," he said, making a globe of light appear above his palm and bouncing it back and forth between his hands.

"That's pure energy," Hermione breathed.

"Yes, that's right," he said, throwing it high above his head, making it expand and fade away. Then he looked at Hermione soberly.

"You've come to take me, haven't you?" she said.

Sirius looked at her.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her, looking at Snape. Hermione looked at the frozen Potions Master too.

"No…not really," she said. She still loved the wizard. She didn't want to leave him.

"Damn," Sirius hissed, frowning at her.

"What?" she asked the wizard.

Scowling, Sirius kicked at the floor. His foot passed right through it. Then he looked at Hermione.

"I was hoping you'd say you were ready to go so I wouldn't have to do this. This is my penance. Someone thought it would be cute if the job fell on me, considering how I feel about Snape," he said darkly, frowning towards the ceiling.

"What job?" Hermione asked.

"Well, it seems the Higher Powers think that the snarky bastard should have a chance at redemption. He's so down on himself, if he dies he'll be stuck in a really dark place…not with the rest of us. A place he made for himself because he's such a miserable twit. I say let him go there, but nooo. He's 'sacrificed too much'. A load of rot if you ask me," Sirius griped.

He looked at Hermione.

"And they are of the opinion that you stand the best chance of redeeming him. Plus you are up on 'mercy points' because you died saving someone completely not worth saving if you took him at face value. Soooo…

He scowled at Severus.

"I'm here to put you back," Sirius said. He didn't look pleased about it.

Hermione, however was ecstatic.

"Really?" she gushed.

"Yes. Snape is one lucky bastard, let me tell you," Sirius said. He walked over to the wizard and attempted to slap him in the head. His hand passed right through the Potion Master's skull.

"How I'd love to knock him in the head just once for old times sake," the animagus said, looking at Severus with hunger.

"When can I go back?" Hermione asked, ignoring Sirius' attempted attack on Severus. "The human brain can't do without oxygen long."

The wizard walked back over to her.

"Time's frozen," Sirius said. Your brain's fine. Your body will be fine too. You can go back now, though why you would want to go back to such a heartless fuck is beyond me. You'd have a much better time on this side. With me. You're a real looker now, Hermione."

Sirius waggled his eyebrows at her.

Great. Now a dead guy was hitting on her. Hermione didn't even want to ask if they had sex in the Afterlife. Judging by those waggling eyebrows, they did.

Hermione shook her head.

"No, I want Severus," she said, "Thanks anyway."

"No accounting for taste," Sirius intoned as he rubbed his hands together.

"Now hold still, I have to make you denser so you can kind of bridge both worlds," he said.

Sirius shot a beam of green light at her, and she immediately felt heavier. Sirius gestured toward the bed.

"Now go over there and lay down in the bed," he said.

"But I can't touch anything. I'll just fall through," she argued, yet walking toward the bed.

"You won't. Your body will catch hold of you. Now go on," he said waving his hand at her.

Hermione approached the bed and gingerly sat down on it. It held her.

"Lay down," Sirius urged.

He wanted to get back. Making Snape happy was pure torture. He didn't want to witness any parts of it.

Hermione laid down and felt her body slip over her like a glove. It was extremely thick and heavy. Uncomfortably so. And cold too. She lifted her head to look at Sirius. It was an odd image, one head lying down with another head sticking out of it.

"Feels uncomfortable, doesn't it?" Sirius asked her.

"It really does," Hermione said.

"It won't after I get you situated," he said, walking up alongside the bed, "Now lie down and be still."

Hermione obeyed. Sirius rubbed his palms together again, and held them flat above her body. Starting at her head, he moved downward. Hermione felt the sensation that she was being zipped inside. She could no longer lift her head.

Then Sirius covered her in blue light. She felt all kinds of wriggling sensations throughout her body.

"I'm restoring your damaged organs. They all shut down," he explained. He worked on her for several minutes. Finally he put his hands down.

"All right. All fixed. Now, I'm about to start your heart, and you'll wake up on Earth again. You won't remember any of this," he said to her.

"Thank you, Sirius," Hermione said softly.

"Don't thank me. This is my punishment, remember? I'd like to see Snape buried under the Afterlife, but it appears…"

Sirius raised his voice and looked up.

"…that MY opinion doesn't matter!"

Hermione fought back a giggle. Sirius was certainly pissed.

He looked down at the witch.

"I'll see you in about a hundred and seventy years," he said, grinning at her as he shot a golden beam of light into her chest.

---

Hermione coughed.

Severus' black eyes shifted to her face as she drew in a deep breath and coughed again.

The Potions Master leapt to his feet and stared down at the witch in amazement. He realized her hand was warm. He clutched it tightly.

"Ow," Hermione said, her voice a bit raspy. He loosened his grip.

The witch opened her amber eyes and looked up at the pale wizard.

Severus hurriedly wiped his face with his other hand and scowled down at her.

"What…what am I doing here?" she asked him, her brow furrowed.

Severus gave her a small smirk.

"Apparently miracles," he replied, before dropping back into the chair in relief.

---

"I'm telling you it's the most amazing recovery I've ever seen!" Poppy said to Hermione's parents as they smiled at their daughter, who was sipping some of Poppy's awful broth and trying not to make a face.

"Hermione, you scared us to death," Ron said scowling at her.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "You were looking pretty bad there, 'Mione"

"I'm glad you're all right Hermione," Ginny said, smiling down at her.

Hermione smiled at all her friends and family, but said very little as they gushed over her miraculous return from the brink of death. Only Severus knew she had actually died.

The witch was happy to see them, but the one person she wanted to see most wasn't there, in body anyway.

Raucous watched the goings-on with disgust. If he had his way, he'd shit on every chattering person surrounding her bed. The witch needed rest, not all this. He fluffed his feathers and clung to the back of the visitor's chair he had occupied since first starting his vigil over Hermione for his master. He pecked Ron in the back when the wizard thoughtlessly tried to take the seat.

"Ow! That bloody bird pecked me!" Ron said, frowning at Raucous and trying to rub his back where his sharp beak had driven home. "Why is he here anyway?"

"That's Professor Snape's familiar, Raucous. He watches over me," Hermione said.

Raucous clipped his beak at her nastily, just to show her that the war was still on.

"Looks more like he wants to get you than watch over you," Harry said, eyeing the raven, who was fluffed up with his beak open, trying to look as threatening as possible now that he had everyone's attention.

"Raucous and I have a history," Hermione said with a smirk.

Raucous cawed at her. He still hadn't forgotten how she turned him yellow. He was only here because Severus sent him. As far as Raucous was concerned, Hermione was well enough to shit on again. But Poppy would have a fit.

Flowers and chocolates surrounded Hermione. Everyone was happy she was fine, and begging for the details of the Dark Lord's demise. She told them about the death of Nagini, and how she came to be in Voldemort's stronghold.

"Ew, you actually touched him, Hermione?" Ron said, his nose wrinkled as Hermione described how she grabbed on to Severus and disapparated with him. "Poppy, you did do a deep-cleansing scourgify on her, didn't you? Merlin only knows what she could have picked up from the greasy git."

In his study, Severus scowled. If he saw Ronald Weasley before he departed Hogwarts, he'd be sure to shoot a tripping spell at him surreptiously. Hopefully he'd fall on his face.

If only Mr. Weasley knew how much and how intimately Hermione wanted this "greasy git" to touch her. The Potions Master grinned. Deflowering Hermione Granger was going to bring Severus satisfaction on so many levels just because he knew so many people would be absolutely appalled that the beautiful, sweet Gryffindor witch had been reamed by him. He intended to keep their sexual relationship as quiet as possible, but a leak to her friends would be so, so rewarding. Knowing Hermione, she would eventually confess to shagging him to them.

He'd love to be a fly on the wall when that happened.

Severus watched as her visitors oohed and aahed over the details the witch could remember. She didn't embellish anything or try to take credit for the Dark Lord's demise.

"We just had to wait him out. Nagini's death was what really destroyed him. We were just there," she said.

"Yeah, but you kept him occupied so he didn't look for another familiar," Harry said.

Harry was so relieved that he didn't have to battle the Dark Lord. It had been a cloud over his life since his fifth year when Albus revealed the prophecy to him. The globe must not have figured in Nagini. No one did. If they had known her death would mean the Dark Lord's death, someone would have killed her long ago.

"Professor Snape withheld that information from Voldemort. That's why he didn't look for a familiar," Hermione said, giving credit to the dark wizard. "He was the one that suggested gathering the snakes to distract him."

Both Harry and Ron frowned at this.

"We had hell taking all those snakes back to where they belonged," Harry said.

Ron nodded in agreement, scowling. Both wizards were Aurors, and they had to go to the Dark Lord's stronghold to help clear out the bodies and the snakes.

"Nasty things," Ron said. "They were slithering around everywhere trying to bite everyone. I don't think we returned the right ones in the right places, but hell, they were all King Cobras. What's the freaking difference? I felt a bit sorry for the snake charmers though. Their cobras were more like pets."

"How many deatheaters did the Dark Lord kill?" Hermione inquired.

"We counted three hundred and forty-two," Harry said, shaking his head. "That was their reward for following him. I tell you, evil doesn't pay."

"But they killed a lot of people too," Ginny piped in, her brown eyes hard, "In horrible ways, at the revels. They got what they deserved, if you ask me."

There was a murmur of agreement.

"What did they do with Voldemort's body?" Hermione asked curiously.

"They cremated him and put him in a small casket with mirrors and buried him in an undisclosed location. If people knew where his ashes were, some nutcase might dig them up and try to restore him," Harry said.

Yes, there was that. Though Hermione couldn't imagine any deatheater trying to restore Voldemort after what he had done to his loyal servants. Lucius Malfoy lost his wife Narcissa that night. Theodore Knotts was dead as well as both Goyle and Crabbe, former Hogwarts students. The list went on.

The group stayed with Hermione until Poppy finally drove them out, saying she needed her rest. Her parents kissed her good-bye. She promised to come see them as soon as she could.

Hermione lay back down in the bed and looked at Raucous, who was watching her quietly.

"I wish Severus would come see me," she said to the bird wistfully.

In his study, Severus heard her sentiment.

He had left her bedside shortly after her miraculous recovery, calling Raucous back to watch her and went about his day as usual. The bird had left with Dumbledore and Poppy the night before, giving his master some privacy, sure the witch would die. Raucous was glad she lived for his master's sake.

Severus sat there a moment in indecision. Then he decided to wait to visit her. Poppy had just made everyone leave because she wanted the witch to rest. He'd wait a couple of hours, then go see her for a few minutes.

---

Ollivander's Wand Shop did a roaring business as former deatheaters replaced their wands. Mr. Ollivander remembered every wand he ever sold, and made new wands to match the old ones. Severus ordered two wands via Raucous, one for himself and one for Hermione.

The Potions Master tested his, and it was a perfect match to his old one. He had no reason to believe Hermione's new wand would be of any lesser quality than her previous one. Severus requested that the wandmaker etch the Gryffindor standard in the handle of the witch's wand, and Mr. Ollivander had done an excellent job, even using the Gryffindor colors.

Severus gave the witch the wand when he visited her next. Hermione was delighted, sat up in bed, grabbed him around the neck and thanked him with a quick kiss on the lips. She colored as he arched an eyebrow at her and licked his lips, tasting her with a bit of a smack, his dark eyes resting on her calmly. It was the only sign of intimate interest he had given her since she'd been under Poppy's care.

Hermione had been in the infirmary six days now since her recovery. She was getting antsy. It was as if Poppy didn't want to let her miracle patient go.

"I just want to make sure you are completely well," Poppy said, when Hermione attempted to coerce her into letting her go.

Severus was there, watching them silently, his long legs stretched out as he sat in the small visitor's chair. He believed Poppy kept the rickety, uncomfortable things to shorten visits.

Poppy looked at the Potions Master rather sharply when she said to Hermione, "I don't want you engaging in any strenuous activities before you are ready."

Hermione blushed and Severus arched an eyebrow at Poppy. He felt he had done nothing to warrant the medi-witch's scrutiny. In fact, he hadn't. It was the way Hermione looked at him that made the healer aware there was something going on between the two. Or there would be when the witch was released.

Poppy had treated Severus for many, many years and was well aware of how the wizard was hung. Hermione was such a little thing, and still a virgin. But judging by the look in her eyes whenever Severus entered the infirmary, she wouldn't be one for much longer.

Severus, for the most part evidenced no outward signs of wanting to bed the witch. He didn't show any signs of affection at all, to be honest. He just visited and asked her how she was feeling. But Poppy knew he was not the kind of wizard to show his hand for all to see. If he were going to show the witch any heat, he would do it in private.

Poppy couldn't imagine Hermione with Severus. He was so cold and dark, despite all the good he'd done. He just didn't seem capable of the kind of affection the young witch would require. Poppy had an erroneous view of Hermione however. She didn't know the witch preferred dark, brooding and snarky and wouldn't have liked having a wizard that put their relationship on public display…hand-holding, kissing and walking about with arms entwined was something the witch had never wanted to engage in. She thought it childish and exhibitory.

Well, Hermione wouldn't have to worry about that with Severus. He'd never let anyone know they were involved at all if he could help it. And holding hands in public? He'd probably rather cut his hand off than be seen doing such a thing.

Severus had his own plans for Hermione. Yes, he planned to take her, and do it good. He was still angry with her for taking the curse meant for him, and that was just another line on his list of grievances against her that would accompany them to the bedroom when the time came.

The witch had died. Severus had witnessed enough deaths to know that Hermione left the land of the living. Her return was a true miracle. But she had thrown her life away for him, and he was going to take her to task for that. He didn't need any more life debts. Potter had been bad enough. The Dark Lord was dead, so the Potions Master was freed of the debt he owed James Potter for saving him from Remus when he transformed into a werewolf. His son Harry was safe and could live his life any way he saw fit.

Severus knew he owed Hermione, and he hated owing anyone.

When she recovered, he pushed the words he said to her on her deathbed to the back of his mind. He would have never said such things if he knew she were going to live, and was glad that she had no recollection of them. Or his tears. The tears were the worst part.

He did figure out however, why he had cried. It wasn't love. He had cried because someone innocent and beautiful was leaving the world because of him, someone who deserved to stay and live and do amazing things with her life. He cried because there was nothing he could do to help her.

Yes, he had seen death before, but never for his sake. No one had ever laid down his or her life for him before, though he had offered up his life down every day for the wizarding world at large. Hermione's sacrifice wasn't the same. He did what he did for the greater good. Nameless faceless people reaped the benefits of his risk. Hermione had done what she did, for him alone, knowing who and what he was, and seeing past it.

She wanted him? She would have him. He would give her every inch of himself and then some. However deep her hunger was, he would fill her, feed the witch until she had no more hunger left. And in the process of this, he would feed his own need to possess her, to make her submit to him, give him every secret part of herself, slake his desire to break her apart and put her back together again. Hermione had drawn this out of him, so she would have to handle the beast she released. She might not ever let him touch her again afterwards, he might prove too much for the fantasy. But for that moment, he would own her and she would know without any doubt that she had been marked and claimed.

Severus knew that Poppy was right to keep Hermione as long as she did. No matter how distant the wizard seemed, the medi-witch sensed what he had planned for Hermione once she was in his grasp. The witch would need to be as strong as possible. If she wasn't, it would make no difference.

He would take her anyway.

---

On the morning Hermione was released, Severus was not there. He had gone to breakfast, as was his usual routine. He was very aware she was being released, however. Hermione left the infirmary alone, though Poppy wanted someone to escort her to her rooms.

"Why, Poppy? You kept me here as long as you could. I'm strong as a troll. I don't need escorting. I'll be fine," Hermione said, waving away the medi-witch's protestations.

She navigated the infirmary corridor, took the shifting stairs down to the main hall and walked to the dungeon corridor entrance, breathing deeply. It felt good to be free again. Poppy was sweet, but as tough as a prison guard.

Focused on returning to her own rooms, Hermione didn't see the slight motion in the shadowed niche of the dark corridor as she passed. Black eyes watched her intently as she walked toward her rooms door.

Hermione opened her door and was about to enter, when a loud squawk sounded. She looked up just in time to see Raucous swoop down on her, depositing a large, wet dropping in her hair and winging away down the corridor before she could draw her wand, his caws sounding very much like laughter.

Seething, Hermione entered her rooms and headed for the shower immediately. Scourgifying bird shit didn't work well. She had to wash her hair.

Damn that stupid bird.

---

In the Great Hall, Severus was on his last piece of bacon when Raucous came winging in, landing beside his plate. The Potions Master gave the raven the bacon he was about to eat. The bird woofed it down, then squawked at him and sent him an image of an irate, but well Hermione, bird shit dripping wet and glistening down her chestnut locks.

"Raucous, you didn't," he said to the bird, knowing very well he did.

The raven did a little victory dance.

The Potions Master couldn't help smirking. What a welcome home for the witch. She hadn't even made it into her rooms before Raucous wreaked his revenge for being turned florescent yellow.

"You're aware you've drawn first blood," Severus said to the raven, "She's going to be after you with a vengeance."

Raucous cawed disparagingly and sent Severus an image of him swooping down on Hermione and driving her away, flailing her arms and screaming at the top of her lungs.

Severus shook his head. He knew that scene would be highly unlikely. Hermione was most likely furious about the sneak attack and would ambush the bird with a hex before the day was over.

He sighed as he ate the rest of his scrambled eggs. He could expect a scathing complaint and a couple of threats concerning his familiar from the witch whenever he saw her. He looked forward to her indignation. He missed it a bit.

It seemed things were back to normal.

But they weren't.

Marcus looked down the table at Snape with his violet eyes narrowed. The wizard had waited a few days before confronting him, having heard about the condition of the witch and their narrow escape from death. But now Hermione was quite restored and the Potions Master had more than enough time to recover from that ordeal. He ought to be ready to face a new one.

Marcus recovered fine from his one day stint as a physical pig, though he still was a pig in personality, at least when it came to women. But he still couldn't get an erection. He tried a number of spells to remove the impotence hex, to no avail. He even gave in and went to Poppy for help, but after the witch examined him, she informed him whoever cast the spell on him had altered it and he would either have to go to a Spells Master or Mistress to have it removed or just wait until it faded. Going to a Spells Master cost galleons. Galleons he didn't have. So he was stuck for it.

He didn't plan on doing anything to Hermione. The witch had caught him dirty. He was like Severus when it came to being punished for being caught in the wrong. He got what he asked for. However, Severus had double-crossed him, letting the witch know about their original arrangement, thus cutting off any chance that Marcus had of bedding her. That had been distinctly unfair of the Potions Master, especially since the dark wizard wasn't interested in the witch himself, and Marcus meant to get his pound of flesh for Severus' duplicity. Wands or fists, he didn't care which, he just wanted satisfaction.

He saw Snape rise and head out the staff exit. The blonde wizard followed, purpose in his stride. He exited behind the Potions Master and hailed him. The wizard stopped.

Severus stared at Marcus, and knew by the look in his eyes that the wizard wanted satisfaction. He couldn't blame him really.

"Yes, Mr. Delaluci?" Severus said as the wizard stalked up to him.

"You told Hermione about our deal," Marcus said to him, "And she came to my office and hexed me. You had no right to do that Snape. The deal was over. She didn't need to know about it."

Severus' black eyes washed over the angry wizard. His body language suggested he might attack him. He prepared himself.

"The situation between Miss Granger and I had changed sufficiently enough that I felt I should come clean with her," Snape replied.

"No. You didn't have to tell her anything. You 'came clean' to keep me from fucking her," Marcus seethed. "And right now, I can't shag anybody, thanks to you. And that requires payback."

Suddenly Marcus took a powerful swing at the Potions Master, who slipped it neatly, his black eyes going hard. Both wizards drew their wands and held them at face level. They glared at each other hatefully.

"I believe we are at an impasse, Mr. Delaluci," Severus said, holding his wand steadily, pointing it right between Marcus' eyes.

"Seems we are, Snape," Marcus replied, his wand also held steadily between the Potions Master's brow. "But we need to get this settled. You deserve an ass-kicking for what you've done to me."

Severus' eyes narrowed.

"And you believe, Mr. Delaluci, you are wizard enough to give me said ass-kicking?" he purred silkily.

"I'm sure of it, Snape. And without magic…but if you prefer to face me with a wand…" Marcus said, insinuating Severus wasn't wizard enough to go hand-to-hand.

"Fisticuffs or the like will be fine, Mr. Delaluci," Severus said darkly, "When do you wish to engage me?"

"How about this evening? Seven o'clock. In the clearing by Hagrid's, just outside the Forbidden Forest. You know the place?" Marcus asked.

"Yes I do. We can have Hagrid oversee the fight. Keep it…honest," Severus said, implying Marcus would try to cheat.

Marcus thought about this. The half-giant was a fair-minded sort.

"Fine with me," he snapped.

Slowly, both wizards lowered their wands. Severus inclined his head slightly.

"Then I will see you at seven o'clock this evening, Mr. Delaluci," the dark wizard said, his black eyes glinting, "And bring bandages. You'll need them."

Marcus' violet eyes telescoped at the wizard as he turned and walked away.

"You better get out your best healing potions, Snape. That big schnoze of yours will be the first casualty, it's such an easy target," he called after the wizard.

Then Marcus turned and headed for his classroom. He was going to enjoy kicking that git's pale ass.

---

Severus managed to return to his rooms without being accosted by an angry Hermione, and sent a very watchful Raucous out to Hagrid's hut with a message asking him if he would mediate a private difference of opinion between himself and Marcus. The Potions Master worded the message this way knowing that if he had come out and told the half-giant they were going to have at one another, Hagrid would have told half the school. The giant wrote a reply that he would be happy to help them settle their differences. He could find out how when they got there. Basically, Hagrid would hold their wands.

Then Severus went to class.

Hermione had the day off, and would be returning to her duties tomorrow. She had washed her hair, and was curled up in the armchair, sifting through a weeks worth of posts, dressed in a fluffy bathrobe with a towel wrapped around her head. She picked up a complimentary issue of a popular animal magazine that featured extinct birds. She leafed through it, stopped on a page and an evil smile slowly creased her face.

Hermione was almost expert at spell manipulation, intent being the primary force behind a spell. The same vivid imagination that fueled her realistic erotic fantasies with Severus, played a great role in her ability to quickly adapt spells. She quickly dressed, grabbed the magazine and flooed to McGonagall's classroom, which was empty this morning. She borrowed a niffler to practice a transformation on. After about an hour and a half she had it down pat and returned to her rooms.

She grabbed a cloak and exited the dungeon area, heading up to the owlery.

Raucous had been on the lookout all morning for Hermione, and with the exception of his trip to Hagrid's stayed very close to his private owlery floo. He preferred to be in the owlery when Severus was teaching class. He liked the fresh air, and the company of the owls, even if they were sleeping. The raven stood on a stone windowsill overlooking the Hogwarts grounds, just enjoying the day. It had been a good one. Shitting on Hermione had been a definite high point.

As Hermione made her way up the stairs to the owlery tower, she disillusioned herself, holding her wand at the ready. She saw Raucous immediately. The raven did not see her. But she couldn't cast her hex while he was standing in the window. He might fall. As much as she disliked the familiar, she didn't want to actually kill him, though she thought about it often. So she stood pressed against the wall, and waited for the raven to hop down on to the floor. Raucous stayed in the still for almost an hour before he did hop down and started sifting through the piles of small skeletons littering the owlery floor. He wasn't looking for anything to eat. He just liked the rattling sounds of the bones.

Hermione aimed her wand at him.

"Raphus cucullatus!" she cried.

Raucous heard her before the spell hit him and he desperately tried to escape, but was too slow. He was covered in a dark gray light. All the owls woke up and made an awful din. Hermione removed the spell surrounding her, looked at her handiwork and collapsed laughing.

"That'll teach you," she guffawed, holding her stomach and walking down the owlery stairs, almost in hysterics.

Raucous stood there, glaring after her. He tried to fly to the floo, but he couldn't. Sullenly, he waddled over to the stairs and attempted to walk down them. He made it to the second step, but couldn't keep his balance and rolled to the bottom of the stairs. The only thing hurt was his pride. The witch had gone too far this time. Raucous started walking toward the dungeons with a rather rolling gait. His stomach was dragging on the ground. It was going to be a long journey.

---

Class was letting out for lunch as Hermione headed for her rooms. The Potions Master emerged from his office just as she was passing. They looked at one another.

"Good morning, Miss Granger," Severus said, expecting Hermione to launch into a rant about Raucous. To his surprise she didn't.

"Good morning, Severus," she said, beaming at him.

There was a little unpleasantness playing about the smile however. Severus immediately began to wonder where Raucous was. He reached out and saw from Raucous' POV that the bird was carefully taking the shifting stairwells down to the main floor. Why wasn't he flying?

He looked at Hermione suspiciously.

"How are you feeling? Whole and healthy?" he asked her.

"Like I can take on the world," Hermione replied. She really did feel good.

Severus' black eyes swept over the witch. She was in a blue, long-sleeved pullover sweater and blue jeans, her hair falling over her shoulders. The sweater was a very good fit…left little to the imagination.

"You needn't think about taking on the whole world, Hermione…just one wizard will be challenge enough," he said silkily in a low voice so no passing students would hear him.

Hermione swallowed and immediately felt heat in her belly. Still she had to respond, not be left speechless by him.

"Really, and what wizard would that be?" she asked him lightly. Severus stepped a bit closer to her. She started a bit at his sudden motion. He liked that.

"You know damn well it's me, Miss Granger. There is overdue business to be conducted between us, of a most intimate nature," he said, his eyes now smoldering down at her in a rare display of obvious lust.

Hermione stared at the Potions Master as if hypnotized, her body swaying forward unconsciously. He smirked at her. If he liked, he could make her deflowerment a between-class quickie and hear no complaint from the witch. But no, he wanted the full experience, not her jeans and knickers around her ankles in some dark niche…

Though that was appealing too. He continued baiting her.

"If I didn't have a previous engagement this evening, Miss Granger, you'd be under me tonight," he breathed at her. "As it stands you have one more day left as a virgin. I'm not going to wait a night longer. I'm going to get my due from you."

He turned and walked away from the near trembling witch.

Hermione felt a gush of hotness fill her knickers as Severus moved away, his robes billowing, heading up the hall which was empty of students now. She watched him go, breathing a bit heavily and tingling all over. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder at her.

"I hope that your back is in very good condition," he said quietly, "If not, I suggest you work on limbering it up. It's going to be arching quite a bit, I'm sure."

Severus swept up the hall, smirking. He knew very well the effect his words had on the witch. He could smell her arousal quite clearly when he walked away from her. Gods, he was going to enjoy popping her ripe little cherry.

Hermione looked down at herself, surprised she wasn't standing in a huge, wet puddle. She was soaked, and needed to change her knickers AND her jeans. She walked to her rooms door and let herself in. She needed another shower. It should be illegal for a wizard to be able to do what Severus could do to her.

---

There was a crowd of students gathered at the top of the dungeons corridor, all exclaiming and commenting. Severus pushed his way imperiously through the crowd, the faces of the students contorting in terror as he passed. In the middle of the milling students was an open area. He could hear the comments as he approached the center of the crowd.

"What is that thing?" a sixth year witch asked, amazement in her voice.

"Looks like a bird…but damn, never seen anything like it," a male voice interjected.

"It sure is ugly," piped the voice of a first year.

Severus pushed into the crowd and looked down. His eyebrows rose as he took in the creature standing among the students, glaring as it tried to push through them. It looked up at him…then he received an image of Hermione strapped to some kind of contraption that had a huge circular saw spinning at the end, and was cutting through one log in front of her as she was being fed toward the blade.

"Raucous?" he asked in disbelief.

The thing squawked.

Oh no.

"Go to lunch!" the Potions Master bellowed at the crowd of students, who skittered away as if one entity. He leaned down and picked up the transformed bird. It was heavy.

"I told you," he said to it, turning back toward the dungeons.

The bird squawked miserably.

Severus carried the distraught bird to his Potions office, let himself in then went into his study. He put Raucous on the floor, then went to his bookshelf and selected a large tome on birds. He carried it to his desk, set the book down and began leafing through it, looking at the pictures. After several minutes he stopped, one long finger tracing the spitting image of the bird Raucous had been turned into. He read the text, then looked down at the bird, who was standing by his knee. The Potions Master arched an eyebrow at him.

"Well, Miss Granger certainly got creative this time. Raucous, you've been turned into a Raphus Cucullatus or in layman's terms, a Dodo Bird," he said. "They've been extinct for quite a while."

Raucous squawked in rage at this terrible designation. A Dodo? That sounded terribly stupid. He fluttered his small flightless wings in irritation..

Severus looked Raucous over. He was large, plump and covered in soft, grey feathers, with a plume of white on his tail. His wings were small, far too weak to lift him off the ground. The raven's legs were short, stubby and yellow in color. He had four toes, three in front and one thumb in back, all with thick, black claws. His head was a lighter grey than his body, and he had small, yellow eyes. His most distinguishing feature was his long, crooked and hooked beak. It was light green in color. It was the stupidest-looking, most ungainly bird Severus had ever seen. Hermione had certainly done a job on his familiar.

"Well, knowing Hermione, the transfiguration will wear off after a week or two. You certainly won't be flying anywhere. I'm going to have to put down parchment so you can do your business," the Potions Master said evenly.

Raucous sighed at this. How humiliating. Having paper spread for him to shit on like some kind of muggle dog. Hermione was going to pay, and pay dearly for this. And to think, he had watched over her night and day! He snapped his long, crooked beak, but it just wasn't the same.

"Don't worry Raucous. I'll add this indignity to the list of wrongs I'm going to pay her back for," the Potions Master said.

Raucous sent the Potions Master an image of a struggling Hermione manacled and hanging a foot off the ground naked, while Severus, oiled, masked and dressed in a leather harness cracked a bullwhip behind her.

Severus smirked.

"I'm sorry Raucous. She will be punished, believe me, but not to that extreme," he said to the dodo. Raucous then send an image of a bouquet of flowers.

"Pretty please won't help," the Potions Master said, "When I beat her, it won't be with a whip."

Severus sent Raucous an image of him shagging Hermione so strongly, her head was banging against the headboard. The bird squawked in approval.

Of course Severus wouldn't let her head bang against the headboard. He didn't want a dead witch on his hands. He'd put a pillow there to cushion the blows.

Severus spread some parchment on the floor in his bathroom for Raucous, and ordered some raw fish for him from the kitchens. The book said that was what dodos ate. Raucous looked at the small, glistening fish with distaste.

"I think it best that you stick to the foods dodos traditionally ate, Raucous. Normal food might wreak havoc on your digestive system," he said soothingly.

Raucous squawked sadly.

"Well I told you she would be out for blood, Raucous. You know she's evil when she's on the warpath. You started this. You are the familiar of a Slytherin, and so you are a Slytherin. When you get caught, you suffer the consequences. So eat your fish and buck up," Severus said a bit severely.

Raucous looked up at him, then slowly started to eat the fish. He looked absolutely disgusted as he swallowed them down one after the other. Severus left him in the study and headed to lunch. As he exited his rooms, Hermione exited hers, her hair slightly damp and smelling of jasmine. She still wore blue jeans, and a red pull-over sweater this time

Severus scowled at her, blackly

Hermione looked up at him.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, walking past him. She was hungry.

"A dodo bird, Miss Granger?" he said to her, his brows drawn together.

"It fit the stupid bird," she said unconcernedly, "at least I won't have to worry about him flying at me, dive bombing me with birdshit for the next week or so. I hadn't even made it to my rooms, Severus. I wish you'd talk to him."

"Raucous is a familiar, and has his own mind. I wouldn't presume to tell him what to do," Severus said evenly. "This is something you two will have to work out between yourselves."

Hermione looked at the Potions Master, her eyes narrowed.

"Well don't blame me if you go to your rooms one day and discover a table set for one, serving roasted raven with small garden potatoes and a sweet butter sauce," she said evenly.

Severus fought back a grin. Hermione would never kill the raven, though she might make him wish he were dead for a while. He looked at the witch and wickedly decided to titillate her a bit more. It would serve as foreplay. He had a feeling he wouldn't have to spend much time on that the first go 'round.

"Threatening the familiar of a wizard who is going to have you pinned to his bed in less than forty-eight hours is not a wise thing to do, Miss Granger," he said silkily, "he might feel the need to defuse that threat in a very physical way."

Hermione looked up at him.

"Are you trying to scare me, Severus?" she asked him.

He leveled his dark eyes at her meaningfully.

"I think, Miss Granger, that you should be somewhat scared. You are a virgin, and have no idea what I am like with a woman. I haven't indulged in a very long time, and intend to make up for that lapse with you," he said, his voice taking on a very dark edge. "Just as I am not a kind man, I am not a gentle one either. I will not pretend I am with you despite your innocence."

Hermione bit her lip as she looked up at him. She was so close to having this wizard the way she wanted, the way she dreamed of, the way she fantasized about. The witch was scared and nervous…but her desire for the dark wizard superseded those feelings. The thought of being in his arms, feeling his desire for her and experiencing his passion just took her over. She didn't care how threatening he sounded. Nothing would keep her from him when the time came. Even death couldn't keep her from him. Fear certainly wouldn't.

"I'm not afraid, Severus. I want this…and I'll do my best to please you," she said quietly, dropping her eyes.

Severus felt a powerful pulse in his loins. Hell, she pleased him already.

"Yes, you will," he said a bit hoarsely. "I'll show you what to do."

He said nothing more. His tantalizing of the witch had turned out to be quite tantalizing to him also. Her answer of not being afraid and wanting to please him made him feel like grabbing her and dragging her to his rooms right now. But that would never do.

They turned out the dungeon corridor and walked toward the Great Hall, making a right down the hallway that led to the staff entrance. As they made the final left, Severus saw Marcus. He stopped in his tracks, as did the violet-eyed wizard. Hermione stopped too as she saw the wizard she'd hexed looking at her.

Marcus' eyes swept over the witch, still a bit hot despite the fact she had turned him into a pig. Then they went cold as they met the Potions Master's steely gaze. After a tense moment, the wizard entered the Great Hall.

Severus began to walk again.

"What's going on, Severus? Why did you and Marcus pause like that?" she asked. The tension between the two wizards had been palpable.

"Mr. Delaluci and I have a date of sorts this evening, which is why I do not have a date with you," Severus replied, "It seems he holds me responsible for his little foray into the animal kingdom. And I am responsible."

Hermione bristled as she thought about the deal he had made with Marcus. But she had paid them both back. Then she realized the implications of the word 'date'.

"Are you two going to duel?" she asked, horrified. If wands were drawn, one of them could be badly injured or even die. She didn't want that.

"Let's just say we're going to settle our differences. Physically. No magic," Severus replied, holding the door open for the witch to enter the Great Hall.

Hermione walked down to her seat and sat down. She looked at Marcus, who was watching Snape, hatred in his eyes. Severus sat down and returned the wizard's glare with equal dislike.

"They're going to try to beat each other to death," Hermione said, mentally comparing the two men.

Severus was tall, lean and muscular the way an athlete was muscular. He had pointed joints as well, sharp elbows and knees. She saw that in the infirmary. He could definitely hurt someone. He was also very tough, due to repeated tortures by the Dark Lord.

Marcus was tall and broad-chested, as if he lifted weights. He was strong, and heavier than the Potions Master. He might be a bit slower, however. Hermione had a feeling that the wizard might be just as dangerous as the Potions Master. There was something decidedly cold and heartless in his gaze despite his apparent friendliness to everyone.

She wondered where and when the fight would be. Severus wouldn't tell her. He wouldn't want her to be there, thinking she might interfere. He would never forgive her if she did. This was a man thing, hombre a hombre. Her dad was a macho man. He was rather quiet, but would brawl with the best of them on occasion, especially if it involved someone hitting on his wife. Hermione learned early that women were not to interfere when men were at odds. She would never come between Severus and Marcus, no matter how she felt about the fight. That would settle nothing. It was better to let them finish and end it, than interfere so they had to fight again.

Hermione finished her meal before the Potions Master did. She pulled out her wand, hiding it behind her arm. As she passed the Potions Master she pointed it at him and whispered a small tracking spell. He never knew she cast it.

When he went to fight Marcus this evening, she'd be able to find them

---

Ten minutes to seven found Severus striding across the grounds of Hogwarts toward the Forbidden Forest. He wore black trainers, loose fitting black cotton pants, and a black pull-over shirt, as the weather was cool. His hair was tied back in a pony-tail.

Hermione, disillusioned and trailing behind him, thought he looked delicious and dangerous. She had never seen him in a pony-tail, or clothing that flattered his build before. She blushed at the thought her hands would be exploring that strong, lean body tomorrow night…if he wasn't badly injured by the fight. She wondered if he were wearing a cup. She hoped so.

Severus arrived at the clearing. Hagrid and Marcus were already there. Marcus was dressed similarly to Severus but in white. His hair was relatively short, so he wore no pony-tail. Hermione looked at him. He was very muscular all over. Even his thighs were cut through his pants. He was bouncing about, stretching and throwing a few well placed punches and kicks. He was obviously a martial artist.

Hagrid was watch him, clearly impressed. The half-giant looked up and saw Severus approaching.

"Evening, Perfessor," Hagrid said, gripping Severus' hand in his huge one and shaking it firmly. "I dint know this was what ya meant when you said mediate…but it's all right. Men got to get it offen their chests sometimes. Now, yer wand please."

Severus handed Hagrid his wand, then walked to the clearing, about thirty meters from where Marcus was standing, and began his own warm-ups. He cracked his neck by leaning his head first one way then the other, then tensed up his entire body and held it like that for several moments.

"Isometrics," Hermione thought as she watched the Potions Master move through some very practiced martial arts motions. He did a few kicks and stretches. His legs were longer than Marcus', he had a longer reach as well.

Both wizards watched each other as they warmed up, each trying to gauge the other's skill. Both were accomplished fighters. Both were dangerous men, even without magic.

Hagrid pulled a huge stopwatch out of his pocket and shook it against his ear. He wound it a little and looked at it until it let out a little ding. He nodded his shaggy head at it, satisfied. Both wizards had stopped warming up, and stood looking at each other narrow-eyed. Hagrid walked between them.

"Now, this here will be a free-style fight. Do ya want it timed or ta just beat each other till someone wins? Obviously Hagrid wanted to time it.

"We'll fight until it's over," Marcus growled.

Severus nodded in agreement. Hagrid looked disappointed.

"All right, but nothing lethal…yer both supposed ta walk away at the end yer know," the giant said.

The wizards didn't say anything.

"All right then…thirty meters apart till I say go," Hagrid said.

Hermione's stomach was in knots as she watched the wizards pace off, then turn and face each other.

Hagrid looked from one to the other. Both men were set to charge on his word.

"GO!" Hagrid cried.

Marcus and the Potions Master launched themselves at each other, closing the gap between them.

Hermione covered her mouth with her hand as the two wizards clashed together. She thought with all the warm-ups, they would simply throw blows and kicks at each other, but it seemed they were anxious to get their hands on each other. Severus had his palm under Marcus' chin, attempting to push the wizard back. Marcus had a grip on his arm to hold back the force the dark wizard was applying as he struggled to get a hold on him and throw him.

Then they both grappled, straining against each other's bodies, until Marcus worked his leg between Severus' and with a yank, threw him off balance and followed the wizard down. He managed to elbow Severus in the face, breaking the wizard's nose just as he said he would.

Severus gave him a powerful kidney punch and rolled the wizard off him, leaping to his feet and using his shirt to wipe at the blood pouring out of his ruined nose. Marcus charged him low while he was doing this, and Severus quickly stepped to the side and brought up his pointy knee, catching the wizard in the face, blood exploding from his nose as well.

Marcus staggered back and used his shirt to wipe at his swollen, bleeding nose. Both men were panting. Severus approached Marcus and put up his hands. The violet-eyed wizard took a defensive stance, and they went toe to toe, throwing punches and kicks. Severus caught Marcus with a right cross, knocking the wizard to the side then caught him with a left uppercut that almost lifted the wizard off his feet. Marcus retalitated with a kick to Severus' stomach that nearly knocked the wind out of him.

Marcus charged him, catching the Potions Master around the middle and taking him down, scrambling to get on top of him as Severus used his legs to keep him from getting the leverage he needed, punching him repeatedly in the side left. Marcus let out a groan as the Potions Master cracked a rib, and hissed with pain. His knuckle was shoved back.

Marcus scrambled off of him, holding his side. He drew in a breath, as Severus stood, panting, waiting for Marcus to make another rush at him, which the wizard did. Severus was ready for him and stepped aside, catching the wizard in a chokehold. Marcus pulled at the wizard's arm and literally lifted the Potions Master off the ground as he attempted to break free. Then he took to punching him in the side.

But Severus took the pounding, tightening his hold around the wizard's throat, slowly cutting off his air. Desperately Marcus dropped dead weight to pull the dark wizard to the ground. Severus fell back with him, but didn't let go and continued to choke the wizard until his violet eyes turned black and bloodshot and his face turned purple.

Hermione wanted to scream at Severus to let Marcus go, that he was killing him, but she held her tongue. Hagrid trundled up just as Marcus' eyes began to roll up in his head..

"Let 'em go, Severus," the half-giant said, "yer chokin 'em ta death."

With a final yank, Severus let go of the wizard. Marcus rolled over on his back and went limp, gasping as the Potions Master stood up and wiped at his nose again. His whole face was bruised.

"You want to continue, Mr. Delaluci?" he asked the fallen wizard.

Marcus, still gasping, waved his hand limply at the wizard standing over him.

"No, I'm good. I broke that schnoze of yours. That's all I wanted anyway," he panted. His color was slowly coming back.

"Very well, Mr. Delaluci. I too am satisfied," Severus replied. "Consider our altercation ended."

Marcus nodded and winced as he sat up, clutching at his side.

Hagrid lifted the wizard to his feet, looked in his face for a bit, examined his head then ran his hand over his side.

"Yer got a cracked rib, ripped ear, bruising round yer throat and a broke nose, Marcus. Better go see Poppy," Hagrid said. Marcus nodded.

Then the giant examined Severus.

"Broke nose, split lip, swollen eye, some bruising on yer side and a broke knuckle. Probably did that on Marcus' ribs. Infirmary," Hagrid said. Severus nodded

Hagrid gave both wizards back their wands and suggested they disillusion themselves before they entered the castle. They each thanked Hagrid, shook hands and started back toward the castle.

Hermione trailed behind them. It hadn't been a long fight, but both wizards appeared satisfied, and looked horrible. Poppy would give them hell and a hearty lecture when they came to her to be patched up. She abhorred physical violence.

Hermione watched as both wizards shimmered and disappeared on the steps of the castle, then the doors opened and closed behind them.

She removed her own disillusionment, waited for a bit until she was relatively sure they were on the shifting staircases, then entered the castle. She looked up and saw them both riding toward the upper floors and shook her head, then headed down the dungeon corridor to her rooms.

Poppy did indeed read both wizards the riot act as she fixed their broken noses and mended their cuts and bruises. Marcus was detained overnight because of his cracked rib. Poppy painfully popped Severus' knuckle back in place and apply a salve to his facial bruising that cleared it up almost completely. He would be back to normal by morning.

"Honestly, brawling like children," Poppy scolded the two wizards as they sat on opposite cots. They said nothing. "Haven't you two ever heard of 'talking things out' like adults?"

Marcus' and Severus' eyes met.

"Sometimes 'talk' is not enough, Poppy," Severus said.

Poppy scowled at him.

"You're finished, Severus. Get going," she snapped at him, her hands on her hips.

Severus slid off the cot, gave Poppy a little bow and left the infirmary. His side still hurt him a bit. Poppy in her anger didn't give him a very big dose of pain potion. She probably wanted him to hurt a bit to teach him a lesson. No matter. He had some pain potion in his stores.

Now with the business of Mr. Delaluci behind him, he could concentrate on more pleasurable pursuits. One Hermione Granger.

Severus felt himself hardening at just her name. Yes, he was very ready for her.

He only hoped she was ready for him.

---

Hermione awoke the next morning and just lay in her bed, her belly in knots as she thought what awaited her at the day's end. She needed to go see Poppy and get a contraceptive patch. Hopefully the medi-witch wouldn't embarrass her with too many questions, or worse, advice.

Hermione was aware of how sex worked technically, from books, and she had heard about it in actual operation from Ginny Weasley who was quite thorough in her descriptions of how it felt with the right wizard. It was Ginny who told her back in her seventh year that sex with a mature wizard was much better than with one her own age. She claimed mature wizards were more thorough and appreciative, that they knew what to do and how to do it.

Hermione had no doubt that the Potions Master knew exactly what to do. Hell, just with his words he made her feel as if she would melt into a steaming puddle of lust. What would it be like to hear that voice while he was inside of her? What would it be like to have him inside of her? She had fantasized about it for four years now, and in a few hours she would know the answer.

She wondered how he would feel about her afterwards? Would he immediately begin not to trust her like he said? She hoped his heart would soften toward her after he deflowered her…he was going to be her first. She had saved herself for him. Hermione thought that might mean something to the wizard though he basically said he wanted his due from her for giving him so much trouble. If giving him trouble was what got her in his arms, then she'd gladly give him trouble constantly.

Severus liked her arguementive and retalitory. She had to be sure she remained that way, though she was sure, between him and Raucous, it would be relatively easy to stay in hex mode. Would he want to continue with her? She would do her best to make him want to be her lover. She wanted this to be something that would span more than one night. She hoped she pleased him…so much seemed to hang on her pleasing him. What if she were frigid?

No, she doubted she'd be feeling the ache she felt between her legs this morning if she were unable to respond to sex. The very idea of the Potions Master shagging her made her drip puddles. Watching him fight yesterday only added to his appeal. To think she would be with him, feeling all that strength directed at her.

Hermione shivered deliciously, wrapping her arms around her body and hugging herself tightly. She slipped out of bed and walked into the bathroom, used the loo and stripped to take a shower. The warm water felt so good on her skin, and she fought the urge to masturbate, she was so aroused by the knowledge tonight she would have her wizard. She left the shower, dried herself off and dressed traditionally. Well, almost. She felt so hot and randy, she only wore her underthings under her robes, so the shifting, billowing fabric could move across her bare skin.

Everything felt strange and unreal. She imagined this might be what someone who was sentenced to be executed might feel on the day of his death. Of course, she wasn't going to be executed…she was going to be taken by a man who made no promise of gentleness or kindness. There would be a death of sorts however, of her innocence. For the first time in her life, her body would belong to another, be for someone else's pleasure as well as her own.

She exited her rooms, and Severus was leaving his. She wondered for a moment if he planned these meetings. They seemed to always be departing or arriving at the same time. A thrill went through her at the sight of him. His bruises had healed, and his big nose looked fine. She would have never suspected he had been in a fight if she hadn't seen it for herself. He looked at her, his black eyes seeming more intense than she ever remembered them being.

That's because they were. The Professor had erotic dreams about the witch all night long, and the sight of her made his nostrils flare. She stood there before her rooms door, her amber eyes wide as they looked at him. He could see her fighting her desire. His black eyes swept over her robes…they didn't look bulky underneath as they rested against her body. He wondered…

Severus swept up to the witch, stood in front of her and looked down on her. Then in one fluid motion he backed her against the door, pressing his lean body into hers. Hermione gasped at the feeling of him against her. She could feel his warmth through the robes' fabric directly on her exposed skin.

"What are you wearing under your robes?" he asked her quietly, feeling her quiver against him.

He couldn't do this for long. His Slytherins would soon be leaving for breakfast. It wouldn't do for them to see their Head of House pressing his body against the witch as he was doing. But she was giving off too much heat to be wearing anything much beneath her robes.

"What are you wearing?" he hissed at her, pressing against her harder.

Hermione was almost incoherent with the feelings rushing through her. Gods, if only he would do it now. Not make her wait. She wanted to feel him skin to skin, touch that strong pale body.

"My underthings," she whispered.

"No clothes?" he questioned her, "Why no clothes, Miss Granger?"

He began to harden against her, and heard her breath catch as she felt him against her belly. He rubbed against her a little. He couldn't help it…the look in her eyes was intoxicating.

"Call me Hermione," she said to him, "I just want to hear you say my name…like this," she whispered up at him.

"Why no clothes, Hermione?" he replied, his voice holding a bit of growl.

Gods, he had an erection and it was big. She could feel it throbbing against her.

"I wanted to feel my robes brushing against my skin," she said softly, "my skin is so…so…"

"Sensitive?" he purred, "You don't want your robes to touch you, Hermione, you want me to."

Severus let his hand slip over the curve of her breast and along her waist. The witch trembled powerfully, a little moan ecsaping her lips…a moan that shot down his spine and to his erection.

"Damn, I can't wait to claim you," he breathed at her, rubbing against her again, making the witch moan once more before he reluctantly stepped back from her. Some students were coming. "The day isn't going to pass quickly enough."

"Do it now then," Hermione said softly.

The Slytherin students looked at the Potions Master and Hermione curiously as they passed. They knew something was going on by the look in Hermione's eyes.

"I bet he's shagging her," said one Slytherin girl to the other students, "Look at how she's looking at him."

"He does look kind of intense," another agreed. "He probably is doing her."

"But she's a Gryffindor," said a third year, looking back at the couple.

"Even Gryffindors have pussies, stupid," a fifth year spat at him, yanking the youngster along.

"Now?" Severus repeated, arching an eyebrow.

"Yesss," Hermione hissed. "I can't wait for tonight. I'm burning up."

Indeed the witch was writhing against the door, clamping her thighs together. The wizard looked at her, sorely tempted to do as she asked, but there wouldn't be enough time. He was no five minute wizard. He didn't want to have a quick shag with her…he wanted to give her the full treatment. He had to eat, and then he had a class to teach at ten. It was seven-thirty now.

"No, Hermione. I can't. I need time with you," he said, scowling at her.

"Can't you do something, Severus? I can't stand this," she groaned.

He looked at her.

"Open your door," he directed her.

Hermione was at the edge, he could tell. She was almost cross-eyed with need. It would only take a moment to ease her desire.

Hermione unlocked her door and walked in. Severus made sure no one saw him enter. He closed the door and grabbed Hermione, swinging the witch against it. He hiked up her robe and slipped his hand under the crotch her knickers, his long fingers touching her hot, wet core for the first time, his eyes locked to her startled face.

"Severus" she gasped as his fingers touched her heat.

The Potions Master flicked a finger expertly.

The witch shrieked as a sweetness burst inside her. The Potions Master was right. It hadn't taken much at all.

Severus ran his fingers over the orgasming witch's core lightly, and touched the hymen stretched over her entrance. She was definitely a virgin. He could feel her release leaking around it, hot and thick as he rubbed his fingers against her. Hermione's voice was sweet and broken as she writhed against the door. Severus was so tempted to take her as he looked into her hungry, half-lidded eyes. But he removed his hand, and licked his fingers slowly, tasting her. Her fluids were musky and clean. He knew he had to leave or the night would arrive quicker than he wanted.

"You should be all right for now," he said to her, moving her from the door and quickly exiting.

"Severus," Hermione called after him rather weakly. But he was gone.

Feeling dizzy, she walked into her small study and collapsed in the armchair. She was still shuddering, still panting. Gods, he had touched her with his fingers and made her explode instantly. She'd never felt anything so good. Hermione had orgasms before by masturbating, but her hands were nothing like his, coming never felt like that. He hadn't touched her much either. And he had put his fingers in his mouth and looked as if he liked the way she tasted. She never thought he would taste her.

The Potions Master left so quickly. How could he leave her so quickly after what he had done to her? After what he made her feel?

She needed to go change her knickers and her robes and get to breakfast.

It was going to be a long, long day.

---

Hermione entered the Great Hall through the double doors rather than the staff entrance. She hadn't really meant to do this, but she was so distracted she missed the turn to enter that way.

Severus, eating a stack of pancakes, watched her with hooded eyes the memory of bringing her to passionate release still fresh in his mind. Gods, the witch was hair-trigger, starved for him, and it had taken all his strength to leave her in her rooms still a virgin. He had practically ran from her this morning. He couldn't taste or smell her any longer. He had to scourgify himself. It wouldn't do to have walked into breakfast smelling of sex.

By the fit of her robes, he could tell she still didn't put any clothing on underneath. She was so accessible. He half wished he didn't know Hermione was running around Hogwarts in only her bra and knickers. It was going to distract him all day.

As she passed behind him to walk to her seat, he could feel her heat wash over him as if carried by a strong wind. Every nerve ending in his body was attuned to her. He didn't think he would be able to be gentle with the witch at all. The idea of her coming to his rooms and being behind closed doors with him was too arousing. He only hoped he wouldn't rip the clothing from her body. He wanted to have some dignity about himself when he took her. Going into total meltdown wouldn't exactly project the smooth, methodical lover he was.

He looked down the table at the witch, and she caught his eyes and blushed, looking away from him quickly. He wondered how long she would be able to retain that ability to blush after he had possessed her every way imaginable. If his dreams were any indication, Hermione was in for a long, rough ride. She would be a snug fit, he was sure of that. Merlin, he couldn't wait to slide inside her and start pounding.

His eyes narrowed a bit. Bra and knickers only? The witch was a slave to her sexuality. Maybe he would accost her again, maybe spend the day keeping her aroused, catching her in the corridors between classes and molesting her a little bit here, a little bit there. It was certainly a delicious thought. She had a class with him this afternoon…he could send her to the Potions stores and follow her. Circe, she'd be changing her knickers all day long.

He grinned slightly as he thought about this. It would be playing with fire on his part however. This morning when he rubbed himself against Hermione's hot little body, she had wanted him to take her desperately. Although she had no experience in seduction, she had aroused him enough to consider doing just that. If he pressed her throughout the day, she was sure to ask him again, and he wasn't sure he would be able to deny her. Even if it were a fast, hard shag. He could imagine it, deflowering her in a niche, her body facing the wall, her robes thrown up over her hips, knickers lowered, his pale hand clamped over her mouth to keep her quiet as he took her from behind.

The Potions Master's erection returned with a vengeance and he fought back a groan. Whose hand would be clamped over his mouth if he did that? He was certain he wouldn't be able to help voicing his pleasure. There was just as good a chance that someone would hear him as much as her.

But the idea of keeping her on edge was very appealing, very appealing indeed.

So when Hermione was leaving the transfiguration classroom on her way to lunch, and a strong hand hand suddenly clasped over her mouth, and she was pulled out of the corridor into Moaning Myrtle's unused lavatory, she was terribly frightened…until she felt a lean, hard body back her against the wall and press against hers. She nearly melted as warm lips found her throat, and a strong hand caressed her breasts and belly. She couldn't see Severus, but she could feel him, gods she could feel him. The Potions Master was disillusioned.

The top few buttons of her robes opened themselves until her bra was exposed. Her right breast began to move in a circular motion, as the witch groaned.

"Merlin, Severus what are you doing to me?" she sighed, her eyelids fluttering as he fondled her breast. Sharp tongues of fire were licking at her thighs and she pressed her pelvis forward into the invisible body against her.

"If you don't want to be accosted by me all day," the disembodied voice of the Potions Master whispered, "I suggest you put something on under these robes."

Hermione gasped as her bra raised itself and both of her breasts were exposed.

"Beautiful," the Potions Master sighed. Hermione groaned as she felt his mouth surround her hardened nipple, and suckle her, his hand sliding down her belly slowly.

Again Hermione felt his erection pressing into her belly, and she slid herself against him, rolling her hips instinctively. Her nipple was released as she heard a hiss, then she was slammed against the wall hard, crushed by him as the invisible Potions Master ground against her hard, his breathing ragged.

"You have no idea how hard it is to keep from taking you," he growled, humping against the panting witch.

"Do it," Hermione moaned.

A groan answered her, and she felt her robes being hiked up.

"Gods," she thought, "He's going to do it."

She felt his warm hands pulling at the elastic waistband of her knickers and she lifted her hips off the wall. The Potions Master, still invisible, started to pull them down around her thighs when a voice sounded behind them.

"What are you doing?"

Moaning Myrtle stood outside her bathroom stall, her head cocked, looking at the panting, writhing witch.

Hermione's robes dropped back down and the door to the bathroom opened and closed.

"Noooo," Hermione groaned. She looked at the ghost in irritation.

"Damn it, Myrtle. What are you doing here?" Hermione hissed at her in frustration.

The ghost adjusted her glasses then put her hands on her hips.

"I belong here. This is my bathroom. I died here. Now, what are you doing here? Masturbating?" the ghost replied, frowning at the witch as Hermione fixed her bra and buttoned up her robes.

"No, I wasn't masturbating," Hermione retorted.

"Well, you were doing something sexual," Myrtle said, "You should have seen yourself wallowing against the wall and groaning, your tits showing and moving all funny."

Hermione scowled again.

"Go flush yourself, Myrtle!" she snarled at the cockblocking ghost, pushing her way out of the bathroom and storming off, hot and frustrated.

Myrtle looked after the departing witch, then shrugged and walked back through the closed door of her stall, then did just that.

---

Still disillusioned, Severus rode the shifting stairwells back to the main floor. He was swollen and throbbing. He had almost deflowered Hermione in a girl's bathroom. Circe. If Moaning Myrtle hadn't appeared, he'd be stroking her against the bathroom wall right now for all he was worth. The witch was so receptive.

"Do it," she had said.

Severus thought he had never heard two more seductive words in his whole life. But in a way he was glad Myrtle showed up. The Potions Master thought he'd have enough discipline and control to simply take some pleasure from the witch, then go his way leaving her hot, bothered and ready for more. It didn't work out that way. His organ had other ideas. It pulsed against him demandingly, uncomfortably hard and hungry. He should never have teased himself this way. His erection was almost painful, the pressure was so much.

When he reached the Main Hall, he headed for his Potions class, bumping into startled students who looked around with wide eyes, wondering who had collided with them. He reached his classroom and headed for his Potions stores. He removed the disillusionment spell and looked through the bottles until he found what he was searching for. He uncapped the bottle and drank the deflating draught straight down, draining the bottle.

The Potions Master felt himself throb several times, then relief as he slowly deflated. He sighed and leaned back against the wall, setting the empty bottle back on the shelf. Collecting himself, he closed the stores, warded it and left his class, heading for the Great Hall.

Hermione was already seated, and shot an angry glare at him when he entered through the staff entrance. She looked frustrated and furious. Professor McGonagall glanced at the witch with concern.

"Are you all right, Hermione?" the witch asked her.

Hermione's amber eyes shifted to the Transfiguration Professor.

"Yes, Minerva. I was involved in something rather important and was cut off before I could finish," she said, still frowning down the table at Severus.

Minerva smiled.

"Yes my dear. I know just how you feel. I was working on a transfiguration spell the other day when Albus summoned me, and I lost all my train of thought. It was quite disturbing. I was out of sorts the rest of the day. Perhaps some tea would help," she suggested.

"I doubt tea will do the trick, Minerva," Hermione said flatly.

"You'd be surprised," Minerva replied, pouring herself a generous cup of the brew and adding sugar.

Severus' black eyes glittered at the witch.

"You fucking tease," Hermione mouthed at him silently.

He smirked at her, understanding what she said. This irritated the witch all the more. She had been so hot, she wouldn't have cared if he had taken her right in front of Myrtle. If she found herself in that kind of situation again before the day's end, she'd make it impossible for him to resist her. She was a virgin, but Ginny told her what to do and say to make a wizard go crazy.

This morning she might not have been brave enough to try it, but now…now she'd do just about anything to get rid of the throbbing ache inside her. She had been so close to having him, and her body was protesting the interruption, sending pulses of longing throughout her. How was she going to make it through this day? Particularly with Severus accosting her, teasing her and not fulfilling her? And witches were supposed to be teases.

---

Severus was a bit surprised Hermione was angry. He expected her to be hot and bothered, but not angry at him. It pleased him that she was so randy for him that she was probably on the brink of hexing him. It gave him a feeling of even more power. The witch needn't worry though. She'd be crawling away from him before the night was over. She wouldn't get far either.

He had almost folded and buried himself in that hot, little body. Hermione wasn't the least bit concerned about being taken in a Hogwarts bathroom. Severus' previous belief about all women being born whores popped into his mind unbidden. Heeding Albus' words, he tried to justify Hermione's response another way, taking a look at his own actions this time, instead of hers.

It wasn't the witch's fault, he had driven her to such a high degree of lust all that mattered to her was him. Everything else around her faded. Location, situation, reason, logic, inhibition…none of that mattered. He drove all reason out of her. Of course she would let him take her in a bathroom when she was incapable of coherent thought or action and her body was crying out for fulfillment. In her state, she probably would have let him take her anyplace where they had privacy. It wasn't that the witch had the morals of a whore, it was that she was lost to her passion, a passion he ignited when he began to take his pleasure of her the way he did. He was the one who pulled the witch into the bathroom. He was the one who touched and caressed her until she was beyond caring.

Severus sighed. He had so much baggage with him. So much bitterness inside because of something that happened years ago with a woman he had loved. Hermione Granger was offering him love again…and he knew for certain she was pure, untouched and only had eyes for him. It would be a safe assumption, seeing her loyalty to her friends and family, that she would continue to keep herself for him only, particularly after becoming intimate with him. After all, she had saved herself for years when he had no interest in her. Why would she change after getting her heart's desire? Particularly if he satisfied all her physical needs.

But, what about her emotional needs? Someone could come along kinder than he…someone who could satisfy her in a way he couldn't because he was so withdrawn and undemonstrative in his normal state. He didn't want to pretend with her that he was tender and kind. He wasn't. But the witch knew this…maybe all she would need was for him to open up to her now and then. For him to show some trust. Trust. That was a big word for him and an even bigger act. He hadn't trusted a woman for many, many years. Could he let go of the beliefs he had carried for so many years about women? He had always been resistant to change…but if he was in error all these years, and it really appeared that he was…he would have to make some deep adjustments to his psyche.

Would Hermione wait for that change? Perhaps.

Severus looked down the table again at the scowling witch. She was stubborn, she was driven. He was her focus for four years when he made no attempt at connection. Now that he had finally responded to her, given in as it were, she would continue to hold on, keep working at him, on him until she was satisfied. She was a Gryffindor after all. For the first time he admitted to himself that he was glad she was.

Severus looked at Hermione again. She was still glowering at him.

Her beneficial house qualities duly noted and appreciated, he was still going to love reaming the beautiful witch senseless on his Slytherin sheets.

---

That afternoon Severus watched his class filling up. Cauldrons rested on burners and small bottles sat on the desk before each seat. The students were going to do some brewing today. Hermione had not yet arrived. He had decided that it would be best if he didn't accost the witch again. He didn't think he would be able to walk away from her without penetrating her at least once. And that would be more torture, not being able to be completed sated by shagging her liberally.

Hermione walked into the classroom. She was late because she stopped by the infirmary and got a contraceptive patch from Poppy. Thankfully the medi-witch didn't lecture her as Hermione placed the patch on her inner thigh, where it glowed red then disappeared. The healer did look a bit shocked that she wore no clothing under her robes, however.

Hermione didn't even give Severus a glance as she took her seat at the table in the back of the room and watched as the students took their seats. She looked extremely cool and collected. The Potions Master wondered if she stopped in her rooms and dipped herself in a conjured barrel of never-melting ice water. Her amber eyes rested on him attentively along with the rest of the classroom. She evidenced none of the lust she had earlier in the day.

Well, at least her demeanor made his resolve easier, though the thought of what occurred earlier and what would happen between them tonight still had him on point concerning her. He walked up to the blackboard and wrote the word "LAB" in large letters.

He turned on the class and with a billow of robes, strode to the front of his desk, his black eyes slowly passing over each and every one of his pupils..

Hermione looked cool, but she thought he was magnificent as he glared at his blanching students.

"This afternoon we will be brewing a draught which causes an effect that most of you in this class exhibit naturally when required to use even the slightest amount of brain power, namely the 'Confusing & Befuddlement Draught'," the Professor said with a sneer. He walked back to the blackboard, picked up the chalk and wrote as he spoke.

"The ingredient for the draught are as follows: sneezewort, scurvy-grass, and lovage. The sneezewort leaves are powdered, and this ingredient lives up to its name, so please, fight your idiotic inclinations to snort it. You may blow out what little brains you have clinging to your skulls. Scurvy-grass is a sea-coast plant with four-petaled cross-shaped white flowers. At one time eaten by sailors to prevent scurvy. There is no reason for any of you to consume it. And lovage, also known as Levisticum officinale, is used in cooking and as a medicinal herb. It is a member of the carrot family native to southern muggle Europe."

Severus proceeded to write the brewing instructions on the board.

"As you can see, this is a fairly simple draught to brew and can be completed during class. Be precise in your measurements, and especially the timing. Adding the ingredients too soon can result in rather messy consequences. Since there are only three ingredients to this potion, I can see no reason for any errors."

Severus looked at Hermione.

"Miss Granger, if you would kindly go to my lab and wheel out the cart of ingredients," he said to her, his black eyes glittering as he looked at the witch despite himself.

"Yes, Professor," Hermione replied as she rose and walked to his lab.

In a few moments she wheeled out a cart that held three separated piles of ingredients, the sneezewort in small bowls, the lovage and scurvy-grass in bundles. She stopped near the lab doors.

Severus instructed the students to set the cauldrons on high and add the bottle of base sitting next to them. After they did this, they approached Hermione row by row, and she handed out the ingredients. The students returned to their desks and began working on brewing the draughts.

Hermione watched as Severus walked between the rows, observing the students work, occasionally snapping at them when they were about to make a mistake. She wheeled the cart back into the stores area, and began to put the remaining items away. After she had done so, she began unbuttoning her robes. When she finished, she took a deep calming breath.

"Professor Snape!" she called loudly, "Could you come here a moment? I need your assistance."

Severus looked up in the direction of the witch's voice.

"Pay attention to what you are doing," he hissed at the class, "I will be back momentarily."

He walked to the stores area, seeing the empty cart outside the door. Hermione must be in the storeroom itself. He strode into it, but didn't see her. Suddenly the door closed. Hermione had been pressed against the wall when he entered. He'd walked right by her.

Severus spun, scowling when the door closed.

"Hermione, what are…." His voice faltered as he looked at the witch, her robes open, her lovely body visible. He swallowed as she quickly walked up to him and took his hands and placed them on her waist.

"You left me hanging earlier," she breathed as she rubbed herself against him. The Potions Master's nostrils flared, and his hands began to move over her soft curves with a mind of their own.

"You should be thankful for that," he growled.

His eyes widened as Hermione drew her wand and flicked it at his robes, which fell open, revealing his white shirt and black trousers underneath.

"Unlike you, Miss Granger, I am wearing clothing," he breathed, his hand slipping over her bra-clad breast.

"I know," she said. She steeled herself, then slipped her hand down the front of his trousers and touched his erection lightly. The Potions Master hissed.

"You minx," he seethed, grasping her by her buttocks and pulling her into him. "You're going to make me do this aren't you?"

"Yes," she breathed. Her hand tried to close over his shaft, but wouldn't reach around his girth completely.

Hermione's eyes widened as the Potions Master looked down at her.

"I'm quite a handful, aren't I?" he purred.

Hermione's hand ran the length of him. His cock didn't seem to have an end. She began to tremble. Suddenly Severus lifted her and slid her on to the shelving, pulling her forward with one hand as he tore at his trouser fastenings with the other.

"Since you are so insistent, Hermione," he panted at her, "I have no choice but to deflower you here…but it will only be a warm-up. I cannot possibly take you the way I want under these conditions. But still…"

Severus quickly opened his pants, lowered his boxers and pulled out his organ. Hermione's eyes went wide at the sheer size of it. He looked at her.

"Being deflowered by me will be a bit of an ordeal, Miss Granger," he breathed, pulling her closer and positioning himself between her legs. He pressed against the crotch of her soaked knickers.

"You want this?" he asked, pressing into her softness hard.

Hermione looked down at him. Gods he was so big…but Circe she wanted him inside her. The ache was killing her.

"Yes…yes," she breathed, pushing herself forward and rolling her pelvis, leaning her head back and groaning as her core rubbed against him through the wet fabric of her knickers.

Severus pulled her knickers aside and pressed against her hot, slick flesh. He rested against her hymen, pulsing against the witch, who was looking down at the huge member the wizard was about to impale her on. She was trembling badly with need, biting her lip, preparing herself for the initial pain. It was happening. At last.

"Damn," Severus breathed, grabbing her by her ass, preparing to thrust into her as hard as he could. He had to make it quick…that was the only way. His dark, lust-filled eyes met her hungry, amber ones.

"On the count of three, Hermione," he breathed, holding her so tightly his fingers were digging into her flesh, "One…two…"

Hermione closed her eyes.

Suddenly there was an explosion out in the classroom. Severus started and pulled his hips back, his head turning toward the sound.

"Nooooo!" Hermione groaned, clutching at him as he quickly tucked his member back in his trousers. The Potions Master pulled out his wand and fixed both his and her clothing then flung the door open and ran back to his class.

The students in the last two rows were stumbling about stupidly, some of them engaging in altercations, as the rest of the class stared at them open-mouthed.

"Help me restrain them," the Potions Master shouted at the class. The unaffected students rushed forward and grabbed at the babbling, struggling students. Severus then placed binding spells on all of them, locking them in place. He made the other students return to their work.

A red-faced and clearly frustrated Hermione walked out of the stores area. Somebody, someplace didn't like her, she was sure of it. She scowled at the bound students as Severus talked to Poppy through the classroom floo. Little cockblockers, every single one of them. She felt like hexing them. She watched as Severus levitated the bound students one by one, sending them through the floo. Obviously Poppy was getting them on the other side. Finally, he sent the last one through. He looked back at Hermione. There was no sign on his face acknowledging how close they had come.

"Miss Granger, please oversee the rest of the class and collect their potions when they are completed. They may leave when they have cleaned up the work area," he said, stepping through the floo and disappearing.

Hermione walked up to his desk, walked around it and sat down, scowling at the class with almost as much venom as the Potions Master. The pupils swallowed and finished working.

Shit. She couldn't believe this! It was as if the gods of shagging were all against her. Severus could be in the infirmary for hours with his students. Merlin's balls this sucked.

Hermione watched the students work sullenly, feeling as if the entire universe was trying to be some kind of fucking chaperone. She imagined no witch in wizarding world history ever had this much trouble trying to get shagged. She muttered an obscenity as a student walked up with a flask. His face turned bright red.

"Don't look like that," Hermione snarled at him. "Haven't you ever heard a colorful metaphor before? You've left your draught, so stop gawking at me and go clean up!"

The student hurried back to his desk and started cleaning, looking up at the witch furtively from time to time as she glared at the class, thinking she was just as, if not more snarky and bad-tempered than Snape was.

---

It was nine o'clock at night by the time Poppy got all of the students right again. Severus flooed to his rooms, wondering if Hermione had given up on him. If she had been furious with him about Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, she had to be rabid about what happened in the storeroom. No matter. He was going to get a shower, throw on his boxers and his robes, then go to her rooms. She was coming with him, he didn't care how pissed she was, he'd stun her and throw her over his shoulder if he had to. Hermione Granger was getting deflowered and very soundly taken tonight.

"What a temptress," he thought as he walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower and divestoed his clothing. She had cleanly seduced him. But what the hell else could he have done when she slipped her hot little hand down his trousers? He didn't suspect she even had that much nerve. She was a virgin for Circe's sake.

"But she doesn't want to be one," his mind whispered to him. "She wants you. Badly."

He stepped into the shower. He went instantly hard as he remembered pressing himself against her hymen, and the way she looked at him, so hungry, so willing, so wanton. The way she closed her eyes as he counted down, expecting and desiring the pain of his penetration and what would follow it. Hermione was a conscientious witch, but she didn't give a damn about the explosion when it happened. That was a sure sign that the witch wanted him desperately. Gryffindors always ran to trouble. But she didn't want to go, or want him to go. Gods, she had been so hot and wet for him, he could only imagine what it felt like to her.

Severus gripped his throbbing member.

"Don't worry witch…there will be no more interruptions," he breathed.

---

Hermione sat curled in the armchair, showered, squeaky clean and dressed in her short silk nightie. Her chin rested on her knee. He couldn't be back yet. He would have come for her, wouldn't he? But then again, he might be exhausted and decided to wait until he was better rested. She hoped not, prayed not…there was an unbearable knot in her belly that bothered her so badly she tried to take care of it herself, but no matter how much she diddled, she couldn't orgasm. She suspected Severus' long fingers had ruined her. Her body knew now her own hands weren't the real thing. She stared at the door, willing the Potions Master to materialize outside of it and knock loud and hard for her.

An image of the Potions Master on top of her, his pale body rocking back and forth strongly shaking the headboard flashed through her mind. She jerked in the chair in reaction as she willed the image away. She had been fighting those images ever since he went to the infirmary. It was as if her body were generating fantasies in an effort to rouse her to some kind of action. If she didn't have a hymen, she might have transformed something into a dildo, but she didn't have the luxury of being able to relieve herself that way…yet. Not if she wanted Severus to deflower her.

Gods, she needed him. Where was he?

---

Severus slipped on his robes and buttoned them up. As he was doing so Raucous waddled into the room and squawked at him reproachfully. He sent an image of a decimated raven and then of fish.

Severus looked down at the transformed dodo.

"Oh, I'm sorry Raucous. It's been a busy day and going to be an even busier night. I'll have some fish sent down immediately," the Potions Master said, finishing buttoning up his robes and walking to the floo to order the bird some food.

Dodo Raucous looked in the Potions Master's mind and saw him furiously mating with the hated Hermione. He squawked distastefully. This mating would probably be a good thing to the witch, and she didn't deserve anything good.

In a moment a house elf appeared with a large platter of fish. Severus brought it out into the study and set it down in a corner, the dodo rolling after him. As Raucous ate, the Potions Master laid some parchment down next to the platter.

"You're going to have to stay out here tonight, Raucous," the Potions Master said.

The dodo scowled at him. He had planned on sleeping in the Potions Master room like he did last night.

"I don't think Hermione will take kindly to you watching me bust a new hole in her," Severus said, feeling himself throb.

Raucous sent him and image of an extended middle finger followed by a devil-Hermione.

"That's just what I intend to do," the Potions Master said, walking toward the study entrance. "I need you to behave yourself tonight, Raucous. No trying to attack her when I bring her in. Just for tonight."

Raucous clipped his crooked beak non-commitally.

The Potions Master opened the study wall, entered his office and exited into the corridor. He walked swiftly down to Hermione's rooms. He raised his fist to knock, then hesitated. He tried the door. It was locked, but he didn't feel a ward in place.

He took out his wand and said softly, "Alohamora" He heard the door click.

Inside her rooms, Hermione heard the click as well. She instantly went on point as the door was flung open and Severus strode in. He stopped for a moment, his black eyes sweeping over her. The way she was sitting, he could see her fine crop of chestnut hair covering her sex. His jaw tightened, as did his loins.

Hermione was frozen in place. She felt she couldn't breathe, much less move

Severus looked at her a moment longer, then strode over to her, grasping her by her arm and yanking her out of the chair.

"My rooms. Now," he hissed at her, his nostrils flaring with desire as he scented her arousal.

She had creamed herself when he pulled up out of the chair so roughly.

He had a good grip on her arm as he walked her through her door, closing it behind them then took her to his office entrance and pushed her through the door, closing it also. He was so focused on the witch it hadn't occurred to him that someone might have seen him bringing the nightgown clad witch to his rooms. No one did however.

Hermione stopped and looked at him. Severus scowled at her hesitation and gestured to the open study wall.

"Through the study and straight to my bedroom," he breathed at her, his eyes hard with lust.

Hermione's heart was pounding. He was so commanding…so hard. She just stood there, staring at him.

Severus frowned at Hermione before he impatiently strode toward her and swept her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing. He carried the witch through his study, past a glaring Raucous and into his bedroom.

He set her down, closed, locked and securely warded the door, then turned to her. He didn't say a word to her, just started unbuttoning his robes, his black eyes never leaving her face. His gaze was set and intensely focused. Hermione was reminded of the way the Potions Master looked at Marcus when he was waiting for Hagrid to give the command to fight.

Hermione swallowed as she realized that was the way he looked when he was about to get physical. Very physical.

He peeled off his robes, tossed them across the room to the chair and stood before her, his lean, pale body taut, every muscle defined by his tenseness. His silk boxers were enormously tented.

"You have haunted me this entire day, Hermione. First, this morning, with your orgasm at my hands. The taste of you is embedded in my memory. Then, your responsiveness in Myrtle's bathroom, how you drove me to the point of taking you. Myrtle spared you. Then this afternoon, when you were brazen enough to call me to the storeroom and stick your hot, little hands down my boxers, when I knew you had never touched a wizard in that manner in your life, driving me to the point of taking you again, and I felt your heat and your readiness, and was actually was in the position to penetrate you. But again you were saved," he said in a low, controlled voice.

Severus took a step toward her. The witch began to noticeably tremble as that strong body eased toward her, slowly, dangerously like a big cat stalking its prey. Suddenly, she felt very small, and very vulnerable, despite the heat washing over her body.

"Well, Hermione there is no Myrtle here, or any dunderheaded students to save you from me now, witch. There is nothing between you and I but a small stretch of skin that protects your virtue. I am taking that now…all of it, and all of you."

He strode up to her, and stood an hands breath away, looking down at her, the heat and strength pulsating off his body making the witch's senses whirl.

"You've been saving yourself for me. I believe it's time for me to empty the account," he said. He caught the bottom of her nightgown in both hands and slowly pulled it up, revealing her body inch by inch.

"Lift your arms, witch," he breathed.

Hermione obeyed and he pulled the gown over her head, removing it completely and throwing it to the chair, where it joined his robes. He placed his hands on her hips, and slowly slid them up her body, over her waist and around the curve of her breasts, over her collarbone, and up her throat, then through her hair. The witch's eyes went half-lidded at the feel of his hands on her body. Suddenly, he lifted her and carried her to the bed and lay her down in it.

Severus looked down on her beautiful body, his black eyes drifting down over her breasts, flat belly, narrow waist and coming to rest on the chestnut bush between her thighs. Hermione shifted anxiously under his gaze and he could see the wetness glistening on her inner thighs. The Potions Master let out a low growl.

Hermione never felt so vulnerable or turned on in her life. It felt as if a river were flowing out of her, she could feel her thighs becoming wet. And gods, did he just growl at her?

Severus lowered his boxers, his erection springing out as if it were hiding for a surprise party and the guest of honor just walked in. Hermione caught her breath. The Potions Master was huge. He didn't have a penis, he had a battering ram. The Potions Master watched the emotions play across the witch's face as she looked at the part of him that would soon be part of her. There was nervousness, but hunger and lust as well. And then…he looked at her closely as her eyes slid back up to his…there was tenderness too, a glow behind the fire not caused by her body's need, but by something deeper, something separate…something…

Severus climbed into the bed, his body skimming hers as he moved over her, positioning himself over her small body, breathing heavily as his erection dragged across her thigh. He looked down at Hermione, finally underneath him. He held himself up by one hand as he slapped her leg to make her move it, spreading herself wider as he positioned his thick organ against her warmth, hissing as the head slid through her wetness. She was well lubricated. She arched slightly, moaning as he slid over her clit in the process of settling against her opening.

"Bend your knees more," he breathed at her. She did as he asked, her breasts rising and falling with emotion and need as her knees rose on either side of his body.

"Yes, that's perfect, my little virgin," he growled. He was ready to take her.

"Wrap your arms around me…hold on to me," he whispered, pressing against her lightly, preparing himself to lunge.

Severus felt moment of hesitation as the witch wrapped her arms around him as best she could. She had to hold on to his lower back, he was too tall to reach his neck. He could feel her fingertips playing over his scars, and her nails. More than likely she would reflexively embed them in his back when he deflowered her.

"Look at me," he breathed as Hermione's eyes swept over his poised body, "Look me in my eyes. I want to see what you look like when you take me inside you."

Hermione looked up into the face of the wizard she'd longed for all this time. He had a slight frown on his face, but it wasn't anger or displeasure. Those black eyes were locked to hers.

"You have such beautiful eyes," she whispered

"They reflect what they see, Hermione," he growled, lifting his hips slightly, focused on his target. A look of determination washed over his features and Hermione knew this was it.

"Say goodbye to your virginity," he whispered, then he thrust into the witch, ripping through her hymen and forcing himself through her slick tightness, as the witch arched against him, digging her nails into his back and screaming as if he had mortally wounded her, tears rolling down her face as he stretched her around his thick shaft.

Hermione writhed under him, making small noises like a hurt animal as he held himself steady inside her tight heat, hissing with pleasure and forcing himself not to start thrusting yet as she clutched him, pulsing with life. He was inside her, the only wizard to have her like this, and he hadn't felt anything so delicious, so exquisite in many, many years. Severus lowered himself to his elbows and licked the tears from her cheeks, savoring the salt of them, looking at the witch, memorizing the moment of her deflowerment. Finally, she fell still, her chest still rising and falling.

"That hurt," she whispered up at him.

"A necessary pain," he replied softly though his black eyes glittered at her. "Now…"

He pulled back, sliding his shaft almost completely out of her, causing the witch to squeal in pleasure and alarm as she felt his hardness withdrawing. He was so close, a part of her, she didn't want him to leave her now. Instinctively she thrust her hips up, not wanting Severus to break their contact, their entwining.

"Oh my gods, Severus, don't…don't…" Hermione moaned as the Potions Master eased his thick shaft back inside her, parting her sensitive flesh and filling her.

"You like that?" he asked her, his voice shuddering with pleasure as he began to gently stroke the witch, her warmth and tightness caressing him, his lower body already covered in her free flowing juices.

"Yes. You feel so good," she breathed as his hardness soothed her ache, eased her need.

"Move your hips…meet me, show me you want it," he hissed, rotating his pelvis and making her cry out in delight as she thrust forward, taking him deeper. Gods, he was so big it was like having a bat moving inside her, stretching her, a warm, pulsing bat of iron and velvet sending waves of pleasure washing over her with every penetration. She could feel every ridge of his thick, throbbing organ parting her flesh over and over. Gods, he felt so good.

Severus' bottom lip hung slack as he buried himself gently in and out of the moaning witch, sliding deeper slowly with each thrust, holding back, not quite hitting bottom yet. Her voice was beautiful, as was she, her brow wrinkled, her amber eyes half-closed as he took her. This was for Hermione, however. Her first orgasm would be gentle, befitting a virgin. But once he got it out of the way…

"Faster," Hermione moaned.

Severus moved faster, his buttocks clenching between her thighs as he made the witch arch and groan louder. He hit bottom for the first time and she buckled, her eyes flying open as he began to bang against her cervix, causing her to cry out rhythmically at the small, welcome ache he was causing as he started taking her a bit harder. It stung, but it was a good sting, it was a sting she wanted…there was something just on the other side of it she needed. Her body started to jerk under his increasing speed, and Severus watched her full breasts bounce and jiggle in time with his thrusts. It was getting harder to hold back…he needed to bring her to orgasm soon so he could take the witch the way she really deserved. If she wasn't a virgin he'd be bouncing her off the headboard by now. The Potions Master began to angle his thrusts, holding himself against her, working at bringing her to release, pulling out almost completely and sliding his full length in and out of her over and over, stimulating the witch as much as he could.

Hermione began to keen, her body heating up, and Severus started pistoning into her faster, still holding back, checking himself, hitting her just hard enough to take her higher, closer to the edge without losing himself. He felt her tightening, and gritted his teeth to keep from slamming into her like he wanted to.

"Severus, Severus, oh gods oh gods oh gods oh gods…"

Hermione stiffened, then began shuddering, digging her nails into his back again as she exploded over him with a shriek, orgasming so strongly he felt as if she were choking him, her liquid heat flowing over him as her body sucked at him hungrily. He groaned, and stilled, enjoying the sensation of her first surrender.

"I love you, Severus," the witch gasped, her eyes rolling up into her head as she was lost to bliss.

At her declaration, Severus closed his eyes and mentally started counting back from one hundred to try and keep from tearing into the spasming witch. It was next to impossible to keep from throwing her legs over his shoulders and ramming himself deep inside her sweet body, but he managed. He still had control. But he could tell it wouldn't last much longer, his erection felt as if it were inflating even larger inside her tight, rippling sleeve.

"Hurry up, witch" he thought selfishly as Hermione slowly began to come back, the pulsing easing. Finally, Hermione's eyes snapped open and looked up at him, shining with passion and release.

"That was amazing," she breathed, her face full of wonder.

Severus was in no mood for praise. He slid out of the witch, and pulled her up into a sitting position. Hermione saw there was blood on his loins and thighs. Her blood. The proof that she had kept herself for him. The proof that he had taken her.

"That was a warm-up," he growled, grabbing her waist and twisting her body around roughly, "A minimal shagging suitable for panting little virgins. Now that I've done my duty posing as a gentle deflowerer, Hermione, it's time for the real thing…and a little payback in the process."

---

A/N: Ooh lala. That is the end of part three. Plenty more to come. This is a looooong one ya'll. Thanks for reading.