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.

4. Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery 4

Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery Part 4

Severus turned Hermione around on the bed, adjusting her so she was on her hands and knees.

"What is…"she began as she felt the Potions Master move behind her.

"This is known as the 'bitch' position, Hermione," Severus breathed as he kneeled behind her, one hand resting on the small of her back, then sliding up to grip her small shoulder. "This position fits the occasion, since its name adequately describes what you've been acting like for the past several weeks."

Hermione felt him playing in her hair, running his hand through it. Suddenly she felt him grip a handful of it, and pull it back roughly, yanking her head back.

"You put those fish in my room," he hissed at her, positioning himself at her entrance.

"Let go of my hair," she gasped, but she was turned on by him holding her like this. She felt so powerless, so at his mercy. Still, she didn't want him to know that she was weird like this, so she protested.

"And leave you riderless? I don't think so, Hermione," Severus said, sliding inside the witch with a groan.

Hermione let out a moan of pleasure as he filled her again. She felt him draw back, and anticipated another pleasurable thrust.

Severus hesitated, then rammed into the witch as hard as he could, hissing as he hit bottom. Hermione let out a cry at his power and the ache as she buckled. She squirmed and Severus yanked her hair roughly.

"Trying to go someplace Hermione?" he hissed as he drove his huge member deep into her tightness again, his loins slapping against her loudly as the witch let out another satisfying howl. Oh yes, that's what he wanted to hear. Hermione's voice sent a jolt of electricity throughout his pale body.

The Potions Master slammed into her again, grunting with pleasure and whispering something unintelligible as Hermione clutched and writhed around him, her back arching upward.

"Does it hurt?" he breathed at the witch, who let out another broken cry.

Yes it hurt, but gods, he was so good. So strong She had expected him to be like this, and Severus didn't disappoint as he took over her body selfishly.

"You'll get used to it," he groaned, beginning to slam into the witch over and over, his mouth dropping open as he plunged into her wetness strongly, trying to drive himself through her sweet body, pulling her hair back so she couldn't crawl away from him, pummeling her with abandon.

"This, you minx," he grunted as he stroked her powerfully, "is for the fish you put in my rooms, for the stuck drawers, the dried quills, my chair, for flaunting your curvaceous little body at me and throwing me off my game…

He increased his speed, releasing Hermione's hair and forcing her head down to the pillows so her buttocks were up in the air. He gripped her buttocks with one spread hand pulling her roughly into his stroke as he held her head down with the other, keeping her from rising or moving away from him as he drove into her, a grimace of delight on his face as he took her, watching his glistening organ bury itself in her as the witch wailed, trapped under him. Ooh, he had wanted this.

"And this is for not taking no for an answer, taking liberties with my given name, having a smart mouth in general, hexing my familiar, kicking me in the balls…

He gave her a particularly vicious series of strokes as he said this indignity, the witch howling hoarsely at the top of her lungs. The Potions Master gripped her right leg and lifted it, twisting the witch as he placed it against his right shoulder and arching into her body, working her leg as he rolled inside her, twisting his hips so her cries had renewed ardor

"and for disapparating with me to Voldemort…"

He stopped and flipped the witch over on her back, throwing her legs over his shoulders quickly, grasping her wrists and plunging as deep as he could inside her, pinning her to the mattress, his black eyes locked to her face as Hermione cried out, her eyes wild, wet with pain, passion and surrender. Severus stopped and held himself deep inside her warmth, shuddering slightly. She whimpered a bit, unable to speak she was so far gone.

"and this is for almost dying on me you crazy witch," he breathed. But his eyes softened just a bit before his lust took over and he lifted his hips high and began to drive into her again, grunting and groaning appreciatively as she squished around him, her juices glistening against his loins. That's how he knew she liked this…her body was lubing him liberally, his shaft shining as if generously oiled. She was so soft, so wet, so deep, so responsive and so fucking beautiful, crying out under him. How such a lovely witch locked her sights on him, he'd never know but he was grateful as he rammed into her again and again, claiming every inch of her gift to him.

Hermione gave herself over to the Potions Master, orgasming several toe-curling times, surrendering to the power of his possession. She had no choice, he wouldn't give her one. She had wanted him and this was him at his most primal, at his most free. Demanding, covetous, rough, hard, vengeful and full of lust. And Hermione was blown away, intoxicated and inflamed by his desire, his passion, his complete domination, willing to take the pain for his pleasure and for hers, discovering there was something inside her that wanted it, wanted him just this way as he pounded mercilessly inside her, getting as close to her as he could, entwining, merging, claiming her body as his own.

Severus rode the witch like a thoroughbred, his muscles straining and pale body dripping sweat down on her as he took all he could from the her, pleasure shooting through his shaft and fanning throughout his body. Hermione had stopped crying out now, her mouth stuck in a permanent "o", her breath expelled roughly, forced from her body as he plunged into her over and over. He knew she was going to be sore when he was finished with her, he'd been riding her for quite a while, unable to help himself. His chest was burning now, his lungs feeling as if they were on fire as he exhausted his last bit of strength on the witch.

Hermione tightened around him again, and this time when her climax rolled over him it triggered a response, and he cried out hoarsely as he slammed into the witch, dropping on her heavily and ejaculating, bliss streaming through him as he released his seed into her warm body, reveling in the final claiming, the absolute completion of his possession. Hermione trembled beneath his weight, feeling the hotness of his come flooding her body, his silky voice whispering delicious obscenities and finally his mouth locking to hers, his tongue finding hers, the wizard panting into her mouth for a moment before he slipped away, burying his face in her hair, his heart pounding against her own.

For this moment, he was hers…totally, and she felt a sense of fulfillment she had never known before as the wizard she loved lay against her. He released her wrists, and her hand automatically went to his hair, caressing it as she felt him softening inside her. She could still feel his sting, however and knew whenever she attempted to move, she would feel it even more. But she didn't care, because it was Severus who caused it, Severus who gave her all she had craved and more.

They lay like that for several minutes before the wizard rolled off her, his flaccid member sliding out of her and falling sated against his thigh as the wizard settled on his back, his hair falling over the pillow, his eyes closed in satisfaction. He didn't embrace her however, but she was fine with that…his presence was companionable, intimate and satisfying. His pale chest rose and fell rhythmically, as did his rippled belly. Hermione, unable to help herself, reached out and ran her hand over the strong ridges. The Potions Master smirked, his eyes still closed as he felt her small, warm hand moving over his body.

"Still curious, witch?" he asked her rather gruffly, but Hermione could hear the pleasure in his voice. He was pleased with her.

"I'll always be curious about you," she replied softly.

Severus turned his head and looked at her, his black eyes glinting.

"It sounds like you plan on dissecting me like you do one of your cerebral puzzles," he said in a low voice that reverberated through the witch deliciously.

Hermione gave him a naughty little grin.

"I assure you, Severus. There is nothing 'cerebral' about it," she replied, running her hand up his chest emboldened now.

He scowled at her, but Hermione knew it wasn't a true scowl.

"Do you think just because I've shagged you, you can take liberties with my body?" he asked her, his nostrils flaring a bit.

Hermione frowned at him.

"I certainly do. I deserve the right, especially after the beating you put me through. I didn't think you'd be so vindictive," she said.

Severus arched a disbelieving eyebrow at her.

"All right," she conceded, knowing he knew better than that, "Maybe I did…but still I have a claim on your body too."

"So, you're claiming me then, witch?" he growled at her. He was going to take her again. She still had quite a bit of audacity left.

"Yes," Hermione said evenly. This was not going to be a one-sided affair. She was going to have some rights to that delicious hard body too.

The Potions Master was about to reply when suddenly his eyes changed a bit. It looked as if he were listening to something. Hermione looked at him curiously.

"No, Raucous. She's not," he said glibly.

Hermione looked at him. Severus smirked at her wryly.

"Raucous wanted to know if you were dead yet," he said. He's disappointed I didn't shag you to death. He doesn't approve of me sleeping with the enemy."

"Fuck Raucous," Hermione seethed.

The wizard chuckled.

"He said the same thing about you earlier. I assured him I would. Very thoroughly," Severus said, a small grin playing across his face. "I think I succeeded in that, though I am far from finished with you."

His black eyes swept down her body. There were parts of her he would like to explore more thoroughly. She had a sweet taste and he wanted more of it. He'd also like to bring her to climax with his tongue.

Hermione hesitated.

"Well, I was planning on returning to my rooms, Severus. I'm a little sore and achy. It's been a lot to handle in one night," she said softly.

Severus frowned at her, and rolled to face her, his eyes hard.

"You wanted to be with me this way, Hermione. Sore and achy is going to be your natural state for a while until you get used to me. I said I'm not finished with you, and I'm not," he hissed, a dangerous, lustful look on his face. "You will not be leaving my rooms tonight."

"But I hurt," she said, protesting.

"I will give you something for the pain. You are not leaving. I am not finished with you," he said, anger in his voice. He pressed against her, and Hermione could feel him hardening again.

"And if you continue to try and defy me, witch…I'll skip the potions and just take you again," he threatened. Hermione's eyes flashed at him. He was lucky she didn't have her wand with her.

Severus saw the mutinous look in her eyes, and inwardly he was pleased. She wasn't going to let him walk all over her, despite the fact he was her lover now. He intended to keep this going. Why not? She was lovely, responsive and wanted him as he was. And a good shag. She'd only improve as he started teaching her what he liked.

He throbbed a bit as he thought of what liberties he would take with the witch. Now when she smarted off at him, he could drag her someplace and punish her sexually. He liked that idea.

"Why are you looking like that?" Hermione asked him suspiciously.

A dark light had filled his eyes for a moment there. She could tell he was thinking decidedly evil thoughts, most likely about her.

"Do you want to continue…this?" Severus asked her, gesturing between their bodies.

Despite Severus' Neanderthal reaction to her wanting to leave, Hermione knew she wanted nothing more than to be the dark wizard's lover. There was no one else that moved her as he did. And she loved him, even if he didn't love her. Maybe that would change over time. It was clear, however that he was drawn to her, and she believed he wanted her.

"Do you want to continue this?" she asked him back.

"Answering a question with a question is exceedingly bad form, Hermione," he replied, "however I would like to keep bedding you, yes."

Well, it wasn't a declaration of deep, abiding emotion, but it was honest. Hermione appreciated honesty.

"Well, with that wonderfully subtle declaration of how you feel, how can I resist?" she said sarcastically.

Severus smirked at her. He approved of well-placed sarcasm.

"Yes, I want to continue with you, Severus. You know how I feel about you," she said softly.

Severus realized he had just made a kind of commitment to a woman. He hadn't done that in many years. His stomach tightened a little.

"Hermione…I have to let you know this again…I have a difficult time trusting women. If you were to betray me with another wizard, my wrath would be great. If we continue, you have to assure me that you will not sleep with anyone else but me," he said, his black eyes luminous. If she were to betray him in such a fashion, his rage would be terrible against her.

Hermione looked at the wizard. There was unresolved pain in his eyes.

"I solemnly vow I will have no wizard other than Severus Snape, the man I love," she said.

Severus' eyes widened in shock.

"No, Hermione!" he cried as he felt the powerful magic of her Oath swirl around them, binding her to her word forever.

Dear Merlin, she had taken a Wizarding Oath. Now she could never have another man until he died.

"What did you do that for?" he hissed at her, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her roughly.

Hermione shrugged out of his grasp.

"It was the only way I could assure you, Severus. You have too many issues to have taken me at my word," she said softly. "I didn't want you constantly worrying about me being unfaithful. That kind of thing could drive you insane."

He looked at her.

"But what if this doesn't work out, Hermione? What if you want to leave me, or I want to leave you? You will still be bound never to let another wizard touch you," he said to her, his voice thick.

"If that happens, then I will deal with it Severus. It won't be your concern," she said softly.

Damn the witch with her Gryffindor nature. How could she do this?

Hermione could tell his thoughts.

"I did it because I love you, Severus. That's going to sink in one day, I hope," she said, her amber eyes filled with that tender emotion as she looked at him.

Severus swallowed. His eyes swept over her again. Then he rolled out of the bed.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked him, frowning slightly at his abrupt departure from the bed. He better not be trying to walk out on her already.

His black eyes glinted down at her.

"To get you some potion," he said, his eyes dropping to his erection meaningfully, before he turned, picked his wand up off the small night table, walked to the door naked and unwarded it.

He exited the room, closing the door behind him.

Hermione scowled as she heard him warding the door securely from the other side, sealing her in.

He wasn't taking any chances that she'd slip away from him while he was in his potions store.

He owed her for the Oath.

---

Hermione had never been in a relationship before, but she was sure that the one she and Severus had was definitely abnormal. Severus, on the other hand was like a randy child with a new sexual toy. Hermione had more sex in the following three weeks of their relationship then most people had in months. The Potions Master was insatiable and quite sneaky. When Hermione agreed to be his lover, she had no idea it was a twenty-four hour commitment. The halls of Hogwarts had never seen so much action by one couple.

It wasn't uncommon for Severus to snatch her out of the corridor while disillusioned, drag her into a niche, cast a silencing spell and get himself a rough quickie. If anyone had seen Hermione, they would have thought she was getting herself off in some strange way, pressed face-first into the wall, her robes thrown over her back, her jeans and knickers around her ankles. When he was finished, he'd give her a quick kiss on the cheek, scourgify both of them, and go his snarky little way.

By far the worst example of the Potions Master's randiness occurred while Hermione was sitting in on a transfiguration class during a lecture given by Minerva. Hermione place was at a rather high table at the back of the class, near the door. She was listening attentively to the Professor, when the door to the class opened and closed quietly, no one really noticing, though Hermione looked at the closed door. She had felt a little breeze.

Suddenly she felt a hand sliding up her leg under the table, and she squealed. Professor McGonagall stopped lecturing, her lips in a thin line as she looked at Hermione.

"Are you all right, Miss Granger?" she asked, frowning at the witch.

"I'm sorry, Professor. My leg got a spasm," Hermione lied as the warm hand continued to slide up her leg under her robes. She was wearing a skirt.

"Severus," she hissed in a low voice, "Stop it…get out of here now."

Now her robes were shifting. She looked down and a head could clearly been seen under it, moving toward her core.

"No!" she hissed as she felt her hips roughly yanked forward so she slouched in the chair. The crotch of her knickers was slowly yanked aside and the robe-covered head moved forward. She buckled as Severus' tongue slid between her thighs with a long, slow, wet lick. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, and turned red as he lapped at her, using his big nose to stimulate her.

Professor McGonagall's eyes fell on the red-faced witch.

"You look flushed, Miss Granger. Do you need to go to the infirmary?" Minerva asked as Severus thrust his tongue in and out of her.
"N..no Professor," Hermione replied, forcing her voice to remain steady. "I'll be fine."

Severus enjoyed Hermione thoroughly as she gritted her teeth, trying not to react.

"Kill you," she gasped.

Severus responded to her threat by thrusting two fingers inside her and shagging her with his long digits, twisting them inside her until she orgasmed. Hiding an orgasm during a lecture in a classroom full of students is a hard thing to pull off. McGonagall stared after Hermione as the witch suddenly jumped up and fled the room, running to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and letting loose with a yowl, collapsing against the wall as Myrtle watched, shaking her semi-transparent head as the witch shuddered, obviously in the throes of climax.

"You really need to see someone about your sexual deviancy," the ghost commented as the witch panted, her head falling forward, her pelvis gyrating slightly as her release flowed out of her.

Hermione leveled her dilated eyes at the ghost.

"Myrtle," she gasped, "go fl…"

Myrtle held up her hand to stop the witch from continuing.

"I know," the ghost said tiredly, "go flush myself."

---

Raucous had recovered from his stint as a dodo relatively unscathed physically. But mentally, he suffered greatly and picked his birdie brain for a suitable response. Shitting on Hermione just wasn't good enough for this indignity. She used magic on him all the time. It was distinctly unfair, he had no magic to retaliate with.

He was out flying about the grounds, when he noticed two third years huddled by a copse of trees. Raucous learned long ago huddling students meant something interesting was going on, so he flapped over and settled in the branches of a nearby tree to watch them.

They had a small sack. One student opened and tipped it, a few hard candies falling into his palm.

The brown-hair boy studied them for a moment, then said to his blonde companion, "They look good enough. Try one."

The blonde wizard shook his head.

"Aw, come on. They're harmless. They wouldn't sell them if they weren't okay. Don't be a pussy," the wizard cajoled his friend.

"I don't trust them. What if I don't change back, Joseph?" he asked, frowning down at the delicious looking candies.

The brown-haired wizard frowned at the boy as if he were a complete imbecile.

"Jared, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes guarantees all of their products or your galleons back," he said confidently, "These Canine Candies are as safe as pudding."

Jared looked doubtful, but picked up a glistening red candy with white swirls from Joseph's hand. He looked at it closely, then sniffed it.

"Strawberry crème," he said, licking his lips.

Raucous watched as the boy popped the candy in his mouth. He sucked on it.

"Wow, it's really good," he said to Joseph.

Then there was a pop, and a shaggy little white dog sat in the spot the wizard had occupied. Raucous' beak dropped open as Joseph rolled over laughing as the dog whined, sniffed around then went and peed on a tree. The transformation lasted about fifteen minutes, and Jared turned back into himself just as he was about to take a doggie dump. Joseph was in stitches as he put the candies back in the bag.

"These are great. We have to give a couple to people," he said grinning, holding up the bag.

Suddenly a dark shadow swooped past him, snagging the bag and ripping it from his hand.

"Hey!" both wizards shouted, running after Raucous, who winged away, the bag dangling from his beak as he headed back toward the castle.

Raucous flew into the owlery and darted through the floo, entering Severus' study. The bird flew over to the table that sat between the armchairs before the fire and dropped the bag down. Then he flew over to Severus' desk. The Potions Master had a small glass bowl of paper clips sitting there. Raucous tipped the clips out of the bowl, got a good grip on it and flew back to the table where the bag of candy rested.

Using his clawed foot to hold the bag in place, the raven pulled at the drawstring until he got the bag open, tilted it and shook the candies out. He picked them up one by one and placed them in the bowl in a little glistening pile, adjusting them until they looked the most inviting. Then he carried the bag up to the rafters and left it there.

He knew his master didn't like hard candy.

But Hermione did.

---

Severus stood in Hermione's study trying to defuse the witch's righteous anger. After a lot of cajoling, blustering, demanding and downright begging, the wizard convinced Hermione to come back with him to his rooms, promising the witch she could tie him up and have her way with him as punishment for his "little indiscretion" in the transfiguration class.

"Little indiscretion? Severus, you were giving me oral sex in the presence of over twenty students, not to mention Minerva, who is probably the most prudish witch in the wizarding world! How do you explain that?" she said angrily, even as she secretly flushed with pleasure.

It had been so wrong on so many levels, but so deliciously illicit. Severus was really ruining the witch the way he took her anyway and anywhere he wanted, making her like it. Hermione was becoming more Slytherin-like every day.

"It's your fault. You never should have told me you were wearing a skirt underneath your robes. The whole morning all I envisioned was the crotch of your knickers, damp, so easily accessible, and that sweet little…" he tried to explain before Hermione cut him off.

"What happened to the disciplined wizard I fell for?" she asked him, scowling.

Severus scowled back at her.

"I am not required to be disciplined when it comes to you. I am making up for lost time. Besides," he said, his dark eyes glittering at her, "I thought I was quite disciplined as I pleasured you. I didn't make a single noise or miss a single bit of your luscious flesh."

Hermione's eyes narrowed at him. Far from being cowed, Severus stepped closer to her, his eyes heated.

"You know you loved it. You love everything I do to you, you little wanton. You were made for shagging in niches and against walls," he hissed. "You like being manhandled. Don't think I don't know. You chose me because you knew instinctively that I would meet your all your twisted little needs."

Hermione flushed a bit. He was right, of course. She loved every bit of what he did to her. Still, the idea of tying Severus up intrigued Hermione. She had never done that before. Having the wizard at her mercy for once, appealed to her…especially since she felt absolutely merciless. He even knuckled under and said she could bring her wand. He usually forbade her to do so, because some nights he was so rough with her, he was sure she would have hexed him the moment she stopped orgasming. But Hermione was a tough little witch, and loved the way he took her. He knew the little witch was a masochist, which was fine with him. He had a thing for domination so it worked out perfectly as far as he was concerned.

"All right," she said, pointedly ignoring his pinpointing of her wantonness, "Leave your rooms open. I need to take a shower and I'll be over. Have the ropes ready and waiting."

Severus nodded, turned and exited her rooms.

Hermione smiled evilly as she headed for the bathroom. This was going to be fun.

---

Raucous fluttered down to the back of the armchair when he heard Hermione enter the Potions office. Severus was in his bedroom, waiting for her. The witch walked into the study, wearing a night robe, her white silk nightgown beneath it, her chestnut hair falling softly over her shoulders. She narrowed her eyes at Raucous the moment she saw him and brandished her wand.

"You shit on me tonight and I'll turn you into a set of quills," she threatened.

Raucous snapped his beak at the witch snarkily as she approached, then fluttered up to the rafters, his beady eyes glittering down at her as she noticed the bowl of candy.

"Ooh," she said, reaching out and selecting two pieces, popping them into her mouth.

---

Severus was testing the strength of several lengths of rope when he heard the bark, and Raucous cawing uproariously. He looked toward his study.

"What in the world…" he said, striding out into the study.

Raucous was perched on the back of the armchair, squawking in amusement at a little chestnut haired bitch that was jumping up at him ineffectively, growling and barking quite viciously. Severus looked at the animal, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Where did you come from?" he asked the bitch, who sat down and looked up at him, her head cocked and whining. It was then he saw Hermione's wand on the floor.

"Shit," he breathed.

Severus looked at Raucous sharply. The bird had tumbled off the back of the armchair into the seat. He was on his back, squawking and rolling with mirth. Then his eyes fell on the candy.

"Raucous, what did you do?" he asked his familiar, looking down at the whining bitch.

Raucous sent him images of the two third years, the charmed sweets, him stealing the candy and putting it in the glass dish. Severus watched as Hermione succumbed to her sweet tooth and popped two candies in her mouth. Then there was a little pop and her wand fell to the floor. The little bitch stood there for a moment as Raucous flew down to the back of the chair, then tried to reach the raven.

Hermione ran around the armchair, and grabbed Raucous by the tail feathers, yanking hard and growling. The startled bird let out a squawk and struggled to his feet, and tried to peck the animal as it dragged him out of the chair then released him, preparing to bite him properly. Severus didn't know what to do, but Raucous did. He launched himself toward the rafters and Hermione's sharp little teeth snapped at thin air. She ran under the rafters and jumped up at the bird, barking furiously.

Sighing, Severus picked up her wand and walked over to the snarling bitch and picked her up. The amber eyes looked up into his face and whined. He petted her gently as he carried her toward the bedroom. She was going to be furious when she recovered.

"Raucous, I suggest you retire to the owlery tonight," Severus said over his shoulder as Hermione growled. "When she transforms back, she's going to be livid. You aren't safe."

Raucous didn't care how pissed she was going to be. This was too good. He cawed negation down at Severus.

"Suit yourself," the Potions Master said, as he carried the transformed witch into his bedroom.

He approached the bed with her.

"You don't have fleas, do you?" he asked her.

Hermione promptly bit his finger and he dropped her into the bed.

"I'll take that as a no," he responded, mentally adding her biting him to her current list of offenses. He pulled out his wand and fixed the small wound. Then he sat down on the bed.

"Looks like I might have to use one of these ropes for a leash," he said, picking up the ropes and looking at them wistfully as Hermione growled at him. He looked down at her. She made a cute bitch. Some lonely, rich widow would probably love to pamper her.

"Raucous showed me that the candy came from the Weasley brothers. Hopefully it will wear off soon and we can continue our night," he said, sliding into the bed.

The bitch climbed on his chest and lay down. He petted her idly, staring up at the ceiling.

His familiar was something else. This had to be the most extreme case of cockblocking he had ever heard of.

---

I'm going to KILL that bird! Where's my wand?"

Severus woke up to find a restored Hermione still laying atop him, scowling as she looked around his bedroom for her wand. He grabbed her as she attempted to roll off him. It had been three hours before she reverted back. Evidently, eating more than one Canine Candy increased the length of the spell.

"Now, Hermione…you know you can't kill Raucous. He's my familiar," Severus said reasonably as he held the struggling witch tightly, "Besides, you transformed him first. Where's your Gryffindor sense of fair play?"

Hermione scowled at him.

"Right now I'm feeling quite Slytherin-ish. Revenge at all costs!" she seethed, still struggling. Her motions were arousing the Potions Master, and he started to swell. He pressed his hips against her.

"Wouldn't you rather work out your frustrations on me? I am his master after all, and responsible for him," Severus said silkily.

Hermione noticed the lengths of rope on his nightstand and remembered what she had come to do. She stopped struggling. She owed both of them, master and familiar. Plus, there was a decided amount of heat pooling in her belly as she felt Severus' erection digging into her belly. He was hard as stone.

"I guess you'll do," she said, her amber eyes hard.

She had no idea what she would do to make the Potions Master pay for his 'little indiscretion' as well as his damn bird, but she'd handle that after she had him securely tied down and vulnerable. Severus released the witch and she immediately rolled to the side of the bed and grabbed her wand off the night table. She pointed it at Severus and divestoed his silk boxers. His tool stood straight up like a flagpole.

His black eyes looked at his erect member, then shifted to Hermione rather hungrily.

"No need looking at me like that, Severus," she said, pointing her wand at the ropes then at Severus' body.

The ropes flew off the stand, wrapped and knotted themselves around the wizard's extremities and pulled him spread-eagle, attaching themselves firmly to each of the four bedposts. This happened quite swiftly, catching the wizard off-guard. He was surprised Hermione knew a spell like this.

"Where did you learn a spell like this?" Severus asked her, feeling very vulnerable, and as a result, uncomfortable.

He tested the bonds, and they were very secure. They even seemed to tighten when he tried them.

Hermione smirked down at him. He looked delicious, his muscular pale body spread helplessly before her, his huge member at attention.

"Well, since I am a Magical Liberal Arts students, I've taken courses in most of the magical fields, including healing. This is a restraining spell that is used on difficult patients. That's why you were bound so quickly. The ropes are magicked to respond to your strength. The more you struggle, the stronger they become."

"I see," Severus said, his black eyes glinting at her. Hermione could tell he didn't like being tied up and at her mercy.

"I suspect you're not into being tied up, Severus," she purred at him, moving closer to the bed and running the tip of her wand slowly down the center of his chest.

"Normally when I was bound Hermione, it meant pain, not pleasure…so yes, I am uncomfortable…but this was the only way I could entice you to my bed…so…" Severus looked at her quietly, hoping to play the sympathy card and get released, so he could ravish her for biting him.

Up to this point, Hermione had thought about conjuring a soft scourge to beat him with playfully, but after hearing his response, she decided against it. She didn't want to dredge up those memories of torture by Voldemort. Still, she wasn't going to let him go.

"So," she finished for him, "You're all mine, every delicious pale inch of you. Now, what to do to you?"

Of course she planned to shag him. He had let her on top, but he never let her control the act, driving into her rather than letting her ride him. So that was a must. But she wanted to torture him too. Make him crazy for her.

Hmm. She had never given him oral sex either. He wouldn't let her, though she really wanted to do it. His tool was beautiful and she knew it would give him pleasure, and her pleasure as well. But the reason Severus didn't want Hermione to do it was because of his issues.

For years, Severus got by on strictly blowjobs. He despised women but he still had urges. Sticking his erection in their mouths was his way of getting relief yet still treating them like the whores they were, gagging them unmercifully as he got off. So the Potions Master associated fellatio as a crude act performed by unworthy women. But he never told Hermione why he wouldn't let her do it. He just stopped her every time she attempted it.

"I don't want you to do that Hermione," he'd say angrily, drawing her up.

When she pointed out he gave her that kind of pleasure and she only wanted to reciprocate, he would say, "That's different." and that's all he would say.

Hermione was curious as to what it was like, how he would respond, how he would taste. By not allowing her to find out, or explaining why he didn't want her to do it, Severus just made the witch want to do it more. Hermione had always been into rule breaking…now she had a chance to do it.

Her eyes fell on his erection hungrily, and Severus realized what she was thinking.

"I forbid it," he said, before Hermione could even suggest it. "I don't want you to put your mouth on me, Hermione…I mean it."

The witch scowled at him.

"Severus, you told me I could have my way with you," she said evenly, setting her wand down and pulling her nightgown over her head.

Severus fell silent for a moment as he took her body in. Then he found his voice.

"Yes, but I didn't mean…" he began.

Hermione climbed into the bed and straddled his belly, looking down at him. Severus could feel the heat of her core against him, and hissed a bit.

"You didn't set any conditions," she said softly.

"But that is a pre-existing condition," the Potions Master breathed as Hermione caressed his chest with both palms, rubbing them over his nipples and making them stand up in hard peaks.

"Yes, your arbitrary condition, not mine. I want to know what it's like, Severus," she said, sliding her body down and latching her lips on to one of his erect nipples and sucking it gently, making him growl in the back of his throat, his back arching a bit as she traced it with her tongue. She sucked a little harder, and he sighed, struggling in the ropes a bit, his black eyes half closing. She stopped and looked at him.

"You see how much you like it when I suck your nipple? I know that you'll love it if I put my mouth someplace else…someplace…lower," she said in a low, seductive voice, her amber eyes alight with lust.

She lowered her mouth back to his chest and began kissing and licking it, sliding her warm lips over his flesh slowly, making her way downward in a round about way.

Severus groaned. Her mouth felt exquisite, but this was the first time she had ever kissed him this way for this long. Normally she only managed to get in a few kisses before he got so aroused he started shagging her.

"It's not that I wouldn't like it, Hermione," he breathed, his breath catching as her mouth moved over his belly, "It's just something I'd prefer you wouldn't do."

Hermione's head jerked up, and she looked at him narrow eyed.

"Something you'd prefer I wouldn't do, specifically meaning 'me' as opposed to someone else?" she asked him, her eyes glittering.

Severus realized he had made a grave error in wording. How could he fix this?

"Severus, you tell me what's going on, and tell me now," Hermione said, sitting up on him, her thighs resting on his calves. "Why don't you want me to do this? The truth."

Severus sighed. He wished he were loose so he could just flip her on her back and make her forget this entire line of conversation.

"It was an act I let women do to me when I needed release," he said, "instead of shagging them I'd stick my tool in their mouths. It was all they were fit for."

Hermione looked at him.

"I see. It was the 'all women are whores' syndrome again," she said quietly.

Severus nodded.

"Do you think I'm a whore, Severus?" she asked him quietly, studying his face.

"No!" he said vehemently, "I think no such thing, Hermione. It's…it's just hard to let go of some things…"

"But Severus, don't you understand I want to do this because I love you and I want to bring you pleasure? It would bring me pleasure too to make you feel good. You denying me because of what you've done with other women is unfair," she said, "I want to know what it's like to get you off like this. It's another kind of deflowering for me. You won't be using me like you used those women. It's an act of love. That's the difference."

"But, Hermione…" the Potions Master said, "I don't think…"

"I'm not giving you a choice in this, Severus. I have you where I want you. You can protest if you want, it will probably turn me on even more. I'm going to find out what it's like, and there's nothing you can do to stop me," Hermione said with an evil smirk.

"Why you little hard-headed minx," Severus growled, "I swear, Hermione…if you do this you will be very, very sorry when I get loose."

"Who said anything about you getting loose?" Hermione said, stretching out like a cat and lowering her mouth to his belly again, running her tongue slowly over his ridges.

She felt very wicked as she applied herself to his shuddering body, moving lower towards the ultimate target, her breasts dragging across his thighs. She thrust her tongue into his navel and felt the head of his organ lightly slide across her cheek. Severus buckled as it came in contact with her face.

"Hermione," he gasped as he felt her warm hand grasp his shaft gently. But she only moved his swollen member out of the way so she could continue kissing her way down his loins, catching his pubic hair between her lips and tugging it gently then kissing and licking his thighs and all around the base, her lips pressing against his scrotum. He hissed, arching up uncontrollably at this contact, surprising and delighting the witch.

"Gods, you're sensitive," she said in a low voice, looking up at him. Normally it was he who made her buck up reflexively. She had a real sense of power over him.

"Release me," he hissed at her. "Let me take you."

"This is my show, Severus," Hermione said applying her mouth to him. Severus let out another growl/hiss and bucked again as she ran her tongue over his soft flesh.

"Gods you wench," he groaned between gritted teeth, pulling at his restraints to no avail.

The wizard was starting to perspire, swelling even larger under the witch's ministrations. Hermione had no idea what she was supposed to do, so fell back on what she liked when Severus sucked her breasts. It seemed to work as she let her teeth lightly graze him and he hissed at the slight fear he felt before she let her soft lips wrap around them again. Teeth on a man's balls was a scary thing, even if they belonged to a woman who loves him.

Hermione him begin to pulsate in her mouth and Severus' groans increased.

"You're going to make me come," he gasped at her.

All he could see was the top of her curly hair, her head moving sensuously. Hermione was extremely turned on by his reaction, and was leaking lubrication, her inner thighs soaked. She released him and grasped the base of his erection, her eyes blazing up at him.

"Squeeze it," he hissed at her, "It will stop me from coming. Hurry."

Hermione did as he asked and watched as his throbbing slowed to a halt. The Potions Master sighed and let his head fall back to the pillows, his eyes closed, his chest heaving. But that only lasted a moment as Hermione leaned his tool down and slipped her mouth over it.

"Shit!" he said, his head snapping up and his mouth falling open as he saw his organ between the witch's lips. She began to move, albeit without much skill.

Severus thought Hermione was the sexiest sight he had ever seen as she attempted to perform for him. But then again, the wizard thought everything Hermione did during sex was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. He was decidedly biased. But damn, she felt good.

He found he didn't have any of the dark, negative feelings he experienced with other women as he watched her. Maybe he really was changing. He knew one thing, he didn't want her to stop now that she had started. Still, he had to tell her what to do to please him.

"If you want to do this, Hermione" Severus hissed at her, "then you have to do it right."

Hermione released him, her eyes hot.

"Then tell me what to do," Hermione said, her voice sounding raw from all the emotions running through her.

Severus bit his lip, then the Education of Hermione Granger began.

---

Hermione was slightly amused when Severus shifted into his 'Professor' or 'teaching' voice. Actually, it turned her on, since it took her back to her days as his rather randy student. So naturally she began to act like a student again. She cut him off.

"Severus…call me, Miss Granger, like I am your student," she breathed.

"You'd like that?" he asked, knowing the answer was yes or she wouldn't have suggested it, but he just wanted to hear her say it, the little wanton.

"Yes," she said, her eyes liquid at the idea of playing out a fantasy, "I'd like it very much."

Severus went silent for a moment as he considered the witch, holding him erect in her small hand, staring at him, waiting for a reply. Gods, she was so hot and willing to learn.

"Only if you address me as 'Professor' and 'Sir,'" Severus replied, throbbing in her hand visibly.

"Yes, sir," she replied.

Oh yes, that was good. He fell into teaching mode.

"First, Miss Granger, due to your lack of skill and experience in sucking a wizard off properly, I will instruct you on the proper administration and technique of the act known as fellatio. As brilliant as you are, your intellect will have no bearing on this. Even an idiot can perform fellatio brilliantly once she gets the gist of it. So, shut down that brain of yours," he said rather gruffly.

"Yes sir," Hermione replied.

"Now, Miss Granger, if you examine my rather large tool, you will see that there is no way that you can possibly swallow it whole. It is simply too large," he said.

Hermione made a big production of examining the Potions Master's organ, turning it this way and that, running her hands up and down it, making him hiss and groan in the process.

"It certainly is veiny, sir," she commented, smirking a bit as he panted and fought to regain his composure. After a moment he continued, his nostrils flared.

"That's because it is engorged with blood, Miss Granger, and is anticipating your hot little mouth wrapped around it. Although penises have no brains to speak of, they do have a mind of their own," he replied, helplessly thrusting up a little. "Now, don't interrupt, Miss Granger. You have the annoying habit of speaking when you need to be listening. However, filling your mouth with my tool will settle that little habit admirably."

Hermione wondered if he ever thought of that solution when she was his student. Probably not. He wasn't interested in her then. But still, it was a yummy thought.

"Yes sir. I will listen, sir," she responded.

"Good. Now as I was saying, my attribute is too large for you to swallow, so you will have to use other means to stimulate me fully, emulating the swallowing, if you will. Your hands are small, so you will have to use both of them to encircle me fully."

Hermione immediately wrapped her other hand around him.

"Like this, Professor?" she asked him as Severus shuddered a little.

"Miss Granger, you are getting ahead of yourself!" he said severely, "Listen! I will tell you when to do what! Honestly, you are a very thick young lady."

Hermione trembled at his scolding. Circe, she liked this.

"Sorry, Professor," she said in a small voice. Severus noticed this.

"So, she likes to be yelled at, eh?" he thought, "I wonder what else she likes?"

"Miss Granger, if you do not follow my instructions precisely, I will spank you soundly," he said sharply, an eyebrow arching slightly as he watched her response. She shuddered and practically came on herself.

"As soon as I get loose, that is," he added.

Hermione looked ready to let him loose right now after the spanking comment. But she had a tool to take care of. That took precedence. Still…a spanking…by Severus…gods.

"Yes Professor," Hermione gasped, her voice quivering.

Severus decided he would spank the witch even if she did follow his instructions. He'd like to see what would happen. Would be a good punishment for her biting him as well.

"Now, look at the tip. Do you see the discharge there? That is pre-cum. Taste it and familiarize yourself with it," he said, tensing slightly.

Hermione looked at the thick, murky droplet and experimentally flicked her tongue across it, drawing it into her mouth. Severus thought he might come right then and drew in a deep breath as his hips bucked.

"Damn," he breathed as the witch looked at him, her eyes narrowed as she licked her lips sensually.

She didn't have a problem with that…which meant she probably wouldn't have one with swallowing his release when the time came. A huge drop of pre-cum quickly replaced what Hermione licked off his tip.

"How did that taste, Miss Granger?" he asked, his eyes glittering at her hungrily.

"A little salty, sticky…goooood," she said in a low, sexy voice. Again, Severus' hips bucked.

"Miss Granger! You are being purposely wanton! Stop that immediately or this lesson will be over before it is started!" he snarled at her, making her quiver.

She immediately put on the face of innocence.

"I'm sorry sir," she said, again in a small, submissive voice that made Severus throb. Gods, if only he were loose. He'd teach her hands on. It was worth a try.

"Miss Granger, would you like to make your learning experience truly memorable?" he asked her gruffly.

"Why, yes sir," she replied, her brows furrowing. "What do you have in mind?"

He tried to keep the lust he felt concealed behind a mask of calm.

"I can tell you what to do, correcting your mistakes as we go, or I can assist you in getting it right the first time with a little hands on guidance…but that is only possible if you release me," he said silkily. "But I warn you, I am not patient. I like to be sucked properly. I will be putting you to work if you release me."

Hermione's belly did flip-flops. Hands on guidance? Did that mean he would…oh gods…he'd physically direct her? Hermione's masochistic nature did cartwheels. Severus could see the hunger

"I might have to force your mouth over me a few times to teach you the correct motion," he hissed at her, feeding her dark urge to be dominated, "could you handle that kind of treatment, Miss Granger? If not, leave me tied up and learn a safer, tamer, less challenging way," he sneered at her, hoping his psychological attack would work on her.

It did.

Hermione's masochistic nature was already begging her to let him loose, her libido was on high, but he closed by setting off her Gryffindor pride by his insinuation that she'd avoid a challenge. The witch HAD to let him loose to show him she could handle it. So Severus effectively turned the tables on their night. He would have his way with her like he usually did…but Hermione won a victory too, by breaking through his reluctance to indulge her and destroying another one of his issues. She had made him concede and that was a biggie.

Hermione would have been proud of herself if she could think straight. But she had her eyes locked to his, and that look of promise that contorted his face. Where the hell was her wand?

Hermione scrambled off the Potions Master, grabbed her wand off the night table and released him, her breasts rising and falling with excitement. The Potions Master sat up and rubbed his wrists for a moment, as if his circulation had been cut off, but it hadn't. He was just building up the drama.

"You will do exactly as I say, Miss Granger. Exactly. Am I making myself clear?" he said, scowling up at the witch.

"Yes sir," Hermione said, creaming herself at the command in his voice. He sounded so much like he did in his classroom.

Severus slid out the bed and towered over the witch, looking down at her severely.

"Put your wand down and sit on the edge of the bed," he commanded.

Hermione quickly dropped her wand on the table and sat down on the edge of the bed, her knees together. Severus looked at her imperiously for a moment, then with his foot kicked her feet apart, and stepped in close. He stood directly in front of her, his organ at face level.

"Now, let's begin this lesson again," Severus growled, wrapping his fist in her hair tightly.

Merlin.

---

"Now, as I said, you will need to use both hands on me due to my size. You will work your hands up and down…"

Hermione reached up to grasp the Potions Master and he slapped her hands away, scowling at her.

"I did not tell you to touch me yet!" he seethed, tugging Hermione's hair lightly. "I told you to do exactly what I say do! Are you stupid, Miss Granger?"

"No sir. I just…" Hermione began, trying to explain her eagerness.

"None of your pitiful excuses, Miss Granger. Stand up!"

Hermione rose as the Potions Master stepped back.

"Now, turn around and bend over," he said.

Hermione looked at him and bit her lip. Was he going to shag her? She wanted to learn first.

"Are you going to…" she began.

"I said turn around and bend over!" he roared at her.

Hermione jumped, turned around and bent over, trembling, expecting him to slam into her.

Severus looked at her round buttocks appreciatively. So milky smooth. Suddenly he brought his hand down on her right cheek hard with a resounding smack.

Hermione shrieked and creamed herself. Severus looked at the rising pinkness where his hand connected with satisfaction, then pulled her up, spun her around and pushed her back into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. Her eyes were glistening as she looked up at him.

"I told you I would spank you for errors. Now pay attention or you will get multiple swats next time," he said, moving back in front of her, rewrapping his fist in her hair.

"Yes sir," Hermione said. She was soaked.

A growing wet spot leaked under her, being absorbed by Severus' Slytherin sheets. The Potions Master could smell her arousal strongly. But he wanted to do this first, spank her while he recovered second, then ream her brains out last.

"You will need to use both hands, but not dry. If you massage me dry, it will hurt…and nothing pisses me off more than getting a burn, am I making myself clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. You will have to provide lubrication for my shaft before you handle it in this manner, Miss Granger. There are two popular ways to do it. Some women use spit, but I personally do not like my tool spit on. It is a matter of preference. I prefer to be lubricated by mouth. Your first act, Miss Granger will be to lick me thoroughly until I glisten with your saliva. Cover every bit of it with your tongue, and trust me, you have a lot of area to cover. Now, begin."

Severus pulled Hermione forward slightly by her hair, thrusting his hips forward. Hermione began at the swollen head, rolling her wet tongue around it several times, then running her tongue under the flange. Severus closed his eyes at the sensation of her tongue bathing him.

"Yesssss, Miss Granger, that's it. Now the shaft. Get it good and wet," he breathed, holding her hair tightly as the witch moved downward, her tongue slipping under and over his pulsing shaft, lubricating it generously.

"Mmmm," he moaned as she approached the base, "Very good, Miss Granger, very, very good. Now shift to the other side and work your way back to the top again. Keep it wet, witch. That is your objective. To make me nice and wet."

Hermione was almost wriggling, she was so turned on by his directives. She moved her tongue and mouth over his pulsing organ hungrily, her breath coming in stitches, Severus almost purring as she lubed him generously.

"Good, now wrap both your hands around it tightly, but not too tight, and move them up and down the length of it, slowly at first.

Hermione did, looking up at him as she did so.

"Yes," he said looking down at her, biting his lip for a moment then pulling her forward by her hair.

"Open your mouth," he hissed.

Hermione obeyed, and Severus inserted himself, groaning as her heat covered him. Her hands slowed.

"No! Keep working your hands! Faster!" he grunted at her as he began to thrust into her mouth. "Suck me! Hard!" He growled at her. He began to pull her back and forth by her hair until she caught the rhythm.

"Merlin, your mouth is good," Severus said, his voice silky with pleasure, "Yes, so good, Miss Granger. Your going to get good marks for this. Now, more suction. Gods, yes."

Severus was in heaven as Hermione pleasured him. She was very good, very eager. The witch was shuddering and each tremor shot up his length. He gently moved her hair from the side of her face so he could see her better, her small mouth stretched over him, his member glistening as it pumped between her lips.

"Now keep working me with one hand, Miss Granger, and with your other gently cup, squeeze and caress underneath. Be gentle. I am sensitive as you know, " he directed her, his voice raw with pleasure.

His hips buckled as her hot hand gently cupped his sack. He began to move faster, loosening his hold on her hair and capturing her head between both of his pale hands and hauling her over him. Hermione gagged.

He stopped for a moment.

"Relax!" he hissed at her, and started thrusting with renewed vigor, Hermione applying suction.

Severus' head fell back his face tilted toward the ceiling as the witch bobbed on his hard, flesh. Hermione was making little noises too as the heat in her belly spread. Severus' head snapped back forward, looking down at her, his face contorted as he began to bring him close to the edge, his dark hair falling around his face. Her little sounds made him pump faster, pushing himself deeper into her mouth greedily

"You like this, don't you Miss Granger? You like feeling my hardness pumping into your hot little mouth. Take it, you wanton little witch," he breathed as he placed one foot on the bed and arched into her, his bent knee on her left, her head sliding against his thigh as it moved back and forth, her hands still working over him, getting more lubrication from her bobbing mouth.

"Let go with your hands," Severus suddenly hissed, his black eyes glittering madly.

The moment Hermione did so, the Potions Master cupped the back of her head and fell forward, taking the witch down, pulling his other leg into the bed, still in her mouth as he caught himself with one arm. Hermione was flat on her back, the Potions Master on his knees over her, straddling her upper body. Holding the back of her head and guiding her motions, he started thrusting into the witch's mouth wildly, groaning and hissing, Hermione's hands pressed against his loins as he took over, plunging between her lips as far as he could without gagging the witch, the pressure in his balls growing.

Hermione orgasmed, shuddering, bliss washing over her, but she could only arch up in pleasure. She couldn't shriek because Severus had her mouth otherwise occupied, but he knew what happened to the witch. It was satisfying to him that she enjoyed him so much this way she climaxed. Hermione was something special, and fed his need to dominate so sweetly, taking him as best she could.

The Potions Master pistoned into the witch's mouth, looking down at her lost to the eroticism of his possession of the witch, reveling in the way he was taking her so completely. She was his. His. Severus felt himself peaking and fought to hold on to the bliss of her mouth a little longer, gods, just a bit longer...

"Yes…yes…errrggggh!" Severus groaned as he shoved himself between her lips as deep as he could without choking her and stiffened, his eyes rolling up and his mouth dropping open.

"SWALLOW!" he managed to bellow at her as he climaxed, his hot come filling the witch's mouth.

On the rafters, Raucous woke up, startled by the loud shout that came from the bedroom. He accessed his master's mind and saw Hermione pinned to the bed under the Potions Master, her mouth filled with his tool and heard his master groaning with pleasure as he held it there. Ravens never did such things, but the bird figured whatever it was they were doing, the master was winning. That pleased him. He withdrew from Severus' mind and tucked his head back under his wing, hoping they'd be quieter.

Hermione swallowed the hot, semi-bitter release of her lover as best she could, a bit of it spilling from the side of her mouth, her eyes locked on Severus' rippling belly as he went taut, gasping and grunting as he shot stream after stream of creamy come into the witch under him, dizzy and delighted.

Severus released Hermione's head and held himself up on his arms, quivering until he was spent, then pushed up, sitting straddled across Hermione's chest looking down at her. He saw the spillage, and ran his pale finger along her cheek, collecting the thick cream on the tip then slipping it into her mouth. Hermione sucked his finger clean and he groaned, his black eyes glinting down at the wanton little witch.

"Full marks, Miss Granger," he said silkily, pleasure evident in his voice.

Panting and dazed, Hermione replied breathlessly, "Thank you, Professor."

Severus smiled at her, a full smile…the first he had ever given her.

"You're very welcome, Miss Granger," he said, climbing off of her carefully, sitting on the edge of the bed and falling back so he lay beside her. He noticed her squirming a little, and knew she needed more. But she would have to wait to be shagged. Still…

He half turned toward her. Hermione looked at him, her amber eyes still glazed and a touch cross-eyed. He smirked inwardly. He had done a job on the lovely witch. He was extremely satisfied with her performance as well as his own. However…

He gave her a severe look.

"Miss Granger, although you performed the act of fellatio quite admirably, arriving at the desired results, there were still several mistakes that will have to be…addressed," Severus said in a low and rather dangerous sounding voice.

"Mistakes?" she said, her brow furrowing, "Addressed how?"

The Potions Master had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Give me a couple of minutes," Severus breathed at her, his eyes glinting like jewels, "and I'll show you."

Hermione hugged herself. Whatever he was going to show her, she was sure it was going to be good.

---

Severus lay beside Hermione for several minutes before he sat up and rose from the bed. Hermione watched his long, lean body stride across the bedroom, grab the wooden chair against the wall and carry it to the center of the room. He sat down in it, both hands resting on his knees.

Hermione sat up looking at him. Did he want to have sex in the chair? Well, she could definitely do that. She started to stand.

"I did not tell you to get up, Miss Granger," he snarled at her. "Sit down!"

Hermione dropped back onto the bed.

"Sorry, sir," Hermione said.

The Professor scowled.

"Didn't I tell you earlier that I didn't want to hear your excuses, Miss Granger?" he asked her, frowning.

Hermione's eyes flashed.

"I wasn't giving you excuses, I was apologizing," she retorted.

Severus' face went black.

"Are you talking back to your teacher, Miss Granger?" he asked her, rising slowly from his chair beginning to walk toward her slowly, his black eyes hard.

Hermione swallowed and blinked up at him. Gods, he was so commanding.

"No sir," she said in a small voice.

Severus stopped in front of her glowering down at the witch.

"Don't lie. You were talking back to me. Attempting to argue with me AND correct me. The student does not correct the teacher. The teacher corrects the student, Miss Granger," he declared.

Suddenly his pale hand shot out and caught her tightly by the wrist, dragging her up.

"You are in dire need of correction, Miss Granger, for a number of things."

He pulled her toward the chair.

Hermione felt herself dripping with excitement. He was going to 'correct' her. The gods of masochism were showering her with blessings.

Severus released Hermione and sat down in the chair, his knees straight out in front of him.

"Lie down across my lap, Miss Granger," he ordered.

Hermione stood there and looked at him, visibly trembling…and it wasn't from fear. Though she felt a bit of apprehension.

"Are you deaf, witch? Stop all that useless trembling. It won't move me to mercy one bit. Lie down across my lap now!" the Potions Master snarled at her. He throbbed noticeably.

Hermione jumped a bit when he yelled at her, and obediently lay across his legs. Severus adjusted her so her buttocks were in perfect spanking position. Hermione closed her eyes, waiting for his hand to fall. But he just held her on his lap for a moment, then started caressing her bottom gently. She still had the pink mark from when he swatted her. He slipped his fingers between her thighs and hissed.

"My, my. You are quite wet, Miss Granger. Why is that?" he asked her, rubbing and pinching her softness, making the witch gasp and wriggle with pleasure.

"I'm turned on, sir," Hermione gasped, almost in a shriek as he manipulated her.

"Are you really, Miss Granger?" he asked, sliding two fingers inside her and thrusting with purpose, his thumb continually flicking over her hardened peak, making Hermione moan.

"Oh, Severus…" she panted

"Do not call me by my given name, Miss Granger," the Potions Master seethed, pulling his fingers out of her and swatting her right buttock with the palm of his hand sharply. Hermione jerked and yelped, quieting as the Potions Master rubbed the reddening spot he hit gently. Then he inserted his fingers back inside her, resuming his stimulation.

Hermione was writhing on his lap, and he stared down at her struggling body, growing hard. He moved his fingers faster.

"I order you to come, Miss Granger," he hissed, wrapping his hand in her long curls again, and pulling her head up as he worked on her. Having her hair yanked made Hermione sob with need, and Severus inserted a third finger, mashing her core with his thumb. The witch exploded, shrieking, and Severus began to spank her soundly, her cries of pain and pleasure like music to him, his member hardening to complete readiness instantly.

Hermione was coming and going, the sting of his hand and the bliss of her climax sending her soaring to new heights of pleasure.

"Oh gods, she sobbed, "I can't … I can't," she gasped.

The Professor stopped spanking her. His chest was heaving.

"You can't…but I can, Miss Granger," he said, pushing her off him and rising, then turning the witch and bending her.

"Hold on to the chair, Miss Granger. Time to bring the lesson to a close," He said, moving behind her and gripping her waist. He slid into her hard, and the witch buckled, her back arching up, moving her away from him.

Severus pressed his hand firmly on the small of her back to hold her steady as he began to stroke her hard, his loins slapping against Hermione, a cry emitting from her each time he hit bottom.

"Yes..yess…yes," the Professor breathed, watching his huge organ bury itself in her body.

Hermione's diminutive size was a big turn on for the wizard. He was constantly testing the witch's limits and worked her over so thoroughly sometimes, he swore it had to be her Gryffindor stubbornness that kept her from breaking.

He leaned over the shrieking witch, pressing his lips against her ear as he pulled her into him almost violently.

"You bit me," he hissed, "Apologize."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed deep inside her, rotating his pelvis, lifting Hermione to the balls of her feet, his tool twisting inside her.

"Oh my gods, I'm sorry, Severus," she gasped, a shriek at the end of it.

"What? I can't hear you," he whispered, then he released her waist, and started ramming into her again, harder.

"I'm sorry!" she cried.

"Better," he gasped as her body clutched and caressed his plunging tool.

Hermione was squishing around him, her juices flowing. Severus closed his eyes, biting his lip, focusing on the delicious slide in and out of her sweet, tight sleeve, the feel of her soft skin under his hands, the sound of Hermione's voice breaking as he took his fill of her, and the scent of jasmine and sex that filled the bedroom. This was his greatest pleasure. Not just possessing the witch, but knowing she wanted him to take her like this. It was good to be wanted, to be needed and if he dared admit it to himself…to be loved.

That thought made him stop, step back from the witch and turn her to face him. Her face was flushed, her eyes bright with passion, her lips parted and her breasts heaving. She looked as if she were about to keel over.

"Oh no you don't," he breathed, lifting her up, "wrap your legs around me."

Hermione obliged him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Severus thrust inside her again, lifting her small body up and bringing her down on his length, his jaw set, his eyes on her face, watching her as she as he pierced her, invaded her, stormed, becoming part of her. The witch's amber eyes were half lidded, soft, accepting of him even as she cried out, and the Potions Master felt a tightening in his chest, pulled her in closer and locked his lips to hers, never slowing his penetration.

It was a sweet connection, Hermione shrieking into his mouth as he found her tongue, licking and tasting her, still riding her thoroughly, groaning as he lost himself in her body. Sweat made them slick against each other, flesh sliding against flesh, her breasts bouncing softly against his pale chest, her soft skin covered in a soft sheen, the torchlight making her body glow.

Severus felt her tightening, and increased his speed and strength, wanting to fall over the edge with her, kissing the witch passionately as he drove into her, rising to the crest and hanging there as she gushed over him, pulling away from his mouth, her head falling back as she arched against him, shuddering, so beautiful, so ecstatic, so free. He clutched her to him and slammed into her pulsing, clutching orifice, his head also falling back, every muscle tensed, every vein in his body standing out as he cried out with pleasure, straining against her, his climax roaring through him and filling her body.

The two lovers stood in the middle of the bedroom, Hermione wrapped around the Potions Master, the wizard's arms wrapped around her, one supporting her buttocks, the other her back, holding her flush to his body, embedded deep inside her, both frozen in bliss, hearts pounding against each other, closer than they had ever been to anyone in their lives. He kissed her again as he felt his ejaculation slow, the throbbing ease, though the witch's body still pulled at him. Hermione pulled back from his kiss, her eyes locked to his face, her damp hair stuck to her own.

"Severus," Hermione whispered, "Gods I love you so much. I can't imagine being without you."

He kissed her again.

"Then don't imagine that, witch. Don't imagine it at all," he said softly, carrying her to the bed, lifting her off of him and setting her down.

Severus watched as Hermione half-crawled, half-flopped into the bed, climbing to her side, which was against the wall. She laid on her side, facing him, her eyes heavy-lidded, already halfway to sleep. He joined her, turning to face her as well, his black eyes sweeping over her slowly.

"What are you looking at, Severus?" Hermione yawned sleepily, tucking her hands under her cheek, her eyes closing.

Severus considered her.

"I think…happiness," he replied in a low voice, his chest tightening again in reaction to his own words. For him, it was quite an admission.

Hermione gave him a sleepy smile, but didn't even open her eyes at his response.

After all, she always knew she could make him happy.

---

When Hermione dressed and crept out of Severus' bedroom early the next morning intent on catching Raucous asleep, she peered up at the rafters, her wand at the ready…but Raucous was gone. He had taken an early morning flight

Severus stirred, felt about with his hand for Hermione and instantly rolled out of bed upon discovering her missing. Scowling, he strode naked into the study just in time to see her throw a small, silent tantrum, stomping her feet and flinging her arms about in frustration. He watched her, amused.

"A problem, Hermione?" he asked, smirking.

The Potions Master knew she was pissed because she didn't ambush his familiar. No doubt Raucous had figured she'd do something like that, and left the rooms early. No doubt he'd stay away until he thought the witch was gone. But it was Saturday. Severus didn't want her to leave just yet.

Hermione spun at the sound of his voice and flushed when she saw Severus standing there naked, a bemused expression on his face.

"That damn bird," she seethed, "I'm going to get him for turning me into a dog."

"Bitch," Severus corrected her.

Hermione's eyebrows rose and she scowled at him.

"What did you call me?" Hermione demanded, her wand starting to turn toward the Potions Master. She was already in a foul mood and ready to hex something. Severus explained rather quickly.

"Technically, Raucous turned you into a bitch. Dog is the name for male canines," he said, thinking the term did suit her surprisingly well at certain times.

Hermione lowered her wand.

"And why are you dressed?" Severus asked her, scowling as he looked at her house robe and gown, "You're not leaving yet."

He looked down at his morning hard-on and then leveled his eyes at the witch lustfully.

"I'm sorry to inform you, Severus…you are no longer the 'Professor.' School's out and so am I," she said, walking toward the study wall, "I have something I need to attend to this morning. Something important."

"Yes you do. Me," the Potions Master said snarkily, walking toward her purposely.

He wanted his morning dose of vitamin F before the witch left his rooms. Hermione raised her wand at him, her eyes narrowed.

"You managed to wriggle your way out of being punished last night, Severus. You even managed to turn the tables on me. My ass still hurts, " she said, rubbing at it as if it suddenly started smarting.

"You wanted the tables turned," he said in a low voice, still walking toward her, despite the raised wand, "You wanted just what I gave you. I have more, too," he said seductively.

If Hermione wasn't so sore, she might have fallen for it, but she ached. He had shagged her quite thoroughly. She still felt his sting.

"I've had enough, Severus. Don't make me bind you, you randy bastard," she hissed at him.

Severus stopped, and mentally added her first couple of offenses to his new payback list. Threatening to hex him and calling him a randy bastard, which incidentally was true, but she didn't have to say it. The witch was off to a good start.

"You know it's not good to leave me like this," he said in a low voice. "You know I don't like to be denied."

He started to move forward again.

"I'm warning you Severus," Hermione said evenly.

Fuck this. He wanted some trim and wanted it now. She knew it was expected of her the times she stayed overnight. He called it his "sleep tax."

Severus lunged at her, intending to take the little minx up against the study wall. Hard.

But Hermione was ready for him.

"Levicorpus!" she cried, hexing the wizard.

Severus found himself hanging upside down in the air. How humiliating. Hermione gave him a smirk.

"You hellcat! Put me down!" he demanded.

"As you say, lover," Hermione replied, pulling on the torch and opening the study wall. She stepped into the Potions office, then levitated the wizard over the armchair by the fireplace.

"Bye Severus," she said, closing the study wall and breaking the connection.

Severus dropped to the soft cushion of the chair on his head and tumbled out of it, landing on his ass. Scowling, he leapt to his feet and ran to the study wall, pulling the torch, opening it and rushing into his office. He was about to pull the door open and run into the corridor when he realized he was naked.

"Damn it," he cursed, banging his hand against the door in frustration.

Muttering, he stalked back into his rooms, closing the study wall behind him. She'd gotten away, and had the nerve to use the Levicorpus spell on him to do it. His last encounter with that spell had been when he was a student himself, and James Potter had cast it on him in front of other students, exposing his assets in the process.

Oh, this required a big, big payback. He thought about it and a rather evil grin spread across his pale features.

Hermione Granger was going to be deflowered again, and he was going to enjoy doing it.

---

That afternoon, Raucous spied Hermione walking at a good clip across the school grounds, heading for the castle. Obviously she had been out. She was carrying something rather large in her arms, and seemed preoccupied. Getting her in the open was always risky, but she never managed to hex him when he was aware she was trying to. He was a good flier and could avoid her blasts. Only her sneak attacks could touch him.

Although he had been the one to draw last blood, Raucous couldn't resist the unaware witch, and soared toward Hermione from behind, preparing to drop a large wet one on her. He swooped very low, intending on just skimming her head and getting her good when suddenly something huge and ginger-colored flashed up to her shoulder, swatting at him and hissing angrily, barely missing the raven as he checked himself mid-flight. Raucous shit all right, but it had nothing to do with Hermione. He quickly winged his way back to the owlery and Severus' rooms.

Hermione petted the ball of ginger fur in her arms.

"Thanks Crookshanks," she said, rubbing the squash-faced feline between his ears.

Together they headed for the castle.

---

Hermione had been to neither breakfast nor lunch. Well, she had said she had some business to attend to, but Severus wanted to talk to her about the Levicorpus incident. But he wasn't going to rant and rave. He was going to apologize for his actions. On the surface anyway. He wanted her to believe there would be no repercussions.

He exited his rooms and walked down to her quarters. He knocked on her door. After a few moments he heard, "Who is it?"

"It's Severus. I want to talk to you," he said through the door.

He heard some scrambling noises, then silence.

"Severus, I'm not in the mood for dueling right now," she said evenly.

Actually she was standing in the middle of her study, holding her wand on the door.

Crookshanks stood next to her, pressed against her robes and yowling quietly, his ears flattened and tail flicking back and forth as he gazed at the door with his yellow eyes.

For all appearances, Crookshanks looked exactly like a large ginger cat with a squashed flat face, bottlebrush tail, and rather bandy legs. He was not a familiar, but he was part Kneazle which gave him unusual intelligence and an ability to identify suspicious and untrustworthy characters. Hermione had purchased him at the Magical Menagerie, under similar conditions as Raucous'. No one had wanted to buy him. He proved invaluable in identifying Peter Pettigrew when he was posing as Ron's rat, Scabbers.

He was also quite protective of Hermione, and had been staying with her parents as she attended university. Hermione decided that the cat would be a good foil for both Raucous and Severus and went to retrieve him.

Severus knocked again.

"Hermione, I promise…I am not going to do anything but talk. I will keep my wand in my robes pocket," he said earnestly.

Hermione wavered.

"All right, but keep your hands where I can see them," she said, approaching the door.

Severus raised his hands as if at gunpoint while Hermione stood listening for a moment. Then she pulled the door open and stepped back quickly, her wand pointed at the Potions Master's nose. Severus looked at her.

"As you can see, no wand," he said, entering the room, Hermione backing up as he did so.

"All right, what did you want to say?" Hermione said, her eyes narrowed and wand still on him. Severus was very quick. She wasn't taking any chances…she had dropped him on his head after all.

"About this morning…I realize that I…"

Suddenly Severus was cut off when a streaking ball of ginger fur attached itself to his robes and started shredding them, yowling and hissing viciously. Severus began kicking his leg out, trying to dislodge the angry cat as it ripped his robes to ribbons.

"Crookshanks! Stop it!" Hermione yelled, running forward and bending, picking up the cat, who held on to the Potions Master's robes with his claws, giving them a final shred before Hermione pulled him free.

"What is that doing here!" Severus seethed, pointing a long finger at the cat, who hissed at him from Hermione's arms.

He and Crookshanks never got along well. First off, the cat/kneazle made him sneeze and seemed to purposely drop fur in anyplace the Potions Master had to pass. His nose was starting to itch already.

"I decided I wanted Crookshanks to stay with me for the rest of the year," Hermione said, petting the hissing cat lovingly, "He's good company and I missed him."

Severus glared at the animal.

You know he doesn't like me, Hermione," he said, frowning at her.

Hermione raised her eyebrows.

"And you said that to say what?" she asked him.

"You shouldn't keep an animal that doesn't like me when you know we are intimate," he said.

Hermione looked at him like he was crazy.

"You should talk. Raucous has been shitting on me almost daily since you took him in. And when I complained, you said we'd have to work it out ourselves," she retorted.

"But Raucous is a familiar. He is intelligent. He can be reasoned with," Severus replied. "Not like that abomination."

"Crookshanks is extremely intelligent, and he listens to me…most of the time. He's my cat and he's here to stay," Hermione said, her eyes narrowing. "And as far as reasoning with that black devil you call a familiar, I've yet to see that proven. He is completely unreasonable when it comes to me."

Severus scowled at her.

"Maybe that has something to do with you hexing him all the time," he said snarkily.

"Maybe that has something to do with him shitting on me all the time. Remember, last night he turned me into a dog!" she hissed at the Potions Master.

Crookshanks recoiled in horror. A dog? His mistress had been turned into a dog. Of all the horrible things in the world to be transfigured into.

The cat's yellow eyes narrowed. Who was this Raucous? He sounded like he needed a stinky gift left in his slipper.

"Only after you turned him into a dodo," Severus retorted. "He stayed like that for almost two weeks."

"It was an improvement, I assure you," Hermione spat, not one bit remorseful, "Too bad it wasn't permanent."

Severus realized that arguing with Hermione about this would only make his attempt to apologize that much harder. He looked down at his shredded robes.

"Would you mind if I used my wand to repair this, or would you rather I walk about Hogwarts looking as if I've had an encounter with a tiger?" he asked her, arching an eyebrow.

Hermione pointed her wand at his robes and repaired them. Crookshanks howled in protest. She had ruined a perfectly good shredding.

Crookshanks looked up at the pale wizard. It wouldn't be the last shredding. He didn't like the vibes he was getting from the Potions Master, particularly toward his mistress. Crookshanks shifted in the witch's arms, one paw placed on her forearm possessively. Severus didn't miss this and scowled at the cat once more, before leveling his eyes at Hermione.

"What I wanted to say, Hermione, was I am sorry for this morning. It was very selfish of me to try and force myself on you, especially when you were so amazing last night. I should have been satisfied," he said, all the while knowing that he could never get enough of the witch.

He wanted to take her right now in fact. He took the next step.

"But Hermione, you have to understand how you affect me. How much I desire you. I look at you sometimes when you are in class, or reading or doing something completely ordinary, then I see you under me, your eyes, your face, your body…and I start wanting you. I want you right now, in fact. You're like an addiction. You were leaving me this morning when I needed my fix of you, and it made me act out of character," he said.

Hermione looked at him. Severus had been doing fine until his last remark. He was always, always demanding when it came to sex. This morning he had acted completely in character. He had an established pattern of tackling Hermione when she tried to leave his rooms without giving him a goodbye shag, usually a possessive quickie unless she tried to deny him. Then she got the full Monty.

Not that the witch didn't enjoy his manhandling, because she did…and secretly wondered if she didn't inflame him on purpose just do he would thoroughly do what she pretended she didn't want him to do. Hermione suspected she did…and so did Severus, which was why he went for her. If she hadn't been so put out about Raucous, he would have completed his mission.

She arched an eyebrow at him. He sighed.

"All right. I concede I was acting in character, but surely you understand why, Hermione," he said, letting his voice drop to a caress. He knew it affected her.

"And what about my hexing you?" she asked him.

"I understand why you did it," he responded, being sure not to tell her she was forgiven. Because she wasn't. Not by a long shot.

"I see," Hermione said shortly.

Crookshanks had been staring at the Potions Master the entire time he was speaking to Hermione, and divined that he was not being as forthright as he should have. But the cat was not a familiar, so couldn't warn Hermione about the wizard's duplicity, so he hissed at the Potions Master.

"Crookshanks! Behave now," Hermione chided the cat, who looked at her with exasperation, before leaping out of her arms and stalking off to the bedroom on his bandied legs, tail held high in disgust.

The cat stopped by the door, looked over his shoulder and gave Severus a parting hiss before disappearing into the room.

Severus sneezed, his eyes watering.

"Will I see you tonight?" he asked her in a low voice.

Hermione shook her head.

"Not tonight, Severus. My body needs a break. I'll let you know," she replied, implying it was time for him to go.

The Potions Master studied her for a moment, then tried another tact.

"We don't have to do anything, Hermione," he said, looking as trustworthy as he could.

Hermione looked at the wizard incredulously. He had just fed her a line uttered by every randy sixth year in Hogwarts history.

"You expect me to honestly believe that, Severus? I've yet to spend a night in your rooms untouched," she said, almost laughing at the ludicrousness of the very idea. A night in his bed without sex? Not in a million years.

"That's because every time you've come to my rooms, you expected to be touched," he said evenly. "I think it very unfair for you to assume that I cannot control myself and spend a night with you without having sex with you. Actually, I am insulted. Don't you think me capable of just enjoying your company? I do love to shag you, Hermione, but I can spend time with you without indulging myself or you."

He was hoping this would make her feel bad. It didn't.

"Be that as it may, Severus. I am going to spend the night in my own rooms, with Crookshanks. We have a lot of catching up to do. I don't want him spending his first night here alone."

A self-satisfied yowl came from Hermione's room.

"You could bring him with you. He could stay in the study," he said.

"With Raucous?" she asked him.

That didn't seem like a very good mix. Crookshanks was a cat after all…and Raucous, a bird and…

"I'll think about it," Hermione said, her eyes lighting up, "As long as you understand that if I spend the night with you, it will be as a companion only. No sex. No caressing or tickling in intimate places, and especially no mounting me in the middle of the night when I'm asleep. You do Severus, and what happened this morning will pale in comparison to my next hex. You do remember Marcus, don't you?"

Um hm. Threatening him again. Another entry for the payback list.

"You have no need to worry Hermione. I will be a perfect gentleman," Severus said silkily, "I like my tool in working order."

Hermione looked at him doubtfully.

"All right. I'll let you know," she said, walking past him and opening the door.

Severus, realizing this was his cue to go, turned and glided past her. He paused at the door.

"Might you indulge me with a kiss before I leave, to assure me peace has been made between us?" the Potions Master asked her, his dark eyes looking at her intently.

Hermione felt a little shudder at the intensity of his gaze and the challenge she saw there. Those eyes had witnessed her at her most wanton and uninhibited. They were all-knowing, always seeming to see deep inside to her most secret desires. She'd been helplessly lost in their depths and now they focused on her trying to bare even more of her soul.

Hermione gave Severus a sudden quick peck on the lips, catching him off guard. He had intended to pull her close and start the small flame he knew his kisses ignited in her. If she came to him tonight with a bit of heat in her belly…ah well. She had bested him, this round. But she still might sleep with him.

If she did, he intended to keep his word not to touch her, as difficult as it would be. If he managed to keep his hands off her as well as other parts of his body, it would give her a sense of security, of safety. But she was never safe from his desire. She wanted him, now she had him…as much of him as she could stand and then some. And next time they were intimate…

"Have a pleasant day, Hermione," Severus said, giving her a small bow and exiting her rooms with a billow of robes. He was getting an erection at the thought of what he was going to do to her. It wouldn't have been reassuring for Hermione to see it.

"Goodbye, Severus," the witch replied, closing the door and leaning back on it with a sigh.

Without warning, Hermione's mind slipped back to the night before. There were many memorable moments, signature moments in fact, but the one that held her hostage was when the Potions Master lifted her and held her close as if he never wanted to let her go. True, he was putting her body through its paces, taking his complete pleasure of her as he always did, a rough, raw possession. But this time she could feel more than his lust for her. She could feel his emotion, in the way he held her, moved her and most of all, in the way he kissed her. He had been kissing her more and more during sex. And although he did not embrace her afterwards, the look in his eyes when he looked at her felt like one.

Hermione felt a great pulse of affection for the snarky wizard wash over her, and she pushed herself off the door. If she were going to spend a sexless night with the wizard, then she couldn't dwell on him, especially reading things into his emotions that might not really be there.

She walked into her bedroom, to find Crookshanks lounging in the middle of her bed, as if he had always belonged there. She transformed a bowl she had forgotten to send back to the kitchens into a litter box, complete with litter and put it in the bathroom, then changed two bits of parchment into bowls, one of which she filled with water. She would feed the cat in a few minutes. For now, she lay down next to the ginger feline, and caressed him lovingly. He purred like a little engine, his squashed face looking up at her with adoration and love.

Hermione looked at him and said, "Crookshanks, I know you understand me. Sirius was right when he said you are the most intelligent creature of your kind."

Crookshanks rolled on his back at this, spreading fur everywhere. Hermione realized she'd have to put an anti-fur charm on everything, otherwise Severus wouldn't be able to come near her. He'd be sneezing his balls off. She continued talking to the cat.

"You are just as or even more intelligent than that shitmonger Raucous."

Crookshanks rolled back over and sat up, interested. Raucous was the one who turned his mistress into a dog. Hermione continued.

"Raucous is Severus' familiar. He's a raven, but sometimes I believe he is a demon who's just passing for one. I got him the same place I got you, Crookshanks, at the Magical Menagerie. I saved him from being killed."

She what? Saved him? And the bird rewarded her by turning her into a dog? The ungrateful black-winged bastard.

Crookshanks' ears flattened and he made a little kitty scowl, but like Raucous' expressions, humans couldn't recognize the subtle change, so Hermione was unaware of the feline's disapproval. He listened carefully as Hermione told him about her run-ins with the familiar. By the time she finished, Crookshanks was pacing back and forth on the bed like a small, caged lion.

"Tonight I might spend the night with Severus," Hermione said quietly.

Crookshanks lifted a paw and slowly flexed his claws consideringly. It sounded to him as if there was more shredding to do, as well as some clumps of fur to place strategically.

Hermione looked at the cat, and her eyes softened.

"Don't worry, Crookshanks, I'll be taking you if I go, you won't be alone," she crooned, completely misreading the cat as she stroked him.

"The only thing is you'll be alone with Raucous in the study. He can be a nasty piece of work, Crookshanks," Hermione said, looking a bit worried.

Crookshanks slid his body against her several times, purring, trying to convey that she shouldn't worry about him. The cat wasn't the least concerned about the snarky raven.

After all, he could be a pretty nasty piece of work too.

---

Hermione visited the Headmaster's office later in the day to arrange for her floo to be keyed to Crookshanks so he could enter and exit without the need for floo powder. Albus took care of it immediately, greeting the cat warmly.

Crookshanks purred as the wizard scratched him between the ears, and yowled a greeting at Fawkes, who gave him a welcoming croon.

"Has our friend Raucous met Crookshanks yet?" the Headmaster asked Hermione, his blue eyes twinkling.

"Well, not formally," Hermione said, "But Crookshanks gave him quite a greeting when I was returning from London this morning. And Severus too."

The witch smirked at the memory of the cat shredding the bottom of the dark wizard's robes. Now he knew how it felt to be attacked by an animal for no other reason than it didn't like him.

The Headmaster scrutinized the witch.

"And how is Severus?" he asked her, noting her blush. "Has there been an improvement in his temperament since the death of Voldemort?"

"Snarky as ever," she replied shortly. "As far as I know."

Albus was fully aware that Hermione and the Potions Master were lovers, and very active lovers if the halls of Hogwarts were reporting correctly…which he was sure they were.

Hogwarts castle was quite interesting, and linked to the current Headmaster. Certain areas of the castle could almost be deemed alive. These areas moved about the castle at large, and retained images of what occurred within their boundaries, but gave up these secrets only to the Headmaster of the school which was why Albus seemed so all-knowing.

Albus wasn't aware of everything the couple had done, as these areas did not broach the private quarters of students or staff, but he was aware of some of their indiscretions. So long as they weren't caught, Albus decided to let them have at it, particularly Severus who had led such a harsh, disciplined and controlled life during his service to the Dark Lord. It did Albus' heart good to see the Professor indulging himself freely with a beautiful young witch and finding pleasure in it. Hermione was good for him. And by the glow he saw in the witch, it was obvious the dark wizard was good for her as well.

Albus had often worried about Hermione on an emotional level. The witch was brilliant, but always seemed to avoid emotional entanglements of a personal nature. This included making friends as well. She still moved primarily in the circle she had formed in Hogwarts and had not extended beyond them. She was a sober, solitary young witch for the most part, and Albus worried Hermione would not experience the crazy, passionate side of life the young were blessed with. She certainly seemed to have struck gold with the Potions Master.

Albus was a bit of a voyeur. Quite a bit actually. It was his one major character flaw, but he embraced it. Perfection after all, is nothing but stagnation and Albus Dumbledore was kind, charitable and wise, but far from perfect. He had witnessed the couple's ardor on more than one occasion, and actually feared for Hermione, but the witch seemed capable of handling Severus' rather harsh possessions admirably. He could only tell they were harsh because of how the witch was moving.

The Potions Master seemed to prefer being disillusioned when being 'spontaneous' with the witch. The viewings were quite exciting…he had to visit Minerva immediately afterward to work off his own head of steam. Their sex life had never been better since the couple got together. But Albus never told the Transfiguration Professor the source of his newfound virility and only said it was not due to any magical enhancement.

"Just a natural reaction to a wonderfully enticing woman, my dear," he'd tell the blushing witch afterward. Minerva was not as much of a prude as Hermione thought.

Hermione thanked the Professor and headed back to the dungeons, taking the stairs rather than the Headmaster's floo, Crookshanks following behind her in the manner that cats do…in other words, pretending he wasn't following her, stopping to sniff here and dawdle there. He lagged behind her as they entered the dungeon area, then suddenly he raced forward, pouncing into a shadow.

A loud squawk followed and Raucous flew past Hermione toward the Main Hall, pursued by Crookshanks, who had a long, black feather between his jaws. After a merry run, Crookshanks returned to Hermione and dropped the feather at her feet as an offering. This was much better than the spiders, small birds and rodents he proudly delivered to her in the past. Hermione bent down and caressed him, then picked up the feather and twirled it in her hand, grinning wickedly.

"Crookshanks, I'm so glad you're here," she said, starting to walk again, playing with the raven feather as she did so.

Crookshanks walked in front of her now, making sure nothing else unpleasant was hiding in the shadows. With the exception of a couple of spiders, which the cat quickly consumed, there were no more threats to his mistress. That is until the Potions office door opened and Severus appeared.

Crookshanks stood between Severus and Hermione, his back arched high as he spit a warning at the Potions Master to come no closer, who looked down his nose at the feline, thinking he'd make a nice winter muff.

Severus looked at Hermione, who was unconcernedly unlocking her door.

"I imagine you could add 'cockblocking' to your cat's list of dubious talents," he said.

He noticed the long black feather in the witch's hand.

"That looks like one of my familiar's tail feathers," he commented, frowning slightly, "What did you do to him now?"

Hermione gave him a dark smirk.

"I didn't do anything to him. Crookshanks found him hiding in the shadows waiting to ambush me like he always does, and gave the stupid bird what for," she said smugly.

Severus' eyebrows lifted in realization.

"You brought that blasted cat here for Raucous," he said darkly, frowning at the cat.

Hermione smirked again.

"Actually, I brought him here for company. His dislike of Raucous is a perk. At least I have protection now. More than what you gave me," she said, her amber eyes narrowing at him.

Severus was about to reply when Crookshanks launched himself at his robes again, this time aiming his spread-clawed leap much higher, aiming for a more impressive target. As the cat landed, clinging to him, Severus whipped out his wand and stunned the animal. Crookshanks dropped like a sack of rock cakes.

Hermione gasped, ran to her fallen pet, and scooped him up.

She scowled at the Potions Master.

"Severus! How could you?" she said to him, holding Crookshanks close.

"Hermione, I am not going to stand here and let your cat shred my private parts simply because he belongs to you and feels territorial," Severus replied frowning, "If he's so smart you need to explain to him about our relationship. Otherwise, you're going to be carrying him about quite a bit. You have no right to be angry with me about this. You attack Raucous all the time, and I have never taken you to task for it."

"Severus, you've screwed me almost senseless getting revenge for that damn bird," she replied. "Just because I'm shrieking doesn't mean I don't hear everything you say."

Severus couldn't help smirking a little. He did give it to her good during his 'retributive shags". Raucous did figure into the equation somewhat, though primarily it was the acts she performed against him personally that she received the high, hard ones for.

"Those particular shaggings are the result of a compiled list of your most recent wrongs toward me, not just Raucous. As his caretaker, the indignities he's suffered by your hands happens to fall under that umbrella as well. I'd be lax in my duties toward him otherwise."

Hermione frowned at Severus. Did he actually listen to the things that came out of his mouth? She would have thrown up her hands in exasperation if she hadn't been holding Crookshanks.

The witch's face grew very dark. Two could play at this.

"You know what, Severus? Maybe I should take a lesson from you about paybacks for pets. How about this. You shag Raucous, all right? I'm hereby going on a sexual strike until you promise not to hex my cat anymore," she said stalking into her rooms.

Crookshanks opened one eye at the Professor as the witch carried him in. Severus could have sworn the damn animal smiled at him.

Severus tried to follow Hermione and the door slammed shut within an inch of his big nose. He stood there and stared at the closed entrance for a moment, then tried the knob. It was locked. Shit.

Well there went his plans for a sexless night with the witch. Looked like it was going to be a sexless few days now. Damn that cat.

Suddenly Severus let out a powerful sneeze. He looked down at his robes. They were absolutely covered in cat hair. Not just the usual amount of stray shed hairs, but hundreds of the little ginger fibers, spreading their dander all over him. No normal cat should shed like that. But then again Crookshanks wasn't a normal cat…he was part kneazle. Severus looked at the great amount of cat hair on him…Crookshanks couldn't possibly have left that much hair on him purposely, could he?

The Professor thought about it. No. That was impossible. He was a cat, not a person. He wouldn't intentionally leave cat hair to make him sneeze.

Severus scourgified the cat hair from his robes and sneezed again, drawing a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and dabbing at his nose.

He began walking toward the main hall. As he turned the corner, Raucous landed on his shoulder and frantically sent him images of a huge ginger-colored creature with dripping fangs and huge claws pursing him.

"That's Crookshanks, Raucous. Hermione's cat," Severus said as he mounted the stair, the bird hanging on, a horrified look on his face.

Cat? That crazy witch had a cat now? Oh Great Birdies of the Morning.

Raucous let out a string of birdie obscenities.

Severus sighed.

"I know how you feel, Raucous. The damn cat hasn't been here more than two hours and he's cut off my access to Hermione indefinitely. She won't let me touch her unless I promise not to hex the creature. But then I would be putting myself at risk. Crookshanks hates me," Severus said glumly.

Raucous had the answer. He projected a picture of Severus taking a faceless woman, then one of devil-Hermione with a big red X over her.

"No, Raucous. Another woman isn't the answer. I have a preference for Hermione. It just wouldn't be the same."

Raucous squawked at him and sent an image of a huge tree full of female ravens. The raven was mounting one after the other, happily making his way through the boughs. Then he sent an image of crowds applauding and shouting while balloons were released and confetti rained down.

"I know having a lot of different women to indulge seems like great fun, Raucous, but sometimes you just want one good one," Severus said quietly. "One that's just for you."

The raven squawked in disgust. He sent Severus the image of a hot marshmallow falling in on itself.

"I am not soft, Raucous," he said a bit defensively, "One woman is convenient and relatively safe. A wizard doesn't have to worry about catching wizarding STDs if he has one faithful partner. He doesn't have to go hunting around for trim if he has it handy and randy waiting for him to just…well…dive in. That saves a lot of extra effort, galleons and time."

Discussing the perks of monogamy with his familiar was making Severus more aware of what he was missing out on with Hermione cutting him off. With that cat around, and him in the doghouse he didn't dare do his disillusioned lover bit. Hermione would probably hex him to pieces. The look in her eyes when she gave her ultimatum was extremely serious. The witch never budged on an issue when she looked like that. It was almost like a Wizard's Oath.

As he approached the infirmary, he thought about the oath she'd taken to bind herself to him so she would never take another lover while he lived. Hermione was exasperating, infuriating, stubborn and headstrong, but she loved him. And as she had shown him night after night, willing to do just about anything to please him…

Severus' brow furrowed as he entered the infirmary to get the list of potions Poppy needed restocked.

Next time he got hold of Hermione, he'd have to adjust "she'd do just about anything" to "she'd do everything."

---

Crookshanks recovered from his stunning amazingly fast. Hermione clucked over the cat, and fed him some fresh fish and cream from the kitchens. The cat was used to being pampered. During his stay at the Grangers, Hermione's mother transferred all the love she had for her daughter to the ginger cat, and nothing was too good for him. He had his own room, a disgusting amount of kitty toys, and a warm lap to curl in anytime he wanted. Hermione's father appreciated Crookshanks' gifts of rodents.

"Damn good cat there," he'd say gruffly, rubbing Crookshanks behind the ears gently with his big hands. "Good hunter. A man's cat, he is."

Hermione cooed over him some more and retired with the cat to the bedroom. She was tired after last night with Severus and her trip to London this morning. She wanted to take a nap. The witch climbed into bed, carrying the feline with her and setting him on the bed. She lay down with a yawn, closed her eyes and tucked her hands under her cheek.

Crookshanks watched her, his ears twisting back and forth until she was asleep, then jumped lightly from the bed to the floor and strolled into the study. He sat on his haunches in front of the floo, staring at the flames.

Suddenly, they turned green and he walked through. Crookshanks was familiar with the workings of Hogwarts from when he lived here with Hermione. What was most interesting in his use of the floo wasn't his going in…but where he came out.

Severus' study.

The cat could smell Severus on Hermione, so knew that they were for all intents and purposes, mates. He didn't approve of it however. The dark wizard felt rather evil, and he was sneaky, very sneaky. His kneazle half could discern that. He also discerned Severus was quite attached to his mistress, but so what? She could do better…with his help.

Crookshanks immediately looked up at the rafters. Birds liked to roost high, so that was the most likely place the raven would stay when in the rooms. But he wasn't there. Crookshanks sniffed, then wandered into the bedroom. He could make out the faint scents of his mistress, sex and the dark wizard here. The cat walked around the room, sniffing about, then looked at the object that was the main purpose of his visit. Severus' bed. And, to his delight, he saw two pairs of vulnerable footwear sticking out from under the wardrobe.

First Crookshanks left four soft gifts for Severus in each shoe, then marked his bedroom pungently. His mistress came here often, so he had to let others know she was under his protection. Then the cat hopped up into the bed, which was neatly made. He padded across the sheets until he came to where it was folded over, then slipped his body neatly between them, roving over every inch of the bed, a big bulge moving under the sheets, then crept out. He caught the edge of the sheet in his teeth and pulled out the wrinkles he'd left behind. He cocked his head as he looked at the bed. It was passable.

For a moment, Crookshanks considered leaving a gift on the Professor's pillow as well, but thought that might be overkill. The cat hopped off the bed, sprayed the bedposts liberally, then ambled back toward the study. He was just about to walk out of the bedroom when the flames in the floo turned green. Crookshanks pulled back and crouched, his eyes narrowed.

Raucous hopped out of the flames, carrying a nice-sized frog in his beak. It was still alive. The raven hopped to the middle of the study and put the frog down. It immediately tried to get away, Raucous chasing and worrying the poor, doomed creature for a while before finally consuming it. Crookshanks watched the raven, the tip of his bottlebrush tail flicking back and forth. The familiar was vulnerable, but…he couldn't hunt him like a regular bird. He belonged to someone.

Crookshanks had a hard enough time years ago with Ron over just chasing Scabbers, his pet rat who turned out to be Peter Pettigrew in animagus form. Of course Crookshanks knew that, which was why the cat always tried to catch him, but Ron was livid the entire time. The pale wizard would probably be a thousand times worse if he tried to kill his familiar.

So he couldn't kill Raucous, but he could make the familiar's life miserable for messing with his mistress. And her mate would pay for allowing it, in spades. Turnabout was fair play after all. Let him sweat a bit thinking the cat was perpetually lying in wait for him.

Crookshanks watched as Raucous flew up into the rafters, feeling a bit heavy after his meal of frog. The bird tucked his head under his wing, and Crookshanks crept very close to the floo, darting through it immediately when the flames turned green.

Raucous pulled his head from under his wing at the 'foomph' sound and looked at the floo's green flame. He thought he saw a movement, but it was nothing. Probably some fluke in the floo system. The raven tucked his head back under his wing and promptly fell asleep.

Crookshanks returned to Hermione's study, walked back into the bedroom, hopped up in the bed and curled against the witch with a sigh of satisfaction. Hermione shifted in her sleep, one arm dropping lightly over the cat and pulling him into her like a plush toy. Crookshanks allowed this and stretched out, falling asleep against his mistress with a clear conscience.

---

When Severus returned to the dungeons with the list of supplies Poppy needed brewed, he walked straight to his labs and set about working, if just to keep himself occupied and his mind off Hermione. The witch took up far too much of his thoughts as it was. He continued brewing late into the evening, taking a quick meal in his lab for supper, and continuing until he was yawning, ready for bed.

The Professor had a pattern to retiring when Hermione wasn't with him, one he had followed for years. He would shower, dress for bed, walk to his study, have a shot of firewhiskey and stare into the fire for a while clearing his thoughts, then return to his bedroom, turn down the torches and slip into bed.

He walked into his room and his nose immediately wrinkled at the stench. It smelled like a herd of hippogriffs had sprayed his room full of urine.

"Merlin," he hissed, pulling out his kerchief and holding it on his nose. Scowling, he scourgified the entire room, but the scent remained, though less pungent. Finally he went over each item in his room, scourgifying each separately until the scent was gone. He applied a freshening spell to complete his cleansing. He had no idea why his room smelled like this, but he would figure it out later.

Severus quickly showered, dried off and dressed for bed. He walked over to his wardrobe, opened the drawer and selected a pair of comfortable silk boxer and pulled them on. Then he stepped into his slippers one at a time.

He slid one pale foot into the first slipper, grimaced and immediately he pulled it out, feeling something cold and slippery inside the shoe. He lifted his foot, examining it.

"What the fuck?" he bellowed as he looked at the bottom of his shit smeared foot.

The pungent scent wafted up to his nose. He made a face, and hopping on one foot, he jumped to the nightstand, picked up his wand then scourgified his foot. He then walked over to his slippers, and scourgified the one he had stepped in. Then he lifted the other slipper and looked inside. Yes, a small, moist turd sat waiting for discovery. Severus cursed and scourgified that shoe too. Then his eyes fell on his every day shoes that sat beside his bedroom slippers. A quick examination showed that they too had each received a small deposit of shit.

Mad as hell, the Potions Master cleaned those shoes as well, then checked the bottom of his wardrobe where his other shoes were. They were all fine. He closed the wardrobe, slipped into his cleansed slippers and headed for his study, scowling furiously.

What the hell was going on here? First his bedroom smelled like a urinal for hippogriffs, then there was shit in his shoes. He was going to kick somebody's ass about this, as soon as he found out who the culprit was.

He walked over to his liquor cabinet and poured a shot of firewhiskey, tossing it back quickly before pouring another one and carrying it to the armchair in front of the fireplace. He sat down, brooding over the idea that someone had come to his private quarters and defiled his room. He shifted in his chair, leaning forward then twisting around to see if Raucous was up there. He was, and he was sleeping.

"Raucous!" he called up to the raven.

Raucous removed his head from beneath his wing and looked down at the wizard sleepily. He gave a weak caw of greeting.

"Come down here," the Potions Master commanded. The raven obediently flew down, perching on the back of the armchair next to his master and looking at him attentively.

"Raucous, did you see anyone entering or leaving my rooms today?" he asked the raven. Raucous shook his head.

"Well, someone pissed all over my rooms and shit in my shoes," Severus said with a growl, "and I want to know who and how he got in here."

Raucous remembered the floo turning green, and sent Severus the image. The Potions Master viewed the image but didn't see anything untoward.

"Looks like a fluke in the system," he commented, scowling. Severus tossed down his firewhiskey and put the glass down on the table. He stood up.

"I'm going to look into this more tomorrow…ask Albus if he noticed any activity in the dungeons area between the time I left and now," he said, stalking off to the bedroom without saying good night to his familiar.

Raucous flew back up to the rafters. Who would do such a thing to his master? He immediately thought about Hermione, but the bird doubted she would ruin his bedroom, being that she spent so much time in it herself. It was a mystery.

Severus lowered the torches and slid into bed. He lay there a while, then began to toss and turn uncomfortably. He let out a small sneeze. After another moment or two, he let out another one. Then he began to sneeze uncontrollably.

"Whaaaa… cho!" he gasped, picking up his wand as he sneezed and turning up the torches. He threw back the covers on his bed. His black eyes went wide then narrowed. He sneezed again, his eyes watering and starting to itch.

His entire bed was covered in enough cat hair to make three cats. It was ginger colored too. Using his wand, he scourgified the bed.

He called back to mind the image of the floo Raucous had sent him, and ran through it slow motion. There. He thought he saw a movement. He wound the image back and moved slower, freezing it at the frame where the movement occurred. He mentally zoomed in.

There, sticking out of the green flames was a ginger-colored, bottlebrush tail.

"Crookshanks!" he growled.

There was no other proof needed. The cat had used his floo to invade his space and purposely leave cat hair in his bed, as well as pissing and shitting up his room.

Still sneezing, Severus got out of bed and scourgified himself a second time.

Fuming, he pulled on his house robe, tied the sash, strode through his study and to the exit. He opened the wall and walked through, his jaw clenched angrily, heading for the dungeon corridor.

He was going to have a talk with Hermione about that damn cat.

Tonight.

---

Hermione and Crookshanks were curled up contentedly together in her armchair, the witch reading the latest edition of 'Spells Today' when the door began to shudder beneath an irate pounding.

"Hermione! I need to talk to you immediately," came Severus' voice.

The wizard sounded livid. Now what? He'd better not be here to demand her presence in his bedroom. Hermione picked up her wand, slid Crookshanks over and stood up, eyeing the door.

The cat yowled.

"Just stay there, Crookshanks. I can handle him," Hermione said to the cat.

Crookshanks got comfortable, his back legs stretched out and his front legs crossed delicately, ready for the show.

Hermione stalked to the door and pulled it open, leveling her wand at the Potions Master.

"What do you want, Severus?" she asked him.

Severus scowled at the wand in his face.

"I'm getting tired of having you answer this door with your wand drawn on me," he said, looking at her blackly.

"What do you want, Severus?" she asked again, her eyes narrowed. She had her wand on him for a good reason. He was capable of anything, lover or not.

"That abomination you call a cat, shit, pissed and left cat fur all over my bed purposely," Severus seethed, looking at the cat stretched out on the armchair.

Crookshanks yawned at him, showing all his teeth, then snapped his jaws shut, his yellow eyes baleful as they watched him.

"Crookshanks did no such thing. He's been with me all evening," Hermione said, frowning.

"Oh, I have proof," Severus said, raising his pale hand toward Hermione, "if you'll allow me?"

Hermione nodded and Severus placed his fingertips against the witch's temple and sent her the slowed down floo image, then zoomed in on it, showing her the departing cat's tail disappearing into the green flame.

Hermione looked back at the cat.

"Crookshanks, did you do what the Professor said you did?" she asked the cat.

Crookshanks stood up on the armchair and stretched luxuriously before plopping back down, facing the other way.

Severus looked at her triumphantly.

"See, he did it. Now what are you going to do to punish him?" Severus asked her, his black eyes flicking toward the cat.

"Not a thing," Hermione replied. Severus looked at her, shocked. She continued.

"Raucous has been doing me dirty for months. I told Crookshanks about it, and how you let it go on. I guess he felt you deserved a bit of 'kit for cat'. I happen to agree with him."

"But Hermione, that fur ball shit in my slippers, and I stepped in it when I tried to put one on. Do you have any idea how disgusting that is?" Severus seethed.

Hermione held her ground.

"No more disgusting than having bird shit dropped in your hair twice a day," she retorted.

Severus scowled at her. Damn, she had a point. But it was all right when she was the one receiving all the grief. Ooh, he'd like to skin that fucking cat.

"Listen, you have a familiar that doesn't like me, and I have a cat that despises you. You're not willing to chastise Raucous, and I am certainly not going to punish Crookshanks for giving you a taste of your familiar's medicine," she said with finality, "Crookshanks is a balancing force. If I'm going to suffer at the claws of your raven, then you are going to deal with the claws of my kitty. And again, I don't want you hexing him."

"He deserves to be hexed for what he's done," Severus said. "Hermione, you are being distinctly unfair, and using sex as a bargaining tool."

"Women have done that since they developed pussies, Severus," Hermione said glibly. "And men have gone along with it. Until I get a promise from you that my cat will be untouched around you, consider yourself…"

Here Hermione made a scissor-like motion with her two fingers.

"…cut off!" she concluded.

Severus' nostrils pulsated with anger. It was quite an impressive display. He looked like a randy bull.

"I refuse to be blackmailed," he said, glowering at the witch.

"Then you are going to have some lonely nights," Hermione replied, not the least bit put out by his declaration.

He looked at her, his dark eyes going darker. Hermione knew he was going to play the sex card.

"You're sated now, but in a few days your body's going to want what only I can give it," he said in a low voice. "You're used to getting it regularly now. You're not the chaste, little virgin you used to be."

He played it, all right.

"Severus, you act like I can't live without sex. I assure you I can, and will," she retorted.

"Really?" he purred at her, using the same deep, erotic timbre he used when taking her.

And damn it, it did something to her belly. But Hermione didn't show a physical reaction.
Too bad her eyes didn't hide it, and that's exactly where Severus was looking. Her eyes.

He chuckled, though he didn't like this business one bit. He was being denied pussy because of a pussy. It was just…wrong. Then he went for the low blow.

"And you say you love me. If you loved me as much as you say you do, you wouldn't deny me, especially over something as asinine as a cat," he sneered.

Crookshanks rolled over and hissed at him for using this argument.

Hermione's eyes lit up, and she put her hands on her hips, her wand pointing at the floor.

"Don't you dare! Don't you dare try to use my love for you as leverage, Severus. I loved you long before I shagged you, you bastard. Don't you dare try to use it against me now! I've loved you longer without shagging you, than I have shagging you. That is the established truth of the matter. Don't you dare insinuate I don't love you because I won't sleep with you! Damn it, Severus…I faced the Dark Lord for you. I took an Oath for you. I almost died because of my love for you. Don't you cheapen what I feel for you by reducing it to the lowest denominator of my letting you stick your tool in me as the only viable proof of what I feel!" she spat at him.

Then Hermione did something she nor Severus ever thought she would do. She slapped him. Hard.

Stunned, the wizard brought his hand to his cheek. She had slapped him! Severus stared at Hermione, his mouth working but nothing coming out. Tears began to roll down her face.

Crookshanks was out of the chair and by Hermione's side in a flash. If the wizard tried to retaliate, he'd have a full set of teeth and claws to deal with. Not to mention a face full of cat fur.

Severus stood there, realizing he had crossed some kind of delicate line with the witch. He was only trying to make her lift the sex ban. Now it appeared he had inadvertently slammed it down like a portcullis. The pain in her eyes washed over him, searing the wizard's psyche like dragon's flame. He hadn't meant to hurt her. She had to know that. She had to know he appreciated the gift she gave him. He didn't give a fuck about the cat. The damn beast could shit in his shoes every day if it would take the hurt out of the witch's eyes.

"Hermione," he began hoarsely.

"Severus, just…just go. Please," the witch said, turning away from him.

Now was the time for Severus to say something kind, something meaningful…make some sort of declaration that would make this go away.

"I…I won't hex him," the Potions Master said lamely, knowing it wasn't enough, "I won't touch the cat…no matter what he does."

"Whatever, Severus. Just go," the witch responded. Her hand rose to the edge of the door.

"All right, Hermione…but…but…" he said, searching for the words. He couldn't find them. He backed out of her doorway, defeat on his pale face. What had he done?

Hermione quietly closed the door in the Potions Master's face and slowly walked toward her bedroom. She disappeared through the doorway, her heart heavier than she could ever remember.

Crookshanks sat smugly in front of the closed door, his tail lashing. His little stunt had gotten the wizard out of the way nicely. The cat walked quickly into the bedroom, his tail held high.

Now his mistress could concentrate on what was really important.

Him.

---

Severus returned to his rooms, barely aware of doing so. He walked like a zombie through the study, dropping into the armchair and staring at the fire without seeing it.

He was aware of a strange, unfamiliar ache in his chest. Something cold and hollow. An emptiness he had never experienced before. He wiped at his eyes with his hand as the feeling of something vital being absent washed over him.

Hermione had slapped him. She was angry. If it were only anger he felt from her, then he could have dealt with it easier…a sudden outburst that she could recover from, something he could add to his list of grievances. But it was more than that. It wasn't a simple matter of being angry. He had affected the witch's heart…her soul. It was all there in those eyes, those eyes that held so much acceptance and passion…those eyes going dim with hurt. Gods…gods…what had he done? Why was he so stupid to insinuate she didn't love him when everything the witch did only affirmed the fact that she did?

Because he was a selfish prig, that's why.

From the rafters above, Raucous looked down on his master, and squawked sadly. Something was very wrong with the wizard…something that reached way down inside the man. The raven realized that in all the months he had been with his master, this was the first time he had ever felt fear in him. Even when Severus was summoned, he had never felt fear.

But fear was what was coursing through the Potions Master as he sat before the fire, his black eyes swallowing the flames. Cold tendrils seemed to lace through his veins and pool in his stomach. He felt sick to his soul.

He may have just lost Hermione.

---

A/N: Thanks for reading.