A/N: Sorry so late, work got unexpectedly crazy. Still there now, in fact, but I wiped out the laptop to post right quick. Enjoy!
Chapter Four
Hermione sat on the couch, slowly rubbing her hand along the arm of the sofa. Severus had moved from underneath her palm to browse the library for answers, thus leaving her hand unoccupied.
She missed the warmth of him beside her. The thought crossed her mind to help him sort through the books on Sirius's shelves but she didn't feel like herself and didn't want to get in his way. From the vantage point of the couch, she watched as he methodically flipped through the volumes as Sirius poured another drink, glaring from the corner of the room.
That was odd, wasn't it? Of course Sirius and Severus never got along but they had reached a level of silent mutual despise. A few snide or snarky comments and they went on their merry way. However, Sirius looked like he was trying to glare holes through the books and Severus. Hermione just ignored the man and turned her eyes back to her object of interest, who was currently, licking his finger to turn a page.
Hermione almost moaned watching him, wondering what that finger would taste like. She needed to get out of here.
"I'll be down in the kitchen if you need me," she abruptly told the men as she went to steal a slice of pie or a sandwich. She hadn't had a proper meal in hours.
"And just what do you think you're looking at, Black?" Severus questioned the moment the door shut behind her. He had watched over the edge of the book how Sirius' eyes watched Hermione and followed her out of the room.
"Nothing you need to worry about, I'm sure," Sirius shot back in a haughty tone though truthfully he was worried. The curse couldn't possibly have marked Severus for Hermione. It just wasn't in the realm of possibility. He was half hoping Severus would come up with something that would explain her strange behavior and help him get her back where she needed to be – with Harry.
Severus' eyes narrowed as he watched the other man swig back the last of his drink and come over to rest a hip against the bookshelf. "I doubt that is any of your concern either."
"Oh, I wouldn't know about that. Pretty young witches are always my concern. Someone has to look out for their best interest, of course."
"She is not the naïve wench you assume her to be, and I have no doubt she will see right through your charms," hissed Severus.
"Easy, Severus. I'm not trying to bed the girl. The thought had crossed my mind, of course, and don't say it hadn't crossed yours." Sirius pointedly ignored the guttural noise coming from his companion and the clenched fist at the man's side. "No, I'm afraid we may find ourselves in a very familiar situation soon. I imagine the woman you love, shacking up with a Potter, and having a few more messy haired children. What do you think? Good plan?"
"So is that it?" Severus asked in the voice of deadly calm that his students would have known to fear. "That's your plan? You cursed Hermione to make her see her love for Harry?"
"Our own little James and Lily," said Sirius with a smirk, slightly intoxicated.
"Harry is nothing like his arrogant toerag of a father. James Potter was a good for nothing, lazy, whinging little berk and Lily. I wouldn't wish dear Lily on anyone. Hermione shares her house but that is all. She is compassionate and forgiving where Lily was cruel and unyielding. Hermione is passionate and brave and brilliant and everything Lily could only dream of being yet never held a candle to. That's all you were ever good for, Sirius," Severus told him in a blinding rage, using his first name for the first time in he couldn't even remember how long. "Meddling in others' affairs. You never really did make a life of your own. I highly advise you to leave Hermione alone. She doesn't stand alone like I once did. Like you do now. You will answer to me."
"What's the matter, Snape? Afraid the lass is going to see your knickers and run? You forgot, that's already-"
Sirius was completely oblivious of the danger until a fist hit him square in the jaw.
~~HGSS~~
Hermione sat at the table, contemplating her reflection in leftover soup in front of her, pondering the problem.
Clearly, something was compelling her. To do what, exactly, she wasn't sure, but it seemed to be Snape related. She needed to be magically compelled to be around Severus like she needed another broom, but here she was. If someone had just asked, she could have told them she'd do it pro bono.
What could the motive possibly be?, she wondered. They were already partners. Unless the curse wasn't tailored to him specifically. Maybe someone just wanted to get her laid.
Well, if that was the case, she would happily help with that too, but they couldn't have picked a more difficult person than Severus. She had never seen him with a girl. In fact, incident with Harry's mum aside, she wasn't even sure he liked girls.
He did give her this amulet though, she thought as she ran her fingers over the stone around her neck. There was a little groove just bigger than her thumb, as though the previous owner also use to sit and worry the stone.
She was pondering this thought and the man behind it when she suddenly realized she was still unsettled. The soup hadn't help as she thought it was. She was once again insatiable. Picking up the spoon, she gave it a lick but it didn't seem to help, nor did the following glass of water.
Hermione released a sigh. It was going to be one of those things again and she would feel restless, itchy, and incomplete until she figured out what the curse wanted. And it was probably Severus related. Surely something had to work!
She picked up random objects off the counter-top and licked them to no avail. Even Severus's coat by the door didn't help.
Kreacher watched her from the corner and when she glanced at him, he told her, "Don't be thinking it, Miss."
She picked up a quill and nibbled on the end instead. Nothing.
This was maddening! What could it possibly want? She wasn't going to eat Severus!
At the thought of his name, Hermione heard a smack from the library and loud shouting afterward, causing her to drop the quill and rush to see what the problem was. She never should have left Severus with a drunk Sirius.
With a gasp, she took in the scene before her. A spilt tumbler was on the ground, the dregs of a brown liquid leaking on to a forgotten tome. Severus was straddling an intoxicated Sirius, and while he was no longer punching him, it was clear by the welt blossoming on Sirius's face what had happened.
"Severus!" Hermione gasped as Severus pulled a hand back for another punch. "As cathartic as I'm sure this is, and probably well deserved and over-do, I don't think this is one of the best of your ideas."
"I'm finding at the moment I don't give a fuck," Severus told her in that eerily calm voice his students knew to fear.
Hermione grabbed his fist in one hand and pulled him off Sirius, who was now fearfully covering his face with both hands. Being a Pureblood, a Muggle-style physical attack had never crossed his mind. A hex he was prepared for, but not a right hook.
"What happened?" Hermione asked in a small voice.
"Lost his damned mind is what happened!" yelled Sirius as he got up off the floor. "One minute, he's researching and the next I'm being insulted and thrashed!"
Severus was moments from kicking him back down again when the most amazing thing happened.
Hermione was on him like he was just on Sirius, but instead of punching him, she was kissing him, and fiercely. He had just happened a glance, and she pounced.
"Hermione," said both of the men between breaths.
She just whispered, "Don't care," and continued to snog him senseless. Severus made an attempt to push her off out of preservation for her dignity and honor, but even he admitted it was only half-hearted.
Here was this beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, brave witch who seemingly wanted nothing more than to press her lips to his. It had to be the curse, he thought. It really had nothing to do with him.
The wheels in his mind churned, sluggishly but determined. Hermione was cursed, it knew. And it knew it had something to do with him. She was drawn to him, clearly. To smell him, and to see him, and…
Hermione didn't know what thought just crossed his mind but suddenly Severus went from a half interested partner to a full fledged participant. He had to have been shocked but she couldn't help herself. He looked at her, all flushed, and angry, and sexy. She figured out several places she could run her tongue, just started with his lips.
There were no feather-light kisses and sweet caresses here. Maybe another time, if he let her have another time. With Sirius's protests being ignored in the background, she nibbled Severus's earlobe and ran her tongue along his neck before devouring him in another thirst-quenching kiss. This was apparently what the curse was after, and what a mighty fine curse it was.
Severus was having the same thought from the carpet below, where he was still pinned by her weight to the floor, not that he was complaining.
Take that, you tosser, he thought as Sirius stormed out of the room. Grabbing Hermione by waist, he gave her one last long, slow, and deep kiss, causing one of them to moan before Apparating her out of the room with a 'pop'.