The Dark Depths of Desire

A/N: Here's the next installment in this little twisted tale. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I'm glad that this story is being so well received. I hope to get out a new chapter before the end of this week.

Chapter 3: Eye Opening

Monday morning was a new day for Hermione. She had a full day planned ahead of her to get settled into her life at Hogwarts. Her first stop was a meeting with Dumbledore. He had sent her an owl the night before to ask if she would come by in the morning to discuss her stay.

She had decided to take her breakfast in her quarters before she announced her presence in Hogwarts in the Great Hall. After she was finished with her meal, she went over to the fireplace and flooed into the Headmaster's office.

"Good Morning, Ms. Granger! You are a site for sore eyes." Albus beamed up at Hermione as she entered his office and took a seat in front of his desk.

"I have only been away from Hogwarts for a year. But it does feel good to be back. I have always felt comfortable here."

Albus took a seat behind his desk and looked at her with those twinkling, knowing eyes. "So, I trust you and the child are doing well this morning?"

Hermione let out a small laugh of disbelief at his knowledge of her situation. "I guess you already know everything that's happened."

"Very little happens in this castle that I do not know about. But I saw Harry recently. He was worried about you and wanted to discuss providing you with a protection detail." Hermione's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "But I assured him that you would be protected while at Hogwarts."

"I do have a job that I will have to get back to soon. So there will be times that I am away from Hogwarts."

"I would like to discuss that with you right now." Albus pulled out a file folder stuffed with papers. "I spoke with your boss at the Ministry. We both agreed that it would be in your best interest to stay on Hogwarts grounds while you are going through this pregnancy."

Hermione gasped quietly as she realized that he had been discussing her private life with her boss. "I'm sorry Headmaster, but…you didn't tell him how I became pregnant, did you?"

"No, Ms. Granger, that information is not anyone's business. I simply told him that you were with child, and that Striker has taken an interest in you lately. So, in an effort to protect you during the pregnancy we are going to keep you on Hogwarts grounds."

"Thank you, sir."

Albus stood up from his desk and walked around to the front of his desk in front of Hermione. He held out a bowl of lemon drops to offer her one before he continued.

"I would like to offer you a position while you are on campus."

"Really! That would be wonderful…I would love to help out in any way I can."

"I would like for you to help Madam Pince in the library. She has mentioned that she needs an assistant for a few years now. She wants to reorganize the books and give the restricted section a good cleaning. It will be hard work…but your record proves that you are more than capable." Albus motioned to the large file he had taken from his desk earlier. "Does this sound like something you would like to do?"

Hermione thought about it for a second. "That sounds absolutely wonderful. But I have already found that I do not have as much energy as I used to and I get winded easily. I don't know if I will be able to perform any strenuous work."

"We'll have Poppy look after you with regular check ups." Albus twinkled at her, "and I'm sure Severus could make you some Pepper Up potions to keep your energy levels up."

Hermione smiled brightly at her new life. It would be a big adjustment, but she was excited to have something to do. "Thank you, Headmaster. I appreciate all that you are doing to help me."

"Think nothing of it, Ms. Granger. It is always good to have one of our brightest Alums come back to these halls. You will report to Madam Pince tomorrow morning after breakfast. I will introduce you to the students at tonight's dinner." Albus offered Hermione his hand as he helped her out of the chair and began to direct her to the door. "Now, you need to see Poppy. I'm sure she is anxious to check on you and your precious little package."

"I'm on my way there now. Thank you, Headmaster. Seeing you today has somehow made this all a little bit easier." Hermione exited Dumbledore's office and made her way down the stairs that lead to the familiar halls of Hogwarts. For the first time in over a week, she felt home.

--

Madam Pomfrey was ecstatic to see Hermione when she entered the medical wing. She fussed over Hermione like a mother expecting her first grandchild. Hermione laughed at the way she pulled her into her arms and wrapped her up with comfort. It made Hermione feel better about the baby growing inside her.

Poppy performed a few normal spells to check on Hermione's general health and well being. She then used the old-fashioned method of checking over her body by sight and touch. She pressed around on her belly to check on the progression of the child.

"Poppy, surely there's nothing there to feel. The baby was only conceived a week ago." Hermione looked up from her place on the bed to watch the Mediwitch's actions.

"I'm just checking everything out. This is a high risk pregnancy because of Remus's Lycanthropy. It will not be passed on to the child, but there is a chance that the power of the disease will weaken you." Poppy picked up her wand to perform a few final spells to check on the status of the child. "Have you noticed any exhaustion or lack of energy yet?"

"As a matter of fact, yes I have. I thought it was unusual to be so weak so quickly."

"Yes, I thought so. I will prescribe you a dose of Pepper Up potion to take every other day. You will have to get that from Severus…my stores are running low. Also, he has already been given my instructions on the pre-natal potions he will need to provide you with during each trimester."

"Thank you, Poppy. I feel so much better knowing you will be watching over this little one." Hermione rubbed her flat stomach like so many moms do.

"Would you care to know the sex of the child?" Poppy got up from the side of Hermione's bed and went over to her cabinets to pull out a few of the first trimester potions she already had for her to take.

Hermione looked over at Poppy with shock written all over her face. "You can already tell?"

"Of course, my dear. We do live in a magical world. Would you like to know?"

"Yes, I would." Hermione watched Poppy intently as she gathered all the potions she needed and came over to Hermione's bedside.

"You are having a girl!" Poppy smiled with pride at the announcement.

Hermione looked down to her stomach again and unconsciously placed her hand over her abdomen. Her eyes began to tear up with emotion at the realization of the life inside her. "So, you are my little girl. I wonder what Remus will think?"

"Remus will be overjoyed. I can just see him with a little girl. He will spoil her rotten…and she will have him wrapped around her little finger." Poppy laughed at the image she painted of Remus with his little girl.

--

Hermione left the medical wing after Poppy administered all of her necessary potions and gave her a schedule of the pre-natal potions she should get from Severus. Hermione went back to her quarters and finished settling into her rooms and making her space comfortable.

Later that day, Ginny came by to visit her for lunch. They spent a couple of hours talking about all of the changes. Ginny asked Hermione if she was okay and how she was adjusting to it all.

Hermione started to tell her that everything was okay, when she burst into tears. It surprised her how much she was stressed by all of the drastic differences in her life and the life-altering events that happened to her. It felt good to take comfort in Ginny's arms and tell her about her feelings, fears, and uncertainty.

Ginny asked Hermione if she was willing to give Remus a chance to become more to her than just a friend. Ginny was hoping that one day they would get married and raise the baby together.

Hermione side-stepped the question as she tried avoiding telling Ginny about Remus and Severus's relationship. It was the one kink in the whole scenario that threw everything off course.

When Ginny left, Hermione felt renewed and stronger. She had just needed to confide in a friend to help work through the traumatic events.

Later that day Hermione was introduced to the student population as the new Assistant Librarian. Many of the older students remembered Hermione from her days as a student and accepted her with thunderous applause.

After dinner Hermione made her way back to her quarters. When she entered she saw Severus at his desk grading some of the first year papers. She could tell he was fuming at their incompetence as his red quill slashed through entire pages of text.

Hermione was just about to head to her rooms to settle in for the night with a good book, when she heard the sound of Severus speaking to her.

"Poppy informed me that you would need a regular dose of Pepper Up potion, and that you had a schedule of pre-natal potions you require." Hermione looked back to see his face still focused on the papers in front of him as he spoke.

"Yes. She gave me a list. Would you like to see it?" Hermione held up the list she had folded in her robe pocket."

"Yes." Severus held up his free hand to take the parchment as he wrote a few biting remarks on some poor student's essay.

Once Hermione handed the paper to him he stopped his grading and opened the paper to read the list of potions Poppy required. "If I am to provide you with these potions on a regular basis, I will need to brew them at least once a week." Severus looked up at Hermione as he stood up from his desk chair. "You will assist me in the brewing."

Hermione was taken back by his abrupt behavior and demand.

"We will start tonight. Come with me." Severus turned and began to walk out to his private lab. Hermione followed like a student. He used his usual professor tone that triggered a Pavlonian response in her to do as he says.

When they were in the labs, Severus used his wand to pull out the necessary cauldrons and a few supplies that will be needed. "Here is a list of the ingredients I will need for the Pepper Up potion. Please gather them from my stores."

Hermione took the list and went to his store room to find each ingredient. Severus walked in behind her to find the items he needed for her first round of pre-natal potions. Severus reached up to a higher self to gather one of the ingredients. He leaned over Hermione to reach the ingredient, pressing her against the shelves with his body. When he grasped the ingredient he came down to his normal height and looked down to find Hermione's face within an inch of his. He stared at her for a few seconds without moving before he shook himself from the situation and turned to leave the store room.

"Do not dawdle, Ms. Granger."

"Hermione." Hermione corrected him.

Severus turned around to catch her eyes in order to decipher her intentions. "Hermione." Severus gave into her demands with uncertainty and then turned back around to begin preparing his ingredients.

Hermione came out of the store room with all of her required ingredients.

"You should be able to brew the Pepper Up potion with ease. If you work on that, I will prepare the pre-natal potions."

Hermione nodded her approval as she went to work preparing the ingredients. After a couple of minutes she began to get tired of standing, so she pulled over a tall stool to sit on while she worked.

Severus watched her actions with trepidation. He was completely at a loss on how to react around her. Normally he would simply treat her with his usual acerbic disposition and drive her away. It was easier to push people out of your life…then you didn't have to care about their safety or feelings. But, he was invested in her future because of her connection to Remus…and it infuriated him.

They worked in a nervous silence together. Both of them would look up to spy on the other person from time to time, only to quickly look away when they were caught.

Hermione came close to finishing up the Pepper Up potion. She had one ingredient left to put in the potion. She had to wait ten more minutes before she could stir in the powdered dragon fly wings.

It was then that they heard the sound of Remus coming into the lab.

"Severus, I can't find Hermione. Do you know where …? Oh, there you are." Remus smiled brightly at Hermione as he went to embrace her in a hug. "How are you doing today?"

Hermione smiled and hugged Remus tightly. "I am doing much better today. I have some news about the baby."

Remus raised his eyebrows at her words, "I hope it's nothing bad."

"No, nothing like that." Hermione took a hold of Remus's hands and looked him in the eye. "We are having a girl."

"A little girl?! I'm having a little girl!" Remus lit up as he processed the information. He cupped her cheeks with his hands as he smiled at the news. "Oh, you wonderful woman!" Remus hugged Hermione tightly and picked her up to twirl her around as he laughed at his joy.

When he set her back on the ground her grabbed her face again and kissed her lips in the excitement. At first Hermione was shocked by the sudden kiss…but when she felt a jolt run through her body with his possession of her mouth she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him to her to return the kiss with a passion she didn't know she possessed.

Remus ended the kiss and pulled away just enough to stare into her eyes. They stayed there caught in each other's gaze until they were pulled from their reverie by the sound of Severus coughing in an attempt to break them up.

"I would appreciate it if you would please refrain from mauling each other in my presence." Severus scowled at their interaction.

Remus looked over at Severus before he left Hermione's side to console his lover. "Don't be jealous, Severus." Remus stood in front of Severus imploring him to understand. "You know that I love you. I can never keep my hands off of you." Remus smirked at the dark wizard as he got closer and growled deeply in his throat.

Hermione watched with fascination as Remus looked like he was stalking Severus in the same way an animal would stalk his prey. It amazed her how quickly the air crackled with passion between the two wizards. They had a connection that was unspoken and, at the same time, confusing to Hermione.

Remus was poised over Severus's mouth with only centimeters between them. Severus could feel his hot breath teasing his lips with the promise of things to come. Severus closed his eyes to gain control of his body before he turned away from Remus and escaped his domination of him.

"I asked you to not do this in front of her, Remus." Severus was still looking away from both of them as he tried to find something to do on a corner table.

"Severus you have to accept that she will become a part of our lives." Remus walked over to stand behind Severus. He moved in close to his body to whisper in his ear. "Besides, she likes it. I can smell her arousal from here." Remus leaned in to nip at Severus's ear with his teeth.

Severus groaned at Remus's assault on him.

"I don't blame her, Severus. You are one Sexy Bastard." Remus peppered kisses and bites along Severus's neck and jaw line between his words. "Does it surprise you that she wants you just as much as I do?"

Severus opened his eyes and turned his head just enough to catch the blush in Hermione's cheeks as Remus revealed her embarrassing secret. She didn't understand her reactions to their closeness…but she couldn't help the wetness that always formed when she saw them together.

"Look at her, Severus. She's mesmerized by you." Remus forcefully turned Severus around to face him and pushed his back up against the table he was standing in front of, "She heard us the other night. She knows what it sounds like when I take you hard. Maybe we should give her the visual." Remus pressed one of his hands down Severus's abdomen to find his cock semi-erect beneath his clothes. He grasped Severus as he descended on his lips with his own to control him with his kiss.

Severus gave into Remus's kiss as he groaned at the onslaught on his body. He tried to muster up the will to stop Remus from embarrassing him in front of Hermione. With all the strength he could gather, he pushed Remus away from him and screamed, "NO!!"

"I will not be your little plaything in this perverted game you have going on!! If you want her, then take her…but leave me out of it! I'll be damned if I let you use me for your own entertainment!" Severus straightened his robes as he fumed with anger. "When I let you mark me, Remus, it was because I was sure of your commitment to my desires. But now I see that I was sadly mistaken. You only want me to play along in your grand scheme of having the best of both worlds. I will not be played for a fool."

Severus turned quickly and strode out the door with finality. The door slammed behind him, leaving Hermione and Remus to deal with the remnants of his wrath.

Remus looked back at Hermione, "I best go after him." Remus looked back at the closed door that Severus left through. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Hermione. I guess I'm just being selfish…I can't help it; I want you both." Remus turned back to her to see if she was okay before he left. "Will you be okay with the potions? I need to calm him down."

"It's okay, I can handle it…go." Remus smiled at her understanding and started to leave. "But remember to use a silencing charm this time!" Hermione yelled at him as he left the lab.

Hermione heard the distinct laugh of Remus as he went after Severus.

She finished up all of the potions and bottled them in doses to be taken over the next week. Once she was done she labeled everything and put away all of the supplies, ingredients, and even cleaned the cauldrons. She figured she would make the effort to not piss off Severus anymore.

--

The next morning Hermione sat at the kitchen table with her usual cup of hot coffee when the door to Severus's room opened. Severus came out in his teaching robes with his usual air of confidence. He passed Hermione without acknowledging her presence.

"Good morning, Severus." Hermione tried to be civil and extend a branch of communication.

At that time Remus came out of Severus's room with a smile plastered on his face that beamed of contentment. Hermione could only guess what they were up to most of the night. She smiled to herself and was grateful for their use of a silencing charm. She chuckled to herself as she thought about their nightly activities.

"Does something amuse you, Hermione?" Severus looked at her with disapproval, thinking she was laughing at his relationship with Remus.

"No, Severus, I was just thinking that you must have a hard time staying awake in your classes…considering all of the nightly activities the two of you participate in." Hermione smiled at Remus to see his reaction.

"Oh, Hermione, you are a bad girl." Remus joked with her.

"We do not usually see each other this often. Your presence has made this an unusual week." Severus answered her in all seriousness. Which only made Hermione and Remus chuckle again.

Severus put his cup of tea down on the counter with force. "I will not stay around here just to be ridiculed." He turned with a flair of his robes as he left his quarters to make his way to the Great Hall for breakfast.

Remus shook off Severus's display of temper and turned to see Hermione still sitting at the kitchen table.

"So, this is your first day of work at Hogwarts. Are you excited?"

"I am." Hermione smiled to herself as she looked into her cup for inspiration. "I just hope I can give Madam Pince what she is looking for…I am not myself with this pregnancy."

"You will do great, Hermione. You are always an over-achiever." Remus looked at her with reassurance. "Did you remember to take your pre-natal potions?"

"Yes, father." Hermione mocked him about his concern.

"Oh, no you don't. I will not be teased for taking an active role in your well-being during this pregnancy." Remus moved to sit next to Hermione and wrapped one arm around her waist in a comforting gesture. "I want the best for you Hermione. You are carrying something precious. I never thought I would have the opportunity to have a child of my own."

Hermione looked into his eyes and saw the truth to his words. She was moved by his honesty and concern for her. She didn't know how to process the display he put on in front of her the night before…but at this time she was locked into his gaze.

Remus placed a hand gently behind her head and pulled her into a soft and sweet kiss. He teased her lips with his own as he intensified the kiss.

Hermione moaned her approval as she opened her mouth to his probing tongue. She didn't know what she was doing, or if she should be letting him do it. But it felt so good and it felt right.

Remus knew he couldn't start anything in the morning with her, and he didn't want to scare her by moving too quickly after he was forced upon her. He gently bussed her lips with his own as he pulled himself away from her to damper the situation.

"I should let you get to the Great Hall. You don't want to be late for your first day of work."

"Hmm..? Oh, yeah, right." Hermione was slightly out of it from Remus's sudden retreat.

"Don't worry about anything, Hermione. I will take care of Severus. Just be civil to him…and he will come around eventually. The two of you would make a great research team. Severus is always working on new innovations in the potions world."

Hermione laughed as she gathered her robes and got ready to go. "The day he accepts me as an equal will be the day Merlin turns over in his grave. That will never happen."

"Never say never, Hermione. Fate has a way of making it happen." Remus smiled to her as she left the rooms to head to the Great Hall.

--

The next few months went by quickly for Hermione. She and Severus fell into a comfortable friendship. They would brew together each Monday night and work in silence together in the living room on the other nights. Remus would come by about once a week to visit with the two of them and would end up spending the night with Severus in his room.

The night before the full moon was always the most surprising for Hermione. Remus would show up in a rage. He would brutally attack Severus as he tried to possess him and claim him as his. He was incensed…it shocked her to see him in that state.

Severus was always prepared and ready for him. He would use all of his strength to hold him off long enough to get him in his room for the night.

In the mornings after Remus's stays the three of them would take breakfast in their rooms and eat together. Hermione noticed over time the change in the way Severus would act around her. He became more at ease with her presence and would be more open about his connection to Remus. At times she would see the two of them eye each other with a knowing look that sparked with intensity, Remus would lightly graze his hand over Severus's backside, or Severus would allow Remus to stand behind him as he prepared something for breakfast.

Their dynamic had changed to one of an accepted friendship. But, the thing that surprised Hermione the most was the way Severus would involve her in his research.

She almost choked on her juice the first time it happened. She was sitting in the living room, nestled on the couch with a couple of books about common spells used by magical librarians.

Severus was working on a research project of his that would redefine the way potions were put in stasis, when he stopped taking notes and looked up to Hermione to ask her about one of his theories.

At first, Hermione looked at him with utter amazement on her face as she tried to fathom why he would even bother asking her. But, after he scolded her for sitting there with her mouth open like a fish, she answered him with uncertainty.

The conversation went on from there as Severus asked her a follow-up question and the two of them played off of each other's intelligence. Together they made a great team and were able to work through difficult problems.

Severus began to respect the way Hermione's mind worked, and found that he enjoyed his conversations with her. Some nights they would debate and fight on issues, and they would end up both in their own rooms trying to find the evidence they need to prove the other one wrong.

The hardest part of it all was Hermione's hormones. She had a little pouch on her as her stomach started to show slightly. But, as the fourth month of the pregnancy came about she noticed that she was in a constant state of arousal at the most inopportune times. For a lack of a better way to put it…she was horny!

At first, she started having daydreams about Remus. She would picture him coming in to the dungeons looking for her. She would become aroused as she pictured him taking her with the same passion that he showed towards Severus.

One night she woke up in a sweat when she realized she was having an erotic dream about Severus. It confused her as she found her body completely turned on. She pleasured herself that night with pictures of Severus and Remus in her mind.

She kept trying to ignore her urges…but it only got worse as she found herself bringing herself to completion each night to visions of either Remus, Severus, or sometimes of the two of them together. It shocked her how much it turned her on to think about the two wizards together. Before all of this, she would never have thought that the sight of two men together would be so erotic.

But everything was changing.

--

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The dynamic between them all is changing. But the real question will be how well Severus will accept Hermione when the baby is born and Remus starts having urges to be with her. Will he be able to share well with others?