The Dark Depths of Desire

A/N: I know that Severus has become a real bastard in this story. But you have to believe me when I say that I believe he is just reacting out of jealousy and a fear of losing the one thing he could finally call his. After Severus's taunting of Remus in his labs things will change…Remus will finally be spurred to do something about all of this.

I hope you continue to enjoy this story as the plot thickens with the birth of a child conceived in turmoil.

Chapter 6: New Life

The next couple of months were tense in the dungeons. Remus moved in the day after he came home from his latest mission. After his confrontation with Severus in the lab, Remus came up to the living quarters to vent his rage. He had thrown off Severus's advances violently and stormed away in a fit.

When he slammed his way into the living room Hermione jumped at the sudden intrusion. Remus was breathing hard and pacing as he mumbled to himself about the whole situation. Hermione stopped her cooking and went to see what was going on.

When she saw the state that Remus was in she leaned against the door to the living room and watched him work out his frustration. She assumed Severus had told him what happened between the two of them earlier that day…so it was going to be a long night.

After a couple of minutes Remus slowed his pacing and mumbling to turn and catch Hermione's gaze.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Remus's question was calm and controlled far beyond the signs of his outward appearance.

"I was afraid of what you would think of me. I still don't know how to process all of this Remus." Remus stopped moving and turned to give her his full attention. "I am falling in love with you, Remus. But I can't deny that what Severus and I did today was…enjoyable."

"He wanted to hurt you, Hermione."

"I know. And if I allow myself to realize the truth, in some distorted way I wanted to hurt him." Hermione looked away from Remus's questioning gaze while she worded her feelings. "His passion consumed me. I felt like my whole body was on fire. But at the same time I truly started to hate myself because I wanted more. I think I can finally begin to understand your addiction to him."

"I can't let him treat you this way." Remus came over to her and stood in front with imploring eyes. "I'm moving in with you. I will stay in your room until the baby is born. I want to be here to protect you and see to you and the baby's health."

"What about Severus?"

"He can find out what it's like to be alone. I refuse to allow him to continue acting like a spoiled child that throws a temper tantrum every time he doesn't get what he wants. He is a grown man…it's about time he learns the hard lessons of sharing and compassion."

Remus wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist and hugged her to him to show her his resolve. Hermione sighed contentedly into his arms and closed her eyes.

"I could get used to having you around, Remus. You better be careful, or you will have two spoiled lovers on your hands." Hermione smiled into his chest as she thought about how easily she could become selfish with Remus's affections.

The next couple of months were hard on everyone. Severus stuck to himself and refused to interact with either of them as he brooded in his own misery. Remus spent the mornings and evenings with Hermione. He would eat meals with her, laugh, talk and even go to her appointments with Poppy to check on their little girl. During the day he would go check in with Albus and get the latest news on the Ministry's work and the Orders activities. He tried his best to keep down a few odd jobs to bring in some income during the days that Hermione worked in the library.

At night Remus would follow Hermione to her room and make love to her. He was tender and sweet in his love making. Hermione treasured her time with him and found herself longing for the night to come while she organized and cleaned books in the library.

Each month Remus's transformation came around his urges and desires became more intense and harsh. At first, Hermione tried to accommodate his urges. But as her belly got bigger it became apparent that it would be detrimental to her body to participate in any vigorous activities with him.

During her seventh month of pregnancy Remus came to her three days before the full moon in a rage. He was under the influence of his instincts to mate with his chosen. He growled and beat himself as he fought the urge to hurt her or run to Severus.

Tears fell from Hermione's eyes as she saw the pain and turmoil fight within him. He became violent as he fought Moony for control. He started throwing items around the room and banging into walls to keep himself from focusing his attention on Hermione.

"Remus, you have to go to him! He's the only one that can help." Hermione pleaded with Remus to go to Severus's room. She knew that he would only be able to find relief with him.

"No!!! He doesn't deserve to be my mate. I refuse to let him take pleasure from me when abuses you."

Hermione sat there for a few more minutes praying for some kind of guidance. She watched as Remus ran into the side of her armoire with a force that knocked him to the ground. He howled in pain as his ankle twisted underneath his body.

Hermione grabbed her wand and performed a fast and powerful charm to heal his twisted ankle. It was then that she knew she had to do something.

She went out of her room and locked the door behind her with a locking charm before she made her way to Severus's room. She took a deep breath and knocked on his door.

Severus opened his door in an abrupt fashion and scowled down at her intrusion. "What do you want?" His voice was angry and annoyed by her presence.

"Remus needs your help. He refuses to come to you…and I can't help him in the state that I am in. He's hurting himself." Hermione worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Please, help him."

Severus looked at her with confusion on his face. He couldn't comprehend why she would come to him, her enemy, for help. It shocked him that she was doing something that he, himself, could never bring himself to do. He looked over her shoulder to her bedroom door while he thought about his response.

He returned his eyes to meet hers. "Are you afraid of him?"

"No. But I fear for his life if he keeps hurting himself in this way. I can only heal so many wounds as he continues to beat himself."

Severus stepped out of his bedroom door and closed it behind him. He started to go to Hermione's room, when he noticed her still standing by his door. "Follow me."

Hermione looked surprised as she tentatively walked over to Severus in front of her bedroom door. She removed the locking charm she had on the door and looked up at Severus to inquire about his intentions.

"I want you to observe." Hermione looked at him with wide eyes. "If you and I are ever going to learn how to become partners in our affection for this man, then you need to witness him during this time. Part of the reason that he chose me as his mate is because I was the first person to be able to withstand his harshness during this time…and I was still able to find pleasure in it.

"He is not the same person when he is like this. He usually regrets his actions after the transformation. But I have always been able to reassure him that I enjoyed it." Severus took a deep breath and placed his hand of the doorknob. "Are you ready?"

Hermione nodded her agreement and followed him into her room. Once inside she locked the door and waited for Remus to turn to investigate the room's new inhabitants.

"Get out!!!" Remus growled deeply as soon as he spotted Severus standing in the room. Hermione was transfixed by the rage that was in Remus's eyes as he stared directly at Severus.

"No." Severus remained calm and collected as he approached Remus with ease.

"I will kill you if you do not get out of my sight!" Remus roared with violence in his eyes. He was shaking as he tried to keep himself under control.

"I would like to see you try." Severus smirked towards the wild man that crouched in front of him in a defensive posture.

Hermione screamed as Remus launched himself towards Severus with murder in his eyes. She ran to the corner of the room and raised her wand to protect herself.

Severus easily swung his body to the side to avoid Remus's attack. He grabbed the other man's wrist and flung him around to forcefully push the front of Remus's body into the wall. He pinned Remus's arm around his back and pressed his body against Remus's to trap him against the wall.

"You will have to better than that Moony." Severus goaded Remus on to spur him to fight with him.

Remus growled as he used he free arm to elbow Severus in the side and free himself from the hold. Severus released Remus and went after him from the front.

Hermione watched in fascination and horror as the two men fought and wrestled throughout the room. One of her chairs and many of her books became victims of the violence that was taking place before her eyes. As the fighting progressed Hermione saw each man began to rip clothing from each other's body. They fought for dominance with a passion she never knew existed. Both of them were bleeding after about twenty minutes from the constant fighting.

Finally Severus managed to tie Remus to the Hermione's bed using his belt. Severus laid his body over Remus's and stroked the man below him with rough and owning hands. "You are mine now. I'm going to fuck you so hard you will see stars." Severus harshly whispered his intentions to Remus below him as he prepared his own body by stroking his erection.

Hermione was completely drawn to it all as she watched Severus thrust into Remus's backside with pure lust. Remus moaned and grunted as he took all that Severus did to him. Severus's thrusts were slow, but sharp and hard. He luxuriated in his dominance over Remus as he drove himself into him.

It didn't take long for Severus to find his release as he yelled Remus's name over the man's back. Severus collapsed on top of Remus as he tried to catch his breath and gather himself after the thoroughly exhausting show.

Severus pulled himself up and went to release Remus's hands from the belt that held him down on the bed. As soon as Remus was free from his confines he quickly turned on Severus and threw the man against the nearest wall.

"Now I am going to get mine." Remus held Severus hands against the wall as he came up behind the dark haired wizard. Hermione saw the satisfactory grin that came over Severus's face as Remus plunged into him from behind.

Hermione squirmed in the corner of the room as she watched the two men grunt and groan in pleasure as they fucked up against the wall. She dropped her wand that she still had pointed in their direction and moved her hand down to her own core. She quickly delved her fingers into her folds as she touched herself.

It didn't take long before she was panting hard and rocking her hips to bring herself to orgasm. The two wizards in front of her were oblivious of her actions and completely caught up in each other's movements. Not long after Remus came hard and howled out his release.

Hermione shook and whimpered her own release as she watched Remus come down from his own orgasm.

The two wizards stumbled over the Hermione's bed and fell into it with the exhaustion that was brought on by their fierce coupling. Hermione tentatively got up from the ground and watched the two wizards snuggle up next to each other. She didn't know what to do or where to go. They were in her bed.

Just as she decided to go and sleep on the couch in the living room, Remus opened his eyes and sought out Hermione.

"I can smell your arousal Hermione. You were watching us." Remus was sated and easy now that Moony had received what he needed.

"I'm sorry…I'll go and sleep on the couch." Hermione turned to leave the room.

"Stay here." Remus called out to her before she got away. "Come…sleep with me and Severus." Remus lifted his arm and held out his hand to implore her to join him.

Hermione came over the bed and crawled in next to Remus. She snuggled her back into him and allowed him to spoon her as she lay down. Severus was behind Remus and had his arms wrapped around his lover's waist. The movement in the bed woke him just enough to realize that Hermione was joining them. He lifted one of his hands and grasped Hermione's hip in front of Remus to accept her into their world.

It was a fragile acceptance, but it was there, none the less. Hermione fell asleep that night with hundreds of questions racing through her mind. But the one that kept coming back to the forefront was: 'What happens now?'

--------------------------------------------

The last couple of months of Hermione's pregnancy were spent in a limbo. Remus continued to sleep in her room. He was affectionate at night and loving towards her all of the time. Due to her size he stopped making love to her in the physical sense…but that never stopped him from showing her his love in other ways.

During the day, all three of them would spend time together. Severus began to talk to Hermione as an equal and involved her in his work. It pleased Remus to see them getting along. At times they would even laugh together as they prepared for the new arrival in their unusual family or sorts.

A couple of days before Remus's transformation Severus confronted Hermione in the kitchen when Remus was out on an errand.

"Hermione, tonight will be a difficult night for Remus. I will invite him back into my room if that is okay with you?"

Hermione looked at Severus with wonder as she still tried process his new attitude towards her. "He will need you tonight…I've already known that today. He has been very jumpy today."

"I want you to know that you are welcome into my bedroom tonight. You are always welcome." Hermione continued to look at him for an explanation as she tried to understand what he was doing. "I have had a lot of time to reflect on these last few months, and I have realized that Remus loves you very much. I might even go as far as saying that he holds you more dear than he will ever hold me.

"You give him affection that I have never been comfortable with. I have never been able to allow him to take liberties with me outside of my room."

Hermione thought about his words before she decided to respond. "Thank you, Severus. But I feel I should stay away for this transformation. I am too far along; and the two of you get rather…athletic." Hermione blushed slightly as she remembered her witness of their last interaction.

Severus nodded his acceptance of her answer and turned to leave the kitchen. Hermione watched him start to leave for a second before she moved to catch him one more time.

"Severus!" Hermione called out to him to catch him before he went into his room. "I have never been able to get out of my mind the time we were together. I was wondering if you ever…"

"Yes. I think about it all the time." Severus looked at her directly and with sincerity. "You managed to get into my system, and I find myself wanting you again."

"So, what happens now?"

"I don't know. Let's just wait until that little girl comes into our lives to make any decisions. I have a feeling that she will change everything."

--------------------------------------------------

The next month went very much like the previous one. Hermione became very uncomfortable in the final weeks of her pregnancy and was always fidgeting to find a better way to sit.

The night of Remus's transformation Hermione was unusually uncomfortable. She sat on the couch in the living room with Severus talking about his latest work in his labs. She had her feet up in his lap as he unconsciously massaged her feet. She realized that if anyone were to come into the room and see them like this, they would be very confused about their relationship. Which would be similar to her own confusion.

Remus had left a couple of hours before nightfall to take his final dose of wolfsbane and search out Striker's pack. He would spend the night following the pack through the woods.

Around 11:00 pm Hermione felt a sharp cramp shoot through her lower back. She grunted in pain at the unexpected feeling and pulled her feet from Severus lap to put them on the ground. Severus immediately jumped to attention and hovered over her.

"Are you okay? Is it the baby?"

"I don't know. It was an unusual pain. I don't know what labor should feel like." Hermione held her stomach as she concentrated on her body's reactions. Not even a full minute later she felt the pain rip through her body again. "Ouch! That really hurt."

"Hermione, your water just broke." Severus was looking at the ground below her. "We need to get you to Poppy."

Hermione grabbed a hold of his shoulders and used him to help her stand and make her way over to the fireplace. Severus grabbed a handful of floo powder and called Poppy.

"Poppy, Hermione's water just broke, and her contractions are coming on fast." Hermione screamed out as he was closing the floo connection as another contraction ripped through her with a stronger force.

"We need to hurry, Severus, it's coming fast." Hermione always thought it would take hours to give birth…but this was nothing like she expected.

Severus swung his arm under her legs and picked her up to apparate her to the medical wing. "Poppy, I need you!" He called out as he carried her over to the first empty bed that he came upon.

Poppy came running into the room with her wand at the ready and a tray of potions and other medical supplies. "Okay, dear let's take a look." She ran her wand over Hermione's belly as she prepared her spot next to the bed.

"I want Remus!" Hermione looked over to Severus as she yelled out in pain.

"Severus, where is Remus?" Poppy finished her initial exam and turned to Severus to inquire about Remus.

"It's a full moon tonight. He's in the dark forest with Striker's pack. I'll just wait in my quarters in case you need anything."

Poppy grabbed his arm before he got out the door. "Oh no you don't. She needs someone to help. I will also need your assistance."

Severus looked down at Hermione and watched the pain flash over her face. He felt completely lost and worthless in the situation. He just wanted to get away and work on something he understands…like complex potions mixed with chain-linked spellwork.

Poppy handed two vials to Severus and went to swish her wand over Hermione's body to change her into a medical gown. "I need you to administer those potions to her."

Severus went to Hermione's bedside and pulled her head up slightly to give her the potions. Hermione visibly relaxed after the second potion as it's numbing powers took over. "How are you feeling, Hermione?"

"I'm scared, Severus. I wish Remus was here."

"So do I." Severus stroked her brow with a light caress and wiped the beads of sweat from her hairline.

The whole birth only took minutes as Poppy worked quickly and ordered Severus around with a stern tone. Before he knew it, Severus was standing next to Hermione with a tiny bundle, wrapped in white blankets, tucked in his arms.

She was a beautiful sight to behold. He found himself mesmerized and completely taken with her. He had never felt connected to a child before…and he couldn't explain the way he felt a part of this little girl.

"How does she look?" Hermione looked up at Severus holding her little girl with affection as she tried to recover from the exhausting childbirth that took her by surprise.

"She's perfect." Severus used his long delicate fingers to outline the tiny features that decorated the child's face. "She looks like Remus. She has his smile."

Hermione's heart broke as she watched the most sarcastic and acerbic wizard she has ever known smile and coo at a child. "May I see her?"

Severus looked up from the baby and carefully handed her off to settle in Hermione's arms.

"So, what are you going to name her?"

Hermione smiled at the cooing baby in her arms and thought for a moment before answering him. "Her name is Aislynn Elizabeth Lupin."

"You're giving her Lupin's name?"

"It's the right thing to do. She is his." Hermione looked up to Severus to see if he approved of her decision.

"He will be pleased."

Not long after Hermione fell asleep in her bed holding Aislynn. Severus carefully removed Aislynn from Hermione's arms and laid her in a small basinet that Poppy had put in the room. He then took a seat next to Hermione's bed to watch over her and the new addition to his life. Sleep quickly took him over as he tied to figure out how he could fall in love with this little girl so quickly.

-----------------------------------------------

A/N: Your reviews inspired me to write this chapter quickly. Their dynamic is changing quickly. They are all becoming more comfortable with each other as a new life joins them. I hope to have only a couple of more chapters and an epilogue. I hope you are all enjoying it so far.