Animal Magnetism

Disclaimer: I, sadly, own nothing of the Harry Potter 'Verse. I just like to play with them time to time. Especially Severus.

Chapter 7

Hermione's mood noticeably worsened between exiting the classroom and storming down the hall. 'Denied.' It raged inside her, in a dark space occupying the back of her mind. Her frustration was building to hazardous levels, consuming her, clawing under her skin and seething in her veins. She felt helpless against the pure force of need, not knowing how to sooth it and confused by the demands of her body that jumped at the call of that insidious voice. And she hated feeling helpless and confused. Her mind had always been her greatest strength, her deadliest weapon, now she was deprived of it and the tight leash she kept on herself was all but gone. Useless. A stranger resided there. A trill of alarm sang along her nerve-endings seconds before a solid mass practically slammed into her.

It knocked her off balance- though she reflexively grabbed on and dragged it with her as she attempted to stay level. Hissing, she quickly realized her traitorous new reflexes no doubt made things worse. Now she was stuck under said mass and- "Granger, do you ever watch where you are going? Or did that bump to your head scramble your brains?" Malfoy. The breath left her in an irritated sigh, until she looked straight into those eyes to tell him off. Those beautiful wintery eyes- a crystalline blue frosted with silver that glittered when the light hit them, faceted like diamonds. The platinum hair and snowy, chiseled features made it easy to see why he was so popular with the girls of Hogwarts.

The irritation vanished. In its place was something equally strong that she couldn't identify welling up from her chest. She wanted… she craved… she needed. Suddenly need was all that existed, spiraling around them, curling through every molecule. "Draaaaco," she called softly in a melodic, sing-song voice. The scent and feel of that lean, hard body caused everything in her to tighten. And it didn't matter that she spent about eight years hating him, or that he wasn't who she wanted right then. The sight of that hair falling into his face, softening his look, and those oh-so-kissable lips sent flames licking along her skin wherever they touched. Adding to the inferno that had flared up in that encounter with Snape, the result almost unbearable and making her stifle a whimper.

Her flesh was painfully sensitized and she was all too aware of how her lush breasts were crushed against his chest, brushing and arousing more with each breath… how he reacted to her restless movements under him. Though fully clothes, being in his arms created a raging hunger she hadn't even felt with Ron, who she'd actually cared for. From the way his hold tightened around her and the rush of heat, she knew he felt it too and was affected by the pheromones. Suddenly she had to claim him. "Draco," she breathily repeated. "I need you." That flash in his gaze was all it took to have her lips covering his, drawing him closer so his full weight was on her.

It felt amazing. He gasped, a wish or a prayer she didn't know, but Hermione swallowed it; capturing a piece of his soul in her own. His surrender was like a symphony conducted by a maestro and the moan he made just made it sweeter as she absorbed his light and sound and magic. It fed the hunger and still she wanted more. In a flash the kiss changed from exploratory to possessive as something in her shouted out for her to lay him flat, tear the clothes from their bodies and jump him right there. He taste was both smoky and sweet and he smelled like leather, polish and potent male- making her wanted to rub herself all over him. Hermione felt the raging inside her, her body readying itself, opening, felt the urgent desire to have him hot and hard and deep insider her.

Tried to push the wanting away. Tried to be calm. Failed. Growling in the back of her throat, an almost unnatural strength ripped though her and she flipped their position so she was on top straddling him, his arms pinned as she devoured him. His breaths were coming in shallow pants and gasps as she rained kisses and bites over his face, neck, chest where the buttons of his shirt had been torn. Passion and hunger mixed in a volatile manner and soon she had released his wrists, tearing his clothing, her mouth trailing down his neck… and sinking suddenly sharp pearly teeth into his shoulder, drawing blood. Instantly he jolted upwards with a strangled scream, suddenly not so willing anymore as the enchantment lifted. The sudden movement made his skin tear further, teeth in too deep.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he yelped, looking both outraged and freaked-out as he pulled free, holding the wound. The alluring creature just smiled at him, licking her lips and advancing. "No way, you stay back!" He had his wand pointed now. Tilting her head curiously, she stopped, eyes glowing preternaturally, and he ran as if the Dark Lord himself was on his heels. Straight into the Potions Masters' office, slamming up every lock and ward at his disposal. Spinning around with his own wand pointed, the older man relaxed only slightly at seeing the rumpled Slytherin and raised a cool brow. Gulping Draco waved a shaky hand in the direction of the door, looking wild-eyed. "Grangers' gone batty! She's a monster!"

Severus Snape watched with calculating detachment from the 'safety' of the hallway as Hermione Granger paced the expanse of her… containment cell and snarled. He refused to believe it was any sort of negligence on his part of inadequate testing that overlooked any change of condition. His potions were flawless and without equal- and they showed no trace of spells on her system, other than the ones attempted to heal her. They showed no weakness or infection of the mind, no lack of function. And both the Headmaster and himself had thoroughly checked her background for anomalies or… non-Muggle heritage, finding nothing.

This was an unanticipated incongruity all across the board. For it was obvious now, if not before, that something was different about the girl. Wrong. He sighed heavily, yet another phial of blood pivoting in the air over his make-shift testing station near the door. Obviously something had been done, but what? He could say she'd just snapped, but that wouldn't explain the noticeable physical alterations. Was it possible the young witch had not been delusional or exaggerating about what she'd remembered about the incident at the Lake? Could another unexplained presence have something to do with this? They'd all dismissed it as an impossibility because there'd been no evidence and no other magical signature, but could there have been another explanation?

Or something they missed? The timeframe surely fit. Unless it was a more insidious, slow-moving… virus as Potter had suggested. One that had manifested before the incident for whatever reason. But again, a simple virus didn't explain all the alterations. It seemed there might be no other option but to go into her head and hunt down any residual memories/impressions that she'd hidden to get a better picture. The acerbic man scowled darkly. The only thing he'd enjoy even less was going back into Potters' head. Well, or Weasley's. At least the female had a modicum of intelligence. Or used to. Having set himself to straights after Madame Pomphrey had checked him out and bandaged him [no infection noted], Draco Malfoy stood by his side with an equal scowl, running a hand through his hair.

"It was bad enough Granger came from Muggles, a total waste if you ask me, but now she's some sort of creature? Are you sure I haven't been infected?" Sparing him only a momentary glance with his lips curled, Snape replied, "If Miss Granger was as you suggested 'some sort of creature,' there'd be little to no chance of passing it on as it's a matter of genetics, not exposure." "If? Did you see what she's done to me?" Draco indicated the huge covered bite. "There's no if about it, Godfather. I'd say some sort of vampire. That's infectious. Or some demon strain. My father's always going on about hybrids and their uses and-"

The professor cut him off, irritated, "First of all, you usually have to be born into certain families in such instances, second, there was no visible bite at the Lake, and third-" He trailed off as something just occurred to him, whirring and clicking in his brain. "Bloody hell." He spun around dramatically, robes fluttering behind him as he hurried down the corridor. The Malfoy heir was left to watch after him, mouth open with a confused look. "Barmy old bat," he muttered. Instantly a stinging curse hit his arm and the young wizard yelped, clutching the offending appendage. "I heard that," echoed down the hall.

Next Chapter:

'Just a hug,' she thought,, licking her lips and eyeing his neck. Then his face touched hers as he hugged her close, head falling to her shoulder, nose and mouth stroking bare skin. And platonic or not, her senses splintered. Thrusting her hands deeply into his glorious shaggy hair and clenching her fists around it, she turned her head and took that beautiful hard mouth with her own.