AN/: Hi! I want to thank you all for your response of the last chapter. Shout-out to Lazygurl, Professor Severus Tobias Snape, Nastytashy, riaroo400, TWILIGHTER110323, purplehedgehog13, CrazySlytherin, and leelahm for reviewing, this chapter is dedicated to you! Enjoy! :)
Chapter 4: Soulmates.
There was nothing in her tea. Nothing located in his firewhisky. I feel immoral for trying to figure out an explanation as to why I desire him...maybe I just want him. Need him.
Hermione rubbed the back of her neck and looked at her reflection in the mirror. After leaving the whorehouse on Sunday morning, they didn't return later on. Thankfully, Harry didn't touch any drink until Monday night; I'm proud of him. Snape wasn't there when she'd woken up, but she hadn't expected him to stay all night. I guess I should tell him that we aren't under the influence of a love potion.
It was Friday once more. Let's hope I don't get high again; she couldn't help the smirk that grew on her face. The result of her high was catastrophic, but she did see the humour of the situation. The after effects had been troubling her all week, she kept getting headaches and a mild throbbing behind her eyes. Harry had a bad cough, which she'd treated with a potion.
"I look fine," She grumbled, brushing her hands over the floral dress. "Severus wouldn't notice the difference if I turned up in a snowsuit…"
He might not show up tonight.
Harry hadn't mentioned whether he noticed Snape being there last Saturday. He would've said something if he saw his Professor in the room with him. However, he was too busy throwing up his insides to pay attention to the person on the bed next to me.
Let's get this night over with.
Harry smiled at her when she walked down the stairs; the smile seemed genuine.
"You look beautiful," His voice was enthusiastic, and she sensed he was slightly tipsy. "Planning on meeting anyone tonight?"
"No," She leant against the bannister. "I felt like a change instead of wearing my work clothes."
"Are you sure?" He grinned, grabbing a small flask from his pocket and taking a sip of firewhisky. She watched his movements closely with a tinge of anger.
"I'm positive, Harry. There's no man there that catches my eye," She lied.
"Positive?" He retorted.
"What are you implying?" Hermione tucked a curl behind her ear, and he smiled some more.
"Nothing," He shrugged drinking more alcohol from the flask. "Want some?"
"You know I don't drink," How could he forget?
"Oh, right…" He looked at the front door. "Shall we go?"
He took her arm, and they made their way to Madam Annette's whorehouse. The building was bursting with life, and she felt uplifted at the sight of the many wizards and witches dancing around the tables.
I would never have guessed a place such as this could feel like home. Harry wandered off up the stairs, and she dawdled behind him, observing his every move until he entered one of the rooms. With a defeated sigh, she strolled into the foyer. He's not here…
"How are you feeling, love?" Annette raced over from the bookshelf.
"I'm feeling much better," She replied honestly. "It seems there's never a dull evening here."
Annette laughed. "It appears so!" She regarded her with a curious glance. "Severus saved you; I wouldn't peg him as that kind of man."
"You do remember that he's a war hero, right?"
"Of course I do," She hit her arm gently. "But, Severus is still the brooding type. He did what he did during the war because he owed a debt to Harry's mother."
Hermione smiled. "He's a remarkable man. I look up to him in many ways."
"I bet you do," She snickered. Erm...was that a sexual joke?
"Do you know him well?" She asked nonchalantly taking a seat on the sofa.
"I wouldn't say well," Annette cast a look at the bookshelf. "He told me that he was only here to care for his friend Lucius; he's struggling a lot after his wife left him."
I didn't know that. It made sense that Mr Malfoy would hide it from the world.
"She took what was rightfully hers and has already moved on," She explained. "Their son spends most of his time running between their houses, but he prefers to stay with his mother."
Draco Malfoy. What a stupid git! Hermione had felt pity towards him after the war, but now she hated him because of the way he treated her best friend. He made Harry this way; I'll never forgive him for that.
"Lucius may have made poor decisions in his life, but he cared deeply for his wife even if it was an arranged marriage."
"Arranged?"
"Yes," Annette wiped her hands on the rag attached to her belt. "I'm aware of his hatred towards muggle borns. I almost banned him from coming because I didn't want him anywhere near you dear."
Hermione smiled. "He has surrounded me for most of my adolescent life, but his son is more of an inconvenience to me."
"Ah yes, Draco Malfoy," Annette kept looking back at the bookshelf.
"Are you OK?"
"Yes, love," She pushed her greying hair away from her face. "You should relax and wait for Severus to join you."
"He's coming tonight?"
"I assume so," Annette left with a quick wave her way.
I should find something to read. Hermione scanned the bookshelf for any new books; she'd already worshipped the pages of a few, but none of them had been insightful. That was until a dark black spine caught her eye. A new book! She stretched up on the tips of her toes and swiped the book down.
'Soulmates.'
"Oh please" She scoffed to herself. "Annette you live in your own little fantasy world…"
There's no such thing as soulmates; it's more of a muggle concept than a wizard one, but the idea of soulmates existing spreads around the wizarding world by word of mouth. There's no evidence to support the theory. However, this will be fun to read.
Hermione sat down in her usual spot and took the cup of tea that was waiting for her, then opened the first page.
'If you can read this you're one of the few that our precious Merlin has given a soulmate.'
She choked on her tea. "Pfft, as if," A chuckle followed. "This is the type of stuff that sends teenage girls into turmoil about finding their dream man."
'There was a time when soulmates were rare instead of non-existent. Nowadays, the idea is perceived to be a myth; just a tale told to bring comfort to those unlucky with love yet there is truth behind those lies.'
'As you can read the text hidden on these pages it means you've come in contact with the person your heart and soul is supposed to bond with. You may not know who it is yet because the start of the bonding process is a complex equation; there are different ways to come to the solution of the mating procedure.'
'Some soulmates know from the moment they are in the same room together; chemistry is consuming their bodies with a need for the other. Alternatively, you could be near your soulmate for most of your life and never know until intercourse has occurred. There have been cases when an emotional barrier seems to be separating the pair from igniting the bond.'
'My studies have shown various outcomes, but the consistent summary is that somehow soulmates will always find their way back to one another if the bond is unknown. Unconsciously, your body and soul deviate in a direction so that you'll cross paths again.'
'However, soulmates are a dying notion. While I'm writing this, I've only come across one pair of soulmates in the last four years. I said they were a rarity, but not that rare. It seems that love is no longer strong enough to fight away the evil.'
'But, my reason for writing this book is due to a Seer visiting me. She confirmed my theory that soulmates would not exist soon; she had a vision showing her that over a hundred years would pass before a new wave of soulmates were to appear. This wave would be you, my dear reader.'
'I'm here to inform you about everything to do with the topic. Signs to look out for. The feelings you will experience, and most importantly, I will teach you how wonderful it is to be loved unconditionally.'
Hermione's tea returned to the table, and she got to her feet to walk around the room while she continued to read.
'OK, lesson number one: How To Know Your Soulmate is Yours. Many inclinations occur after you've encountered your soulmate; the most common is infectious dreams. The label may sound crude, but in the simplest terms, it means that you both share the same thoughts when you sleep. My research has concluded that these nighttime rendezvous are of an erotic nature-.'
Hermione slammed the book shut, held it against her chest, then sighed. "Nope...there is no way I'm even entertaining the idea that Snape and I are…" She shivered. "It's not possible."
This book is horrific! She threw it onto the sofa and crossed her arms in protest. "Who would waste their time writing this?"
"Relax my boy!" The mysterious voice of Lucius Malfoy filtered through the open doors which led to the balcony. She slowly walked over and poked her head outside to stare at the alleyway below.
Oh crap!
Hermione inhaled sharply at the sight of Draco standing next to his father and Snape stalking behind them. Buggering hell! She stepped back into the foyer to steady her breathing. Think...Harry's in a room right now; I need to make sure he stays there. Or I can get Draco to leave. Yes, he needs to go!
She heard them walk inside, so she quickly ran from the room and down the corridor. She narrowly missed knocking over a couple dry humping against the wall and continued her rampage out onto the landing. She scanned the crowd of people until a heated feeling flushed her skin. She locked eyes with Snape.
His eyes flooded with hunger as did hers. Hermione wanted to go down and touch him; a simple touch on his arm would suffice her need for him at the moment. She shook her head and thundered down the steps. The blond idiot turned around at the sound of her approaching, and his eyes widened immediately.
"Granger!" He exclaimed, taking a few steps backwards. "W-What are you doing here!?"
She looked him up and down with a disgusted look.
"Oh, it's the muggle," Lucius muttered. "I'm not surprised you work here."
"She doesn't work here," It was Snape. He stepped closer to her a couple of inches, and it pained her not to be closer. She cast him a quick, fiery look, then returned her focus on Draco.
"I need to have a word with you," She grabbed his arm. "Outside."
Hermione pulled him out of the door and into the dimly lit alleyway. He yanked his arm from her hold, narrowing his eyes at her.
"What do you want?" He snarled much like Snape.
"You need to leave!" She snapped back.
"My father wishes me to be here. Also, I don't take orders from muggles," Draco tilted his head to the side a little and she raised an eyebrow at him.
"Harry's here," This faltered his tough persona. She watched him stiffen, and his left eye twitched like Harry's did when she asked him about Draco last Saturday.
"Why is he at a place like this!?" He hissed approaching her fast. "What did you do?"
"Me?" Her voice was shrill. "What did YOU do? He's here because of you!"
He ran a hand through his long hair. "I didn't do anything…"
"Oh, I do beg to differ Malfoy! You broke his heart! N-No, not even that, you flipping shattered it to a million pieces then humiliated him in front of fifty people calling him a faggot! Not only is that word highly offensive, but it's downright degrading! You laughed in his face because he likes you! You, a despicable excuse of a wizard! You who made our lives hell! You who was on the Dark Lord's side!"
Hermione was taken aback by her outburst. She knew she was angry at Malfoy, but not this angry. It's his fault Harry's this way. My life wouldn't be so miserable if he hadn't broken his heart. Even if he doesn't feel the same way about Harry, he could've let him down easy.
A glass smashed from above them. They both glanced up at the balcony but didn't see anyone there.
"Draco, please will you leave. I'll get on my knees and beg if I have to," She observed his shuddering body. "I-I can't let him see you because you'll make things worse than they already are...I understand that you aren't gay, but you didn't have to be so cruel."
His eyes glazed over with a wet shimmer. Merlin, is he going to cry? "Does he spend a lot of his time here?"
She nodded. "Harry's trying to convince himself that he's not gay...but all he does is drink, so he doesn't remember each day."
He grunted in response. Hermione felt the urge to comfort him but clenched her hands instead. He's the one in the wrong here; he doesn't deserve any sympathy. Hermione wanted to pound her fist against his chest and hex him into oblivion, but she'd never expected him to look at her the way he did. Maybe there's more going on than what I thought.
"Draco…" She sighed. "Do you still dream about him?"
She heard his sharp intake of air giving her the answer to the question. His eyes settled on the ground, and he gripped the side of his head.
"Why does he have to be here?" He muttered. "I was perfectly fine up until now."
"Well I'm glad life has been going well for you," She remarked sarcastically. "But, some of us don't have that privilege!"
"Granger, you don't understand…"
"Then tell me!" She snapped.
"I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't know…" He paused looking down the alley. "I don't know what I feel anymore; everything's numb…"
"Malfoy, I'm not sorry that you feel that way because I've seen what your actions have done to my best friend," She admitted. "I think it's best that you go home."
He nodded his head solemnly, then walked off down the alleyway. A sigh escaped her lips, and she returned inside. Snape was nowhere in sight, and Annette caught her eye, pointing up the stairs with a smirk. I guess he's in the foyer.
...Oh, bugger! He must've heard us argue. Again, she took off running up the stairs and down the corridor. However, the sight before her wasn't the bad one she expected to see. It was worse, far worse. He was standing by the sofa holding the book about soulmates. She observed his stricken expression, immediately recognising that he believed the words to be true.
If that's the case, then it must be true. Severus would have thrown the book in the bin if he thought it to be rubbish. She swallowed the thick lump in the back of her throat and stepped into the room. His eyes continued to follow the words concealed on the page.
She noticed the whisky glass shattered by his feet. It was him who had made the noise she'd heard in the alleyway.
"S-Sir," Hermione stammered.
The sound of the book slamming shut shot through her chest. He turned his head ever so slowly to look at her through intense eyes. Any heated look that he'd given her previously could never compare to the way he looked at her now.
Suddenly, she could smell him. He wasn't close enough to feel, yet she could detect his herby musk; a tinge of the woods and spices too. It seemed to hit her heart with a mild stabbing pain that festered into warmth - a comforting warmth.
Hermione held his fierce stare and noticed gold flash around his iris' then fizzle out. Now she could feel him. Sense his presence. Wield his emotions. She could understand how much he wanted her right now.
With a wary step forwards from her, he finally moved. Snape was on her in a heartbeat, lips smashing against each other. The warmth of his body flooded her senses igniting every nerve ending. Their lips moved perfectly together; basking in the taste of one another. His tongue met hers in a battle for dominance which he soon won when her back collided with the wall. She curled her fingers around his covered chest pulling him closer just as he cupped her cheek.
He soon evoked a groan from deep within her that added more fuel to the flame burning deep within her core. Hermione sensed how in sync they were, she could feel everything he was experiencing. Their coupling was lust and desire in their truest forms.
His hands trailed down her body leaving her to shudder beneath his searing touch. He slipped his calloused hands around her waist and kneaded the flesh of her arse. She felt his hard erection nudge against her throbbing heat, and he tore his mouth away from hers to kiss a path along her jawline to the crook of her neck.
If the book was correct; if she were to believe that it could be true, she would die happy. The beautiful feeling of being desired was the most consuming thing she'd ever experienced. Severus' passionate kisses and yearning stares had haunted her dreams for two weeks now; it was alluring to feel that he wanted her as bad as he had every time she closed her eyes.
Their red lips met again with a tender kiss. It sucked the breath out of Hermione's lungs, leaving her to cling onto him for support. He pulled away slowly, allowing his breath to fan across her lips.
"It's not a love potion," His hoarse voice made her bud throb in apprehension.
"I know," She whispered. "I read the book too."
"Hm," He grunted, never taking his dark eyes off her brown ones.
"'Mione...fuck...H-Hermione…" A thud followed. "Ouch...hello?"
Hermione sighed pressing her forehead against his. Of course, Harry kills the moment. Snape didn't move to step away from her. Instead, he brought their bodies closer together. Another shock attacked her nerves, and she looked up at him with hungry eyes.
"Hermione…" Harry whimpered; it was like somebody had thrown cold water over her. She reluctantly separated herself from Snape feeling his eyes on her as she walked into the corridor to find Harry sitting on the floor crying. "H-Hey 'Mione…" His bottom lip began to shake, and she got to her knees in front of him.
"What's wrong?" She whispered brushing some of his hair away from his glasses.
"I'm a mess...look at me," He gestured down his body with his hands causing her heart to ache for him. She turned her head to see Snape was leaning against the wall observing the fragile scene. "I need help."
"Harry," She grabbed his chin forcing him to look at her. "You're going to get through this, and I'll be with you every step of the way, I promise."
"I love you," He threw himself into her waiting arms, and she tucked him beneath her chin, then stroked his hair.
"I love you too…" She pressed a firm kiss to his scalp; then Harry went lifeless in her arms. "I say I love you too and you fall asleep," She grumbled. "Great."
Hermione felt Snape's presence above her, and she cautiously looked up at him. He placed his hand on her shoulder; it flooded butterflies into her stomach, then he pulled Harry to his feet.
"Shall we go to the apparition point?" He asked, and she shook her head.
"He can sleep it off here," She knocked on one of the doors to see if anyone was inside when she received no reply she opened the door and held it for Snape to drag Harry in and deposit him on the bed.
Hermione tucked him under the covers removing his glasses and placed them on the bedside table. She sat down and stroked some of his hair from his face, then placed a kiss on his forehead.
She turned to look at Snape who was standing awkwardly nearby, so she got to her feet and left the room. He followed behind her until they stepped back into the foyer.
The book was on the floor next to the smashed whisky glass. Hermione scooped it up and waved her hand to clear up the shattered glass.
It seemed to burn in her hand as she stared down at the dark cover. Who would've guessed that this book held some truths? Severus and I cannot be soulmates; it's an idiotic concept. We're opposites...I think?
Snape stepped up behind her, and she felt his solid chest against her arm. He gazed down at the book in her hands and sighed.
"We should talk," His voice was rough.
"Yes, I do believe we have a lot to discuss."
