A/N: Thank you for your wonderful responses! As always, they work: voilà to a new chapter. As if it were magic… ;)
Chapter 3
A proposal? Pleasurable excitement rose in his stomach, unbidden. He tried to push it away. What did she want from him? Whatever it was, it could not be good. Either, it would be something crossing the student-teacher-line, which he could not allow, or she would come to him because she wanted to propose something concerning their working relationship, which made him uneasy. He had to keep their contact to a minimum. Whatever she was about to propose would very likely complicate things. But he could not just send her away, either.
He gave her a nod to indicate she should proceed.
"I have been thinking a lot about what you have said – about your explanation. And I have found myself thinking a lot about you – as a person. That much, in fact, that it has affected my work." She bit her lip at that. "You know how important my N.E.W.T.s are for me. I cannot risk performing inadequately. I need to find some sort of… release. And you do, too."
At the thunderous look in his eyes, she held up her hand to keep him from speaking. "I am not suggesting to cross that certain line. But I suggest skirting it. Please, hear me out before you reply."
The thunderous look in his eyes was still present, but he waved for her to proceed.
"You have mentioned that you lost your control because you have not experienced that kind of caring touch before. I suggest that we find time in which you experience more of such a touch with me – without kissing or anything else that you feel would cross the line." she quickly added, a blush staining her cheeks. "Of course, we would need to spend some time together. And we would need a cover story, which is why I propose that you will give me private tutoring which will enable me to take my Potions NEWT early, which is to say at the end of this school year."
His eyes widened in surprise, his mind whirring at her proposal. She was not finished though, it seemed, as she was struggling for her next words.
"And if I have taken my N.E.W.T, you will no longer be my teacher." She studied the tips of her toes as she continued. "So the line would cease to exist. Just in case, that at the time, you decided that you wanted… more."
Her words stole his breath. Had she really just said that? Without influence of that damned Weasley concoction? His mind flooded with images of him, her, free to do what they wished with each other. Her, willing and pliant in his arms. Finally having a taste of what had always been denied to him but what he had wanted too much. He had always been destined to have it slip through his fingers. Would this be another one of these times? Or was there a tiny, minuscule chance that there was hope? That there might be someone who actually cared about him? Someone who wanted to be with him, who wanted to feel his touch and give him hers? His heart beat erratically as he considered her proposal.
In the end, there was not much of an option. He had been going mad those last two weeks. His ability to perform in class had decreased day by day and he found himself lost in thought when he should not be. In his line of work, the one outside of the classroom, this could prove to be fatal. Maybe this arrangement would help him take hold of the mad stream of his feelings, to at least function again. She needed it, too, as it seemed.
"I accept your proposal."
She had kept her head bent since she had stopped speaking, and when his softly spoken words reached her ears, her head snapped up and she looked at him in surprise.
"Of course, I will need to inform the headmaster about this change of plans and get his agreement on the whole matter."
She nodded and worried her lower lip. That little habit of hers disturbed him on several levels, one of them being that he felt a tugging inside his body when he watched her do that. He sighed at the treacherous reactions of his body.
Obviously, there was something she wanted to ask, he knew the signs after all those years of having her in his classroom.
"Granger, out with it. What is it that you want to ask?"
She shifted on the balls of her feet, clearly conflicted. Finally, she took a deep breath. "Are you free now? Because this was my last lesson of the day and there is still time before dinner. So we could start now, if you wanted to. Not with the extra Potions lesson, of course, we would wait for Dumbledore's okay before doing that, but with the other part. The touching, you know. Of course you know, that's what it's all about. I mean … I'm sorry for babbling, it's just… I'm just … so, are you free?"
He was relieved that she obviously felt as nervous as himself, if her logorrhea was any indication. He did have time right now, actually. He had planned on grading some essays, but that could wait, indeed.
"I am free." He wondered what her idea of 'skirting the line' was and what exactly she had planned for him. He regarded her expectantly. "Proceed."
She gave a small smile at that before pointing at the spot beside his chair. "Do you mind if I pull my chair closer so we can sit facing each other without a desk in between?"
Her request was reasonable, so he nodded. She moved her chair and seated herself before scooting even closer until their knees touched. He felt the heat of her skin through the fabric of his trousers, and suddenly, it was as if he could feel nothing else except for those two spots of heat.
She reached out her hand and took one of his, curling her fingers loosely around his palm. The touch of her soft fingertips conjured up the memory of when her lips had slid along his fingers. He pushed the thought away, trying to just feel her touch as a friend, as someone who cared.
Her fingertips trailed over the back of his hand as she spoke. "A year ago my parents treated me to a Thai massage on my birthday. I have never felt such wonderful sensations before, and afterwards, I was jelly in her hands. There are parts of your body you would never expect to be so sensitive or to feel that… intense. It was very fascinating, so I read up on it." She shot him a smirk that said, yes, I know, don't say it.
"The skin contains several types of mechanoreceptor cells, one of them being Pacinian corpuscles which are located in the subcutis and are responsible for sensitivity to vibration and pressure. Most of them are located in the areas of your hands and feet, especially in the palms and along your fingers." She turned his hand so his palm faced upwards and uncurled his fingers to lay bare his palm. "The Pacinian corpuscles have the strongest response to pressure of all mechanical receptors of the skin, but as they are located in the subcutis, they require a firm press of a thumb to activate."
As she spoke, she drew both of her thumbs over the surface of his palm, pressing down as they circled his skin.
Oh Merlin.
Oh, how could anything feel this good? He knew about massages, of course, but he had never treated himself to one. He would have found the thought ridiculous. But now he wondered if maybe he had missed out on the greatest thing in the world. A groan escaped him as her thumbs returned to their starting point and circled over his palm again. He could lose himself in this sensation, just feel. He closed his eyes as his head fell back. This was sublime.
Much too soon, it had only been a minute, he felt her hands fall away from his and he mourned their absence as if he were missing a limb. Opening his eyes, he found her rummaging in her bag.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm just looking for… ah, there it is!"
She pulled something from the depths of her bag and regarded him sheepishly. "I hope you don't mind that it is scented." Holding up a small bottle of hand lotion, she proceeded to uncap it and squirt some of it into her palm, spreading it between her fingers before she grasped his hand again. Her thumbs returned to the path they had taken before, but this time, the lotion ensured that they glided more smoothly, somehow enhancing the whole experience. Again, he could not suppress a pleasured groan as he sank deeper into his chair, relinquishing all control over his hand, and subsequently, body.
Her thumbs kept sliding over the skin of his palm, feeling more sublime than anything he had ever felt before. Suddenly, they changed course. Her small hand grasped his index finger at its base, her fingers curling around it in a tight fist. She pulled her fist towards his fingertips, tugging on his skin and stretching the bones and ligaments inside his finger.
A deep moan rose from his throat as her tight grip pulled and tugged, his nerve endings firing in pure bliss. Her every touch was magic, soothing sore spots inside of him, leaving a warm, buzzing feeling all over his body. He could get used to this. He needed this. He wanted this. Every day, every minute. Always.
His closed eyes cracked open for a fraction of an inch, not noticeable to her but enough to let him glance at the young woman deeply concentrated on working on his hand with her talented fingers. Her lower lip was in the firm grasp of her teeth, tendrils of soft hair framing her face. She was like a beautiful apparition, too good to be true. Yet the firm pressure of her fingertips belied his impression.
Her eyes were intensely focused on her task, but he could almost see the wheels turning behind them.
"Granger, what is it?" he growled, opening his eyes fully.
She jumped in response but held onto his hand. The sight of his long fingers in her firm grasp twisted something inside of him.
"I need more," she said, her amber eyes meeting his, sending electrical jolts through his body.
His heart stopped in his chest. She said more, but the blood thrumming in his ears made it impossible for him to understand what she had said.
A/N: Ahhh, I know, I know! My vice is that I just can't seem to end chapters without a cliffy.
Next up, a bit of Hermione's POV? What do you say?
Review and make it happen!
