Chapter 3

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Snape showed no sign of surprise at Hermione's exclamation, no expression of shock or fury.

"Sex," he repeated, like a small boy trying out a new word for the first time.

Hermione mumbled something about "no other choice" and "desperate times..."

"You expect me to believe," he said slowly, "that fornicating with you, a former student, seventeen years my junior, is going to give me the power to use magic without a wand?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What does your age have to do with anything?"

Snape ignored her, shaking his head. "You're crazy, Granger."

"It's worth a shot!"

"Really? You would... fuck someone you have no interest in, without any guarantee of its effect?"

"If there was even a miniscule chance of it working, of course! You know what, if you're so repulsed by the idea, forget it." Hermione kicked her foot uselessly at the floor. She was humiliated enough without being rejected by the moody bastard in front of her.

"Even if it could work," Snape said, "we're chained to the walls. Or is your 'Third eye' so evolved that you can fuck telepathically?"

"Forget it!" she barked, leaning her head back and closing her eyes.

After a long silence, Snape sighed. "How could any man be repulsed by you?" He muttered.

Hermione opened her eyes to look at him but didn't say anything.

"I know this is life and death we're talking about," he continued, "but..."- he broke off.

"But what?"

"But... it's not going to work."

"Just shut up and let me concentrate, Snape," said Hermione, closing her eyes once more and taking deep steady breaths. She knew what she had to do. She was going to use all the brain power she possessed to break her bonds. I am in control, I control the chains, I will them to break, I will them to break. I need them to break!

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't block out Snape's words. How could any man be repulsed by you? What the fuck did he mean by that? That he thought she was attractive? Clear your mind. Why, then, was he so reluctant to sleep with her? And why the Hell did it matter so much? Fuck! Clear your mind. You're never going to get out if you keep thinking about what he'd look like naked...

"Having trouble?" Said Snape's sardonic voice, startling her.

"No. Everything's going smashingly."

"You have to achieve complete and utter immobility of the mind. Complete stillness. In the present circumstances, I imagine it's quite difficult."

"Why should it be? Sleeping with you for the sake of survival doesn't bother me in the slightest. I do what I have to." Hermione raised her chin at this, trying to convince herself more than him. "Maybe if we both concentrate, we can break the chains."

She watched Snape glare at her, then shut his eyes. She did the same.

After an hour of silence, Hermione had managed to get the metal cuffs around her wrists to expand just enough for her hands to slip through. "I did it!" She said triumphantly, rubbing her arms and scrambling to her feet.

Snape looked impressed in spite of himself. He hadn't managed to get so much as a quiver from the stubborn metal.

"I knew you could do it," he said dryly.

Hermione laughed. She knelt down in front of him, not even caring that she was wearing a semi-transparent slip. Modesty wasn't exactly a priority at this point. After being locked up together for most of the day, she finally got a good look at Snape. He had grown very scruffy and his cheeks were sunken in a bit. He met her gaze for a moment, then proceeded to look her over with equal scrutiny.

"You look pale, did it weaken you, all that magic?"

"A little, but I'm fine," Hermione said, sitting down against the wall beside him.

"You should leave me here and get out yourself. You have the power, you can disapparate-"

"I can't do that alone. It would take a lot more magic to disapparate from a heavily enchanted dungeon. It would take..."

"Sex, I know, that's your theory."

"And I'm not leaving without you, no matter how stubborn you are."

Snape turned to look at her. There was no anger in his gaze. "How does this work exactly?"

"Well, I've read some pretty unsavory books on the subject. Apparently, when one experiences the ultimate..." She couldn't bring herself to say 'orgasm', "... mind-body connection,their consciousness expands beyond reality, and becomes infinitely more condusive to magic, eliminating the need for a wand."

"Mind-body connection? I'm not going to be much use, then. It's been... quite a while."

"Really? Why?"

"The war was too important. Fighting against the Dark Lord, fighting for the Dark Lord, being watched twenty-four hours a day, it doesn't leave much room for romantic entanglements."

Hermione once again felt a rush of affection for the man beside her. He seemed so human, sitting there, talking about his life. She found herself staring at his haughty profile as he spoke, his voice low and seductive. It may have been the present circumstance, or maybe just the fact that she had never been so close to a half-naked man that had actually gotten past puberty; she didn't care anymore. The lustful thoughts were back. She let her eyes roll over his naked chest, his muscular arms that were chained above his head. God, why are his armpits turning me on?

She had expected him to reek of sweat and dungeon, having been locked up for a month, but apparently the Death Eaters had been merciful enough to perform Showerless Refreshment charms on him every so often. He smelled of soap and spice, a scent distinctly masculine and surprisingly sexy.

Not thinking about what she was doing, Hermione laid a hand on Snape's thigh.

"I'm not repulsed by you either," she whispered.

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