A/N: Hello friends, I'm sorry it's been so long! Real life has really thrown me every possible wrench this last month. I plan on the next update being much sooner than this was, its already mostly written. As usual please forgive any mistakes, as this is unbeta'd. Hope you enjoy. And I hope you know that I really appreciate all of the reviews and love, it really keeps me going :) You all are the best!
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"You're really gonna stay at Snape's house? Alone? For a whole week?"
Ginny's soft brown eyes were bright with intrigue. She sat with her legs curled under her bum next to Hermione on her bed, already in her pajamas for the night. Hermione hugged her knees to her chest and grinned at her friend.
"Yes, I really am."
"Are you nervous?"
"Kind of… I mean, I'm not scared of him if that's what you're asking. But we haven't really spent that much time together outside of… Well, you know."
The spring holiday was right around the corner and Hermione couldn't stop thinking about what the break would entail. She was really going to see Severus's house… And spend an entire uninterrupted week with him. Ever since he'd invited her he had been making lots of little comments about having 'plans' for the holiday. But he'd been frustratingly vague about it, and it was driving her mad not knowing what was in store for her at his home. The one thing she was sure of was that his plans had something to do with her bum. He'd instructed her to use her plug very often in the last couple of weeks, and every few days he had magically enlarged it, just a tiny bit each time. It was pretty obvious what he was trying to work her up to and it thrilled and terrified her in equal measure.
Ginny gave her a conspiratory giggle. "I don't know Hermione, maybe you should be scared. You saw Hawthorne after his detention. Seriously, what did he do to him?"
Cypress had returned to Gryffindor Tower after his detention a couple of weeks previously looking pretty shaken, and he hadn't spoken a single word to Hermione since. In fact, she hadn't really seen him interacting with any girls since.
"I really have no idea, Ginny, I told you he wouldn't tell me."
The rumor in Gryffindor Tower was that he'd received an intense howler from his mother the next morning, though she hadn't witnessed it herself.
"Alright, alright," the redhead conceded, "Oh, who am I kidding, his scariness is probably part of the appeal for you, isn't it? I've seen some of those books on your shelf.."
Hermione's cheeks flushed of their own accord. Ginny's face was the very picture of delighted amusement. Merlin, Ginny. The girl was a gossip fiend. She knew though that she was also very loyal, and wouldn't go telling people Hermione's secrets. After all, she'd known about her secret relationship for quite a while now and no one had even hinted anything to her about knowing.
"Honestly, he really isn't scary when we're alone."
"Okay, okay. You'll know how to reach us if you need us though, during hols. You know you're always welcome at The Burrow. Even if you still feel awkward with Ron. Mum would love to have you."
"I know. I really appreciate it too, Ginny, you have no idea. I'll be fine though, he isn't going to hurt me, I promise."
Well, not too badly anyway.
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Severus was oddly anxious about the impending holiday. He was looking forward to an uninterrupted week alone with Hermione, that was certain. But, he'd never really opened up his home and his life like that to anyone before. Sure, he'd had a couple of people over at his home, but this was different. It had been a completely impulsive decision to invite her, and once he had said it there was no way to take it back. He was kicking himself for it every time he was out of her presence. What on earth was he thinking, pulling her further and further into his life? He just kept swimming out further and further into the deep end. Any day now he was bound to run out of energy and sink to the bottom of the sea. But, as soon as she was near him again he couldn't help himself; like a moth to a flame, he was drawn to her.
Against his better judgment he'd spent a good deal of time preparing things for her arrival. His home was nothing to be proud of; old and cramped and in the worst kind of neighborhood. But, there were things he could improve upon to make it less embarrassing. Things he'd been putting off for a long time because he'd honestly had no reason to bother. Not until her.
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Hermione's stomach lurched when they landed in the dark alleyway. She held tight to Severus's coat, taking several deep breaths of the crisp spring air through her nose, willing the side-along nausea to calm. When it finally passed she loosened her grip and glanced around at their surroundings curiously. So far, the damp cobble stoned alley gave her no clues about where they were.
"This way." Severus said with a guiding hand on her lower back.
He led her out of the narrow space and out onto a dreary street, made all the more gloomy by the steady drizzle coming down from the gray sky. Small, dilapidated buildings rose up around them like rows of jagged teeth. The sickly scent of cigarettes, fried foods, and damp hung thick in the air. It was one of those tiny, impoverished areas where the townsfolk stared down any newcomers with suspicious disdain. She struggled to keep up with Snape's long strides as he pulled her along with haste, obviously not keen on lingering.
"Where are we?" She asked, exasperatedly patting at her hair. It was a pointless endeavor, umbrella charms couldn't do anything about the humidity that hung in the air, expanding her hair by epic, frizzy proportions.
"Manchester."
They turned a corner and the small downtown area gave way to a cramped neighborhood. Sad, narrow looking council houses stood in tight rows with hardly any space between them. Smoke billowed up from a few of the chimneys, but the other homes looked completely dark and dingy with disuse.
"Did you grow up here?" She asked as they came up to the dark doorway of the house on the far left corner of the street.
"Yes." He said simply, then discreetly tapped at the door knob with his wand, prompting it to swing open with a creak.
Huh. She never would have guessed, just based on his accent. Though, perhaps it had changed over his years at Hogwarts, her's certainly had. She hadn't noticed the change herself, but whenever she had come home to London in the summer her parents would comment on it.
She followed Severus into the dark house and he slammed the door shut behind them, quickly warding it before turning his wand to the fireplace with a sharp flick. Flames burst to life, lighting up the narrow room with soft orange light. The space was cramped, a round little sitting room with a threadbare brown sofa, one patchy armchair, and floor to ceiling bookshelves covering nearly every wall.
"Take off the glamour, Hermione, I can't stand it any longer."
Severus was eyeing her with a sour expression, as if the glamour hadn't been his idea in the first place. He was paranoid about the ministry keeping an eye on him, and the last thing they needed was for an Auror to catch him bringing a student to his home. She'd spelled her hair a garish peroxide blonde, enlarged her nose, and spelled on a ridiculous amount of blue eyeshadow. She looked completely absurd and it was perfect - no one would possibly make the connection. Her hair had unfortunately retained its natural texture, for as hard as she'd tried to spell it straight, it had just refused to comply.
She giggled at the look on his face, but took pity on him and pulled out her wand, tapping it over her head and removing all of the glamours. The pinched lines in his face visibly softened when her true features overtook the disguise.
She turned back towards the bookshelves, itching to run her fingers along the spines. So many books….
"Come on, let me show you upstairs and we'll put your things away. You can molest my books later."
Hermione turned around with a sheepish grin. "Promise?"
Severus just gave her a little twitch of a smirk and then moved over to the bookshelf in the far right corner, tapping it with his wand, causing it to pop open, revealing a hidden doorway. Well that's handy. She followed him through the passage and up the steep staircase, curious about what the rest of his home looked like. The top of the stairs led to a small hallway with three doors, two on the left and one on the right. Severus reached out and flicked on the light switch at the top of the landing, illuminating the space with harsh yellow light. It was always strange going back to a place with electricity after spending so much time at Hogwarts… She hadn't really expected Severus to live in a muggle home, either. He opened the first door on the left and flipped on the light before gesturing for Hermione to walk in ahead of him.
"This is the bedroom, we can put your things in here." He told her, and then his hand came up to rub at the back of his head in a very uncharacteristically diffident display, "The house… Isn't much. But I haven't had much reason to get something else… As I am hardly here."
He seemed… Embarrassed. Which was not something she'd ever witnessed from him before. She walked past him into the room and took quick stock of the space while replying to him over her shoulder.
"That makes sense. You live at Hogwarts almost year round." She didn't think he'd appreciate false platitudes. The house was rundown and old, but she didn't really mind. She was there to see him.
The bedroom was also rather small, most of the space taken up by a full size metal-framed four poster bed. On either side were two low nightstands, both held stacks of books on the lower shelves. Opposite the bed was a dark oak dresser and a large matching wardrobe. The window on the far wall was covered in a set of dark plum drapes. Not unlike his quarters at Hogwarts, the space was extremely simple, with hardly any decor at all.
Severus set down the bag he'd been carrying for her on top of his dresser and then turned back to face her. "The bathroom is across the hall, if you need it."
"Thank you." She said before wandering over to the bed and plopping down on it, testing the springs. It was a great deal more comfortable than she'd assumed, based on the rest of the house. The dark blue bedspread was quite soft under her hands. Severus raised an eyebrow and walked towards her, removing his muggle coat and sending it flying into the wardrobe on his way over.
It was odd, being in his house. If someone had told her only a few months ago that she'd be sitting on Severus Snape's bed over Spring Hols she would've assumed they were completely barmy. And yet, here she was, looking up into the austere man's face as he advanced on her with a glint in his dark eyes. He stepped up close, until they were knee to knee and looked down at her, running a hand down her face from her hairline to her jaw.
"Eager to get into bed already, Miss Granger? We've only just arrived."
"I know. I'm an awful house guest."
"It's alright," His hands slid down to her collar and he began to pop open the buttons of her peacoat, "I'm an awful host. I haven't even taken your coat yet."
"That's true, you haven't. I hate to think of what other sorts of things you might impose upon your guests."
"That depends," He eased the coat off of her shoulders and banished it to the wardrobe, then guided her down onto her back and slid his hands up the inside of her denim encased thighs, "on how well behaved they are." He tapped on the button of her denims with one finger, "Have you been a good girl?"
She couldn't help the grin on her face. "Yes, sir."
"Hmm, we'll see about that." He pulled away from her and stood up. "Come on, I'll show you the rest of the house. Are you hungry?"
Wait, what?
Hermione sat up on the bed and studied his face. He looked completely serious. She didn't want a bloody tour, she wanted to take his pants off. The way the timing had worked out they hadn't seen each other for several days and she was dying to touch him again.
"Um… No, I'm not hungry… You can show me the house later, can't you?"
He looked unimpressed. "Yes. I can. But I'd like to do it now."
"Well, alright then…"
She followed him out of the bedroom and back into the hall. He pointed out the other doorways.
"There's the bathroom, like I said. And the other room has been converted to a lab."
He was acting decidedly odd. Surely there was a motive behind his actions. He rarely did anything without one as far as she could tell. But so far it was lost on her. They moved back down to the first floor and he showed her the kitchen - a severely outdated room with appliances obviously older than him and a small round dining table in the center. The whole home held an air of neglect, and in some spots seemed almost like it had been suspended in time, hardly touched since the 1960s. That was, except for his vast collection of books. There were so many bookshelves hidden all around the tiny house, and every one of them looked pristine and well cared for. The books were clearly organized, though Hermione hadn't gotten a close enough look to figure out by what metric.
After he showed her the back garden and the small area he used to grow ingredients in the summers - though he admitted he hadn't done so in a few years - they made their way back to the sitting room and Hermione was immediately drawn to the numerous bookshelves again. She gave Severus a questioning look over her shoulder as she moved towards them and he waved a hand in their direction.
"Go ahead. They're all safe. There's something I wanted to catch up on anyway."
He picked up a magazine - Potion Periodical - from the side table and settled down on the ancient sofa to read. Again, Hermione wondered what was going on with his odd behavior. But, the allure of exploring the small library for the first time was too great to linger on the thought. She ran her fingers down numerous spines, relishing in the slide of leather and cloth and paper. Perfection.
A small smile came to her lips when she noticed just how many classic romance novels he owned. Then, it stretched into a full grin when she found his muggle science fiction collection. Now that she thought about it though, it wasn't all that surprising. From the little bit Mr. Byrne had told her the other day it was pretty safe to assume he used books to escape from reality, just like she did. Her deeper look into his personal life was only increasing the giddy feeling that swirled in her stomach whenever she laid eyes on him lately. She snuck a glance at him over her shoulder. He was focused on whatever article he was reading, brow furrowed and eyes skimming the page quickly. She never thought she'd ever say it, even if only in her mind, but she didn't feel like reading. She wanted to climb up onto his lap and have her way with him. What was up with him, anyway? He was usually all over her when they finally got to be alone together.
She crept up to the sofa and sat down next to him, trying to peer over his shoulder to see what he was so sucked into, but the magazine was tilted away from her at just the right angle and she couldn't get a good look. She wrapped her hands around his bicep and rested her head on his shoulder. A few more minutes passed in complete silence and she wanted to rip her hair out.
"...Severus?" She said quietly.
"Hmm?" His reply was a distracted hum.
"Do you want to go upstairs now?"
His lip twitched up for a split second, so quickly she nearly missed it.
"Not yet." His eyes never left the page.
Hermione had the ridiculous urge to stomp her foot in frustration. But that seemed rather childish, so she settled for a dramatic sigh. Severus slowly turned his head to face her, looking down at her with a raised brow.
"Is there a problem, Miss Granger?"
She bit her lip. "I've been waiting to see you for days, Severus."
"And? You're seeing me right now."
"You know that's not what I mean!" She retorted with an exasperated eye roll. "And you haven't let me come in forever."
He snapped his magazine shut and set it to the side, straightening up in his seat. Hermione shrunk away slightly as he turned more fully to face her. Oh, bugger…
"It seems you set one foot outside of the school and you lose all of your manners… Pity…"
He reached one hand out and ran his thumb softly over her lower lip.
"And to think… I had such fun plans for us, too… If only you'd passed the test…"
She leaned into his touch but scrunched up her face at his words. Wait, what?
"What test? I didn't know there was a test…. That's hardly fair, Severus!"
There was an irritating gleam in his eyes.
"Sure it is," he leaned in and brushed a feather light kiss over her lips, pulling away quickly before she could attempt to deepen it, "come on, upstairs."
He grabbed her hand and began pulling her in the direction of the hidden staircase, snatching up his magazine with his other hand on the way. Hermione dug her heels into the floor, trying to wiggle out of his grasp.
"Wait, wait, wait. On second thought, let's just stay down here for a while…"
His hold on her wrist tightened and he pulled her in close, gripping the back of her head with his other hand to force her gaze upward.
"You're on thin ice already, little girl, don't push it. Now, you wanted to go upstairs. Let's go." His tone left no room for argument.
Well, bollocks.
She followed him through the hidden doorway and up the stairs, her belly flip-flopping with anxiety. What was the test? And what was he going to do now? She had clearly failed…
She wasn't sure she had ever failed a test before in her life. The thought alone nearly brought tears to her eyes. Settle down, Hermione, it's just a game. But, she couldn't. Her failure felt all too real. She really did care about and want his approval, however silly that was.
Severus led her into the bedroom and to the center of the room, then turned around to face her and swiftly began undressing her without a word. She swallowed the lump in her throat and stared down at his hands as he unbuttoned her denims and yanked them down unceremoniously. He didn't seem angry, which was a relief. But he was very no-nonsense in his actions, and clearly had something planned.
He stripped her down completely and then took a step back, banishing her clothes to who-knows-where. He pinned her with a serious look.
"Go use the bathroom and do anything else you think you need to prepare. You have five minutes."
Then he turned to his wardrobe, clearly dismissing her, and opened the doors, fussing about with something deep inside. It clearly had an extension charm on it. He could have anything in there…
Severus cleared his throat, looking over his shoulder at her with a raised brow. Oh, right, she was supposed to be doing something. She hurried out to the hallway and into the doorway he had indicated as the loo. She flicked the light on - it was still so strange using electricity - and shut the door.
The bathroom was nicer than she'd expected, actually, with fresh white tiles and a large clawfoot tub and an attached shower head at the far end of the room. It must have been redone in the last couple of years. She turned to face the small vanity, looking into the tall oval mirror that hung over the sink at her own face. Yikes. The yellow light coming from the fixture above the mirror was doing her no favors at all. But perhaps she was just too used to seeing herself in either daylight or candlelight. Her hair was a complete disaster, but that was no surprise. She'd never managed to walk through a drizzling rain without coming out of it looking like she'd been struck by lightning. But, she patted at her head anyway, to keep her hands busy while she nervously contemplated what would be awaiting her in Snape's bedroom when she returned.
She suddenly realized she'd been standing there staring into the mirror like a loon for far too long, and hurried over to use the toilet before she ran out of time. She cleaned up and then took one last look into the mirror as she washed her hands, stomach fluttering anxiously.
Gods, stop being so dramatic, she told herself as she walked back to the bedroom. She wasn't sure why she got so intensely nervous every time, it wasn't like he'd done anything before that she'd truly disliked. Perhaps it was just the anticipation, the fear of the unknown.
She crept back into the bedroom carefully, freezing immediately in the doorway when she caught sight of what Severus had been up to in her absence. Next to the bed was a sturdy piece of wooden… furniture? She honestly wasn't sure what it was. It looked almost similar to the weight bench her father had set up in the garage one summer, during one of his many physical fitness phases. There was a long, narrow, black bench in the center with parallel wooden rails level with it on either side. There was a crossbar along one end of the bench, with wide leather cuffs dangling down. About halfway down the bench from those were two wooden posts that went up a few feet into the air and then came together in a cross bar at the top. All of the beams and rails had small holes drilled every couple of inches, as if other accessories could be attached. What on earth?
She had a fairly good idea about what it was for… obviously. And she'd seen some photos in books of special benches used for restraining and spankings and what not.. But, nothing quite like that. It seemed rather custom made. At least, to her untrained eye. Hermione nearly snorted out loud at the surrealistic feeling that came over her, and the silly thoughts that popped into her head. Professor Snape has a magical sex bench. What would Harry and Ron say?
She was startled out of her reverie by Severus's impatient voice.
"Are you going to stand there and gawk all night? Get over here, girl."
He was staring her down from next to the bench, adjusting one of the rails with his wand. Hermione took a breath and inched closer.
"Yes, sir… Um, what is that?" She asked quietly, sidling up next to him with nervous, twisting fingers.
Severus leered down at her, looking far too pleased with himself.
"You'll see soon enough, Princess… Lie down on the bench for me, head over on that end…. Yes, that's right."
He guided her to lie down on her back on the long bench, head next to the dangling cuffs and feet facing the bed. It was much more comfortable than she'd expected - at least so far - the leather bench was quite plush and padded. But then he guided her hands up next to her head and into the soft leather cuffs and her heart took off, beating hard against her chest.
This part was always like waiting in line for a roller-coaster… The anticipation before the big event was the worst part. But as soon as the ride was in full swing and you no longer had control - you just had to hold on and see it through - it was exhilarating.
He clicked each buckle shut over her wrists and the sound rang through the quiet room, sealing her fate. She gnawed on her lip, mind racing, wondering how he was going to punish her in her current position. He was still leaning over her, fiddling with the bar that held the wrist restraints, and she studied his face, tracing the lines of his thin, shapely lips with her eyes. She wanted to reach out to him, bury her face in his neck and breathe in his earthy scent.
He straightened up then, with a muttered 'good' under his breath, and walked over a few paces to the arch of the structure.
"Knees to your chest." He instructed, tapping on her thigh with one finger.
She did her best to comply without the use of her arms, curling her legs up into the air.
"Spread your legs."
Hermione opened up her thighs a bit, exposing herself to his probing gaze. His dark eyes cut quickly to her face.
"Spread. Your. Legs." He did not sound amused.
She practically flung her legs apart, splaying herself lewdly, curling her tailbone and straining her quads and abdominals to try and get her knees as close to her chest as she could.
"That's better… I don't want any more hesitation from you tonight. Let this be your final warning."
Hermione bit her lip, nodding meekly at his stern look. He leaned over her then, and his fingers wrapped around one of her bare ankles and gave it a firm squeeze.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." She whispered.
Then she watched as he bent down and retrieved a long, flat wooden board from the floor, and slid it into place between the posts of the arch, securing it with a spell. Oh Gods, there's more? The wooden slat was secured across the archway like a T, fitting snugly in the space between her thighs and calves. But then Severus took each of her ankles in turn and secured them to the vertical posts of the archway with soft leather cuffs, similar to the ones on her wrists, making her wonder what the purpose of the T-post was. That is, until she decided to try and test her bonds, and realized she could hardly shift her hips at all. The position of her body and the restraints made it very difficult, and then the little bit of lift she did manage to achieve only bumped her thighs up against the t-post, ensuring she couldn't wiggle away from the brunt of his ministrations.
Oh fuck.
He began to pace around her in slow circles. Her heart was in her throat.
"You see, Miss Granger…" He drawled from behind her, "We're not at Hogwarts anymore… There's no curfew to adhere to… We have plenty of time…"
He made his way around to her front again, stepping up between her legs and gripping her thighs possessively.
"While I find it very endearing that you're so impatient to fuck, you seem to have forgotten something quite important…" He stared down at her, foreboding and expectant.
"Um… My manners, sir?" She murmured quietly, hoping it was the right answer. Her brain was too wrapped up in nervous anticipation, she couldn't think straight. He seemed to have mastered that effect on her. She almost flinched when one dark brow raised at her answer.
"That is partially correct, yes… But you seem to have forgotten - once again - who is in charge here. You've come into my home and demanded my attention… and when I asked you to wait you became very disrespectful."
Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. She felt ridiculous, like a little girl being chastised. Made even worse by the fact that she had rarely been chastised as a child… She'd always been a good girl. When she hadn't been, well, she'd been smart enough not to get caught. And even then, her father had been very easy on her; he was a quiet, gentle man.
A hot stab of shame shot through her at the association she'd just made. Oh God. She did not just imply Severus was like a father figure to her… that would be sick… wouldn't it? Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, praying he hadn't been peeking at her thoughts.
"I'm sorry, sir." She let out in a wobbly whisper, fearing that if she spoke any louder the tears would surely start falling. Not only had she disappointed Snape and messed up their fun yet again, now she was also having some kind of internal crisis. Merlin, what is wrong with me?
The low rumble of his voice pulled her out of her inner turmoil.
"Look at me, Hermione."
She reluctantly opened her eyes to his searching gaze. His eyes narrowed in a thoughtful squint for a moment as he watched her, but his expression cleared almost as quickly as it had come and he was straightening up and summoning something from the wardrobe. A small red object sailed through the air and into his waiting hand.
"Trust me, love, I have been thinking about shagging you in every possible way for days now… But we'll both have to wait a bit longer. What you need right now is a lesson in patience…. It's easy to be a good girl when you're getting what you want, isn't it? But as soon as I denied you…"
He smirked and held up the little red cylinder. It looked almost the same size and shape as a tube of lipstick, except there were little raised bumps at the top.
"Do you know what this is?" He asked.
She shook her head slowly. "No, sir…"
His leer turned positively wicked. "Well, you're about to find out. The rules are simple… Do. Not. Come… Do you understand?"
Wait… What? She'd been expecting a spanking or a paddling or something like that… She swallowed thickly. "I understand, sir…"
He leaned in closer with a serious expression. "You will tell me if you're about to come. We'll start with thirty minutes. Perhaps if you can show some restraint I'll allow you to come later tonight… Every time you beg we'll add another ten minutes… Do I even need to tell you what will happen if you orgasm without permission?"
She shook her head hurriedly. "No, sir."
"Good. Let's get started. I'm going to finish reading the article I was reading before you so rudely interrupted me."
Hermione let out a long shuddering sigh. Her mouth was suddenly extremely dry. Okay, I can do this… Surely it's better than a paddling… Just, close your eyes and think about something boring…
Severus picked up his wand and pointed it at the little tube and it began to buzz with a quiet hum.
Oh no.
He moved forward and pressed the nubby tip to her clitoris and flicked his wand again, spelling the vibrator to hover in place, pressed against her. The slow rumble buzzed through her tender flesh, stimulating, but only barely. It was more of a tickle than anything else. She let out a relieved breath. She could handle that, no problem.
Severus immediately turned around without another look and she watched him pick up his magazine and settle onto the bed in front of her. He reclined against the headboard and opened up the magazine, flipping through the pages slowly until he found the correct page. His wand dangled loosely from between two of his fingers.
He's really going to ignore me and read, isn't he?
She felt oddly betrayed. Here she was, trussed up and splayed lewdly before him like some kind of perverted present… And he wasn't even going to watch her struggle? If her arms had been free she would have crossed them over her chest in annoyance. In fact, it was rather irritating that she couldn't move them…. What was the fun in the restraints if he wasn't going to participate? For the very first time since they'd begun sleeping together she wanted out of the restraints. It wasn't even a sexy punishment, it was just… mean. The only consolation was the barely-there setting of the vibrator. She could almost ignore it completely.
Alright. This is annoying but it could be much worse. Just… Be quiet for the next half hour and then it'll be over and we can do something fun.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, settling in to ignore Snape right back and let her mind wander until her ridiculous punishment was over.
The tip of her nose itched and she longed to wrench her arms free and scratch it.
Her mind flitted back to her earlier dilemma and she cringed. Severus had been opening her mind to letting go of the shame of some of her sexual inclinations but this seemed too far…Right? They were already engaged in a taboo relationship… She didn't need to go and make the dynamic weirder… Gods, but the darkest thrill of liquid heat sunk down from her belly to her core at the thought.
No. Just, no. She couldn't even let herself think the idea in her own mind, let alone out loud.
Her eyes popped open when the vibrator suddenly kicked up a notch, pulsing deliciously against her sensitive nerve endings. Fuck. His expression hadn't changed - he was still flicking through the magazine casually, but his wand was pointed directly at her. He really was evil.
She tried to clear her mind and think about anything other than the persistent buzzing sensation overwhelming her core. But she was failing, fast. Trying to ignore it seemed to be the opposite of helpful, and only enhanced the desperate waves of bliss rolling through her, uninvited. Fuck fuck fuck. She wondered how long it had been… It felt like it had been hours already. She twisted around against her bonds as best as she could but she could barely move her pelvis, and the vibrator held fast to the charm, steadily and relentlessly torturing her poor swollen clit.
Her mind started going to strange places in her avoidance. She wondered briefly if she started yelling obscenities at him if he'd stop and just beat her bum instead. Surely that would be more bearable? But, no, she thought. He'd never let her come if it came down to that. And the tension building up in her was reaching painful levels. She'd never used a vibrator before and that had clearly been a mistake. Perhaps if she had in the past she wouldn't be so bloody sensitive to it now.
She was quickly approaching the point of no return, despite her best efforts. His nonchalant flipping of pages was morphing from infuriating to invigorating, spurring on her pleasure in some twisted, humiliating way. She finally broke her obstinate silence, out of pure necessity, gasping out a desperate plea.
"Fuck! I'm gonna come!"
Severus shut the vibrator off with a lazy flick of his wand. It hovered just above her skin, in limbo. He still hadn't looked at her. Hermione took several calming breaths, trying to will her racing heart to slow down. She had a feeling this was only the beginning….
.
.
.
.
.
What felt like several eons later she was walking on a razor's edge... He'd edged her already at least fifteen times, but she had lost count in her delirium. And each time it took less and less touch to bring her right to the brink again. Tears streamed silently down her face and she'd surely have little indents in her palms for days from the amount of clenching her fists had been doing. But she refused to beg. She wasn't going to be able to make it if he added more time. Each touch of the buzzing vibe felt almost sharp, it was so overstimulating. And even though she was completely naked, the room felt as humid as the jungle. Her back stuck uncomfortably against the leather bench; she could feel moisture pooling up between the creases of her folded belly.
She was cursing him out in her mind with every word she could possibly think of - and she didn't give a damn if he could hear her or not.
"Oh Gods! Severus, Stop, I'm gonna! Ahhh!"
This time after he paused the vibe with a flick of his wand he snapped his magazine shut and set it aside, then got up off the bed and stood between her legs again. Oh thank Merlin!
"Time's almost up…" He said quietly.
She let out a little sob. Fuck. Please… I can't take it anymore!
She stared up at him through wet lashes, trying to plead silently with her eyes. Surely he was listening to her thoughts…. Begging in her own mind didn't count, right?
"One more time. And this time I'm going to keep going for a few seconds after you tell me to stop. Try to hold back."
Was he insane? Or just setting her up to fail? She was so close already he could probably just talk her to orgasm without a single touch. There was no way… She screwed her eyes shut in preparation for her defeat. A stinging slap landed on her bum and her eyes startled back open.
"I don't think so, little girl. Look. At. Me."
Hermione whimpered pitifully as she obediently watched him bring the vibrator back towards her, this time by hand. The first touch of the fluttering toy pulled an obscenely loud moan from deep within her. He had - mercifully - set it back to the lowest setting, but it didn't matter, the intensely heated look in his eyes more than made up for the lack of physical stimulation. Dark as they were, they seemed to be simmering with barely held restraint, flitting quickly between her spread legs and her face.
It took less than ten seconds with the vibrator and one well timed nudge of her butt plug - which until that moment she'd completely forgotten she was wearing - for her to be skating right on the edge.
"Oh stop stop stop! I'm going to - please!" She all but shouted, holding Severus's gaze with wide, watery eyes. But instead of pulling away he pressed in closer, watching her face intently as he counted under his breath.
Her pelvic muscles tightened up painfully. Her clitoris felt like a shard of glass. It took everything in her not to let go and tumble over the edge. He held fast with the toy and she could feel her failure coming down on her as her pleasure crested. No no no please please please.
At the very last second he pulled the toy away and threw it aside, then leaned in and caressed her bum soothingly.
"All done, Princess… I am very pleased with you…"
Hermione went limp, panting, in a daze. Her pussy felt like one giant heartbeat, still pulsing painfully with unresolved tension. Sharp little cramps twinged in her pelvis. Severus's hands roamed all over her exposed skin, rubbing and pinching and soothing and driving her completely mad. One finger slipped down past her swollen clit and nudged at her entrance, slipping inside effortlessly. Her back arched hard at the feeling, but there was nowhere to go, the cursed restraints kept her still and open for his probing hands.
"I think you've enjoyed this game, haven't you, love?… You're practically dripping on the floor…"
"Oh, Gods… Please, Severus, I need you.." She quivered out tearfully.
"Yes, you've been very patient, haven't you?"
He pulled his finger out of her clenching channel and wiped it casually on her thigh. She winced at the loss. But her eyes popped open again at the clinking sound of his belt. Yes yes yes!
She watched him free his cock with bated breath. If he teased her again she might never recover. She felt so achingly empty. Never in her life had her mind been so clear of all but one urgent imperative. Fuck me fuck me fuck me!
He dragged his tip through her sodden folds and she gasped when he nudged at her abused clit.
"Do you understand now, Princess?... I'll give you what you need… But I'll do it on my terms. I will not be bossed around by a little witch… Is that clear?"
She nodded frantically at his expectant gaze. "Yes, sir!"
The head of his cock was positioned right at her entrance, nestled firmly against her fevered flesh. She wanted to scream.
"Who does this pussy belong to?" He demanded. His fingers dug into the sensitive space where her hips met her arse.
"You, sir! Please!"
"That's right… And who decides when and if you are allowed to come?"
"You, Severus. You do!"
She closed her eyes again with a sob. Her calves and thighs ached where she'd dug them into the t-post, desperately trying to writhe around to find some friction. She was starting to think he'd never relent. She'd be tied down and trapped at the painful edge of bliss forever, never finding relief. His soft chuckle cut through her spiraling thoughts.
"Don't worry, love, I don't think I could hold back at this point, even if I wanted to… You paint far too tempting a picture… All trussed up and splayed open, just for me…"
The impossibly deep timbre of his voice rolled over her skin like the lick of a flame, stoking the simmering heat of her desperation and leaving pimpled gooseflesh in its wake. It was completely unfair how hypnotic his speech was. He could ask her to do anything - the most depraved and shameful of acts - and she was certain she'd agree, if only to hear his praise in those silky, melodic tones. The power he could have over her, if he so chose…
"Oh Gods.. Please fuck me, sir!"
His response was a low hissing groan as he finally - finally - pushed his hips forward, filling her deliberately slowly, inch by blissful inch. Her pussy felt puffy and tight and the stretch was exquisite.
He bottomed out with a grunt and Hermione's eyes rolled up to the ceiling. A strangled whine escaped her throat as he began to pull almost completely free from her and then slam back in again with long, measured strokes.
"Oh my God, Severus, yessss!"
Her voice sounded ridiculously breathy and wanton to her own ears, but she was too far gone to be embarrassed. She was floating in that familiar drowsy haze where reality faded into the background and the heady feeling of submission took over, every nerve ending coming to life with bruising clarity. Her pelvis was canted up at the perfect angle; with every thrust of his hips the blunt head of his cock brushed against the sensitive, hidden spot nestled in the front wall of her sex. He hadn't touched her clit since he put the vibrator away but it felt like he was - stars burst behind her eyelids each time he slammed back into her, coaxing her closer and closer to that fervid precipice again.
Her needy wails echoed around the small room as he picked up the pace, driving into her body like a man possessed. Her eyes fluttered open again and she shuddered at the sight of him. His hands were braced on the vertical beams of the arch as he used all of his force to pound into her, obscene slapping sounds filled the room as his pelvis smacked into her bum. The security of her restraints ensured that there was no give, nowhere else for the friction of his thrusts to go except into her. The look on his face was nearly violent, his eyes burned down at her, liquid pools of inky black.
"Fuck, you're so ready, aren't you love?" He panted, words coming out choppy from the frantic movements of his body, "I can feel it… You've been such a good girl… so patient… Come for me. Come all over my cock. Now."
Oh Gods! She was breathing so hard she thought she might pass out. But his words were salvation to her ears and she let go, surrendering to the promise of blissful oblivion. She let the cresting wave pull her under. The sharp twinge of a cramp curled in her lower belly as her pelvic muscles clamped down hard. Pleasure warred with pain in an amalgam of excruciating ecstacy, spreading through her veins like creeping molasses. A small stream of liquid trickled from her core and traveled down, pooling in the curve of her belly.
All she could do was hold on tight as Severus pumped into her several more times before finding his own release with a rasping groan.
Then he stilled abruptly, leaning hard against the wooden arch and panting down at her. She felt like a rung out flannel, twitching with aftershocks and absolutely parched. He took a moment to catch his breath and then pulled out of her gently, stretching out his back with a wince and an audible pop. Hermione looked up at him with concern.
"Are you alright, Severus?" She rasped.
He summoned his wand, looking down at her with a smirk.
"I should be asking you that. Let's get you down from there."
He took down the t-post first, unsecuring it with his wand and then sliding it out from between the vertical posts and setting it aside on the floor. Then he freed her wrists and she immediately brought her hands to her face, rubbing at the salty residue from the tears that had trailed down
her cheeks. Lastly he freed her ankles, carefully untying the bonds and guiding each leg down to rest on the leather bench. She winced at the stiffness in her lower back from being curled up so long.
"How are your legs? Do you think you can walk?" His hands trailed up and down her legs, massaging her ankles and calves with gentle probing fingers.
"I think so. They're a little prickly but honestly not bad…"
He helped her sit up on the bench and then brought her a glass of water, which she drained in several long gulps. Edging was no joke. She felt completely drained, with limbs of mush. Severus took the empty glass from her hands and then guided her up off the bench and into the bed. He took off his boots and lied down next to her, pulling her in against his chest.
Hermione took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet, salty musk of the sweat on his skin. She felt truly whole in his embrace, all of the swirling worries and thoughts and plans that constantly swarmed her brain settled down into dust, and she could just be. And it was in those quiet moments that she realized….she'd found her hiding place. The feeling was one that she couldn't, no, wouldn't, put into words… All she knew was that her soul felt at home within the dark, complicated man beside her.
She tried not to examine it too closely. When she did she felt silly. And from an outside perspective it would seem ridiculous. The majority of the time they'd spent together had been spent having sex. But, it was more than that… He'd unlocked something within her that she hadn't even realized had been dying to be set free. He had gifted her the safety to let go of her tightly held control, if only for a little while. And he was right there to guide her, and catch her if she fell.
"How are you?" His quiet question broke the silence, "Are you in any pain?"
"No, I'm fine." she replied. Though she was fairly certain she'd be sore the next day. She tilted her chin to look up at his face. His eyes were closed.
"How are you, Severus? You seem like you're in pain. Quite often, actually… is it your back?"
"Yes, it's usually my back." His hand trailed soothing up and down her side, "I'll be fine. It's just residual nerve damage from previous injuries."
Well, that sounded awful. She scooched up to a more seated position to get a better look at his face, running her thumb back and forth over his jawline.
"That's horrid. Is there a potion or something I can get for you?"
He waved a hand in dismissal, opening his eyes and giving her an odd look.
"No. Well, there are potions. But they completely incapacitate me. And most of them are quite addictive, anyway."
"Oh," she frowned, "is there anything that does help?"
His brow furrowed. "There are some stretches… and sometimes heat helps… Don't worry about it though, I'm used to it."
Her heart fluttered unpleasantly. She couldn't imagine just living in pain all the time. How terrible. Surely there was something she could do to help... She leaned in and brushed her mouth over his in a soft kiss. He deepened it, slipping his tongue past her lips and gripping the back of her neck to pull her close. She hummed a contented sigh into his mouth. She'd never tire of the taste of him.
"What about a massage?" She said when she pulled away, "I know it's not the same but my mum used to massage dad's back when he had bad sciatica. Do you have any lotion or oil?"
He was giving her that odd, unreadable look again.
"You don't have to do that, Hermione. I'm fine."
"I know I don't have to. I want to."
She smiled down at his ridiculous frown and began to unbutton his dress shirt, smoothing her hands over his exposed skin as she went. She loved the feeling of his wiry dusting of chest hair under her fingertips. He spent entirely too much time fully clothed.
She got the final button unfastened and then spread his shirt wide open, leaning down to press a kiss to the center of his chest.
"Turn over." She told him.
He raised a tired brow. "You'd better watch it, little girl."
She gave him her most innocent smile. "Will you please turn over?"
He gave her a long look before sighing and sitting up.
"If you insist." He grumbled, pulling his shirt off and summoning a small bottle of oil from the nightstand drawer.
"Yes. I do insist." She grinned.
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