"Though it may be my right as the Head of House, Salazar, I simply refuse to act upon my urges."
"What are the differences between mortal and resurrected flesh?"
The dark haired witch's unusually plump lips pouted at Severus. "Umm pinkish?" she finally said, schooling her tone to a mew, "and...living...I guess."
Pansy Parkinson had spent far too little reading the textbook and far too much time sewing up the hem of her skirt. It had rested now just beneath the peak of her perk buttocks-the plaid hemline held together by a flimsy spell in case she was caught and asked to release the fabric. Severus clutched and released his fist.
...I simply refuse to act upon my urges...
"You...guess," he drawled.
With that, Severus Snape tapped the chest containing the model Inferius. Clearly, the Slytherin-Gryffindor sixth years were not ready to apply their knowledge beyond theoretics. "Anyone else?"
Lack of preparation did not bother the young witch. She walked away with confidence and stride, joining the other girls on the left sidelines of the class. The other Slytherins had noticed her buttocks and pale thighs as well, particularly the boys. Draco and Vincent snickered, their cheeks flushing when Pansy gave them a suggestive smile and giggled.
"Professor!" called out an all-too-familiar voice from the right end of the room. "If I may?"
She waited until Severus granted her his audience, nodding his head in her general direction, before standing up. Her grey plaid skirt rested at the knee, the creases of red and gold stripes straightening as she rose.
"Properties of mortal flesh are best described in terms of their uniform texture, the lack of markings and its...suppleness. An Inferius's body in usually pale and rotting...and sallow."
Draco and the usual group mouthed back her words between the three of them, covering their laughs from their Head of House. Supple, they whispered. Normally this would not present a problem to Severus, but today...
"Thank you, Mr Malfoy," he said. "Miss Granger, what would be the result of appearing before an Inferius in a state of undress such as demonstrated by your peer?"
Here, all Slytherins went silent. Pansy grazed her hands along the hem of her skirt, fidgeting with its length. Hermione bowed her head, and a clever smile emerged when she met her Professor's gaze once more.
"With a proper fire-summoning charm, it wouldn't really matter, would it?"
Here a slow 'ooh' and claps emerged from the Slytherins. Even Draco bumped Vincent's arm in agreement. Hermione Granger might have been a swotty pain in the ass years ago, but there was no denying that she had since grown balls.
"QUIET!" Severus rose, waving his hand to activate the protective circle-shield, boots hitting the stone floors with a thud as he did. He silently removed 50 House points from Gryffindor as he made his way back to the start of the circle. He snapped his fingers, drawing the lancet shutters closed, enveloping the room in darkness. "Miss Granger. Demonstrate."
The students took a step back, up against the walls.
"Professor-"
"Demonstrate."
The witch stumbled through the crowd and slowly walked into the shield's opening, letting it shut behind her.
The room was dark and the circle's blue, glowing aura was the only ray or light illuminating the faint outline of her curls and dropped shoulders. There were candles in the room too, but so far away, that all the Slytherin and Gryffindors' face were swallowed by the surrounding darkness.
Severus slowly circled around the chest, letting his trouser legs graze the edge of the iron trimming. He stopped inches before the witch, letting his gaze hover over the crown of her head.
"You have surely done all the suggested readings concerning the Inferius."
"Yes sir."
He mentally ran his fingers through her hair, sucking in the scent of her body.
"Very good," he said. "State your Defensive Spell."
She paused for a moment. "Confringo."
"Explosive flames." Interesting. Severus strengthened the shields enough to absorb the retaliating bits of exploding flesh, and assumed position at a 90* angle away from Granger.
She had slid off and carefully folded her robes, handing them over to her friend Ron for safeguarding. Sleeves rolled up, wand withdrawn, she bent her knees and assumed position.
"I'm ready sir."
"Not quite." Severus lowered his voice. "At your discretion, expose a third of your flesh."
As she stood there, a hushed whisper echoing through both Houses present.
"Pardon me?"
"Your previous claim being that exposure of flesh to the undead would not matter had the appropriate spell been conducted-"
"But I did not mean-" She took a deep breath, her pupils darting to the side. "Theoretically-."
"-will be put to the test."
Hermione Granger's stance stiffened. The locks of brown, unruly hair frizzled at the tips, curling up as though they themselves were living. Arms glued to the sides, she stepped back to the edge of the shield. It caught her, bouncing her back into the circle and ripples of blue lights reverberated along the spherical surface-waving to the top and dissipating in a pop into the ceiling.
...I simply refuse...
"I'm sorry sir," she said softly, her brown lashes fluttering against her red cheeks.
He directed his attention towards her, speaking to her through Legilimency. "If you forfeit now, I will have no choice but to remove 50 points from Gryffindor."
"No."
His lips curled into a wicked smile. "Cowardice will not excuse you, Miss Granger. Trifling with my classroom expectations has its consequences."
He sent her an image of her friends Ron and Harry, frowning all the way back to the Common Rooms at the thought that she had lost them 50 whole House Points in November. She shuddered, her gaze darkening.
Slowly, she made her way back to centre. With a swish of her wand, Hermione Granger removed not one sleeve, but her whole entire white blouse and vest. The boys in the background smacked their lips, whispering to each other as the sixth year witch stood before them in nothing but a nude-coloured cloth brassiere. The pert peaks of her nipples exposed to the harsh light given by the shield; the ripples in her muscular hands, her fleshy and smooth stomach that tucked in nicely under the hem of her plaid skirt.
"Would that be sufficient, Professor Snape?"
Though it may be my right...
"Prepare yourself."
Severus lifted his wand, watching as the crowd huddled together in the background. They had been studying Inferius and the Undead for nearly a month now. With the rise of Dark Powers, it was critical that they knew how to combat a possible uprising of the fallen wiccans.
He snapped open the lock of the chest. Granger's gaze blanked for a split second; her fists tightened around her tool and the hair on her head frizzled wildly. She swallowed, her throat bobbing and the veins in her neck and chest popping over her rosy skin.
The box shook for a moment and the lid snapped back. Someone screamed. Out of the dark pit, a bony finger curled around the edge of the wood-pulling up two grey and sunken shoulders from the box.
The Inferius sucked in a breath-mouth hanging open, the hollow holes where it's cheeks would have been revealed skull bone. It groaned, a deep hungry sound as it focused in on the witch.
Severus held himself still, wand ready to strike. Not yet. But when he wanted to...
Miss Granger drew forth her wand hand. "Confringo!"
Fire shot out from the wand, the room illuminated in a flash. It struck the Inferius between the eyes and it toppled back. It's head burst into pieces, flying back and shattering against the shield.
White smacks of flesh, like mushroom bits coated in a slime, scattered about the floor. Bone stuck of the bits, brown and rotten. It smelled of sulphur and decaying collard greens on a hot summer's day.
Quiet cheers sounded behind her. Hermione turned her head, waving down Ron. He grinned, waving back.
Suddenly, his face dropped and he frantically pointed, yelling at the moving figure.
What she didn't see was the creature rising up and hobbling towards her on all fours. Skull cracked open and bits of flesh hanging off what was once attached to its neck, the Inferius grabbed hold of her skirt and dragged to the floor.
Shrieking and kicking, Granger swerved on the ground as the the creature clawed at her skin leaving deep, bloody gashes along her arm.
It tore at her stomach, her perfectly smooth and white skin and hungrily grabbed her breasts, her shoulders and her clavicle. Where it's mouth would have been were bits of bone sticking out of a mangled skull.
Hermione kicked her legs and gasped for breath. She pointed her wand, aiming the incantation once more at the Inferius.
There was a scream. Her own scream, and the creature lay shaken and broken on the floor covered in blood. Only Inferni did not bleed.
"Finite Incantatem," Severus thundered, waving his arm before the group. The remains of the creature were Summoned back into the chest, absorbed into the dark crevice and sealed with a thud. Students screamed, their eyes never once leaving Hermione. Someone called for Madame Pomfrey.
Ron ran over, knocking himself against the edge of the shield and thudding loudly.
Severus knocked him out of the way, making his way over to Hermione.
He regarded her: laying there in a heap of her own blood. He ran his fingers over her pale, shaking body, letting his palms stain deep red as he did.
"I told you, Miss Granger," he said. Protego Diabolica would have worked best, had she access to Salazar's personal library.
Weaving his wand over the broken and bruised bits. "Vulnera Sanentur." Gently, as though sewing wool together with a single thread, the white wisps pulled the skin together- blood curdling in its tracks as he did. "Vulnera Sanentur." Minute by minute, bit by bit, her gashes were drawn together and the soft scars dissapeared from sight. "Vulnera Sanentur."
It would be only days before a soft knock resounded on his study door, and the witch would appear before him once more. Her brown eyes gazing at his with a new-felt fear and a newfound determination.
"Professor, I am ready to accept your offer."
Though it may be my right...
And he would take his time to lower his marking quill and meet her on the plush carpet before his desk.
"You understand well what an apprenticeship under the Head of a different House entails?"
"Yes sir."
"To become a Slytherin, you would leave behind all you know. And what you would gain from me would be..."
She'd smile again, just enough to let him know she understood.
"Very well, Miss Granger," he'd purr. "Because I have been waiting to see what lies beneath the bottom half of your uniform."
A/N: Hmmm, Snape is feeling a bit randy. Not sure about this developpment...but always an interesting test to write outside one's comfort zone. Thanks for reading!