Chapter Two: Admiring the View

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Chapter Two: Admiring the View

Hermione woke with a start, still dressed, thoughts of her Potions professor having eased her into an unexpectedly restful sleep the evening before. Realising that it was almost time to sneak out to the Quidditch pitch, she quickly washed and changed into fresh clothes. Another crisp, March morning greeted her as she left the castle and silently found her way into the stands. Her curiosity took her closer, only a few rows from the front, but she remained prudently hidden in the shadows to all but the keenest of eyes. Expectant ears caught the first sounds of the runner as he neared the stand in which she was waiting. She was close enough this time to see him clearly and knew if he looked her way she could not avoid detection. The risk of discovery spread a tingle of anxiety, or perhaps anticipation, across her skin, lifting goosebumps on her arms. His barely clothed body called to the newly awakened woman in hers, heightening her senses and stirring her imagination.

This morning, he stopped to stretch immediately in front of her position. Stripping off his singlet, he then did the unthinkable. He removed his shoes and then dropped his shorts and underwear right there in front of her. Completely naked, he commenced a series of callisthenic exercises that Hermione recognised as being of ancient Spartan origin. Presumably the nakedness was part of the whole, harden oneself up to the elements, regimen. Whatever the reason, she wasn't about to complain. Or move. The last thing she wanted was to make her presence known. At least not before he turned around. Her conscience tried to berate her for her voyeurism, but even that small voice was silenced when he finally faced the stands for his, apparently final, set of exercises.

Holy Mother of Merlin. Naked Snape. Naked, full-frontal Snape. Naked, very well-endowed Snape. Pubic hair did not even rate a mention. She could not take her eyes off her professor's most intimate anatomy. What the hell was the man doing running around naked in the outdoors? Anyone who got up at an obscenely early hour could catch him at it...

"Seen enough, Miss Granger?" The low drawl brought her down to earth with a crash. Snape was standing at the base of the stands, unconcernedly nude, awaiting a response.

"Er... I-I was just... a-ad-admiring the view?" she stammered, flushing deep scarlet.

"Indeed," he replied, then simply redressed and walked away.

"Now, what was that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked the empty seats around her.

She considered avoiding breakfast altogether, but pride dictated that it would be better to put in an appearance rather than be thought to be as overwhelmed as she felt. Snape looked up when she entered, quirking an eyebrow at her once again flushed face.

Damn man should at least have the decency to look embarrassed, she told herself, knowing that the situation was purely her own fault. Anyone who skulked around in the half-light spying on another was bound to get more than they bargained for sooner or later. Feeling alternately indignant and mortified, she served herself a generous portion of bacon and eggs and concentrated on eating it serenely.

"Oi, Hermione. Have you suddenly discovered the wonders of Hogwarts' breakfasts?" asked Ron, gesticulating with his loaded fork. "You usually only eat cereal or yoghurt."

Smiling weakly at him, she settled for a half-truth. "I went for a walk this morning. All that fresh air must have done my appetite some good." She could feel the smirk on Snape's face as he watched their interaction from the High Table without even looking his way.

Finishing up, she stood and, without waiting for Harry, headed for Advanced Transfiguration. At least there she would not be distracted by possibilities. With no Potions class for the day, she had time to contemplate the morning's events without the threat of exposure. Too much exposure had been the problem after all, although if she was honest with herself she hadn't really had a problem with it. Just with getting caught. And why hadn't he appeared concerned with her presence? She couldn't believe he had just walked away without berating her for invading his privacy. He, who was ostensibly the most closed-off, repressed wizard at Hogwarts, had stood bare before her and then merely walked away. She supposed he would have found it difficult to be his usual, acerbic self whilst stark naked, but why the seeming amusement at breakfast? Snape, who never exhibited any sense of humour, had appeared to be enjoying her discomfiture way too much. Sighing with frustration, she forced her mind to concentrate on her classes and put her questions aside as she continued with her day.

The next morning found Hermione up and out of the castle almost before she was aware of the foolishness of her actions. She felt compelled to return to the scene of the previous day's crime, as if by doing so, her presence would force Snape into revealing his intention whether to punish her or not. From the same seat as the day before, she watched as he completed his circuits without any acknowledgement of her presence. He stopped in the same position, performed some stretches, then, to her astonishment, simply stripped naked and commenced his callisthenics. As if she was not there. She knew he had to have seen her, as she had made no effort on this occasion to hide. And yet, there he was, nude, exercising as if he was completely alone.

Once more he turned to face her, his body completely displayed to her eyes. Once more he did not appear the least embarrassed, finishing his exercise routine exactly as before. He picked up his clothes and, before turning to leave, glanced at her and nodded. "Miss Granger."

She was speechless. Staring after his retreating figure, she sank back into the seat, unaware that she had been leaning forward, and shook her head. The man was a mystery. Admittedly, a surprisingly sexy mystery, but a mystery nonetheless.

Potions that day was as always. Snape set the class to brewing the assignment for the day, circulated the room checking the students' prowess, more often than not docking a few points here and there for inaccurate measuring, poor preparation of ingredients, or just because he could, and between rounds sat at his desk disseminating red-inked words of disdain. He gave no hint that he was aware of Hermione's continued puzzlement at his behaviour, and she diligently forced the mental images of the man before her, naked, to the deepest recesses of her mind. Only then could she concentrate on her brewing. That night, she finally relaxed enough to examine her memories of what she had seen over the last few days. And realised with a start that she was extremely aroused. By Snape.

Sodding Severus Snape. Potions master. No, she couldn't get even a little turned on when she had tried going out with Ron. Not one single spark. No other boy in her year so much as warmed her interest. But one glimpse of the sarcastic, antisocial professor's body had her hormones raging and her brain scrambled, and now she had seen those parts of his anatomy, she was feeling extremely... horny. Damn the man and his fitness obsession. All she had wanted was a peaceful sunrise to enjoy. She took care of her frustration herself, all the while cursing the man who had woken her to her own sexuality.

***

Morning came, and with it the overwhelming pull to the Quidditch pitch. All those years being dragged out here by the boys and it took the Potions professor to make me want to come. She smiled to herself at the irony. She waited in her usual seat for the runner to complete his laps and start his exercises, awaiting restlessly his reaction to her presence.

As the subject of her thoughts finished his run, she noticed a brief, slight quirk of his lips. Could he be pleased that she had returned yet again? Admiring his masculine form and graceful motion as he stretched, her mind whirled at the invitation implicit in his acceptance of her gaze. He deliberately looked up and locked eyes with her as he removed his few items of clothing, remaining facing in her direction until he was fully naked. Raking her gaze slowly, deliberately down his body, she met his challenge with a nod. Apparently satisfied, he continued with his fitness regime, once again acknowledging her briefly as he left.

Hermione sat watching the sunrise. The exquisite display went unappreciated as she pondered her professor's uncharacteristic behaviour. His motivations and thoughts were beyond her comprehension. However, he had not stopped her returning; he had not commented further on her presence, and he had not stopped baring himself to her eyes. In some strange way, for the first time since the final battle she felt some kinship with another.

***

"Where were you earlier, Hermione?" asked Ron as he heaped scrambled eggs and bacon on his plate.

"Er... just out walking," she replied, flushing slightly as she noticed the Potions professor joining the staff at the High Table.

"Oh, just wondered. We came to collect you for breakfast, and you weren't there, is all."

Thinking rapidly, Hermione added, "I quite often go for a walk before breakfast. It is a peaceful time of day. Allows me to think." Hoping that would discourage any offers of company, she turned to her own plate and started eating. An involuntary smile briefly lit her face as her eyes met Snape's over the heads of her housemates, prompting another slight quirk of his lips.

For the rest of the day the surreal events of the dawn seemed like as a dream. Snape was Snape, stalking down the corridors after breakfast in his usual flurry of robes. With no Potions class, Hermione was able to concentrate on her work and put the dark wizard to the back of her mind. The next day was Saturday, and the Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff was the main event of the weekend. Her fellow Gryffindors had a vested interest in Hufflepuff winning, as the Ravenclaws were close behind them in Quidditch Cup points. The hubbub in the common room was not conducive to studying, leading Hermione to pack up her books and head for the library.

Half an hour after she had settled into writing her Charms essay, she looked up to find Snape had entered the room.

"Do you really need to spread your possessions over the entire table, Miss Granger?" He sneered as he sat opposite. Gathering her books into tidy piles, she mumbled an apology while noting the abundance of empty tables nearby. Sneaking a peek at him through her hair, she smirked as she caught him watching her, an odd expression of interest mixed with diffidence fleetingly crossing his face. Quietly, they both worked on into the evening, unaware of the occasional, curious glances from the other students in the library. She smiled briefly at him as she left later, receiving a curt nod in return.

***

Thus set the pattern for the days ahead. She would wake early and arrive at the Quidditch pitch just before dawn. He would run his usual number of laps, then stretch, strip, and work through his routine, always finishing facing her. Neither spoke, but an intense awareness stretched almost tangibly between them. She openly admired his body, but he did nothing other than nod his head as he left each morning. It was as if speaking, as if acknowledging the other's presence verbally, would break the spell that had been cast upon them, placing them in another world, where their relationship as teacher and student was void. Only when the sun came up did they return to their normal personae and inhabit the roles that were expected of them.

One morning, after he completed his routine, he broke from his usual habit and climbed up to where she sat. Seating himself beside her, he leaned back and watched the sky as the colours of the dawn transformed the surrounding hills from navy blue to pink, then to iridescent gold, before the sun threatened to reveal their presence to the world. Hermione watched the sunrise, silently accepting his companionship, knowing that words would diminish not only the magnificence of the scene before them, but also the delicate bond that was becoming so important to her. He left as suddenly as he had come, but his presence lingered in her mind for the rest of the day. The unspoken acknowledgement that she was not alone in believing there was something developing between them filled her heart with joy and brought a smile to her lips, causing her friends to shake their heads in wonder at the cause.

She had learned to regard Professor Snape, her uptight Potions master, as a different person to the sensual, relaxed man with whom she communed in the dawn hour. With the professor she behaved as any diligent student should, respectfully following instructions and avoiding unnecessary contact. With the man she felt no such constraint, openly showing her appreciation of his body and her pleasure in his company.

The girl ate, studied, and enjoyed time with her friends as if nothing had changed, but the woman in her permeated her words, her movements, and her expressions. She attracted the attention of more than one would-be boyfriend, leaving them nonplussed as to her indifference to their advances. She never noticed the tightening of Snape's expression when he saw some callow youth attempting to invite her to spend time with him, never saw the relief in his eyes when she turned each one of them down.

Each morning now, he would sit beside her to experience the sunrise after he had finished his exercise routine. They were content to simply spend time sharing the tranquil start to the day until one morning, as the sun crested the horizon, Hermione felt his hand cover hers as it lay in her lap.

After a moment, she turned her palm to his and linked fingers. The warmth that flowed between their joined hands communicated far more than mere words could describe. At that moment, she realised just how grateful she was for the skill and compassion of the Healers at St Mungo's, who had battled to save his life even before the truth about his true allegiance was revealed.

As the sun bathed the stands with its clear, morning light, Hermione glanced at Snape, finding his face for once unshuttered, the inner man unmasked. The depth of yearning she discerned there touched her heart. Yearning to be trusted, to be accepted, to be wanted. She smiled and wordlessly pledged her faith, her friendship, and her desire to the wizard beside her. His palpable relief inspired her to gently reach over and brush his cheek with her lips before she stood and returned to the castle. Things had changed. Before, he had held the power, the ability to cut her off without a reason. Now, he had given himself over to her keeping, to do with as she would.

In class, Snape had become noticeably calmer. He still took points and gave detentions for the slightest infractions; he still stalked the halls at night, looking for miscreants, but his words, while as cutting as ever, lacked the venom of before. He was seen, very occasionally, with a slight hint of a smile, as if remembering something pleasant. Staff and students alike were bemused. To all intents and purposes, Severus Snape was the same man, but something indefinable had altered.

Hermione smiled to herself as she watched him covertly in class. His graceful movements, accorded by the toned body beneath his robes, his subtle expressions that she had learned to interpret, even his acerbic wit, had all become precious to her. She did not know where it, whatever it was between them, was going, but she was more than ready to explore the possibilities.

***

A/N: This story is dedicated to the esteemed leader of F.A.R.T, Robbi, whose encouragement, nay, nagging, turned this story from a vague idea to an actuality. Of course, my dear friend, ladyinthecloak, bossed the commas into submission and tidied up any mistakes. Thanks, girls!