Chapter Eighteen: A Romantic Meal, Sri Lankan Style

(i) Thank you everyone for the kind reviews. Please do continue to let me know what you think. I do like hearing back from you.

(ii) The characters and world of Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no money from this. Pity, I could use a bit of loot right about now.

(iii) And last but by no means least, a big thank you to my lovely, amazing beta, Queen_of_Stars.

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Severus collapsed onto Hermione's back after his explosive orgasm. Even after nearly two months with his vixen, Severus found their sexual relationship startling for its very intensity. He still found it nearly impossible to come to grips with how much passion Hermione aroused in him and how utterly honest her responses to his advances were. When sufficient strength returned to him, he rolled onto his back, taking her with him so that she nestled against his shoulder.

'Vixen,' he said tenderly, letting his hand caress her flank, 'you move me to such passion. You release the darkness within me, accept all of me. I am a very lucky man.'

'And I am a very lucky woman,' said Hermione, stroking his chest tenderly. 'Severus, we complete each other. Your darkness feeds my own, your strength, your domination of my being allows me to find the freedom, the release that I desire. No man could fulfil me as perfectly as you complement me. '

He buried his face in her horrid and glorious hair. For so long, he had thought he was tainted with darkness. He had been sure that he was incapable of love and of loving, and then Trelawney's bloody prophecy forced him into getting to know his impossible Gryffindor. He could not imagine living without her now. She was the centre of his universe. He vowed to himself that he would do everything in his power to show her each and every day how much she meant to him. He didn't care if he was seen as a sappy and lovesick fool. Nothing mattered but the amazing woman in his arms.

Overcome with emotion, Severus rolled Hermione onto her back and kissed his treasure gently. Hearing Hermione moan in appreciation of his tender ministrations fired Severus' desire once more. Gently, sensuously, he began to stroke her lush curves, her soft, silken skin with his long and ever-so-clever fingers. He rained kisses on her chest and torso, his aim to convey with his body how much he adored her.

'Oh, Severus,' moaned Hermione. Even though she was utterly sated by their recent lovemaking, Severus' knowing touch ignited Hermione's desire. Writhing against his hard body, she groaned as she felt his re-hardening erection. Gently, she let her hand trail down to grasp his cock and felt her dominant lover shudder at her sure and familiar touch.

Severus growled his approval. 'Yes, pet, just like that,' he said urgently, all thoughts of tenderness replaced by burning and driving need once more.

Hermione loved the power she wielded over a man who hardly ever let down his guard. To know that he allowed only her to see his vulnerability was a heady aphrodisiac. Moving out from under him, she pushed him onto his back and settled her centre to lie over his mouth, while her mouth engulfed his now utterly erect penis. Moving with confidence, she licked and swirled her tongue around his engorged flesh before taking him as deep into her mouth as was possible. She knew how he liked to be devoured, and it pleased her to pleasure him this way.

Severus, in return, used his strong hands to settle her ever more firmly over his face and let himself thrust his tongue into her waiting heat. He loved the taste of her, and their comingled flavours to him were like the sweetest drug. It was an affirmation of their passion, their love.

As Hermione felt Severus thrust his tongue completely into her sensitive core, she moaned around his cock. This sent another shudder through the taciturn man, and he redoubled his efforts to pleasure his princess. Soon, they had built a steady competition between them, each striving to bring the other to orgasm. It was Hermione who shattered first. Severus was skilled in the art of oral pleasure, and with his long, tapering fingers and wicked tongue, he had Hermione gasping and mindless as ecstasy overcame her once more.

Pushing Hermione off him, he moved until he was over her. Using his hands to raise her legs and push them up to her chest, he folded Hermione until her dripping centre was displayed in all of its lewd and erotic beauty. 'I love your body,' he groaned in appreciation and thrust home urgently.

Hermione screamed at the force of his penetration. She had had a number of orgasms and she was very sensitive. Severus was by no means a small man. Feeling him move powerfully in and out of her was driving her at breakneck speed into another mindless explosion. 'Oh, God, Severus,' she gasped. 'You feel so fucking huge.'

Severus loved how his polite and proper vixen would spout obscenities in the throes of passion. Knowing how hearing him speak drove her desire higher, he too began to murmur hoarsely in her ear. 'And you, my gorgeous vixen, you feel like sheer heaven. Your cunt is like a glove, so tightly does it clutch me.'

This was enough to precipitate Hermione's orgasm. With a loud keen, she shattered, her tight vaginal walls milking and squeezing Severus until he too grunted loudly. He wanted to maintain control, but she was too tight, too delicious. Pushing his body to slow down, Severus strove to hold off his imminent explosion. Moving so that his face was pressed against hers, he whispered to her, 'Vixen.'

Hermione shuddered in another pleasurable aftershock at his passion-roughened tone.

Her aftershock forced her to tighten her sleeve around him once more. This was just too much for Severus. Even though he had not been thrusting into her, the squeezing of her walls pushed him over the edge. 'Goddess,' he groaned, shattering in another powerful orgasm.

Severus' orgasm sent another ecstatic pulse through Hermione's sensitised folds. She was so attuned to him that his orgasms seemed to trigger her own. She nearly blacked out with the intensity of her reactions. Goodness but she loved her man. I am so glad I am with Severus, thought Hermione. She tried to imagine feeling this kind of explosive and all consuming passion with anyone else but failed utterly. Severus was her soul mate. Of this, Hermione was sure.

As they came down from their mutually incredible orgasms, Hermione and Severus cuddled for a while. Just as they were drifting off in sated slumber, Hermione's stomach grumbled loudly. With a laugh, she raised herself on her elbow to look down at the dishevelled face of her love. Severus looked like a reprobate of the highest order, and to Hermione's eyes, there could be no other more erotic sight. She felt her body gush in response to his well-fucked appearance and was amazed at her almost never-ending hunger for the dark wizard. She was exhausted, shattered, and still her body seemed to want him. Kissing him gently on the nose, she said, 'I guess it's time for dinner. I've another surprise besides the room.'

Hermione moved languorously to sit up, facing Severus who was still sprawled in repletion. She could not tear her eyes away from his erotic beauty.

Severus pushed himself indolently to sit propped by against the headboard and raised his eyebrow in enquiry.

'You're so sexy when you do that,' Hermione said with a slow grin before standing up gingerly. She winced as she moved, and Severus smirked in satisfaction. For a man of forty, he felt rather smug at his ability to thoroughly ravish his younger lover.

Once she had pulled on a Slytherin green dressing gown in spider silk that did nothing to conceal her pert breasts and lush body, Hermione called out, 'Winky.'

With a clap, Winky appeared. 'We are ready for dinner now, Winky,' said Hermione in a kind tone.

'Dinner be ready, Missy,' said Winky, before vanishing with another clap.

Not long after, the Room provided them with a highly polished teak dining table, not unlike that which had graced Gunananda's bungalow. Winky moved swiftly, and the table was soon filled with a delicious array of curries, chutneys and other Sri Lankan delicacies.

Severus' nose flared as the scent of spices and condiments seasoned the air. Pulling on his outer robe over his naked body, Severus joined Hermione at the table. Examining the brimming platters of food, he kissed Hermione on her temple. 'Everything smells divine,' he said in appreciation.

Hermione beamed. 'I used some of the recipes I got from Kumarilata,' she said by way of explanation. 'I remembered how much you enjoyed the crab curry that she prepared for Christmas lunch.'

'Indeed,' said Severus, pulling out a chair and helping Hermione have a seat before seating himself across from her.

Soon the two were busy enjoying a thoroughly enjoyable meal. Their incredible lovemaking had helped them to work up a good appetite, and the food was marvellous. The elves had outdone themselves with the exotic cuisine, and each dish was prepared to perfection. Given that they had spent their working vacation by the coast, Hermione's menu selection was heavily infused with seafood. Jumbo prawns in hot spicy sauce, known in Sri Lanka as Devilled Prawns, calamari in coconut milk, red crab curry, and lots of soft fluffy basmati rice soon filled their plates as Hermione and Severus began to do justice to the excellent efforts of the house-elves. Sweet mango curry, breadfruit curry, sweet beetroot curry, coconut sambol, fried aubergines, lime pickle, date chutney and hot tempered potatoes complimented the selection. Severus, who loved spicy food, was in sensory heaven. This out-of-the-ordinary feast was indeed a treat for all of his well developed taste-buds.

For pudding, the elves had, with Hermione's insistence, managed to turn out a dish of Watalappan. Hermione had acquired a special liking for this traditional Sri Lankan Moorish treat. Made of coconut milk, eggs and jaggery, it was comparable to spiced coconut custard that had a hint of nutmeg, cinnamon and cardamom for flavouring.

Replete with good food, Severus relaxed in what he thought was the first time since his birthday. His belly was full; his sexual appetite nourished by his wondrously erotic fiancée, his heart and mind were at ease. Never in his wildest dreams had Severus thought that he would be able to enjoy such bliss. To survive the war had been unexpected, but to then find recognition for his actions as double agent and intelligence operative, to be reinstated as headmaster, and now, to meet the woman who fulfilled all of his long-suppressed but stringently desired dreams was, to the jaded man, a boon from the very gods themselves. Thanking the deities for the kindness, Severus finally realised that he had been repaid in full for the tragedy that had been his life for so long. No longer could he claim, even unto himself, that he had been misused by the world, for had the universe not eventually paid him back in full with unsurpassed and unexpected ecstasy on every possible front.

Standing up, Severus thought of a swinging loveseat. Immediately, the Room provided one in what was ostensibly the outside of their tropical hotel room. Reaching out for Hermione, he escorted her gallantly to the seat he had thought up. There he leaned back, pulling her so that she cuddled against his side. Gently kissing his beloved on the forehead, Severus let out a great sigh of contentment. 'I really needed this,' he said into her hair. Stroking her back, he murmured, 'Thank you, vixen. Tonight has been perfect.'

Hermione, smiled. 'There's more, my love,' she said tenderly. Slipping out from the circle of his arm, she moved back into the room and produced with a grin a bottle of Mendis Special Old Reserve arrack.

Severus recognised the bottle and smirked in appreciation. 'Good God, woman, where did you find that?' he asked, suddenly energised in delight. He had first been introduced to the coconut brew by Gunanada's chief apprentice, Jayantha, and had grown over lazy evening meals to appreciate the distinct taste of Sri Lanka's local alcohol.

'I owled Kumarilata,' said Hermione with a satisfied smile. Moving back to the swing, she positioned herself once more against Severus' body. Snuggling contentedly, she passed him the bottle and said, 'I actually wanted to get a bottle for your birthday, but it took a while for the owl to reach Unawatuna and for the bottle to arrive.'

'My know-it-all,' said Severus with another smirk. Taking the bottle from Hermione, he used the crystal tumblers provided by the Room of Requirement to pour them both a splash of the drink.

Hermione smirked at Severus in response. She could virtually see her lover relaxing and shedding the mantle of responsibility much like an unwanted robe. If only for tonight, she had wanted Severus to enjoy her company completely. The food, the surroundings and the memories of their time away from Hogwarts seemed to have done the trick.