Annoying Friends

Thank you all, again. I know I am cruel giving you little bits of foreplay here and there, but I promise there will be one decently long scene here in the future. Just you wait!

Thanks to my beta, Shanastay.

Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty. -- Sicilian Proverb

Chapter 27- Annoying Friends

Severus woke early the following morning to the smell of lavender, vanilla, musk, and the insane urge to sneeze. It took a few moments for him to realize that this was due to the fact that there were long, curly strands of brown hair in his face. But he moved away in time, so as not to wake his slumbering bedmate. She lay on her side, tucked into a tight ball, her hands beneath the pillow to help support her head. The buttons on her blouse had been undone in such a way, that as he lifted himself up on an elbow, he could just make out the curve of her breast.

His own hands and arms had somehow remained wrapped around the lithe woman during the course of the night.

The previous evening had not progressed like he thought it might, but he was pleased with how it did go. After being rudely interrupted by a house-elf delivering their food, they had shared a leisurely dinner and finished burning the rest of the letters. When they had completed that task, they had settled down together, like any normal couple, to finish off the open bottle of wine and spend those few valuable, close hours together before they would have to part.

He did not care too terribly much when she had kissed him goodnight, resulting in her never making it to the door, or her own room for the night.

One kiss quickly became ten, and ten eventually became a hundred as his hands took on the task of mapping her body and learning; learning her curves, her smooth skin, and her sensitive areas of flesh. It continued until the removal of clothes ensued. But they only had progressed as far as what they had fallen asleep in. Apparently, the wine had been more potent than was necessary. That, added to the Ogden's she first downed upon arriving, had sufficiently knocked her out, more sufficiently than any sleeping potion might have.

Her body began to animate, rejoining the living world. First with a barely noticeable twitching of her nose, then a few flutters of her lashes, followed by a tensing under his left hand that lay splayed across her cloth-covered abdomen. She yawned widely, bringing her hand up to her mouth to cover it. Turning, she settled onto her back and slowly let her eyes focus.

"Go back to sleep, it's still early," he said softly, nuzzling her ear and placing a soft kiss there.

"No use," she said groggily. "I'm up. I won't fall back asleep."

"Ah," he replied and pulled her close to him, holding onto her firmly. Her reaction to shift even closer to him was met with surprise, but definitely not displeasure. As a matter of fact, after he realized that she was indeed trying to get as close to him as possible, he found he quite liked the feeling and would not have opted to change this moment for anything else in the known or unknown world.

Just the realization that someone wished to get this close to him inspired such a sense of wonderment, he could not imagine ever fully understanding why. He supposed that he would just have to take it for what it was worth and thank whatever perversion of Fate made this beautiful woman and her feelings happen.

She sighed lightly and let out a little giggle, her warm breath ruffling the hair lying against his neck.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I could get very used to this, Severus," she admitted tenderly. "Of course, we've got a while until I should begin moving my things in. But I could definitely get used to this."

Severus could not help but laugh at her proclamation. "I see. And what makes you think I would ever allow you to move your things into my quarters?"

"Because," she said. Taking a hold of his left hand, she pushed aside the open neckline of her blouse and set his hand atop the supple mound. "If you ever want more than this, and regularly, you will make some concessions."

"You drive a hard bargain, Miss Granger," he remarked, the corner of his mouth turning up into a smirk. "But how do you know I will make some concessions for more?"

Hermione scoffed. "I know more about the male psyche than you think, Professor."

"Do you, now?" His trademark brow rose, challenging her. "Then you would know my mind, and what I am thinking right now."

"I could use Legilimency for that, if I wanted, but I'd have to learn it first," she conceded, meeting his eyes. She afforded him a small smile. "A man always wears his heart on his sleeve, or his arousal prominent in his trousers."

To illustrate her point, as though she needed to, her delicate, traveling hand slid away from his own hand resting on her breast and down his front to rest on the rigid length in his pants. He drew in a sharp breath and glanced quickly down at her hand, then darted back up to meet her eyes. She squeezed slightly and giggled when he let out a low growl.

But just as quickly as she had made that contact, her hand was gone. And she had somehow gotten out of his arms. "I should head back to my rooms now. It will cut back on the rumors today if they don't see me sneaking back there before breakfast."

He wanted to be angry that she had gotten his hopes up like that, only to leave him cold, but he could not bring himself to scowl...not this morning and not having woken up to her in his arms. "You wicked minx."

She turned to glance at him from her side of the bed before stepping down to the floor to search for the remainder of her clothes. "I prefer flirt, or tease, they're much less derogatory. But I could make an exception with the way 'minx' sounds coming from you."

"I would have never pegged you to be like this, Hermione," he said, watching as she stood from the bed and stretched her arms over her head, causing her blouse to ride up to her ribcage and give him a full view of the rather skin-like knickers covering her rounded arse. She glanced back at him again with a coquettish smile before bending over to pull her pants up her legs. She walked around to his side of the large bed and leaned over him to place her lips to his in a light farewell kiss.

"I'll see you at breakfast," she said quietly.

He shook his head. "I think I will need to stay here to relieve myself."

Hermione laughed at him. "Then lunch."

"You'll see me before that, Professor," he said with a slow smile. "You have your second month review today."

"Minerva will likely make sure she does it herself," Hermione said. "I wouldn't complain about that either. Do you even know what the class would be like if you were sitting in the back after all this?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'll be there, Professor. You can plan on it."

Hermione nodded her head. "I shall see you then."

Snape watched her leave the room, collecting the bra that lay spread across the floor by the doorway as she went. He rested back onto his pillow and looked up at the green canopy on his bed. It was amazing to him, considering where he had come from, that his entire life had changed so drastically in only a little more than a month's time. He had never expected this to happen...ever...and especially not with Hermione Granger. But he should have realized by now that those who governed the universe had sick senses of humor. Perhaps he and Hermione were only puppets in that game, but he was going to enjoy it while he could.

"Mr. Malfoy!"

The squeak from the front room brought him back to reality, though, and he bolted upright.

"Ah, Miss Granger," said the drawled voice from the front room. "What an exceptional pleasure it is to find you here."

Severus stepped out of the room to find that it was not Lucius in the Floo, but in person and standing in the doorway. Hermione stood there, apparently still a little stunned that she had opened the door to find the pureblood standing there. Had Lucius even knocked on the door? Perhaps that was why she squeaked.

"I should be going," Hermione replied and pushed past the platinum-haired man.

"Oh, no, stay for a moment, Miss Granger," Lucius insisted, his hand clasping her shoulder. "I will be quick."

"You're calling and doing business rather early this morning, Lucius," Severus said, meeting his friend's cold, grey eyes.

Lucius smiled. "I only came to personally invite you and Miss Granger to the Halloween masquerade Narcissa is hosting for Draco's and Pansy's return from their honeymoon."

"You're just here only to see if the rumors were true," Hermione interjected and wriggled out of his grip on her shoulder. "They are."

"I am not here to criticize. After all, there's certainly no accounting for taste in bedfellows, Miss Granger," he said.

Severus clenched his fist and realized that his wand was still in the other room and had been thrown somewhere haphazardly the evening before. Hopefully Lucius was not here to stir up trouble. He may not have been the one to throw the first spell, but Lucius was nearly always behind planting the seed.

"I don't need to listen to this. Severus will talk to me later," Hermione seethed, marching away down the corridor.

Lucius waited until her footsteps were barely audible and then stepped the rest of the way inside the room, shutting door easily. "I hadn't thought you were a Muggle-lover, Snape. Just when you think you know a wizard," he said, his voice drawling.

Severus sighed. "It's a new world, Lucius. You would do well to embrace that."

"Never," he replied. "Never will I embrace that."

Severus shook his head and walked around to the settee and dropped down on it. He was not in the mood for discussing anti-Muggle sentiments right now. And really did not care to ever do it again, especially with the most staunch believer in a pureblooded world.

"Have you really come to invite us to the manor for Halloween?" Severus asked, hoping to push the domineering wizard out the door. "Or are you here to tell me what I should do?"

"My intentions for visiting are real, Severus," Malfoy replied.

He sneered. "You came all the way to Scotland for something you could have done through the Floo or by owl. I know you better than that, my friend."

"You need not worry about my intentions," he said.

Severus shook his head. Lucius nearly always meant the opposite from what he said. Why had he come, though? Just to see if it were true? To see if he could scare Hermione? Or was he here to plan an intervention of some sort with other fugitive ex-Death Eaters to bring him back to the Dark side?

"Cissy will send an owl with the specifics," Lucius continued and headed for the door again, his cane hitting the ground rhythmically as he went. "I do hope you and the Mud...Muggle-born, will make it. Draco and Pansy would be delighted."

He was gone before Severus could even bring himself to reply in a half-civil manner. Under any normal circumstance, he would not have hesitated to set straight those who were disrespecting something he cared about, but he had always had the utmost restraint when around Lucius. They were friends, even if they were now friends with different ideals. Right now, though, he had the insane urge to hex the bastard, short of a powerful Cruciatus or Killing Curse. In no time, Malfoy would be muttering alongside Lockhart in a St. Mungo's ward, comparing their "Most Charming Smile" techniques.

However, the most important thing to figure out was why Lucius had been here, and what was he planning?

------

Hermione waited for her students to file into the room and get settled into their seats before she stood up and tried to lecture them. Today they seemed much more respectful of the fact that she did not appreciate the chatter revolving around her choice in men, nor did she think it was worth the speculation they put toward thinking about it. However, that would change when Severus arrived to do his evaluation.

The final bell rang, and Severus was nowhere to be seen. Where was he? He would not be late for this review and would have tried to sneak in as quietly as he could manage through the door after the last student had run in. He knew well enough that if the students realized he was there...whether their secret had been blown open or not...it would cause a heavy blanket of anxiety to cover the room. It was what he inspired even in the most confident, insufferable know-it-all. In the classroom setting, Professor Severus Snape dominated a room even if he did not intend to.

Time to start.

A movement out of the corner of her eye as she stood up to begin her lecture made her turn. A large, black-billed raven had flown in one of the windows and was looking for a place on her desk to rest. Crookshanks, who had followed her today to class, wary that she would not return again as she had not the previous night, jumped up onto her desk. The orange half-Kneazle considered the intruder carefully before reaching out and pawing the feathers on the bird's long, black, wedge-shaped tail.

The bird turned its neck and caught one of Crookshanks' toes in his beak. Letting out a horrible wail, the half-Kneazle's fur ruffled and Hermione understood. There was no other way to describe the surly attitude of the bird, the large beak, or the black body. Clearly, the bird was Severus' Animagus form.

"No, Crooks," Hermione said, swatting the cat away from the magpie. The bird obligingly nodded his head at her and captured the tip of her finger with a light grasp in his beak. She laughed. "Very funny, Professor, come sit at the front of the class. I promise I won't transfigure you into anything."

If a bird could scowl, it would have, as he begrudgingly stepped up into the palm of her hand.

"Okay, class, settle down!" Hermione called, walking to the front of the class and placing him on her work table. "Today we'll be discussing changing your animals into goblets."

-------

Hermione fell back into the seat at her desk, letting out a long sigh as she rolled her neck. "They get more and more annoying each passing day."

The raven flew off the table and in mid-flight transfigured back into billowing black robes, and a long, lean body. He did not miss a step coming out of his flight, continuing his lengthy stride over to her. Stopping behind her, he reached his hands out and began to slowly knead away the knots formed in her neck with his amazing fingers.

"Do I pass?"

He let out a low chuckle. "Did you think you wouldn't?"

"No one ever quite knows when you're involved," she murmured. Crookshanks jumped up into her lap, eyeing Severus curiously from that spot.

"Bloody cat almost pulled out a tail feather," he remarked. "But I am impressed you could make the distinction from my actions. I don't think anyone knows what form I take. They probably all think I'm a bat."

Hermione shrugged. "I always favored a crow. At least I was close. And I can't say I'm surprised."

"You think it's fitting, then?" he asked.

"What other animal has such different beliefs surrounding it? To some a raven is magical and powerful, to others it represents death and melancholy. The voice thing fits. Besides, it's the smartest bird in the world," she said. "It only fits."

"Why, thank you, Hermione," he said, his smile evident from the tone of his voice.

Hermione laughed at him. "And there's also evidence that they mate for life."

"Well," he began, but paused for a short moment. "When and if said 'mating' does happen, I'll decide then."

"Only you could take the romance out of it," she scoffed good-naturedly. Just the fact that he was considering "mating for life" already, made a slight, not wholly unpleasant, shiver run down her spine.

Did he really mean it?

Hermione stood up slowly so that Crookshanks could jump off and turned around to face him, sitting back on her desk. "So what did Malfoy want?"

"Just what he said," he replied quietly.

"You believe him?"

"Oh, I believe there is a masque for Draco and Pansy's return. The Malfoys will throw a soiree for anything to show off their wealth. But no, I don't believe his only intention was to invite us to it," he conceded.

Hermione nodded her head.

"I've never wanted to hurt the man more than I did this morning, especially after you left," he admitted.

She smiled. "Well, I'm used to it by now from the Malfoys."

He stepped closer to her, insinuating himself between her legs. "Do you want to go?"

Hermione raised a curious brow. "When, in your knowledge, have I ever said no to a mystery needing to be solved?"

"True," he said, leaning down and placing his lips where her ear lobe met her jaw.

"In the classroom, Severus?" she asked with a short laugh, his warm breath tickling her. "Someone could walk in on us."

He chuckled lowly.

"Like me?"

"Oh bloody hell! Are we to be visited today by every friend we have?" he snarled, stepping away from her and looking at the door behind her. Hermione knew who it was without turning around, but she had to admit that she was not quite ready to face him. "Next time I'll lock and ward the door."

"Thanks," she said, pushing herself off the desk and turning around to the advancing, tall, red-haired wizard. "What brings you to Hogwarts, Ronald?"

Ron frowned. "I hate when you get that tone! You sound just like Mum."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You didn't answer me."

"Children, must you bicker?" Snape intoned after watching that exchange.

"Too bad you can't take House points," Hermione teased and turned back to Ron. "What brings you all the way to Hogwarts?"

"George and Fred asked me to come up and see how things were going at their Hogsmeade store," he explained. "Which gave me a convenient excuse to come and check up on you."

Hermione sighed, shaking her head. "All through school you couldn't be bothered with my life. Now you're wanting to make sure I'm fine?"

He gave her a stern look.

"You don't have to worry about anything. I'm completely sane. I've not been put under Imperius, nor has Severus threatened me into a relationship. I don't like Krum like I do Severus. Yes, he's older than me, but I don't care. And yes, he's Severus Snape, the bane of Harry's existence, but I don't care about that either. He'd understand," Hermione finished, daring the redhead to defy her words.

Ron let out a small huff. "Well, I guess that pretty much covers it all then."

"And you can tell the rest of your family that," Hermione said.

"Ginny will be sending an owl soon enough," Ron warned her. "Fleur couldn't believe it, either."

Hermione glanced quickly at Severus, who was remaining surprisingly quiet during this exchange, and then back at Ron. "If I cared what others thought all the time, I'd not have any life. And Fleur, of all people, should understand loving someone for who they are, not for what they look like. At least I don't have people questioning me about my motives, like I encountered while I was with Viktor."

"What questioning?" Ron asked.

"Don't give me that, Ronald," she warned. "You were the worst of them."

"But...," he began.

"Save it," Hermione cut him off.

Ron froze. "Did you say you loved him?"

Hermione looked quickly between both men, Ron's disgusted tone hanging in the air. Oh, Merlin, her and her big mouth let it slip. "I didn't say that. I was just using Fleur loving Bill as an example. I didn't mean..."

"Look at you blush," Ron teased.

Hermione reached quickly for her wand, having had enough of his teasing, and cast a voice muting hex. He mouthed, "Bloody hell," and started wild gesticulations with his hands.

"Fine Auror you make," she admonished. "I would have seen that one coming from a mile away."

" 'Mione!" he mouthed again.

Severus let out another small chuckle. "You have this handled?"

"Yes, why?" she asked.

"I'm going to lunch," he stated, heading toward the door, making a quick getaway.

Hermione had the sneakiest suspicion that Severus Snape did not want to stick around for any other talk of "love" that would ensue once the hex wore off of Ron. Not that she was ready to talk about it, either, but she had not expected him to be so shaken up about it. Or perhaps he did not want to stick around for the ensuing bickering between friends.

Whatever the reason, though, she knew they would have to face it some time in the near future. He just better be ready to talk then.