Innovation

For the next two days, Hermione barely spoke to anyone. Barricading herself at Severus' desk in his office, she was surrounded by several towers of books which she flipped through as she scribbled madly on a number of scrolls. Hedwig remained at her side, and several times a day she would tie a scroll to Hedwig's leg and send her off with a pat.

In the remainder of the Potion Master's rooms, Severus was never left alone. Harry and Ron spent all their free time there now, even going so far as to take their meals with the disgruntled Professor. When the boys couldn't be there, several of the other professors took turns visiting Severus. Albus reminisced about old times. Hagrid told him tales of his most recently acquired 'pet.' Minerva reassured him about the children in his House and told him of all their recent trials and tribulations. Madame Hooch spoke fondly of earlier years when Severus had been on Slytherin's Quidditch team while berating him severely for not being willing to assist her more often. Luckily for Severus, when Trelawney made an unexpected appearance at his door, Albus was at hand to firmly shoo her away. Severus' firm hold on his sanity was a testament to his strong will, but Albus didn't want to push the boy past all endurance by forcing the company of the doom-spouting seer on him.

Many chess games were played. Harry tried playing Severus only one time. When the Professor tricked him with a fool's mate after a game of only ten minutes, Harry left the chess playing to Ron. Ron and Severus' first seven games ended in a draw. This distressed Ron no end. Severus was having a grand time; it'd been years since he'd an opponent who could even manage a draw against him. The eighth game, Severus achieved a squeaky victory. Ron's wails of anguish could be heard in the Great Hall. It was the first time Ron had ever been defeated. Ron then sat before the fire, pouting and refusing a re-match, while Severus sniggered uncontrollably and spent the rest of the evening looking very smug, indeed.

On the third evening since Harry's insane idea had popped out of his mouth, the chess games had resumed and another set of draws was proceeding apace. Walking briskly in from the office, Hermione interrupted the chess players.

"Ron, Harry, would you mind calling it a night? I need to speak with Severus."

"You've done it, haven't you?" asked Harry. "You've got that insane idea to work."

Idea? What idea? Severus knew she'd been following some lead, now he was surprised to find that she'd never told him exactly what it was.

"Yes," Hermione said with a tired smile, "I believe so."

With that said, Harry firmly pulled a protesting Ron out the door. Severus and Hermione were alone. Severus regarded her avidly. Her hair was a beguiling tangle of curls, her tired eyes had circles under them, ink stained her Muggle t-shirt, and her lips curved in a wary yet mischievous smile. Severus thought he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. If only...

"Severus...I have something to explain to you. It's going to sound a bit odd, I know, but I assure you that I have researched this most carefully and I truly believe it will work."

Severus' ears twitched forward in anticipation. Had his brilliant goddess found an answer at last? His growing hopes came crashing down at her next words.

"You see, Severus, you have to eat your wand."

At first, Severus simply stood gaping at her. Was she insane? Eventually the absurdity of the plan caught up with him and he let out a startled whinny that echoed through the room. Rolling his eyes wildly, he turned his back on her. Hermione could almost hear his voice in her head asking her if she'd gone barking mad. Sighing in exasperation, she continued with grim determination.

"Look, I know it sounds as if I've gone barking mad, but please listen to me while I explain."

"Snort."

"I've owled Mr. Ollivander, to insure that no harm can come to you, and his response was quite reassuring. It seems there are several documented cases of accidental wand ingestion, and while some of them had some rather interesting side effects, no harm came to any of the wizards in question."

"Snort." Stomp.

"I've been over the equations ten times. I even owled Mr. Hawking my findings and he was most hopeful of the outcome. While the equations are not completely satisfactory, they make sense enough that I truly believe this will work."

An incredulous whinny.

"Severus, please look at me."

Stubbornly refusing to turn around for a moment, Severus eventually gave in and faced her, resolutely staring at the floor. Kneeling before him, Hermione lifted his head with gentle hands as she forced him to look her in the eyes.

"Severus, remember what you told me about what it takes to be a Master?" she said earnestly. "About how it takes a certain...intuition? I can't explain how I know this will work, but I do know it! Every fiber of my being is telling me that this is the answer we have been searching for. I know it...do you understand? I know it will work!"

Damn. How could he deny her impassioned plea? Blast! He liked that wand; he'd had it since he was a boy. Even if Ollivander said no harm would come to him, he didn't want his wand destroyed. Fuck! On the other hand, he knew damn well he was running out of time. Despite all efforts on the part of his friends, he had felt his consciousness slipping with increasing frequency. If there was even a snowball's chance in hell that this bizarre plan might work, did he not owe it to himself to at least try? Did he not owe it to the goddess staring with such sweet concern and determination into his eyes? Once decided, he was immediately ready to take action. Gazing into Hermione's eyes for a moment longer, he reached his nose forward and kissed her...hard.

"Severus!" she squeaked. "Ugh! Normally I'd do just about anything to be kissed by you...but that was just...well, that was gross!"

Severus snickered.

"May I assume that means you'll try it?" Hermione asked hopefully.

A tight nod of the head.

Hermione threw her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. "Thank you, beloved," she whispered into his neck. "Thank you for trying...and for believing in me."

Severus sighed, sides heaving. Gods know he's do anything for this bewitching siren. It was rather disconcerting. He nibbled affectionately at her hair. Rising reluctantly, Hermione crossed to the chess board and retrieved Severus' wand. Returning to the rug before the hearth, she knelt again before him. Taking both her own wand and a small magic timer out of her robe pocket, she began to explain.

"I'll shrink your wand to a more manageable size, you don't have to chew it...in fact you probably shouldn't...just swallow it. It will take at least twenty minutes for it to ingest completely...I'll set the timer. You must not try to change until twenty minutes have passed. If it has no effect the first try, we wait another ten minutes and try again. I cannot be certain of the exact time it will take, so every ten minutes you'll try to change until it works."

Severus closed his eyes a moment. If he had possessed hands, he would have rested his face in them. Feeling a gentle touch on his cheek, he opened his eyes. Tawny orbs regarded his own, shining at him with an expression of unspeakable love.

"It will work, my love, I swear it will."

He kissed her again, this time a soft caress of gentle lips that barely brushed her own.

"Right then..." she said with conviction. "Let's do it."

Hermione shrunk his wand, and held it on a flattened palm. He lipped it gently from her hand and swallowed it down. After setting the timer, Hermione remained kneeling, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and resting her head on his furry shoulder. They remained silently in that pose as the timer counted down a small eternity. After twenty minutes, the timer gave out a soft bong. Hermione could feel the unicorn's muscles tense in concentration. There was no change.

Ten minutes later, the timer rang out again. Hermione held on tight to her love, wishing that the efforts of her will alone could bring about the longed for change. Suddenly, she felt the flesh under her hands ripple. Soft, cool fur disappeared to reveal warm, bare flesh. Severus knelt naked before her, clasping her tightly...oh, so tightly in his wonderfully human arms.

"Beloved," he whispered into her hair.

Hermione had spent over a week being strong, being brave, and forcing a resolute cheerfulness even when she felt the most bereft. Now, at last having her love restored to her, she completely broke down. "Severus!" she keened. "Oh Severus!" She collapsed, sobbing, into his arms, clutching at him as if she feared he would disappear.

Moving them so that he sat on the rug with Hermione cradled tightly in his arms, Severus rocked her like a child as she wept. He murmured over and over, "I'm here, little one, I'm here."

Calming somewhat, Hermione lifted a tear-drenched face from the crook of Severus' neck to seek out his lips with her own. Severus kissed her with all the pent up passion of the torturous week he had spent constantly in her company but unable to truly touch her. He broke the kiss for fleeting moments to continue whispering reassurances and sweet affections in her ear. When her tears stopped at last and Hermione began to wriggle against him in a passionate and utterly distracting manner, Severus broke the kiss to look down at her with a smirk.

"It strikes me, Madame, that you are shamefully overdressed for this...reunion. I fear I must trouble you again for the use of your wand, for I seem to have misplaced my own."

Hermione giggled.

In a moment, she lay naked in his arms. When she tried to push him forcibly down on the rug, he stopped her. "Oh no, my siren. I have made love to you on a pallet, on the bare grass, against a blasted tree. For the last week I have endured the agony of sleeping next to you in my bed while not able to ravish you as I longed to. I demand a bed, my love. Let's leave the hearth rug for another time."

Standing, Severus lifted her easily in his strong arms and carried her into the bedroom, dumping her unceremoniously onto the low bed before diving atop her, crushing her body beneath his own. Spreading her soft thighs willingly beneath him, Hermione tried to get him inside her with sweet desperation. Severus had other plans. Finally able to touch his sweet goddess, he planned to worship her every inch before allowing himself to sheath his already aching cock within her tight heat. Breaking away from her protesting mouth, he lowered himself to begin his adulations with her glorious breasts. Kneading them with both hands, his mouth wandered from one nipple to the next in constant indecision. Severus solved the delightful dilemma by squeezing them tightly together so that he could take both enticing nipples into his hot mouth at once.

Hermione shrieked in abandon. She didn't know you could do that! Good gods, what other glories did she remain unaware of? She promised herself that she would spend all the time necessary to find out. She shrieked again.

Sweet Merlin! He loved the delightful sounds she made! Who would have ever guessed the normally reserved, bookish young woman had such depths of unplumbed passion? Feeling truly blessed for the first time in his life, he left her breasts to slide a hot tongue into her belly button. Hermione whimpered and tried to raise her hips against him.

Severus left a wet trail of kisses from her belly button down to her soft curls; Hermione thought he would finally grant her some relief from her torment. When he bypassed her aching mound to nuzzle behind her knees she began to plead with him.

"Severus...oh my god...Severus! Please...I need...I need..."

Smirking, Severus began assaulting her inner thigh with branding kisses and gentle teeth.

"Severus!" she squealed. "You...you stop this wicked...torture...this instant!" she commanded haltingly.

"My, my, my," Severus rumbled, his heated breath stirring the soft curls of her sex. Hermione lifted her head to find onyx eyes burning into her own. "You are quite a demanding little thing are you not? Whatever do you want?" he teased.

"You," she replied with husky simplicity. "I want you, Severus."

Hearing his name spoken with such passion was more than the Slytherin man could bear. With a quiet groan he drove his tongue into her delicious, wet heat. Already aroused almost beyond endurance, a short assault by fingers and mouth brought Hermione right to the edge of release.

"Severus...please!" His hawk's eyes again impaled her own as he broke from his endeavors. "Severus...I want you inside me...please...oh god, love...I ache for you."

With a possessive growl he slid back up her body, claiming her mouth again in a demanding kiss as he cradled himself between welcoming thighs. Keeping a short rein on his impatience, he thrust into her with deliberate slowness.

"Ah...my little love..." he breathed into her ear. "Each time I enter your sweet embrace is as wondrous as the first. Beautiful...so beautiful." He began to move within her in earnest.

Twining her ankles around his calves, feet flat on the bed, Hermione bucked beneath him, raising her hips to match each forceful thrust. Her hands clamped on his arse, squeezing and pulling him to her. Finding that he could not bear to pry his mouth from Hermione's, Severus rested his weight on one elbow, freeing a hand to pinch and caress the hard nipples he took such delight in. Hermione groaned into his mouth.

Severus broke off from the kiss to growl in her ear, "Sing for me, my little one...come for me...let me hear you call my name...my goddess...my siren."

Hermione's world fell apart. She came...hard...moaning his name as he pounded into her. Severus had never seen anything more rapturous than her beloved face as she found her release in his arms. In but a moment he was shouting wildly as he at last emptied himself deep inside her.

Entwined in each other's arms, the lovers came down slowly from the heights of their passion, gazing up at the enchanted stars of the bed's canopy in silent content. The worries and long hours of the past week caught up with them and they snuggled together to go to sleep. Severus spooned up tightly against Hermione's back, one arm under her neck, one around her waist, a hand tightly cupping her moist heat, one finger slipped between her folds.

"Mine," he growled softly.

"Always," she replied.

***********************************

Severus woke once during the night, still wrapped around the soft, curvy young woman in his bed. Dumbledore's owl was hooting softly from the night stand.

"What does that meddlesome old man want now?" he growled softly. Reluctantly disengaging himself from the sleeping siren, he padded over to the waiting owl to remove the small scroll from its leg.

Dear Children,

Albus

Snorting quietly to himself, Severus moved to his desk, penning a short reply. Tying it to the waiting owl's leg, he sent it off before returning to bed. Hermione stirred as he wrapped himself around her.

"Severus?" she asked sleepily, turning into his embrace.

"I'm here, little one. I'm here."

It was a long time before they let sleep reclaim them.

*****************************

Albus chuckled to himself as he read the note, written unmistakably in his Potion Professor's elegant scrawl.

You Bothersome Old Man,

Severus