Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve –

The smile on her face was a plastic one as she signed another autograph for an excited fan. Though there was some disappointment on their behalf that Virginia and James' book had been delayed, they were ecstatic over the redemption of Drago Mallastoi.

It had been five months since the birth of Draco and Pansy's twins. Thankfully, they were back together and happily caring for their two boys. Five months of tweaking the rough draft until it was perfect. Five months of ignoring the fact that Severus was ignoring her. Five months of remembering how it felt to have him so close, yet not close enough. Five months of dreams that had never become a reality, the result of the numerous times she had fallen victim to his seductions.

Unfortunately, the seductions never panned out. He never "proved" anything. It was like the Fates were having a great laugh at her expense. She ached to have him, even at the expense of her pride. A new year had started at Hogwarts. Christmastime was fast approaching, and she was on a book-signing tour.

Severus' drunken confession hadn't amounted to much, other than Molly's punishment of Percy. The little blighter was lucky that no one had turned him in for ethics violation.

"I just love the book, Miss Granger," a young witch squealed before her. "It was a total surprise. There were no hints, no foreshadowing of Drago's true allegiances. I think I like him better than I like Simon."

Hermione grinned. That's because Drago was originally intended to be an antagonist. "I'm so glad you like it." She scribbled her name into the inside front cover and handed the book back to the fan.

The book was a smashing success. During the time that it had taken her to polish it, she had added several scenes between Virginia and James. She had even had a scene in the book with Cassandra and Simon.

She continued, her responses automated and practiced. She had removed the scene between Cassandra and Simon. It wasn't essential to the plot, nor was it conducive to her sanity. She had resigned herself to the fact that Severus was not Simon or any other romantic hero for that matter. Things were obviously not going to work out for them. He had made that perfectly clear.

For some odd reason Severus found it acceptable to snog her senseless whenever he saw fit. He was often highhanded and rude about his wants and desires. She was sick and tired of the way he treated her... or more appropriately, how he wasn't treating her. If he walked through the door, she would treat him as a casual acquaintance. She was done pining for a man who said he loved her, yet did nothing about it. That was actually worse than not ever hearing that he did love her. It was as though he didn't want to love her. And that hurt worst of all.

How was she going to write another book? How was she going to write romance when her own romantic love life was beyond repair? Why did she even care? His behavior was contemptuous, and it was beyond reproach. The list of offenses was almost too long to recount. She should never forgive him.

"Good afternoon, Miss Granger. Would you please inscribe the first book to Minerva and the second one to me?"

Hermione looked up, the twinkling eyes of Albus Dumbledore shining down at her. "Professor Dumbledore!" she jumped out of her chair, rounded the table, and hugged him. "It's so good to see you."

The witches and wizards in queue shifted uneasily, reminding Hermione that she had work to do.

"Minerva and I are very excited about your new book," he said. "In fact, we would be delighted if you would come for a visit during the Christmas hols."

Hermione's smile faded. "I don't think that would be such a good idea. Professor Snape..."

"Is in Romania, collecting dragon blood from Charley Weasley," he supplied quickly. "You needn't worry about running into him... until Christmas day," he added under his breath.

--

Waiting for the stairs to meet with the landing she was standing on, Hermione inhaled and closed her eyes. Nothing beat Hogwarts during Christmas time. She had only spent one Christmas at Hogwarts when she was a student. The scent of evergreen trees wafted through the halls and lured her toward the Great Hall.

This is exactly what she had needed. She needed to get away from the monotony of her life. She needed to take a break from the creative processes. They had become too stressful. Virginia and James' book was still on the back burner, and it wasn't going anywhere. It would help if Harry and Ginny worked things out, but it was looking as though they never would. If she read another piece of fan mail that begged and pleaded for a publication date, she was going to scream. She had received a letter from Draco and Pansy with an updated picture of the twins, who were the spitting image of their father. She had also received several offers of freelance work. Her investigative days might be over, but she could still write feature articles and such. Overall, she would count her blessings and ignore the ever-present ache that had taken up residence in her heart.

Merlin, she was pathetic. Part of her wished that the invitation to Hogwarts was a ruse to throw her into Severus' path, but the Potions master really was in Romania. Though Minerva and Albus occupied her time splendidly, she couldn't help but wonder what she would have done had Severus been in residence. She knew one thing for sure...

If the opportunity had presented itself, she wouldn't put up with his high-handed manhandling. Instead, she would be the one in control. Closing her eyes, she envisioned him tied that the large, bed that would be forever ingrained upon her memory. He would be at her mercy... a mercy that was basically laughable due to the fact that she was pretty inexperienced and wouldn't know what to do with him once she had him.

--

Unfolding his napkin, Severus mumbled a salutation to the Charms professor and started to eat his late breakfast. He was a creature of habit. Even though he had samples to collect in Romania, he had made it a point to come back to Hogwarts for Christmas. It wasn't that he was a sentimental lout, but he didn't care for being alone, and Hogwarts was the only family that he had.

"Happy Christmas, Severus," Albus greeted him in his usual jovial manner.

"Headmaster." Severus acknowledged with a tilt of his head. "Happy Christmas."

"Happy Christmas," Minerva said with a relaxed smile, sitting on the other side of Albus.

He mumbled a quick response and started cutting his sausage. He speared a piece and started to lift it to his mouth when he glanced toward the entrance. "What is she doing here?" he asked, already know the answer to the ridiculous question. He had purposefully arranged to be away from Hogwarts during the holidays. But somehow, he knew Dumbledore would try his hand at matchmaking again. He would have glared at the Headmaster, but he found himself unwilling to look away from Hermione.

"I invited her," Minerva retorted, a small smile gracing her lips. "And if you do anything to hurt her, I will Transfigure you into a cross between a jackass and a toad. I'm tired of seeing you mope about."

Severus would have fallen out of his chair if he weren't firmly entrenched upon it. He could see the determined tilt of her chin as her gaze met his, the challenging glint flashing brightly across the room. He had lost track of the time since he and Hermione had parted ways...five months, two weeks, three days, sixteen hours, and some odd minutes.

He had almost "proven" himself to her not far from Hagrid's hut, in plain view of the castle for anyone to see. Thankfully, he had been able to reel his passionate desires in and escort her back to the Three Broomsticks with some dignity intact. The walk had been fraught with sexual tension. She had been his for the taking, but providence had see fit to interfere with their intentions. Minerva had pulled him aside and had discouraged his "dishonorable" behavior.

Though he had never allowed anyone to dictate or influence his actions, he had heeded Minerva's warnings and had left Hermione at her bedroom door. Afterwards, he had left for Spinner's End, having convinced himself that she was better off without him and that her feelings for him for merely infatuation.

"Don't look so surprised, Severus," the deputy head mistress purred, humor dancing in her voice. "You may want to close your mouth while you're at it."

Albus snorted in his cup.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Minerva actually sanctioning a union between himself and Hermione? Would he finally realize the dreams that had haunted him for the past five months, two weeks, three days, sixteen hours, and some odd minutes? Had the Fates finally smiled upon him?

"Happy Christmas, Severus," Hermione greeted him as she sat on the other side of Minerva.

She said my name, not Professor or Professor Snape. Hope simmered to life within him.

"Happy Christmas, Miss... er... Hermione," he replied, mentally kicking himself for the crack in his voice. What was it about the woman that turned him into a hormonal lunatic? He'd never been any good at interpersonal relationships. Having read her novels, he had gained a perspective that he wasn't sure he wanted. He could never measure up to her expectations.

"I understand you were recently in Romania, collecting dragon's blood. Did you happen to see Charlie Weasley while you were there?" Smalltalk had never been her forte, and she cringed inwardly. Romance novels were easy. Reality was hard. She wanted to smack him, yet she wanted to drape herself over his lap, snog him senseless, and demand that he make love to her. Maybe he had lied. Perhaps he had built up a resistance to Truth Serum. What if he didn't love her? What if it was just another example of his cunning and cruelty?

"Yes," he replied softly, leaning foreword to look past Albus and Minerva. "I arrived this morning."

Hermione gave an awkward smile. "I'm Flooing to London today to visit my parents." Would you like to accompany me? We could go up to my room, and I could tie you to my frilly pink duvet and molest you? Heat bloomed in her neck and cheeks, and she looked away.

"But you'll be back this evening to exchange gifts," Minerva insisted, grasping her hand and tugging on it as if she wouldn't let her go if she refused.

Hermione nodded, wishing the floor would swallow her, for the last thing she wanted to do was come back to Hogwarts. If she didn't know better, she would think that Minerva was trying to play matchmaker. "Perhaps we should exchange gifts now. My parents..."

"Nonsense!" Minerva gasped. "I'll go fetch them myself. They shall be my guests as well."

"But they..."

"I shan't hear another word, Hermione," the older witch chastised. "You're schedule permitted you to remain for another week, and another week you shall." Her voice rose to a pitch that echoed throughout the Great Hall.

--

Severus checked the contents of his valise and snapped it shut. He didn't know what to think of Minerva's matchmaking attempts. They were, quite frankly, frightening. He had a strange vision of the deputy headmistress as a master puppeteer, moving puppets around a large theater. No matter her intentions, he was not about to go along with them. Judging by Hermione's countenance, she had not been pleased with the not-so-subtle maneuverings as well.

The very least he could do was retreat to Spinner's End and let her enjoy Christmas evening in peace.

A soft knock on the door broke his concentration. "Enter!" he barked, wondering which of the meddling fools had dared to enter his domain.

Yielding to his magical command, the door to his quarters opened with a slow creak. Light spilled into his sitting room from the torches that illuminated the hall outside, lovingly hugging the feminine curves of a witch that was much too young for him.

"Hermione!" His voice cracked as he realized who it was. "What are you doing here?"

Stepping inside, she looked around nervously. What could she possibly say to him? I was strolling through the dungeons and thought I would stop by. The truth was even more embarrassing. Should she tell him the truth? I just spoke to Minerva, who said you were probably packing your bags...

He nudged a black bag underneath a table with his booted foot. "Hermione?"

Her heart sank. There was no other way to describe. No amount of prose could do the sensation justice. Though she could feel the pounding in her chest, it felt like it was in her stomach. The evidence of his intentions sat beneath the table. He was leaving. He would rather leave than spend time with her.

She'd had enough of his high-handed ways. He thought he knew better. He thought she would be better off without him, according to Minerva. His handling of their "affair" had come to an end. She would take control and...

Hermione took a brash step forward and pushed him backwards toward a fainting couch.

"Hermione?" His obsidian eyes bore into hers. "Are you all right?"

"I've never been better," she replied, standing on her tiptoes and placing a chaste kiss upon his lips. "I want you."

He grabbed her wrists. "Hermione, I don't think..."

"Don't... think." His Adam's apple bobbed. She could feel his resistance but wasn't deterred. She would have this much. She deserved this much. Yes, sex didn't equal love, but she would take what she could get. She would live what she wrote, or more appropriately what Molly wrote.

Running her tongue along the seam of his lips, she continued pushing him toward the fainting couch. She had always enjoyed the scenes where the hero and heroine never made it to the bed, but she had always viewed them with a skeptical eye and couldn't help but wonder how uncomfortable having sex on the floor really was. She hadn't really thought the seduction through and was improvising. The couch would have to do. His grip on her wrists loosed and he growled. Or was that a whimper?

She controlled the kiss, swiping her tongue past his lips invitingly. She was the one with the power. She kept moving him toward the couch, brushing against him and breathing against his lips. Black fire danced in his gaze, and it gave her hope. Her body ached. Her nipples hardened, and her gut and nether-regions throbbed.

Removing her wrists from his softened grasp, she pulled her jumper over her head and was rewarded by a strangled gasp.

His cock strained against his trousers. He watched as she bared herself to him, the dark rose of her nipples straining against the lace constraints of her bra. He could come now and be replete. The blush that covered her chest, neck, and cheeks heightened his arousal. Uncertainty flickered in her chocolate gaze, and he covered her hands with his.

"May I?" He brushed her hands out of the way, barely recognizing his own voice. Cupping the weight of her lace-covered breasts in his palms, he closed his eyes. "I don't..." His protestations were smothered by an aggressive, almost desperate kiss. He tasted her determination and inhaled her feminine musk.

Honorable intentions melted. He plucked her nipples through the lace, dragging her backwards toward the nearest piece of furniture. He would be damned if their first time was going to be on the cold stone floor. And their first time was definitely at hand. It was happening now. He didn't care if Minerva jumped through the Floo and started beating him over the head with a broom.

He fingered the clasp between her ample breasts and made quick work of it, peeling the lace away slowly. No matter how much he wanted to drape her over the chaise lounge and fuck her until she screamed his name, he wouldn't. Unable to resist temptation, he scooped down and took one of her nipples between greedy lips. He flicked the tip with her tongue and felt her shudder. She was as lost as he was, awash in the sensual flood. She threaded her fingers into his hair and held his head. He drew sharply, earning a startled gasp.

Little spikes of desire spread through her, shooting between her legs as her body recognized the inevitable. She felt herself spiraling out of control. Severus moved his hands beneath her skirt and cupped her arse as he continued lavishing her aching nipples with attentive swipes. Her world tilted, and she felt the velvet material of the couch on her bare back.

It was just like it was in her books... point A to point B in one fell swoop. Thankfully, he had taken over because she was over thinking the logistics of getting him to the couch.

Severus made quick work of her skirt, Vanishing it with a flick of his wand.

She looked utterly ruined. Decadence incarnate. The embodiment of lust. Severus shook his head and licked his lips. He stepped back and disrobed, never taking his eyes off hers. The delicate fragrance of her feminine musk hardened his cock painfully. He removed his shirt, and her hungry gaze swept over his chest in appreciation. He undid his trousers and stepped out of them, the look in her eyes burning his soul.

He covered her body with his, the temptation to drive in to her almost overwhelming him. She reached for him, opening her thighs to receive him.

"Please," she implored.

Severus kissed her, his hands roaming her body, one of them sliding between her legs and testing her readiness. Her satin core squeezed his lone finger, and she squirmed beneath him, taking him deeper. He added another finger and circled his thumb around her clitoris. She arched again, pulling him deeper, and he touched the proof of her innocence.

He left her lips, licking a path along her jaw, neck, and breasts. She shifted beneath him, and he scissored his fingers in an effort to ease his passage. He laved her stomach with heated swirls of his tongue, moving lower to feast on the creamy musk that he knew awaited him. He bowed his head and rubbed his chin along the tight, guarding curls. Her legs trembled around him.

Intoxicated with her scent, Severus spread her lips and licked the dewy bud that quivered between the folds. This woman... His woman would know pleasure.

She had come undone. In control one moment, blissfully relinquishing herself into his keep the next. He devoured her, thrusting his wicked fingers in tandem to his tongue. Desire spread through her, curling in her crotch and into her gut. She clenched around his fingers, the spiral winding tighter. His possessive growl pushed her over the edge, and the spiral snapped.

The grip of her core around his fingers decimated the remnants of his control, and he rose above her. Gripping her hips with one hand, he grasped his cock with the other and positioned himself. He breached her innocence quickly and stilled within her.

The flash of pain encroached upon the pleasure, and he kissed her tears away. "Am I destined to always hurt you?" he rasped, holding himself above her.

Sighing, Hermione shifted beneath him and cupped his cheek, recalling a conversation that she'd had with Minerva when she had arrived.

"Severus feels that you're better off without him," Minerva said, slightly breathless as they climbed the stairs.

The older witch paused on the landing. "Not in so many words."

The pulse of aftershocks nearly undid him. He had tasted her tears, and started to withdraw, but she locked her ankles behind his arse. She moved beneath him, pulling him deeper, a smile spreading across her face.

"So much better than books," she purred breathlessly, easing his guilty conscience.

Capturing her lips, he began to move within her. The silken clasp of her sheath was a fiery haven. His cock swelled, and he ground his pelvis against her clitoris. She groaned her approval, her tight grip shuddering blissfully around him. He didn't know which was more erotic, watching her orgasm or feeling it around his cock.

Clasping her hips tightly, Severus pounded into her and emptied himself within the confines of her welcoming heat.

--

TBC

Author's Notes – No, I'm not ending the story there. They still have issues they must work through. I hope that I am forgiven for the cliffhangers after this chapter. If there are any mistakes, please feel free to point them out. Anyway, the next chapter should be the last.