Sod It

A/N: Much thanks to my betas: Gemma & Kat

Also many thanks to those that have read & reviewed

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling

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Hermione followed Severus as he led her down into the dungeons and toward his office. I don’t know why Severus is insisting that I’m under the effects of a love potion, Hermione groused to herself. Biting her lip as her brows drew together, her mind began to work apart why the love of her life would insist on such a ridiculous idea. Not even insist it, but to go so far as to tell Ron to inform Dumbledore about it. Watching Severus as he walked ahead of her, a small smile graced Hermione’s lips. Maybe this could work to my benefit. After all, it will just be the two of us alone in there, no annoying Ronald or Madam Pince with her pinched, disapproving face. Scenarios of what could happen raced through her mind and skated down her skin. Severus taking her up against a wall or from behind on a lab table swam in front of her eyes. I’ll just have to convince him to love me back, she thought, smiling wickedly, licking her lips.

~~~

Severus was lost in his own thoughts as they walked to his office. What the bloody hell am I going to do with her? He knew tracking down the makers of the potion would help immensely with figuring out what to do with the lovesick Hermione, but whether or not Weasley would turn in his brothers so easily was a whole other matter. Severus walked into his office with Hermione trailing behind him, her hips swinging to and fro. Turning she batted her eyes and smiled sweetly up at him.

“Where should I sit, Severus?”

“That is Professor Snape to you, Miss Granger,” he said, frowning slightly. Hermione pouted.

“Please, I told you in the library to call me by my first name.”

“Miss Granger, while I know you believe that you harbor some actual affection for me, you must realize that you are under a love potion. And by the looks of things, a love potion that most probably also contains components of a lust potion as well.” Hermione waved her hand in dismissal.

“Nonsense. You just don’t want to believe that someone could feel anything for you.” Turning to stand directly in front of him, she raised her hands to trail her fingertips down his robes. “Now, why don’t we do something more pleasant with our time before Ron comes back?” she suggested.

Sighing, Severus put raise his own hands and held her at an arm’s length.

“What about Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger? Have you given any thought to how your current actions might cause him to feel?” Bloody hell, did I just express concern for that redheaded prat?

Hermione moved to try and cross the short distance between her and Severus.

“Why would I be concerned about him? We’re not dating anymore.”

“What?!” Severus was definitely puzzled now. A break-up between two of the golden trio would definitely have spread through the castle.

Giving up on getting any closer for now, Hermione walked away and plunked down into a chair in front of his desk, sulking.

“We broke up last weekend.” Dipping her head slightly, a bushy curtain of hair slid forward, making her look vulnerable. “It just didn’t feel right. It was like kissing my best friend or my brother. It felt nice, but I just want more. I wanted to feel something powerful, something shattering.” Looking up at him, he noticed the serious look on her face and was amazed at how fast her mood had changed. She smiled a sort of half smile as she tucked some of her unruly hair behind an ear. “Shouldn’t love be more than that?”

Talk of love and feelings normally caused all of Severus’s defenses to go up. Yet, something about the look on her face, the open vulnerability she presented caused him to feel a wave of sympathy for her. Walking to stand behind her, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I suppose that it differs from person to person, Miss Granger.”

“Ron said I just wasn’t giving it a chance, that after we were married I’d feel different.”

“And would you have felt differently, Miss Granger?”

“Yes. I would have felt more trapped.”

“Then perhaps what you did was for the best.”

“I suppose.” Looking up she smiled again at him noticing that the distance between them was once again very small.

Noting the look in her eye, Severus took a step back and cleared his throat.

“Now, I’m going to begin seeing what I can do with what’s left of the potion you ingested. I think it would be best if you stayed seated and out of my way.” Bustling around his office, Severus began to gather what he would need to use.

Later as he began performing the spell that would reveal what was in the potion, Severus was fully aware of Hermione’s watchful gaze. He noticed that a few times she had even squirmed a few times in her chair. It would be so easy to slip into her mind and see what she’s thinking, he thought. Frowning he turned back to his work trying to resist the temptation of catching her eyes with his own. Catching movement out of the corner of his eye, he saw her squirm again. Muttering a stasis charm on what he had accomplished so far he moved towards the small bookcase. Under the pretense of looking for a book, he concentrated on looking into Hermione’s mind knowing it could be harder to peer into her thoughts without any eye contact.

He was reminded of the instance that Arthur Weasley had told him about the Muggle contraption called television. The way Arthur had described it, it was a sort of box that showed entertaining programs that the Muggles could “tune in” and watch. Severus hadn’t been paying attention to Arthur very well at the time, but he did remember Arthur excitedly chattering on about how you could “flip” or change the channels that the contraption had at will. Arthur had said the Muggles called it “channel surfing” or some nonsense like that. Looking into Hermione’s mind made him think that’s what her mind was doing. The rapid fire of the images changed sometimes from some incredibly erotic fantasy to the more mundane activities that couples did. Mesmerized he stayed there at the bookshelf as her mind kept producing one lurid daydream after another. Gods... I should stop, he thought feeling the confines of his trousers diminishing. Taking a deep breath, Severus pulled away from her mind and turned around to find Hermione was standing right behind him.

With his back against the bookcase, Hermione’s hands fisted into Severus robes as she boldly raised up on tiptoes staring into his eyes. Just as her lips were a hair’s breath away from Severus’ he heard a husky murmur, “Did you like what you saw?” before Hermione’s lips descended on his own.

Feeling his insides clench at the feel of Hermione’s body against his own, not to mention what her lips were doing, his nostrils flared as he took a deep breath and pushed her away. Looking into Hermione’s glazed-over lust-filled eyes, staring intently into his own, a moment passed as Severus’ internal debate raged. Just as suddenly as he pulled away, his hands twisted into Hermione’s robes, and she heard him murmur a quick “sod it” before he covered her lips once more. Lost in a tangle of lips and tongues, the pair was entangled in a fury of lust 'til the door banged open to reveal Ron, Fred and George.