Dare I Ask?
Chapter 16 of 40
AuretteSeverus finds out about the game.
ReviewedThank you to Astopperindeath for the final polish!
When the chime sounded at first light, I woke. I felt the heavy weight of a man's arm around me and a long leg tucked between mine, pressed against my bum. I stiffened. Then I remembered who it was, and I relaxed and pushed myself farther in to his chest, feeling his morning erection throb against my lower back. I hadn't actually woken up with Severus before. It felt rather nice. I was enveloped by a man who knew who I was, who I had been and what I could have been and thought these things were good. It was an amazing feeling to be held by someone who seemed to like me rather a lot. I didn't want to examine his possible motivations too deeply. I was afraid that analysis would show it to be just some kind of survivors' bond that seemed to be more than it was. He was obviously an emotionally devastated man and would cling to whomever showed him the slightest affection. If circumstances had been different, I doubt if he would ever have given even the slightest attention to me at all. But here and now he had demanded I take custody of his soul, and I intended to hold onto it with both hands and never let go. If we won our way out of this maze of intrigue, it was most likely that he would eventually realize what he had saddled himself with and want to leave. He could replace me in a heartbeat. I could never replace him. He had never been with another woman and didn't realize there were better to be had. I had been with hundreds of men and knew he was unique. I realized then that I loved him beyond measure and set my mind to thinking of ways I could trap him into staying with me always. I could think of none that didn't involve him eventually hating me. Very well, I would take what he gave until he woke from his delusions. I sent a small prayer for it to not happen soon.
Full of melancholy, I shifted, reached down between my legs and brought his hardness back between my legs and rubbed myself on it. I heard his breathing change and then his hands started to move. I moved him to my entrance and he pushed in. We didn't speak, we hardly made any sound, just soft little noises escaped as we rocked together slowly on our sides. He felt so good. After about five minutes of bliss, he stopped and his deep, rich voice spoke into my ear.
"I cannot do this with my bladder screaming at me. My apologies."
I giggled, and he left the bed. I watched as he stalked across the room to the loo. His body was long and thin; there was no extra flesh on him. And yet, slender as he was, he somehow still radiated a masculine power. This was not a body of an academic. His muscles, though not bulky, were defined from constant, physical demands. I found this to be aesthetically pleasing. His long arms, his long legs, his long hair swinging halfway down his back. I liked it. Even walking starkers with a hard on, he managed to look graceful and dignified.
Realizing he was going to have to get ready to leave soon, I left the bed as well and found my things. When the toilet flushed and he finally came out, I had donned my attire and was struggling into my boots, one hand on the back of the loveseat for balance.
"Were we done?" he asked.
"We are running out of time; I thought it was prudent," I said, looking back over my shoulder. I saw the look in his eyes and realized we weren't done at all as he came up behind me.
"If you are sure," he said as he caressed the curve of my hip.
"I am sure of nothing around you," I said with a small smile. He pushed gently on my back until I was bent over the back of the couch. His fingers softly played with me, reigniting my desire, and he raised an eyebrow in question.
I smiled coyly back over my shoulder. "You might have to make it quick, do you think you can?"
He just growled and pulled my thong to the side. I noticed he was more careful with it.
It didn't take that long, but it wasn't that quick either, and it never would have worked if I wasn't wearing the boots.
After he had cleaned us up with his wand, he set about dressing. My heart gave a dull thud. I didn't want him to leave.
"You realize you are forming quite an army among the younger men? They consider you a rather dashing figure who will lead them to greater glory."
He looked up and said, "Good. I can work with that."
"Be careful, they seem to be uniformly stupid and inept with the exception of Nott and Vaisey."
He gave me a hard look and sat on the bed to put his boots on.
"You seem to be rather well informed"
I bit my lip.
"It's the game, you see..."
His head snapped up.
"What. Game. Hermione." Oh, dear that wasn't good.
"The girls started a game. We find out as much information as we can and try to exploit it."
"The girls?"
"Peaches started it. Okay, I nudged her in the right direction, but I couldn't be connected to the original idea if we were discovered, could I?"
He looked like he was going to explode, but instead he let out a sharp bark of a laugh. It wasn't particularly mirthful. His words were clipped as he strode back across the room.
"Why would I have assumed you would be safe here while I worked towards your freedom? Why didn't I take into account the possibility of the last little Gryffindor trying to overthrow the government while trapped in a whorehouse by cobbling together an intelligence network of well-placed spies? I have been a bit of a fool, haven't I?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to figure out which direction his words were going in.
"Does that mean you are pleased?"
"Indeed. What have you gathered?"
"Well, Rookwood was jealous of Macnair, but is now rather full of himself. Carrow hates his sister, but cannot abide anyone speaking badly about her. Avery likes to be dressed up in nappies and spanked when he's naughty, yes, I thought you might like that. Jugson was raped by Greyback once and has nightmares about it still, even knowing Greyback was killed by Remus. He is intensely homophobic, and that's why he always stands against a wall. Selwyn dreams of running away to South America and taking Yaxley's wife with him. Rabastan Lestrange has large gambling debts and hasn't purchased new robes like he used to, I think his brother used to cover his losses but obviously cannot anymore. Gibbon thinks the younger Death Eaters need to be culled before they start trouble. What he doesn't know is most of them have slept with his daughter. The younger Death Eaters are almost uniform in their belief that it's time for a change, their belief they could handle everything better, their utter inability to see the big picture, and their surprising squeamishness at the actions of the Dark Lord. They fear him, but more to the point they are uncomfortable with the fact that they just might be following a violent nutcase. All of them think you are the answer to their prayers and are only waiting for your signal. Oh, and they want better masks. That's just off the top of my head."
"What else have you been doing besides gathering information?"
"Well, exploiting it, of course."
"Of course. Dare I ask?"
"Well, we had the Notts, father and son, at each other's throats for a minute. The father still hasn't returned, and Theo won't speak of him with anything other than disgust. Amycus thinks Rookwood has been telling lewd tales about his sister, and we were hoping that would blow up soon. Yaxley and Avery fell out over a lie about percentages of revenue each one was receiving, so those former best friends are now trying to find ways to cheat each other out of a knut. Macnair has been played up as a rapist of lower level Death Eaters to the point no one will ever use the lav if he's in there. Jugson is close to hexing him when he breathes wrong. Dusty aimed high and made up a story about a high level Death Eater that was seen by another coming out of an unauthorized meeting with several of the old members of the former Wizengamot. She just floated it out there to see who she could catch, but as much as everyone repeated it, it wouldn't stick to anyone. Or if it did we never heard back."
"Dolohov. That was the rumor I used to take him down. It was getting rather widespread, and I brought it to the Dark Lord's attention with some minor alterations and a bit of fabricated proof." I was speechless, and he nodded at my reaction. "Your game has brought down some large prey. Leave off the Death Eaters, leave them to me. Minor rumors to spread suspicion and petty rivalries are fine, but I want you to concentrate on the other clients now. The Dark Lord is meeting next week with Ministers from France and Bulgaria to talk about how they might raise taxes on imported goods. Mulciber is going to take over Rodolphus' department. That will give him more power than anyone else and send the Death Eaters into a frenzy, so stay low. Work on the citizenry. We want them as disgruntled as possible."
The second chime sounded, and he froze. He looked at me quickly and then reached out and grabbed me by the shoulders. His lips met mine in a gentle kiss.
"Be careful, work from behind. Do not get caught and stay far away from Macnair."
"I will. Can you come back soon?"
"I will try." With a final, demanding kiss, he whirled away and started dismantling his wards. He disguised himself and, secreting away his objects by the door, left with a last long look.
Story Actions
To follow, favorite, like, and more either log in or create an account.
Leave a Review
Log in to leave a review.
Latest 25 Reviews for The Princess of Gryffindor
597 Reviews | 6.94/10 Average
I agree with Mick42 in the sense that I don't like the Voldemort won/everyone's dead/Hermione's a whore stories. I avoid them like the plague. I decided to give this one a go based on the reviews. I was very, very skeptical. There were aspects to the writing that I didn't like, such as it being written in first person, but the memorial scene alone made it well worth the read. I may have shed a tear (or 10).
Wow...just wow. Now I know why all of these other reviewers have shed a tear. I am a mess. Still smiling tho'! Captivating read. Kudos!
Yay, all finished. It's been a while since I've read this, so I had forgotten a lot of the details in the ending chapters, but I still love it as much as I did the first time I read it. You have my in tears reading the end couple of chapters now, but that's terribly easy to do to a pregnant woman, so don't worry too much lol.
I just love Snape, have I ever mentioned that? I do. And it's stuff like this in stories- him vowing to protect Hermione- that make me love him even more..
This is one I've read before, on ffnet I think, but I have to read it here too, it just seems impossible not to reread your favorite stories when you come across them somewhere. The bonus is that you already know you love the story, even if you can't remember all the details between point A and A.D.
My dear Aurette,I have spent half of yesterday and all of today re-reading this unbelievable story. Half of the time, I've been a sobbing, sopping mess - when S&H were gathering forces and found people who were still alive, the whole Harry and Ron speaking to Hermione from the great beyond, the memorial scene (holy crap, talk about sobbing!), reuniting with Minerva's ghost, and the list goes on. I love the plot of the story. I love your numerous OCs. I love how the young DEs revolt. I love how forces from all sides join together to fight the Dark Lord. I love the romance between S&H. I love how utterly vulnerable he is to her, and she to him. I love how wizarding society hero-worships Snape in the end. I love So Many Things about this story. If my heart could take it, I'd start it all over again, but I really wasn't exaggerating when I said I was sobbing half the time I was reading. This might sound odd, but reading this today, US Memorial Day, just makes it seem even more poignant. But I do think it's honoring to RL sacrifices by reading about fictional ones. Thank you so much for this absolutely wonderful story, and for giving me such an enjoyable (if teary and snotty) way to spend my day off.Love,Christev
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
{{{hugs}}}What a beautiful thing to say. I am deeply touched and honored. Thank you, Christev.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
{{{hugs}}}What a beautiful thing to say. I am deeply touched and honored. Thank you, Christev.
Heartbreaking and wonderful and worth rereading. Thank you for sharing this.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I'm so glad you enjoyed. ;-)
Just re-read this and had to mention: Best Epilogue Ever. Why couldn't you have given JK a few pointers? ;-p
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
LOL! She never asked... Thank you!
I've just flown through the last several chapters, held in thrall to this story! This is just genius, you know, starting at a place of total desolation - this terrible post-war dystopia - and taking all the elements from DH (the prophecy from Severus, the Hallows, even walking beside the dead and moving with them before returning to earth - thanks particularly for including Draco with the others), using them as they were meant to be used, finding another way of stopping Voldemort and reenvisioning a new world in the aftermath.
And I love seeing Snape marked as the Man Who Lived! And a father! And the Minister! (And that proposal? Mmm-hmm... clearly, he has caught on to everything Hermione's been teaching him!)
You strike such a great balance between comedy and high drama. It's such a pleasure to read.
Oh, Goyle. Goyles will be Goyles, I suppose!"I think you have just been metaphorically peed on." Oh, I love this line... particularly since Severus' possessiveness towards Hermione is such a strong part of his character (which is why his reluctant willingness to 'share' Hermione rather than lose her was SO terribly shocking).
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Thank you! And I think, by his behavior in this chapter, you can see he tacitly took those words... back.
Response from ofankoma (Reviewer)
Oh, absolutely! That's what's so marvelous to see in this Snape. He acts impulsively so often, and then immediately knows that it's not what he really wanted, and is slowly learning to keep it all in check as he accepts the fact that she really loves him and that he's truly safe with her.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Hannah and Neville! Woo-hoo! (You can just feel the little triumphs along the way - things are getting brighter all the time!) And the lack of trust between all parties involved... yes, that feels completely, completely believable.(Also,I don't know that I've ever met an original character that I've liked, but Peaches is fantastic. Just fantastic. You make me change my mind on a lot of things, I think...)
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I intentionally started this tale as dark as I could make it, and then slowly let the light in. Neville and Hannah were such a beacon of hope...
Ah, the trust between the two as they examine the girls! And her red robes... yes, I imagine Severus doesn't want Hermione in anything less than a high-necked robe in front of her old beau.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Trust is something they thought they had, but as you can see, they are both too emotionally unsophisticated to not end up with issues.
Whoa, whoa, whoa... Elder Goyle and Ma are two revelations here, aren't they? As for the former, it really makes me wonder (again and again) what Voldemort's plan was 'when' he won. Why cheat Death if you have nothing to live for? For someone as hypothetically long-sighted as he was (looking to an eternity of power and control over the wizarding world), he's remarkably short-sighted here (what do you do now that you've won?). You raise all sorts of fascinating questions here. And Ma, with the Veritaserum? Grand.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Ma was intended to just be a stock vilain, but she elbowed her way toward three dimentional. I was very happy with the way she worked out.
The robes! Wonderful, wonderful, all around, from Hermione's comfort in them and the note exchange.Charlie and Viktor? You're really getting things moving here, aren't you? Momentum. You're really a master with creating a momentum that just pulls a reader through the story. I don't mean just here, but everything I've read up til now - it's so well paced and unfolds so naturally. In case I haven't said this in a chapter or two, thanks so much for sharing this.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I was very attuned to the pacing of this tale. It was my very first mult-chaptered fic and getting the pacing down right was one of my primary concerns. Thank you so much for reviewing it!
Hooray! I love what you've done with Theo Nott. The second guessing and the regret shows how easy it was for misguided, then-ambivalent people to latch on to Voldemort's coat tails. (Cloak tails?) Very like Severus at that age, no?You're also hilarious, but I suspect you know that. "Conjure myself some decent clothes?" FABULOUS.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
Exactly! I saw Theo as not being wildly different from young Snape, just perhaps a bit more entitled. I am so glad you liked this.
Wow. There are so many things I love, love, love in this chapter. First off, the relationship between Severus and the Malfoys. (Ach, and the horror of their deaths!) Next, Dumbledore's attitude. I, for one, have a tendency to vilify the man. Reading the repentance he shows here makes me rethink a lot of things about him. (So thank you for challenging me!) But you're right - we have a lot of evidence in DH that there are many unspoken things in his past that explain his present actions. And, of course, it's just a relief to see that he finally has someone to tell all this to, someone who will care for him and stand by him through it all. This is just wonderful, and I'm completely loving your writing and this story!
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I also have a tendancy to vilify Dumbledore, but I know that was never JKR's intention, so every so often I try and reset my thinking. Then I backslide. lol.
There are so many reasons I love this story... wonderful narrative flow, seamless incorporation of canon devices (Hallows! Can't wait to see them in action!), a fresh perspective on the nature of evil in the Voldemort regime, a place to see regrets worked out and atoned for.But the single greatest reason why this is so fabulous is your clear vision of your characters. What we know of them from JKR is fleshed out so beautifully here, and it's not a happy-go-lucky, cleaned up and sanitized version of the very broken people we know (and love), but a hard look at the mistakes they make and how they learn together to move on and forgive one another in a much deeper understanding of who the other really is.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
This chapter was my impetus for writing the whole fic. I wanted to get to this scene. Of course, once I did, I then had a Ministry to over throw... lol.
Oh, now that's interesting... incorporating the Hallows? I think this means we'll get to see some action from the Elder Wand (killing Voldemort?), the Resurrection Stone (Harry and Ron?), and the Invisibility Cloak (I have no idea on this one... it's useful in so many ways). I can't wait to see where they lead!
Severus' thoughts on the ambition of Voldemort five years out are interesting... it certainly does make you wonder - what would Tom have done had he won? Did he have a plan in place? I mean, the fear of ignominious death aside, what was really motivating his actions? What did he envision for the Wizarding world?
There's much that I enjoy in this chapter... the way they recognize each other as being, really, the only people left on earth (that we know of so far) who can really see one another is fantastic. Antarctica banter with penguins! 'Whoever had broken this man deserved to burn in hell.'What I found myself wishing I had here was Hermione's musings on her own sexual history. Was she a virgin before she was enslaved here? I found I wanted this when she first talked about her position as a whore with Snape as well... I just want it sometime. (Maybe it's coming up later? We'll see!) There seems to be space for her to say that she's still a virgin (so to speak) with a great deal of this as well. And defend her innocence. Since she never kissed Ron in the final battle (AU breaks off earlier here, right?), has she even been kissed?
Response from ofankoma (Reviewer)
(Because Severus very well may be right in trying to stop her... for her own peace of mind, certainly, and for the fact that she's been traumatised for years there. Another sexual experience now may not be helpful on the road to recovery, and he'd certainly be remiss if he didn't know the situation before letting her have her way with him...)
The harpsichord? That's hilarious. Does she tune it herself, as well? All the descriptions of this place add up to a bizarre, depressing, garish nightmare. It's like everyone tossed in their leftovers and out popped a brother, or several people's lives just vomited out all their extras on the (Voldemort-run) street.
Ah, Draco. I'm sad to hear he's lost. I have a soft spot for him as one of the people who gave Severus a will to go on in HBP and DH. I would have liked seeing your Snape deal with him.
That last long paragraph on the enigma of Snape? Spot on. It sums up why he's such a fascinating character in canon: powerful and powerless, beautiful and ugly, lauded and humiliated. The ambiguity of him is so rich, and not in the Dumbledore 'we sort too soon' sort of way, claiming that he's truly a Gryffindor at heart merely because he's on the side of good.
As to protection, well, that's another one of the strongest themes attached to him in canon, isn't it? He's constantly fighting to protect people - even people he despises -and he prepares them all to do the same. Your Hermione's a lucky girl...
Well done, you.
Hmm... "I, too, practice self-denial?" I think he might practice a few kinds of denial here, since he did just move to kiss her. (Of course, perhaps poor Severus doesn't know any better. He missed out on the 'What not to do whilst visiting a whorehouse' lesson in finishing school.) I greatly appreciate a post-DH Snape who doesn't know what to do with a woman... after all, when you poke around in canon, it seems fairly obvious that his social calendar was empty.
I also enjoy the dynamic you're setting up between Hermione and Peaches, the latter of whom is clearly in control of her own destiny in a way that Hermione just isn't... yet.
And...Harry and Ron? What?!?
Oh, gravy! Lime-green peignoirs and silver mules? This is a high class establishment poor Hermione's stuck in. (Although the lime-green clothing is oddly reminiscent of St. Mungo's...)
I love a phrase like "She floated in like a frigate in full sail." Really, the oppressing shabbiness of the place is overwhelming. I'm so very wary of new characters, so I'm really hoping I will like yours... Peaches, maybe yes? Ma, maybe no. Unless we do know Ma or Angel already and they're just under aliases like the Princess?
Drinking Cocoa enticed me back here to revisit this wonderful, deep, rich tale once again, when I should be doing my own writing and in other ways getting the heap of papers on my desk cleared and sorted (not to mention getting to bed at a decent hour). But, no, I had to swallow this beautiful work whole once again, rediscovering all its complexities and marvels, emotions and heatbreak, fascinations and intricacies. And it is now nearly 2am, and I can at last climb into my solitary little bed, wrapped in the warmth of some quite satisfying and delicious writing. Thank you.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
I thank you, truly, for your revisiting this story. Nothing is more satisfying than knowing it is apreciated on a second reading as well. :-)
I give it five years before Brilliant figures out how to spell that journal open and gets the shock of her young life hahahaha.
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
LOL! Oh, that would be Brilliant! You need to write that fic!
Response from StarryEyedNoOne (Reviewer)
I haven't wrote HP fanfic since I was the age of a first year lol. I pray to any diety that's listening that NONE of it is still floating aroung out there. :-\
Response from Aurette (Author of The Princess of Gryffindor)
LOL! I understand. I once read that if you aren't embarrased by something you wrote a year ago, you are no longer growing as a writer. Hell, I get embarrassed over things I wrote last week...