Chapter 9

This story becomes very adult in future chapters. This chapter begins the more mature aspect of this story. Minors, please do not read.

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Hermione woke alone, and she panicked.

"Severus!"

She felt across the bed and it was empty. She climbed out of the bed and was about grab her wand to fire off the spell to reveal Severus when the bathroom door opened and a towel walked out.

She was stunned, and then the idea of it all made her laugh. He obviously had the towel wrapped around his waist.

He smirked. "Laugh all you want. But this is an improvement, Hermione. It means I can wear clothes. You will know where I am. With gloves and some makeup, I can at least appear half human."

Hermione came to him and reached out, and he took her hands.

"That's wonderful, Severus. It will make things easier."

"If I want to disappear, all I have to do is walk out of the clothes," he said seriously.

Hermione stared at him and then realized he was teasing.

"Not unless you want to find yourself butt naked in one of the halls," she warned.

She moved closer. It was a bit odd talking to a towel, but her wand was on the bedside table.

"How's the chest," she asked, bending forward, encountering skin and placing a kiss on his clavicle. She smiled when she heard him suck in a breath.

He smelled of soap, and his skin was warm and soft. She gently placed her palms against his chest. His skin felt firm, and there was even a light sprinkling of curly hair. His arm went around her, and he drew her close, taking her lips in a deep kiss. Hermione pressed herself against him.

He pushed her back to look down into her face.

"Are you sure you want to go here this soon? We hardly know each other, and you can't even see me. I'm a man, Hermione, one who's been living in a bubble for years. You're a beautiful woman, and I want you. I do not know love; I've never really been in love. I only had infatuations as a youth."

Hermione drew back. "Severus, let me cast the spell. I need to see you."

He nodded and then stepped back when he remembered she couldn't see him. "Of course."

Hermione retrieved her wand and cast the spell, "Reproba Tergum."

When Severus came into view, his hair was still damp, but he looked so good to her. His chest was healed, and the burn on his face gone. She smiled at him.

"I'm going to use the loo, and I will be back in a few minutes. Please wait for me in bed. Get under the covers so you don't freeze."

She raced past him and closed the door behind her. She used the loo and then her wand to cleanse herself, instead of taking the time for a shower. She brushed her teeth and then headed back to the room.

Severus was still only a ghostly apparition sat in the bed. He looked a bit concerned as she crawled into bed, but he reached out and drew her to him.

"Severus, what's wrong? Are you scared?" she asked, placing a kiss against his chest.

"Not scared, no, concerned, yes. I still have two layers of the spell on me. What if ..." He hesitated, not wanting to actually voice the concern.

"...it doesn't work," she finished for him. "If that happens, then we'll improvise. We may not be able to bring you to fulfillment here, but there are other ways to pleasure me...as I'm sure you are aware."

Severus smirked. "I think I can figure it out," he said, relieved that it wouldn't matter to her.

She said, "I can give you lots of pleasure as well." She began to move over his chest, placing kisses along his body. "I can touch every inch of your body and reconnect you with the land of the living." Her hands slowly moved over his arms, chest, stomach, and lower. "You have been denied physical pleasure for a long time. I find immense pleasure in just lying against you and feeling your kisses and touch. I know it's the same for you."

He pulled her on top of him. "Easy for you to say," he said dryly and saw worry crease her forehead. "I'm teasing. You're right. It is very pleasurable."

His voice was low and sensual, and she closed her eyes as he ran his hands over her silk gown and body. They kissed a while, their tongues dueling and lips bruising with their desire for each other. Severus finally slipped his hands under her gown, and she sat up, straddling him, as he pulled it over her head and tossed it away.

She grinned down at him and then leaned down, framing his face with her hair.

He placed his hands on her hips and slid one up her side until he cupped one of her breasts. The pleasure was so exquisite that he closed his eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Hermione."

Hermione ran her hands over his body, trailing kisses everywhere and making sure he felt as much as she did. She kept her eyes closed as he did, letting touch and taste guide her as she mapped out his body with her hands.

To Severus' dismay, they discovered it didn't work. The internal part didn't work...only his outside flesh was sensitive...and the spell still encased him. Yet, he enjoyed Hermione's hands on his skin and body; she made sure she touched him everywhere.

He found extraordinary pleasure in Hermione's body. It was satisfying to tease her with his fingers and his tongue until she cried out with pleasure, shuddering to completion several times before wrapping herself around him and falling asleep in his arms. He saw himself fade away, and he smiled as he slipped into sleep beside her, thinking he'd never, in his life, been more content in such a difficult situation.

******

They woke later in the afternoon, and Hermione had a simple meal of meat, fruit, and bread.

Severus and Hermione looked thorough her bags and selected clothing for him to wear. Hermione cleaned all of his things and returned them to normal size. When he was dressed, he looked like a dress form standing in the room.

His robes, from before the war, were a bit loose, but not unattractively so. Yet Hermione used her wand to make them shrink to fit him perfectly. They played around with make-up, but it was just creepy.

Finally they decided to go with the spell if he was out and about. The children would have to be told. She figured Minerva had told them something already. Hogwarts students never batted an eye at ghosts, so they would just have to get used to the man encased in a spell. With real clothing and the ghostly appearance, it was odd.

"Maybe a hooded robe," Hermione suggested. She altered Severus' outer robes to include a hood, and that did help. The gloves made him look scary, too, but they decided that was best until the children where told at breakfast the next morning that he would now be able to walk among them, with Hermione. Neither she nor Severus wanted to see him left in hiding anymore.

Severus tried to pick up his wand, but it got very hot, and he wasn't able to hold it. So Hermione would have to keep it.

The progress they had made so far, even if they didn't know why, made them feel like Severus would eventually be free.

Monday morning arrived, and Severus and Hermione prepared to go to breakfast. Minerva had agreed to talk to the students, and she knew that Severus was pretty nervous about coming with her. They headed out early, hoping not to meet any students. But a few moved against the walls when they went by and stared after Severus and Hermione. The whole school knew there was an invisible man, who felt pain, living with Madam Granger.

Those who saw them followed them to the Great Hall.

Hermione held onto Severus' arm and laced her fingers through his gloved hands. She'd removed the palms of his gloves so he could feel his palm against hers.

As they approached the table, Hagrid moved down one seat, giving Severus a place to sit. He and Snape had never gotten along, and he was silent other than nodding greeting and saying, "Professor Snape."

Severus said, "Hagrid." His hooded head dipped.

Minerva came a bit earlier than usual, and Poppy did, too. They took seats next to Hermione. Word must have gotten around because students started filling the hall quite quickly, and soon they all sat watching the robed figure at the head table with expectant faces.

Finally Minerva got up and took her place before the pedestal. "Good morning, students. You will have noticed we have a special guest. You are all aware that there was an unusual occurrence in Madam Granger's classroom last week. Because of the cauldron explosion, our guest was injured. Through Madam Pomfery's excellent skills and care, he has recovered. I know you are all listening to rumors about our guest, so I will tell you exactly what's happening here."

"It's true: Professor Severus Snape has returned to Hogwarts. Madam Granger discovered that an odd spell had been placed on our Professor Snape years ago, and it's only now breaking down. Because Madam Granger found him, it seems they are now bound together. Professor Snape cannot move more than 15 ft away from Madam Granger." She thought it best to not share the information about the wand's involvement. It was possible that Snape still had enemies. "Professor Snape is solid, only invisible. A certain spell gives him a ghostlike outline. I would ask all of you to give the professor your utmost respect. His appearance is a bit odd because he's able to wear clothing and still has an invisable and/or a ghostly appearance. Professor Snape, will you please remove your hood?"

Severus stood, reached up, and removed the hood. There was a gasp as for the moment he did not have the spell on. Hermione stood and cast the spell without speaking too loud; she did not want the students to learn the spell. There was a collective gasp as Severus came into ghostly view.

Minerva continued: "For now, you will see Professor Snape in Madam Granger's company for obvious reasons. If I were you, I'd avail myself of the professor's knowledge of Potions should you have questions and Madam Granger is too busy. However, I would caution you about personal questions that pertain to the war. That is a taboo subject for the time being. As you will recall, Professor Snape was a spy for the Order and as such is a war hero who sacrificed much to spy for Albus Dumbledore, former headmaster of this school. He deserves our utmost respect. Now enjoy your breakfast."

No one saw the nasty glare a few Slytherin students gave Severus...or the balled fist Scorpius Malfoy shook.

After that morning, Severus was free to walk among the students. He found that they didn't seem to mind him much, and it felt good to go about the day's business with Hermione. Little had changed in the running of the school. That in itself was a comfort to him. He had no doubt that the Muggle world had taken leaps and bounds since he'd been sealed up and nearly forgotten.

One afternoon after class he looked up to see Albus Potter waiting till the last student left the room. The boy took a deep breath and came forward, "Sir, may I speak to you?" he asked bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet nervously.

Severus glanced at Hermione, and she was watching him, her eyes begging him to be nice.

"Of course, why don't you come sit with us by the desk," he said.

Hermione stood and came to hug the boy. "It's good to see you, Albus."

"You too, Aunt Hermione," Albus said.

"Aunt?" Severus asked.

"Well, Harry is like a brother to me. The kids in the Weasley family all call me Aunt."

Severus nodded as the boy took a chair.

He sat on the edge and leaned toward Severus. "Sir, do you know I was named after you?"

Severus nodded. "Poor you." He smirked as the boy squirmed.

"I'm very proud to have your name, Sir. My father told me all about you...about how he'd misjudged you most of his life, well all his life, until it was too late to ask you to forgive him. You know, sir, I'd never seen my father cry. He cried as he told me how you died."

"Did he now?" Severus said, suddenly moved. "I cannot fathom that, Mr. Potter."

"My father has great admiration for you. I would like your permission to Owl him and tell him you are here at Hogwarts. I'm sure he will come when he can."

Severus squirmed a little. His problems with Harry had happened only weeks ago in his mind...not years. He had thought about all this during the days he'd sat invisible in the classroom. Hermione had proven to him that life could be exciting and that the past was, just that, the past. He'd already vowed to seek Potter out one day after Hermione had told him that Albus was, in fact, Albus Severus Potter.

He looked now at the boy. "Of course you may tell him. Tell him I look forward to having a conversation. Tell him I think he has a fine son."

Albus gave him a wide smile. The boy looked very much like Harry had as a child, but he had a shock of red hair and a sprinkling of freckles. Severus willed himself not to shudder as he suddenly realized that the boy was a blend of Harry and, in a way, Ron Weasley. Yet he could see as well that Albus was a good boy and a concerned human being. He'd already noted that he was quite intelligent and enjoyed Potions very much. He'd even seen that the boy, if taught correctly, could be quite gifted in Potions.

Albus stood. "Thank you, sir. I hope that we will have a chance to talk about Potions one day soon. I have some ideas I would like to discuss with you."

Severus stood and reached out and shook the boy's hand. Albus nodded to Hermione. He still had a huge grin on his face as he turned and practically ran out of the classroom.

Hermione had come to hug him close to her. "Thank you, Severus. That meant a lot to him."

Severus kissed her forehead, "It meant a lot to me, too," he said, staring toward the door the boy had exited from.

After that the classroom became a much more interesting place to be, and Hermione begged him to assist her. He had smiled down at her, knowing she was very capable. But the idea of having something to do gave him such pleasure that he could not say no. So he would wander her half of the classroom, helping students by making suggestions as they worked. He could always tell when Hermione was watching him, and he would look up to see her smiling at him. He started winking at her, something he never, ever had done in his life.

There were a few days that week when Hermione couldn't maintain the spell for long. Severus became invisible. It took a few hours, but soon students were talking to him without the spell as if he were normal.

One night, as Hermione and Severus locked and warded their rooms, Severus stripped off his robe and inner heavy garments. Hermione sagged into the couch. "I'm so tired," she said, as she drew her feet up and tucked them under her.

Severus came and had her move down so he could sit under her head and shoulders.

Hermione snuggled up into his lap and fell asleep. He sat holding her as she drifted, stroking her hair, until he felt himself sleep, too.

Neither was aware that down in the Slytherin common room a plan of revenge was being plotted by one bitter boy who had been told all his life that Severus had robbed his father of his shinning moment and his grandfather of his honor. His family, once prominent and rich, had fallen on very hard times. The mansion was in disrepair, and even Scorpius' clothing was second hand. He endured the torture and hate dealt out to him by fellow Sytherins. He'd always hated the name Severus Snape, and now he would take revenge on his father and grandfather's destroyer. If he couldn't reach the man himself, he would use Granger, the Mudblood, as revenge. Didn't this school need to rid itself of her, she who had bested his father on a number of occasions. He, Scorpius, would show the wizarding world what a Malfoy could accomplish.

Lisa, your beta work is very much appreciated. I know I work you really hard. Thank you so much.

Becky, thank you for all your support and all the tiny things you find before I send the chapters to Lisa.