Chapter 27: Eye of the Storm

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.

A big hug of thanks goes out to VIVAvivacious for the beta of this chapter.

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The steam from the hot bath water spiralled towards the ceiling, fogging up the windows and mirror and covering the tiles on the walls thinly with moisture.

He watched as Hermione stepped towards the tub and lifted a leg, dipping her toes in to test the heat. He saw her small smile as she allowed the rest of her leg to slide into the heat, and the other leg followed as he grasped her by the waist and assisted her the rest of the way in. She gazed up at him from beneath her dark eyelashes coquettishly, parting her legs invitingly and making a vague gesture with her head for him to comply with her unspoken request. With a feral smile to match hers, he stepped into the water and slid down to sit in the tub with his back to her.

Snape was comfortably nestled between Hermione's long legs, his back resting against her chest as she lay back against the claw-footed tub they had expanded just a few short days before. The water was as hot as it was because Snape knew she hated to be cold. He smiled and moaned softly when she picked up the washcloth and began to bathe his smooth, pale chest, wrapping her arms around his front and leaning her chin on his shoulder. She continued in that manner before moving on to his shoulders and neck.

'Mmm, feels good,' he mumbled as she continued to wash him.

He felt her smile again the skin of his neck and exhale softly. 'I am glad it had the desired effect, then,' she replied. 'Now, shift forward a little tiny bit. I need access if I'm going to wash your back.'

He complied immediately, and she gently soaped up the cloth and thoroughly covered every inch of his skin before pulling him back to lean against her and resuming the slow washing of his chest. He could feel his length begin to swell from her attentions and stifled a groan when her fingernails gently grazed one of his nipples. He could feel her hard nipples poking his back, her trimmed curls below brushing against his lower back. Unable to take much more of the torture, he pulled away and spun around the face her, a hand on either one of her knees, keeping her legs spread for him.

She looked up at him in surprise. 'Oh,' she said breathlessly. 'I thought it might take longer than that for you to be ready for another go.'

He grinned wickedly at her teasing. They had left his bed not twenty minutes beforehand, and he too was a little surprised at his recovery time. 'More ready than you can know,' he whispered, reaching down with one hand to line himself up before sinking within her tight, wet warmth.

She gasped beneath him, her arms coming up to grasp his hands on her knees once more. 'S-Severus!' she moaned loudly.

Her voice saying his name in such a way spurred him on to move faster as he thrust into her. Her breasts were jiggling ever so slightly with every movement. Her mews of pleasure and the grasping of her hands at his arms made him redouble his efforts, pushing harder and letting one of his hands drop down into the water to rub her clit as he pumped into her wildly.

A small tingle at the base of his spine and the tightening of his balls signalled his impending release. As he prepared to go over the edge, he looked at Hermione's head thrown back in pleasure, her hands grasping and rubbing her breasts and eyes closed. She came with a jerk of her hips upward and a loud gasp, followed by a moan and the clenching of her inner walls around his length. His resolve crumbled, and with a groan, he emptied his seed within her, thrusting just a few more times before collapsing against her in the water, splashing water over the edge of the tub onto the floor.

A few moments passed before either of them spoke. 'Wow,' Hermione said softly, with a small laugh.

Severus lifted his head to look her in the eye, hoisting himself onto his knees in the bath before her. She gestured for him to turn around again, and he complied, casting a warming charm over the water that was already beginning to grow cold. Sinking down to sit between her legs again, he sagged back against her, closing his eyes and sighing. He was utterly spent, and his body was sufficiently sated that he would not become aroused again for another few hours.

'You are going to be the death of me, Hermione,' he mumbled, drawing yet another chuckle from his companion.

Wrapping her legs around him again, she picked up the cloth and resumed her washing of him. 'A little death, I hope,' she murmured into his ear, gently nipping it with her teeth.

He chuckled softly. 'Ah, the littlest death there is,' he replied. 'I am old enough to be your father, you do realise?'

Hermione nuzzled his neck with her nose, nudging wet hair out of the way. 'My father would be much older than you are right now if he was still alive,' she said, voice barely trembling. 'What does age matter at this point?'

'I don't suppose it means anything.'

He felt her nod against him. 'As far as I am concerned, I'd rather you didn't start talking about any of the reasons you believe make us unsuitable for one another,' she continued. 'I want to be with you, and I know you want the same. Can that not be reason enough for us to just continue as we are?'

'For you, I can drop the subject for the time being,' he replied. 'You know, I never was able to convince Albus to tell me exactly what happened to your parents.'

He heard her sharply indrawn breath. He wondered if she would respond. 'Death Eaters attacked them two years ago when they were driving home after visiting our relatives in the country,' she whispered, almost as though she was too afraid to say it any louder. 'I never even got to say goodbye, or hide them away like I had been planning to... I wish I had been quicker to act.'

'I'm sorry I was not able to inform the Order of this attack,' he told her, guilt rising within him. She had suffered because he had not remained a spy.

'Don't you dare blame yourself for their deaths, Severus Snape,' she scolded. 'It's not as though there was any doubt something would happen if we didn't get them into hiding. In fact, it is just another thing to add to my list of reasons to distrust the Headmaster.'

'He did nothing to save them?'

He felt her shake her head and heard a slight sniff. Reaching a hand up to cover the one washing his chest, he gave it a slight squeeze of encouragement. She buried her face into his neck, her trembling lips pressing a kiss there.

'He didn't lift a finger to help me when I asked him if there was anything the Order could do to find my parents a safe house to stay in,' she answered after a long pause. 'I suppose he thought they were an acceptable loss – that it would drive me to fight even harder for the Order.'

'The Headmaster is famous for his backwards logic,' Snape told her simply, turning to look over his shoulder a fraction to see her teary eyes. 'Come now; let us not talk of such things anymore.'

Hermione frowned at him. 'The other night, you were angered by something I said to you,' she stated simply.

Snape sighed. He knew this topic would come up with what they had been discussing about her family. He could feel his heart still for a moment too long in his chest. Was he ready to discuss this with anyone? Albus was the only other person he had ever confided to throughout his life, but it had been many years since he had felt compelled to tell the old man anything. Perhaps Hermione was the one he had been waiting for – the one who would save him from retreating into himself so often.

'I've been desperately trying to leave that part of my life behind me,' he said, blowing out a shaky breath. 'When I came to Albus over twenty-four years ago, I was a mess. Guilt was my constant companion. He offered me a way to try to repay my debt to society and absolve myself of the great sin I committed before I was finally admitted to the Death Eaters. I had not realised at the time that no matter what I did, the sin would not go away, and neither would the guilt.'

'I'm sorry,' Hermione whispered. 'I know this must be painful to talk about...'

Snape shook his head. 'It's all right, Hermione,' he replied. 'I trust you not to use or hold this against me.'

She nodded and leaned around to kiss his slightly stubble-roughened cheek. 'You know I won't,' she whispered. 'Now, when are you going to admit to what I already know?'

'When did it become obvious to you?' he asked.

'They way you've always spoken about her with such reverence and sadness gave it away,' she answered. 'I can't say I know exactly what happened or that I understand your motives at the time, but I don't hold what happened against you.'

'It was my final test before they would admit me as a full Death Eater and mark me,' he said, glancing down at the godforsaken stain of the skull and snake on his forearm. 'The Dark Lord himself had her brought before everyone, and she was beaten before my very eyes. He said she was a blood traitor and she had been secretly working against him and everything they stood for. I was so young and blinded by my own desire to become powerful that I was sucked into the lie. I killed my own mother to be a part of one of the worst things that has happened to Wizarding Britain.'

He wasn't even aware of the tears he had streaking down his cheeks until Hermione gently wiped them from his face. He turned in the tub so he was facing her and cupped her face in his large, strong hands before bringing their lips together for a salty-sweet kiss. Hermione returned it gently before rising from the water and slipping out of the tub. She Summoned two towels to her and held one out towards him. Accepting the towel, he rose from the water and they dried off.

'You know, it's hard to imagine what Hogwarts is like without you there teaching Potions,' Hermione said as they walked to his bedroom where, oddly enough, the vast majority of her clothing had ended up over the course of just a few days.

'It feels strange not to be at Hogwarts during the term, actually,' he admitted. 'But the Headmaster assured me someone competent was teaching the classes for me. I will probably have to get used to being away from the castle now, anyway. After the war is over, and if I survive, I will not be returning to teach there.'

Hermione looked at him in surprise as she pulled on her knickers and a bra. 'Not that I'm not glad to hear it, but are you really serious about leaving Hogwarts?'

'Deadly,' he answered, tucking his shirt into his slacks. 'I have long tired of the chore that is teaching dunderheads.'

His heart nearly stopped at the smile she threw his way before her head disappeared inside the sweater she was pulling on over it. When she re-emerged, he stepped towards her, smirking at her lack of pants before swooping in to claim a kiss. Her arms went up to wind around his shoulders when a knocking sounded on the front door. His wards had barely shifted, so he assumed it was Draco.

'Finish dressing,' he told her firmly. 'Find your wand and follow me down as soon as you are able.'

She nodded, and he swept out of the bedroom without a second glance. He ran shaky fingers through his hair as he took the stairs two at a time. He spared a momentary glance at the clock and saw it was already half past midnight just as he opened the door to reveal Draco dressed in full Death Eater regalia.

'The Dark Lord is taking over the Ministry of Magic,' Draco said breathlessly, slumping against the doorway as Snape stepped aside to let him in.

Hearing a gasp from behind him, Snape spun on his heel to see Hermione stopped on the stairs, hand over her mouth. 'What on earth happened?' he asked his godson.

'Pre-emptive attack,' he answered. 'He said something about striking while the iron was still hot. But I think it's because he can feel himself getting weaker. Your potion wouldn't have had time to reach full effectiveness yet, but I know for a fact his magical aura is diminished. We've all been feeling it at each of the meetings.'

'We'll need to alert the Order,' Snape said, walking towards the sitting room. 'You do whatever it is that you need to, Draco.'

The younger man nodded and swept out of the house, closing the door behind him. Snape crouched before the fireplace, igniting the few logs in it before tossing in some Floo powder and calling for the Headmaster. He felt Hermione crouch beside him and place a hand on his shoulder; he felt a wave of gratitude for her support. A moment later, Dumbledore's weary face appeared in the green flames.

'What news, Severus?'

'Riddle is going to take the Ministry,' he answered simply, dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.

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A/N – Yep, I leave you with yet another cliffhanger – my bad.