Eight

EIGHT

It had been three weeks since Hermione's meal out with Severus, and there had been a distinct change in their relationship. She found herself spending nights at Hogwarts in her small room beside the lab, because more often than not they would eat together, start talking and then it would be too late to go home. Severus had installed a small wardrobe for her clothes and given her a shelf in his bathroom for her toiletries, and they took turns to shower each morning before starting their respective days work. But being in such close proximity to Severus Snape was becoming almost impossible for Hermione to live with when she knew that each weekend when she went home, he used a doppelganger of herself to satisfy his lusts. Hermione was becoming eaten up with jealousy because Severus was nothing but charming towards her, and even though she was sure now that he desired her, he had never made a single move. Dammit, he never even came close enough for her to feel the brush of his fingertips, and she found herself yearning to feel his body against hers. She had stopped watching him with his witches after the third time because she had wanted so desperately to walk into the lab and interrupt them in the act. It was better if she didn't see, even if she still knew what was happening. She hadn't deactivated the detection spell on the Polyjuice potion.

Right now, her stomach was in knots. Hogwarts was closed to students for the summer, which meant that Severus spent most of his days brewing alongside her. He had become more relaxed with his attire now there was no teaching to be done, and Hermione hadn't been able to tear her eyes from him the first day he had entered the lab wearing his usual black trousers but this time with just a white shirt. The collar was unbuttoned at the neck, revealing a little of the scar left by Nagini, and his sleeves had been rolled up slightly to reveal firm forearms, lightly mapped by veins which pulsed as he chopped and stirred. She had fought an overwhelming desire to lick the soft skin of his wrist and trace the lines of his veins with her tongue, and the image had stayed with her all of that day and then later, when she was alone under the covers. But masturbation to remembered memories and fantasies of Severus wasn't enough any more. He was standing just a few yards from her, and she could sense him without even looking. It made her mouth go dry and her crotch throb. To have him so close and not to be able to touch him was just too much.

'Severus, I have a few personal appointments to attend to this week and I was wondering, would it be okay to take this afternoon off?' She asked brightly.

'Is everything alright? You have seemed a bit distracted this week.' Severus frowned over at her in concern.

'Everything is fine. My parents' house has just been sold and I need to tie up the lose ends, that's all.' Hermione hid her crossed fingers below the potions bench.

'Finish up here then and go. I'll see you first thing in the morning?' He looked up at her and for a moment, Hermione thought he looked like an eager child, but all too quickly his mask was in place again.

'Thanks, Severus. Maybe we could go to the Leaky Cauldron again tomorrow night? I have no plans this weekend. Do you?' Hermione smiled sweetly, knowing full well that Severus did have plans that she was going to gatecrash.

'I have little to do this weekend. A meal would be very welcome.' He smiled at her then, his shy, lop-sided grin that he seemed to save just for her. Her heart melted a little, and she felt a sudden dread. What if her scheming backfired and he rejected her totally? She didn't think she could stand it. But there was no reason it would go wrong. If everything went well, Severus wouldn't even know it was her.

Hermione cleared up her workspace, gathered her belongings from her room and walked quickly out of the lab and into the dungeon corridor.

'Winky!' She whispered loudly. The little House Elf appeared with a pop, and Hermione looked about t make sure no-one had be alerted to their presence in the dark hallway.

'Miss Hermione? You is hiding from Master Severus?' Winky blinked up at Hermione suspiciously. She still didn't quite trust the witch.

'Sort of. Winky, you know that Master Severus has a guest who visits at the weekend?' Hermione said quietly.

'Winky does not share Master's secrets with witches who make hats,' Winky said with a scowl.

'It's not a secret if I already know about it, is it? I wanted to give Master Severus a nice surprise, but I need your help.' Hermione got down on her haunches so that she was eye to eye with the Elf.

'You is wanting to make Master Severus happy or angry?' Winky looked thoughtfully at Hermione, having never seen her at eye level before.

'Happy, I hope. I care for Master Severus very much,' Hermione said with a sigh.

'Winky will help. But if Master Severus is being angry, Winky will be telling him everything.' Winky pulled herself to her full height, such as it was, and her chin stuck out firmly.

'Fine.' Hermione took a deep breath. 'What I need you to do is this...'.

***

Severus had retired to his rooms and was sitting his favourite chair. He was attempting to read a weighty eighteenth century novel but had only managed to plod through the first chapter when he found himself again drifting off into thoughts of Hermione. He couldn't seem to stop thinking about her, and the depth of his feeling scared him. He had felt something similar with Lily, but he was young then and had no insight into how his heart could be broken. This was different, more risky. He felt that he would never recover from his feelings towards Hermione, and he didn't dare think about how he would cope if she rejected him. But she liked him, she had admitted as much at the Leaky Cauldron. Severus acknowledged she had been under the influence of some particularly good red wine, but don't people tell the truth when they're drunk? He chose to believe that Hermione did. Whether liking him could develop into something more, he could only hope.

Severus found himself caught between a rock and a hard place. He had a standing arrangement with Constance Barclay for each Saturday night, and ordinarily he looked forward to his little liaisons with great anticipation. He could spend hours thinking up new ways in which his Hermione-shaped whore could pleasure him, but for some reason this week his heart really wasn't in it. The witches always looked perfect, but they didn't respond in the way he had imagined Hermione would respond, and quite often he had to direct their actions. He felt sure that a lustful Hermione Granger would be willing to act on her own desires, taking what she wanted from a willing lover and be quite determined about it. He imagined the full pout of her lips and the sweat dripping between her breasts as she rode him, and shifted in his seat. He had to stop such thoughts. Being in such close quarters with Hermione during the day was quite bad enough, and it took all of his resolve to restrain himself from pushing her against the store room wall and kissing her senseless. The fact was that Severus needed more from his assignations. He needed Hermione.

He resolved that he would cancel the arrangement after this weekend and invest his efforts instead into wooing the real, living, breathing, beautiful and endearing Hermione Granger. He really had no other path available to him, unless he gave her the sack, but he really couldn't bring himself to do that without a good reason, and 'You give me an erection as soon as I see you,' didn't seem like valid grounds for dismissal. He lifted his book again, relieved to have finally decided on a course of action. Flicking to the second chapter, he summoned his Firewhisky and started to read, trying as best he could to concentrate. He had a feeling it would be a waste of effort.

***

The Leaky Cauldron was more crowded than the last time they had visited, but Hermione managed to push through the crowds to find an empty table in a small corner of the bar. She rolled her eyes as the crowd parted to let Severus through, and laughed at the scowl on his face. It certainly worked, he hadn't had to push through anyone, let alone get too close to the armpits of the clientele. Hermione sometimes wished that she possessed the same aura.

'The drinks,' Hermione exclaimed. 'Now I'll have to fight my way to the bar!'

'I'll do it. Wait here.' Severus turned on his heel and the crowd dispersed again. Hermione shrugged off her cardigan and let the warm air in the bar wash over her bare shoulders. She hadn't gone to a huge effort when dressing for their meal but she hoped she looked better than how she usually looked. She admitted to herself that she wanted Severus to like what he saw.

Severus returned from the bar with a sour look on his face. He placed their drinks on the table before sitting, and leaned in closely. 'You might wish to leave after this drink,' he said quietly.

'Whatever for?' Hermione lifted her glass to her lips and then froze. Walking towards their table was Ronald Weasley. Her stomach seemed to fall away as she watched him. He looked angry, his lips pursed in firmly in a familiar expression, and as she looked closely she could see he looked exhausted.

'Hello, Ron,' she said as he reached the table.

'Didn't take you long, did it?' Ron was glaring at Severus and totally ignored Hermione.

'I beg your pardon?' Severus sat back in the chair and folded his arms.

'Ron, what do you want? Severus and I just came for something to eat, we don't want any trouble.' Hermione laid a hand on Ron's arm, but he shrugged it away forcefully.

'Severus and I? Severus and I? How long has this been going on Hermione?' Ron stepped closer but was stopped by Severus, who had withdrawn his wand and had laid it flat against Ron's chest.

'That's enough.' Severus spoke quietly, but the whole pub went deathly silent and watched. 'Not that it is any of your business but Hermione and I are friends and colleagues, nothing more. I suggest you leave, before you make an even bigger fool of yourself.'

Hermione stared at Severus as he stood up for her, and something inside her snapped.

'Thank you Severus, but I think I can handle this.' She stood and withdrew her own wand and pointed it directly at Ron's face. 'During our marriage you slept with more witches than I could shake my wand at,' she said steadily. 'I ignored it because I thought that deep down, you really loved me. I was wrong, of course. I was a fool, and I believed your lies for far too long. Severus and I are very good friends and I like him, very much.' She took a breath and tried to avoid looking at Severus. 'Even if we decide to be more than friends one day, Ronald, I'll make sure that you are the very last person to know, and then you will know exactly how that feels.'

Hermione pushed past Ron and through the now parted crowds and didn't look back.