Sixteen

A/N: This bus will be making frequent stops in Lemontown from here on it. I do hope that's quite all right. ;) No Beta- any mistakes are my own.

Disclaimer: They are not mine; I only take them out to play.

*******

She woke in the night, Severus spooned against her back. His hand was cupping her breast, his mouth pressed tightly against the back of her neck. He whimpered with need as he rubbed his cock against the soft skin of her buttocks.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he whispered against her neck as he realized he had awakened her. "I need...I need...oh, Merlin, please. Please help me."

"Shhh, love. I want you. Always want you."

Reaching behind herself, she grasped his cock and guided him, showing him how to enter her passage from behind.

"Yes," he hissed in pleasure. "Need you. Need you around me."

His hips surged as he plowed into her with strong slow thrusts.

"Gods, Hermione, how can you feel so different? How can it be so different like this?"

"Oh, Severus, I have so many wonderful things to show you."

His response to that was a fierce growl and a mighty push inside her. He'd taken to lovemaking so readily and been so adept, she had to remind herself that the total of his experience was what they had done so far.

"But how can I please you like this?"

"Nothing easier," she assured him. "Give me your hand."

She grabbed his hand and pushed it down, bringing his fingers to her clit.

"Oh, yes, that's brilliant," he muttered against the back of her neck.

Then his fingers danced over her as he took her forcefully from behind, there was heat and bliss and murmured devotions before sleep dragged them back under.

The next time she woke up, the sun was shining through the bedroom window and Severus had his head propped up on one hand, staring at her with a gentle smile on his face.

"Good morning," he said, dipping his head briefly to kiss her smiling lips.

She stretched like a cat, not able to wipe the smile off her face. "Good morning."

"I'm sorry I disturbed your rest last night." His smile faded and he looked concerned.

No. Her darling wizard was no kind of actor at all. Thank Merlin. She'd never be able to figure the clever bastard out if he was.

"Severus, why do you think your attentions were unwelcome?"

"You were so tired. With all that happened and then all we did, I should have let you sleep."

"I slept fine, thank you. Love, let me explain this to you, so there's no possible misunderstanding. I was fast asleep. Then I started having this beautifully wicked dream that you were making love to me. I woke up and felt your hard cock rubbing against my skin, your hot breath on the back of my neck, your strong hand on my breast. My heart started pounding. My sexy lover wanted me and I wanted him, desperately. Then he was inside me, right where I wanted him. He made me sing out in bliss before I fell back asleep. Then I slept the lovely deep sleep of the truly shagged."

He chuckled then, the deep, slightly nasty chuckle that she remembered from her school days. It had been frightening back then. Funny how that sound now shivered down her spine and curled her toes.

Laying on his back, he tugged her over so that she reclined half over his chest. He buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply.

"Damn, witch, you even smell delicious. Your passion...your kind heart and brilliant mind...your ferocity when protecting those you love. What man wouldn't wake up with a raging erection with you in his bed? I have no idea what you see in me, but Merlin, I love you."

This was a different sort of love than Hermione had ever had in her life. It was a fierce, passionate, almost violent love. She was shocked to find tears in her eyes. When Severus gazed at her with confusion and obvious concern, she buried her face in his chest hair and cried.

"What is it, love? What did I say? Tell me and I swear to you I'll never fucking say it again."

"What you said was beautiful. I just love you so much."

He wrinkled his nose up at her then, making it quite clear he thought she was mad. She laughed even as she was crying, and he brought both his arms around her to hold her tightly to him.

"Let me tell you," she said into his chest. "Let me tell you about the sad excuse I had for love before I met you. I had a man who talked about Quidditch and who he arrested last night. Who went cross-eyed with boredom if I so much as mentioned a book or an idea. Who said he loved me but ignored my wants and focused on his own. Who thought eating me was a distasteful chore to be saved for times when he was trying to get back in my good graces after a particularly bad argument. A man who wanted sex no more than once a week, and would never even think of waking me up in the middle of the night for passionate embraces. A man who gave me a single orgasm per engagement, if I was lucky."

She crossed her arms over his chest and rested her chin on them so she could see his startled face.

"Let me tell you about my new lover. He is fierce in battle, clever as a bastard, so powerful he can fucking fly. He talks to me for hours of books, and ideas...listens to my every word. He's not content to sit idly by, but studies me, watches me, so quick to find any way to please me, in bed and out. And he's sexy as hell, this man. Eager to do anything for my pleasure. Merlin, he's good too. With his big cock and his strong hands and his wicked, wicked tongue. He eats me like I'm the most delicious thing he's ever tasted. He's made me come so many times in our short acquaintance that I'm addicted to him like a drug. I've never felt like this. I literally can't keep my hands off of him. And the very best thing, he can't keep his hands off of me either. He wants me so very badly that he wakes me up in the middle of the night, desperate for me, and makes me scream his name in joy as I come. I don't ever again want to hear you say that you don't know why I want you, why I love you."

Looking down, she could see his cock proudly tenting the coverlet. She rose up and threw the covers completely off the bed. Straddling him, she dropped down on him so fast she engulfed him to the root. Then he was tugging her down, devouring her mouth as she snapped her hips, burying him inside herself, over and over.

She straightened, crossing her arms on the top of her head as she wiggled her hips in tight circles around his shaft, posing for him, watching him gaze at the bob and sway of her breasts before he reached those big hands up to squeeze and beautifully torment her. She ground against his pelvic bone, her movements became frenzied as she chased her pleasure. Then she was clenching around him, stars going off behind her closed eyes as she sang his name.

A rush of movement and she was on her back with Severus plowing back into her. His mouth everywhere, his hands everywhere, panting her name over and over as he followed her into heaven.

They didn't go back to sleep but snuggled in each other's arms. For once they were silent, enjoying the sweet post-love lassitude and the feel of their bodies resting against each other.

"What do you want to do today?" she eventually asked him.

"I need to go talk to Marta. Let her know I'm all right. I should have done it before now, but I was distracted."

Hermione chuckled at that.

"I was also supposed to work today," he continued, "but she's probably made other arrangements. She has a couple of cousins who help us out when one of us is indisposed. Do I remember her saying she was a squib?"

"Yes, raised Muggle."

"I had no idea. Of course, I had no idea about any of it. Then I should go see Minerva. We left rather suddenly last night. What will you do today?"

"Well, I was supposed to go to class, but I think I'll skip them."

"Why Miss Granger! Skipping class. I rather think I'm a bad influence on you."

"Isn't that wonderful? Honestly, exams are next week, and I've finished the reading. I could skip this week and take my exams and do fine. I'm not even trying to get a Muggle degree, it was something to do after I quit my job at the Ministry. I haven't decided what I want to do yet, really. What about you? What do you want to do, now that you're yourself again?"

"Honestly, I like my bookshop. I have no desire to return to teaching. And Franklin left it to me...I don't want to give it up. Though I could expand to sell rare magical texts to the wizarding part of the population."

"You could charm the broom closet into a bigger space," she mused. "Hook it to the floo, give it a charmed entrance to the street only wizards can see."

"Sounds like a lot more work. Want a job?"

"Really? Work with you and Marta?" She grinned at him. "I think I'd like that. And I do happen to need a job."

"Even if you decide later that you wish to do something else, you could help me get it all sorted."

"I'm not sure I will want to do anything else. Work in a bookshop, have time to do some private projects of my own, see my sexy lover every day. Sounds brilliant."

"Let's give it a try, then." He wrinkled up his nose. "We need a shower. We stink. And then something to eat. Merlin, I'm starving."

"Not surprising, what with the shagging like mad bunnies. And we skipped dinner last night. Ever shower with a slippery naked witch before?"

"As a matter of fact, I haven't. It sounds delightful."

Would this raging desire she had for him ever calm down? They managed to get clean first, but then he was hard again, rubbing soapsuds over her flesh, taking her nipples in his hot mouth, sliding his fingers into her secrets. And she felt as rabid for him as well. It couldn't be natural. Next thing she knew, she was bent over, her hands on the tile walls of the shower to steady herself as he thrust into her heat and rolled her clit between his fingers.

When they were through, she flinched as she sat on the lid of the toilet to dry her hair. Of course, he noticed and immediately asked what was wrong.

"I'm a little sore," she explained. "We have been quite busy and you are magnificently blessed."

She punctuated her words by running a finger down his shaft, still an impressive length, even when not erect. It twitched in reaction to her touch.

"Down boy," he said to his cock, so seriously that it made her giggle. "The lady is sore. You know there are potions for that, pet. After I speak to Minerva, I'll stop by and see Poppy."

"Do you have to tell her why I need it?" she complained.

He flashed her that devil's grin and had the audacity to laugh.

They ate breakfast, an easier task now that Hermione could use her wand. They sat together eating with occasional breaks for quick kisses and gentle touches. Hermione had never been happier in her life, and she told him so, which earned her a much longer kiss.

"What will you do while I'm gone?" he asked.

"Harry is probably back at work, but I'd like to go see Ginny if she's available. I never know what her schedule is, she works making racing brooms."

"Difficult work, but with her talent in charms, I imagine she does well."

"She does, and she really enjoys it."

She walked him to the door when he left, giving him another long kiss. He promised to send his Patronus to her when he was finished with his errands. Then he was gone, and she leaned against the door for a moment with a goofy smile on her face.