The Meeting

Disclaimer: All characters are for J.K.R. of course. Plot thought of by Betz. The other stuff belongs to me!

As always, a big thanks to the brilliant Charmed Nay for being my beta!

AN: Just a reminder that this story has "innocent!Hermione" in it. If you don't like that, I wouldn't carry on with it. :)

Severus watched the nervous woman sitting to his right closely. With trembling hands, she raised her spoon to her mouth. Part of the liquid slipped down from the corner of her mouth. He chuckled as she dabbed its remnants away. "Why, Miss Granger, is something vexing you?"

"Not at all, Professor. Why would you say that?" she asked, looking into his eyes for the first time that evening.

"You seem... disturbed. Why not join me down in the dungeons for a little while after dinner? I happen to have some Calming Draught that you are welcome to use," he said in a concerned voice. Severus had to bite his gums to keep from smirking evilly. He knew she would refuse. She was to leave to meet Libertine shortly.

"Oh, I have a... that is to say, I am meeting Ginny this evening," Hermione blurted. "Just a bit after dinner. Sorry." He could see the regret in her eyes. Interesting.

"Just tell her that you've had a change of heart and are under the weather. I'm sure, being a great friend, she would understand," he urged. "You really don't look well. You've a shadow under each eye."

"I'm fine," she retorted, sipping her broth again.

"Where did you say you and Ginny were going?" Harry asked.

Hermione jumped. "Er... it's private, Harry. Girl stuff, you know."

Harry looked at her oddly. "Right."

Severus could tell he didn't believe her. He hoped the prat wouldn't try to follow her to see exactly where she was headed. In fact, she'd better get a move on if she was to bathe and dress herself up a bit for their meeting. He wondered if she would wear a Muggle dress as she had that night when she'd gone out with her girlfriends. That would be lovely.

She pushed away from the table. "I must be going. Good evening, Professors."

"Hold on, Professor Granger. I shall escort you to your room. I happen to be going that way anyway," Severus said smoothly. He noted her guilty nod before he followed her out of the hall. "You really should rest tonight, Hermione," he said when they were alone in the corridor.

"Once I come back, I will, Severus. Thanks for your concern," she said politely.

"You seem as if... you are up to something." He saw her eyes widen. "You aren't sneaking about in hopes of freeing house-elves or some nonsense?" He raised an eyebrow while waiting for her reply. He heard the sigh of relief.

"Um, you can say that I am doing a bit of research," she said quickly. "Thank you for seeing me to my chambers."

Before she could slip inside, he put a hand on her shoulder.

"I could maybe give you a hand if you'd like." She jumped when his hand lazily trailed down her arm as he pulled it away. "I don't mind research. What are we researching?"

"Er... I shall tell you when I come to something conclusive. Now, I apologize, Severus, but I really must go," she pleaded, backing into her chambers.

Yes, my dear. You go get ready. It shall be me who helps you along in the way of your research tonight.

He hummed as he quickly made his way back to the dungeons. Yes, tonight would be productive. He hoped to steal a few kisses as well as a few caresses. He would set her mind at ease. Prepare her perfectly for their trip.

Severus quickly made his way to his special room. He'd never used the establishment that he'd reserved a room with before. The rooms were large, clean, and posh. She would likely be impressed. He took special care to soak in different bath oils than he normally used. Hermione was a clever witch. It wouldn't do for her to make that distinction. He charmed his eyes to be a dark blue and his hair to be light brown. His enchanted mask would cover most of his face, leaving only his lips, chin, and jaw lines visible. What sort of voice distortion should he use? Deeper? Younger? He flicked his wand and tested his new voice. "Miss Granger." He shrugged, finding he sounded like a younger version of Albus. Pulling his cloak and hood on, he made his way to meet her.

He waited in the shadows just off an alley near the Leaky Cauldron's rear entrance. Right at seven, she Apparated just in front of him. He hungrily took in her appearance, and his mouth dropped open. Hermione looked the same as she had at the evening meal! She'd changed clothes, but her hair was not fixed as when she'd gone out last time. To his horror, she had actually brought a book bag! Swallowing his slight disappointment, he moved forward.

"Hermione Granger?"

She spun around and smiled shyly. "Mr. Libertine?"

He nodded. "I am. Are you ready? I shall have to Apparate us."

"Er... all right then. I suppose," she said uneasily.

He pulled her to him, and being incognito, he felt compelled to press his body tightly to hers. Surely a lingering hold wouldn't scare her off. Severus closed his eyes as he Apparated them to his room, savoring and memorizing the feel of her against him. "Here we are. Please have a seat." He motioned to the settee before the fire.

"I... what do I do?" she asked nervously. "I mean... not do, do, but..." She sat quickly, pulling her bag in front of her protectively.

Hell, she reminded him of a scared student.

"Miss Granger, do not be afraid. As I told you in my letter, I will not do anything that you do not wish for me to do. We're here at your request. May I?" He indicated the spot next to her.

"Yes. Sorry. I'm just nervous. Please call me Hermione," she offered.

"Very well, Hermione. How else may I put you at ease?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"Well, what is your name?"

He blinked. Not one of the other ladies had asked what the 'R' stood for in his name. He should have known that Hermione would ask. "It's Romeo. Romeo Libertine." His eyes narrowed as she began laughing loudly. "Is my name that amusing?"

"Yes, and I wouldn't believe that to be your true name for one moment. Romeo? As in, a man devoted to the pursuit of love? Libertine? As in, one who acts without moral restraint? A dissolute man?" Hermione grinned. "I didn't think of it that way with only your last name, but when you said Romeo, I knew it was a fake. Would you like to tell me your real name?"

"No," he said shortly. "You may call me Romeo." He thought for a moment. "Unless, do you have a name you would prefer to call me?"

"Well, since Romeo is not truly your name, and you won't tell me what is, would you mind terribly if I called you by the name of Sev?" She bit her lip and had a hopeful look in her eyes.

He would not deny her. "Sev it is, Hermione. Is this a potential lover's name?" He watched as her cheeks reddened deeply.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Maybe."

"Fair enough. May I ask why you brought school books tonight?" he inquired politely.

"Oh, well, I told you. I need you to answer some questions that I have. I have been reading in this book, but I am afraid it leaves a lot to be desired. I need answers, but only a man can give them to me."

He moved closer and noticed that she stiffened. "I'm not trying to harm you. I am only getting comfortable. What else can I do to put you at ease?"

"Is this how you truly look?" she asked suddenly.

How much should he tell her? "This is not my voice, nor my hair." He hadn't changed his hair length, but it was tied back and colored.

She nodded.

"What color would you like?"

"That's fine. Your voice. Could you make it... deeper, yet softer?"

He smirked. This would be too easy. He'd already learned that she liked his name and his voice. There were so many things he could do with his voice. He could do anything, ranging from threatening someone to seducing someone, with it. To humor her, he charmed his voice to sound nearly like his true voice. This seemed to satisfy her. "Now, how would you like to start, Hermione?"

She began fumbling with her bag and pulled out a thick parchment.

What the fuck is this? A N.E.W.T. written examination?

"I've composed a list of questions that I would like to ask. I thought about putting them in true or false form, but I decided I would rather hear honest answers."

Good Lord. She'd actually composed questions. "Allow me to pour us some wine," he said softly. He summoned the bottle and two goblets to him. This was not how he had planned things. He had envisioned them talking softly near the fire, perhaps some light kisses, a couple of gentle caresses. He handed her a glass and nodded to indicate that he was ready to begin.

"All right. First of all, I'm very much an innocent. I've never taken the time to become involved with anyone. Not really. So, some of these questions... may sound odd."

"Anything you want, Hermione. It's yours."

She took a deep breath. "Which party is responsible for contraceptives?"

"Usually the wizard," he answered promptly. If he had anything to do with it, there would be no potions or enchantments for the two of them. Whatever would be, would just be. Why interfere?

"How long do two people normally see each other before making love?" She looked away from his penetrating eyes, for they seemed to be trying to look into her soul.

"That depends," he said softly. "Relationships differ. Some start off the first night they meet while some start later on."

"Do men like a woman who waits longer? Does that make him respect her more?"

"With most men, no, but I suppose it depends on the man. If I cared for a witch and knew her for a long time, a first date and then a night of passion would not be amiss," he said softly, raising his hand to brush her hair back from her brow. "You can look at me. I won't bite."

"What happens the next morning?" She met his gaze evenly.

This was new to him. What next morning? He was always gone before he'd had to face anyone. Why would he want to? But, yes, he could see her point. How would he like it to be with her? "I would think after the first time, there might be some initial shyness, but more than likely, you would just act as you normally would. Perhaps make love again, this time with the sunlight shining in, touching you on the face and infusing with your hair. I could see every expression on your face and know that I was making you feel pleasure."

She swallowed deeply.

"If you would be with me," he amended realizing what he'd said.

"I've read about... orgasms. How do you know if you've had one?" she asked, turning her eyes away from his.

He pulled her chin back to force her to look into his eyes. "Have you never had one?" he asked softly.

She shook her head.

"Well, I would love nothing more than to show you how one feels. Right here. Right now."

She scooted away.

"Wait, Hermione. There doesn't have to be any penetration."

"I... no, please. I just... my questions," she stammered apprehensively.

"I apologize for being forward." He held her free hand as she read the next question.

"How do you know if a man wants you? Is there some sign that he gives? Do you just feel it?"

"It depends on the man. Some men are hard to read. They are afraid to admit their true feelings in fear of being rejected. If you feel that you might have this type of man, let him know. Touch him." How often had he fantasized about Hermione touching him? Just a light caress on the cheek and a warm smile.

"But what if I am misreading things? Sometimes... sometimes I think he doesn't like me at all, and then other times, it seems as if he is slightly interested. He's never told me," she said carefully. "I would like to hear from his own mouth that he's interested. It would make me feel more secure."

"Do you see each other often? Date? What?" he asked innocently.

"We work together, and well, we've made plans to go on a little trip together."

Severus smirked.

She sighed contentedly. "I think something might happen, but I want to be ready. He's older than I am. I don't know if I will be... enough."

"Hermione, you are more than enough. You are a beautiful, young woman. Never think that you are not good enough or are unwanted."

"I'm afraid to kiss him," she admitted quietly. "It might ruin everything if I do it wrong."

"You can't kiss someone incorrectly," he said in disbelief. This young, vibrant woman worried about such trivial things? At the hint of tears in her eyes, he did the only thing that he could do. He slowly leaned forward and captured her lush lips with his. Severus wanted more. His tongue snaked out to lick her lower lip, and she gasped slightly. When her lips parted, he tasted her mouth for the first time. Sweet. Warm. Wet. His. He stifled a moan as her tongue began mingling with his tentatively. Her hand found his cheek, and she cupped his face softly, fingertips grazing his jaw tenderly.

When he finally pulled back to allow them a breath, he felt lightheaded. If he'd been standing, surely he would have stumbled. "That was amazing," he whispered, leaning forward again.

Breathing heavily, she placed her fingers on his lips. "I... we can't."

He nodded regretfully and waited for her to speak.

"Sev, I really liked that, but I feel as though I should wait for him to experience these things with, if he wants me."

"He would be insane to not want you."

"You don't understand. My friend's brother misunderstood something and thought that I wanted to... have sex with him last summer. He crept into my bed and tried to touch me and kiss me. I just couldn't. I left," she stood up to pace. "I'm prudish."

"How is that prudish?" he asked, masking his anger. He would kill Charlie Weasley the next time he saw him. Weasley's and Potter's words came back to him. "You simply didn't want the man. He tried to take advantage of you."

"Well, it felt wrong to have his hands on me or his lips on mine. I felt like I was being unfaithful somehow... to this guy I'm interested in now. I thought my parents would be disappointed. I wasn't ready. Mostly. I wanted to feel those things, but I couldn't just be spontaneous about it." She sat back down. "What if I freeze up with Sever... with my guy?"

Severus smirked smugly. "If he is anything like me, he'll have you relaxed and ready for anything that he wants to give you." He kissed her hand lightly. "You want him. You are paying me to give you advice for this. You won't be freezing up. You will want his hands upon you." He traced her cheeks with his fingers. "You will want his kisses." He brushed his lips to hers calmly. At her whimper, he pulled her to him to deepen the kiss, allowing one hand to tangle in her mass of hair and the other to cup her cheek. "What do you feel?" he whispered.

"Warm inside. Tingly." She sighed. "Guilty."

He allowed her to move away. His heart overflowed with emotions. She had been longing for him, and he had never known. Last year? All this wasted time had passed. They could have had the entire year together. She was here with 'another man,' but she was far from being unfaithful. She was doing this for him. To better understand him. To please him.

"What do you feel?" she asked softly.

He took her hand and placed it over his erection. When she tried to pull away, he held her hand firmly. "You feel this? This means that I want you. I am feeling many things right now. Desire is one of them." Severus was tempted to throw off his mask, pull her down to the floor, and have his way with her. He knew he couldn't. She would not be able to forgive this. She would think him to be disgusting and feel as if he'd taken advantage of things--just as Charlie Weasley had.

"It's... big," she said, her face shocked.

He smiled proudly. Well, hell yes, it's big. "It gets bigger," he whispered confidently.

She almost fell backwards as she backed away in haste.

"What?" Had he said something wrong?

"But... the drawing in my book..." She reached down for her bag, pulling out a rather large, gray book.

He wanted to laugh. A drawing?

"Look, it doesn't seem... wide or like... that!"

Severus scoffed at the picture. Obviously, the picture had been drawn for fact and not admiration. "Hermione, it's just a sketch. I am sure that some wizards may be cursed with such a minute... member, but some of us are blessed with a quite satisfying size. Why should this bother you?"

"How does that fit in here? Look at this picture on the next page!" she said, pointing to her midsection.

Severus stood up and moved behind her. "Relax. I shall explain it to you." He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to firmly massage her. He lowered his face near her ear and softly said, "Close your eyes. Pretend that I am your lover for a moment. There you are." He kissed her cheeks softly. "The first thing I would do is to be sure that you are completely comfortable. Imagine lying on a soft bed, silky sheets sliding along your naked body, and think of me next to you. My hand softly caressing your flesh, making it tingle and burn. Making you want more." At this, Severus glided a hand down her spine. "I would kiss every bit of flesh available to me. My lips and tongue would wreak havoc on your body, making those sensations build. Making you hot and making your desire flow through your veins."

His tongue lazily licked along the nape of her neck, and his lips suckled her skin. He felt her take in a sharp breath and lean back into him. "On the surface, in your bones, and deep within the folds of your essence, you would ache for me."

He brought a hand around to her chest and slowly moved down, allowing his fingertips to linger on one plump breast momentarily before moving across her abdomen, then stomach, and finally reaching her core. He wished her damn clothes and robes would vanish, but it was too soon. She wasn't quite ready for that. As his hand moved to cup her mound, he was surprised at the heat he felt radiating from her.

He smirked proudly before saying, "You would be well lubricated by your body's juices, and your body would open in welcome to accommodate my girth as I inched into you slowly, savoring the feel of your virgin flesh. Possessing you. Making you mine."

"Oh," she gasped.

"You are all woman. I feel your need even now, Hermione. There is passion lingering there, and it is longing to get out. Let me touch you," he whispered.

For a moment she appeared to give in. Her shoulders leaned back, her breathing increased in anticipation, and her legs shifted apart minutely. Then, she pulled away in surprise. "I need to leave."

"But you have more questions," he blurted in panic. Damn it! He'd gone too far this time.

"Sev, I just need to clear my head. I almost wanted..." She shook her head sadly. "I nearly betrayed him."

He wanted to say 'to hell with Severus Snape' and point out that he was not her actual lover just yet. Instead, he said softly, "It's not betrayal, Hermione, if there is nothing to betray. You and he aren't lovers yet, correct?"

"I know it sounds odd, but I just want to have him be my first. My first everything. If things don't go past that eventually, so be it. But, it is my desire to lose myself to him. Only him, if anyone." She smiled. "That sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"

He shook his head. "I'm sure he will appreciate the gift. I won't touch you like that again. Perhaps I did go a tad too far. I apologize."

"Well, it's my fault, really. I'm the one who allowed it," she said softly. "I think it's time for me to go. I need to think, and with my body feeling like this, I won't be able to concentrate."

He nodded sadly. He wasn't ready for this to end. Not yet.

"When is your trip?" he asked quickly.

"Not next weekend but the one after," she said as she placed her parchment and book back into her bag. "Why?"

"Come back to me next Saturday. Same time. Apparate here. We'll start again, and I will keep my hands to myself," he said, hoping she would accept. He could not wait two solid weeks before having her in his arms again. If only he had the courage to approach her as himself. Why couldn't he just do that? He could, but he wouldn't. "We can go over everything that you've not had the chance to ask tonight. I could give you advice on attire, how to touch him, anything." Just please say you'll come.

"I'll think about it, and I'll owl you. Is that fair enough?"

He could see that she wanted to come back, but her blasted conscience was trying to dictate her actions.

"Yes. I want to thank you for tonight, Hermione. No woman has ever been as satisfying as your company," he purred. "May I kiss you once more?"

She bit her lip to look away for a moment. "Well, all right. I suppose it will be..."

His lips cut off the flow of words. Severus would be sure to give her something to dream about this night. With one hand on the small of her back and the other tangled in her hair, his mouth expertly molded itself to hers, and his tongue seduced hers in a series of gentle dances. Severus groaned as he felt her press into him. He didn't care if his erection was plowing into her stomach. He just wanted to feel her. His lips left hers to kiss a fiery path along her neck towards her ear. He suckled and licked her lobe before whispering, "You are flawless. Immaculate." He was rewarded by a small moan and tender hands that began caressing his hair and cupping his face.

Before he realized what was happening, she pulled away, and with a CRACK, she was gone. She'd Disapparated away from him, and he felt the loss immediately. If she didn't owl him by Wednesday, he would owl her and ask her to meet him again. He needed to see her. Severus sat down before the fire to contemplate the night's events and to polish off the rest of the wine. "She'll be back," he whispered confidently. He'd see to it.

A/N: I just loved the idea of her showing up to a meeting with a gigolo as if it would be another class. Hahahahaha! Hope you enjoyed this one. Next up...

We'll see how Hermione felt about Mr. Libertine!