Another 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!

"Harry, would you mind coming to have a talk with me in my office?" Hermione asked softly. She could see that he was puzzled. "It'll only take a few moments. I promise."

"Sure," he said, putting down his bag on her desk in the classroom. "What's wrong?"

She hugged him tightly. "Harry, I am always here for you if you need me. I wish that you would have come to me."

Harry raised an eyebrow, but allowed his friend to hug him. It did feel comforting to have Hermione's arms around him. She'd been one of his closest friends since his first year at Hogwarts. They'd endured everything together. That said, he had no idea what she was on about. "Er... right then. What is it I should have come to you about? If this is about the fight last night, I had things under control. Honestly."

"Fight?" Hermione asked, confusion etched on her face. "Did Charlie tell you what Severus did to him? And why?"

"Yeah, he came in all peeved about Snape having a go at him for apparently no reason." Harry chuckled. "The others were angry, but then Charlie said that he'd been having a private word with you. That was all it took to set Ron off. He laid into him as well. Bill and Percy tried to pull them apart, but they ended up at it as well. The twins just sort of shrugged and joined in. Charlie's nose was a bit on the large side, I'd say."

"Good grief! I had no idea. No wonder Ron looked so tired this morning. He must have covered his bruises then," Hermione said with a laugh. "Harry, I was talking about Ginny." She saw his expression darken immediately.

"Told you, did she?"

Hermione nodded. "She just needed someone to talk to about it. I've not told anyone, and I won't. I just wish that you had been able to talk to me about it. This must have been a large burden on your shoulders. You needn't have carried that around alone."

Harry smiled. "Well, I kind of did have someone to talk to about it. I had to tell him at wandpoint, but he at least listened to me."

"Ron knows?" Hermione exclaimed.

Why hadn't they had it out? It seemed unlikely that Ron would not have mentioned something about it. He was never one for subtlety.

"Of course Ron doesn't know. Snape. He's the one." Harry ran his fingers through his hair. "He saw us together and threatened to tell Draco if I didn't explain. I felt I had no choice. Turns out that he... kept quiet."

"Sever... Professor Snape? Well, I must admit that this is a surprise," Hermione said softly. "No matter. I still wish that you would have come to me."

"Well, you know, I'm not the only one who talks to Ginny. You should have come to me as well, Hermione," Harry admonished. "This works both ways, doesn't it? You had your secret, and I had mine."

"S-secret? What are you playing at, Harry?" she asked nervously. She would kill Ginny if she told Harry about Libertine. She had trusted her.

"Well, I've been watching the way he looks at you. I mentioned it to Ginny, and she tells me that you just might fancy our Potions master!" Harry nodded as if to drive in his point. "That's right. Talked to him about it, and I had to hear it from him that you two were going to go to the pub together. What say you on that?"

"Er... I was going to mention it to you, but I didn't know how you'd feel," she said. "I do care about him, you know. I want to get to know him better."

Harry gave her a lopsided grin. "Well, I want you to be happy. If he is what you want, go for it. It might not be so bad, Snape and you. As for me, I'm hoping that Ginny is carrying Draco's child. It's only right."

"Are you sure, Harry? You used to love her so much, and I know that you want a family. Will you be all right if the baby isn't for you?" Hermione asked, tightening her hold on him. She could feel him tensing up.

"I might be a little disappointed, but trust me, Hermione, my joy will overshadow any disappointment that I have. My time will come. I just hope it will be the right time, and I hope it will be with the right girl." Harry kissed her nose. "Are we done here? I have to go off to meet her to find out."

"Yes. I just wanted to let you know that I am here for you. Always will be," she said firmly.

He nodded and hugged her one last time before leaving.

Hermione looked at her calendar. In two nights, she would be in Libertine's room again. In just over a week, she would be with Severus down on the coast. Things had never looked better for her. She only hoped that Harry had a chance to find someone of his own. It would be a pity for Ginny or him to feel obligated to make things work just for a baby.

She suddenly felt guilty about meeting with Libertine. Severus need never know about it, but she still felt the culpable pangs nonetheless. One thing had cemented in her mind what she had to do. Charlie's words came back to her again.

Next time I'll be sure not to ask a frigid, little girl to my bed. One that won't back out when I'm an inch from delving into her knickers. One that won't freeze up and then try to run.

Severus's words came back to her as well. The words that she had fallen asleep to the night before. Those words and the memory of his lips tenderly kissing her hands.

Hermione, I'm not used to this. It will just take a little time, but I've read over your letter numerous times. I liked what you had to say.

He didn't make her feel like a child. He'd even said that she was a woman. She had worried that he didn't want her when he hadn't replied to her note, but quite the contrary! He'd thought about it since that day, and he'd read over her letter multiple times. This was why she needed to be experienced. She needed to know how to please this man. If she could just have a good first impression with him, then the rest would fall into place for them.

Hermione made a list. First, she would bring some outfits and get advice on them. Second, she would ask what really put a man in the mood. Third, she would ask him to let her touch him. She didn't necessarily care to see it, but she wanted to touch him. Learn how to caress him perfectly, in any way really. Just so Severus approved. Yes, it was sort of like cheating on Severus, but then again, not exactly. Hell, he wasn't her man. He'd had experiences, and she would have this.

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Severus heard a soft knock on his office door. It was nearly midnight. He wasn't sure who would be looking for him at this time of night. "Enter," he called anyway. The door opened, and Potter walked in. Good Lord! He'd made one friendly gesture, and now the boy would show up uninvited? "Yes?" He allowed his annoyance to seep into his voice.

"We're back," he said, sitting down. "It's for Draco. It's not mine!"

"Congratulations," Severus offered dryly, relief sweeping through his body. "I trust Miss Weasley is pleased?"

"Much," Harry said, nodding. "There is another reason that I am here, sir. I wonder if we might have a word about Hermione."

"What about Miss Granger?"

"I had a talk with her earlier, and she admitted to having feelings for you. I just hope that you realize that, and I hope that you don't take advantage of those feelings," Harry said firmly.

"Potter! You forget yourself, boy," Severus said with a sneer. "I'll not have you come into my office and suggest that I have less than appropriate thoughts where a colleague is concerned."

"I didn't say they were inappropriate," Harry said hotly. "Just my way of asking for you not to hurt her, and my way of letting you know that I will be watching."

Severus chuckled deeply. "Yes, the ever watchful eyes of the brat who lived are upon me. Get out, Potter."

"Thanks," Harry said, beaming brightly.

What the bloody hell? He'd just insulted the boy, and here he was smiling as if he'd invited him over for dinner. It would be prudent to not extend any pleasantries to the boy again. He'd only given him a bit of draught, and now he was acting as if they were... mates. Severus shivered.

Thankfully, he hadn't heard from Lonnie again. His other client had not replied to his letter either. He had put an Owl Finding Nullification Spell on his person. No one would be able to owl Libertine, save Hermione. He had still been receiving some requests even though his ad had been canceled. Most likely, they were witches who had seen an old ad. The owls were a bit much, so he made Libertine untraceable except to one witch.

If he admitted the truth, only if, he was worried about client number four, Lonnie. She had threatened to destroy him publicly if she found out his identity. Any future owls from her were bound to be hexed, Howlers, or more threats. Just the thought of eating a meal with Hermione near while a Howler exploded in front of them had him worried. She could never know.

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Hermione placed her packed bag on her shoulder while looking into the mirror one last time. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail to keep it out of the way. She had applied only a light touch of make-up on her face, and she'd dressed nicely. Libertine, here I come. She exited her portrait, allowing Crookshanks to enter, and made her way toward the front gates of Hogwarts. She hadn't heard anything else from the man, so she imagined that their meeting was still on. Apparating into the room while others occupied it didn't appeal to her. She closed her eyes, remembering her destination easily, and she Apparated there.

Libertine was sitting on the settee, looking ravishing once again. Hermione noticed that a couple of his buttons on his expensive shirt had been unbuttoned. She could just make out a hint of dark hair on his chest. His dark blue eyes watched her intently, taking in her appearance. "Hi," she said softly. "I am really sorry about not paying you last week. I didn't do that on purpose. Honest."

"I know," he said easily. "Sit with me." He patted the empty spot next to him.

Severus had vowed to not kiss her this night. He would only enjoy her company. There would be no advances made on her. If they kissed too much, she might realize who he was once he had his way with her. Just spending quiet time alone with her was enough. He noted that she had her bag again and smiled faintly. Yes, he would answer whatever questions she had without touching her soft skin, kissing those lush lips, or pulling her hair down to hang about wildly on her back.

Damn! Stop it, Severus. Relax.

"Wine?"

"No, thanks. I don't want it to interfere with my potion," she said, opening her bag.

"Potion?" he asked curiously.

"Yes. Calming Draught."

"Hermione, surely you didn't need that. I promised that I would not touch you, and I intend to keep that promise. You are safe with me this night," he said softly.

"But I intend to touch you, Mr. Libertine... er... Sev." She smiled when the man appeared to blanch. "I need to learn how to touch you. I will be alone with him in exactly one week. I have to be prepared, just in case. I don't want him to not want me."

I do want you. "I've told you before; there is no way that he would not want you, Hermione. You are perfection." He swallowed deeply as she pulled out something black and lacy from her bag. Good Lord! She wasn't going to make this easy, was she?

"I still want the practice. All right. There is this negligee, which I think is sexy, but it's rather uncomfortable. The fabric makes me itch a bit, and it's not as soft as it looks." She then pulled out a silky red nightgown. It was very short and dipped softly at the neckline, likely to show off cleavage. "I really like this one, and it is comfortable. Here, I have matching knickers as well. Anyway, I know this one isn't as sexy as the other one, but if I would ask to make love to you, which would you want to see me in?"

Gulp. Hell, both of them, nothing. He didn't care. "They are both sexy. I think it would depend on his tastes. Try not to forget that you do not only need to please your partner, but also yourself. Why wear something you feel uncomfortable in."

She pulled out her wand, and with a wave, her current attire was replaced by the red nightgown. Severus groaned as she stood up to model it for him. It reached only a few inches below her bum, and he had been right. Her ample cleavage was outlined perfectly with the low neckline.

"Is this all right? Does it hide my... lumps?"

"Lumps?" He knew there was not a lumpy portion on her body. "I see nothing that would suggest that your body was anything less than immaculate." His groin agreed as he felt himself hardening.

"Thanks," she said with a smile. "I am still nervous about this, even though I drank an entire vial of the potion." She moved to sit back next to him. Hermione pulled out a parchment, read over a few things, and placed it back into her bag. "I'm ready now. I don't want to be seen as a frigid little girl. I want to be seen as a warm responsive woman. What could I do to make you want me?"

Just be in the same room with me. "I want you already, Hermione," he said suddenly, moving closer.

"Please, help me," she pleaded. "He is rather distant at times, and I want to get him to focus on me. What can I do?"

"I need the loo. I'll only be a moment," he said quickly, practically bolting to the door. He closed the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily. He wanted her. Now. His vows of not touching her were quickly disintegrating. She was beautiful. Her sweet disposition, her innocence, and her lovely face were forcing him to rethink his plans. How could he do this without her knowing it was truly he?

Next weekend, he would make love to her, over and over if he had his way. Would she know? Could she notice? He would deal with that when the time came. This gift tonight was more than he could refuse. Severus pointed his wand to his bollocks and whispered an enlargement charm, giving them an oddly bulky look. He dared not meddle with his penis, but this one little difference in his bits might throw her off.

If he knew Hermione, she would memorize everything. For good measure, he cast a spell that placed a dark, hourglass-shaped birthmark on his inner thigh. There. That would not go unnoticed. He hoped it would be enough. Opening the door, he slowly made his way back to the temptress in the red, satin nightgown. When he sat, he made sure that their thighs were touching, and he placed his arm behind her on the back of the settee. "I need you to do something for me. Imagine that I am your lover. We've just had a nice dinner and are now chatting before the fire. I'm leaning into you, meaning that I am interested, but I am not sure how to initiate without knowing if you are willing or not. I've made the first move. What do you think you should do now?"

"I... I should lean into you, maybe place my hand on your thigh?"

Gulp. "Exactly."

Hermione snuggled into his body, and her hand moved to rest just above his knee.

Severus found himself leaning closer to her; his lips grazed her hairline softly. She turned to look at him with surprise on her face. His lips captured hers for a soft kiss. He didn't try to deepen the kiss, merely enjoying the feel of her lips pressed to his.

She pulled back after a moment. "So, it worked!" She beamed brightly. "That was brilliant!" The hand on his leg had worked its way up slightly, and she squeezed his thigh in her excitement.

He looked down for a moment. When he looked back up, he saw that her eyes had fallen to her hand as well. It was only inches away from his erection.

She never looked back at his face, but she concentrated on her fingers. Lightly, they were rubbing his thigh in slow circular movements, inching ever so closely to him.

"Touch me," he growled.

Hermione jumped, but she didn't pull away. Timidly her fingers passed over the bulge in his pants. He heard her sharp intake of air as she moved back up to gingerly cup him in her palm. She applied a little more pressure, and when his penis pushed back, she snatched her hand away.

Shocked eyes finally met his. "It moved. On its own."

He bit back a deep laugh, not wanting to embarrass her. "Yes, call it a reflex," he offered softly. "Did you feel how hard I am?" She nodded and bit her lip. "That means that you are successful in making me want you. Your man will be no different than I am. I promise you. Just be yourself, Hermione. Just as you are this night."

"Iwannaseeyou," she said in a rushed whisper.

"Sorry?" he asked, tilting his head instinctively to hear her better.

"I want to... see you," she said. This time her voice had a firm resolve behind it.

Severus' insides began to burn with need. The woman was driving him mad with her innocence and curiosity. "Are you sure?" he asked. When she nodded her agreement, a wave of his hands dimmed all the lanterns. The darkened room seemed to put them both at ease. The less she could actually see of him, the better it would be for their situation. He could feel where this was going. Hermione would be seduced. He wanted to do it. He hated that he was taking advantage of the situation, but her scent, her touch, her everything... being so near. It was too much. He needed her.

To give her one last chance to back out, he manually, slowly, began unfastening the many buttons on his trousers. "Hermione, if you should touch me too much, I don't know if I will be able to stand it. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"I'll... I'll only touch it a little," she said, eyes darting to his underpants.

After kicking his trousers to the side, he pulled her into his arms quickly. CRACK! He Apparated them to the bed where she gasped and struggled to move for a moment.

"It's all right," he murmured. "Just relaxing." In the dim lighting, he could just make out her relief. "Pull down my boxers, Hermione."

She mentally counted to ten before placing her fingers in the hem of his underpants. She could do this. She was brave. This was for Severus. She just needed this practice to know how to please him. There was nothing wrong with a little looking and a little touching. Not at this stage in her relationship with Severus. If one could call it that.

"Is there a certain way?"

"Anyway you feel comfortable. Slowness builds anticipation while speed brings the pleasure sooner. You decide when you feel what pace your interlude is taking. If you can't wait to get your hands on me, rip them aside and throw yourself at me. If you want to learn my body, savor it, then be slow. Explore. We've all night. I won't object to anything that you do," he said silkily.

She nodded. Slow it would be. She wanted to explore this man. He was so much like Severus. More than he realized. He lifted his body from the bed as she began easing down the clothing. The solid erection that had been tenting his underpants sprang out, begging to be touched. Hermione briefly wished there was more lighting, as she noticed some sort of scar or birthmark on her gigolo's leg. One finger traced it lightly before trailing a path through his thick thatch of dark hair. He kicked off his underpants once they were lowered enough, and Hermione turned all of her attention to the proud display before her.

Anticipation. She allowed her nails to scrape all around his penis and eventually find his bollocks. Good Lord, but they were large. Definitely nothing like the picture in the book. Libertine groaned slightly as her fingers began fondling his bits. Hermione bit back the desire to lean forward for a taste of his skin. Where had that thought come from? As she kneaded the sac and the flesh of his thighs, he began to squirm and arch towards her. Feeling proud to have received such a reaction from him, she rewarded him by tracing the outline of his thick shaft with both hands. She felt it quivering beneath her palms.

"How do I know if I am doing this too roughly? I mean, I don't want to hurt you."

"You... won't," he choked out, arching into her hands. He groaned slightly as she applied more pressure.

She braced herself with one hand, leaving only one to prod, squeeze, and travel up and down his length. "Is this all right?" she asked excitedly. She could see that his eyes were closed, and his head was thrown back in ecstasy.

"Yes," he hissed. Suddenly, his hand reached down to guide hers.

She quickly learnt to apply more pressure and move more rapidly. She could feel some sort of wetness hitting her hand near his tip. "Is that...? Have you just...?" She wasn't sure how to voice it.

"No," he grunted. Not yet. "That just happens when a male is aroused. It's like a prelude of what's to come."

Feeling a bit daring, she grasped him more firmly and increased her actions while her other hand slid down between his thighs to grope his sac.

"Don't...stop. Faster. Harder."

She obeyed, not exactly sure what to expect. All she knew was that she was making him feel good. If Severus were as responsive as this man was to her, then they would get along fine. Libertine began groaning and pumping into her hand rapidly.

She felt some wet drops of liquid raining down on her hands and forearms. "What...?" Then, it dawned on her. She had just given him an orgasm. A real climax delivered by her hands! She wanted to squeal with delight. Unsure of what to do now, she continued to stroke him until his hands reached down to stop her.

"When," he panted, "you feel me orgasm, you may begin to slow your strokes. It will help bring me back down, and I can enjoy it without there being a threat of over-sensitization." He moved to his side to reach for his wand. Cleaning off his member and her hands, he asked if she was all right.

"I'm fine." She sat back on her knees. "I think."

He wanted desperately to pull her down and return the favor, but something had changed. She seemed suddenly distant. "Hermione? What's wrong, love?" he asked tenderly, sitting up to take her hands in his.

Her teary eyes met his. "I feel like a whore."

Holy shit! "Don't you ever think that way about yourself," he chided. "You are no whore. If you were, then you would have..." Blast! He'd nearly went off about the Charlie ordeal. What a way to blow your cover, idiot! "You would have made love to me last week, been all over me tonight, and would have had numerous other lovers. You have saved yourself for someone special. That is not a whore."

"But I just... I had sex with someone whose name I don't even know," she said sadly. "My mother would think... I only meant to look and maybe just touch."

"Sex? Hermione, this is a form of sex, yes, but you did not give your body to me. You simply gave me a desired gift. You wanted the experience to please your lover." He hoped his words were making sense.

"But I liked making you feel good. You are not Severus. Not really. Only in my imagination. I feel as though I have betrayed him. Do you know how disappointed in me he would be? I just fondled and brought someone that feels nothing for me to an orgasm. It seems like such a sacred act. He would believe I was terrible," she said softly.

Not knowing what else to do, he pulled her face to his and kissed her soundly. Her mouth finally opened after moments of prodding with his tongue.

Time seemed to stand still for both of them. There was nothing but that kiss in the world. No other people. He finally broke away to stare into her eyes. "I love you," he whispered. She blinked a few times.

"What?"

Shit! What the fuck? Damn! Severus tried to smile. "I could love you so easily," he amended. "If things do not work out with your man, I would love to have you and call you my own. You are everything I could ever want in a woman," he said honestly, hoping his voice proved his sincerity.

Hermione hugged him tightly. Apparently, those were the words she needed to hear. The only bad thing, Severus thought glumly, was that damn Libertine had been the one to say them. He knew that he would have to do something soon to wipe away this closeness Hermione felt for her gigolo.

"I hope he feels that way about me one day," she whispered. Lying back, pulling her with him, he began to rub her back slowly. He pulled her elastic out of her hair in order to free her wild curls.

When she didn't pull away, he dared to cup one cheek of her bum with his other hand. "Hermione, I can't control myself. I want you. If you don't want this, please, leave now. I don't want you to regret anything tomorrow."

She pulled away from him. "Sev, I... thanks." She kissed his lips softly before springing away from the bed. He never left the bed as she gathered her things and put her other clothes back on. She fumbled around for her hair elastic, but it was likely in the bed. She didn't want to torture the poor man any more than she had already. Placing an envelope with a considerable amount of money on the table, she Disapparated back to the gates of Hogwarts. Something felt terrible to her.

Had he been serious? Could he have possibly fallen for her in only two meetings? She felt guilty for hurting him, and she felt guilty for betraying Severus. There was nothing that she could do for Libertine except stay away. No matter what happened the next weekend, she would stay away from Libertine. Hermione hurried to her chambers for a hot bath.

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Early the next morning, Hermione awoke to a tapping on her window. It was a large, pale owl. She opened the window, took the parchment, and gave him an owl treat before sending him on his way. Libertine had owled her.

Dearest Hermione,

Sev Libertine

A teary-eyed Hermione placed the note in a book and hid it on a shelf. She was unsure if she should reply to the man or not. She had left more than enough money for him, so there was no excuse there. If she responded to his letter, then he might feel obliged to respond back. It would be better all around if that didn't happen. She was glad that she had met Libertine, and she would be grateful for the new confidence that he had given her. However, she would always wonder who he truly was, how he looked under his mask, what his real name was, and what might have been if circumstances would have been different. But only just a little. She had Severus to worry about and to try to love. He was the reason she had paid someone to spend time with her in the first place.

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Meanwhile, down in the dungeons, a solemn Professor Snape paced back and forth, cradling her hair elastic in his hand. He'd not slept all night. Her hands, her lips, her hair, her body, her eyes... fuck, all of her. They were plaguing him. How would he make it through the week without touching her? Did she feel guilty still? How much time would she need before he could approach her?

Severus kissed the elastic in his hand. He would ask her to come to his chambers Wednesday night under the guise of needing to make final preparations. Smirking to himself, he finally laid down in his bed. He wrapped the hair tie around his wrist to feel something of her with him. Hermione Granger would be his. Soon.

A/N: Up next: Each of them deal with odd feelings, and Hermione and Severus make plans for the weekend. Lonnie's note makes an appearance.