Severus

General disclaimer goes here. I don't own anything you are familiar with. I'd like to give a special thanks to harrypotterfan2005 for helping me through some terribly bad writer's block with this one. She's a real jumpstart to the muse! Please read and review! And enjoy, too!

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CHAPTER 6: Severus

"Are you sure you didn't leave anything, Andromeda?" Hermione asked, crouching in the floor next to a tearful Andromeda Snape. A teddy bear hung from the little girl's right hand while her left rubbed angrily at her eyes, which were glassy with tears. Andromeda nodded glumly and snuffled. It broke Hermione's heart to see her this way. She sighed heavily and drew the little girl into her arms.

"I don't want you to leave either, little love, but you have to go home now that your dad is out of the hospital. I'm going to tell you a secret, are you ready?" She pulled back to look into Andromeda's face. Her green eyes were brightening slightly and her snuffles were becoming quieter. "We're not saying goodbye. You see; Daddy and I made a deal today while you were asleep. I'm still going to see you every day, sweetheart. How does that sound?"

Andromeda managed a watery smile before she threw her arms around Hermione's neck and hugged her as tight as she could manage. "Will you tell Daddy where to start in my book for my bedtime story?"

"I can do better than that. I'm going to come and have dinner with you every night. I'll be there until you go to sleep, so I can finish reading your book to you." Hermione was sitting cross-legged on the floor now, cradling Andromeda in her lap and speaking in soothing tones. "I want you to know something, Andromeda. I'm going to love you know matter what happens, even if we aren't together. You are always going to be my little love, and no one will ever take that away from you."

The little girl smiled a little brighter and whispered, "Can I tell you a secret, Herminny?" Andromeda put her lips next to Hermione's ear. "I told Daddy that I want you to be my Mummy."

~~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~~

Severus sank stiffly onto the sofa in his sitting room and stared into the fireplace. He had been working since he had been released from the hospital wing, packing Samantha's clothes and jewelry in boxes and putting them back in a closet for Andromeda. He had gathered Samantha's photographs together and packaged them together to mail to her parents. Her books were still on the shelves with his own collection, and a few photographs of them together waved at him from the walls. For a moment, he smiled softly at the image of his wife waving down at him, her auburn curls falling over her shoulder as she rocked an infant Andromeda to sleep.

Being in their home had impressed upon him how much he missed her. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back onto the sofa, thinking about the vision...he could think of nothing else to call it...that he had had of Samantha. She had been fond of Hermione since her first day teaching at Hogwarts. It was as if they had an unseen connection that brought out the best in both of them. Severus could not count how many times he saw the two in the corridors together, walking to the library or to the Great Hall and discussing Charms or Defense Against the Dark Arts. Where Hermione helped Samantha get used to life at Hogwarts, Samantha helped Hermione grow into a rather attractive young woman. He might not have admitted it, but he noticed it.

Severus stood and stretched, still terribly sore from lying on his back for three weeks. He was expecting Hermione to arrive with Andromeda around six, and it was already five-thirty. Groaning, he crossed his arms over his chest and called for a house-elf to order dinner. The tiny creature appeared, bowing so that its long, pencil-like nose touched the carpet and bat-like ears flopped forward.

"What can Missy do for Master Severus?" the house-elf squeaked. "Master is not ill again? Master just came home from the hospital!"

Severus smiled and patted the house-elf on the head. "No, Missy, I am quite alright. I'm just getting ready for Andromeda to come home, and I would like to have some dinner delivered. Would you please bring whatever is being served in the Great Hall with settings for three?"

"Three, Master Severus?" the house-elf looked up quizzically, obviously considering the fact that everyone in the castle knew of Samantha's death. "Is the Headmaster dining with you?"

"No, Professor Granger has been taking care of Andromeda while I was in the hospital wing. She will be having dinner here for a while," he replied, pulling out his wand and transfigured Samantha's desk into a round dinner table with three chairs. "If you'd just put it over there when you bring it, Missy. Oh, and please bring some macaroni and cheese for Andromeda, would you?"

With a swift nod and a crack the house-elf disappeared. Alone again, Severus felt terribly nervous and very guilt ridden. His wife had been dead almost a month, and he was already having another woman over for dinner. It was Hermione Granger, true, but he could not shake the memory of how comfortable he felt in her presence. It was almost like he had Samantha back.

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The knock on the door made Severus jump as he finished setting the food out on the table. He sat down the pitcher of Andromeda's favorite juice and crossed the room to answer the door. Hermione was carrying Andromeda on her hip, the little girl's face buried in the crook of her neck and her arms thrown over her shoulders. Andromeda's things floated in the air behind her.

Severus heard a sniffle and reached out to take his daughter in his arms. "Love, what's the matter?" he cooed, rubbing his palms over her back when she refused to let go of Hermione. "She's not feeling ill, is she?"

Hermione smiled warmly and shook her head. "She didn't want to leave. She's been clinging to me since I told her she was coming home." She turned her head toward the little girl in her arms and spoke softly in her ear. "Little love, look who I found."

Andromeda squirmed around in Hermione's arms and smiled softly at her father. He smiled back and held out his hands to her. She seemed to think about his offer for a moment before she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, twining her fingers in his hair. Severus felt tears prickling behind his eyes as he held his daughter close to his chest. There was something different about the way he felt now, standing in his sitting room with Hermione next to him and his daughter in his arms. He breathed deeply and stood aside to let Hermione through. She settled Andromeda's trunk in the corner and looked around the room nervously.

"Andromeda's probably hungry," she said, turning her hands in front of her. "She didn't eat much at lunch today. I'll go fix her plate."

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Hermione shut Andromeda's bedroom door softly later that evening, a well-worn volume hugged against her chest. She smiled warmly at the sight of Severus reclining on the sofa with a photo album in his lap. She watched him for a moment, his long, thin fingers grazing over the pages, before clearing her throat. "Andromeda's asleep," she said softly, avoiding his eyes. Suddenly, she didn't really feel like leaving, even though she knew she should. "Thank you for dinner, Severus. I suppose I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow?"

Severus nodded, closing the album and placing it on the coffee table as he stood up. "I should think so. I rather miss the bustle of the Great Hall after so long in the hospital. I'm sure Andromeda will be desperate to see you."

"I'll miss my little love tonight, I'm so used to her crawling into bed with me after a nightmare." She smiled sadly and looked at him, tilting her head to the side as if she were seeing him for the first time. The tip of her tongue darted out, wetting her lips slightly and drawing his eyes away from hers. She rose onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips gently against his. "Good night, Severus."

She smiled at him warmly and left him standing there, in the middle of his sitting room, staring after her as she swept out of his quarters. He could still feel the warmth of her lips and the momentary pressure of her body against his as he peeked into Andromeda's bedroom, brushing her curls away from her forehead and kissing her gently. Severus shut the door softly and extinguished the lights in the sitting room before staggering off to his bedroom, feeling slightly dizzy.

As he shrugged out of his robes, Severus groaned, feeling the tightness of his trousers. "Oh, dear gods!" he cursed. His boxers were tented with an erection he would have been proud of if it hadn't been for the fact that someone other than his wife had aroused him. "Not only am I a terrible, lecherous old man, I'm an adulterer, too!" He flung himself onto the bed, stubbornly determined to ignore the throbbing erection Hermione's touch had excited.

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Severus found himself being drawn through a thin, gray mist, his brain thoroughly muddled as to where he was and why. His face was warm, as if the sun were shining down on him, but there was no light to be seen. A soft, thick carpet of grass tickled his feet as he moved forward through the thinning mist. He could hear the sounds of voices, near enough that he could tell it was a man and a woman, but far enough away that he could not discern what they were saying.

The mist faded away, revealing a valley landscape that was enough to take his breath away. Sloping mountains rolled downwards, their grass covered shoulders giving way to a long and shaded valley filled with branching trees and sweet-smelling flowers. Severus breathed in the comforting aroma, his black eyes drifting closed as a breeze whipped through the valley and tousled his hair. When his eyes opened again, he saw an ancient archway standing unsupported at the foot of the nearest mountain. A dark blue veil fluttered in the breeze that still refreshed the air around him. He smiled.

"Samantha?" he said, questioningly. He looked around for the people whose voices he'd heard, but saw only mountains, trees, and flowers. Suddenly, he stiffened, the feeling that he was being watched running through him. He felt a hand on his arm and turned to see Samantha standing next to him, smiling.

"Merlin, but you are a stubborn man, aren't you, Severus?" she said, laughter in her voice. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and took his hand, guiding him into a sitting position on the grass next to her. "We really must deal with this. Hermione is destined for you, no matter how much you may want to fight it. Did you not wonder why I was brought to you first? True, Hermione and I grew to know and love each other in my time at Hogwarts, but as much as you loved me, you would never have looked at her the same way. Even if you had known then what you know now.

"Hermione had to grow up, to see a world outside of Hogwarts and make her choice about which world she would inhabit before you would look at her the same way you looked at me. You are an honorable man, Severus, with an acute sense of what is right and wrong. You would never have looked at her in a romantic, let alone a sexual, way while she was still a student. And so, I was destined for you first," she said softly, looking into his dark eyes. Confidence and knowledge crackled in the air around her, making his skin tingle. "I was destined to bear your first born and to see you through the last of your days as a spy."

Samantha looked away from him for a moment, tears stinging her wide green eyes. "I think I knew even in life that I wouldn't have long with you. Somehow, the more time I spent with her, the more I came to realize that she loved you, too. She would never have said or done anything about it. No, you see, Hermione is an honorable young woman. You were married, and then you were a father. She would love you, but she would do it in silence to ensure that you were happy."

"Then what am I to do, Samantha?" he questioned, drawing her attention back to him. "You've been gone not even a month and yet I think of Hermione in ways a widower shouldn't think of the girl helping him with his daughter."

Samantha smoothed his hair and smiled softly. "There isn't anything wrong with the way you feel, love. You are supposed to love her, just as you were supposed to love me. You are human, Severus, there is nothing shameful to desire companionship. I give you my blessing as far as Hermione goes. She deserves to be happy, and she will be happy with you. Go to her."

~~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~HG~~SS~~~

"Andromeda's asleep," Hermione whispered, sinking onto the sofa next to Severus, who was staring at the fireplace. She watched the flames play over his face, causing his fathomless black eyes to glitter. The sitting room was warmer than usual and she shrugged out of her robes, leaving her clad in a pair of Muggle jeans and jumper. A shadow of something flickered across his face and Hermione placed her hand on top of his. "Is something the matter, Severus?"

He surprised her by lacing his fingers with hers and smiling softly at her. "Everything's fine," he said, gently tugging her closer. Hermione sighed happily and rested her head against his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Do you have to leave tonight, Hermione?"

Hesitating for a second, she shook her head. "Not if you don't want me to." She looked up at him and smiled, her eyes shining amber in the firelight. His black eyes glittered back at her as he traced her cheek with the tips of his fingers. His hair tickled against her face as he leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

"I don't want you to," he whispered against her skin, feeling the slight shiver go through her as his warm breath washed over her. He kissed the corner of her mouth softly before sliding his lips over hers. The warmth and softness of her engulfed him as she sighed quietly, her lips opening to him slightly. Severus groaned and pulled her closer until she was straddled over his lap, his tongue sweeping against hers as her fingers found their way into his raven hair. He wrapped his arms around her, crushing her against his chest, and practically growled as she began kissing him in earnest.

Hermione drew back, gasping for breath, and smiled nervously. Her cheeks were pink with color and her pupils were dilated until only a thin ring of amber was visible. Her chest heaved with her labored breathing, thrusting her breasts forward into his face. She shivered again as his hand slithered under her jumper, skimming over her heated skin in feathered touches. Her eyes drifted closed as her head fell back, her curls cascading down her back. Severus leaned forward, kissing and nibbling at her exposed throat as his fingers tickled over her breast.

"Oh, Severus," she whispered, closing her hand over the one that was kneading her flesh. His voice rumbled some unintelligible words against her throat as the fingers of his other hand dipped beneath the waistband of her jeans. She swallowed hard, her panting breath washing over his hair. "Shouldn't we go somewhere else? What if Andromeda wakes up?"

He sobered momentarily at the reminder that his daughter was in the next room. "Hmm, yes, perhaps we should move this to the bedroom," he murmured, still stroking his hands up and down her back. Hermione climbed off his lap, her tousled curls falling around her shoulders and her eyes smoldering as she looked down at him. He stood and swept her into his arms, carrying her into his bedroom and shutting the door behind them with his foot.

When she had been set on her feet, Severus drew his wand from his pocket and cast a Silencing Charm as well as one to lock the door. The fire sprang to life in the hearth, bathing the room in a soft glow as they stood watching each other for a moment. Severus threw off his robes and began undoing the multitude of buttons on his coat and shirt as he watched her. Hermione chewed on her bottom lip, her fingers playing nervously through her hair as she watched him undress.

"Hermione," he whispered as his shirt and coat fell to the floor. He toed off his shoes and struggled out of his socks before crossing the room toward her. He grasped her by the waist and pulled her roughly to him, bruising her lips with his kiss as his fingers wound around the hem of her shirt. He tugged the fabric over her head when he pulled away, panting for breath. "So beautiful," he growled.

Hermione's head fell back when he took her in his arms again, the feel of skin on skin overwhelming her. Her arms were wrapped around his waist as his fingers worked at the clasp of her bra. Once he had flicked the clasp open, he drew the lace and satin garment down her arms and tossed it over his shoulder.

"Get on the bed, love," he purred, deftly snapping the button of her jeans open. He watched her with hooded eyes as she scrambled backwards onto the bed, her jeans slipping down her hips as she did. His trousers and underpants joined the pile of black clothing on the floor, her eyes widening at the sight of him standing stark naked in front of her.

Hermione struggled out of her jeans, kicking them down her legs as he climbed onto the bed next to her. He smirked at her as he shifted her legs apart and crawled up her body until he was situated between her splayed thighs. Her amber eyes dropped closed as he drew his fingers over her sex, pushing her knickers aside and thrusting his cock deep within her. She groaned as he began moving; thrusting into her with long, slow strokes. She bucked her hips upward, grinding her swollen clit against his pelvic bone and accelerating her to spiral up in pleasure.

Severus felt her walls flutter slightly in signal of her impending orgasm. He picked up the pace, hooking her legs over his arms and pounding into her with renewed force. She let out a low moan as he began hitting her cervix with each thrust. Her moans turned into an unbroken, breathless chant of his name as her muscles contracted around him, dropping her over the edge of oblivion. She scratched her nails over his back as he thrust into her with abandon, chasing his own release now. He roared her name as he came, his body going rigid for a moment before he collapsed onto her, breathless.

"Merlin, but I love you, Hermione," he mumbled, sleep beginning to overtake him.

She stroked his sweat-drenched hair and kissed his forehead. "Whatever you say, Severus."

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Severus sat bolt upright in his bed, his skin covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat. His bedclothes were sticky with his cum. He groaned at the fact that he'd went to sleep with a hard on and nothing but thoughts of Hermione Granger running through his head. This wasn't going to be as easy as he had thought.

Notes from The Mistress: I know, that scene wasn't my best work, but I've wanted to get this chapter out for a long time. I'll be leaving for camp...my boyfriend and I are counselors...at the end of the coming week and I won't have Internet access as far as I know. I'm going to try to get a chapter of Always out as well, but I'm also working on a little piece for the Sex Ed challenge, too. So please go easy with the reviews, please! I've had a long few weeks.