Confiscation

~ Confiscation ~

The rain had stopped sometime during the night. Not that they had noticed when it had, for when Severus and Hermione were not making love, they were wrapped in each others' arms, sleeping soundly.

Hermione awoke first, curled in Severus' embrace with one of his sinewy arms holding her tight across the midsection. Her eyes slowly opened to a sight she had never before seen: a gentler, more relaxed Severus Snape. When he was asleep, the deep lines that usually creased his brow and grew deeper as the day progressed seemed to just melt away.

It was ironic. Here was a man who was oftentimes hard and cruel in his public persona, but in private, he was soft and caring. If she were to tell anyone that Harry was the exact opposite, no one would believe her. It was strange, but all those years she stared at Harry sleeping by her side, she never saw him as soft and caring ... especially toward the end. She had mostly felt a longing of what she wished could be and an underlying sense of regret of what wasn't, and it had colored her perception of him greatly. She sighed; why was she in bed with Severus and still thinking about Harry? It made no sense.

"Is something wrong?"

Hermione looked up, startled that Severus was awake. "Mm, no. I'm just a little impatient with myself is all."

"It'll take some time to let go of the past. Give yourself time." Severus gently moved a few sleep-wild curls from her forehead.

"I know. Well, logically I do. But I've never been patient with myself when it comes to new ideas."

He chuckled. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" Reaching down, he laid both of his hands upon her bum and pulled her against the hard heat of his body. "What would you say to putting some of that impatience to good use?" He accompanied his words with a few gentle thrusts of his hips, not giving her the chance to misunderstand his innuendo.

His voice had dropped to a half-whisper, half-growl...and it had the most extraordinary effect upon her. Like liquid, desire poured throughout her entire body, igniting her senses as it went. She felt the need for him so strongly. A shift of her body to place a kiss upon his chin made her hip brush against the only thing that lay between their bodies ... the only thing she longed to be within her body.

"You know, at this rate we'll never get out of bed," she whispered, stealing upward toward his mouth for a proper kiss.

"Is there a rule somewhere that states professors...or their guests for that matter...must rise at a specific time? Because I wasn't made aware of such a rule, and if there were one, I most definitely would not care," he stated in a tone that brooked no argument and that sent shivers traveling down her spine.

The only answer she could muster was to press her lips against his in a silent plea for more. With each placement of her lips and each response from his, she reminded herself, This is Severus Snape I am kissing. The thought sent little sparks of lightning to the parts of her that remembered the fervent caresses of the night before ... those of the amazing man who now had her pressed into the bed with his fully aroused body. She tried angling her hips into a more amenable position for him to gain entrance, but he stayed just outside her reach, frustrating her.

"Oh, please, Severus," she whispered.

"Please, what?" he teased both with his body and words, moving against her but never quite letting her have what she most desired.

Hermione whimpered as she felt him ... almost ... touch her right where she wanted him to be. "Please, I need you," she said between breaths, which had grown heavy, and kisses, which were growing heady. She could survive on merely the taste of him. She was pretty certain they could live solely off the sustenance gained as their mouths devoured and their teeth sank into the musk-laden skin of the other.

"Hmm." He sampled the soft skin behind her ear, tender for only a moment, as he gently grazed against her, down where the heat was coming to a boil. "Is this what you want?"

"Mm-hmm," she answered desperately, the pitch of her voice rising slightly with the urgency of her desire. "Right there."

"You sound a little impatient," he said, baiting her, frustrating her to the point where she felt like screaming.

She certainly was impatient, and she was quickly becoming a little irate at being forbidden satisfaction. Her hands grasped the roundness of his arse, and in a brief but fleeting moment of lucidity, she appreciated how the flesh fit nicely in the palms of her hands. It was perfect for squeezing, for kneading, for pulling him toward her ... into her. His back was stronger than her arms, however, and he froze his position just out of contact, not allowing her to pull him that last, scant centimeter.

Hermione screamed. "Ah, Severus!"

Which made him chuckle ... which in turn had his point involuntarily nudging against the flesh so desperately waiting to be satisfied.

"Impatience never accomplished anything, Miss Granger," he growled in his classroom voice ... a voice that sounded more seductive now than it did foreboding.

"Oh, please, please, please," she chanted, his tone making her want him now more than ever. "Fuck me, Professor. Fuck me."

Severus growled and pressed his lips frantically against hers, and as he sought entrance between her chanting lips with his tongue, he found her equally receptive below. Hard, their bodies met. Swift, they found their pace. It was a fast-paced game of give and take, as they pulled and pushed against each other, two bodies striving for the same thing, both of them wanting more ... desperate for what the other had to give.

Hermione knew her climax was near. His teasing had her shuddering almost before he entered her. She could feel it quickly building, and she suddenly found herself unable to breathe and kiss him simultaneously. There was nothing left to do but toss her head backwards and gasp for air, as each of Severus' strokes aimed to perfectly hit the mark, that spot that was intended to be reached by the right man ... the one that fit perfectly, the one that she called 'lover.'

She raced toward the precipice, oblivious of all else except how good he was making her feel. Then, just as she neared the top, she hesitated, aware of her selfishness and wanting to give a little back to the man who brought her there. For a while, she simply enjoyed the sensation of him winding her that little bit tighter as he neared his own orgasm. But the tighter she got, the more she wanted to give in. The heat of her loins pooled within her head, and she felt it get tighter ... and tighter.

It was his litany of, "Hermione ... Hermione ... Hermione!" that had her crashing back to earth so hard that she almost wept with emotion and sheer relief. He didn't stop repeating her name until he had completely spent himself inside of her. And still, her body embraced him as he relaxed into his post-orgasmic bliss.

~~~o o~~~

They awoke again sometime before lunch. It was a lazy awakening. Both of them were fully alert, and they knew they ought to really get out of bed and greet the day. Their bodies were exhausted. No longer did a simple touch ignite such a desperate desire for more. Though when Severus finally did rise out of bed and hold a hand out to help her up, the sight of his body, flaccid though he was, made tiny thrills of pleasure shoot from her stomach to her loins.

She smiled up at him and accepted his hand. Then, her stomach growled ... loudly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, laughing a little and holding her stomach in embarrassment, trying to stifle its complaint. "I guess some lunch would really be good right about now."

"I'd say so." Severus smirked.

They entered the bathroom together, and Severus let go of her hand to walk over to the loo. For a second, Hermione was reminded of the night before when she had, unbeknownst to him, satisfied her curiosity as to what he hid beneath those austere robes. Her lips curled up in a secretive smile, one that Severus did not miss.

"If you think I don't know you were peeking last night, you are mistaken," he said while he relieved himself.

Shocked, Hermione forgot completely what he was doing...right in front of her, no less...and started to sputter. "But...I didn't...I mean I didn't mean to..."

"Oh, you most certainly meant to." He smiled and shook off the last few drops, at which Hermione's brows raised a fraction.

"Well, okay. I did mean to. But what do you expect? I had a bit to drink, and you have to admit that there is something mysterious about a man who always keeps himself buttoned up against the world...." Hermione smiled sweetly at him.

"Indeed." He hesitated a moment. "Well?"

"Well, what?" she asked, confused at his expectant stare.

"It's your turn, is what. You can't tell me that an entire night of lovemaking has robbed you of your bodily functions."

She blushed. He expected her to ... do that ... in front of him? Sure, she was standing naked in front of him, and one would think that going to the loo would just logically follow. But she wasn't sure if she was ready for that quite yet. Harry used to walk in on her all the time, and it just reminded her of how hypocritical he was, never letting her enter the bathroom while he was using it.

But Severus wasn't Harry. And Severus wasn't asking her to do something that he hadn't already done himself. Not to mention, she really did have to go ... and it was becoming too uncomfortable to really argue the point with him. She threw him an acidic look, tipped the ring down onto the toilet, and sat down to relieve her aching bladder.

Smirking, Severus turned away to wash his hands.

"Don't smirk at me, Severus Snape," she scolded as she quickly finished and joined him at the sink. "That wasn't easy for me, you know."

"I do know. But now that we have overcome that little obstacle, we will be completely comfortable with each other, don't you think?"

He cupped her chin and turned her to face him. He was right. She was certain this would be much easier the next time. And it was certainly better than waiting to use the bathroom since there was only one in his quarters. Her smiling lips invited him to kiss her soundly, and he took his leisure with the task.

Her stomach growled again.

Severus laughed. "Okay! Okay, I surrender! Let's go to lunch. What do you say to The Three Broomsticks instead of the Great Hall this afternoon? I don't feel like braving my colleagues' stares at the moment. I want you all to myself."

She wondered for a moment at his ability to say the right thing at the right time. Severus Snape was either a true gentleman or a true Slytherin. She hoped it was a combination of the two.

"The Three Broomsticks it is, and the quicker the better. You don't happen to have a Floo connection?" she asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not. Dress quickly. I'll Apparate us once we reach the gates."

Hermione found her wand and spelled the clothes...which she found clean and folded on the bed...onto her body faster than Severus managed. Smirking at the saucy thought that it must be all those buttons that slowed things down, she inserted her arm through his and they went off to lunch.

~~~o o~~~

Lunch never tasted so good. Perhaps it was the company that made the pot roast and steamed vegetables taste so much better. Hermione certainly never remembered Madam Rosmerta's food tasting like this. She and Severus kept up steady conversation both about things important to them and things not so important, even once commenting upon how beautiful the weather was today. And not once did Severus' sharp demeanor appear. In fact, he was relaxed and spoke with an ease of tone that invited more conversation, regardless of the topic.

His personality still shone through, of course. She could definitely see how Professor Snape was the same man as Severus Snape, who sat across from her. It was sort of like watching an actor in different roles and noticing how his mannerisms were the same. It was as entertaining as the conversation itself.

Hermione sat sipping her café latte and smiling contentedly. She didn't notice Severus staring at her until he cleared his throat.

Looking up at him, she saw the amused look on his face. "Hmm?"

"Hmm? Is that all you have to say? I mean, you're sitting there with this grin on your face and..."

"I am not grinning!" But she most definitely was by that point. "Okay, well, maybe I am a little. But I can't help it. I'm..."

"Happy?" he asked, a hopeful note in his voice.

"Yes," she replied. "Happy. I am happy. You make me happy."

He reached across the table and held her free hand. "Good. I'm happy as well."

They sat there smiling at each other in silence, not really having to speak, feeling very comfortable and at peace with themselves and each other. More than once, Hermione marveled at the fact that she felt so relaxed around Severus, and more than once, she compared how she felt with how she always felt with Harry.

It was while they were walking the streets of Hogsmeade, arm in arm, that it suddenly dawned on Hermione how right it felt to be with Severus. Never mind that their relationship had not progressed very far. She had known him for ages, although she was certainly finding out more about him as the minutes wore on. She had never felt this way about anyone she had dated before; there had always been something that didn't seem quite right. Not with Severus.

When they reached Honeydukes, Hermione stopped. "Oh, I have a craving for dark truffles. Can we go in?"

Severus noticed that Honeydukes was a little crowded, even though none of the Hogwarts students were there this particular weekend. "How about I go across to the post office to send an owl while you go inside? I forgot that I meant to order some rare potions ingredients, and I can only get them by owl order."

Patting his hand, knowing Severus was coming up with any excuse not to have to enter Honeydukes, she said, "You go ahead. I'll try not to be too long."

They parted in the middle of the street to go their separate ways. When she reached the door of Honeydukes, she looked over her shoulder to see Severus waylaid by a wizard outside of the post office. He glanced in her direction with a grimace, and she smiled in response.

Before she was able to open the door, however, two pops of Apparation sounded: one on her left side and one on her right.

"Hold her!" exclaimed one familiar voice, which turned out to belong to none other than Harry Potter. From the other side, she was gripped tightly by freckle-dusted arms.

"What are you doing?" she shouted, struggling in Ron's not-so-friendly embrace.

"Saving you from that greasy git," Ron said nastily.

From behind, she heard a shout from across the street, and for a brief moment, she felt sure that Severus was going to come to her aid. But the boys were quicker than she expected. Before she could utter another syllable, Harry and Ron Disapparated with Hermione in their arms.

~