Terrain

Disclaimer: Nothing you recognize belongs to me. Just borrowed. Will be returned. Snape is welcome to stay, though.

A big Thank You goes to my beta-reader and brit-picker, Melusin, who transfers my babble into language, sorts my random punctuation and is a good friend.

This chapter is dedicated to Firestormpwr, aka Lonewolf, and each and every one of my readers and reviewers who’ve waited patiently for 'interaction'. I hope you'll be satisfied. Pun intended.

For those of you who don't like to read a bit of gratuitous smut, skip everything that comes past 'Now, the thought thrummed through Hermione's head…'––you won't miss anything plot-related.

Chapter 20 – Terrain

10.21. The natural formation of the country is the soldier's best ally; but a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general.

10.25. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death.

(Sun Tzu, The Art of War, X. Terrain)

The romantic, dream-like walk with Severus hadn’t stopped Hermione's feet from hurting by the time they’d finally reached their destination: a small house in Shireoaks, a suburb west of Worksop. After knocking several times in vain, Severus took his portrait locket out from under his robes and pulled on a clasp. The locket opened, but instead of the expected family portrait, it revealed a hidden compartment containing a key.

"A false bottom? Muggle tricks?" Hermione asked, astonished.

Severus nodded and took out the key to open the door. Curiously, Hermione followed him into the house, but there was nothing to be seen. No one was there; the house was empty. Softly swearing under his breath, Severus went to the garage and uttered even more expletives.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked.

"I wanted to take the caravan that is normally stationed here, but they must have used it to evacuate. They've started already, which is good, but we need to know where Lucius and Narcissa are." He looked at her pensively for a moment and then pulled her towards him and into another breath-stealing kiss.

When they broke apart, gasping, he murmured, "And that's a part of the reason why we can't stay here and take care of our unfinished business."

Hermione couldn't think straight; she just stared at him and smiled dazedly.

Severus grinned and hugged her once more. "Are you up to a bit of crawling through tunnels? If so, we’d better get into our swimsuits."

Hermione's eyes went wide. "You expect me to behave with you parading around in front of me half-naked?"

His eyes narrowed. "We have work to do. This isn't a pleasure trip. As much as I would regret it." The last part was mumbled under his breath, but Hermione had heard it, anyway. She sighed and went to the bathroom to change.

When she came out again, he was standing there in his trunks, the knapsack in one hand, his body just as sinewy, thin and pale as it had been when he had first taken her to the Underground. It was begging to be touched.

"Oh, Merlin," she whispered and ran towards him.

His eyes widened, and he dropped the bag to catch her in his arms. They kissed again frantically, and Hermione rejoiced in the feeling of skin on skin for the first time, in feeling his body so very close to hers. But not close enough yet. Her hands had started to wander all over his body, wanting to touch every inch of exposed skin at once. She relished the feel of his skin under her hands. It was surprisingly soft and very smooth.

He caught her hands and broke the kiss. "Soon," he whispered into her ear. "Have patience."

"I know," Hermione whispered, "but it's not easy."

Severus sighed. "Nightshade, one of the reasons why I’m asking you to have patience is because I want to see you. The real you."

"Oh." Hermione had forgotten that the woman's body he was holding and kissing wasn't really hers; it was the Polyjuiced body of an unknown Muggle girl, a stranger. "Yes. Merlin, yes. I want you to see me and no one else."

He smiled and kissed her again. "Let's go."

Hermione swallowed and tried to compose herself. Breathing deeply, she managed some semblance of control. "All right."

Severus shouldered his knapsack and led her to the basement. In the furthest corner, he stopped and studied the wall critically. Then he walked right through it.

Hermione stood and gaped. Shaking her head and chuckling to herself, she broke into a bit of a run and passed through the wall as well.

The other side wasn't platform nine and three-quarters at King's Cross but yet another small, dark room where Severus was waiting for her with a smirk on his lips.

"You could have warned me, you know?"

"Are you a witch or aren't you?"

Hermione harrumphed and mock-scowled. Then she grinned. "That was rather dramatic. And now?"

"Now we crawl," he said and pointed towards a dark area in a corner. That area turned out to be another door, which his key opened as well. After Hermione had passed through it and entered the tunnel, he closed and locked the door behind him.

For a couple of yards, the ceiling was high, and they could walk upright. After a few bends, though, the tunnel became narrower and the roof lower. Severus went ahead of Hermione and got down on his hands and knees. "This won't be easy," he warned. "Tap my foot if you want to slow down."

"All right." Hermione stooped down and began to crawl after him. He was right; it wasn't easy. Crawling on hands and knees might be the preferred way of getting around for a toddler, but not for fully-grown people. It didn't take very long before her knees and wrists began to hurt, but she followed Severus dutifully downward, deeper and deeper. The air became slightly sticky and very warm. She was sweating all over and now understood why they were crawling in swimsuits. The dust and mud from the tunnel walls was sticking to her sweat, and she felt incredibly grimy. The idea of a cold shower seemed like paradise.

From time to time, they came across small chambers—areas where the roof was high enough to sit upright and wide enough to stretch their legs. Cracks and tubes leading to the surface provided the ventilation for the tunnel system. They paused for a few minutes in each of the chambers and relaxed their cramped muscles.

"Who made these tunnels?" Hermione asked. “And where do they lead? They’re almost like the tunnels the Vietcong used… the Chu Chi tunnels. I read about that in an encyclopaedia in my parents' house, you know."

"That's where the idea came from, actually," Severus said. "We've been studying the methods of guerrilla warfare, of course. The original tunnels here were made by the Goblins. They connect the Muggle mining site to their own secret site where the dwarves work and who-knows-what-else. They extended their labyrinth a bit for us."

"The Goblins know about the Underground?" Hermione was flabbergasted.

"Yes." Severus gave her a dirty look. "I thought you would’ve guessed that by now. Did you think the Underground made all these tunnels?”

"I never really thought about it," Hermione admitted. "But isn't that awfully risky? Can the Goblins be trusted that much? They don't have much love for wizard kind."

"And with good reason. They weren't treated fairly in the past, but they expect to be treated better if and when their role in the war is known. Mind you, their optimism doesn't reach far enough to make these tunnels high enough for adult humans." He grimaced and crouched down again.

"I see," Hermione said, getting down on hands and knees as well.

After what seemed like an endless amount of time to Hermione but was actually less than an hour, they reached a much larger chamber with a pond in the middle, very similar to the one at the passage to Nan Guthan.

"We'll dive. There are handholds at the bottom. It will lead us via a short canal into the shipping area of one of the oldest shafts of the Shireoaks Colliery. It's invisible, has a Muggle-Repelling Charm on it and has been made Unplottable. The Muggles have forgotten it was ever there. It leads to the emergency shelter for the Creswell Crags group."

"A coal mine?"

"Yes, but the pit's been closed since '91. No Death Eater would suspect that any self-respecting witch or wizard is hiding here."

"Hopefully, they have no reason to suspect there’s a hidden group of people, anyway. Otherwise, wouldn't they consider this to be a good hiding place?" Hermione asked with a worried frown. "Bellatrix Lestrange seemed to think quickly enough, back at the Robin Hood cave. Wouldn't she make that connection?"

Severus shook his head. "She was tracking me and made a connection to a possible way that I could be evading her. She has no reason to suspect the existence of a group of hidden people. And we made certain that she won't find any, nor a trace of them, if she should get the idea to go back to that place and take a closer look." He sighed and shook his head. "It's the best we can do, Nightshade. Purebloods aren't exactly renowned for their logical thinking; they'd have to be told to look in a place like this. Nevertheless, we have to be extremely careful and very alert. Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt."

Hermione nodded and followed him through the pond into the shaft, happy to wash off all the grime despite the water being rather cold. She clamped her jaws tight to prevent her teeth from chattering. As soon as they reached the surface on the other side of the canal, Severus climbed out of the water, went to the wall and skimmed it with his hands. He soon found the latch, opened a manhole and crawled out. Hermione was relieved to see that the shaft resembled a large corridor. At least they could walk normally again.

"Time to get dressed," Severus murmured. "We'll be there soon."

Hermione took her knapsack out of the plastic bag Severus had dragged behind him. A few minutes later, they were walking side by side through the dimly lit shaft until they reached a gate. Severus knocked in a certain rhythm, and the door opened a creak.

"Password?" A boyish voice asked.

"Arthur Weasley has a plug collection," Severus whispered.

"Come in, Nundu. Who have you brought along?"

"This is Nightshade. She is working with me." Severus smiled and pulled her through the door.

Hermione gaped at the young man who was welcoming them. It was Adrian Pucey, a former Slytherin student who had been a few years ahead of her at Hogwarts. She remembered vaguely that he was on the Slytherin Quidditch team.

"Surprised to see an evil Slytherin here, Nightshade?" Adrian smirked.

"A bit," she admitted and smiled. "But I'll get used to it, I suppose."

"My family refused to collaborate with the Death Eaters, and so we all ‘died’," he explained while they walked, but Severus interrupted him.

"We have no time for this, Adder. How’s the evacuation going? Where are the Malfoys? We need to speak to them."

"Oh," Adrian Pucey, aka Adder, replied. "They‘re gone. We sent them to the White Scar group. Considering that they were originally sent here from Appin, we didn't want to send them right back. Wasn't that correct?"

"It was," Severus reassured him, "but in that case, we have to leave right away. What about the others?"

"Most of them have left already. I'm rounding up the stragglers. Some of our group were sent to White Scar; some are going to Appin. The majority are going to Asynt; there's still plenty of room there. South Wales is too crowded already and so is South Devon."

"Good! Get them all out as quickly as possible and leave no trace here. And be extra wary! Two of the… err, my employer's staff tried to put a trace on me; that's why you had to evacuate in the first place. I shan't use my wand again until I'm at White Scar under the Secret Keeper protection."

"I understand," Adder said with a frown. "We shall be very careful. Want me to ask the Goblins to destroy the passageways?"

"Good idea." Severus nodded. "Do you have a Portkey left to White Scar?"

"Sorry, they're all in use. And you said yourself that…"

"Yes. We won't risk making any new ones outside a refuge… We'll go the Muggle way, then. Good luck!"

"It was good to see you, Nundu, Nightshade. Good luck!"

"Isn't it against Underground rules to use the same way out as in?" Hermione asked when they were crawling back to the Safe House again.

"It is, but we're in a bit of a hurry. I don't know when I'll be Summoned next; I can't travel around endlessly, as much as I might like to." The twisted smirk he gave her made Hermione all warm inside.

"We can take a shower in the house. We couldn't do that at the other exits. We’d better get cleaned up before we catch the train to Sheffield."

Hermione nodded although he couldn't see her. A shower would be wonderful. Sweat, grime and the wet hair from the dive through the pond didn't mix well, and she felt filthy.

Two hours later, they were sitting on the train from Worksop to Leeds. Washed, equipped with fresh clothes and Muggle money from the safe house, and totally exhausted.

They had bought some sandwiches at the train station and wolfed them down; neither had eaten since the early morning. Now they were sitting on a bench, huddled together. Hermione's head was on Severus' shoulder, and he rested his on top of hers. The gentle rattle of the train soon sent her to sleep.

"We'll have to stay the night here in Leeds," Severus said after they arrived.

Hermione looked at him hopefully. A whole night together at a Muggle hotel sounded very promising. Severus, however, shook his head and smiled regretfully. "No antidote outside a refuge. It's too risky. Patience, Nightshade."

He squeezed her shoulders when he saw Hermione's disappointed face.

"Maybe it's for the best," he murmured in her ear after they had stretched out on the bed in the hotel room. "We're both very tired." He kissed her softly. "I don't want to be too tired when…"

"Oh…" Hermione's heart skipped a beat. She was finding that her vocabulary had diminished greatly as of late. Severus Snape as a considerate, affectionate lover simply overwhelmed her, and she didn't quite know what to say. Severus didn't perform the often empty, more traditional mating rituals, but the things he said, the way he touched her and looked at her––they all went directly to her heart and shot a hot arrow of yearning right to her core. She found his resolve to only make love to her when she was in her real body incredibly romantic, and it heightened her anticipation until she couldn't think of anything else. At least he’d agreed to hold and kiss her. Snuggled up to him closely, she relished his warmth and fell asleep.

The one-hour train ride from Leeds to Settle was very scenic, and Hermione enjoyed every minute of it. She knew from their past missions that Severus was a good travel companion, but their new familiarity, the touching, the whispering––it all added an atmosphere of tension and longing to their journey. Hermione couldn't wait for it to end and didn't want it to end at the same time.

In Settle, they left the train and took the number 501 bus to Ingleton, a short ride that only lasted twenty minutes. Hermione loved the rugged beauty of the windswept landscape; she had only ever seen the Yorkshire Dales fly past from the Hogwarts Express and was thrilled to now be able to explore a part of the area more closely.

"From here, we walk," Severus said when they finally reached their destination.

"The White Scar Cave refuge security works very much like that of the Creswell Crags refuge," he told her in a low voice while they walked around the base of the Ingleborough, one of the Three Peaks. "That building over there…" He pointed towards a building in the distance, which displayed the word 'Caves' in big white letters on its roof. "That is the entrance to the show caves. It's frequented by Muggles throughout most of the year and has some spectacular sights. You'll see."

Still some distance away from the buildings, he stepped off the trail, out of sight of the car park at the entrance, and whistled softly. Like a stone, Fierce Lady Mouse Hunter dropped from the sky and landed smoothly on his outstretched arm. Severus whispered his message into his familiar's ear, and the owl took off again.

"She'll announce us. Same principle as in Nan Guthan, only their watch cave is at a greater distance from the familiar's gate than ours. So it’ll take a while until they get the message, but we also have some way ahead of us."

"Will there be more crawling and diving?" Hermione asked, less than thrilled by the prospect.

Severus snorted. "Not here, no. There'll be a bit more walking through walls, but that's about it."

By now, they had reached the cave entrance, paid their fees and waited for the guided tour to start.

"When I give you the signal, you cast a 'Do-Not-Notice-Charm' on both of us."

Hermione nodded.

The cave's interior lived up to Severus’ promise. Hermione had come to love caves. They were awe-inspiring and beautiful, and, as with the other refuges, flooded with ancient magic. Muggle and Wizard ancestors had lived in the area thousands of years before, and their shamans and priests had created a multitude of sacred grottos.

The path wound its way past cascading waterfalls, between massive banks of flowstone, and through galleries decorated with cream and carrot-coloured stalactites and stalagmites. Under the steel-grid walkways, Hermione saw a stream rushing and foaming on its way.

Where the show section ended, half a mile from the entrance and six-hundred feet below the surface, a barrier had been put across the passage. However, Hermione could see the cave continuing into the distance. Awed and with many exclamations of wonder, the Muggles passed by the barrier and looked into the passageway that led further down and deeply into the mountain. This was when Severus gave Hermione the signal and turned towards her to conceal her wand movements. She cast the charm, and they stepped back from the path, hiding behind some of the thick limestone columns.

None of the Muggles took any notice of them, and after the last Muggle was out of sight, Severus walked into the limestone column behind which they had been hiding. He disappeared. Hermione waited a moment and then followed.

Concealed from Muggle view and knowledge was an enormous cave system, and the rest of the approach to the refuge was very much like that to Nan Guthan—with tiny corridors and chambers where they had to drink Shrinking Solution and with more hidden gateways and tunnels. Finally, when Severus whispered "Gaping Gills" into her ear, she saw an enormous cavern push the rocks in front of her away. It contained thousands of stalactites, which hung from the roof in great clusters and formed curious formations.

In the centre of the cave was a small lake. In the bluish light of their Lumos spell, it very much reminded Hermione of the Durmstrang ice cave.

Severus led her into one of the many corridors leading away from the cavern and walked through another wall. A corridor with many side-chambers waited on the other side. He counted four chambers to the right and three to the left and entered the seventh chamber. He took his wand out of his pocket and looked at Hermione. "Do you have the antidote?"

"Yes." She looked at him questioningly. "Do you want me to take it?"

He nodded. "Take it now. Before we go in. I trust you have a set of Muggle hair with you?"

"Of course." Hermione huffed. A strand of the hair she needed for her Polyjuice transformation was twisted and concealed in a ring she always wore. She took a small phial out of her rucksack, dropped one of her own hairs––concealed in her locket––into the antidote and drank it. A brief period of intense pain and discomfort saw her through the transformation; then she shook herself, stretched and smiled.

Severus had watched her transformation with glittering eyes. Now he stepped towards her, cupped her cheek with one hand and caressed the outline of her face with the other. "Yes," he whispered before he kissed her with such fierce passion that Hermione's knees gave out under her. She stumbled and would have fallen if he hadn't held her up.

"This is just the beginning," he whispered while Hermione caught her breath. "There will be a lot more very soon." He took her arm, turned towards the left wall and tapped his wand in an accustomed rhythm while chanting the charm that would open the gate.

Just as in Nan Guthan, a spider web-like structure appeared on the surface, shimmered briefly, and finally revealed the entrance to the White Scar sanctuary.

"Nundu, how good to see you again!" A female voice greeted them from within.

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Skeeter?" she asked shrilly.

"Ah, the formidable Nightshade. Out and about with the most interesting and powerful man for far and wide once again, I see." Rita Skeeter smirked at Hermione's outraged expression. "You have a true talent there, girl."

"You insufferable… What is she doing here? You know what she is…"

"Keep your peace, you two. You're on the same side," Severus said with an amused glance at Hermione. "She is here for the same reasons most of the others are: opposition to the… other side and being officially dead. Rita was scheduled to be killed in mid-February. You should pay attention to your surroundings a bit more, Nightshade. It was all over the caves."

"I was a bit distracted, as you well know," Hermione hissed. "And why isn't she out spying? Why didn't she escape in her Animagus form, anyway? There was no need to bring her to the Underground. And you knew…"

"Tut, tut, and everyone says how intelligent you are," Skeeter drawled. "When I was supposed to be killed, it was still winter. Have you ever heard of a beetle surviving in winter out in the open? How could I possibly have escaped?"

"Oh." Hermione stared at the blonde woman. "I hadn't thought about that."

"Obviously not," Severus said, but he took the sting out of his words by putting an arm around her shoulders, which earned both of them another smirk from Skeeter. "Let's go in, now. You can proceed with your watch, Rita."

Skeeter nodded, and Severus led Hermione down another corridor until they reached the White Scar version of the Central Cavern. However, there was no enchanted ceiling here. Instead, thick limestone columns formed natural compartments in the cave, parts of which were used for private quarters; another part was used for dining, gathering, and as an office area.

Many friendly hails greeted Severus and Hermione as they walked into the cave. The leader of the refuge, a middle-aged man with a very kind face, thumped Severus on the back.

"Nightshade, meet Nectarius Flume."

"Flume? Aren't… Isn't that the name of the proprietors of Honeydukes?"

"That's my brother, Ambrosius. So you’re Nightshade? I've heard a lot about you, young lady."

"Hopefully, only good things." Hermione smiled.

"Nick, we need to talk to the Malfoys. Where are they?" Severus interrupted.

"They should be here soon. They’re being given the tour of the area right now, together with all the other newcomers. I'll arrange some quarters for you in the meantime. Surely, you'll stay a while?"

"We'll stay the night," Severus said. Hermione could barely suppress a gasp at the heated look he gave her.

"Space is a bit tight, right now. Your quarters are always waiting for you, of course, Nundu, but the young lady…" Nectarius Flume scratched his head.

"She'll stay with me," Severus stated matter-of-factly.

If Flume was surprised, he didn't show it. He merely nodded and led them to Severus' quarters.

"Make yourselves at home," he said. "I'll have lunch waiting for you in a few minutes."

After Flume had left them, Severus closed the door and threw his knapsack on the bed. Hermione watched him with a frown.

"Is something wrong?" he asked when he became aware of her puzzled stare.

"No, but I was wondering. I didn't really expect that you'd be so open about…" She waved her hand between the two of them. "…Us?"

"I'm not ashamed to be seen with you," he said softly. "Are you, with me?"

"Of course not," she huffed. "But…"

Hermione couldn't continue because Severus kissed the remaining words from her lips. "No buts. We'll have to go outside in a minute, and I want you to remember that I have plans involving you. For later."

He kissed her again, his hands wandering all over her body until he finally grabbed her hips and drew her close to him. Hermione gasped when he rubbed himself against her. His lips wandered from her mouth to her neck and all the way down to the hollow of her throat. She threw her head back and held onto him for dear life, knees week from the onslaught of his passion. His lips wandered further down until his mouth found her breasts, and he gently bit down on one of her nipples, right through the fabric of her blouse and bra, which caused her to moan loudly.

"Remember," he whispered hoarsely. "Don't forget…"

Hermione felt electrified. She would have liked to answer but couldn't produce more than a croak. She felt incredibly hot and slightly dazed.

Severus broke his hypnotic stare and kissed her again, his hands now wandering down to her groin. Hermione moaned again and had started to hump his hand when he stopped. He caressed her face with one finger, smiled and said, "Perfect! Let's go."

"Like this?" Hermione choked out, still breathing heavily, and pointed at herself. She knew what she must look like, all hot and dishevelled.

"Yes, exactly like this. I'll explain later." He smirked and took her hand. Together, they left the room.

"Severus, old friend!" Lucius Malfoy's voice hailed from a table in the dining area where Kreacher was standing, serving lunch. Narcissa Malfoy sat at her husband's side and watched them approach. Her eyes widened when she saw Hermione's hand in Severus'. As usual, she was exceedingly elegant and made Hermione very self-conscious about her own plain clothes, wild hair and freckles. She was glad that Severus didn't look cool and composed for once but just as flushed and tousled as she did. Narcissa looked them both up and down before a disdainful sneer twisted her perfectly proportioned features.

Severus didn't take any notice of her but held a chair out for Hermione and waited until she’d sat down. Then he sat down at her side, his knee touching hers, and greeted the Malfoys.

Lucius looked at them both with a calculating expression. His hand stilled Narcissa’s, which had started to play nervously with the cutlery.

"Narcissa, Lucius." Severus nodded at them both. "I need to ask you a few questions about Bellatrix."

That was subtle? Hermione was amused despite her usual discomfort in the Malfoys' presence.

"Bella? How could we tell you anything about her? We've been out of the loop for months," Narcissa uttered, still staring coldly at Hermione.

"She's giving me trouble, you know. She seems a bit jealous of me, but I cannot fathom why."

"You're still in the Dark Lord's good graces, aren't you?" Lucius asked and continued after Severus' affirming nod, "Bella is jealous of anyone who competes with her for the Dark Lord's attention. That's normal for her. You do know that, Severus."

"Certainly." Severus smiled.

Hermione knew that smile. He used to smile like that before deducting points from Gryffindor when he found a rule-breaker out after curfew. The Malfoys had better watch out, she thought.

"Bellatrix seems determined to find out what I do when I'm not with, err, the Head-Death Eater. It seems that Wormtail is helping her. They tried to put a trace on me, but so far it hasn’t succeeded. I wonder what she’s trying to achieve?"

"A trace?" Lucius asked, puzzled. "On what would she put that trace?"

"Apparently, on me using my wand. And Wormtail enchanted a map to show my location after I say a variation of a certain name." Severus had taken Hermione's hand and kissed it. Narcissa's eyes widened even more. "They almost had me at Creswell Crags. It was only dumb luck that got us out with them none the wiser. That's why you had to be evacuated." Not looking at Lucius or Narcissa, he stroked Hermione's knuckles.

Hermione watched the scene from under lowered lids. Narcissa became more and more agitated. Hermione wondered what Severus was playing at.

"Maybe Bella got a new…" Narcissa started but stopped herself.

Severus pushed a strand of hair out of Hermione's face and asked, "A new what?"

"Oh, you know. One of those... things…"

"Narcissa, it's not safe to speak about it…"

"He knows about them, Lucius. At least he should. Maybe he remembers when he’s not parading his pet Mudblood in front of us."

"Narcissa!" Lucius chided.

Hermione, however, didn't bat an eyelid. She had caught on to Severus' tactics now and was smiling seductively while leaning forwards as if she wanted to kiss him, right there and then.

"What?" Severus murmured distractedly. "You mean like that diary your family was keeping for him, Narcissa? The one Lucius used to harm the Muggle-born students with? Is that it?"

"I was ill-advised, Severus. I thought we had left that behind us." Lucius bowed to Hermione. "I've learned my lesson, partly thanks to our talented Miss Granger here. Narcissa will adjust, too, won't you, darling?" He squeezed his wife's hand, possibly a bit firmer than needed because she flinched and jumped up from her chair.

"You'll excuse me." With a nod to Severus and a reluctant nod to Hermione, she stalked away.

"So, what is that thing with Bellatrix, then?" Severus had let go of Hermione's hand and finally faced Lucius. His other hand, however, had descended onto Hermione's thigh, stroking it gently. "What do you mean 'another one'? Do you mean to say that she has one already?"

"Do we have to talk about these things?" Lucius rolled his eyes and cast a meaningful glance at Hermione.

"Yes," Severus said. "Nightshade knows about them. We can talk freely. If this is why Bellatrix is up in arms against me, I need to know."

"Oh, Severus, don't play dumb. It doesn't become you," Lucius drawled. "You know as well as I do that one of those, ah, treasures has to be the Dark Lord's Horcrux. We just don't know which one it is. He's given us enough hints. How else would he have managed to survive the Killing Curse?"

"Is that so?" Severus murmured. "And why would that make her put a trace on me?"

"Maybe she found out that you have one of his... treasures, too? And you do, don't you?"

Severus didn't answer; he just stared.

"Well, knowing my sister-in-law as I do, I think she'd try to find out where you've hidden the one you have and prove to the Dark Lord that you can't keep it safe. She'll have figured out the purpose of one of those things by now, too, and be concerned for his safety. She really does care for him, you know."

Severus nodded. "She does. Fanatically so."

"So she'll prove to him that she cares for his safety and be rid of you in one move," Lucius continued. "That'd be just like her."

"But she'd know that the places where they are hidden are safe. Well, almost all of them. Your own…"

"Yes, yes," Lucius said impatiently. "You know that the diary was meant to be read; that's why I didn't have to find a good hiding place for it. But Bella was made responsible after Barty… You want to find hers and check if hers is the Horcrux, isn't that it? After all, with a Horcrux hidden somewhere, attacking the Dark Lord will always only be a skirmish. Am I right?"

Severus merely shrugged. "Do you know where she hid it, then?"

"I might," Lucius said. "And considering our present situation, it may even be wise to tell you where it is without bargaining first." Lucius grinned disarmingly at Severus, which made him look years younger, Hermione thought. When he grinned, he reminded her of Draco, and she had found that she now liked Draco quite well. Liking a Malfoy. What was the world coming to? She chuckled to herself.

"I'm listening," Severus said, returning the grin.

"The Dark Lord told her that it is to remain hidden in the secret vault of Borgin and Burkes. You knew that he worked for them when he was young?"

Severus had paled. "I'll be damned…" Then he shook himself and laughed. "Thank you, Lucius. I don't know if I can and will make use of this information, but it is good to have it. Now go and grovel to your wife. I think she's rather angry with you."

"Yes, she has quite a temper," Lucius said fondly and smiled. "You'll excuse me." He nodded and went away.

"Shrewd," Hermione said when they were alone at the table. "Using me as a bait. I could almost think that’s the reason why…"

"No!" Severus cried, looking at her, shocked and… fearful? "I meant it. I mean it. Please…"

Hermione smiled and took his hand. "I was just teasing. Didn't you notice me playing right along?"

Severus sighed and looked relieved, but was unable to reply because he was almost suffocated by a hug from Lola LaFolle.

"Severus!" she cried. "How good to see you. And young Hermione. I've missed you all." Now it was Hermione's turn to be drowned in a hug. Lola had moved away from Nan Guthan when the caves had been rearranged for the Underground school. Not being willing to teach, she had left.

"Lola, are you friends with that girl?" Rita Skeeter had entered the cave; apparently her watch had ended.

"Oh yes, we're good friends," Lola said and squeezed Hermione some more.

"Oh, dear." Skeeter rolled her eyes, sighed theatrically and sat down. "We'll have to call a truce, then, and reconsider alliances. The things you do for love..." She took Lola's hand and drew her down at her side. Lola smiled at her affectionately.

"You two?" Hermione's eyes nearly popped out.

"You're not the only one who knows how to separate the wheat from the chaff. Do you have a problem with that, Granger?" Rita drawled.

"Er, no, of course not." Hermione's eyes darted from Rita to Lola and back. Dislike of the ruthless journalist and shame about her own spiteful behaviour were battling in her mind. Maybe this was the opportunity to put past mistakes to rest. "Ah, I may have been a bit... unscrupulous with my revenge. Uhm, well, I… I suppose I have to apologize for having kept you in a jar…" Hermione almost jumped because of the enthusiastic squeeze Severus gave her thigh.

Rita studied her through narrowed eyes. "A bit late… but better late than never. I may have misjudged you, too. A bit." They both smirked at each other, not willing to go further for the moment.

"Rita is working on a campaign to undermine… you know who I mean… You may not like her methods, but she has a rather good idea about what goes on in the Ministry and the Wizarding world, and she knows the dirty secrets of many who would like to pretend that they have a clean record."

"I see," Hermione said and asked a few more questions about the campaign, admitting that Rita did have a talent at reaching out to her readers and making them react. She had used that talent for revealing the Ministry's cover-up methods in her fifth year, after all. They all discussed the campaign in earnest but were often interrupted by the wizards and witches who came into the cave and wanted to greet Severus and Hermione.

The afternoon quickly turned into evening, and after dinner with the inhabitants of the White Scar Caves and some more talk, Hermione and Severus were finally able to retreat to their quarters.

Now. The thought thrummed through Hermione's head, through her veins, through every nerve and set her afire. Now it's going to happen. She could hardly breathe.

When they reached their quarters, Severus locked the door, cast a Sealing Spell and a Silencing Charm on the room, deliberately put his wand on the bedside table and finally turned to look at her. She stood in the middle of the room, waiting.

"Hermione." This was the first time he had said her first name. Her tongue slipped out and wet her parched lips. A few swift steps brought him before her, looming over her as he had loomed over her cauldron in Potions class. His eyes stared into hers, his face was unmoved. Hermione swallowed.

Finally lowering his head until his lips reached her ear, he whispered, "And now, my dear… "

Hermione gasped in anticipation. His voice sounded smooth and dangerous.

"Now I'm at your mercy. Do with me what you will."

She pounced.

Severus stumbled and took a few steps backwards before catching her in his arms. She had attached her mouth unceremoniously to his; her arms were encircling his neck in a death grip. Her legs wound around his waist, and he supported her weight with his hands on her arse. His hands felt heavenly there.

Severus spun them both around and slowly walked them to the bed, never breaking the kiss. When his shins bumped on the bed frame, he turned again and sat down, Hermione was now straddling his lap. She still hadn’t released his mouth. Snogging Severus senseless… that was something she had dreamed about for some time now.

A long, long while later, Hermione broke the kiss and gasped for air. She saw Severus take a few deep breaths as well, his face flushed and his hair tousled. He smirked faintly, but his eyes were glazed over. And he remained completely passive.

Hermione's head was spinning. He’d obviously meant it when he’d said he was at her mercy. Very well! She stroked his face and tucked a few strands of his hair behind his ear, her lips following her fingers. Hands and mouth moved down his throat but soon were barred from contact by his shirt collar.

"Off," Hermione gasped, fumbling impatiently with the first button.

Severus smirked again and, with tantalizingly slow movements, unbuttoned his shirt and took it off.

Finally, she thought and attacked his bare chest with her mouth until she noticed that he was still sitting passively, his hands at his side.

"Make love to me, dammit," she growled and quickly shrugged out of her own blouse. And then she blushed violently at her own boldness.

"Your wish is my command," he whispered silkily, and before she could gather her wits, his hands were on her breasts, kneading softly and stroking just so. His fingers unerringly found her erect nipples through the fabric of her bra and tweaked. Desire shot through Hermione's centre and made her gasp. A moment later, his mouth was on her nipples, and he softly bit down, sneaking his hands around her back and opening the clasp.

With deft movements, he rid her of her bra and then stared at her breasts for a long moment. "Merlin, help me," he gasped and closed his eyes, breathing heavily.

Hermione felt a very hard lump pressing against her; she wriggled closer.

Severus sighed and kissed her again, fiercely this time, and aggressively. His tongue moved in and out of her mouth, and his hips rocked against her. His hands, in the meantime, were holding and slightly lifting her breasts, thumbs circling her nipples.

Hermione wiggled some more and then broke the kiss and stood up. "I want us naked, now." Her fingers had already opened the zip of her jeans, and she quickly pushed them down, together with her knickers.

Severus had stepped out of his trousers, socks and boxers as well and now they stood, facing each other, stark naked. Hermione was aware that Severus’ eyes were all over her, and that knowledge sent a shiver down her spine and made goose pimples rise on her skin. She devoured him with her eyes as well, lingering on his cock, which was standing up proudly. Beautiful, she thought and moved closer.

Severus took her in his arms again, and they kissed some more, skin on skin now, no barriers left between them. Hermione had started to stroke Severus chest, tweaking his nipples and rubbing herself against him. She soon stopped because she became too distracted. Severus was touching her everywhere; his fingers were kneading and stroking. He seemed to know exactly where and what to touch to make her gasp, sigh and squirm.

Of course he would, Hermione thought, suddenly uneasy. He had so much more experience with this than she did. What if she didn't meet his expectations? Wouldn't he be used to skilled, experienced lovers? Would her insecure and unrefined fumbling satisfy a man like him? And although she wasn't a virgin, she had only very limited experience. Hermione tensed. She felt horribly inadequate all of a sudden.

Severus raised his head from her breasts. He had been sucking and licking both of them and had seemed to be completely immersed in that activity when he felt her tense. "What is it? Have I done something you don't like?" His voice was soft, his left hand stroking her flushed face while the other hand kept her pressed against him.

"Nothing. It's nothing," she choked out. "Don't mind me."

"Don't mind you?" He growled, nibbling her neck now. "If I didn't mind you, we wouldn't be here together. I mind you very much, and if I'm doing something you don't like, you must tell me. How else am I supposed to know?"

Hermione avoided his gaze and bit her lip, but he grasped her chin and turned her face back towards him, stroking her lip with one finger. "Hermione," he murmured, "what's wrong? I want to know." He stared at her but didn't use Legilimency.

"I… I…" She swallowed and tried again. "I feel so inexperienced. Dammit, I am inexperienced. And you are so… You know exactly… You'll be horribly disappointed." She stared at him wide-eyed, feeling very young and very foolish.

Severus closed his eyes and snorted. When he looked at her again, he was smiling. "My dear girl," he said. "Don't you realise what merely looking at you, what your touch, does to me? Come." He took her hand and led her over to the large mirror in the corner. "Look at yourself, Hermione. You are so lovely. And then look at me. Really look at me. Do you have any idea about my own worries that you'd burst out laughing once you saw me naked?" He glanced at her sideways.

Hermione did look, and she saw what he meant. She loved the sight of him, his lean, pale body with the sparse black hairs and the thin, but well-defined and wiry muscles. But as dear as the sight of him was to her, he didn't exactly meet the optical requirements of an Adonis. She had to admit that.

"I'm a scarecrow, Hermione. And a very randy scarecrow at that." He gave her a twisted smile and briefly flicked a finger at his penis, which bobbed up and down.

"I very much like what I see," she whispered and breathed deeply, relaxing a bit.

"Merlin, I could come just from looking at you." He sighed. "Let me make love to you—and guide me. Show me what you like, so I can learn. How else would I know?" he repeated.

Hermione had closed her eyes. His softly spoken words had wrapped around her like a comforting blanket. Their promise let the heat rise from deep within her again.

"All right," she whispered.

Severus smiled and led her back to the bed. Once again, they stood facing each other. "Nothing will interrupt us. We have all night."

Hermione swallowed and nodded.

"Now, the first thing we have to be aware of on a woman's body are her erogenous zones. I'm quite certain that you've read all about them. In any case, I have."

Hermione couldn't suppress a giggle. "Yes, I’ve read all about it, too."

"Then it's time that we apply theory to practice, don't you think?"

Merlin's balls! He knows how to use his voice! She sighed, wondering what would be next.

"While each individual experiences things differently, there are some areas almost everybody likes to have stimulated. There are the lips, of course," he continued and kissed, licked and nibbled at her lips. "The chin would be next." His lips followed his words. "Ears are nice, too." He treated both ears with thorough and loving attention, softly stroking one, nibbling and kissing the other.

"The hollows under the ears…" Kiss. "…And then, of course, the nape of the neck." He lifted her hair and focussed his full attention on that spot.

Hermione had started to sigh and moan softly.

"That's right. Show me when you like something… Next would be the juncture between shoulders and neck." He kissed the spot and then bit down. Not very hard, but firmly.

Hermione squeaked with surprise and then moaned some more. That sensation had shot another jolt of excitement right to her groin, and she found herself getting very wet now.

"Liked that, didn't you?" he murmured. "Good to keep in mind then, for future reference."

Hermione laughed between gasps while he proceeded to the hollow at the base of her throat.

"Here's a place that needs very careful attention…"

"Stop," Hermione choked out, but gave him a challenging grin when he stopped immediately, a worried question in his eyes.

"Two can play at that game. I want to show off my knowledge, too, you know. Being a know-it-all and all that…"

"I understand." He smirked and waited.

"Let's see... A man's lips, especially the spot above the upper lip... Isn't that right?" She licked the spot and softly blew on it. "The side of the cheeks…" A kiss. "…and the throat––especially... here…" She nibbled at his Adam’s apple. "…and the hollow at its base." When she licked the spot, she felt a shudder go through him.

"Good?" she asked.

"You're killing me," he rasped.

"Where were we? Ah, yes, here…" She paid some more attention to that spot, very much encouraged by his sighs. He had thrown his head back, his eyes closed. His long, black lashes cast shadows on his cheeks, and his five o'clock shadow made his cheekbones look even more prominent. At that moment, Hermione found him to be the handsomest man she'd ever seen.

She kissed her way downwards. "Surprisingly enough, at least for me, a man's nipples can be very sensitive." She tweaked one softly and sucked at the other one.

"Hermione," Severus groaned. "Let me…" He breathed deeply and then took both her breasts in his hands. "A lovely medium size, a perfect fit for my hands," he murmured and kept stroking. "It may be of interest to you that there are exactly the same number of nerve endings in all breasts, no matter their size. That's why small breasts often are very sensitive whereas larger breasts usually tolerate and want a bit more vigorous attention." He kneaded her breasts softly.

Hermione's knees wobbled. What he was doing with his hands was pure magic. "I didn't know that," she gasped out. "That should be mandatory teaching for every boy from fifth year up. Some of them go about it as if they were kneading bread dough."

Severus laughed. He had steadied her when she’d stumbled and now gently pushed her towards the bed until she sat down. Being face to face with his stomach, Hermione seized the opportunity.

"The area around a man's navel and his loins…," she kissed his belly and softly scraped her nails along his side, "…are lovely spots to work on, too.” Following the thin trail of black hair that led the way, she licked her way from his navel downwards, despite Severus' mild protestations.

"The most sensitive area, of course, is the man's penis." She took it into her mouth.

He touched her head and tried to push her away. "Hermione, you don't have to…"

"Mumph?" Here, at least, was an activity where she had a bit more experience. She thought she was fairly skilful as well, if the grateful reaction of her former partners was anything to go by.

Severus' reaction was decidedly encouraging, and hence she licked and stroked, sucked and nibbled until he cried out, "I won't last if you don't stop now."

"I don't want you to last," she mumbled, licking his glans and then taking his cock into her mouth again as deeply as she could without gagging.

He neither pushed nor pulled but had his hands fisted at his sides, head thrown back again, and had started to breathe heavily. Hermione intensified her efforts, finding the sight of him extremely stimulating. He bucked once against her and cried, "Last chance to get away," but Hermione kept sucking and stroking until, a moment later, he came with a loud moan.

Hm, essence of Severus, Hermione thought and swallowed, feeling very smug.

Severus pulled her up and kissed her heatedly, lowering both of them onto the bed. "Merlin's pants, Hermione, this wasn't what I had planned." He was still gasping for breath. "Aren't you afraid that an old man like me won't be able to perform more than once?"

The spark of humour in his eyes together with his flushed face excited Hermione very much. She had to kiss him again. "You're not old; you're in your prime. And this isn't a competition, you know. Did you like it?"

"Do you have to ask?"

"Good!" She stroked his face. He looked pleased, excited, and something more, but before she could figure out what it was, he looked away, stroking her breasts again.

"Now it's your turn, and I won't tolerate any objections." He loomed over her and kissed and stroked his way from her breasts to her belly. All thought of lecturing was forgotten. Hermione was still very excited from having watched him come; her fears of being inadequate were gone completely.

Severus gently pushed her legs apart and kissed her thighs, slowly moving closer to her groin until he focussed in on the spot and gave her one long, searching stroke with his tongue.

Hermione cried out. Thus encouraged, he used fingers and lips to stroke and rub until Hermione squirmed under him. Probing and pumping with his fingers, licking and sucking firmly, she felt her heart pounding, and the heat rising from her groin all over her body. This felt so wonderful, but she wasn't quite there yet.

"Don't stop, don't stop," she gasped. "Yes, there, yes, yes, yes, more…" Her body tensed at the sensations his actions were causing, and encouraged by her cries, he kept stroking and sucking, faster and firmer until she felt it coming on, the sharp and inescapable sensation of impending orgasm.

"Almost, almost, now… YES!"

It was long and glorious. Breathing deeply, Hermione tried to calm down, but the excitement was still there, her arousal sated only partly. She wondered if he would be willing to keep going for a second…

Severus seemed to know exactly what she wanted. He looked at her with a self-satisfied grin and asked, "More?"

"Yes, please," Hermione gasped, and he continued with enthusiasm. It didn't take long until Hermione was squirming again, but Severus stopped and crawled up to face her, kissing her softly. She felt his renewed erection press against her thigh while his fingers kept her excitement going.

"Come to me," she whispered. "Inside me, please."

He kissed her again and then, carefully and slowly, entered her.

The filling, stretching sensation elicited a loud moan from Hermione, and then she stopped thinking all together. There was thrusting and kissing and wriggling. Both were moaning now.

"Yes, there, like that, more, yes…" Hermione felt herself close to completion again. "Yes, now," she cried and Severus kept going, moving in and out faster and harder until she came, shouting out his name. He only needed a few more thrusts until he climaxed, too.

Exhausted, he collapsed, trying to move away from her, but she held fast and kept him on top of her. "Stay for a bit."

His weight supported by his elbows, his face buried in her neck, they both lay quietly together for a long while, calming their breathing and steadying their wildly beating hearts.

When Severus finally slipped out, he stretched out at her side, keeping her in his arms. She snuggled up to him and was asleep a moment later.