Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

Severus was so hard he felt like he could pierce a hole through the stone wall of his sitting room. He'd just finished reading the latest installment of Hermione's naughty little tale of seduction and sex. By willpower alone, he had not released himself from his increasingly tight trousers, nor had he touched himself. However, Severus knew that wouldn't last much longer. He was merely savoring the sensation, anticipating his release when he finally did take his cock in his hand and stroke it to thoughts of Hermione.

Despite second guessing himself through the previous chapters, Severus could no longer deny that he and Sebastian Sandor were remarkably alike. It couldn't be a coincidence, but he had not yet determined Hermione's motives in modeling the character after him. The portion of his ego most damaged by those difficult years at Hogwarts wondered if she was making fun of him. However, his more rational side knew Hermione would never do something so deliberately cruel, especially after he had heard her defend him many times in the past.

This line of thought only led him to wonder if she was actually excited by him. The idea that she might fantasize about him made him even harder. Severus knew it was a long-shot, but he allowed himself to indulge in it while he picked up his quill and wrote a short note on a blank scrap of parchment.

Very naughty, Hermione. My capable quill anxiously awaits the next installment of this lascivious little tale.

He managed to scratch his name below the message before sliding a hand into his trousers.

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Hermione knew she should have waited until after the staff meeting to open the envelope. If she had, she would have read Snape's short message to her in the comfort of her own rooms, not in an uncomfortable brown leather chair in the staff room. Pomona Sprout was giving her an odd look, like she knew Hermione was holding a shameless chapter of a pathetic romance novel that Severus Snape had edited. Of course, Hermione knew Pomona had no idea about the novel and Snape's involvement in it, but that didn't stop her from feeling guilty.

She glanced down at his note again. He had called her naughty. And she had liked it. Hermione shifted in her seat and crossed her legs. Just the thought of him reading the chapter and having such a response made her wet.

Horny was not an appropriate state of mind during a Hogwarts staff meeting.

She wiggled her foot impatiently. Everyone was there except for Minerva and him. Hermione wasn't sure if she could face him before she was able to frig herself to death and then splash some cold water on her face. She hadn't seen him since she slipped the envelope under his door the previous night. Instead of handing the latest corrections over in person, he had left it on her desk beneath a stack of second-year essays. She happened across it minutes before the staff meeting, and her obvious lack of self-control was the reason for her current predicament.

She shifted in her seat again and looked up to meet Snape's eyes when he walked through the door. As much as she wanted to sink into the chair, she certainly couldn't do it without her wand. And her wand was in her robe pocket, not easily accessible at the moment. Besides, the other professors would most likely see her disappear, especially Pomona, the nosey busy-body.

Despite willing her skin not to turn that unbecoming shade of red, she still blushed under his dark gaze. Without taking her eyes off him, she quickly shoved the note back into the envelope. The only response he offered was a slight lift of one brow as he settled into his usual chair in the corner. He was several yards away from her, but she still had difficulty quelling the flip-flopping of her stomach. As embarrassed as she was, she was also exhilarated at this dangerous little game she had been playing with Hogwarts' most feared professor.

"Are you feeling well, dear?" Minerva's voice made Hermione nearly jump out of her seat. She hadn't heard the Headmistress come in the room. Everyone's eyes had shifted over to Hermione, and the idle chit-chatting had dwindled into silence.

"I... I'm fine," she finally managed to sputter out, glancing around the room and giving her colleagues a quick smile. She made sure to avoid Snape's eyes. He'd just fluster her more. And would Minerva ever stop asking her if she was feeling well? Depression was certainly not on her mind at the moment.

With a curt nod, Minerva moved to the front of the room to begin the informal staff meeting. Hermione finally shifted her eyes to Snape. He was still watching her with an odd look on his face. She smiled weakly and uncrossed her legs. If she had to endure his gaze the entire meeting, she'd probably melt onto the floor.

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Severus drummed his fingertips on top of his cluttered desk. He had seen Hermione only two hours ago at the staff meeting, but he wanted to march over to her private quarters and demand she talk to him. Or do other things with him. He smirked at his depraved thoughts. All these years of celibacy in the damned school had finally driven him mad. He was willing to gamble his coveted pride in order to steal a kiss from her surprised lips.

The student essays on his desk held no appeal. He would much rather read another chapter in her story. He knew that wasn't possible, though. He had only returned the last chapter to her that afternoon. There was no way she would be sliding another under his door for at least twelve hours, perhaps more. He hoped it wouldn't be much longer because he felt like he might explode.

After his dreadful experiences with girls while he attended Hogwarts, he never allowed himself to find more than the basest physical attraction to anyone. It unnerved Severus to realize that he found Hermione attractive in more than a sexual sense, though the sexual attraction was by no means to be discounted in any way. He could see himself spending Saturday afternoons with her, browsing the latest issue of Potions Quarterly together. To make himself feel better, he also thought of spending Saturdays repeatedly pinning her to the bed.

His feelings were confused even more by Sebastian, who bore a striking resemble to him. Despite his initial denial, the more he thought about Sebastian, the more he wondered if Hermione had intentionally modeled the character after him. Perhaps she had a soft spot for him after all. The thought made Severus smile wistfully at the barren dungeon wall in front of him.

Trying to will away the beginnings of an erection, he stood and strode toward the door to his chambers. If he spent the rest of the evening locked away in his rooms, he would surely masturbate himself to death while thinking of Hermione and the wicked mind she was hiding behind those intelligent brown eyes. Besides, a walk around the lake would do him good.

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A scattering of clouds drifted in front of the moon just as Hermione saw Snape moving across the lawn toward the lake. Even though she was several stories up in her chambers, she knew the stiff set of his back and the confident stride of his long legs.

She had been standing at the tall window, looking out over the moonlit lawn for several minutes, contemplating her next move. Hermione had no intention of insinuating herself into Snape's life in a romantic capacity, though she wouldn't necessarily say she did not desire it. Despite all the comments and looks she had been taking as flirtation, she still wasn't sure where she stood with him and what he wanted from her. She had never met a man so difficult to read.

One of his pale hands flashed over his hair, pushing it out of his face as he continued toward the lake at a brisk pace. Hermione absently nibbled on her lower lip, trying to decide if she should join him outside or watch him from the safety of her quarters. After a moment of consideration, she threw caution to the wind and fled from her rooms.

In a flash, she was down the stairs and pulling open the heavy entrance door to the school. She knew she'd never catch up with him, so she slowed her pace, hoping she could join him as he completed his circuit around the lake. To Hermione's surprise, Snape seemed to sense her presence just as she stepped onto the shore. He glanced over his shoulder and slowed down to allow her to catch up with him.

Once she was comfortably walking beside him, she smiled nervously. "Hi."

Without looking at her, he nodded. "Good evening, Miss Granger."

"It's a lovely night, don't you think?" Hermione cringed as soon as the words left her mouth. They sounded trite and awkward.

"Surely we're beyond such inane observations, aren't we?" he answered with a wry smile and a sidelong glance in her direction.

Hermione chuckled under her breath, taking two steps for each of his long strides. "You're certainly in trouble now, Professor. Even your biting remarks amuse me."

"And why is that?"

She faltered slightly, falling behind his steady pace while she truly considered his question. "I suppose," she responded, catching up with him, "it is because you treat me like a living person, not an unfortunate casualty of the war."

Snape glanced at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, it's just that everyone seems to think I might lose my mind if they say anything to me beyond talk of work or condolences about my losses during the war. I'm not going to lose my mind. If I were going to, then I certainly would have done it before now."

"Have you truly come to terms with the past, or am I merely a convenient way of avoiding it?"

"Trust me, sir, I am not avoiding it. I think about it each night when I go to bed, each morning when I get up, not to mention the many moments during my day when I'm reminded of someone I knew who is no longer here."

Without looking at her, Snape nodded slowly. "I find that denial and distraction are far better coping tools than facing the true situation or problem."

She could hear that slight tinge of amusement coupled with self-deprecation in his voice. It brought an unlikely smile to her face. "Well, I am a Gryffindor after all. I hardly think denial and distraction run in my blood." After a short pause, she continued. "What did you use to distract yourself all those years?"

"Many things. Potions mostly."

Hermione nearly tripped over her own feet in disbelief. "But you love potions."

"Yes, but I was not born with that love. It became a convenient way to escape my life, made all the easier by the fact that I was actually quite good at it." He cleared his throat and glanced out over the lake. The angle hid his face from her behind a curtain of his hair. "To tell the truth, academics, in general, were my distractions during my years in school. Afterward, I honed in on potions as the most effective way to remove myself from the world around me."

Hermione frowned at the fall of his black hair hiding his face. "So, are you saying that if one enjoys a particular hobby, it is an attempt by that person to avoid problems in his or her life?"

"No. Don't twist my words. I was simply stating what I found to be true for myself." He huffed and spared a glance in her direction. "Perhaps I shouldn't reveal my secrets quite so freely if you're not going to make an effort to understand."

Reflexively, Hermione apologized. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to question your... confession."

"Don't call me sir. It makes me feel like I'm as old as Slughorn."

"What shall I call you, then? Professor? Snape? The bat of the dungeons?"

"Do you enjoy pushing my buttons, Granger?"

She laughed lightly when she saw the contrived annoyance on his face. "It's the best part of my day, Mr. Bat."

"I'm sure there are much more creative names the students have thought up for me than that."

"I wouldn't know. I never participate in name-calling."

"Oh, but, I'm sure Potter and Weasley were excellent at it." He looked over at her to gauge her reaction to the remark about her departed friends.

The wounds were still there, but she knew they were healing when Snape's mention of her friends didn't make her feel like crying. "You can't blame them; you weren't all that nice to them."

"True," he agreed.

"As infuriating as they could be, I still miss them terribly," Hermione said softly. She stopped and looked down at her shoes as they slowly sunk into the muddy ground along the lake. She knew he had also stopped just past her, waiting for her to resume their walk.

Finally, he cleared his voice and spoke up. "At the risk of sounding terribly unlike myself, I've a willing ear if you wish to talk about anything...even the bane of my existence himself."

Hermione scuffed her feet and looked up to meet his eyes, a small smile on her face. "I appreciate that."

She held his gaze for a long moment before Snape extended his arm toward the castle. "It's late. Perhaps we should return to the school."

Nodding, she fell into step beside him as they backtracked along the section of lake they had walked. Just as they were crossing the lawn, already wet with dew, Snape spoke up.

"Dare I call attention to this pink elephant between us?"

Hermione looked at him, confused. "What?"

"This rather large pink elephant we both seem to be ignoring, though we can both see it very well." He paused to gauge her clueless expression. "The novel," he hastily added.

Her lips opened, but nothing issued from them. Finally, she managed to repeat what he had said. "The novel."

"Your novel. The romance novel. Don't tell me you've forgotten about it. I know better than to believe you would forget a single word you've written or read."

"What about the novel?"

He appeared uncomfortable with the conversation, though she couldn't be quite sure in the dim light. "The man...Sebastian...seems quite familiar to me for some reason."

Panic nearly set in when he mentioned Sebastian, but Hermione managed to hold herself together, if just by a thin thread. "Oh? How so?"

She watched one of his pale hands wave about in the air, trying to conjure up some sort of answer. "It seems as if I've met him before."

They climbed the stairs, and Hermione waited while Snape opened the entrance door. "I actually feel the same way about him," she murmured. The stillness of the air ensured that he would hear her words, but he didn't respond.

Instead of parting at the door, he followed her back to her chambers, as if escorting her home. Not wanting to immediately return to her rooms, Hermione took the long way to them. Snape followed beside her. After a climb up a flight of stairs, he broke the silence again. "Are you attracted to him?"

"Sebastian? I suppose I am. Actually, I'm very much attracted to him, which is probably the reason I got a bit carried way with the... scenes, the details." She curled her nose up and risked a quick glance at her escort for the evening. "Was it too much?"

After a moment of consideration, Snape shook his head and turned the corner of the hall. "No, as I told you, I thought it was quite good." He dropped his eyes to the floor, watching his feet taking step after step down the long hall. Hesitantly, he added in a low voice, "It actually... excited me very much."

Hermione nearly swallowed her tongue at his admission. "Really?"

He confirmed with a slight nod of his head. Strands of his hair fell over his face, hiding his expression from her again.

They were only a few yards from her door. Abruptly, she stopped and turned to face him fully. "You know," Hermione said.

"Know what?"

"You know I wrote him like you." She sighed at his continued confusion. "Sebastian. He's you. Or at least you were the inspiration."

Snape fixed his gaze upon her. The firelight from the torches along the walls made his eyes appear soft and sensual, even darker than usual. The look of surprise on his face was unmistakable, but there was also something lurking beneath the surface. Hope, perhaps? It sent a nervous thrill through her stomach.

"I suspected, though I had no way to confirm such suspicions."

"Consider them confirmed then." She paused and tried to still her jittery body. "I'm sorry I used you," Hermione added, dropping her gaze to the floor.

His dark chuckle made Hermione lift her head to look at him again. "I hardly think, as a man, I should be distressed that a young lady has chosen to use me in such a way."

This was the last thing she would have expected from Severus Snape once he learned he had been the model for a male lead in a romance novel. "I...you... Are you serious?"

"I am indeed," he whispered softly, taking a step toward her. "Did you truly fantasize of doing those things...the things you wrote between Sebastian and Haley?"

His question caught her off guard, and she retreated backwards a step in confusion. Her back hit the rough wall of the corridor. Without much thought to her answer, she nodded and watched him step toward her.

Snape was so close she could feel his breath on her face. His robes brushed against hers as he shifted even closer. "I think of you, also, Hermione," he whispered in her ear. "I read those last two chapters multiple times, and I wanted it to be us."

"Yes," Hermione whispered.

"Did you know you made me so hard I could barely walk? That I jerked off to thoughts of fucking you after I had read what you had written?"

Hermione wasn't sure she could breathe, but she knew she just might come if he continued to talk dirty to her.

"If you want this...me...then send a note when you're ready," he murmured softly in her ear, his hands braced on the wall behind her. "I'll make you feel so good your legs will buckle beneath you each time you try to stand and leave my bed."

With that said, he pushed off the wall and disappeared into the shadows of the empty hall. Hermione stumbled to her rooms and managed to remove the wards after a couple failed attempts. When she was finally inside, she leaned against the closed door and slid to the floor. She definitely needed a cold shower.

Author's Notes: I am an absolute heel. I apologize to everyone who has been reading this story and was anxious for the next chapter. You are all more than welcome to yell at me for taking so long to update it. The chapter had to undergo a few revisions, which I was being lazy about. I've also had a hectic two weeks with work being weird, at best, and a class after work that I had to attend for a few days. I admire all of you out there who work, write, *and* go to school. I've been out of school just long enough to forget how much it sucks to have no free time. Anywho, a big thank you to moonrevel for her fantastic beta assistance, and another huge thank you to JenF for helping with the characterization, especially in this chapter. Thank you both!