A Worthy Attempt

A/N: Many heartfelt thanks and much chocolate to my betas, Melusin_79 (who also Brit-picked) and Sahiya. Any remaining errors are all mine. Thanks also to Shalimar1981 for the early-on brainstorming.

Disclaimer: Not mine and not making any money.

A Worthy Attempt

Hermione wasn’t sure what to expect when the elf came to fetch her. What she did not expect was to see a freshly washed and arranged Severus Snape sitting up in bed, gesturing for her to take a seat in a nearby chair. She did so cautiously, unsure whether he’d eaten the potion-laced stew, and if so, whether it had worked.

“Mi … Hermione,” he said. “I believe I have you to thank for the reprieve from the psychological effects of the Dark Lord’s curse.”

“Ye-es,” she replied. “You’re welcome.”

He waved this away dismissively.

“For as long as it lasts, we should make use of the opportunity to talk clearly about the counter-curse you believe you have found,” he said. “Kindly outline your research and the reasons you believe this will be effective.”

Feeling very much like she was back in school, a feeling not at all comfortable while conversing with her nightshirt-clad former professor as he sat in bed, she did as he asked. By the time she had finished, he was nodding.

“I believe you are correct,” he pronounced.

What, no House points? Well, no, probably not.

“While it would be a violation of our prior agreement, as you so eloquently pointed out, I have not returned to my normal life as was also stipulated, and so our agreement appears to be null and void.”

She did not know how to respond to that. Fortunately, he did not wait for her to do so.

“I wish to live, Hermione,” he said. “If the effects of your potion should wear off, let the record show that I authorise you to take extraordinary measures to implement the counter-curse if necessary.”

At that, she shuddered.

“It should last at least several hours,” she said, “and I can renew the dose, if necessary.”

“As the potion does nothing to affect memory, I will no doubt remember what you have done and refuse to eat or drink anything, considering it simply more proof of your supposed plot.”

He had a point.

“Then we should not waste time,” she said finally.

“You realise this may not work.”

“I know,” she replied, “but we have to try.”

For the first time, she realised how forced his expression appeared. It took her a moment to decide what to make of that.

“Severus, I… I wish it wasn’t like this. But at some point, I think I would have wanted to try it again, anyway.”

It took him even longer to reply.

“I might have come to the same conclusion, eventually,” he conceded. “However, this will not be …”

She stood, took a couple of steps closer to the bed, and sat on the edge.

“No, it won’t,” she agreed. “But if we ever do decide to try it again when neither one of us is dying from some stupid curse, then it will be. Right now, it just has to work.”

He nodded stiffly, and she decided that if it were to have any chance of working, it was going to be up to her. She reached over, touched his cheek gently, and then brought her mouth to his.

~*~

It was nothing like their frantic, lust-filled coupling of several nights prior. In fact, deliberately evoking memories of that night seemed to be necessary in order for either of them to find the ability to function at first.

“Do you remember the way you tore at my robes?” she asked as he struggled to unbutton her blouse. She placed her soft hands over his bony ones and finished the job before guiding his hands to her small, firm, lace-covered breasts. “And the absolutely amazing things you did to my breasts?”

How could he forget? He could not do them now. Even with as little strength as he had, his fingers as they were now would surely bruise rather than pleasure her. But she had seemed to like the more feathery touches as well. He experimented a bit and was rewarded with a soft moan.

She undressed them both slowly, murmuring reminiscences as she went. Hearing her describe the various ways he had touched her, tasted her, driven her to the edge without ever quite letting her past it, was more erotic than he could ever have imagined. And while he could not even attempt most of those things now, clearly the memories were fuelling her as well because when she sank down onto him, she was every bit as hot and wet as he remembered.

The sight of her riding him, grinding herself against him, pleasuring herself with his body, was easily one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. Faster than had happened since his first teenaged fumblings, he was coming, and he gritted his teeth in a mixture of pleasure and embarrassment.

She continued to grind herself against him, even as he softened inside her, and when the telltale fluttering of her walls began, he dared to risk sliding his thumb between them. Her wordless cry, and the fierce way her body tightened around him, almost made him smile. When she collapsed on top of him and panted against his neck, he could almost forget everything else.

“Did it work?” she asked breathlessly. “Do you feel any different?”

He couldn’t be sure. He thought he might feel a bit less weak, but he didn’t feel like he was ready to try standing up, much less casting even the simplest spells.

“Let us see in the morning,” he replied cautiously, keeping his expression neutral.

She apparently took this as an invitation to remain in his bed until morning and curled up beside him. In minutes she was asleep.

He found that he did not mind.