Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I'm still having fun with JKR's characters, but no money is being made.

Thanks go to Beaweasley2 for the beta read.

"Is that cologne you're wearing?" Hermione asked after she'd Apparated them to Diagon Alley.

"It is."

"What brand?"

"Something I made myself."

"It suits you," she said softly, looking around. "Where to now?"

"Follow me." He paused. "And thank you."

She said nothing and followed behind him, enjoying his confident gait and straight back. There seemed to be a swing to his step this morning, and she couldn't help but to hope that it had something to do with her and the great evening they'd shared. She wanted to know even more about him. When he wasn't being an arse or using his sarcasm as a blade to slice her to the core, he was quite amiable, and it fascinated her to know that there was so much more to learn.

The whole thing with Ron and Pansy had to be a sign of some kind. How much could be actual coincidence? Hermione smiled to herself as Severus stopped to look both ways before entering a busy intersection. His face was so serious, so determined. Perhaps later, she'd see him smile again...or laugh.

"It's down this way," he said, pointing to the left and walking in that direction. "I'm sure you will find something to your liking. There are books there that I doubt you've ever even heard about."

"That's the exciting part! I can't wait." She tugged on his arm to make him stop. "Will I be safe without you? I mean, this is Knockturn Alley after all.

"From my experience, it's quite safe at this time of day. Most cretins are abed now that night's over." His lips quirked up slightly. "Besides, this is the good part of Knockturn Alley, and I don't doubt that you can handle anyone who might dare accost you."

The compliment made her shine. "And where's the business place you're going to?"

"It's right near there. Here we are," he said, nodding towards a large doorway. "There's coffee or tea as well. Rather a nice place actually. However, if the owner comes your way, don't engage in conversation with him, else you'll have no peace with all his chattering."

"All right. I'll see you shortly then?"

"I'm certain."

She hurried inside while he stood watching. Upon entering, the aroma of coffee wafted over, mingled with the scent of old books. It was quite appealing, and she felt immediately at home.

"Need some help?" an older lady asked, green highlights in her gray hair.

"Just looking," Hermione replied with a smile, continuing on her way. She made her way towards the first set of shelves, which happened to be near some tables where a couple of elderly men were sitting.

"I knew something like this would happen," proclaimed one.

"Ye didn' know nothin' o' the sort," said the other.

"I sure did. Knew something weren't right with Scrimgeour!"

Hermione looked more closely and saw that they were both holding the morning editions of the Daily Prophet. It could only mean that whatever Harry and Kingsley had been up to was working!

"Can I see that?" she asked, approaching their table.

"Sure thing, lady," the taller one said, handing the paper to her.

Minister Under Fire: Boy Who Defeated the Dark Lord Demands Answers

By Rita Skeeter

Harry Potter has been in the news a great deal lately, and it's not only for his Dark Wizard catching anymore. He's heading off corruption in the Ministry and is starting at the top with our Minister Rufus Scrimgeour. New evidence has been uncovered that most prisoners of Azkaban are being neglected. What's more, Potter claims that some people have been unrightfully sentenced...the Minister and many of the Wizengamot being well aware of this.

Potter issued these statements. "Hello, Rita. Nice to see you again."

"Harry," I asked, "can you tell me a little of what's going on?"

"Since accepting the job offered to me by the Minister yesterday, I've decided to do a little researching, and what I have found is just inconceivable. I am calling for everyone to join me at the Ministry tomorrow at noon to make certain they will have to listen to us an answer some questions that I have...which have been ignored so far."

"Bet he regrets signing Potter on now," said a source who doesn't want to be named. "Didn't think he'd be the next one to get taken down, eh?"

Can you see the relationship dear Harry and I have developed over the years? It's no wonder he confides in me above all my other colleagues. Back to the story... I've tried to contact the Minister for comments, but he is unavailable. A spokesperson for him has stated that there should be no one going to the Ministry tomorrow without an appointment, as there isn't enough room.

It seems that if they choose to honor Potter's request for an inquiry, it will be closed to the public. I shall update you with more information as soon as I get it.

"Brilliant!" Hermione said excitedly. "It's about time someone does this! I've been saying this for a long time now that people just aren't getting a fair shake, and it..." Her voice trailed away as she realized the men weren't looking at her any longer. They were glued to the window and gazing across the street.

She saw that their eyes were riveted on a woman who'd opened her door for a tall man with dark hair. Hermione quickly realized that it was Severus whom the lady was speaking with. Must be the one he was meeting, she thought, curiously watching.

Oddly enough, the woman was dressed in only a fuchsia dressing gown, and her hair seemed to be up in Muggle rollers. Severus had said that the woman was an early riser, but it seemed as though he'd surprised her.

"Looks like Rain got company," a man said.

Hermione looked up towards the small sliver of the sky that she could see from where she was standing and noticed that it looked cloudy indeed. What was the man talking about though? He didn't even seem to be looking up into the sky, only at Severus and his friend.

"Rainie's always go' company," the other man snickered. "If ye'd pay 'er, ye could be 'er company, too, eh?"

"Naw, she told me I'm an old git last I tried. Said I didn't have enough money to change her mind either." He nodded towards Severus. "He used to visit her often...every month or so, bright an' early on a Saturday morning. Odd to see him back after all this time, eh?"

The paper dropped from Hermione's fingers and landed with a small thump on the table below. "You mean to say that she... is a prostitute?"

Both men snickered. "Righ' in one," said the second one. "Ye shouldna worry abou' it, less it's ye'r bloke o'er there paying fer it."

Hermione felt the air thicken around her and press against her chest heavily. "That bastard!" she ground out between clenched teeth. He'd lied to her, had asked her to Apparate him so that he could visit a whore! He'd told her that he needed to meet someone for a business proposition.

"Good Lord, girl, ye'r not sayin' tha's ye'r man, eh?"

She stormed away from the nosey blighters and quickly exited the shop, going towards the corner she'd seen Severus talking to the woman on. They'd already gone inside, and with this knowledge, Hermione felt her heartbeat quicken, and as she pulled her wand and strode purposefully over to the raggedy building, her hands shook with flowing adrenaline. From the corner of her eye, she could see the two old men watching from the window in the shop.

Of all the idiotic things for Severus to do! How could he?

Hurt and rage warred within her mind, and it caused her to lose all sense as she blasted the door from its hinges and sent it falling back inside the room. She didn't stop moving as she barged in, splinters of wood and shards of glass crunching under her feet. It didn't take long for her to find them, as they were both staring at her with wide eyes from the other side of the room.

"Who the hell are you?" the woman asked, scrambling for her wand on the small table near her couch.

"Don't you dare," Hermione whispered.

The woman froze and gazed at Snape in horror. "Severus, who's she?"

"How could you!" Hermione yelled, not letting him answer. "You asked me to bring you here for this! Why? Why did you lie to me?"

"I didn't lie," he said smoothly, re-buttoning the buttons he'd obviously just begun to unfasten. "I told you I had a meeting with a woman."

"Yes, a business proposition," Hermione said coldly. Without thinking, she went to him, grabbed him roughly, and Disapparated with him to her flat. Once there, she released him as if he were on fire. "How could you do this to me?" she asked, disappointment tingeing her voice.

"To you? I've done nothing to you."

"You lied to me!"

"I didn't bluntly state my intentions, but my words to you were honest."

She crossed her arms over her chest and gazed at him incredulously. "You should have told me what you needed instead of doing it like this!"

"What was I to say? 'Pardon me, Hermione, but I am only a man and being this close to you is driving me mad with the need to seek sexual pleasure with a woman.'" He gave her a nasty smile. "Why, I had no idea that part of your job was to make me that comfortable while I'm here."

She slapped him soundly on the face and was grabbed roughly by the elbows instantly.

"Don't you dare raise a hand to me, girl. I'm not some boy who will put up with that." He pushed her away. "What was I to do?" His voice lost its edge, but his eyes were still dangerously narrowed. "You've embarrassed me today, and I was just..."

Hermione reached up and placed a hand behind his neck, pulling his head down to meet hers. "I'm right here, and you're going to go to her?"

His eyes widened as her lips crashed into his, nearly making her laugh. However, once she opened her mouth to deepen their kiss, she was lost in his intensity. She'd never felt such passion in a kiss, and it felt that all of her anger and jealousy only helped to fuel the fire. She wanted to feel him against her, wanted to be the one to unfasten his buttons... everything.

Her hands raked down the front of his shirt and pulled at the crisp fabric, sending buttons flying all over the floor. His chest was smooth and had a light smattering of dark hair, which she immediately smoothed her hands over. This earned her a grunt and had him shifting to pull her blouse away from her.

Breaking their kiss as he pulled it over her head did nothing to deter the passion she felt. She wanted more, and as soon as she was able, her mouth latched onto his throat as if she were a vampire seeking blood, wanting to leave her mark on him. With a small sting, she felt the strap of her bra slap the skin of her back, and in the next moment, he'd whisked it away someplace, leaving her bare-skinned from the waist up.

And then he spun her around so that her back was against the wall, tearing her mouth away from him as his head lowered, his own mouth feasting on her breasts, his hands roaming lower and fumbling with the clasp on her jeans. Intrigued with his freshly washed hair, she grabbed handfuls of it and inhaled the scent of her shampoo on his locks. It had never smelled so good on her.

Hermione arched her back slightly, hoping to press more of her breast against his tongue. "Ah... yes, Severus." Her jeans slid down under the practiced motion of his hands. Not wanting to be outdone, she awkwardly bent so that she could reach the zip of his trousers, pulling it down and tugging the button through its hole. With the help of her feet, she pushed them down, not once dislodging his mouth from her breast.

Wanting to feel all of him, her hands roamed his back, his chest. The contact was too minimum, and as much as she enjoyed the feel of him teasing her nipples with his tongue, she wanted more...all of him.

She cupped his face and pulled his mouth back up to hers, giving him the hint that she'd had enough foreplay. Truth be known, she was hot and ready and wanting him. Never before had she felt so needy. "Now," she murmured between kisses.

There was a rustling of fabric, and then she felt his hands on her waist, pushing her knickers down. She moved her hips to help them along and actually kicked one leg free of her jeans and knickers, but before she could kick away the other side, her free leg was lifted and placed around his waist.

His kisses stopped suddenly, and he asked, "Do you want this?"

"Yes, don't stop," she managed to say.

And his lips were back again, tasting hers, tongue exploring. His body ground against hers a little, and she felt one of his fingers slide into her waiting heat as if readying the passage. She lifted up on her toes and tightened her grip around his waist, urging him on, and in the next moment, she felt him pushing into her.

"Anh..." she moaned against his lips, receiving a guttural noise that sounded like approval. Though a little awkward at first, they found a rhythm, bodies meeting, grinding, slapping. The friction was delicious, and at the angle he slammed into her, she could feel the tension mounting with each push.

She'd never experienced sex against a wall. Nor did Ron ever react to her in such a way or evoke such passion in her. All she knew was that she needed him...needed more. When her leg began to tremble, he scooped her up, bracing most of her weight against the wall. She shook away the jeans and knickers still caught on her other foot, and then wrapped both legs around him, arching against his body, grabbing onto the nearby doorjamb with one hand for leverage and clutching onto his shoulder with the other.

"You feel so good," he murmured at some point.

Hermione wanted to tell him to not stop because she was nearly there, but the words wouldn't come. His hands were kneading her arse and steadying her as he pounded into her, adding to the pleasure she felt. She shifted and pumped against him, adding the rub of his pelvic bone against her clit to the inner stimulation that she was already feeling.

"OH GOD!" she shouted suddenly as an orgasm came from nowhere, sending tingles and heat and pleasure sweeping through her body.

Severus quickened his pace with long, deep strokes, faster and faster, and then she felt it. His entire body was trembling, and he arched back slightly, eyes closed, murmuring, "Yes, yes..." as he came.

His forehead came to rest against hers, and the first thing she could think of was how sweaty both of them were. He didn't pull away from her, but instead, he tried to move them over to the couch, only to trip slightly on the trousers and underpants that were still wrapped around his ankles. They toppled onto the couch, both panting, and she grinned, certain they made a sight. She was completely naked, and he was nearly there as well, though his shirt and trousers were still on his person. She'd never took the time to do more than rip open his shirt to get her hands on his flesh.

There was so much that needed to be said, and when she finally slowed her breathing enough to ask, Crookshanks jumped up on the small table next to the couch and meowed at them in annoyance.

"Crooks! Go away," she said, feeling a little embarrassed. It wasn't everyday that her familiar spied her in such a manner.

When the cat just sat there, she turned to look at Severus. His expression was inscrutable for a moment, and his eyes lowered, taking in her undressed state. Feeling self-conscious, she started to rise to gather her clothing, only to have him rise as well. But instead of moving away from her, he kicked away his trousers and underpants, neatly scooped her up, and brought her to his room where he kicked the door closed behind him and then dumped her onto his bed.

She watched with wide eyes as he unbuttoned the cuffs on his shirt and tossed it to the floor. Her anger had long since dwindled and had been replaced by need for him, but now that that had waned, she was uncertain what to do next. It was obvious that he wasn't done with her. Nor did she want him to be. However, she didn't know what to expect now.

He graced her with a small smile that melted her insides, pushed out all other thoughts, and gave her courage to scoot back against his pillows, part her legs, and crook her finger at him. Severus quickly crawled over to her, nestling himself between her thighs, propping up on his hands as he gazed down at her, slowly lowering his head, dark eyes not leaving hers as his lips met hers in what was a surprisingly soft kiss.

It was the softest kiss she'd ever experienced. His mouth was so gentle against hers that she had to open her eyes to make certain he was still there. His tongue moved around hers, tasting her, almost lovingly. She felt so cherished, so needed. He slid down her body slightly and began to worship her breasts anew, sending shivers of delight through her. It occurred to her that he was not only a Potions master, but a master of so much more. Never had she felt as though she could succumb to orgasmic bliss from only the stimulation of her breasts.

"What are you doing to me?" she asked, voice strained with delight.

He said nothing, but his head moved lower, his tongue laving the softness of her stomach, teeth nicking her flesh every now and then. When he tried to go even lower, she stopped him by placing her hands on his face and making him look up at her. She shook her head, not exactly feeling comfortable with what he was about to do, and guided him back up to kiss her again, her hands sliding down his back and grabbing his smooth arse.

And then he was pushing into her again. This time it was a slow rhythm, him learning her body and her learning his. Gone was the fevered rush and need. Something else had replaced that. His eyes seemed to beg for acceptance and sought encouragement, so she gave it to him by whispering sweet nothings to him, telling him how good he felt to her, and how much she wanted him.

Though she didn't have an orgasm this time around, she was not disappointed. Just feeling him shudder and pump into her at his steady pace was enough. She relished in the fact that he fell asleep after placing light kisses on her throat and face, still on top of her. She doubted he ever let his guard down with many people...if anyone...and yet he trusted her enough to have experienced this side of him. She was certain that not many people saw that. And she wanted more.

Her jealousy, which was quite surprising, had caused her to act like a wild woman, but she was quite pleased with how things had turned out. How would he feel about it once he woke and thought things through? Would he want something more with her? Were they moving too fast? She'd only earlier vowed to take things one day at a time, and yet, she and he had already crossed many boundaries. She closed her eyes and tried to find the sleep that had taken him over.

Southern's Notes: Well, oops, eh? LOL Sometimes you mean to do one thing and something else happens. Ah, how will they deal with this? ~snerk~