8: Telling His Other Master

Chapter 8: Telling his other master

Saturday nights were always good for finding students snogging in the corners and niches of the school halls. As the second week of their relationship drew toward the end, Hermione was dutifully searching out all of the possible hiding places for snogging couples, though she would prefer to be tucked up in the arms of her Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She still couldn't get over the fact that Severus Snape cuddled with her. If she were daft enough to tell anyone else, they would never believe it.

Of course, he wouldn't call it snuggling. He would say he was only holding her to satisfy the potion's demands while they held a reasonable facsimile of conversation.

She had completed her check of the hallways near the library and couldn't help but turn toward the dungeons. It had been several days since she had spent time alone with Severus, and even the diary conversations weren't satisfying her completely.

"Granger, what are you doing in these parts?" a voice called behind her when she reached the vicinity of the Slytherin common room but was still a few corridors away from Severus's classroom.

Blaise Zabini stood in the hallway leaning a shoulder against the wall and fiddling with his wand in his right hand. His dark eyes seemed amused by her predicament. "Don't you know we don't appreciate Gryffindors snooping around in our dungeon?"

Hermione gripped her own wand tighter, but fought against the urge to act offensively. His stance was menacing, yes, but she had rarely experienced trouble with Zabini...he didn't seem to think she was worth the effort to pick on. Malfoy seemed absent, so she fought to stay cool headed. "Just doing rounds. I hadn't realized you claimed the whole area to yourself."

"I'll cover this area, thanks." He walked over to her, a sneer on his pinched face. "Unless you were looking for trouble. I'm sure I could help you out." His eyes flit down her body, undisguised interest in them when he returned his gaze to her own.

"No, thanks." Hermione fought to maintain her composure. What had she been thinking to come down here alone without her Disillusionment Charm? She refused to take a step in retreat as he continued to stalk closer to her.

"Granger, Zabini. Isn't it a bit late for rounds?" Severus's voice broke the tension, and Hermione felt a wave of relief.

"Just finishing mine, sir," Zabini said as he took a reluctant step back from Hermione, then turned to his Head of House. "I was wondering what a lone Gryffindor was doing in these parts. Dangerous move, if you ask me. Probably snooping."

Hermione looked over in time to see a sneer cross her beloved's face. "Indeed. There's no call for you to be down here, Miss Granger. Five points from Gryffindor for being such a busy body. If you have rounds to do, I suggest you check out the hallways surrounding the library. It seems to be where you are most at home."

Zabini laughed at the malice in Severus's voice, but Hermione only nodded. Severus was saying he would meet her in those hallways as soon as he could.

"Back to your common room, Zabini." He turned back to Hermione and lifted a brow. "On with you, Miss Granger. Wouldn't want to lose more points for your illustrious house, would you?"

"No, sir." Hermione lowered her eyes, afraid her longing would be plain, even to the prat Zabini if he saw them. She turned and hurried out of the area.

Hermione was on her third patrol of the corridors by the library when she was pulled into a dark recess in the hall. A hand clamped over her mouth to stanch a scream, and Hermione let the certainty that it was Severus trickle through her. She knew instantly by his touch.

A whispered silencing spell later, and his voice was rumbling in her ear. "What have we here? A definite arm full of future Head Girl." One of his hands quickly unbuttoned her robes and blouse while the other held her back against his chest, still covering her mouth.

His hand smoothed over the bare skin of her belly, and Hermione shivered. She found herself growing anxious for more, desperate for what he could give her but still held back. Though he had unbuttoned her once before, that was as far as it had gone. This time she hoped he carried things a bit further despite his vow to leave her virtue officially intact until the wedding. "A handful too," he said in a whisper that had her shuddering with its sensuality. His hand flowed over one breast, feathering it and bringing her nipple to erect status through her bra. Hermione wished for a moment she had worn racier underwear that day.

His lips trailed along her now-bare shoulder, up the side of her neck and to her ear. "I felt your longing, sensed you growing closer to me. Your emotions are as easy to read as Potter's mind. I love that you're such an open book to me." He twisted her around, knocking her bare back against the cold bricks and taking control of her mouth with his. His mouth left hers and headed south to her exposed chest, and she stopped thinking all together.

A long time later Hermione stumbled from the recess, tugging her clothes back into place. Her whole body throbbed, and she wished for a time turner that could transport them both to the end of the month...their wedding day. Though the state of want he left her in was pleasant, she longed for the fulfillment of the promises his mouth and hands made with each encounter. He was still a snarky git, but she couldn't say she found those qualities completely disgusting anymore. In fact, she was somewhat turned on by them. Deciding she would drive herself mad, she refused to think about her visceral responses to him.

She was starting to think she would burst before her wedding day arrived. How they would manage to keep their relationship hidden after that was something to worry about later.

Hermione was almost clear headed when she reached the common room to find Lavendar Brown cuddled up with Neville Longbottom. She blinked and wondered how long that had been going on. Harry and Ginny sat side by side on another sofa, their shoulders touching while they discussed what she figured must be Quidditch. Ginny reached over and set a hand on Harry's arm, and Hermione saw the flash come into his eyes. He looked the way Hermione felt when Severus touched her.

Come to think of it, in the past few weeks she had noticed an abundance of strange relationships. Not that Harry and Ginny were an odd couple, but Cormack McCleggan seemed to have won Pansy Parkinson's hand from Draco. Slytherin Miles Bletchley had started seeing Marietta Edgecomb, and Seamus Finnegan was tirelessly trying to gain the attention of Alicia Spinnett.

With a raised brow, Hermione wondered how many of them had been hit by the potion. If Seamus had been dosed, it appeared Alicia had not. Poor Seamus.

Hermione considered writing the twins and asking for a dose of their chocolates to make the relationship more even, at least. But then, they would hardly admit they had any left on hand. She had threatened to hex their bits off if they didn't dispose of their whole inventory. Not that she believed for a second they had thrown the stuff out, but they would certainly go out of their way to keep it quiet from her.

Just then Seamus walked over to Alicia and tapped his wand to the quill he was carrying, changing it into a large bunch of tiger lilies. Alicia smiled shyly and accepted the proffered flowers. Perhaps Seamus would make the second dose of chocolate unnecessary, Alicia didn't seem entirely adverse to his attentions. Hermione smiled to herself as she walked up the stairs to her room.

The only thing that still confused her was why these other relationships seemed to be potion-induced, but the strength of the pull between them didn't seem nearly as strong as her own with Severus. To her knowledge Harry still hadn't even kissed Ginny. Hermione made a mental note to ask Severus about it later.

*****

Fear that the Dark Lord would learn about his relationship with Hermione kept Severus extra wary of any public interactions he had with her. He was still considering what approach to take, how to introduce things to the Dark Lord.

He Apparated to the Dark Lord's side only two nights after his interlude with Hermione in the dark halls, filling his mind only with images that might show his devotion to the Dark Lord and his cause. He dropped to one knee before his leader and bowed his head in obeisance. "You called, my Lord?"

"Severus, I need an update. How are things going with Dumbledore's plans?"

Since Severus made it a point not to learn anything he could accidentally divulge to the Dark Lord unless absolutely necessary, he was able to answer honestly, "The old man keeps his plans close, and I've heard little. The werewolf Lupin continues to be ostracized from the group most of the time. He doesn't look as though things are going well for him, sets himself apart from the others." He projected a memory where Lupin hurried out of a meeting after Tonks tried to speak with him. The detached unhappiness on Lupin's face was clear.

"Good, and his other projects?"

Severus pursed his lips. "My Lord, he has something he's working on with Potter, perhaps Occlumency. I am not privy to their meetings, but I get the feeling it may be something else." He considered, then decided to test the waters. "There is, however, an opportunity I may be able to take advantage of. If I'm careful. A chance to learn more from another source." He slid his expression into calculating lasciviousness. "And it may have other benefits as well." He allowed an image of Hermione into his mind.

"Yes, I'd heard Potter's friend seemed to be paying more attention to her instructor than was normal."

Severus nodded, grateful he hadn't waited any longer to bring the subject up. "She seems to have developed a tendre for me." He arched a brow and smirked. "She's not unappealing, in her way, and could be a useful avenue to obtain information. Granger and Potter seem to share all of their secrets...though with the way Potter hates me, I doubt she's shared this particular secret. And the boy is far too obtuse to pick it up on his own. Still, I had wondered if I might not use her feelings to my advantage. Like the naïve child she is, she trusts me. With a bit of care, I might get her to speak of things I wouldn't otherwise hear."

"Those are good points, Severus. Points I hadn't considered. You know them best. What do you think would upset Potter more: luring out and killing his little friend, or her seduction to our side?"

Severus had to pause for a moment to make it seem as though he was considering the question. "Loss through seduction, my Lord. He would see her feelings for me as a complete betrayal of all he holds dear, whereas her death would only make her a martyr. Of course, she may be useful in other ways before we show Potter his loss. Learning of her defection should be held off for a time. She will no longer be privy to secret information once her preference is made known, and it will take time to turn her infatuation to something more to suit our needs. I can build on her trust and hormones." He tapped a finger against the chin of his mask. "Dumbledore will be furious if he finds out. She's the favorite choice for Head Girl next year, after all. I'll have to find a way to spin it for him. Do I have your permission to pursue this angle?"

The Dark Lord pursed his lips and ran a finger along his chin as he considered the possibilities. "Yes, see what you can do. I will call you again in a couple weeks. You are dismissed."

After another bow, Severus stepped back and Apparated to the castle grounds. He stepped to the stone wall nearby and leaned against it, relieved he had managed to twist things his direction. If he had waited to mention Hermione's preference for him when other students were starting to notice, he could have found himself in a bind. At the same time, he needed to tutor Hermione better on keeping her feelings hidden. There was no telling which of the students had noticed her actions and reported them...any one of half a dozen were in a position to see them together in class. Anyone in the school could have seen the occasional stolen glance during meals.

He could crucio those Weasley twins for putting him in this position in the first place. Severus knew Dumbledore had words with the young businessmen, but those two particular Order members had been conspicuously absent at the last meeting Severus attended. The Headmaster had done well to keep them away. With a sigh, Severus trudged up to the castle. He changed his Death Eater garb back into his standard robes and prepared himself to report to Dumbledore.

*****

Later that week, Hermione's blood was settling after a dedicated snog session with Severus. She could see he was growing more agitated as their wedding drew closer. She wondered what the big event was that he kept alluding to. Why would she hate him? She had asked him about it, but he told her he wasn't at liberty to say. His only clues were that she would need to believe in him, no matter what. And then he turned the topic. "Potter needs to work on his Occlumency. In fact, it wouldn't hurt any of you to work on that. The whole Order would fight more effectively if they weren't mentally shouting their plans. There are several passable Legilimens in the Dark Lord's service."

Snuggling more fully into Severus's lap, Hermione ran a finger along his exposed collarbone. "Could you teach me? Then I could help Harry, maybe." Hermione bit her lip and considered what had been going on between them over the past few months. "Then again, if he pushed into my memories, he might see us."

His hand feathered over her bare back and settled at her waist. "Yes, that could be a problem, seeing as how he hates me. Maybe we should practice together first, get you started before you expose us to everyone."

"Speaking of exposed." Hermione flicked a fingertip over his flat, exposed nipple and heard him suck in a sharp breath. It made her grin to know it took so little to affect him. Knowing she affect him as much as he did her was a great comfort when he insisted on stopping before trouser zippers could be employed, or deployed, as the case may be.

Severus Snape at the best of times wasn't a sweet and gentle lover. He may use an occasional endearment, mostly when they were deep in the throes of a serious snog, but that was it. The term 'my dear' slipped out in their writing from time to time and during visits, on rare occasions, but Hermione felt that at times it was said with a touch of irony and wondered what that meant. His reactions to her presence thrilled her, however.

"You'd best get off me now before my control slips." Severus moved to release her from the cuddling position he had settled her into. The limits he had set were no doubt driving them both crazy.

"Are you sure you don't want to," her fingers slid further down his chest, over his ribs and he all but shoved her off of him.

"No, I'm sure I do want to, which is precisely why it's time we got dressed again."

Though at the time the Amoriata potion took effect, she hadn't felt ready to go further than a few kisses; the past couple weeks had done away with her concerns in that vein. Severus had been filling her in on bits and pieces of his life, of growing up, and his likes and dislikes. Hermione felt she was beginning to truly know him now and was frustrated that he insisted they wait until the wedding, regardless of Dumbledore's request.

After dressing, she took a moment to center herself, then submitted to Occlumency practice.

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AN: Thanks to robisonrocket for correcting my punctuational infelicities and thanks to all of you who took the time to review. Every time I get a new review, it is like Christmas has come again!