Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter belong to JKR.

A/N: ~Shakes head back and forth and folds arms over chest~ Oh, no, you don't! I do want to thank my totally awesome beta, but she will have to stay anonymous until voting is over!

Cough Southern_Witch_69 Cough

Hermione sat at the vanity in her bedroom, meticulously applying her makeup. It had been one week since she'd ran into her old professor, and she hadn't seen him once since that day. Was he purposely trying to drive her nuts?

She frowned as she thickened her lashes with mascara. With the tan she was getting by making sure she was lying in the sun at least an hour daily, she only needed very little make-up, but she liked to do things to bring out her deep brown eyes. To her, they were her best feature.

She'd mainly been going to the beach daily in hopes that Snape would venture back outside and speak with her, but the man had remained stubbornly inside his villa. She had so many questions! Had the Ministry found out that he was alive? Did Snape know that he'd been fully pardoned? Who all back home knew that he hadn't died?

But mostly, she wanted to know how he'd done it...how he'd kept himself from dying. Harry, Ron and she had stood there and watched him die. It was amazing, really. Then, there was the small matter of the affair...fling...whatever he wanted to call it, that they'd discussed.

He'd told her that he'd leave his door unlocked if she was truly interested in having an affair, but had he meant it? He'd never liked her, she knew, so why would he seriously consider a liaison with her now, especially after their discussion? Well, there was the fact of no-strings sex, but was that enough? With everything that had happened with Ron, Hermione didn't know if she could face a rejection just now.

Hermione sighed, confusion and doubt clouding her mind. She desperately wanted to find out. She'd written to Ginny seeking advice, not revealing her would-be paramour's identity of course. She chuckled, remembering Ginny's response to her question as to whether or not she should take him up on his offer. She'd written, 'Remember the Contraception Potion I talked you into taking before you left? That was for a reason! If you're truly interested, then I have to say go and enjoy!'

Hermione placed her chin on her hand and stared at her reflection in the mirror. Not a beauty, but then, neither was he. Looks were never an issue with her anyway. But were they with him? Harry's mum had been beautiful, like Ginny, but other than Lily Evans, Hermione had no clues as to any other women he'd cared for.

She shook her head. He'd offered, so that logically meant that he had to be interested. Straightening up, she decided to go to the market and pick up a few things she needed, and then later... Well, later, she'd see.

***

Severus scowled as he placed his items in his cart. He hated shopping for anything other than potions ingredients. Likely because he grew many of them himself and didn't have to actually purchase that many. With Liam gone for the next few weeks, he didn't need very much, but today, he'd had a craving to have Salmon Primavera for his evening meal.

He rounded the corner to pick out some fresh asparagus when he spotted Granger standing there speaking with some man. Little wanton! He'd watched her daily bouts of sunbathing, willing her to come to him and take him up on his offer, but it'd been a week, and she still hadn't come. She merely went outside everyday, tempting him with her plump little arse. He swore, the first chance he got, he was going to bend her over and... He shook his head. This was not the place for such thoughts.

Now here she was, standing there by the tomatoes, conversing with some man who could barely speak English, telling her she needed to look for the plump ones. Severus smirked. The man was likely thinking of her arse, too.

She looked up at him, batting those pretty brown eyes, thanking him for his wonderful advice, as if he'd invented tomatoes! He patiently waited until the man walked away, looking at her over his shoulder with hopeful glances, before he quietly walked up behind her and whispered into her ear, "Small talk, Granger? Odd. You strike me as a 'get to the point' conversationalist."

It pleased him to watch her shiver. She slowly turned to look at him and said, "I don't know. A lot of times, small talk can set the stage for more stimulating... conversation. Wouldn't you agree?"

He raised an eyebrow. The woman was damned confusing. Or a damned tease. In which case, it would bode well for him to find out now and save himself the trouble of fooling with her. He couldn't stand when a woman led a man on with no intentions of following through. Watching her reaction, he said, "I've left my door unlocked everyday for a week so that we can test out that very theory, Granger. You've yet to open it."

She shrugged, and he was sure she was trying to be flippant. "Were you serious about that then?"

He stared at her, amazed. She's uncertain! She thinks I'll reject her! Silly girl. "Oh, I was absolutely sure," he assured her.

She looked around them a bit and then asked, "Would you care to have a spot of lunch with me?"

Acting on impulse, he told her as he nodded towards his cart, "I've a better idea. Why don't we go back to my villa, and I'll make us lunch. Besides, you need to put your things away. When you're finished, you just come over."

"All right," she said. "That would be lovely. What shall I bring?"

He practically leered at her. "Good conversation," he told her as he walked away to pay for his items. When he took one last glance at her, she was patting her chest with one hand and fanning her face with the other. Yes, he had high hopes that this was going to be a very nice lunch.

***

Hermione stood at Snape's door unsure of... so many things that she didn't know where to begin. The first thought invading her mind was could she really go through with this? Because she knew that even though they were actually going to have lunch, if she went through that door, it would also be the start of their fling.

She shuddered, remembering his voice as he'd whispered in her ear. Oh, yes, he definitely knew the effect his voice had on a woman. She wanted him. That, at least, wasn't an issue. And apparently, he wanted her as well, so she couldn't use that as an excuse not to go through with it.

So, the only thing left to do was open the door and walk in. Or should she knock?

Her decision was abruptly taken away from her as Snape jerked the door open. "A man could... starve waiting for you to open the door."

So, she thought, they were switching to food innuendos for their banter now. All right, she could do this. She smiled at him and held up a bottle of Chardonnay to go with his salmon dish and two canolis for dessert. "Perhaps this can... whet your apatite? For dessert, naturally."

He stood there a moment, looking at her from head to toe as he had on the beach, then as if he'd come to a decision, he opened the door wide. "Come in," he commanded.

Hermione handed him the wine and dessert as she walked in, looking about his villa. It looked the same as hers. She wandered to the long table against the wall lined with pictures, some Muggle, others moving. She picked up a Muggle picture of a small toddler boy with black hair and dark eyes. "Is this you?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes, sure that it had to be.

Severus looked at the picture of Liam in her hands. "No," he said, but didn't elaborate. When Hermione understood that he wasn't going to offer any more information, she set the picture down, looking at the others.

She picked up another picture, wizard this time, of what had to be a teen-aged Snape with his arm around Lily Evans. Hermione had seen enough pictures to recognize her. She started. Snape actually had a very nice smile, and she realized that this was the first time that she'd ever seen it. Why, he's happy here, she thought.

Without mentioning it, she placed it back down and picked up another of a beautiful woman with very long, wavy, strawberry-blonde hair and deep blue eyes, laughing into the camera. She has freckles on her nose, Hermione ridiculously thought. She looked up to find Snape watching her closely. She looked back down at the picture. "Friend of yours?" she asked quietly.

"She was. Lunch is ready," he told her, once more not giving away any more details, and she was too scared to ask any more questions about the woman in the picture. Placing the picture gently down, Hermione went to join Severus for lunch.

The salmon and vegetables were cooked to perfection, but Hermione had expected nothing less. The first few minutes were quiet until Hermione couldn't take it any longer. "How did you do it? I'm dying to know."

He didn't pretend to not know what she was asking him about. She wanted to know how he'd survived. "You know what they say about curiosity," he warned.

"Snape," she groaned, "tell me!"

He chuckled and wiped his mouth with a white linen napkin. "Still bossy, I see, and full of questions."

"If you don't ask, you won't learn," she prissily informed him. "However, if you don't wish to discuss it, that's fine." She picked up her wine and took a long sip, hardly enjoying the nutty flavor.

"Now you're in a snit. Hardly good to sate your... hunger."

"Oh, I'm hardly in a snit," she told him, ignoring his jab. "I'm just curious as to how you survived, that's all. I watched you die, you know. Harry, Ron, and I. We were there."

He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair. "This is not the type of lunch conversation I want to have with you, Granger."

Sighing in defeat, she conceded. "Fine. Another time?"

"Perhaps," he eluded as he placed his napkin in his plate, signaling the meal was at an end. Standing, he offered his hand to her. "Shall I show you the rest of my villa?"

"Don't you want dessert?" she asked, slightly panicked because she knew where this was leading.

"Oh, yes. I most certainly want dessert." He gestured towards the kitchen. "However, we can have your canolis later. Right now, I have a craving for something else. You?"

Oh, God, I am so in over my head! Hermione thought as she stood, taking his hand.

He led her up the stairs and into his bedroom. "Do you want this, Granger?" he suddenly asked as soon as they'd entered, surprising her.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yes, you are. But I don't want to get started only to have you suddenly stop things. And I also want to make it clear right now that a fling is all that I want at this time. Is this acceptable to you?"

She frowned. His terms sounded so much like a warning, but of what she wasn't sure. "Of course. I hardly want to start a serious relationship so fresh from my divorce." She cringed a little at the word divorce, but continued, "No, I'm not looking for anything other than a fling myself."

"With me?" he clarified.

She threw her hands up in the air. "It's your bedroom that I'm in, Snape, so, yes, with you. Do you want me to sign a bloody contract?" she asked, aggravated.

"I just want to get everything out in the open now so that there're no doubts or questions later on."

"Understood," she sniped. "A fling only: no commitments, no promises, no strings. Does that ease your mind?"

"Immensely. Now, come here," he said as he held out his arms. "I've been thinking about sinking my teeth into you all week."

She slowly walked to him. Not to seduce, but because she didn't know what to do. With Ron, they'd always gone to bed at night and then went from there. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had sex like this, during the day. Certainly before Rose had come along.

He seemed to have no such worries. Once she got to him, he deftly turned her so that her back was to his front, and he immediately began nibbling the bottom of her neck where her shoulders began, pulling down a strap to her sundress as he feasted.

"Delicious," he murmured, licking down her arm to the inside of her elbow. He then moved to face her, pulling down her other strap. "Let's get you out of this," he purred.

She nodded towards his chest. "You, too. You undress, too."

Ignoring her, he slowly pulled her dress down and was delighted to find that she had only white lacy knickers on underneath. "Had I known what I would find under your dress, we would've skipped lunch all together and gone straight for dessert."

She was standing there in nothing but her knickers and heeled sandals, blushing from head to toe. Trying to cover herself, she defended, "The dress is white with built-in padding and does not require a bra."

He told her, "I'm not complaining nor criticizing. I'm simply enjoying the view." He made a circle with his fingers in the air. "Turn around."

"No!" she told him, horrified. "I will not!"

"Turn," he instructed. "I want to see you."

"Absolutely not!" she said. He started walking towards her, and she started backing away. "I don't think that the playing field is exactly even."

"Oh? How so?" he asked as he continued towards her, backing her to the bed.

"You're still dressed," she simply stated.

"Then come here and undress me," he challenged. "I undressed you, after all."

She was in a dilemma. In order to undress him, she would have to move her hands from the more private parts of her body. Gathering her courage, she slowly made her way to him, determined that she would even the playing field so that she wouldn't feel so self-conscious.

However, once she reached him, he grabbed her and turned her so that her back was to him once more, ripping her knickers off in the process. He groaned very loudly as he ran his hands over her bottom, kneading and caressing.

"Severus!" she gasped out.

He walked her back to the bed and bent her forward, leaning over with her, pumping his hips. The sensation of him being fully dressed, rubbing against her while she was totally naked was surprisingly erotic to Hermione.

"I've wanted to do this from the first time I saw your

arse--covered in nothing but black bikini bottoms--bent over that lounge chair." He deftly unfastened his trousers, freeing himself.

Hermione gasped once more when she felt his hardened cock against her bare bottom. He reached his arm around, stroking her intimately until he was satisfied that she was ready for him.

Putting one of his legs between the both of hers, he widened her stance, and then he took her arms and braced her hands on the bed directly in front of her. Quickly removing a condom from the nightstand by the bed and rolling it on, he cautioned, "Hold on tight," as he entered her from behind with a satisfied groan.

She cried out from the sensation of being filled. It had been so long! He backed out of her slowly and then slowly re-entered her, starting a slow and, to Hermione, tortuous rhythm. He leaned down and licked her spine from top to bottom, making her writhe with pleasure.

When her thrusts started matching his, he reached around her, barely touching her straining and sensitive nipples, causing her to arch her back so that his hand would be more firmly placed on her aching breasts, applying more pressure.

She rose up and turned her head to kiss him, lifting her arms up and around his neck, but he expertly raised his head causing her to kiss his chin instead. Undeterred, she began nibbling his chin.

Severus slowly moved his hands down her torso, caressing as he went, until he reached her lower lips, plumped with desire. He gently massaged her there as he pumped into her, running both of his hands between them, driving her mad with the pace he'd set.

When at last he found her clit, he stroked it ruthlessly until she finally had to remove her hands from around his neck and bunch them on the covers of his bed. Only after she cried out her pleasure did he allow himself release.

He stood there a few moments, gently rubbing her back. Then he pulled out of her, vanished the condom, and cleansed himself. "Thank you," he told her. "That was very nice. I think I'll have a bit of a lie down before enjoying the canoli you brought." He tucked himself back into his pants, kicked off his shoes, and laid down on the bed, facing the wall.

Hermione stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do, feeling uncertain. Did he want her to join him? He hadn't said. Was she supposed to just climb into bed with him, or did he expect her to leave? What was the correct protocol for a situation such as this?

It wasn't until she heard his soft snores that she sprang into action, grabbing her dress and slipping it back on. She picked up her shoes and quietly walked to the door, gently closing it behind her as she left. She decided she would go back to her own villa, as she didn't feel comfortable staying at his while he was sleeping.

It wasn't until she got back and was thinking about things that she realized how... odd the situation had been. Almost impersonal, if one could apply that word with sex.

She'd immediately written to Ginny of the experience to get her take on things and then, since she was writing, decided to write to her children as well.

When she'd finished her writing, she'd made a light supper of soup and sandwiches, eating as she'd finished the romance novel she'd started that first day she'd seen Severus on the beach.

The book inevitably caused her to think of Severus and what had happened earlier between them. She sat on her sofa, remembering every detail.

He hadn't let her kiss him, nor did he kiss her. He'd stayed completely dressed while she had been completely undressed. He'd used a condom, which was odd for a wizard. They were different from Muggles and never caught the sexual diseases that were so carelessly spread. If he had been using it against pregnancy, why not use a charm? Why did he face her away from him?

She felt hurt, but she couldn't completely explain why. She couldn't exactly say that he'd used her; she was the one who'd brought up having a fling in the first place, and he'd told her his terms before things had happened, and she'd completely consented. He'd just seemed so... indifferent to her...she supposed that was a fitting word, like it could have been anyone he'd been pounding into, and that would have been just fine.

She shook her head. No, she was just not used to this type of relationship, that was all. Well, not even a relationship...a fling really. It was just incredibly hard to separate her feelings from the sex. The only other sexual relationship she'd ever been in had been with Ron, and this was a different thing all together. Rubbing her temples, she rose to go have a bath.

She sighed, sinking further into the tub. She certainly couldn't say that she hadn't been satisfied, Hermione thought. Snape had definitely done that. She was just going to have to get used to not having a certain kind of intimacy, that's all.

Honestly, she was an adult now! Surely she could have this type of an adult affair without feeling too needy for the other aspects of a committed relationship. It wasn't as if she wanted to be in a committed relationship at this point anyway.

She needed time to grieve for her marriage and loss of her life as she knew it. The only thing was she hadn't thought of Ronald Weasley one time this week, not since seeing Severus Snape. Odd, that. One would think that she'd hurt, just a little.

When her eyes drifted shut, she reluctantly got out of the bath, not wanting to fall asleep in the tub. She dried herself and walked into her bedroom, getting into the bed completely naked, enjoying the sensation of the cool sheets against her warm skin.

Though it was only half past nine, she went to sleep quickly and dreamt of Potions masters, cauldrons, and detentions.

A/N: Well, the fling has officially begun!