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A/N:
First of all, I want to thank Mieko Belle for beta-reading, ironing out the
little kinks I didn’t catch, and giving me suggestions for how to make this
story even sexier. This is my first Severus/Hermione story and my first lemon…
I’d been meaning to write one for months now and I wanted to make sure it was
just right.
As
a novice to this ship, I want to thank the more seasoned ones who were my
biggest inspirations: Rhosymedre, McAmy, Caya, and Strega Brava.
All
characters of any importance to the story belong to J.K. Rowling.
The
songs “When In Love With A Blind Man” by Tears For Fears, “All Too Much” by
Freur, and “And That’s No Lie” by Heaven 17 helped color this story.
Enjoy!
Blackout
Professor
Hermione Granger let out a sigh as she completed grading the last of the
Potions essays from the first-years. One hundred students in all. She was
positive her own class had had only eighty…
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>There are sure a
lot more youngsters at Hogwarts than there were in my day…Either the magical
Muggle-born population is indeed increasing, or a lot of witches and wizards
have forgotten their contraceptive charms. She smiled wryly, patted the
essays into a neat pile, and got up, glad to be finished with them.
msne-hne-height-alt:0pt\'>She certainly empathized with Professor Snape by now.
Teaching Potions could be demanding and sometimes tedious work. It didn’t
completely account for his basic unpleasantness, but it couldn‘t have helped
either. She had been Potions Mistress for almost seven months now, as long as
Snape had been the new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, and it struck her
how much more… contented he now seemed than before. His teaching style was no
less strict… she once had the misfortune of overhearing some unlucky Hufflepuff
third-year receive the professor’s severe rebuke in front of the entire class.
But as far as I can tell, now at least he makes sure to chastise for the right
reasons.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>She still seethed when she thought of how he had
humiliated her in class for her Witch
Weekly appearance, and that was years ago. It was just the
had ridiculed her for her personal choices…
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>But she thought she detected a slight softening of his
demeanor, a new light in his eyes, a nof pof pride in his voice, as if to say, I
made it. I finally made it…
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>He was also now a bit more sociable… at least with
her. For the last few months they had taken to sitting next to each other at
the teachers’ table and talking. And she discovered that he was quite an
interesting, and informed, conversationalist. He was obviously well-read,
displayed a sarcastic wit, and appreciated good food, music, and fine wine.
Most of all, she could tell how seriously he took teaching, how dedicated he
was to his job. He wants the best, and
nothing less than the best. Kind of like the Dark Arts job. In his heart of
hearts he knew only that would satisfy him, much as he liked Potions… and
he did, otherwise he wouldn’t seem just a bit wistful whenever he talked about
bottling fame and brewing glory. Aside
from the paperwork, I like the job too, Professor… Severus.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>It at first had felt awkward to call him by his first
name—it meant she was no longer his subordinate, but his equal—but she was
getting used to it by now. In a way it did help to make their sociable
relations easier. More natural.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>Albus and
Minerva are even looking at us a bit fondly. We could almost say we’re friends…
They’re proud not only that Severus Snape has finally realized his career
dream, but has made a friend too…
mso-line-heialt:alt:0pt\'>But… did she like him? The questiode hde her
trepidatious, but eventually she decided that yes, she did like him. She mainly
appreciated being able to present her ideas in unadulterated form to someone else,
not have to make them simpler, but somehow less effective and satisfying, when
she presented them to her students, and sometimes even Harry and Ron.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Perhaps I’m infatuated with the sound of my own
voice, but all the beauty of an
opinion gets taken out when you have to explain it,” she had once said to him.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“True, very true,” he had answered back, and given her
a rare smile… a rueful one, but a smile nonetheless. She was grateful that
there was no need for endless explanation with Severus. He was still not an
easy man to ease up to as a matter of course, but she was indeed feeling warmer
and warmer towards him.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>It doesn’t hurt to have a voice like that either…
She smiled. She had always been fascinated by his voice. He didn’t need to lose
his temper to strike fear in the hearts of his students; all he needed was word
choice and intonation. The last time she had overheard him say, “Ten points
from Gryffindor,” it had sounded almost erotic…
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>Did I actually
just think that?!
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>But really, if
he weren’t so unpleasant, even now, I’ll bet there’d be women falling all over
him…
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>While all this was going on inside her head, she had
left the Potions classroom, but instead of heading up to the staircase that led
to her room, she had gone downstairs
and now found herself right outside Snape’s door.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>Now what did I
come here for? She turned away. But then she remembered the conversation
they had had at lunch that day—about how he’d humiliated her back in her fourth
year.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Why did you do it, Severus?” she had said.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I always point out to people when they’re done
something wrong. I do not sugarcoat anything and you know that. At least you
should know it, I’ve said it before. And as I recall, you were reading
magazines under the desk and refusing to pay attention.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“But… reading that horrid Skeeter piece in front of
the whole class was a bit excessive, don’t you think?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“It did
teach you not to misbehave again, did it not? Do you think you—or anyone—would
have learned anything if I’d been easier on you?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“That’s not the point, Severus. That woman was on a
rampage against me! And how about all the terrible things she said about
Harry.” Her eyes had stung with the pain of the memory. “You didn’t need to add
insult to injury. I don’t care if you thought you were merely handing out
discipline, what you did hurt.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“But you were just a bratty, know-it-all schoolgirl
back then…”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“…And now I’m a professor and an adult. I should be
your equal, Severus. And I still feel
that what you did was out of line. Maybe you got some cheap thrill out of
putting me in my place…”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Miss Granger,” he had then said as if she were that
“bratty pupil” again. She had noticed his tone and felt a little tremor of
anger.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“So maybe you did!”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Miss Granger…”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“That’s wrong, Severus. You don’t taunt
students in class for their personal
choices. Their stupid mistakes in the classroom, maybe, on rare occasions. Never
their personal lives. You just don’t do it. Why
did you do it?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>She had bored her eyes into him, and he had looked
almost… embarrassed, not the least because of this reversal of roles.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Well…” --it was a long time before he had finally
spoken again-- “if you must know, it was because I didn’t approve of your
relations with the Durmstrang boy.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“What?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Damn it, do you need it broadcast to the entire Great
Hall? I didn’t approve of your relations with Viktor Krum, and that’s all I’m
going to say on this subject.” He had looked extremely disconcerted.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“What has that got to do with anything? That still
doesn’t give you the right to do what you did.” She had not dropped her gaze.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I do not
want to discuss this now, thank you very much.” And he had turned away with a
scowl.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>He’s just trying to avoid responsibility for the
situation, thought Hermione as she raised her hand to knock on the door.
overhear it?
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>Her fist made contact with the door—and in that
instant, everything went pitch black. Off in the distance, she thought she
heard a multitude of high-pitched screams.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“What?” She closed her eyes and opened them. Nothing.
She held her hand out in front of her face. Still nothing. She felt inside the
pocket of her robe for her wand. She pulled it out and said, “
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Lumos lumos
lumos!” In vain.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>With growing dread, she reached for the feeling of wood
in front of her, and knocked as hard as she could. “Severus!”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>After about a minute of futile rapping, she came back
to her wand, pulled it out, and said “Alohomora.”
The door clicked and then creaked. Hermione gingerly stepped forward and pushed
against the wood. Open. At least that spell worked.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Severus! Severus, where are you?” No answer.
Hermione’s heart began to flutter. More far-off children’s screams. And not
even a pinpoint of light.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Severus… my Gods… where are you? What’s going on?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Who’s there?” His sharp voice made her jump. “What
are you doing in my room?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“It’s me. Hermione. I’m sorry.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“That is breaking and entering, I believe,” he said,
his voice cold and sounding rather far away. “Tell me what you’re doing here.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I… I…” Hermione felt her cheeks burn. “I… was just
trying to find you. Have you tried Lumos yet?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“No. Why?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Try it with me. Maybe it’ll work then.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I don’t have my wand.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Just say it with me. normal\'>Lumos.” He was silent. “Please,
Severus.” He was trying her patience. Finally he said the spell with her, once
softly, then louder a second time. Nothing happened.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Well, at least I know Alohomora does work,” she said
sheepishly.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“So that’s why you’re in my room.” He paused, and
said, “Wait a minute. I do have my wand. I laid it down on the sink. I was in
the toilet when you barged in.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>Hermione blushed. “I’m sorry—“
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Quiet. Let me try something. normal\'>Luciferinium Magnificum,” he said. There was no change in the
darkness. He gave a small sigh. “Not even the Divine Light Charm works. Is it
not darkness at all, but only us, having gone blind?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I don’t think so. I heard the students screaming.
This is some kind of curse. It must be.” She shivered as a thought occurred to
her. “Severus, this couldn’t be the work of… Voldemort, could it?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>He paused, and when he spoke again, it sounded like he
was racking his brain. “It’s possible. It’s a Dark spell all right—
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Why would he use such a spell? It doesn’t kill or
injure.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Actually, he’d find it quite useful, especially if he
were planning an attack on Hogwarts. Something that confuses the residents
while he takes a more definitive measure, does sound like something he’d do.
But somehow, I don’t think the circumstances quite add up.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I think that he would resort to anything if he wanted
to attack Hogwarts.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“True. He is ruthless enough. But see how you heard
screams? That’s what’s going on now, Hermione. Hysteria. This would be the
perfect time for Voldemort to strike, when everybody’s in a panic. And so far I
don’t hear any crumbling stone, or blasting, or bodies falling. It’s still too
soon to write it off—give it a few more minutes—but a Hogwarts attack this
sudden is too sudden, even for him. I
did work clo wit with him once,
Hermione,” and Hermione, swallowing, nodded even though he couldn’t see her.
“He loves thea ofa of the blitzkrieg—but blitzkriegs take behind-the-scenes
planning. What’s happened tonight just doesn’t strike me as ‘planned’ enough.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>She heard a crash of glass and jumped. “Oh Gods…” She
braced herself for the blows… but then his voice saying, “normal\'>Reparo.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Gods, Severus, you scared me!”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Just running a little test,” he said. “The glass is
whole again, I’m holding onto it.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I think you’re being awfully flip about this!”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Calm yourself. I don’t hear anything yet. Even if he
were attacking, panicking is the last thing you should do.” Hermione felt her
heart beat fast as she listened for the telltale sounds.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>But all she heard was Severus’ low voice, jotting off
spells. “Orchideous.” She heard a noise a little like cloth ripping, and
then felt something smack against her chest and fall to the floor.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Did you catch that?” he said. “I tried to
Banish it in your direction.” She bent down and picked it up—a woodsy stem with
a scent of honeysuckles.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Perfumaria.” A heavy scent of rose filled the
room. “Declensa.” The scent wafted away. “Accio textbook.” She
heard a slight sound of movement from the other room. “Wingardium Leviosa.”
She heard two more soft sounds as he caught the levitating textbook, and set it
down.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“The only spells that seem to be affected are the
light-giving spells,” he said. “All other spells seem to work just fine-- and
Albus in total darkness is Albus nonetheless.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“That’s true,” said Hermione.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“No, Hermione—this looks like only a mistake, or a
prank.”<
<
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“But who would pull a prank like this?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I don’t kn—“
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Attention. Attention, students and faculty of
Hogwarts,” boomed a voice from above.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Whoa! That really scared me!” said Hermione.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“It’s only Albus.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“It doesn’t sound like him.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\e hae hasn’t had to use the magical PA in a long time.
It does distort his voice somewhat.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>The headmaster’s voice continued, “Lest the rumors
that this darkness is the work of You-Know Who get out of hand, let me reassure
you that this is not the case. What happhappened is merely the result of an
accident. There is a certain book in the Restricted Section—“
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Aha. Dealing
With Doltish Dream Disturbers by Morpheus Murphy,” said Severus.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“What?” Hermione tittered.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“-- and Peeves took it upon himself to open it. I know
this because luckily I happened to overhear him bragging to himself that he’d
darkened the whole school. Apparently he didn’t see that he had drifted into my
office—this darkness spell affects ghosts too, but he didn’t care.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Peeves?!”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“What do you expect?” said Severus.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“This all has to do with normal\'>Peeves? And here we were, afraid of being attacked!”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“—will wear off at sunrise, but you will be in
complete darkness through the night. As many of you have probably already
discovered, neither Lumos nor your glowing Honeydukes sweets will work tonight,
so you will need to rely on your other senses. Listen for others’ voices and
movements, feel for any obstacles in your path, and if you need to use the
toilet, wake up a friend to go with you and point you in the direction of the
smell. If you’re really brave, you can taste your way around, but let me
re-iterate, if you’re really brave.”
Hermione couldn’t help laughing.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“So, without further ado, I hope—I can imagine the
panic most of you are feeling right now—I wish you good night. It is already
late enough, you should have an excellent night’s sleep after tonight.” And
then the headmaster’s voice was gone.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“This all has to do with a normal\'>book?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Don’t let the silly title fool you, Hermione,” said
Severus. “The Dream Disturbers book needs to have chains wrapped around it. Mr.
Murphy was a chronic insomniac, and he had a bad temper to boot, so as you can
imagine, he was ready to punish anyone who even slightly disturbed his sleep.
And to do away with anything that had the merest chance of waking him.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“How do you know so much about the author?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Because I did a report on that book during my
fourth-year Defense Against The Dark Arts,” said Severus, obviously proud of
himself. “It earned one of the highest marks in the class. I got to know the
author’s information cold. I mean, it’s fascinating; what could possess someone
to completely shut out everyone’s light—and not only that, to prevent any light
spell from working?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“At least until sunrise,” said Hermione.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“It intrigued me, so that’s what I chose for my
assignment—and now you see how the book works, Hermione.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“And it’s total darkness?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Total darkness. And there’s no moon tonight. The
stars are the only things that will give light tonight.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>Now that
actually sounds… romantic.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>Stop thinking
that. He has shown you on numerous occasions how much pleasure he takes in
being vindictive, the fourth-year incident for one. Not endearing in the least.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>But why do I
keep feeling so… fascinated? Is it just the good old “bad boy syndrome” again?
After all, there was a little bit of that with Viktor…
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>She remembered why she had come.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Severus? Why didn’t you approve of my relationship
with Viktor Krum?” she said, simply and matter-of-factly.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“What school did he come from, Hermione? One with a
well-established Dark reputation. I didn’t want you to put yourself in danger.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“But there wasn’t any danger from him, now was there?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“No, but Voldemort did come back later that year. You
couldn’t have known your—boyfriend—“ he said the word almost disgustedly—“was
harmless at the time.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“But he was. And I was quite pleased with him,
Severus.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“And where is he now?” he said, a bit knowingly, she
thought.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Why do you want to know?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I’m curious. Enlighten me.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“After how you reacted at lunch, are you kidding?” she
said. “What, is there something you’re not telling me, Severus, hmm? What was
it the other teachers couldn’t hear? Why does anything have to be a secret?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“…Like where your old lover is now?” he said.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Don’t you do that to me.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Come on, Hermione. You’re hiding something just as
well as I am—and your secret is the juicier of the two, it seems, so it’s only
right that you come clean first.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“You damned Slytherin—“
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“You know I’m right, Miss Granger. Where is your dear
paramour now?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>She swallowed, admitting defeat, and said, “Back in
Bulgaria. Been married for the last two years.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Ah. So it didn’t work out.” Gods, he sounded so… so…
damn the unseen furniture, and punch him right in his overlarge nose.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>She won the battle of restraint, though, and said,
“No. I guess it didn’t.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“And why didn’t it work?”
All
right, that’s it. He’s getting off on embarrassing me, just like before. Well,
I’ll show him.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“I don’t know! We just… grew apart, or something. Why
the hell do you want to know?”
Fuming, she took a few steps forward… “Ow!” Right into the coffee table, or
something else at shin level. She had never been inside his room before, how
could she know what to find in there?
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Hermione—“
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“This is your fault, Severus! You got me all worked up
about it—“
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“My fault?
As I recall, it’s hardly my fault no one can see, my dear.”
mso-lheigheight-alt:0pt\'>“You are an intolerable man,” she said, rubbing her
sore shin and standing up. “You haven’t changed a bit, you just love seeing me
like this, cut down to size. You just love humiliating people, don’t you?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“You can’t be humiliated, Miss Granger. Don’t there
have to be other people around?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Fuck you!” She winced at saying that. “Yes, I said
fuck you, Severus. For robbing me of my dignity. I’m going to bed. Good night.”
She carefully put her foot out to feel around her. The coffee table was to her
left, and under her right foot was an area rug. Good. If she moved slowly, she
should have a clear path out.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Hermione.” He had come much closer to her.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“What?”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Just stay here tonight. It’ll be easier.”
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“No, really, I just have to go up three levels and
look for the fourth door on the left—“
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“And grope around like a cave creature? It would be a
lot easier if you just stayed in my room, now that you’re here.” He wasn’t
touching her, but my, he was close. She could feel the heat coming off his
body… He could mess with her mind and not have to say a word. Gods, she ha
him
him.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Severus, I’m all right—“
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>“Just take my hand. It will be easier to get around if
we can find each other,” he said, and a second later she felt his hand, but not
on her own hand, on her—Gods.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>She gasped, and heard him gasp too.
mso-line-height-alt:0pt\'>