Mastering Temptation

CHAPTER TEN: Loosen Up My Buttons Babe







Severus didn’t bother walking through the halls the next morning, instead he used the floo to get from his quarters to his office. It had been nearing two in the morning when he was finally able to force himself to leave Hermione’s house. She had invited him to stay, but he knew there was no way he could sleep in the bed beside her and stick to his vow that he would not take her. He had barely been able to restrain himself for the endless kissing session on the sofa. He couldn’t think of a single time in his entire life that he had kissed a woman so much. Yet when it came time to leave her and he looked down into her flushed face and kiss swollen lips he wanted to kiss her even more.







He walked to his desk and shook his head in amazement. His correspondence was stacked neatly in the center of his desk along with other documents that required his attention. Apparently she could still function on little sleep. Severus sat down and slid his chair beneath his desk to start his day.





“Hey, didn’t you see me under here?” Severus shoved his chair back when he heard Hermione’s voice coming from beneath the desk. “Ouch!” She screamed, following him, her head in his lap.





“What are you doing?” He stared down at the back of her head as she knelt between his feet.





“I think my hair is caught on your buttons.” She said. Hermione put her hands on his thighs and tried to lift her head, but she couldn’t move far.





“Why are you under my desk to begin with?” He asked, shoving her hair aside so he could see where she was caught.





“I dropped some letters to parents that you needed to sign and they slid beneath this monster desk of yours.” She said, wincing when he tugged on her hair.





“How in the world did you manage to get it tangled so thoroughly?” He frowned, trying not to hurt her in his quest to free her.





“I don’t know, I just turned around when you scooted your chair up, I didn’t even hear you come in.” She said.





“Your curls have wrapped around two of the buttons….”





“Severus, please hurry.” Hermione said.





“I’m trying! I don’t want to hurt you. It’s a good thing it’s still too early for visitors.”





“That’s just it……”





“Well what do we have here?” Severus looked up to see Lucius and Draco standing in the doorway of his office.





“What the bloody hell are you two doing here so early?” Severus asked, tugging harder on Hermione’s hair than he intended to.





“Ouch, damn it Severus that hurts.” She muttered.





“We came to have breakfast with Hermione, but it looks like she’s busy.” Draco said. “Perhaps she wasn’t hungry for breakfast after all.”





“This isn’t what it looks like.” Severus said, freeing her hair from one button and setting to work on the other one. Unfortunately it was tangled worse than the other one.





“People always say that when they are caught in a delicate position.” Draco said laughing.





“What exactly is it we are interrupting?” Lucius asked, his brows lifted inquiringly.





“Her hair is tangled in my buttons.”





“Why was her head in your lap to begin with?” Lucius asked. Hermione started laughing when Severus let out an exasperated sigh.





“Her head wasn’t in my lap.” He snapped. “She was picking something up under my desk and I didn’t see her when I sat down. When she turned around her hair caught on my buttons. Now are you going to help or stand there watching?”





“Likely story, you expect me to believe you didn’t see a witch on all fours under your desk?” Draco asked, clearly amused.





“Do you see how big it is Draco?” Hermione said from her position bent over Severus’s lap.





“No, your head is in the way but you can describe it to me later.” Draco laughed.





“I mean the desk you dumb ass, its huge and easy enough to hide under.” She said, starting to laugh herself.





“I almost wish I had a camera, Severus. This would make excellent blackmail fodder, if I were still prone to such behavior. Still, you could be a bit more careful about your amorous activities in the office, perhaps a locking spell on the door?”





Severus was glaring at his friend and godson. He should have known that they would offer no assistance. Instead they decided their time was better spent tormenting him.





“A locking spell was not necessary, Lucius. Even if I were so inclined, we would not be engaging in such activities here.” Severus said. Hermione peered up at him from behind a curtain of hair.





“We wouldn’t?” She asked softly so only he could hear. Severus smirked softly.





“Not as far as they are concerned. Now stop moving your head around and stop talking before I reconsider.” He whispered back.





“It’s impolite to tell secrets with others in the room.” Draco said, finally approaching the two of them to take a look at the situation. “Do you have scissors?”





“Draco Malfoy you will not cut my hair!” Hermione said into Severus’s groin. He fought the urge to groan and with a final tug that unfortunately relieved her of several strands of hair, he freed her. She sat back on her heels and rubbed the side of her head.





“Sorry about that, couldn’t be helped I’m afraid.” Severus said as he pulled the strands of hair that clung to his suit free and dropped them into the waste basket.





“Well, now that you are no longer speaking into Severus’s crotch, are we going to breakfast or not? I’m starving.” Lucius said, tapping his cane against the side of his shoe.





“You are a sadist; you could have offered to help you know, instead of just standing there.” Hermione said, putting her hand on Severus’s knee and pushing herself up from the floor.





“When we walked in it certainly didn’t appear as though you were in any distress.” Draco said, laughing.





“And I certainly wasn’t about to offer my assistance with what appeared to be taking place.” Lucius said smiling slyly.





“But you were happy to stand in the doorway and watch?” Hermione stood beside Severus, her hands on her hips as she stared at the two wizards who were poking fun at her.





“Maybe for a few moments but then I would have given you your privacy.” He said.







“You two are something else.” Hermione said frowning. “Go wait for me in there; I need to go over a few things before I leave with you.”







“Don’t be long, Hermione, I really am hungry. Bring him along too, its early, he has time.” Lucius shoved Draco out the door and closed it softly behind him.



“Well, that was an interesting way to start the morning.” Severus said, a slight scowl on his face.





“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get us hung up and I certainly didn’t mean for those two to bear witness.” She said. “Have you had your breakfast yet?” She asked.





“No, not yet.” He said, rising from his chair to stand in front of her. “Your lips are still swollen.”





“I don’t think I have ever been kissed so thoroughly in my life.” She said quietly. Severus lowered his head and kissed her lips softly. She parted them on a breathy sigh and he chuckled then nipped her lower lip gently.





“Don’t tempt me, this isn’t the place and with those two just outside the door it is definitely not the time.” He said, brushing his thumb over her lower lip.





“It’s going to be difficult to be with you all day and keep my distance.” She said, running her hand over his chest briefly.





“You aren’t by yourself there, but later, after work we can be alone.” He said.





“Are you coming over then?” She asked, leaning into him, wanting desperately to feel him pressed against her again.





“If you want, or you could visit my quarters.” He said, letting his hands caress her hips for a moment before pushing her back. “We have to stop before we can’t.”





“What are you two doing in there?” They heard Draco just before he opened the door. “We are wasting away out here, cut the chit chat and let’s go!”





“Come with us, Severus. You need to eat breakfast.” She said, tugging on his sleeve so he would follow her.





“Do I have a choice?” He asked, knowing that regardless of whether or not he joined them she would be shoving food at him in short order.





“You did say that I could fuss over you and force you to take care of yourself until my heart was content.” She smiled.





“So I did.” He replied, stopping her just before she opened the door to exit his office and pressing her back into the wall. “Do you recall what else I said?” He asked, standing close, but not touching her.





“I am not the one in control, you are.” She whispered, her cheeks flushing slightly.





“I want you to think about what it means to give up control to your lover, Hermione. Later, when we are alone, we will see what that clever mind of yours has come up with.” He bussed her lips quick and hard before leaving her leaning against the wall in stunned silence.