Love Bites (REPOST)

Chapter 10 ~ A Faulty Reflection

Severus walked into Hermione's rooms and removed the disillusionment spell. He looked around then raised the torches. He found himself in a study twice the size of his own, with wall to ceiling bookshelves filled with tomes. He walked over to a shelf and looked at the titles. These books were absolutely ancient, and focused on the Healing Arts. Possibly the cumulative library of centuries worth of Hogwarts healers. There was an impressive fireplace, made of black marble, several armchairs and two sofas arranged around the room, a large ornate desk in the far corner, with quills, inkbottles and parchments neatly arranged on top of it. Two comfortable armchairs sat in front of the fireplace with the customary table between them.

A large liquor cabinet sat in the corner. Severus walked over to investigate, opening the glass doors to find a large variety of liquors, all unopened. He picked up a bottle of Ogden's Firewhiskey. The label looked much different than he was used to. He looked at the date and whistled. Bottled in the year eighteen hundred and two. Oh, he was going to crack that. He put the bottle down and noticed two doors side by side in one of the walls between the bookshelves. He walked over and opened one.

It was a well-furnished kitchen. Gleaming pots and pans hung from hooks above a center island. A recessed cooler sat in the wall, there were double sinks and plenty of cabinets. He opened a cabinet to find it loaded with plates of fine china. Another cabinet had everyday stoneware. A stove/oven gleamed against the far wall. The wizard pulled open a couple of drawers to find cooking and eating utensils. He opened the cooler. It was empty. Severus closed it back. Nice kitchen. Maybe he would make use of it. He exited the kitchen and headed for the next door, opening it.

It was a bedroom with a huge four-poster bed, wardrobe and dresser. No bathroom however. Must be a guestroom. Presumably it would be his room. He exited it and closed the door. He noticed one more door. It had to be Hermione's bedroom. He opened it to find boxes everywhere, including on the bed. It was furnished much the same way as the guestroom, but had a walk-in closet and bathroom. Same design flaw. A guest would have to enter Hermione's bedroom to wash and use the loo. Severus' eyebrow arched. Not a bad thing really.

Severus walked into the bathroom. It had a huge sunken tub that could fit at least four people, and a shower that could easily hold six. The tub was ringed with faucets. He imagined they were scented. There was a large vanity with two basins and a long mirror over them. He walked up to the mirror and looked at himself. He froze.

It wasn't the dismal condition he was in that made him freeze. True, his hair was a mess, lipstick was stippled all over his pale face and his robes were in tatters, but that didn't make him stop and stare at his reflection the way he did. He was staring because he could see through his reflection to the wall behind him. Not clearly…his reflection was translucent. But he could see enough to know that he was indeed infected with the curse. There was no doubt now. Vampires had no reflections. He could see himself, but through himself. He was tainted. Vashti had indeed bitten him and his dreams were real.

Suddenly the wizard felt very dizzy and had to clutch at the vanity to keep from falling. The feeling passed. He straightened, then on a whim bared his teeth in the mirror.

Severus had always had very crooked teeth. He blinked as he looked at a set of perfectly straight, pearly white choppers, with a slight overbite. He noticed however that his eyeteeth were a bit larger than the others, yet not overly so. They didn't qualify as actual fangs, though they were quite pointed. He closed his mouth. So he had nice teeth. That hardly qualified as a perk since he was obviously on his way to becoming one of the undead.

The dark wizard sighed. He could really use that firewhiskey now. Severus looked at his reflection again, then picked up a comb with a few chestnut hairs in it, which he plucked out. He combed his hair, then picked up a washcloth and some soap, turned on the water in the basin and soaped the cloth up well. Then he scrubbed at his face for at least five minutes, trying to remove not only the lipstick but the memory of all those mouths on him. It had not been the least bit arousing being attacked by those witches.

His face clean, Severus set about repairing his robes. He did a decent job of it…opening it and unfastening his trousers to tuck his shirt back in. As he did so, he felt a small vial in his pocket and pulled it out. His black eyes studied the clear liquid for a moment before he realized what it was. Veritaserum.

There had been an incident in one the houses where a very valuable magical pendant had come up missing. The Headmistress was not as hesitant about using the serum on students as Albus or Minerva had been, and requested that Severus bring a vial to her office when she had narrowed the students down to two suspects. When the Potions Master was about to administer the serum to the first student, she confessed to taking the pendant, only because she wanted to look at it, and meant to put it back but it was discovered missing and everyone went crazy and she was scared to say she had it. So Severus put the vial in his pocket and forgot about it.

He looked at the vial a moment, and his mind started percolating. Hell, he was in a world of trouble, but he was also currently in the rooms of a witch who knew how to use her hands. He was curious about Dr. Granger. About her life. She seemed cold, restrained, much different from the knowledge-driven, excitable, exuberant young woman she once had been. It was easy to tell she was closed-mouth, and probably wouldn't answer any of his personal questions. And then there was her reaction this afternoon to him. He knew he had excited her. Most likely it was because of Vashti's curse, but he really would like to know what had gone through her mind. He would also like to know if her attraction was only because of the curse or something else. Something much more interesting.

Severus suspected that the witch had totally immersed herself in acquiring all those degrees and made no time for romance. She was twenty-two when the Final Battle occurred and had already received her first degree in Spellmaking, and was a dedicated student then. He suspected the loss of Harry and Ronald had in effect, shut her down emotionally and she fell back on her intellect to keep going. Well, her intellect wasn't in effect during his examination, that was for certain. Not the way she looked at him when he sat on the side of the cot with his cock exposed. Those cool amber eyes were like twin suns for a moment, then she left.

There was nothing Severus Snape loved more than the hunt. He had no love of anything that came easy. Even in the brothels he went for the witches who tried to avoid him. If he were about to join the ranks of the undead, then he wanted a final tryst with one more flesh and blood woman, preferably one he hadn't paid for. One who desired him, his touch, his body. A woman who he could fully enjoy. The prostitutes couldn't be kissed or eaten out…well they could, if a wizard wasn't concerned about tasting every other customer they'd had that day. Severus wouldn't do it.

The Potions Master hadn't seduced a witch in a very, very long time. It was too much work for the most part, when a couple of galleons could get the job done. He had to have an interest in the witch…she had to have some allure for him, some challenge, some mystery. Dr. Granger met the qualifications. Plus, since he would be in her rooms, she would be accessible. Most likely while she was working on his cure, he would be working on her. But first he needed to know if conquest were possible. Severus looked at the vial in his hand.

He'd find out.

***************************

Hermione had stopped at her stores, remembering the Potions Master needed to take his blood replenisher. Neither of them had eaten yet either and supper was over. She would order something from the kitchens for them, and some linens for his bed. She would have to contact the Headmistress first thing in the morning and inform her of the Professor's condition and his quarantine.

The witch pressed the wall in the proper order and entered her room to find Severus standing by the liquor cabinet, pouring himself a firewhiskey, a look of reverence on his face as he studied the bottle before setting it carefully back in the cabinet. He held the glass up to the torchlight as if studying a gem, twisting the glass back and forward. Hermione watched the Potions Master silently as he lowered the glass and brought it slowly to his lips, his eyes half lidded.

Hermione stared as he took a sip of the liquor, an expression of pleasure flooding his pale features as if he had just tasted the ambrosia of the gods themselves. He inhaled deeply, then realized he was being watched and turned to see Hermione standing there.

"Dr. Granger," he said silkily, his dark eyes resting on the witch.

Hermione reached into her pocket, pulled out the Clarification potion, opened it and took a fortifying swig before closing it and replacing it in her pocket. The look of pleasure on his face had made the witch think of what his expression would look like fucking. Maybe much like the way he looked on the cot this afternoon as she ran her hands over his cock.

"Feeling Vashti's effects?" he asked her, smirking a bit.

"More like a preventative," she responded, walking up to him and offering him the vial in her hand.

"Your replenishing potion. You need to take it. And I'm going to order us some dinner. I assume you will be having steak?" she asked, watching him open the vial and drink it down. He handed it back to her.

"Yes. Very rare," he responded, looking down at her.

Hermione walked over to the floo, cast some floo powder in from the box on the mantle and contacted the kitchens.

"What do you want to drink?" she asked Severus, who nodded toward the liquor cabinet.

"There are several wines here. I will probably indulge myself with one of them if you don't mind," he replied, looking at the witch steadily. Hermione was attractive but her hairstyle made her look rather severe, a bit older than what she was. He really would like to see her let it down. It looked softer than what it was when she was a student.

"Help yourself. I don't think anything's been touched in there for thirty years at least. Poppy didn't drink. You'd better test the wine though, could have turned to vinegar by now," she said, turning back to the floo and ordering herself a pumpkin juice.

Severus finished his drink, scourgified the glass and put it back. He then examined the wines, chose one, opened it and let it breathe, then poured a small amount in a wine glass. Again he studied the liquor, then sniffed it delicately before swallowing it down.

"You certainly seem to enjoy your spirits," Hermione observed.

Severus leveled his eyes at her.

"I enjoy most things of quality that are rare and untouched, Dr. Granger," he purred.

Hermione swallowed. She couldn't help herself. She and the Professor looked at each other. Hermione was aware of some tension between them. Thankfully two house elves winked in with their meals.

"Just set them down on the table there," Hermione said to the little creatures.

The elves set the drinks and plates of food on the table. Severus moved closer to the table as Hermione gave the elves further instructions.

"I need you to bring up bed linens for a king-sized four poster bed and prepare the guest bedroom for Professor Snape," she said.

One of the house elves looked over just in time to see the Professor dump the vial of veritaserum into Hermione's pumpkin juice. The elf had no reaction. It was the Professor's secret, and house elves kept all of Hogwarts' secrets. It looked back at Hermione and nodded.

"Yes, Miss," it said, winking out along with its companion.

Severus put the vial back in his trouser pocket and moved silently back to the liquor cabinet, filling his wine glass as Hermione sat down. The first thing the witch did was take a long drink of her pumpkin juice. Severus watched her, his black eyes glittering. He approached the armchair and sat down. The serum would take a few minutes to work.

"So what happened with your randy patients?" he asked her as he spread a napkin on his lap and picked up his plate.

"I gave them a colonic/lymphatic tonic," she replied, digging into her salad.

Severus paused, incredulous.

"You gave them the Both Ends Elixir?" he asked.

"Yes. That will keep their minds off you for the next few days quite nicely," she muttered.

Severus began to laugh, a deep rich and very affecting laugh. Hermione's mouth dropped open. In all her years at Hogwarts she had never heard the Professor laugh before. He brought a pale hand to his face and chuckled into it in an attempt to calm himself. He knew that Trelawney and Pomona were undergoing quite an ordeal, and had shit on themselves at least once. And wait until the vomiting set in.

"Really, Dr. Granger…you should have been in Slytherin," he chuckled.

Hermione's eyes began to glaze. She stopped eating.

"I always admired Slytherin's philosophy. You were allowed to be selfish and look out for yourself first," she said, "That seems like it would make life so much simpler, less complicated. No one else to clutter up your life."

Severus chewed his steak and swallowed, looking at her. The veritaserum was kicking in.

"Just because Slytherins think of their own interests first, Dr. Granger, it doesn't mean they don't care about others. I am a Slytherin and I spied on Voldemort for years for the sake of the Wizarding World," he said, cutting another piece of steak.

"I believe you are the exception to the Slytherin rule, Professor," Hermione replied, "You are a wonderful wizard. Strong, brave, selfless and courageous. You gave so much of yourself for so little reward. I hated they passed you over for a medal. I read about it. It was so unfair."

"If I did everything in hopes of acknowledgement and reward, Dr. Granger, I would have done nothing at all. I didn't do what I did for glory. I did it because it had to be done," he replied, slicing into another piece of steak. Gods it was so good.

Severus ate in silence as Hermione sat quietly under the veritaserum's influence. It was a particularly strong brew, and would last for more than an hour. She would have no recall of his questions. Finished, Severus put a stasis spell on Hermione's salad so it wouldn't be wilted when she came from under the effects of the potion.

Severus leaned back in his chair, sated, and looked at the witch.

"Dr. Granger, you will answer all of my questions. Do you understand that?" he asked her.

Hermione nodded slightly.

"Very good," he said, his black eyes narrowing a bit. What did he want to ask first?

Ah yes.

"Tell me about your love life, Dr. Granger…from the time you left Hogwarts until now," he demanded, "Inquiring minds want to know."

*****************************
A/N: Severus is so freaking selfish and sneaky, a real Slytherin. He wants a last go round with a living woman before turning. Preferably Hermione because he likes a good hunt. Good gracious. I guess he will tell Hermione about the mirror reflection after he is done finding out about all her little secrets. Please review.