A Maid in the Devil's Manor

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 11 ~ Staying Overnight at the Manor


Three hours later, Severus was awakened by the sound of Hermione’s voice.

“Professor. Professor Snape?”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the mirror.

“Yes, Miss Granger?” he said, stifling a yawn. He had fallen asleep in front of the fire.

“I’ve completed the initial list,” she said, yawning herself. Severus adjusted his mirror’s view so he could see her surroundings. Ah, the bottle of wine was two-thirds empty, and both sandwiches were gone. No wonder she was yawning.

“Very good, Miss Granger. Why don’t you retire and we will go over the list in the morning before we depart for Hogsmeade?” he asked her as he stretched a bit.

“Retire? Well, I was going to apparate back to the flat,” she said haltingly.

“Miss Granger, according to our agreement, you agreed to devote your Friday nights to the project as well as the weekend,” he said rather sharply.

Hermione’s eyes flashed.

“The project hasn’t started yet, Professor,” she retorted.

“It started the moment you walked through the Manor doors, Miss Granger,” Severus replied scowling at the frowning image in his mirror.

“You didn’t tell me that,” she said.

“Miss Granger, you are an intelligent woman. I assumed you realized that I would not invite you to the Manor unless I was ready to begin our association,” Severus responded, deciding to soften his attempts to make her stay. She looked like she wanted to hex him at the moment.

“Besides…it is late and I couldn’t allow you to return to your flat unescorted. I merely thought since you do have the rooms there and are furnished with fresh clothes, it would be simpler for you to sleep here and accompany me directly to Hogsmeade in the morning. But if you feel I did not adequately inform you of the start of our association, and want to go back to your flat, I will take you.”

Hermione scowled down at the Professor…then yawned again. She really was tired. The room was right here after all.

“Fine, I’ll stay…tonight,” she said.

Severus smiled inwardly.

“Very good, Miss Granger. Is there anything you need before you retire?” he asked smoothly.

Hermione stretched.

“No, I’m fine. I’ll see you in the morning,” she said.

“Breakfast will be at nine,” Severus responded, “Good night, Miss Granger.”

“Good night, Professor,” Hermione said. “Connection closed.” The Potions Master’s image faded out.

Hermione stood up, picked up the remainder of the wine and returned it to the liquor cabinet. She left the glass and plate on the desk. The house elves would get them, no doubt delighted they could be of service. She stretched again and ambled toward the bedroom.

From his study, Severus continued to watch Hermione through the mirror. As she approached the bedroom, he knew he should turn it off and give her privacy. But for some reason, he didn’t do it. He watched her unbutton her robes and remove them. She hung them in the wardrobe. Good, at least she didn’t fling them on the floor, he thought, remembering the catastrophic shape of her own bedroom at the flat. She pulled her shirt over her head, revealing large, firm breasts encased in a rather lacy bra.

Severus shifted uncomfortably in the armchair, as she reached around to unsnap her bra. Suddenly, the Potions Master turned off the mirror and sighed. What was he doing? He looked down at his tented robes.

“This is not a good turn of events,” he said to himself as he rose and pocketed the mirror, making a beeline for his bedroom and a cold shower.

“She is a brilliant witch. Not a brothel whore,” he muttered to himself as he strode up the corridor and mounted the stairs. “Here to do a job. Find an answer. Her purpose is to help redeem me, not add yet another mark on my soul for the seduction and defilement of a former student.”

Severus walked into his bedroom and headed directly for the loo. He reached into the shower and turned on the cold-water spigot. Pulling out his wand, he divestoed his clothing, and taking a deep breath, plunged himself into the freezing water. Black hair plastered down to his head, teeth chattering, he looked down at his now flaccid cock, and breathed a little sigh of relief. He then turned on the hot water and stood under the stream. He’d have to visit the brothel soon.

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Hermione awoke early the next morning. She had slept well in the four-poster. The mattress had the perfect amount of firmness to it, and she felt invigorated. She rolled out of bed and made use of the loo, then took a nice, hot shower. She wrapped a towel around herself and walked over to the wardrobe. She opened the lingerie drawer and looked over the selection. She found a nice white lace bra and panty set. She put it on and admired the fit in the mirror, which said,

“Don’t you look delicious!”

Hermione grinned. Maybe she’d let the mirror keep its voice after all. Too bad she didn’t have anyone to show her underthings off to. Ah well. She pulled on a pair of the jeans. They fit her snugly, but not too snugly, hugging her curves just right. She chose a blue pullover shirt, plucked some socks out of the drawer and donned them. She then went to the closet and put on a pair of trainers. They were the perfect fit. She was going muggle today. The Professor would just have to deal with it. She brushed her hair out quickly then flung it back. She decided she’d like to wear it in a ponytail. She looked in the top drawer of the dressing table and sure enough there were an assortment of ties there. She selected a rather wide blue tie and wrapped it around her hair. She looked in the mirror. Yes, she was ready for this excursion. She grabbed her list off the bedside table, folded it and stuck it in her pocket. She also retrieved her mirror from the robes she wore last night and put that in her front pocket.

Satisfied she had all she needed, Hermione exited her rooms, walked down the hall and came to the wall leading to the stairs. She stopped, realizing she didn’t know how to get out. Pulling the mirror out of her pocket, she said, “Professor Snape.”

Nothing happened. She tried again. Still there was no response. That could mean only one thing, he didn’t have his mirror with him. She sighed and put the little device back in her pocket and stared at the wall a moment. Finally she called out, “Help! I need some help here!”

In a moment, Eli popped in right beside her.

“How can I help you, Miss?” he asked, bowing.

“Oh. Hello,” Hermione said. Eli bowed again, waiting for instructions.

“I need to get upstairs to the Manor,” she said.

“Yes, Miss. Please take Eli’s hand, Miss,” the elf said.

Hermione looked at the elf.

“So you’re Eli, eh?” she said as she took the elf’s hand.

“Yes, Miss. You might want to close your eyes,” the elf said holding Hermione’s hand firmly.

“Why?” asked Hermione as she suddenly was hurled through space then stopped abruptly. She felt as if she left her stomach in the lower levels. She looked around. She was in the main corridor. The trip had been almost instantaneous. Eli let go of her hand.

“Is there anything else, Miss?” Eli asked her.

“Yes, where is your Master?” she asked the elf.

Eli gave a slightly wicked smile as he pointed to a window.

“You can see my Master if you looks out there, Miss,” Eli said, winking out.

Hermione walked over to the huge beveled window. It overlooked the pool area. Hermione gazed out of it and didn’t see anyone. Then she saw the Professor in a robe, climbing up the largest boulder. What was he doing?

Hermione watched as he reached the pinnacle of the stone, and removed his robes. Oh my gods! He was naked. Hermione flushed, but…she didn’t leave the window. She could only see the back of him, but the Professor was surprisingly…fit. His back had a number of scars, but he was wide shouldered and sported a lean, well-muscled, if pale body. She could even make out the definition of the muscles in his ass and legs. Whoa.

Suddenly he swung his arms in an arc, dove off the boulder and disappeared. Hermione remained in the window. Then he reappeared, climbing up the boulder again, his muscles flexing as he gripped the slight handholds. He stood on top of it again, hands on his hips, looking up at the sky, water dripping off him. Then he dove off it again.

Hermione watched as the Professor did several more dives, her eyes locked to him. Who could have imagined he had a body like that hidden under his robes? She watched him climb back up the boulder. He was certainly in good shape. He stood on top of the boulder, but this time he turned around. Hermione gasped and ducked to the side, peeping at him as he leaned and picked up a towel and began drying himself off. She could see all of his attributes. The man was hung like a horse. Hermione pulled back from the window. Good gods. She peeped back out, but he was gone. Gone? Shit, he was coming back to the Manor! He couldn’t catch Hermione by the window or he’d know she’d been watching him swim naked.

Hermione fled down the hall, having no idea where she was going, just trying to put some distance between herself and that window. She turned into a side room whose door was open. It was a small library. Panting, she sat down in an armchair and tried to catch her breath.

Severus pushed open the main door, still toweling his hair. He was barefoot. He walked down the hall, mounted the staircase and returned to his room. His morning swim had been invigorating, and he felt ready to face the day. He wondered if Miss Granger were up yet. He picked up the mirror from the bedside table.

“Miss Hermione Granger,” he said.

Hermione started as she heard him speak her name. She looked around wildly for a moment.

“Miss Granger? Are you awake?” she heard the Professor say, and pulled out her mirror.

“Yes, Professor, I’m awake,” she said, trying to sound calm. The Professor looked at her rather oddly.

“You look a bit flushed, Miss Granger. Are you all right?” he asked, concern on his face.

“Yes sir, I’m fine,” she replied.

Severus paused. Sir? She hadn’t called him sir since she was at Hogwarts. Suspicious he adjusted the mirror so he could see her fully. She was dressed in muggle clothes, and apparently sitting in the small library off the main hall. What was she doing there? And how did she get out of her rooms?

“Miss Granger, where are you?” he asked her sharply.

Somehow Hermione knew not to lie entirely.

“I’m in a little library,” she said, “Eli brought me from the lower levels and I decided to explore a bit when I couldn’t reach you by the mirror.” There that should cover her.

“I see,” Severus said, still feeling suspicious. She looked flushed, as if she had been exerting herself in some manner. He now wished he had the rewind spell placed on the mirror as well. He would have been able to see everything she had done up to an hour in the past.

“Well, wait there for me, then we can go have breakfast on the veranda overlooking the gardens,” he said.

“I’ll be here,” Hermione replied, relieved he hadn’t asked her any more questions.

Severus nodded and disappeared out of the mirror. Apparently he closed the connection at his end. Hermione sighed and put the mirror back in her pocket.

Hermione massaged her temples briefly, then leaned back in the armchair to digest what she had seen. She had never thought about the Professor as a man before. She certainly had never dreamed he would be as well built as he was, or as well endowed. Now that she had seen him naked, water streaming off his lean, wet body, would she be able to get the image out of her head? She had to. A thought came to her. He was built very much like her fantasy lover.

Hermione shuddered. Oh gods…how could she even make that comparison? Professor Snape was a cruel, snarky obstinate bastard. Her dream lover was gentle, sensual, passionate and loving. The complete opposite of the Potions Master. But then again, when he shook her hand the night they signed the agreement, she distinctly remembered having the feeling that he could be gentle…

Gah! This was terrible. It was early but she felt like she needed a drink. She stood up and looked around the library. Sure enough, there was a liquor cabinet with glasses. She bet every room in the mansion was stocked with a private bar. She walked over to it, picked out a small shot glass, opened the glass doors and perused the bottles. There was some firewhiskey. Good.

Hermione poured herself a small shot of the deep amber liquid, put the bottle back, and closed the doors. Lifting the glass, she put it to her lips and gulped the firewhiskey down. She started coughing immediately as the burn hit her. Her eyes watered as she gasped for air.

“A bit early for that, isn’t it Miss Granger?” a silky voice behind her commented.

She turned and saw the Professor leaning against the library door, his head cocked and arms folded, looking at her steadily with those black eyes.

“Um, I was feeling a bit apprehensive about our trip today. I thought a drink might calm my nerves,” she said, looking at him with reddened eyes, her voice sounding rather scratchy.

“By the sound and look of you, Miss Granger, it seems a drink might have brought about your demise,” the Professor replied, lifting an eyebrow.

He didn’t buy the ‘nervousness’ claim a bit. And Miss Granger didn’t appear to be a lush. There must have been something else that disturbed her. But what? He studied her. She was in jeans again. Obviously she intended to wear them to Hogsmeade. Ah, well…he wouldn’t say anything since they were only going to purchase equipment and supplies. He straightened.

“Come along, Miss Granger. Maybe some coffee will help take the edge off your ‘nervousness’,” he commented shortly, disappearing out of the doorway.

Hermione sighed and followed him. They walked down the corridor a distance, then the Professor stopped and opened a door that led to a veranda that was covered in roses. A small circular table with two chairs sat there. A small spread of cold meats, fruits, cheese and breads were laid out. There was a pot of coffee, a quart of milk and a pitcher of pumpkin juice as well. A folded newspaper was also in evidence.

“Roses, Professor?” Hermione asked him, her eyebrows raised in surprise as the fragrance washed over her.

“My mother loved roses,” he replied, “This was her favorite veranda to breakfast on. I dislike the flowers but thought you might appreciate them.’

He walked over to the table and pulled out a chair for her. Hermione walked over and sat in it. She saw the folded newspaper, and froze.

“Is that this morning’s Prophet?” she asked, a quaver in her voice.

The Professor sat down, picked up the newspaper and unfolded it. His black eyes scanned it quickly, then looked over the table at her soberly.

“Yes, it is,” he said.

“Are we in it?” she asked him.

“I’m afraid so,” he responded, handing her the paper and settling back, his hand stroking his chin as he watched for her reaction.

Hermione’s amber eyes raced left to right as she read.

“Oh gods,” she breathed, “Professor, this is horrible.”

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A/N: Now Hermione, for shame you little peeping Thomasina. Just couldn’t bring herself to get outta that window. Lol. She sure got an eyeful, eh? Will be interesting to see what her next dream about her fantasy lover will be like. You know Eli set her up for that, right? haha. I love that elf. And Severus…he was doing a bit of peeping of his own. Wonder what Rita wrote. Bet its pretty damning. She hates Hermione after all, and isn’t too keen on Severus either. Let’s find out next chapter, shall we? Please review.