Love Bites (REPOST)

Chapter 13 ~ Good Morning, Dr. Granger

Early the next morning, a pounding on her bedroom door awakened Hermione. Sleepily, she sat up in bed.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's Severus," the Potions Master called from the other side.

Hermione woke up a bit more.

"Professor, what do you want?" she asked, her mind going back to the erotic dream she had. She drew the sheets around herself a bit more, then reached for her wand.

"Dr. Granger, you have the only bathroom in these rooms. I need to use it," he said impatiently.

Hermione's eyebrows went up. Shit. He was right.

Hermione unwarded the door.

"Come in Professor," she said.

Severus opened the door and strode in, wearing only his silk boxers. He looked at Hermione. She was sitting up in the bed, the sheets wrapped around her. Her hair was let down and her curves were easily distinguishable beneath the covers. She looked extremely fuckable, sitting there wide-eyed, especially with her hair all sleep-tousled.

Hermione was wide-eyed because the Potions Master was sporting a huge morning erection. His silk boxers were so tented they were riding up his thighs.

Severus noticed where she was staring.

"Oh, excuse me, Dr. Granger. Morning hard-on," he smirked, striding into the bathroom and closing the door.

Hermione fell back against the headboard, heat coursing up and down her body. She heard the Professor urinating, a very strong stream.

"Good gods," she breathed, sitting up again and reaching for the bottle of Clarification potion on the nightstand.

The toilet flushed and then the basin ran for a moment. The bathroom door opened and Severus emerged. He stopped as he watched the witch take a swallow of the potion that controlled her lust. Hermione lowered the bottle from her mouth, recapped it and placed it back on the nightstand. Then she looked at the Potions Master, who was smirking at her.

Hermione couldn't help looking at his loins. His erection had gone down, but his outline was still quite clear.

Severus' head was cocked at her. He wouldn't mind joining her in her bed.

"Dr. Granger, have you ever thought about wearing your hair down?" he asked her, "it makes you look less severe. Younger."

Hermione's hand went self-consciously to her head.

"I've worn it up for years," she said. Her eyes swept over his lean body. Despite the potion, she still felt a little throb go through her as she thought how strong he must be. How powerful a lover. She tried to let the thought go.

Severus was watching her eyes. They betrayed her.

"Well you are in a new situation. A change would be in order I think. You are too young to look so dry and severe," he said.

Hermione frowned.

"Dry? You think I look dry?" she asked him.

"Dry as a bone in a dragon's lair, Dr. Granger," he replied. "And you know I have impeccable taste. I am sure others have thought this about you, but never had the nerve to tell you. But I have no such reserve. I call it as I see it, Dr. Granger, and you are far too young to look so forbidding."

He began to walk toward the door. He turned back to her.

"I need to take a shower," he said to the witch, his eyes resting on her. She certainly looked delicious and lonely in that big four-poster.

"Well…yes, you can take one…but what about clothes? You have none with you," she said.

Severus smirked at her.

"In my own rooms I have no need of clothes. I walk around in the buff," he replied, grinning inwardly as Hermione's eyes widened.

If the Professor thought he was going to swing freely in her private rooms…

"…but I found some clothing and footwear in the wardrobe of the guest room and transfigured them into what I needed."

Hermione visibly relaxed.

Severus studied her. Test time.

"Dr. Granger, are you going to shower this morning?" he asked her.

"Yes, I am," she replied.

He nodded thoughtfully.

"Perhaps we should shower together. We could save water that way," he purred at her.

Hermione turned bright red.

"Um, I don't think so, Professor," she replied. "Hogwarts has enough water that we can shower separately without causing a drought."

Severus shrugged.

"Just a suggestion," he said, his eyes glinting at her, "I'm very good at reaching those hard to reach places."

"I imagine you are, Professor," Hermione responded, cursing herself for letting her eyes drop to his boxers again. She could feel those butterflies again. She didn't want him to see her drink anymore Clarification potion. She didn't want to let him know he was getting to her.

But the Potions Master did know.

"Give me half an hour to shower, Professor. I need to go to the Headmistress office and let her know your condition, then contact St. Mungo's to arrange an assistant, then go to the library's restricted section and get a few books on vampirism. So you will be on your own for a couple of hours. I will bring the books here and you can help me research them. Maybe we can find out something about what is happening to you, Professor," she said.

Hermione was so caught up in talking to Severus about her plans, she didn't think about getting up out of the bed. Severus watched as she slid from under the covers, the white silk nightgown clinging to her curves, leaving little to the imagination.

Gods, the little witch was stacked. The Potions Master's cock jerked noticeably as he imagined all the different ways he could take the witch. Lifting her would be easy. She couldn't weigh that much.

Hermione realized that she was exposed, and reddened, quickly walking to her wardrobe and taking out a housecoat and putting it on…but it also fit…so her curves weren't hidden.

"You look good in clothes that fit you," the Potions Master observed, "You should wear them more often."

Hermione scowled at him.

"You certainly are quite opinionated about how I should look," she said.

"Dr. Granger, despite my dark nature…I have a great appreciation for things of beauty, and like to see them presented in their best light. You are quite beautiful, yet hide your light behind a bushel…in this case an unflattering hairstyle and clothes three sizes too large for you. You are hiding, Dr. Granger, from the world and from yourself. You seem to have lost your Gryffindor courage somewhere along the way. It is a pity. You were a much more interesting person then," he said. "I will return in half an hour to shower."

Then the Potions Master turned and left Hermione' bedroom. He was smirking.

Hermione stared after him, flabbergasted. Then she frowned blackly.

Lost her Gryffindor courage? How dare he say that? She had fought in the Final Battle. She had…she had…

Hermione hesitated.

She hadn't done anything courageous or outgoing since the death of Harry and Ron. Sure, she got her degrees, but that was something she did by herself, for herself. She let no one in nor did she extend herself for anyone. She literally buried herself in her education, having no social life, no friends and no lovers. She covered herself up, made herself appear as plain and inaccessible as possible so no one would approach her. And the one wizard that did show any interest in her, she turned away immediately.

But she was brilliant and talented and skilled. No, she didn't use all her degrees to their full potential, but she had them, didn't she? She had more knowledge than most wizards three times her age. She was one of the youngest certified healers in the wizarding world, and certainly the youngest that Hogwarts ever hired. Her intellect had served her well, and it took courage to go for all those degrees…to put everything else aside and acquire them; to take her whole life and shove it between books, quills, parchments and long hours of study to the exclusion of all else…it took courage…

Hermione looked at herself in the mirror.

No. It took courage to let people in, not push them away. It took courage to show the world who you really are, not what you could do. It took courage to be willing to feel, to experience…to love.

In the back of her mind, Hermione always knew she was hiding, she just made her cowardice bearable by calling it 'achieving.' What did she have to show for her life other than parchments to place on the wall? What had she truly experienced? How had she grown as a person? How had she connected with others? More than that, how had she made a difference?

Once, that was all she wanted. To make a difference in the world. To right all the wrongs, take up arms for those who were downtrodden. But that had been when the people she loved were still in the world. When they were taken, her dreams, her hopes were taken with them. The old Hermione was buried with Harry and Ron. If they had lived, there was no way they would have let her immerse herself completely in books and learning. They would have made her live. Forced her to participate in life the way they always had. Dragged her to Quidditch matches. Forced her out on nights on the town. Make her carry out stupid dares. Found her a boyfriend. They were always trying to do that, but never managed to. They might have though. They might have, had they lived.

Tears began to fall from her eyes. Neither Harry nor Ron would be happy with her today. Sure, they would have been proud she accomplished so much, but they would hate the way she was. The way she lived. A lonely, loveless life with no friends. No lovers.

Hermione sighed. The Professor was right. She had lost her courage.

She walked over to her wardrobe and took out her underclothes, an off-yellow uniform and a fresh lab coat. She laid the uniform on the bed and looked at it. It really was three sizes too big.

Hermione picked up her wand, looked at the uniform again, then cast a resizing spell on it.

It was time to make some changes.

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When Severus knocked on Hermione's bedroom door, carrying all his clothing with him to take a shower, a towel wrapped around his hips, he opened it to find the witch sitting on the side of her bed tying the laces of her white trainers. Her hair wasn't loose, but it wasn't up either. It was brushed back and tied in a neat ponytail that hung down her back. It looked much better. She could work without it getting in the way, but now the sheen and curl of it could be clearly seen.

She stood up. She was wearing the lab coat, but the uniform fit. She looked like a proper witch now, with curves…very admirable ones. The lab coat did a good job of not making her shape too distracting however. She still looked professional. Her stethoscope hung around her neck

Severus mentally patted himself on the back. He had made the witch let her hair down, so to speak. Now…how about those knickers?

"You look much more relaxed, Dr. Granger," he said to her.

Hermione looked at the towel wrapped low around his waist.

"So do you, Professor. Is this what I am going to be treated to every morning?" she asked him, scowling slightly.

"Unless you want other treats," he responded.

Hermione snorted. The wizard was trying to work on her. She wasn't sure she didn't like it. But it was a reminder to grab the Clarification potion. She'd almost forgotten it.

"I am sure Professor, you and I have very different ideas of what comprises a treat," she said blithely, heading for the bedroom door.

Severus blocked her way.

"I have a feeling, Dr. Granger, you would find what I consider a treat to be…quite satisfying," he said silkily, looking down at her, a bit of heat in his eyes.

The image of the wizard stretched out on the cot with his head thrown back in pleasure flashed through her mind, and Hermione felt her stomach drop. She needed to leave.

"Excuse me, Professor, I have to go see the Headmistress about you," she said, stepping around him.

The Professor turned.

"Aren't you going to have breakfast with me?" he asked her.

Hermione turned back.

"No, I'm going to…"

Suddenly her voice faltered and a stricken look washed across her face. The Professor's brow furrowed. He looked down to make sure his assets weren't hanging out. No, everything was tucked neatly behind the towel.

"What is it, doctor?" he asked the witch, who was staring.

But not at him, past him.

The Professor turned, following the direction of her eyes and saw that his reflection was caught in the dresser mirror. Or his partial reflection.

"I can see through you. Your reflection isn't solid," Hermione said quietly.

Severus looked at her.

"I was going to tell you about that," he said, "I noticed it last night."

"This isn't good. I have to go, Professor. There's so much to find out and to do before I can even begin to help you. Take your vitamins, they are on the vanity in the bathroom along with your blood replenisher. I will be back with the books on vampirism in an hour or two," Hermione said, leaving quickly.

Severus looked at his reflection, then bared his perfect teeth at it, hissing.

He arched an eyebrow at the image he presented, then headed for the bathroom.

If he turned, at least he'd make a respectable looking vampire.

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A/N: Ah Severus…a Slytherin Svengali at his finest. He got to Hermione a bit. And whew, he is so so so suggestive. He was blatantly hitting on her, probably figuring that was the best way to get her juices flowing. Seemed to work a bit. Well, the story is moving right along. Please review.