Through the Looking Glass ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 13 ~ Extra Credit

Hermione entered professor Snape’s private study. He had a large library, set in recessed shelving around the walls. Lush, scarlet shag carpet covered the stone floor. Two richly upholstered scarlet and gold chairs rested in front of the fireplace, and a large sofa, recliner and ottoman were also in evidence. A tasteful, yet erotic painting of a man and woman entwined hung over the fireplace, clearly in the throes of climax. Satyr and nymph statues rested on the mantelpiece. There was a door leading to his bedroom and another door which was closed.

Snape studied the witch as she looked around the room, rather perplexed, then walked over to the ornate mahogany writing desk in the corner and picked up a laminated parchment. Hermione spun and looked at him as he approached with the parchment outstretched.

“This doesn’t look conducive to extra credit, Professor,” Hermione said to him.

He gestured to the closed door.

”Extra credit is usually carried out in that room depending on what you select. You did say you wanted a desk,” he said, handing her the parchment. “It can be arranged. This is a list of the types of extra credit that can be performed and their point value. You can select which you would like to do.”

”Oh, that’s helpful,” Hermione said, looking down at the parchment.

Suddenly her eyes rounded and she looked up at the professor.

”What is this?” she cried in shock.

”The extra credit list,” Snape responded, looking a bit perplexed.

”But . . . but this isn’t class work! It’s a list of . . . of sexual acts!”

”That’s right,” Snape said as if this were quite normal. But as Hermione stared at him in horror, he realized that she hadn’t known that extra credit involved intimacy. He pinched his nose.

”I should’ve known Tom and Minerva wouldn’t tell you about this,” he said to the witch apologetically. “They have a very warped sense of humor. In our world, sex in exchange for points is acceptable, since it isn’t time consuming and rather pleasurable. This way, we have no extra paperwork and the students aren’t forced to spend free time in study.”

”It’s unconscionable!” Hermione spluttered.

”It works for us, Miss Granger,” Snape replied. “We have quite an open society here with the exception of how Purebloods are treated. Sex is considered an enjoyable diversion and interaction is encouraged. Few things are as satisfying as a good sexual experience. It is an excellent stress reliever as well.”

Well, Hermione was feeling quite stressed. Then, she thought about something.

”What about wizards? I mean, all right, I can see this working with witches, but . . . what do wizards do for extra credit?” she asked him.

”Why, they have the same options,” Snape replied, looking at her oddly. “Why would there be any difference?”

Hermione blinked at him.

”You mean, you . . . you engage wizards as well?” she asked him incredulously.

”Of course I do,” Snape responded.

Hermione turned scarlet.

Snape arched an eyebrow at her, understanding.

”Oh. You’re a Het, aren’t you?” he asked her.

”A Het?” she responded.

”Yes. A Heterosexual. You only engage the opposite sex,” he said to her coolly.

”Yes! Of course I am,” she responded. The way he said it bothered her.

”Ah, I see. Well, that type of lifestyle isn’t . . . considered normal in our society. Neither is homosexuality. Gays and Lesbians are also looked down upon because they only engage with partners of their own sex. Bisexuality is considered the norm. Pleasure can be found with both sexes and it is considered a prejudice of the worst kind to prefer one sex over the other. But there will always be bigots.”

”What? I’m not a bigot. I just prefer males,” Hermione said, then altered her statement. “I mean . . . when . . . when I finally have sex it will be with a male.”

Snape looked at her rather incredulously.

”You’re still a virgin?” he asked her, and Hermione blushed.

”Yes, I am,” she said softly, “and I don’t plan to lose my virginity just because I’d like a better mark in Advanced Transfiguration.”

”Your counterpart is very sexually active,” Snape informed her, then sighed. “Except with me, which is why her marks are so low in my class. She won’t let me touch her, because I am the Head of Gryffindor. In fact, all the Slytherins have barely passing marks in my class.”

Hermione took this in, then her eyes rounded.

”She has perfect marks in Potions,” Hermione gasped.

Snape nodded.

”Miss Granger and Minerva have been lovers for years. She’s done well in that class since she became the age of consent three years ago. In fact, all grades improve around the fifth year. Most students just muddle through until then.”

Hermione turned green. Minerva McGonagall had sex with her counterpart. Oh, Merlin! No wonder she felt so uncomfortable around her. And no wonder she seemed so delighted when she heard she was going to professor Snape for extra credit. Maybe she thought . . . oh gods!

Hermione felt nauseous.

”Can I sit down?” Hermione rasped at Snape, who looked alarmed. She looked like she was going to throw up all over his shag carpet.

”Sit here,” he said, guiding her to the recliner and hurrying to grab a wastepaper basket from alongside his desk and handing it to her.

”Make sure you hit that if you vomit,” he said to the witch. “I’ll get you some water and a Calming draught.”

Hermione watched the wizard walk into his bedroom, then heard water running and a cabinet open. He reappeared with a glass of water and a bottle.

”Here you go,” the wizard said, handing her the draught first. Hermione opened it and sniffed it suspiciously. Snape frowned at her.

”Thinking I might slip you a lust potion, Miss Granger?” he asked her, displeasure in his eyes.

Hermione looked up at him.

”This is a very different world, with very different rules, professor. I’m just being careful,” she responded, then took a sip of the potion, followed by drinking down the water.

”I suppose my being a Gryffindor doesn’t matter in the least,” he said to her, taking the potion and glass back.

”You’re a Gryffindor, but possibly not the kind of Gryffindor I’m used to,” she told him honestly.

She watched as he returned to his bedroom and put the glass and potion away. When he returned, he sat down on the ottoman and looked her in her eyes.

”Miss Granger, you need to realize something. You are out of your element here more than you know. You are a Gryffindor in a house full of Slytherins, in a school run by Slytherins. None of the professors who know your true affiliations will assist you if you find yourself in trouble. Despite you being a Muggle-Born, you are still associated with Gryffindor. If you need a champion, the only one who would be willing to stand up for you . . . would be me. If I were not a Gryffindor, my aid would come at a price . . .”

“A price I wouldn’t be willing to pay,” Hermione told him.

Snape blinked at her.

”After the first or second incident, Miss Granger . . . that wouldn’t be true, believe me,” he said to her darkly. “Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is a jungle, full of predators. Someone of your background can easily be swallowed down. Our Miss Granger is far more suited to survive in your world than you are in ours. You need an ally, Miss Granger, and although I don’t require anything of you . . . I would at least like to be appreciated and treated with some trust and respect. I get enough disdain from your counterpart. If you had gone to any teacher other than me for extra credit, and balked, you would be restrained and flat on your back by now, whether you wanted to be or not. Once you enter the chambers of a teacher, for that hour, you belong to them. By making an appointment, by the rules of the school, you are bound to deliver, and each teacher has to report what the extra credit entailed.”

”What do you mean, bound to deliver? I didn’t know anything about these so-called ‘rules!’” Hermione hissed at him.

”Ignorance is no excuse, Miss Granger. As a student of Hogwarts, especially in your seventh year, you are expected to know the rules. I am sure the Headmaster is not going to make a special dispensation in your case. And I am bound to take 100 points from you for not doing your extra credit.”

”What? You’re going to penalize me for not following through on my extra credit?” she asked him.

”It’s not something I want to do, but am required to do, Miss Granger. I am a staff member of Hogwarts and have a duty to the school. I will not be derelict in my duty,” Snape told her.

”My housemates are going to kill me!” Hermione said to him.

”An attempt or two on your life might be possible,” Snape agreed. “Or at least a trip to the infirmary, which might be worse than dying. In either case, welcome to the jungle, Miss Granger.”

Hermione looked at him, her brown eyes pleading now.

”Won’t you help me? Please? I really didn’t know what you expected of me when I made that appointment. I was set up. Professor, if you are a Gryffindor deep down inside, you will help me,” she said to him desperately.

Snape narrowed his eyes at her.

”Are you attempting to use guilt on me, Miss Granger?” he asked her.

”No. I’m just trying to appeal to your better side,” she replied. “Gryffindors hate unfairness.”

Snape nodded.

”Yes, we do. But don’t you think it a bit unfair that I looked forward to engaging you, only to have the magic carpet pulled out from under my feet?” he asked her. “As I told you, our Miss Granger will not engage me, which makes her even more desirable to me. You are not her, but a reasonable enough facsimile to have made our engagement extremely satisfying and you an excellent substitute. But, I don’t even have that now.”

”But I didn’t know,” Hermione said again. “If I had known, I would have never made that appointment with you.”

”As I said before, Miss Granger, ignorance is no excuse.”

Hermione stared at him for several moments before her eyes filled with tears.

”Oh no,” Snape moaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Not the waterworks.”

Hermione began to cry, which made it worse.

Snape stood up and started pacing, stopping from time to time to look at the sobbing witch. Finally, he pulled a handkerchief out of his inner robes pocket and handed it to her.

”Stop crying,” he said as she wiped her eyes with his handkerchief. “Turn the parchment over.”

Sniffing, Hermione did so.

”There are lesser extra credit choices on that side. I thought you were interested in gaining a larger number of points. As you can see, the selection is much tamer.”

Hermione looked at the list.

A simple closed-mouth kiss was worth half a point on her next grade. A French kiss was worth three points. With light petting, five points. The list went on to describe how many points heavy petting and a number of other lesser sex acts were worth. It could be upped by twenty points if the acts were performed while nude. The final act on that side was a hand job for thirty points. The most points that could be earned was fifty, with the additional twenty for nakedness.

”So are you interested in doing something less involved?” Snape asked her.

Hermione looked at the list. A half-point certainly wasn’t much for a kiss. But then again, a kiss was next to nothing sex-wise. Not really even worth the effort. But a French kiss was worth three points. That wasn’t much either. But doing either would keep her from losing one hundred points and probably a trip to the evil Poppy, courtesy of her housemates.

“A kiss?” she ventured.

”Closed or open-mouthed?” Snape asked.

Hermione studied the list. Half a point?

”I’m not sure. How long does the kiss have to last?” she asked him.

”Thirty seconds at least,” the wizard replied, his eyes resting on her mouth.

Shit. That was a long time for a few lousy points. But . . . she had to do something.

”All right. A closed-mouth kiss,” she said to him.

Snape nodded and motioned for her to stand. She did so, nervously.

The wizard tried to make Hermione more comfortable. He was a little excited. He had never laid a hand on a virgin before. True, it wasn’t fucking, but it was different for him.

”Do you have much experience kissing?” he asked her.

”Well, I’ve kissed Ron before,” she replied.

”Ronald Weasley?” Snape inquired.

Hermione nodded.

”I guess there’s some similarities between your counterpart and you,” he said softly.

”Not to her degree,” Hermione snapped, remembering both Harry and Ron showing up buck naked in her bedroom.

Snape chuckled.

”I imagine not, being you’re still ‘pure,’” he responded, then opened his arms. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Hermione looked up at him. He looked so much like her professor Snape, but so unlike him. There was no anger or darkness to this Snape, and he was attractive in his way. She drew a deep breath and stepped into him, closing her eyes.

She felt him embrace her very gently, holding her close but not in a way that made her uncomfortable. Actually, she felt rather safe. She tilted her head back.

Snape studied her for moment, then gently lowered his lips to hers, kissing the witch tenderly, his lips moving against hers softly but sensually, the connection electric.

Hermione made a noise of surprise. His kiss was . . .was nice. Good actually. She felt warmth spreading over her body as she earned her “extra credit” from the wizard, kissing him back now. Snape felt her respond and continued kissing her, mentally counting off the seconds as her arms wrapped around his neck. He broke the kiss, pulling away from her mouth.

Hermione’s brown eyes opened and she gazed up at the wizard in wonder.

”You’ve earned half a point,” he said to the witch, not releasing her, because she hadn’t released him, but continued to hold on.

”Do you think I could earn another one?” she asked him dreamily.

Snape smiled at her.

”Yes. You can earn as many as you like, Miss Granger,” he responded, lowering his mouth to hers again.

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A/N: Whoo hoo. Can I have another, Mr. Snape? Lol. Thanks for reading.