Fantasy House

Severus stirred the potion one last time before lifting the stirring rod from the cauldron. He grabbed a large dipper and a mug from the table next to him. Careful to hold the mug over the cauldron, he poured a generous portion of the potion into the mug.



He placed the dipper back onto the table and walked out of the lab with the mug. He found Remus sitting on the couch in the living room reading the latest edition of the Daily Prophet.



"Your potion, Lupin," he said, holding the mug out for the werewolf.



Remus glanced up. Putting the paper down onto his lap, he accepted the mug with one hand. "Thank you, Severus," he said, politely, before taking a sip. He grimaced at the foul taste.



Severus thought for a moment about going back into the potions lab, but decided against it. There really weren\'t any more potions that needed to be made and the Wolfsbane needed to stay hot. The problem was, there wasn\'t anything else to do.



"Would you like to join me, Severus?" Remus asked, catching the Potion Master\'s attention.



The snarky man raised an eyebrow. "For what?"



Remus shrugged and turned his attention back to the newspaper. "There\'s a very interesting article in here about the Shrinking Solution. Apparently some bloke in Cornwall learned that taking the Shrinking Solution too many times can cause certain parts to shrink permanently."



Severus rolled his eyes. "Any fool who studied Potions would know that much. What did the idiot do? Find out by experimenting on himself?" he snarked.



"Apparently," Remus stated offhandly, earning an astonished look from the Potions Master.



Snape edged closer to the werewolf. "He experimented on himself?" he asked.



Remus ruffled through the paper and took the section out with the story. He handed it to the dark haired Slytherin. "It\'s quite an amusing story," the werewolf said as he reopened the portion of the paper that he was reading.



It had been a couple of weeks since the six people were kidnapped and brought into this house. There wasn\'t nearly as much sex going on as Zabini would have liked, but it still happened often enough. Remus had somehow managed to avoid sex with anyone.



"You\'re going to have to sleep with someone eventually, Lupin," Severus commented as he read the article.



The werewolf drank some more of his potion. "Sirius said the same thing earlier," he said, turning back to his paper. "Eventually, you\'ll have to sleep with him, Severus. You and Lucius seem to be getting on just fine in that field, but Hermione cannot remain the main focus for much longer."



Severus glanced up. "You\'d like that, wouldn\'t you? To see Black and myself going at it like two stray dogs?"



"Don\'t be so vulgar," Remus reprimanded with a sneer of disgust. "I have no interest in watching you and Sirius do anything but get along for a change. I was merely pointing out..."



"You can\'t avoid it forever, Lupin," Snape hissed. "With the full moon fast approaching, it\'s going to be even harder. Even as we speak, your senses are becoming more intoned. Especially when Hermione is having sex with someone. Soon, it\'ll be nearly impossible for you to control yourself around her."



Remus glanced up to retort and then stopped himself. Sighing, he placed the paper onto the coffee table and pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb. He suddenly felt so much older. "I know," he whispered. "It\'s just..."



He sighed again and glanced at the Slytherin. "It\'s been so long since I\'ve been with a woman. And Hermione... Truth be told, I\'ve wanted Hermione for quite some time now. Long before we were placed in this house of madness. The problem is, everywhere I look, I see my Nymph. Not a day goes by that I don\'t think about her."



Severus hated sentimental talking. Especially when it was done by someone else. "At least you were able to spend some time with your precious \'nymph.\' And you have a small creature that the two of you created. Myself? I didn\'t even have a chance. And nothing to take with me."



"You have Harry, Severus," Remus said, looking at the man in understanding.



"No, Black has Potter," the Potions Master spat. "To always remind him of the times he and his friend spent together."



Remus shook his head. "After all these years?" he asked. "You still deny that Lily lives in Harry as well? That he is more like her in just about every way? How much longer will you torture yourself, Severus? How long will you suffer?"



The Slytherin glared at the upstart Gryffindor. "I didn\'t ask for your pity, Lupin," he sneered.



"I don\'t pity you, Severus. I just wonder," he stated, calmly.



"Perhaps you should ask yourself those same questions. How long will you torture yourself, Lupin?" Snape bit back, standing up. He pointed to the hallway. "There\'s a girl in there who could quite possibly be perfect for you. And, here you are sobbing over something that you couldn\'t stop from happening. Wake up, Lupin! She\'s never coming back!"



Remus raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same to you," he commented.



Severus frowned. "You don\'t think I know that?" he growled. "Every time I\'m with her, I feel that much closer to her. But, then, I\'m actually spending time with her. And not just sexually. I\'m getting to know Hermione for the person she is. What have you done lately, Lupin? Besides read your newspapers? How often do you caress her cheek at night while she talks about some benign desire to see house elves go free? How many times have you kissed her after she made a delicious pot of stew? How many times have you lost yourself inside..."



"Enough!" Lupin snapped. "I get it, ok? All of you have spent far more time with her, getting to know her, making love to her. Maybe even falling in love with her."



The Slytherin\'s eyes narrowed. He hadn\'t meant to admit that he had falling in love with Hermione. Especially not after such a short period of time. They had only be in the house for a total of two and a half weeks. That wasn\'t nearly enough time. Was it?



Severus watched as the werewolf stood up, finished his drink, and stormed out of the living room. Good. Maybe now, Lupin will start to participate.



(II) (II)



"May I help you, Mr. Potter?" Narcissa questioned as she stepped into the parlor.



Harry stood up straight as he gazed at the beautiful woman. He held up the roll of parchment. "I have been given a warrant to search through your husband\'s things, Mrs. Malfoy," he stated.



"Ex-husband," the woman corrected. "I think it\'s time we all admit I am no longer married to him. Besides, I\'ll be remarried soon enough."



Harry nodded slightly, and looked to Ron. Ron tilted his head in confusion. "If he\'s your ex, then why are you still living in his house?" he asked, indicating the manor with a sweep of his hand.



Narcissa smiled, a bit too kindly. When she spoke, it was almost as if she thought she were speaking with a child. "Well, Mr. Weasley, when dearest Lucius and I went to court, the courts decided that I should have this house. So, in theory, the house is not his, but mine. That\'s how the judicial system works, after all."



Harry rolled his eyes. "We won\'t be long, Mrs. Malfoy. I assume most of his things are still here?" he asked.



She nodded and opened her arms. "You are free to look around, Mr. Potter. I don\'t expect you\'ll find much, though. He and my beloved son left in such a hurry."



Ron snapped to attention. "You were here when they left?" he asked.



The lady gave a derisive sniff. "Of course not," she told them. "Lucius was never one to tell me much of anything. I had no idea they were even going anywhere. In fact, I didn\'t even know they had left until I saw Lucius\' old play room nearly cleaned out."



"Play room?" Harry questioned.



The young men both decided that Narcissa was particularly pretty when she blushed. "It\'s really not something I wish to discuss, Mr. Potter. My ex-husband is, after all, a... sensual creature."



"Could you show us this room, Mrs. Malfoy?" Harry requested.



Narcissa nodded and began leading the men towards Lucius\' old chambers. As she did so, she said, "I, myself, was never invited into this room. Though, I\'ve seen Severus Snape and several women go in there. Once or twice, I\'ve watched my own son disappear behind the door. I\'ve only just entered myself recently. The door was ajar, which is something Lucius never does, and most of the room was emptied, it seems."



She led them into a room that both astounded and horrified the men. Contraptions of all types littered the walls. A large table sat in the middle of the room. There were bookcases and cabinets along one wall that also had a sink. The men looked at one another.



Growing up with so many brothers, sex was a common subject among them when their parents weren\'t around. So, Ron knew enough about exotic sex play to know that this room was a sex room.



Harry walked around and began to see what Narcissa was talking about. The bookcases and cabinets, it seemed, had been cleared of something. Harry had heard his own share of sex stories from Dean and Seamus to give an educated guess as to what was missing.



In the corner, he saw a large pot that looked as though the plant was recently dug up. "Do you have any idea what was in this pot, Mrs. Malfoy?" he asked.



She shook her head. "As I\'ve said before, Mr. Potter, I was never allowed in here. Lucius was quite adamant about it."



Harry nodded. "I would like to see the rest of Mr. Malfoy\'s chambers, if that\'s alright with you, Mrs. Malfoy?"



She stepped to the side so the men could pass her. "As you wish, Mr. Potter. After all, you do have a search warrant. I cannot stop you."



As they walked passed her, she glanced at the play room for a moment longer and gave a soft smile. The plan was working perfectly.



(III) (III)



"Hermione?" Remus said, softly, as he entered the kitchen.



The young Muggle-born glanced up from the cutting board. "Oh, hello, Remus," she greeted with a smile.



He offered her a smile in return, though he was rather shy. He knew what he wanted to do, what he had to do, and it made him nervous. He was so out of practice with women.



He walked up to the counter. "What are you chopping?" he asked.



"Potatoes," she told him, before slipping a slice of potato in her mouth.



He wrinkled his nose. "You probably shouldn\'t eat them raw like that," he pointed out to her.



She rolled her eyes. "My mum used to tell me the same thing. Have you ever tried a raw potato? It\'s quite tasty, especially with a dash of salt added to it."



To emphasis her point, she slipped another slice into her mouth. Then, she cut another slice and held it out for Remus. "Here," she offered. "Try it."



He glanced at the potato dubiously. She smiled and placed her knife on the cutting board before stepping closer to him. She held the potato up to his lips. Her smile widened as he opened his mouth and allowed her to place it in.



He bit down on the potato, never letting his eyes off of hers as he chewed. As the potato crunched and watered in his mouth, he wondered what he was doing, but decided to go with it.



"I\'m also slicing some carrots," Hermione said, as she held up a small slice of carrot.



He swallowed the remnants of his potato and watched in fascination as she placed the carrot upon his lips. He took her hand in his as he engulfed her fingers into his mouth. Slowly, sensually, he pulled her fingers out of his mouth, making sure to kiss the tips as he took the carrot with him.



He watched as her eyes darkened with desire and knew he was doing something right. But, now he was panicking. What should he do after this? Sure, he remembered "helping" Tonks in the kitchen. But, it had been so long. What if he did something wrong?



"What are you making?" he asked, trying to lift some of the mood. It was getting way too hot in there.



She stared at him for a moment, confused. Then, she shrugged and turned her attention back to the potatoes. "I\'m making meatloaf with mashed potatoes and boiled carrots, complete with a side of brown gravy."



He nodded as he stepped closer to her. Timidly, he placed his hands on her hips. She froze in the process of slicing a potato. He placed his lips against her ear as he whispered, "What\'s for dessert?"



She placed the knife and potato back onto the cutting board and turned around to face him. She gazed into his brown eyes. "What did you have in mind?" she asked.



He lost his nerve again and let go of her waist. Taking a step back, he said, "I don\'t know. Maybe cookies? Or perhaps a cake?"



She gazed at him curiously. "Or, maybe I could whip up some chocolate pudding? Maybe add a bit of whipped cream and a few cherries in the right spots? I\'d even let you lick... the spoon."



He blushed furiously. "That would..." he coughed. "That would be nice. Chocolate pudding sounds... great."



"Remus?" she said.



He glanced up at her. "Yes?"



She gave him a half smile. "You\'re hard," she observed, making a pointed look at his nether regions.



He blanched as he realized how right she was. He had forgotten, through all of this, that neither was wearing any clothes. Somewhere between the moment he asked her what she was chopping to this point, he had slowly started to get hard. The chocolate pudding had been, for lack of a better phrase, the icing on the cake.



He started backing up towards the entrance to the kitchen. Hermione\'s curiousity turned to concern. "It\'s ok, Remus," she assured him.



She took a step towards him and he jumped. He really was in over his head. What was he doing flirting with her anyway? He had very little experience when it came to women. What if he hurt her? How could he ever live with himself?



His heart pounded in his chest as she slowly continued to walk towards him. He kept backing up. Maybe, just maybe, he\'d be able to make it into the hallway, where he could escape.



His back hit the wall. More than that, apparently, he had been going the wrong way, for he had ended up in the corner. His eyes widened and his heart beat even faster as she approached him. She placed a gentle hand on his unshaven cheek.



Then, she stood on her tiptoes and stepped a bit closer to him as she pressed her lips against his. As if nothing happened, she stepped away from him and walked back to the chopping board and finished slicing potatoes as if nothing had happened.



He stood there, momentarily stunned. She had kissed him. She kissed him! For a brief moment, her lips had touched his. But, that moment had been far too brief for his liking.



Instinct took over as he lifted himself off of the wall and approached her again. He didn\'t give her time to speak or react as he turned her around. He wrenched the knife out of her hand and placed it on the counter. He wrapped her arms around her and pulled her into another kiss, this time, making sure he achieved a taste of her.



His demand for her was great. He pressed his tongue against her lips and demanded complete dominance. But, Hermione was never one to submit easily. As so, they fought for dominance as he kissed her.



He grabbed her by the waist and easily lifted her, guiding her legs to wrap around his waist. He slowly walked to the table, where he placed her on the edge. He did not bother to be gentle. His mind, his instinct, was far too gone for that. He had just enough sense about him to play with her a bit to make sure she was wet enough for him.



When he took her, he took her roughly. She broke the kiss and cried out as he pounded into her. But, it wasn\'t right for him. It just didn\'t feel right. He slipped out and put her back on the ground. She looked mildly confused before he turned her around and pushed the top half of her body onto the table. He entered her again, and began pounding fiercely.



"Oh!" she cried, unable to slow his rhythm or stop him.



She had never been in this position before. But, she found that she liked it. From this position, he was hitting a sweet spot that she hardly knew existed. She certainly had doubted any guy could touch it during intercourse. How wrong she was.



Her cries of pain became cries of pleasure as he pounded harder and harder. Remus could not think. In fact, his mind had left him the moment he started kissing her. The only thing he could do was feel and react. It had been so long. And the full moon was less than a week away.



They cried out almost simultaneously as he emptied his seed inside of her. As the mating dance slowly burned down, the reality of the situation started to sink into the logical, rational part of Remus\' brain.



He was glad Andromeda had placed an anti-pregnancy charm on Hermione. Otherwise, he would have felt even more shame than what he already did.



As his wet penis slipped out of her, Remus slowly let himself lay upon the cool floor. Hermione followed and he wrapped a protective arm around her. He closed his eyes and put his free hand over them. "I am so sorry," he whispered. "I never meant..."



"I\'m not," she told him.



He lifted his hand and looked at her curiously. Her expression softened just a bit, then hardened. "I\'m not the least bit sorry. And neither should you be," she told him, poking him in the chest. "You need to learn to stop being so hard on yourself. You\'re a handsome man and you have a lot to offer a woman. Besides, that was incredible."



"You sound like my Nymph," he said, softly with a slight smile.



Then a wave of guilt washed over him and he sat up. His Nymph. What had he done? How could he have forgotten her memory so quickly? Had he already forgotten the smell of her hair or the sparkle in her eyes?



No. But, he was slowly beginning to. Such things were beginning to be replaced with another scent. Another smile. A different set of eyes. He glanced at Hermione as the guilt and shame washed over him. How could he?



"Remus, I know what you\'re thinking," Hermione said, sitting up. "And it needs to stop."



He gave her a sad smile. "This shouldn\'t have..."



"Yes, it should!" she yelled, standing up. "There is nothing wrong with you and I having sex. Nothing! We\'re both consenting adults. We care about one another. Do you regret this all of a sudden?"



"What? No," he immediately denied.



"Right," she sneered, glaring at him. "Somehow I doubt it. Here I am whoring myself away to five different guys and the one guy I..."



She stopped and turned away from him. Without another word, she finished slicing the potatoes and threw them in a pot to boil. Remus sat on the floor, watching her.



She was right, and he knew it. There was no reason for him to feel guilty or shameful. But, he still did. He owed it to his Nymph, didn\'t he? He failed to protect her when he should have and now she was gone forever. That was his fault, wasn\'t it?



He gazed at Hermione and tried to remember the colour of his Nymph\'s hair. But, he could no longer remember if it were straight or curly. Short or long. And for some reason, pink bubble gum was turning into a honey brown.

---

Author\'s Note: What\'s that? Another chapter? I really hope this chapter pleased my pleasant readers. As always, thank you for your reviews and ratings. I really do love them.



Oh, here\'s a quick question. Going into the next chapter, who do you want to see paired up? Remus is fast approaching the full moon. Any ideas? Guesses?