Saving Grace

Disclaimer: I own nothing
Warning: chapter contains lemon

Saving Grace
Chapter 15

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~~~With a harsh laugh and in a darkly sensual tone he spoke, “Well I don’t know what drug you were on. But we both liked it.”~~~

Hermione blushed furiously. “What?!”

Severus twisted to inspect her with a wry grin. “You. Me. Animal Sex.”

“And I clawed you?!” She exclaimed, mortified and disbelieving.

“Well, a little pain does a lot for pleasure. As you discovered last night.” His silky voice was sensuously amused. To emphasize he reached over and squeezed her bum. She gasped in response.

“That HURT!” She craned her neck and saw that her rear end was a bright red.

“Oh Merlin. What happened to me?!” She managed to push her self up but immediately regretted it as her head started to pound fiercely right behind her eyes. She crossed her arm quickly over her chest suddenly aware of her nakedness and her husband leering at her.

“I did.” Severus answered. She watched with pleasure as he stretched and shook out his stiff muscles. His back rippled, the shiny pink scars catching the morning light. He reached down to the floor and lifted her discarded dress, tossing it back to her. “Get dressed. I need to get back to Hogwarts.”

Ten minutes later Hermione had dressed, healed Severus’ back, and splashed some water on her face. She still felt like death warmed over though. Severus stood in the middle of the room waiting for her to get out of the bathroom. He just had his shoes and pants on, the rest of his outfit draped over an arm. She went and stood with him and he cast the spell to send them home.

Apparating while hung over, Hermione discovered, is NOT a good idea. The moment they landed in the little stone room Hermione started heaving. Severus, with only a small grunt of disgust, pulled her quickly to the bathroom and held her hair back as she retched over the toilet. When she had spent her self and groaned pitifully, he helped her clean up over the sink and then led her to their bed. Hermione appreciated his care but thought that stripping her of the dress was a bit unnecessary. With another groan she fell into the bed. She heard him chuckle over her as he pulled up the covers.

“You need to learn to drink, Girl, if you’re going to be a death eater.” She vaguely heard him murmur before she dozed off.

Several hours later, she awoke and decided that she could, in fact, take a shower and face the day. After twenty minutes of letting the hot water rejuvenate her she felt partially human again.

After dressing she gathered up her school books and headed toward the library, but before she could get out of the door, Severus called from his office. She headed back, and stood in the door way, still a bit embarrassed about the night before.

“I see you have decided to join the living?” He said in an annoyingly superior tone. Hermione only nodded, frowning. He laughed softly and returned his attention to the papers he was grading. “You’d best get all of your work done. The Dark Lord plans to call you tomorrow.”

Hermione immediately snapped to attention. “Really? Do you know what about?” She said apprehensively.

“Your first mission I would assume. Go on now. I’m busy.” He dismissed her curtly. Hermione was too achy and numb to take offense.

After grabbing a thermos of coffee from their breakfast nook she headed to the library, her favorite place to study. She had a lot of work to do and settled in for a long Saturday.

Seventh year had brought a definite increase in the difficulty level of her classes but Hermione continued to find them borderline elementary. She found herself wishing there was a Dark Arts class – now THAT would be interesting, AND challenging. After a few hours and finishing her charms assignment Hermione took a break to stretch and contemplate her Transfiguration essay. Through an enormous yawn she spotted Draco entering the library. She waved with a smile and he waved back happily. Making his way over he grinned knowingly at her.

“How are we doing this morning?” he asked, dropping his school bag on the table and sitting across from her.

“Ugh, you don’t want to know.” she answered darkly

Draco laughed. “So you and Professor Snape had….fun last night?.”

“You should have WARNED me! I am never going to trust you again.” Even though she was admonishing him, she couldn’t hold back a grin.

“Fine, fine. Fair enough. But would you have tried it if I had told you? Probably not.”

Hermione had to agree and they talked a bit more about the party. Curt apparently was a Slytherin graduate, three years ahead of them.

For several hours they worked side by side on their various assignments and Hermione found it very pleasant to study with someone as fastidious as she was. Studying with Ron and Harry generally meant her working and trying to ignore their chatter and attempts to copy. They went to dinner together and before splitting up to their respective tables Draco asked if they could practice some spells together after the meeting.

“What meeting?” Hermione asked puzzled.

Draco dropped his voice “You know, with Him.”

“He called both of us? I thought it was just me. Oh, thank the spirits, I must admit to being a bit nervous to you know….be alone.” she said with a blush.

Draco nodded understandingly. “Haha, yeah. I think he is putting us together to work on something. No idea what it is though. Should be good.” Draco seemed excited and Hermione could not help catching on to it a little bit.

Hermione walked over to the Gryffindor table to find her friends smiling and talking excitedly. This was a pleasant surprise as lately everyone had been quite depressed with the war, forced marriages and the like. She sat between Ron and Ginny and across the table from Harry, Luna and Neville.

“What’s everyone so happy about?” she asked curiously.

Harry lifted his hand which was holding Luna’s and beamed, “Luna and I are getting married!”

“Really?! That’s great! But how? I mean, Harry, you’re not a pureblood, how come you get to choose?”

“Apparently Dumbledore is not without any connections at the Ministry. He worked it out. We’re getting married next weekend. Nothing big, just the legal stuff, but there will be a party.” Harry smiled at Luna who gave him a peck on the cheek.

“Well I just can’t believe something finally worked out. That is so great, you guys.” She turned her attention to the red-headed siblings, “What about you two?”

Ron pulled a face and Ginny spoke with disgust in her voice, “Mum has an appointment with a match maker for us this week.”

Hermione said a silent ‘Oh’ and could tell the two did not want to discuss it. Suddenly Neville chimed in excitedly, “I’m marrying an American!”

Ron and Harry snickered; apparently Neville had been talking about her incessantly for the past few days. “Oh shut up you arses! I haven’t told Hermione about her yet.” He looked expectantly at Hermione who smiled and asked who the girl was. “Well, her name is Sarah Beth. She is from someplace in the south called Texas. She is a 7th year at the America’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” Here he dropped his voice and leaned forward, “See, her parents are some of the American Aurors coming over to help fight You-Know-Who. She didn’t want to stay in America without them so she is coming. Gram met her parents and they set it all up!”

Hermione smiled bemusedly. “So do you know anything actually about HER?”

Neville gulped in some air to begin but Ron cut him off. “DON’T get him started. He knows everything about her and apparently she is God’s gift to man.”

Neville frowned but then let out a self conscious chuckle. “Yeah I guess I am a bit too excited…anyway, you will meet her Saturday, she and I are getting married with Harry and Luna.”

Hermione nodded. “Oh, a double ceremony, that should be nice.”

“Actually about twenty couples are getting married…” Neville said quietly.

Hermione nodded and a bit of the familiar gloom descended upon the table.

“Damn this law,” Ginny said fiercely. They all nodded and then silently tucked into their dinners.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Much later that night Hermione had just mastered a charm to darken the space around her and create shadows. She had spotted an interesting book on Severus’ shelves and was reaching up on her toes to grab it when suddenly she felt her husband press up against her back. He pulled down the book and passed it to her expecting hand but didn’t allow her turn. Holding her against the shelves he kissed her neck and his hands roamed her body. Hermione let out a soft moan of surprised pleasure. He truly did know how to turn a woman on.

Grazing her sides, stomach, breasts and thighs in just the right combination, she found her self going limp. He slipped his hand up her skirt and over her mound before pushing her underwear to the side and rubbing her core. She gasped appreciatively and his other hand slipped under her shirt and bra to massage a breast. In only moments he brought her to the edge but with a cruel tweak to her aching nipple he suddenly withdrew his touch. Hermione’s eyes flew open and she whipped around in frustration. He was leaning over her, hands resting on the books over her shoulders. This close the difference in their heights was punctuated and Hermione felt trapped by his presence. She tilted her head back against the book shelf, looking into his eyes in want. His eyes said come and get me and Hermione leapt he distance to claim his mouth.

Their kiss was so deeply intense Hermione felt light headed. She grabbed at his shoulders and back before ripping his shirt open. Buttons went flying and in another equally brusque move she had jerked down his trousers. With force he grabbed at her buttocks and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him and impaled herself upon him. Bracing her hard against the bookshelf he set loose with abandon. Hermione did not care how loud she was screaming as she urged him on. Both her pitch and his intensity built until in one last desperately violent moment they exploded together. Hermione blacked out for only a moment and then bright tiny stars started sparking at the edges of her vision.

For whole minutes they could only gasp for breath. Eventually he lifted her back and onto her own feet. He stood looking at her with something akin to tired awe, shirt ripped and hanging off his shoulders, pants undone and revealing. He lunged forward and gripped her in another desperate kiss. Only when she was once again flitting into darkness did he allow her breath.

She sagged heavily against the bookshelves and Severus nodded in self satisfaction. He tucked himself into his trousers and buttoned them back up. With a deep breath he pushed his hair back from his face and studied her. She stood, weak kneed, skirt askew and up to her waist, sweater hitched up to her stomach, one breast completely out of her bra and a hot drip running down the inside of her thigh.

“Thanks for the book”

“My pleasure.”

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sunday morning found Hermione back in the library working nervously, just waiting for the call. Draco came in about an hour after she did and sat down at her table. They worked together on their charms assignment until lunch. As they walked down the corridor together, heading for the great hall, Hermione felt the eyes of passing students.

“I wish people would stop looking at me all funny just because I’m married to Snape,” she grumbled.

Draco looked sideways at her. “Hermione, you dolt, they’re looking at both of us because we are together and we aren’t trying to kill each other.”

Hermione laughed “Oh right! Hmm, you mean you didn’t send out a memo explaining our change of heart?”

“Ha, ha, no. I need to do that. You’re right, it’s quite annoying.” Suddenly he barked at a staring first year, who squeaked and ran off.

Hermione laughed loudly. “Oh yeah, we are the best Head Boy and Girl ever.”

“Naturally.” He said with a smile. Suddenly an angry voice called out his name. They both turned to see Pansy Parkinson marching furiously towards them.

“What in the hell are you doing with that trash, Draco? Caitlin told me you were with the mudblood all day in the library yesterday but I didn’t believe it. Have you gone mad? Are you sick?”

Draco looked affronted but his face quickly turned to rage when she called Hermione a mudblood. Hermione quickly put her hand on his arm and whispered in his ear “Don’t freak out. She is just jealous and angry that she has to go through life being so ugly.”

Draco couldn’t help but laugh. He shook his head and turned his back on the slytherin girl. Taking up Hermione’s arm he said loud enough for Pansy to hear, “You are so right, Hermione that is exactly what she is.” They walked away chuckling leaving a very angry and confused Parkinson in their wake.

Hermione shook her head as they turned into the entrance hall and broke away from Draco. “I guess we will be getting a lot of that if we start hanging out in school.” Draco nodded at her somberly. “I am not looking forward to Ron and Harry and Ginny yelling at me.”

Draco looked sympathetic. “Yeah, at least Pansy is someone I don’t care about. And I have done a lot to turn those three against me. But I mean, Ginny is okay I guess, but Harry and Ron? They’re prats,” he said darkly.

“Oh don’t say that, you just come from different places…” Draco gave her a disbelieving look.

“Well in any case, for your sake I’ll let you go in first. See you back in the library?”

Hermione smiled and nodded. After pushing through the huge doors she crossed the great hall wishing that her three best friends could see Draco as she did.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

The pain was so surprising Hermione shouted out before she could stop herself. Her pained scream sounded out across the library. Draco, who had jerked at the pain on his own body, nearly fell from his chair at Hermione’s upstart. Everyone across the room, the other students littered at various study desks, turned to stare. Draco jumped to her side and pretended to ask what was wrong. Hermione tried to cover herself by laughing. “Sorry! There was a HUGE Spider!” she said by way of an explanation. The ruffled students returned to their work and Hermione and Draco packed their things without speaking.

They reached the corridor as quickly as they could without looking odd and headed for the Entrance hall. As they rounded a corner and headed down some stairs Peeves suddenly giggled and tired to push a suit of armor on top of them. Hermione drew her wand and stopped the great metal plates from crushing them just as Draco pulled out his own wand and whispered, “Phasmatis Pluvia.” Suddenly Peeves’s grey form clouded and darkened. He looked down at himself in surprise and watched as his usually moonlit body became a vague shape of ghost storm clouds. He grabbed at his face and screamed in horror as his body started to rain. Lightning and thunder flashed and rolled all over his body as it seemed the very air he was made of condensed into a storm. Hermione watched in amazement. Thoughtlessly, she dumped the armor to the side and said in wonder, “What in the world did you do?”

Draco grinned in pleasure and repeated his spell. “Means ghost rain. Learned it from Xavier. You’ll meet him sometime. Comes in very handy.” Hermione stared wide eyed up at the now sobbing ghost whose cries could barely be heard over the raging hurricane he had become.

“C’mon, we are taking too long,” he said worriedly, breaking her from her study.

Once again they set off determinedly down the hall and they didn’t meet another person till they reached the lawn. They both spotted Hagrid off behind some bushes and just as he glimpsed them Hermione whispered a disillushionment charm over her self and Draco. Hagrid grimaced in confusion and craned his head searching for something before blinking a few times.

“Nice one,” Draco whispered.

“Thanks”

They made their way, cutting across the lawn at a fast pace until the reached the gate at last.

“Go together?”

“No, separate.” And Hermione reached over her shoulder to touch her wand tip to her Mark.

Voldemort sat at his desk in the great empty room with the twelve doors against one wall. Hermione and Draco fell to their knees and studied the floor in perfect unison, side by side five feet in front of his great mahogany thrown.

They heard him readjust in his seat, and felt him study them. After making them wait a full minute he granted them permission to stand.

After they had done so Voldemort continued to stare with his pupil-less eyes. They both stood nervously, trying to look anywhere but at him without appearing to do so. Finally he reached to his right and picked up a large black scroll. With a flick of his wrist it rose up and floated to them. Draco plucked it from the air.

“If you have any questions or are in need of supplies, Lester Morris is your commanding Death Angel. Though I do expect the two of you to accomplish this task without help.”

He watched them nod their understanding.

“That is all.” Came the hissed dismissal.

Hermione spared a glance at Draco but he ignored it and took her hand to Disapparate.

Once they reappeared at the Hogwarts gates Hermione made to grab the scroll but Draco snatched it back, “Not here, silly, c’mon lets check it out in my room.”

Hermione grumbled but followed him up the lawns. All the way up the drive and then through the castle Hermione and Draco speculated wildly about their mission. They amused themselves by imagining the craziest things they could be ordered to do but in the back of her mind Hermione was very scared. All she hoped for was that they wouldn’t have to kill someone. Draco led her not to the dungeons but up to one of the small, unused towers.

“I had no idea the head boy’s room was up here. You must have a great view,” she said as they climbed a very narrow spiral staircase. At the landing they came to a portrait of a very fat, very ugly little man sitting with his three very fat, very ugly little pug dogs. They all looked strikingly similar. He demanded the password in a nasally voice.

“Demosthenes” Draco answered.

“What’s that?” Hermione asked curiously as he pushed aside the painting to let her go first.

“Just an old Greek philosopher.”

“Oh. OH!” Hermione stepped into his room and was more than a little impressed. She stood in a circular sitting room and saw a bathroom tacked on to the tower on the left and a bedroom opposite on the right. She had been right; the far wall was all windows and she could see well over the forbidden forest and all the way to the mountains. His suit was luxuriously decorated in black, white, and green. She felt him stand awkwardly behind her as she inspected his rooms. “Wow, Draco. This is really nice.”

He shrugged and thanked her softly. With a slight push he moved her to the couch, took a seat in the winged back chair opposite her and tossed the scroll on the table between them. “You do the honors.”

Hermione jumped forward and tore open the wax seal. Inside was a short paragraph written in spiky cursive. She read it quickly, breathing a sigh of relief at the end. She passed it to Draco.

“We have to steal a book.”

Draco raised an eyebrow and then bent to read it himself.

“Hermione and Draco, ‘Walking the World of the Dead’ is a certain heavily guarded tome at the National Library of the Kingdom of Egypt. Find it. Steal it. Use stealth, not force. Do not get caught. You have two weeks. “

“That’s it?” Draco asked in a disappointed voice.

Hermione took it back from him and reread the directive. “I’m sure it will be harder than it sounds…”

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Authors note: hope you enjoyed, thanks so much to everyone who reviews and a huge thanks to my beta, GeminiScorp. - Demos