Disharmony in the Dungeons

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 17 ~ Sleeping Arrangements

It was after nine in the evening when Hermione returned to the castle. She felt exhausted and instead of walking to the dungeons, Hermione flooed from the main hall to Severus’ rooms. When she stepped out of the fireplace, she found the Potions Master asleep in the armchair. He had changed for bed it seemed. He was in his boxers and silk house robe, which was open and showing his pale, muscular chest. Hermione’s eyes swept over him slowly. He looked peaceful, his dark lashes resting against his cheeks, his silky hair partially covering his face. An issue of Potions Today rested on his lap. He breathed easily. Hermione stepped a little closer to him, looking at how well defined his chest was. She wanted to touch, but didn’t dare. She straightened and took off her cloak, resting it on the other armchair. She looked at Severus. She hated to wake him but it was best he went to bed.

“Severus. Severus,” she called to him. “Wake up. You need to go to bed.”

The Potions Master roused and opened his eyes. He looked up at her.

“Made it back I see,” he said sleepily, before attempting to sit up straighter and wincing.

“Yes, I did,” she replied.

“How are your parents?” he asked politely, more alert now. His black eyes swept over her. She was dressed in a pullover sweater and black wool pants that complemented her curves

Hermione’s eyes shifted a bit before she answered. Severus caught it and knew something had happened with her parents. He had been dealing with students for a long time and could read Hermione like a large-print parchment.

“They’re fine. Were a bit disappointed that I wasn’t going to spend the Christmas holiday with them,” she responded. Severus arched an eyebrow.

“You have other plans?” he asked her. Hermione had been going home for Christmas ever since she started Hogwarts.

Hermione looked at him as if he were thicker than pudding.

“Yes I have other plans. I’m spending Christmas with you. You need someone to take care of you,” she said simply.

“And you think you can handle that?” he said to her a bit suggestively, his eyes darkening.

As she looked at him, Hermione was aware of the delicious warmth she had felt days earlier when he kissed her, starting to rise again, but she didn’t understand why. He wasn’t kissing her now. Still she felt it spreading. She blinked at him, remembering he asked her a question.

“Of course I can. It’s not that hard,” she responded.

Severus had a naughty retort to that statement that he bit back.

Hermione noticed that three of the five sandwiches she had fixed him still sat on the plate on the table next to the armchair. She narrowed her eyes at him in a very Pomfrey-like way.

“Severus, did you eat anything. You should have had more than two sandwiches,” she said.

He smirked at her nursemaid demeanor.

“I had a house elf bring me a large bowl of soup with meat and vegetables. It was quite filling. I assure you I ate every drop,” he said, yawning. Hermione moved forward.

“Here, you need to go to bed,” she said, catching him by the arm and helping him to his feet. He winced as he had to bend to stand up. He cursed his soreness. Hermione walked with him to his bedroom, and helped him off with his robe, trying not to stare at his body as it was revealed. This was much different than seeing him broken up in the infirmary. Then she was concerned. Now, she was curious. He still had bandages wrapped around his middle. His back was healed, though he had scars on top of the old scars now. Still, it was easy to see he worked out. He was lean but muscular. She could see the corded sinews cords in his arms, neck and shoulders.

Severus was aware of her eyes on him, and her curiosity. He pretended he didn’t know she was looking at him so closely and flexed a little to give her a show. He couldn’t flex much because of the pain, but he didn’t do badly. Hermione’s eyes looked appreciative. Severus smirked to himself as he rolled slowly into his bed.

“Do you need me to bring you some water?” Hermione asked him.

“No,” he said, propping himself up on his elbow and looking at her.

Hermione’s belly again began to feel strangely hot, looking at him stretched out in the bed, his black eyes on her, studying her. She felt a flush creeping up her body.

“Ok, if you don’t need anything else, I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, starting to walk out of his bedroom.

Severus scowled.

“In the morning?” he asked her, “What do you mean ‘in the morning’?”

“Well, I’m going to bed,” she said, stopping by the door.

“You aren’t going to sleep with me?” he asked her in a low voice.

Hermione’s belly did a complete flip-flop.

“I wasn’t. I mean…you’re home now. You’re back in your rooms,” she said.

He looked at her with his brow furrowed.

“And that means what exactly?” he asked her. He had gotten used to her body curled up against his. He was looking forward to more of the same in his own bed

“It means I know you’re here. I won’t be by myself now,” she said a little lamely.

Severus looked at Hermione in silence for several moments before speaking.

“Hermione, go get dressed for bed and get back in here. I’m not sleeping without you,” he said quietly. “And that isn’t a request, wife. I will come get you if you aren’t back here in ten minutes. If I hurt myself, it will be your fault.”

Hermione stared at him for a full minute, unable to move.

“Now it’s nine minutes,” he said silkily.

Hermione hurried from his bedroom.

Severus smiled and rolled slowly over on his back. He knew what made her hesitate. When Hermione slept with him in the infirmary, Pomfrey was just a few meters away from them in her office. The witch probably felt safe and chaperoned. But here, in the privacy of their rooms, there was no one to run interference. No one to say ‘stop’ or ‘don’t do that’. She was going to be all alone with him. Hermione had to be nervous. She did have reason to be. Severus was on the mend.

In her bedroom, Hermione really was nervous. She undressed quickly and put on her granny gown buttoning it up to the neck. It covered everything. She then pulled on a fresh pair of granny panties to match her nightgown. Walking into the bathroom, she grabbed her brush and started brushing her hair as thoughts raced through her head. She was going to sleep with Severus. Alone. Just the two of them. In a real bed. In his bed. In his bedroom. Breathe, Hermione, breathe.

Done with her hair, Hermione exited the bathroom, stood in the center of her bedroom helplessly for a moment, then sat heavily on the edge of her bed. Her stomach felt queasy and her hands were sweating. She knew they weren’t going to do anything but sleep

“Four minutes, Hermione!” Severus called, grinning wickedly.

Hermione heard him. She stood up and paced from one end of her bedroom to the other several times.

“He’s not going to do anything. We’re not going to do anything. We are going to sleep together like we’ve been doing for the past four nights,” she told herself. She took a deep breath, then exited her rooms, walked back through the study and into Severus’ bedroom. She hoped she at least looked calm.

The Potions Master looked at Hermione from the bed. Her thick flannel gown was buttoned up past her neck and there was a wild look in her eyes, like that of a trapped animal. He fought back a laugh and slowly slid over in the bed, patting the mattress.

“Come lie down, Mrs. Snape,” he purred at her.

Hermione swallowed, walked to the bed rather, sat down on the edge of it, then rolled back, landing next to Severus stretched out as rigidly as if she were under the Petrificus Totalus spell. Still raised up on his elbow, the Potions Master looked down at her. Even in her granny gown, she was quite desirable, her amber eyes shifted slightly so she didn’t meet his eyes.

“Hermione, you look scared to death,” he said softly.

Hermione looked at him, little beads of sweat forming at her hairline. Severus felt like licking the moisture slowly off her skin.

“I’m not scared,” she replied, her voice squeaking horribly. She covered her mouth with her hand as Severus chuckled.

“What do you think I’m going to do to you, Hermione?” he asked her.

Hermione blinked up at him.

“I don’t know,” she answered him.

“I can’t take your virginity yet. I’m not well enough,” he said, “so you don’t have to be worried about that tonight.”

“I’m not worried,” she lied.

He looked at her and decided not to challenge her on it. He wanted her to be able to relax with him. It was important to the final outcome. Instead, he brought his hand up slowly to her throat. Hermione moved slightly. He hesitated, then unbuttoned the first three buttons of her nightgown. Hermione’s eyes were locked to his, a question in them.

“I unbuttoned your gown because I am afraid you will turn too quickly in your sleep, catch the fabric under your body and strangle yourself to death,” he said with a little smirk.

Hermione realized he was joking and gave him a small smile.

“That’s the girl,” he said soothingly. “I’m not so bad to be alone with. I know you’re nervous because you’re alone with me. I want you to get used to being alone with me, Hermione.”

The witch looked up at him, at his mouth and warmth started spreading again. She wondered if she dared to ask him.

She dared.

“Could you kiss me again, Severus?” she asked him, her eyes on his face.

The Potions Master fought back a groan. If he kissed her, then that would open up a whole can of pixies. He looked at her. She had such desire in her eyes, it was hard to resist her.

“If I kiss you, Hermione…we have to stop when I say stop. You have to listen to me. Will you listen?” he asked her, drinking in the hunger on her face. Hunger and innocence. Gods, what an intoxicating mixture.

“Yesss,” she breathed.

Severus lowered his head and pressed his lips against Hermione mouth gently, moving them softly against hers. He heard a little moan issue from the back of her throat as desire washed over her again. Hermione’s arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him against her warm mouth harder. He felt her heating up, and he hardened, groaning, capturing her lips between his and sucking them gently, over and over. He felt like moving to her throat to feel her pulse against his lips, moving his hands over her body to touch her curves, but fought the urge.

Hermione was trying to pull him on to her, wanting more contact with his body, not knowing that’s what she wanted, as she moved her lips hungrily against his. She tasted so sweet. Severus stiffened as he felt her tongue touch his lip lightly. She was doing this instinctively, he could tell and he opened his mouth slightly to see what she would do. She opened hers. Merlin, he could feel the heat.

“Fuck it,” Severus thought, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and deepening the kiss. This was the first intrusion of her body, and it was delicious. Hermione was panting now, and her hands began to slide into his hair, her nails raking his scalp as she wrapped her tongue around his, tasting him as hungrily as he was tasting her. She was moaning softly as his kiss became more consuming, and her body was on fire.

Hermione’s senses were on overload. Severus’ mouth was so soft, but hungry, hot and his tongue in her mouth felt amazing, she wanted more of it, more of him. He tasted wonderful, though she couldn’t describe how he tasted or why he tasted so good. She wanted him to swallow her down, to kiss her forever. To do more.

This was what it was supposed to feel like. Love.

She could do this…she could do all of this. Suddenly, Hermione arched her body upward and twisted toward Severus, pressing her curves against him desperately. Severus began to press back and a pain shot through his middle. He gasped and pulled away from her. Hermione followed him, trying to pull him back down to her, trying to get closer to him.

“Hermione. Stop. Stop,” he gasped against her desire and his pain as he tried to unwrap her arms from around his neck.

“No, Severus,” Hermione breathed with something akin to despair in her voice.

“This is why I never kissed you,” he said, managing to get free of her arms and gently pushing her arching body away from him, turning her slightly. He slipped his arm under her and pulled her back against him careful not to let his erection come in contact with her. He wasn’t sure how she would react…but judging by what just happened, probably in a very good way at a very bad time. He could feel her breathing hard, still caught up in desire.

“You felt so good,” she said in a low voice, “I didn’t want you to stop.”

Severus bit his lip as his cock throbbed. She had no idea what those words meant to him or did to him. The pain was dying away now, but he didn’t want to get her started again. He couldn’t handle it.

Severus rested his face against her hair, his lips close to her ear. He had to say it.

“When the time comes, Hermione, I promise you I will feel better than anything you’ve ever felt before,” he breathed, “And I won’t stop until you’re satisfied.”

At his words, Hermione felt a burst of fire between her legs, and then a throbbing ache at her core. It was wonderful and terrible at the same time.

“Severus…this is too much,” she groaned, wanting to reach under her gown and touch herself.

“Try to sleep, Hermione,” he whispered soothingly.

“I’m burning,” she said, “I ache. I can’t sleep like this, Severus.”

She almost sounded as if she were in pain.

Severus was silent. He knew where she ached. He knew what he could do for her. Gods.

“Do you want me to relieve you, Hermione?” he asked her in a low voice. “I would have to touch you intimately, but I can take away the ache.”

“Yes,” she groaned, shifting slightly, squeezing her thighs together.

Severus’ nostrils flared. This was the second intrusion. He released his hold on her.

“Lay on your back and spread your legs for me, Hermione,” he said softly.

Hermione did as he asked, her breasts heaving.

Severus pulled her gown up, Hermione lifting her hips to help him, the fabric bunching around her waist. Watching her face, Severus touched the crotch of her knickers. Hermione bucked in reaction to the feel of his fingers pressing against her sex, her eyes going wide, then locking to his face.

“Trust me,” he said softly as he moved the crotch of her knickers aside and slipped his fingers into her moist heat, and began to caress her.

Hermione’s hips thrust forward reflexively and she let out a small shriek as she strained against his hand. The witch closed her eyes and bit her lip, her pelvis rotating as Severus ran his fingers up and down her moistness. He licked his lips as he watched her respond to him without restraint.

“Gods, how could you ever think you’d be a robot?” he breathed at her.

The Potions Master flicked his thumb across her clit. Hermione shrieked and began to shudder as he expertly brought her to the edge. Her voice was like an angel’s voice as she cried out under his manipulation. Severus’ black eyes were locked to the witch, and he swore he had never seen anything more beautiful than Hermione arching upward and climaxing for the first time. He felt her warmth flow over his fingers slowly, groaned and pulled his hand away. He brought his coated fingers to his mouth, and tasted her release. Sweet, musky…delicious.

Severus cleaned his fingers and watched Hermione until her shuddering ceased, and her breathing became slow and rhythmic. He pulled her gown down, brushed hair damp hair away from her forehead, and pressed his lips against her temple. The witch opened her eyes and smiled at him sleepily. She didn’t say a word, but she didn’t need to. The look in her soft, amber eyes spoke volumes. She closed them again, and in a few minutes, she was asleep.

Severus’ black eyes rested on her sleeping form for a long time. He hadn’t fucked her but this had almost been as good. He had an idea now the kind of response he could expect from the passionate witch, and he wanted her more than ever.

Tomorrow he intended to spend the entire day in his labs and work on something to speed things up.

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A/N: Mmm mmm. Not a total lemon but daaaamn, what a harbinger of things to come. Please review.