The Ties that Lead to Trust

I would like to dedicate this chapter to everyone who has been reading from the beginning and had the patience to understand why... You know why my favourite pudding is? Lemon Meringue Pie! This slice is for you.



Chapter 18~ Easing Tensions

Severus groaned loudly. “Who taught you how to do that?”

Hermione smiled and continued working a particularly bad knot out of his shoulder. “My dad is friends with all kinds of doctors and medical professionals. He threw out his shoulder playing golf once and one of his friends is a physical therapist. While he was working on dad’s shoulder, he gave my mother some pointers on how she could help.”

“What’s golf?” He asked after another moan.

She chuckled, “A silly game where players hit a ball the size of a walnut hundreds of yards with a metal stick trying to get it in a small cup sunk into the grass.”

“Hmm that sounds a bit like polo,” he told her.

“Well polo is a bit similar. How do you know about polo?” she inquired.

Severus snorted. “It doesn’t take much to afford a broom, so Quidditch is a sport for the common wizard. Very few families have flying horses trained for polo. It’s a very elite sport played mostly by wealthy pureblood families. I’m actually surprised you know about polo. It’s not very popular anymore.”

“Flying horses? The polo I’m talking about is played on the ground like any normal sport,” she shivered a bit. “Why must everything be about flying!?”

“I take it you aren’t particularly fond of – oohhh,” he was trying to sound sarcastic, but didn’t manage very well when Hermione found another particularly tender spot.

The nighttime calm was creeping through the room as the pair sat together, Severus on the plush rug in front of the sofa and Hermione sitting behind him, kneading his tense neck and shoulders. They had returned from Hogsmeade hours ago, flushed from the cold and in a pleasant mood after their day out. Hermione had sent off owls with gifts for her parents and her friends at the Burrow while Severus attended the staff holiday gathering as briefly as was politely possible. He had returned to his rooms to find Hermione curled up in the corner of the sofa watching the tree. Not reading, not burying herself in schoolwork, but, in a calm seldom seen of her, simply gazing at the bright baubles and flickering candlelight.

Hermione could tell when he entered the room that he was strung as tight as piano wire. The shoulders hunched about his ears was the first clue and she sat him down and promptly began easing away the tension. Severus complained about nosy coworkers before succumbing to the ministrations on his tense muscles. By the time she had worked away each knot, he felt like warm modelling clay under her hands.

“Is that better?” she whispered in his ear.

“Much,” he said, lifting himself onto the cushion beside her. He took a hand in his and touched his lips to its fingers. “Thank you.”

Once more, Hermione’s attention turned to the glowing tree as she leaned against him. Shifting backwards along the sofa’s length, Severus eased her to a leaning position on his chest and wrapped his arms around her. She hummed in contentment. Almost unconsciously, she traced his warm hands and long fingers. After she released them, one moved upwards and cupped a breast. Enjoying the warm touch, Hermione wasn’t certain what to do, but didn’t want him to stop. The hand didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so and a second joined in the gentle caresses.

Closing her eyes and letting her head fall back against his shoulder, she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. Encouraged by her actions, Severus nipped at her earlobe and planted delicate kisses along her neck. She shivered in pleasure. Hermione was trying very hard not to think too much, as was her wont, but wasn’t succeeding very well. In her mind she was entertaining hundreds of questions and worries. ‘What should I be doing?’ ‘Those hands tickle a bit, will he stop if I move too much?’ ‘Do I really want this?’ ‘What is a safe part to touch in return?’

Pushing these thoughts down as best she could, she focussed on what her body was feeling. One of the long digits was tracing the line of her bra beneath the fabric, mapping its shape. When the hand returned and lifted the soft flesh, she leaned into it. Bravely, one of her own hands ventured to his knee and stroked it. With no indication she should stop, her fingers softly caressed the inside of the lower thigh accessible to her. He tensed slightly behind her, and she noticed a hot hardness against her lower back for the first time.

The hands removed themselves from her breasts and Severus spoke quietly against her neck. “I want to make love with you, Hermione. I understand if you don’t, but if so, now would be the time to stop.”

Hermione’s eyes opened and she glanced back at him. His emotions were so exposed at that moment, want, hope, sadness and sincerity. Taking a hand in hers, she brought the palm to her lips before setting it firmly to her breast. Reflexively it held her, but his eyes were still questioning. Her smile was lopsided at best when she said, “I give to you my utmost faith and trust. Don’t stop.”

For a long moment, he held her tightly from behind. She started to question her bold decision when lips against her neck distracted her completely. Wordlessly he urged her up and guided her towards his rooms. Looking back in the room for a moment, Hermione put out the tree lights and allowed herself to be led.

In the bedroom, Severus cursed under his breath at the door that stubbornly wouldn’t hold a heating charm. It made the room cold, and he was determined to do things properly. In the dim light of the single candle he had lit, Hermione raised a brow then pushed him out of the way. A flick of a wrist and a bit of Latin later, the room was warm as toast with naught a draught to be found. Feeling like a silly know-it-all, she turned away embarrassed. A hand held her chin and forced her to look at him. His smile was of genuine pride. “Perfect.”

Soft, insistent kisses removed the frown from her face. He took her wand from her fingers and set it down with his on the night table. Now snugly ensconced in the bedroom, Hermione felt a twinge of nervousness. ‘Would it hurt this time?’ she wondered.

As if she had spoken aloud, Severus pulled her close and whispered, “Don’t worry, this time will be better.”

Hermione began to relax and melded against him as his kisses became deeper. Hands on her hips pulled her closer and she could feel the straining hardness below. Out of reflex she pushed back against it and one of the hands moved down to bring her leg around his. Bunching up the fabric of her robes, his fingers encountered bare skin. Caressing the smooth skin of her thigh, he pushed the material higher and began to lift it off her.

Breaking the kiss momentarily, Severus pulled the robe over her head and let it drop to the floor. Bare skin now exposed, she could feel the softness of his own robes against her. Hermione rubbed against him, enjoying the feeling. Dextrous fingers unclasped her bra, and explored the bare expanse of her back. Lips and teeth found her ear as his warm breath trailed down her neck, lifting the small hairs on its way. When his hands made their way back to her shoulders, he reached for her hands wrapped around his neck and breathed, “Go on.”

Swallowing down her nervousness, she felt his broad shoulders and moved down his sides. At the reach of her arms, she followed his example and gathered the soft material in her fingers and began to lift it off him. His bare chest exposed, she took time to familiarize herself with its contours again. The hair was soft, not wiry and thinly dispersed near the top but became thicker across the flat plane of his stomach on its way down. The thick runnel of his scar stood out ghostly white against the dark hair. He let her explore with feather light touches, but sucked in his breath sharply when she ran her hands down his arms and inspected the mark on his left forearm.

When she heard the sharp intake of breath, her eyes met his. “Does it still hurt?”

He shook his head, “Not since the spring... but it hasn’t faded as quickly as before.”

“You are one of the lucky.” she whispered.

“How so?”

Hermione traced the mark slowly, precisely, before speaking. “You can always see how far you have come. How much has changed.”

Severus looked to be on the brink of tears, but hid it well. When she finished her examination of the tattoo, they looked at each other for a long moment, remembering.

“You are too smart for your years.” he told her.

She blushed deeply and he kissed her cheek before backing her against the bed. Startled, her knees bent and she sat abruptly on the mattress, hands that had reached up to stop her fall now about his waist. A finger had hooked itself in the elastic of his pants. Stilling the hand as it was about to pull away, he encouraged her to remove the garment. Slowly, and blushing fiercely, she tugged it off. His erection sprung up from the sudden release of its confinement. Reaching out a tentative hand, she brushed the soft skin with her fingers. It moved of its own volition against her hand as she traced his length slowly. Gaining confidence, she stroked him more firmly and was rewarded with a throaty groan. Curious, she leaned forward and kissed the tip.

A few more cautious kisses and licks later, she looked up at his face. His eyes were closed and his breathing heavy. When his eyes opened he looked down at her and smiled softly. Hermione scooted backward onto the bed and took his hand to bring him with her. Stretching out along side her, he captured her mouth in a deep, exploratory kiss. Severus dipped is tongue into her mouth and mapped it. While delving into her mouth, a hand returned to her breast. Now bare, it was warm and yielding to his touch. Breaking the kiss, he nipped and kissed his way down to join the hand. Holding her eyes with his own, his tongue darted out and grazed her nipple. Slowly he licked it to a taut peak and she squeaked and whimpered when he finally pulled it completely into his mouth.

Repeating the ministrations with her other breast, he kissed and nuzzled a path across her flat stomach until he encountered her last remaining article of clothing. Gently easing her knickers off, he tossed them on the floor beside the bed and looked at the springy cinnamon curls he had uncovered. Now completely exposed, Hermione clasped her legs together. She felt undeniably aroused, and didn’t want to stop, but felt self conscious under his intense gaze. His hands and mouth on her breasts had caused a wave of wetness between her legs and she wasn’t sure if she should feel embarrassed. To her surprise, he did not explore the newly uncovered places, but moved to her feet. Setting one in his lap, where his erect shaft brushed against it, he took the other and began massaging and caressing it. Up from her foot to the knee and back again, he enjoyed the soft skin before switching his ministrations to the other side.

She allowed herself to lean back, forgetting her nerves, and enjoyed the comforting touches. After working both sides, he kneeled between her feet and continued to stroke past the knee and up her thigh. Severus could feel the nervous tension leave her, only to be replaced by a completely different tension as his hands neared their destination. Her lips were dark red and pulsing with arousal. Each time his fingers brushed closer she drew in her breath suddenly and each time he retreated she would sigh a little in disappointment.

Hermione didn’t start when she felt his fingers touch her mound after uncounted minutes of sensuous teasing. She let out a pleasurable squeak when he brushed against her sensitive nub and gave a contented sigh when one long finger dipped into her moist canal. Revelling in the sensation, she lifted her hips towards him. The finger withdrew and trailed through her warm folds. Stroking her swollen bud, he watched her face while she twisted and pushed against him. In a moment of impulse, he leaned down and replaced the finger with his mouth, stroking her sensitive skin with his soft, moist tongue. Her hips raised against him and she moaned loudly at this new sensation.

Severus could feel her climax building as he teased and caressed her aching centre. His own erection was throbbing almost painfully now. Hermione’s whimpers were no longer incoherent sounds and a hand brushed against his hair. “Please... I... ooo... I want... here... come here...”

It was his undoing. Urgent hands pulled him close to her, guiding him towards her hot opening. Too stimulated to be nervous, she called out in pleasure as his straining shaft pushed into her. Instinctively she wrapped her legs around him as he slowly began thrusting.

Thrusting back against him, she urged him to move faster. Moving feverishly together, she suddenly arched her back and let out at thin cry. Her muscles began to spasm and Severus looked down to see her lost in blissful abandon. Not able to hold back, he pushed himself into her once more and moaned as he too was carried away on a tide of exquisite satisfaction.

Gasping for breath, their bodies glued together with a thin film of sweat, he held her tightly beneath him. Hermione felt dizzy and clutched back, trying to find an anchor in the world spinning around her. Reluctantly, he pulled away and propped himself up on one elbow beside her. The sweat cooled her body and raised gooseflesh over the expanse of her bare flesh. Shifting and wiggling, he guided her under the quilts and slid in beside her himself. Exhausted and glowing with satisfaction, she snuggled as close as she could, lazily stroking his chest. Severus rained soft kisses, gentle as butterfly wings, over her exposed shoulders, neck and face.

Hermione felt sleep coming over her. Their soft touches slowed and stopped. She felt him reach for his wand and extinguish the solitary candle before returning to the soothing stroking of her hair. Her eyes closed and she felt secure in his hold. She could smell the faint muskiness from his perspiration and her own salty tang from his kisses. Oddly, she mused, it was a more pleasant odour than she had thought before. His muscles flexed subtly as he slowly caressed her. Her breathing was deep and she felt her muscles relax and become limp, but her mind was still awake. She knew he must think her sleeping when she heard Severus’ voice speak in a soft, almost reverent whisper. “Just like this... asleep beside me. I wish I had the nerve to tell you how much I want you to stay.... I hadn’t thought I could love...”

Unable to stay awake any longer, Hermione drifted to sleep while Severus continued to speak softly to her before allowing sleep to claim him as well.
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