Payback is a Witch

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 18 ~ Anti-climax

Severus dozed for about an hour, Hermione lying beside him, studying his profile, trying to come to terms with what happened between them. When the wizard awoke, he looked at the witch and said, "We should discuss the upcoming expos," and rolled out of the bed. He scourgified himself and dressed, exiting the bedroom.

Hermione also dressed and followed him into the living room. He was sitting on the sofa in front of the coffee table, looking through her trade magazines. Hermione sat down beside him, but not too closely. Together they chose three expos to start with, Hermione saying she would contact the directors tomorrow and arrange the demonstrations. The first expo would be a month from now. It was a big one too.

Satisfied with their arrangement, Severus rose and told Hermione he would see he at the expo. Then just like that, he left. There was no mention of what occurred in the bedroom only an hour or so ago.

Well, that was standard Severus. "Squish, Squish. Thank you, witch."

But it had felt like something more…much more.

Now Hermione lay in her bed, mulling over what had happened between them. Gods, he had been so unlike his usual, selfish, dominating self this time…well after he got his blowjob and fucked her in the ass. The wizard told her straight out he was doing it for vengeance. But as for the sex…hadn't he made it clear this was payback for the switch as well as a way for her to insure his silence about the uncontrolled experiment? Just because he was good didn't change that. It wasn't like he wanted to continue.

Hermione snorted. Like she would. Just because the wizard gave her the most intense, powerful, enjoyable and yes…emotional sexual experience of her life…it didn't mean she would let him become her lover. Especially after the start they had.

True, back then Severus lived under an entirely different set of circumstances. He was a spy for Voldemort. He faced death every day. He couldn't form relationships then. But the wizard had been free of the Dark Lord for years now, and still he didn't have a steady relationship with anyone. He still operated the same as he did before. Fucking witches indiscriminately and forming no relationships, giving no commitments. Why would he change now?

Hermione scowled.

He was probably at Hogwarts right now, gloating and patting himself on the back for making her respond to him the way she did. She desired him and showed him that she did in no uncertain terms. She had done things to him that she hadn't done to any other wizard. He had gotten to her

Hermione's eyes darkened. Severus really had been amazing. It was as if he knew everything she needed and how she needed it. And he had kissed her, over and over again…very passionately. Gods, he could kiss. And he had held her, talked to her without being lewd or obscene. He didn't act anything like she thought he would after being fucked by her. She thought the wizard would do his best to leave her in pieces, unable to even walk. Even when he took her anally, he wasn't as brutal as she initially believed he would be, though the gods knew he was thorough.

Hermione felt a dark pulse go through her at the memory. That had been so…right. Then she sighed. This was Severus she was thinking about, and Severus was only interested in his own gratification.

"But he took care of you," a little voice in her head said.

"He took care of his own ego," Hermione spat back. "It was the ultimate payback…to make me feel all that, then just…just walk away without a word about it. To act as if nothing happened between us at all. He just took everything I gave him. Took it and left."

Hermione snatched her wand off the nightstand and plunged her bedroom into total darkness. The witch curled up.

And then she cried.

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Severus returned to Hogwarts, took off his robes and immediately began pacing.

He should have said something to her. At least told her about the connection.

But the wizard wasn't used to such emotional trysts. Normally he knew just what to say to a woman, especially one he had fucked before. But he didn't know what to say to Hermione about what happened between them…how to express how amazing and fulfilling it was without sounding…well…pussywhipped.

But gods, Hermione had whipped him. She could have asked him for anything in the world while she was riding his cock, and he would have given it to her. And the way she had kissed and licked his body. Merlin.

The Potions Master rubbed his forehead. Hermione probably thought he was more of a bastard now than ever because of how cold he acted and the way he left. He could have at least kissed her.

But he wasn't the kissing kind of wizard. At least not out of the bed. It would have been awkward and in fact, implied more than what was really there. He had only been trying to top her performance with him, to let her know that he was indeed "the man." To get back a bit of his own, not start a relationship. He didn't need a relationship. He was a confirmed rake.

The wizard strode into the bedroom and divestoed the rest of his clothes, climbing into bed naked. He folded his arms behind his head and looked up at the ceiling.

Suddenly a strong wave of sadness washed over him.

Hermione.

Damn. How strong was this connection? Had he inadvertently strengthened it tonight by fucking Hermione the way he did? His orgasm had been intense, and for the first time in his life he actually felt a part of a witch he fucked rather than her being just a vessel to receive his come. Had the bond between them grown stronger? Good gods, he hoped not. All he needed was to be bombarded by Hermione's emotions day in and day out.

Severus scowled. So Hermione was unhappy now. Hell, she could have said something as well as he could have. But she didn't. She was equally as uncommunicative as he was, so she shared the blame for her current state. It wasn't all his fault.

Severus flipped over and lay on his stomach. Gods…it had been so good tonight. The best sex he had ever had…well…close to it. The weekend spent with Hermione in her seventh was pretty top ranking, one-sided as it was. Even then…it was Hermione and not some other witch.

The wizard let out a long sigh. As fantastic as connected sex had been…it was over and done with now. He needed to concentrate on getting rich now. He didn't know what to do about Hermione, so he would do what he always did.

Wait.

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Three weeks later, Severus found himself rather randy and went to visit a witch he knew named Priscilla.

She was delighted to see him.

"Severus!" she said, grabbing him by his sleeve and yanking him through the door of her flat. "Come this way."

She immediately headed for the bedroom. Priscilla wasted no time. The witch was only an inch or two shorter than Severus, black-haired and green-eyed. She was quite buxom however, with large breasts and hips.

She entered the bedroom, Severus following her. She immediately began removing her clothing. Severus watched her, remove her blouse and bra with enthusiasm. Suddenly, Priscilla stopped.

"Why are you just standing there? Get undressed Severus. There's fucking afoot!" she said to him.

Severus continued to stare at her wordlessly. Priscilla stopped undressing.

"Severus, what's wrong?" she asked him.

"Everything," he replied, turning and exiting her flat.

Severus didn't know what was wrong with him. Priscilla was a hot witch, willing to submit to anything he wanted to do to her. She liked to be dominated, fucked hard and sprayed in the face with his come at the end of the act. He enjoyed doing that too.

Well, he used to.

He knew he wasn't the only wizard who fucked Priscilla. He had been turned away a couple of times when she had another wizard there…but once he was invited in to participate. He accepted the invitation but found he preferred to fuck his witches solo. He had no idea how clean the other wizard was. So he watched. This wizard liked to spank the witch, and he reddened her ass but good. To Severus, although he wasn't against a bit of spanking, the wizard was too brutal when he spanked her, and when he fucked Priscilla she was truly screaming in pain as he bounced off her ass. A little too Revelish for the Potions Master.

He had fully intended on fucking Priscilla…but as he saw her eagerness, he realized she was probably just as eager with her other wizards. There wasn't any real emotion involved. The witch just wanted to get off, and he was the tool to do it. A living dildo. True, there would have been some physical pleasure…but no. He just didn't want her. But he was still randy.

Severus made several more stops to the homes of witches he knew that were almost always ready for a good hard one. But they all ended the same way…with him leaving without so much as a blowjob.

Disgusted, the wizard apparated for Hogwarts.

Damn Hermione. Damn that witch to hell.

She really had ruined him.

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Hermione felt she had gotten over Severus sexually. It was just another encounter he manipulated out of her. Nothing had changed between them really. She hadn't seen him since that night, and regulated him to the ranks of other wizards who had come and gone.

Well, she would see him this weekend at the expo. She really wasn't looking forward to it. She was embarrassed now by the way she reacted to him, and the things she had willingly done to him. She hoped he had the decency not to refer to it. She didn't know if she would be able to take it.

She was about to sit down in her living room and read the latest Potions journal, when she heard a "Tap. Tap. Tap." on the main window. The curtain was drawn, so she pulled it back. It was night and at first she didn't see anything. Then something glittered down at the bottom of the window. Hermione squinted and saw that it was a black bird. A raven. And it looked pissed off.

Hermione walked to the front door and opened it. At first nothing happened…then suddenly the bird streaked in, flapping loudly and startling the witch. The raven flew into the living room and perched on the back of her sofa, making a short, barking noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter as the flushed witch approached. A letter was tied to its leg.

The raven stuck its leg out, but when Hermione went to retrieve the parchment, it snapped at her nastily. Hermione drew her wand and pointed it at the bird.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way, bird. Now which is it?" she said through clenched teeth.

The raven looked a bit cowed and stuck out its leg again, this time keeping its beak shut. Hermione untied the parchment from around its leg and the bird took off immediately, flying to the front door. But it was closed.

The raven dropped to the floor and made an awful racket until Hermione walked back and opened the door. The bird walked out slowly and imperiously, then took off from the doorstep, leaving a large, wet dropping behind.

Hermione scowled and looked up. Good thing the bird was black or she would have singed his tail feathers. She scourgified the doorstep, closed the door and returned to the living room. She picked up the parchment off the coffee table and turned it over. On the back was a wax seal in Slytherin green with the initials "SS" pressed into it.

Severus. That raven must be his familiar. It seemed just like the kind of familiar he'd have. Snarky like he was.

Her brow furrowed, Hermione opened the letter and read it.


Hermione,

Be prepared to spend some time with me after the demonstration this Saturday. We need to talk about a very important matter concerning your Switching potion.

Severus

Hermione sighed. More than likely the money-mad wizard wanted in on that potion too. She crumpled up the parchment and tossed it in the trash. Good old Severus…always focused on the two most important matters in life.

Sex and Money.

Not necessarily in that order.

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A/N: Well, they aren't on the same page yet. But maybe they soon will be. Poor Severus. He doesn't want just any nookie now. Lol. Anyway, please review.