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 19 ~ At the Demonstration

Hermione met up with Severus on Saturday morning at the Expo grounds, which was located on a large lot of open land just outside of Hogsmeade. A huge red and white striped tent had been erected, large enough to cover a one-block area and hold thousands. Inside the tent were an endless amount of booths, tables, chairs, cordoned-off sections and food stands. Hundreds of witches and wizards milled about, setting up their booths to attract potential customers and investors.

Hermione entered the tent and spoke to one of the wizards in charge of set-up. He looked at a list.

"Granger?" he asked her.

"Yes. Hermione Granger and Professor Severus Snape," Hermione answered him.

The wizard looked at the list, his bushy brow furrowed. He looked up at Hermione.

"What are you here to do? Sell something?"

"No, to demonstrate a spell," the witch replied.

The wizard appeared relieved.

"Ah, that's why you aren't on the booth list," he said, shuffling his papers and looking at another parchment. "Here it is. You will be demonstrating your spell before the examiners at twelve noon. Arrive about a quarter to twelve for set-up. The demonstration will take place at Area one."

"Area one?" Hermione asked. She didn't know where that was. The wizard pointed up and Hermione saw there were numbered banners hanging over sections of the tent.

"Oh, ok. I'll find it," she said.

The wizard nodded and walked away.

Hermione stood there a moment.

"You look rather lost, Hermione," a silky voice said behind her.

Hermione turned to look up at Severus, whose black eyes rested on her intently.

Immediately Hermione's body responded to him with a huge pulse of excitement. Hermione might have pushed what happened between them to the back of her mind, but to her body, the wizard was definitely front and center

"I'm not lost," she replied, her amber eyes drifting over him. "I was simply getting my bearings. This expo is huge."

Severus nodded as he looked around the large tent. A pair of wizards were trying to erect a small fireworks display to attract customers when they inadvertently bumped into a booth on which rested a cage holding a small dragon. Disturbed from its sleep, the dragon let out a small blast of fire towards the wizards, igniting the fireworks display, causing everyone to flee the area. Flames, sparks and bursts filled the tent, which luckily was magically fireproofed. The dragon curled up and went back to sleep. Obviously he found being jostled by thoughtless wizards more disturbing than screaming hordes of people. Finally the mayhem died down and everyone went back to preparing his or her booths.

Severus shook his head.

"Idiots abound," he said with a snort.

He looked back at Hermione. She was dressed in blue robes, her hair brushed out and had a small briefcase in her hand. Probably filled with chemicals for the demonstration. He swallowed. The wizard had felt her body respond when she first saw him, and it had been a rather powerful pulse. But the witch's eyes reflected none of her body's inclinations. But then again, Hermione was good at repressing her feelings, just as he was. Severus felt a slight throb when he first saw her talking to the wizard, but fought it back successfully. They were here for a reason and had a spell to present. Later, he would address what needed addressing.

Severus caught Hermione by her arm. The witch looked rather shocked by the sudden contact, and the wizard felt her quiver slightly.

"Let us take advantage of the food stands and have a cup of coffee. Then we can peruse the booths until it is time for the demonstration," he suggested, still holding her arm and guiding her toward a food stand that had several tables and chairs set up in front of it. Hermione didn't resist. His hand was so warm and firm. The witch drew a shuddering breath. She was so aware of the wizard. Suddenly, the image of the Potions Master holding her, his black eyes locked to her face as he stroked her passionately filled her mind.

"You're beautiful," he breathed.

Hermione let out a gasp and pulled her arm away from Severus in reaction. The wizard looked down at her in concern.

"Are you all right?" he asked the trembling witch.

"Yes, I'm fine," Hermione lied.

But Severus could feel she wasn't. She was reacting to him or memories of him.

"I think maybe some herbal tea would be better for you than coffee, Hermione," he said, pulling out a chair at a small round table. Hermione sat down, and put her briefcase down on the ground beside her. Severus began to walk toward the food stand.

"Wait!" Hermione said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small purse. She opened it and began digging for coin.

Severus' nostrils flared for a moment, then he purposely turned and continued on to the food stand. Hermione scowled after him, then set a few coins to cover her tea on the table and waited for him to return.

Severus did return and placed her tea in front of her. Then he sat down, pointedly ignoring the coins on the table. He looked annoyed however.

Hermione pushed the coins toward him.

"For the tea," she said.

Severus' black eyes flicked up to her face. He looked very angry as he stared at the witch.

"Stop acting like a child," he said coldly.

Hermione seemed taken aback.

"I'm acting like a child because I want to pay for my tea?" she responded as his eyes glittered.

"You are trying to get a rise out of me. A reaction. You're angry at me for not returning and talking to you about what happened between us. This "I'll pay for my own tea," act is nothing but a mini-tantrum. You are trying to impress upon me that you are still your own witch and don't need me to take care of you with this little gesture. Put your money back in your purse, Hermione. I won't play your game."

Hermione stared at the wizard. She hadn't thought about it, but actually what she did was rather childish. If she had been with anyone else, she would have just accepted the tea as a matter of course.

Severus leveled his eyes at her.

"I was the best, wasn't I Hermione?" he asked her in a low voice, "I gave you something no other wizard ever gave you and you're having a hard time coming to terms with that. It was easier for you to deal with me as someone who fucked you with detachment. Someone who only wanted the gratification your body could give me. Well, blame yourself for it witch."

Severus sounded decidedly bitter.

"What do you mean 'blame myself?' Why should I do that? Yes, it is hard for me to reconcile you as the man you were three weeks ago with the selfish, heartless man I knew years ago…but how can I take blame for that?" she asked him.

"Your little switching potion, that's how, Hermione. It has properties that you had no idea existed. Properties that wouldn't be observable in nifflers and horned toads. You will never be able to market that potion to the general public," Severus replied evenly.

"Properties? What kind of properties?" Hermione asked him, frowning.

"It leaves residual effects, Hermione. Effects that in my case have changed my life irrevocably I fear…and I hold you responsible for it witch. I may have returned to my body, but it seems I still have a connection to yours. One that I can feel whenever you evidence strong emotions. I can feel your desires, what you want and how badly you want it. I used that connection when I took you that night, to make you surrender to me completely by giving you exactly the experience you longed to have. Everything I did to you, I knew you wanted. Even in the beginning when you were on your hands and knees for me, you wanted that," he breathed. "I felt you react to me today as well. When you first saw me your body was drawn to me. Deny it and I will call you a liar, witch."

Hermione stared at him, horrified at first. Then she became angry.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me you could feel what I felt?" she demanded of him.

"I didn't know until I came into contact with you that night," Severus replied. "And then…well…I thought it best to let the connection guide me…let your desires lead me. As a result, your night with me was unforgettable. Rewarding. Special."

"As a result, you took advantage of me the way you always do, Severus. The fact that it was done with kisses and caresses still doesn't change that," Hermione seethed.

"Kisses and caresses you desperately wanted, witch," the wizard replied, his eyes hardening. "You were most grateful too. Gods, Hermione…the things you did to me…"

"Stop it!" Hermione hissed. "You stop it, Severus. Don't you dare bring up what I did, you bastard!"

Severus looked at her steadily.

"It's what we did, Hermione. You weren't alone…not for a single moment. I stayed with you…" he said, his eyes going uncharacteristically soft as he looked at her.

"Stop it!" she yelled at the wizard. Then she grabbed her briefcase, stood up and disappeared into the milling throngs.

Severus looked after her. That hadn't gone well. The wizard didn't intend on telling about the connection until after the demonstration…in a less public setting, but she had angered him. And he didn't even get a chance to tell her exactly how the connection had ruined his sex life. She probably wouldn't give a fuck anyway. Probably she'd be glad she had clipped his libido.

The wizard scowled.

He had no intentions of leading a sexless life, that was for certain.

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At a quarter to twelve, Severus arrived at area one. It was a roped off area, in front of which was a long covered table. Pitchers of water sat on it. Several bearded wizards were seated behind it, looking over the parchments describing the demonstration.

There were two small tables in the enclosure. One had a cauldron set up on it, and the other had small battery-operated muggle items on it. A flashlight, an electric toothbrush, and a CD player.

A crowd was gathered around the perimeter of the roped off area. This demonstration was of great interest. Most were lay wizards and witches, interested that the spell was supposed to make muggle objects work in the magical world. Hermione had to use small battery operated items because there was no electrical systems to plug in large objects, like a television or computer. But in time, there would be.

Severus pushed through the crowd until he could clearly see Hermione. She had opened her briefcase and given a wizard several tins to take to the examiners. The wizards gathered around and opened the tins. They were knowledgeable men and knew about chemical properties, which was why they were selected to judge the demonstration. Instead of sitting back down, all seven wizards picked up the tins, ducked under the ropes and walked over to the table Hermione stood at.

"We must watch what you do closely," one wizard said to the witch soberly.

Hermione nodded then rolled up her sleeves and cast the spell.

The examiners all felt a subtle shift in magic.

"The spell is cast. Now I am going to make a simple chemical base," she said taking three of the tins and adding them to the simmering cauldron. The examiners watched with raised eyebrows as the chemicals combined smoothly. Normally they would have just dropped to the bottom of the cauldron, not interacting at all.

"Extraordinary!" an examiner with a forked beard said, looking at Hermione with wide eyes.

"Amazing!" another exclaimed.

Hermione then added another chemical, changing the base into an acid. The examiners applauded, which in turn made the audience applaud. Severus watched, his eyes glittering.

In another part of the crowd, a pair of gray eyes also glittered, but with envy. Master Vargas watched as Hermione was applauded. It was obvious her spell worked. Damn it. Damn Severus. The Potions Master wondered what other projects the witch had percolating. Vargas was a coward, but his cowardice was only surpassed by his greed for wealth and acknowledgement. The idea that this witch was already shaking the very foundations of magic as the wizarding world knew it, irritated Vargas. She was overshadowing him. He'd have to do something about that, Severus or no Severus. He continued to watch as the witch moved to the table with the muggle objects on it.

"Gentlemen, please inspect these objects and make sure they do not work," Hermione said to the examiners, who picked up the objects and checked them out, flicking the switches, opening them up and pulling out the batteries before reinserting them. Satisfied, they placed the flashlight, toothbrush and CD player back on the table.

Once again Hermione cast the spell.

"Please turn on the objects, gentlemen," the witch said.

Severus held his breath.

The examiners picked up the objects and clicked the switches. A bright beam issued from the flashlight, the toothbrush started vibrating, and the CD disc began spinning in the player. The wizard put on the headphones and began bobbing his head.

A cheer went up from the audience and Hermione gave a small smile as the examiners each shook her hand.

"This is an amazing spell, Miss Granger. It will revolutionize almost every aspect of wizarding life! We will now be able to utilize muggle technology and science! Congratulations to you and Professor Snape," the wizard said.

Hermione scowled at the mention of Severus' name. But he was part of this.

The examiners left the area, followed by Hermione who needed to collect the proper paperwork from them. On all sides wizards were clamoring for the details on acquiring the spell. Hermione looked at them wildly as they screamed at her. Suddenly a tall shadow fell on the wizards to her right, and the clamoring all stopped as Severus Snape glowered at all of them darkly.

"Gentlemen, the spell will be available in a few days," he said, reaching into his pocket and taking out a large stack of business cards. He divided them in half, handing one stack to the crowd on the right, the other to the crowd on the left.

"Pass these out among yourselves. That is the contact information for my solicitor who will be handling transactions. He will let you know the details. Now please disperse," the wizard said, his scowl belying his politeness. The crowd slowly thinned.

Hermione collected her paperwork and made to walk past him. Severus caught her by the arm.

"I haven't finished talking to you about this situation yet," he said.

Hermione yanked her arm away.

"The only thing I want to talk to you about Severus, is business…and business only from here on out. This is the absolute last straw. I will no longer allow you to manipulate me…so from now on, if you get something on me, Severus Snape…you might as well go tell it, because I am not knuckling under to you anymore. Ever."

Severus started as he felt the swirl of magic around them. Dear gods. She had taken a wizard's oath.

Shit.

"Now excuse me. I will send a copy of the paperwork to Hogwarts as soon as I get them filed at the Ministry," she said, stalking away from the wizard.

Again, Severus found himself watching the witch walk away. Damn. She had cut herself off from his manipulations. The wizard shook his head with dismay. From here on out, there was only one way he'd be able to approach Hermione Granger.

Honestly.

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A/N: Sorry about the length of time between postings. Problems. Please review.