A Maid in the Devil's Manor

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 20 ~ Severus Comes to a Decision

Severus escorted Hermione back to her flat, then apparated back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore offered to cover his morning classes for him, so he could go to the Ministry and offer Hermione support. He now sat in his private study before the fireplace, staring into the flames and waiting for the afternoon classes to start. He had a couple of hours yet. His mind turned to the spitfire named Hermione Granger.

The Potions Master knew Miss Granger had a temper, but he had never seen it in full force until today. Hermione was so angry when she stood before the Ministry officials; he had feared she might hex the entire board. Severus had to admit she looked like an avenging angel in that boardroom, her amber eyes flashing, hair and robes swirling about her, voice raised in condemnation. She was beautiful in her wrath. Absolutely beautiful.

He witnessed her defense of him firsthand. It wasn’t for show. She had no idea he was present when she blasted the board. He couldn’t believe the things she said to them about him. Miss Granger was the first person to ever take those in power to task for the unfair treatment he received at the hands of the Ministry and the wizarding world. She understood. Miss Granger really understood what his life was like.

During her tirade, Miss Granger had brought up a point that Severus had never thought about, since he focused so much on the terrible acts he had to perform in order to keep his cover as a loyal servant of the Dark Lord. His information had saved many lives, even before the downfall of Voldemort, who had planned many devastating attacks on public events and large gatherings. Severus had given the Order warning and these attacks were thwarted, saving hundreds, maybe thousands of innocent people. That had to count for some good against his soul. The weight he carried lifted slightly at this revelation.

The Potions Master’s eyes glazed a bit as he thought of the passionate young witch. Miss Granger was proving to be something more than just a brilliant mind. She had the potential to be much more than the means to an end for him. He was in Hermione’s debt for her actions today. She had selflessly shown him the respect he so desperately needed and deserved by standing up for her right to associate with him, going as far as to say he was the greatest hero in the wizarding world, a title normally reserved for her friend, Harry Potter. Miss Granger would have never said such a thing if she didn’t believe it fully. She had given up her job for him, and opened herself up for criticism and blacklisting. It was one thing for him to manipulate her into such a position and have Ministry remove her because of her association with him, but Miss Granger had known what standing by him would cost her, and rather than try to salvage her own reputation by giving them the information they wanted and turning her back on him as so many had done before, she left the employ of the Ministry.

The Potions Master rubbed his face with his long, pale hand. Miss Granger was now in the position he wanted her to occupy. No job, no home and no resources. He was sure he could convince her to move into the Manor. But it seemed the stakes had changed. He very much wanted to help the witch find the solution to the Killing curse, but now, there was something more he wanted. Her.

Until Miss Granger, he had been resigned to his lot, to his life of loneliness, darkness, guilt and misery. But her very presence had changed his outlook. Just the idea of her coming to the Manor made him feel strong enough to throw off the onus of his association with the Dark Lord, and reclaim his Manor. And he had done that. He had lived in darkness, literal darkness for eight years, and in one week, Miss Granger had brought life and light back to his ancestral home. If not for her, he would still be hiding in the dungeons of Hogwarts on the weekends, instead of enjoying the home of his forefathers.

Miss Granger had a rare gift, the ability to instill hope in others. She challenged everything, believed all things could be improved, and worked tirelessly to prove that claim true. She was a very special young woman. Severus now realized that Miss Granger held the key to his redemption in more ways than one. With her in his life, he could reclaim more than the Manor, he could reclaim himself. He desired the young woman and wanted her for his own. Her mind, her body and if possible, her soul.

This was not carnal need. This was not the mindless hunger that drove him to the brothels to seek out any female body that he could shove his cock into until he came. This was a growing, focused desire for a woman that for once didn’t originate from his cock. It was his mind that was enamored of Miss Granger. The mind could be the most seductive and sensual organ of the body.

Hermione Granger was the perfect package. Brilliance, passion and beauty all wrapped up in a curvaceous five foot three body. Physically, she was the exact type of woman that attracted Severus. Small of stature, but having generous feminine attributes. Miss Granger was curvaceous, spirited, and sensual. Best of all, she was unattached and not looking.

Now that he admitted to himself that he wanted Miss Granger, Severus wanted to decipher what it was that had her in her current, manless state. He was a calculating man. Much like Hermione, he believed that logic could solve most difficulties. If he could identify the problem Miss Granger had with relationships, he might discover the solution, and better his chances of attracting and keeping her. He had the opportunity to see Miss Granger grow from a child into a woman, and knew quite a bit about what drove her from his observations. The desire for knowledge and challenge, yes. But Miss Granger most of all, wanted to make a difference in the world. Change it for the better. A worthy pursuit.

He knew she wanted personal happiness, but it seemed as if she were willing to sacrifice her personal needs for the greater goal of making the world a better place for all. In fact, judging by her frank interest in the brothel, it seemed she had resigned herself to a life of loneliness, and was attempting to find logical substitutions for what she felt she would never have. Much like him. And maybe that was the key. The similarities between them. Hermione was so desperate to experience intimacy, she was willing to pay a man for the simulation of it. He couldn’t say his use of the brothel was for the sake of intimacy. Fucking prostitutes was not an intimate act in his estimation. But he did go there to experience and physically enjoy the body of a woman.

Women were different than men in their approach to sex. Women wanted intimacy and sex was a means of acquiring it. Men wanted sex and by fulfilling a woman’s need for intimacy, they acquired it. At least in ideal situations. Looking at this logically, it appeared that he and Hermione each had needs that could be fulfilled by the other, if given a chance. But Severus wanted more than sex. He had been having empty sex for years. He wanted to be wanted. He wanted to know that when he touched a woman, his touch ignited her…and when he entered her, it was because she wanted and needed him inside her, to make her feel fulfilled and whole. Severus Snape realized he wanted to be loved. It was a painful admission. Who could love a man who committed so much evil, even if is was for good?

Someone who understood what he went through. Someone willing to stand by him when the world shunned him. Maybe someone like Hermione Granger. Severus made his decision. From this point on, he would do his best to reach Hermione, make her see him in another light. If he had to resort to seduction, he would. He was not a handsome man by any stretch of the imagination, but his face had character. He was also aware he did have attributes that were considered attractive, even sexy to women. When he was a Death Eater in good standing, before his change of heart, he attracted women like gadflies. After his conversion to spy, he had little interest in their advances, he was so deeply enmeshed in serving the Order. And after the death of Voldemort, he became a pariah, and no decent witch wanted to be involved with someone of such dubious and ruinous reputation. So he turned to the brothels.

But the attributes that attracted women were still there. His smooth, silky voice for example. He was aware of the effect it had on women. A few even told him he could bring them to orgasm by words alone. He had tried it, and found that claim to be true. He had the kind of voice that others reacted to. Rich, seductive, and persuasive.

Then there were his hands. They were sure, precise, meticulous. Many times he had caught women looking at his hands when he prepared potions. He was quite talented with his hands and could use them to bring great pleasure as well as pain. He knew the power of touch, and was very familiar of its effect on the body. He could take a woman over the edge with his hands alone. He needed to find ways to bring his hands in contact with Miss Granger. Possibly an innocent shoulder massage one tense evening in the near future. He would be sure to leave her wondering how his hands would feel if applied to other, more intimate parts of her body.

His black, intense eyes were another source of attraction. When he looked at a woman, she often felt as if he could see down inside her soul. The Potions Master could tell much about an individual with his gaze, reading body language and deciphering what the person was feeling almost in an instant, even without legilimency. He would be able to tell if Miss Granger were becoming attracted to him just by looking at her. He could also project his own emotions and desires with his eyes. Miss Granger would be able to see he wanted her soon enough.

He had other little known attributes. He wore his severe robes almost all the time, so few were aware of the well-toned condition of his body. Those who served the Dark Lord knew. They had often disrobed him in preparation for punishment. His build rivaled that of younger wizards half his age. He was cut, lean and had well-defined musculature, having developed the habit of working out while in the service of the Dark Lord. He indulged in swimming, isometrics and when he felt like it, running. Staying in shape helped him survive the countless applications of the Cruciatus curse Voldemort had inflicted on him, as well as the many whipping and beatings he received when his loyalty was questioned, which was constantly. He was sure Miss Granger would appreciate the condition he was in. He needed to find a way to show off his body. Maybe invite her for a swim. Yes, that was an idea.

And then, there was his cock. He was well endowed, had stamina, and knew how to use his tool to satisfy a woman thoroughly and unmistakably. He had no doubts that he could meet Miss Granger’s physical needs beyond her wildest dreams. She didn’t need to pay a man to please her. If given the opportunity, he would feast on her delectable body as if she were a banquet and he, a starving man. Perhaps, when the time came and she wanted to act on her desire to visit the brothel, he could convince her to let him be the one to bring her pleasure, free of charge. No woman who looked like Miss Granger should ever have to pay a man to fuck her.

Severus looked up at the clock. It was almost time for his next class. He rose from the armchair and headed for the Potions classroom, tucking away his thoughts about Miss Hermione Granger for later perusal.

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A/N: All right. Severus has come to the conclusion that he wants Hermione. He’s a calculating man and is thinking it through. Quite deliciously I may add. I think Hermione will be swept off her feet, and end up landing neatly on her back, if you know what I mean. And I am sure Severus will use any and every means at his disposal to make her develop a sexual interest in him. He has no idea she has already seen him naked. It might not be that difficult…but then again, this IS Hermione. She can complicate the simplest things. Let’s see what happens. Please review.