Saving Miss Granger (Small Edit)

Chapter 23 ~ The Time Approaches

Hermione didn’t see Severus again until Tuesday afternoon, and he hadn’t been in the Great Hall for meals since he challenged Marcus. There was quite an air of mystery and intrigue surrounding the Potions Master, brief glimpses of him being caught on the upper floors of the castle during the late evening hours before he disappeared. During the day, he taught classes as usual. His pupils were more attentive than usual to him, even the dullest students staring at him in rapt attention. The wizard attributed it to his calling out of Marcus Delaluci. He was something of a celebrity for this. A mad celebrity. He must be mad to challenge a Dark Arts teacher.

Hermione found young witches watching her closely whenever she ventured out of her lab or ate in the Great Hall. They were wondering what it was about the bookish Spells Mistress that made men want to fight over her. She was pretty, yes…but not beautiful…at least by their standards. She wore no makeup, nor did she dress alluringly. Her hair was always in a near state of distress. It seemed all Hermione did was stay in her lab and go to the library, which in fact she pretty much did. But there had to be something about her that was special. Especially since both the Potions Master and the DA teacher wanted to court her.

That the snarky Potions Master even thought about courting a witch was a shock to the students. Severus was seen as cold, unfeeling and uninterested in anything other than potions, pop quizzes, assigning tons of work and generally making their lives utterly miserable. The idea that he might kiss or even shag a witch was enough to send collective shudders throughout their ranks. What was worse, the Spells Mistress did not look disgusted at all about the possibility of becoming the Potions Master’s girlfriend. The consensus was she was either desperate, blind or both.

What had the young witches on point however, was Hermione had somehow attracted the attention of the delicious Marcus Delaluci, who was the wet dream of many a seventh year witch. Luckily for the young witches Marcus kept a strict hands-off policy of students…at least until after they graduated. To his dubious credit the wizard had fucked a number of former students who “came back to say hello” however. During his several years at Hogwarts, Marcus had popped more cherries than a cherry picker. But he was a fun teacher, and most of the students hoped he’d kick the shit out of the dark, snarky Professor, so they could rejoice vicariously in his victory.

Hermione saw the wizard entering his office as she was leaving her room for supper.

“Hello Severus,” she called to the wizard.

Severus stopped and looked at her, and even from a distance she could make out heat in his dark eyes.

“Hello Hermione,” he replied in a voice so silky that Hermione could have just slid on the deep rich tones straight into his arms.

“I haven’t seen you in a while. I thought…well…I thought you may have forgotten about me,” she said, approaching the wizard.

Severus blinked at her several times as if he couldn’t digest this statement. Was the witch crazy?

“I assure you, Hermione,” he said, his eyes glittering, “I have not forgotten you. We have our date Friday night…we will catch up then. Presently, I am focusing on the upcoming duel with Mr. Delaluci. I must win.”

When he said this, Severus gave Hermione a very intense look that shot right to her belly. Her amber eyes reflected the heat. Severus swallowed.

“And there is another reason I have been staying away from you. That look in your eyes…it is too…inviting,” he breathed. “I have definite plans for you witch, and will not have you ruin them by tempting me to early action.”

Hermione had to ask him…just because he was so tantalizing.

“What kind of plans?” she asked the wizard, whose dark eyes went hooded.

“You’ll see Friday night,” he replied in a low, sexy voice that made Hermione shudder with anticipation. Severus scowled at her.

“You see what I mean? I must go, Hermione…before…” Severus said, faltering as he looked down at the witch.

“Oh what the hell,” he thought as he suddenly grabbed Hermione, swung her against the office door and pressed his body hard against her, kissing her hungrily, his hands sliding over her shoulders. Severus could feel her softness beneath her robes and reflexively ground himself against her body, his erection evident. He shouldn’t be doing this, but damn she felt so good.

Hermione was taken by surprise, and the ferocity of her response startled her. It was as if the wizard had poured a bucket of fire over her head when he pressed against her so suddenly, and now her entire body was aflame. His tongue was hungry, insistent, exploring every inch of her mouth. Her nipples hardened and her core started tingling.

“Oh gods,” she gasped against the wizard’s mouth, starting to move her body against him wantonly.

Hermione’s moan of pleasure seemed to reach the Professor, and with an effort he pulled away from her body, looking down into her amber eyes. The witch was almost writhing against the door, and tried to pull him back against her. He didn’t resist her. He should have, but he didn’t.

“Oh Merlin, give me strength,” he hissed as he dove back in, this time lifting the witch and pinning her against the door, nearly raping her mouth…Hermione gasping against him, ready to wrap her legs around his waist so she could feel his hardness against her core.

This time a cry of “Oh my gods, he’s kissing her!” broke them apart as a group of young Gryffindors approached, their eyes wide and faces screwed up with what could only be described as deep disgust. The Professor put Hermione down and pinched his nose.

He’d forgotten he’d assigned them an hour’s detention this evening for talking among themselves when they were supposed to be brewing.

”This is why I haven’t been seeing you,” he said to the witch, scowling as if it were all her fault they had been caught by students.

The group of seven students stopped in front of the office door, two or three looking quite green.

“We’re here for detention, Professor,” one student piped up.

“Really. And I thought you all just came by to make my day,” Severus replied snarkily, “Now get in the classroom!”

The students all skittered down the hall and turned into the classroom as he instructed. Severus looked at Hermione, his eyes smoldering.

“I don’t want to see you again until Friday, witch, when we leave for our date. Friday…we’ll take care of this,” he said to her angrily.

Hermione felt a gush wet her inner thighs at the Potions Master’s hot, harsh demeanor. Her darker nature was definitely doing a little jig. He had lost it. His cool, disciplined facade had fallen before her. Gods, she hoped he’d lose it the same way on Friday.

He was delicious.

“Goodbye,” the Potions Master snapped at her, stalking off to his classroom with a very odd gait. He must have had an enormous erection.

“Goodbye, Severus,” Hermione breathed, slumping against the Potions office door and smiling before floating off to supper, her entire body tingling.

The way the witch was feeling, more than likely she was going to have to take things in hand again when she returned to her rooms. But she was in the last stretch of self-gratification. Friday was only three days away.

Hermione had a feeling they were going to be the longest three days of her life.

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Severus practiced his defensive and offensive spells every night that week in the ROR, and went to Order headquarters twice to practice. He had a couple of golem sessions, but the most exciting practice was the final night when Kingsley and Tonks got in on the act as his opponents.

“I always wanted to send a stinging hex up your robes, you snarky bastard,” Tonks said to Severus good-naturedly, grinning like a pixie. “I owe you for making Potions a living hell for me all those years ago.”

“Tonks, I assure you, it was only when you entered my classroom that it seemed to become a roaring lake of fire. Was there a cauldron that you didn’t manage to stumble into, turn over or explode?” he responded as they walked into the ROR.

Tonks face went dark at the memory. She had been by far the clumsiest student at Hogwarts, forever running into and breaking things. Teachers used to charm items in place when she entered a class. It took a lot of training up by Kingsley to get her past that…though she could still on occasion be counted on to make noise at the worst possible moment. Good thing the Auror could fight her ass off.

There was one area that Tonks excelled in which Kingsley could attest to if he wasn’t such a gentleman. And that area was sex. Tonks was an metamorphmagus and Kingsley’s lover. The witch could become anything she envisioned and any man who was lucky enough to tangle with her was in for quite an experience, especially when she let go. Anything could happen with the witch and usually did. Extra limbs, orifices, mouths…Tonks was a virtual smorgasbord of sexual pleasure. Kingsley was one very satisfied wizard and Tonks was the secret of his apparent mellowness.

The ROR took on the appearance of a small stone coliseum. Stone columns and stepped stone mounds were scattered about, offering cover to the combatants. At first, they had a rousing free for all, hexes flying freely as they streaked from pillar to pillar, aiming at each other and getting in some pretty nasty hexes. Severus was dodging a spell Kingsley shot at him when Tonks came flying over a mound, screaming like an Amazon and caught him in the chest with a flying front kick that sent him sprawling on his back, the witch placing one foot on his chest and pointing her wand at his face, a wicked little grin spread across her features.

“Score one for the former student,” she gloated before being blasted off of the Potions Master by Kingsley.

“And one for the former student’s lover,” the black wizard chortled as he dove behind a pillar avoiding the blast Severus sent his way. Kingsley peeked out from behind the white stone column.

“Now that is just plain ungrateful, Severus,” the wizard said to his pale opponent.

”It’s a duel, Kingsley, not a party,” the Potions Master called back, his back pressed against a small mound, his black eyes searching for Tonks, who seemed to have disappeared.

She reappeared suddenly on the left of him, running low, her wand drawn. Severus heard her however and flung himself out of the way, rolling across the ground and catching her with an Expelliamus that sent her soaring. She landed on her back hard.

“Damn,” she said through gritted teeth as she looked up at the smirking wizard, who had his wand trained on her heart.

“Just giving you a little of your own, witch,” the Potions Master smirked down at her before helping her to her feet.

After a very animated and somewhat painful exercise, Severus got down to serious business, dueling first with one Auror then the other, full blasts. He beat both of them, using a few techniques he had developed over the week designed to give him an advantage. They were quite effective.

As they limped from the Room of Requirement, Kingsley said, “I would sure like to sit in on that duel, Severus. I’d love to see you in action. If tonight is any indication of your skill, your opponent is in for a hard fight. Good thing it’s Cuttlesbury Rules. You’re fast. You'd be deadly in a full on duel.”

“You can sit in. It is an open duel,” Severus replied, “I imagine there will be several hundred people there, all hoping to witness my defeat. The duel will be held this coming Saturday at five, in the enchanted arena located beneath Hogwarts in the sub-dungeons.”

”Well, we’ll be there cheering you on, Severus, don’t worry about that,” Tonks said, smiling at the wizard before grimacing as she took the stairs.

After imbibing a few pain and healing potions, Severus apparated back to Hogwarts, very satisfied with the night. He was ready to face Marcus.

The wizard showered and prepared for bed, his thoughts turning to Hermione. Tomorrow night he wouldn’t be alone in his four-poster, and he wouldn’t be sleeping. Hermione would be his final pleasure before facing Marcus. He felt somewhat like a soldier going off to war, one who took the time to indulge himself with a woman fully before facing death. Severus was not facing death, but he was facing the possible loss of the only witch he had ever wanted to be part of his life. That was close enough to living death to make his belly tighten a bit.

No. No. He could have no doubts. He would win. He had to. His happiness was at stake. His and Hermione’s both.

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Friday went quickly for Hermione. She could hardly work, she was so excited about her date with Severus. Where was he taking her? The wizard had instructed her to wear comfortable, casual clothes and trainers and to eat a light meal. She had on jeans and a long sleeved white t-shirt. Both fit her curves quite nicely.

Now Hermione sat in her study, her hands on her knees, looking at the door expectantly, waiting for the wizard. She was looking forward to the date, but there also was what might be occurring after the date.

“Friday…we will take care of this,” Severus had said.

Did that mean he planned to ask her to his bed? If so, Hermione was going to need her trainers to give her traction when she bolted into his private rooms. She was beyond randy for the wizard. When Severus crushed her against the office door and ravaged her mouth like a starving man, she had so wanted him to fuck her. There was no other way to put it. He could have opened her robes, lowered her jeans and knickers and banged her against that door until she had splinters and she wouldn’t have cared as long as she had him.

A heavy knock sounded on the door. Hermione stood up, ran her hand over her hair, straightened her shirt and walked to the door pulling it open.

Severus stood there, his dark eyes glinting down at her. His silky hair was pulled back in a pony-tail, and he wore a black t-shirt, black Dockers, held up by a Slytherin belt, (which almost made the witch swoon) black socks and black trainers. He wore his ring and looked dark and delicious to the witch.

“I see you are ready,” Severus purred at Hermione, referring both to the date, and to intimacy.

“So ready, Severus,” she replied, her voice almost a whisper.

Unable to help himself, Severus kissed her lips lightly.

“So am I,” he said silkily, “but first…our date.”

Hermione felt a thrill run through her body at the wizard’s reply. Severus slipped his arm in hers and led her back toward his rooms, opening the office door. Hermione hesitated.

“Why are we going to your rooms?” she asked him.

The wizard smirked at her.

“Are you afraid to be alone with me in my rooms, Hermione?” he asked her, his eyes on her mouth.

Hermione swallowed.

"No…I just thought we would be heading for the main hall,” she said as Severus opened the door and practically shoved her through, making a big production of warding it shut before turning to the witch. He was purposely trying to put her on edge. Cat and mouse again.

“Isn’t this cozy?” he breathed, moving close to the witch.

“Yes,” Hermione replied, feeling herself becoming intoxicated from the wizard’s closeness.

“Take me on your desk,” she thought, her eyes going half-lidded “right now. Don’t even ask me. Just tear my clothes off and do it.”

Severus saw a look he recognized in the witch’s eyes. It was a look most witches shared when they were extremely aroused. He called it the “Fuck me” look. He grabbed Hermione's hand tightly and opened the door to his study.

“Let’s go,” he said, his voice hoarse and not looking at the witch.

They were too damn close to his bedroom. He had to get her out of here or there would be no date. Only one extremely long fuckfest.

“Go? Go where?” Hermione said rather dreamily. Her lust was really taking her over. Fuck the date…where was the bed?

“Here,” Severus replied, gathering the witch’s body against his and disapparating.

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A/N: Ooh. Some very hot moments between Severus and Hermione. Lol on the group of students cockblocking and Severus getting pissed at Hermione for arousing him. Well, it won’t be long now. Wonder where he’s taking her? We’ll find out next chappie. Lemons on the horizon! :::rubbing hands together gleefully::: Please review