A Delicate Obsession

Chapter 23- A Rose By Any Other Name

It all belongs to Rowling, except what you don’t recognize.

Snape sat down heavily by Hermione’s side in the emergency ward. She was under a stasis spell which should keep her alive long enough for her to be stabilized. One of the interns sauntered in,
“Oi, you’re right Delbert, it is little Miss Trampoline…” Snape stood up and turned.

Snape didn’t bother hexing him; the feeling of soft fleshy nose collapsing beneath his right fist was just too satisfying to refuse. Severus, not minding the blood, pushed the young Mediwizard up against the wall. “You will treat Miss Granger with every bit of respect. And if you do not—“ Severus gave his best Death Eater leer. “Now, get out!” he hissed. He handed him a flannel for his nose as he shoved him out the door.

That was the last straw, Snape thought. Coming close to the girl’s side he withdrew his wand and whispered, “Incantatum Laura.” He swallowed hard at the sight of his beloved, covered in blood and contusions. “Gods.” He staggered back into the chair. It was La Laura didn’t exist, had never existed, she was nothing more than a foolish girl’s glamour. Snape went back in his mind to their first meeting. The look of fear on her face, her whisper of denial, all of it added up in a very unpleasant way. Then later, the chance meeting between them and his guarantees to her that she would come to no harm – no harm, Snape gave a snort. “Finite Incantatum.” And there was Miss Know-It-All back again.

You’ve been in love, he thought, and you’ve been making love to a student all along, you arrogant prat.

And he’d known, hadn’t he? Her lips, those delicious, sultry lips were the same. He reached down and removed a strand of hair from her mouth. the then traced the outline of her lips with his thumb. He bent down and kissed them. Tears came to his eyes. She’d been so afraid of his finding out. And with good reason, he would never, ever have carried on the affair once he knew who she was. He had too much pride to touch a student. Little Miss Know-It-All, to boot! And hadn’t he told her what he thought of her? Yes, he’d almost lost her then, too-- no surprise that she’d been upset with him.

Snape left her bedside to locate the senior mediwizard. She shouldn’t be waiting like this: stasis spells were notoriously unreliable. He was stalking the corridors when Yasmine appeared.

She saw her stepson and fell on him. “Severus, Severus you’re back! Praise the Gods. Jinx said that something bad happened at the cottage. The door was blasted off the hinges and he smelt a demon. Is this true?”

Severus took the witch in his arms and held her tightly. “Everything’s all right, mother. Miss Granger’s hurt, but she should pull through.”

Yasmine’s eyes went wide, “Did you call me--? But you say Miss Granger’s hurt, let me go to her.”

Snape brought her to Hermione’s side and then Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts. It would be good to talk to Albus and find out just what the blazes was going on.

&&&

“He looks interesting. And I think he fancies you. Every time we come in here together he’s looking your way.” Ginny giggled. It was a warm afternoon in late summer and Ginny was sitting with Hermione in the Hog’s Head pub.

Hermione didn’t bother looking. “No thanks. I’ve gone off men, entirely. Harry proposed yet a third time. I’m too busy with my apprenticeship. Mediwitch Goody works me to the bone. I’ve got hardly the energy to crawl into bed at night.”

“Still, he has really nice blond hair and hazel eyes. I think you should go over and introduce yourself.” Ginny poured the last of her butterbeer into her glass.

Hermione studied her friend. “Are you getting tired of Neville already?”

Ginny blushed. “NO! I just think that-- that you spend too much time alone dwelling on what happened. You should get on with things.”

“I don’t think about Severus Snape at all! I hate him, it was a big mistake and I’m paying for it. I pay for it every day.” Her voice overflowed with bitterness. “The doctors won’t give me permission to study for the N.E.W.T.s. They say too much reading and my left eye will never recover.”

“I’m sorry, I hadn’t heard. When did you find out?” Ginny took Hermione’s good hand.

“I knew all along. I was released from St. Mungos with the understanding that I could apprentice, but I couldn’t read more than a half hour a day. It was just that I thought I could get better a lot quicker and sit the N.E.W.T.s anyway.”

“Well, you don’t need them. You have a position and in a few years you’ll be a Mediwitch. No one will care whether you ever sat them or not.”

“That’s not the point. Oh, I’m sorry, I’m just a loads of laughs today.” Hermione took another sip of butterbeer and slumped deeper into her chair.

Ginny hugged her friend. “You’ve been through a lot. We all have. Ooops, look at the time. I have to get ready for my date with Neville. I can’t believe I won’t be able to date him once I’m back at school. He’s already started his apprenticeship as well. Look, are you sure you won’t go talk to that gentleman?”

Hermione shook her head.

“Okay.” Ginny kissed her on the cheek and left.

The blond haired, hazel-eyed wizard watched the younger witch leave. He sneered. Week after week he’d waited, hoping for a chink in her defenses. He uncoiled himself from the chair, leaving behind his fire whiskey, and headed for the wizard’s rest room.

“Finite Incantatum.” Severus Snape was back to his ugly as sin self. He tugged on his white lace shirt cuffs and tidied his grey robes. It was all part of the disguise that Yasmine had talked him into.

Yasmine, his sweet natured, non-interfering stepmother had suddenly gotten the bit between her pearly white teeth. It only took one week of daily Howlers sent to him at the staff table:

“Severus Snape, WHAT are you DOING for poor Miss Granger?”

And

“IT’S SPITE. You refuse to walk YOUR PATH TO HAPPINESS out of SPITE TO YOUR PARENTS.”

And

“A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME WILL SMELL AS SWEET!”

for him to totally break down and wave the white flag. In a subsequent meeting with her, she interrogated him with all the loving gentleness of a Death Eater and forced him to confess his feelings for Laura/Know-It-All Granger. It had surely been a moment of complete and utter insanity for him to have ever called her mother. And she would never let him forget that he had done so. Gods, she was worse than Albus Dumbledore for calling Snape to task.

Now she wanted Miss Granger as her daughter-in-law and lots of grandchildren as well. Snape thought Miss Know-It-All probably would not be interested in the babies part, at least until she finished with her training. And he’d never allow it, either. But even before contemplating parenthood, there were some rather insurmountable obstacles to his even talking to her, such as the fact that she hated him!

So he sat there in his disguise spying on her, week after week. At first, it was only because he needed to sort out his feelings as to who Miss Granger was vis-à-vis his Laura. At first he had a rather schizophrenic feeling about it all. On a cognitive level, he accepted that he’d been fooled, and perhaps had ewantwanted to be fooled. But on an emotional level, it seemed that that terrorist Granger had kidnapped the love of his life and was now holding her hostage. If he wanted his Laura back, he’d have to negotiate and make peace with that most annoying Know-It-All. And so he sat there, nursing his fire whiskey and listening to girl talk between Ginny and her. Or sometimes even worse, he’d witness Harry Potter’s fumbling attempts to win the heart of a girl who loved him for himself, but just not in the way he wanted.

He had been under so much pressure during those years of Harry Potter and the return of Voldemort that he had been, perhaps, a bit unfair and a little bit harsh. He had in a few instances taken out his frustrations in an unfair fashion. Oh All Right! He’d been a colossal horse’s ass! But, he was big enough to admit it, he hoped. He dreamt of her lips and her breasts. He learned to accept the brown eyes instead of grey-green and the frizzy bush of hair instead of Laura’s luscious satin. He schooled himself to stop thinking of her as Laura as well.

Watching Harry Potter propose marriage to Hermione had been hard. Well, that was an understatement; he’d fisted his hands so tightly that his nails had left bloody half moons in his palms. He had been only inches away from taking out his wand and hexing the troublesome boy. Also, he had been shocked that the two had known each other for so long and had remained only friends. But then, Hermione had repeatedly told Ginny that both Ron and Harry were like brothers to her. Too bad boys, he smirked, it left the field open for him.

He studied her as any naturalist would a rare and exotic new species of fauna. And he hoped that his study would eventually provide him with a way back into her heart. Today, it seemed his investigation of her would pay off. So she wanted to sit the N.E.W.T.s but was incapacitated by her injuries. Mediwizards can heal bones in a thrice, but nerve damage takes much longer and her nerves had been close to destroyed by whatever dark magics that thing had used on her. Her left side had borne the brunt of it, including her eye, which was still dilated.

Snape was certain though, if he were to tutor her, she’d pass the N.E.W.T.s with good grades. Her potions practical might be a bit difficult, since her left hand was weak and she tended to drop things, but if anyone could do it, it was Miss Granger. Snape admitted that it was finally time to make up for the years of abuse he had tendered her. Of course, it wasn’t so much out of a sense of remorse, oh no, he just needed an excuse to get back into her life.

Hermione Granger sensed him coming. She didn’t know how, whether it was the sound of his walk, or his smell, but she knew he was coming. Under cover of the table, she slipped her wand out from her sleeve and held it at the ready.

She stared in front of her and heard him sit at her table. Her mouth went dry and her pulse raced. She gripped her wand a bit tighter.

“Is this seat taken?” Snape said in his most silky voice.

“What, here to finish the job that your mum started?” Hermione couldn’t help herself. She knew how much Snape hated her and how much more he probably despised her now that he knew the truth.

“Miss Granger, I deeply regret what happened.” Be charming, he thought to himself. You can do this!

“Like hell you do—Don’t pretend with me! You hated us all.” Tears came to her eyes.

“Miss Granger!” All of Snape’s well-prepared speeches flew from his head at the pain in her voice. He wanted to take her right there and then in his arms. “I’m here to help you.” The silken tones had vanished from his voice.

“What?” She shook her head. “What could you do for me?” she asked harshly.

Snape didn’t tell her that the reason she even had an apprenticeship was because Poppy and he had searched high and low for a Mediwitch or wizard who would not mind an experienced apprentice without N.E.W.T.s. They had found her in Lilac Goody, a rather eccentric, but reliable healer.

“You want to sit your N.E.W.T.s but you need help. I can do that for you. Just say the word.” Against his better judgment he reached out his hand to her.

“Petrificus Totalus” Hermione panicked and put Snape into a full body bind. “You Bastard! You think you can just waltz in here and try to be my teacher again? Let me tell you, you were the worst, the absolutely worst teacher I ever had at Hogwarts. You always had your little favorites; you always had to play your nasty mind games with Neville. You were the most ill tempered, foul git that I’ve had the misfortune to meet. And you dare, dare blame me for not going to you before Harry tried to save his Godfather at the Ministry? Why didn’t you report to the Headmaster that you weren’t giving Harry Occlumency classes anymore? Sirius might not have died! You were supposed to be the adult, but instead you stalked around taking out your old grievances against the Marauders on us like some spoiled brat. You had no self-control at all, swooping down on us like a huge bat, screaming at us with the least little provocation. You disgust me: I can’t believe I ever loved you! Then again, you were great in the sack! That’s all you are good for, isn’t, you, you, boytoy!”

Then Hermione grabbed her cane and put on her dark glasses. Severus listened to the awful sound of her left foot dragging behind her as she left the pub.

“Hmm. Well, Mate. It looks like you are in dire need of some rescuing,” said the rat-like little wizard with the red nose. “I bet you’re not really as big a bastard as your little witch made out. You’d probably give a fellow a few sickles for doin’ a brother wizard a favor, wouldn’t you?” The wizard hiccupped once, brought out his wand and, “Finite Incantatum”.

Snape rose to his full height and sneered, “You’re wrong. I am as big a bastard as she made out.” And swept out of the pub as the little wi spr sprouted green and purple boils.

Snape ran full speed through the streets of Hogsmeade hoping that she was heading straight to her rooms and not elsewhere. He spotted her as he turned the corner.

Hermione knew the body bind wouldn’t last forever but gritted her teeth as she heard someone running towards her. She almost lost her balance as he grabbed her shoulders. He was gasping to catch his breath and his eyes smoldered with passion. “Define ‘boytoy’!”

“What?” Hermione couldn’t believe her ears.

“You said that I was a good ‘boytoy’.” There was unmistakable need and desperation os hos homely face.

“Sexual object—or lover.” Hermione said slowly, clearly amazed.

Severus swallowed and gave a half-smile, “Then I accept your terms. Your place or mine?” He bent down and kissed her. At first she resisted the kiss, but then her body told her mind to shut the fuck up, and she melted into him. He picked her up and walked the half-block to hoomsooms, ignoring the stares of the good people of Hogsmeade.

He Alohomora’d the doors to the house and her flat and put her down gingerly on the bed.

“Severus, I suppose you want me to…” said Hermione tentatively.

In response he kissed her on the nose, and said, “No, Miss Granger, it is over between Laura and I. I only want you.” He gave her what he thought was his most reassuring, charming smile, and congratulated himself on how nicely he sidestepped that one. He kissed her on the mouth, letting his tongue dip in for a bit and then he playfully nipped her bottom lip. He wanted so much to recoup lost ground and find a way back to where they had been.

Hermione nodded warily, thinking that had to be Snape’s scariest smile yet, and lay back, allowing him to kiss her. He carefully began to undo her robes, and then he fondled and kissed her breasts. She slowly relaxed. Damn, she thought, it did feel so good to have him back.

Severus was thinking just about the same thing. He trailed his fingers over her torso, letting them remember how soft she felt and enjoying the electric connection from his fingertips to the base of his cock. He’d rinedined himself well, finding those things Granger had in common with Laura and overlooking the differences. It was the same body, the same lips, and the same mind-- all of it delicious and loveable. He pulled her robes all the way off of her and divested her of her knickers. He tried not to show his upset over the plastic Muggle brace, which worked so much better than any spell or charm, on her left leg. He sought permission from her with his eyes to remove the brace and she nodded. He undid the Velcro and tenderly removed the device. He bent the leg up and over his arm, allowing him access to her inner bud. He licked and nipped at her, driving her closer to climax. It didn’t take much for her to come; it had been a long time since he’d been with her, and she hadn’t felt like touching herself.

She started to cry and he brought himself up close to her to cradle her in his arms and shower her with kisses as light and melting as snowflakes.

“I’m sorry, Hermione, I’m so sorry.” Snape tried to talk over the tightness in his chest.

“I don’t want your pity!” she said lightly hitting him with her fist.

“Is that what you think this is?” his voice became satiny smooth. “It’s not. I you you.”

Hermione sniffled a little and Snape brought out a handkerchief before his grey robes became any more mucous sodden. “Why don’t you hate me anymore?” she asked in a tiny voice.

“You children were always very annoying. And even a bit frightening. What can I say? If I was being a git, it was because you were impossible.” He gave his classic sneer. “But at some point, when I wasn’t looking, you grew into a beautiful, intelligent young woman. I’m a very lucky man. I didn’t think there would ever be anyone like Tara in my life again.”

Hermione looked questioningly at him, but decided to table that topic for later. She could feel the heat rising from his erection against her and wanted to complete their reunion. She reached up to undo his robes and shirt, admiring how he looked in grey. The white lace at his neck and sleeves were incredibly sexy, and her fingers trembled as she attempted to coordinate her left with her right hand. Snape patiently allowed her to open them all on her own. And when she finished, he took her left hand and kissed it.

He shrugged out of the robes leaving him clad in only the white lacy shirt and boxers. He was about to remove the shirt, but Hermione asked him not to. She rubbed her good hand on his chest, gently massaged his nipples and then moved slowly down towards his stomach. He licked his lips and tried to stifle a groan. She placed one finger under the waistband of his boxers and he quickly removed them, exposing his long, very hard cock.

“Come closer to me, I want to taste you.” She had to ask him because her own body no longer obeyed her without a lot of pain and prompting. He shifted his hips up to her mouth and she took his cock in her right hand. She used her thumb to spread the pre-cum and then guided him into her mouth. He groaned loudly and it took every ounce of his self-control not to drive himself between her lovely lips and deep into her throat. He gently swayed his hips in rhythm to her licks up and down his shaft. It was exquisite but also painful because he was throbbing so with need. He started to whisper, “Oh Gods, Hermione, Gods, Hermione…” over and over until he felt himself cum. She sucked hard and took him deeper into her, swallowing quickly and lightly so as not to hurt his sensitized prick.

He brought his hips down from her mouth and spooned his body against her. She sighed. They fell asleep with his arm encircling her in a cocoon of warmth and love.

&&&

Snape had gone on a food run to the Three Broomsticks and convinced Madam Rosmerta to part with some roast beef sandwiches and a fruit plate. They lay on the bed eating and Hermione finally asked,

“So what happened at the cottage? I don’t remember anything after your mother threw me outside.”

“That wasn’t my mother. I don’t know what she was, but…” Snape shook his head quietly. Hermione clasped his hand and kissed it. Snape gave a small rueful smile. “A demon was summoned. Lord Bechard, demon of storms. That thing was planning to use you as a life sacrifice to bring it back to corporeal form. Lord Bechard had other plans. The Aurors from the Ministry found the journal and the parchments that you’d brought upstairs. They determined that no one else had touched them in over 25 years and leapt to the conclusion that while you were trying to break the Enchantment of the Black Phoenix that I was under, you wound up raising a demon as well.” Snape grimaced. “I did nothing to change their minds. They were happy and went away, attributing your injuries to Lord Bechard.

“I’ve already been in enough trouble with the Ministry in the past. The less I have to do with them, the better. However, look at this.” Snape rolled up his left sleeve and Hermione touched the blemishless skin. “I’m a free man again.”

Hermione pressed her lips to the where the mark had been. “I’m happy for you, but what now?”

“I plan to spend the rest of my life doing as I please,” he sneered.

“And that is—“ Hermione looked deeply into his eyes, blushing.

“What pleases me most—is making you happy. That is my new life’s goal.” Smiling, he stroked her cheek and captured her lips with his.

Hermione broke the kiss and arched one eyebrow, “In that case, have you read the latest on the Serendipity Debate?”

“Yes, it was really quite amazing,” he smirked.


The End

A/N: Well, I get to go back to cleaning the apartment again. JOY! Hey, anyone up for an Epilogue?

Oh I guess she never does get around to telling him, eh? It’s a good thing he figured it out for himself.

Please do read and review this last chapter! I’m not sure what my next fanfic, if any, will be.

My special thanks for all of those wonderful reviewers who spurred me on and gave me encouragement to get this thing done in less than a month: Lady Aidil, Adora, Kiri, Kate, Halo, MoD, Karen and Jo and so many others. I’m going to miss you all, especially since you’ve all been so great to me!

Shameless Plug: I hope that people head over to Fanfiction.Net and read and review my story The Hunt For Hermione.