Disguised Affections

A/N: So, we're coming close to the end now... I hope you guys enjoy the "Big Reveal." There will be one or two more chapters after this one, and then I'm afraid we've reached the end. However, I hope you guys decide to stick around to read the sequel I am writing about Draco. :)

I am not JK Rowling. Anything you recognize belongs to her. This is a random act of fanfiction, and as such, I'm making no money on this.

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Chapter Twenty-Four

Severus stood by the gargoyle and tapped his foot on the stone staircase that led to the Headmaster’s office. Dumbledore had kept him waiting for the last twenty minutes, and the Potions master was impatient to get this over with so he could go back to his careful planning of how to woo Hermione to his side.

The evening sprawled before him stuffed with frightening potential. He allowed himself a moment to imagine the girl seeing him and a smile breaking across her face as she realized the man she loved was actually her snarky Potions professor. Severus snorted. More likely she’d want to gag but would be too nice to let it show. Hermione would try to let him down easy. Maybe she’d ask for time apart.

He shifted his weight and cleared his throat, uncomfortable. No, that didn’t seem right. She might be young, but Hermione wasn’t shallow, and when she loved, she loved deeply. Despite everything that he knew was stacked against them, Severus felt… hopeful.

Minerva McGonagall ascended the staircase and regarded Severus with a gimlet eye.

“Mister Prince,” she said, her mouth a disapproving bow.

“Minerva,” he replied with aplomb.

Her mouth thinned. “So, you remember then?”

“It would seem so.” Severus crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked down his long, beaky nose at her. “And I shall not forget the part you had in this.”

“Why do I suspect that is not a ‘thank you,’ as would be appropriate, Severus?”

“Because despite allowing Dumbledore to lead you around like a bull with a ring through its nose, you have always been an astute woman. You are correct. It was an aspersion, and not approbation.” His voice was like a cold wind that blew between them.

“I tried to warn you, you ungrateful man.” Her hand fluttered to her throat and she leaned away from him, taken aback by his tone.

“You tried to warn someone who thought he was an eighteen year old boy away from a girl that he thought to be his ideal match.” Severus waved his hand impatiently. “But that’s not the issue to which I was referring. Surely you could see what Dumbledore was planning. After all, if his goal was to protect me – why would he hide me in plain sight?”

“Since when has Albus seen fit to divulge his plans to us?”

“Your point is well-made, Minerva. However, it would have been nice if he had let us know what he was doing before he dangled Ms. Granger in front of Malfoy like a piece of meat. Perhaps we could have come up with a better plan that did not put the brightest witch of her age in mortal danger. Perhaps there was some way we could have saved Hermione hours of torture under Lucius’s clever knife.” He leaned forward and whispered in the older woman’s ear. “Don’t you think there were kinder ways to take down Malfoy than to sic me on him so that I might find my eighteen year old lover naked and brutalized and half-crazed with fear?”

“Oh!” he heard a feminine voice cry. Severus turned to see Poppy Pomfrey standing behind him and holding a shaking hand to her mouth. A copper cuff banded her wrist.

“Poppy…” His voice softened for the woman who had mothered him when his own mother wouldn’t or couldn’t. She looked worn and ancient and brittle, and Severus’s mouth took on a bitter bent. The elderly mediwitch should never have been asked to carry the weight of his years.

“Severus, is that true?” A tear tracked down her wrinkled cheek. “I thought we were helping you until we could brew the antidote. My dear, I thought it would be a relief for you to be able to forget! I am so sorry!”

“You were part of this?” Severus’s voice was raw and very young sounding. “Oh, Poppy! You know me better than that.”

“I didn’t know! Albus said he’d watch over you.”

“Oh yes. Albus watched me. That is for sure.”

The three were interrupted when the Headmaster opened the door to his office. Remus Lupin was waiting inside.

“Are you kidding me? You asked the werewolf, too? For gods’ sake, should I be expecting fucking Longbottom to show up next?” Severus shouldered his way past the two men and into the sitting area. “Let’s get this over with. I have much more pressing business to which I must attend.”


Severus stood in the center of the pentagram, flanked at four of the five points by Poppy Pomfrey, Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, and Albus Dumbledore. The fifth point was empty, and the Potions master surmised that was where Alastor Moody would have stood had he survived. In his place, the Headmaster had put a pedestal with the Auror’s copper cuff.

“Poppy, will you start? Just like I showed you,” Dumbledore said.

Her mouth set in an unhappy line, the mediwitch raised her wand. “Eram quod es, eris quod sum.” The cuff fell from her and a gust of graying, ugly magic oozed from her pores and into the air. As it separated from her, she stood straighter and it seemed as if several large cares fell from her shoulders. When the last drop had left her, Severus stiffened.

He’s already gotten back his most painful and volatile years when Moody died. He was a Death Eater between his eighteenth and twenty-third year, and the tortures he’d undergone at the hands of Voldemort had lashed his body with the worst of his scars. As the years that Poppy had been carrying sank into his flesh, he felt several smaller scars burn and set in his hands and legs from various Potions accidents the dunderheads in his classroom had caused.

When the last of the gray mist had been absorbed, he stood upright, a man of twenty-eight.

Remus Lupin then waved his wand and chanted, “Eram quod es, eris quod sum.” This time, Severus felt little change. He smirked. He’d gotten his first pair of dragon hide boots and Potion-proofed robes for his twenty-ninth birthday. It had greatly reduced his injuries. Still, he could feel the cotton wool of those five years settle upon him, casting a slight fuzz upon his vision and a mesh of fine lines to his thirty-three year old face.

Minerva McGonagall stepped forward, and Severus caught his breath. The next five years had been particularly difficult for the spy. He’d been forced to rejoin Voldemort and had suffered greatly because the dark wizard had doubted the Potions master’s loyalty. Severus had been forced to endure the Cruciatus Curse for long intervals separated by physical abuse for the first few days after rejoining the Dark Lord. When the Transfigurations professor murmured, “Eram quod es, eris quod sum,” he crashed to the ground, screaming and shaking as the bones in his body broke and reknit themselves. He blinked, his lips pulled back in a silent howl of pain, and a single tear drop ran from the corner of his eye to his temple.

Poppy darted forward as if to help him, but a sharp look from Dumbledore stopped her in her tracks.

Swallowing against his nausea, Severus dragged himself to his feet, wincing as one of his hips popped. Lucius had taken great pleasure in shattering that particular joint with the toe of his steel-enforced boots. The familiar aches and pains of his thirty-eight year old body settled over him like a shroud. He grimaced and rotated a shoulder gingerly that had been dislocated repeatedly.

He turned to face Dumbledore. “You may consider this my resignation. I will be moved out of my rooms in a week.”

The blue eyes were solemn behind his crescent-moon spectacles. “I wish you’d reconsider despite the taint that exists between us. You are a truly excellent professor, Severus.”

“You know very well that I was a rubbish professor. I always hated teaching, and there’s no doubt that it showed. Besides, now that I’ve been so forcefully made aware of my worth as a chess piece I wouldn’t stay here if you begged. Once Hermione is graduated, there will be no more ties to bind me to this place.”

“Oh, Severus! You can not possibly expect to hold that dear girl to a declaration of love when she didn’t even know who…”

“Minerva, for once in your life, hold that catty, prudish tongue of yours.” The Potions master smoothed his hands down his clothes, and handily transfigured them into his normal black garb. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Severus Snape stalked from the room wearing the tatters of his dignity like they were a robe fit for a king.

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Hermione gasped as she entered the greenhouse. Someone had placed hundreds of flickering candles along the glass walls, encircling the interior in its entirety. There were also candles floating in the jenett pond and hanging in the air above her head. The entire room was flooded with a gentle, golden light, and her heart jumped when she thought of Severus going to the trouble to make this romantic.

She glanced around the room and finally saw him standing with his back to her underneath the tree in the corner. It appeared as if he was looking outside, but it was so dark that she imagined all he could see was his own reflection in the panes of glass. He ran a fingertip between his brows and over the skin at the corner of his eyes. His shoulders slumped as if defeated.

“Hello,” she said with loving warmth.

“Hermione.” He did not turn around, and she understood, the knowledge bursting within her like the rising sun on a dreamer’s mind. His voice had lost the smooth curves of adolescence and deepened into the whiskey baritone of Professor Snape.

“Hello, Severus,” she began again, her voice just as warm as her initial greeting.

The Potions master whirled to face her. “You know? You knew?”

Hermione examined his beloved face. Yes, she had known he was Severus Snape, and she had known what he looked like in his true form. A memory, however, was an entirely distinct thing from being suddenly faced with him in all of his snarky glory. Her eyes saw him differently than before, after all. She understood now that the forbidding brow that had caused years of Potions classes terror was actually the brow of a man poorly-used and forced into a profession he detested. The mouth that was bracketed by grooves too deep for a man only thirty-eight years old was the mouth of a man who had been consistently denied affection. But his beautiful, slender hands were just the same. She saw both her lover and her meticulous professor, and her stomach muscles tightened at the memory of his clever, gentle fingers on her skin.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Spots of color bloomed in his cheeks, and he stepped forward.

“Is… were you trying to tell me so before I left you this morning to meet with Albus?” He examined his dragonhide boots as if they held the secrets of Hermione’s heart. Severus’s face was devoid of expression, but the girl knew him well enough to see that he was terrified of her response.

She stepped closer to him, and his eyes jerked up to meet hers.

“Of course.” Hermione reached out and touched his robes, sliding her hands up to fist in his lapels. “And I’ll tell you again: I love you, no matter what.” She moved to pull him towards her, but he was immoveable, a fixed structure bolted to the floor.

His face was anguished as he said, “But I’m so much older than you, my dear. Surely when you told me that you loved me you had expectations of a life with a younger man than me.” His hands covered hers where they rested against his chest.

Hermione stepped forward so that her body was pressed tightly to his. “I had expectations of a life lived with the man I loved, you big dummy. Now shut up and kiss me.”

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And that was all he needed to hear.

The Potions master wrapped his arms around his lover and pulled her against his lean frame so tightly that not even a speck of light shone through the space between them. A smile played across his thin lips as he tangled his hands in her curls with an exultant gleam in his eyes. His gaze was locked on hers as he eased down towards her, moving slowly to give her time to move away if she changed her mind.

As his mouth touched hers, he watched her eyes for any sign of reluctance or revulsion. He was surprised when her lids fluttered shut and Hermione made a small sound in the back of her throat that screamed want. Opening her mouth, she sucked gently on his lower lip and he lost himself. His eyes slammed shut and his beautiful, careful hands slipped down to cup her bum and press her belly tight to his straining erection.

She wanted him. She wanted him. She wanted him.

Severus pushed her away for a moment and unbuttoned his robes. He laid them on the ground next to their jenett pool and transfigured them into a comfortable mattress stuffed with down. He straightened from his task to see her staring at him with hot, knowing eyes and his cock jumped at the feminine expression.

Hermione pointed at the mattress. “Lie down.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“Do it, Severus. I want to explore every inch of you.”

He was not the sort of man who took orders well, but it was the way she said “Severus.” It held such clarity and beauty coming from her lips that he was sure if he picked up his name and shook it, it would ring like a bell. After unbuttoning his frock coat he laid down on his back and propped himself up on his elbows with a sardonic expression that said, Well?

Taking a shaky breath, she ran her hands down her front, cupping her breasts and arching slightly into her own hands. “I know you are having trouble believing that I want you, but you have no idea how beautiful you are right now. Your eyes are burning and you are so graceful in your monochrome black.” Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and she began to unbutton her shirt.

His eyes were riveted to the skin she was slowly revealing. Severus groaned when he saw that she was wearing a skimpy green bra with lace straps. He was glad he’d cast a cloaking charm around the greenhouse. The Potions master was a greedy man, and he didn’t want to share the sight of Hermione standing over him and writhing in lust.

Her hands fell to her skirt and slid it slowly down her hips, her thumbs tucked under the waistband. His mouth went dry when he saw her perfect matching panties. Severus propped himself up and stretched out a hand to touch a gently curved hip. He frowned when she smacked him away.

“Ah ah ah. I get to explore first.” Hermione knelt down and straddled his lap. She pressed her lips to his playfully and pulled his shirt open, scattering buttons over the floor of the room. “Mmm,” she said in appreciation. “Lie back.” Severus complied and felt his shirt and frock coat spread open on the ground beneath him like wings. “I think you’re a bit more muscular now.”

He smirked. “It was easier to recover from Voldemort’s punishments if I stayed in shape, although I think you are flattering me shamelessly.” Severus touched her mouth. “Do continue, please.”

A secretive smile bloomed on her mouth. She unbuttoned the placket of his trousers and freed his erection, sucking in her breath when she saw a deep, puckered scar low on his abdomen. She touched it gently.

“Lucius Malfoy. That was a close one.” He laughed harshly, and then cursed himself when he saw a shadow cross her face. Was he an idiot? What was he thinking, conjuring that psychopath’s name in their bed?

He watched her eyes became dark and shuttered before she finally hissed, “I’m glad that bastard’s dead. I love you so much, and I love you even more for killing him for me.” Her face was fierce as she pulled her long curly hair over her left shoulder and leaned down, taking his cock in her mouth.

Watching himself disappear down her throat was one of the most erotic things he’d ever seen. She knelt over him on her hands and knees in her skimpy matching bra and panties set, her little hand wrapped around the base of his thick shaft. Her lips were stretched around him and curled slightly around her teeth as her head bobbed up and down, small sucking noises occasionally breaking the seal of her mouth on his cock. Hermione pulled off him slightly and darted a wicked glance up at him. The tip of her tongue played with his slit, and he suddenly found it unbearable that he wasn’t touching her.

He sat up and curled his fingers tightly in her hair while his other hand slid over her bum, and down between her legs. His cock popped out of her mouth with a wet noise as her lips went slack and she moaned, pressing back against his hand. She whispered a spell, and her palm was suddenly coated with a thick lubricant, and Hermione went back to stroking and licking his penis while Severus allowed two fingers to slide under the elastic by her leg and coast lightly against her slick flesh. She shuddered, but didn’t stop her rhythmic stroking. Her tongue slid around the thick mushroom head and she sucked hard. He cursed and thrust up a little into her mouth. God, the heat of her mouth alone was enough to make him nearly lose himself. Gently, he pushed her away and urged her to lie down.

His body covered hers and he ground against that sweet spot between her legs and she sobbed and locked her ankles behind his back. “Oh gods, yes. Please.” Hermione’s voice was hoarse, and it broke as he thrust against her again. “Severus, please.”

“No.” He untangled one of her hands from his hair and brought it to his mouth, allowing his tongue to lave the skin between her fingers. His eyes were fastened to hers and she licked her lips as he slowly lapped at the tender skin and rubbed his cock against her core.

“I want to… Severus I need to… please.”

“No,” he repeated again with infinite patience.

He released her hand and eased off of her, pulling her naughty green panties down her legs. Hermione’s eyes were wide as she realized what he was going to do. “I’ll come immediately if you do that.”

“That’s okay. I’ll just make you come again later, too.”

He buried his face between her legs and moaned at the sweet scent of her. She was incredibly wet and he lapped at her, running the tip of his tongue between her lips and around her clit. Severus was forced to hold her hips down as she bucked and tried to increase the pressure of his mouth on her. He slipped two fingers inside her cunt and watched as he flexed them, sliding in and out. His tongue went back to circling her clit, and as soon as he heard her breathing change he eased a third finger into her and dragged the flat of his tongue in three slow, cat-like lips across the bundle of nerves.

Her heels drummed the floor as she came, and he could feel her core milking his hand in waves. He surged up and slid into her and flexed his hips, bottoming out. Hermione was tight like a glove and he gritted his teeth as he felt her orgasm momentarily strengthen again when he stretched her to accommodate his girth.

Severus kissed her gently as she came back to herself, and as soon as he saw her eyes focus, he smiled. “I love you, Hermione.”

“I love you, Severus.” He rocked against her. Hermione’s eyes closed.

“I didn’t think it would feel this good so soon after coming.”

“Just wait, love.”

He set a gentle, steady rhythm while he gave her time to lose some sensitivity from her last orgasm. When he saw her bite her lip, he knew the fires were building in her belly again, and he began to thrust harder. Hermione’s head fell back as she wrapped her hands shamelessly beneath her knees so that his fit would be tighter and deeper.

“Oh yes. Gods yes, Hermione.”

“Pleeeease,” she moaned. “More, gods more.”

Severus grabbed one of her legs and threw it over his shoulder. The slap of his thighs against her ass was a beautiful noise as he thrust deeply inside her tight, little quim. “I’m so close, love.”

“Gods, Severus. Yes, deeper. Severus, Severus, Sev, Sev, Sev, ooooooh yes… OH! OH, SEVERUS!”

And hearing her cry his true name finally sent him over the edge. He cried out and spilled himself inside of his love and collapsed into her welcoming arms. As their breathing returned to normal, he nuzzled the curls beneath her ear and whispered, “You’ve lost your chance. I have you now, and I am never letting you go.”

“Thank god,” Hermione said, shaking. “Thank god.”

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A/N: So, there you have it. Sorry for those of you who were going crazy waiting for an update. I suppose it's rather a cruel thing to post every day for twenty something chapters and then force you to wait three days for an update. But... perhaps that's all part of my cunning, Slytherinesque plan! Did you ever think of that?


Eram quod es, eris quod sum - I was what you are, you will be what I am.