Love is Blind

Chapter 26


The newly engaged couple sat under the beech tree most of the afternoon looking out over the lake, enjoying the peacefulness of their surroundings. Severus lowered himself off of the rock under the tree to sit on the ground, leaning back onto Hermione’s legs. Absently she started to run her fingers through his silky hair. She smiled to herself when she heard Severus hum at the sensation. Hermione took his sounds as an invitation and leaned down to kiss his neck, just behind his ear.

His hum soon became a low growl and she smiled against his skin as she kissed, licked and sucked down his neck to his collarbone. In a very short amount of time, Severus’ breathing was ragged and Hermione could feel him trembling under her hands. “Do you like that, love?” she whispered seductively, her lips barely grazing his ear.

Severus couldn’t answer. His body was fully reacting to her little touches and kisses. He turned his head and captured her lips with his hungrily. The next thing Hermione knew was that Severus had pulled her down so that she was straddling his lap with his erection pressing deliciously against her center. Instinctively she started moving her hips against him causing him to gasp and pull away from their kiss.

“Hermione…” he growled. She lovt wht when he growled. “I want to make love to you. Here. Now.”

Just the timbre of his voice had Hermione shivering. She didn’t say a word as she started unbuttoning his robes and shirt while she kissed his flesh as it was slowly uncovered. She licked over a nipple and his hands grasped her hips, pulling her harder against him. She wanted the barrier between them gone. She wanted to feel him, to please him and vice versa. She reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. With a quick flick, they were both naked with their clothes folded neatly on the rock.

The wind blew lightly over them and Severus opened his eyes. He suddenly realized that they were not in the privacy of their chambers, but instead they were sitting against the beech tree overlooking the lake. The excitement of the spontaneity was turning him on even more that he ever would have imagined it would. Firmly he wrapped his fingers along her hips, lifting her so that he could position himself. Before he had a chance,mionmione had lowered herself onto him, causing both of them to moan loudly.

Hermione’s sat up abruptly at the sound of the echo of her moan. She had also forgotten that they were outside, but quickly ignored that thought as she felt Severus move inside her once again. She found herself giving in to the pleasure and the need to satisfy him. She rocked hard against him, reveling in the many sounds he was making into her mouth as they kissed. Hermione had never imagined that anyone could please her the way Severus did. Their lovemaking was never bor nev never routine. She cried out suddenly when she felt his soft lips wrapped around a turgid nipple. His hands were still on her hips, grinding her harder against him until they were both calling each other’s names in ecstasy.

Slowly, as they found themselves falling back to earth, the reality of their situation hit them. Severus couldn’t help but smile, that he had brought out a little bit of exhibitionism out of the normally quiet, shy bookworm.

“What, may I ask, is so entertaining, Professor Snape?” She could tell as sas smiling and she could feel him chuckling slightly under his breath.

“You, my dear. I never thought that you would be willing to make love, outside, under a tree, knowing that a thousand students could come out her at any moment,” he said seductively, his lips caressing her skin.

“Severus, darling, it is the end of October. It is ruddy cold out here. I seriously doubt any student would have come out here on a day like today. And you must realize, that there are still many things that you still underestimate about me,” she said, grinning triumphantly. Her grin faded suddenly at the sound of footsteps coming from the direction of Hogsmeade. They hurriedly dressed as the footsteps came nearer.

Severus growled when he saw who was walking toward them. “Black.”

“Well, well. I see that Snius sus still has you in his clutches, Hermione.” Sirius said as he came to stand next to the disheveled couple. He leaned close toward Hermione and whispered, “You know, I could show you what a real man can do. Severus is not worthy of a woman such as yourself.” He started to bring his hand up to caress her arm, but Severus caught it before he could get within inches of her.

“Don’t touch the lady, unless she gives you permission,” Severus threatened between clenched teeth.

Sirius glared back at the potion master and sneered, “Did she give you permission, Snivey?”

Severus’ hand was on his wand and ready to strike when Hermione stepped between the two. She faced Sirius with her head held high. Her voice was icy and calm, “Mr. Black. I believe that Severus is right. I did not give you permission to touch me and as for the ‘real man’ comment, I am not as innocent as you think. I have been with men and with boys. I have all I would ever want in Severus. If I were to go looking elsewhere for a ‘real man’, as you so eloquently put it, I definitely wouldn’t be looking you up.”

Severus had seen Hermione angry. He had seen her livid. This was beyond pissed. There was a venom in her tone, that Sirius obviously didn’t miss, but the stupid mutt could never leave well enough alone. “Hermione, get off it. What do you see in that greasy git? You can do so much better than him. What about Harry or Ron?”

She started to laugh ntrontrollably and Severus had to wrap his arms around her to keep her standing up. “You have got to be joking! Boys. That’s what those two are, just like you, Sirius. Boys. I won’t even dignify that with an answer. You really are that daft, aren’t you?”

Her laughter seemed to irritate Sirius and he glared harshly at Severus, “You know, the only reason she’s with you, is that she’s blind. She doesn’t have to look at your ugly mug all the time.” Severus had reared back once more, not sure if he wanted to hex the bastard or hit him. But yet again, Hermione acted first as she brought her hand fiercely across Black’s face. The echoing crack of the slap made Severus cringe slightly. He knew never to make Hermione angry. Obviously, Black didn’t have the advantage of that knowledge.

“How dare you, Sirius Black? How dare you come here and insult me and my love?”

“Love? C’mon Hermione…”

Hermione was angrier than she had been even when Harry and Ron hasitesited her right after the accident. She shook her head to calm herself before she could say something rash. “What are you doing here, Sirius?”

“Yes, Black, what are you doing here? I didn’t think the circus was in town this week.” Hermione nudged Severus to keep his mouth shut. He reluctantly complied.

“So, the lady has you whipped, huh, Snivellus?” Hermione didn’t stop Severus’s fist from connecting with Sirius’ jaw and she heard a horrible crack as bone met bone.

“You didn’t answer my question, Sirius.” Hermione snarled at the immature animagus.

“It’f the fool moon. I’m ‘ere fer Remuf,” Black tried to say through his now bloody nose and fat lip.

Severus looked at Hermione quizzically and then back to the bleeding man in front of him. “Lupin didn’t tell you? Hermione found the cure. He took it a few days ago. He won’t transform anymore.” There was no sign of malice in his voice, it was more of confusion at the idea of Lupin not informing Black and a bit of pride at Hermione’s accomplishment.

“ ‘ermione, oo, reawy did it?” Sirius slurred, holding a handkerchief to his nose.

She nodded stiffly. “Yes, Sirius, I did. I think you’d better go and meet Remus. He can explain everything. I don’t want to even smell you anymore. Please go.” Hermione could not believe the childishness of these two men. Sirius being worse. They would hold this grudge forever if they could, and Hermione had half the mind et Set Severus beat the hell out of Harry’s godfather. He was annoying her and she didn’t want to deal with it anymore. When she realized that he had not yet moved, she pointed her left hand toward the castle and reiterated, “GO!”

Sirius’ nose had stopped bleeding and he lowered the handkerchief to see Hermione pointing toward the castle. He saw a flash of silver on Hermione’s hand. He grabbed her hand swiftly and immediately let it go when he saw her raise her wand and the look of fire in Severus’ eyes. He didn’t fail to notice what caused that silver glimmer and his heart dropped. His voice had faltered to at a t a whisper when he spoke again. “Hermione, is that what I think it is, on your finger?”

Her tone seemed to change in an instant from loathing to something akin to pride. “Yes, Sirius. Severus asked me to marry him.”

Sirius looked at Snape with saddened eyes and Severus nodded. “And you said ‘yes?’” Hermione could hear the pain in his voice, almost like his heart was breaking at the idea of she and Severus getting married. Hermione nodded in the affirmative. She felt Severus’ arm come around her shoulder, holding her tightly. Sirius looked at the two of them closely and then focused on Snape. “You truly love her, don’t you?”

Severus sneered, “I fail to see why I have to prove this to you, but yes, I do, more than anything.”

Hermione smiled and leaned up against Severus’ body. “I’m sorry, Hermione,” Sirius whispered toward his feet. “I never thought… its just …” He didn’t know what to say. He never expected Severus to actually love her, and vice versa. It pained him to know that she was gone, out of his reach, but she really did look happy with the greasy bastard.

Hermione reached a hand out to touch Sirius’ arm. “Sirius, I love Severus. Nothing will change that. I know that you think you are trying to protect me, but I’m a big girl. I told Harry and Ron the same thing. Just go see Remus. He probably wants to talk to you anyway.”

Severus watched as Black silently trudged up the path to the castle. He looked like someone had just told him that Christmas was cancelled. Severus smiled inwardly at the realization that Sirius probably had a crush on his fiancée, and for once he had gotten the prize before the cocky Gryffindor had. No, he couldn’t think like that. Hermione was not a prize to be won. She was a woman, an amazing woman that could yell at you until you crumble and the next second act like a doting mother. He couldn’t understand how Hermione could just let Sirius go like that, so calmly. But the more he thought about it, he realized that was one of the things he loved about Hermione.

Hermione tried to straighten her clothes a bit from their little tryst before they were interrupted. She couldn’t believe how Sirius could go from the man-eating beast of a dog to a little puppy in a matter of seconds. He seemed utterly shocked and …hurt at the idea of she and Severus marrying. It boggled Hermione that Sirius could possibly have been attractedher her and all his hostility toward Severus was due to jealousy. She shook her head of that somewhat disturbing thought and moved toward Severus once more. She felt his strong arms come around her and hold her close.

“I’m sorry, Severus for butting in. I probably should have let you pummel him.”

Severus kissed her head lightly and smiled, “Although, uld uld have enjoyed that immensely, I think that Black needed to hear it from you. I think he might fancy you, love.”

Hermione cringed slightly. “Please don’t say that, Severus. I just can’t picture that. I really don’t want to. I love you and nothing will change that. Not even the great Sirius Black.” A huge grin spread over her face as she leaned up and kissed him on the lips. He deepened the kiss immediately and they soon found themselves sig bag back on the rock, in each other’s arms.

“Love, we have been out her most of the day. I dare say that it is almost dinner and we might want to head in to freshen up before making an appearance in the Great Hall. It is Halloween after all and you know how Albus is with his pumpkins and such,” Severus said as he pulled her up and started pulling her away from the lake.

“Severus, do you remember, my first Halloween here?”

He laughed, he most certainly remembered the panic with the troll and a bushy-haired eleven-year-old girl and two boys fighting it off successfully. “Yes, my dear, how can I forget? I recall you were quite the Gryffindor to standup and take the blame for you two cohorts.”

She laughed back at him. “Yes, I was quite the actress, wasn’t I? I was scared out of my bloody mind. I thought Minerva’s head was going to explode and that you were going to kill all three of us.”

“I would never have killed all three of you - Potter and Weasley maybe, but not the little pain-in-my-arse, know-it-all. No, I needed the challenge of teaching you. You were too smart for your own good sometimes.”

“I haven’t changed, you know,” she teased.

“I know my dear, and I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he said as he guided her through the entrance doors and down toward the dungeons.



TBC