Be Careful in the Dark

Chapter 29- Assignation, At Vanishing Point

Hermione looked at the hotel room and sighed. Here she was, waiting. Severus was fifteen minutes late. She had already transfigured everything about the room although she left the physical dimensions of the room the same. She had kept it simple, adding gentle colors and plush materials.

Her look for the evening matched the room. A brunette that was wasn’t too tall, too short, too round, or too thin. It was a dull look but she couldn’t think of a better way to hide her nervousness. It also meant she could dress up a little, in a lavender satin scrap of a top and snug jeans, and not look as if she had spent hours getting ready. Which, of course, she had.

When the knock at the door finally came, twenty minutes late on the dot, she jumped and squeaked a little bit. She rubbed her arms with her hands and took a deep breath before walking across the room and opening the door.

Severus stood in front of the door, arms crossed, frowning, and… wearing muggle clothing? His black button down shirt was tucked into black jeans. Even his hair looked different, pulled back into a ponytail.

Hermione stared. “Severus, are you wearing jeans?”

“This is a muggle establishment. This clothing is more… appropriate.” He waved one hand up and down.

Hermione motioned him into the room and he lifted his eyebrows at the massive bed and the soft, lighting. Hermione had a moment of panic. Did he not realize what her invitation had meant?

“It’s a flattering look for you.” And it was. The clothing made it easier to see the muscular leanness of his legs, although black was never going to do anything for his pallor.

Severus curled his lip at her. “Very clever. Is there a point to this meeting?”

Hermione shook her head and laughed. “Well, it’s not like I’m bedding you because you’re charming.”

“I was not aware that a one time… assignation… constituted ‘bedding’.” Severus sneered the word ‘assignation’ at her.

He had remained across the side of the room, near the door. Hermione sauntered across the room until she was right in front of him. “Allow me to correct that.” She hooked one finger in the waist of his jeans and pulled him forward.

He looked down at her, one eyebrow lifted and the sneer still on his lips. “To what do I owe the honor?”

“Apparently near death experiences do wonders for my libido.” Hermione smirked at him and moved her pelvis against his, letting her fingers trail along the top of his jeans.

“Somehow, I’m not surprised.” The sneer spread into a cruel smile. “They usually do for people like you.”

“And you’re so different, Severus?” Hermione pressed one hand firmly against his growing erection.

“No, I suppose not.” He put one hand in her hair and pulled her head back in one sharp jerk. He ground his mouth against hers and Hermione didn’t resist. She just opened her mouth and nibbled at his lips. Severus groaned and they began to kiss, dueling with their tongues.

He tore at her top, shredding the satin underneath his hands. Hermione giggled a little internally as he did it. The man really couldn’t stop himself from tearing her clothes to shreds. Then he bit her lip and she refocused on more the more important task of getting him naked. She sought out the buttons on his shirt and found she couldn’t undo them. She tugged, frowning even as the pleasure of tasting him washed through her.

He pulled back, saying, “I need to do that.”

Hermione blew air through her lips in annoyance. “I suppose you’ve done something similar with your pants.”

Severus narrowed his eyes at her and nodded.

“Well, Severus, I hope those spells are quick to work.” She took two steps back and started unhooking her pants. “Otherwise, I’m going to make you go down on me and leave you hanging.”

He stepped forward and grabbed her hands. With a smirk, he said, “allow me.”

Hermione laughed. Severus tugged at the buttons on her jeans until she was standing naked in front of him. Then he stepped forward, pressing her backwards towards the bed. When they were standing by the side of the bed, he pushed her backwards and Hermione let herself fall onto the bed.

Severus took one foot in his hands, turning her leg until he could reach her ankle with his mouth. Hermione met his eyes and didn’t look away as he trailed delicate kisses up her calf and knee. When he reached her inner thigh, he pinched the delicate skin sharply. Hermione yelped and squirmed, desire pulsing through her core. One side of Severus’ mouth curled up and Hermione’s breath caught.

As he reached the top of her inner thigh, he pulled away and Hermione groaned. He lifted the other leg and started again at her ankle.

“Severus, enough! Fuck me.” Hermione could barely get the words out of her mouth.

He laughed, his breath warm on her calf, and said, “And here I thought I was going to be left hanging.”

“Don’t just stand there. Do something!” Hermione replied, no longer caring about their word games. He was winning this round in their contest of wills and she did not care.

He gripped her legs and pulled her down until her bum was at the edge of the bed. Spreading her legs, he knelt on the floor. His body was warm against her legs and it was all Hermione could do to stop herself from forcing his mouth closer to her aching clit.

Severus paused for a couple of seconds and then, just as Hermione was about to take him to task, he penetrated her with one long finger and bit down on her inner thigh. Hermione bowed, crying out, as the pleasure and pain flashed through her. Then his mouth was on her sex, lapping and sucking. Hermione writhed on the bed, gasping as he gave her no time to recover. His tongue drove her higher still and she had to grab the bed cover to prevent herself from tearing his hair out of his head.

The second orgasm slammed through her, tight and sharp waves of pleasure flooding her. She panted unevenly and tried to focus her eyes on Severus. He had somehow lost his shirt and was working on his pants. Hermione licked her lips and tried to catch her breath. Severus’ pants came undone and his erect cock sprang free. Hermione smirked and shifted onto her knees.

“I want to be on top.” She said, reaching out with one hand to stroke his cock. His breath caught and he nodded.

Severus rolled onto his back, his cock rigid and leaking. Hermione did not pause to tease him. She took his length in her hand and guided him inside her. She rocked back and forth on top of him, rolling her hips and pressing sensitive places insider her. He reached up, trailing his fingers down over her breasts, belly and thighs.

She leaned forward, sliding one behind his neck and started pumping up and down on his cock. Severus put his hands on her hips, pressing his hips up and hers down in sharp, hard tempo. Hermione ground her clit against his belly as he did so, moving in circles when their pelvises where locked together.

Hermione stopped and he groaned. Laughing, she sat back up and began to move her hips up and down, as slowly as her trembling muscles would allow. Severus bit his lip, his eyes darkening as he watched his cock enter her. When she could not stand it anymore, she leaned back, putting her hands on the bed behind her, and drove her hips down again and again. Pleasure blossomed inside of her pelvis and she came with a sharp cry. Severus gave a strangled moan and Hermione felt his cock pulse inside her.

She stayed where she was for a minute or two, letting her body calm down, before she slumped forward on top of him. He ran one hand down her back and she sighed into his neck. Her right hip cramped and so she shifted, Severus’ cock slipping free of her, and rolled onto her back. She stretched her right left over her left, trying to get her muscle to unclench.

Severus reached over, digging long fingers into her hip. Hermione started and then groaned as his fingers worked through her cramp.

“Thank you.” She said when he was done.

He gave her a shrug and a nod in response. Then he asked, “Should I expect to see Avery soon?”

Hermione stared at him for a second and then said, “Floating in a river near you.” She smirked as she said it. She has a flash of guilt—guilt that she didn’t feel even remotely bad about killing someone… again. She suppressed it. That was an emotional tangle for another day.

Severus gave a low laugh. “Good; I ratted him out immediately.”

Hermione laughed and tucked her head into his shoulder. “As well you should have.”

Severus rolled over onto his left side, pushing her onto her back. Hermione looked at him, tilting her head to one side.

“I know how you do this.” He said, motioning with his right hand to her appearance.

“Is that so?” Hermione asked.

“Yes.” He trailed one finger down her neck, over the charm she wore on a necklace that kept her transformation in place. While the charm was in place, he could not see or touch it.

Hermione grinned. She had been expecting this. It would have been out of character for him not to try and figure it out.

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” She was not so foolish as to rely on one method to insure her disguise. “Besides, I don’t think you want to know.” Hermione looked into his dark eyes and continued to smile. “What’s worse Severus? That I’m her or that I’m not?”

Severus pressed his lips into a flat line and narrowed his eyes at her. Hermione didn’t look away. The silence stretched out between them. Finally, knowing she was giving in, she said, “Would you get over it already? She’s a child!”

He was gone before she’d even finished the sentence. He pulled his shirt up off the floor and jerked his arms into it.

She sighed and got out of the bed, hunting around for her own clothing. The shirt was a lost cause so she transfigured it into something less provocative. She wasn’t sure what to say and the silence hung heavy in the air. She kept her eyes on her clothes, unwilling to even look at him. The Hermione-button was a button she wished Severus did not have and that she wished she did not have to push.

“The Ministry was attacked.” Severus said, abruptly. Hermione jerked her eyes up to look at him. His lips were still pressed together in a thin line. His long fingers buttoning his fly momentarily distracted her. She swallowed and forced herself to think about what he had said.

“Were they successful?” Hermione asked.

“They all but burned the Department of Mysteries to the ground. We have no idea what they’ve taken. They tried to get into the Records Department but were repelled.” Each word was clipped and hard.

“Damn it!” Hermione said, sitting down heavily on bed. “Everything about this stupid war is one step forward, two steps back.” She pulled her socks on, gritting her teeth as one sock got stuck on her toes. She looked over her shoulder. “Anybody hurt?”

“Fifteen Ministry employees are dead, another forty are hurt. There were a similar number of muggles injured. The streets above the Department of Mysteries collapsed as well.”

“Have you heard anything about what they’ve taken?” Hermione tied her shoe on in sharp, jerking movements.

Severus shook his head. “Voldemort has been unusually close-lipped. Only a few people knew this was going to happen. The rumors are that this was planned and executed by the Reaper.”

“The who?” Hermione asked. One of her shoes was missing so she bent over to look under the bed.

“That’s what the my fellow death eaters are calling Voldemort’s new second-in-command.”

Hermione popped up, looking at him over the bed. “Seriously?”

Severus nodded briefly. His kept his eyes focused on clothing, his hands moving smoothly.

“You guys are scared shitless.” Hermione said, laughing a little although there was nothing funny about what she was saying.

Severus looked up briefly and glared. He had to unbutton his pants to tuck his shirt in. “Things are not the same. Voldemort is not the same. I do not know how to explain it.”

“Care to try?” Hermione said. She had finished dressing several minutes ago and was lounging on the bed, watching Severus dress.

“We do not know anything about this… Reaper. It might not even be human. Voldemort appeared one day, looking more human and with a robed figure by his side. Even his inner circle were surprised.” Severus had finished dressing and was packing back and forth in front of the fire.

“It’s man.” Hermione said, snapping her mouth closed. She didn’t know why she was so certain, she just was.

“How do you know?” Severus asked, stopped momentarily in his pacing.

“I saw it, him, in the battle. I know who, what… I should know who it is.” Hermione said, a dull throbbing starting at the back of her head.

“Your head hurts, doesn’t it?” Severus said.

Hermione nodded.

“That is what happens when any of us discuss… it… him too much. I, too, feel like I should recognize… it… him.” Severus rubbed the back of his neck and winced.

“Alright. Let’s talk about how Voldemort had changed.” Hermione said.

Severus sighed. “I did not think it was possible, but he is actually madder.”

Hermione choked on her laugh. It wasn’t funny, at all. Severus shot her a small, wry smile.

“What makes you say that? He hasn’t exactly been playing with a full deck for some time.” Hermione replied, anxiety bubbling its way up.

Severus hesitated, “I have tried to express this to others but they do not believe.”

Hermione looked at him and mentally inserted Dumbledore’s name into that sentence. Severus wasn’t exactly swimming in allies and Hermione hadn’t heard anything like this at the Order meetings.

“Try me,” she finally said.

“I do not think he cares about the power any more.”

Hermione lifted her eyebrows and opened her mouth. She closed it when Severus held his hand up and shook his head at her.

“Let me try again,” he said. “In the beginning, He wanted to control the Wizarding world, to be the most powerful wizard, to do as he wished. Now… now, I believe he wants to burn the world to ash.” Severus said the words in flat, grey tone.

Hermione stared at Severus, uncertain how to respond.

His eyes flickered over at her once and then he stared at the fire. “I’ve been close to it once. That, that creature. It’s wrong. Its very existence is wrong. It tears the fabric of the universe wherever it goes.”

“Him.” Hermione said, her brain still processing what he said.

“It’s not human!” He snarled.

“It was, once.” Hermione absently replied. She almost knew who it was, the name fluttering on the top of her tongue. The headache that had almost faded came back, stabbing sharply up the back of her neck and into her head. She doubled over.

“Fucking hell, Severus.” She croaked the word out.

Severus walked over and sat next to her on the bed. He pulled out a small phial. “Drink this.”

Hermione reached out, swallowing it in one gulp. The headache didn’t go away but it receded enough that she could sit up.

“We must change the topic. It will only get worse.” Severus said. He sat rigidly next to her on the bed, spine straight as an iron rod.

“Why tell me?” Hermione finally asked.

“You asked.” He replied, lifting his lip slightly in a sneer. Hermione gave him a half-smile and then looked away.

“The Daily Prophet should be something to see tomorrow. I wonder how the Ministry is going to spin it.” Hermione said, reaching out and taking a hold of his hand. She threaded her fingers through his, making sure to keep her eyes turned away. Severus resisted for a moment and then relented.

Severus gave a dry, barking laugh and said, “They aren’t going to spin it all. There was a magical accident and a few floors collapsed. The Ministry has decided to take the opportunity to make a few renovations.”

Hermione stared at him for a couple seconds before she started to laugh. After a couple minutes, her laugh trailed off. “This country is so fucked.”

Severus didn’t reply although he twitched his lips minutely at both corners. After a couple minutes, they stood.

Pausing awkwardly, Hermione looked up at him and said, “well, see you later. Give me a few minutes before you follow me.”

Severus nodded and she exited the room.