Blackout

Hermione
opened her eyes tentatively. The soft light of early morning shone through the
window, some ten feet in front of her.

Sunrise.
The Noctus Totalus was broken.

She
couldn’t remember ever having felt so refreshed. It was as if years of tension
and worry had simply fallen away. And lying on top of her, his legs sandwiched
between hers… was the man who had caused it all to fall away.

She
quickly closed her eyes. They had consummated their relationship, for all intents
and purposes, blind. Would they still find each other appealing in the light of
day?

“Severus,”
she said shaking his shoulder a little, “Wake up. The spell is broken.”

He
stirred, scrunched his eyes, and turned over on his side. Hermione felt her
breath quicas has he then opened his eyes, holding her captive by their dark
depths. “Good morning, my dear,” he said in his velvet voice.

“The
spell is broken,” she said.

“I can
see that.” Then he looked seriousermiermione? Now that we can see, do you… do
you still want…”

“Yes,
absolutely,” she said, feeling, to her surprise, very sure of herself.

“I am
not a handsome man, Hermione.”

“You are
to me.” He gave her a relieved smile and met her lips in a soft yet firm kiss.
When they pulled away, she said, “I think the question really is, am I good
enough for you?” She swallowed at the acute return of self-doubt.

He
pulled away to look up and down the length of her, and she felt a thrill at the
light that gleamed in his eyes. He fixed her with those eyes again, making her
tremble, and said, “I think you’re quite adequate.”

She
chuckled, and started to pull him back down again for another kiss when he
reached toward the f nex next to the mattress. With wand in hand he said to
her, “Let’s do a little testing. Lumos,”
and the tip of his wand glowed. “Nox,”
and the wand winked out. “Incendio,”
and the fireplace roared to life.

“Not the
Divine Light Charm?” said Hermione, grinning.

“That
would be too much light. But it
should be in proper order as well.”

Hermione
embraced him and gazed into the fire. “Severus, what time is it?”

He gave
a lascivious smile and gazed down at her. “Time enough to spare before
classes.”

He heart
leaped with joy as their lips sought each other out.

style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>There shouldn’t be that much trouble
preparing for class. Mainly just brush my hair and dab on a little Deodorspell,
she thought as she dressed in her own room.

Her mind
was filled with Severus and what they had done together. Things would be
different between them from now on—as well as different within herself. The
idea that I could give a man so much pleasure… for a while I was seriously
doubting my ability to do so.

As she
brushed her hair, she noticed a flush to her cheeks, a glint in her eyes that
hadn’t been there before. She silently thanked Peeves for his prank, for this
night of adventure, for this chance to see another side of her colleague,
friend… now lover. For the chance to…

She
jolted with realization. How could she have forgotten about style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>that? She put the brush down and
immediately dashed off to the Potions classroom.

There,
she downed the pink concoction and placed a hand on her belly, feeling the
tingling inside. Seconds later the first students shuffled into class.

style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>After all, I forgot last night to use a
contraceptive charm myself. Silly me.

“Professor
Granger!” said a first-year Hufflepuff girl. “I was so scared last night! Were
you all right?”

Hermione
couldn’t help giving her a very broad, warm smile. “Yes, Miss Rayburn. I was
quite all right.”

THE
END