Confidential Assignment

A/N I want to thank all of you that were kind enough to review. I didn\'t get this done in a timely fashion and with HBP coming out - I rather hurried the ending. I\'m thinking it\'s more a PWP at this point, but I think it ends well.

Chapter Three

The next morning Hermione rose early and gathered the things she would need for the ceremony at Hogwarts that evening. She considered taking a pair of flats, but she reasoned that Dumbledore\'s attendant was probably as old as he was and there probably wouldn\'t be very much dancing.

Poor old man will probably just be grateful to have someone to talk to.

Fastening the small valise she had packed to the brim, Hermione shrank it and placed it in a side pocket of her robes. Making her way out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, she checked to make sure the charms she\'d placed on Crookshanks food and water bowls were functioning correctly before bidding the cat farewell.

\"You be a good boy and when I get back tomorrow, I\'ll bring you a treat of some kind,\" she said giving him one last good stroke and issuing one final note of warning. \"I reinforced the charm on your kitty door, so you won\'t be able to bring the neighbor\'s cat in while I\'m gone, you sneaky Lothario.\"

\"You men, I swear,\" she said laughing when he gave her a shamefaced look like he understood.

Exiting her flat, she paused to put up the wards she always left in place and then Apparated to the gates outside Hogwarts. Hermione stood for a moment and merely sighed while looking over the castle and grounds. She never tired of seeing it and the warmth in her smile increased when she spied Hagrid\'s hut in the distance.

I can\'t believe he\'s going to miss the ceremony, but he\'d probably only cry buckets anyway, she thought as her feet began to take her up the path to the front door. After pushing the heavy door shut behind her, Hermione started in the direction of Minerva\'s classroom before remembering that she wouldn\'t be there.

Quarters, quarters - where were they again?

After only few wrong turns, Hermione knocked and was pleased when Minerva opened the door.

\"Hermione, come in. I\'ve been wondering when you\'d get here. It\'s hard to believe but I\'m finding myself a touch nervous,\" Minerva said as she motioned for the other woman to enter.

\"Albus has moved out for the day and it\'s a bit nerve racking to try and decide how to wear my hair without anyone here to tell me how it looks.\"

Hermione looked at the current what ever it was on Minerva\'s head and wondered if she\'d intended it to look like a miniature Hogwarts.

\"I can - understand the difficulties that might present,\" she said tactfully while hoping desperately Minerva didn\'t ask her opinion of the current style. \"Where did Albus go? Guest quarters?\"

Shaking her head, Minerva said, \"No, he\'s merely imposing on the - erm - I mean Severus for the day.\"

Tell her now that Severus is going to be the best man and she\'d be back in London before the last syllables fell from your lips.

Hermione\'s eyes had widened when Minerva shook her head. They were fixed on the monstrosity that bobbled around on the top of the others head.

Now I know what an earthquake would do to the castle, she thought in horrified awe. Total devastation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


\"Albus, if you insist on being here today, the least you could do,\" Severus insisted as he picked up yet another half eaten sticky sweet, \"is discard your own rubbish.\"

Glancing at the morsel Severus held in his horrified fingers, Albus snatched it away and popped it in his mouth.

\"Not rubbish,\" Albus stated around his chewing. \"I just forgot where I put it for the moment.\"

Rolling his eyes in disgust, Severus muttered, \"Gods, and she\'s actually going to repeat the marriage vows. She\'s braver than I thought.\"

\"What was that, dear boy?\" Albus asked as he brushed his beard.

\"Nothing. Nothing at all. I\'m going for a walk.\"

\"You can\'t,\" Albus stated bluntly.

\"Excuse me?\" Severus questioned with a raised eyebrow.

\"You have to stay here and assist me. It\'s what a best man does.\"

The other eyebrow rose to join the first one.

\"I am at a loss to understand why Albus Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of modern times, could possibly require my assistance enough that I can\'t go for a simple walk,\" Snape growled while heading for the door.

\"Severus! I insist. Who else would give me an honest opinion,\" Albus said as he turned toward the fleeing wizard.

Exhaling a huff of air, Severus faced him and asked, \"Give you an honest opinion on what, old man?\"

Beaming at him, Albus flicked his wand at his beard.

\"Which looks better, straight like it was or curly? Or do you think Minerva might like a few roses or other flowers woven in if I braided it?\"

Greatest wizard of modern times, my arse. He\'s skated by on publicity for years. She\'s totally and thoroughly ruined his mind.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Time does strange things for different people. To those that look forward to an event, it stretches and seems to go by with tiny, hesitant ticks of the clock. To those dreading the same event, it races by with broad sweeps of the hands. In either case, it passed and the hour had come at last for all parties to make their way to the Great Hall.

Hermione smiled and held the door open for Minerva as she picked up the bouquet of roses that had arrived only moments before. Minerva smelled them again and beamed at her in turn.

\"I can\'t believe he remembered such a small thing,\" she said wonderingly as she swept through the portal with Hermione following in her wake.

They reached the doors and final arrangements were made on the dresses they wore. Hermione went to take her place in front of Minerva to walk down the makeshift aisle first. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw who was standing next to Dumbledore.

\"Minerva,\" she hissed urgently over her shoulder. \"What is Snape doing up there?\"

\"Oh, I\'m sorry. Didn\'t I tell you? Albus\' old friend, Stephanos, couldn\'t make it and Severus was kind enough to fill in for him,\" Minerva whispered back.

\"That was extremely - thoughtful of him,\" Hermione said through gritted teeth.

\"Yes, it was - wasn\'t it,\" Minerva said while bestowing a broad smile on the back of the other woman\'s head. \"The music has started, dear. Move out.\"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


After the blasted ceremony was finally over, Severus was almost pleased that the time to escort Miss Granger down the aisle had come. Holding out his elbow in the approved fashion, he was able to contain the wince that wanted to move across his face when her hand took his arm.

A brief amount of time spent at the reception and this whole disaster will be finally over, was the thought that rolled through his mind.

Catching the outraged look on Potter\'s face, Severus was moved to place one hand on top of Granger\'s while they walked. Pulling her a touch closer and patting said hand, he had to control the sadistic smile that threatened to spill out when Potter turned a deep shade of red.

Yes, I\'m touching her, Potter and your sorry arse can\'t do a damned thing about it.

\"Did you see that, Ron?\" Harry sputtered as they passed. \"We\'re going to have to keep an eye on that bastard.\"

\"What?\" Ron asked as his attention was pulled away from the girl in the front row who was still fluttering her eyelashes at him. \"See what?\"

\"Get your mind off your crotch,\" Harry said as the girl turned back toward the front. \"Snape. He\'s got designs on Hermione. I just know it.\"

\"What? She wouldn\'t have anything to do with him - he\'s too much of a git,\" Ron said in exasperation after losing eye contact with his latest possible conquest.

Snape smirked inwardly as their conversation floated after them. Glancing down at Hermione\'s head, he saw her roll her eyes.

\"Your friends seem - worried about you, Miss Granger. Shall I inform them you\'re quite safe?\" he asked with a dour expression on his face.

\"Don\'t you dare,\" Hermione snapped out before she thought about how it sounded. \"I mean - I\'m tired of their interference in my life. I\'m not a pushover for any male that happens to think a quick roll would be fun and it\'s time they learned that. I can take care of myself.\"

A devious plan began to form in Severus mind and he glanced over her form in the snug fitting dress.

It might work and get me laid at the same time without any further obligation, he thought as they reached the room where the reception was to be held. Finding the table with their name tags, he held her chair while she sat down. The view of her cleavage when she sat down, only piqued his interest.

A bit of slap and tickle wouldn\'t go amiss at all, he thought as he felt his groin tighten. I\'ll have to be charming and attentive, but that shouldn\'t be too difficult to fake with Potter watching every move. The redder his face gets, the better.

During the dinner that followed, Snape made sure that Hermione\'s glass of wine was refilled as soon as she emptied it. When the flush of intoxication stayed in her cheeks, the subtle touches began on his part. He watched her expressions carefully as each accident occurred and when one of his arms brushed the side of her breast, Severus was pleased to note the slightly deeper hue in her cheeks.

Dancing, as much as I abhor it, will probably finish the job, he decided with an almost detached air. I\'ll have to make sure Potter or Weasley don\'t get the opportunity to cut in, but that shouldn\'t prove difficult with Dumbledore\'s unknowing assistance.

Leaning over to murmur in the headmaster\'s ear, Severus advised him that he planned on fulfilling his duty dance, but only if Albus was able to control Potter and Weasley.

\"I\'m sure you don\'t want any disturbances and the way they\'ve been glowering at me all evening, if they attempt to molest my person in anyway I will take proper countermeasures against them,\" Severus finished quietly.

Nodding his head sagely, Dumbledore motioned for an elf to deliver a message to the aforementioned duo. When they turned their faces in his direction, Albus nodded his head and hid a smile of amusement when their faces fell.

\"I think that should take care of the situation, Severus.\"

Hiding a smirk, Severus rose and bowed slightly in Granger\'s direction.

\"Would you like to dance? I believe it\'s the custom after all,\" he added in case she took it in her head to refuse.

Dance? Oh, damn. I should have brought the flats after all, Hermione thought as she rose and put her hand in the one he extended while looking up at his imposing height. Still, he\'s awfully tall so maybe the heels are better.

Risking a glance in Ron and Harry\'s direction, she frowned slightly when she noticed the woebegone expressions on their faces.

I wonder what broke their bubble? was the only thought she managed to send in their direction before Snape pulled her into his arms and started moving to the strands of a waltz. She was a little surprised at how close he held her. A flush stole over her face at one point when his hips brushed closer to her stomach and she noticed a certain hardness

Is he? Gods, I mean I know he\'s male, but - her mind refused to take the thought farther, but a warmth invaded her pelvis and made her shiver.

A small smirk appeared at the corner of his mouth as Snape gazed down at her breasts. He noticed the small peaks that formed under the fabric of her bodice after he accidentally brushed his arousal against her stomach. As the dance ended, Severus released her and held out his elbow.

\"Would you like to take a small stroll in the rose garden?\" he asked with a raised eyebrow, daring her to refuse. \"I find a bit of fresh air helps with the digestion.\"

Hermione glanced over at Harry and Ron. Their expressions made it clear that she was in for an inquisition as soon as they were alone and she didn\'t feel like dealing with their childishness tonight.

\"I\'d be delighted, Professor,\" she said as she put her hand around his arm.

Severus was bored beyond belief by the time they had made one circuit of the garden. Making small talk was a trial at the best of times, but with his goal in mind, Severus had managed to be almost gracious. Her questions about the different bushes and the uses of the petals in potions had been tolerable, but they seemed never ending.

I\'ll never get in her knickers at this rate, he decided.

Spying a corner of the garden that was flanked by three walls and fairly hidden, Severus lead her in that direction before stopping and removing his arm from her grasp.

\"This is a fairly private area, Miss Granger and I wanted to ask you a few questions about the scene in the flower shop yesterday. What was the purpose of your little act?\" he asked with an off handed air, but with a lift to his eyebrow that meant she\'d better answer.

\"Oh,\" she said, flushing slightly. \"It just seemed - important at the time to - get a little back at you for being so rude.\"

\"I see,\" he said while raising his chin in the air. \"So it was all a pretense then was it?\"

Confused she looked up at him and asked, \"What do you mean?\"

\"I mean, the response I received from the kiss I took,\" he said gravely while running a practiced finger over her jaw and down the length of her neck where it finally paused at the valley between her breasts. His eyes locked with hers while it traced a path over the exposed mounds and back to her neck. \"I found it rather - compelling myself.\"

Hermione\'s eyes widened slightly and she shivered in response to his touch.

\"I - it was - it started as a joke, but -\" her voice stopped when she realized what she had almost admitted.

\"Excellent,\" he murmured darkly before stepping closer and forcing her to step back against the wall. His hand curled around her neck while his thumb tilted her chin up so his mouth could claim hers. The other arm found its way around her waist and pulled her close to his body. When her mouth softened and opened under his, he pressed his advantage by deepening the kiss. Severus couldn\'t believe that this was the same bushy haired little brat that used to cause major air disturbances in his classroom with the frantic waving. His blood hadn\'t been this heated for a long time, even with the distractions offered in Knockturn Alley. Her hands on his arse pulling him closer to the center of her body were obeyed and he pushed his erection into the soft belly it encountered.

The fingers of the hand around her neck found the ties that held the bodice of her dress and pulled gently until they were undone. The Muggle zipper at the back was silent when the other hand pulled it down and caressed the silken skin it found before moving to the front and cupping a bare breast. Hermione struggled slightly when she realized what had happened and tried to break the kiss while knocking his hand away from her breast. Breathing harshly, he broke the kiss and looked down at her.

\"I don\'t play games, Miss Granger. Either I take you here and now or I walk away forever,\" he growled. \"I profess no love, but I will admit you have intrigued me.\"

Hermione gasped at the blunt words and she almost pushed him away while the word, \"Walk!\" trembled on the edge of her tongue.

Do I dare? she asked herself. I\'ve never been this - interested, this quickly. If I don\'t - I\'ll always wonder.

She slowly pulled his head back down to hers with one hand while the other found one of his and drew it back to her naked breast. Severus took her unspoken agreement and allowed himself to unbend enough to plunder the mouth that was offered while his hand moved over the soft mound of flesh, finding the peak. Pleased that it was already hard, the hand continued its work there for a time before moving down the torso to find the cloth of her skirt. Long fingers worked the material up and out of his way before it slipped under and found the soft skin it hid from view. His other hand moved to join it under the long skirt and between the two of them they managed to find the silk of her knickers.

Tracing the length of her waist, one hand slid down to the edge of a leg opening and followed it to the damp heat that called to his cock.

Further persuasion is in order, was the thought that ran through his mind before his fingers slid into the promised moistness, beginning to delve and twist.

A bit of panic ran through Hermione\'s mind when he touched her so intimately and she started to draw her head away from his only to find it pressed tightly against the wall. The sensations he was bringing forth left her trembling and the pressure from his mouth grew. A few whimpers reached her ears and she realized they were coming from her. She felt the knickers tear, giving a small hiccup when his hands grasped her buttocks and lifted. He parted her legs, invaded her body with one thrust and she hadn\'t even realized he\'d unbuttoned his pants.

Oh, Gods! I\'m really having sex with Snape! Against a wall in the rose garden no less!! she thought as he began to thrust strongly within her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she found that she didn\'t have the opportunity to move. His movements trapped her throughly between his hard body and the wall.

Severus savored the tight wet heat of her body and drove harder, intent on finding his own release, but considered briefly that he might want to - invade this particular body again sometime. His stance altered slightly and he broke the kiss in order to stimulate the mass of nerves that might ensure future encounters for him. Watching her face, he adjusted the thrusts slightly until a small smirk formed on his face.

That\'s the ticket, right there.

Hermione held onto the broad shoulders as the orgasm tossed her over the cliff of forgetfulness for a time as she flexed around his thrusting cock. Her neck arched as much as it could against the unforgiving wall and she cried out her release until his mouth covered hers to muffle the noise.

Can\'t have Albus come investigate at this point, he thought selfishly. Not till I\'m done with her anyway.

Feeling her relax at last, Severus stopped and looked down in her face.

\"I take it that was satisfactory, Miss Granger?\" he asked sarcastically. \"Be good enough to unlock your legs from around my waist if you please.\"

Hermione was languid enough that she didn\'t catch the tone at first and released him as he asked. When he had withdrawn and her legs were back on the ground, it dawned on her that he had been rude even in this.

\"How dare - \" were the only words she was allowed to get out of her mouth before she was spun around and taken to her knees.

\"You have had your fun, Miss Granger,\" he said from behind her. Flipping the skirt over her head, he moved between her slightly spread legs and entered her. \"Now, it\'s my turn. As pleasureable as it was against the wall, I\'d prefer not to collapse before I\'ve tasted the full measure of your charms.\"

Sadistic bastard, she thought even as she moved back against him.

\"I take it you haven\'t done it this way before,\" he observed with a grunt. \"Lower your head, pillow it on your arms and it will be worth your while.\"

Shooting the thrusting Snape a look of disbelief over her shoulder, Hermione did as he suggested.

\"Oh, my!\" came out of her mouth before she could stop it.

\"Exactly!\"

To help make sure that this very willing pupil returned for other lessons Severus decided to do a memory drill. One hand released the tight grip it had on her hips and found her little nub again, working it mercilessly while he continued to thrust deeply into her hot grasping walls.

Damn, I hope she goes again soon. I can\'t last much longer, was the thought that ran across his mind as he felt the first stirring of his own release. Blast! I\'m not waiting any longer, he thought as his hand returned to grab the feminine hip to drive even deeper.

\"Oh, oh - oh,\" came from Hermione\'s mouth as the new intensity of his thrusts drove her
over the edge again. Her back arched and she found that she was willing to do anything as long as he didn\'t stop.

The growl that came from his mouth as she tightened around him again proceeded the blast of his own orgasm into her depths and he found himself helpless to stop the sounds from his own throat as he pounded into her a few final times. Collapsing on top of her, he breathed heavily into her ear.

\"Damn, Granger,\" he breathed at last. \"I am forced to concede that you\'ve got an exceptionally talented arse.\"

She gasped for air at first and then found herself giggling when he draped himself over the top of her. He was still joined with her and she found that she couldn\'t move.

\"Are we done now?\" came her muffled voice.

Snorting, Severus raised his head enough to nip at her ear.

\"Not on your life,\" he growled. \"If you think I went through all the nicety nice tripe just to get one piece from your tail, you\'re wrong.\"

Carefully picking a special vial from the midst of others in his robes, he took a small sip and smiled darkly when he felt his cock grow hard again. Starting to move within her, he said, \"If you\'re a good little girl, I\'ll let you be on top at some point. Maybe.\"

Her face rocked against the soft grass and she was amazed that he was turgid again so soon. \"How - is - it possible - that you - I mean - doesn\'t - it take - a - little while - to - recover?\" she managed to get out while he moved against her.

\"I am a master at potions, you silly twit. Now shut up and make me happy by moving or I won\'t let you come this time.\"

He was briefly surprised when there was no reply, just an increase in movement.

\"Excellent, Miss Granger. I can finally give you full marks for effort.\"

The groans and moans that flowed through the garden didn\'t cease until the wee hours of the morning as Hermione finally found herself on top. His hands on her naked breasts while she flexed above him were sending messages to her pelvis to move faster. One of his hands snaked down, fondled her where they were joined and she cried out yet again in surrender to his touch.

When he finally joined her, she collapsed exhausted on his chest. His hands ran over her bare back and down to cup her arse. They\'d lost all their clothing at some point during the night and the living blanket felt good. Grabbing a corner of his robes, he drew it over them. When she went to move off, he grasped her hip with one hand.

\"I don\'t recall saying you could move, Miss Granger. Do we need to start the lessons over again?\" he asked with a raised eyebrow. \"My cock finds it new home quite comfortable and doesn\'t care to lose it just yet.\"

\"But,\" she started before his finger moved to cover her lips.

\"No buts, young lady. Just obey.\"

\"Self centered, egotistical bastard,\" she muttered under her breath while trying to find a comfortable position.

\"Yes, I am aren\'t I?\" he drawled in return.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


\"Albus, come away from that window,\" Minerva called from the bedroom. \"Give them some privacy at least.\"

Albus smiled and turned in the direction of her voice.

\"Only if you promise I get to do to you what he\'s already done to her.\"