Unforgettable

Chapter Three --

Every fiber of her being protested the slightest of movements as Hermione woke up. The familiar call of the morning bird did not greet her as she blinked up at her ceiling. Perhaps Crookshanks had finally caught the noisy nuisance.

With a loud groan, she sat up in bed and frowned. Why was she wearing her gown and why was it on backwards? Vague memories churned in her head as unfamiliar muscles ached. She had a splitting headache, and the sound of honking horns outside her flat didn’t help matters.

The ball! She’d been to the ball! Flashes of the evening’s events floated to the surface. She’d gone alone last night, not needing a replay of last year’s events in front of any potential date. Neville still had yet to recover.

Ginny and Ron were there, bickering like brother and sister. If she remembered correctly, Ron was a bit miffed with Harry for bringing Luna to the ball. If Ron was miffed, Ginny was livid.

Harry and Ginny had broken things off shortly after the first annual ball. She couldn’t stand Harry’s adoring fans. Still new to being a celebrity without worrying about being killed all the time, Harry chose his adoring public over Ginny.

As usual, Ron and Luna were arguing about something. But neither one of them could tell you what they had argued about. All they knew was that they were angry with one another and barely on speaking terms.

She had danced with both Harry and Ron, listening to both of them grumble about their lost loves. After having her toes stepped on several times by Ron, Hermione had finally snapped. She pushed him away and thanked him for the dance, reminding him, “It’s better to have love and lost, than to have never loved at all.”

After that, things got a little fuzzy. She remembered approaching the floating punch bowl and being apprehensive about doing so.

Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, Hermione gasped. A love bite!

Flashes of a passionate embrace danced in her memories. A head with dark hair was buried between her legs, pleasuring her with talented skill. Hermione tore her dress off, looking for more evidence. It was then that she realized she wasn’t wearing any knickers. Her robe, garter belt and nylons were lying in a haphazard heap on the floor near her bedroom door. Where were her knickers?

She’d faced Voldemort’s Deatheaters! Certainly that was worse than this. She’d had a fling last night and she couldn’t remember with whom. She was on the potion. Other than the potential for an embarrassing and awkward meeting, there wouldn’t be any consequences.
--

That bloody nuisance of a cat was going to suffer a horrible demise if he had anything to do with it, Severus thought as he poured a healing draught over the scratches that vile creature had inflicted upon his legs. Hermione’s cat was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

He’d had to carry Hermione to the gates of Hogwarts. It would not do to just leave her there. Knowing her, she would be able to put two and two together and realize she had been “active” last night. If he’d simply left her at the front gates, she would know where to start looking. Carrying her to the gates was relatively simple with Mobilicorpus. Luckily Severus had managed to get her to the front gates of Hogwarts without anyone noticing. Everyone was still suffering the effects of getting blasted last night.

Once he and Hermione had made it to the gates, he pulled her into his arms and Disapparated to Muggle London. Her flat was around the corner from Diagon Alley.

He’d seen her several months ago, leaving Gringotts, and he had followed her. It was just a simple matter of a concealment charm as he had pursued her.

She’d actually gone home for lunch. Why hadn’t she just eaten at the Leaky Cauldron? Surely she was paid well for her work at Gringotts and could afford to eat anywhere she pleased. Why didn’t she just Disapparate to her apartment? Surely she had a license to do so.

He would have followed her into the apartment, but her insufferable pet had seen right through his charm and was determined to alert his mistress to the treachery at hand. The irony was not lost on him. It was true. Owners really did resemble their pets. Hermione and Crookshanks were the perfect match.

After Stupefying Crookshanks, Severus had floated Hermione into her bedroom and had placed her gently onto her bed. That had been the easy part. Seeing her sprawled across her bed, her dress provocatively bunched around her waist, Severus could see the tempting crux of her thighs. He’d dropped her robe, garter and nylons by the front door. It was then that he realized her knickers were still in his pocket…his pocket in his other trousers.

Hermione moaned and Severus could feel something pulling him to her. He wanted her again. Would the ache ever dissipate? All he had to do was push her frock up to her waist and take her. Why did it perturb him that she had put a concealment charm on the love bite? He pulled his wand out and pointed at her throat, removing her charm.

She moaned again, her eyes fluttering this time.

He stepped back, his eyes never leaving Hermione, and he Disapparated.

Severus stood in the shower now, trying to wash away the evidence of last night. Even though he’d used a cleansing spell he could still smell her. It was as though she had marked him. Stepping out of the shower, he readied himself for battle. The twins were going to suffer for their indiscretion, and Severus would be able to rid himself of this detestable yearning to lose himself inside Hermione Granger.

--

Fred Weasley was stocking some Canary Creams on the shelf when he heard the bell to the front door ring. Ah! A customer. Turning around, Fred’s smile fell. All he saw was the familiar billowing robes of Snape before he felt himself being bound with magical ropes. He would have called out but a gag covered his mouth.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t use an Unforgivable on you, boy,” Snape hissed, dragging whichever twin he had managed to capture by his collar into the back storeroom. It wouldn’t do for anybody to walk by and witness what he was about to do. “Where is your twin, boy?”

Fred mumbled something unintelligible and Snape pulled the gag away.

“He’s not here,” Fred squeaked.

Severus raised his wand.

“It was my turn to open this morning,” Fred volunteered.

Scowling, Severus lowered his wand. “What kind of lust potion did you put in the punch last night?”

Fred squirmed as the ropes grew tighter. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Leave my brother alone,” a low, dangerous voice warned behind Severus.

CRACK! CRACK!

Years as a spy did not go to waste as he Disapparated and Apparated behind George Weasley. “Expelliarmus!”

George’s wand flew from his hand.

“Incarcerous!”

Severus watched as George fell on top of his twin, his hands and feet bound tightly.

“You big bat! Let us go!” George shouted, struggling to right himself.

What was with today’s youth? This was the second time this morning he’d been insulted by ex-students.

“You git!” Fred added.

Kneeling in front of them, Severus leveled his wand to their faces. “I’ll leave you alone once you give me the antidote,” Severus lied. Once they gave him the antidote, he was going to make them pay a steep price.

“What are you blathering on about, Snivellus?” George asked.

Damn Black to hell for sticking that appellation on him. “Watch your tone, boy,” Severus growled. “If it weren’t for your mother, I would hex you beyond recognition. You never know, I may reconsider. I know one of you spiked the punch. Give me the antidote!”

“You’re barmy!” George challenged. “Absolutely barmy.”

“There isn’t one,” Fred whispered, his complexion ashen with shock.

Shoving George off his brother, Severus pulled Fred up by the collar of his fancy robe. “What did you use?”

“Don’t say anything, Fred!”

“Put a sock in it, George. You saw them. You puked after watching them shag. Mum and Dad are still going at it like kneazles in heat. Maybe Professor Snape can help us.” Fred continued to struggle against his bindings.

Severus frowned.

“Shut up, Fred!” George shouted. “We could get into serious trouble.”

“You’re already in serious trouble, Weasley,” Severus scolded hotly, realizing the only way he was going to get the information he needed was to use Legilimens. He held Fred’s head still.

As if sensing what his ex-professor was about to do, Fred slammed his eyes shut.

“Open your eyes, boy,” Severus growled. “It’s the only way I can help you dunderheads and, most importantly, myself out of this mess.”

Fred’s eyes snapped open as if he had finally realized that Snape was their only way out of this disaster.

“Legilimens,” Severus muttered sharply, delving quickly into the prat’s thoughts and memories.

Greed was a temptation they were too weak to resist.

“Think of all the money we could make,” George said longingly. “If we had the potion ready by Valentine’s Day, we would be the richest wizards of our age. No one would be lonely. No one would be searching. We would be heroes!”

Fred kept shaking his head. “I can see it now. We’d be rich heroes in Azkaban. Lust potions are dark magic, and love potions are highly illegal. Is the Ministry Of Magic going to overlook that when we try to market the potion?”

George was undeterred. “Look at all the time everyone would save! No more awkward dates. Everlasting love! It would be like a compass, showing people the way to their one true love. All we have to do is combine various aspects of the two potions and tweak them with a touch of arbutis. It should work. We’ll use Mum and Dad as the control subjects.”

“I don’t know,” Fred replied slowly, not wanting to encourage George.

“Go deeper, boy. Which potions did you combine?” Severus asked. “Under which conditions were they brewed?” There were multitudes of love and lust potions out there, some of them complete rubbish. He needed to see what ingredients they used and…

Bloody hell! An image of a room full of books filled his mind, a simmering cauldron hanging over a blue flame. One of the imbeciles was pouring ingredients into the cauldron haphazardly as if preparing a common stew for supper and dancing around the potion. They were laughing and joking about their younger siblings. One twin slipped, bumping into the cauldron, the volatile ingredients sloshing over the rim and into the fire.

Flames darted around the room, setting stacks of books on fire. One of the redheaded dunderheads grabbed the cauldron and took it off the fire while the other ran about putting the fires out. The image faded as it clouded with smoke.

Severus withdrew from Fred’s mind, more perplexed then ever.

“We lost all of the research,” Fred whispered. “There were several potions and spells involved. The master list was destroyed in the fire.”

Seething with unbridled anger, Severus righted himself and stood over their still-bound bodies. Waving his wand, the twins magically stood up. “What were you trying to create? What was the purpose of the potion?” he asked between clenched teeth.

George finally broke his silence. “It was basically a spell to enhance sexual…er…encounters between lovers. We used a standard binding spell and a devotion spell on the ingredients so that anyone who drank the potion would be unaffected until their…er…true love drank the potion too. It’s basically a test to see if spouses are right for one another. Apparently it makes people who fancy one another admit their true feelings. Who would have thought that Hermione would have fancied you? The potion is obviously wonky. Hermione would never go for the likes of you.”

Severus leered at George. “Her tastes have obviously matured beyond the basal nature of the Weasley charm.”

Fred looked down at his feet. “How is Hermione? Is she okay?”

Severus glared at George’s twin. “I Oblivated her.”

“But she fancies you,” Fred said.

Severus rolled his eyes, his irritation growing.

With a twinkle in his eye, George blurted the blatant truth. “More importantly, you fancy her!”

“I have never, do not, and never will fancy Miss Granger,” Severus stated slowly as if trying to get some elusive point across to an unintelligent person. “That girl was the bane of my existence for seven years. How—”

“That’s the main property of the potion, Severus,” George interrupted cheekily as he continued pulling on his ropes. “Certainly a renowned potions master, such as yourself, recognized the symptoms of a lust potion. Lust is anything but subtle. We just tweaked that part of the potion a bit.”

“Watch your tone, Weasley,” Severus warned, pointing his wand at George’s throat.

Fred, still bound tightly hand and foot, hopped toward his twin in the hopes of stopping Snape from hexing George. “Please, Professor. We need your help.”

Lowering his wand as Fred bumped into him, Severus glared at them. “Finite Incantatem.”

Now free of their bindings, the twins started backing away from their ex-professor.

“Where is the antidote?” Severus asked wearily, feeling the urge to travel to London and visit Hermione.

“We don’t have one,” Fred announced, ducking behind George. “All of our research was destroyed in the fire. Luckily the potion was finished, but –”

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You combined two illegal potions without developing the antidote?” Severus asked incredulously. “Did nothing I say in the seven years you two darkened the desks in my classroom permeate your thick skulls? That is the basic philosophy of potions’ research! Antidote first.”

George fingered his wand nervously. “It’s a ridiculous practice. It’s like trying to write the end of a book first. We were going to make the antidote after the initial test subjects –”

Leveling his wand against the redheaded wizard’s throat, Severus seethed. “Before I take both of you in front of the Wizengamot, you will turn over whatever research survived the fire and submit to regular Legilimency sessions so that I may pick the answers from your primitive brains.”

It would be a tedious process, one that would likely fail. But he had to try something for he could feel the need to seek Hermione out growing stronger.

*****

A/N – I really need to thank Kathy Rose for fixing my grammar and punctuation. Larilee – What can I say other than, I love you and your bunnies. She really is the inspiration between my attempt to write Severus Snape fic! Thanks to mysticsong1978, MysticRaven, snapesflower, Klinky, lovethelab, Larilee, Susan, and
azulkan2 for the reviews. They are better than sex! May I have some more, please? He he!