#2 ~ What Was I Thinking ~ Part 2 (Small Edit)

Disclaimer: All Characters belong to JKR. The situations are mine.
******************************

Chapter 3 ~ A Plan in Hand


Hermione woke with a start. What time was it? Oh gods…it was after nine. She was supposed to be at work an hour ago. She sighed and fell back on the bed. She was going to be dismissed. Her boss hadn’t taken kindly to her disapparating two days ago without telling anyone she was leaving. His displeasure was multiplied when she couldn’t tell him exactly what the emergency was. She could hardly have said that her mother was attacked by deatheaters and gone into hiding. He would have fired her right there, thinking she would be a liability to the workplace. No one wanted to work around a witch or wizard who was targeted by Voldemort. And if the Dark Lord wanted her parents dead, it was a logical conclusion that he might want her dead too. Deatheaters weren’t known for their precision when trying to kill a target. Or for leaving witnesses. Anyone unfortunate enough to be present during an attack would be summarily subject to death.

Hermione worked for Foresten’s Spells and Potions, a commercial provider of various charms and potions, designed for specific purposes. They did not specialize in new spells and potions, but spell and potion adaptations. Foresten’s sold wholesale to shops all across the wizarding world. To call her boss a slave driver would be too kind. He expected Hermione to be there early, and leave there late. He wanted to get as much work out of her as possible, before she earned enough tuition money to start university. Her boss, Archibald Gotts was also a bit of a lecher. The balding, paunchy red-faced wizard made sure that Hermione worked in the tightest work areas available, and also made sure he had several reasons an hour to squeeze by, pressing his rotund body against her in the process.

The pay was decent, though she should have earned more, since she was the quickest employee when it came to adapting spells. This didn’t endear her to the other, older, more experienced witches and wizards. The term ‘know-it-all’ had followed her to the workplace as well, even though she did no more than her job. It wasn’t her fault if she was assigned to finish adaptations that were taking too long. But, no one looked at that. Jealousy was the soup of the day, every day. Served up hot and smoking. She was shunned by everyone, except Gotts, whose attention she could do without. Gotts had got hold of her NEWT scores, and was always asking her about any private projects she might be working on, since he assumed, and rightly so, that the young witch had more talent than she was showing, and could probably increase his business income without the benefit of a pay raise if he played his cards right.

The idea of leaving Foresten’s didn’t bother Hermione as much as not having a good-paying job. It was difficult to earn good money fresh out of school. What would she do now? She had her flat to pay for; food, clothing…and she still needed to save up for further education.

Hermione sighed and rolled out of bed. She reached for her robe and tied it around her nude body. Last night, after her bath, she just tumbled into bed, ready to forget how badly her night went. She padded into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee.

Last night. What a debacle. It took all of her control not to hex the guy into next week. He had seemed so promising too. Good looks and a great body was no guarantee of great sex. This was her first lesson learned outside the tutelage of one Severus Snape. Maybe she could develop a spell to tell if a man was a good lover or not. She snorted. A spell like that would definitely be put on the banned list. Men wouldn’t stand for it.

Well, Severus had warned her that all sexual encounters would not be like what they shared. She understood that, but she hadn’t realized just HOW much different it would be. If last night was any indication of the prowess of the studs that were out here, she was screwed…and not in a good way.

Severus.

His name came unbidden to her mind. Damn him. She couldn’t help thinking about how he’d taken her, and taken her, and taken her. How strong he was, and how gentle too, when he made the effort. If that had been Severus with her last night…

There was a sudden knock on the door. Hermione pulled her wand out of her robe pocket, walked cautiously to the door and looked out the peephole. Oh…gods.

Severus stood outside the door, looking the flat over with a small frown. He eyed the rose bush on the left of the door, and his fingers itched. He had a thing for blasting roses. He stood there a moment more, then knocked again, harder this time, looking impatient.

“Hermione, open up. I know you’re in there,” he called. “I’m here on Hogwarts business, so don’t get your knickers in a wad. You’re safe.”

Ooh. Insufferable!

Hermione removed the wards, then flung the door open in a right temper.

“What makes you think I don’t feel safe in my own house?” she asked him, pointing her wand directly at his large nose.

“Hmm. I don’t know. Possibly the wand you are pointing in my face?” he replied sarcastically.

Hermione lowered the wand and looked at him.

As always, he was impeccable in black button-down robes. His hair looked as greasy as ever, but Hermione knew personally that was a terrible misconception. It was just very fine, and soft as silk. His face looked a little gaunter than usual. She suspected he had recently recovered from another meeting with Voldemort. She felt a stab of sympathy. She hadn’t noticed his condition at the meeting two days ago, or that night…oh, that night...

His eyes were calm as he looked at her studying him. He barely resisted subtly probing her mind to see what she was thinking. They stood there a long moment before he finally said, “Are we going to stand here all morning staring at each other, or will you let me come in and explain why I’m here?”

Hermione started. “Oh. Well, yes. Come in. I have coffee…

Severus stalked by her and headed directly for the kitchen. He sat down at the table, stretching his legs out and looking around the small, bright room. Hermione followed. She stopped at the kitchen door, a ray of sunlight hitting her from behind. The illumination clearly showed that she was naked under her robe. “Gods…” Severus thought. “It would be so easy to take her...I'd just have to touch her...whisper in her ear..."

But no. He had his plan in action. Acting prematurely would only complicate matters. And waiting would make his conquest so much better. So he settled the matter with his usual snarkiness. “Hermione, I suggest you go to your room and dress appropriately. I am here to divulge information, and the little peep show you’re giving me is making it hard to think.”

Hermione looked down at herself, and gasped. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Wait here, have some coffee and I’ll be right back.” She flew from the kitchen like a cluster of cornish pixies were in hot pursuit. Severus shook his head.

Hermione threw the robe on her bed, slipped on some knickers and then some blue jeans. She quickly pulled on a t-shirt and shoved her feet in her comfy slippers. She returned to the kitchen to find Severus sipping a cup of coffee. Another steaming cup sat opposite him. Hermione sat down at the table and pulled the cup toward her. She felt like a guest in her own kitchen. She took a sip of coffee, as she gave Severus a measuring look.

“How did you know I was here?” she asked.

“Actually, I didn’t.” Severus replied, taking another quick sip of his coffee, before setting it down on the table, “I initially went to your place of employment, but was informed by a rather red-faced wizard, that you were no longer employed there. So, naturally I came here to see if you were home.”

“Oh,” she said shortly. Oh well, that was that. She was gainfully unemployed.

“Once I arrived, however, I knew you were here, on the premises.“ he added.

She didn’t dare ask him how he knew. It was the connection, she was sure. And she didn’t want to open up that conversation for anything. Just him being this close to her was doing things to her belly. His words could do a lot more. She nodded, and said nothing.

"As I told you before, Hermione, I am here on Hogwarts business. The Headmaster asked me if I would accompany you back to the castle. There is a matter of utmost importance to be discussed, which concerns your family and the others who are currently domiciled at the Manor."

Hermione’s heart tightened. “Nothing is wrong is it? They’re all right aren’t they?” she asked worriedly.

"They are fine, Hermione, for the time being. It is their future that we are concerned about. The Headmaster will provide you with details when we arrive. I think it best if you hear the situation and his proposal as how to handle it, from him."

Ok. This sounded interesting.

“Are you hungry?” Severus asked her suddenly.

“What?” she responded with a tremor in her voice. She remembered the last time he had asked her that question. In the cottage, right after she had...used the 'Relaxo" spell. Dear Merlin.

“I asked if you were hungry,” Severus repeated, “we could have food brought up to Dumbledore’s office to save time, if you are agreeable. We really should be going.”

“Oh, that will be fine. Just let me get my robes,” Hermione said quickly, again leaving the kitchen hastily.

On entering her bedroom, Hermione fell back against the wall, panting, forcing herself to drive away the tide of lust that threatened to drown her at the memory of Severus crouched over her, driving into her mouth uncontrollably, cursing and blessing her in his passion. Oh…gods. How was she ever going to stand being around this man, who knew her so intimately, who forged the key to her most erotic pleasures and fantasies? She had to get hold of herself. She took a deep breath as she donned her robes, then looked in the mirror, willing her flushed look away.

Severus knew just what he was doing. He asked that question to gauge her reaction to the memory of the very hot bout of oral sex they shared, and to see if the memory excited her. Judging by her quick disappearance, it had. He was also well aware that he was on her mind before he knocked on the door, and she had been thinking of him in a rather carnal way. She had been thinking if he had been with her last night, then she would have been…satisfied. And she was so, so right. A purple vial would have definitely been in order.

“I’m ready,’ Hermione said, reappearing, attired in her Gryffindor robes.

Severus snorted, “Still wearing the house colors, I see.”

“Yes, I am,” she retorted a bit haughtily.

Severus fought back the urge to make a sarcastically pointed comment about remembering a Slytherin inside Gryffindor, technically him, but held his peace. He had to remember his plan.

“Are you ready, then?” he asked her. Hermione blinked. Again she remembered him asking her something similar the day he took her virginity.

“Yes, I’m ready,” she replied, pushing the memory away.

Severus looked at her archly for a moment, obviously having his own memories about that day, then politely motioned for her to precede him out the door. After Hermione locked and warded her flat, they both disapparated. She was once again headed for Hogwarts.

******************************
A/N: Just a note to reviewer JW: Severus has NOT been waiting on Hermione. He got that "Relaxo" spell and hit every brothel in Hogsmeade. Now that's LUST. >g<