Trysts With Quidam

Trysts With Quidam

Chapter 2: Samedi

The next morning dawned beautifully. Light streamed through Hermione Granger’s window and the sound of the younger students playing in the courtyard caused her to stir beneath her blankets. She usually loved Saturday mornings because she could spend a few hours alone in the library without being interrupted by Harry and Ron, but she felt unusually tired at the thought of getting out of her warm bed. As another jovial giggle assaulted her ears, she buried her head beneath her pillow and let out a groan of annoyance. Her whole body was sore, and she felt that she desperately needed another hour of sleep. However, it was important for her to keep her regular routine, so she reluctantly got dressed and meandered towards the library.

When she entered the library, her heartbeat accelerated at the sight of Professor Snape perusing the shelves closest to the door. In an unconscious effort to conceal herself from the professor’s view, she clutched her books to her chest and quickly walked to her usual table with her head slightly tilted towards her feet. Gryffindors were supposed to be brave, but, when it came to Professor Severus Snape, Hermione was a coward. She respected him for his intelligence and his sacrifices during the war, but she also held a deep emotional attachment him that she didn’t fully understand. Thoughts of him dominated her mind when he wasn’t around, and the time she spent assisting him in his lab brought her more contentment than she would ever admit to anyone.

However, she was terrified of his gaze. Since the war, she had become a skilled Occlumens, but she still held the irrational belief that Severus’ eyes had the power to pilfer her soul for her most personal feelings and secrets. He had always been cruel to her in the past, and, even though he had become marginally better tempered since his return to Hogwarts, she knew that he still regarded her with disdain. If he ever discovered her tender feelings for him, she would no longer be able to face him. Horror seized her heart at the mere thought of losing contact with him.

Because of her predicament, she avoided him throughout the day. Any idle conversations or greetings shared between them would only increase her chances of making a complete fool out of herself. The time she spent with him in the Potions lab was different because she would always be too busy to be nervous around him. It felt very fulfilling to be doing important work for such a brilliant man. He usually worked on his own projects while he ordered her about, so she never worried that he would notice her sharp intakes of breath every time he brushed past her and her smiles at the sound of his voice.

His voice was not quite as dangerous as his gaze, but it was equally impressive. It was the song that lulled her to sleep at night. Her body responded to it like a lover’s touch, and her mind was soothed by its silky tones.

Hermione chanced a glance in Severus’ direction, and she was truly distressed at the scene before her.

Severus didn’t notice Hermione take her seat because he had one eye on a shelf full of Potions texts, and his other eye was following the swishy movements of a female student who was replacing some books on the shelves.

Lavender Brown was spending the beautiful Saturday morning serving detention with Madam Pince, and Severus had come to the library for the sole purpose of observing the little tart. He had overheard the librarian tell Minerva about the girl’s detention at breakfast. She had been caught snogging some boy in one of the library’s more secluded areas, but Severus was disappointed that the other professors had not mentioned the boy’s name. They did mention that he had already served his detention. Severus dared not question the gossiping old women for fear that his intentions would be questioned.

He contemplated going over to Lavender and casually starting a conversation that would eventually reveal the name of her co-conspirator, but his excuse for not doing so was that the infamous Professor Snape suddenly taking an interest in a Gryffindor student’s personal activities would be beyond odd.

Hermione’s entire being withered at the unbelievable sight of Severus observing Lavender. Severus seemed to have an extreme interest in the other girl. His infamous gaze was taking in every centimeter of her, as she swished and swayed around the room. Hermione swallowed a groan of disgust, and she willed her body to quit shaking. She slumped her shoulders in defeat and returned to her reading. She was determined to ignore her professor’s blatant interest in the stupid girl.

Lavender finished her work and left the library with great haste, which left Severus wondering how he could have let her leave without getting any of his questions answered. He didn’t want to admit to himself that he was embarrassed, but the thought of her going down on someone who looked like him made him extremely hesitant to approach her. He quickly clenched his eyes shut and inwardly slapped himself for allowing that mental picture to pop into his head.

He was proud of his ability to remain aloof and stoic in the face of extreme and complicated circumstances, and his inability to regain control of his emotions around a simple schoolgirl was disconcerting. He let out a deep breath, wiped his hand over his face, and looked about the room. He noticed Hermione sitting at her table, and, after a moment of hesitation, started walking over to her.

Hermione feared that she would hyperventilate when she noticed Severus approaching her table. She quickly assumed an outer façade of poise, and went back to her research. She struggled to keep her eyes on the book she was reading, but his voice immediately commanded her attention.

As Severus approached her, he said, “Miss Granger, may I have a word with you?”

Adopting a look that she hoped was professional, she said, “Of course, Professor Snape.”

She gestured towards the chair across from her, and Severus sat down with the posture of a king and began his questioning.

He silently prayed that she wouldn’t think him dodgy and asked, “Is Miss Brown currently dating anyone?”

As Hermione’s eyes widened, Severus knew that his question had sounded ridiculous. He gave himself another mental slap, but, on the surface, he remained completely committed to his choice of words.


Hermione bit her lip and, in a slightly haughty tone, she answered, “She’s been hanging around with Ron lately, but I generally stay out of their affairs.”

“But, aren’t you dating Weasley?”

Hermione blushed and blurted, “No!” She was immediately embarrassed at her outburst and colored even deeper. She took a calming breath and explained, “We’ve given it a go a few times, but it’s never worked out. We seem to get along better as friends.”

Hermione was beyond mortified by her conversation with Severus. She knew that he would easily read her embarrassment. She was also extremely agitated that someone as vacuous as Lavender Brown had piqued the interest of such a brilliant man. There had to be a reasonable explanation for his questioning. As he glanced in her direction, she averted her eyes.

Severus could tell that he was making Hermione feel uncomfortable, and she had told him what he needed to know. It was time for him to leave her to her studies. As Severus rose from his chair, he said, “Thank you for your time, Miss Granger.”

She couldn’t let him walk away, yet.

“Wait, Professor.”

“Yes, Miss Granger.”

At the risk of being reprimanded for prying into his affairs, she asked, “Is Lavender alright?”

It was a very tactfully worded question. The only emotion that Severus read in Hermione’s voice was concern, but her true feelings of jealousy and cold curiosity were there, too. He decided to give her a cryptic answer before excusing himself with a bow.

He said, “I saw Miss Brown out past curfew last night, and I am concerned for her safety. There is nothing more to it, Miss Granger.”

After he left, Hermione allowed herself to smile. She was momentarily relieved by Severus’ parting words. She suddenly felt silly for thinking that he had any special interest in Lavender beyond the duties of a professor.

However, her contentment was short-lived. As her jealousy ebbed away, a feeling of dread slipped into its place. Her blood ran cold when she thought about the true meaning of what had just happened. Severus said that he had seen Lavender out the night before. Hermione closed her book with a loud slam and sprinted from the library in search of Harry. She had some planning to do.

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Severus kept a suspicious eye on Ron Weasley for the rest of the day, but, when he heard that Ron and Ginny were headed to The Burrow for the evening, he prepared himself for relatively uneventful security rounds. He didn’t have any proof yet, but he thought it probable that Ron Weasley was the impostor in the hut. Lavender might have even known that it was Ron. He didn’t discredit that possibility since teenagers were getting crazier by the year. He was certain that his upcoming shift would be positively dead when compared with the shenanigans he had witnessed during the previous night’s rounds.

However, he eventually gave in to his curiosity and made the long trek out to Hagrid’s meager home. The front windows, which had been open the night before, had thick curtains drawn across them. Someone had definitely been there recently because he knew that the perpetrators from the night before hadn’t drawn the curtains while making their discreet exit. Severus was suddenly on alert, and he listened for any sounds coming from the dark hut.

As he stood mute in the foggy shadows, he sensed the one thing that he was least expecting, and it wasn’t a sound. It was a scent, and it carried with it an oddly familiar sensation of comfort and peace. He knew that it was sandalwood incense, but he felt a deep connection to the fragrance that he could not place. He had smelled incense many times in the past, and he couldn’t wrap his mind around any explanation for it affecting him in such a way.

He stopped his aimless reminiscing and focused on the task at hand. While creeping along the edge of the wall, he heard a woman’s giggle. As he rounded the corner, he saw that the window on the backside of the hut was still open. The tiny sound must have come from there because they had closed off every other opening.

In fact, Severus was very lucky. He could see that the rear window didn’t have curtains or shutters of any kind. He knew that they left it exposed because they hadn’t a choice, and they probably didn’t mind because the back garden was very secluded. Nobody would ever venture back there unless they were looking for something, and that’s exactly what Severus was doing. As he peered into the rustic rear window, he knew that he had found that something.

His doppelganger reclined in an oversized chair while gently running his fingers through the rich red hair of the woman kneeling between his legs. Severus was used to interrupting randy teenagers engaged in rough and sloppy sex. He was intrigued because she seemed desperate, not for sex, but to memorize every inch of her lover. She wasn’t bobbing up and down on his cock, and he wasn’t fucking her mouth.

Their encounter would not be a hasty tumble.

She slowly ran her hands up his length while she licked and nibbled every bit of him that was exposed. Her senses were rejoicing in the feel and taste of him. He eagerly accepted her teasing caresses as a promise of what was to come while he watched her through adoring eyes. They were clearly taking their time and savoring every moment.

The man caressed his lover’s cheek, and she nuzzled his hand. As she moved her face against his skin, her face was partially revealed. It was Ginny Weasley.

Severus stood amazed at the vision before him. It couldn’t be Ginny because she was at home with her family. He had watched her leave with Ron Weasley, which also ruled out Ron as his impersonator. Not only did Ron have an alibi, but also it was extremely unlikely that he would engage in a torrid affair with his own sister.

Severus began to observe the scene for more clues, but the gentle intimacy of the two lovers proved too distracting for him. No woman had ever treated him with that kind of warmth, but within the space of two nights he had seen two women look upon his image with hunger and adoration. He wondered how such a thing was possible, and he immediately longed for the same loving attention.

Severus took a deep breath, collected his wits, and began to apply reason to the situation. It was obvious to him that there were two offenders and that they were certainly in love with each other. He was probably looking at one of those annoying student couples that were always holding hands in the corridors. His plan was to apprehend them when they departed from their little love nest for the evening. Until then, he was content to play the voyeur.

Severus had lived most of his life as a voyeur. He had regularly, and against his will, observed the lewd and depraved behavior of his fellow Death Eaters at many a dark revel, but he was also a regular and willing guest at Malfoy Manor. The lord and lady of the estate enjoyed the kinky thrill of being watched, and Severus was the only person whose discretion they trusted.

The first time it had happened was years ago. He was summoned to the manor late at night by a letter from Lucius requesting his advice on an urgent matter. He had taken the Floo directly to Lucius’ study only to find the man seated in front of the fire with Narcissa on his lap.

They had both been visibly inebriated.

Severus was momentarily lost in remembrance of the excitement in Lucius’ eyes that night. He had locked eyes with his old friend as soon as he had stepped into the room. The cool grey eyes had held him in a fierce and hungry gaze from over Narcissa’s Shoulder.

As far as Severus knew, Lucius was strictly heterosexual. He had never witnessed the man with another woman or another man, but, ever since that first night, Lucius always seemed to fix Severus in a predatory gaze during their little rendezvous.

Narcissa’s attitude towards him was just as hungry, but not as intense. Every time they were face to face, she looked on him with a longing that he struggled to ignore. She would never cheat on Lucius, but there was no question that she found Severus to be intriguing. The hint of question in her eyes gave away the fact that she found his mysteriously dark personality very appealing. He knew that she enjoyed being watched by him because that was as close to him as she could ever be. The threesome’s ongoing sessions were erotic and eccentric, but they were also curiously intimate.

After the war, Severus had begun to feel truly loved by his two friends. The only problem was that his growing desire for Narcissa stained his otherwise enjoyable evenings at Malfoy Manor.

The bitterness he felt at that last thought caused his mind to snap out of his pointless reminiscing.

The couple in front of him began to completely disrobe and move onto Hagrid’s monstrosity of a sofa. The other Severus descended upon his lover and coaxed her to wrap her legs around his waist. They closed their eyes and simply kissed for the longest time. His hands roamed about her creamy white breasts, and her finger twirled playfully with his hair while she maintained a tight grasp on his hip with her other hand. As their kisses became increasingly passionate, he slipped his hand between her legs and began to massage her. She moaned in delight and started to caress his hardening manhood by moving against it with her body.

When the woman began to moan, Severus’ theory that it was the same woman from the previous night became more plausible in his mind. She had the same voice tones and facial expressions.

By the time the two naked bodies finally became one, Severus was already waiting in front of the hut for them to emerge. He didn’t want to be as distracted as last time. He would be waiting near the front door when they emerged.

He allowed himself to relax for a moment and listen to the restless wind blowing through the trees. Severus loved the feel of the wind across his face while he breathed in the crisp fresh air. At that moment, he thought about how lucky Hagrid was to live so close to nature. He smiled to himself and wondered if he had finally grown tired of the dank dungeons to which he used to cling for solitude.

The front door opened, but there was no one there. Severus saw that the candles in the house were still being systematically extinguished, so he decided to keep his distance until the couple came into view. After a few minutes of waiting, he moved closer to the door and peered inside. The home appeared empty, so Severus entered and cast a revealing spell. The one room house was indeed empty.

Severus promptly turned on his heel and sprinted back to the castle. He needed to search the halls for two returning students. His Slytherin mind told him to visit the entrance to the Gryffindor common room first. He entered the castle through a secret teacher’s entrance that was closer to Gryffindor Tower. While climbing the stairs at a frantic pace, his mind raced in deep thought about how the students could have gotten past him. He was struck immobile by a sudden epiphany. Harry Potter owned an Invisibility Cloak.

As soon as he realized that he was standing still, he was moving again. He approached the portrait hole just as it was swinging closed. Right before it sealed shut, he saw a glimmer off the hem of the cloak when it flared up to reveal a hand pulling the door shut.

Severus was furious at the fact that it was Harry Potter who was impersonating him. The boy had been much more tolerable since his return to school, but he was proving to be just as troublesome as ever by becoming involved in such an indecent game. Minerva would never let Severus question the boy without proof, so the severely disgruntled professor made his way back to the scene of the crime.

It didn’t take Severus long to find a clue, but it was an object that he had least expected to find. There was a Slytherin tie tucked into the cushion of the sofa. Only the very tip of it was visible, and, at first, Severus didn’t believe what he was seeing. As he reached down to pull the strip of cloth out of the sofa and into full view, he couldn’t deny it any longer. The tie in front of him did belong to one of his Slytherins. It smelled of strong rose perfume, and it had a name embroidered in emerald thread on the inside. The tie belonged to Pansy Parkinson.