Dangerous Escapism

Chapter 3

Hermione observed Snape's speedy and somewhat awkward departure with bemusement, Fleur with indifference. The latter, in the absence of seven years exposure to the Potions master's character, didn't recognize how oddly he had behaved.

She and Fleur had really hit it off this year; which was weird, considering that Fleur was definitely not the kind of person Hermione usually had for a friend. Hermione had recognized a lot of herself in the older girl, but also let Fleur open her up to sides of herself she didn't know she possessed. They weren't as close as some of the rumours suggested, but Hermione had definitely learned a lot from Fleur about sex, flirting, sensuality, and most importantly, underwear. She was a lot of fun (something Hermione didn't have wide experience of in girlfriends), but definitely not the alley cat that she expected from a part-Veela. She was really quite down-to-earth; she was very attached to her sister, she wasn't cruel or a poacher when it came to boys, and she had a lot of brains, that was for sure.

Hermione knew that Snape put forth the study project with Fleur as a way to weasel out of it himself, as well as to keep his most annoying student busy and out of his hair. It didn't matter, however, because it was exactly what she wanted, and she was really enjoying it. Furthermore, she got a big kick out of bugging her Potions master by conspiratorially acting all girly with Fleur in front of him - did he realise how much his feelings showed on his face? She almost peed herself a couple of times, trying to keep from laughing at the faces he pulled at them when he thought they weren't looking. What did he really think of them, she wondered...

Anyways, no time for speculation. Hermione was a little cheesed at Professor Snape, partly for leaving in the middle of their fun, and also because he told them to lock up (a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence), but didn't leave them the key! Oh well, she heard the password to his chambers. She'd just get Fleur into a good giggle, then they'd troop in and annoy him one final time this week.

-*~~*~~*-

In an instant Snape was out of his chair and was on his way, wand in hand, to the door to his sitting room. Questions flew lightning-fast through his fine mind, each successive one leaving him more worried. Who was it? Must be Delacour and Granger. How did they get in? Obviously they heard the password. Why were they here? Unfortunately, he was to find out all too soon. Was his chamber door locked? Don't remember. Was there time to get decent in case the door was open? No. Was his erection very visible? Er...yes. How would he deal with seeing the two people he just came all over in his mind? Aahhh...therein lies the rub. Unfortunately, he already had a terrible, terrible answer to that question, and his solution was to hope that the door was locked, in which case he would just let them knock and knock, and when he didn't answer, eventually they would go away.

The knock came just as he arrived at the door. Snape heard female voices outside, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. Unfortunately he hadn't locked the door and he didn't think that he could secure it without them hearing, so instead he reached for the sash of his robe. Just then, he heard the handle turn and in an instant, the two potions students were face-to-face across the doorjamb with their bare-chested professor.

Snape felt something in him reeling at the sight of these two lovely girls. Their mission forgotten, they just stood there dumbly staring at him, particularly his...

Snape pictured himself in his minds eye, swirling his robe around him to belatedly conceal his nakedness and arousal, saying something scathing and sending his visitors on their way...

But from somewhere inside him, a place which he had unfortunately been visiting recently, another solution presented itself. Opening the door fully to get the best possible aim, he raised his wand.

-*~~*~~*-

"Imperio."

II

>
Oh, it was so easy...the tendrils of magic so seductive...why had he never done this before? Wisely, Snape left that question for another lifetime and snapped in a businesslike tone "Enter and close the door behind you."

Snape reflected that under the circumstances, his teacher voice and manner were unnecessary, but were the only thing that could stem the overwhelming tide of lust that was threatening to unman him. Turning on his heels, Snape marched to his previously-occupied armchair, undid his robe and discarded it and his coat with trembling hands, and eased himself slowly into the seat. He regarded his two guests who were standing impassively by the door.

Snape speculated that he probably looked rather sexy sitting there in his chair. Relaxed but tightly-wound, aware and ready, with the torchlight playing gold prisms against his face and chest... The flames reflected in his glittering, hooded eyes; he fingered the hem of his white shirt, open to the waist... His knees were slightly parted, and his hands were close to, but not touching, his cock which was bulging and pulsing through the fabric of his pants. His smooth chest rose and fell unevenly, his nipples teased to hard peaks by the dungeon air, chilly even in full spring.

Taking in quiet bushelfuls of air through flared nostrils, he gazed at Fleur and Granger with more desire than he could ever remember feeling. Speaking of remembering, the mnemonic of being back in the chair which he had so recently dwelt in while thinking the vilest and most thrilling thoughts about these two girls... His chest constricted with the excitement of actually fulfilling his fantasies about them. But, oh...there was more, much more, that he wanted to do to them...things that only sprang to his mind when he saw them in the doorway. Things that were far too good to explore only in his mind.

-*~~*~~*-

Snape briefly considered taking the step of casting a spell on himself to stop from teasing himself to orgasm while he played with the girls - just the thought of what he was going to make them do; gods, merely the thought of their thighs meeting under their robes was enough to make waiting almost impossible. But he wasn't the coldest, most restrained, controlled, domineering wizard of his generation for nothing - if he couldn't contain himself for the next hour or so, then he didn't deserve...well, best leave that thought for now. With a wave he started a low fire in the hearth, in anticipation of future need.

"Granger, Delacour, get in here, NOW. Stand in front of the fire." Better get this show on the road before losing your nerve, old boy. As they moved, his plan for the evening unfolded before him in his mind's eye like a sumptuous, dangerous magic carpet; coloured silver, and green, and black, and black, and black.

-*~~*~~*-

"I have no intention of spending the rest of the evening barking orders to you, or telling you how to behave. Therefore, the following ground rules will apply until I am finished with you this evening. You will be told to do things tonight that you may not have ever done, watched or even imagined - but you are both clever girls, so I expect you to use your serviceable intellects, do your best, and improvise. Next, I expect you to behave as if you are enjoying yourselves. Immensely. That means not only your gestures and actions, which I expect to be deliberate and passionate, but also your facial expressions and especially the sounds you make. If you do not know what sounds are appropriate, just moan. If I ask you a question, you are to answer as if you were on the most potent aphrodisiac known to man. Lastly, when you give or receive a caress, your bodies will respond as if to the most desirable touch in your experience. I will tell you when you may go back to being your monotonous, robotic selves. Is that clear?"

It was with immense gratification that Snape heard the two breathy yeses accompanied by indefinite, but audibly lustful, sighs.

*

A/N: My take on Imperio is from some fanfictions I've read where verbal commands are used. I know it isn't strictly canon, but it would be too boring if Snape was saying everything in his head. I want to imagine that silky, scary voice actually speaking. Don't you?