A Terrible Temptation

a/n - For any of you who are pregnant: gods, I am so sorry! My roomate has been sick and hormonol and miserable all weekend and we have six more months of this to go. My sympathies and prayers to all pregnant women everywhere and the people who love them. (Kill me) Thanks to Kate who listened to me shrieking over the phone lines and soothed the savage beastie, not to mention gave me damn good advice. Applause for the Beta, All Hail KATE!

My beloved reviewers, you make me, laugh, blush and most importantly write! Thanks to all of you.

Chapter 31 – Open Mouth, Insert Foot

Ron sat sipping tea and listening to Snape vent as he paced. He was amused by Snape’s sudden bout of insecurity; it mirrored the one he had had last week about Lavender. He simply remained silent though and let the Professor get it all out. These moments weren’t rational and all you could do is nod, smile and say reassuring words.

“She is dotty over you and Hermione doesn’t go dotty over anything but libraries.” Ron pointed out as Snape continued his pacing.

“You think I am being foolish.” Snape shot an annoyed expression at Ron.

“No, I think you are being human.” Ron replied with a great deal more tact than was his wont. For all that he and Snape had developed a friendship, the difference in age and experience was still significant and Ron trod carefully around a man he discovered was rather emotionally fragile for all his snarky comments and sharp words.

Snape flopped into a chair with a boneless grace that Ron envied. Ron continued sipping his tea and waited.

“Tell me again, why is this a sane option?” Snape finally sighed and Ron smiled at him.

“I will tell you what Lav told me last week when I went through this.” He took another sip and watched as Snape straightened in the chair to look at him in surprise. “If you had no doubts at all, then you would obviously not be taking the relationship seriously. If you are afraid of being hurt, it is because you really care.” Ron paused to let that sink in. “Then she snogged me senseless and I forgot all my objections.” He grinned at the older man who chuckled in response and shook his head.

“Miss Brown is a great deal more sensible than I ever gave her credit for.” Snape replied and poured himself another cup of tea. Ron felt a warm glow at his words; Snape rarely praised and so when he did, it really meant something. “I hear the Canons are trading Hyssop for Gerald. I think that may be one of the few good acquisitions they have made in ten years.” He snorted and Ron flushed with irritation even though he knew Snape was baiting him deliberately.

“Bollocks, Reed is a great beater! If Somersby would play him more often they would have a much better record this year!” Snape rolled his eyes at this pronouncement and the ensuing debate took both their minds off of their romantic entanglements.

Harry sat in the Head Girl’s rood wad watched Hermione as she practiced her animagus transformation. She was getting really good at it, almost as smooth as McGonagall. He had been gently trying to ease himself back into her good graces mainly by keeping his mouth shut about Snape. The last thing he wanted to do was to lose one of his two closest friends just because she was dating someone he despised.

They had simply agreed to not discuss Snape but as he was an increasing part of Hermione’s life, this was leading to awkward moments and long silences as each tried to think of something neutral to discuss.
Hermione had admitted that not discussing the one thing that was constantly on her mind was frustrating and difficult, but she valued Harry’s friendship and was making an effort.

“Ron has invited Lavender to the Burrow for part of the summer.” Harry ventured. Ron and Lavender or himself and Ginny were not off-limit topics, just Hermione and Snape. It struck him then just how unfair that was, that he could burble endlessly about Ginny and Hermione could not even say if she was happy.

“Bugger this, Hermione.” Harry blurted even as Hermione was opening her mouth to reply to his first
comment. “I’m sorry that I have been such a wanker about Snape. Can you forgive me?” Hermione’s eyes lit up and she flung herself into his arms gleefully.

“Do you mean it?” She asked in joyful tones as she squeezed the life out of him.

“Just because I don’t like him, doesn’t mean I have to be a jerk about this. I do mean it. So, how is the Professor?” He gritted tee teeth and endured an hour-long rambling discourse about the beautiful love letters Snape sent, the amazing discussions they had and how utterly content she was with her choice.

Harry was surprised by all the romantic things Snape did, he would have thought him the type to sneer at declarations of love and snarl at poetry. He had a very hard time reconciling his previous image of the Greasy Git with the tender and somewhat shy man that Hermione was describing. Oh, she hardly made him out to be a paragon of perfection, she readily admitted that he was still sarcastic and snarky, a perfectionist and somewhat demanding.

What really surprised him though was that their relationship had not progressed beyond a few stolen kisses in his chambers on one occasion. Harry and Ginny had gone way past second base in their explorations of each other; Harry knew how hard it was for him to maintain control and he had never even gone all the way with anyone before.

“Wow, that must be kind of hard on Snape.” Harry mused aloud, feeling some small amount of respect for the Potions Master. If he had been a man as used to sex as Snape must be, he would find a little heavy petting rather dull.

“What do you mean?” Hermione was giving him an odd look and he shrugged.

“Well, he must have had all sorts of women before, Hermione; it must be hard for him to hold back with you, knowing that you’re a virgin and all.” Harry watched several expressions cross Hermione’s face and had a feeling that somehow he had said the wrong thing though all that he had meant was that it was commendable of Snape.

He thought back over his words and still couldn’t quite understand what he’d said to stop the flow of happy chatter from Hermione’s mouth. “I just meant that he is showing a lot of self-control and that’s good.” Harry felt like he was digging himself in deeper with every word and didn’t know what to say to make the look of misery leave Hermione’s face as she stood there absorbing his words.

“Oh God, he must find me so boring. I mean, he has probably experienced all kinds of things and I don’t know anything but what I got out of a book!” Hermione’ face was bleak and tears were welling in her eyes. Harry panicked and ran for Lavender. She would know what to do.

Severus lifted his head from marking papers in surprise. Someone was knocking on his door and while it wasn’t after curfew, it was getting late. Ron had been gone for some time; he and Lavender had gone for a walk around the lake, though Severus doubted there would be much walking done. He and Hermione had agreed that she would not be coming back to his rooms until after graduation; the temptation that she presented to him was too great. The Slytherins were unlikely to bother him in his office, they waited for him in the Common Room when he walked through before bedtime and spoke to him then.

“Enter.” He called, making sure his wand was nearby and his eyes widened in surprise as an invisibility cloak was dropped to reveal Harry Potter. The look of intense discomfort on Potter’s face stopped the comment that was rising to his lips and, thinking of Hermione, he clamped his jaw shut.

“Professor Snape.” Potter approached his desk warily and Severus eyed him with suspicion.

“Potter. Did you want something?” It was as close as he was going to come to civility with the boy. He hadn’t insulted him or made a rude comment

“I put my foot in it with Hermione and I think you ought to get under the cloak and go talk to her.” Potter looked like the words were causing him physical pain.

“How deeply in it did you step, Potter?” Severus always liked a field report before venturing into enemy territory.

“Oh, about hip deep, Sir. I made an off-hand comment about how restrained you had been with a virgin like Hermione and she burst into tears.” Potter squinched his eyes shut and ducked his head waiting for the screaming and hexing that he was obviously expecting.

“Ah, I see. I will go at once but I will not require your cloak, Potter.” Severus swept from the room leaving a slack-jawed Harry Potter behind him.


For himself, Harry Potter was looking around for evidence that the man he had just talked to wasn’t a polyjuiced double because the Snape he knew would never pass up an opportunity to insult him.

Feeling very slow and stupid, it occurred to Harry that maybe Snape was actually in love. Harry wondered if there was a special place in Hogwarts where he could rhythmically pound his head against a wall for a few hours.