A Looping of the Scales ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 30 ~ The Ride

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When Hermione’s mouth met Snape’s soft lips, it was as if all the warmth that ever existed in the world came crashing down, covering her completely. It was as if she’d never feel coldness again.

She didn’t feel the awkwardness of the kiss, or Snape’s inexperience. It didn’t register how she had to move her lips against his to get the proper reaction, the proper movement, because he caught on so quickly, his need for closeness mirroring her own.

All Hermione Granger felt was—perfection. Glorious perfection.

There was no tongue, only a sweet connection of mouths, soft flesh against soft flesh, shifting, suckling, puckering, pulling, never breaking contact as if even a moment apart would shatter them both.

She was so aware of him. How slender he was against her body, and how his hair smelled faintly of sandalwood, spicy, compelling. How warm he was, how his breathing was becoming faster and his arms tightening. How he seemed to spin with her as if they were both in orbit, circling around the axis of their kiss.

Kissing Ron had never felt like this. It had been pleasant. Sometimes even hot and quaky, but there was never this sense of—just being right. It never felt as if her lips left his that the world itself would fall away.

But it did have to end, and everything inside her protested as Snape’s kissing turned slow and lingering, like something winding down that she wanted to rewind. When he gently pulled away, her lips insistently followed that retreating softness, that wonderful connection. But he was taller than she was and the kiss was broken.

Snape looked down at her, his dark eyes seeming wet, and Hermione realized they were quaking against each other. He didn’t release her.

“You kiss good,” he said softly. “Not that I have anyone else to compare you to, Hermione. But I think—even if I did there would be no comparison. That was—intoxicating. I’m light-headed.”

Hermione smiled at him.

”It was a nice kiss,” she agreed.

Snape continued to stare at her.

”I have to ask you, Hermione—is my virtue in any danger?” he asked her softly, and that was when Hermione felt his growing erection against her.

It was pretty big, too. She pulled back a bit and let out a little, controlled breath as their bodies disconnected.

”Ah—no, it’s not,” she said, blushing furiously.

”Pity,” he breathed, then released her. “I wouldn’t put up much of a fight, you know. You could easily overcome me. A few more kisses like that and I’d be limp as a Flubberworm.”

Hermione arched an eyebrow at him at this statement, trying not to look down at the very noticeable bulge under his robes.

”Somehow—I doubt that very much, Severus,” she replied.

He quirked his lips at her.

”We’re compatible,” he said. “You kissed me and the world didn’t come crashing down, did it?”

”No, it didn’t Severus. It was a very nice kiss, but totally inappropriate. I’ve only known you for—well, not counting when you were an adult, but just a few days. I’m not usually like this—I don’t—I don’t do this. Just kiss wizards within days of—“

“You’ve known me for years,” Snape said.

”Not like this. I knew you when—when you had nothing like this in mind. You would have never asked me for a kiss—“

”Yet, you wanted me to ask you, in your fantasies—“

”Don’t bring that up, Severus. That doesn’t matter any longer. That Severus is gone—“

”But this Severus is here, and not nearly so—inaccessible,” he told her. “Just keep that in mind, Hermione. I’m here for you whenever you need me. However you need me.”

He could still scent her desire for him, but he didn’t want to press and risk driving her away from him. At least this time it wasn’t a guessing game. With Lily, there was always hope and hopelessness—never knowing. Not until she broke away from him and went with Potter.

Now, here was Hermione. Brilliant, brave, loyal and dedicated to whatever she believed worthwhile. There was nothing about her that was flighty. Nothing about her that said abandonment. Preoccupation, yes. But he understood that because he had the same tendency to be taken over by whatever he was focused on.

He sighed then.
He sighed because once again he was attracted to a Gryffindor. At least this time he didn’t hide his feelings. He’d learned from that mistake. Hermione Granger would never have to guess how he felt. He’d told her and shown her. The rest—the rest would be up to her.

”I want to show you something,” he said softly, walking past her and over to his writing desk. There was a large object on the desk, covered with a Slytherin green sheet. He caught the end of it and flipped it off.

Hermione’s eyes widened as they rested on the saddle. She hurried over.

”Oh, Severus. It’s beautiful,” she said.

The saddle was the color of honey and shined brightly.

”But, it doesn’t look like a regular saddle,” Hermione added, cocking her head at the unfamiliar design.

”It’s made for comfort,” he told her. “I told the shopkeeper that it was possible it would be used for hours and showed him my Animagus form. He looked as if he was going to pass out, but once he recovered, he was very excited. He re-measured me, just to make sure he had the perfect dimensions.

“It’s different than a regular saddle that you’d put on, say, a horse.”

He pointed to the saddle.

”See, it has three sections. The trees and the pad. The trees move independently and will allow the saddle to flex as I move. There’ll be no chafing when I turn or run or fly. Those parts are made of wood and covered with a strong magical epoxy, then leather, all for added strength and durability,” Snape said. “You’ll be sitting between them, directly on the pad on my back. There are no bulky riggings and your legs won’t rub or chafe either. It naturally will put you in the proper riding position. A very good saddle and worth every Galleon.”

“And it has a sticking charm?” Hermione asked him a bit nervously. She had flown on a hippogriff and a Thestral before, but never alone. There had been another person with her both times.

“Yes. I tested it by placing a ball on the seat and swinging the saddle around. Even upside down, the ball didn’t fall off. There is also a weightlessness charm on it so I won’t feel your weight, although I’m sure I could carry you without that. You don’t look as if you weigh that much.”

Hermione flushed. She was a little thick around the thighs and hips and felt she was a bit overweight. Severus didn’t seem to notice the imperfections.

”Best of all, I can wear it as a gryffin and it will disappear when I resume human form, much as my clothes do when I turn into my animal form. So, I can always be ‘saddle-ready’ for you.”

Snape’s lip quirked a little as he said this. Hermione didn’t miss the double-entendre either. She didn’t say anything as she looked at the saddle.

”So, are you ready to ride me?” Snape asked her, and she looked up at him shocked.

”I’m ready to go riding tomorrow, if that’s what you mean,” she told him a bit indignantly. He was doing this on purpose, making sexual innuendoes and putting sex in the game.

”Why, what else could I possibly mean, Hermione?” he purred at her, a smile breaking out on his face at her discomfiture as she stalked past him to the desk and sat down.

”Let’s just get to work, shall we?” she muttered at him, opening a book.

Still smiling, Snape joined her.

As Hermione looked through her books, trying to decide what to tackle first, Snape’s eyes rested on her bushy hair.

”You know, your hair is extremely bushy,” he observed.

Hermione scowled but didn’t look at him.

”I know it’s bushy. It’s always bushy. That’s how it is if I don’t take hours whipping it into shape. I don’t have time for that,” she said. But she was starting to feel self-conscious.

”It’s a pretty shade of brown,” Snape said, not being complimentary, just stating the facts. He touched it lightly, rubbing a few strands between his fingertips.

”What are you doing?” Hermione said, then “OW!” as Snape yanked out a hair Hermione clapped her hand to her head.

”What the hell are you doing?” she hissed at him furiously as Snape stretched the strand out between his fingers, looking at it.

”Thinking,” he replied, coiling up the strand and taking down a piece of scrap parchment from a cubby hole. He put the strand in the center and folded the parchment over it, putting it into his pocket.

Hermione frowned at him.

”You know, if you wanted a strand of my hair, you could have asked me. You’d better not use it for any Dark Magic experimentations,” she growled at him.

Snape looked quite interested.

”Hm. I never thought about that possibility,” he replied. “Maybe I can make a doll to compel you to do my nefarious bidding.”

”and maybe you could spend a little quality time in the castle infirmary, with Poppy trying to remove the multitude of hexes you’d be covered with,” she replied evenly

”Ooh. Temper,” he said with a grin before opening his book.

The magic moment between them was over for now, but he was sure there would be others.

He’d wait. That was something he was good at.

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At one o’clock the next afternoon, Hermione and Severus exited the dungeon area to find Harry, Ginny, Neville, a very sullen Ron and several other students waiting for them.

”Hi!” Harry said to Snape brightly, eyeing the saddle he had tucked under his arm.

”Potter,” Snape said shortly, his black eyes resting on all the students looking at him curiously. Draco Malfoy was among them.

”Oh, Harry. I told you I’d ask him,” Hermione said, scowling at him. “How did all these people find out?”

”Ask me what?” Snape inquired.

”Well, Harry wanted to watch us fly,” she said, then frowned at the crowd. “I guess they want to watch too.”

Snape looked around at the expectant faces, then shrugged.

”I don’t care. It’s a free sky,” he said shortly, starting to walk for the doors.

Harry smiled and quickly followed, along with the other students. Everyone was chattering excitedly except Ron, who was the last one out the door.

Bloody showoff.

Originally, Snape was going to try and find some quiet area to take off from, but it didn’t make any sense to do that anymore, since he had a crowd following him, and it was growing larger.

Hermione walked beside him, feeling a bit giddy at all the attention. She had to be the envy of everyone there.

”Will he be giving out rides?” one witch asked another.

Snape heard her and whirled.

”I’m not party pony. No one will be riding me except for Hermione Granger.”

A few snickers greeted this statement and Hermione turned beet red.

Snape looked at her.

”Sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that,” he said to her softly.

”You can’t help it if half the Hogwarts’ body has ‘Filthy Minds!”

She said the last part very loud, but only elicited more snickering from the students as they all started walking again.

Ron didn’t find it funny at all.

Snape suddenly stopped.

”This is as good a spot as any. Now, everyone back away except for—Potter and Weasley,” he said.

Harry walked forward with a grin, and Ron looked a little surprised as he joined him.

”When I transform, I’d like you two to put the saddle on me and make sure it’s secure. It’s supposed to magically keep Hermione on, but it can still slide if not fitted properly. I don’t want her slipping and ending up between my legs.”

Some titters followed his statement and Hermione reddened again.

”Sorry,” Snape called over to her.

”Gods, is everyone at Hogwarts a pig?” he asked Harry as he handed him the saddle.

”No, just mostly everyone. We are teenagers after all,” Harry said with a grin.

Snape stood there for a moment, then transformed.

”Wow!”

”Whoa!”

”That’s amazing!”

The crowd murmured loudly as they looked at the white gryffin staring back at them majestically. Snape opened his wings and fluttered them a bit, giving the people what they wanted before letting out a sharp cry.

Ron had to admit, it really was a marvelous form. And for some reason, he suddenly didn’t feel so jealous of Snape. Maybe it was because he’d never been popular before and seeing everyone cheering and admiring him probably for the first time in his life, made Ron feel a little guilty about begrudging him that. Ron had been cheered for plenty of times, and was quite popular. Snape had always been an underdog. Now, he was finally getting a chance to know what it was like to be openly admired by others.

He deserved that. He really did. Everyone should know what that’s like at least once in their life.

Ron wasn’t a bad sort really. He was just selfish and thoughtless sometimes, until he got things right in his head.

”Come on, Ron,” Harry said, approaching the gryffin, excitement in his eyes. Ron walked on the other side of him. Everyone watched as they strapped the strange looking saddle on him.

”Wow, his fur is soft,” Harry said, caressing Snape’s flank.

Suddenly, Snape turned and snapped at him, squawking angrily

”I think that translates into “don’t touch me there, you fruit!” Neville called to Harry as everyone cracked up, including Hermione.

Snape’s feathers were fluffed in indignation. Harry caressing his flank was the equivalent of caressing his bum. Oh no. He wasn’t going for that. Next time, he’d lose some fingers.

Ron and Harry tested the saddle by tugging on it, then Ron himself helped Hermione get on.

”Stay safe,” he said to his former girlfriend.

”He doesn’t have any reins. How’s she supposed to steer him?” a voice cried out from the crowd.

”He can bloody understand her, you dimwit!” Ron yelled back. “He’s not a real gryffin. He’s human.”

Murmurs went up.

The gryffin stood tall and looked back at Hermione.

”Squawww?”

”Yes, I’m ready, Severus,” Hermione said, her heart pounding.

Snape took off running, the students all running after him as he bounded across the grounds.

”He’s beautiful, Ginny breathed, her eyes wide as he streaked along, Hermione on his back the wind blowing her hair back as she leaned forward, exhilarated as they flew along the ground. He was so fast, so strong—

“Faster!” Hermione cried, and Snape squawked and pouring on more speed, the landscape streaking by them as they ran toward the cliff that the castle sat on. Hermione became alarmed as it loomed before them.

”Severus, what are you doing?” she cried as the gryffin continued to run toward the drop. It was a long one, with many jagged stones at the bottom.

”Severus! Wait! Not the cliffs!” she screamed.

If the saddle wasn’t magical, Hermione might have jumped off, despite how fast Snape was running.

”Stop! Severus! Noooooo!” she cried as the gryffin came to the edge and leapt into the open air, wings spread.

Hermione closed her eyes at the sickening initial jerk of the wings catching air, then, it felt ok. She opened one eye and then the other.

They were flying over the crashing surf, the clouds above them seeming close enough to touch, the sun’s rays shining through. A few sea birds joined them as they soared. Snape looked back at her, his black eyes glittering. He gave a little squawk.

”Yes,” she said softly, looking at him, “it is beautiful, Severus.”

From the grounds, the students all watched Snape and Hermione grow smaller and smaller until they were nothing more than a dot on the horizon.

”Hermione Granger has to be the luckiest witch in the world,” someone sighed.

Ron heard it, and felt his belly tighten a little, but, it wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t easy to watch someone else make your ex-girlfriend happier than you could—but-- it was easy to accept someone else making a cherished friend very happy.

Ron wisely decided that the “happy cherished friend” was what he should focus on.

It was better that way.

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A/N: I hope no one found the chapter title—er—misleading. Lololol. Thanks for reading.