A Maid in the Devil's Manor

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 34 ~ Morning Has Broken


Severus was awakened at about nine am by Hermione walking like a zombie through the study and heading for the lab in the same clothes she had on for two days. The Potions Master leapt up from the couch and caught her by the door, spinning her to face him.

“No. You are going to stop, shower, and wash your hair. Change your clothes. And eat. In that order,” he said to her.

“But the work!” she protested.

“The work can wait. If you are not at your best, the work will suffer. As exciting as the breakthrough is, Hermione, you have to take time out for yourself. Now, back to your room,” he said, his hands gripping her shoulders firmly as he marched her back to her bedroom.

He sat her on the bed.

“Stay there,” he ordered as he walked into the loo. He looked at the shower, and then at the bath. Making a decision, he walked over to the tub, plugged it and turned on the jasmine spigot, setting the bubbles to high. He took a very large white bath towel from the cabinet and walked out into the bedroom.

“Undress,” he said to Hermione. He handed her the towel “Wrap yourself in this,” he said.

Hermione just looked at him as he stood there, with his arms crossed. They looked at each other for a minute or two. Finally, Hermione said, “Do you mind?”

Severus realized she couldn’t undress while he was standing there…well actually she could, but she wouldn’t. Instead of walking back into the study, Severus returned to the loo.

“Go ahead. Undress,” he called out to her as he inspected the slew of bottles on the shelves.

Hermione stood there a moment. He wanted her to undress while he was in her loo? She looked down at herself. Well, she certainly wasn’t the most alluring woman at the moment. She needed a wash bad. She looked at herself in the mirror and gasped at the image that looked back at her. She looked like she was homeless. Her hair was a snarl of tangles around her head, her skin was dry and unwashed looking, there were dark circles under her eyes, and her white lab coat was filthy, covered in spills.

The talking mirror was completely silent. If you can’t say something good…

She was sure she wouldn’t tempt Severus in this condition, so she began to undress. When she was completely naked, she wrapped herself in the huge towel.

“Are you undressed, Hermione?” Severus called, selecting a bottle from the shelf and setting it on the side of the huge bathtub.

“Yes,” Hermione called back. She had butterflies in her stomach. She knew she looked like hell, but she still was naked, and the Potions Master was right in the next room.

“Come into the loo,” he called.

Hermione took a deep breath and walked into the loo. She looked at the tub. It was steaming and full of bubbles. The scent of jasmine was in the air. Severus stood by the tub, looking at her wrapped in the towel. Gods, she was a mess.

“I’ll turn my back while you get in the tub,” he said, walking to the door and turning his back so he was facing the bedroom. Hermione looked at him hesitantly, then at the inviting tub. She walked over to it and walked down the small steps that led into the tub, the towel still around her. Then she removed the towel and dropped into the bubbles as fast as she could. She laid her head back against the edge of the tub, and unnecessarily gathered more bubbles around her.

“Are you in?” Severus asked. He knew she was. She made a huge splash when she dropped into the water.

“Yes,” Hermione said, settling in the steaming water with a sigh. Severus turned and looked at her.

“You lie there and soak. I’ll be right back,” he said, exiting the loo.

Hermione reached up and pulled a washcloth from the bar, dipped it into the steaming water, then placed it over her face, sighing and settling back, to wait for the Potions Master to return.

Severus apparated to his own lab, which was located upstairs. He walked over to his potions stores and removed some Replenishing Potion. After a brief hesitation, he selected some pepper-up potion as well. He apparated back to Hermione’s study. There on the coffee table was a change of clothing for him, as well as two large towels, his sandalwood oil, toothbrush, tooth powder and a washcloth.

The elf conspiracy strikes again.

He looked at the items for a moment, then picked them up and carried them into Hermione’s bedroom. He began unbuttoning his shirt.

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Hermione was soaking in the tub, feeling her body relax and become human again as two days of grime was gently worked from her skin. She still had the cloth over her face. She heard the basin turn on, and the sound of brushing. Severus must be brushing his teeth.

After a while the brushing stopped and the faucet turned off. She lay there until she heard a liquid sound right next to her and removed the cloth.

There was Severus, shirtless, with a towel wrapped around his waist, adding a potion to her water. Gods, was he planning on getting in the bath with her? Hermione’s heart started to pound as he looked at her with his dark eyes.

“Replenishing potion,” he said shortly, his eyes resting on the bubbles for a moment then sweeping back up to her face. Yes, her color was coming back as the potion worked its magic. Hermione’s eyes swept over his naked, well-defined torso with more than a little appreciation. He was cut, and tight, his abdomen a sea of rippled muscles. He was leaning over the tub slightly, looking down at her. She swallowed.

“I’m going to take a shower while you soak,” he said, walking away from her to the large shower. His well-muscled back was criss-crossed with long, raised scars left from the severe whippings he received while in the Dark Lord’s service. Hermione winced as she thought of how much he must have suffered earning those scars for the sake of the wizarding world.

The glass door of the large shower was stippled, and opaque. Four people could easily fit in it. Hermione watched as he placed towels, a washcloth, soap, a small bottle of oil and a pair of silk boxers on the basin. She could see his lean legs. He had runner’s legs, the calves strong and well defined. He was very pale…his skin like alabaster. He was like a living work of art, she thought as he reached into the shower and adjusted the water.

He looked back at her for a moment, black eyes meeting amber. Hermione felt a thrill go through her. The shower quickly filled with steam, and the Potions Master picked up the washcloth and soap, then stepped in and closed the door. She could see the outline of his pale body as he removed the towel from around his waist and hung it over the top of the stall.

She watched as he stepped under the stream, lifting his face to it, lowering his head so it ran through his silky black hair. He stepped back a little, letting the water course down his chest, belly and below, before turning and letting the spray cover his back. Hermione bit her lip as he turned back and soaped up the washcloth and began to wash himself. It felt strange, watching him like this, so intimate as he went through his ablutions. He washed his face, then scrubbed his shoulders, his strong arms working back and forth, soaping his chest and belly, then his hips. He bent, washing his legs, then his buttocks, reaching around and soaping his back. For a moment Hermione imagined herself helping him with those hard to reach places. She watched as he lowered the cloth to his pelvis and lifted his cock, stretching it out, running the soapy cloth over its length. She could only see his outline but gods it wasn’t hard to tell he was big. He seemed to look toward her for a moment as he washed his tool, then he released it and again turned under the water, rinsing the soap from his body.

Hermione felt the heat building up in her body. It would be an easy thing to rise out of the tub, walk over to the shower, slid open the door and step into it. She was sure, if he were faced with that, he would forget what he wanted from her, and take her as she was. She bit her lip as she watched him move under the water, tall, lean, muscular…

Hermione dipped herself under the water fully, her hair swirling around her. She rose, and wiped the streaming water from her face with her hands in time to see him open the shower down and reach for a towel. He closed it partially and began to draw the cloth over his body, drying himself. Again she caught a glimpse of his length as he lifted his cock to dry it. But when he released it, she could still see its outline. Gods, he had an erection. Even though she was in the water, Hermione could feel the wetness of her desire between her legs. She ducked herself under the water again. Rising in time to see him reach for the bottle of oil and pour it in his hand. He rubbed it over his chest and belly. It was very erotic to watch him caressing himself. Hermione’s breathing was increasing, and she felt the desire to get herself off, but she didn’t want him to know. She was sure that he would know.

Severus reached through the doors once more and picked up his silk boxers. Hermione watched as he stepped into them, the outline of his cock swinging into view when he bent to step into them. He straightened, pulling the boxers up, reaching inside them and adjusting himself. Then he pulled the door fully open and stepped out, looking at her, his silky hair damp against his head. Hermione watched in silence as he approached the tub and looked down at her again, his eyes once again sweeping over her.

“You look much better, except for your hair,” he said, moving to the top of the tub, and lowering himself behind her. He reached his hand into the tub beside her, cupped it and scooped up some water, and poured it over her head, then ran his fingers through her hair slowly. Gods it felt so good. He repeated this several times, and Hermione leaned her head back, her eyes closed enjoying the feel of his fingers lifting her hair and wetting it. Then he took his hands away for a moment. Hermione half opened her eyes. Then his hands returned, working something cold and wet through her locks, pouring more water on her hair. Then she felt the lather and sighed as he massaged her scalp and drew the suds to the ends of her hair. His hands were firm, but gentle. He knew how to wash a woman’s hair. Hermione rolled her head like a kitten beneath his fingers, she couldn’t help herself. Then his hands were gone again. She heard him stand, shuffle some things around, and then the basin faucet running. Then he was back, pushing her up from the tub so she was sitting in the water, her back exposed. Then he poured warm water over her head, working his fingers through it, rinsing the lather from her hair. This he did three times. Then he stopped.

“Give me your washcloth and your soap,” he said in a low, warm voice. It was hypnotic. Hermione felt around for the cloth and soap and handed them over her shoulder to him. She heard him dip the cloth into the water, and then a sound of scrubbing as he worked a lather up, then he put the cloth to her back and washed it, slowly, sliding the cloth over her skin, cleansing her body. She could hear his breathing quickening at bit, and he slid the cloth over her shoulders and around her neck. He was leaning closer to her now. Her belly was in knots as his hand hesitated at the hollow of her throat. Severus’ chin was just above the top of her head and he looked down to the waterline that just covered the swell of her breasts. The bubbles were disappearing slowly.

“Down…slide your hand down,” Hermione thought as the Potions Master’s cloth covered hand hovered at her throat.

“Hermione,” came his voice rather hoarsely.

“Yes, Severus,” she answered, her voice low with need.

“I think you best finish this,” he said, letting the cloth fall to the water and moving away from her and exiting the loo.

Hermione let out a long breath, and sighed. He had been so close, probably waiting for her to say something to take them over the edge. Waiting for her to say she needed him. But she didn’t say it…she was waiting for him to give in to his desire for her. What a game they were playing.

Severus dressed in Hermione’s room. Black pants, a white button up shirt, and a lab coat. Barefoot, he walked back into the study, and found fresh socks. He sat down and slipped them on, then his shoes. He heard the splash as Hermione extricated herself from the tub, and allowed himself a look into her mind. He didn’t see anything, but felt her desire wash over him. It was primal, feral, a hunger. But his name wasn’t yet on her lips. Why did he torment himself? Because he wanted to torment her.

Hermione emerged from the bedroom, looking refreshed and lovely in a clinical way, her hair back in a bun, dressed in blue jeans, a tee shirt and a fresh lab coat. She handed Severus a hair tie.

“For your ponytail,” she said, her voice still having the low quality of desire he heard while she sat in the tub, wanting him to touch her intimately. He was sorely tempted, but knew he would have ended up in the tub with her, ended up inside of her before she was truly ready. He might as well have collected three galleons if he had fucked her then. Because that is all it would be for her. Release by the most available means. He had felt her watching him shower, and he hardened. He wondered if she saw that. He looked at her and slowly drew back his hair, wrapping the hair tie around it.

“Now you look like a muggle scientist,” Hermione said, smiling up at him.

Severus looked down at her, lowered his head and caught her lips between his. He felt her melt against him, her lips responding to his as he tasted them. Hermione swayed against his lean, hard body. Severus felt her curves against him, and swallowed down the growl that started to rise in his throat. He pulled away from her. She remained with her face turned upward, her eyes closed, her mouth partly open. He fought the urge to explore her heat with his tongue.

“Come Hermione, we need to eat, then gather the house elves,” he said, stepping to the side of her and taking her arm in his. “I have an idea to help us make some advances today.”

Hermione’s amber eyes opened slowly, the disappointment reflected in them evident. She wanted more, he knew. She was too tempting. More could quickly turn into all. And it wasn’t time. When she told him she wanted him. Then and only then.

He smirked at her. After the shower, and the tub, he didn’t think she would last much longer. But until she said whom she wanted rather than what she wanted…

“The Work, Hermione. Remember the Work,” he said.

Hermione wanted to say fuck the work, but didn’t. She let him guide her toward the lift and breakfast. What a morning this was turning out to be.

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A/N: I know. I know. Not lemons. Could have been though. But no. I will NOT be forced to the orchards, even though I love all of you. It will be a slow, leisurely walk to that lemony place…with a hell of a sprint at the end. Lol. Still, this was pretty hot, wasn’t it? I hope so. Please review.