Twice Bitten ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 43 ~ Reaching an Understanding

Hermione received quite a few covert glances as she attended her classes. Even the teachers were studying her when they thought she wouldn’t notice. Hermione did notice however, but she said nothing. She was an adult now and had a right to do what and who she pleased.

DADA was the worst though. Draco Malfoy stared at her constantly, dying to get a word in on the Gryffindor. Imagine shagging old Snape. Gah! Granger was more disgusting than he ever dreamed and he couldn’t wait to tell her so. Snape was no longer his Head of House, Slughorn had taken over Slytherin house and didn’t want to relinquish his position, not that Snape wanted it anyway. But Draco could be sure he wouldn’t face any repercussions for giving the Mudblood a hard time. Hell, it wouldn’t be as hard as the time Snape gave her at any rate.

The class was spent in review, and at the end of it, Snape asked Hermione to stay after class a moment. A few “oohs” went up from braver departing students and the dark wizard gave an extra foot of assignments because of it.

Hermione walked up to his desk.

Snape cast a Silencing spell to protect their conversation.

”Are you doing rounds tonight?” he inquired.

Hermione shook her head.

”No, I start back tomorrow,” Hermione said.

”Good. Be at my rooms at nine tonight. The office door will be warded to your signature and I imagine you know how to enter my study,” the wizard said, his eyes glinting as he looked at the witch.

”Yes,” Hermione responded, feeling lacewing flies in her belly because of the blatantly hungry way Snape was looking at her.

”Tonight is going to be a very important night for us, Hermione,” he said in a low voice. “We must connect as fully as possible. So try to get some rest before then.”

”All right,” Hermione said.


”I look forward to gathering our components,” he breathed at her.

Snape removed the Silencing Spell, his black eyes intense.

Hermione blushed deeply and hurried from the classroom, Snape leaning back in his chair and looking after her thoughtfully. If he had any hope of completing the Binding, he had to feel deeply, deeply connected to the young witch. Tonight would be about pleasure, but also about work. There was much at stake here.

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Hermione made her way up the dungeon corridor, slipping past students, all of whom were giving her curious looks. She had just made it to the Main Hall when Draco Malfoy’s voice hailed her.

Hermione didn’t stop, but the Pureblood ran behind her and caught her by her robes, pulling her back.

”Hey Granger,” Draco purred as she spun and ripped her robes out of his hand.

”How dare you grab me!” she said to him, furious.

”How dare you ignore me,” Draco shot back at her. “So is it true you’re Snape’s wife?”

”No, I’m not his wife,” she said to him. “But I am bound to him. It was the only way I could save my soul from the demon that was after me.”

Other students had gathered around, listening.

”I would have rather went with the demon than shagged Snape,” Pansy Parkinson sneered, pretending to gag.

Laughter rippled through the crowd as Draco leered at the witch.

”Did he bugger you? Or did you blow him? Give us the gruesome details, Granger. I know you did something filthy. You are a filthy Mudblood after a . . .”

Draco never got a chance to finish his sentence. A fist flew out of the crowd and connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling into the surrounding students.

A grim-faced Ron appeared and caught Hermione by her arm.

”Come on, Hermione. I’ll walk you to the tower,” he said as Hermione looked at him gratefully.

Ron looked back at Malfoy, his blue eyes bloodshot. Malfoy was rubbing his jaw and staring back at Ron with murder in his gray eyes. Goyle stood by impotently. He wasn’t nearly as brave without his sidekick Crabbe, who was killed during the Final Battle by a fire beast in the ROR.

“And Draco, if I catch you cornering Hermione again, you can count on a duel next time. You bloody leave her alone!” Ron snarled at him as he led Hermione up the stairs.

“Thanks Ron,” Hermione said to him softly as he walked her up the stairs.

He gave her a little grin.

”I’ve wanted to do that since the git faced off with us in the ROR,” the red-head replied.

Hermione scowled.

”I thought you did hit him afterwards, when we were under the Invisibility Cloak,” she said to him.

During the Final Battle, Draco had been cornered by a Death Eater an upper corridor and was pleading for his life when Harry stunned the Death Eater. Ron had socked him in the mouth as they passed, shouting that was the second time they’d saved his two-faced arse.

“Well, I wanted him to see who hit him this time,” Ron replied, “besides, it has to be bad enough shagging Snape without having to hear about it all the time. Brrrr! Did you really Bind with him, Hermione?”

She nodded.

”Yes I did, Ron,” she said to him.

Ron fell silent for a few moments, then said, ”I guess you really love him then, otherwise the demon would have been able to take your soul.”

”Yeah,” Hermione agreed.

Ron didn’t say anything else as they walked up the stairs and down the corridor, stopping outside the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. Ron took both of Hermione’s hands.

”You know, I don’t understand what you see in him now, Hermione. I mean, I know he had powers as a vampire that made you want to be with him, but he doesn’t have those anymore. I just wish . . . I just wish it could have been me you loved,” he said softly, his blue eyes a bit wet.

“Oh Ron,” Hermione said softly, caressing the wizard’s cheek. “I do love you. I’m always going to love you. But it’s just not that kind of love, you know what I mean? You’re going to find a nice witch one day, someone who’s going to love you the way you deserve to be loved. She’ll probably be a lot like your mother too, and you’ll talk Quidditch, have great meals, lots of kids and be really happy. That wouldn’t have happened with me. I don’t like cooking and cleaning, and I’m not even sure I want children, Ron. I’m happiest studying and learning and having intelligent conversations about the latest magical happenings in the world. I’m not the right witch for you. But I will always, always love you as a friend, one of my closest friends until the day I die.”

Ron gave her a small smile.

”I hope you’re right, Hermione. But I have to tell you, you’re the first witch I ever loved,” he said softly.

Hermione gave him a little frown.

”I might be the first witch you ever loved from afar, Ron, but let’s not forget about those four virgins you loved up close and personal when we were in Iraq,” she said evenly.

”Oh yeah. I do have them, don’t I?” Ron said with a little leer before grinning at Hermione and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Go in. I’m heading back to the Great Hall. Harry’s probably waiting for me. If I’m lucky, Draco will be about and want to get even.”

Hermione shook her head. Ron was still Ron.

”All right, thanks again, Ron,” she said, giving the Fat Lady the password and entering the tower. She planned to eat her meal in her room.

Ron stood there a moment, then sighed. Maybe Hermione was right, they weren’t meant for each other and he’d find someone who suited him better. If he couldn’t, he could at least have fun trying as he shagged his way through the “possibles.”

Ron headed back for the Great Hall, a smile on his face.

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Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was working on the next term budget when there was a knock on her office door. She looked up, pulling her glasses down.

”Come in,” she called.

The door opened, and in walked Snape.

Minerva straightened in her chair.

”What can I do for you, Professor?” she asked him formally, still miffed at the wizard.

”I’ve come to inform you that I intend to complete the rest of the Binding ritual,” the wizard said.

Both of Minerva’s brows rose at first, then furrowed.

”Are you certain you are not just having a tryst with Miss Granger under the guise of performing a Binding, Severus?” she asked him pointedly.

Snape remained calm. He had expected that reaction.

”If that were the case, Headmistress, I wouldn’t have bothered to inform you,” he said evenly. “It wouldn’t be necessary.”

Minerva looked at him. He was right of course. He was free to sleep with Hermione whenever he liked as long as they conducted themselves with discretion.

”But Severus, be realistic. In order to Bind, True Love must be present. You don’t love Miss Granger,” the Headmistress said.

Snape blinked at her.

”I’m . . . I’m not sure that is completely true, Headmistress . . . as difficult as that is to admit. The night she escaped me, I went through a very gut-wrenching moment of fear, and found myself quite out of sorts at the idea that she could be killed. It had nothing to do with your threats either. I didn’t . . . didn’t want to lose another witch I cared about,” Snape said, looking as if he’d bitten down on something particularly nasty.

Minerva stared at him, then suddenly her eyes softened.

“Another witch? You mean Lily?” she asked the wizard.

Snape nodded and Minerva gave him a wan smile.

”So you are telling me you think lightning may have struck twice?” she pressed the wizard, who looked even more uncomfortable.

”I’m saying I don’t hate the witch, and . . . and it may be possible to Bind with her. I am going to try my best,” Snape replied stiffly.

Why did witches always press for the “L” word? It was annoying.

Minerva chuckled.

”You don’t hate her. I guess that’s the best I can expect from a wizard like you, although I’m not sure Hermione is going to go for it for too long. Very well, Severus. You have my blessing. Bind with the witch if you can. At least your heart is in the right place,” the Headmistress said, her features soft now.

Severus Snape had at last tamed the shrew. All Minerva ever wanted was for him to take responsibility. As far as she was concerned, he was doing that now.

“Yes, Headmistress. Thank you,” Snape responded, then turned and left her office.

Suddenly the sound of a single person clapping filled the office. Minerva spun in her chair to see Albus giving her a round of applause, his blue eyes twinkling.

”Well done, Minerva,” the wizard said with a smile. “Now that is the way to handle staff, with understanding and compassion.”

Minerva gave him a small smile.

”Why thank you, Albus,” she replied, turning back in her chair, pushing her glasses back up her nose and starting on the budgeting again, humming a little as she did so.

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Nine o’clock found a Disillusioned Hermione standing outside of the Potions master’s office. She had on her nightie under her robes, and her insides felt as if they were made of jelly. She took out her wand and unwarded the door, entered and warded it back. She then entered his study. The torchlight was low and she didn’t see the Potions master.

“Severus?” she called softly.

”In here,” Snape called back from the bedroom.

Hermione removed the Disillusionment spell and slowly walked into the wizard’s bedroom. Candles were floating near the ceiling and spread a warm glow around the room. Snape was in the bed, sitting up against the headboard, his chest bare and a sheet pulled up around his waist. His hair was in a ponytail. Hermione looked at him and he patted the bed.

”This is a clothing-free zone,” the wizard purred, “So get naked and join me, witch.”

Hermione blinked, then began to disrobe.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. ***