A Looping of the Scales ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 45 ~ Follow-Ups

”I’m telling you, Harry—her tits—“ Ron exclaimed, curling his spread fingers before his chest as if holding two large handfuls of breasts. “And, and her arse—“

Ron dropped his hands behind him, still curved, this time as if holding a large, succulent bum.

“Just—just everything about her, her thighs and oh—her mouth—Harry, she’s the hottest thing at Hogwarts. I couldn’t get enough of her!” he said, dropping onto the side of his bed and looking rather goofy.

Harry blinked at Ron. He had just told him he’d shagged Susan Bones in the kitchen cupboard.

The cupboard? Where the food is?

Harry wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to eat in the Great Hall again. But that was beside the point. This was something serious.

”Um, Ron—tell me how this happened again?”

”Enchanted oysters,” Ron replied dreamily.

”Oysters.”

”Yeah, oysters. I ate one and got wood immediately.”

”So, then Susan just shagged you. Just like that,” Harry said, not thinking this was the kind of witch Ron needed to get involved with if she went around shagging every wizard with a convenient erection.

”Well, no. Not just like that. See, the oysters would cause a lot of pain—down there if a bloke didn’t get off, you know? I was in pain, Harry and there was nothing else for it. She did it to keep me from suffering,” Ron explained. “And I’m telling you, Harry, I’ve shagged two witches before Susan. Lavender and Hermione. Neither of them even came close to Susan. I’ve asked her to go out with me.”

”What? You just broke up with Hermione,” Harry said. “How can you go out with another witch so soon? I thought you loved her.”

”I do love her, as a friend,” Ron replied, “but she’s into Snape now, and besides, she’s no Susan. Susan not only shags well, but she COOKS. Cooks, Harry. And good. Now I ask you, is that compatibility or what? Hermione could burn water.”

Harry scowled at him. That wasn’t true and Ron knew it. Hermione was great at making potions and never burned anything and Harry told him so.

”All right, but potions aren’t food, Harry. You can follow a food recipe and it can still come out terrible. You remember the Treacle tarts she made us for Christmas—“

Harry shuddered. They had been awful because Hermione tried to make them ‘healthier’ by not adding anything sweet. Blech! Getting them down had been a chore, but they had to do it because Hermione was watching them with a big smile.

”How are they?” she asked Harry as Ron was trying to swallow his down as quickly as possible and end the torment.

Harry swallowed and replied, “Hermione, I can honestly say I’ve never tasted anything like them. Ever.”

She happily gave each of them a large bag with a kiss on the cheek and a “Happy Christmas,” thinking they were a smash.

They were a smash all right. Ron and Harry had an awesome Treacle tart fight that night, crumbs and broken tarts strewn everywhere. They were hard enough to sting when they made contact too. They were the perfect projectiles.

”All right. So Hermione’s no Darren McGrady, but Ron, think about it. Do you really want to be involved with a witch who can do things to your food? Suppose she gets mad at you?”

”The make-up sex would be great,” Ron replied, falling back on the bed. “I’ve got wood just thinking about it.”

Harry shook his head.

”Ron, you’re thinking with the wrong head on this one, I’m telling you.”

Ron sat up on his elbows, not even taking in what Harry was saying.

”And you know what she had the nerve to tell me? That I’d be teased if I went out with her because she’s a bit plump,” Ron said to Harry. “There’s nothing wrong with a thick witch at all. Actually, now I think they’re better than skinny witches. There’s so much more to them,” Ron said with the conviction of the newly indoctrinated.

Harry knew he had to approach this subject delicately.

”Um—Ron, not everyone’s going to share your point of view,” he said carefully. “She could be right, you know. A lot of people—wizards—don’t find big girls attractive.”

”That’s a crock!” Ron snarled, sitting up now. “There are plenty of married plump witches! Look at my mum!”

”Yeah, but I don’t think she started out plump. She just—ended up that way. Look how skinny Ginny is,” Harry said by way of example.

Ron narrowed his eyes at Harry.

”So, let me ask you something, Harry. If you married Ginny and she plumped up like mum, would you still love her?”

Harry didn’t even hesitate.

”Of course I would,” he replied.

”But, if she had been a bit plump to start with, you wouldn’t have given her a second look, would you? No matter how great she was?”

Harry reddened and Ron shook his head.

”See, that’s the difference between me and other blokes, Harry. I know a good thing when I find it, and I don’t let anyone else tell me how to feel about it. I don’t have to do what anyone else does. Everyone said Hermione was too much of a brain for me, but I didn’t listen and while we were together, I was happy for a while. I don’t regret going out with her—it just didn’t work out. But I don’t regret it at all. We tried.”

Harry just looked at Ron. He did march to the beat of his own bongo most of the time.

Ron continued.

”I like Susan, I really do. I think she is one of Hogwarts’ best kept secrets and I think we’ll be a fine match, if she agrees to go out with me—“

Harry frowned.

”You mean she turned you down?” Harry asked him, amazed. He didn’t imagine Susan had wizards lined up to ask her out, no matter how nice she was.

”Not exactly. She said I was just—just still in shag mode and told me to think about what I asked her for a week. If I still feel the same way at the end of it, she might go out with me.”

”Wow, that’s—that’s nice of her. She could have trapped you,” Harry said.

Ron shook his head.

”It’s impossible to trap someone who wants to be caught, Harry. After Hermione, I need a witch like Susan. She’s smart, affectionate, has great magic, cooks and is a great shag. She also has time for other things than studying. I don’t know much else about her than that, but it’s a good start.”

”Especially the great shag part,” Harry said dryly. Ron nodded enthusiastically.

”Yeah, there is that,” he agreed.

The two friends sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, Ron looking thoughtful. Finally, he said, “Harry, how does ‘Susan Weasley’ sound to you?”

”It sounds like you’re bloody pussy-whipped, that’s how,” he replied, shaking his head. .

Ron just smiled at him and fell back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling dreamily.

He thought ‘Susan Weasley’ had a right nice ring to it.

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When Hermione let herself into Snape’s quarters the following day during lunch, she had dragons flying around in her belly. Were things going to be strange between them now? Something was bound to be different. But, she didn’t intend to neglect her studies, and if he tried anything, she was going to have to tell him that flat out. The purpose of being lovers was so they would have the freedom to do what was needed without complications. She hoped it would really be that way. She did her best not to think about last night, although delicious little images kept seeping in, distracting her from her work. When she shagged Ron, it didn’t distract her at all. But Ron wasn’t Severus.

The wall slid up and Hermione walked into the room to find Snape sitting at the desk with a small pile of books, one of which he seemed to be studying intensely.

”Hi,” Hermione said to him.

Snape looked up as if surprised to see her.

”Hello, Hermione,” he said, returning to his book.

Hermione blinked at him. It was his standard greeting, and instead of feeling put out about it, Hermione felt so relieved she could have just slumped where she stood. If he had been all hot-eyed and solicitous, she would have felt uncomfortable. But this, this she could handle.

She walked over to the desk, put her knapsack on the floor and took a couple of books out of the cubby hole, along with parchment and a pen. She sat down and opened to a page and began reading.

Yet, Snape was so absorbed in what he was doing, that he didn’t say anything else to her. Hermione’s eyes shifted towards him curiously. Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer.

”What are you studying?” she asked the wizard.

Snape looked up at her.

”I found a shelf full of instructional texts that I know will come in handy,” he said to her, quirking an eyebrow.

”What kind of instructional texts?” she asked him. “Arithmancy?”

”Hardly,” he said, sliding the book he was reading over to her.

Hermione looked down at the page, reddened and turned the book’s cover so she could read the title. It was the “Illustrated Book of Kama Sutra.”

”Severus! What is this?” she demanded, still red.

Snape looked surprised at the question.

”I think that’s obvious. And over here I have ‘The Joy of Sex’ and “Tying Up Loose Ends: The Big Book of Bondage.’ There are an amazing number of knots in that one.”

Hermione should have known Snape was up to something and wouldn’t just ignore what happened last night. He might not be all over her, but these books clearly showed he intended to be.

“Why are you reading these books?” she asked him.

Snape looked as if he were going to say something withering about the stupidity of her question, but didn’t. It wouldn’t have been wise to do. Instead he gave her the full explanation.

”I am reading these books because as your lover, I have a job to do, and that is to make you happy and all our encounters special. Doing the same thing over and over isn’t the least bit exciting, and I’m supposed to be exciting. So, I’m reading up on sexual techniques and positions so I can be what you need the next time we—engage.”

Hermione tried to scowl at him, but smirked a little.

”So, you’re saying it’s ‘all about me?’”

”Of course,” Snape replied, taking the book back from her and finding the last page he was on, looking down at it with a studious, no-nonsense expression on his face.

”And not just a little bit about you?” she asked him.

”Well, of course I’m involved,” he said, not looking at her as he slightly wet his thumb and turned to the next page, cocking his head and turning the book slightly to the right.

”I’d say you are more than involved,” Hermione said. “It’s about your pleasure, too. Your needs.”

Snape sort of grunted at her.

Hermione smiled, actually glad at his response. He didn’t take her question and turn it into an opportunity to talk about sex or make a move on her. She would have hated that.

It seemed that there really were boundaries and Hermione appreciated it. All her feelings of apprehension drained away.

”Fine. Study then, Mr. Lover. I’ve got to get to work,” she told him, returning to her books.

But she smiled the entire time she was there. When she departed, Snape sighed and slowly closed the book he was reading. He had decided not to say anything about last night if Hermione didn’t, but greased the wheels a bit for conversation by having all those sex books out in the open, so she knew he was thinking about it. About them.

Although Hermione had something to say about the books, she still didn’t say anything about the sex between them and actually seemed happy it wasn’t discussed. He could feel she was still comfortable around him, and that was a good thing. He had hoped things wouldn’t become “weird.”

He smirked a little. She had called him, “Mr. Lover” and didn’t have any objections to his studying those books, so he had to assume she wouldn’t have many objections to trying out things he’d learned.

The only question was, when would he get the chance to show her? He said he would be there for her when she needed him and was sure it wouldn’t work the other way around since she had far more to study and work on than he did. He was going to have to follow her schedule. He looked thoughtful.

He wanted more access to her. He couldn’t help it. She was—incredible. If he were going to lure her back into his arms, he’d have to work on being more attractive to her in very subtle ways.

It might be a good idea to take her flying this weekend again, if she’d agree to go. He hoped being chased by a dragon hadn’t cooled her ardor for flight.

Hmm. Wait, he had a better idea how to keep the juices flowing.

Duel her—maybe, make a little side ‘wager.’ He’d have to be careful how he went about it. He knew what he’d want, but—what could he offer Hermione that she’d possibly want? She already had access to his books and he had agreed to stand in on her NEWTS. What else could he possibly offer her that would make her willing to wager?

He thought about it.

How about teaching her a few of his original spells? The ones not catalogued? Surely she would go for that. It fell into the category of “learning new things.” She wouldn’t be able to resist that offer.

A little voice in the wizard’s head said, “Severus, you’re not being vaguely fair about this. You can beat Hermione in a duel and you know it.”

Yes, he did know it, but he wasn’t about to let a little thing like a conscience ruin his plans. If she agreed to duel him with the wager, then she agreed. He wouldn’t be twisting her arm—

Snape smirked a bit, imagining what their next intimate encounter might be like.

He wouldn’t be twisting her arm, yet.

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A/N: Darren McGrady used to cook for the Royal Family. Thanks for reading.