Playing the Game

Disclaimer: All hail JK Rowling who owns these characters. I have just borrowed them for some fun.

****

Chapter 5. Beltane Night


The village of Hogsmeade was alight. The Beltane fires had been lit on the hillside and the innocent revels of the villagers had already commenced. Both day and night the horns could be heard on the hills far and wide as the flowers were picked and the maypoles were danced.

Under the light of the moon, couples were now dancing around the bonfires and making merry with the fairy folk who were especially active on Beltane night.

Severus hated Beltane. It was his least favourite time of year. The fire festivals were immensely popular, but they were all about couples. Severus had never been part of a ‘couple’ and Beltane was a reminder of the many things he didn’t have in his life.

And there was the fact that he abhorred soppy romantic twaddle.

The Castle was essentially empty. First and Second Years were tucked up in their dormitories. Everyone else was in the village dancing around bonfires and leaping over broomsticks…and kissing in dark corners. He wondered if, despite her protestations to the contrary, Hermione had taken Potter to the Beltane gathering.

Just thinking it made his stomach clench.

Severus practically stomped all the way to the dungeons. It was lucky that there were no students about, for none would have survived unscathed had they crossed his path. He slammed through the dungeon doors, his robes billowing behind him, and stormed through the portrait hole into his private quarters, slamming it closed behind him.

He had barely poured himself a drink when there was a gentle knock at the portrait hole door. Would he never get any peace?

Severus stalked back to the door, almost throwing it open on the unwary visitor.

Hermione stood there, a crimson cloak wrapped tightly around her so that only her pale face was revealed.

Severus bit back a groan, trying to quell the leap in his stomach at the sight of her.

“May I come in?” There was a quiet determination in her eyes that told him she wouldn’t accept no for an answer.

“Hermione, I really don’t have the energy for your games tonight.” Supressed emotion made his voice gruff.

“No games, Severus” she said quietly.

Sighing, he stood aside to let her enter. He felt her eyes on him as he left her standing by the door and went to stand by the blazing fireplace with his drink.

“Well?” he demanded, not looking at her, “What do you want?”

She didn’t speak.

He glanced up impatiently.

“Why aren’t you at the bonfires with the others?”

“Why should I be in Hogsmeade when the man I want is here?”

“Hermione—” His voice was laced with warning.

“I’m here, in the spirit of Beltane, to prove to you that I mean what I say.”

Severus didn’t like to explore the implications of that statement. Beltane was a fertility festival. A time for taking lovers.

“Tonight is lady’s choice, Severus, and I choose you.” She stood silently, waiting for his response.

His patience with her pursuit finally hit an all time low. The thought occurred to him that perhaps it was his resistance that was making her so relentless. It wasn’t fair that she had this effect on him. She made him want things that he never thought he would ever want in his life. More than just a body to warm his bed, a part of him wanted this magical happiness that she had said they could have. And he wanted it with her…but it was an illusion.

He needed to burst her romantic bubble. Perhaps if he took this opportunity to embarrass her completely then, when she ran screaming into the night, he would finally get some peace.

“All right then.” He kept his tone almost offhand, as though he had done nothing more than accept a cup of tea.

“All right?” she was looking at him suspiciously.

“Yes. Take your clothes off. You won’t be needing them. Of course, I don’t really need all night. About ten minutes should do it.”

For a moment she was looking at him with uncertainty in her eyes. He had her off-balance with his indifferent tone and his distinct lack of emotion. She’d be running any minute now. He wanted to rub his hands together with glee. He also wanted to weep, except that he had forgotten how.

“I’m sure you can do better than ten minutes, Severus.” She was still frowning slightly at his unusual behaviour.

She hadn’t run. Damn.

Alright, so “Plan A: let her think you’ll take her like a whore and not think twice about it”, didn’t work.

It was becoming painful to be near her. He needed her to leave immediately.

Plan B then. He didn’t think Hermione would tolerate rough play…

“Well, all right, I’ll remove them for you”

Severus moved towards her with long purposeful strides and grasped the front of the cloak she held so tightly around herself. With one swift movement he pulled her up against him. He had intended to just rip the clothing from her body and then let her run away in terror, but as her perfume assailed his senses he made the mistake of looking into her face. Her eyes were wide and trusting.

He couldn’t do it. Not even to save himself from torment and embarrassment. He couldn’t hurt her. He wouldn’t frighten her.

He released her suddenly and stalked back to the fireplace, not seeing the look of confusion that crossed her face.

“I’ve changed my mind. You should leave.” He couldn’t look at her.

“I don’t understand why you are acting this way. Why do you fight me and yourself at every turn, Severus? You won’t give us the smallest chance.”

She was standing right behind him now.

“Please, give me…giveus a chance. A chance to build a bridge between us. One night, Severus, that’s all I ask. If you want to go back to hating me tomorrow, that will be your choice to make and I will accept whatever you decide.”

Once again he made the mistake of looking at her. As he turned his head and his eyes met hers, he realised that he would be the biggest fool to turn down what this amazing woman was offering. Even if it meant he burned for her long after she had walked out of his life.

Something of his thoughts must have shown in his face, or perhaps it was his silence, but she stepped into his body and raised her face for his kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and, with an almost imperceptible moan, lowered his mouth to hers. Pleasure spiraled into his stomach and along his nerve endings.

When he raised his head he realised she was still wrapped tightly in her cloak, her arms pinned between them. He gently fingered the collar of the velvet cloak. Hermione surprised him by blushing in his arms. He raised one eyebrow in inquiry. Her blush deepened and she bit her lip.

He watched her and waited for her to speak.

“I, er, that is, I wasn’t really sure how you’d react and, Ginny said that you’d have to be dead if you didn’t…after you saw…so I ... but then I lost my nerve. Not that I didn’t want to, just that I haven’t really done anything this, um, forward before.” she babbled lamely.

Severus looked at her blankly, not understanding one word of what she’d said.

Hermione bit her bottom lip and took a small step away from him.

“Oh well, in for a sickle, in for a galleon,” he heard her mutter, and she released her grip on the cloak.

She was naked underneath.

Severus’ breath caught in his chest. Gods, she had been serious about seducing him tonight! Now she stood almost hesitantly as his gaze moved almost convulsively over her half-concealed body.

As though hypnotized, his hands reached out slowly and undid the silver clasp at her throat and the cloak pooled at her feet in a cascade of velvet, revealing naked feminine curves that had tormented him for months. Her ivory skin appeared flawless to his eye, which roamed over the gentle swell of her ripe breasts and down to the soft curls nestled at the apex of her sex. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever regain his breath again.

Her eyes were lit from within, compelling his gaze to meet hers. In their depths he saw no deception. He saw only desire and openness shining out at him. She was offering him something he had never experienced. His body tightened and trembled in response.

The glow of the fire flickered over her skin, creating shadows and planes of her soft curves. Severus reached out and took her hand in his. The spell that held them both captive was broken by the warmth of her fingers in his.

With a groan he captured the back of her head with his free hand and lowered his mouth to hers, claiming her lips in a fiery kiss. He ignored the little voice in the back of his skull that told him he was still fooling himself, and in one smooth movement, Severus swept her up into his arms. He carried her towards his bed chamber, aware only of the soft skin under his hands, the heat of her body and the now radiant expression on her face. The way she was looking at him made him feel like a god.

Lowering her gently to her feet next to the bed, he deliberately grazed her naked body with his own, watching in wonder as her nipples puckered as they dragged against his jacket. She gasped at the sensation and lifted her hands instantly to the buttons at his throat. With her eyes gazing into the black depths of his, she began to open the fastenings, slowly peeling away the jacket from his shoulders. Her attention on him was absolute and made him feel like she was savouring a precious gift.

One by one, the buttons opened, a sweet torment that tested his patience. First his jacket, then his linen shirt was undone, revealing his chest to her seeking hands. She pushed his clothing from his shoulders, allowing them to fall in a heap on the floor at their feet. He could have disrobed with magic, but the sensation of her fingers against his skin was doing wonderful things to his arousal. Instead, he stared in rapt wonder at her full breasts, at the curve of her throat, and the way she bit gently on her bottom lip as she concentrated on his buttons. It made the anticipation well worth the wait.

When his arms were finally free, he gathered her close, reveling in the sensation of her breasts against his bare skin, and claimed her mouth in a passionate kiss. Sensation poured through him like wildfire, making coherent thought impossible.

If she could affect him like this with a kiss, he was unsure he would survive anything more intimate.

The kiss deepened, he flicked her lips with his tongue, encouraging her to allow him access to the sweetness of her mouth. She sighed into his lips, their breath mingling, as she surrendered completely to his teasing tongue that stroked and caressed hers. While his hands roamed over her back and the curve of her bottom, her hands were busy on the buttons of his trousers. Before he realised what was happening, she had managed to divest him of both trousers and underwear, and he stood before her naked.

Severus Snape had never before felt so vulnerable in the presence of a naked woman. For some reason he wanted her to find him as beautiful as he found her, though he knew this to be impossible. He raised his eyes to hers expecting to see in them the normal reaction women had to him – indifference, even disgust. His heart began to pound at the expression he discovered on her face. She was looking down at his body with a look of utter contentment on her face. She reached out her hand in wonderment and touched his shoulder. Her fingers followed were her eyes had gone, trailing caressingly down his chest, tracing gently across several of the scars that marked his skin. Her hands smoothed along the panes of his stomach and then she stroked one finger slowly along the length of his erection. Her eyes returned to his face, and the smile he saw there stole his breath away.

Wordlessly, she stepped into the curve of his body, breast to chest, stomach to stomach, his raging erection straining against her hip, and raised her face, begging for his kiss. In wonder, he obeyed.

She was so beautiful, he wanted to touch and taste every inch of her. His hands spanned her hips, pushing her gently down onto the bed. She complied eagerly, wrapping her arms about his chest to pull him down with her, as though she could not bear to be parted from him even for a moment. It was a heady feeling. Their kisses intensified as the energy built between them. With hands, mouths and bodies, each worshipped the other, their limbs tangling on the bed as they each sought to get ever closer.

Long fingers stroked downwards, and she parted her knees eagerly, at the same time he claimed her breast with his mouth. She moaned breathlessly as he explored her wet folds with caressing fingers, and the sound made his body twitch in response. Her hands were not idle, hesitating only briefly before wrapping around his silky shaft, wringing small sounds of pleasure from his lips.

Severus finally explored that tantalizing curve of her neck, inhaling her unique scent mixed with violets. That tantalising perfume was now blended with the aroma of her arousal and it was a heady combination. His fingers gently penetrated her tight passageway, making her quiver as he bit gently and then licked the tender skin of her throat just as he had dreamed of doing. He shuddered as she mimicked his actions, her teeth eventually scraping across his sensitive nipples, while one hand raked gentle nails across his back. His fingers had her moaning in encouragement and rocking her hips against him.

Her head was thrown back in abandon as she pressed her body to him so willingly. He opened his eyes to watch the pleasure and excitement in her face, her uninhibited response delighted him. She was beginning to tremble under his hands and the urge to bury himself deep within her was overwhelming. Taking a deep breath, Severus tried to control his eagerness. He had not allowed her to touch him for long, though she had reached for him several times. There were so many ways he wanted to pleasure her but he wasn’t sure how long he could hold out. He focused on the enticing wetness his fingers were exploring and returned his mouth to one lush breast.

She gasped and whimpered in delight, her body beginning to thrash slightly on the bed. He knew that her orgasm was close. She grasped at his hand suddenly, trying to pull his fingers away from their devastating journey. Her eyes met his, an unspoken plea within them. He knew immediately what she wanted. He wanted to wait, wanted to prolong this one astonishing exploration of the senses but Hermione was impatient. She was grasping at his shoulders, trying to draw him up to her. The invitation in her eyes was his undoing.

Severus rolled himself over her, reveling in the sensation as every part of their bodies came into contact. Lips, breast, stomach, hips, thighs; all radiating heat and energy that wrapped around him with the same fervor as her welcoming arms. Hermione opened her thighs eagerly, wrapping them around her lover’s hips and tilting her pelvis against him.

The underside of his shaft slid across her moist opening, smearing her juices along his length as she angled her hips in encouragement. He heard her mutter a few indistinct words under her breath and he drew back a little, positioning himself at her eager entrance and looked into her eyes. Are you certain Hermione? His eyes asked what his lips could not. Her face was slightly flushed, her lips parted breathlessly as she writhed wordlessly beneath him, silently begging him to continue. As their gazes locked she pushed her hips upwards and he let his weight settle fully onto her.

He penetrated deeply, sliding into her welcoming warmth. Groaning in pleasure as her tight walls enclosed him; her blissful surprised gasp was nearly his undoing. He drew halfway out and stroked in again, thrusting slowly into her slick heat. She answered by rolling her hips underneath him, panting with the sensations it aroused.

Severus began to move in that timeless rhythm, the heat and pressure building with every stroke as she rose to meet him again and again. He was overwhelmed by the tightness of her passage. Her hands caressed his chest and clutched at his hips to encourage him into her. She met him thrust for thrust, lost in the spiraling excitement that threatened to overwhelm them both, yet never once taking her eyes from his.

She was taking short mewling breaths, and her hands clutched convulsively, digging her nails into his buttocks as he rode her. As he claimed her mouth in a hot drugging kiss, she gave herself up to the explosion of sensation that burst within her, her body clenching convulsively around his. With every thrust a new wave of sensation washed over her, prolonging her orgasm until she screamed out his name in passionate release.

The sight of her abandoning herself to the passion he had aroused in her, and the sound of his name on her lips as she exploded beneath him pushed his own pleasure to the edge. His thrusting quickened as his body hardened and convulsed, spilling his seed into her receptive womb, the ripples of pleasure spreading through his body as he allowed his own release.

He collapsed on top of her, breathless and trembling. Hermione wrapped her arms about his neck and clung tightly to him as their breathing slowly returned to normal. When he tried to move she held him fast, wrapping her legs around his waist to stop him from drawing out of her.

They stayed like that for several minutes, feeling each others pounding heart against their chest. Neither of them spoke.

Eventually Severus gently disconnected their bodies and sat up to cast a cleansing charm. He was reaching for his wand when something else caught his attention. Hermione had blood on her inner thigh. Oh Gods, he hadn’t been so rough he’d made her bleed, had he?

He was looking slightly horrified and she immediately discovered the reason.

“Ah, yes. Well, I probably should have told you before, but you would have turned me away. Innocence is a minor complication.”

It took a moment for her meaning to penetrate.

“You were a virgin!” He was glaring at her again.

“See! Now, I knew you would react this way. I mean, really Severus, it was mine to give away. You should be flattered.”

“Flattered! You gave me your innocence without saying a word about it. Gods, did I hurt you?”

“There is a wonderful little charm Ginny Weasley gave me that deals with that. I used it at just the right moment, so no, you didn’t hurt me.”

“But you bled…”

“That is normal, Severus. The charm takes away the pain, but not the, er, hymen…sorry.”

He didn’t move. He just sat looking at her, considering the implications.

After a minute, Hermione sat up too.

“Which way is the bathroom?”

Severus pointed to a large portrait of Venus rising from the sea. Hermione moved towards it. If she felt self-conscious about standing naked in front of him, she hid it well. The portrait swung open revealing a black marble bathroom. She stood in the doorway for a moment, looking at him.

“I’m going to take a bath. When you have forgiven me for not telling you it was my first time, and have finished remembering how fabulous it was making love with me, you can come and wash my back…and any other parts I might have missed.”

It took him two minutes to join her. It would only have taken one, but he got tangled in the sheet.

***

Hermione did not allow him to move away after they had bathed and made love for the second time. With his face so close to hers, she brushed her nose against his face and rubbed her cheek across his cheek, feeling the soft skin along his cheekbone and the gentle rasp along his jaw. Her nose bumped gently into his, teasing and playful and surprised from him a small smile that she promptly captured with a kiss.

She lifted one hand and gently traced the contours of his face, trailing a finger down the bridge of his prominent nose. He wrinkled his nose at her, baring his teeth and she giggled, pulling his head down so that she could kiss his nose, and then kiss his mouth, and then kiss his mouth again.

The kisses got slower and deeper. She wanted him again? It was almost too much to believe. He could feel his body responding as she coiled one leg around his, drawing him closer. His ability to respond again astonished him. He never was one for sexual marathons.

Perhaps just for tonight he would accept what she was offering him. After all, it didn’t really mean anything, did it? But you wish it did.

“What other advice did Miss Weasley give you regarding your virginity?” he found himself asking.

Hermione blushed again under his narrowed gaze.

“She said: if it was a problem you could always kiss it better.”

***

Some (rather breathless) time later, Severus lay half asleep with his arms wrapped around Hermione, thinking he must remember to send Miss Weasley an owl, thanking her for her excellent advice.

***

Severus did not waken from his exhausted, satiated sleep when the slim woman slid gently from the bed and collected her cloak as the first rays of dawn touched the window. He did not stir as she pressed a gentle kiss to his mouth and caressed his sleeping face. He did not hear as she scribbled a short note and, with one longing backward glance, slipped out of the room.

All he knew was that when he woke up, he was alone.