I'm Not in Love

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Severus was a passable cook. It was like therapy, throwing things into a pan, waiting for them, and then eating the results. Like potion-making with benefits. He also liked to sing while he was cooking, and he had the Muggle radio tuned to a modern station. Not that he was going to sing at the moment, with Hermione Granger seated at his kitchen table. There were some things he didn’t feel like sharing. He slid a fried egg onto a plate, added a couple of slices of bacon and some perfectly cooked mushrooms, and put the plate in front of her before turning and plating up his own. He was ravenous and smiled as he remembered why.

Hermione took a slice of toast, buttered it, and added it to her plate along with a generous dollop of brown sauce. She licked her lips and raised her knife and fork as Severus joined her.

‘This looks excellent. Thank you.’ She grinned at him and he rewarded her with a proper smile. Not a smirk, not a grimace, but a face warming smile that reached his eyes.

‘You earned it…’ He chuckled softly, and she rewarded him by blushing furiously and turning her attention to her breakfast.

They ate in silence, with just the radio for background noise. The caw of a seagull came in through the open window. The light curtain fluttered in the breeze, and beyond it, Hermione could see a small garden, shrubs and flowers around the perimeter.

‘Do you enjoy gardening?’ she asked him in surprise.

‘I do now, yes. It was part of my recovery, and it was much needed when I purchased the house.’ He glanced out of the window with pride.

‘There’s so much about you I never imagined,’ she said quietly, taking a bite of toast and regarding him slowly. She didn’t think she had ever seen him so relaxed; the taut muscles in the side of his face had nearly always been jumping during Potions class, his eyes flashing between anger, frustration, and boredom in turns.

Severus turned his eyes on her thoughtfully.

‘Indeed.’ He murmured, thinking the exact same thing. ‘Tell me about your life, Hermione. What did you do after the war? What are you doing now? And why are you here?’

Hermione smiled at him. ‘Do you really want to know?’ She was pleased he was interested.

Severus raised his eyebrow at her. ‘I never waste words.’

Hermione giggled, and he smirked at her laughter, going back to his breakfast and pausing to pour tea as she started to talk.

‘I went to University after the war. To get my masters in Potions. It was all I wanted to do, really. After my parents were murdered, I couldn’t face going back home, and staying at Hogwarts wasn’t an option for me. I needed a change of scenery, you know?’ She drifted off into her own thoughts, and Severus nodded. He knew exactly.

‘Then what?’ he prompted.

‘Then… I started to look for work. In the beginning, I went to London and got a job with Arkasians. You know, the pharmaceutical company who supplies St Mungo’s? I stayed there for a couple of years, but it was boring, to be honest. And I worked with so many stuffed shirts!’ She laughed at the memory, and he smiled at her.

‘And then, I happened to look in the Daily Prophet, and there was a job advert for a Potions teacher at Beauxbatons. I’ve been there almost five years now, and I really like it.’ She beamed at him.

‘You’re teaching Potions?’ He put his cutlery down and stared at her open-mouthed.

‘Surprise!’ She laughed at his shock.

Severus continued to stare at her for a moment, and then took a breath, pouring himself some more tea.

‘Don’t tell me I have managed to silence Professor Snape?’ she teased him, smiling slowly as he met her gaze.

He grunted. ‘Headmaster Snape, actually.’

It was Hermione’s turn to stare.

‘No!’ she exclaimed. ‘Wow, that’s brilliant, Severus.’ She smiled warmly at him, genuinely pleased.

‘Thank you.’ He raised his eyes to hers. ‘I think the advert for my old post ran in the Prophet the week after the Beauxbatons one…’

He left the comment hanging, the impact of his comment not lost on her.

‘That’s timing for you.’ She smiled at him wryly, and he grinned at her a little.

‘I think everything happens for a reason,’ he stated quietly and covered her hand gently with his, giving it a slight squeeze. ‘So tell me, what happy accident brought you to this town?’ And to me, he thought to himself.

Hermione stared out of the window. ‘It’s my parents’ anniversary this week. We used to come here on holiday. It was a way of remembering the happy and not the sad.’

‘How long are you staying?’ he asked softly.

‘Until next Friday… Another ten days…’ She smiled shyly at him.

Severus said nothing.

******

They stood in his doorway and Hermione looked up the street, trying to get her bearings. It looked like it was going to be a lovely day, and she thought she might go for a walk along the beach later.

‘Well,’ Hermione said. ‘Thanks… for breakfast. And the company.’ She smiled at him, and he looked at her warmly.

‘Where are you staying?’ He put his hands in his pockets and leant against the doorframe.

Hermione grinned. ‘The Belle Vue. I know, it’s cheesy, but I quite like it, and I get a sea view!’

Severus rolled his eyes at her, his hair falling forward and covering his face a little.

‘I’d better go, then.’ Hermione stepped out onto the street, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him. He cupped her face with his long fingers and slid them through her hair, staring into her eyes as he bent, captured her lips with his, and kissed her firmly. Then he let her go as she gasped, her face flushed. He grinned at her and watched as she walked down the street, glancing at him over her shoulder.

Severus waited until she was out of sight before going back inside his house and closing the door.

*******

Hermione lay on her bed, her legs stretched wide, clutching frantically at the buzzing length of plastic between her legs with one hand and pulling at her nipples with the other. She thrust in and out, pausing as she buzzed over her clit and then thrusting again. She felt her orgasm building; her eyes closed as she imagined Severus was on top of her, his lips on hers, his cock filling her.

‘Fuck… Oh shit… shit!’ She trembled and bucked her hips, her orgasm washing over her in waves as she collapsed on the bed and withdrew her vibrator quickly. She fumbled to turn it off and laid panting, sweat trickling between her breasts. It was really too hot to masturbate, but she couldn’t get Severus out of her head. And it wasn’t just the sex. She was thinking about his lovely garden, his cooking. For a brief second the thought that he was her perfect man flashed through her brain but she shrugged it off. Flights of fancy were not for her.

Hermione closed her eyes gently and ran her hand across her bare flesh. She felt alive and allowed herself to replay the events of her night with Severus yet again.

Her reverie was broken by a soft knock at her door, and she looked over in panic.

‘Just a moment!’ She called and leapt from her bed, grabbing her robe and throwing it around her quickly. She walked to the door and opened it a little, peering through the gap.

Severus was leaning against the doorframe, his face serious and his eyes burning into hers.

‘I can’t stop thinking about you,’ he murmured and pushed the door open firmly with his foot, stepping inside without an invitation.

Hermione jumped back at his forced entry, biting her lip. Suddenly, her room seemed very small, his tall frame and his pulsing presence filling it, his energy palpable.

She closed the door slowly, Silenced and warded the room, and let her robe fall to the floor.