Daydreams of Desire

Denial of Affection

Severus sat in his office, angrily marking the latest parchments from his second year Potions classes. He was so angry that he found himself taking particular joy in marking not only errors in potion properties but also in spelling and grammar.

He had always given a small amount of leniency to the younger students as far as such things were concerned. But as he found himself trying to concentrate on anything besides the memory of Draco Malfoy propositioning Hermione Granger earlier that day, he was willing to let his second years take the full brunt of his wrath.

What angered him even more was that he didn’t understand why he was so upset. He had never made Ms Granger sign any agreement to deter attempts at flirtatious behavior from fellow students.
Honestly, she really had not done anything to encourage Draco’s advances anyway, and the mild flirtation she had given back to the young man could hardly be considered a come-hither. She had only been, for lack of a better word, friendly.

The girl was nothing particularly special to him. He was simply giving her a lesson in something she would otherwise know nothing about, as well as indulging himself in her fantasies. Fantasies that were about him, he reminded himself as he began pressing the quill even harder against the parchment.

He had been privy to most of the girl’s thoughts over the past week and not once had she entertained any attraction towards Malfoy. That should be enough to set his mind at ease. However, it didn’t.

Draco had his sights set on Granger. It didn’t matter if she wanted him or not. Not now. The boy was as bad as his father about relentlessly pursuing the object of his obsession. Hermione didn’t know what she was in for. That was a fact.

Almost immediately, Severus could hear the hated voice of his conscience. Draco is her age. He isn’t her teacher and mentor. You shouldn’t be doing this anyway! It is immoral and improper!

Snarling, he slammed his quill down on the desk and stood, striding out from behind the huge rosewood desk. He quickly moved through the portrait that was the entrance to his private rooms, which closed tightly behind him.

Hermione Granger had started this. Not he. She had made a spectacle of her own daydreams in his class. She wasn’t a child any longer. Bluegrass balls! She’d be twenty in another few months. She wouldn’t even still be a student if it hadn’t been for the war!

He stood beside his bed and slowly removed his outer robes. He was exhausted. He had not slept the night before after being an unseen witness to the conversation that had taken place between Hermione and Draco.

Then, her thoughts had closed to him. Severus knew she was no longer in Draco’s company afterward, but he still had an ache deep within his heart. Why this was, he didn’t know. He had no plans to turn what they had between them into something deeper. He was only teaching her something she might enjoy in her future. What did he care if she changed her mind and decided to indulge herself with the blond Slytherin prince?

Wearily, he stripped off the rest of his clothes and slid naked into the cool silken sheets. Resting his head on the pillow, he closed his eyes and willed all thoughts of Hermione and Draco away. He would decide how to deal with them when classes resumed on Monday.

* * * *

That night, when Hermione found herself back in the privacy of her own rooms, she indulged in a hot bubble-bath. She set candles around the tub and her favorite scent of jasmine filled the room.

Unbidden, thoughts of her aloof Professor, who had kept his thoughts closed from her, popped into her mind. A thrill of desire made her bite down on her lower lip.

She wondered what he was doing. What was he thinking about at that very moment? Was he thinking of her the way she was of him? If she were to reach out with her mind to him right now, would he welcome her? Or would he turn from her as he had this morning when she had been teasing Draco?

A moment of worry assailed her. Surely he realized she had no desire for the blond ferret! Draco had tormented her endlessly throughout her entire time at Hogwarts; even if she had teased a little with the prat, he was no one she wanted to trifle with.

Taking a deep breath, she leaned back in the tub and allowed her thoughts to stray to Severus. She pictured him standing naked at the foot of the tub as she washed herself.

She knew he was seeing what she saw in her imagination. His silent observance was almost a physical presence in the room. She felt the moment that he became the one at the end of the tub, instead of the doppelgänger she had imagined.

He stared down at her with eyes blacker than onyx. The expression on his face made her tremble. The desire she felt was mirrored in his gaze.

Slowly he moved around the edge of the tub and knelt beside her, bringing his face closer to hers. His voice, soft and seductive, made her vaginal walls clench. “Are you certain it is I with whom you desire to enjoy these fantasies?” he smirked. “Perhaps young Malfoy would be better suited.”

In silent answer to the question he asked, she simply leaned forward and pressed her lips gently to his. The kiss was tender and gentle, and it pulled at Snape’s heart.

When she pulled back, her eyes met his and she whispered, “You’ve seen where my wildest imaginings lead. Have you seen him in them even once?”

Severus took in her words with a small measure of triumph, but he still had to be sure. “He is a younger man. Perhaps he would be better at giving you what it is you need.”

Hermione felt amazement at the insecurity in his eyes. She immediately reached out and touched him. “Severus, I have no desire for him. He is a prat who I have little or no patience for.” She ran her fingers through his silken hair before cupping his cheek.

He had looked away from her, but at her touch, his eyes flew back to her face. “I have had no one that fired my blood the way you do,” she continued. “I do not know how else to tell you how badly I want only you, except to just say it.”

Her words were cut off when Severus swept her up into his arms and captured her mouth in a kiss that made her ache. She deepened it as she clung to him, pressing her breasts against his bare skin in a way that made him growl.

Pulling her free of the tub, he swung her around and sat her on the edge of the sink. His hand closed over her thigh and urged it over his hip.

She needed no more guidance but let followed suit with her other leg, using her heels to pull him closer. As his groin pressed to her moistness they both moaned in unison. It was as if a deep pain had just been eased deep inside both of them.

* * * *

Unknown to either of them, a strong magical spell was weaving around them as they took comfort in their shared fantasy. If either had been sufficiently conscious to see the glittering magic that surrounded their bodies, they would have been alarmed.

The magic wrapped itself around them, blanketing them in a charm so strong neither would be able to break it. For when they woke, the fire each was building in their dreams would begin to burn for real.

Their love would become all-consuming. They would be powerless to stop it or fight it away. No. Now they would have no choice but to step out of their fantasies and into the reality of their emotions.

For now the magic of Hogwarts had recognized the two of them as soulmates. The castle and grounds were much older than a wizard’s poor excuse for magic. And the power of the place would not be unanswered or ignored.