Outside the Fire

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR, not me.

A/N: Thanks to Sunglow for beta reading, and a great big kiss to my husband for checking my work as well, even though he hasn't finished OoTP yet, and I'm spoiling his fun. I can't believe I've got so many reviews for the first four chapters, and not just from my regular readers. Thank you so much, everyone.

Outside the Fire

Chapter 5 - Hands, Knees and Toes

Knees. When did he start to notice them? Or rather, when did he start to notice one particular pair? There they sat, demurely crossed, the edge of her skirt just at the top of them. Eyes half closed, he brooded opposite, mouth set in a thin line. He'd never noticed her hands before, either. Short, rounded nails, unadorned with colour, but with a soft sheen to them. Long fingers too, quite unusual in a young woman. His mother had had long fingers, he remembered, plain except for her engagement and wedding rings.

He allowed the meeting to drag on around him, blocking out the petty grievances the other Heads had about the students. His gaze moved back to her knees, then travelled down shapely calves to fine-boned ankles ending in black court shoes with a low heel. They were immaculate, without scuffs on them. He wondered idly if she had them spelled to resist dirt and everyday stains. She looked the type.

"What do you say, Severus?" Oh, Albus was speaking to him.
"About what?"
"Turning deaf are you?" Sprout grinned.
"Your inane chatter is something I prefer not to listen to." He said icily.
"But this concerns Slytherin." Flitwick said.
"I apologise then." He inclined his head, sounding not the least bit sorry.
"We were wondering about Halloween, Severus." Albus gently brought the conversation back to the subject they were discussing.
"What about it?" he asked suspiciously.
"Some of the students have come up with a rather interesting suggestion." Albus looked over his glasses at Hermione and Draco. Severus raised an eyebrow in question.
"Perhaps Draco might like to elaborate?" Albus turned to Draco who was sitting there with an angelic look on his face. Severus didn't trust him one bit.
"In the interests of Inter-House Relations.." Severus snorted at this, "Some of the younger students thought that it might be fun to hold a Treasure Hunt."
"A what?"
"Treasure or Scavenger Hunt. Groups are paired up randomly and let loose to find certain objects. Clues are given as to their whereabouts and the first group back with all their items, wins."
"I think it's an idiotic idea. Why should it concern Slytherin?"
"The dungeons are extensive, Severus." Albus interjected.
"Absolutely not! I refuse to have hoards of rampaging students invading my dungeons!"
"How is that different from a normal school day?" Hermione asked innocently. Severus glared at her.
"It will involve the whole castle, including the greenhouses. I think it's an excellent idea, much more fun than the usual feast." Albus clapped his hands as Severus glowered at him.
"Of course, we can have one earlier for the first through fourth years, and then a harder one for the upper years." Flitwick suggested.
"I am not having students wandering around all night, lost." Severus snapped.
"We can have mixed groups of different Houses, so no-one will get lost." Albus soothed.
"Hmph." Severus folded his arms over his chest, pulling his robe over surprisingly broad shoulders. He knew it would be useless to protest any further, as the Headmaster had already made up his mind. Damn Draco! He could see his and Potter's hand in this.
"It's settled then, is it? Perhaps we can organise a committee of Prefects for further ideas. I'll look forward to seeing your plans at next week's meeting, then." Dumbledore beamed at Hermione and Draco, signalling that the meeting was at an end.

Snape was the first out of the door, his robe snapping and billowing around him as he headed down to his dungeons, a frown drawing his eyebrows together in a black slash above furious eyes. Sprout, Flitwick and McGonagall followed at a leisurely pace and Draco and Hermione brought up the rear with the Headmaster.
"Excellent idea, Draco, if I may say so." Albus patted him on the shoulder and Draco shot Hermione a smug grin. She rolled her eyes at him and he pulled her hand into the crook of his elbow.
"Told you he'd go for it."
"So how much do I owe you?"
"Not a Knut, sweetie. You can save me a dance at Christmas."
"Aren't goi going home?"
"No. We're staying here this year." Draco's smile had a secretive air about it.
"Ah, I gather the dungeons will be empty?"
"Nearly."
"And am I to assume that you'll have the company of a certain someone?"
"You assume correctly."
"Just don't let Professor Snape catch you moving Harry into your room, okay?"
"I'm clever as well as stunning looking, you know."
"Modest, too."
"Of course."

~~@~~

His class had been whittled down to this small group of mainly Slyther Gry Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. What on earth had possessed Longbottom to assume that he had the talent for this advanced class? Granted, he hadn't blown any cauldrons up yet, but the term was young, and that one he was using was looking scorched already. Miss Granger seemed to have appointed herself his tutor again, and Severus frowned. She was only holding herself back by doing that; he would have had her working on theoretical potions by now if it weren't for Longbottom's ineptitude.

Severus stood at the front of the class, watching as the students paired up. Draco was with er, er, as usual, and Zabini had switched seats so Weasley could sit next to Bulstrode. Granger and Longbottom were down at the front, quills poised and parchment flat against the desks. As soon as the clock hand pointed at twelve, the room fell silent, waiting for him to begin. The potion classroom's acoustics were such that he never had to raise his voice to be heard, and for that he was grateful. He did so hate to shout; it lost its effectiveness if he did it too often. This way, it scared the shit out of them and made them pay attention when he did.

The class proceeded as normal, with Hermione unobtrusively helping Neville as usual. As no one seemed to be causing any trouble, Snape was at his desk grading papers until it came time for the next stage of the potion to be prepared. He made his way around the class, mentally taking note of the different colours and consistency of the various potions. Granger's was perfect, as usual, as was Draco's and even Potter's wasn't bad. He was frowning at Longbottom's cauldron when the signal was given.

Like a well-oiled machine, the two Gryffindors and three Slytherins swung into action. Blaise raised his hand and cleared his throat, attracting Snape's attention just as Neville added his Amarin seeds. Harry knocked his knife to the floor, distracting Hermione into looking up. It was Ron who cast the charm behind Snape's back on the seeds just at the critical moment, and Millie ducked as Neville's cauldron exploded.

With lightning reflexes, Draco caused the potion to cool dramatically just as it covered Hermione, Neville and the Professor in blue goop and splattered the surrounding area.
"Out! Out!" Severus raised his hand and pointed to the door, glaring at Neville, who was shaking badly in reaction. He'd read about this potion and according to the books, it shouldn't be volatile. He cout unt understand what he'd done.
"I have had enough of your incompetence, Longbottom. Your potions career is, as of this very minute, over! I never want to see you in my classroom again!"
"But.." he started to protest. More fool he, thought Hermione as she tried to scrape some of the blue slime off her face with her fingers. In a way, it would be a relief not to constantly supervise Neville. He really wasn't cut out for Potions.
"Get out! And fifty points from Gryffindor!" Snape's voice rose to a shout, and Neville scuttled away, slamming the door behind him.
"Sir?" Draco moved forward, knowing he was probably the only one the Professor wouldn't scream at.
"What?" the Professor snapped.
"You may want to clean that stuff off before it sets. You too, Hermione."
"I can cast a cleaning charm, Draco." Severus waved his wand at Hermione and she was instantly blue goop free. Pointing it at himself, he cast the same charm. Nothing happened, courtesy of a counter charm muttered by Harry. Severus frowned, wondering why it hadn't worked.
"If you will allow me, Sir?" Draco stepped forward with his wand.
"Get on with it, then." Snape stood there, waiting.

Draco flicked a glance towards Harry and then took a deep breath. Releasing it, he cast the most powerful cleaning charm he knew, not the superficial one that his Head of House was expecting. Severus felt the magic ripple over him in a harsh wave, scouring over him to remove the residue from Longbottom's disaster. Unfortunately, Draco's enthusiasm for cleaning charms took care of the remainders of that so there was no way he could analyse it to see where he'd gone wrong.

"Right, now clean up your workplace and get out." Severus waved his hand at their desks and stalked back to his own, picking up his quill to begin slashing red ink over the third year essays sitting there. He almost growled when he noticed thas fis fingers were free of stains. Pushing his hair out of his eyes, he felt the clean strands slip through his fingers. Draco went too far sometimes...

Draco smirked at Harry and the others and jerked his head slightly in Hermione's direction. She was cleaning her workstation and packing her parchment away, but her eyes kept straying to the front of the room where a remarkably clean professor was sitting. Raven wings hung down, hiding his face, and gleamed softly in the light of the torches. Unfortunately his marginally improved looks hadn't improved his disposition.
"If you're not all out of here in thirty seconds, the last one out will earn a detention." His voice was still soft, but laced with steel, and the students scrambled to get out of the classroom.

They found Neville outside the door, slumped on the floor, and still covered in blue goop. Harry looked at Draco, a guilty look on his face. Rolling his eyes, Draco cast a lesser charm and cleaned thher her boy up.
"I don't know what went wrong." Neville was helped up by Ron and handed his bag by the much taller boy.
"Bad seeds, do you think?" Harry asked.
"I used the same batch, Harry, and my potion was fine." Hermione frowned.
"Just unlucky then?" Blaise shrugged.
"Lucky, I'd say." Ron grinned, knowing he had to keep an act up.
"How?" Neville turned to him.
"You never have to take another of Snape's classes. Ever again. Don't know why I never thought of it myself."
"Because you need Potions NEWT to become an Auror, you idiot." Harry punched him lightly on the arm.
"I knew there was a reason I was torturing myself."
"Never mind, Neville. You passed your OWL, and that was quite an achievement." Hermione consoled him; secretly relieved she'd never have to sit near him and a cauldron again.
"I knew it was hopeless when I signed up." Neville sighed again, trudging up the stairs towards the great hall.
"At least you tried." Hermione patted his arm, "and now you can concentrate on your other classes."
"Another good reason to spend more time in the Library." Draco muttered from the back of the group. Hermione stuck two fingers up at him.

~~@~~

Severus decided to skip lunch in the great hall and opted for a sandwich at his desk. He knew when the door opened that it would be the headmaster.
"Not at lunch, Severus?"
"Am I in the great hall?"
"No."
"Then I'm not at lunch. Are you here for a reason, mastmaster?" Severus looked up from the notebook he was writing in.
"Minerva tells me that Mr Longbottom has been cut from your class."
"I cannot teach him, Albus. He is a hopeless case."
"I fear you are right." The headmaster sighed and Severus looked on in shock. Had the headmaster just agreed with him about a Gryffindor?
"So you're not here to badger me to take him back?"
"Of course not. I took the liberty of questioning him myself."
"And?"
"He is puzzled about why potipotion exploded."
"I would have liked to find out myself, but Mr Malfoy took care of that, unfortunately."
"I can see that he was rather enthusiastic with the cleaning charm. I must commend Filius for his lessons." Albus indicated Severus's hair.
"Hmph."
"Yes, well, will you be coming up for dessert?"
"No, I will not." Severus turned back to his notebook and picked up his quill.
"Shame, it's lemon soufflé."

Severus snorted and waited for the headmaster to leave before sitting back in his chair with a sigh. He could do with a cigarette, right now, and debated whether he had time for one. Sod it. He pulled one out of the packet in his drawer and lit it, drawing the smoke into his lungs. He frowned when there was a knock on his door.
"What?"
"Sir?" Hermione poked her head around the door, and her eyes widened at the sight of Snape with a cigarette in his hand and a haze of smoke around his head.
"What do you want, Miss Granger?"
"I forgot my quill. Can I get it?"
"Hurry up." He nodded his head sharply and watched through the open door as she retrieved a rather nice looking eagle feather quill. He turned back to his notebook.
"You know they're bad for you, don't you?" Hermione was once again standing by his door.
"Of course I do. Now get out."
"How many do you smoke a day?"
"What is this, the Spanish Inquisition? What I choose to inhale is none of your business, Miss Granger. Go away." His voice was cutting in its coldness.
"But.."
"Out! Unless you want to join Mr Longbottom?" he glared at her.
"Fine! Kill yourself then!" Hermione tossed her head and left the room in a swirl of robes.
"Insufferable git!" she muttered to herself on the way up the stairs. She wanted to punch something, and consequently when they were practicing disintegrating charms, her feather blew up quite spectacularly.
"Something bothering you, Hermione?" Ron asked warily as they made their way back to Gryffindor tower.
"Did you know Snape smokes?"
"Draco told me," Harry joined them, "What has that got to do with you being in a bad mood?"
She told them about her earlier encounter with Snape. "I hate smoking," she finished.
"Aunt Petunia used to have the occasional cigarette. Said it calmed her down." Harry shrugged, "Perhaps he needs it with Neville in his class."
"I think you need to go and let off some steam." Ron rested his arm over her shoulders and felt the tension there.
"Meet me outside the Room of Requirement an hour after dinner." Harry's teeth gleamed as he smiled.
"What had you got in mind?" Hermione was suspicious.
"An outlet for all that aggression, Miss Granger." Was all he would say.

~~@~~

Hermione made sure no one was around when she met up with Harry later that evening. She felt restless and irritated still, and had snapped twice at Neville already, when usually she had a lot more patience with him.
"Ready?" Harry had his hand on the door knob.
"As I'll ever be." she said and he pushed her through the door.
"A punch bag?" she turned to her friend.
"Go ahead. Pretend it's Snape." Harry nodded, "You might want to change your clothes, though."
"Oh, okay." she waved her wand and soon she was dressed in shorts and tank top. "What do I do?"
"Hit it." Harry watched as Hermione crouched slightly, balling her fist. She hit the bag with a satisfying thwack. And again, and again, until the room resounded with grunts and the sound of fists hitting the bag. At last she stopped, holding onto the bag to keep upright.
"Feel better?" Harry was sitting watching her.
"Great," she panted, "Why didn't I think of this?" Hermione was glowing.
"Violence is a good tension reliever, after sex, that is." Harry grinned.
"I'll take the violence, thanks."
"Give the sex a try first."
"No thanks. Too complicated."
"What's complicated about hot, sweaty, mind-blowing pleasure?"
"It usually involves two people."
"So?"
"It may have escaped your notice, Harry, but I don't have a significant other to have sex with."
"You sound just like Snape."
Hermione punched the bag again.

~~@~~

"That really is a filthy habit, Severus." Draco drawled from the doorway.
"Come in and shut the door if you're going to be so familiar, Mr Malfoy." Severus didn't bother looking up from his work.
"Thank you, Draco, I really appreciated your help with the cleaning earlier."
"Don't be sarcastic, either."
"A word of thanks would ice.ice."
"I'm not nice."
"No, you're not." Draco sprawled elegantly in a chair by the fire, "But you could be."
"Why in Merlin's name would I want to be nice?"
"Ever thought of getting married?" Draco changed the subject. Severus looked up, frowning.
"Why do you ask?"
"I'm curious."
"You know what curiosity did, don't you?"
"Ah, but I'm not a cat."
"It can be arranged."
"Seriously, though, I'd like to know."
"The answer's no. I have no intention of placing myself in the unenviable position of being at the beck and call of a woman."
"Or man."
"Woman."
"Not every married man is under the thumb."
"All married men are, Draco, it's just that most of them don't know it."
"You're joking, surely."
"Tell me this, Draco. What goes through your mind when Mr Potter bats his eyelashes at you?"
"Apart from laughing at the thought of Harry batting them?"
"Yes."
"It's usually 'how quick I can get in his pants', I think."
"Precisely. Sex is a powerful attraction, Draco, but unless there is respect and love there, that's all it is. I do not want, or need, a woman in my life."
"A very sterile life, Severus."
"One I am content with."
"Oh, come on, Severus, haven't you ever wanted someone to come home to?"
"I don't let myself want that. Now kindly leave me in peace."
"You don't look too bad, cleaned up, and most women like a bad boy."
Severus threw his quill down and glared at Draco. "I am not a boy, Mr Malfoy, and if you don't want me to take at least a hundred points from my own house, you will cease bothering me."
"Okay, okay," Draco backed away and held up his hands, "I just thought it would be nice if my godfather was as happy as I was."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Draco, but I have no illusions about myself. Please shut the door on your way out."

~~@~~

"He has a serious inferiority complex." Draco was lounging in his sitting room with Blaise and Millie much later that evening.
"He's always seemed so confident, though." Millie didn't like to think of Snape like that.
"With magic and potions, yes. But obviously not around women." Blaise looked thoughtful. "That's where we come in."
"He'll know we're up to something." Millie said.
"Not if we're subtle. And we wouldn't be in Slytherin if we weren't subtle." Draco said.
"We knew it wasn't going to be a five minute job, anyway. Don't forget we're only halfway through October. We've got Halloween, Christmas and Valentine's Day yet." Blaise pointed out.
"When is Harry starting on Hermione?" Millie asked Draco.
"Later this week. Just watch out for her blushes on Friday." Draco grinned. "By the way, that was a great job we did in Potions today."

~~@~~

Hermione made good use of the Room of Requirement over the next few days. She found that even without Professor Snape sniping in the morning meetings, her heavy schedule caused enough tension in her to need the relief. She expanded the room to include some workout mats, and gave thanks to her parents for her gymnastic and dance lessons over the years. She had got out of the habit of using those muscles during term time, and decided that it hadn't been a good idea to neglect her exercise routine.

Warming up exercises led to stretching, and she flipped her way around the room, landing lightly by the gently swaying bag. Imagining it was Professor Snape in front of her, she took a swing at his midsection, then a right to his nose, followed by a roundhouse kick worthy of a professional kick boxer. High on adrenalin, she punched the bag again and again until sweat was dripping down her back, staining her athletic top dark.

Stretching to cool down, she thought longingly of a nice hot shower and a change of clothes, and smiled when she saw the open door leading to a marble bathroom. Fluffy towels were piled beside the bath and when she felt them she found they were warm to the touch. Quickly stripping off her sweaty workout gear, she adjusted the showerheads so they were angled to spray her from every direction. She shivered as the water cascaded over her body, soothing the tired muscles of her arms and shoulders.

Tucking the large towel around her petite frame, she emerged from the shower, towelling her hair dry. After running her fingers through it, she Accio'd her hairbrush and swiftly tamed the tangles. She found that if she left it to dry naturally, it felt dry and brittle, so she used a gentle drying charm and gathered it into a twist at the nape of her neck, securing it with a couple of ink-free quills. No one was going to see her this late at night, she reasoned. She picked up fresh underwear and started to open the large towel.

The sound of a clearing throat stilled her hand, and she looked up, startled. Her toes curled in embarrassment when her eyes met those of Professor Snape's.
"Professor! What are you doing here?"
"I might well ask you the same question, Miss Granger." Severus wondered if her blush extended below the edge of the towel.
"I'm not out after curfew." she hid her knickers behind her back.
"No, but this corridor is out of bounds. Twenty points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger."
"Not to the Head Girl or Boy, Sir, I checked with the headmaster." Hermione refused to let him chase her out of her bolthole.
"Another ten points for answering back. Get dressed, and get out." he folded his arms over his chest.
"If you would kindly leave, I will." she straightened her back and stared pointedly at the door.
"You've just come out of the bathroom, you can dress in there, or do you always dress in the middle of a gymnasium?"
"I'll get dressed where I damn well please." Hermione stamped her foot, "Stay and watch, if you want." her temper got the better of her and she started to open her towel. For Severus, it was like everything was in slow motion. As her hand went to the edge of the towel, reality smacked him in the face and he whirled round, almost running towarhe dhe door, slamming it behind him.

He didn't know why he'd decided to patrol that particular corridor that evening, but had found himself drawn to it. He had noticed the strange door a few times before and he'd hesitated when he saw it there now. Listening carefully, he'd noticed sounds of panting coming from the room. Curling his lip, he realised that he'd come across a couple of hormonal teenagers. Deciding to wait a little while, he'd allowed the sounds to die down and then entered the room. To find an exercise room had been a surprise, and his sensitive nose had detected the scent of sweat in the air.

It had been an even greater surprise to see Miss Granger walk out of another room with nothing but a towel wrapped around her. He hadn't seen anything revealing, but the towel had left her shoulders and feet bare. His eyes had been drawn to her toes, and he'd noticed they had been painted pale pink. Damn. Then she'd opened her mouth. Even now he was striding away from the room, he didn't think she would really have dropped the towel. But she'd had a look in her eye that had dared him to stay. Bloody hell, he'd been chased away by a slip of a girl! And a Gryffindor at that!

Hermione swiftly pulled her clothes on, hands shaking a little. Wow, he'd shot out of the room as if the hounds of hell were after him. She felt a surge of adrenalin at the thought of scaring the big bad Potions Master, and decided that the feeling was better than an hour of punching that bag that was hanging up. Feeling slightly giddy, and mentally preparing herself for his tirade that was sure to be launched at her the minute she stepped out of the room, she opened the door and stepped into the corridor. To find it empty. Smothering a smile, she bounced her way back to Gryffindor tower.

~~@~~

Harry was hiding again, under his invisibility cloak, in the corner of Hermione's room. He'd made a fuss of Crookshanks earlier, and the big ginger part-kneazle was curled up on the chair nearby, fast asleep. Harry was nearly nodding off himself when Hermione bounced into the room, flinging her robe onto a spare chair and starting to pull off her t-shirt. Harry closed his eyes and listened for the sounds of Hermione getting into her nightclothes. He heard the bed squeak slightly and opened his eyes to see Hermione with a book in her lap. After only ten minutes, though, she shut the book and flicked off the lights, curling up under the duvet with a sigh.
"Just wait until I tell Harry and Ron about Snape." she murmured to herself, and drifted off the sleep.

Harry sat there, wondering what had happened. Something to do with Snape. This was going to be good, he thought, and started to probe into Hermione's unconscious mind. He smiled as he saw what had happened in the gym; this could work to his advantage, definitely. Concentrating, he manipulated her subconscious and wove the strands of her dreams through her memories, becoming aroused himself in the process, and he itched to get to Draco for some relief.

~~@~~

It was pitch black; that was her first impression. No glimmer of light anywhere. Then she felt the hands, sliding underneath the hem of her thigh length satin nightdress and guiding her astride a cloth-covered lap. She reached forward and found broad, linen-covered shoulders and ran her hands down arms to calloused hands. A whisper of hot breath on her neck and the brush of long hair over her shoulder caused a shiver to run down her spine.

Her bare feet rested on cold stone and an extended hand found a wall in front of her. In the darkness she explored, and discovered her other senseachiaching out to discover more clues. Her lover? was sitting in a straight-backed chair, about six inches from the stone wall, and the other walls weren't that far away either. No doors either, but a cool breeze ruffled her hair and cooled slightly overheated skin. Because her skin was overheating, she fouwithwith those hands tracing random patterns on her thighs, causing her to squirm slightly.

Her hand ran up his sleeve and felt taut muscles under the fine linen and he shifted underneath her, his trousers rubbing against the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Long hair fell to his shoulders and her fingertips ran over a lightly stubbled jaw line. Silk ran through her fingers and she reached higher to find her lover blindfolded. Leaning forward, she flicked her tongue lightly over his mouth, tasting him, and his breath blew over her cheek as she nipped his earlobe. No words were spoken between them and she felt isolated, yet cocooned, in this tiny room with him.

Lifting one hand to his mouth, she traced the contours of his lips and felt them part as his tongue slowly lapped at her index finger. Drawing a shaky breath, she rocked forward and felt his arousal burn against her. His hands curved around her outer thighs and around her buttocks, pulling her tighter into him, his head lowering to nip at her neck. Nipples tightening, she brushed them against his chest, suddenly eager to feel his bare skin against her own. Trailing her hands from his shoulders, she reached the open neck of his shirt and grasped the open edges at his collarbone.

Yanking sharply, the buttons sprayed over the floor, some hitting the walls as they bounced away. The shirt was smoothed over his shoulders and down his arms, but she didn't push it all the way off. The linen kept his arms restricted, and she revelled in the slight power she held over him. A hand moved down over his chest where she could feel a light scattering of hair that trailed down his abdomen and under the waistband of his trousers. Fingering the button there, she quickly snapped it open, scooting back slightly to gain better access.

A sharply indrawn breath from her lover indicated he hadn't expected her to be so aggressive, but she held him still between her thighs and braced her feet on the floor. Working the zip of his serssers carefully over the bulge there, she then spread the material open and lightly felt in between, realising that he wasn't wearing any underwear. Laughing softly, she raised herself up and balanced her weight on slightly bent legs. With one hand braced on his shoulder and the other grasping his erection, she slowly sank down, sheathing him inside her. A deep groan joined her sigh and she held still for a minute to compose herself.

A wet tongue drew her attention back to her breasts, which were taut under the satin bodice of her gown. Her hands ran up her torso to her breasts and sneadneaded them through the satin, feeling it slide sensuously against her peaked nipples. Rocking against him, she found a rhythm that stimulated her clitoris and she rode him hard, concentrating on reaching a peak.

Her lover bucked underneath her, and struggled slightly to rid himself of the confining linen so he could hold her still. She ignored him, intent on grinding against him, using him for her pleasure. Spiralling sensation wound through her body, from her breasts to her belly and she thrust down harder, pinching her nipples as she felt the elusive tingle start in her thighs. His harsh breathing melded with hers and he thrust up to meet her, driving them both towards completion.

Sobbing now, she arched her back as her orgasm ripped through her, thighs trembling in the aftermath.

~~@~~

Hermione's eyes shot open and she sat up, chest heaving, and throbbing between her thighs. Pressing her fingers between her legs, she whimpered as she realised her dream had aroused her to the point of orgasm. A few touches, and she was there, flying, her back arched against her pillows.

Sinking down in the bed, she grasped at the lingering remnants of her dream, slightly appalled at the thought of being so aggressive with a man. She'd used him for her own gratification! She hadn't cared that he'd been prevented from using his hands much, or that he hadn't reached his own peak. Would she be that selfish if she ever had a man of her own? It had been a man as well, not a boy. A boy wouldn't have had such broad shers ers or those long, muscled legs. A smile curved her mouth as her eyelids drooped sleepily. It had been nice to be in control though; very much like when she'd chased Professor Snape out of the Room of Requirement....

Harry tried to control his breathing as he crept out of her room. He had a little difficulty walking with an erection like he'd never had before, and he was eager to see if Draco had sneaked o hio his room. He really didn't think he'd be able to walk down to the dungeons tonight....


TBC