Walking the Gray Line ~ COMPLETED

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine.
No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.

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Chapter 57 ~ Time to Get Serious



The next morning at breakfast, the post owls arrived. Severus received a letter
and his copy of the Daily Prophet and read the headline on the front page.

“Dedicated Witch Gives the Kiss of Life”

Severus skimmed the article which spoke mostly about Hermione’s sensational act
in saving those kissed by Dementors by actually kissing them herself. It gave a
bit of history as to how she created the elixir that reversed the Dementors kiss
and how she faced the creatures in India. There was one small line about him.

“Miss Granger was assisted by Professor Severus Snape of Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry.”



The Potions Master snorted. So, he “helped.” Bloody reporters.

Severus shuffled through the paper to the section he really wanted to see…the
review section. Sure enough, there were several reviews about the docu-pensieve
“The Return of Harry Potter” which was the name they finally decided on.

“Amazing Footage. Action-Packed. A Must See.”

~ Terrance Hortles, Wizards Weekly

“A Moving Tale of Loyalty, Struggle and Triumph. “

~ Sharice Beetlegood, Magical Entertainment Monthly

“The Recovery of Harry Potter” Shines!”

~ Tony Galverton, Wands and Witches

“Sexy Severus Snape is a Witch’s and Music Lover’s Dream!”

~ Donna Goody, Playwitch Magazine



Severus could just hear the galleons tumbling in. Every single review was a
rave. They were going to make a fortune. He folded up the newspaper and opened
the letter.

Dear Professor Snape,

My name is Brenda Fitzworten, and I am editor and publisher of the popular
magazine “Playwitch.” We have a circulation of 1,200,000 readers in five
countries. After reviewing your docu-pensieve, I would like to extend an
invitation to you to pose for our magazine, which features tasteful nude and
semi-nude photos of eligible wizards for the pleasure of our readers. Our
layouts are quite sophisticated, focusing on the best features of our guest
wizards. We pay quite well, particularly for full frontals, up to twenty
thousand galleons depending on the results of the photo shoot.

There are numerous benefits to shooting a spread in our magazine, notoriety and
face recognition to name a few. Many of our subjects are asked to promote
products for large companies which pay a great deal of money for very little
time. It is an excellent way to supplement your income.

If you are interested in becoming one of our Playwitch wizards, please contact
me and we can arrange an interview. Thank you so much for your time.

Sincerely,

Brenda Fitzworten

Editor

Playwitch Magazine.

Severus arched an eyebrow. Twenty thousand galleons to have millions of randy
witches gape at his goods? Not too shabby. Apparently starring in a
docu-pensieve had other benefits besides just making history. The Potions Master
imagined they would want him to bring his violin and hold it in some erotic
position.

The wizard smirked, folded up the letter and put it in his robes pocket. He’d
have to make sure to leave it where Hermione could find it. He’d love to know
what she’d think about him posing for Playwitch.

Severus finished his breakfast and headed for the dungeons. Time to deal with
the dunderheads.

*****************************************

Hermione read the various articles in the Daily Prophet about Harry and herself.
There was very little mention of Severus in any of them. His lack of information
had resulted in his being regulated to a kind of assistant in both matters. This
made the witch a bit uncomfortable because without the Potions Master, nothing
could have been accomplished at all. But then again, he wouldn’t give any
interviews so…that was what happened.

She then flipped through the reviews for the docu-pensieve. They were all very
good, but Hermione noticed the review from Playwitch calling Severus “sexy.” He
was sexy but she had mixed feelings about it being announced in the newspapers.
It was as if every witch that hadn’t noticed it before, might start noticing
now. And if they started noticing, then that meant a few might hit on the
Professor.

Hermione scowled.

Severus wasn’t the friendliest wizard, but he was still a man. True, he had her
through the Patronage agreement, but when it ended…who’s to say he wouldn’t take
up with another or even several witches. Yes, he had been celibate before her,
and he seemed to have a lot of control over his sexual urges…but he still had
needs. Needs other witches might be able to meet.

Hermione’s scowl grew even darker. She had never imagined herself to be the
jealous type, but she felt the distinct urge to hex…and hex hard as she thought
about another witch putting the moves on Severus. She looked back at the review.
This was going to be trouble and she knew it.

Hermione didn’t want to end her physical relationship with the Potions Master.
It was as if the wizard was tailor-made for her needs, and she felt that she
would never find another man who moved her the way he did. She even enjoyed his
snarkiness and sarcasm. And it made her feel special that he desired her as much
as he did. Severus told her he didn’t want to be intimate with any other witch
and that he wasn’t willing to share her, which meant he didn’t want any other
wizards to have her. Of course, he had made that a stipulation of the agreement
between them under the guise of protecting himself from wizarding STDs, but
Hermione suspected there was more to it, something that went beyond Patronage.

The witch sighed and folded up the paper. She had been dancing around this issue
for too long and needed to know where she stood with the Professor as a woman,
not a charge. And soon. While she was working on the second docu-pensieve and
put the last strand into the bowl, she felt an unsettling shift of magic around
her…as if something had subtly changed. True, she hadn’t done a large amount of
work under Severus specifically for the wizard, but the Sequentius spell was
bringing in a large amount of residuals, and no doubt sales for “The Return of
Harry Potter” were going to go through the roof, and the Dementor docu-pensieve
would probably be even a bigger marketing success due to the additional draw of
her actually kissing Dementors. Everyone would want to see that. In other words,
she and Severus were both going to be quite rich.

Hermione’s eyes went dark. That could mean she had fulfilled the requirements of
the Patronage agreement satisfactorily in a short period of time. She had a
sinking feeling that it would be dissolved soon. Already an official owl had
come from the Ministry containing a parchment from one of the Ministry’s
headhunters, offering her a position in either the Potions or Spellmaking
department for an obscene salary. She didn’t intend to pass it up either. No
more blue-collar private sector work for her.

It was hard to believe she had been under the Professor’s protection for a
little over a year now. The time had flown by. Most patronage agreements lasted
about three years, but their association had been quite lucrative.

Hermione needed to talk to the wizard and find out where she stood. This was
very important for a number of reasons…the most important reason being…she loved
him.

Hermione had tried her best to ignore her feelings for the Professor, and at
first tried to logically dissect her feelings, at first believing she was deeply
infatuated with the wizard because of his sexual prowess. But there were other
aspects of her feelings toward him that didn’t quite jibe with that. She liked
his presence, and missed him even when she wasn’t particularly randy. He was
also a good conversationalist as well as debater. Hermione never had anyone to
really lock horns with intellectually and enjoyed their arguments, although
Severus’ cold logic and always calm demeanor drove her wild.

Hermione would pace back and forth animatedly, gesticulating and loudly making
her points, while the wizard would calmly sit in the armchair with an eyebrow
arched, refusing to respond in like manner, bringing up point after point in his
smooth, silky voice. It would almost drive her mad, but was so, so stimulating.
And then there were the quiet moments when each was involved in their own work,
a companionable silence filling the room. It was almost…domestic. Hermione could
imagine this happening every day of her life. Coming home to Severus’ strong,
comforting presence.

Then there were those moments when she would wake up in the middle of the night,
tucked tightly against the sleeping wizard’s pale body, Severus’ arm wrapped
around her possessively. Hermione would gaze on his face and see a rare look of
contentment there as he slept. She knew Severus hadn’t had much contentment in
his life, and that she was partially if not totally responsible for that
expression.

Hermione sighed.

She would have to talk to him…this weekend.

She had waited long enough.

The witch pushed away from the breakfast table and headed downstairs to her
spells lab, where she had the next docu-pensieve stored, her memories already
added. She walked over to the cabinet, opened it and carefully removed a small
pensieve containing Minerva McGonagall’s memories of being trapped inside the
Dementor, and of Severus flying by her, as well as her return to her own body.

Poppy had been livid when Hermione asked for the memories, and didn’t want
Minerva over-extending herself, but the strong-willed witch told Poppy to stop
being silly and that it required no effort to remove memories. Hermione offered
Minerva part of the residuals, but the witch declined, saying she and Severus
earned every galleon and she was happy to help.

Hermione then took out several smaller pensieves and separated Minerva’s
memories into separate episodes, then added them in the appropriate places
between her own memories. Severus insisted that Hermione leave his memories out
of it, stating her own memories were more than sufficient and covered his
participation quite well. Actually Severus was planning to put out his own
docu-pensieve later on, covering his Harper powers. He didn’t want to give any
previews.

As Hermione worked, she once again felt the disturbing subtle shift of magic
around her.

Yes, something was changing.

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Severus was gathering the student’s homework parchments in his office when he
felt a subtle shifting of magic around him…almost like a wizarding oath reacting
to some stimulus. He paused, his brows drawing together.

He knew instinctively that the Patronage oath was changing. Hermione hadn’t been
with him long, but she had generated quite an income for him. It was quite
likely the agreement was about to undergo dissolution, and the witch would be
free of him.

Severus’ face went black.

He had gotten used to the witch. He didn’t want her to leave or become
inaccessible. He could still be of help to her in some ways…couldn’t he?

She’d have more than enough money to do as she liked, and no doubt would receive
job offers more suitable for her intellect and talents. She wouldn’t need him
any longer as financial support. But how about sexually? Yes, she would need him
that way…unless she decided to look for someone willing to have a committed,
romantic relationship.

The wizard shuddered. Commitment. Romance. Brrrrr.

Severus never saw the need for romance. Witches and wizards knew what they
wanted from each other. He saw no reason to dance around the obvious. Romance
was simply the long road to fucking. He was a “short stroll” kind of wizard.

Still, Hermione was a witch and despite her logic probably still ascribed to the
idiosyncrasies of her sex. Wining, dining, receiving gifts, etc all given in the
hope that the doting wizard could get her knickers down around her ankles.

Well he was already at that point, and wasn’t about to back up. They were
compatible and had great sex together. They were also intellectually well
matched and could be compatible outside of the bedroom. They shared similar
interests and both liked adventure and discovery. It made sense the witch should
want to continue with him.

But when did witches ever make sense?

Severus rubbed his temples. Some kind of understanding had to be forged between
them before the agreement was dissolved. He preferred to broach the subject
while Hermione was still under his protection, rather than wait until she could
just storm out of his presence if she didn’t agree. It gave him a bit of an
advantage.

The wizard’s belly grew uncomfortably tight. If the witch wasn’t willing to
continue with him, he would have to go back to his lonely, semi-celibate life.
Sure, no doubt there would be witches coming out of the woodwork because of the
docu-pensieve and the spread in Playwitch if he decided to accept the invitation
to pose.

But none of them would be Hermione Granger. The witch seemed almost tailor-made
for him. The idea of fucking brainless witches with no dreams or ambitions
didn’t appeal to the Potions Master. With Hermione sex was so much more because
of who she was. Sex with Hermione Granger was so much more because…because of
what she confessed to him that night on the beach when the waves were crashing
over them.

That she loved him.

And as cynical as Severus Snape was, even he couldn’t deny what he saw in the
witch’s eyes when he took her…in fact he worked to make her look at him that
way. He needed that look. No other woman had ever made his heart clutch when he
looked into her eyes.

Severus Snape was a man used to divining deceptions and lies. Hermione wasn’t
lying to him that night on the beach, though he tried to convince himself it was
the sex that made her reveal her heart, but he could hear the conviction in her
voice, see it in her eyes and feel it deep inside her as he buried himself in
her over and over again. He never thought himself able to attract the love of a
woman, or even deserving of it, considering the terrible things he had done in
the service of both Voldemort and the Order. He was ugly, mean, sarcastic,
acerbic, biting, and cold most of the time. He was well off…that was enough to
attract the attentions of a woman set on spending his galleons, but not the
love.

But Hermione had claimed to love him…and he believed her.

He would have to call her on it if she wouldn’t see the logic of staying
involved with him.

And by the way the patronage magic was weakening, he needed to do it this
weekend.

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A/N: Ok…it’s coming down to crunch time. Severus and Hermione have issues they
have to deal with. It seems their patronage agreement is winding down. On
another note…lol…Severus posing for Playwitch magazine? Hermione will have
trolls. Rofl. Anyway, please review.