Hermione Granger and the Tactile Contact Theory

Chapter 6 Power and More

“This potion is highly dangerous. Even making it can turn a normally stable witch into a power-hungry sorceress. Are you sure that you can handle it?” Professor Snape asked Hermione as she gathered the materials to make the potion.

Hermione had managed a fitful night’s sleep after her encounter with Professor Dumbledore. Her dreams had been filled with images of Professor Snape standing in the Prefect washroom with strategic bubbles covering him. Always he was beckoning to her, asking her to join him. But she couldn’t reach him and, God, how she had wanted to!

However, Hermione refused to allow her dreams from last night to interfere with her work. She would be as professional as she could be under the circumstances.

“I think I’ll be fine. And, as always, you’ll be here to help me in case it becomes too much for me. Believe me, I won’t let my pride keep me from asking for help if it becomes necessary,” Hermione responded as coolly as possible.

With all of the ingredients assembled, Hermione reached to her neck to untie the strings holding her robes together.

“Do you think you could try to make the potion without doing that this time?” Pssorssor Snape asked before he could stop himself.

“Without doing what?” Hermione asked, her voice tinged with anger. “Without using your Tactile Contact Theory. I just think there must be another way.”

“Fine. I’m sick of hearing your protests. What do you suggest I do in order to avoid being sucked under by dark magic?”

“Well, it may not be enough but I think your idea can be carried out a little differently. I agree the tactile contact idea is good, but perhaps we could make it a little less risqué.”

“For goodness sakes, Professor Snape. What are you suggesting?”

“What if you merely had to have contact with someone else while preparing the potion?” Professor Snape suggested a little warily.

Hermione appeared to be contemplating. Was he suggesting that he touch her while the potion was brewed? “What kind of contact?”

“I think that merely holding someone else’s hand will be enough to keep the potion maker grounded. And such a theory would probably be easier to present to the Minister of Magic.roferofessor Snape recommended with what he hoped was an appearance of nonchalance.

For a moment Hermione didn’t make a soundroferofessor Snape began to wonder if she was disgusted at the idea. Perhaps his comments yesterday had really upset her. Perhaps she just wasn’t as interested as he had thought she was. But then Hermione sudd too took his hand.

“I suppose we could try it. After all, what are we here for but to experiment with this theory?” Hermione responded with a smile.

Professor Snape’s hands were rougher than she had imagined and the idea of him using them on her was exciting. But this was strictly for the sake of the project. At least that’s what she kept telling herself.

“Ok, then. Let’s get started,” Professor Snape said as he looked down at the hand that held his. He hoped he could be professional about this.

The two moved to the massive cauldron in the middle of the room. Hermione double-checked the potion before beginning to levitate her ingredients above the cauldron.

“Two pinches of ash from ground burned by a blast-end skerwt in February. A fig leaf picked in moonlight by a chestnut colored centaur,” Hermione mumbled as she mixed the ingredients in the cauldron.

Professor Snape watched with quiet awe as she worked. Hermione pulled slightly on the neck of her robes. Obviously she worked better in the nude, but Professor Snape didn’t think he could stand it if she did it again.

He watched as Hermione levitated a large vial of smoking green liquid over the cauldron and carefully poured it in. Such control of her talents showed great maturity and budding power. There was no doubt in Professor Snape’s mind that Hermione Granger would be one of the greatest witches of all time.

He had always pictured her working at St. Mungo’s. She would probably cure terrible illnesses and become great in the medical wizarding world. But Professor Snape felt sure that there was a part of Hermione that craved great adventure. As straightforward as she was, Professor Snape hadn’t really figured out Hermione Granger.

Professor Snape began to feel Hermione’s hand shake in his own. She was concentrating with all she was and it was beginning to take a physical toll. When he looked back at the cauldron, Professor Snape realized he’d been staring at Hermione for several minutes. The potion in the cauldron was an electric blue and coming along exactly as expected.

Hermione called for the final ingredient to be added. A phoenix feather, given freely of the bird during an eclipse, levitated over the cauldron. This was a tricky part of the spell. It must be added at exactly the moment the potion’s color changes from blue to gold. If the feather isn’t added then, the potion can get out of hand.

The feather wavered for just a moment before Hermione let it drop. The potion was swirling from blue to gold and the feather was almost there. Suddenly a hand shot out over the cauldron and caught the feather.

“Sorry. I don’t think I want Ms. Granger to complete her potion.” Moaning Myrtle called out as she swooped around the room with the feather in her hand.

“Myrtle bring that feather down her this instant!” Professor Snape called out.

Hermione’s hand began to shake uncontrollably. Unless she could keep the potion steady while she waited for the final ingredient, the potion would erupt out of the cauldron and coat everything in the room. Since they hadn’t developed a counter for the potion yet, the effects could be irreversible.

Professor Snape held Hermione’s hand tightly as he pointed his wand at the ghost that continued to swoop through the room at lightening speed.

“If I can’t have you, I’ll destroy you. All of you!” Moaning Myrtle shouted with glee.

“Immoblius! Immoblius! Immoblius!” Professor Snape screamed as he tried to catch Moaning Myrtle with a freezing spell.

Hermione’s whole body was shaking and her breath was coming in shallow and quick. Her control of the potion was immaculate. She had stopped the potion from changing colors completely and it stayed somewhere between blue and gold. But to keep it from exploding she desperately needed the feather that Moaning Myrtle kept out of reach.

If Professor Snape let go of her hand she might lose control of the potion. But if he didn’t follow Moaning Myrtle the necessary feather would never make it to the potion. In a quick decision Professor Snape pocketed his wand and used his free hand to strip Hermione’s robe off.

He took her free hand and placed it against her now bare breasts. The other he continued to hold tightly. Professor Snape couldn’t help but be aroused by watching Hermione’s free hand caress her chest. Even with the simple touch, Hermione became visibly steadier. Slowly, she drew Professor Snape’s hand to her body. The touch he’d been dying to take was at hand. But Professor Snape couldn’t take that from her when she was so vulnerable.

Professor Snape carefully untangled his fingers from hers and placed her hand against her slick stomach. She immediately tried to take his hand again. God, he wanted to take her, but these were desperate moments. He pushed her hand against her own most sensitive areas and prayed that he would get chance to do that again.

“Myrtle, come down here this instant! Can’t you see that I want you? But I’ll be no good to you if I’m covered in a half-finished potion. Don’t you still want me?” Professor Snape tried to sound convincing.

“You do want me? Really?” Moaning Myrtle asked as she swooped down to Professor Snape. “Will you be mine forever? You know my ability to feel things has been growing stronger still. I think we might be able to even perform the ultimate ritual of love.”

Professor Snape tried to swallow his disgust. “Yes, yes! I want to make love to you. Now and forever. But I’ll be no good to you unless you give me that feather.”

“Oh. Well I suppose I could give it to you. But I think I’ll be requiring some collateral on that. I think I require a kiss,” Moaning Myrtle said with ghostly smile playing on her see-though lips.

“Yes. I want to kiss you. Please let me kiss you,” Professor Snape summoned up an image of Hermione’s lips in his mind. But the image faded away even as he leaned forward to kiss Moaning Myrtle. She was so cold and pale. But Professor Snape refused to let Hermione down.

For the briefest moment, Professor Snape could feel cold, rough skin against his lips. Moaning Myrtle’s lips felt full of fluid and they gave under the pressure of his. The effect was revolting, but then the sensation was gone. When he opened his eyes, Professor Snape’s head was half in and half out of the ghostly girl.

“I knew it wouldn’t last! He told me it would last forever but it didn’t! Oh no, oh no,” Moaning Myrtle began to cry. She flew straight through a wall and out of the room.

Professor Snape realized Moaning Myrtle had dropped the phoenix feather. It lay on the floor at his feet. Without thinkinroferofessor Snape snatched up the feather and ran to the massive cauldron.

“Hermione, I have the feather. Tell me when to drop it in.” Professor Snape called to her.

“I don’t know…I can’t…” Hermione mumbled. Her hands continued to move over her sweat covered body.

“Yes you can. Concentrate Ms. Granger. You can restart the potion.”

“It’s been too long. I can’t.”

“That’s not true. You can do this! Do it now Ms. Granger, or I will have you off this project in an instant!”

Hermione blinked and looked up at Professor Snape. The potion began to swirl again. The colors began to meld once more. Hermione never looked away from his face.

“Now.” Hermione said.

Professor Snape dropped the feather into the potion. The blue gave way to dark gold, and when the feather fell in, the potion turned a brilliant ruby color and began to boil violently. He raced away from the cauldron and back to Hermione’s side. She mumbled the charm to finish the potion over and over again. Her whole body glowed with an unearthly sheen that cast the rest of the room into shadow.

Suddenly three columns of different colored sparks jumped out of the cauldron and formed into a turbulent looking cloud hovering just over it.

“This is it! It’s all mine. All the power of heaven and earth in the palm of my hand. Come my dark cloud. Come and grant me my destiny!” Hermione cried.

“No Hermione. It’s not for you. It’s not for anyone. Don’t accept it. Push it away!”

“Quiet you! You won’t even take the small pleasures given to us everyday. You won’t even accept my body. Why should I listen to you?” Hermione asked with a laugh filled with evil.

“You want me to take my pleasure? I desire you, with a lust more fierce than anything you’ve just conjured. I will take my pleasure, and you will know with what depth I desire you.”