A Maid in the Devil's Manor

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 6 ~ Severus Figures Out a Way

Severus spent the next two hours wandering Snape Manor, watching the house elves joyously pull the great shutters back from the windows. This they did from the outside of the mansion, climbing the great coverings, magicking the nails away and swinging like monkeys on the parted wood until they swung back, letting in the evening light. On the inside of the mansion, house elves floated in front of the windows, magically cleaning the years of buildup from the panes. They were singing as they worked. Severus had never heard them sing before. They had shrill voices, and sang in harmonies. It wasn’t beautiful, but their happiness was infectious. Severus could hear noises coming from the levels above, and knew the house elves were in the rooms, opening those windows as well. He knew they would work tirelessly until they accomplished what he had asked of them.

It was still relatively early, but the Potions Master decided to retire. It had been a full, and most satisfying day. Normally, he hated sleeping at the Manor and would apparate back to Hogwarts and the comfort of his private rooms, but tonight he felt compelled to stay. The house elves had obviously divined he would be staying…he found his bedroom ready for him, fresh sheets on the bed, fresh towels in the loo and his shuttered window wide open to the night air. A nightshirt was laid out neatly on his four-poster. Even here his bed was covered in Slytherin colors.

Severus undressed and indulged himself in a nice, hot bath. After filling the marble tub with the sandalwood spigot, he sunk his lean, pale body slowly into the foamy, scented bubbles, leaned his head back and closed his eyes, soaking luxuriously in the steaming water. He was so comfortable, he dozed. And dreamed.

He was in a strange place. Someone’s home or suite. He walked through what appeared to be a study, drawn inexplicably down a long hallway and through an open door at the end. In the room, there was a bed. And in the bed, a woman. A lovely, naked woman. He could see nothing of her facial features but her eyes, which were wide, expressive and focused on him longingly. The Potions Master strode toward the bed without a moment’s hesitation, desire pulsing through his body. He wanted this woman, badly. He stopped beside the bed, looking down at her, knowing he could take her. But, instead of disrobing, he sat on the edge of the bed looking down on her beautiful body. He still couldn’t see her face no matter how hard he looked. It was permanently shadowed. His eyes swept over her. Her breasts were large and well formed, with dark, puckered nipples, her belly smooth, tight, with a perfect navel that he would have loved to dip his tongue into. But he didn’t. He continued to look at her. The strange woman’s thighs were also smooth, creamy and a fine patch of hair covered her sex in a perfect vee. Her legs were long and shapely. Severus reached out his hand, lowered it to her flesh and caressed her belly gently. She moaned sweetly at his contact. Her skin was soft and warm…

Severus awoke with a start and a huge erection. It had been ages since he had an erotic dream, and in his dreams he normally was engaged in wild, robust sex, burying his cock in some screaming, raging hellcat. This was the first time he had ever had a dream where he simply touched a woman, and went no further. It had been a mild dream, but his cock was as hard as iron and refused to go down, even after he had extricated himself from the tub, dried himself off and donned his silk nightshirt. Now he lay in his bed, his nightshirt tented by his stubborn hard-on. He didn’t feel like wanking off.

“Eli!” he bellowed. After several moments, the house elf appeared by his bedside.

“Yes, Master?” the elf said, dropping his eyes and grinning slightly when he noted his Master’s arousal.

“Please bring me a deflating draught from my lab stores,” Severus said tightly.

“Yes sir,” Eli replied, disappearing.

A few minutes later the elf reappeared, a vial in his hand. He handed it to Severus, who thanked him, uncorked the vial and drank it down. In a moment or two his erection crumpled and fell. He sighed in relief and handed the bottle back to Eli.

“Master is better now?” the elf asked, still hiding his grin.

“Yes,” said Severus. “You may go, Eli.”

“Yes, Master,” the elf said, bowing and winking out.

Eli reappeared in the lower rooms.

“I thinks that hope will not be the only thing coming to Snape Manor,” the elf said to himself, smiling. And humming a little elf work tune, he continued cleansing the rooms on the lower level.

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Severus lay in his bed, his mind taken from the dream he had by the reality facing him concerning Hermione Granger and her job with the Ministry of Magic. He knew the witch was not getting the recognition or opportunities she deserved at the Ministry. The bigotry against muggle-borns was well ingrained in their policies. Certainly they had given her a few initial promotions and raises in salary, but as a junior Spells Mistress, she had reached her peak as far as the department head was concerned. He had seen it many times before. He knew Hermione’s need for independence and the relative security of the position would keep her in Ministry employ for years…unless of course she solved the mystery of the pitcher plant’s resistance to the killing curse. And if she worked on it only on weekends, it could be months or even years before she found the secret and utilized it into a spell, potion or charm.

He sighed. The proper thing to do would be to approach Hermione directly and ask her to leave her job, and devote her time fully to developing the defense. But Hermione would not consent to living at the Manor, he was sure of it. She was too stubborn and too independent to want to count on Professor Snape to provide for all her needs, even though it would be a fair exchange. Her mind was worth millions. More than that. It was priceless. He could never repay her for the wonders she could create, or the sense of redemption helping her would afford him.

He could try to set up his own Spell design company, but that would take months to do, and with his background, and those at the Ministry who still felt that he should be in Azkaban despite serving the Order, he knew that he would have difficulties in getting the necessary licensing and permits approved. A thorough background check would be required, and even though he was considered a hero, his role as a servant of the Dark Lord was a factor that was never overlooked or forgotten. He had joined Voldemort of his own free will initially, no matter the change of heart he had later on. That is what they would focus on. Setting up a company that produced spells was unlike other businesses. You could not create it under another name or incorporate it. Everything had to be up front. The projects, the research, everything made available for perusal by the Ministry, who could seize the work at any time. He would hate to have Hermione’s project taken from her, especially since the Ministry would not support her work when she asked for permission to pursue it. So that was out of the question as well.

There was no other way for it. He would have to find a way to get the witch released from the Ministry, and have no other options than to move into Snape Manor. How could he do it insidiously, without his complicity being discovered? Now would be the perfect time to sabotage her job, since her resources were low because of the money she had paid out to keep working on her pet project. In a few weeks, she will have saved enough money to carry her over until she found other employment. He would have to get on this immediately. He didn’t want to use anyone to do the damage for him. They could always confess or try to blackmail him later. Severus trusted no one. This was something he would have to handle himself. What he really needed was to find someone of influence who disliked Hermione, and plant a bug of some type in his or her ear in a manner that could not be traced back to him.

There was Lucius Malfoy. He had a position in the Ministry after convincing everyone he was under the Imperious curse the entire time he served Voldemort. Severus knew that a lot of galleons exchanged hands to get that lie accepted. Lucius had paid his way out of Azkaban and wriggled his way into the Ministry, serving on the board of Magical Licensing. Another reason applying for a business license to create spells was out of the question. Lucius hated Severus with a passion, blaming him for the ultimate downfall of the Dark Lord. If Lucius got wind of anything possibly untoward concerning Miss Granger, he’d run with it. He knew she created many of the spells that took out the deatheaters and left the Dark Lord vulnerable for Potter’s attack. He’d love to cause her grief and get her tossed out of her position on her ear.

There was also Rita Skeeter, who despised Hermione with a vehemence that rivaled Lucius’. The young witch had bested the reporter on a number of occasions. Severus knew she would love some dirt on Hermione. She would make it public instantly, publishing a scathing story in the Daily Prophet that would send ripples through the Ministry, which was well-known for booting out employees embroiled in controversy.

All right. He had two possible foils. Now, what could he possibly leak about Hermione that would cause either Lucius or Rita to act to ruin her? The young woman lived the life of a saint. She had no sordid relationship to exploit. She lived a relatively calm, sensible life. What association could she have that might make the Ministry let her go? He thought a moment.

There it was. The answer. Clear as a bell and right in front of him.

Her association with a known deatheater.

Him.

Given her sensitive position as a Spell Mistress for the Ministry designing clandestine spells for Aurors, associating with Severus despite his hero status would be considered a grave conflict of interest. To reasonable, thinking people, this association wouldn’t make a difference. He was, after all a respected Professor at Hogwarts and had been so for many years, as well as a recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class for his part in bringing down Voldemort. But these weren’t reasonable, thinking people. This was the Ministry. A government body. One moved to action by politics and flitting public opinion, which could easily be swayed by a scathing newspaper article that brought Hermione’s loyalties into question. It wouldn’t matter if the accusations were true. Just that they had been made. The Ministry would feel obligated to remove her. He had it. All he needed to do was send Rita Skeeter an anonymous tip…

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A/N: Aw man, Severus. You are one devious son-of-a-bitch. Rita Skeeter would take great pleasure in skewering Hermione in the Prophet. :::shaking head:::: Good plan though. In an evil way of course. Please review.