Ready and Willing

A/N: Due to how long it took for me to find my external and the fact that I am a humble college student and full time mom, I decided to post the chapter I had already written out. However...I am in the works of writing a second version for all of those who request it...( You just may get a sneak peak at Chapter 8,but no promises!)…Enjoy!

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Chapter 6: When the Lioness Strikes

Hermione closed the gate and began the trek into Hogsmeade. You know...I'll just apparate in today... she thought. She apparated into Hogsmeade in front of the apocathary and walked inside. “Hello Murray..." she said sweetly.

“Ah, hello Hermione...What do you and the professor need today?" Murray replied from the counter.

“We need to stock all three stores with terrasinde." Hermione said. “His, mine, and the students. We're knee deep in research right now and we're making progress." she replied.

Murray nodded. “Not a problem, just come back in an hour or so and I'll have your order to take back with you to the castle."

Hermione smiled. “Just have it owled up if possible. I'm spending the better part of the afternoon shopping." she replied.

Murray nodded again. “Not a problem deary. That's a lovely necklace you’re wearing...I take it you have a new bloke in your life from Slytherin?"

“No...just from a herpetologist friend...She thought it was a lovely pendant and gave it to me as an early birthday gift." Hermione said. She looked around, suddenly feeling uneasy. She leaned in close to the counter. “Send an owl up to the school and let Severus know I'll be back early..."

Murray nodded. “Will do...” he whispered.” All right then, Hermione...I'll send those ingredients up to the school for ye. Do drop by later this afternoon before you head back to the castle though...I have a little something that needs to be hand delivered to Headmistress McGonagall." he said loudly and obviously.

Hermione caught the gist of the idea immediately. “Right then Murray...I guess I'll be back around before four then. Have a good afternoon..." Hermione replied. She left the store and put the necklace by her cheek. “Severus, I'm being followed. Do not, I repeat, do not come into the town unless I say ' pretty kitty'." she whispered into it.

“Right then...Be careful..." Severus replied. As much as it pained him to stay at the school until Hermione gave the go ahead, he understood the need for a low profile on her part. Dammit...I wish there was more I could do.... he thought.

Hermione walked into Gladrags and began looking around for her new robes. She chose a few sets of working robes, a lovely set of dress robes in burgundy and silver, as well as a set of everyday robes in a wonderful sage green color. She bought close toed flats to go with the robes and began looking in the lacey underthings area of the store, away from prying eyes. She found a lovely little set in the negligee that she wouldn't mind showing off for Severus when she had the chance and added them to her purchases. When everything was paid and done, Hermione left the store.
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Adicus decided to bide his time until Hermione was closer to the school to give her a sense of security that she was nearly there on her trip back, but when she announced that she would be returning to the store around four o clock , Adicus knew then he had to strike. Sure is a tiny little witch...I don’t think it will take much too over power her… he thought. His cock nearly sprang to life as he thought of raping the little chit on the cold floor in the house where his client had told him to take her. His smiled grotesquely and followed the unsuspecting witch around the town while maintaining a low profile.

When Hermione returned to the appocathery at four o’clock sharp, Adicus bumped into her on purpose as they entered the shop.

Murray waited until Hermione came back inside the shop and to his counter before he left to get his 'gift' for Minerva. But before he had gone back into the storage room he had told Hermione:

“Now listen here lass. Don't you worry about a damn thing out here in the shop, it's replaceable, and you aren't. Do what you need to and take out the bloke who is following ye. I'll be in the back setting up the floo incase you need the professor...Got it?"

Hermione had nodded in response and was now waiting at the counter on Murray when Adicus walked up to her.

“You’re Hermione Granger, aren't you? The muggle born witch who helped with the fall of the Dark Lord?" he said, trying to play innocent.

Hermione knew then that something wasn't right about the man before her and closed her hand over her wand. “I am. Why do you ask?"

Adicus smiled. “Because a friend of mine is interested in meeting you, alone..." Adicus' grin grew wide and Hermione ducked out of reach as his arms swung forward to grab her.

Hermione shouted a spell out and her angry canary swarm flew from the tip of her wand and it distracted Adicus long enough that she dashed from the store toward the castle. She was about half-way to the gates when Adicus tackled her. She spun in his arm and the heel of her palm meet his nose and broke it. Not long after that, a nasty right hook caught his jaw and sent him off of her. Completely dazed, Adicus struggled to his feet and tried to aim his wand on Hermione. Hermione was too quick though. As soon as Adicus went to say the spell to bind her, Hermione screamed out 'Hetomastaga' and a bright orange ball erupted from the tip of her wand and flew at Adicus. As his head was clearing quickly, Adicus dodged the spell and Hermione was fighting to keep the distance between them as she backed towards the gates of the castle.

Without any warning, Adicus made to tackle her again and Hermione was able to block and land a few blows to his back. When he turned around, a blurry series of punches and jabs hit him hard in the stomach and abdomen. Putting distance between them again, Hermione quickly apparated in midstride to the gates. Adicus met her there at the same time and the fighting ensued again as he blocked Hermione's path into the school. Suddenly and completely fed up with the situation, Hermione transformed into a rather large lioness, with the same color fur as her hair.

Adicus was completely taken aback by the sudden transformation. There had been no mentioning of the little chit being an animagus. He nervously backed away from the gates as Hermione circled him predatorily.

Oh how quickly the tide has turned...And now the predator becomes the prey… Hermione thought. She growled menacingly and bared her huge fangs to the wizard before her. Her claws extended as his eyes fell upon them and Adicus quickly went from pale to white in less than three seconds.

“Nice kitty...Just trying to make a living you know..." he said. A paw reached out and went to club him outside the head. “Please don't kill me..."

Hermione transformed again, looking just as feral as she had when she was a lion. “Make a living? By kidnapping unsuspecting and innocent witches, only to hand them off to those with nefarious deeds in mind. That's not a living...Now...Tell me who hired you and I may spare your life, you miserable little insect..." she seethed. She kept her wand trained on him and looked him dead in the eye. She was not going to make this ingrate before her think she was weak. She was a strong woman, with a strong will, and she was not going to let this man hurt her. “You’d better speak or else I may kill you now...No one would care because it's in self defense...You're trying to kidnap me and I fully intend on fighting."

“It...It...It was..." Adicus began. Suddenly he shot out forward with his hands outstretched and went for Hermione's wand. Hermione fired off a rather strong stunner and bound the man at her feet. “It’s alright Severus...Call the auror's. He's out cold and bound." she said aloud.

“I should have known I couldn't count on that incompetent fool..." A smooth voice said from the trees.

“Zabini! I should have guessed it was a snake!" Hermione said. She kept her wand out and back up to the gates. She felt the magic of the castle wash over her as she opened them and was about to go in when Blaise came out of nowhere and pinned her to the ground.

His normally kept, blonde hair was unwashed and disheveled and his teeth were yellowing due to lack of care. His cold blue eyes stared down at her and his smile was revolting. “So Granger...How does it feel to be on the receiving end of all this...You completely ruined my family...I would have had a better future if not for the likes of you, you filthy little mudblood. And now I am going to ruin you...Once I'm done with you, you'll be ruined to all men. I'm going to fuck you brutally then I'll just beat you into a bloody pulp and leave you here in front of the castle as a message..." he said, his eyes blazing with hate and malice.

Hermione struggled underneath the man's grip and managed to get a leg free. Without any thought, she brought her knee up and hit him square in the groin, causing Blaise to double over and hold his battered bits. Hermione was quick to get to her feet and make a break for the castle. Blaise's wand shot out and soon Hermione tripped and Blaise was getting closer once again. Incensed, Hermione began firing off hex after hex and curse after curse until she was sure that he wasn't coming any closer to her. By the time the dust had cleared, Blaise Zabini had antlers sticking out his neck, tentacles bulging from his nose and an assortment of other nasty things on him. Hermione sat down, out of breath as the aurors arrived and Severus made his way out to the grounds and helped her up.

“Just a tad viscous, weren't we?" he snarled at her.

“Not viscous enough. Hold off the aurors please...I really need a bath...Tell them I'll come when I'm ready, or else I'll send them an owl with my statement on it with a penseive of the event..." Hermione replied. “Better yet, tell them the latter...I'm in no mood to talk about this right now...” Hermione hurried into the castle and to her chambers.

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Severus sat in his chambers that evening reading the latest issue of 'Potions Monthly' when a knock sounded on his door. He stood up and opened it and Hermione stood outside. She had her arms crossed over her chest and she looked up at him. “Mind if I just sit with you for a while?" she asked.

Severus nodded and allowed her to pass by. “Hermione...Would you like to talk about earlier? As I've come to know it...both Mr. Zabini and the man he hired intended to kidnap and...And ravish you..." he said softly.

Hermione nodded. “I know Severus. Blaise said that he planned on taking me brutally, then beating me beyond recognition and dumping my unconscious form at the gates as a message...It's amazing the lengths people with go to for revenge." Hermione replied. She looked into the fire. “However, it did get me thinking...We need me to lose my virginity sooner than later. We'll need to add three drops to the potion and go on from there."

Severus looked at the young woman in front of him. “Hermione, you surely can't mean what I think you mean..."

“Severus, you are the only one I trust enough to do this. Besides...I know you care about me, in your own roundabout way of course, and I do care about you...I would like this experience to be with someone experienced enough to know what he is doing. Ron and Harry are out of the question because they're too much like brothers and Victor is getting married soon...You are the only other person I can think of that I'll be comfortable in that kind of situation with. I know it's going to hurt. And there is a spell that can be said at the moment of penetration that will transfer the blood from me into a phial, untouched and uncontaminated." Hermione said.

Severus knew the spell of which she was referring to and sighed heavily. “Are you sure about this Hermione?" he said.

She nodded and moved to sit beside him. “I don't have any doubts about this Severus. I know that you would never hurt me intentionally. We don't have to do this now, but like I said the sooner the better." Hermione said calmly.

Severus leaned in and held her for a moment. “You can be such a pain in the ass, you know that?" he said, snarky as ever.

Hermione turned to face him and smiled. “You wouldn't have me any other way Severus..." she replied, smiling brightly. Her eyes fluttered closed as Severus leaned in to kiss her.

“I want you to know that you did well today." he whispered in her ear. He nuzzled her neck and gave her a reassuring squeeze. “I think you over-did the spell work on Zabini though..."

Hermione shrugged beneath him. “What am I to say? When the lioness strikes...She strikes hard..." Hermione turned slightly and kissed him again. “Just so you know Severus...I'm not that averse to being relieved of my virginity by you..."

Severus smirked and kissed her again. “Shall we remedy your ailments then?" he purred. Standing up, Severus lifted her into his arms and carried her off into his bedroom.

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A/N: I guess I forgot to tell all of you that the upcoming lemons depended on how you all voted…* laughs and attempts to look innocent.* Well…I guess you’ll just have to wait for the next chappie huh? EDIT: I would also like to thank all of you that pointed out that Chapter 6 had not been posted after all...Thank you and here is the remedy for that.
Enjoy