Love Bites (REPOST)

Chapter 5 ~ Interesting Developments

When Severus arrived at breakfast the next morning, he found a parchment envelope resting on the table in front of his chair. It was addressed to him, the back of it sealed with wax, a fancy letter "G" stamped neatly in the seal. He sat down, picked up the envelope and turned it over in his hand. His name was printed in small, careful lettering. Even after all these years he recognized Hermione's perfect penmanship. He opened the letter, read the contents and scowled.

Dear Professor Snape,

My findings concerning your blood work raise more questions than answers. You are to report to the infirmary this afternoon at three o'clock for a full physical examination. I have taken the liberty of telling Headmistress Antagio about your appointment and arrangements have been made to cover your afternoon classes. Please be on time.

Very truly yours,

Dr. Hermione Granger, MD, CH, PM, SM


Severus scowled at all the letters that followed her name, designating her degrees. Gods, she was still a little showoff, waving her certifications around like flags. He replaced the letter into its envelope, then deposited it in his robes pocket.

Professor Trelawney entered the Great Hall and passed behind him. She paused.

"Good morning Professor Snape," she trilled.

Severus looked around, rather startled at the greeting. Sybil hadn't spoken to him for years…ever since he told her he would rather fuck a troll than touch her one night when the staff was out celebrating or in his case, mourning Albus' retirement. Quite a few drinks had been consumed and the slightly inebriated Divinations teacher sat in Severus' lap, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. The Potions Master had a few firewhiskeys and did not react well. He might have been more tactful if he wasn't drunk.

Sybil found herself dumped unceremoniously on the tavern floor, Severus spluttering and wiping his mouth with his hand, frowning down at her. It was then he made the troll statement, in front of all the other staff, who fell silent as he departed with a slight stagger in a billow of robes, leaving the witch on the floor. Sybil was so embarrassed she hid in the North Tower for almost a month. When she emerged, glaciers could have formed whenever she passed Severus, who could care less.

"Good morning, Sybil," he replied reflexively, and the witch smiled and continued on.

The same thing happened when Madame Sprout entered, then Professor Sinistra, Professor Transom, the transfiguration teacher, Librarian Ginny Weasley, Madam Hooch, and Professor Vector. Each witch paused to say hello then continued on. The only witch that didn't stop to say anything was Dr. Hermione Granger, who looked decidedly distracted when she entered and wandered past him, her amber eyes rather glazed as she took her seat. She did look down the table at him for a moment, before ordering her breakfast.

Severus drank some weak tea, and had chicken broth for breakfast, which put him in a foul mood. He was hungry, dammit. Suddenly he stiffened as the scent of rare steak floated down to him from the plate of Marcus Delaluci, the Dark Arts teacher. Gods, it smelled exquisite. Completely disregarding Hermione's orders, Severus ordered a rare steak from the kitchens. It appeared a few minutes later, blood running from it. The Potions Master lit into it, bliss on his pale face…it was the most delicious steak he had ever eaten. He ordered another one, wolfing it down.

Sated, he sat back and waited for the indigestion to start. To his relief, nothing happened. His belly was calm. His black eyes idly drifted across the student body. To his consternation, he found several seventh year witches from every table staring at him. He scowled blackly at them and they quickly returned to their meals.

"Good morning, Severus," a female voice said with a bit of an accent.

The Potions Master looked up into the blue eyes of Headmistress Volaria Antagio. The middle-aged witch sat down in the chair beside him, her long black and gray-streaked hair falling over her shoulders. The Headmistress transferred to Hogwarts from Italy, where she served as Headmistress for a small wizarding school. She was offered the job of Headmistress at Hogwarts when Severus turned it down. He didn't want his life complicated by running a school. It was a great honor, but just too much work. Teaching, serving as Head of Slytherin House and brewing potions was enough for him.

"I just wanted to let you know, I will be taking over your classes this afternoon while you get your examination from Dr. Granger," the Headmistress said, smiling at him with her even, white teeth. She was an older witch of about ninety. Headmaster Antagio showed her age now, but must have been quite beautiful in her prime.

"Thank you, Headmistress," Severus replied.

The witch sat there a moment, not saying anything, looking at him intently. It made the Potions Master distinctly uncomfortable.

Finally he asked her, "Is there something else you wanted, Headmistress?"

The witch started as if coming out of a dream. She looked a bit perplexed as her blue eyes focused on the Potions Master.

"Ah, no Severus. I'll…I'll just be going now," she said rising and walking back to her seat.

Well, that had been rather strange. He looked back at the student body to discover the seventh year girls were staring at him again. Once again, he gave them all a black scowl. They looked away, but moved much slower this time…some sneaking covert glances at him. Every single one of them was the age of consent.

Hermione caught the seventh year girls looking at the Potions Master and his scowling response to them. She also noticed several female staff members looking up at the wizard from time to time too. The witch's eyes narrowed as she noticed the focus of the women. Something was going on here. She studied the wizard and saw nothing different about him. He was still tall, pale, with lank black hair and a huge nose. She shrugged as Marcus Delaluci passed behind her, heading out of the Great Hall. The wizard passed behind Severus, then clutched his face. His violet eyes had telescoped painfully when he passed the Potions Master.

Marcus was a descendant of a human/dragon crossbreed, and had received powers that skipped several generations. He could see in darkness and zoom his eyes in on any object, no matter the distance. He could also sense the presence of dark magic, his eyes telescoping when it was near. The degree of pain this caused was an indication of just how dangerous the magic was. It had been quite painful when he came near Severus. He blinked and looked at the wizard.

Snape was a dark one. That he would be dabbling in the dark arts wouldn't surprise Marcus a bit. The Potions Master had once wanted his position of Dark Arts teacher. Voldemort's death seemed to cool the wizard's ardor for it. No one but Albus knew that Severus had wanted the position simply because he wanted the students' properly prepared to battle Voldemort's forces. The wizard had first hand knowledge of the spells deatheaters' used and was the most qualified, in his opinion to teach the students how to defend themselves against them. But Albus never placed him in the position.

"You do enough, Severus," was his adamant reply every year.

Others assumed the wizard simply wanted free reign to dabble in the Dark Arts with impunity, but that wasn't the case. Severus loved potions. He was simply willing to set them aside to insure the students' safety. Marcus proved to be an adequate teacher however, and taught the students well. He had been Eradicator after all…a Ministry assassin. One of an elite clandestine force that handled all the political issues that couldn't be solved by reason. He had killed wizards, witches, children…entire families. It was his job and he did it well. Using the dark arts was the way he made his living for years.

When the Eradicators were dissolved, he worked as a mercenary for Gringotts bank, claiming territories and killing natives so their wealth could be plundered. Finally he came back to England to try and make a less bloodthirsty living, and after making a rather unsuccessful go at it, was approached by Albus Dumbledore himself and offered the position of Dark Arts teacher, which he accepted. He had been at Hogwarts for years now, breaking the supposed curse that affected every previous DA teacher for years. Not one teacher had lasted more than a year in the position. Marcus had been there almost twelve years.

The tall, blonde-haired wizard looked at the Potions Master and started to say something, then decided against it. His reaction was probably due to some residue clinging to Snape, a signature left from some dark potion the wizard was working on. Marcus exited the hall, still rubbing his eyes.

Severus stood up to leave the Great Hall, and felt uncomfortable as the eyes of every single witch of proper age rested on him. What the hell was going on? He exited through the staff exit, the witches all watching his departure silently, then returning to their meals.

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Severus took a number of points from the seventh year witches in his Potions class for "staring" and not paying attention in class as he demonstrated the proper way to chop a particularly expensive herb. He would look up from time to time, and though all the students were watching him attentively, there was a decidedly dreamy look to some of the witches. They couldn't have been focused.

To test his suspicions, he shot quick questions at them concerning an instruction he had just given on the crosscut, and not one of the dreamy-eyed witches could answer correctly, though the rest of the class did fine.

"I don't know what you are daydreaming about while you are supposed to be paying attention," he said to the witches, who he had kept behind after class was dismissed, "but you will stop it, or be assigned detention with Hagrid spreading dragon dung in the castle gardens. Do I make myself clear? Buck up ladies! This is your last year. You can't afford to start slacking now."

The witches all looked at each other, and to Severus' chagrin, started giggling.

Giggling? At him?

And it was the kind of giggle that hinted of some kind of private joke or secret.

"Stop that infernal giggling this instant!" the Potions Master snarled, slamming his hand on his desk.

The witches all stopped, looking frightened.

There. That was much better.

"You will be giggling out the other side of your faces when you are up to your elbows in dragon dung," the Professor sneered at the students. "Detention. Every blasted one of you. Friday night out at Hagrid's hut. Six o'clock sharp. I suggest you eat supper early, and if you had any plans of dalliances with your boyfriends, consider them cancelled. Now, get out of my classroom, all of you! Your detention slips will be sent to your house heads. Move!"

The witches all skittered out the door. Severus waved his wand at it, the door closing with a satisfying slam behind them. He was sure a few of the silly chits jumped from the impact. The wizard sat down at his desk, scowling. In all his years of teaching and threatening students, none had ever dared to giggle at him. It was disconcerting. Was he losing his edge?

And just what had they been giggling about in the first place? He hadn't done or said anything remotely amusing. Yet they all looked at each other then started tittering away. Were they all on Stripe? Maybe that was it. Maybe they were under the influence of a magically mind-altering drug. That would explain a lot. Their dreamy eyes and distraction could be attributed to that, yes.

The Potions Master sat down at his desk and wrote out a detention slip that included the date, time and place of the detention, with an additional note that the witch in question be tested for drug usage. Then he duplicated the slip several times and filled in the name and house of each offending witch. With a flick of his wand, he sent the slips to the desk of the proper Head of House. That would show the silly little birds who was in charge here.

Severus went to lunch and had two more rare steaks, then spent a couple of hours marking parchments in his classroom. He looked up at the clock. It was ten minutes to three. He sighed. Time to go and get his physical. Well, it shouldn't take long. Poppy would have him in and out in fifteen minutes at the most.

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Severus pushed open the infirmary door and strode in.

"Dr. Granger," he called, "I'm here for my physical."

Hermione emerged from her office, a clipboard and quill in her hand. She wore the white lab coat and the shapeless uniform beneath was green this time. The stethoscope dangled from her neck. He hoped she used a warming spell on it this time.

Hermione looked at the Potions Master. She didn't offer a greeting.

All she said was, "I'm glad you're on time. We have a lot to do. Follow me."

The witch turned and walked away. After a moment's hesitation, Severus followed her.

Hermione walked toward the back of the infirmary and pulled aside a privacy curtain.

"In here, Professor," the witch said, looking at him, her face sober.

Severus walked past the witch. He noticed a huge amount of vials and beakers on a small table. There was a thin little white gown on the cot. The cot was very high. She must have spelled it.

Hermione scratched something on to the clipboard, looked up at Severus and said, "Undress and put on that gown, leave the open part facing front," she said, walking over to the table of vials and checking it.

Severus' eyes went wide.

"What?" he asked the witch, flabbergasted.

Hermione turned to him, her amber eyes cool.

"I said undress, Professor. Remove your clothes. Strip. Get naked," she replied.

"I will not get naked, Miss Granger," he declared, frowning at her. The audacity of the woman. "Poppy never…"

Hermione sighed and frowned at him.

"Firstly, that's Dr. Granger, Professor…and again I tell you that I am not Poppy. When Poppy was here and a thorough examination was required, the patient had to go to St. Mungo's to have it done. I am qualified to do the examination and testing here, Professor. I have the knowledge and the equipment. You will also get better care. A full physical requires me to examine you. I can't examine you with clothes on. Do you want to find out what is wrong with you?" she asked him, her mouth turned down.

"Yes," Severus said sullenly.

"Then get naked," Hermione said, exiting and pulling the privacy curtain securely around the area.

Severus cursed under his breath and started unbuttoning his robes.

Hermione's bossiness hadn't changed, that was for sure. Severus eyed the little gown lying on the cot. She wanted him to wear that? It barely reached mid-thigh. His assets would be hanging out. Hermione Granger seeing his cock. Gods. It was like the entire world had turned upside down and gone crazy.

Severus fought to rationalize his situation as he removed his clothing.

Shit. Hermione was a doctor, not a student anymore. He didn't doubt she was a good one, but he missed Poppy's comforting presence. He had been naked in front of Poppy too, when she would treat him after returning from Voldemort. But she was an older witch even then, warm and comforting like a mother. Hermione was young…young and rather cold actually. Her eyes looked old though as if they had seen far too much. Maybe they had.

Severus stripped off his robes, laid them on the small chair at the bottom of the cot, then started on the cuffs of his shirt. He eyed all the beakers again as he pulled his shirttail out of his trousers worked on the buttons. He peeled the shirt off and slipped the gown over his back. The sleeves stopped halfway up his forearm.

"This wasn't even made to fit someone like me," the Potions Master groused as he toed off his boots, then worked on his trousers. He slid down his trousers and boxers together, then deposited them on the chair, setting his boots underneath it. He tied the robe closed with the thin little straps and looked down at himself. He still had on his socks. Well, the floor was cold. Sure enough, the head and part of the shaft of his cock was showing.

"Damn it," he said.

Severus hopped up on the high cot, tucked his cock between his thighs neatly, then closed his legs. He was sitting like a witch. Gods. This was terrible. And his legs were cold.

The wizard heard Hermione walking back toward him, her trainers squeaking as she did so.

Severus sighed.

He'd get through this.

Hopefully with his dignity intact.

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A/N: This was a fun chapter to write. Seems like Vashti's threat is happening. Severus is so dense. He hasn't made the connection yet with the witches and what his dream revealed. Hermione doesn't seem to be affected by his increasing sexiness. Maybe it will just take a while because she is so repressed. The examination ought to be interesting. Please review.