In Demand

DON\'T EVERY THINK YOU SAW THE BEST IN ME
 


Hermione raised her eyes to his.  Her eyes moved away from his and focused on the fire.
Struggling desperately, she searched for words.
 


 She had felt
his reaction as they danced. She had been amazed at the feeling of power that
she felt surge through her body.  She
could completely change this man’s entire rigid demeanor with just a touch. 
It was intoxicating.  This is
what she had gone looking for, control.  The
heat in the eyes bearing down on her was intense, strong. 
She could imagine what it would feel like to have this man over her,
moving in her, taking her.  “Oh
Gods” Ripping, tearing, pain.  “What
am I doing?” she had thought.  She
stepped back, considering fleeing.  He
had stopped her then, just taken her hand and led her away. 
She had just followed him, like the child she was. 
Followed him into the darkness. 
 


She was wrapped up warmly and swept away. She had no
control.  She never would. 
Dimly she was aware of the wind in her face and realized that he was
taking her back to Hogwart’s.  Back
to where the memories were fresh, the evidence of her stupidity around every
corner and masked behind every face.  Something
deep inside her snapped then, and the tears began to fall. 
She grabbed a hold of his lapel and prepared to push him away, but found
she couldn’t.  He made no attempt
to treat her as a child, rocking away her tears. 
He uttered not one word of inconsequential mush. 
Just held her as her torments released themselves were swept away.
 


Tears spent, she became aware of his arms that held her, of
the hand stroking her hair, and of his cheek resting on her head. 
She had never known that Severus Snape coul gen gentle. She had never
seen this side of him.  Something in the very core of her body screamed that she
needed to know him better.  That
within him dwelled a man who could protect her, slay her demons, save her. 
She slid her arms around his neck and tried to move closer, tried to will
her body to be absorbed in his.  “This
is a safe place.” There was nothing to fear in this man. 
Time ceased to exist.  She
remembered hearing Albus’ voice and then they were here, with him on his knees
before her.
 


She felt his finger on her chin.  He turned her face back to his. 
Inquiring dark eyes gazed at her, trying to read the deluge of emotions
that shone in her eyes.  She
struggled to move back a bit, to get a little distance between the two of them. 
She couldn’t think at all when he was this close. 
She needed to be able to think and to stay in control.  She
knew what she wanted; she just wasn’t sure how to get it. 
 


As she shifted position, he became aware of hints of black
vinyl peeking out from gaps in his cloak.  There
was no way he could talk to her with her dressed like this.
 


He rose to his feet and clasped his hands behind his back
to keep them from shaking.  He
turned his back to her and moved closer to the fire. 
“Change your clot bac back,” he snapped.
 


She was aware that he was struggling to keep the upper
hand.  She felt her confidence rise
a notch.  She rose to her feet,
still wrapped in his cloak.  “I
don’t think that would be wise,” she whispered with exaggerated innocence.
 


 


He turned to face her. 
Although her lower lip protruded with a childlike quality, she held
herself proudly erect and gazed at him intently.  “We’re back to this.”


 


“ I said we have to talk. You are obviously aware of what
you are doing to me, so I will not beat around the bush. 
I cannot talk to you while you are dressed like that, so if you would
please…” 
 


“If you insist, Professor.” 
She allowed the cloak to part at the bottom and raised one shapely leg to
the sofa.  She reached inside of her
boot and pulled her wand out, very slowly, very deliberately. 
With a flick and swish the boots were gone, replaced by a pair of low
yellow rain boots.  She looked up at
him, grinned, and kicked the boots off.
 


His only reaction was a slight twitching at the corners of
his mouth.  “The rest of it Miss
Granger.”
 


“Yes, Professor.” 
 


Another flick and swish and something fell to the floor. 
She held his cloak tightly around herself. 
He moved toward her and bent to retrieve… a vinyl dishwashing glove. 
She smiled at the shock on his face, confident now in her ability to
control him.  He brought his face to
hers, almost touching her lips.  He
lowered his voice and whispered, “Wait here.” 
He turned on his heel, and opened a door opposite his office.
 


“His bedroom.” 
This was going better than she thought. 
She glanced around quickly, finally having a chance to take in the view
of his room.  Impressions of
cherrywood, forest green velvet, comfortable furniture, and dark paneled walls.
Before she could get a clear impression of the room he was back.  He had removed his frock coad red replaced it with a spotless
white linen shirt.  He moved in
behind her and, ever so briefly, let his body come in contact with her’s. 
He placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her toward his bedroom.
 


She did not resist.
 


“You’ll find something more suitable lying on the bed. 
Change and wash up. I’ll be outside waiting.”
 


She spun around with an expression of shock on her face,
then determination.  She made to
drop the cloak and he turned from her before it could hit the floor. 
“I said we were going to talk.” 
He walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. 
 
THERE\'S A SIDE YOU\'LL NEVER KNOW


 


When she emerged a short time later, he was seated on the
sofa with a snifter of brandy grasped in one large hand. 
She was now dressed in a silk pajama top, which hung to her knees. 
She took a seat at the other end of the sofa, facing him. 
She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on the black fabric. 
“I had to roll the sleeves up a bit. 
The pants were just hopeless.”  He
nodded slightly, and extended the snifter of brandy to her, which she accepted. 
Another one appeared in his hand.  They
sat quietly for a few minutes, staring into the fire, both trying to regain a
measure of self-confidence.
 


He found his voice first.
 


“I feel that I do not need to recount to you my actions
as a Deatheater, do I?  Or that many
of those actions were repeated as a spy?”
 


This was not what she had expected to hear. 
“No, sir,” she answered carefully.
 


“I think we are beyond the formalities of Sir, Professor,
and Miss.  Would you not agree,
Hermione?”
 


“Yes, Sir.  I
mean, Severus,” she smiled slightly, a little more at ease.
 


His eyes sought hers, “I also believe that at this
juncture of our relationship you are now aware that I have developed some
feelings for you, both physical and emotional alike.”
 


“Yes, Severus,” she whispered.
 


“It is also plainly obvious, by your recent actions, that
you did not enjoy what Sirius Black did to you.  I’m not just talking about the brutal physical act, but
more along the lines of what he did to your heart. 
Using you and throwing you aside.”
 


She sho shocked now and had to fight the urge to run from
the room.  She forced herself to
remain sitting, but could only shake her head.
 


“I want it to be perfectly clear that I am not about to
place myself in the same situation.  I
know that the students of this school view me as being inhumane and heartless. 
I am quite positive that a heart does beat within this chest. 
I am not about to turn it over to you to be a lab-rat in your studies. 
It beats like yours and can be broken the same. This will not be a quick
shag with the Potions Master for some experience. I want more from you, Hemione.”
 


“I give you my word that I will allow you to gain the
knowledge and power that you are seeking.  I
will allow you full access to myself; body and soul. 
But, I expect the same of you.  This
is not to be a relationship where one is in constant control with the other
following meekly.  You and I are
equals in this, and will gain and relinquish control to the other equally.  
Do you understand what I am saying?”
 


Her jaw was now gaping open and all she could do was nod
dumbly.
 


“The only thing I cannot offer at this juncture are
poetic proclamations.  I have never
been very good with that sort of thing, and do not expect to be so now. 
Perhaps you will be able to provide some guidance to me in that area. 
Time will tell.”
 


He moved closer to her now. 
He took the untouched glass from her. 
He still held his drink in his other hand.  Slowly he leaned closer and with an arm on either side,
reached around to place both snifters on the table behind her. 
He leaned back again and unbent her legs, placed one in his lap and the
other behind him.  He raised one hand to her cheek and lowered his head to her. 
His mouth brushed hers ever so softly. Slowly, his mouth moved gently
across her face, placing light kisses on her cheek. 
He stopped at her ear and whispered gently, “Are we clear on all of
this?”
 


“Yes, Severus.”