Evil Personified

Six


Valencia eyed the form of the former Death Eater appreciatively. Despite his black clothing, she was certain that he would be a delicious morsel once she got him naked.

"You're not very talkative, Severus," she said, mounting the stairs that would take them to the flat that she had rented above the apothecary shop in Knockturn Alley.

"I have little to say," the austere man seemed to be off in a world of his own.

Severus frowned upon the disarray of the flat. The rooms were small and cluttered. He lifted the toe of his boot and cast aside a dirty robe that was lying in the floor where it had been tossed some time ago.

"We must get to know each other better," she purred. "I have often seen you from a distance at the gatherings for our Lord."

"He is no longer our Lord. And I am no longer one of you."

She wrapped her arms around Severus' neck and pressed a kiss upon his jaw line.

"I don't suppose that should matter. My, but you are so sexy and dark."

Severus looked at her out of the corner of his hooded eyes. The idea of bedding the chit was becoming rapidly disagreeable to him. He had a dislike for her sort, tolerating them only when he'd needed sexual relief.

Her hand had slipped into his crotch, fondling him.

"Severus, I need for you to return to Hogwarts immediately."

Valencia immediately ceased her fondling and glared at the fireplace, muttering:

"Damn. I thought I had warded the bloody floo."

The head of Albus Dumbledore was visible in the flames, and he gave the female Death Eater a hard look.

Albus was a pain in the hindquarters to be sure but for once, Severus was somewhat relieved that the astute old wizard had located him.

"I shall return immediately, Headmaster," he said formally, removing Valencia's hands from his person."

"Good evening, Valencia," Albus said sternly. "I have not seen you since you were a young girl."

"Albus. I see you are still keeping your nose where it shouldn't be."

"I make it my business to take special care of my staff at all times. Such as it is, I am sorry to interrupt your privacy, but it is urgent that I speak with Severus."

"I'm sure it is," the witch replied sarcastically. Severus had already gone out the door quickly. The head disappeared from the fireplace with a pop. "He may think he got out, but I have news for him," Valencia said aloud, to no one in particular. "He hasn't heard the last of me. Severus Snape will be the perfect husband and I shall have him."

~*~

Hermione couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about Severus, and she shivered at the thought of being so close to his rooms.

At last, she groaned in frustration and got up, putting on her dark blue muggle robe over her nightgown and tying the sash. Her hair hung over her shoulders in two braids. Maybe some warm milk would help, she thought, going out into the dark hall with the intent of going to the kitchens to get some.

She smacked into something hard as she hurried along, nearly losing her footing.

Severus, who had been hurrying along as well, looked down and grabbed the girl, wondering for a split second why a student was still about before it dawned on him that he was holding an indecently clothed Hermione. Trust her to be about in the halls when he'd sent her to bed hours ago.

"Oh." She looked up at him, shocked to find him out in the halls this late.

"Miss Granger, why the devil are you out of bed?"

"I couldn't sleep, Sir," she replied. Most of the torches were not lit this late, and the few that were highlighted the planes of his beloved face for her. Her eyes stopped at a distinct red smudge on his jaw, and she realized that he had an unusual smell about him of perfume. She felt her blood run cold as she realized he'd been out with a woman. She bit down on her lower lip.

She'd never given it a thought before, since the man was so insolent and intolerable at best, but did he have someone he was seeing? And who was she? Her heart started pounding crazily as she tried to remain rational.

"Miss Granger!" His voice was right at her ear. "You need to return to your bed. You do not seem capable of carrying on a conversation."

"I'm sorry," she said automatically. "I didn't hear what you were saying."

Severus was angry with her, and he was glaring at her with arms crossed, having let go of his grip on her.

"As I well know," he snapped. "I merely said to you that if you are thinking about going to the kitchens, there is no need for such subterfuges. Since you are considered staff now, you have only to wish aloud for what you wish to eat or drink. A house elf will bring it immediately no matter what time of day or night it may be."

Why was the girl wearing braids? They made her look younger than she was. Her pale skin glowed in the torchlight and Severus was more than aware that she had on only a nightgown and robe. Even her feet were bare on the cold stones of the dungeons.

"You are going to get sick. Now go back to bed, and just ask for what you want."

"What I want can't be found in the kitchen," Hermione told him, her eyes curiously bright. She stalked around him and started off down the hall. "And you could at least have the decency to shower before you confront me." Her door slammed behind her, leaving Severus puzzled as to exactly what she meant by those remarks.

Hermione did go back to her rooms and order hot chocolate, all the while choking back tears of hurt and sheer rage. She felt like he had betrayed her. The logical side of her mind argued that she had no reason to feel that way, as the Professor did not belong to her.

The kiss that he'd given her had been induced by his illness, and he didn't remember, or if he did he was not admitting to it. She almost wished now that she'd allowed him to continue to have his way with her.

She was such a fool. She sat in the middle of her big bed, sobbing and confused. He was hers. She had wanted him for a long time. She was not going to give up. Whoever this woman was, she'd best back off. Hermione might not have experience but she had determination. She would hex the old cow into oblivion if she were pushed into it.

Who are you kidding?

She wiped her eyes and sniffed. It was easy enough to imagine the man naked and in her arms but another thing entirely when confronted with the snarky package in reality. He was not a small man by any measure. She was tiny next to him. He was thin and she had no doubts after her struggle with him in the hospital wing that he was strong. He had muscles in his arms that she'd seen. Hermione had been too terrified to steal looks at his entire person at the time. She wished she had.

He was real. The feel of him pressing her into the mattress was a memory that she didn't want to forget.

Damn him. Why did he have to be so cold? She didn't dare go to him and tell him how she felt.

"I love you, Severus," she whispered into the night as she made herself lie back down and try to rest.

~*~

Minerva was looking at Albus disapprovingly as he removed his trunk from his pocket and enlarged it. They had just apparated to London, and in the morning, Albus would be giving his testimony.

"Stop looking at me that way, Minerva. I was not interfering in his private affairs."

"Yes, you were, Albus. You had no right to discern where he'd gone. He was on his own time, not yours."

"Valencia DeBonaire is dangerous, Minerva. I categorize her in the same category as Lucius Malfoy. She is not to be trusted, and I would not want her to lead Severus astray."

"It's his sex life, and none of our business."

"I needed Severus, and had to brief him," Albus insisted.

Minerva glared.

"If I didn't know you better, I would think that there were more to this than meets the eye."

"You are allowed to think whatever you like," Albus said placidly. "I could do with a spot of lemon tea before bed with a bit of brandy. Would you care for one?"

"I gather the subject is closed since you are ignoring it altogether. You have been around Severus so long that you are starting to act like him. Well, it won't do you a bit of good, Albus Dumbledore. I will get it all out of you sooner or later."

"Best be later, my love," Albus watched as the teapot he had conjured poured the steaming brew. "Now be a good love and drink your tea. We have a long day tomorrow."

~*~

Severus was curious the next morning when Hermione didn't even wish him a good morning. She appeared promptly at nine, and went about the business of setting three cauldrons brewing. The silence was welcomed until he started to become unsettled. It was not like her at all not to natter on about something.

"Miss Granger? Bring me some of those fresh milkweed stalks from the shelf," he ordered deliberately, expecting to receive some type of reaction out of her.

Instead, she only went silently to the closet, removed the milkweed stalks from the shelf and sat them on the table before turning her back on him.

So, she wanted to play games did she? Fine. The silence was better than a lot of inane nattering by a teenager. At least today he wouldn't be nursing a headache.

He had no idea why he was letting it bother him. She had ruined herself already, with the likes of Potter and Weasley. She'd probably been to bed with at least one or both of them. The hickey she'd sported on her neck two weeks ago had been proof of a possessive male, most likely Weasley.

Stupid girl, wasting her brilliant mind and valuable time on a fumbling fool like Weasley. The boy didn't have a single active brain cell in his opinion. He'd known that the three were together most of the time. He'd seen them at Number 12, Grimmauld Place often. Hermione had been up very late, often in the sitting room reading when he'd returned from a raid.

Now that he thought about it, he remember vaguely that she'd attempted to dress some of his wounds once last summer before Molly Weasley had ordered her to go to bed. He rubbed his chin in thought. She'd been like his bloody shadow, always somewhere in the vicinity when he was present.

He stared at her back. What was the girl about, and why would she be interested in a man who hated her and was almost old enough to be her father.

Severus was given the silent treatment all day. Hermione did not offer any more invitations to luncheon. As dusk fell, he looked at the hourglass on his desk.

"Miss Granger, you may quit for the day. I am certain you are eager for tea," he said, careful to speak in a silky tone to her.

Indeed the sound of that voice made warm rivulets of pleasure run down her skin. She looked at him for the first time that day.

Her eyes were red rimmed, and a little puffy. Surely he hadn't been that mean to her? Not that it mattered, as he'd driven more than one student to tears, but for her to look like that puzzled him even more than her behavior the night before.

"I am not hungry Professor, but if you are no longer in need for my services I will gladly leave you to your work." Hermione began cleaning up her workspace.

Severus stood up, unsure how to react. He watched her in silence for some time before speaking again.

"Are you well, Miss Granger?"

"Does it really make any difference? You don't care. You hate just about everyone and everything. Merlin help the woman, who ever really loves you," she choked out at him, her eyes filling with tears as she snatched up her bag and left, leaving one potions master with another reason to keep wondering what was wrong with her.