Maternal Instinct

She pushed at his shoulders carefully, turning her head to the side, so - making the most of her movement - he relocated his lips to her neck.

Pushing more forcefully at his shoulders, though to no avail, Hermione said slightly breathlessly, "Professor -"

"Severus..." he murmured against her skin.

"Severus," She nodded, sighing, "This r-really is... isn't a good... idea..."

"Why...?" he whispered.

"B-b-because... because you have a wife... and... and a daughter and then there's Viktor... and..." She huffed, putting her hand on her hip, "Will you look at me when I’m talking to you!"

His teeth grazed her racing pulse, "No..."

Hermione clenched her jaw, even as shiver ran through her, "And you've had a lot to drink... I don't want you blaming me for your mistakes... Please..."

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What was her problem? Severus couldn't see her problem. Even with all that speaking and reasoning she was doing.

Hermione Granger was a lot more comfortable than Amy; she had none of those horrible sticky-out ribs in odd places, or any of those boney... bones. She was soft, and her warm skin didn't taste like nasty sprays, perfumes or potions like Amy's cold flesh did. How had he ever been able to touch that plastic thing he called his wife?

Lifting his head, Severus pressed his lips to hers again. She shifted, whimpering in a half-hearted protest. What she had said was true; he did have a wife and she did have Viktor Krum, but both of those people deserved more than to just be cheated on. And Corrin was not in the house, so it wouldn't affect her. And Severus couldn't recall exactly how much whiskey he had consumed, but it couldn't have been that much, could it?

This woman, Hermione Granger, she was... special. She wasn't just the know-it-all he had thought her to be. She was so much more.

And then a deep thought came to Severus. Whatever God there was, he had been cruel to her. The fates had given him and Amy a daughter that they didn't deserve (And, in Amy's case, probably didn't want!) but they had taken her child before it was even born. What was the point in that?

He had learned over these past few weeks that if anybody had ever had the right to be a parent, Hermione Granger did. The way she was with Corrin had shown him that straight away.

And she was so excepting of the Viktor Krum treated her. Severus had seen the defiant sadness in her eyes earlier; perhaps he had been the first person to point out the fact that Krum was taking advantage of her.

He hadn't even spoken to her very much before Corrin got ill, but seeing her for just a few weeks had changed his entire opinion of her. He doubted any one had ever had that effect on him before. It seemed that the little annoying Gryffindor had gone out and lived in the real world - outside of Hogwarts and the protection of teachers - and that she had grown up.

Severus was aware of a voice in his head that was telling him that he was drunk, but that voice could be drunk to, for all he knew. To be honest, he would be quite happy if Amy and Viktor walked in right now, just as his hand was slipping under Hermiones clothes and rubbing slowly up her back.

She moved forwards, trying to get away from his wandering fingers it seemed, but she only ended up pushing her chest against his, allowing him to curl his other arm around her shoulders, holding her to him. She shivered and sighed as his moved his lips back to her throat.

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Hermione didn't know what was wrong; Viktor had only ever been this careful and slow once, at the very beginning of their relationship. Now all he wanted was a quick round with the goal of making a baby that would never be.

Realizing that she was getting far too comfortable and content, Hermione tried to break away from the arms holding her, but they were to strong.

"Professor..." She said softly. When he hissed and scraped his teeth gently across her skin - a warning - she quickly amended, "Severus..."

"Better, Miss Granger." He growled, his breath hot across her ear, sending tingles down her spine.

"Please... I-I can't do this to Viktor... or Amy... I'd feel terrible..."

There were too many people involved and especially a child. If Severus wanted to divorce Amy that was his decision, but Hermione wanted nothing to do with it.

And what about Viktor? Hermione was surprised and scared to fine that she didn't really care about Viktor. Severus was right - he had been using her. He was a celebrity; why would he ever want a baby with her?

She was holding back tears by the time she managed to get out the arms around her and open the front door, "I-I'll see you tomorrow... Good night."

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Severus watched her go with a stranger melancholy feeling. If he was not mistaken, she had been close to crying and that meant she had worked out that his earlier words were true.

And then he realized that he was alone.

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"IF YOU'RE NOT GONE BY THE TIME I'VE HAD A DRINK, YOU'LL BE SORRY!"

Hermione stormed into the kitchen, as Mr. and Mrs. Krum sat stunned in her living room. She wished she had never come home. Wiping the tears from her cheeks angrily, she pulled a glass roughly from a cupboard and filled it with water until it was over flowing. Swearing under her breath, she turned the tap off and sipped the liquid, praying to God that Viktors' parents were gone by the time the glass was empty.

"!"!"!"!"!"!"!"

A/N: Thanks for all your reviews!

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