A New Beginning (DH -COMPLIANT)

Chapter 71 ~ A Tie

Presently, Severus returned with two piping hot plates of food and utensils. He also had the present Hermione brought him. However, he didn’t bring anything to drink, and Hermione was parched.

He set the present on the nightstand, then handed Hermione her plate and sat down on the bed to join her. He dug in, eating a bit of potato slowly and looking at Hermione, who was nude but heartily digging into her food as well. Her appetite was back.

”There’s something to be said for naked dining,” the wizard commented as Hermione, whose mouth was full of food, gave him a full body blush. The wizard smirked and returned to his food.

Hermione looked at him.

”You didn’t bring anything to drink,” she said to the wizard.

”Easily rectified,” he replied, “Eli!”

Hermione shrieked and bent over, trying to hide her nudity from the smiling elf when he suddenly winked in.

”Yes, Master?” Eli said, still smiling.

”Bring us a cold pitcher of pumpkin juice and two glasses. You may put them on the nightstand,” he said, unaffected by Hermione’s reaction.

”Right away, sir,” Eli responded, winking out.

Hermione straightened, scowling at the wizard as he stuffed a piece of turkey into his mouth.

“Severus! How could you summon Eli when I’m sitting here naked?” she asked him furiously.

The wizard stopped eating and raised both eyebrows at her in surprise.

”Eli’s a house elf, Hermione. He has no interest in whether or not you are showing your ample little charms,” he replied, “It’s like being naked in front of a familiar or . . . or a muggle dog.”

”Still, it’s uncomfortable,” Hermione said, letting out another squeal and bending defensively as Eli reappeared, smiling, and set the pitcher of pumpkin juice and two glasses on the nightstand before winking out again.

Severus returned to eating. Furious, Hermione set her plate on the bed, stormed over to their discarded clothes (which Severus found quite interesting since her buttocks were shifting with very animated purpose), studied them a moment, then picked up his white shirt and slipped it on, buttoning two buttons, then rejoining him on the bed.

Severus looked at her legs sticking out from under the shirt, which was long on her.

”I must say I like the way that shirt fits you better than me,” he said, a lascivious little smirk on his face.

Mad, Hermione didn’t say anything but ate the rest of her food, the wizard pouring her a pumpkin juice when she finished, watching her drink it down, then taking the glass and plate from her and setting them on the nightstand.

He picked up the present.

”For me, I presume?” he asked her.

”Yes, it is,” Hermione replied shortly, still angry about the Eli incident.

Severus unwrapped the gift and studied the mortar and pestle.

”Hm, non-reactive and Slytherin colors. This is one of the nicer sets I’ve seen,” he said appreciatively, “Thank you, Hermione. I will put it to good use. One can never have enough potions utensils.”

She gave him a little smile. He liked it.

Severus set the gift on the nightstand as well, just as Eli winked in to clear the plates. He didn’t even look toward Hermione as he collected them, but he was still smiling. He winked out again.

The Potions master pulled out his nightstand drawer, reached in and pulled out a small present, wrapped in silver wrapping paper with a green bow. He offered it to Hermione.

”Happy Christmas,” he said to her softly.

Hermione unwrapped the present. It was a lidded box. She opened it and smiled. It was a gold bracelet with several tiny lions on it, with small rubies for eyes.

”Oh, it’s gorgeous, Severus,” Hermione said, lifting it out of the box and studying it. “Thank you.”

She leaned in and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. He looked at her soberly for a moment, then said, “Allow me” and took the bracelet from her. Hermione held out her wrist. Severus shook his head.

”No. This goes around your ankle,” he said, reaching down and snagging a leg, pulling it up across his knees. This had the effect of Hermione falling on to the bed on her back.

“Severus!” she cried as the wizard chuckled, then clasped the bracelet around her ankle, flicking one of the lions with a pale finger. It let out a little chime when it bumped into the next charm.

“Yes,” he breathed.

Hermione sat up and studied the bracelet. She had never worn anything on her ankles before but it looked nice. Rather sexy too. Then she felt a slight tingle around the bracelet.

”What was that?” she asked the wizard, “That tingle?”

“Oh. The bracelet is charmed to your signature,” he replied, “and you can turn the tinkle off or on by saying either ‘mute’ or ‘sound’ in a commanding voice. But leave it on for now. I want to hear it play a little symphony when we next engage.”

The wizard, now well-nourished and refreshed, leaned in . . . his eyes slightly predatory.

”Which will be . . . now,” he said silkily, darting forward, capturing the startled witch’s lips and taking her down to the mattress.

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Severus didn’t manage to break Hermione’s record of two sex acts for the night, simply because he lasted much longer the second go around, pleasuring the witch for more than an hour and a half, although the act was interspersed with kisses, intimate caresses and more oral sex. The wizard loved touching her, exploring every inch of her body and stimulating her with his long, talented fingers, bringing the witch to fever pitch after fever pitch, then continuing his possession.

What Hermione noticed through her haze of wanton pleasure, was that although Severus was for the most part gentle and focused with her, he seemed to like positions that clearly gave him the upper hand, locking her body in submissive, very accessible positions, constantly pinning down her arms and legs or holding them in such a way that she wouldn’t be able to break free from him.

Not that she wanted to.

Severus was also very vocal, his silken voice crooning at her as he thrust into her delightedly, pleasure and appreciation in his dark eyes as he encouraged her to let go, to open up to him, to let him release her. Gods, he was amazing. The Potions master had to catch himself several times, becoming lost in his ardor for the witch. Hermione crying out into his mouth as he plunged too deep. He stopped and kissed her tenderly as he apologized and managed to talk her into letting him continue.

Hermione had never felt more fully possessed than when Severus finished, his pale body soaked in perspiration as he curled over her, quaking as the last bit of his release ebbed. Hermione was exhausted, sliding face first into the pillows, the wizard lying on her back, kissing her shoulders tenderly.

Try as he might, Severus couldn’t convince her to accept him again, record breaking be damned. Hermione didn’t plan on dying of excessive pleasure on Christmas night. Her children would be traumatized for life, particularly Rose, who convinced her to come see the wizard; and besides, who wanted their epitaph to read something along the lines of: “She entered his bed, and now she’s dead?”

The following morning they showered together, Hermione’s muscles sore and achy from the unaccustomed activity. The Potions master had stretched and bent her unmercifully. She moved so slowly that Severus became concerned and insisted she let him treat her before Molly Weasley sent Aurors after him for assaulting her with great malice.

”You’re going to have to shape up, witch,” Severus said as he gently rubbed salve into Hermione’s aching joints and muscles, smoothing his hands over her curves as she lay face down in his bed. “I’ll come up with a potion for you after this.”

”You’re never touching me again,” Hermione groaned into the pillow.

Severus smirked as he continued touching her. She’d let him do it again, he knew it. Hermione responded to him so sweetly, gave him not only her body but something more. He could see it in the witch’s eyes as he slid inside her, every delicious stroke into her warmth an answered prayer. It felt good to be wanted and needed. He did his best to answer her every need as he slaked his own. He believed, despite her declaration, he had secured a place in her heart last night.

”Flip over,” he growled, turning the witch roughly, grinning inwardly at the furious look on her face as he did so.

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Fully restored by Severus’ ministrations, Hermione returned reluctantly to the Burrow. It was clear the wizard wanted her to stay, though he didn’t say it, and it was clear to Severus Hermione wanted to stay as well, but she had family obligations. He was going to have to get used to that. Actually, he admired her for being so dutiful. Family was important. He only hoped that they would accept his intrusion into their lives.

Before Hermione left, Severus asked her if she wouldn’t mind giving him one more Christmas present.

”What?” she asked him suspiciously. If it were “one for the road” he could forget it.

“I would like,” he said softly, “A photograph of you to keep by my bedside.”

Hermione looked up at the wizard, her eyes softening.

”Of course, Severus,” she replied, moved.

That evening, Eli delivered a small envelope to his Master.

”From the Miss,” the elf said with a smile.

Eli had been smiling quite a bit lately.

Snape looked surprised as the elf handed him the package.

”How did you get this Eli? Hermione is at the Burrow,” he said to the elf.

”She summons me,” he said shortly, “I can goes to her now outside the site, because of the in-outie.”

”In-outie? What in the world is that?” Severus asked him.

In response, Eli did a very disturbing series of vigorous loin thrusts.

”In-outie,” he said by way of clarification.

Snape blinked at him, finding no words to express his response to the elf’s rather lewd display. Clearly he meant sexual intercourse.

”She is yours now, and I serves you and her until she is no longer yours,” Eli explained. “I serves her because I serves you and you are one.”

Snape nodded.

”Well, plan to be serving her for a very long time, Eli. I have no intentions of letting her go,” the wizard replied, beginning to open the envelope.

He pulled out a picture of Hermione smiling, her eyes bright and chin resting on her hand. She blinked. Snape stared at the photo, drawing a finger down the side of her face.

”Thank you, Eli,” he said, rising from the armchair and walking into his bedroom.

Snape sat down on the bed, reached into his nightstand and pulled out the framed torn photo of Lily Potter. He looked at it for a moment, then turned the frame over and removed the backing, then the photo. He placed the photo back in his nightstand, then placed Hermione’s photo inside the frame, carefully centering it, then replacing the backing and pulling out the little stand. He set it on the nightstand, adjusting it several times.

“My new obsession,” he said softly, gazing at Hermione gazing back at him.

”My new love.”

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Hermione returned to the Burrow in much brighter spirits and it was noticeable. She had a glow about her. Molly eyed her as she cleared the breakfast dishes, Rose and Hermione helping her.

”Did you have a nice visit with the Professor,” she asked her daughter-in-law.

”Yes. It was very nice,” Hermione said with a dreamy quality to her voice.

”Did he like your present, mum?” Rose inquired, looking at her mother a bit strangely.

”Yes he did. He said one could never have enough potions utensils,” Hermione replied, picking up several mugs and walking into the kitchen. Molly and Rose followed her. She deposited the mugs in the sink.

”What did he give you?” Molly asked her, a bit pointedly.

She already suspected what he’d given her, and it wasn’t anything that could be put into a box. Not a cardboard box anyway.

”Oh, he gave me this,” Hermione said, bending down, pulling up her jeans and pulling down her sock.

”Oh, that’s so cute, mum! An ankle charm bracelet,” Rose said smiling at the little dangling lions.

Molly didn’t comment, although the bracelet was very nice. She was studying her daughter-in-law, noting the look in her eyes. She sighed inwardly.

Hermione was moving on. Molly Weasley had seen that look enough to know what it was. The look of Love. Hermione was in love with Professor Snape and it wasn’t a look that was in her eyes the day before. Whatever happened last night had a profound effect on the witch. She had truly let go of Ron.

This realization caused a little stab in Molly’s heart and her eyes glistened a bit as she began to hand wash the breakfast dishes, just to have something physical to do to counteract the emotional turmoil she was going through.

“We’re going to get the rest of the dishes, Molly,” Hermione said to her with a smile, exiting the kitchen with Rose.

Molly drew in a shuddering breath, several tears dropping into the dishwater.

”Molly Weasley, you’ve got to buck up,” she told herself, dabbing at her eyes with her apron in an attempt to clear them before the two witches returned.

”After all, Life is for the living,” she breathed, returning to the dishes.

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A/N: Thanks for reading.