Disharmony in the Dungeons

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
*******************************

Chapter 9 ~ Coming Clean

Severus was sitting in front of the fireplace, sipping a firewhiskey when the door to Hermione’s rooms opened and the witch emerged. She could see him sitting staring into the fire.

“Severus, I’m back,” she said to the Potions Master.

There was silence for a moment, then the Professor said rather coldly, “Well, that was a fast visit. Was Mr. Bradcliff not in, or did you both opt out for a quickie?”

Hermione could almost feel the iciness in his words as she walked around the chair to face him. His eyes flicked over her for a moment, then dropped back to the fireplace. She noticed a package on the table next to him. She took a deep breath.

“Severus, I need to talk to you. To clear things up. May I join you?” she asked him.

The Professor grunted assent and took another sip of his drink, before setting it back down. He didn’t look at her. Hermione settled down in the armchair next to him. He could smell the jasmine scent she wore clearly.

“What is it you wish to tell me, Hermione? About your other paramours, perhaps?” he asked her, his black eyes shifting toward her. Hermione was taken aback by the coldness in them.

“There are no other paramours,” she said, “In fact, Severus…there are no paramours at all.”

He simply looked at her. He knew what he saw last night. She was clearly going to her rooms with the young wizard, and this morning she said he had been wonderful and sweet. What more did he need to know?

“You don’t need to lie to me, Hermione. You told me on the stairwell before I gave you the ring that I didn’t know you. That you might have a rather active love life of your own. I didn’t believe you. You proved me wrong. It seems my assessment of your virtue was deeply in error,” he said, turning his eyes back to the fire. She thought she heard a touch of disappointment in his voice.

“You weren’t wrong. It’s just…when you mocked me about being a virgin, and said how much of a problem I would be to explain to your lovers, I got angry and I … well, I shot back at you with that lie. You made it sound like I didn’t know anything…and I didn’t…I don’t. But, you were so fucking smug that all I could think of was making you think you were wrong. I planned to make you think I had lovers from that moment on. I had Ginny help me get a new wardrobe and school me how to act to attract wizards,” she said.

Severus turned his black eyes on her again. She continued.

“Last night, I went to Gryffindor Tower dressed in my new clothes and attracted almost every male wizard there. I felt like I had power. All I did though, was play wizard’s chess. I overstayed and it was past curfew. Erin only walked me back to my rooms. You went inside before you could see him leave. He never came into my rooms. All I did was kiss him on the cheek to thank him for walking me back to my rooms. Then he left.” she said.

Severus continued to look at her, his eyes unreadable. She went on.

“And this morning, when you asked me how my date went with Erin, I realized you thought I brought him into my rooms and fucked him. I started to tell you that you were mistaken, but then I thought about the woman you brought to your rooms, and I…I just didn’t want to seem like I spent my wedding night alone when you didn’t. I’ve never had sex with anyone, Severus. It was all a scheme to make you think I had my own lovers to occupy me…it was like a kind of pissing contest. Your lovers against my lovers. I didn’t want you to think I didn’t have a life beyond my books and studies. I didn’t want you to see me like some little girl you had to baby-sit for. I guess I wanted you to see me as a woman, not just a little know-it-all you got saddled with. I’m sorry I made you so angry. I’m sorry about everything.”

Hermione stood up to go.

“I’ll just head back to my rooms now, Severus,” she said, starting to leave.

“Sit down, Hermione,” the Potions Master said in a low voice. “Don’t leave yet. Now I have something I need to say to you.”

Hermione sat back down. The Potions Master leaned forward in the armchair and looked at her directly.

“Are you familiar with the term ‘playing with fire”, Hermione?” he asked her silkily.

Hermione nodded.

“Well, that is what you were doing when you chose such an asinine and immature course of action. I am that proverbial fire, Hermione. If what you are telling me is true, you have no idea how close you came today to losing your virtue to me, because I assumed you were a loose woman.” Severus said, letting his eyes sweep over her before continuing.

“I can’t say I believe you, Hermione. You dress provocatively, you ask me if you can have lovers in your quarters, and you return to your rooms after curfew with a young wizard on your arm. What am I to think? Why did you need the pain potion for this morning then, if you did not let Mr. Bradcliff ride you ragged?” the Potions Master asked her pointedly, “you told me yourself you were sore because you were in the wrong position. That seems quite clear to me.”

Hermione sighed inwardly. Ginny was right. Severus did think she meant a sexual position caused her pain.

“No, Severus. I simply slept wrong, and my neck was hurting me. I woke up all sideways in my bed, and my head was bent awkwardly,” she said.

The Professor thought about this. He peeped in on her this morning, and she had been sleeping crossways. He looked at her, and decided she was telling the truth.

“It was a very foolish thing to pretend you were a slut to spite me, Hermione. It almost caused you to lose the very thing that kept you virtuous. I came very close to taking you in your kitchen this morning, believing you to be the kind of young woman I could do that to without much repercussion. Because of your obvious promiscuity, I believed you would have recovered and taken it in stride afterwards. But I caught myself. My urge to have you was so great, I was leaving to seek out an acquaintance of mine to relieve me, when Lucius arrived. Because of him, I stayed here…”

The Professor looked at her, his black eyes glittering.

“…and I still have not been relieved.”

Hermione swallowed reflexively at this statement. She didn’t know she had caused this reaction in the Potions Master. She hoped he wouldn’t ask her to relieve him. He continued to stare at her several minutes, without saying anything.

Finally, Hermione said in a small voice, “I’m so sorry, Severus. I never meant for this to happen.”

“I know you didn’t Hermione. You have no idea how a beautiful, young woman who seems accessible affects a man. But now, I have a problem. You are already set in my mind as a desirable woman. I’ve had several erections thinking about you, and because of you, I’ve lost one of my female paramours. I was unable to…complete a satisfactory liaison with her because my mind was on you last night. A rather ugly situation arose because of it, and it is over between us. There was no emotional tie, but still she was adequate for my needs.”

He looked at her, his dark eyes reflecting the flames before them.

“Hermione, I believe you are telling me the truth, simply because this sounds like something you would think up and do. You have a talent for trouble, you always have, and for playing with fire. I am glad that you came to me with the truth, Hermione, but you have accomplished one thing in all this that is irreversible. I no longer see you as a student, or a young girl. You are a woman to me now, and cause all the reactions in me that a lovely woman causes in a man. You’ve awakened a hunger in me for you, and I will have to deal with that hunger for the time you remain here as my wife. I can seek out my other lovers, certainly. But I have a fear that my desire for you will ruin those liaisons as effectively as it did last night. I ask you, Hermione…what am I to do?”

Hermione looked at the wizard in the flickering firelight, not sure what to say. Severus just told her he wanted to fuck her…but she didn’t want to do that. She didn’t feel anything for him that drew her in that way. She hoped he wouldn’t insist on her enacting her wifely duties. Her misgivings must have shown in her eyes, because the Professor spoke.

“I have no intentions on forcing you to fuck me, Hermione. Not now. Not knowing what I know about you. If you had not come to me with the truth, I really can’t say what would have happened tonight when you returned here from Gryffindor Tower, and I believed you to have spent the entire day fucking the Head Boy. But the reality of the matter is I would like to have you in my bed, and will probably work toward that goal. Do you understand what that means, Hermione?” he asked her, his voice going low and seductive.

Hermione understood him, but didn’t understand him.

“No,” she said, her voice almost a whisper.

“It means I will be courting you. Attempting to make you feel things for me that will make you want to come to my bed. Wanting a woman as badly as I want you can make a wizard go entirely out of character. But knowing what I know, I will be able to be patient. I couldn’t say that earlier.”

The Potions Master’s face softened somewhat as he continued to address the witch.

“I can be kind, Hermione. Not sweet as you described Mr. Bradcliff, but kind. And I can offer you things that younger wizards cannot. Things a witch of your caliber needs. You are brilliant. There aren’t many wizards your age who can satisfy your intellectual needs. I can offer you knowledge, conversation, and growth while you remain with me. I can offer you understanding and support as well. I will protect you regardless of what happens or does not happen between us.”

Then his voice dropped low, and the look in his eyes became so intense, Hermione felt as if it was next to impossible to draw another breath.

But I need you to understand Hermione, that to claim you is my ultimate goal for as long as you remain my wife. Virgin or not, I want you and I intend to have you,” Severus said, his voice barely concealing a growl.

The Potions Master sat back in the chair and stared into the fireplace for several more moments, allowing Hermione to try and digest all he had said to her. He had just staked his claim to her, and any young wizards sniffing around her were going to find this out, soon enough…beginning with Erin Bradcliff. If she needed escorting anywhere, he would do it.

Hermione sat as still as stone, her stomach all aflutter. Her eyes shifted down toward the Potions Master’s hands. They were masculine, pale, long-fingered. He reached for his glass of firewhiskey, and his fingers curled around the vessel holding the amber liquid gently, but firmly as he brought the glass to his lips. Hermione again saw what Ginny saw. He did have beautiful hands.

“The package. On the table,” Severus said suddenly, “It’s for you. Open it.”

Hermione reached for the package, then hesitated and looked at the Potions Master, who scowled at her.

“For gods sakes woman, the damn thing isn’t going to explode,” he said snarkily. “Or I wouldn’t be in such proximity to you. Now, go ahead and open it.”

Heartened by his snarkiness, Hermione picked up the package and shook it close to her ear.

“Why?” she asked him, “Why are you giving this to me?”

Severus scowled, tempted to ask her if she had been listening to him. Because he wanted to fuck her, that’s why. But he didn’t say it.

Instead he said, “Consider it a belated wedding present.”

Hermione frowned. "Husbands don't give wedding presents. Friends and family do."

Severus scowled at her. Why was she making this so difficult?

"This husband does. Now open the damn thing," he sanrked, his brows drawn together.

Hermione opened the package and stared at the book. It was the one she first examined when he first came to his rooms. The one she asked if she could read. He had given it to her. It was priceless.

“Oh my gods. Severus. This book is so valuable, I couldn’t possibly…” she began. Severus cut her off.

“Please don’t protest, Hermione. Firstly, It is tiresome. Secondly, I can’t stand when a person dearly desire an item and then stupidly claim he or she can’t accept it. Take the book as a gift and have some dignity about it,” he snarked.

Hermione looked at the Potions Master. Then smiled her first genuine smile of happiness inspired by him. Severus felt a sense of satisfaction and victory. He would have to make sure she gave him more of those kinds of smiles in the weeks to come. It would bring him closer to having her.

“Thank you, Severus,” she said, holding the book close and sniffing it, just as he did when he took it off the shelf with the intentions of giving it to her. Then she did something entirely unexpected. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

The Potions Master stared into the fire without reacting and growled, “I wouldn’t advise doing too much of that, Hermione. It makes me crave more intimate kisses. Remember, I haven’t yet been relieved.”

The Potions Master’s reference to kisses made Hermione think of the kiss he gave her at the ceremony. His mouth had been surprisingly soft and warm. What other surprises could he have? What would it be like to relieve him? She caught herself, shocked. Was this the way it started? The seduction?

Slightly off-kilter, Hermione stood up to leave again. This time he didn’t stop her. It was time for her to go so he could think and plan. The witch thanked him once more for the book and exited into her rooms, closing the door behind her.

The Potions Master touched his cheek where she had kissed him, then stared into the fire for a long, long time.

**********************************
A/N: whew, the air is cleared, and the pursuit is on. It seems Severus can be more patient, knowing Hermione is a virgin, than when he believed she wasn’t. Now the courtship begins. Please review.