Pillow Fight

A/N: Thank you all for being patient. To the one that goes by "because" I do hope that you find this chapter satisfactory. It's just been giving me grief on the direction that I've been working in. I'm sorry that I haven't updated sooner, but as I've said, I hope you like it. Thank you all for continuing to review my works. Sometimes these characters can be difficult, very stubborn, as I'm sure you can all understand, and do not go moving about the way you planned.

A/N: Thanks for your patience in my updates!


The room was deathly quiet, though murderous looks had firmly planted themselves on each female’s face. Albus Dumbledore sat in his chair, gazing first at Hermione, and then at Severus, mostly ignoring the other girls until his eyes settled on Minerva. She could hardly hold his gaze for more than a moment before looking away, trying desperately to keep the flush from her own cheeks. “Ah.” He said. He rose from his chair, and turned to Hermione. His old, wrinkled hand reached forward and gently pressed against the mark on the side of her neck. “Hardly from a fall down the steps, I presume?”

The girl flushed a furious shade of red, almost jerking her neck back from the older wizard’s hand. Severus looked away. Albus cleared his throat. “My guess is that if I asked each of you strip down to your skivvies I would find that you all bare similar markings…” he turned his twinkling eyes to Severus. “You’ve been very busy…”

Ginny rolled her eyes. “This is ridiculous!”

“Is it, Ginevra?” Albus asked, slowly moving back to his seat. He folded his arms in his lap and summoned a cup of tea, taking a sip from it. “Harry seemed particularly upset and I’m going to assume with just reasoning…” Her face fell and she quickly closed her mouth. Another gaping silence filled the room.

Finally, Minerva let out a sigh. “Albus, it’s my fault, mostly, I supervised a bit of a party last night.”

“Finally, we’re getting somewhere,” Albus smiled and took a sip from his cup, nodding to his partner. “Go on.”

“We were just trying to relax a bit, unwind, there were pillows and daiquiris involved…” she trailed off for a moment but quickly found her Gryffindor courage and continued on. “Just a pajama party as girls so often do, all of us there, having a pillow fight, if you will, no one was so raging drunk that they couldn’t function, in fact it was very minimal on the liquor, though I suppose I had one or two more than the others,” she said.

“Indeed,” Severus said.

Minerva’s eyes darted to him, but before she could snap off an insult to him, Albus had gestured for her to continue. “Severus came and interrupted the party, as he so often does when parties are occurring. We were being rather loud, though not loud enough to wake Molly or Mrs. Black, but it just so happened that of all the nights we chose to relax, it had to be on a night where he was actually making use out of his room here at Headquarters…Albus, you know how often that actually happens.”

The older wizard nodded. “And I take it that said party was occurring in that rather large, empty room next to Severus’ room?”

“Yes.” She swallowed and then summoned herself a cup of tea, taking a long drink from it before continuing. “Severus left, and we promised we’d settle down, though I suppose all we ended up doing was mocking him after he’d gone and then getting loud and rowdy once more. After that, the whole thing rapidly slipped downhill and I take full responsibility.”

Severus remained quiet. She hadn’t divulged details, but she was baring the burden. Albus shook his head. “I’m afraid, my dear, I’ll need to know a bit more than that,” he said with a bit of a knowing smirk. He knew his partner well and although her heart was never unfaithful, her body was easily tempted at the hands of Severus Snape, and the only thing that ever seemed to exercise those urges from her was a bit of confession.

“When he returned a second time to fuss at us, well…” she sighed.

“You lot are unbelievable,” Hermione muttered. “Letting her take the heat for something we were all at fault for.” Fleur and Tonks remained silent, gazing at the floor. “Oh for Merlin’s sake,” she huffed and stood up. The girl fumbled over how to address the older wizard who was no longer her headmaster, but still far to revered and respected to be addressed on a simple first name basis. “Sir,” she started and then shook her head, it didn’t sound right, but addressing him was the least of her worries. “When Pro—” all eyes had settled on her and she seemed to fidget with a foreboding sense of nerves tingling about in her body. “When Severus came back a second time, things had gotten a bit further along down the track, as they so often do when five women who are close to one another drink, party, and carry on as girls do.”

“Who was naked?” the older wizard asked.

Hermione flushed furiously. “Sir, no one was—”

“I had my top off.” Tonks said, looking at Albus, face somber.

“So did I.” Minerva admitted.

“Indeed,” Albus added. He glanced over to Severus. The younger wizard, whose face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale. He refused to look at any of them, concentrating intently on a spot near the hearth of the fireplace. “Severus?”

He stayed quiet, not drawing his eyes up from the floor. Another moment passed before Albus called his name again. “Yes?” he said, barely an audible whisper.

“And you had returned to tell them to quiet down?”

“Yes.”

“To his defense, he did attempt to be polite about, and look away,” Ginny said. “But we rather goaded him on a bit.” Her face was as red as her hair.

“Yes, yes, as women so often do when doing that sort of thing,” Albus said, waving his hand almost dismissively at the youngest Weasley. “I am not certain that all the sordid details are necessary, I’m getting the picture quiet clearly…” he said, with a bit of an amused smile on his lips. This only served to make the women blush and make Severus continue to pale, his skin nearly see-through. “I do suppose there was a point where various parts of various persons anatomies were involved?”

Ginny flushed, not being able to help herself. Although she’d not been particularly insistent on stripping Severus, she had been the one who’s legs had been wrapped around his head.

“Yes, yes,” Minerva said, trying to shake the image from her head. “My fault there as well, Albus, I should have stopped things before they got to that stage.”

“And what stage are we talking about, Minerva?” he asked.

“Nevermind that,” Hermione said. “Charlie came along, beating the bloody door down in warning before anything could really happen.

“Mr. Weasley was involved?”

“No,” Tonks said. “He just heard Molly on the move, and thought he’d warn us.”

“It vaz a good idea,” Fleur said. It was the first time she had spoke since they’d been pulled into the room. She figured it best to remain silent.

“And Molly—”

“Just knows that we were having a bit of a party,” Ginny said.

The twinkling blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore turned to Severus. “I’m going to assume that since Molly is not aware that you were involved in said party that you made some miraculous escape?”

All of the eyes turned to the younger wizard. Hermione had been pondering exactly how he’d managed to leave the room without any of them noticing for quite some time, though nothing had come to her. “How did you manage to slip out without Molly seeing you?” she asked.

Severus turned his gaze to her. “A simple animagus transformation, I thought you would have figured that out, Miss Granger.”

“Oh we’re back to that are we?” she snapped, and then crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “Bastard,” she muttered.

“Quite the contrary to what you were saying last night.”

“Yes, well that was before I knew that you were just a random man whore who seduced all these women into bed, making me some sort of final conquest!” she spat.

“Seduced them? They came beating on my door! You insipid, assuming, know-it-all—”

“You didn’t have to open the door!” she narrowed her eyes at him and stood up.

“I suppose you would have preferred that I kept it closed when you came knocking then?”

“I was looking for Ginny!” she hissed.

“In my room of all places!”

“You knew why I went there first—”

“Silence!” Bellowed Albus. Hermione and Severus both fell quiet, the witch slowly taking her seat once more. Waiting a moment, Albus sipped his tea and then turned his gaze to Ginny. “Why was Hermione looking for you in the middle of the night in Severus’ bedroom?”

The redhead, who had not stopped blushing, slowly looked toward Severus, darted her gaze away and found a comfortable stain on the chair in which she sat to focus her gaze. “I suppose because I wasn’t in bed in the room that we share.”

“No, it’s because Harry, your loving boyfriend who you are supposed to care about more than anything else, came shaking me awake, worried sick that you weren’t in bed!” Hermione spat.

Ginny fell silent. She hadn’t expected that to be why Hermione had come seeking her out. She thought she’d been rather clever laying her bed with pillows and things of the like to create the appearance of her sleeping without actually being in-between the sheets. “I couldn’t help but be curious…Harry doesn’t…” her face was glowing brighter than her hair. “After what he did to me, I couldn’t not find out!” Severus leaned forward over his knees and buried his head in his hands as her accusing glare shot his way.

“And what exactly did you do to Ginevra, Severus?” Albus asked.

“This is getting a bit personal, Albus,” Minerva said, a rather heated flush creeping over her own cheeks.

“Yes, well, I suppose next time you will think before getting yourselves into such situations…if you don’t want people to know about these things, simply don’t do them.” He said and then turned back to Severus. “What transpired between you and Ginevra?”

It wasn’t bad enough that he’d actually gone and performed cunnilingus on the girl but now he was going to have to divulge those details in front of his mentor and boss. He supposed it could have been worse only in the situation that both Potter and Molly were somehow forced to hear him reciting the details of the situation. With a heavy sigh he looked up at Albus with weary eyes. “Can’t I just toss you the memories in a pensieve?”

“Nonsense, Severus, confession cleanses the soul, I’m sure you’re feeling a good deal guilty after all of the fornications you no doubt got yourself involved with last night.”

With another heavy sigh, and his gaze averted from the twinkling blue orbs to the saucy brown ones from his first encounter of the night before he shook his head. “The young woman had allowed me to be inappropriate with her in a manner of speaking when we had all been in the room, and finding said inappropriate fornications to be somewhat pleasurable, she sought me out in my private room, insistent that I finish what I started so to speak.”

“And what had you started?” Albus asked nonchalantly as if he’d asked what the man had had for breakfast.

“Merlin, you’re really trying to make me feel guilty.” Again Severus sighed.

“He licked me.” Ginny said.

“Ginevra—”

But Severus was silenced by the younger girl as she stood up. “He licked me like Harry doesn’t, alright? Do you want a demonstration?” she said, a bit defiantly.

“That will not be necessary,” Albus said, a bit overwhelmed by her sudden urge to be bold. “Though I suppose you could specify a bit more clearly what exactly you mean by that statement.”

“Ginevra, sit yourself down before you get yourself in over your head,” Severus said.

She narrowed his eyes at him. “You’re such a git.” She said and then sat. “I’m trying to help take the blame in this situation and you’re…” she rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

He sighed. “The girl was curious, as I’ve stated, and I did attempt, however poorly, to decline her advances, but in the end her desires won out, and I performed orally for her,” he said in the calmest, most professional tone he could muster. “Mr. Potter doesn’t do these things for her…so she claims,” he added.

Outside the door to the room a very nervous looking Charlie Weasley was keeping watch. Although he knew that Fred and George were not directly involved with any of the women inside the room, he wouldn’t put it past either Bill or Harry to hire them in hopes that they would breach security and somehow discern what was going on. So far, no sightings of long flesh colored cords or any other Weasley Wizarding Wheezes product in sight. He sighed, though he did wish he knew what exactly was being said, he could only make out little bits and pieces, and only mostly when Hermione or Albus raised their voices.

Ginny sat crossed legged in her chair; face a permanent stain of crimson. “It sounds to me,” Albus began, tugging thoughtfully at his beard. “It sounds to me that curiosity had the cat, and now that the cat has tested the waters…perhaps the cat has learned that it wishes to stay as is?”

“The cat would like her boyfriend to perform oral sex for her so she doesn’t have to go rushing off to a bat cave.” Hermione couldn’t help but snort at Ginny’s words, though Severus looked severely annoyed.

“Then perhaps,” Albus suggested. “You should talk to Mr. Potter about these things…mistakes can be forgiven,” he said and turned his glance to Minerva, nodding at her. The older witch flushed a bit and then looked away. “But you’ll learn nothing from them if you don’t discuss these intimacies with your lover…” he said. “Now, I’m not saying rush off and tell Harry all of these details, though he’s bound to have an inkling that something in the realm of unfaithfulness has occurred, mind you,” Albus cleared his throat. “And I do suppose, if I were you, Ginevra, given Harry’s history with having a short fuse…the boy does tend to get easily upset,” he added.

The redhead said nothing. A moment passed and she rolled her eyes. “I feel like I’m a Catholic,” she muttered.

Severus snorted. “This is hardly anything like Catholic confession, Ginevra.”

“Stop calling me that, mum is the only one who ever calls me that and she only uses it when I’m in trouble!”

“You think that you’re not in trouble?”

“What are you going to do? Spank me?” she hissed. “Or is that more of a game you play with Tonks?”

“Ginny!” Tonks snapped.

“Ladies, ladies…” Albus said, trying to gain their attention once more. “Enough of the insults and cat fighting,” his twinkling blue eyes turned once more to Ginny. “He does raise a good point, Ginevra, while you may not be in trouble per say with Severus or myself, and not with your mother, for I see no particular reason that she has to know about this, however, Harry may not be so easily forgiving…”

Again the redhead fell silent. It was a difficult concept for her to wrap her mind around. The fact that she’d actually gone and in a major sense cheated on Harry. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him, she was certain that she did and there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that he loved her, but as it seemed it was so much easier to give the body, as it was easily bought at the low price of simple pleasure. She knew that he would understand Hermione and the other girls, however jealous it would make him, but there was no way in the world he’d be accepting of another man, especially not a man that he loathed so thoroughly. She closed her eyes. “What am I going to do?”

“I see no reason why Mr. Potter should find out. Ignorance is bliss, and believe me he’s lead a particularly blissful life up to this point,” Severus sneered.

“Severus,” Albus shook his head. “Building a relationship based on lies is not a good way to build a relationship.”

“An omission is not a lie.” He said.

“Says you,” Minerva quipped. “You may have no problem omitting whatever it is you feel necessary in omitting to help you sleep at night, but you’ve got no one to answer to. She has a young man who loves her, who cares for her and she does have to answer to him.”

Ginny looked to Minerva. “What do I do?”

The older witch was about to speak but then she shook her head. “Ginny, only you can answer that question. It’s up to you on how you deal with this situation. I can tell you what I’d do if I were you, but that doesn’t mean that is what you feel you should do.” She turned her eyes to Albus. “We’re all to blame here, I sought him out too,” she said and then rose from her chair, crossing to Albus. With a flick of her wand she expanded the chair in which he sat so that she could sit beside him on the rather small couch like furnishing. “I missed you,” she said and pressed her lips gently to the elder wizard’s cheek. “And I sought him out because I yearned for physical comfort. I’ll spare you the details.”

“I love details,” he said turning his eyes to his long time lover.

“I’ll share them with you later then, there’s no need to rehash them here, Severus knows what’s done is done, and that while my body my find itself wayward from time to time, my heart never leaves yours.”

While Fleur, Tonks, and Ginny seemed to find Minerva’s words very sentimental, Hermione had not pulled herself out of her own thoughts long enough to hear them. The conversations seemed to pass by her in a blur, each of the women explaining their needs, the lack of physical satisfaction in their relationships, all causing them to seek out Severus the night before. Tonks had felt that Remus often held back in his physical aggression with her and knew that Severus would not, Fleur was looking for something wild and adventurous as Bill so often refused the simplest things, like shower sex. Minerva had sought out physical comfort and Ginny curiosity, but for Hermione none of these things even came close to true, for she had no one that was leaving her dissatisfied.

After a little over an hour, Albus cleared his throat. “I feel like we’ve absolved this…now what you tell your men, is up to you, but Severus has given his word that he shall not speak on the matter, and I shall not utter a word either. What has been discussed in this room, stays in this room, amongst those present in the room. If you choose to tell Bill, or Remus, or Harry, that is your decision,” he said. “You may go.” Tonks was the first to rise, but Ginny beat her to the door.

Charlie, who had nearly dozed off against the door, fell forward when it was opened. “Done?” he asked, and Minerva, who had managed to pass both of the girl, nodded her head. “Alright, well Harry left a bit ago, think he, Ron, and the twins are playing Quidditch somewhere, or at least trying to, and Bill might be with them. Remus got called away with Kingsley, said he’d be back for dinner.”

Hermione moved toward the door. “Hermione,” Albus called, not having stood from his chair. “A word, if you please.” She turned slowly back around, brushing against the side of Severus’ shirt as he moved toward the door. “And you too, Severus.” The younger wizard halted in his tracks, turning just as slowly back toward Albus. He motioned them both forward, rising from the tiny transfigured couch on which he sat. With a wave of his wand all but one of the remaining chairs disappeared, and he took a seat in it. Gesturing to the couch he nodded. “I’ve not yet heard what exactly transgressed between the two of you and seeing is that it was the catalyst for this whole bit of commotion…I feel it would be pertinent to hear it.”