What A Girl Needs

Chapter 9

“Miss Granger, is this going to become a habit of yours?” Hermione dimly heard Snape’s silky voice cut into her dreams.

Gasping Hermione jerked awake with a rush of adrenaline, and sat up, horrified to see the professor standing over her bed. Merlin, he must have some sort of sixth sense about catching her in compromising positions. Of course this was a relatively new activity for her, so maybe that’s why she noticed it so much. And actually thinking about it, he was around their little trio quite a lot, watching them and keeping them from harm. She couldn’t imagine how they would have forever kept this from his notice.

“Sir!” she gasped, startling the other three awake. Having three naked guys scrambling for cover in her bed wasn’t how she wanted to start her day. “I know this looks bad….”

He surveyed the scene with a small smirk on his lips, “I wouldn’t necessarily say it looks bad, but like I asked, it this going to become a habit?” he purred, eyebrow shooting up.
“Is this some sort of new hobby; seeing how many seventh year boys you can cram into your bed at once?”

“No sir, we just…I don’t normally do this…oh Merlin!” she stuttered, utterly humiliated. “Circe, I was nearly a virgin two weeks ago!”

“Hmm, eloquent answer Miss Granger. I’m a bit surprised that you haven’t bothered ask what I’m here for yet,” he said, watching in amusement as Ron, Draco and Harry scrambled out of the bed and tried to sort out their uniforms from each other’s. Draco and Harry already knew what Snape’s visits might bring and they didn’t care to be any part of whatever happened.

She looked at him, her horror increasing tenfold. Oh Merlin, had she missed another appointment with him? She looked to the window, but Antony wasn’t looking in mockingly this time. Try as she might she couldn’t think of any other reason for Professor Snape to be in her room again. He never sought students out, having better things to do with his time. Swallowing hard and deciding she’d missed an appointment after all, despite the lack of a messenger bird again. She slid from the bed and to her knees before him and reaching for the buttons of his trousers, without a word.

Severus grabbed her wrists as her hands reached, trembling, towards his fly. “I’m not angry with you Miss Granger, not that I’d be averse to punishing you anyway if you’re so eager for it,” he purred wickedly. He almost laughed at Weasley’s horrified look, as the young man realized what those punishments must entail.

“You’re not sir? But I don’t understand…why are you here?” she asked frowning up at him.

“I must run an important errand, to London, so you’ll need to cover my first years’ class after breakfast. They’re brewing a laughing potion, so you should be able to handle it with ease,” he said tugging her to her feet. “My notes are on my study desk. You know the password to get in.”

He flicked his gaze over her fair, nude body with a small appreciative smirk. With her hair tumbled wildly around her head she looked like some pagan earth goddess, albeit a bit bruised in places. “You know Miss Granger, your lovers need to be more gentle with you,” he said fingers flicking over a few of the spots left by Harry over the weekend and running up the curve of her side, lazily.

“So does my Master,” she said a bit haughtily, surprising him a bit. She pointed to the two faint lines at the top of her thighs, and he grimaced in apology as he gently touched the marks, realizing they were likely from his desk. She tugged free of him and gathered up her dressing gown when she realized she was the only nude one in the room. The guys were all a bit flushed looking and stayed on the other side of the bed from her and Snape. All of their bravery and sexual confidence had gone out the window with the appearance of the older alpha male. It was rather amusing actually, but she would never admit it to the boys.

“So will I need to cover any other years for you today? I have free periods until the period before lunch today,” she said tugging her robe closed. “Two of my classes were canceled in favor of my professors taking a group of six years into the forest today.”

He nodded and sighed. He’d thought the field trip was a terrible idea, but the Headmaster felt it necessary to teach the older students about the creatures there, up close and personal. The seventh years were going next week. He frowned thoughtfully at her question and pushed away his annoyance at the Headmaster for the moment. “Perhaps third year as well, if I can’t get back in time,” he said folding his arms again. “They are to read pages 295 through 320 and brew a simple sleeping potion.”

She nodded in understanding and he nodded back in satisfaction. His gaze flicked over the three young men. “Don’t think this will become common place boys,” he growled softly at them. “She is my apprentice and I will not allow these little orgies on a nightly basis. Use your heads and don’t ruin her reputation if you feel the need to continue this little affair of yours.”

“It was only this one time sir,” Ron muttered in apology, face bright red as he fidgeted uncertainly.

“Actually it’s the second,” Hermione said over her shoulder, blushing softly. “I’ll be more careful sir,” she promised looking up at the frowning man before her. “I don’t normally do this kind of thing, so you catching me both times is a rather odd coincidence.”

“Mmm,” he hummed. “I suppose you would have gotten away with it, if I could trust my damned raven to bring messages to you. Apparently Antony finds it amusing to delay deliveries that I’ve sent to you recently. Sometimes he simply returns them to me. I think I might need to start using a school owl in your case,” he complained with a sneer.

She bit back a smile and nodded. “I’d be pleased to take your classes today, sir. Thank you for trusting me with them, especially considering…this,” she said vaguely waving to her room and the three young men.

He actually snorted in amusement at that, surprising all four. “Your sexual proclivities have little to do with your ability to teach a class Miss Granger, though it does reflect a bit on the soundness of your judgment.” He surveyed the flushed group of younger men and shrugged slightly, “Although, as much as I hate to admit it, your taste isn’t atrocious. You could have done infinitely worse. Do be more careful in the future however,” he purred, nodding to her and turning to leave the room.

She turned to them and sighed. “I’m sorry guys, but I need to get ready. I still have to go down to Professor Snape’s study and get his notes for class. We’ll talk later, right?” she asked, smiling at them a bit shyly. The three nodded, smiling back before heading towards the door, picking up bags, school ties and robes along the way.

Once they were safely down the hall she sighed and wandered towards her bathroom. Professor Snape finding her in bed with the boys for a second time really wasn’t the best situation to be in, she decided. As much fun as it was to play with them she really didn’t want him to start thinking that she was a little loose in the panties department. In the past two weeks she’d rarely been alone at night and she’d already been involved personally in two threesome/foursome situations and watched Harry and Draco several times.

As she stripped out of her robe and climbed into a hot shower, she wondered how it had all come to this. Was it just the excitement of finally having a sex life or did she have some seriously deviate tendencies? Mentally in her head she reviewed the past two weeks and didn’t quite like what she saw. There was Blaise, Harry, Snape, Harry and Draco, Snape again, more Harry, Ron, and then Harry, Ron and Draco! It seemed a little wrong now that she really thought about it.

Maybe she needed to remember what it was that she wanted in life, long-term. Did she really want to look back on her last year of school and remember only the boys she’d slept with? She let her head fall back against the tile and sighed. The sex was good, really good, but in the last two weeks she’d done almost no studying, aside from that she’d had to do with Snape. It’s not like she was behind; she was still two months ahead of most other students, but it was really no excuse to let her fall into bad habits.

Hermione huffed softly and hurriedly started to scrub her hair and skin, mentally listing all she needed to accomplish that day. First she needed to get through the classes she was teaching for Professor Snape, then she needed to attend the rest of her own classes. After class she would make sure she had her assignments for the week ready and help the boys on theirs. After dinner she would work with Professor Snape for an hour, then hold an hour of counseling for the younger students with Anthony. Finally, before bed, she’d check with Dobby and send out the first batch of orders she was sure would have come with the returning students.

With that worked out she quickly jumped out of the shower and cast a drying spell, hurrying to the wardrobe to get dressed for the day. Ten minutes later she was leaving her room, bag in tow, headed for the dungeons, determination in her stride.

***

“Mr. Smithe!” Hermione barked at a wide-eyed third year Hufflepuff, channeling her Master rather brilliantly, in her opinion. “Could you tell me what exactly you think you’re doing?” she asked, hands on her hips as she came to a halt next to the boy’s cauldron.

“Adding the Rauvolfia Serpentina,” he replied hesitantly.

“How much Rauvolfia Serpentina?” she asked, face expressionless.

“Um, all of this?” he said pointing to the rather large pile of the valuable plant. Rauvolfia Serpentina was a rare species of plant used as a sleep aid and treatment for high blood pressure, but the amount that Mr. Smithe planned to add to his potion would probably put someone to sleep for three days.

“That amount of Rauvolfia Serpentina would create a potion far too potent to be useful,” she growled softly. “In addition, adding it at this stage would render the rest of the potion rather toxic.” She moved closer. “Tell me, Mr. Smithe, does that sound like something you would be willing to test, personally, at the end of this class period?”

He shook his head and pulled the Serpentina back, carefully adding a small amount to his cauldron a few moments later. It turned the proper purple color and he sighed in relief. “I’m sorry Miss Granger,” he murmured looking back up at her.

She nodded and glanced at his partner, a young Ravenclaw who hadn’t yet chopped her Serpentina. “Mr. Smithe has done a good job in chopping Miss Jacobs, use his roots. I’d rather not waste something so valuable.” The girl nodded and pulled the chopping board closer to her workspace as Hermione moved on.

Hermione was just turning to check on the back row when she saw Professor Snape standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame as he observed her quietly. “Professor Snape,” she said in greeting. “Welcome back. I hope your errands went as planned.” As the students all spun to look at their regular professor, Hermione barked, “Eyes on your cauldrons and mind your own business!” All eyes immediately returned to the careful supervision over their projects for the day. It was a simple enough potion, but somewhat unstable if let unattended for long.

Severus smirked slightly at her reprimand and the fierce look in her eyes. “Indeed,” he murmured. “I was slightly concerned about leaving all these dunderheads in your hands, but clearly they are all still breathing. Commendable work Miss Granger.”

“Thank you sir,” she said beaming, a warm feeling suffusing her whole body. It was quite rare to get praise from the man, especially in front of so many others. She nodded to him and returned to her scan of the room, catching two more students before they melted their cauldrons. Finally all of them finished their potions and bottled them for Professor Snape to deal with later. The good potions would go to the Infirmiry, the remainder destroyed.

Once the students left the room, she wandered from the classroom to Professor Snape’s study, where he’d disappeared minutes before. “Did you complete your errands sir? I could help with your second years next if you need more time. Professor Binns is lecturing on the battle of 1430 today, so I wouldn’t be missing much,” she said as she approached his desk.

He looked up from the parchment he was correcting and snorted, “You rarely miss much on any day in that class. I dearly wish that someone would convince the old fart that he’s actually dead so we could fill the position with someone a little more knowledgeable of current events.”

“By current you mean everything past the 1700’s?” she asked with a small smile, leaning her hip against his desk.

“Indeed,” he purred in amusement. He set his quill down and leaned back in his chair, studying her quietly for a moment before speaking up softly. “Miss Granger, about his morning; I apologize for intruding on you once again.”

She blinked, then shook her head and smiled ruefully. “No, sir, it’s fine. Your visit made me wonder what in the hell I’ve been doing these past two or three weeks. I’ve had no less than five partners in that time. It’s really quite shameful.”

“It sounds like the perfect holiday to me,” he snorted, eyebrow going up. He quirked a small smile at her and then sighed. “Miss Granger, you are young and still exploring your options as far as lovers go. There’s nothing wrong with experimenting a bit now and then.”

“I agree, which is why I don’t really regret it all, but that doesn’t mean that it needs to continue at such an extreme rate,” she said biting at her lip. “I enjoyed myself, but I’ve let a lot of things slide in that time, which can’t continue. I’ve decided to leave off the sex for a while so I can concentrate on school and my new business. I can worry about all of that later, when school is out. If boys want me now, I’m sure they’ll still want me in a few months time.”

“Oh? And what of your responsibilities with myself?” he asked amusement glittering surprisingly in his dark eyes.

She blushed and stared at the floor. “If you would care too…exercise privileges with me, I would of course comply. My time with you is rather different than that with Harry, Ron, and Draco. They are purely for fun. With you…it’s just different.”

“Just business?” he asked, face blank, confusing her.

“N-no, it’s fun too, but being with you isn’t anything like being with another student. I really can’t explain it properly sir,” she said lamely. “I like it, but I know you’re not really serious about being with me in any other sense, you know?”

“I understand,” he said with a small, quick smile. “However, don’t think it means nothing to me. You’re a brilliant young woman, attractive, and interesting. I enjoyed the first time with you thoroughly and not just because you’re a warm body. Don’t think that you are simply my personal whore Miss Granger. I can’t tell you how much I regret the events of your last punishment,” he said seriously. “It won’t happen that way again.”

She nodded, “Yes sir, I understand. Thank you for saying that. I really appreciate it.”

He sighed and stood. “You need to get to your class with Binns and I have some second years to terrify,” he said with a small smile. “Come back as soon as you finish dinner and you can start on a batch of pain potions. There’s a Quidditch match this weekend between Slytherin and Hufflepuff,” he said with a roll of his eyes.

She giggled and nodded. “Of course sir. I should be here around 6:30, if that’s alright. I have some third years coming to the Head common room at 8:00, so I need to leave before then.”

“Very well,” he said with a shrug, strolling back into the potions classroom, leaving her to head to her next class.

She smiled and then hurried to Binns’ classroom, barely making it before the bell rang. As the students around her began to nod off or draw on their notes, she thought about the curious Potions Master. Professor Snape was very different from what she’d thought him to be. He was still terribly brilliant, of course, but he was also proving to be rather witty and surprisingly understanding about what it meant to be a student.

Hermione was happy to be able to get to know that man on a level that few others ever did. She supposed he felt able to be more relaxed around her because she wasn’t just the average idiot in class. She loved potions as much as he did and wasn’t dangerous around a cauldron like many of the other students. Really, after teaching for only two hours, and of course years of partnering Neville, she could understand his quick temper in the classroom. Relaxing in his classroom could very well mean serious injury or worse.

When they’d worked together over the holiday, he hadn’t really talked to her much at first, but as time went on he’d gradually started to give her advice to make her brewing projects easier and more efficient. Since she was clearly serious about the field he didn’t mind spending the extra time guiding her, even on simpler potions. It was odd to think of patience and Severus Snape at the same time, but oddly it worked.

Ron slipped into the seat next to her, jarring her out of her thoughts. “You’re late,” she whispered, poking him in the side.

He grabbed her hand before she could do it again. “You think?” He grinned and shrugged. “I was helping Hagrid. He had two hippogriffs first class. They were brilliant, but really didn’t care to go back to their corral.” He showed her a newly healed scar on his lower belly. It didn’t look like it had been very serious, but a little deeper and evisceration could have been a possibility.

“You okay?” she asked touching it lightly with her fingertips.

“Maybe,” he whispered. “Want to kiss it better?” he asked with a lecherous grin.

“Ron!” she scolded gently. “Last night wasn’t something that is going to happen a lot,” she whispered, flushing and looking around. Most of the class was asleep and Professor Binns was droning on oblivious to his surroundings. Draco and Harry were just in front of her, whispering to each other softly. “We’re not just going to start shagging all of the time because of what happened between us.”

“Don’t be like that ‘Mione,” Ron said softly. “It was fun right?”

“Of course it was,” she replied blushing. “It’s just I have a lot on my plate right now. I don’t want to get too distracted is all.”

He shrugged and sighed. “Sure. Let me know if you change your mind though; you were bloody brilliant. Kind of looks like those two won’t be joining in again anyway,” he said nodding his head at Harry and Draco just as Draco grabbed Harry’s hand and nibbled over his wrist teasingly.

“I think they really like each other,” she whispered smiling. “It’s kind of sweet.”

Ron rolled his eyes. “Sweet? Merlin’s balls woman!” he snorted softly. “Two guys together is never sweet, especially when one is an insufferable prat and the other the slayer of a particularly nasty dark lord.”

“Well I think it’s sweet!” she huffed softly back. “I mean sure they fight sometimes and they swear like sailors when they’re…you know…but just look at them.” Draco was grinning teasingly at Harry, who winding his fingers through the blonde’s nearest hand. “I’d bet everyone knows about them by the weekend and they won’t even bother to deny it.”

Ron studied them for a bit, thoughtfully watching their whispering and light touches as the rest of the class snoozed on, blissfully unaware. “Bloody hell,” he finally whispered. “You think they’re falling for each other…I mean actually falling in love?”

Hermione shrugged and smiled at his bewildered expression. “Probably. I mean both of them still sleep with other people, obviously, but I doubt that will continue much longer. At least I don’t think it’ll continue without the other present.” She sighed thoughtfully. “The tension has been building between them for a long time. It was bound to happen I suppose.”

“That or they’d finally kill each other,” Ron grunted. He balled up a piece of parchment and tossed it at his best mate’s head. Harry glanced back at him with a raised brown and a small smile. “Oi you two. Settle down up there,” he whispered to them. “The Head Girl can’t concentrate on taking notes for all of us here. She’s too busy wetting herself over you two.” Hermione growled softly and punched him in the shoulder. Both young men simply snickered, shaking their heads and turned back to their own notes, ignoring Ron’s demand. Within minutes Harry had his hand resting high on Draco’s thigh and was whispering to the blond again.

After what felt like a small eternity they finally escaped the history class and headed for the Great Hall for lunch. Hermione wormed her way between the tall blond and the even taller Harry. “So what’s going on with you two? Are you an item now?”

Draco snorted and threw her a mocking glance. “Yeah, it’s all roses and kissy face shit now,” he said fluttering his eyes at Harry over her head.

Harry grinned and laughed. “So where are my roses you git?” he asked the blond.

“I’m serious!” Hermione huffed. “Last night we where all kind of…you know…mixed together and this morning you two are nearly joined at the hip.” Ignoring Draco’s muttered comment about asses, not hips, she looked to Harry.

Harry flushed lightly and rubbed his messy hair, shrugging. He glanced over at Draco who smirked and shrugged back at him. “I don’t know. We were talking a little last night, while you two were sleeping,” he said to Ron and Hermione. “Thought we’d give it a go, see how it went.”

“Can’t wait to see what kind of reaction you two get over this little adventure. Our houses are going to flip!” Ron grunted, shoving his hands in his pocket and strolling casually next to Harry.

“And our friends?” Harry asked after a quiet moment.

“I don’t care,” Ron said with a shrug. “But then I know Malfoy a bit better than most of our house does…especially after last night.” He glanced at Draco, “Not that I like you or anything. I still think you’re a git.”

“Likewise,” Draco purred, sneering mockingly at Ron.

“Don’t worry about our friends,” Hermione said. “Most of the girls won’t be able to get past the hotness factor for a while any way, and Gryffindors are pretty relaxed anyway. They’ll get used to it soon enough.” She waved vaguely at the huge doors of the Great Hall, “Let’s test it out shall we? Go in just ahead of us, holding hands or something. We’ll come in behind you to show that we support you.”

Draco rolled his eyes, but laced his fingers together with Harry’s anyway.

The Gryffindors didn’t seem to be as shocked by the two boys holding hands as they were by Draco plunking down at the table next to the green-eyed hero. Wide gazes and whispers flowed across the hall in a matter of seconds.

“Oi Harry, what are you doing mate?” Seamus called none too discretely from a few spots down.

“Having lunch with my friends,” Harry replied, eyebrow going up, daring anyone to challenge him at the moment.

“You’re looking like more than ‘friends’ with Malfoy there,” Cormac McLaggen grunted from further down.

Hermione watched nervously as Ron and Harry both turned dangerous looks on their fellow 7th year. Neither liked the young man much; Harry mainly because of some nasty Quidditch incidents and Ron because Hermione had dated Cormac briefly. “Not that it’s anyone business, but I am,” Harry responded stiffly. Draco grinned from Harry’s side and reached for a helping of mashed potatoes, putting on a fine display of arrogant nonchalance over the whole matter.

“I can’t believe you’re fucking that bloody ferret!” Cormac said with a sneer of disdain.

Draco paused in filling his plate briefly at that. “Who said anything about anyone fucking anyone else?” he finally purred, sending a sidelong glance at the spiteful young man down the table as he nabbed a roll and put it on his plate. Draco smiled slightly and turned his full attention on Cormac as the other young man spluttered a bit trying to find a come back. “Unless of course you like to watch that is. Tell me, have you been following us around in hopes of seeing one of us bent over a desk McLaggen? I didn’t know you had it in you ol’ sport.”

Cormac growled and started to stand, but one of his friends grabbed his shoulder and roughly shoved him back down, gesturing towards Professor Snape who was billowing down the isle toward the head table for lunch. “Problem gentlemen?” Snape purred in an annoyed voice as he paused behind Draco and Harry.

“No sir,” both said.

“Mr. Malfoy since when did you become a Gryffindor?” the tall man asked silkily, eye twitching slightly.

“It’s only an honorary position as boyfriend of the Boy Who Lived…Again,” Draco grinned back.

“Charming,” Snape sighed and moved on, tossing a warning look at Cormac as he went. After that the table was relatively quiet and everyone settled in to eat. Curious stares were still tossed their way, but with Snape eying the table, no one dared say anything. After that day, hardly a meal didn’t go by where the boys weren’t seen at one table or another and eventually no one bothered to comment on it anyway.