Check Mate

SS/HG, PWP. In response to WIKTT\'s Chess challenge.

Disclaimer: no copyright infrigement, disrespect or profit intended. Not my characters, just my smut. No income earned (unless you count the ... um ... intangible benefit of having my husband read this. *wink*)


Hermione Granger was lost in thought. No, that wasn\'t accurate. She was brooding. In a few more minutes and with two more sighs, she would officially pass out of brooding and cross into full-on misery. She was in deep trouble and she knew it. The better part of the past hour had been spent reviewing all her options, but there was simply no way she was going to be able to get out of this.

\"Imagine that.\" a dark voice startled away her thoughts. \"Is it possible that we have finally found a weakness – something that even the amazing Miss Granger cannot solve? You do see just how hopeless your situation is, I trust. Are you prepared for the inevitable, Miss Granger?\"

Hermione looked toward the direction of the voice, suddenly afraid of the repercussions that loomed. Even though she couldn\'t see him, she knew he had assumed what would look like a casual pose, leaning against the fireplace mantel. \'Damn him,\' she thought, \'I will NOT give him the satisfaction of hearing me surrender.\'

She squared her shoulders and raised her chin. Lifting the leaded crystal tumbler, she gave what she hoped was a saucy glare in his general direction and took a long gulp of the firewhiskey in her glass. If this was to be the end, then she would go out fighting. She was, after all, a Gryffindor. \"Fine,\" she said, infusing her words with as much sarcasm as she could muster, \"make your move.\" she challenged.

Her blood ran cold as she heard him chuckle. \"Oh, I plan to, Miss Granger.\" While she was angry at losing the match (not to mention his ability to outstrip her sarcastic tone), he was a powerful wizard and she was, appropriately enough, scared of what he could do. Or make her do. He moved toward her, stopping directly behind the overstuffed chair she occupied. It took every ounce of willpower she had to keep still as he reached his long arm past her, barely brushing her shoulder, to pick up her glass. He drained the remaining liquid and in one smooth move, replaced the glass and gently laid her king down on the chess board. Hermione watched her prostrate chess piece sob disconsolately, even though her subconscious screamed that she should remain focus on the man behind her.

\"You do understand the concept of \'forfeit\'?\" he asked smoothly. Hermione was so distracted by the tantrum being thrown by her kthatthat she didn\'t catch the dark tone underlying his question. At first.

\"Ummm ... I understand the term\" she said. Somewhere, a tiny part of her mind was sending out distress signals but she couldn\'t quite make sense of the hairs standing on the back of her neck.

\"Then,\" he purred into her ear from behind her chair \"are you offering me a forfeit?\"

He really should have to register that voice, she thought. It\'s as least as lethal as his wand. Maybe even more so.

\"Miss Granger?\" he murmured.

\"Yes?\" she whispered.

\"The forfeit?\" he repeated.

Hermione sighed, secretly relieved that the tortuous game was to end. \"Yes, I suppose I have no choice.\" She hoped that her voice didn\'t reveal quite as much as she felt. \"And what is it that you\'re offering me?\" Snape asked in his silkiest voice.

\"Yes, I forfeit\" she sighed, then started. \"Wait, what do you mean, about what I\'m offering you?\" she challenged.

\"You disappoint me, Miss Granger,\" Severus Snape said archly. \"Surely you understand the concept of a forfeit?\" Hermione shook herself mentally and thought for a moment. He then used his wand as a small flashlight to illuminate the word \"forfeit\" in the open dictionary on the table next to her chair. Hermione casually followed the beam of light as it ran over the definition: \"Forfeit (n.): something that is lost or surrendered as a penalty\". Her eyes widened in surprise. When the realization dawned on her, her eyes registered the shock. \"Surely you don\'t mean --?\" she asked, incredulous that he would stoop to such tactics.

He was suddenly in front of her, preventing her from bolting out of her chair. \"Oh, but I most certainly DO mean...\" he paused for effect and then added: \"and my name isn\'t Shirley.\" Before she could object to his scheming or his obtuse humour, his lips were covering hers. She gasped in surprise, providing him the opportunity he needed to plunder her mouth with his tongue. The combination of sensations caught her so off-guard that all she could do was close her eyes and moan in response.

She gave herself over to the feelings assaulting her senses: his taste, his smell, the feel of his hands as they traced designs over her arms, neck and breasts. She couldn\'t have strung more than two words together if her life had depended on it. Fortunately, she only needed two words: \"Severus – please...\" He quietly muttered a charm to extend the armchair into a chaise, but he made no other move, considering what he would do next. In a moment, he\'d made his decision.

His eyes held hers as he settled on his knees in front of her and moved his beautifully tapered fingers to the buttons at her collar. In the time it took for Hermione to draw two breaths, he had opened all the buttons of her shirt, never takhis his eyes off hers, but left the blouse in place. His hands moved to the sensitive skin under her jaw and tickled gooseflesh into existence every where those fingers touched. Soft and warm, his sensitive fingertips stroked the flesh on either side of her throat, zigzagging slowly down her neck. Her head spun when his thumbs caressed her collar bone. Fingers described a trail from one end of her clavicle to the other and back to the midpoint. He paused to dip his thumb in the hollow at the base of her neck, revelling at the shiver she gave in response.

It was Severus\' turn to shiver, however, when opened her blouse and discovered that she had forgone a bra. His eyebrow quirked and he looked up at her for a moment, enjoying her momentary embarrassment at his discovery that she\'d at least hoped for if not planned this encounter. Before he could say anything, she reached down to his hands and moulded them to her breasts. Snape watched Hermione\'s eyes close as his thumbs lazily circled her nipples and felt the electricity flow between them.

Kissing her, he growled into her mouth, \"Open your eyes. I want you to watch me.\" Even though she was sitting, her knees trembled at the prospect of what would happen next. She raised her eyes to his and was left breathless at the passion she saw in his eyes.

He slipped his hands down over her narrow waist and then to her hips, grasping her firmly and pulling her toward him until the small of her back was resting on the front edge of the chaise. The dark smile he gave her did nothing to calm her nerves or her breathing. She couldn\'t look anywhere except into the eyes watching her that reflected the firelight and a deeper flame, from somewhere within him.

His hands skimmed over her legs, down to her ankles. She began to breathe erratically as his hands slowly began to work their way back up her legs under the long skirt she\'d worn. He slowly pushed the heavy wool up, over her knees and toward her hips. His nostrils flared at the scent of her arousal and he moved closer to its source, being sure to let her see how much he savoured her earthy fragrance.

Hermione\'s hands were clutched into fists, nervously placed on her lower abdomen. She watched with increasing tension as his intent became more and more evident. Whether she was more afraid that he would continue or that he would stop was beyond her ability to decide. When his warm fingeeacheached the area where the top of her thighs met her torso, she shuddered.

Severus\' breath caught at the realization that his fingers had encountered no undergarments when he\'d pushed the hem of her heavy skirt northwards. The erection he\'d been ing ing to ignore suddenly threatened to burst the seams of his pants with the intensity of its throbbing. Never looking away from her gaze, he charmed their clothes away. Shifting to a more comfortable position, he then moved his hands slightly, pressing against her inner thighs in an unmistakable command for her to spread her legs. She wanted to fight but knew there was no way to resist giving in to his silent demand.

Still watching her, he began kissing the inside of left leg, next to her knee. Other than the kiss he\'d taken after she\'d agreed to forfeit the match, this was the first time his mouth had touched her and the shock of him tasting her skin hit her with an intense heat. His lips were warm, soft and gentle as he nibbled a meandering path toward her pulsing centre. His hand was stroking her other leg, alternately soothing and enflaming her. She wondered which would reach the intended destination first, his hands or his lips, and she was mildly shocked to discover that she no longer cared as long as some part of him arrived. Soon.

The anticipation and sensations of his touch were driving her mad. She quivered at his warm breath, silky hair and – oh, those fingers. They were dancing over her thighs, tickling her ass, tangling in the hair on her mound ... but never touched the one part of her that ached for contact with his flesh. Any of his flesh.

Hermione was writhing in the chair, desperate for the dark man on the floor before her to give her the pleasure her body was craving – or to allow her to do it herself. Severus laughed soft and low at the need he saw in her eyes and decided that she was ready.

\"Are you prepared to surrender?\" he purred. Hermione was beyond speech and could only beg with her eyes and nod her head. He smiled as he whispered \"Thy slanders I forgive; and therewithal / Remit thy other forfeits.\" He had moved so close that she could feel the vibration actually enter her and she moaned with need. Severus let the breath from his words brush across her engorged and moistened labia. Her fingers clutched the arms of the chair as if they were lifelines. She was vibrating with tension, like a bowstring pulled taught, and he knew that she was unable to refuse him anything at this moment.

He wrapped his mouth around her sex and gently sucked, drawing her into his mouth. The taste of her was so sweet that he hummed with pleasure, sending shockwaves through her body. When she realized that he was holding and caressing her with his mouth, she moaned in a voice unrecognizable even to herself.

He kept his mouth in place and gently stroked the length of her slit with his tongue. Her taste was indescribable and nearly sent him out of control. He reminded himself that this was penapenalty for losing. That it was also the desire of his heart simply added fuel to the fire raging through his veins. They had not broken eye contact yet, although both had lost focus at this point. Severus pulled back slightly, forcing Hermione\'s attention back to the man between her legs. He looked at her intently and said, \"I want to make you come. Let me?\" While it was stated as a question, the tone in his voice brooked no argument and melted any reserve she may have had.

His hands wrapped around her hips, holding her still and he leaned toward her, letting his tongue explore her most intimate crevices. The burning desire he felt was beyond anything he\'d ever experienced before and would not be satisfied until he had seen, heard, tasted and felt her come. He pinned her wrists against the arms of the chair so that he could completely control her experience.

Hermione thought she would lose consciousness as he teased and coaxed her. As hot as she was, his tongue seared across her flesh, leaving her gasping for more. Any trepidation she had been harbouring was washed away by the waves of pleasure sweeping over her. Severus chuckled darkly into her flesh, knowing that she was helpless before him. She moaned at the vibration of his laugh, opening her thighs even more.

Severus greedily lapped at her, thrusting his tongue into her depths, trying to drink every last drop of her sweet nectar. His lips were fastened around her clit and he sucked the sensitive nub of flesh into his mouth. As his tongue tickled the bundle of nerves, he released her wrists. When her hands slid up her stomach to her breasts where she pulled and teased her nipples he thought he would come without even touching himself.

Beginning to massage her ass, he let the fingers of one hand tease the cleft between her ass cheeks until he pressed a finger into the puckered opening hidden there. Her eyes widened in surprise as he inserted a finger from his other hand into her dripping canal. He pumped both fingers in time with rhythm of his tongue. He watched as the expression on her face changed from surprise at his actions to the unfocused concentration that signalled her impending orgasm. She felt the lightening bolt of her climax hit as she forced herself to hold Severus\' gaze. She wanted to show him the passion, trust and, yes, love she felt for him. He saw the storm of emotions cross her face and the tempest left him breathless. The fact that she would let go of her last apprehension for him was almost more than his heart could bear.

Her vaginal muscles had finished spasming through her orgasm and were beginning to slow. As she calmed, he kissed her flesh, worshipping her with his lips. He knew that she had trusted him completely by having told him that she\'d been too self-conscious to let anyone go down on her. He was touched and, frankly, excited beyond words that this beautiful and intelligent woman would allow herself to be so vulnerable before him.

Kissing his way up her body, he raised himself onto the chair and gently nipped at her breasts, gently pulling first one nipple, then the other, with his teeth then twirling his tongue over her areolas until her breath began to accelerate. She took his head in her hands and brought his face to hers and kissed him. The taste of her own juices was still on his mouth but, to her surprise, wasn\'t unpleasant. Musky, salty and sweet, but not bad.

The desire that had been coursing unabated through Severus was now nearly uncontrollable, causing the muscles in his arms and legs to quiver. Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him backwards until he was lying on the rug. She followed him to the floor and knelt over him. Her hands ran up his body, moving from his navel, over his chest, up his throat and back down. She didn\'t stop once she reached his waist but grasped his engorged cock and positioned it so that his length rested just inside the fleshy lips that covered her clit. Rocking slightly, she let the heat and moisture coming from her answer his need for friction. \"Hermione,\" he moaned, \"don\'t tease me. I need you...now.\"

It was Hermione\'s turn to laugh darkly, but she had no intention of torturing him – this time. Reaching between them, she held him as she lifted herself and then slid him home. This was heaven, they both thought, basking in the sensation of his hardness in her velvet grip. She began to ride him, raising herself slowly and sliding back down even more slowly. The feeling was incredible but Severus was soon desperate for the release he knew she could give him.

Moving sly sly so that she couldn\'t counter his action, he flipped her onto her back and pinned her hands over her head. He raised an eyebrow and fixed her with an expression that told her in no uncertain terms that he was now in control. Showing emotions was not something that would ever come easily to the dark man, which made the love and passion she saw in his gaze precious to her. Her muscles clenched his hardness in response to his openness

\"I – it\'s – so good – sweet – I can\'t hold – oh...\" and with a growl he sank deep into her, twisting his hips at the bottom of his stroke, adding delicious friction to the sensitive bundle of her flesh, lying just above his shaft. Hermione rocked her hips from side to side, rubbing her clit against his pubic bone, seeking her own relief. Her movements added to the friction of her tight folds, driving Severus wild. He couldn\'t have stopped pounding himself into her even if each movement had cut him to shreds.

Primal instinct took over, and he grabbed her right thigh, pushing it up so that her knee was bent and even with her right shoulder. Using his shoulder to pin her leg there, he shifted so that his fingers could stroke her sensitized nub. He\'d barely touched her clit when the white-hot explosion of her orgasm caused her muscles to spasm, curling her body up toward him, throwing her head back, and clenching him within her.

He kept thrusting, now intent on his own release. Hermione released her death-grip on one of his shoulders and reached around to stoke his ass. When he felt her finger stroke the sensitive skin behind his sac and dip into the opening there, he roared her name with his release.

Countless moments passed until their breathing and heart rates slowed. He had rolled to his back and pulled her with him until her cheek rested on his chest, her leg thrown over his. Savouring the silky feel of her skin, he stroked her shoulder and back absently while she let her fingers wind through the sparse hairs in the middle of his chest. Now that their passion had been sated, the air felt cool so he summoned a velvet throw to warm them.

\"Severus?\" she asked drowsily. \"Hmmm?\" his chest rumbled beneath her in response. \"I don\'t think I hate chess anymore.\" He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. \"I told you, you just need a good teacher and the proper ... motivation.\" \"I agree with the \'good teacher\' part but based on this evening, my motivation will always be to lose.\" she pouted. \"Well,\" he said thoughtfully, \"we could change the terms next time.\" \"Oh? What would we change?\" He smiled; her curiosity would never fail to get her into trouble.

\"Surely you\'ve heard of strip poker...?\" he suggested, waiting to hear her response.

She was quiet for a few moments and he thought perhaps she\'d fallen asleep. Then her soft voice purred, \"My name isn\'t Shirley and is it too soon to challenge you to a rematch?\"

------------------------------------- Author\'s Notes ----------------------------------------

Quote from \"Measure for Measure\", Act V, William Shakespeare

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Special thanks to Peeves for reminding me that it\'s always better to beta first.


This was in response to a WIKtT Challenge. The rules:

• Must take place in Severus\' private quarters.

• Should start with Hermione brooding over something, or at least being thoughtful.

• How the two of them end up in his private rooms is up to you and your imagination.

• Must include some sort of alcohol consumed by both persons at least once.

• They are not allowed to make it in to the bedroom. At least for the first time around. *Wink*

• Include at least 3 of the following:

o Fireplace

o A dictionary

o A laptop

o Sophie B. Hawkins\' \'As I Lay Me Down To Sleep\'

o Mandy Moore\'s \'Candy\'

o \'Sex, drugs, rock and roll. Speed, weed, birth control. Life\'s a bitch and then you die so f*** the world and go get high!\'

o \'But Mummy said not to play with sharp things!\'

o \'I have places to go and people to see. But they can wait.\'

o A flashlight

o \'You know, it\'s not flattering when you call a man\'s pride \'cute\'.\'

o Someone stepping on a thumbtack. Barefoot.

o Someone walking in on them and saying \'Dear Lord, think about the children! Will somebody just please think about the children?!?\'