#7 ~ The Ghost and Lady Snape

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 1 ~ Something Wicked This Way Comes

I am moving through water. No, not water. It is less than water, but more than air. There are books here. And something else. Warm. Dark. Female. Ah, female. I remember female. When I had a body. So long ago. I was not. How am I now? All these books. A woman too. Very small. She is reading out loud. I am drawn to her. Ah. I was summoned. Who is she? I know that book. My flesh is around that book. My essence inside that book. Remembrances of pain. Lust. Need. Desire. The woman. Her essence is light but there is dark inside her. Familiarity. I love the dark. I must draw closer. Can I touch her? Yes. Slightly. Good. Her voice is like honey. She called me forth. She can make me stronger. I can enter her, maybe. Lust. Need. Fire. She will know me soon. Soon.

Hermione was unaware of anything else in the library other than the fascinating book she had found pressed lengthwise behind several other tomes as she rifled through the Restricted Section.. By the dust on its spine it had lain there many years. The binding was leather, very soft, softer than any other binding she had felt. She gentle blew the dust from the spine and carried it to a table. She placed it carefully down, sat and read the title.

Meus Diligo, Suus Cruor

“Hm. ‘My Love, Her Blood’.

Hermione opened the book. It was handwritten in red ink and seemed to be a journal or diary. Most entries seemed to be about a woman, a lover perhaps. There was poetry too, odd cryptic poems that rolled off the tongue. Some were quite lovely. Others were dark, disturbing. She read the first one out loud, translating as she went.

In the swollen night,
from the bloodied space,
she voiced his flesh,
and he sought her face.

Hermione suddenly felt a slight coldness drag across her shoulders like a long finger and shuddered. The hair on her arms and the back of her neck stood up. She looked around. It must have been a draft. She picked her cloak up from the back of her chair and placed it over her shoulders, then returned to the book. She checked the front and back inside cover to see the last time the book was checked out, but there was no ticket pouch. By the look of it, there never had been. This book wasn’t catalogued. What was it doing in the restricted section? Maybe someone had left it in the library long ago and somehow it was placed on the shelves, slipping behind the other tomes. She would love to take it to her lab and test for its age.

Hermione looked around furtively. The book wasn’t catalogued after all, and had been hidden so long it couldn’t possibly be missed. She’d return it after she’d studied it a while. It was a fascinating find, after all. If she gave it to Madame Pince, she wouldn’t be able to read it for weeks, the anal-retentive librarian would probably search every catalogue back to Godric’s time to see if it was misfiled. Hermione had no patience for this. She tucked it under her arm and left the library. In the air above her, was a subtle ripple, like water. It hovered a moment, then followed, floating behind her, fading as it passed unhindered through the Library wall.

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Severus was sitting in front of the fire, relaxing after a hard day of dealing with harder heads. Today was a red letter day for Potions. Never since the time of Neville Longbottom, had he had to deal with such inept, dense, and mentally-challenged students. Hardly a backbone among them either. Really. They cringed when he breathed too hard.

Severus sighed, and took a sip of the good brandy he held in his long-fingered hand. His wife was still in the library no doubt, engrossed in some old tome she’d found. He looked at the time. Ah, the library was closed. He’d soon have the pleasure of her company, and maybe, after his trying day, she’d be amicable to providing him some release. He grinned to himself. Married life wasn’t so bad, he mused. Hermione had moved into his rooms, but still kept her own space for those times she needed it. He had no qualms about that. Solitude was something he also required at times.

He heard the study door open. He stood up and turned around as his wife entered, carrying her cloak and a book. She had that look in her eye that said she’d found something to occupy that formidable mind of hers. He sighed. He was going to have to work at being noticeable for the next few days. But he didn’t intend to be denied tonight, book or no book. He took her cloak from her, and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. That was the usual sign that he was interested in intimacy. Quick pecks were the normal greeting. Unfortunately, Hermione didn’t notice, her eyes were shining as she held out the book to him.

“Severus, I found this behind some books in the Restricted Section. It isn’t catalogued and is handwritten!” she said excitedly, plopping down into the armchair in front of the fire. He joined her, taking in how pretty she looked when excited about something. Her cheeks suffused with color, and her breasts rose and fell quite nicely. He took another sip of his brandy then reached out his hand.

“Let me see it,” he said.

Hermione passed the book to him, never taking her eyes off it as he ran his hand across the soft, leather cover. He frowned slightly, and turned the book over in his hands. He traced a long finger down its spine, and studied the binding, his frown growing darker. He read the title of the book, and now the frown turned thoughtful. He opened it, and looked at the penmanship, took a long nail and scratched slightly at the ink, which peeled up.

“Severus!” Hermione cried, “be careful with that! We don’t know how valuable it is.”

Severus looked at her.

“Where did you find this book?” he asked her.

“Behind some other books in the Restricted Section,” she repeated herself, a little miffed he didn’t listen to her the first time. Severus was turning into a typical husband. She paused, and flushed thinking about a tryst with him three nights ago. No…he certainly wasn’t the typical husband, she was sure.

“Hermione, this book is bound in human flesh, and written in blood. This is a book of dark magic. It could be dangerous,” he said, handing it back to him.

Hermione almost bounced with excitement. “Human flesh? Blood? That’s fascinating. There are no incantations in it though. Just some poems and journal entries. So it shouldn’t be dangerous, Severus.” she said, caressing the book as if it were a long lost child. There was a slight ripple in the upper right corner of the room that neither noticed.

“But it was constructed with Dark Magic, Hermione. Something like that should always be handled with caution and respect. Maybe you should take it back to the Restricted Section. It has wards to contain Dark Magic. Just in case.” he said. Hermione frowned.

“I’m a Spells Mistress, Severus. Don’t you think I would have noticed something strange about the book if it were dangerous? I want a chance to date it, read it, maybe research its history. It could reveal some important historical information. I’ll take it back when I’m done with it, I promise.” she said, holding the book against herself possessively.

Severus looked at his wife tiredly. He knew by the slightly crazed look in her eye, he would have to pry that book from her cold dead hands in order to get it away from her. And he didn’t feel like fighting tonight. He felt like fucking. If he argued, he’d get diddley. Gone were the days of the pliable Hermione. Like most wives, she had learned that withholding sex was a powerful incentive to get Severus to let her have her way. But there were compensations too. Like quickies.

The word “quickie” had become an active part of his vocabulary after marrying Hermione. He liked quickies, even though they were more geared for his pleasure than hers. But Hermione was very giving. She didn’t mind not orgasming every time he wanted her, and often submitted to the fast, hard fuck for his pleasure and release. She had a wifely duty, of course. And he made sure to take care of her needs when she was ready for a good long bout of sex. There had been days between classes when he was so wound up, he’d head for her Potions Lab and enter with such a drawn, tired look on his face, that she would automatically bend over the counter, notes still spread in front of her, and allow him to lift her robes, pull her panties aside and plunge inside her from behind for a quick release and stress relief. This always invigorated him. Yes, his wife was very understanding and very good to him. He’d take a quickie tonight if he had to.

But he didn’t like that book. It seemed oddly warm to when she passed it to him, but she could have had it tucked tight against her body when she brought it to the study. And somehow, the thought of that disturbed him as well, that binding of human skin next to that of his wife’s. He shook off the feeling. He was being silly. It was a book. Not a man. Just the flesh of a man.

“All right. But I insist you be very careful with that tome. It was probably hidden behind those books for a reason,” he said, giving in. “If you even think there is something odd about it, I expect you to let me know immediately.” Hermione nodded, giving him a big smile. Now that was promising. He took immediate advantage of it.

“I think I’ve been very understanding, don’t you?” he purred at her, his eyes taking on a familiar heat. “such understanding should be rewarded by an appreciative wife. Don’t you agree?” He used his most seductive voice. He stood up, and taking the book from Hermione, he set it down on the table, then took her hand, drawing her up and gently turned her around so he stood behind her. He began to kiss her neck. She sighed and moved against him.

In the corner, the ripple shimmered again, almost as if in response to the scene before it.

“All right, Severus. You can have a quick one. I’m tired,” she said softly as he ran his lips up her cheek.

Severus quickly bent her over the armchair and lifted her robes. She wore a skirt underneath. He was glad. He was too horny to wrestle with her jeans. He lifted her skirt and lowered her panties, which despite her claimed tiredness, were wet. He opened his robes and undid his pants, pulling out his swollen cock. He gripped her by her hips and without hesitance, slid himself neatly inside her, rewarded by her groan. He started to fuck her, thrusting in and out of her heat, throwing his head back in pleasure as her hot soft insides gripped and caressed him, moving him quickly toward his peak. She sighed as he bounced against her ass, rolling her belly and working her inner muscles to bring him to a quick climax. Severus started groaning as his pleasure increased.

“Do it, Hermione, make me come,” he groaned. She squeezed down on him tightly, clasping his shaft with pressure, and suddenly he cried out in a choked voice, and spurted inside her, gripping her buttocks and leaning over her back, hunching into her as he released, his hair hanging in his face. He leaned over her like this for several moments, as he emptied inside her, kissing the back of her neck. Finally the pulsing stopped and he let out a satisfied sigh.

“Yes, that was what I needed, wife. Thank you,” he breathed into Hermione’s ear.

He withdrew from her, and adjusted himself. He then put her clothing in proper order and stood her up, turning her to face him. He embraced her, kissing her tenderly and was rewarded with a gentle, loving smile, followed by a great yawn.

Hermione gently removed herself from his embrace.

“I’m going to bed, Severus. I’m drained,” she said, giving him a final quick peck on the lips. Picking up the book and tucking it under her arm, she headed for their bedroom.

Severus looked after her, then sat back down in the armchair before the fire, to finish his brandy. The subtle ripple moved through the study and passed through the bedroom wall. It hovered over Hermione, pulsing as she scourgified herself and dressed for bed. Naked, Hermione felt a sensation like a cold finger being drawn across her belly. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself for a moment, her nipples hardening from the sudden frigidity. Quickly she slipped on her gown and got under the covers.

He is the darkness inside her. I can feel his merged soul. He was evil. No more. She has absorbed him. She has the Gift. She can absorb me. I can touch her, subtly. The touch will grow stronger as she learns. Ah, intimacy again. Absolution. Release. Blood.

The ripple drifted over to the table where the book rested. It dropped down and enveloped it.

Then disappeared.

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A/N: Poor Severus. Now something supernatural is after his wife. Marcus was bad enough. How do you fight something you can’t see? Well, we’ll find out, won’t we? I guess this story is going to require the introduction of new characters from the past, and the participation of some of the Hogwarts ghosts. Maybe Peeves will figure big. Don’t know yet. I hope this story comes out as well as the others. Please review. I’d like your thoughts on this. Thanks.