She Said What?

ok, so we\'re all back again. i think we all know why we\'re here. now now, no need to be ashamed. its heartening to know there are so many of us and that we\'re being brave enough to step out into the light. we can all say with pride... \'i\'m a pickle puller and i\'m proud!\' ~glances around and blushes~ ooops! i am so in the wrong room. let me just give this over to someone who belongs here. ~takes the mic and glares at the offender~ take your pickle pulling arse out of here and let me get to the disclaimer already. people want to read the chappie, don\'t you know. well, as usual... you know i don\'t own it. i\'m only borrowing. i\'ll put them back. we all know j.k. rowling owns it. she makes all the money. i don\'t.

don\'t know if there will be smut, but its best to keep on your guard. might be lurking around the corner somewhere. i\'d hate for it to jump out and scare you.

and, finally, if you find that this chapter has entertained you in any way, please feel free to let me know. i mean.. you don\'t have to. but it would be nice. thanks ever so much.

Chapter Thirteen: Caught in the Act
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hermione came awake to the feeling of the softest mattress in existence, possibly known to mankind, gently caressing her backside. It was such a wonderful way to wake up. She swore there was a thick layer of goose down in the mattress and she pondered, for just a moment, how many geese had died at Snape\'s hands to grant him the priviledge of having the softest bed in the world. It was obscene that someone as snarky as him should have the most luxurious mattress in all of Christendom. It had to be a sin somewhere. With someone. But, seeing as she was now laying in the middle of it and delighting in the feel of the thick mattress beneath her, she couldn\'t complain.

She could hear the sounds of the shower running, letting her know precisely where her husband was. He\'d lead her to bed last night and they\'d spent more time kicking the sheets off then pulling them up over themselves. She was pleasantly sore and could only say she was entirely too happy that it was the weekend. It would give her time to spend the next twenty four hours, at the very least, in the tub. She wanted to soak away the dull aches and mild throbs that came with her body being well used and deeply pleasured.

She was willing to admit, now that she was well acquainted with her husband\'s body and how thoroughly he could actually shag a woman senseless, that perhaps marriage to the great black bat of Slytherin might not be as big a hardship as she\'d first imagined. She could say with all honesty that they were more than compatible in the arena of mutual sexual gratification. As to the rest of the relationship.... Well, that was a little trickier than the actual fucking.

She\'d heard somewhere that the best marriages were based on deep friendship and trust. She rolled her eyes and frowned. That was as likely to happen as Harry and Draco suddenly deciding that they were both flaming homosexuals and having a torrid love affair in the brooms cupboards down by the Quidditch Pitch. Malfoy hated Harry as much as Harry hated him. Snape hated everyone equally. He would tolerate her presence in his life, but she doubted he\'d ever truly come to care for her. She sighed, wondering if she could live with that.

True, Hermione\'d had her dreams of marriage as a child. When she\'d been young and naïve, she\'d planned her entire life out. She\'d attend University after graduating tops of her class. While studying at University, she\'d meet a respectable young man and they would date for three years before the question of marriage even came up. They would marry after she\'d finished her schooling and, once she\'d been established in her chosen career, they would discuss children. Discuss being the operative phrase.

At one time, Hermione had thought that she wanted a houseful of children. Not to the extent of the Weasley family. But still a good few. As she\'d grown older, though, she\'d realized that children were probably not in her future. She was too bookish and, she thought, rather unattractive. She was of the opinion that bringing children into the world would be a bad idea. She was convinced that she would be a poor mother and she was afraid of bearing more children like herself. She\'d have been terribly lonely as Hogwarts if not for the constant companionship of Harry and Ron. And she simply couldn\'t do that to her own children.

No, it was better to remain childless. And she didn\'t think that Severus would mind too terribly much. He wasn\'t overly fond of the ankle-biting little rotters and she was fairly certain that he\'d agree whole-heartedly about the no children rule. Sighing, she rolled up onto her side and stared at the door that lead into his bathroom.

School would be out soon. She had to think about what she would do then. She had to tell her parents that she had gotten married. And she\'d have to tell Ron and Harry, too. She didn\'t relish that task any. Her parents, she could convince that this was for the best. Harry and Ron were another story altogether. She didn\'t relish letting them in on the secret. That could wait until the end of the term, though. Best that the two of them didn\'t try to make life any harder for Severus than they already seemed to. Her news would have to wait, it seemed.

She heard the shower shut off. That meant Severus would be out of the bathroom in a matter of moments. She was half tempted to see if she could draw him into the bed once more and have \'one for the road\' but she highly doubted that. Something told her that her husband was the most uptight, non-adventurous person if the idea hadn\'t been his. Last night had proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he could be most spontaneous. When it was his idea to be so. She thought that, were she to suggest a quick tryst in the rose bushes, he\'d tell her in no uncertain terms to go get buggered.

Just as the thought melted away, the door to the bathroom opened. Severus stepped out, a rush of thick steam rolling out into the bedroom before him. He was wrapped in a pale blue silk robe that accentuated both the extreme pale of his skin and the utter blackness of his hair. He was not scowling, but he wasn\'t smiling. His face was, for lack of a better word, relaxed. She knew that wasn\'t quite right, but he didn\'t seem as tense as usual. Perhaps a good shag every once in a while would help lighten him up on a permanent basis.

\'Wife,\' he drawled, nodding in her direction. She offered him a timid smile, but he\'d already turned away from her. He was digging in his armoire, obviously seeking out the day\'s clothing. She wasn\'t surprised to find that nearly everything that came out was as black as night. Except for the white shirt. It was his only contradiction in the sea of never ending darkness he surrounded himself with. She still didn\'t understand why he chose to hide in shadows. He used his clothes with the monchrome scheme to present an image of impenetrable walls and unending strength. Each one of the tiny buttons that closed his jacket and trousers was another link in his armor. He shielded himself from public scrutiny with a practiced look of contempt and an insurmountable force of will few people could ever hope to break past.

\'Did you sleep well?\' she asked tenatively, hoping to break the ice. He lifted his head and scowled at her, his eyes clearly telling her to go get buggered. After a few moments, though, his look softened and he relaxed slightly.

\'As well as can be expected when one has a lusty female demanding to be serviced every hour on the hour,\' he replied in a droll tone of voice. It took Hermione a moment to realize that he was dead-panning a joke. She couldn\'t hold back the slight snicker at his words and actions. If the truth was to be told, he was the one who had been insatiable last night. Everytime she\'d rolled over, he\'d poked her in the bum with his cock.

\'A lusty female, eh?\' she pinned him with a stare. \'And did said female satisfy you?\'

\'She needs a bit of instruction as to why it is considered rude to point out the why\'s and wherefore\'s to her partner while engaging in a particularly fevered bout of shagging,\' he told her. \'Beyond that, I found her company acceptable.\'

Hermione felt a flush of pride at his words. It was as close as she would ever get to a real compliment from the man, seeing as he detested her and her friends with every ounce of his being and he made no bones about it. She didn\'t expect to hear the like again, given that he was as tight-lipped as they came. She said nothing, simply fell prey to the mesmerizing, slow movements his hands made as they carefully and meticulously dressed himself in the neat pile of clothing that he\'d laid out for himself.

She couldn\'t help but notice that he slipped into a pair of black silk boxers and her imagination, generally as sensible as she was, suddenly took off into flights of fancy that involved those shorts and the treasure they guarded. Her thoughts were decidedly wicked and heated, bringing twin spots of soft red up to paint her cheeks with the blush of embarrassment. The images in her brain were so tantalizing and lurid that the heat in her face increased. There was also and answering rush of heat and moisture between her thighs.

She was lost in pleasant images of her husband burying his face between her thighs when his voice, full of displeasure and deeper emotions, broke her from her thoughts. \'Miss Granger! I suggest you shag your arse out of my bed and gather up your clothing. Put them on or run about as naked as the day you were born. I care not. But I am short of temper this morning and am feeling particularly famished. I wish to go up to the Great Hall to break my fast. I do not wish to find you here when I return.\'

Hermione\'s face immediately when white with anger. Insufferable bastard! He only had to ask her to get up and get dressed. He didn\'t have to treat her like some victim of leprosy or the plague. She threw herself from the bed, in a huff and completely at ease with her state of undress and stomped past him to seek out her shed clothing. She missed the faint smirk that curled the corners of his mouth up as she passed. He did so like seeing her riled up.

She was nearly fully dressed when he finally joined her in the living area of his rooms. Her tie was askew around her neck and she had crammed her jumper into the bag of books that had been dropped the moment she\'d entered the room the night before. She looked rumpled and completely pissed off. He liked that. It would be good to keep her on her toes. He\'d gone against his better judgement and allowed her to sleep in his rooms last night because there\'d been the promise of my carnal relations between the two of them. And, if he was being honest, he\'d been terribly horny. It had been his pecker that had convinced him to let her stay and he could only hope that he didn\'t live to regret that.

\'Arrogant, miserable bastard. Consider yourself cut off!\' she snarled at him, stomping to the door. Her robes covered her rumpled shirt and skirt, her shoes unlaced and thumping heavily against the floor with each one of her steps. She glared at him a moment, taking that time to shove her bra into the bag hanging lopsided from her shoulder. \'Ungrateful wretch! No wonder you had to be forced into marriage!\'

Then she turned, jerking the door open as she did so, and stomped out into the hallway. Severus had to practically bite his lip to keep from laughing at her. His wife\'s anger had been most refreshing. If that was how she planned on reacting to his abrupt manner, he\'d have to strive to emplore it with more frequency on future dates when he had her alone. He would love nothing more than to see how her violent reaction would play out into the passionate side she possessed.

Perhaps a life saddled with the Know-It-All wouldn\'t be so bad at all. The thought broadsided him and sent his senses reeling. He shook his head and scowled. There had to be something deeply disturbed within him to think such things about Hermione Granger. He settled his clothing about his body more securely, adjusting his robes a moment longer than necessary. He wanted to make sure that his wife was no where near him when he left to break his fast. He wasn\'t certain he\'d be able to properly duck the hex she was likely to send his way.

~*~*~*~*~

Hermione slammed the door behind her as she practically tumbled out into the hallway. Snarky git! How dare he treat her in such a manner? She turned and gave the panel a good kick before starting her trek up the hall in an attempt to make it back to her rooms before she was noticed gone. The effort was short lived. One moment, she was stomping angrily up the hall. The next, she was sprawled in a most unladylike pose across the floor, herlegs tangled in something silky smooth and invisible.

Shite! She was caught and there would be no way to explain her way out of this without the truth. It was sooner than she\'d wanted, but it couldn\'t be helped now. \"Harry?\" she asked hesitantly.

The hood of the cloak slithered away and his head just suddenly appeared from out of nowhere. Harry\'s glasses were askew just slightly and there was a look of surprise on his face. The two of them stared at one another for a few moments, then Harry helped her to her feet. He joined her, pulling his cloak off his body and folding it up. He stared down at her, then leaned over to scoop up her book bag, his fingers hooking under the strap of her bra. She was mortified to see that it had fallen out into plain sight when they\'d collided with one another.

Blushing bright red, she snatched the offending article from his grasp and shoved it into her bag once more. \'Don\'t worry, `Mione,\' he said gently. \'No one will hear of this from me. I promise.\'

\'You don\'t seem too very surprised,\' she managed to get out evenly. He slung his arm over her shoulders and slowly lead her up the hall.

\'Too many things just haven\'t made sense. First there were the rumors. Then your odd behavior the week following those rumors. You were so distracted. The detention with Snape. It was such a minor infraction. I mean... everyone knows you always help Neville. You always have. And Snape chooses now to catch you and give you detention over something he\'s known about since the first day of our first year,\' Harry shook his head, mussing his already perpetually mussed hair. \'That doesn\'t make sense. Not even for him. Then there was that night.\'

He paused and reached up to brush a wild strand of hair out of her face. She gave him a faint smile and absently tucked her hair behind her ears. \'When you came in that night and told us that you\'d been shagging Snape... At first, I thought it was a joke. But then, as all of the puzzle pieces came together, I realized that you hadn\'t been lying to us. I\'ve been keeping an eye on the two of you, but wasn\'t sure until tonight when Draco mentioned he\'d seen Snape follow you into the library. Then I put...\'

\'Wait a minute. Draco? Draco Malfoy? He saw Snape follow me into the library? Why would he tell you something like that in the first place. You and he hate one another. You....\' her voice trailed off as she realized what he was saying without actually saying it. She was sure she went deathly white. \'You and... Malfoy?\'

How in Merlin\'s name had she missed that?

\'You\'re not the only one with secrets, Hermione. Draco and I have been together as a couple for nearly two years. Its easier to pretend to hate one another than try to explain to everyone that we\'ve been shagging away like mad rabbits in the brooms cupboards down by the pitch for the past two years,\' he admitted.

\'But,\' she started, only to stop. It really wasn\'t so far-fetched that Harry and Draco could be something more than bitter enemies. Draco was smart, if a bit thick about the whole Dark Wizard thing. And Harry was special in that he could see good in everyone, if given enough time and the opportunity to do so. She didn\'t know what had brought about their sudden change in status with one another. She wasn\'t sure she wanted to know. But she had no place to judge Harry. \'Does he make you happy?\' she asked him softly.

\'He does. He can be a righteous pain in the arse at times. And once his mind is set on something...\' Harry chuckled and shook his head. \'But he does make me happy and he\'s already told me that, once we\'re done here, he\'s letting the entire world know that he\'s desperately in love with the Boy Who Lived to Make Everyone Else\'s Life a Living Hell. He\'s told me he doesn\'t care if his father disowns him. He says he loves me and he wants to be with me.\'

Hermione felt a sudden surge of ovewhelming happiness for her friend. The way he spoke about his love, the light in his eyes and the look of surpeme contentment on his face. Over the years, Harry had grown into a very handsome young man and, take away the nasty attitude, Draco was the perfect spoil for that. The light and the dark. They complimented each other in a rather stunning way. She was open minded enough to accept that Harry was gay. It didn\'t matter. He was her friend and she only wanted his happiness. If that happiness came in the form of Draco Malfoy, she wouldn\'t argue.

\'He gave me this for Christmas this year,\' Harry said softly, then spoke a few words under his breath. A small amount of magic filled the air around him a moment, then a finely crafted silver chain appeared. It was around his neck, a silver dragon hanging from it. The dragon was European, its wings spread in flight. The mouth was open, as if the beast was roaring or about to breathe flames. \'He got a lion. He wears it about his neck, too. Charmed with the same spell so that it remains invisible to everyone.\'

\'That is so wonderful, Harry. I\'m happy for you,\' she told him, slinging an arm around him to give him a quick squeeze.

\'What about you? How did you end up shagging Snape?\' Harry asked her, returning the necklace to its previous state of invisibilty. She blushed.

\'Those rumors?\' she asked him. He nodded and watched as she reached into her shirt. She showed him the ring that hung off the chain there. He stared at it in surprise. \'Snape and I are married, Harry. We have been for two weeks. Only the Headmaster and McGonagall know about it. And now you. Please don\'t tell Ron. I want to tell him, but not until after the term ends. I swear I won\'t tell him about you and Draco. He\'d have kittens for sure, if he knew.\'

\'Thank you. I\'ll keep your secret and you\'ll keep mine,\' Harry replied, once more dropping an arm around her shoulders. \'He\'s going to have kittens when you tell him about this. He\'s going to be pissed off at us. You know that, don\'t you?\'

\'He\'ll survive, won\'t he?\' she returned with a rather nasty smile. Harry laughed and Hermione felt a bit of the weight that had been burdening her mind and heart lift away. She took a moment to gather her courage, then spoke the question that was plaguing her. \'So, you\'re okay with this, Harry? I mean... I\'m Mrs. Severus Snape.\'

\'Of course I\'m okay with it. But, just so you know. If the git does anything to hurt you, I\'ll hex his testicles off,\' Harry told her with all the seriousness she knew he was capable of. She smiled, loving him for his honesty and his friendship. She hugged him close.

\'Thanks, Harry. I really appreciate that,\' she told him. He gave her his grin and she knew, if only for that moment in time, that all was right in the world. They walked on together in companionable silence, heading for Gryffindor Tower. She was still in shock and awe over Harry\'s confession. She imagined that there was some good to Draco Malfoy. She just had yet to see it. But, in all honesty, she doubted she would. They were all playing some part, weren\'t they? Draco was supposed to be the mean, nasty little pecker head of Slytherin. And he acted that way. But was that truly him? There must be a side to him that no one ever saw. Not even his parents. Perhaps that was the real Draco and that was the Draco that Harry had fallen in love with.

Those thoughts of people being pigeon-holed into stereotypes lead her mind back to Snape. If it was possible for Draco to alter his personality, then it would only be fair to say that it was possible for Snape to change, too. She couldn\'t imagine him as anything other than the mean, snarky arse he was. But was there more to him that just the Potions Professor who swooped down on them when they least expected it and treated one and all with the utmost disdain?

She was pulle from her musing when Harry touched her arm. Up the hall, she could hear Ron arguing with the fat lady.

\'What do you mean, they never came in last night? They had to have come in. There\'s a curfew and if Snape caught them, there\'d be hell to pay,\' Ron\'s voice was strident. Hermione shook her head and looked at Harry. They needed to hide the evidence of their indiscretions of the night past. She thought a moment as she heard the fat lady reply.

\'Look young man,\' the fat lady snarled. \'Your friends didn\'t come back here last night. I haven\'t seen either of them since they crawled out the hole yesterday morning. Now, if you don\'t mind,\' she snapped and fell silent. There was a scuffling sound, as if Ron were trying to open the painting. Obviously, he\'d upset her and she wouldn\'t allow him entrance.

Hermione reached over and took Harry\'s cloak from him and stuffed it into her bag, along with her bra. She hurridly pulled her robes shut, fastening them closed before taking Harry\'s hand in hers and dragging him toward the painting with her. \'... and I told him that he needed to study his potions closely, or he\'d never pass his NEWTs. I hope he took my advice,\' she said in a loud, but not overtly staged voice.

\'You know that he will,\' Harry answered, slipping into the ruse she obviously had planned.

\'One can only hope,\' she sniffed as they rounded the corner. Ron was staring at the two of them like they\'d grown extra limbs on just about every part of their bodies. They looked back at him with what Hermione hoped were perfectly innocent faces. \'What?\'

\'Where the bloody hell have you two been all night?\' he demanded, his face gone as red as his hair.

\'Harry found me studying in the library last night and invited me to come flying with him,\' Hermione shrugged as she spoke, as if this was an everyday occurance and she didn\'t understand what had Ron so upset.

\'You hate flying,\' the red-head pointed out with a certain amount of smug satisfaction.

\'And everyone knows it. Which is what I told him,\' she replied.

\'But then what?....\' Ron began, only to be interrupted by Hermione\'s sigh of long suffering. Harry actually rolled his eyes at his friend.

\'Well, I didn\'t want to fly, but that didn\'t mean I couldn\'t go out with him and watch him as he flew. When he was done, we ended up in one of the locker rooms where we....\'

Hermione never got to finish her sentence. Ron looked them both over and a huge grin split his face. He reached in and clapped Harry soundly on the shoulder. \'Way to go, mate!\'

\'No, Ron. I don\'t think you understand,\' Harry stammered.

\'Of course I do, mate. Its perfectly logical. You and Hermione shagged out in the sheds,\' Ron put in cheerfully.

\'Actually, it was the brooms cupboard,\' Hermione muttered. She could feel the flush staining her cheeks. Bloody hell. This would be all over the school by the evening meal and she\'d never be able to show her face in polite society again. Then another thought struck her. What if Severus found out? He\'d think the worst of her. And what of Draco? Wouldn\'t he be completely put out by this turn of events? She cast a side glance at Harry. They needed to talk. Now.

\'.. and they\'ll never believe that you and Harry...\' Ron was going on, seemingly not paying attention to them. Hermione looked at Harry and motioned to the portrait of the fat lady with a nod of her head. He blinked and moved that way, sidling past Ron, who was still going on about something. Hermione followed him and together, the two of them slipped into Gryffindor Tower. Ron was still standing in the hall, blathering on about them as if it had been some kind of miracle that had brought them together. As if their \'union\' would end wars and world hunger and disease.

The two of them slipped inside, happy to see the Common Room empty. She turned to him and frowned. \'This could be very bad, Harry. Very bad, indeed. Should word get out, and it undoubtably will with the way his mouth seems to eternally run off like the melting winter snows, both Severus and Draco could be potentially put off.\'

Harry thought about it a moment, then shook his head. That wasn\'t exactly the way he\'d describe what they\'d be. \'Draco would skin me alive. And if Snape thought you were shagging anyone else...\' he trailed off and shuddered. \'Something tells me that he wouldn\'t be very composed about it.\'

\' I was thinking much along the same lines about Draco. Perhaps we should deal with this now, before it can get out of control,\' she suggested, her mind already turning over possible ways to avoid the need to visit the Infirmary any time soon. Snape would hex them both, if he heard about this from anyone else.\'

\'How do you suggest we deal with this?\' he asked, aware that she was already working on saving their arses. She blinked a few times, then smiled. It was so damned obvious. And easy.

\'We let everyone think we\'re shagging,\' she announced with what Harry could only describe as evil intent. He gave her a look that told her he was thoroughly puzzled by this answer, so she hastened to explain. \' It would be the perfect cover for our shagging Snape and Malfoy. Think about it. We could sneak off together and everyone would think we were off to find a suitable place to fuck our teenaged minds out. But, in secret, we would be meeting with Severus and Draco. It would help us all.\'

\'You\'re serious. You want me to let everyone think that I\'m not only as straight as a ruler, but that I\'m currently involved in secret meetings where I\'m bending you over what ever\'s handy and giving it to you for all I\'m worth? You want me to let people think I\'m fucking my best friend?\'

\'Do you have a better idea?\' she lifted a brow at him. He was getting angry, his face starting to go red. But her words had obviously hit home with him, because he didn\'t answer straight away. Instead, his face took on a thoughful look. Then he was nodding his head.

\'You just might have something there. They\'d be so busy wondering about you and I that they wouldn\'t even suspect that you\'ve married the greasy git and I\'m as queer as a three pound note.\' he nodded, a smile slowly coming to his face. Hermione grinned at him, glad to know that he wasn\'t as seemingly thick as Ron was. There were times when she honestly wondered how he made it through classes.

\'Exactly!\' she returned. \'Now, I suggest you go up and pen a short note to Draco. I\'ll do the same for Severus. Then we can sneak up to the owlery and send them off. That way, no one will know who wrote them. It might be prudent to meet with them and let them know about this in person. So perhaps just set up the meeting to tell Draco about it. We need to hurry, before Ron comes in.\'

Harry nodded, heading for the stairs to his dorm room. \'We meet down here in five minutes time. Then its off to the owlery for us both. I only hope that this won\'t be more difficult than it sounds.\'

\'We have to manage it. Otherwise, it would be best if we packed and ran now. I, for one, would very much like the head start,\' she told him, then hurried up the stairs to her rooms. Pulling out a sheet of parchment, her quill and inkpot, she sat down to write.

~*~*~*~*~

Five minutes later saw Harry and Hermione on their way out of Gryffindor\'s Common Room. Neither had seen Ron, so both were anxious to handle this as quickly and as quietly as possible. She\'d taken the time to change, as had Harry. She once more had her book bag and his Invisibility cloak was tucked into it, along with their notes. Once they were well away from the fat lady\'s portrait and alone in the corridor, they snuck under the cloak and hurried to the owlery.

The halls were silent, for which both of them were thankful. It was, naturally breakfast time and everyone would be in the Great Hall eating. Everyone but them, that was. It would help Ron\'s story, giving it a credibility that wouldn\'t be there if they\'d gone on to breakfast with everyone else. They only hoped that they could get the notes to their intended addressees before all hell broke loose.

They met no one as they hurried on toward the stairs that would lead them to the tower where the school\'s owls waited to be of service. That was, in their opinion, a stroke of luck that they weren\'t about to question. They waited until they\'d made the top of the stairs and were standing in front of the closed door before they came out from under Harry\'s cloak. \'Let\'s be quick. I would like some breakfast. I\'m simply famished after last night,\' Hermione glanced at Harry.

He nodded and grinned at her. \'So am I, love. So am I.\'

They chose two of the most easily forgettable owls in the group and gave them treats before tying their notes on. The birds were given their instructions and the two friends watched as the pair of brown owls flew out the windows. It wouldn\'t take long before Draco and Severus got their notes and then they\'d be on their way out the door. Harry and Hermione had to get downstairs to talk to the two of them before the grape vine made messes of their personal lives.

The stairs were empty as they both made their way down to the lower floor. It was still quiet, letting them know breakfast was still in full swing. Hermione had put the cloak away, assuming that it would be safe to be seen walking about without it now. She wanted to kick herself when she found out that she\'d assumed wrong.

\'Well, would you look at this?\' the nasty voice croaked out from behind them and both of them froze. \'Caught in the act of something.\'

Harry turned first, followed by a much slower Hermione. Together, they faced Mr. Filch. The man\'s face was as sour as ever. Except for the almost gleefully evil smile that lifted his lips. Mrs. Norris sat at his feet, her orange eyes glowing at them while her tail flicked back and forth with obvious intent. They both seemed more than happy to have caught two thirds of the Golden Trio doing something they deemed illegal. Even if it was Saturday.

\'But, Mr. Filch,\' Hermione began, only to be silenced by a touch on her arm from Harry.

\'Come along. I think I smell a detention in the air,\' he cackled gleefully and waited for the two of them to precede him up the hall. Hermione glanced at Harry with a look of dread. This wasn\'t supposed to happen. They were supposed to be meeting with Severus and Draco in ten minutes.

She was doomed. She\'d never get to shag her husband again.

end chapter thirteen.
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as always, i want to give big huggles to my avid supporters out there. they all know who they are and they know that they keep me going when no one or nothing else does. you guys rock so much!

if you liked this, please let me know. a kind word here or there. a suggestion, perhaps. thank you so much for reading. you guys rock, too. i\'m still overwhelmed and astounded at the responce to this fic. bless you all.

finally....

to Teacherspet: amazing? i\'m blushing. no really. i am. i do get well written quite frequently, but it still never ceases to amaze me. and we mustn\'t forget the first class smut, mustn\'t we? ~grins~ honestly, your kind words are very sweet. i am ever amazed at how strongly people seem to think my characters are written. you\'re wonderful. thank you.

to spaz141: i do try. i hope it was the right kind of intensity!

to LariLee: all one go? a new favorite? i\'m honored. thank you. i do try to keep them the way they were originally written, though i admit it is harder than it looks. hopefully Hot as Hot can be isn\'t too hot...

to Red Writing Hood: fantastic and hot? thank you, hon. thank you very much.

to Pearle: you burned out your batteries? do i want to know what you were doing? ~hands over fresh batteries~ i\'m glad you liked that end. i did, too. sometimes, i just find the right words. i\'m glad you still find this enjoyable, as well as Leather. i hope you\'re doing and feeling much better.

to Tris: i\'m glad you find the humor that humorous. i try to put humor into about everything. well, i shoot for all of the emotions, but i seem to be good at humor. could be cos i\'m funny looking. who knows?.... and yes, i\'m sure Dumbledore will be smug when its all said and done. i\'m glad to have saved you from boredom.

to ladyevilfaerie: glad you like this story. thanks for the suggestions. we\'ll see what happens.

to Eddie: so fucking hot? damn, there\'s that word again. and it entranced you. that\'s so cool. i hope this chapter works for you.

to funky_faerie87: they just might be growing fond of one another. in a twisted sort of way.

to Caliko: one of the best at this? well, i am flattered. ~blushes~ glad your finals went well.

to Metoo2: another vote for hot smut. i\'m seeing a trend here. i hope your boyfriend is enjoying your enjoyment of this....thank you kindly.

to Shiro Ryu: so glad to see you so glad. it was rather a smut pie, wasn\'t it? hope you like this chapter.

to Echo: thanks for reading, luv. and everything else, too!

to Amber: hope you like the plot twists that came with this one. my bunnies seem to be getting more and more evil as the days pass.

to SteffieSnape: there\'s yet another vote for HOT! damn. i guess it must be then. glad you\'re enjoying this and i hope this chapter is as good as the last.

to emma436: a fun chapter.... hmmmm.... i suppose it was. and i\'m doing my best with the updates. but the bunnies are fickle and keep sending me ideas for other stories.

to Cherie Elizabeth: i like a snarky, sarcastic Snape, too. the nastier, the better.and vivid details? i\'ve been told that i write in such a way as to make it easy for someone to \'see\' what\'s happening. please don\'t go blind. not for me. i\'d hate to have to torture someone by you making them read my smut to you. it might scar them. i\'m glad you like this little tale of lust and hate. i think it\'s coming along swimmingly.