A Living Secret ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 21 ~ The Meeting

By the time Hermione returned to Hogwarts, she was furious, absolutely furious with Professor Snape. How dare that snarky bastard break into her home and steal her journals! What was he doing there anyway? Did he go through her knicker drawer too? The nerve of him!

When Filch opened the gate with his customary ill greeting, Hermione ignored him, storming past and heading directly for the castle, the squib scowling after her, miffed at being ignored.

“No respect,” he grumbled, hobbling after her.

Hermione entered the castle and went directly to her rooms, where she wasted no time warding herself in and enlarging her violated journals, leafing through them as if looking for fingerprints. It was when she got to her sixth year journal and began to re-read it, that she went from fury to gut-wrenching embarrassment. Her sexual fantasies in all their erotic glory fairly leapt from the page, the increasingly dirty and arousing language of each new entry shocking.

“Oh gods,” she breathed, “Professor Snape knew about this all the time. When he took me, when we talked…when…when he kissed me. Oh, how am I ever going to face him again, knowing that he read this…knowing that he knows my fantasies about him?”

The memory of the wizard asking her if there were anything he could do, any act he could perform for her to show his gratitude came back to her. She reddened, thinking he might have expected her to ask him to…to…

Hermione’s face dropped into her hands. Even asking him for a kiss probably showed the Potions Master that she did want contact with him or thought she did. After agonizing for an hour or two while doing a bit of cleaning around the castle, Hermione began to wonder how the Potions Master felt while reading about the acts she wanted him to do to her, and she wanted to do to him. Did it excite him or repel him? Or did he read it dispassionately, like a work of fiction?

The witch didn’t think he was repelled, or he wouldn’t have kissed her.

“Was that enough, Miss Granger?”

Hermione shuddered as she realized he asked that question knowing full well what she dreamed about with him. The kiss hadn’t been enough…it was more like a confirmation to the witch that she would like more from the older wizard. If a simple kiss could make her feel as if her entire body would melt, how much more would his touch do…and more than his touch? If Professor Snape fucked her she would probably burn away completely and nothing, not even ash would be left.

Hermione sighed. Why was she even thinking about this? He probably found all of it amusing. Just the fantasies of a silly, young witch. He was toying with her, maybe even having a good laugh at her expense.

But even if Professor Snape were interested in fulfilling any of her fantasies, this was not the ideal time to focus on deflowering a randy little virgin. He and Harry had too much to do…such as save the wizarding world. What was one panting little witch compared to that?

Hermione agonized about how she was going to deal with this. She just couldn’t talk to the wizard about it. It would be too embarrassing…too arousing too.

Maybe the best thing to do in this case was to say nothing at all and to pretend Professor Snape didn’t read her journals. To pretend he didn’t know her fantasies. Hermione was quite good at ignoring unpleasant situations when she had to be, though her normal response was to work through them.

If this had been an issue with Harry or Ron, she would go to them directly and take them to task…but she couldn’t do it with the Professor. It was just too much. He would be sure to bring up the content of the journals if she said anything, and probably right in front of Harry. Oh, she’d just…die.

Hermione scowled blackly as she imagined the pale wizard smirking at her knowingly, daring her to say anything. She realized at that moment, Professor Snape wasn’t her Professor any longer. Technically, he was just another wizard. A wanted wizard, but still…a wizard. She wasn’t governed by teacher/student constraints any longer.

Hermione’s lip curled.

He’d better hope she could pretend to keep her wand in her pocket as well.

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By the time Tuesday rolled around, Hermione’s bravado concerning Professor Snape had taken a turn for the worst. She probably would have handled it better if she had stopped re-reading her erotic entries. It didn’t help that she had dreamed of the Professor two nights in a row, waking up hot and bothered.

She again decided not to say anything about the journals at all.

As she walked across the grounds, a disillusioned Marcus Delaluci followed her, once again casting the Eradicator tracking spell on the witch. When Hagrid let her out, the witch stopped and prepared to apparate, Marcus watching her eagerly.

Suddenly, she pulled out her wand, cast the Null magic spell over her person and quickly disapparated.

“Damn it!” Marcus seethed.

He headed back to the castle, muttering to himself about smart-ass seventh-year witches who wouldn’t let a bloke make an honest galleon.

Hermione showed up at Godric’s Hollow at seven-thirty, looking nervous and flighty as she took Harry’s wand.

“Snape’s not going to have his wand, is he?” Harry asked her, glowering.

“No, he’s not, Harry. I’m going to take it before I bring him in,” Hermione assured him.

Harry studied her. Hermione looked quite pale.

“Hermione, you look scared to death. What’s wrong?” he asked her suspiciously.

“Oh, it’s just the excitement of you two meeting,” the witch lied, her eyes shifting.

Of course, Harry knew she was lying. He’d been around her long enough to know, but he didn’t say anything. Hermione couldn’t keep anything to herself for too long if she was troubled. He just had to be patient.

Dobby walked into the living room, looking a bit perplexed.

“Someone stands outside. Is not the Snape…is a witch,” the house elf said.

Both Harry and Hermione pulled back the curtain and saw a very plain witch in black robes standing in front of the house, which of course looked like a pile of rubble.

“That’s the Professor,” Hermione said, her heart fluttering nervously, “He said he would be polyjuiced. I’d better go get him.”

Hermione appeared to apparate next to the witch standing outside. She studied her as cool brown eyes out of a rather acned face looked back at her. Then she checked her stones. Yes, they both were glowing. Professor Snape’s stone and Albus’ stone. Hermione took the witch’s arm without saying a word and appeared to apparate with her, when actually they walked up to the house, which magically appeared. Hermione released the polyjuiced wizard immediately and held out her hand.

“Your wand, please,” she said, glad the wizard didn’t look like himself. It was much easier to deal with him this way.

The Professor hadn’t said a word and watched as Hermione opened the door then followed her into the living room. Harry stood up and stared at the witch.

“Professor Snape?” he asked.
“If I’m not, then you have serious security issues, Mr. Potter,” the witch said in Snape’s voice.

Hermione giggled. She couldn’t help it. Hearing that silky voice coming from a witch was too funny. The witch scowled at her.

“I’m surprised you find anything about me…funny…Miss Granger,” the witch said.

Hermione sobered immediately.

”How long before you turn back, Professor?” Harry asked him. It was disconcerting seeing and hearing the wizard as a witch. He couldn’t focus on the Potions Master this way.

“It shouldn’t be long, Mr. Potter,” the witch replied, sitting down in one of the armchairs. There were only two and Hermione preferred to stand.

Shortly, Professor Snape turned back, the mousy brown hair shortening and darkening to lank, black locks, the acned skin clearing and turning pale, the familiar facial features of the dour wizard returning as well as his severe black robes.

Harry stared at him, his eyes darkening for a moment as the wizard he greatly disliked for years was restored.

“The man you love to hate, Mr. Potter,” Severus said with a nod.

“I don’t hate you so much now, Professor…but we aren’t fast friends,” the boy-who-lived replied.

“Just the way I like it,” Severus said with a sneer.

Harry’s eyes washed over him, then he looked at Hermione.

“Show me,” he said to her.

Swallowing, Hermione walked up to the chair Severus was sitting in. The wizard’s dark eyes rested on the witch’s face, but she wouldn’t look at him. Instead she pulled out her necklace and showed Harry the glowing stones.

“The gray one is Professor Snape’s and the blue one is the Headmaster’s. Both signatures are registering,” she said.

Harry nodded then looked at Snape.

“You didn’t know the Headmaster made you a Horcrux?” Harry asked him.

“No, I did not. But I am sure Miss Granger filled you in admirably. I’m not here to talk about the current situation, but the future one, Mr. Potter. We are going to have to work together, and I want to lay down the law right now…otherwise you WILL go it alone despite Albus’ wishes. Do you understand me?” he said to Harry snarkily.

Harry bristled.

“Lay down what law?” he asked, challenge in his voice.

“You will listen to everything I say without question, and do as I say without hesitation. It is important and could well mean our lives if you cannot comply with this, Mr. Potter. I need to know that you will swallow down that hardheadedness you are famous for in order to complete our mission. I have put everything on the line for this, Mr. Potter, everything. I am a wanted man. There are people out here would kill me as soon as look at me. Only the completion of this mission and the restoration of Albus will restore my name and my life. That I have to rely on your cooperation irks me greatly, but I will stomach what is necessary to stomach in order to achieve our goal,” the wizard said, scowling at Harry.

Harry looked at him. Actually, Snape was asking Harry no more than the Headmaster did when they went to retrieve the locket in the cave of the Inferi. Snape was frowning at him as if he expected him to protest…as usual. Harry decided that if he were going to accomplish anything with Snape, then he would have to trust him and his judgment…just as the Headmaster had.

“All right, Professor. I will follow your instructions to the letter, sir,” the wizard said.

Both of Severus’ eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Can it be, Mr. Potter, that you’ve finally developed a brain?” he asked the young wizard.

“Yes…er…no…er. Damn it, Professor…I just want to finish this and be free to live my life. Period. If that means listening to you while looking for Horcruxes…then I’ll just have to do it. You know what they are and where they are…so I have to trust you,” Harry replied.

“That you do, Mr. Potter. Now, Voldemort is sending me to check on the next Horcrux this Friday. It is my hope that this time he will give me the coordinates instead of sending me directly to the area. If he does that, it will take me some time to get my bearings and come retrieve you. I would rather take you with me. Now Mr. Potter, I want you to understand that Voldemort does not make it a practice to tell me exactly what dangers surround the Horcruxes, he only warns me what not to do and gives me directions and spells to supersede his protections. I had no idea Inferi were in the lake, though he warned me several times not to touch the water. So, we will be walking into a situation that we know is dangerous, but not knowing what the exact danger is. So again, it is very important that you obey me should something go wrong,” Severus said.

“Yes sir,” Harry agreed, feeling a sense of excitement and adventure now.

“Don’t look so blasted excited about this, Potter. Gods, why does danger give you such a thrill?” Severus hissed at him, “This is not a game. Our lives can be lost. Remember that.”

The Potions Master pinched his nose as Harry still looked excited. How did Albus do this to him? He was going to kill the wizard again right after his restoration, damn it. The wizard rose.

“You must grant me access to your home. Mr Potter. Miss Granger will not always be here to escort me in and out. Most of the time I will be disillusioned rather than polyjuiced, since Voldemort will see no need for me to disguise myself. The Horcruxes are all in secluded areas,” the Professor said.

“I’ll key it to you now, if Hermione will give me my wand,” Harry said, looking at Hermione.

The witch looked at both of them. The Professor and Harry had been quite civil to each other though an awful lot had been left unsaid between them because of Severus, who only wanted to talk about what had to be done and not what transpired before. Well, this wasn’t a social call. Hermione handed both wizards their wands, and for a heart stopping moment both sets of eyes narrowed before Harry pointed his wand at Severus and captured his signature.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, leaving Hermione and Severus alone.

Hermione found the floor very, very interesting as she stared down at it. Severus looked at her, a small smirk on his face.

“Nothing to say to me, Miss Granger?” he asked her silkily.

“No. I have nothing to say, Professor,” the witch replied.

Severus stared at her.

“Take your eyes off the floor and look at me witch. If you can write fantasies about me, you can look at me!” he snapped.

Startled, Hermione looked up at him, reddening.

“You don’t have anything to say to me about invading your privacy? Where is your Gryffindor outrage?” he hissed at her, “Where is your heart? Your courage?”

”I don’t want to talk about it, Professor. I’d rather forget it,” Hermione said softly.

“Can you forget about it, Miss Granger? I am no longer a murderer in your eyes. I’m a ‘hero’ again. Can you turn it off like that, witch? That urge to have me ravish you?” he asked her, stepping closer.

“Leave me alone,” Hermione said, stepping back, “Don’t you touch me.”

“What do you think would happen if I ignored your wishes and touched you anyway, Miss Granger?” he purred, his voice becoming low and seductive, “Would you pretend to protest like in your fantasies all the while wanting me to touch you more, or would you just soak your knickers in ecstasy?”

The wizard began to walk toward Hermione in earnest now, and the witch couldn’t make her legs move. Suddenly Harry entered the room and Severus stopped, his eyes hard as he looked at the witch. Hermione was breathing hard.

“I’ve done it, Professor,” Harry said, then he looked at Hermione, then back at the Potions Master, his eyes narrowed.

“Is everything all right in here?” he asked suspiciously.

“Fine, Mr. Potter,” Severus said, pulling a flask out of his pocket, opening it and drinking it down. He turned into a rather dumpy, older witch, “I’ve said all that needs to be said. Keep your Friday free and be prepared to depart immediately when I appear. I will see my way out. Goodbye, Miss Granger.”

And just like that, Severus exited Harry’s house and disapparated back to Voldemort’s stronghold.

Harry watched him go and turned back towards Hermione.

“Hermione, what’s going on here? Why are you breathing so hard?” he asked the witch, who was calming now.

“Nothing is going on Harry. I just felt it was a little close in here. It happens sometimes,” she replied, not meeting his eyes.

“I’ve never seen it happen before,” he said, studying her.

“Listen, I’ve got to get back to Hogwarts,” Hermione said briskly, walking forward and giving Harry a hug, “Be careful and listen to the Professor. I want you both to come back.”

”Both?” Harry asked, his brow furrowed.

“Yes. It’s going to take the both of you to succeed, Harry. Both of you have to be safe,” she replied letting him go and kissing him on the cheek.

Harry escorted Hermione to the door and watched as she disapparated.

Something was going on here. He just couldn’t put his finger on it.

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A/N: Wow. I guess Severus decided to go for it. Lol. Thanks for reading.