Payback is a Witch

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 27 ~ Finding Answers

Severus stared at Hermione in amazement. The witch was willing to take veritaserum and be questioned by him? Severus had mixed feelings about this. If she didn't feel anything but loathing for him, she would be brutally honest about it. If she said she never wanted to be his lover, then that would be all there was for it and any hope he had of persuading her would be crushed. But inversely, if she did feel anything for him at all, he would know it without any doubts.

Plus, he could ask her anything and she would have to tell him the truth. His eyes glittered slightly at this. He rose.

"Take this chair, Hermione," he said, moving aside.

Hermione looked at him. Her eyes were glistening but also slightly afraid. She had mixed feelings about the wizard, feelings she couldn't sort out. This was the ultimate way to do it. If Severus was willing to bare his soul, then she could do no less. Hermione walked slowly to the chair and sat down. She opened the bottle and drank it down, not thinking to ask for an oath from Severus. The wizard watched as she drained the bottle. Suddenly, Hermione's eyes flicked to him.

"An oath…" she began.

Severus shook his head and smirked at her.

"Too late, witch. You should have secured it before you took the veritaserum," he replied. He had some lingering questions about her time at Hogwarts that he would love to know the answers to.

"You really are a bastard," Hermione spat at him.

"But you already know that. It still doesn't change how I feel about you witch. Now sit still and let the potion do its work," the wizard replied.

Instead of sitting on the sofa as Hermione did, Severus grasped the other armchair, slid it directly in front of the witch and sat down in it so he was quite close.

Hermione looked at the wizard…his brow was furrowed and his dark eyes seemed even darker as he waited for her to open up to him, revealing all her secrets. Her stomach felt full of lacewing flies and her mouth was dry. She swallowed reflexively.

Severus could feel Hermione's fear and apprehension wash over him. He knew what she felt as far as opening up went. She would be all right when the potion kicked in.

Presently, Hermione's eyes took on a glazed look and she relaxed. She was under the influence of the veritaserum. He began.

"In your second year, why did you brew the polyjuice potion that turned you into a cat-like creature?" he asked her.

"I was trying to turn into Millicent Bulstrode and infiltrate Slytherin House to find out if Draco Malfoy knew anything about the Chamber of Secrets," she replied hollowly.

Severus processed this. Pretty Slytherin for a Gryffindor.

"Who stole the ingredients?" he asked her.

"I did, when you were distracted by a diversion by Harry," she replied.

Severus quirked an eyebrow at her. He had been certain Harry had stolen those ingredients somehow. Hermione had been sneakier than he imagined at Hogwarts.

"In your third year…did you help Sirius Black escape?" he asked her.

Hermione hesitated. Severus knew she was trying not to answer.

"Did you?" he insisted.

"Yes," she replied, turning a bit red from her effort not to answer.

"I knew it!" Severus exclaimed, scowling at the witch.

He had so badly wanted to see Sirius receive the dementor's kiss…even if he didn't betray the Potters or kill all those muggles. He had hated the wizard. He still did.

"How did you save him?" Severus asked her, leaning forward in the chair.

"Harry and I used a time turner, went back and altered the original events. We saved Buckbeak the hippogriff from being executed, then flew up to the turret where Sirius was being held, broke him out and gave him Buckbeak so he could fly to safety," the witch replied.

Severus stared at her, remembering all the books she had that year. She must have been taking extra classes, using the time turner to access them all. He had a feeling Albus was in on Sirius' rescue as well.

"Did Albus help you?" he breathed.

"He told me three turns should do it," Hermione answered.

Severus shook his head. The old coot. Once a Gryffindor, always a Gryffindor. Well, those nagging questions had been answered. He still felt a little out of sorts Hermione had stolen his ingredients and got away with it. Well, up to now. A little punishment might be in order later on. His black eyes glittered. It was time to find out how she felt about him.

"Who is the best lover you have ever had, Hermione Granger?" he asked her.

"You," Hermione answered in almost a whisper.

"Did you ever think of me after you left Hogwarts?" he asked her. "And what did you think about?"

"Yes, I did think about you, but was ashamed I did. I thought about what you had done to me, and how I wished I could find someone like you…who could make me feel the same way you did," she replied, her voice quavering.

"Why were you ashamed of this?" he asked her.

"Because I knew you cared nothing for me and had manipulated me into the situation, but found I still liked what had happened. I liked you taking me the way you did. It made me feel like a twisted little bit of fluff. As if something were wrong with me," she answered. "It was a dirty secret."

"How did you deal with these feelings?" he asked the witch.

"I would fantasize about you and masturbate. Then I fucked a number of wizards, trying to find one like you for a while. When I couldn't find one, I turned to Ron. He was nothing like you, but he was a friend and I didn't feel bad sleeping with him. He met some of my needs and we enjoyed each other. It was better than sleeping with strangers. Then I found Vlad. He wasn't you. He was crueler to me than you ever were, but was the closest wizard to you. He gave me what I needed," she replied.

"Did you ever think about seeking me out?" Severus asked her.

"I did. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. To come begging to you after what you had done to me…well…"

Here Hermione paused.

"After what I blamed you for. I couldn't deal with the fact that you didn't actually force me to come to you. That I could have possibly found another way to do what I needed to do, even if it took a few more years. And there was something else…" the witch said, her voice quavering again

"And what was that?" he asked her.

"It excited me that you found me desirable, even though you were manipulative as to how you brought me to you, and selfish as to how you took me. You were so dark, so inaccessible…you seemed to have no feelings…but you wanted me. I made you feel something, even if it was only lust. I believed I was the only witch at Hogwarts that you felt that way about," she said softly.

Severus looked at her.

"On New Years Eve, I would have settled for almost anyone, Hermione. But after that, even though I did my best to push you out of my mind…I did still want to fuck you again. I hadn't even scratched the surface that night with you. And you are the only student I ever put my hands on," the wizard replied, "They were all too young…too immature…too silly to be attractive to me. You were always a rather serious young lady, irritating as you were. I wanted to be part of your learning experience. I wanted you to remember me for something other than being your Potions teacher. I wanted to be inserted in your psyche…in that brilliant mind. Why…I can't tell you, but knew you could survive me intact and keep the secret. You wouldn't tell anyone."

He looked at the witch for a moment.

"Hermione, do you find me desirable now?" he asked her.

"Yes," she replied.

"Do you want to be my lover?" he asked her, his stomach knotting. "My only lover?"

Hermione didn't answer for several seconds.

"Yes," she said, her eyes glistening.

Severus felt relief wash over him, before he considered that wanting to be his lover and becoming his lover were two different things.

"Will you be my lover?" he asked her softly. "Mine alone? Fuck no other wizards but me?"

The Potions Master was already feeling territorial about the witch. He didn't want anyone else to feel her fire but him…though they could never get the best of her as he could. It felt strange to want to possess another person so totally. But that was how he felt.

Again, Hermione didn't speak immediately. She began to shake.

"Will you be my lover, Hermione?" Severus demanded of her, his black eyes fixed to her face.

A single tear rolled down the witch's cheek.

"Yes," she said, her eyes flicking toward his, losing their glazed look. This meant she had said all she needed to say, and the potion was wearing off.

Severus felt a great throb of desire for the witch and desperately asked her one more question before the potion wore off.

"Will you let me stay the night?"

Hermione looked at him and he felt a pulse of desire roll off the witch.

"Yes," she said softly.

The Potions Master felt as if he could breathe again, and sat back in the armchair, studying the witch. His witch. He lifted Hermione's hand and kissed it.

"You have made me a very happy wizard, Hermione. I don't think anyone has made me truly happy before, except maybe Voldemort when he cracked his head open and died," the wizard said. "You will not regret this, witch. I promise you."

Hermione simply blinked at him. Then the wizard scowled slightly.

"But don't expect sweet nothings from me, Hermione. I am not the kind of man that gives flowers and candy. I am the kind of man that will come here in the middle of the night or even in the light of day and take my pleasure of you. But I will make sure you feel me beyond that. I will make sure you feel complete in every way."

Hermione looked at him, then said, "As long as you know, Severus, I will not be your personal plaything. You won't be able to just waltz in here and have me whenever you want. And I will expect you to respect me. No verbal or physical abuse. The minute you mistreat me, I don't care how good you are in bed…you will be out of my life. Do you understand me? These are called 'Ground rules.' I have no doubt you'll need them."

Severus studied her. A witch had never set boundaries for him before.

"I will be allowed to attempt to seduce you, won't I? A 'no' isn't always a 'no' with a witch. Sometimes she wants to be pursued," he purred.

As long as the wizard was connected to the witch, he'd know what she wanted. He'd be able to tell if she really desired him or not. This ability would certainly come in handy with the independent witch. He felt another pulse from her, more intense than before.

"Attempted seductions will be allowed," Hermione said, smirking.

She didn't know Severus considered backing her into a wall and ravishing her mouth and body until she submitted, or describing deliciously dirty scenarios until her knickers were dripping, or throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her off to the bedroom or other available private place 'seduction.'

Well, she'd learn.

Severus stared at her intensely until Hermione felt her belly once again tie itself into knots…but it wasn't apprehension this time. It was lust, pure and simple. Then the wizard stood and pulled the witch up against his body. Hermione gasped as she felt his erection press hungrily into her belly.

"We need to consummate our new relationship, witch," he breathed down at her, his eyes glinting hotly. Then he swept her up into his arms.

Bagheera peeked out of the guestroom at the pair.

"I told her I would have to sleep in the guestroom tonight," he thought to himself, ducking back into the room as Severus carried Hermione down the hall and turned into her bedroom. The panther stuck his head out again as the door closed and he heard Severus say a warding spell.

"At least the wizard provided me with something to keep me occupied for the duration," the panther mused, padding back into the guestroom and rolling over on the catnip ball, biting and juggling it between his paws ecstatically.

It seemed everyone was going to have a good night at 150 Lavender Lane.

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A/N: Well, there we have it…after all their difficulties, Hermione and Severus have become lovers. They only have to consummate their new relationship. So we have some lemons coming up and an epilogue to tie up some loose ends. But Severus was something else, refusing to take an oath and asking about things she did in Hogwarts. He's so rotten. Lol. Anyway, please review.