Passing Ships part deux
Feb. 11th, 2007 11:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
averygoodun42Part One here.
The grip around her increased slightly, as did the shushing, and she felt herself being rocked slightly, side to side in a cruel mockery of comfort. Crying harder, she dropped her head, no longer caring if she exposed her neck. The grip around her eased slightly, though the shushing and rocking continued, slowly mesmerizing her into a lull. Her crying eased off, and hiccoughing, she decided to open her eyes, and face her fate like the Gryffindor she was.
She looked at the arms holding her, and her first thought was how odd a color it was for a spider. It wasn’t red or black, but bronze with black hairs. Then she noticed the hands gripping each other to keep her secure. Human hands.
“Severus?” she asked, still hiccoughing.
“Are you alright?” he asked, concern evident in his whisper.
She nodded, and he loosened his hold on her. She turned around and hugged him, burying her face in his chest. She was still crying, but from relief. He stilled for a moment, then returned her embrace, rubbing her back lightly.
He bent his head, till his mouth was touching her ear. “We aren’t safe yet,” he whispered urgently. “The big ones are on their way. I can get us out of here, but you have to concentrate on doing everything I say. Do you understand?”
Hermione nodded her head in assent.
“Good. I’m going to transfigure you, then take you out. You must follow my lead. Do you understand?”
She nodded again.
“Good. Remember, concentrate on following my lead. Do not obey your instincts.”
He stepped back from her, and she felt his wand on her chest. Surpressing her surprise at him still having that piece of equipment, she closed her eyes and concentrated on remaining still until the transformation was complete.
When she felt the tingle of magic end, she was immediately aware that she was feeling very different. She was suddenly much more aware of her surroundings, and could tell without opening her eyes that Severus was changing himself into his animal form. She opened her eyes and found the world looking very different. It was so dark. Even so, she could tell where Severus was by the tingling on her legs. She moved toward him, and immediately felt his retreat. She knew he wanted her to follow him, but suddenly that seemed unacceptable. He should be following her!
He was moving toward the web walls, and she had the strongest desire to eat him. She really was quite peckish, and he was being a pathetic excuse of a suitor. She picked up her speed a little and chased after him.
They moved through the walls without a problem, their sensitive hairs guiding them by shifts in the air and the high pitched vibrations of the taut strands of silk. Severus managed to gain a little ground in the webbing, Hermione was frustrated to find. She could sense that he was really quite far ahead of her, and scuttling along at a good clip. She continued her chase, though; he had looked so yummy.
Several furlongs along, she was finding herself gaining ground. For some reason he had slowed down. She took advantage and pushed herself to go even faster. He had come to a stop, so she was catching up very quickly, but just as she was closing in on her dish, she could sense the magic eminating from him, changing him into something else - something much larger.
She stopped as quickly as she could, but she could tell she was much too close to this new being. She ran to hide under a bush, but he was faster. She could feel the magic aimed at her but was unable to avoid it, even before it hit.
The blast of magic felt as if it was ripping all the hair from her body. She was blind, unable to sense anything. She was completely helpless, and the magic still surrounded her, changing her. She felt herself grow, stretching out, while several of her now hairless legs melted into her side, adding bulk to her length. She could feel the spell ending, putting the last touches on her transformation, and she became very aware of the ground beneath her.
The tingle of magic gone, she lay panting on the ground, exhausted from her sprint.
“Are you all right?” Severus asked, crouching down to turn her over.
Hermione nodded breathlessly, but continued to lie there, still trying to catch her breath.
“We need to get out of here, quickly,” he said, trying to help her up. She looked at him, and could see he was actually afraid. That spurred her to movement faster than anything else could. She took his hand, and pulled herself up, trying hard not to faint.
“Come,” he said, and tugged her hand urgently.
“One moment, Severus,” she responded, still overcoming the sparkles in her vision. “If I move right now I’m going to faint. Just give me one moment.”
Severus didn’t say anything, but his hand was clutching hers in impatience. Finally the impending black receeded, and Hermione straightened up. Snape didn’t bother speaking, but just started walking, yanking her along by her hand.
Their pace started off fairly quick, but Hermione noticed they were gradually speeding up. As she jogged alongside Severus, she looked up at his face and saw the tightness from school back there again. He looked like Snape again, albeit a very tan Snape.
Before long they sped up to the point where Severus was jogging. Hermione ran to keep up, but her lungs were burning and a nasty stitch in her side was starting to slow her down. She let go of Severus’ hand, and her hand slipped out of his. Severus looked back, in concern, and he slowed down to let Hermione catch up.
“We’re almost there, but you must hurry.” He sounded more than a little concerned, but Hermione just couldn’t push herself any harder. She was starting to hyperventilate, and the side cramp was making her eyes water. She looked up to plead with Severus, and saw him looking behind her, eyes wide in terror.
“COME!” He yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling hard. She stumbled slightly, but he pulled her up, almost lifting her from the ground with the force. She regained her footing and ran as hard as she could to keep up with him. Every now and again he would look back and increase their pace yet again. Curiosity overcoming her need to concentrate on footing, Hermione looked back, and felt a jolt of adrenaline run through her system.
A very large spider was closing in on them, and it was moving much faster than they were. The very large spider was being followed by a few other slightly smaller spiders, and them by dozens, if not hundreds, of the smaller red spiders, the ones as big as a plate.
The adrenaline kicked in, and suddenly Snape didn’t need to pull her along. They were sprinting through the forest, leaves and vines whipping them as they ran hand in hand. They reached an embankment and Snape pulled Hermione forward and shoved her up the hill roughly. She scrambled to find purchase with her hands and feet, grabbing vines, roots and leaves in her haste. She reached the top and glanced back for Severus, who was only halfway up the hill and struggling.
“GET OVER THE HILL!” he screamed at her with his panic laced eyes. The spiders would be on him in a matter of seconds. She looked around and found a dead branch that was fairly fresh. She picked it up and carefully lowered it down to him before bracing herself on a large root.
“Grab on!” she told him, as she put the other end in his reach.
Instinctively, he did as he was told, using his feet to climb while she pulled as hard as she could. His progress improved, but the spiders were still gaining. She continued pulling while he scrambled, and just as she put all her effort into a final pull, he found purchase with his formost foot and pushed forward with all his might. The combined effort propelled him into the air and he literally flew up the rest of the escarpment, colliding with her at the top, making them both lose their footing. They tumbled over each other down the other side of the ridge, each covering their heads instinctively to protect themselves from the sticks and stones in their path. They landed in an undignified heap at the bottom of the hill, neither in good shape.
Hermione found herself pinned to the ground by Severus’ weight. She shoved him forcefully on the shoulder, urging him to move.
“We need to get up, Severus. The’ll be here any moment now!”
Severus’ face was pressed against her chest, but she could feel him relaxing. Thinking he was losing consciousness, she shook his shoulder again. “Severus, we have to go!” She could hear how panicky she sounded, but she really didn’t want to be spider food.
“Rrsf,” she heard him mumble into her chest. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she could feel him kissing her breast through the cloth.
“Now really isn’t the time for that, Severus,” she admonished, feeling the panic swell.
Snape raised his head and grinned at her wearily. “I said ‘we’re safe.’”
She looked at him in confusion, then remembered: the wards. She immediately felt the tension leave her body as relief washed over her. She closed her eyes and sighed, letting her head fall back to the ground with a small splat. After a few moment of heavy breathing, she noticed that Snape hadn’t moved off her. In fact, he had moved up. She opened her eyes and found him looking down at her, the same hungry expression he wore at breakfast on his face.
“You lied,” she said, getting used to the feel of his body on hers. “You said you’d lost your wand.”
“I did lose it, but wood floats,” he responded, lowering his lips to her neck. She hummed in pleasure, but brought his face up to hers again.
Still holding his face in her cupped hands, she looked at him squarely. “Why?” she asked softly. She knew he understood her question when his expression went from lust to grief.
“He begged me to.”
He closed his eyes and started to get up, but she maintained her hold on his head, stopping his retreat.
She held his face, gently stroking his cheeks and brow with her thumbs until he opened his eyes. She felt her own tears forming as he looked at her, pain evident in every crease of his face, every line around his eyes, and in the irises themselves. She offered him a thin smile, and brought his lips down to hers.
He was reluctant at first, as much by surprise than by anything else, but within a few seconds he was relaxing into the kiss, smooching her tenderly as they discovered the feel of each other’s lips. It wasn’t long before they both became a little more eager, wanting to taste more of each other, and explore the depths of their mouths.
Soon their kisses became insistant, each losing themselves in the passion incited by their relief in surviving. They held on to each other, reveling in the feel of each curve, joint and valley they discovered.
Hermione was surprised by how good a kisser Snape was. She would have thought that having such thin lips would detract from using them most effectively, but she was wrong. His lips moved against hers with an agility Victor’s hadn’t had, and it seemed that thin lips were all the better for allowing access into his mouth.
The way he flicked his tongue against hers sent tingles down to her toes, and when she responded in kind, she was thrilled to her very core by his satisfied groan. She felt him shifting on top of her, lifting himself to reach between them while moving his mouth down her neck. As he did, she moved her leg to accommodate his new position.
“Oh!” she cried, unfortunately not from his light nibbles along her neck.
He stopped to look up at her a smirk on his lips. “Was that a good ‘oh,’ or bad ‘oh’?” he asked, though his expression assumed the best.
“Bad.” Hermione responded breathlessly. She was finding it hard to breathe as she tried to bear the sharp pain radiating through her leg. Snape moved off her with an alacrity she wished she possessed.
“What hurts,” he asked as he knelt beside her, scanning her form for injuries.
“My leg. It feels like there’s a dagger in there.” She felt him move over to examine her legs and winced when he touched the bad one. He sucked in his breath as he gently turned it.
“It seems that the roll down the hill was not in your best interests,” he commented dryly. “There is a rather large splinter lodged in your calf. I would prefer not to remove it until we’re back at the cave. Will you be able to manage the walk?”
Hermione whimpered. “How far?”
“Only a few hundred feet. The terrain is downhill, though.”
Hermione tried to breathe deeply and relax her muscles, knowing the tension would only make the pain worse. As she felt the pain receed to only a nasty burn, she nodded and raised her arm for help getting up.
As soon as she moved the pain came back full force, but she had been expecting it. She concentrated on breathing, while Snape supported her weight, and helped her adjust to a less painful position.
Slowly, the pain receeded again, but she found that every step she took brought it back. They made slow progress as she limped along, holding on to Snape’s arm tightly. After only a dozen feet she knew she needed to rest.
She looked up at Snape, hers eyes blearing with the pain, and saw his jaw tighten when he looked down at her.
“You need to rest,” he stated. She nodded mutely, too exhausted to be annoyed at his statement of the obvious.
He carefully helped her down into a sitting position, letting her lean her back against a tree.
When the pain had receeded again, she opened her eyes to look at him. He was crouching before her, his mouth set in a tight line and he was frowning fiercely. He looked just as he did when Neville melted yet another cauldron. That reminded her of Hogwarts, and that reminded her of wands.
“Can’t you levitate me to the cave?” she asked, somewhat annoyed he hadn’t thought of it before her.
“I’d prefer not to,” he said, and his brow contracted even further.
“Why not?” She demanded. “It took us minutes to get ten feet, and I don’t know how much further I can go.”
“I would prefer to avoid using any magic at all,” he answered vaguely.
Hermione, being tired and achy, lost her last fragment of patience. “And why the hell not? If I had my wand I would have apparated the hell out of this hell-hole, or, if that’s not possible, then I would have transfigured a boat to sail off and escape! I would have been able to conjure myself some fresh water as soon as I woke up instead of wandering through a forest sweating out the precious last drops of fluid.”
“You stopped sweating hours before I found you,” Snape pointed out calmly, which didn’t improve Hermione’s mood.
“That’s exactly my point! I wouldn’t have been dehydrated, I wouldn’t have been fumbling around the forest, I wouldn’t be covered in muck, I wouldn’t have been chased by friggin HUGE spiders, and I wouldn’t be stuck here with YOU!”
She stopped her rant and sat glaring at Snape while trying ro catch her breath. Snape, she saw with satisfaction, was getting a bit annoyed as well.
“Do you think I wouldn’t have preferred to levitate you to the cave instead of carrying you for half a mile? You’re not exactly light as a feather. Do you think I wanted to stumble through the dark to fetch you water instead of casting a simple charm? The wards may fend off all creatures magical, but there are still some bloody nasty bugs out there, most of which are nocturnal. And do you really think I would be running about half naked like a barbarian if I didn’t absolutely, positively NEED to refrain from using magic?”
Hermione was glaring at him through narrowed eyes, and crossed her arms. “Considering you told me you had lost your wand, no, none of that occurred to me. And since you revealed the truth, I’ve had other things on my mind, like escaping from spiders, kissing you and trying not to puke or faint!” She had started yelling again, but realized it took too much energy. Lowering her volume, she continue, “You could have told me why. You could still tell me why.”
He shot her a look that spoke volumes about his opinion of that suggestion.
“Are you ready to move again?” he asked, barely keeping his tone civil.
Hermione would have loved to jump up and stalk off, but alas, she was completely knackered. Arguing hadn’t helped matters any, so by the time she had shifted into an upright position her body decided it had had enough, and she passed out.
Hermione woke up to the sound of frogs chirruping through the still night air. She started to turn over to get herself more comfortable when she was reminded of her leg. Muttering to herself, she tried to lift herself to a sitting position, only to find her back objecting.
“Piss!” she said in frustration.
“Do you need to, or are you just commenting on the state of things?” A snide voice returned from beyond her vision.
Snorting despite herself, Hermione looked over to see Snape's dark form leaning against the cave wall, watching her.
“Commenting, although now that you mention it...” she trailed off uncomfortably, trying to shift her body to ease her bladder. Unfortunately, that triggered her leg, although it wasn't nearly as bad as she remembered it being. She felt along her leg, and to her surprise found bandages.
Then she realized that they were in the cave, rather than in the forest where they'd stopped to rest.
“You carried me.” She knew it was a statement of absurd obviousness, but she was rather touched that he would carry her to safety, yet again.
“So it would seem,” was all he said.
“And you cleaned my leg out?”
“Again, you have an incredible grasp of the basic facts, Miss Granger.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed, getting annoyed at his tone. And the return of formalities. She wanted to lash out at him, but knew that she really did owe him a bit of common decency.
“Thank you, Severus,” she said, making sure her tone was heartfelt.
She saw his body relax just slightly, and then he nodded his head. “You're welcome,” he answered softly.
They sat there in an awkward silence for a few minutes until Snape shifted and got up.
“I assume you are hungry?” he asked still using a soft, caring tone.
She nodded, but then figured that he probably couldn't see her, so she said, “Yes, I am a bit peckish.”
He nodded again. “I'll be back shortly, then. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone.”
“I'll try my hardest.”
And then he was gone. She shivered as the moist air of the cave wrapped itself around her and reminded her of how sore her body was. That roll down the hill had been a bit on the uncomfortable side, she decided.
Unfortunately, her bladder was becoming most insistent, and she found herself ignoring all her pain in order to get up and out of the cave.
For the first time ever, she wished there was a chamber pot for her to use.
She hadn't realized how long it had taken her to complete that simple task until she rounded the corner to the cave and found Snape waiting for her in front of a beautiful, blazing fire.
“Feel better?” he asked in amusement.
“My bladder does,” she answered, her mood lifted considerably at the sight of the fire. “My back and leg, however...”
“Mmm,” Snape hummed as he led her back to her portion of the cave. “Well, I don't think there's anything else that can be done for your leg at this point, but I do know of an ancient remedy that might help your back, if you'll permit me?”
She looked at him doubtfully, not knowing what to make of his playful tone. “If you think it will help, I'm up for just about anything,” she admitted finally.
He raised an eyebrow. “Anything?”
She blushed, but didn't backtrack. “Anything. Or just about.”
A pleased and slightly wicked smile crept up on him, and he held out his hand to her. “Well then, the firs thing that needs to be done is for you to lie down.”
She raised an eyebrow in response, but took his hand and let him help her down. Once she was sitting, she kept eye contact as he kneeled beside her to help as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. He kept his hand behind her head until her head reached the ground, and then hovered over her. He looked as if he was deciding whether or not to kiss her, and she found she wanted him to. She raised up her arm to caress his face, but clenched her eyes shut as her back protested the movement.
He removed his hand from her head, moving it to her shoulder. “Roll over.”
With some effort and quite a lot of help, she complied. It was slightly awkward, having her head to one side on the gritty floor, but when Snape started moving his hands along her back, she decided it was worth it.
“Mmm,” she breathed, as he gently eased his thumbs into her sore muscles. It was heavenly. She wondered if sex even compared to it. It was a tough call.
She let herself relax as he released all the tension and knots that had accumulated over time. She let her mind wander freely, with only his touch rooting her to reality. Soon, though, even his warm, wonderful hands weren't enough, and her mental wanderings transformed into dreams.
She woke up on her back to a dimly lit cave. Dawn was approaching and the birds were starting to wake up.
She sat up, rolling her shoulders and stretching her back, luxuriating in the lack of stiffness. She tested her leg, but found that it was stiffer than it had been the day before, although it wasn't quite as painful.
Looking around, she saw that Snape was sleeping only a few feet away. Even in the dim light, she could tell he was sleeping, as his body seemed more relaxed than she'd ever seen it. She was surprised to find him so relaxed. Even when he'd been at his most playful with her the day before, he had still radiated tense energy. Control. But now...
She cautiously flexed her back once more and then slowly crawled over to Snape's prone form, surprised when he didn't wake up. She sat down beside his head and gazed at him, trying to figure him out.
He definitely wasn't the Professor Snape she'd known at Hogwarts. Not only had he smiled, played and flirted and kissed her, but he was tan.
No, this definitely wasn't Professor Snape, but was he Severus? She ran her finger through the loose ends of his hair that were splayed out around his head like a dark corona. They were pretty oily, but she imagined that shampoo was probably pretty hard to come by out in the middle of nowhere.
Without thinking about it, her fingers found their way to his face, gently stroking his pronounced brow, feeling the contrast of his skin and the dense cluster of hairs that made up his eyebrows. She let her fingers wander all over his face, quietly mapping out his features as if that would tell her who exactly he was.
But even as she ran a fingertip down the length of his nose, she hadn't come to a conclusion. He was a puzzle. A very intriguing puzzle. A very sexy and intruiging puzzle.
That was something she never would have thought she'd think. But, then again, she doubted she would find Professor Snape sexy under any circumstances, despite his voice. No, it was Severus who was attractive. It was Severus who had carried her here twice. It was Severus who had flirted with her and given her half his mango. It was Severus who had saved her from the spiders.
It was Severus who was now staring at her with his dark, dark eyes.
“Good morning,” she said quietly, running her fingers through his hair one last time.
“I trust you feel better?” he asked, his tone soft, though slightly acidic.
She just smiled. “Yes, and thank you very much.” She leaned over and gave him a light kiss on his cheek. “I almost feel human again.”
His eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, and she knew he was smiling without looking at his lips. “I'm glad to hear that,” he said, then reached up and grabbed her. In no tome flat, she was back on her back, only this time he was on top of her. For one moment she felt a flicker of fear, but it was quickly banished by her growing arousal.
Snape stayed there on top of her, resting on his elbows to keep the majority of his weight off of her, although his hips were pressing quite firmly against hers in a most satisfying way, and just examined her.
Finally, he said, “So, tell me, Miss Granger, what does feeling human entail?”
Hermione smirked slightly before taking on a look of playful confusion. “What do you mean, Professor?”
He smirked back, then traced a hand down her torso. When he reached her breast, he slowly played with the flesh, until he closed in on her nipple, saying, “Well, I'll assume from your vebal reponse that your cognitive functions are in order, and you are able to process complex thoughts into coherent sentences?”
He tweaked her nipple and ground his hips against her at that moment, making her groan in answer. He chuckled.
“Hmm,” he said, continuing his ministrations on her breast. “Perhaps that isn't part of feeling 'human'?” He didn't give her time to answer before his mouth was on hers, softly kissing her, and coaxing her to open up to him.
She allowed him in and felt his tongue slowly but confidently take in its surroundings from licking her lips to slowly stroking her tongue, making her moan. Her moan seemed to be a catalyst, as his gentle ministrations took on a slightly more insistent quality. He teased her tongue with his until she took control, luring him into her mouth, then capturing his tongue and sucking.
He responded with a small shudder and a moan, grinding his hips against hers again. When she released him, he pulled away, breathless.
“So,” he panted, “ I ask again. What does feeling human entail?”
She smiled up at him, and raised her hand to caress his cheek. “I think this qualifies as feeling human,” she said, running her fingers through his hair and bringing him back down for another kiss.
This kiss started out insistent, and quickly became heated. Hermione could feel Severus growing hard, and the mere thought sent shivers down her spine. They were no longer gently teasing one another, but trying to consume each other.
Snape pulled away again, panting hard. “If you want to stop, Hermione...”
She shook her head, and pulled him back down, not even bothering to let him finish. As soon as his mouth was back on hers, she let her hands wander down his body, feeling his taut back muscles, and, further down, his lovely, firm arse.
He groaned in pleasure and frustration when she grabbed said arse and tried pulling him closer. He broke away from her, and quickly stripped off his ragged shorts while she lifted off her shirt.
When her head reemerged, she found Severus looking at her with something akin to awe.
He reached out a tentative hand and caressed her, from breast to hip before meeting her eyes with a smile. He didn't say anything, however, as he chose to occupy his mouth otherwise.
She looked at the arms holding her, and her first thought was how odd a color it was for a spider. It wasn’t red or black, but bronze with black hairs. Then she noticed the hands gripping each other to keep her secure. Human hands.
“Severus?” she asked, still hiccoughing.
“Are you alright?” he asked, concern evident in his whisper.
She nodded, and he loosened his hold on her. She turned around and hugged him, burying her face in his chest. She was still crying, but from relief. He stilled for a moment, then returned her embrace, rubbing her back lightly.
He bent his head, till his mouth was touching her ear. “We aren’t safe yet,” he whispered urgently. “The big ones are on their way. I can get us out of here, but you have to concentrate on doing everything I say. Do you understand?”
Hermione nodded her head in assent.
“Good. I’m going to transfigure you, then take you out. You must follow my lead. Do you understand?”
She nodded again.
“Good. Remember, concentrate on following my lead. Do not obey your instincts.”
He stepped back from her, and she felt his wand on her chest. Surpressing her surprise at him still having that piece of equipment, she closed her eyes and concentrated on remaining still until the transformation was complete.
When she felt the tingle of magic end, she was immediately aware that she was feeling very different. She was suddenly much more aware of her surroundings, and could tell without opening her eyes that Severus was changing himself into his animal form. She opened her eyes and found the world looking very different. It was so dark. Even so, she could tell where Severus was by the tingling on her legs. She moved toward him, and immediately felt his retreat. She knew he wanted her to follow him, but suddenly that seemed unacceptable. He should be following her!
He was moving toward the web walls, and she had the strongest desire to eat him. She really was quite peckish, and he was being a pathetic excuse of a suitor. She picked up her speed a little and chased after him.
They moved through the walls without a problem, their sensitive hairs guiding them by shifts in the air and the high pitched vibrations of the taut strands of silk. Severus managed to gain a little ground in the webbing, Hermione was frustrated to find. She could sense that he was really quite far ahead of her, and scuttling along at a good clip. She continued her chase, though; he had looked so yummy.
Several furlongs along, she was finding herself gaining ground. For some reason he had slowed down. She took advantage and pushed herself to go even faster. He had come to a stop, so she was catching up very quickly, but just as she was closing in on her dish, she could sense the magic eminating from him, changing him into something else - something much larger.
She stopped as quickly as she could, but she could tell she was much too close to this new being. She ran to hide under a bush, but he was faster. She could feel the magic aimed at her but was unable to avoid it, even before it hit.
The blast of magic felt as if it was ripping all the hair from her body. She was blind, unable to sense anything. She was completely helpless, and the magic still surrounded her, changing her. She felt herself grow, stretching out, while several of her now hairless legs melted into her side, adding bulk to her length. She could feel the spell ending, putting the last touches on her transformation, and she became very aware of the ground beneath her.
The tingle of magic gone, she lay panting on the ground, exhausted from her sprint.
“Are you all right?” Severus asked, crouching down to turn her over.
Hermione nodded breathlessly, but continued to lie there, still trying to catch her breath.
“We need to get out of here, quickly,” he said, trying to help her up. She looked at him, and could see he was actually afraid. That spurred her to movement faster than anything else could. She took his hand, and pulled herself up, trying hard not to faint.
“Come,” he said, and tugged her hand urgently.
“One moment, Severus,” she responded, still overcoming the sparkles in her vision. “If I move right now I’m going to faint. Just give me one moment.”
Severus didn’t say anything, but his hand was clutching hers in impatience. Finally the impending black receeded, and Hermione straightened up. Snape didn’t bother speaking, but just started walking, yanking her along by her hand.
Their pace started off fairly quick, but Hermione noticed they were gradually speeding up. As she jogged alongside Severus, she looked up at his face and saw the tightness from school back there again. He looked like Snape again, albeit a very tan Snape.
Before long they sped up to the point where Severus was jogging. Hermione ran to keep up, but her lungs were burning and a nasty stitch in her side was starting to slow her down. She let go of Severus’ hand, and her hand slipped out of his. Severus looked back, in concern, and he slowed down to let Hermione catch up.
“We’re almost there, but you must hurry.” He sounded more than a little concerned, but Hermione just couldn’t push herself any harder. She was starting to hyperventilate, and the side cramp was making her eyes water. She looked up to plead with Severus, and saw him looking behind her, eyes wide in terror.
“COME!” He yelled, grabbing her hand and pulling hard. She stumbled slightly, but he pulled her up, almost lifting her from the ground with the force. She regained her footing and ran as hard as she could to keep up with him. Every now and again he would look back and increase their pace yet again. Curiosity overcoming her need to concentrate on footing, Hermione looked back, and felt a jolt of adrenaline run through her system.
A very large spider was closing in on them, and it was moving much faster than they were. The very large spider was being followed by a few other slightly smaller spiders, and them by dozens, if not hundreds, of the smaller red spiders, the ones as big as a plate.
The adrenaline kicked in, and suddenly Snape didn’t need to pull her along. They were sprinting through the forest, leaves and vines whipping them as they ran hand in hand. They reached an embankment and Snape pulled Hermione forward and shoved her up the hill roughly. She scrambled to find purchase with her hands and feet, grabbing vines, roots and leaves in her haste. She reached the top and glanced back for Severus, who was only halfway up the hill and struggling.
“GET OVER THE HILL!” he screamed at her with his panic laced eyes. The spiders would be on him in a matter of seconds. She looked around and found a dead branch that was fairly fresh. She picked it up and carefully lowered it down to him before bracing herself on a large root.
“Grab on!” she told him, as she put the other end in his reach.
Instinctively, he did as he was told, using his feet to climb while she pulled as hard as she could. His progress improved, but the spiders were still gaining. She continued pulling while he scrambled, and just as she put all her effort into a final pull, he found purchase with his formost foot and pushed forward with all his might. The combined effort propelled him into the air and he literally flew up the rest of the escarpment, colliding with her at the top, making them both lose their footing. They tumbled over each other down the other side of the ridge, each covering their heads instinctively to protect themselves from the sticks and stones in their path. They landed in an undignified heap at the bottom of the hill, neither in good shape.
Hermione found herself pinned to the ground by Severus’ weight. She shoved him forcefully on the shoulder, urging him to move.
“We need to get up, Severus. The’ll be here any moment now!”
Severus’ face was pressed against her chest, but she could feel him relaxing. Thinking he was losing consciousness, she shook his shoulder again. “Severus, we have to go!” She could hear how panicky she sounded, but she really didn’t want to be spider food.
“Rrsf,” she heard him mumble into her chest. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she could feel him kissing her breast through the cloth.
“Now really isn’t the time for that, Severus,” she admonished, feeling the panic swell.
Snape raised his head and grinned at her wearily. “I said ‘we’re safe.’”
She looked at him in confusion, then remembered: the wards. She immediately felt the tension leave her body as relief washed over her. She closed her eyes and sighed, letting her head fall back to the ground with a small splat. After a few moment of heavy breathing, she noticed that Snape hadn’t moved off her. In fact, he had moved up. She opened her eyes and found him looking down at her, the same hungry expression he wore at breakfast on his face.
“You lied,” she said, getting used to the feel of his body on hers. “You said you’d lost your wand.”
“I did lose it, but wood floats,” he responded, lowering his lips to her neck. She hummed in pleasure, but brought his face up to hers again.
Still holding his face in her cupped hands, she looked at him squarely. “Why?” she asked softly. She knew he understood her question when his expression went from lust to grief.
“He begged me to.”
He closed his eyes and started to get up, but she maintained her hold on his head, stopping his retreat.
She held his face, gently stroking his cheeks and brow with her thumbs until he opened his eyes. She felt her own tears forming as he looked at her, pain evident in every crease of his face, every line around his eyes, and in the irises themselves. She offered him a thin smile, and brought his lips down to hers.
He was reluctant at first, as much by surprise than by anything else, but within a few seconds he was relaxing into the kiss, smooching her tenderly as they discovered the feel of each other’s lips. It wasn’t long before they both became a little more eager, wanting to taste more of each other, and explore the depths of their mouths.
Soon their kisses became insistant, each losing themselves in the passion incited by their relief in surviving. They held on to each other, reveling in the feel of each curve, joint and valley they discovered.
Hermione was surprised by how good a kisser Snape was. She would have thought that having such thin lips would detract from using them most effectively, but she was wrong. His lips moved against hers with an agility Victor’s hadn’t had, and it seemed that thin lips were all the better for allowing access into his mouth.
The way he flicked his tongue against hers sent tingles down to her toes, and when she responded in kind, she was thrilled to her very core by his satisfied groan. She felt him shifting on top of her, lifting himself to reach between them while moving his mouth down her neck. As he did, she moved her leg to accommodate his new position.
“Oh!” she cried, unfortunately not from his light nibbles along her neck.
He stopped to look up at her a smirk on his lips. “Was that a good ‘oh,’ or bad ‘oh’?” he asked, though his expression assumed the best.
“Bad.” Hermione responded breathlessly. She was finding it hard to breathe as she tried to bear the sharp pain radiating through her leg. Snape moved off her with an alacrity she wished she possessed.
“What hurts,” he asked as he knelt beside her, scanning her form for injuries.
“My leg. It feels like there’s a dagger in there.” She felt him move over to examine her legs and winced when he touched the bad one. He sucked in his breath as he gently turned it.
“It seems that the roll down the hill was not in your best interests,” he commented dryly. “There is a rather large splinter lodged in your calf. I would prefer not to remove it until we’re back at the cave. Will you be able to manage the walk?”
Hermione whimpered. “How far?”
“Only a few hundred feet. The terrain is downhill, though.”
Hermione tried to breathe deeply and relax her muscles, knowing the tension would only make the pain worse. As she felt the pain receed to only a nasty burn, she nodded and raised her arm for help getting up.
As soon as she moved the pain came back full force, but she had been expecting it. She concentrated on breathing, while Snape supported her weight, and helped her adjust to a less painful position.
Slowly, the pain receeded again, but she found that every step she took brought it back. They made slow progress as she limped along, holding on to Snape’s arm tightly. After only a dozen feet she knew she needed to rest.
She looked up at Snape, hers eyes blearing with the pain, and saw his jaw tighten when he looked down at her.
“You need to rest,” he stated. She nodded mutely, too exhausted to be annoyed at his statement of the obvious.
He carefully helped her down into a sitting position, letting her lean her back against a tree.
When the pain had receeded again, she opened her eyes to look at him. He was crouching before her, his mouth set in a tight line and he was frowning fiercely. He looked just as he did when Neville melted yet another cauldron. That reminded her of Hogwarts, and that reminded her of wands.
“Can’t you levitate me to the cave?” she asked, somewhat annoyed he hadn’t thought of it before her.
“I’d prefer not to,” he said, and his brow contracted even further.
“Why not?” She demanded. “It took us minutes to get ten feet, and I don’t know how much further I can go.”
“I would prefer to avoid using any magic at all,” he answered vaguely.
Hermione, being tired and achy, lost her last fragment of patience. “And why the hell not? If I had my wand I would have apparated the hell out of this hell-hole, or, if that’s not possible, then I would have transfigured a boat to sail off and escape! I would have been able to conjure myself some fresh water as soon as I woke up instead of wandering through a forest sweating out the precious last drops of fluid.”
“You stopped sweating hours before I found you,” Snape pointed out calmly, which didn’t improve Hermione’s mood.
“That’s exactly my point! I wouldn’t have been dehydrated, I wouldn’t have been fumbling around the forest, I wouldn’t be covered in muck, I wouldn’t have been chased by friggin HUGE spiders, and I wouldn’t be stuck here with YOU!”
She stopped her rant and sat glaring at Snape while trying ro catch her breath. Snape, she saw with satisfaction, was getting a bit annoyed as well.
“Do you think I wouldn’t have preferred to levitate you to the cave instead of carrying you for half a mile? You’re not exactly light as a feather. Do you think I wanted to stumble through the dark to fetch you water instead of casting a simple charm? The wards may fend off all creatures magical, but there are still some bloody nasty bugs out there, most of which are nocturnal. And do you really think I would be running about half naked like a barbarian if I didn’t absolutely, positively NEED to refrain from using magic?”
Hermione was glaring at him through narrowed eyes, and crossed her arms. “Considering you told me you had lost your wand, no, none of that occurred to me. And since you revealed the truth, I’ve had other things on my mind, like escaping from spiders, kissing you and trying not to puke or faint!” She had started yelling again, but realized it took too much energy. Lowering her volume, she continue, “You could have told me why. You could still tell me why.”
He shot her a look that spoke volumes about his opinion of that suggestion.
“Are you ready to move again?” he asked, barely keeping his tone civil.
Hermione would have loved to jump up and stalk off, but alas, she was completely knackered. Arguing hadn’t helped matters any, so by the time she had shifted into an upright position her body decided it had had enough, and she passed out.
Hermione woke up to the sound of frogs chirruping through the still night air. She started to turn over to get herself more comfortable when she was reminded of her leg. Muttering to herself, she tried to lift herself to a sitting position, only to find her back objecting.
“Piss!” she said in frustration.
“Do you need to, or are you just commenting on the state of things?” A snide voice returned from beyond her vision.
Snorting despite herself, Hermione looked over to see Snape's dark form leaning against the cave wall, watching her.
“Commenting, although now that you mention it...” she trailed off uncomfortably, trying to shift her body to ease her bladder. Unfortunately, that triggered her leg, although it wasn't nearly as bad as she remembered it being. She felt along her leg, and to her surprise found bandages.
Then she realized that they were in the cave, rather than in the forest where they'd stopped to rest.
“You carried me.” She knew it was a statement of absurd obviousness, but she was rather touched that he would carry her to safety, yet again.
“So it would seem,” was all he said.
“And you cleaned my leg out?”
“Again, you have an incredible grasp of the basic facts, Miss Granger.”
She rolled her eyes and huffed, getting annoyed at his tone. And the return of formalities. She wanted to lash out at him, but knew that she really did owe him a bit of common decency.
“Thank you, Severus,” she said, making sure her tone was heartfelt.
She saw his body relax just slightly, and then he nodded his head. “You're welcome,” he answered softly.
They sat there in an awkward silence for a few minutes until Snape shifted and got up.
“I assume you are hungry?” he asked still using a soft, caring tone.
She nodded, but then figured that he probably couldn't see her, so she said, “Yes, I am a bit peckish.”
He nodded again. “I'll be back shortly, then. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone.”
“I'll try my hardest.”
And then he was gone. She shivered as the moist air of the cave wrapped itself around her and reminded her of how sore her body was. That roll down the hill had been a bit on the uncomfortable side, she decided.
Unfortunately, her bladder was becoming most insistent, and she found herself ignoring all her pain in order to get up and out of the cave.
For the first time ever, she wished there was a chamber pot for her to use.
She hadn't realized how long it had taken her to complete that simple task until she rounded the corner to the cave and found Snape waiting for her in front of a beautiful, blazing fire.
“Feel better?” he asked in amusement.
“My bladder does,” she answered, her mood lifted considerably at the sight of the fire. “My back and leg, however...”
“Mmm,” Snape hummed as he led her back to her portion of the cave. “Well, I don't think there's anything else that can be done for your leg at this point, but I do know of an ancient remedy that might help your back, if you'll permit me?”
She looked at him doubtfully, not knowing what to make of his playful tone. “If you think it will help, I'm up for just about anything,” she admitted finally.
He raised an eyebrow. “Anything?”
She blushed, but didn't backtrack. “Anything. Or just about.”
A pleased and slightly wicked smile crept up on him, and he held out his hand to her. “Well then, the firs thing that needs to be done is for you to lie down.”
She raised an eyebrow in response, but took his hand and let him help her down. Once she was sitting, she kept eye contact as he kneeled beside her to help as she slowly lowered herself to the ground. He kept his hand behind her head until her head reached the ground, and then hovered over her. He looked as if he was deciding whether or not to kiss her, and she found she wanted him to. She raised up her arm to caress his face, but clenched her eyes shut as her back protested the movement.
He removed his hand from her head, moving it to her shoulder. “Roll over.”
With some effort and quite a lot of help, she complied. It was slightly awkward, having her head to one side on the gritty floor, but when Snape started moving his hands along her back, she decided it was worth it.
“Mmm,” she breathed, as he gently eased his thumbs into her sore muscles. It was heavenly. She wondered if sex even compared to it. It was a tough call.
She let herself relax as he released all the tension and knots that had accumulated over time. She let her mind wander freely, with only his touch rooting her to reality. Soon, though, even his warm, wonderful hands weren't enough, and her mental wanderings transformed into dreams.
She woke up on her back to a dimly lit cave. Dawn was approaching and the birds were starting to wake up.
She sat up, rolling her shoulders and stretching her back, luxuriating in the lack of stiffness. She tested her leg, but found that it was stiffer than it had been the day before, although it wasn't quite as painful.
Looking around, she saw that Snape was sleeping only a few feet away. Even in the dim light, she could tell he was sleeping, as his body seemed more relaxed than she'd ever seen it. She was surprised to find him so relaxed. Even when he'd been at his most playful with her the day before, he had still radiated tense energy. Control. But now...
She cautiously flexed her back once more and then slowly crawled over to Snape's prone form, surprised when he didn't wake up. She sat down beside his head and gazed at him, trying to figure him out.
He definitely wasn't the Professor Snape she'd known at Hogwarts. Not only had he smiled, played and flirted and kissed her, but he was tan.
No, this definitely wasn't Professor Snape, but was he Severus? She ran her finger through the loose ends of his hair that were splayed out around his head like a dark corona. They were pretty oily, but she imagined that shampoo was probably pretty hard to come by out in the middle of nowhere.
Without thinking about it, her fingers found their way to his face, gently stroking his pronounced brow, feeling the contrast of his skin and the dense cluster of hairs that made up his eyebrows. She let her fingers wander all over his face, quietly mapping out his features as if that would tell her who exactly he was.
But even as she ran a fingertip down the length of his nose, she hadn't come to a conclusion. He was a puzzle. A very intriguing puzzle. A very sexy and intruiging puzzle.
That was something she never would have thought she'd think. But, then again, she doubted she would find Professor Snape sexy under any circumstances, despite his voice. No, it was Severus who was attractive. It was Severus who had carried her here twice. It was Severus who had flirted with her and given her half his mango. It was Severus who had saved her from the spiders.
It was Severus who was now staring at her with his dark, dark eyes.
“Good morning,” she said quietly, running her fingers through his hair one last time.
“I trust you feel better?” he asked, his tone soft, though slightly acidic.
She just smiled. “Yes, and thank you very much.” She leaned over and gave him a light kiss on his cheek. “I almost feel human again.”
His eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, and she knew he was smiling without looking at his lips. “I'm glad to hear that,” he said, then reached up and grabbed her. In no tome flat, she was back on her back, only this time he was on top of her. For one moment she felt a flicker of fear, but it was quickly banished by her growing arousal.
Snape stayed there on top of her, resting on his elbows to keep the majority of his weight off of her, although his hips were pressing quite firmly against hers in a most satisfying way, and just examined her.
Finally, he said, “So, tell me, Miss Granger, what does feeling human entail?”
Hermione smirked slightly before taking on a look of playful confusion. “What do you mean, Professor?”
He smirked back, then traced a hand down her torso. When he reached her breast, he slowly played with the flesh, until he closed in on her nipple, saying, “Well, I'll assume from your vebal reponse that your cognitive functions are in order, and you are able to process complex thoughts into coherent sentences?”
He tweaked her nipple and ground his hips against her at that moment, making her groan in answer. He chuckled.
“Hmm,” he said, continuing his ministrations on her breast. “Perhaps that isn't part of feeling 'human'?” He didn't give her time to answer before his mouth was on hers, softly kissing her, and coaxing her to open up to him.
She allowed him in and felt his tongue slowly but confidently take in its surroundings from licking her lips to slowly stroking her tongue, making her moan. Her moan seemed to be a catalyst, as his gentle ministrations took on a slightly more insistent quality. He teased her tongue with his until she took control, luring him into her mouth, then capturing his tongue and sucking.
He responded with a small shudder and a moan, grinding his hips against hers again. When she released him, he pulled away, breathless.
“So,” he panted, “ I ask again. What does feeling human entail?”
She smiled up at him, and raised her hand to caress his cheek. “I think this qualifies as feeling human,” she said, running her fingers through his hair and bringing him back down for another kiss.
This kiss started out insistent, and quickly became heated. Hermione could feel Severus growing hard, and the mere thought sent shivers down her spine. They were no longer gently teasing one another, but trying to consume each other.
Snape pulled away again, panting hard. “If you want to stop, Hermione...”
She shook her head, and pulled him back down, not even bothering to let him finish. As soon as his mouth was back on hers, she let her hands wander down his body, feeling his taut back muscles, and, further down, his lovely, firm arse.
He groaned in pleasure and frustration when she grabbed said arse and tried pulling him closer. He broke away from her, and quickly stripped off his ragged shorts while she lifted off her shirt.
When her head reemerged, she found Severus looking at her with something akin to awe.
He reached out a tentative hand and caressed her, from breast to hip before meeting her eyes with a smile. He didn't say anything, however, as he chose to occupy his mouth otherwise.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2007-02-12 04:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-12 07:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-14 04:22 pm (UTC)(A couple of typos - with the backrub, Severus says "firs" instead of "first" towards the end, after she wakes I believe, there is a tome rather than time.)
Do we ever get to find out why she is on a boat with Harry? I had thought it was a romantic trip between them.
*sits and waits patiently for more*