A Mutually Beneficial Arrangement.
Sylvanawood and I have been lamenting the plethora of angst ridden, doom and gloom fics around at the moment. So, we challenged each other to write a feel-good fic. This is the first chapter of my effort, which is, basically, a pointless piece of smut. There will be another chapter when I can find the time to write it. So, Sylvana, this is for you. Hope you like it.
This fic is NC-17 in case you hadn't guessed.
Thanks as always to septentrion for the beta.
The icon is by valady, from art work by Elly, and was so insanely appropriate, I had to snag it.
Chapter 1: In the Mood
Of all the... Severus could not believe that she, of all people, would have had the bare-faced cheek to proposition him like that.
Clenching his fists in anger, he barely registered the sixth-year couple hurriedly breaking apart as he stormed by, so intent was he on reaching the safety of his dungeon chambers before he vented his spleen. Damned insolence.
It took a large tumbler of firewhisky to calm him down. Only then was he able to even begin rationalising what had just transpired. Hermione Granger, Hermione Granger, had lured him to her chambers on the pretext of showing him a rare text she had acquired for her collection, only to ply him with wine and suggest that they... that they become...
Fuck Buddies.
Severus shuddered. What in God's name did she think he was? Some kind of stud for hire?
He was still bristling with indignation after the second tumbler.
It took a third for him to question why he had been so stupid as to turn down the offer of free, no-strings sex. She wasn't bad looking; he had to give her that, and such an arrangement would dispense with the formalities of asking her out to dinner, paying for overpriced food and making meaningless small talk while trying to guess whether or not he'd get his leg over before the night was out. This way, it was a dead cert—cutting the crap and getting straight to the sex. What was wrong with that? Wasn't it supposed to be every man's idea of a dream date?
If that was the case, then why was he so upset?
He sighed. Why couldn't he just come out and admit that he'd developed... feelings for Miss Granger since her return to Hogwarts? The smart-arsed know-it-all of old had disappeared, to be replaced by a confident and rather pleasant young woman: intelligent, amenable as a colleague, assertive in an argument, and someone whose company he could tolerate for more than five minutes at a time. The idea that he might, actually, quite liked to have asked her out to dinner seemed to have materialised sometime between the second and third glass of whisky. And now, after her little request, he knew that she was interested in him—or at least, she didn't find him totally repulsive—which meant that if he had asked her out, the chances of being rejected and made to look a complete fool would have been minimal.
Bugger.
Sooo... What to do about it? Severus tapped his lips thoughtfully. Despite his rather... abrupt exit, Miss Granger had given him the weekend to think it over... He'd be mad not to reconsider. But... he still didn't like the thought of being used like some... living sex-toy. And, having made such a bold move in approaching him, Miss Granger would have the upper hand in the relationship—if that's what you could call it—which simply would not do. Severus grinned, a plan forming in spite of his inebriated state. This was guaranteed to determine just how interested in him she was...
So be it.
If it was his cock she wanted, his cock she was bloody well going to get.
~ SSHG ~
Well, Hermione thought, draining the dregs of her wine and Banishing the glass, that wasn't quite the reaction I'd expected.
Huffing, she got up from her chair and made her way to the bedroom. It had been a perfectly logical suggestion; he could have at least discussed it with her like an adult instead of storming off like... like...
An intensely private, rather sensitive man?
'A simple "no" would have sufficed,' Hermione grumbled as she got ready for bed. 'Oh well, Plan B it is.'
It looked like it was back to scouring the Lonely Hearts section of the Prophet again for some suitable, available wizard—not that she was in the least bit hopeful of finding anything remotely shaggable. Hermione had all but given up on that score. Sighing, she divided her hair equally into three and started to plait it, bemoaning her celibate state. Since she'd returned to Hogwarts—to Britain, in fact—decent male totty had been hard to come by.
'Perhaps I sounded a bit desperate.'
Staring critically at herself in the mirror, Hermione examined the laughter lines that had somehow managed to sneak up on her and wondered where her twenties had gone. The last decade had simply flown by. They had been good years though, and she wouldn't have changed them for anything.
'Cheer up,' she said to her reflection. 'You could be married to Ron with a baby on each hip.' The witch in the mirror cackled. What a disaster that would have been. Turning him down and travelling the world instead had been one of her better ideas.
But it had been a near thing. 'Let's take a year out,' Hermione had suggested to Ron. 'Travel the world a bit. Then we'll settle down.' But Ron had insisted George needed his help in the shop and didn't want to wait. So, after a huge row, she went anyway. Which was just as well as it turned out. A year became two and then three. Hermione visited places she'd read about and wanted to see for ages—places she knew that Ron would have found boring and totally uninteresting. And then the International Owl had arrived, informing her he was married; it didn't come as any great surprise to her that all she felt was relief.
A new life, a whole new world opened up. She forged new friendships (and had the occasional fling) with people who were ignorant of her identity and knew nothing of her past. To her delight, Hermione found herself being treated as an individual and not a third of a trio, or a friend of Harry Potter. And, rather unexpectedly, she also developed a taste for older men—intelligent older men who were neither intimidated nor threatened by her own intelligence, men who found clever, interesting women like her sexy. It was a revelation not to be seen as a walking encyclopaedia but as an attractive and desirable woman: Hermione Granger came into her own.
But, inevitably she grew tired of being constantly on the move, and with no serious relationship to tie her down, her thoughts turned to home. She'd been vaguely wondering what she was going to do on her return—she supposed she'd have to take a few NEWTs to stand a chance of getting a decent job—when the owl arrived out of the blue with Minerva's offer of employment. Madam Pince was planning on retirement and looking for someone to train up as her replacement. Would she be interested? Hermione sent her reply back by return owl.
And now, three years later, here she was. Back where she'd started with a lot of living under her belt.
And her favourite library soon to be under her care.
And the enigma that was Severus Snape.
He’d been the last person Hermione had expected to see on the staff, but there he was, back with a vengeance, determined to see reforms in the school system and, more importantly, in Slytherin House. She hadn't expected, either, to grow to like him, but she had, slowly, first as a colleague and then as something... more. What exactly, she wasn't sure. Snape was as surly and sarcastic as ever, but now she could detect a wry sense of humour behind the barbs, which had gone over her head when she was in school. She observed him for a long time, unsure if she should ask him to dinner, weighing up the risks of embarking on a full-on relationship: it could prove awkward if things went pear-shaped, she reasoned, seeing as they both lived and worked under the same roof.
A fuck buddy, however...
Why had he turned her down? Hermione was positive there was no significant 'other' in his life—he hardly ever left the castle—so, she'd been confident he was unattached when she'd broached the subject—and had thought it safe to assume he was straight since he'd been in love with Harry's mother. She shook her head. Here they were: two single people, both in need of some action (at least she was, at any rate) with very little in the way of choice of partner; it seemed the obvious solution. So, what was wrong with it?
Yawning, Hermione pulled back the bedclothes and climbed into bed. 'Stupid man,' she muttered. 'His loss.'
'Nox!'
~ HGSS ~
'Morning, Miss.'
The following Monday, Hermione looked up from her desk to see a young first year holding out a letter.
'Professor Snape asked me to give you this.'
'Thank you.' Hermione took the letter off the girl and turned it over. It wasn't bright red and set to explode, but that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous. Suspiciously, she tapped it with her wand and checked for curses. It seemed innocuous enough, so she broke the seal and read it:
Miss Granger,
I have been giving your offer further consideration and come to the conclusion that I was somewhat hasty in my original decision. If you are still amenable to the idea, come to my chambers Friday evening, no later than eight o'clock. Wear that low-cut blue robe of yours—and nothing else.
S. Snape.
Oh, kinky. Hermione smiled to herself. He was obviously planning something. Finally, she had a Friday night to look forward to.
~ HGSS ~
For the rest of the week, Severus carried on as if nothing had happened. He didn't return Hermione's smile later that Monday morning when he entered the library, but merely inclined his head as he usually did, and was satisfied with the look of puzzlement that crossed her features. Keeping her on edge and wondering what he was about was part of The Plan.
Hermione sussed him out in five minutes flat and found it all highly amusing. But she played along, making polite conversation at the High Table and refraining from mentioning their assignation—even when no one else was in earshot.
When Friday eventually came around, Hermione could not help but feel a few butterflies in the stomach as she checked her appearance in the mirror one last time. Her blue robe was rather flattering; it was her favourite, and she would have worn it, anyway. Severus obviously thought it suited her, too. Smiling, Hermione took a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the grate. On Severus' invitation to 'come through', Hermione grabbed the bottle of wine she had bought especially for the occasion and stepped into the flames.
Straightening up on the other side, Hermione blinked to accustom her eyes to the dimly candlelit room. 'Hello?' she said, peering through the gloom.
'Good evening.'
Hermione turned in the direction of the voice. 'Oh, there you are. It's a bit dark in here, isn’t it?' She held out the bottle of wine towards him. 'I brought this. As a peace offering.'
'That was not necessary.’ He pointed towards the chair nearest to her. 'I have already attended to it. Please, sit while I pour you a glass.'
Hermione sat and watched, wide-eyed, as Severus got up and poured two glasses of wine. He was wearing tight-fitting trousers (black, she supposed, although it was hard to tell in this light) and a white shirt buttoned up to the neck. Having only ever seen him in wizard robes, it was pleasing to discover he'd been hiding a very fit body underneath them. She felt rather hot all of a sudden, despite her lack of underthings, and she felt herself blushing as Severus moved towards her.
'I... um. I'm sorry if I... offended you last week,' Hermione managed to say, taking the offered glass. 'I know I can be a bit blunt at times—'
'We should establish some ground rules,' Severus interrupted. 'Decide how far we want to go with this.'
Nodding, Hermione agreed. She sipped the wine. 'Well, I'm open to suggestions, but I can say for definite that I'm not into pain of any kind.'
He snorted. 'Contrary to popular belief, I am not the Marquis de Sade.' Severus turned his back on her and returned to his chair.
Oh, my God! Look at that arse.
'I would also like to propose that whoever is... host for the evening, decides on the... activities.'
That seemed fair. 'I'm okay with that.'
'Good. Stand up and take your robe off.'
Hermione choked. 'That's a bit... I thought we could talk—'
'You come on to me like a tart, yet you expect me to treat you like a lady?' Severus folded his hands in his lap. 'Disrobe or leave; it's up to you.'
Hermione took another sip of wine while she considered his ultimatum. Well, she supposed she'd have to do it sometime. It might as well be now. She knocked back the rest of the wine in one gulp, put the glass down and stood up, tripping over the edge of the rug.
He smirked. 'Oops.'
Glaring at him, Hermione unfastened her robe, slipped it off her shoulders, and let it fall to the floor.
Severus' gaze immediately dropped to her breasts. Resting his elbows on the arms of the chair, he steepled his fingers and pressed them to his lips. His eyes slowly raked over her naked body.
Hermione smiled, tilting her head coquettishly. Any minute now, she thought, he's going to tell me I'm beautiful.
But he said nothing. Instead, he made a circling gesture with his index finger for her to turn around. Somewhat miffed, Hermione complied.
'Lift your hair up and hold it on top of your head—both hands.'
'O-kay.' Hermione gathered her hair up into a loose bun, resting her hands on top. She glanced over her shoulder; Severus was staring at her impassively.
'Eyes forward,' he barked.
Hermione sighed, wondering whether instigating this had been such a good idea. She'd come here for some fun, for some stress relief, but he seemed hell bent on teaching her a lesson for coming on to him—a lesson she could well do without. Oh, well, in for a Knut... Hermione heard a rustle and the squeak of leather as Severus got up and stood behind her; her skin prickled deliciously with the feel of his breath on her shoulder.
'Hmm...' Hermione swayed slightly, eyes fluttering in anticipation of his touch. This was better. He was achingly close... His lips brushed against the juncture of her neck and shoulders, and she gasped.
'Ohh...'
'Like that?' He did it again.
'Mmm, yesss... More.'
Severus chuckled. 'You, madam, are in no position to make demands.' He licked his way up to just behind her ear. 'Did you know that the nape of the neck is one of the most... unappreciated parts of a woman's body?' he murmured.
'It... is?'
'Mmm.' He gently nibbled her earlobe. 'And yours, my dear, is quite delectable.'
Severus then proceeded to demonstrate just how unappreciated and neglected her neck had been. Feather-weight kisses ghosted against her skin, then some firmer ones, a gentle nibble, a suck. But no more than that. Contact. She wanted some contact. Now. There was only a certain amount of his teasing she was prepared to take.
'Please... Touch me...'
Severus stepped away from her. 'We had an agreement, Miss Granger. Have you changed your mind?'
'No. Don't stop. I... I'm sorry... and, um,' she swallowed, 'don't you think it's about time you called me Hermione?'
He appeared to consider this for a moment. 'I think it would be wiser to keep this arrangement on a more... formal level,' he said silkily. 'Being on first name terms implies a certain... intimacy, don't you think? And, as you have made abundantly clear, we are not lovers. So, shall I continue?'
Why did he sound so bitter? Disheartened, Hermione let out a long sigh. 'Yes—so long as you don't intend driving me to distraction and then throwing me out before...'
'Rest assured, Miss Granger,' he whispered in a tone designed to give her goosepimples, 'I intend giving you a good, hard, fucking before you leave here. Now, close your eyes.'
She could live with that.
Seemingly not in the least bit of a hurry, Severus began to kiss a trail down her back. There was no pattern to the path of his kisses. Hermione could not anticipate where the next would fall. Squirming under the onslaught, she held her breath and gasped alternately as with each kiss he moved downwards and, hopefully, to where she wanted his mouth the most. The occasional tickle as his hair brushed her skin was the only other stimulus, and yet it was all very arousing. But, pleasant though it was, her arms were starting to ache.
'How—oh, that feels nice—long do I have to keep my hands on my head?'
From the unmistakable creaking noise of knees bending and the warm breath somewhere near the vicinity of her tail-bone, Hermione surmised that Severus was no longer standing. Things were looking up. In spite of her discomfort, she wriggled in delight.
'I have finished with your back,' he replied. 'You may drop your arms but put your hands on your waist where I can see them.'
With a sigh of relief, Hermione let go of her hair, rotated her shoulders a few times and wrapped her arms around her body. As she did, the tip of a tongue, soft and wet flicked ever so briefly along the crack of her arse, and she inhaled sharply, holding her breath as slow, deliberate kisses replaced the licks, covering every inch of her buttocks. Unconsciously, Hermione adjusted her stance, moving her feet further apart. Severus chuckled against her skin, the vibrations sending a shiver up her back.
'Sensuous little thing, aren't you? Spread your legs wider for me... Wider... Let's see if you taste as delicious as you smell, shall we?'
'With pleasure.' Leaning forward slightly to give him better access, Hermione whimpered as Severus' tongue gently licked her inner thigh before burrowing inside her labia and circling all too briefly around her clit. Then it was gone again. Gods it was frustrating. 'Aren't you ever going to touch me?' she moaned. 'And when are you going to take your clothes off?'
'For tonight,' a raspy voice replied, 'you will know only my mouth and my cock—and my attire need not concern you. Now, stop complaining and get down on your knees, arse up, and rest your head on your hands.'
Only too gratefully, as her knees were getting decidedly wobbly, Hermione joined Severus on the floor.
'Comfortable?'
'I'm fine,' she replied. 'Enjoying the view?'
'Very much so,' he retorted. 'Like it, do you, showing me everything you've got?'
Giggling, she wiggled her bottom at him.
'Wanton little trollop,' he growled. 'Now, where were we? 'Oh, yes. My tongue was about... here.'
Oh, yes, it most definitely was. And it felt fucking wonderful, too. Oh, yess—this was the business. Her clit was getting the attention it deserved now. Lap, lap... suck. Her breathing sped up as the tingling started, and she couldn't help begging him to touch her again—anywhere, it didn't matter, but some fingers inside her would be nice.
'Hmm... close, so close... Gods...'
With one long sweep, Severus dragged his tongue back the entire length of her slit and paused. Hermione howled in frustration and annoyance.
'I can make you come... or I... can fuck you,' he gasped. 'Which would you prefer?'
What? The bastard had promised... Struggling to collect her scattered wits, Hermione reasoned that she could finish herself off afterwards if she had to, but that an orgasm without a fuck afterwards would leave her feeling more frustrated than when she'd arrived.
'You promised me—'
'So I did, but I want to hear you say it.'
Git. 'I want you to fuck me. Please.'
Severus groaned as he unfastened his trousers—although he did his best to hide it.
'I trust...' Severus coughed. '...you have taken some form of contraception?'
'Yes, of course. Don't worry.’ Just get on with it. 'Now, pleease.'
'Gods, you're dripping wet.'
Hermione felt something hard and warm slide between her legs, and she considerately rubbed herself against it. Severus let out a choked gasp, and she smirked. 'Like that, do you, Professor? Mmm, you feel so good.'
'Cock tease.' Severus drew back and pressed the head of his cock against her anus. 'Gagging for it, aren't you?
'No! Don't.'
'Never fear, Miss Granger.' She could hear the self-satisfied smirk in his voice. 'You'll have to do a lot of begging for me to grant you that particular pleasure...’
Hell would freeze over first.
‘... But on this occasion, I'm only interested in your cunt.' He slowly massaged his cock against her entrance before easing the tip inside. 'At this point you are no doubt wondering how... well-endowed I am. What do you imagine it will be like, Miss Granger, hmm? Will it fill you up, satisfy you—or are you going to be disappointed? Or...' he pushed in a fraction more, 'is it so big, you won’t be able to handle it?'
While she did indeed hope he was hung like a centaur, Hermione hadn't been with a man for nearly a year. 'Please, take it easy. It's been a while...'
'Ah,' he sighed. 'In your own time, then. You want my cock, so take it.'
Hermione pushed against him, groaning at the welcome feel of a thick, hard cock stretching those much underused muscles and filling her completely. Rough wool scratched against her arse, and, puzzled, she looked between her legs. He hadn't even dropped his trousers.
'Start moving,' he growled. 'Show me what that talented snatch of yours can do.'
Only too happy to oblige, Hermione started to fuck him. Oh, she'd missed this—a vibrator was handy in a crisis but no substitute for this. There was nothing to compare with the feeling of a warm, hard cock inside you. She pleasured herself on it shamelessly. She was fucking Severus Snape, and it was fucking fantastic. She looked between her legs again, watching the pink flesh move in and out of her, wondering what his balls would feel like slapping against her. She'd reach back and squeeze, and oh, she wanted... wanted it, wanted to touch him, wanted him to grab hold of her hips and drive into her, wanted him to finger her clit to... to... She groaned, rubbing her aching nipples against the floor for some relief.
'Oh. No. You. Don't,' he panted. 'No touching. Up on all fours and arch your back for me.'
As Hermione pushed herself up, Severus reached over her and grabbed the arms of the chair for some purchase. Hermione's hair fell over one shoulder, and the next thing she knew, Severus' mouth had latched onto her neck and he was pounding into her.
She was only too aware this was for him not her. He wasn't interested in satisfying her; Hermione had to brace herself as he gave her the fucking he'd promised. His shirt was brushing her back, and it was damp; he was sweating under it. Oh, yes, you're loving this. She squeezed his cock, which got his attention, and he slammed into her harder... and faster until his entire body went rigid and he spluttered something against her shoulder. One more thrust and he was done.
Severus pulled out immediately and sat back on his heels, struggling for breath. 'Finish yourself... off,' he grunted.
Hermione's hand flew to her clit, too far gone and desperate to come to care what she must look like. She screwed her eyes closed and worked her fingers faster. Almost there. He’s watching, he’s watching. She came hard, imagining Severus still inside her, but it was the thought of him watching her wank that had finally tipped her over the edge.
Chest heaving, sweaty and eager for more, Hermione sat up and turned around, pushing her hair off her face. She was just in time to see Severus haul himself off the floor and into his chair. Crossing his legs casually, he took a sip of wine from his glass and smirked at her.
Hermione stared at him in disbelief. He had to be kidding; she was just getting warmed up. 'So. That's it then, I take it?'
'Yes, I believe that concludes this evening's proceedings. You may leave.'
She tried not to show her disappointment. 'Same time next week? My place?'
He inclined his head. 'Agreed. Now if you don't mind, I have some marking to do.' He pointed to the pot of Floo powder on the mantelpiece.
Summarily dismissed, Hermione got to her feet and grabbed her robe. Not bothering to put it on, she reached for the powder and threw some into the grate. 'Have a nice weekend... Professor.'
~ SSHG ~
Five minutes later, soaking in a hot bath, Hermione closed her eyes and went over the evening’s events. She couldn't begrudge him his determination to show he was no pushover; he was a proud man, after all. It was only to be expected, really, that he’d feel the need to claw back some control. And she had all week to plan what she was going to do to him. No doubt, Slytherin that he was, he would be expecting her to get her own back with something nasty, so she would have to think of something to throw him off kilter. And she had a few tricks up her sleeve that would do just that. Languorously, she slid her hand under the water and found her clit again. 'Mmm,' she sighed happily. 'Oh, yes, Severus Snape. I know exactly what I'm going to do to you.'