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Chapter Text

Hermione’s stomach plummeted the moment she stepped through to the floo into the Grimmauld Place library. She instantly felt dozens of eyes on her in the low candlelight. She knew that the intention was to create a calm space that would put her at ease, but the inability to see people’s faces instantly ramped up her anxiety.

“I apologize for being late,” she whispered timidly into the darkness. “Kingsley asked for additional notes on the Gringott’s case that comes before the Wizengamot on Monday.”

Minerva materialized in the low light, taking her hand reassuringly. “That’s quite alright, my dear. We understand the importance of your responsibilities, and no one here objected to having a few fingers of Grimmauld Place’s finest firewhiskey while we waited for you.”

Scattered chuckling broke out around the room, and Hermione’s shoulders finally started to relax from their permanent position near her ears. These were her friends and mentors, even if they were hopeless busybodies who were there to collect gossip and pry her most well-guarded secrets from her. 

Minerva led her to her favorite reading chair. “Make yourself comfortable. We’ll get started right away unless you need more time.”

Hermione shook her head. “No. I’d much rather have it done with.”

Minerva gave her hand a firm squeeze. “I want to be sure that you know what you’ve signed up for before we begin. “This practice was suggested as a means of establishing identity and intentions after Barty Crouch Jr. impersonated Mad-Eye Moody and held him captive. The questions that people ask are often very personal, and sometimes even insensitive or objectionable. Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

Hermione returned her affectionate gesture. “I understand. I still want to proceed.”

George Weasley appeared at Minerva’s elbow, handing Hermione a cup of chai tea and a vial of clear liquid. “Lady’s choice. You can add it to your tea if you like. Just be sure you want to do this before you swallow it. This variety of veritaserum was developed by Snape. No mind magic will hold up against it. ”

Applause broke out when she tipped her head back and swallowed the veritaserum in one go. George laughed as he took the empty vial back. “That’s the spirit. Gryffindor through and through.”

The laughter and conversations subsided when Minerva raised her hand. Hermione quickly scanned the room, her eyes slowly adapting to the low light. Most of the people in the room had been Minerva’s students or colleagues at some point, and hence were used to following her orders. 

Minerva’s voice rose in much the same way that it did when she was talking to first-year students. “I will remind you all not to act like heathens. Keep your questions reasonable. You would do well to remember your own feelings when you underwent this process. Under no circumstances are you to discuss the information that Hermione provides to us with anyone other than Order members. Also, no more firewhiskey until after the initiation.”

The last requirement earned a round of booing and hissing, but otherwise no one objected to the established rules. Hermione toed off her heels and tucked her feet under her, her timidity gradually fading as her vision adjusted and she could distinguish faces. She’d never seen an Order meeting so well-attended. She secretly wondered who was watching the students at Hogwarts given how many of her former professors were in attendance.

Minerva took a seat in the armchair to Hermione’s left. “George, it’s your turn to start us off. Remember to begin with simpler questions.”

Hermione secretly breathed a sigh of relief. While George was likely to ask her something embarrassing, he wasn’t mean-spirited enough to force her to spill her closest secrets. 

“Hermione, what is your favorite book?”

“ Jane Eyre ,” she answered without hesitation.

George’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Is the potion working? I thought Hogwarts: A History was your favorite.”

“I can confirm that Jane Eyre is her favorite,” Angelina Johnson chimed in. “She had at least four different editions of it in our rooms.”

Remus Lupin hummed agreement. “I can second that confirmation. She came to my office hours more than once in her third year to argue about the use of the deus ex machina in the novel–”

“Dei ex machina, Professor Lupin,” Hermione cut him off. “There’s certainly more than one. At minimum, there are at least two. Jane’s uncle conveniently provides her with wealth enough for her independence, and Rochester’s disembodied plea saves her from St. John.”

“I don’t think that her uncle counts–” Remus began, but before the exchange could devolve into a renewed argument, George cut in with another question. “What is something that only your housemates would likely know about you?”

“I like to have dessert before my dinner.”

Pomona snorted into her wine glass. “Your parents are dentists! Is eating dessert first some sort of rebellion?”

“I just have a sweet tooth is all.”

“I can confirm that she prefers dessert first,” Minerva cut in. “The house elves used to wait until after the main course to make dessert appear on the tables, but I noticed that they snuck Hermione little dishes of treats before she would touch her chicken or Sunday roast.”

Angelina chuckled. “At least until her fourth year and the S.P.E.W. campaign. The only thing that ever made Hermione consider giving up her quest for house elve rights was the sudden lack of shortbread and Scottish tablet.”

Several of her former professors groaned at the mention of S.P.E.W., but none seemed particularly interested in asking her follow-up questions about her campaign or the subsequent loss of her sweets. Quickly growing bored of the conversation, George decided to redirect the questioning to fulfill the gathered company’s desire for dirty laundry. “Hermione, who did you punch in your third year at Hogwarts?”

“Draco Malfoy,” she answered immediately.

A handful of gasps and no inconsiderable number of snickers sounded in the room. Draco had been too embarrassed by the incident to tell anyone, so this was the first many people in the room were hearing of it.

Minerva did her best to hide her grin. “And why did you punch Draco Malfoy?”

Her nose wrinkled as though she’d smelled something foul. “He was gloating over the fact that his father had twisted the Minister’s arm until he agreed to have Buckbeak executed,” she paused, but the veritaserum dredged up all of her motivations, “and because he was a bigoted prat who needed to be taken down a peg or two.”

The chuckles in the room graduated to laughter at her response, but Hermione was too preoccupied with the efficacy of the veritaserum to feel self-conscious. The potion appeared to work on facial expression as well as verbal responses. It was disconcerting to feel her face betray her true feelings in spite of her attempts to keep her expression neutral. 

When the sounds of merriment gradually subsided, a half dozen hands shot up requesting their turn. Minerva gestured to Angelina Johnson.

“Is it true you used to have a crush on Gilderoy Lockhart?”

Hermione’s shoulders relaxed as she silently thanked Angelina for not asking anything too mortifying. “Yes. I read all of his books and practically drooled over him in class. I forgave all of his very obvious deficiencies as an instructor because I loved being the teacher’s pet.”

The room once again came alive with laughter, but Hermione realized with no small degree of concern that she wasn’t finished speaking. “I also had a crush on Remus Lupin.”

Hermione slapped her hand over her mouth as soon as the name came out of her mouth. Her former professor was blushing in mortification, but George clapped him on the back jovially. “Don’t worry, Professor, a lot of the girls had a crush on you. Nothing to get all shy about.”

Hermione was just grateful that Tonks wasn’t in attendance tonight. Not so much because she would be angry, but rather because she would find it amusing and never let Hermione hear the end of it. She tried to take a deep breath to soothe her nerves, but her wagging tongue seemed determined to reveal all her secrets.

“And there was Ronald Weasley, but everybody knows about that already. But the one I never told anyone about was–”

Hermione literally bit her tongue in an effort to keep from revealing the name. 

“Who?” Angelina prompted, and all of Hermione’s goodwill for the witch fled. She’d obviously been spending too much time with her husband if she loved mischief so much.

“Severus Snape.”

Hermione cheeks flushed crimson at the wolf whistles and scattered applause. Her only consolation in this case was that Snape had just opened his own apothecary and was usually too busy to attend Order meetings regularly. She couldn’t stop anyone from telling him, but she found the likelihood of them approaching him with the information she’d confessed tonight was remote at best.

Angelina was still trying to process Hermione’s answer. “You had a crush on Professor Snape?”

“Have,” Hermione corrected.

Hermione’s feelings were divided between mortification and anger at the renewed applause and boisterous chattering that followed. George and Angelina were seated on the floor to her right, and their conversation was the only one she could hear.

George shrugged. “I’m actually not all that surprised. We all know Hermione liked being praised by her teachers. She admitted she likes being the teacher’s pet. Professor Snape was the only teacher who never praised her.”

Angelina nodded thoughtfully. “I can kind of see why she would still have a crush on him.”

George feigned irritation. “In what way am I deficient that you’re ogling your former potions professor, wife?”

She swatted his chest. “I mean that Professor Snape was always one of the more scholarly faculty at Hogwarts. He could talk with Hermione about any subject, and he’s one of the very few people who could keep up with her.”

Hermione would have been interested in hearing more of their conversation, but the room fell quiet again at the sound of Molly Weasley clearing her throat. Thanks to the veritaserum, she couldn’t quite mask her wince at the sour look on the Weasley matron’s face. She still loved Molly, but their relationship had been strained since her breakup with Ron.

Molly huffed angrily. “Is this inappropriate crush on a man old enough to be your father the reason you and Ron broke up?”

“No.” Hermione once again tried to hold her tongue, and once again the veritaserum was determined to lay her true feelings bare. “The reason that Ron and I broke up was that I considered it ‘inappropriate’ for him to abandon Harry and me when we were looking for horcruxes.”

Molly was obviously unconvinced. “Did Severus Snape groom you?”

“Molly!” Minerva and Remus admonished in tandem.

“No, he didn’t.”

“Mum,” George whispered, “what are you doing? “

Molly was unrepentant. “I’m trying to find out what she did to ruin their relationship.”

George snorted. “Mum, is it so difficult to imagine that it might have been Ron’s fault? I love him, but he’s a bit of a wanker.”

“If it wasn’t Snape, then someone else must have caught her eye. Hermione, are Rita Skeeter’s claims that you are secretly in love with Harry true?”

Hermione’s lips pursed in disdain. “No, they are not correct.”

“Miss Granger,” a familiar drawling baritone addressed her.

No…Fuck…fuckfuckfuck! How long had he been standing there?

She looked up to find Severus Snape leaning against a bookcase. His face was unreadable, but she could somehow still sense his irritation. Her stomach plummeted.

The only person who looked as concerned as she was about the potion master’s appearance was Molly Weasley. The matron had gone distinctly pale. “Severus, I had no idea you were attending the meeting this evening.”

Severus’ expression didn’t change. “Obviously you didn’t think that I would be here or you wouldn’t have been so comfortable accusing me of committing crimes against my students.”

Molly’s lips pressed together in an angry line. “But you’ve committed plenty of others.”

His head tilted to the side, managing to look both quizzical and menacing. “That’s true enough. Let’s not add one more to the list.”

He ignored her thunderous expression, turning his attention back to Hermione. “Miss Granger, have you engaged in any sort of physical relationship with Mister Potter?”

The look of disgust instantly came back. “Absolutely not! Harry’s like my brother.”

Molly glared at Minerva reproachfully. “Why does he get to ask impertinent questions, but I get censured for it?”

Minerva returned Molly’s glare over the rim of her glasses. “Because we do not ask potentially incriminating questions as part of this session. Our goals are to establish identity and intention. Anyone suspected of a crime should be reported to the aurors and subject to methods of questioning deemed ethical by the Wizangamot. As Severus’ question does not put anyone at risk of ending up in Azkaban, it is permitted,” she gave Severus a pointed look, “even if it is asinine.”

George glanced back and forth between Hermione and Severus with a calculating look. A slow, worrying grin spread across his face. “Hermione, what is the scent of your amortentia?”

She forgot how to breathe for a moment. Any chance that Severus might leave the meeting without learning about her crush on him quickly disappeared. “My amortentia smells of old parchment, Shetland wool, Yorkshire Gold tea, and fluxweed.”

Severus’ dark eyes bored into her, and as she feared, the beginnings of a sneer curled his lip. Angelina addressed her before she could get too distracted by his expression. “That’s not what you told us in your sixth year. Why did you lie and tell us your amortentia smelled like freshly mown grass and spearmint?” The teasing lilt to her voice suggested that she already knew the answer.

“I wasn’t ready for people to know about how I felt. I was afraid that if people found out, the information would make its way to him, and he would hate me more than he already did.”

Remus caught Angelina’s eye, a silent alliance forming between them. He addressed Hermione even as he smirked at Severus. “I don’t understand, Hermione. I’ve always found the man difficult to work with.”

Hermione huffed irritably. “Perhaps that’s because the Marauders were less than kind to him in his youth, Professor.”

Remus ignored the bait. “Perhaps, but what could you possibly see in the man?”

She was surprised by how defensive she felt. “I can’t think of another person whose company I’d rather have than his. The man’s mind is prodigious, and if he’d let me, I’d spend our entire lives plumbing its depths.”

The room had gone completely silent, but she was undeterred. “He may not be an especially gentle or kind man, but he is loyal, and his sardonic sense of humor suits me well. He cuts a striking figure, to say nothing of his delightfully angular face. He is in all respects my equal and my match.”

Molly was the first to break the silence. “Severus Snape has always loved Lily Potter. You saw it for yourself in his memories. Why would you foster feelings for someone who will never love you back?”

Hermione closed her eyes, the barb finding purchase in a way that none of the others had. In spite of her desire to withdraw from the pitying eyes of the company, the veritaserum was ruthless. “It’s true that I have no evidence that he returns my affections, but if he ever did, I wouldn’t fear a ghost.”

George butted in before his mother could continue her slow torture. “Hermione, you already have an important role in shaping the future of our world. Why do you want to join the Order of the Phoenix?”

“Ron and Harry have always needed my help. Since one of the functions of the Order is to provide research and information to the DMLE, joining the Order will give me a way to help them without having to micromanage.”

The tension in the room broke as chuckling and a susurration of stifled laughter sounded in the room. Although she didn’t dare meet his gaze, she even heard Severus snicker at her evaluation of her friends’ abilities. Any relief she might have felt was short-lived, however, as the potion pried out all of her secrets.

“I also want to join because it gives me the opportunity to see Severus. He doesn’t attend every meeting, but it gives me a reasonable excuse to be around him.”

Molly looked as though she wanted to object, but Minerva cut her off. “I think you lot have had enough fun for tonight. I move to put it to a vote.”

“Seconded,” George added.

“All in favor of welcoming Hermione Granger to the Order of the Phoenix, say ‘aye’.”

“Aye” the room echoed with the collective response.

“All opposed, say ‘nay’.”

The room was quiet. Molly Weasley’s jaw was working as though she wanted to say something, but a quelling look from George and Angelina silenced her.

Minerva handed Hermione a vial of veritaserum antidote. “As we are unanimous in our decision, I’m very pleased to welcome Hermione Jean Granger to the Order of the Phoenix.”

Hermione quickly popped the cork to thunderous applause and stamping of feet, downing the potion before her loose tongue could get her in more trouble. 

Minerva stood from her seat. “Let’s head downstairs and give Hermione a chance to recuperate. Save your congratulations until dinner.”

Hermione cast a heating charm on her cup of tea as the other Order members filed out, sipping quietly for a few minutes. Minerva had closed the floo and relit the fireplace. The crackling of the fire and the occasional splintering of wood slowly soothed her frazzled nerves.

She had no idea how she could ever face Severus again. Even if he hadn’t arrived for her initial confession, he could have no doubt about her feelings for him. Given the fact that he’d made a hasty retreat as soon as Minerva dismissed the meeting, she could easily guess his feelings for her. She’d merely given him one more reason to despise her, as though he needed further inducement.

She set her cup on the side table with a clink. While she was hardly in a mood to socialize, it seemed a better option than to be left stewing in her own thoughts. Given Molly’s vitriol, she made a mental note to check her shepherd’s pie for poison, or worse yet, one of her sons’ wheezes before she tucked in.

She yelped when a long arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into the stacks. A shelf dug into her back, leaving her to stare down a row of black buttons. An elbow caged her in on her right as long fingers came up to gently grip her throat. He gave a teasing squeeze before releasing his grip, his index finger slowly dragging over her jaw and down the length of her neck. He flexed his finger, allowing the knuckle to nestle in the hollow of her throat.

“Plumb my depths, Miss Granger?” he whispered silkily. “Is that what you wish to do? Funny how I’ve never heard anything of it before today.”

“I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t exactly know how best to approach the subject. It’s not exactly easy to go up to someone who’s always seemed to despise you and say ‘fancy dinner and a shag…possibly for the rest of our lives?’”

He was close enough that she felt the puff of air when he chuckled. “You could have saved the ‘for the rest of our lives’ bit until later. It’s not necessary to throw all your cards on the table at once.”

“Well, as you can see, I didn’t have the courage to play even a single card before today.”

“So you thought that the appropriate course of action was to confess your feelings in front of the entire Order?” he teased.

“In all fairness, I didn’t know the questions would reveal that particular secret.”

“It’s alright. If I’m being perfectly frank, there was a reason why Molly was so pushy tonight.”

Hermione was surprised by the hint of color in his cheeks. “All of the Order members went through this process after the war. Did Molly uncover something when they were questioning you?”

“She may have discovered that I’ve had an interest in you since the end of the war.”

The pieces finally clicked into place. “That’s why they were so ruthless about asking me questions about you. They already knew how you felt.”

“Indeed. While Molly was furious, I suspect everyone else was trying to show me that my feelings were returned.”

She toyed with one of the buttons on his frock coat. “It’s a very Slytherin thing to allow others to do the work of finding out my feelings.”

Severus smirked. “And yet not so Slytherin a thing to tell you directly that your feelings are returned.”

She looked up at him then, her expression turning serious. “They are?”

He gave a small nod, stroking a thumb over her cheek. “They are.”

She stood on tiptoe, crushing her lips against his. His hand slid from her cheek to the nape of her neck, tilting her head as he pressed his open lips to hers. She understood the silent request, parting her lips. He seized on the invitation, surging forward until his tongue met hers.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him flush with her. She needed him to surround her, to box her in. He crowded in, pressing her firmly against the shelves as he loomed over her.

“Miss Granger, would you be interested in dinner and a shag…possibly for the rest of our lives if things go to plan?”

“Yes,” she beamed up at him, her cheek brushing his as she leaned up to whisper in his ear, “but I think I’d like a bit of dessert before dinner.”

She took his hand, leading him away from the stacks. The wizard wore a feral grin as she pushed him down into the chair she’d occupied during the questioning. His hands slipped under her dress, gripping the hem of her blue cotton knickers and slowly dragging them down her thighs. Her skin erupted in goosebumps as his fingertips tracked down the outside of her thighs.

He pulled her onto his lap, rucking up her dress so he could cup her arse in his warm, calloused hands. She immediately attacked his buttons, plucking each one from its hole with a zeal that drew a smirk from the dark wizard as he watched her. When she arrived at the last button, she pushed the sides apart, a pout forming as soon as she saw that he had a long-sleeved linen shirt underneath the wool coat.

He snickered at her obvious disappointment. “What did you think, Hermione? Did you imagine that I wear a wool coat with nothing underneath? I shudder to think of the chafing.”

Hermione finished the last of the buttons, flexing her fingers in the dark mat of his chest hair. “But that’s part of the appeal. All that coarse Shetland wool rubbing your nipples raw. Her eager hands found his brown nipples, pinching them between her fingers. 

His hissed in her ear when she dropped her head to flick her tongue over the captive tip. “Fuck, witch!”

He pulled her forward, encouraging her to rock her hips. She took the hint, grinding down on the placket of his trousers. Her lips parted on a pitiful whimper at the first drag of his harsh wool over her swollen clit.

Severus chuckled darkly as he loosened the first few buttons on the front of her dress. “Now I see why you really fantasize about wool, Miss Granger. You've been longing to squirm on your old professor’s lap until you come like a good girl.” He deftly unhooked the front of her bra, pushing the sides of her dress open enough to expose her pebbled nipples. “Tell me, you little minx, why is the scent of fluxweed part of your amorentia?”

Her rocking stilled for a moment, her eyes wide. “I– It’s because it’s related to the mustard family. I like spicy things.”

He pinched one of her tight nipples, earning a startled cry for his trouble. “I think you know better than to lie to me.”

“Your fingers,” she murmured.

“Speak up,” he demanded sternly.

“When Slughorn was ill and you filled in for him in potions, you were showing us how to prepare the ingredients for polyjuice potion. You crushed a stem of fluxweed plant between your fingers—”

She fell silent, her cheeks crimson. “And?” Severus prompted.

She started stroking the hair on his chest with one hand nervously. “And the blooms smeared purple pigment all over your thumb and index finger. It was the first time I really noticed your fingers.”

Hermione’s breath hitched as Severus slowly traced his index finger up the purple, velvety scar from Dolohov’s curse. He adopted his best bored drawl. “And what was the significance of this observation, Miss Granger?”

Her hips jerked instinctively. “It was the first time I thought about what your fingers could do to me.”

“Like this?” he whispered, pinching her other nipple between his index finger and thumb before gently twisting the taut peak.

“Yes!” she hissed, her hips resuming their frantic rocking.

She leaned into his touch as he plucked her nipples, tugging and releasing her wrinkled areolas at a leisurely pace. She leaned forward, dragging her tongue over the taut pink scars along his shoulder and neck. Her back arched as he pinched her more roughly, two more passes over his rough wool pulling her orgasm from her.

Her face was buried in his neck, air fanning out over his skin as she recovered. Severus kissed her forehead, stroking her arms soothingly, but she showed little interest in slowing down. She reached between them, quickly unbuttoning his trousers.

“You’re going to need to rethink your wardrobe, Professor.”

“Why is that? I thought you liked wool?”

He groaned as she fished his cock from his pants, running her thumb over the prominent veins as she stroked his firm length. He rutted into her fist, precum dripping over his frenulum and spreading over his shaft as he thrust. Hermione gripped him firmly to stop the motion, moving up on his lap to line him up with her entrance.

“Of course I love your wool, but from now on, you’re going to be wearing me more often than your trousers.”

His wanton moan echoed hers as she sank over him, and for a moment he was overwhelmed by pleasure. When she whimpered and shuffled awkwardly on her knees, Severus realized that she was struggling. She gripped his shoulders for leverage, but before she could try to take him fully, Severus’ hands found her hips to stop her.

“Let me help,” he whispered soothingly.

His hand slid up her back, pulling her forward until her breasts were nestled against his chest. His free hand slipped between them, fingers splayed over her mons as his thumb slipped between her lips to find the nub still slick with her earlier release. Hermione buried her nose in the crook of his neck as he rubbed firm circles over her clit. 

Her breathy whines fanned over his neck, sending a shiver up his spine. She slowly responded to his touch, sinking down until her arse met his thighs. She took a shuddering breath as she wiggled in his lap, silently pleading with him to move, to soothe the throbbing between her thighs. He paid no mind to her sigh of protest when his thumb left her clit, gripping her hip with one hand as the other folded over the back of her shoulder to keep her firmly in place.

“Good girl,” he rumbled in her ear. “I need you to relax and trust me if you’re planning to be my little cocksleeve.”

He tugged hard on her shoulder as his hips snapped up, forcing a keening cry from his witch. Hermione’s hands scrambled for purchase, one finding its home in the hair at the nape of his neck while the other clutched the back of the chair. His coarse chest hair chafed her nipples, and her thighs and arse turned pink with his ruthless pounding.

In spite of the frantic movement, he still managed to taunt her. “Is this what you imagined, Miss Granger,” he bit out through gritted teeth, “or did you envision a casual cock warming? Did you honestly think it would be easy being mine?”

She huffed a laugh into his neck. “I’ve never assumed that anything about you is easy, so don’t hold back on me now, Severus.”

His strangled groan echoed through the library as his arms banded tightly around her. Her entire body shook with his renewed efforts, her wild ringlets bouncing as he fucked up into her. The feeling of her teeth digging into his shoulder as she came triggered his own release. Her cunt fluttered around him, siphoning rope after rope of cum from the exhausted wizard.

He kept his arms around her, panting into the crown of her head. “It’s not enough to have my cock? You need to drain my balls dry, you little succubus?”

She clenched around him unrepentantly. “I did warn you that I like dessert before dinner.”

“Speaking of which, we should probably head downstairs before they send a search party up for us.”

She buried her nose in his neck again. “Do we have to? I was rather hoping that it would just be the two of us for the rest of the night.”

He stroked the long length of her spine, a smitten grin forming at the knowledge that she preferred his company above others. “The dinner is part of your celebration, so I’m afraid you have to attend.” He snickered at her petulant pout. “I’ll make you a deal. You can have me all to yourself when you come to my place after dinner.”

He could feel her smile against his skin. “That would be acceptable.”

They took their time helping each other right their clothing. The feeling of Hermione’s fingers against his skin as she refastened each of his buttons by hand nearly created another round of distractions, but Severus reminded her that the sooner they went to dinner, the sooner they could leave.

They could already hear the raucous laughter and the clink of glasses as they descended the stairs. A brief moment of doubt made Hermione pause before entering the kitchen. As much as Severus had made it clear that he wanted to be together, he’d given no indication that he was prepared to confirm their new relationship to their friends.

Severus seemed to sense her train of thought, smirking at her as he offered her his arm. She smiled up at him, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow. She marveled at the rightness of it, the feeling of her hand flanked by wool and held snugly against his side.

They turned the corner into the kitchen, and this time when they were greeted with applause and wolf whistles, Hermione didn’t turn crimson. Severus grinned smugly as she pressed a kiss to his cheek, and everyone in the room understood that his tolerance of such affection was tantamount to a declaration of love. For the first time, they were both glad that their friends and colleagues were relentlessly nosy busybodies. 

Chapter Text

Hermione used a piece of garlic bread to mop up the rest of the bolognese sauce, moaning in appreciation when she popped it in her mouth.

Severus huffed a laugh. “You do realize that we have more? There’s no need to lament your clean plate as though I’ll never feed you again.”

“Don’t tempt me. Your sauce is so addictive that I’d slurp it down and lick the pot clean given half a chance.”

He watched her closely as she took her plate to the sink. He could see how tired she was in spite of her good humor. “Are you alright?”

She gave him a weary smile. “I’m just a bit tired. My department held a town hall meeting today to get public feedback about the new wolfsbane distribution legislation. Things got…boisterous.” She reached across the table to take his hand. “I’m glad we decided to stay home for our first anniversary.”

His face remained carefully neutral, giving away nothing of the elation he felt at hearing her refer to his flat as “home.” He intertwined their fingers, enjoying how her knuckles fit snugly against his. 

“I’m glad we stayed home too. It will make it considerably easier for me to give you your present.”

Her face fell. “Present? I thought we agreed not to get each other presents.”

“We did, but this is something you’ve wanted from me for years that I finally feel comfortable teaching you.”

She squeezed his hand, her eyes widening in barely contained excitement. “Are you going to teach me legilimency?”

“Yes.”

She was practically bouncing in her seat, any sense of exhaustion long forgotten. “Can we start tonight?”

“We can. In fact, I have a particular memory I wish to show you.”

Her head tilted to the side as she tried to puzzle out his intentions. “A memory? That sounds interesting, if a bit…”

“A bit?”

“Sentimental.”

“How do you know it’s sentimental? You haven’t even seen it yet.”

“Just call it intuition.”

A dark eyebrow slowly arched. “Intuition? And here I thought it was Minerva you met with every week at Hogwarts. I didn’t realize that you’d been reading tea leaves with Sybill.”

She stared at him in mock indignation, making a show of attempting to pull her hand away from his. “Are you accusing me of divination, Professor Snape?”

He squeezed her fingers tighter, tugging on them to indicate that she should rise from her seat. “If the shoe fits, Miss Granger. Now, stop being so fussy and let’s start your first lesson.”

She pushed her seat back, rounding the table and crowding his space. He held her in place between his thighs, his hands gripping her forearms. Her skin broke out in goosebumps under his calloused palms. 

“The first thing to know about legilimency is that it takes a great deal of focus. Do you think you can manage that without distracting us both with dozens of questions?”

She grinned at him mischievously, her gaze sliding down the long row of onyx buttons until it settled on his trousers. “I can think of something that would help.”

He snorted. “Something that can stifle your litany of questions?”

She swatted his chest. “It’s called a spirit of curiosity, I’ll have you know.”

He crossed his arms over his chest in challenge. “Show me.”

He sucked in a sharp breath when she unbuckled his belt, his stomach taut as her nimble fingers made short work of his trouser buttons. He shuddered when her hand finally slipped inside his pants and wrapped around his painfully hard cock.

“I confess,” his voice was tight with restraint, “I did not imagine that this is what you had in mind.”

She gave him a light squeeze. “Do you object?”

He cleared his throat, buying himself a moment to regain his composure. “In the interests of supporting your intellectual pursuits, I will make no objections.”

She slowly raised her skirt, allowing him to catch a glimpse of her black stockings and garter belt. “Very generous of you, sir.”

Severus made no response, too busy thanking Merlin that their anniversary fell on a Friday. As much as he loved to see his witch in her rumpled pajamas and dishevelled hair, watching her undress after her work day was one of the most erotic things he’d ever seen. 

She hooked her thumbs over her black silk knickers, slowly dragging them down her thighs. She straddled his lap, sweeping her thumb over his glans as she lined him up. Her hands found his shoulders as she finally sank over him. 

A strangled groan tore from his throat as her heat enveloped him. “It’s not generosity at all. I’m being quite selfish, forcing you to keep the promise that you made me a year ago.”

“Promise?” she asked him breathily.

“That I would be wearing you more often than my trousers.”

She laughed at him, capturing his lips in a tender kiss. He abandoned any attempt to keep his composure, running his hands up her stockinged legs. He cupped her arse, kneading the perfect globes as she writhed on his cock. She rocked her hips, desperate for release, but his hands immediately moved to her hips, holding her in place.

“Not yet,” he drawled, “Be a good girl for me, and you’ll get your reward after your lesson, Miss Granger.”

“Yes, sir.” 

She summoned her wand from across the room. He wrapped his fingers around her hand, showing her how to hold the wand to perform the spell. “The intention is the most important part. You must not hesitate. If you do, it will feel like the mental equivalent of splinching. You won’t die, but you’ll likely pass out and wake up with one hell of a migraine.”

She practiced the wand motion a few times before nodding that she was ready. He gazed into her eyes trustingly as she raised her wand. “Legilimens!”

Hermione immediately realized why Severus had chosen splinching to describe a failed legilimency spell. The spell reminded her of being squeezed through the eye of a needle, the same sensation she experienced when apparating. 

It took her a moment to get her bearings. The feeling of being inside someone else’s mind while still feeling her own body was disconcerting. She could feel where she and Severus were joined, his cock pulsing within her, and yet all she could see before her was a seemingly endless black wall. It took her a moment to recognize that it was a symbol.

“Occlumency shields,” she mumbled.

Well done, Miss Granger. You’re correct, those are my mental defenses. I don’t usually have them raised when I’m with you, but it will help you to focus if I do not have my entire mind laid out before you.

She nodded at his disembodied voice, not entirely sure if he could see her. “I understand, but I’m a bit disappointed.”

Disappointed?

“I meant what I said to the Order last year. I’d spend my entire life plumbing your mind if you would let me.”

Save your flirting for after our lesson.

“What’s going to happen after our lesson?” she asked cheekily.

That depends on how you respond to my memory.

A silver sphere of light drifted through the darkness, coming to a stop directly in front of her. She instinctively wanted to touch it, but she thought better of it and waited for Severus’ instructions.

There are many ways to view another person’s thoughts, but the most significant decision you will need to make is whether you wish to feel their emotions or view the memory in a more detached way. Since this is your first time using legilimency, I would recommend the latter. It will feel similar to your previous experiences using a pensieve, and you need only touch the memory to see it.

Hermione reached into the light without question, and immediately found herself in the library of Grimmauld Place. Severus occupied her favorite reading chair, and Minerva sat to his left. He wore his usual black robes, but thick bandages covered his neck where he was still recovering from Nagini’s bite. She couldn’t help but smile at the look of disdain that he made no effort to hide.

She looked to her left and right, surprised that the room was almost completely full. The last time she’d seen this many people gathered in the Black family estate was her initiation into the Order a year ago. She sucked in a sharp breath at the realization. “This is when they questioned you to join the Order of the Phoenix.”

Yes.  

“There are more Hogwarts professors here than there were at my questioning.”

That is largely due to Minerva’s influence. She wanted me to have moral support.

Minerva cleared her throat to quell the din in the room. “I open this evening’s meeting with a few reminders. The focus of this questioning is to determine identity and motivation. Any questions that are likely to incriminate the initiate are off limits. Any concerns about potential criminal activity must be reported to the Aurors so that testimony may be gathered using the Wizengamot’s ethical guidelines.”

George snorted. “Which is all to say that what we’re doing here is all a bit dodgy, so everyone can just climb down off your high horse now.”

Snickering broke out around the room, and even Severus’ lip twitched in amusement at his former student’s cheekiness. Minerva waited for the commotion to die down before continuing, her smirk hidden behind her tea cup.

“To George’s point, I would strongly encourage you all to have some empathy and remember how uncomfortable it is to be questioned by your peers.” Minerva sighed deeply, as though regretting what she had to say next. “Molly, it is your turn to start us off this evening.”

Molly stood at the back of the room, arms crossed over her chest and an angry scowl marring her brow. “I would just like to say that I can't believe we’re even considering Severus Snape for membership in the Order of Phoenix. He’s a Death–”

“Mum!” George interrupted reprovingly. Arthur stood next to his wife looking vaguely embarrassed. He gently placed his hand on her back, a silent plea to drop her diatribe.

Hermione knew she was watching a memory, but she felt the strong desire to hex the odious woman nonetheless. She’d once thought that she and Molly could still be friends after her breakup with Ron, but Molly’s behavior since finding out that Hermione was interested in Severus had quickly disavowed her of the notion.

“She had it out for you from the beginning,” she hissed angrily.

Keep watching. It gets worse.

Molly ignored her son and her husband, turning her attention to Severus. “The Wizengamot may have let you off the hook for your actions, but that doesn’t mean that you’re a good person. It doesn’t mean that you’re worthy of membership in the Order. I want to know the truth. Did you enjoy killing Albus Dumbledore?”

Minerva opened her mouth to intervene amid the sea of shocked gasps, but it was too late. The veritaserum was already working on Severus. “No. I bitterly resented being used as his pawn for two decades, but I didn’t want to kill him. He was my mentor, and I mourned his loss deeply, even if I wasn’t at liberty to show it.”

George took advantage of the subsequent silence to stop his mother’s line of questioning. “Narcissa Malfoy testified that you killed Dumbledore to protect Draco from having to carry out the murder under Voldemort’s orders. Are there instances of you protecting someone in this room that were not addressed at your trial?”

“Yes,” Severus answered without hesitation.

“Who, and under what circumstances?”

“Arthur Weasley. I assisted in his recovery after he was attacked by Nagini.”

Molly’s face contorted angrily. “That’s a lie. You didn’t come to his bedside once while he was in St. Mungo’s.”

“The antidote,” Arthur whispered. “You developed the antidote, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

Molly shook her head incredulously. “You didn’t! The antidote was developed by Healer Smethwyck.”

Arthur’s brow was furrowed in confusion. “Severus, you saved my life. Why didn’t you tell us that you created it?”

Severus sneered, traces of his old misery crossing his face. “Because some members of the Order already distrusted me. I was concerned that if they knew I was the one who developed the antidote, they wouldn’t administer it to Arthur. I wasn’t willing to risk his life.”

Molly’s lips pressed together in a thin line. “That hardly matters. One act of selflessness doesn’t make up for a lifetime of dark deeds.”

“Mum! How can you say ‘that hardly matters’? He saved Dad’s life.”

“I’m sure the healers at St. Mungo’s would have been able to save his life without Snape’s interference.”

“You have no way of knowing that!” George barked in frustration.

Molly showed no sign of backing down. “And you have no way of knowing that they wouldn’t.”

Remus had remained silent up to this point, but Molly’s obstinance unsettled him. “Molly, he made my wolfsbane when I worked at Hogwarts,” he gave Severus a knowing look, “and there are two things I’m certain of about Severus Snape: He is an unmitigated arse, and he’s the most talented potions master in all of Britain. He’s the only one capable of developing a potion potent enough to remedy maledictus venom. No else has–”

“I can’t believe you’re defending him!” Molly interrupted. “Snape has always hated you. Ron told me about the essay he set for the DADA class in his third year. He made them write an essay about werewolves even though the class shouldn’t have learned about them for months.”

Remus looked at Severus calmly. “Why did you tell my students to write an essay about werewolves?”

“I hoped that the students would realize that you were absent because you’re a werewolf. I knew that if they found out, they would tell their parents, and you’d be fired.”

“See!!!” Molly yelled gleefully. A flash of hurt crossed Remus’ face, but he didn’t give voice to his feelings, unwilling to encourage Molly’s mania.

Angelina squeezed George’s hand when it was clear he intended to scold his mother again. “Professor Snape, Remus was our best DADA teacher. We all enjoyed his class. Why would you want to get him fired?”

“Because I knew what Albus was planning for him. He told me to botch the wolfsbane potion.”

“What?” Remus asked, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice.

Severus looked directly at him. “Albus instructed me to give you a faulty potion. He anticipated that you would transform on the grounds, or possibly in Hogsmeade. He was betting on the fact that you would attack someone, and he was going to use your subsequent guilt to convince you to liaise with the wolf packs on his behalf. You temporarily thwarted his plan when you resigned at the end of the year, at which point he waited until he could use your feelings for Tonks as a way to manipulate you into doing his bidding.”

“You never gave me the botched wolfsbane?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Albus spent years using my guilt against me, twisting my thoughts to suit his purposes. Whatever grievances I may have had against you in our youth, I would not have wished such misery on you.”

Remus ran a hand through his hair. “You were protecting me?”

“Yes, after a fashion.”

Molly stared around the room incredulously. “I can’t believe that you’re all suddenly on his side. Minerva, you threw him out of Hogwarts. You more than anyone were willing to believe the worst of him.”

Minerva’s lip trembled with rage. “I regret my lack of discernment to this day. I never should have doubted him.”

Pomona nodded her agreement. “I was Severus’ teacher for years and his colleague for far longer. I should have known better.”

“I should have guessed,” Filius chimed in. “Whenever students had detention with the Carrows, he would reassign them to Hagrid or handle the detention himself. I should have realized that he was trying to protect them.”

Molly’s lips pursed as though she wanted to argue, but a stern look from Minerva silenced her. “You have done enough to cast aspersions on Severus’ character. We will not continue this line of questioning.”

Sybill Trelawney hummed loudly, tapping her bottom lip with her index finger as she stared thoughtfully into the bottom of her teacup. Minerva was visibly relieved at the excuse to move on from Molly’s vitriol. “Sybill, dear, do you have a question for Severus?”

The divination professor stared at Severus through her thick spectacles. “Severus, are you madly in love with me?”

The entire room broke into snickers and tittering as Severus sputtered into his tea. “I beg your pardon?”

“Are you madly in love with me?”

Severus looked dazed, as though someone had just hit him with a confundus charm. “No, Sybill. I’m not madly in love with you.”

Sybill’s head tilted to the side. “Not even a little bit?”

“I’m afraid not.”

She stared into her teacup again. “How very strange. The signs have been in the tea leaves for weeks. They all point to the fact that you’re in love.”

George smirked at Severus’ discomfort. “If you’re not in love with Professor Trelawney, then who are you madly in love with?”

It was clear from the pained expressions around the room that most of the Order thought they knew the name he would say. They’d all seen his memories. They saw how his love for Lily had shaped his choices.

Severus’ lips twitched as he tried to fight the veritaserum. “H-Her–” he bit his lip to try to stop the name from coming out.

“Who?” George pressed.

“Hermione Granger,” he bit out.

The entire room went quiet except for Molly’s indignant shriek. She moved to draw her wand until Arthur placed a restraining hand on her arm. Her face turned puce with rage. “Do you not find it inappropriate to fall in love with my son’s girlfriend, a woman twenty years your junior?”

Severus sneered. “Hermione has not been in a relationship with your son since he abandoned her in the Forest of Dean. Apparently his need to be coddled and spoonfed by his mother is stronger than his devotion to his partner.”

George raised his hand before his mother could respond. “Forgive me, but I’m a bit confused. We all saw your memories. Are you not still in love with Lily Potter?”

“No. My affection for Lily was a childhood crush. I will always miss her and love her, but as my friend, not as a romantic partner.”

“Severus,” Pomona looked at him skeptically, “I’m finding this difficult to believe. Didn’t you used to call Hermione an insufferable know-it-all?”

“I did, and my description was accurate when she was a student. She used to turn in essays double the length that I requested because of her incessant need to regurgitate information.”

Filius chuckled. “You were always so hard on her. Do you remember what you said when she asked you to teach her legilimency?”

“I called her a meddling harpy, and I was right. Any time I tried to discipline Potter, she was always there to defend him. When he and Ron inevitably ‘forgot’ to do their homework, she always allowed them to copy hers. Every time Longbottom almost blew up a cauldron, she held his hand through making the potion instead of letting him learn for himself.”

Remus exchanged a mischievous look with George. “You disliked her when she was a student. When did those feelings change?”

“They changed when Hermione and Minerva came to see me every day while I was convalescing in St. Mungo’s.”

Angelina whispered in George’s ear. “Oh, so it’s ‘Hermione’ now, is it?”

Severus’ eyebrows shot up as he realized that the potion couldn’t distinguish between rhetorical questions and genuine ones. “Of course it’s ‘Hermione.’ What else would I call her, given that she’s no longer my student?” Despite his best efforts to stop it, his expression changed to a salacious grin. “I would only call her ‘Miss Granger’ if she asked me nicely on her knees, and I would insist that call me ‘Headmaster.’”

“But you own an apothecary. You’re not Headmaster anymore,” Sybill protested, oblivious to the raucous laughter in the room.

Severus’ smile was lethal. “And Hermione’s not my student anymore, but that wouldn’t stop me from punishing her.”

“Some witches have all the luck,” Sybill pouted, prompting another round of laughter.

Minerva noticed the look between George and Remus amidst all the merriment, quickly recognizing the game they were playing and deciding that she needed to be ring leader. “Severus, what do you admire about Hermione?”

Severus gawked at Minerva as though he couldn’t believe she’d betray him. “I admire her mind. She is one of the few people who can keep up with me intellectually.”

“Clearly the veritaserum doesn’t affect vanity,” George whispered to Remus.

“Her questions and arguments have become more nuanced over time, and I couldn’t help but find them compelling. I admire her because she forgave me for my poor treatment of her even though I didn’t deserve it. I love her wry grin when she reads something that amuses her. I love how her hair refuses to be tamed and slowly slips loose one curl at a time when she has it in a bun. I’ve longed more than once to wrap a stray curl around my finger and pull.”

George smirked. “Poor bloke. You really are smitten.”

Remus’ expression turned serious. “Have you told Hermione how you feel?”

“Of course not. It’s more likely that Lucius Malfoy would donate every single galleon in his vault to charity than it is that Hermione Granger would fancy me.”

“You should tell her, Severus,” Pomona insisted. “I think the two of you would be well-matched, and I have an eye for such things,” she winked suggestively at Minerva.

“Are you quite sure?” Sybill asked, her brow furrowed in thought. “Don’t you think Hermione Granger is a bit dull and prosaic for Severus?”

“I agree with Pomona,” Fillius chimed in. “They’re two of the brightest people I know.”

Minerva chuckled as she sipped her tea. “Their children would be terrifying. I’m glad that I plan to retire before their hypothetical progeny come to Hogwarts.”

Remus’ mouth twitched up in a mischievous grin that made him look ten years younger as he listened to his former colleagues. “I just don’t know. There was a time when Viktor Krum quite fancied her. Who knows? He may still want to pursue her.”

Severus growled, his eyes narrow menacingly on Remus. “No blockheaded jock or ginger idiot is going to interest her. She’s my equal and my match…my…my person.”

Minerva set her teacup on the side table. “Then I suppose that we’ll just have to help you.”

Molly dragged her husband to the floo. “I have no intention of helping Severus Snape to steal the witch meant for my son, nor do I have any intention of voting for him to join the Order. Come along, children.”

Angelina didn’t move from her seat on the rug. “I’m quite comfortable right here.”

Molly’s eyes narrowed. “George?”

George shrugged. “Sorry, Mum. I rather like writing happy endings. I think I’ll stay.”

“Traitors,” Molly huffed indignantly before stepping into the fireplace.

Arthur mouthed the word “apologies” before following his wife into the fireplace and calling out for the Burrow.

Minerva wasted no time. “All those in favor of welcoming Severus Snape into the Order of the Phoenix, say ‘aye.’”

“Aye!!!” they all shouted in unison.

Hermione felt Severus tugging on her consciousness, urgently trying to pull her from the memory, but she resisted when she saw George stand up to get the assembly’s attention.

George held up his hands dramatically. “All those in favor of helping Severus get his witch and get laid after years of abstinence, say ‘aye.’”

“AYE!!!” echoed off the walls.

She heard Severus’ put-upon sigh as she laughed. When her sides had stopped shaking, she finally released the memory and allowed him to teach her how to slip from his mind with the required care and finesse. 

She closed her eyes for a moment when the spell ended, opening them to find his dark eyes regarding her intently. Her nose brushed his as she leaned in for a kiss. “Thank you for sharing your memory with me. I have to confess that I’ve always been curious about what happened in your induction to make them so determined in their matchmaking efforts.”

“And I must confess that I have an ulterior motive for showing you that particular memory.”

“You? Being sneaky?” she snarked. “I never would have imagined.”

He just shook his head at her teasing before his expression turned serious. “I showed you the memory because I don’t always find it easy to express my feelings. I wanted you to know how much you mean to me before I ask you an important question.”

He slipped a hand into his pocket, retrieving a small velvet box from his robes. Hermione’s breath hitched as he opened the box to reveal a silver band with carved vines twining around an emerald. 

“Severus?” she whispered, already on the verge of tears.

“Hermione, the last year has given me more joy than I ever could have imagined. I want to spend the rest of my life feeding you dessert before dinner.” She gave a watery laugh as tears fell down her cheeks.

“I want to spend my mornings arguing with you about esoteric articles that would make most of our friends and colleagues pass out from boredom. I want to spend my nights finding all the ways I can to make you chant my name. I want to spend Saturday morning sat up in bed with a cup of coffee as I watch you and your menace of a kneazle napping, competing for which of you gets to shed the most hair on my pillow. I want to spend my life with you, Hermione. Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” Hermione lurched forward, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing until he protested her death grip.

He raised his hands. “I surrender. Just let me live long enough for us to actually get married.”

When he slipped the ring on her finger, her gaze drifted between them to where they were still joined, and she laughed again. “Now every time I reminisce about our engagement, I’m going to think about how I was warming your cock when you proposed.”

Severus’ eyebrow slowly rose. “Considering that you impaled yourself on my cock the moment you found out that I had feelings for you, I’d call it coming full circle.”

Her answering giggle quickly changed to a startled groan when he dismissed their clothes with a flick of his fingers. He tangled his hand in her hair and tugged. His lips latched onto her exposed throat, nipping and sucking until she was writhing on his lap.

He chuckled against her skin. “Go on, love. You’ve been making a mess of my lap for the last half hour.”

He brought his hands to her hips, helping her find her rhythm. She leaned into him, relishing the feeling of his coarse chest hair chafing her pebbled nipples. Her fingers found their way into his hair, holding him close as she rode him with abandon. She soon realized from his helpless moans that neither of them were going to last long.

Her nails dug into his shoulders when his thumb found her clit. He pressed firm circles over the slick nub. Each roll of her hips brought a burst of pleasure as she pushed herself against his solicitous thumb. Her head tipped back, her lips parting in pleasure. Her breath came out in stuttering whines as he started thrusting, meeting each roll of her hips with an upward thrust.

He buried his nose in the crook of her neck, trying desperately to stave off his own release until she finished. His lips caressed the shell of her ear, curling into a smug grin. “I can’t wait, Hermione.”

“Can’t wait?” she gasped, her voice barely discernible over the frenzied slapping of their bodies.

“To go to an Order meeting and hear our friends’ congratulations, to hear Kingsley introduce you as ‘Madam Granger-Snape to the entire Wizengamot,’” his voice dropped to a rumble, “to call you ‘wife’ when I hold you.”

Hermione gave a startled cry as she came, clinging to Severus as she trembled through her orgasm. His fingers dug into her hips as her cunt continued to squeeze him. She slumped against him as she came down from her peak.

Her left hand slid off of his shoulder and over his clavicle. The feeling of her engagement band dragging over his chest was his undoing. He bellowed her name as he spilled inside of her. She rested her forehead against his chin as they both fought to catch their breath. She smiled as she raised herself slightly, watching his cum drip slowly down his shaft to form a pearlescent pool on his lap.

He held her steady as she stood, but before she could reach for her clothing, he scooped her up, carrying her to his bedroom. She helped him turn down the bed, slipping under the blankets and snuggling into his chest. He lazily stroked his fingers down her spine, pausing only when he heard her huff a laugh.

“What’s so funny, little witch?”

“I was just thinking about the Order. There will be no living with them now. They already fancy themselves the best matchmakers in Britain.”

He snorted. “Actually, I can already confirm that they’ve only gotten worse.”

It took a moment for the penny to drop. “They knew that you were going to propose to me, didn’t they?”

“Angelina came with me to help me pick out your ring. Before I knew it, George sent me an owl asking if he could host the bachelor party at his joke shop. Minerva popped by my apothecary to ask if she could officiate the ceremony. Even the house elves were contributing to the chaos. Kreacher and Winky were arguing about whether we would have the reception at Hogwarts or at Grimmauld Place. I was terrified that someone would let the word slip to you and ruin the surprise.”

She shook her head. “No one told me in advance, but I’d be careful about putting George in charge of your bachelor party.”

“I quite agree. I’d probably end up on the wrong end of a Weasley’s Wizarding Wheeze and spend our wedding night transfigured into a chicken.”

Hermione wiggled her eyebrows. “That would be a pity. That’s not the type of cock I want.”

Severus rolled his eyes. “Merlin, save me from curly haired vixens and filthy puns.”

She kissed the underside of his jaw. “Too late.”

“You do realize that we have to invite the entire Order to our wedding?”

“Does that bother you?” she asked softly.

He stared down at her, making no effort to hide his affection. “No. I’m loath to admit it, but their ruthless meddling is part of why there will be a wedding in the first place. It would be bad form not to invite them.”

“I agree, but I’m also convinced that we’re not the only match they have in mind. I’ve seen Remus and George whispering lately. I’m wondering if they’ve selected their next victims.”

“I believe they have their sights set on my godson.”

Hermione’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Does Draco have a crush on someone?”

Severus resumed the slow path of his fingers down her spine. “I believe so, but he has been less than forthcoming about the matter.”

“Are you going to intervene when they start asking him about his love life?”

“Absolutely not.”

She looked up at him in surprise. “Really? They’ve converted you?”

“If submitting to their questions brings my godson a fraction of the happiness I’ve found with you, then I will gleefully line up to interrogate him.”

She propped herself on her elbow so she could kiss him properly. Her hand slid down the plane of his chest, following the dark hair down from his navel. “Shall I make your happiness again, Severus?”

He flipped the giggling witch onto her back, settling himself between her thighs and preparing to once again reap the benefits of spilling all their secrets.

Chapter Text

Draco stared out at the sea of faces nervously. “I didn’t expect this many people.”

George clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, Draco. They’re mostly well-behaved, and when they’re not, Minerva and I are here to hex them.”

Minerva cast a tempus charm. “We’ll get underway very soon. We’re just waiting for Severus and Hermione.”

Draco scowled. “My godfather loves to do this to me. When he was my Head of House and he suspected I was up to no good, he made me wait in his office for at least an hour before he would even speak to me. He knew the nervousness alone would make me spill all my secrets when he finally appeared, no veritaserum needed.”

“That’s because you were always terrified that I would tell your father about your latest dunderheaded scheme with Crabbe and Goyle, or worse still, make you get your hands dirty washing cauldrons,” Severus drawled from where he’d suddenly appeared between two bookcases.

“Where’s Hermione? And why are the two of you so late?” Minerva scolded.

Hermione appeared at Severus’ side, hair mussed and slightly out of breath. “I apologize that we’re late. We were…cleaning up our kitchen. It was such a dreadful mess.”

Severus smirked. “That’s right. I was innocently baking away, but the moment my wife entered the room, all the flour and eggs somehow ended up on the floor. Even more puzzling is how flour handprints appeared on my wife’s arse.”

Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, her cheeks burning crimson. Molly Weasley’s lip curled in disgust. “Tart,” she whispered in her husband’s ear.

Arthur gave her a bemused look. “Darling, if Hermione is a tart for having sex with her husband, then what exactly would you call us with our seven progeny?”

“That’s different. We’re just…prolific.” Arthur huffed a laugh, but he realized the futility of pursuing the argument further.

Severus took a seat on the end of an available couch. He offered Hermione his hand to help her balance as she kicked her heels off. She sat next to him, tucking her feet under her as Severus pulled her against his side.

Draco shook his head. “Please try not to look so blissful. You’re going to make me vomit.”

Severus glared balefully at his godson. “You haven’t even taken the potion yet, and you’re already insufferable.”

“You once called your wife insufferable, and now look at you…so tame and nauseatingly domestic.”

“It’s fortunate that you’re taking the veritaserum. Perhaps we’ll have some chance of determining what’s had your knickers in a twist for months. I thought inviting you to dinner last week with your former classmates would cheer you up, but I see it’s only made matters worse.”

“Alright,” Minerva cut in, “if the two of you are quite finished, we’ll proceed with the evening’s agenda.”

Draco snatched the vial from George’s hand, downing it in one go. Severus watched his godson’s face carefully. Draco’s expression slowly turned to a stoic mask, and Severus couldn’t help but feel some degree of pride that his early occlumency lessons were so successful. 

He could see the exact moment when Draco realized the truth, his eyes betraying his panic as the potion worked on him. “What’s wrong with this potion?” He glared at his godfather. “This is your doing, isn’t it?”

Severus didn’t bother to hide his smirk. “It’s a variant that I developed for the Order. You won’t be able to occlude against it.”

Draco stared at the rug in horror. “Merlin’s balls…I’m fucked,” he muttered.

“Language, Mister Malfoy,” Minerva scolded, using his surname as though he were back in her classroom. “No one present will bite you.”

“I seriously doubt that,” he responded, the potion giving him no opportunity to choose his words more carefully.

Minerva ignored his response, but more than one person in the room snickered, obviously delighting in the young wizard’s discomfort. “Remus, I believe it’s your turn to start us off this evening.”

Draco’s shoulders slumped in relief. Remus cleared his throat, unconsciously assuming the same voice that he’d used when assigning detention. “Draco, did you call my Defense Against the Dark Arts class ‘ridiculous’ in your third year?”

“Yes, but only to Crabbe and Goyle.” Draco grimaced at his inability to hold his tongue.

Remus bit the inside of his cheek, trying to hide his amusement. “And why did you do such a thing?”

“Because you didn’t respond to my threats of tattling to my father or getting you fired if you didn’t give me preferential treatment.”

Laughter broke out around the room. Draco’s reliance on his father’s wealth and station was well-known well beyond the walls of Hogwarts. Remus waited for the laughter to subside before his expression turned serious. “Did you tell your father that I’m a werewolf?”

“No. I probably would have if I’d known, but I didn’t figure it out. Not all of us can be insufferable know-it-alls.”

Severus snorted loudly, earning a slap on the shoulder from his wife. George took advantage of the change in the line of questioning to satisfy his curiosity. “Speaking of insufferable know-it-alls, did you ever tell your father that Hermione broke your nose?”

“Absolutely not.” 

“Why not?”

“I would have been mortified for him to think me weak enough to be bested by a girl, not to mention–” Draco’s lips pressed together in a firm line as he desperately attempted to fight the effects of the veritaserum.

“Not to mention what?” Angelina pressed, enjoying Draco’s discomfort almost as much as her husband.

Draco’s fingers flexed, his fingernails digging into the arms of the chair. “I was impressed with her for not being intimidated by me.”

George didn’t bother to conceal his glee. “Really? And just how far did this admiration extend?”

Draco’s eyes met his godfather’s, his expression apologetic. “I fancied her. If I’d told my father she punched me, he would have done his best to have her expelled from Hogwarts.”

Severus’ arm tightened around his witch, his eyes narrowing angrily on his godson. “How long did you indulge in this infatuation with my wife? Do you still fancy her?”

Draco rolled his eyes. “No. If you paid any attention, you’d know that my affections have had a different object for years. Besides, it wouldn’t matter, would it? Granger is inexplicably smitten with you. The witch practically dry humps you with her eyes whenever you walk in a room.”

Severus’ cheeks turned pink as the entire room erupted in laughter. Her nose teased the shell of his ear. “He’s right, you know. If there weren’t so many people here, I’d already have you naked and on your back.”

His hand slid down her side to settle on her waist, the rest of the room forgotten as his lips found hers. Wolf whistles and applause cut through the laughter, and Minerva exchanged a look with Remus and George, congratulating herself on a match well made.

Molly cleared her throat as the din gradually subsided and Severus and Hermione reluctantly ceased their snogging. “I’m ashamed that we’re even entertaining the idea of allowing Draco Malfoy to join the Order. Are those of us who’ve always served the light to be outnumbered by Death Eaters and sullied with dark magic?”

George shook his head. “It’s not that simple, Mum. Draco–”

“I don’t want to hear it, George. It’s bad enough we’ve taken Severus Snape into our ranks, but at least he had some utility in the war. What has the Malfoy family ever done except try to murder us or make us all slaves to the Dark Lord?”

Severus placed a restraining hand on Hermione’s arm when she tried to draw her wand on the odious woman. “Draco protected Harry when we were captured at Malfoy Manor.”

Molly’s face contorted in a cruel grin as she met Draco’s gaze. “It’s interesting that you were willing to protect the Chosen One, but not the Muggleborn witch. Tell me, little weasel, did you take pleasure in watching your aunt torture Hermione?”

Years of guilt revealed themselves in Draco’s stricken expression. “No! I didn’t want Bellatrix to hurt her.”

“Then why did you stand by while she carved that vile word into Herimione’s arm?”

“He could not have done so without directly defying the Dark Lord,” Severus cut in angrily.

“So what?” Molly spat. “Is it too much to ask for a Malfoy to show the same bravery that the rest of us were expected to muster every day?”

A broken shudder wracked Draco’s body. “He threatened to rape my mother and murder my father. I was terrified. If needing to protect them makes me a coward, then I admit to it.”

“Draco,” Hermione interrupted before he could spiral further, “I want you to listen to me carefully. You are not responsible for what happened to me at Malfoy Manor, and no reasonable person could ever blame you for wanting to protect your family.”

“How sweet,” Molly’s voice dripped with sarcasm, “but if he didn’t try to stop it, then he’s every bit as guilty as Bellatrix.”

“By that logic, I would not be allowed in the Order either,” Severus argued. “I was under orders to watch while Charity Burbage and countless others were tortured or murdered.”

Molly’s smile was triumphant. “You make an excellent point, Snape. I officially move that we dismiss Severus Snape from the Order of the Phoenix. I further move that we deny membership to any Death Eaters, current or ‘reformed.’” She looked around the room expectantly. “Who will second my motion?”

The room fell silent. The china clinking as Minerva placed her teacup on the table was the only sound in the room. Molly’s face turned a dark crimson as she looked out at the sea of shocked faces. She looked to George and Angelina for support only to be met with embarrassed glares. Even Arthur, who was typically immune to his wife’s vitriol, stared at her with a furrowed brow.

Poppy Pomfrey shook her head with a sigh, breaking the awkward silence. “I think it’s worth mentioning that during the war, Draco overheard the Carrow twins discussing their plans to use veritaserum on students. He went to great personal risk to steal and destroy the boomslang skin from the potions storeroom.”

George looked at Draco curiously. “Why boomslang skin? Why not lacewing flies?”

“Boomslang skin is ridiculously expensive. I suspected that Snape wouldn’t approve the expenditure, and it would take them a long time to buy more of it, if they could get it at all.”

“So you did it to protect the students?” Angelina asked, not wanting to leave room for misinterpretation.

“Yes. I know people think that I’m selfish and power-hungry, and sometimes I am, but even I didn't want another round of Dolores Umbridge-inspired policies.”

Filius exchanged glances with Minerva and Pomona, an unspoken agreement forming between them. “When I was on patrol during Severus’ time as Headmaster, I often followed Draco. I was afraid he might be endangering our students.”

“He did put their lives in danger!” Molly insisted. “He used dark magic to repair the Vanishing Cabinet for Death Eaters to enter Hogwarts.”

“But he also used it to help his classmates. When the Carrows began torturing the younger students, Draco temporarily modified the cabinet to connect to The Leaky Cauldron instead of Borgin and Burkes. He helped them escape when he could.”

Pomona gave Draco a fond look. “Alecto Carrow decided to destroy my greenhouses while I was tending to the mandrake roots. The glass shattered above me, and if Draco hadn’t found me and used Severus’ healing spell, I would have died.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Molly replied venomously. “It makes me feel so much better to know that his villainy stops just shy of allowing someone to bleed out right in front of him.”

Minerva took a sip of her tea, regarding Draco over the rim of her cup. When she returned her cup to its saucer, she’d clearly come to a decision. “Draco, I think you need to tell Molly the truth. She deserves to know about Ginny.”

All the color drained from Molly’s face. “What about my Ginny? What did you do to her, you vile Death Eater?”

Draco’s face contorted in a pained expression. “When Snape left the castle to take the Sword of Gryffindor to Potter, Amycus decided that was the right time to carry out his plan. He stunned Ginny, and I saw him carrying her over his shoulder to his chambers. She was unconscious, and her wrists and ankles had been bound. When I confronted him, he threatened to kill me if I told anyone or tried to stop him.”

Severus gave Draco a reassuring look. “And how did you respond to his threat in my absence?”

“I lied to him. I told him that Ginny had been promised to me by the Dark Lord. Voldemort had ordered that blood traitors marry into pureblood families as part of their ‘reeducation,’ so the lie sounded plausible. I threatened to tell my father and the Dark Lord if he dared to touch her. He believed me, and I revived Ginny and took her back to Gryffindor Tower.”

Molly shook her head incredulously. “That’s not true. It can’t be. If that happened, then why didn’t she tell me?”

Draco’s fingers dug into the arms of the chair again. He didn’t want to tell Ginny’s secrets, but the potion forced his response. “I told her that I thought it was best to tell you, but she refused. She said that you would make her come home.”

“She was right,” Molly yelled. “I never should have sent her back to Hogwarts to begin with.”

Draco seemed to be searching for the right words. “She wanted to stay to protect her friends. She wanted to fight alongside Neville and Luna to protect the younger students.”

Molly fell silent, her brow furrowing as she wondered what other secrets her children were keeping from her. Draco took advantage of the temporary quiet to address the Order. “I know that I’ve done horrible things, and I make no excuses for my behavior, but I’m trying to make amends whenever possible. I got a reminder last week of why I should strive to be a better person while visiting my godfather and Hermione.”

Hermione gave Draco a quizzical look. “I’m glad that you came to our home for dinner, Draco, but what did you find that affected you so profoundly?”

“I was in the bathroom, and I saw something strange in the rubbish bin.” He looked at her pleadingly. “Please don’t hex my bollocks off, but curiosity got the better of me. I realized that it was one of those Muggle sticks.”

Hermione's eyes went wide in alarm. “Draco, don’t–”

“What sort of Muggle stick?” Arthur asked. “What’s its purpose?”

“You know…one of those white sticks they use to determine–” Draco’s voice dropped to a whisper, as though he were abandoning any sense of propriety by discussing the matter so openly, “to determine if they’re in a delicate condition. If the two lines I saw are any indication, I’m going to be a godfather.”

The room descended into chaos. Angelina pulled Hermione into a fierce hug that quickly became a group affair as Minerva, Pomona, and Poppy joined the huddle. Severus’ cheeks turned pink as Arthur and Remus clapped him on the back, both offering congratulations and advice to the future father. George made him laugh at the suggestion that their children would get to torture Minerva together.

Minerva gave a derisive snort. “I plan to retire before your progeny ever darken the steps of Hogwarts.”

Pomona hummed agreement. “That makes two of us. I shudder to think what havoc a friendship between a Weasley hellion and Granger-Snape spawn would wreak on the castle.”

George gave a dismissive wave. “You wouldn’t have to worry about their children. They’ll be hopeless swots.”

Filus gestured between Severus and Hermione. “If you haven’t noticed, it’s the swots who always get up to the most trouble. They have enough of an ego to want to show off, and just enough knowledge to be dangerous.”

Severus took advantage of the responding laughter and distracted conversations to have a moment with his wife. He took her hand, gently pulling her from the huddle of women around her and into his arms. He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.

“I’m sorry, Hermione. I know that you wanted to tell Potter first before announcing it to everyone.”

She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her cheek to his frock coat. “It’s alright. They had to find out about it at some point.”

“Besides,” a familiar voice rang out from the bookcases, “I heard it all anyway.”

Hermione peeked around Severus’ arm to find her best friend smiling at her, hair a mess and auror robes hopelessly wrinkled. “Harry!”

“Mister Potter,” Minerva warned, “as much as I’m pleased to see you, you know that we prefer aurors not to attend Order meetings. The ethics of the Order’s mission–”

“I understand, Minerva, but I’m not here on business. I’m stopping by on a personal matter. Now I’m glad that I did. I can’t let Malfoy think that he can usurp my proper place as godfather to Hermione’s child.”

Draco’s expression darkened. “It’s Severus’ child too. He’s my godfather, so it’s only fair that I be godfather to his children and provide them with the same care and mentorship he’s always given me.”

Hermione gave a frustrated sigh. “What is it with you two? There’s no competition here. Severus and I care about both of you, and you will both be an important part of our child’s life. Why do you still hate each other so much?”

Harry kept his thoughts to himself, content with glaring irritably at his nemesis, but Draco had no such luxury. “I don’t hate him,” Draco practically spat, as though the words were poisonous. “I’ve fancied him since our sixth year when he practically stalked my every move.”

Snape raised an eyebrow as the realization dawned on him. “That’s why you’ve been so out of sorts. You’ve been pining over Potter.”

“Yes,” Draco admitted, his face anguished as he met Harry’s gaze. “Do you have any idea what it’s like to sit across from someone you’ve cared about for years knowing that they despise you?”

Harry ran his fingers through his hair, further mussing his shaggy hair. “I came here tonight to see if you would admit your feelings.”

“Why?” Draco demanded, his sadness quickly giving way to anger. “Were you planning to humiliate me? It wasn’t enough to reject me to my face? You needed to do it in front of the entire Order?”

“No.”

“Then why? Why are you here?”

Harry crossed the room, stopping directly in front of Draco’s chair. “For this–” 

He dragged Draco up by his cloak, crashing their lips together in a frantic kiss. Draco quickly recovered from his shock, tangling his fingers in Harry’s hair and wrapping his free arm around his waist. The entire room once again erupted in applause, but Severus just rolled his eyes at the development.

“Merlin, help me. Am I forever doomed to have people I care about pining after a Potter?”

George shrugged. “Look at it this way. At least it’s not your girl this time.”

Hermione grinned at the feeling of Severus wrapping the long tresses that fell to her waist around his fist. His fingers clenched tightly at the sound of Molly clearing her throat. If her face was anything to go by, any goodwill that Draco had won from protecting Ginny during the war was lost the moment it became clear that he loved Harry.

Molly’s voice was tight with rage. “First I had to tolerate my son’s fiance being seduced by her professor–”

“For the millionth time,” Hermione corrected her, “I broke up with your son because he’s a profligate man-whore, and furthermore,” she ran a hand down the buttons on the front of Severus’ frock coat, “if anyone did the seducing, it was me.”

Severus’ hand enveloped hers, holding it against his chest. “It’s true. Your Golden Girl is a little minx who can’t seem to keep her hands off me.”

Molly pointedly ignored the answering snickers. “And now a Death Eater is once again trying to steal my child’s partner. I will not keep this to myself, Harry. I have to tell Ginny that–”

“She already knows,” Harry cut her off. “I’ve been in love with Draco since our sixth year. Ginny is aware of the fact. If you want to take it up with her, she’s currently on a date with Luna Lovegood.”

Molly stared at him blankly for a moment, but Minerva raised her hands to stop the conversation before Molly could respond. “I think we’ve had quite enough excitement for one evening. I propose we move to a vote.”

Hermione didn’t bother to hide her look of disgust when Molly was the only vote against Draco’s admission to the Order. Filius and Remus shook Draco’s hand in welcome as George administered the antidote for the veritaserum. Angelina clapped him on the back so hard that he lurched forward, nearly taking Harry down with him. They grinned at each other sheepishly when Harry broke his fall.

The Weasley matriarch glared at the gathered assembly. “There’s no dinner for tonight. Surely you didn’t expect me to celebrate the desecration of the Order?”

“Actually,” Hermione cut in haughtily, “we assumed you would pull the same stunt that you did with Severus. We’ve taken the liberty of making dinner for everyone tonight.”

Draco’s eyes were teary, but he cleared his throat in an effort to keep his emotions at bay. “Please tell me you made apple tart again.”

Hermione smiled. “Of course we did. In fact, the theme tonight is your ideal dinner.”

Harry smirked. “So…all desserts?”

Draco squeezed Harry’s hand affectionately. “See how well he knows me?”

Severus rolled his eyes. “Anyone who’s sat at a table with you for longer than five minutes is aware of your sweet tooth, Draco. I can’t believe someone born with a silver spoon in his mouth has such an unrefined palate.”

“I don’t see why you’re giving me a hard time when you have no issue indulging your wife’s sweet tooth. I may be the heir to the Malfoy vaults, but I’d wager her Honeyduke’s bill surpasses even mine.”

Hermione blushed furiously. “I didn’t get to have them as a child, so I don’t think anyone would blame me for indulging in a chocolate frog or two.”

“Or ten.” Draco gave his godfather a shit-eating grin. “What puzzles me the most is how a woman with such a sweet tooth chose something so bitter.”

Draco yelped as Severus sent a wandless stinging hex his way. Molly huffed in frustration, crossing the room to the fireplace. “Are you idiots capable of having a conversation without the shameful innuendo?”

George shrugged. “I suppose we could, Mum, but what would be the fun in that?”

“This is your influence,” Molly barked at Angelina.

“Are you serious? You really think that I’m responsible for your son’s cheekiness? It’s more likely he developed his sense of humor to keep himself from dying of shame for having such a mother.”

Molly’s cheeks turned ruddy in her rage, but George intervened before she eviscerated her daughter-in-law. “I can’t believe you’d suggest such a thing, Mum. If anyone has been a bad influence, it’s me.”

“As amusing as this family quibble is,” Severus drawled, “perhaps it could wait for another time. We wouldn’t want the warming charms on our dinner to wear off.”

Molly snatched a pinch of floo powder from the bowl. “That won’t be necessary. Until the Order sorts out its priorities and removes the filth it’s welcomed with open arms, don’t expect me to attend future meetings.” She disappeared in a flash of green flame, her shawl fluttering menacingly as she scowled at the crowd.

“How sad. I might cry at the loss,” Angelina deadpanned.

Arthur stepped up to the fireplace, but to everyone’s surprise, he waved his hand in front of the hearth, closing and locking the floo connection with a wandless spell. He turned to face them, meeting their shocked expressions with a shrug and a sheepish grin. “I like apple tart.”

Harry shook his head in disbelief. “I think you just became my hero, Arthur.”

George beamed at his father. “He’s been mine for years.”

Severus gave Arthur an approving look as he rose from the couch, pulling Hermione with him. “If you’ll give us five minutes to set the table downstairs, we’ll gladly serve you all the apple tart you can eat.”

“Five minutes?” Draco whined. “You’re making us wait that long?”

Hermione grinned wickedly. “Harry, do you think you could find a way to distract Draco for five minutes while Severus and I finish setting up the kitchen?”

Severus took advantage of the resulting laughter to usher his wife out of the library and down the stairs. When they turned the corner into the kitchen, he flicked his wrist at the cabinets, prompting dozens of dishes to fly off the shelves and obediently form neat place settings down the length of the long table. 

Hermione took in the splendor. Festive linens and flowers covered the table. Dishes of apple tart, treacle tart, and sticky toffee pudding sat primly in the middle, flanked by plates of Victoria sponge and Dundee cake. Smaller plates of Turkish delight, fudge, and macaroon bars were nestled between their larger brethren. Platters of pasties, sausage rolls, and roast chicken disrupted the litany of sweets.

“I’m quite chuffed with our efforts. I think we could give the Hogwarts house elves a run for their money, don’t you, Sev–”

Hermione sucked in a sharp breath as a long arm wrapped around her waist, walking her over to the counter. He encouraged her to lean over, careful to position her so that her belly wouldn’t press into the tiled counter. 

“Severus, what are you doing?”

He wrapped her hair around his fist, gently pulling until her back arched. “I’m making you finish what you started at home.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she lied. “I, for one, had a lovely time.”

“I know you did,” he hissed. “You came all over my cock–”

“You said to come on your cock like a good girl–”

“Good girls have the courtesy to let their partner finish.”

“I’m sorry! We were already running late, and we still needed to bring the food to Grimmauld Place.”

She wiggled her arse unrepentantly against the placket of his trousers, prompting a growl from the frustrated potions master. “Stop that this instant. Thanks to our interrupted moment of intimacy at home and all the snuggling on the couch upstairs, I’m now dealing with this,” he gripped her hip, grinding his clothed cock between her arse cheeks.

She immediately pushed back against him. “Please, Severus…”

He flipped her skirt over her back, pausing for a moment to admire the twin flour handprints he’d planted on the back of her knickers earlier. “You’re not a good girl today, Hermione. You are a naughty,” he nudged her knees apart, “little,” he pulled her knickers down to her knees, “minx,” he ground out.

He gave a startled moan when he sheathed himself to the hilt with no resistance. “What’s this, Hermione? Why are you so fucking wet, my little wife?”

She clenched around him, a breathy whimper escaping her as he slowly pulled back. He smirked at the sound, sinking back into her heat at a languid pace. Her mouth fell open at the slow drag of his swollen head and wrinkled frenulum against her walls. 

“Is it because I’m punishing you for being a minx?” he whispered heatedly in her ear.

“N-No,” she stuttered.

“No?” he taunted. “Is it because you just spent half of that meeting attached to my side like a limpet?” 

She shook her head, unable to make a lucid response as he reached around to squeeze her breasts and tease her nipples through the bodice of her dress. He continued his torturously slow thrusting, enjoying holding her on the edge.

He chuckled as an image flitted through his mind. “Are you all hot and bothered because we told everyone that I bred you?”

She clenched around him, a choked out moan leaving her throat. His hips snapped forward, pistoning into her in a frenzy. His hand slipped from her breast down to splay over her stomach. 

“I can see it, Hermione. We’ll come to a meeting a few months from now. Your belly will be swollen with our child, and everyone in the room will see just how much you love being fucked by your old professor. They’ll all be able to see that you’re mine.”

One of her hands moved from the cabinet in front of her to cover the hand he had pressed to her stomach. She squeezed his hand, intertwining their fingers. “Yours,” she whispered.

He came with a startled groan, flooding her with his cum as his hips rocked against her. She kept her fingers twined with his, holding him close as they caught their breath. His nose found the crook of her neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her skin.

When they’d finally recovered, he slowly slipped from her, watching in satisfaction as his viscous cum dripped down the inside of her thigh. 

She shook her head. “I can feel you being smug about filling me full to bursting. I hope you’re happy.”

He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, his voice unusually gentle. “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been because of you.”

Before she could answer, he turned to the doorway with a glare. “You can come out of hiding, Draco.”

Hermione squeaked indignantly, flipping her skirt back down and scrambling to pull her knickers up as Draco peeked his head in the door. “How much did you see, Malfoy?”

“Just the explosive finish.” He smirked wickedly at his godfather. “You do realize that you don’t need to produce quite so much batter when you already have a bun in the oven.”

Draco yelped when Hermione’s wandless hex caught him in the ribs. “Hey! You were the ones who said to come downstairs in five minutes,” he protested.

Severus snickered, wrapping an arm around Hermione’s waist and pulling her close. “That’s my good girl.”

She reached down to smack his arse. “So now I’m your good girl again?”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re always my good girl, Hermione, even when you’re naughty.”

She gripped his cloak, pulling him into a scorching kiss. Her fingers tangled in his hair, the tip of her tongue tracing his lips invitingly. He’d just started to back her up against the counter when George tumbled into the kitchen.

“Oi, you two. Get a room.”

Arthur and Remus gave Severus a good-natured clap on the back as they entered, making cryptic comments about how there were indeed some benefits to pregnancy hormones. 

Minerva appeared next to them, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “If the two of you plan to make a habit of this, there’s a closet on the third floor that might be more appropriate.”

Severus took the ribbing with surprisingly good grace, pleased for once in his life to be on the receiving end of their teasing. As he listened to Remus and Arthur arguing about baby names at the far end of the table, watched Draco feed pieces of apple tart to Harry, and felt Hermione’s fingers tangled with his under the table, he suddenly realized that he was valued, he was loved…he was home.