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He was staring at her.
The last time she had seen Severus was the night he came to apologize and failed. Hermione could feel his eyes on her. Tuning into her instincts, she turned to see him sitting by the bar with his co-pilot.
How the fuck did she end up on a plane without knowing he was the one flying it? It wasn’t as if it was one of those huge jetliners. It was a small private plane that belonged to the BBC. They were in Turkey, covering the most recent earthquakes in the interior and the subsequent refugee crisis.
Hermione couldn't think about that when his dark eyes were undressing her from across the hotel lobby. Colin, her cameraman, and dear friend, tapped her shoulder.
“Alright?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Tired.”
“Do you know him?” Colin gestured with his chin toward Severus.
“The captain?”
“Yeah.”
“I used to fuck him.”
Colin sputtered. “Well, what happened? And spare no details.”
“Do you remember when they thought I was dating the
gay
crown prince?”
Colin laughed. “That was something. Waste of a newsreel.”
“Well, Captain Bastard over there believed it and we broke up. He tried to apologize though.”
The two stepped into the elevator, completely out of sight of Severus.
“Were you serious? Seems like a dumb reason to break up.”
They both exited on the fifth floor, walking in the same wing. “We were just fuck buddies, honestly. But, I thought things were changing between us. I thought he was trusting me.”
“Was the sex good?”
Hermione paused to take inventory of her senses. “It was mind-blowing.”
“Wow,” Colin murmured. “I don’t remember the last time I had mind-blowing sex.”
Hermione laughed. “That’s because you're loyal as a dog and you rarely see your man when you’re home.”
“Zach’s a GP! He’s doing important things. We’ll figure it out.”
Finding room 527, Hermione placed the key card above the card reader. Colin departed, in search of room 533. She entered, pulling her small wheeled bag behind her. She was dying for a shower. It was hot in Turkey and the air-con was not yet on.
Hermione had barely been in her room for a minute before she heard a knock on the door. Without looking through the peephole, which was stupid she would think later, she opened it.
He wore that uniform and his hat on purpose, she thought. He could have gone to his room and changed into his street clothes like everyone else. He knew what it did to her. He stood six feet whatever and his eyes seemed to hold her in place.
“Hermione.”
“Huh?”
“Can we talk?”
She should have been angry but he smelled just as good as he used to. She should have slammed the fucking door in his fucking face. But the way he towered over her brought back those times in bed when she was
‘sweetheart’
and he was
‘Daddy
.’ Hermione should have done a lot of things. Instead, she pulled him into her room by his tie, letting the door slam shut.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hermione was broke as fuck. The London rent was no joke so here she was, at an airport bar, her second job. During the day she was a poorly compensated intern for the BBC television news. It was an incredible opportunity so everyone in her uni class was envious when she had gotten in. If she managed to do well, Hermione could expect to make enough money to share a flat with three other people if she was lucky. The bar scene was calm at least. It was an airport so security was tight. There were no brawls in the terminal.
Today, she was unusually chipper. Hermione felt like life was looking up. Earlier that morning, she was asked to join in on a meeting. They were informing all the interns that it was time to start applying for permanent positions. Her supervisor, a strict older woman named Minerva, told her privately that all Hermione needed to do was submit the paperwork. The position was as good as hers. Soon, her days of serving beer to the passengers of Virgin Airlines would be over.
“Miss?”
She turned to face the man sitting at the very end of the bar. He was a pilot and she was weary of serving him. They really shouldn’t drink before flying.
“Yes. What can I get you?”
“Would you happen to serve Orange juice, love?”
Hermione was confused. They sell bottles of orange juice in the shops lining the terminal. “I can serve you but wouldn’t you rather buy a bottle?”
He smiled. “I seem to have misplaced my card somewhere between Dulles International and Heathrow. Those shops no longer take cash.”
“Neither do we,” she informed him.
“But I can tip you,” he said, smiling. Hermione liked his smile. Something about him made her feel at ease. That is a good thing considering he is flying these massive planes.
“I’ll tell you what… I’m in a good mood and I’ll just give you the juice. Are you sure you don’t want a mimosa instead?” she asked, pouring the orange juice into a small glass.
He met her eyes, startling her for a moment. She didn’t know eyes could be that dark. “I don’t drink, love. But, I have to thank you somehow.”
He pulled out a small pen from his shirt pocket. “Tell me, are you seeing anyone?”
Hermione shook her head. “No. I’m not.”
“Would you be interested in maybe going out with me?”
“Really? You’re serious?” Hermione knew she didn’t look her best. She did the very minimum before coming to this job. Her hair was a huge frizzy mess pulled into a ponytail. Tendrils of honey-brown hair framed her face. She kept pushing them behind her ear with little success. This man was delicious. There was no other word to describe him. Between the height she’d noticed when he first walked in, to the way his voice made her shiver, and his quiet confidence and humor she didn’t stand a chance. Not to mention, he smelled amazing-- like money and prestige.
“Yes. I’m serious. You’re beautiful, Hermione.”
“You know my name?”
He smirked, nodding to her stupid name tag.
“Oh. Well, Captain Snape, thank you for the compliment.” She couldn’t stop blushing.
“Can I give you my number?” he asked. “I’ll leave the decision to go out to you. No hard feelings if you decide to ignore me.”
She said, “Yes. I’ll take it. I don’t have my phone. I left it in my locker. Damn it!”
He slid a napkin to her with his number and his name.
“Severus?” she asked, testing out her pronunciation.
“It’s mouth full.”
“So is Hermione.”
He finished his orange juice and handed her one hundred pounds.
“This is way too much,” she said. She knew she could use it.
“The service was superb.”
Hermione couldn’t stop her cheeks from reddening.
“I’ll tell you a secret, Hermione.”
“What?”
“I didn’t want a glass of orange juice.”
“Oh,” she said. “What else did you want?”
“To talk to you. I’ve been wanting to for weeks but today I finally said I would do it.”
Hermione was shocked, if not a little scared. “Weeks?”
“I see you every time I come to the terminal. All the Virgin planes are parked here. I’m here every three days or so.”
“Oh.” She felt dumb. She was in his office every day so it was normal that he noticed her.
“I’m flattered,” Hermione said.
“Can I expect a call from you?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Good. I’m off to New York so if you text me in the next twenty-four hours, I might not be able to respond immediately.”
“Wow. That’s so exciting.”
“You get used to it. Bye, Hermione.”
“Bye…”
Captain Snape-- Severus grabbed his uniform jacket and pulled his small suitcase to Gate 93 - London to New York, departing at 5:30 pm.
“Holy shit, sis.” Lavender, her coworker, remarked. “If you don’t want to fuck him, I will.”
“Shut up!”
Captain Snape was the first man to make her come with just his voice. The way his voice rumbled over her brought her to the edge and the words he said pushed her over.
His flat, located in Kensington, was incredible. She didn’t think a pilot made this much but he explained that he also had some family money. The place was inherited and he had turned it into four separate flats. She knew that every single neighbor knew when she was there.
They fucked almost constantly. Once he texted her he was in town, she sent back a location pin. Sometimes he would land in the middle of the night or in the middle of the day. Either way, she found her way to him. Finally, after only one month of their dates which consisted of him spoiling her all around London and followed by hours of sex, he asked her to move into his place.
“I’m never here without you.”
He told her to spend his money on anything she needed for the flat while he was gone. That soon turned to buying whatever she wanted. “Let me spoil you, sweetheart.”
Five weeks in, “Sev? Are we-- Are you my-- What are we doing?”
“Having fun. Enjoying each other’s company. What do you think we’re doing?”
Hermione lied. “What you said.”
She had fallen for him but he saw this as a casual affair. No future.
“I don’t think I believe you.”
Hermione laid her head back on the pillow looking up at him. He had a flight tomorrow afternoon. She would miss him. “Why not?”
“You look sad.”
“Just thinking about your next shift.”
“You’ll miss me?”
“Yeah,” she admitted. He touched her face, rubbing his thumb on her cheek. He was such a tactile lover. He always had his hands on her. Sometimes it was a hand resting at the small of her back or an arm around her shoulders as they walked down the street.
“I’ll miss you too.”
That made her heart soar. Severus leaned down to press his lips to hers as he moved his body to rest in between her thighs. Hermione could feel him hardening in his boxers. He rolled his body into hers, causing her to moan into the kiss. Severus pulled back from her and she missed his warmth already. “Want you,” she said. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”
“I know, baby.”
He left the bed and undressed as she did the same. “Lay down,” he said.
Hermione returned to her previous position, leaving her legs open for him. He joined her, kissing her once more, long and passionately. Without breaking the kiss, he managed to grab both of her wrists and pulled them up to the space next to her head, pinning them there.
“Sweetheart,” he said with a volume so low, she could have missed it. “Spread your legs. Let me in.” She did. He released her left hand so he could position his cock at her entrance.
The initial stretch was always so fucking good, perfect, magnificent, wonderful. Hermione used her free hand to cover her moan. He grabbed her wrist again, pinning her back.
“Give me everything. Every moan and whimper, sweetheart.”
“Okay.”
Severus began thrusting into her getting deeper each time until he hit her cervix. His position between her legs allowed him to stimulate her clit which hadn’t been touched just yet.
“You’re holding back, baby.”
She whined, unable to focus with his cock pumping in and out of her cunt with increased speed. “No, I’m not.”
Severus must have taken that as a challenge because he paused to push her legs up by her ears, folding her in half. Then, he really fucked her. Every single time he entered, she felt him stretch her pussy to accommodate all of him. Her hands found his back and her nails gripped the skin as he pounded into her G-spot relentlessly.
“I’m gonna come,” she shouted. He stopped. Just like that. “Sev, what the fuck?”
The man smiled devilishly. “You are still holding back.”
“I was just about to come!”
“Stop censoring yourself with me and I’ll let you come.”
Hermione glared at him. “You better…” she threatened meekly.
Severus thought it was cute when she pretended she was bigger than she really was.
He pushed into her slowly again, pissing her off further. He just kept smiling.
“Faster,” she begged. He pushed her legs to gather momentum and pistoned into her gushing cunt, relishing in the feeling and the sound of her wetness.
“Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”
“Touch your clit, baby.”
Hermione looked down to where they met and almost came from the sight alone. He was thick. She still couldn’t believe that she could take him completely. Hermione watched him fuck her before sliding her hand between them to rub her clit. It took three swipes of her index finger for her to shout, “I’m coming! Don’t stop!”
“I’m going to stop. Beg.”
“Please, I’m so close. Please, Daddy!”
Severus gave her what she wanted. He soon discovered that once she let it go, she couldn’t stop.
“Daddy, love your cock. Love it so much,” she rambled. “I love Daddy’s cock in my pussy.” As she came down, Hermione finally opened her eyes to see a stunned, but sated, Severus.
“Daddy?” he asked her. “That’s what you’ve been hiding.”
She used her hair to hide from him.
He told her, “I don’t think I’ve ever come so hard in my life.”
“You like it?” she asked, peeking from under her curls.
“Yeah. I like it when you say it. I don’t think you understand how fucking sexy your voice is. Why did you try so hard to hide it?”
“Other people didn’t like it. Made me feel weird about it.”
“I love it. You don’t have to worry about that.”
“Okay… Daddy.”
“Jesus, how am I supposed to go to Accra after this?” He left a trail of kisses from her neck to her clit, revving up for another session.
They would continue this way for the next six months. Hermione stopped working at the airport so she focused on her new official job at the BBC. Severus told her to save her money for the future. His place was hers. She was still working behind the scenes but it was incredible to be there and learn from people she considered her heroes.
One day, her friend Harry called to say that he was living in London. Luckily, he had a place with his boyfriend, not too far from Severus’ flat. If he lived across the city, she would probably never see him. She still didn’t have a car. Harry arrived at the flat in an expensive town car which was strange. She knew him in university and as far as she knew, his degree in linguistics didn’t translate to marvelous income.
In the car, she got the answers to her questions. Sitting next to Harry was Draco.
Prince
Draco.
Crown Prince
Draco.
“Hermione, meet my boyfriend, Draco.”
“Nice to meet you,” Draco said, reaching out for her hand. She took it, looking back and forth between them.
“Nice to meet you too… Wait. Off the record,” she said. “You’re gay?”
Draco nodded.
“I trust you, Hermione, to keep this to yourself.” Harry gripped Draco’s hand in his, in a way that Hermione could see was comforting.
“Of course.” She wouldn’t dream of outing him. “Where are we going?”
“Out to eat. We should catch up.”
“Did you make reservations?” she asked, looking at her Apple watch. “It’s already past five.”
Draco laughed and Harry shook his head at her. “He’s a prince.”
Her evening out with Harry and Draco was wonderful. The two were really connected which was nice to see. Harry didn’t have the best home life and was closeted for most of uni. He was afraid and Hermione sympathized. With everything he’d gone through, Hermione was glad to see him get his prince-- literally. She went home with a secret that she could not tell anyone, even Severus.
Everyone at work was looking at Hermione the next morning. She wondered when she became front page news. Apparently, this morning, because that was when the articles were published online.
PRINCE DRACO AND POSSIBLE NEW PRINCESS
DINNER WITH A PRINCE: LUCKY GIRL
PRINCESS HERMIONE?
That headline wasn’t even clever. How did they know her name? She knew the answer to that. She had a degree in it. The photos of her and Draco were framed to make it look like they were alone. They would be laughing or handing the other a condiment. These were normal things for people to do when they ate. But, because he was a prince, this was a date and she would be responsible for giving birth to a future monarch. Yuck!
This whole thing made the day draining. So when it was time to go home and escape people calling her Queen Hermione, she fled to the flat. She was pleased to see Severus there an entire day early.
She ran to him, throwing her things onto the couch. He didn’t seem pleased.
“Hi, love,” she said, reaching out to hug him. He stepped back.
“Sev, what’s wrong?”
He pointed to the paused broadcast on the TV which she hadn’t even noticed. She was so glad to see him. “You were with him, yesterday?”
“Not you too!” she groaned. “I was with him and my friend, Harry. Draco is his-- They are friends and they invited me out. That’s all.”
“You look pretty close.”
Hermione crossed her arms. “Are you accusing me of cheating on you?”
He played the video. Hermione stomped away. She had said her piece and she did nothing wrong. Upstairs, she could still hear the muffled voice of Rita Skeeter, a gossip columnist.
Hermione called Harry and was thankful when he answered.
“Hey, we just saw the news. We’ve been--distracted today.”
“Shut up about your sex life. Mine is in danger.”
“Why? What happened?”
“My hookup thinks the pictures are real and he’s pissed.”
“He should know that you would never do that! Also, if you were dating a prince why would you cheat on him? He’s a fucking prince.”
“Good point.”
Severus continued to question her movements when he was gone. He believed it would be easy for her to cheat since he was always flying out of the country. She tried to reason with him but he wouldn’t hear any of it.
“I’m heading to Barcelona today. We’ll talk when I get back.”
With that he slammed the door of the flat, leaving a seething Hermione. She had to get ready for her own job so she made her lunch bag for the day. When she was putting the strawberries into a baggie, she turned on the TV to hear another voice in the massive flat.
“Breaking News: Prince Draco has come out as gay.”
Hermione dropped her strawberries on the floor. “Fuck…”
The young anchor, Luna Lovegood, added. “So many young people all over the world are celebrating him today. Social media is inundated with support for the crown prince. He is the first
recognized
LGBT+ royal in British history.”
Harry’s face appeared on her phone then. “Hello?”
“Mi, did you see it?”
“Yes! I’m so proud of him!”
“Me too. But listen. Everyone is hounding him for an interview and he’s just come out. He didn’t even warn his parents. He just did it online last night.”
“Why?”
“He saw what the media did to you and how that could affect you. He was so broken up about it. Anyway, he was wondering if you wanted to do the interview.”
“I--I would love to but I would have to ask my supervisors.”
“Hermione. He’s a prince.”
“Oh yeah. I’ll do it.”
The next day, Severus was returning from Barcelona and Prince Draco was sitting down with Hermione in an intimate exclusive interview. Draco talked about the support he’s gotten from people all around the world. He hinted at his relationship with Harry. Hermione already knew that Harry wasn’t ready for that level of fame just yet. Finally, he plugged the charity he was starting for LGBT+ youth. He would provide emergency housing to any teenager who was persecuted by their families for their sexuality. All in all, Hermione thought the interview was a success. He got to set the record straight and she got a chance to show the world what she could do. Hermione knew this was a career-changing opportunity. As Harry said, he’s a prince.
Hermione kicked off her sneakers at the front door. She had been thinking about Severus on the way back to the flat. She found herself getting angrier and angrier. They would have words tonight.
“I saw the interview,” he said softly. “You were beautiful.”
“Thanks. We need to talk.”
“I know.”
Severus looked guilty. Good.
Hermione said, “I think it is really fucked up that you accused me of sleeping with other men in your home. What do you think of me?”
“I was jealous. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I just--”
“You just called me a whore is what you did.”
“I never called you that!”
“You might as well have.”
“Hermione, I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry that I let this go on as long as it has.”
Severus approached her. She stepped back, not allowing him to use his height to intimidate her.
“It was a misunderstanding.”
“You think I’m yours?”
“Of course, you’re mine.”
“We aren’t even dating, Severus.”
He was silent.
“I asked you months ago what we were doing. You said 'having fun'.”
“That was then. This is now.”
“Right now, I’m someone you fuck in between shifts. You have some nerve to demand my loyalty! We never made any promises to each other. Have you been fucking other people? Why are you so quick to accuse me?”
“I am not sleeping with anyone else, Hermione! I got jealous. I don’t like to share. I feel--”
“I don’t care what you feel. You made me feel like a slut. I live here with you and we’re not even together. How could I have been so stupid.”
“We are good together. It’s not stupid.”
“Severus, your temper tantrum could have cost me my home. I live here with you but if you decide to throw me out, I’m homeless. I’m not safe here.”
“I’m sorry,” he pleaded. “I should have listened to you. I’m sorry.”
“No, I am.” Hermione stopped to catch her breath. “When is your next shift?”
“Saturday. Rome.”
“I’ll be moving out. I’ll leave the key in the post box.”
With that she walked away, leaving a stunned Severus. She texted Harry asking if she could crash at his and Draco’s place for a few weeks. The text came back: We’ll send the car for you.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jakarta, Indonesia
Hermione wasn’t broke as fuck anymore. She was thirty and gainfully employed as a reporter, broadcasting from locations all over the world. Moving from one story to the next meant a few things. She didn’t have a real home. Harry and Draco were still completely enamored with each other and let her leave her minuscule amount of belongings in one of their guestrooms. She had a key and security clearance. Her job also made it hard to date one person and settle down. She always considered herself to be the monogamous type, wanting a boyfriend who would eventually become a husband if everything worked out. Now, things were different. After what happened with the Captain, she just wanted a good fucking with no strings attached. Hermione had fallen into the trap of ‘I can’t get my heart broken if I never give him my heart.’ Unfortunately, even when men were being sincere in their interest, she turned every interaction into a sex-fueled romp. Between working on stories, reporting on camera, and traveling, the only men she ever saw were the ones she worked with. She had slept with most of them over the years. There was a certain power behind bringing a man to his knees. Hermione never wanted a man to make her feel as unsteady or uncertain as Captain had. She made the rules and enforced them. Hermione still enjoyed a little roleplay but even being somewhat submissive had its power. She could control her role to manipulate her partner’s experience. She could ruin it if she felt so inclined. The only man on her crew whom she never considered being with was Colin. He was her best friend and confidante in all things. He and his husband, Zachariah or Zach, were precious. Zach was always on call but did his best to call every night in the GMT timezone. If it was impossible to speak, he sent Colin a voice memo. He always ended the message with, “Love you. Proud of you. You’re my everything.”Hermione always felt a little envious when Colin played the messages. No one called to check in with her. Her parents were not super communicative, running their own dental practice. They were proud of her, showing clips of her reporting to various family members on Facebook. They only called once a month or so. Colin had everything she had wanted all those years ago. Maybe she still did. They were in Jakarta reporting on the record rainfall during this year’s Monsoon. Colin and Hermione were sitting on the veranda of the small hotel that was rented out for the crew. “I am married, but I must say, if the opportunity ever came I would totally bang Theodore,” Colin told her. Hermione saw the man in question leave the hotel lobby and cross the courtyard, walking towards the front gate. He flagged down a motorbike before hopping on and driving away. “Why’s that?” Hermione asked him. “You love Zach.”“Theodore Nott is the most beautiful man to grace the airwaves in decades.”“I’m sure that’s not true.”Colin groaned. “You know I’m right.”“I do.”Colin side-eyed her. “Hermione Granger. What did you do?”“Nothing.”“Nothing? How many times did you do ‘nothing’?”Hermione counted up on her fingers. “About once a day since Cairo… I think.”Colin’s eyes widened. “Since Cairo? We did that story three months ago.”“Has it been that long?” Hermione shrugged. She felt nothing for Theo at all. He had a good-sized dick and he always made sure she came before he did. It was a good deal. “Why didn’t you tell me?”“I don’t know.”Colin went quiet. “Listen, I’m going to say this because I’m your friend.”“Okay.”“I don’t like what I’m seeing.”“What are you seeing, Colin?”“I see you sleeping with all the men we work with.”“So?“So, your reputation is at risk, Hermione.”“Are people talking?”He sighed. “I heard some things. People say you’re easy. You’re a slag.”“I don’t care.”“Are you going to care when people start to accuse you of shagging your bosses to get promotions?”Hermione’s face dropped. “I don’t-- I like sex. I never meet anyone else. If I was a man, this wouldn’t be a problem.”“You’re right,” he admitted. “I’m a man so I don’t know what it’s like to walk in your shoes but I do know what it's like to be a minority. You have to be the best, your best, at all times. Right now, people are saying that you didn’t earn your position. You must have sucked a lot of dick for it since that’s your favorite pastime.”“Will you ever tell me who is saying this?”“No. Because it’s everyone.”“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”“I thought you were calming down. Turns out you have just focused on one man, your colleague, which is a bad idea by the way.”“He’s alright. A little arrogant but we’re on the same level. He wants to keep it casual, like me. I am not sleeping with any more coworkers.”Colin huffed. “I’ll believe it when I see it. You’re a damn nympho.”Hermione pinched his arm. “Oh! And a bitch too!”She slapped his arm this time, in jest. “Promise me, Hermione.”“Why do you care so much? I mean it’s my body.”“I just don’t want anyone to make judgments based on what they’ve heard. You’re brilliant and good at what you do. But, the way people talk about you is going to derail any future plans you have. I also don’t think you ever got over someone else in your past and you’re compensating. You never dealt with the hurt so now you’re fucking everything that moves to get back at him.”Hermione considered his words. She must have been thinking for a while because he said, “Who was it?”“No one.”“He hurt you that bad?”“He didn’t do that much but I reacted strongly. And I couldn’t admit that I overreacted. I made a stupid mistake, he responded in a normal way, but I pretty much destroyed him verbally and moved out.”“So this was a serious boyfriend…”“Fuck off.”“So he’s the reason why you’re sleeping with everyone.”Hermione glared at him. “I no longer try to have serious long-term relationships. I don’t understand them and I don’t know how to make them work so I just don’t anymore.”“It was one experience. One person out of billions.”“It was my only time feeling like I was close to something real. High school didn’t count. It was superficial and never lasted more than a few months. I didn’t date in college. I was shagging. Don’t get me wrong. But no dating. I really thought I loved-- liked him and he liked me back.”“You’ll get there again. But, you’ll never get there laying on your back,” he said sassily. “Who says I was on my back…” Hermione shot back. “Sis, if you want something serious, you need to get serious. You’re playing around.”“I hear you,” Hermione replied quietly.
Freetown, Sierra Leone
“Let me hear you, baby.” Theo Nott was voted the UK’s most handsome news personality earlier that year. Hermione didn’t disagree with the decision if she was honest. The eyes were the first thing that got you. Pale green, almost sage in color, irises, and dark hair made his appearance striking. He stood tall, at six foot three. The job demanded that he stay in good shape which made him strong. He was so strong that he liked to fuck Hermione up against the walls of his hotel rooms. It was his favorite position she figured. He thrust into her, pounding straight into her cunt with a force and speed that made her dizzy. Of all the men in the crew that she’d slept with, he was the best. He wasn’t her best but he was the best for this current situation. She kept quiet, moaning into his shoulder to muffle the noise. The hotel rooms were thin in most places they worked. The other guests didn’t need to know just how long he was or how she was going to ‘come all over his beautiful cock.’ She did think it was beautiful, as far as cocks go. Everything about him was beautiful. “You’re tighter than before,” he said. “Gonna come soon, aren’t you?”She moaned in the affirmative before scratching her fingernails down his back. “Feels so good,” she breathed as his orgasm washed over her. He put her down, letting her stand on wobbly legs. Pulling the condom off, he said, “Knees.”She complied, looking up at him with faux innocence. Wordlessly, he brought his dick to her lips, silently telling her to please him. She did. Later, Theo’s phone lit up in the darkened hotel room. Hermione cuddled up with him and glanced over to see him unlock his iPhone. The wallpaper was a precious little girl with eyes like his and a black Labrador retriever. “Ashley’s getting really big,” Hermione commented. “Yeah. Can you believe she’s almost four?” Theo Nott was a husband and father. He was also a liar and a cheat. His wife, Tracy, had no clue what her husband got up to. Hermione watched him write a reply to a text Tracy had sent him. She had asked if they could video chat in the next few minutes. He messaged her that he couldn’t because they were going to be meeting up to discuss weather safety soon. He closed his phone without a second thought and turned back to Hermione. With no explanation, Theo climbed on top of her, cock hardening already. He kissed her hard as he spread her legs. Hermione didn’t stop him. She loved when he would take over and use her body. It was always rougher after he finished communicating with his wife. She felt him suck on the skin near her neck and collarbone. “Stop!”He continued.“Theo, stop! I can’t have a hickey that high up.”“Why not?” He paused. “You can see on camera.”“Exactly. I want everyone to see them. I made these marks. Your pussy is mine. Right, baby?” Stupidly, she nodded in agreement. He seemed more serious than before. Something was off but she couldn’t give a damn because he had entered her abruptly, causing her to cry out. She liked it rough. At least, that’s what she told herself.Ankara, Türkiye
Hermione should have done a lot of things. Instead, she pulled him into her room by his tie, letting the door slam shut.
Severus had his hands in her hair and his lips on hers before he could say anything else. Hermione pulled his tie loose and then reached down to remove his belt. She was so well practiced in undressing men, that she was done in no time. He met her halfway and unbuttoned his top. She pulled his undershirt out of his trousers, insisting that he move faster. He must have understood. Completely bare, he stood before her watching her strip down silently. As soon as her panties were off, she stood on her tiptoes to begin kissing him again, hands on his jaw to hold him in place. His hands went to her lower back, sliding down to cup her ass and squeeze. She whined. In return, Hermione stepped back. She climbed onto the middle of the bed, gesturing for him to follow. His dick was already hard as he stroked it. Climbing in between her legs, Severus found himself looking into the amber-brown eyes he’d missed all these years. Her hands reached out to embrace him. Severus did what she wanted and gave her the comfort and intimacy she’d been craving even if he didn’t know it. He kissed her, slowly, as if they had till the end of time. When she was ready, Hermione broke the kiss, dazed. Where had he been? How had she messed this up? He was looking at her, concerned. They hadn’t said a word since he asked if they could talk. He wondered if they ever would. She pushed him up causing him to believe she had come to her senses and this was over. Instead, Hermione straddled him and within moments, lined up his dick with her entrance. Severus groaned aloud. It might have been the happiest day of his life, excluding their first time and the first time he’d heard her say ‘Daddy’. It took a short while before she could slide all the way down to the base of his cock. “Fuck…” This was the first real word he heard her say in person in almost three years. He loved it. He had seen her on the television news but this was an infinitely better experience.Hermione placed her petite hands on his shoulders. Meeting Severus’ eyes, she placed her forehead to his and began riding him slowly. The feeling of his hard, heavy cock fucking into her cunt made her whimper. The stretch was delicious. He watched her eyelids flutter. He started to move his hips in time with hers. Putting his hands on her hips, Severus held her down so he could take over. Ramming his cock into her quickly, Severus felt her approach the edge. He could hear her wetness and was sure it was dripping down his dick. She whined and whimpered in his ear. Severus wished she had undone the braid in her hair. That was one of the best things to see when they shagged. Her hair went wild which gave her the look of absolute pleasure and nirvana. “Daddy,” she whimpered. “Miss you, Daddy. Don’t go. Please.”“I won’t,” he replied. “Are you gonna come for me?”“Call me by my name.”“Hermione?”“No.”Severus missed her so much. “Come for me, sweetheart.”“Yes, Daddy. I’ll be good for you. I’m sorry, Daddy. Miss your cock. Ah!”She continued to mumble through her orgasm and Severus followed. “Love to feel you inside me. Come deep inside. Never leave. Do you miss me too? Did I do a good job?”Soon all was still. She was sticky and sweaty but she was happy and warm. Hermione laid her head on his chest, refusing to move. If she moved, he might disappear. “Hermione?”“Yeah?”“I miss you.”“Huh?”“You asked me just now if I missed you.”Hermione never really remembered what she said in the midst of an orgasm. She could have given away the nuclear codes for all she knew. “I miss you too,” she answered honestly. “How are you?”“Right now, better than I have been in years.”“I know that but in general.”“Nothing to talk about. I see you’ve been doing well. I watch your reports sometimes.”“You do? I thought you’d hate me too much. I was such a--”“I could never hate you. Things ended. It happens.”“I am sorry. I didn’t think I could go back to you. It was so dramatic and stupid.”“Hermione,” he said. “Look at me.”She raised her head and rested her chin on her hand which lay on his chest. “We were both out of line. I accused you of cheating when I knew your character,” he said. Hermione thought about how much she had changed in just a few short years. Was she that principled anymore? No.“I should have let you apologize.”“We were younger then. Now, we move on.”“We? You mean it?” Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. Severus wanted her back in his life, even after that infantile tantrum.“I want you,” Severus clarified. “I miss you. I heard you during that last fight.”“What did I say?” she asked, cringing. Severus laughed. “You said we were not even dating. I had no right to be jealous. So, I would like to make it official if you’re up to it.”He was not the first man to ask her that in the past three years. He, however, would be the only one to receive a ‘yes.’They lay in bed, enjoying each other for the first time in a long while. Severus played with her hair after he asked her to take out her braid. She did so happily. She ran her fingers along his jawline, stopping periodically to touch his lips. Hermione was just about to lean forward to kiss him when they heard a knock at the door. It then graduated to a pounding. “Hermione?” the voice came. “Are you in there? Hermione?”Severus questioned Hermione in a whisper, “Who is that?”“Nott.”Hermione got up and quickly put on a bathrobe. She looked through the peephole to see an agitated Theo. “Hey,” she said. “What’s up?”“I texted you like ten times. You never answered.”“Oh… I must have left my phone on silent.”“Okay. Are you going to…”Theo trailed off, looking beyond Hermione into her room. She followed his eyes, to see a towering, but thankfully half dressed, Severus looking back at them both. “Oh,” Theo said. “So I guess, we’re not meeting up tonight.”Hermione rolled her eyes. “Theo, this is Severus. You might have seen him maybe. He’s our pilot--”“You really do shag everyone we work with.”“He’s my boyfriend!” Hermione pronounced. “Now, get out. We’re done.”“See you soon, Hermione,” Theo smirked and saluted Severus. Severus in return stared him down, blankly. Once Theo was gone, and the door was locked, Severus said, “We need to talk.”“I know. You might have heard things.”“I did. I didn’t want to believe them.”“Will it matter if they’re true?”He held her in his arms. “We have to be honest with each other if we’re going to try again.”She started listing her crimes, right there in his arms. “I have slept with many of the men I have worked with. Some of them are married with families. Some of them wanted more but I led them on anyway, knowing I was never going to be anything more than a casual fuck. Theo is the most recent and longest ‘non-relationship’ I’ve had. His wife is a nurse and they have a three-year-old.”“How do you feel about that?”“I’m glad I’m done with that. It didn’t feel good. Like I’m breaking up a family.”He held her tighter, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “I’ve heard things about him too. You aren’t cheating. He is… with at least four other people.”Hermione knew that it was maybe two others, not four. She felt a little gross which was hypocritical.“Oh.”Severus said, unexpectedly, “Do you think you’d want a family one day?”Hermione felt her smile grow on her face before she thought about how that question made her feel. He was serious. He wanted to make something real with her. “Let’s get to know each other again,” she told him, pulling away and heading towards the bed.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Quito, Ecuador
They had been in Quito for a week already. The hostage crisis was still underway. The wife and sons of a prominent politician were being held as political leverage. “Sandoval would relinquish his seat so the other political party would have unilateral power.”
Severus didn’t give a damn but he loved the way Hermione commanded the screen when she worked. He was proud of her. It would be a few hours before they could have some time alone.
Later, Severus was pounding into her tight heat from behind. She grabbed the sheets and bit the pillow to temper her sounds. He hushed her, saying, “Be good for Daddy. Shh…”
This particular location was by far the worst when it came to privacy. They could hear their neighbor’s sneeze and alarm clock. They were lucky that the bed was wooden and bolted to the floor so it didn’t bang into the wall.
“I’m--I’m coming,” she whimpered, her pussy clenching down onto his cock, pulling him over the edge with her. Hermione collapsed onto the mattress. Severus went to the connecting bathroom to grab a washcloth. This had been their third round so his girlfriend was covered in sweat and cum.
“Turn over,” he said quietly. “Let me take care of you.”
“Thank you,” she said, smiling up at him. “I love you,” Hermione said, without waver or trepidation.
He pecked her lips. “I love you too.”
The next morning, Colin knocked on Hermione’s room door. Severus answered sleepily.
“There’s been a coup. We need to go!”
Everyone in the crew was packed and ready to leave the country within fifteen minutes. Severus went ahead because he needed to do preflight checks so they would lift off as soon as possible. A military coup was nothing to mess with.
In the cabin, Colin sat with a frazzled Hermione. They had only had to run once before and it was just as scary. A civil war broke out in the middle of a broadcast. She knew the risks of having a job that put you right in the action but she still had a bit of anxiety.
Theo was staring at her. Severus had been their pilot and her boyfriend for the past four weeks. During that time, she was his exclusively. Theodore Nott was pissed.
“Be careful,” Colin whispered. She didn’t know he had picked up on it too.
“Why?” Hermione asked, curious. Colin seemed to have more information than she did, even though
she
was an investigative journalist.
“Other women have said he doesn’t take ‘no’ as an answer.”
“Explain. Now.”
“They say that when they try to break up with him or call him out for cheating on his wife, he gets rough. No one has cried the R-word. But, it’s only a matter of time.”
Hermione began to think of the times he held her down even when she hadn’t really consented. She thought about the last time when he silently pushed himself into her and how much it hurt. He never slowed down or asked how she felt. Hermione believed that he could hurt someone who had actually said ‘no’. He was a spoiled arrogant jerk and he hated being denied anything. Especially sex.
Hermione had denied him every time she fucked Severus.
Central London
Hermione could feel Theo’s eyes on her. Severus had gone home as he wasn’t needed at the BBC. It was time for her yearly evaluation and, perhaps, a promotion if she was lucky enough to be trusted with a higher position.
There was a rumor that Theo was getting the coveted seven o’clock slot for channel 1. He would be given the largest audience and the widest reach. Becoming the anchor of a program like this would be the dream for Hermione.
She was just finishing up in the small washroom when the door opened. She expected to see another woman but was faced with an irate Theodore Nott. He locked the door behind him and then stalked her.
“Theo? Why are you in here?”
“I’m here to get what’s mine.”
She tried to reach around him, to unlock the door and escape. He grabbed her wrist hard. “Let go! I’ll scream.”
“No need. We’re at work. I have some decorum.”
“What do you want?”
“You. I want you to stop fucking around with other people.”
“He’s my boyfriend. I told you that!”
“You were mine first.”
“I was never yours!”
“That’s not what you said.”
She knew he was right but the things said in sex can’t be taken seriously. Hermione thought everyone knew that.
“None of that matters. Let me go, Theo.”
“You’ll do what I say.”
“And why’s that?”
“Do you remember a drunk night out in Switzerland?”
It was fuzzy but she knew they had slept together. She didn’t answer.
“Do you remember putting on a show for me? You, bare-arsed, dancing in a hotel room in Bern. You spread your legs for the camera. You played with your tits for the camera.”
“I didn’t do any of that!”
He one-handedly unlocked her phone, showing her a younger version of herself obviously drunk and fingering herself. She was murmuring something that sounded like, “Let’s make a movie.”
“I don’t remember this!”
“Doesn’t matter what you remember because it happened. Now, I don’t think you want this to get out. You didn’t get promoted, did you?” Theo sneered. “If this scandal comes out, you’re finished.”
“If you post those videos,
you’re
finished.” Hermione knew her shit. As successful as Theo was, he wasn’t very good at keeping a well-rounded base of knowledge of current events, especially in the UK. He depended on others for his stories and script.
“I’m not the one fucking myself for the camera.”
“It’s porn that belongs to me. It’s my face!”
“So what?”
“If you post them, they’ll trace it back to your phone and you’ll be arrested for it. It’s sexual harassment and an invasion of privacy. It also proves that you’re a sick fuck.”
Theo pushed her up against the wall roughly, next to the door, effectively cornering her.
“Watch your mouth.”
“If you post those, you’ll go to prison for years. My career would be over but your life will be destroyed. There’s tons of porn in the world, people will move on.” Hermione was trying so hard to be factual and indifferent. Truthfully, she was terrified. Her life wouldn’t be the same if he went through with this threat. “You will be marked as a sex offender and Tracy will know everything.”
“Keep her name out of your mouth,” he growled.
“And Ashley would know her father was a--”
“Shut up!”
“Let me go now, Theo!”
Hermione pushed him away. “We no longer work together. Leave me alone.”
She unlocked the door and made her way down the hall to an empty conference room. She cried for the next hour until Colin texted her for her location. He found her in moments. Hermione told him what Theo had said and what he had shown her.
“I’m proud of you,” he said. “I didn’t even know about that law.”
“It’s new,” she sniffled. “Just passed last January.”
“I need to tell you something. You’re only the latest in a long line of victims.”
“What?” Hermione looked at her friend.
“We’ve only been working with him for the past two years. He used to work here in London for BBC 4. People have said that he was a total creep. He only did it with women in lower-level positions like interns. He could manipulate them or threaten them into doing whatever he wanted.”
“Why didn’t anyone say anything?”
Colin took his friend’s hand. “Were you going to report your rendezvous?”
“No. I wasn’t.” It was a humiliating experience. She didn’t want anyone to know. She dreaded telling Severus.
“That’s how he keeps getting away with it. There’s so much shame around this.”
“What should I do? I slept with him for months consensually. Who will take me seriously?”
“Do you have anything from him?”
“Like photos and stuff?”
“Yeah or texts?”
Hermione nodded. “He’s been sending some pretty aggressive texts but I muted him.”
She showed him her phone screen.
“That’s insane, Hermione. Over fifty texts of what?”
“It’s mostly him telling me to break up with Sev and come to his room. Things like that.”
Colin read through many of them, gasping and saying, “Wow!” every few seconds. “We have to find the other women he’s harassed.”
“How?”
“We can start with Luna Lovegood-Scamander.”
“The lead anchor for the breakfast program?”
“She was the first to report him when she was still a fact finder.”
“What happened after she made the report?”
“She was promoted and transferred to BBC One.”
“Why?”
“Theo Nott is the son of a major benefactor.”
“Luna must have had proof for them to do that for her.”
Severus wanted to murder Nott. Hermione convinced him that it would be more satisfying to watch him go down publicly and make sure he lived through all of it. So, when she suggested making an appointment with one of his earliest victims, Severus supported her.
Luna Lovegood-Scamander was the loveliest person Hermione had ever met. She was ethereal almost like a fairy from a mythical realm. She had an angelic presence and it felt wrong to even speak about these things.
“What can I do for you?”
Hermione cleared her throat. “Someone told me that you have a history with Theodore Nott.”
“He was in a supervisory role for the same station.”
“Were there times when he was inappropriate?”
Luna stood to shut her office door. “What is this about Hermione?”
“Last week, he held me down in the women’s toilets, threatening to expose pictures and videos I don’t remember taking. I think he drugged me but I can’t prove it.”
“That’s awful. But, how can I help?”
“Can you tell me what he did? I think there are more victims out there and if we all gather our stories together, we can fight against him. It’ll be our word and our evidence against his.”
Luna lost all the confidence she was wearing moments earlier. “He and I were friendly. We went out to drink after work. We eventually started sleeping together. He was getting too rough. He stopped listening to me. One day, I had to push him off so he beat me. His texts were also pretty aggressive. He threatened me constantly. I had to go to hospital. He doesn’t like the word ‘no’.”
Hermione nodded along, making connections to her own story. “What happened after that?”
“I reported him. There was pushback because he was a favorite. They tried to make it seem like I was angry because he broke up with me and moved on to Susan.”
“Susan Bones? On BBC 2?”
“The same. Once I showed the texts and my A&E report, I was given a new position with higher pay.”
“So you took it?”
“I did.”
“You never pushed it?”
“I wanted to move on, Hermione. My husband doesn’t even know. You’re the first person I’ve told since it happened.”
Hermione let out a deep breath. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“I want to help you. He can’t do this to another person. I should have had him arrested and this would have never happened.”
“You were trying to heal. We’re not going to victim blame. He’s the problem.”
“You’re right.” Luna teared up as she finally got the support she didn’t think she needed all these years later. “We need to contact Susan Bones. She was his next girlfriend after me. She was transferred about six months later.”
“He has a pattern. It takes him six months to become a monster. How did he end up married?”
“He’s married?” Luna said wide-eyed.
“With a little girl.”
“That poor child. Her father is going to prison,” She spoke like a prophetess.
Susan Bones was harder to get a hold of. She was a producer on documentaries so she was always in meetings or on location. When she saw the familiar faces of Luna and Hermione, she was intrigued.
“To whom do I owe this pleasure?”
“Theodor Nott.”
The smile on her face faded immediately. She had a similar story to Luna except she had gotten pregnant. One forced abortion later and a promotion, he was out of her life.
Luna asked, “Who was he with after you?”
“My old friend, Katie Bell, dated him for about five months.”
“Where is she?” Hermione wondered.
“Last I heard, she was living in Winnersh.”
“She wasn’t with the BBC?”
“She was. She left broadcasting and returned home.”
“Do you know why?”
Susan shook her head. “We could take a trip.”
Theodore Nott had a pattern of dating or sleeping with women who were connected. It was easy to find the next link in the line because the previous victim was usually a coworker or friend. Hermione decided to take leave to allow herself time to refresh after traveling non-stop for over a year. Severus kept flying with a different crew. Some times he was gone for a few days at a time. She forgot how much she hated it. With the help of Luna and Susan when they were available, Hermione located and contacted eighteen other women with stories of coercion, rough sex, humiliation, and extremely dubious consent. For Katie, it was so bad, that she had developed PTSD. When asked why they didn’t report him to the authorities, they all responded that they just wanted to forget that it ever happened. So it goes…
Severus was proud of Hermione’s work. He could see just how brilliant she was when she had a story. He knew what she did and had seen her report hundreds of stories but to watch her build the story from scratch was a sight to behold. She was impressive and galvanized. Theo Nott was going down.
“I’m thinking of visiting his wife before we submit this letter.”
“What do you think that will do?”
“We could warn her. She’s a mother and she could used the heads up. She and Ashley did nothing wrong.”
“I’ll go with you. Are we meeting in a public place?”
“I’ll reach out.”
Tracy Davis-Nott was impressed that Hermione Granger wanted to talk to her which made it that much harder to have this conversation. She had been sleeping with her husband after all.
“You’re even more beautiful in person,” she fawned. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Same to you,” Hermione replied.
Hermione told Severus to sit nearby at the outdoor cafe that Tracy had suggested. “So what’s this about?”
“I--I had to come and see you. I--I have been getting sexually harassed by your husband.”
“You too?”
Hermione was stunned. “What do you mean?”
“You’re the third woman to come and tell me.”
“So, what did you do?”
“I referred them to his father. He pays them off. I’ll give you his number.”
“You’re not serious.”
Hermione knew that this would be an excellent proof of coercion. Tracy took out a business card of a man named Theodore Nott Sr. She didn’t know that Theo was a junior. This man would do whatever it took to keep his son out of trouble. There are some things money can’t buy, like the stories of dozens of women.
“That’s not why I came. I wanted to warn you that a scathing article and letter will be published tomorrow detailing all the stories of over twenty women. It will be indisputable. Once this comes out, your life and Ashley’s life will change.”
“It won’t work.”
“Why?”
“They always win,” Tracy said dejectedly. “People like them always win.”
“Not anymore.”
“I knew he was sleeping with other women and I was glad. It meant he was not on top of me.”
“So, you’ll be okay when this comes out?”
“I wish you the best of luck. Now that he’s gotten that promotion, he’s home all the time now.” Tracy pulled up the sleeve of her scrubs. There were hand-shaped bruises on her forearm.
“You can give me your story too.”
“Can it be anonymous? I don’t want Ashley to know what he does to her mother.”
“Of course.”
---
BBC ANCHOR DISMISSED FOR ALLEGED SEXUAL ABUSE
BBC UNDER FIRE FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT COVER-UP
FIVE MORE WOMEN COME FORWARD IN HARASSMENT CLAIM
WIFE OF FORMER BBC ANCHOR SPEAKS OUT ABOUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
By the time Hermione was done destroying Theodore Nott, over fifty women came forward to join the women fighting against the silence. Eventually, investigators demanded all paperwork concerning his dismissal from the BBC. Every report of sexual harassment was now published in court documents with privacy for the victims, not the perpetrator. Theodore Nott was arrested on over one hundred counts of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, assault, coercion, and rape. Women came forward from his old high school, speaking out against crimes committed fifteen years earlier. One woman had worked with him at the summer camp where he was forced to volunteer in community service following a different criminal conviction as a teenager.
---
Hermione lay with Severus feeling safe in his arms knowing that Nott was put away.
“He’s gone now because you’re an amazing woman,” he said into the darkness of his bedroom. He could read her mind now. She mused that was normal as you got closer as a couple. Hermione had never gotten that far before. She liked it.
“Thank you,” she said, nuzzling into the warmth of his body under the duvet. “I want you to know that I’m yours, Sev.” A recall of the argument that ended their situation years earlier. She was his. She could trust him to trust her. He had seen her good and bad. He was proud of how she always stuck up for herself and others. She didn’t need him to take care of her anymore but she
wanted
him. Severus decided that he liked that much more.
“And I’m yours,” Severus answered. He was proud to be claimed by her. “I think I always was.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Los Angeles, United States
Hermione stepped out in front of a studio audience. The cheers and shouts were for her. Her HBO late-night talk show,
I Said What I Said
, was a mix of investigative journalism and comedy. The title was to express the idea that her work and the work of her team/crew were to be taken seriously. After everything that happened at the BBC, she realized that many of the women were not taken seriously because they were weaker, poorer, or simply female. Week to week she covered topics from the serious to the trivial. Last week, Hermione covered the latest laws to impact healthcare in the United States and the newest cinema hits. Occasionally, she had a guest but she didn’t have one scheduled this week. Or so she thought.
Hermione walked to her seat behind a huge sleek modern desk. “Good night, everyone. I am your host, Hermione Granger, and this is
I Said What I Said.
”
The show was going well. This week, the topic was marriage equality’s risk of being repealed in the US in the wake of the most recent royal wedding of Prince Draco to her friend, Harry.
“I still don’t understand why the way my friend fucks or gets fucked is my business if I wasn’t invited.” The audience clapped and cheered. “Banning same-sex marriage doesn’t stop same-sex sex. If anything is effective at stopping people from having sex, it's marriage.”
A voice spoke then. “I hope that’s not true,” Severus said, walking from backstage.
She blushed. “What are you doing here?”
He never came to a taping. She’s done over fifty shows so far. The novelty had worn off so he preferred to watch at their place.
“This is my partner, Severus, everyone” she explained to the audience.
“Get your man, girl!” an audience member shouted above the applause.
They both laughed. Severus’ eyes never left her.
“Can you join me out here?”
She stood up from her desk unsure of what was happening. She looked to her crew, mouthing to her producer. The woman, Cho, shrugged with a look of innocence. Hermione knew she knew more than she was letting on.
Severus took her hand, gesturing for her to stand in a specific spot. This is where the director said would be best for the camera to pick up all the angles, including a close-up shot.
“Sev?”
The audience fell silent as they had figured it out before she did. Severus fell to one knee.
She brought her hands to her face, covering her nose and mouth. Hermione was already tearing up and he hadn’t said anything yet.
“Are you really surprised?” he chuckled. “We talked about this last night.”
“No. You asked me if I wanted to go to Fiji one day.”
“Honeymoon,” he explained, grinning and pulling out the little black box.
There were some chuckles in the audience and the crew.
“Hermione, I’ve flown around the world at least one hundred times but I could never find another person like you. I have seen the greatest wonders the world can offer, but nothing outshines your beauty, your compassion, your drive, or your strength. I have received love and given love, but no one loves like you do. You are everything to me. Hermione, will you marry me?”
Someone in the audience, shouted, “Say yes! Hell, I’ll marry him for you!”
Hermione ignored them, nodding and putting her hand in his so he could slide the ring on her finger. It was the same one she had shown him a year before. How long had he wanted to ask her?
“I’m getting married,” she said to her audience. “It’s time to-- Time to wrap up. Good night!” She was having trouble speaking because of how emotional she was. They cheered and applauded raucously as Severus stood and pulled her into a passionate kiss.
Later, when they were finally back home and sated after a series of orgasms, Hermione asked, “Who helped you?”
“Why?”
“So I can fire them.”
He chuckled. “I’m not telling,” Severus whispered.
“Then I take it back. I won’t marry you.”
“It was Cho, Dennis and Romilda.” Hermione laughed loudly at how quickly he betrayed his accomplices.
“You’ll make a good husband.”
“Did you like it? The proposal, I mean.”
He could see her smile wide and feel her head on his chest. He played with her curls. He loved the smell of her coconut shampoo. “It was surprising, dramatic, and unforgettable.”
“Like you.”
She giggled because it was true. “You love it.”
“I do.”