CHAPTER 60
Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 60 ~ The Interview
Severus and Hermione spent another weekend in bed, once again alternating between tender lovemaking and wild, passionate fucking. They took a few hours break so Severus could view the completed docu-pensieve and add the musical score, but they ended up fucking in the Spells Lab too, Hermione bent over her desk, Severus fucking her so hard it slid back, crushing her swivel chair against the wall. An argument about a particular strain of music which Severus believed should reflect “tension” rather than “fear” was what set it off, the witch continuing to argue with him until the wizard put down his violin and bow, then set about giving Hermione “a reason to shout.”
When Severus left Monday morning, they still hadn’t settled their relationship, but both witch and wizard felt a stronger connection. The Potions Master didn’t scowl when Hermione kissed him goodbye this time. He almost smiled.
Almost.
Instead he rested his dark eyes on her.
“Until next weekend, Miss Granger,” he said silkily, raising her hand to his lips and kissing it gently. Hermione felt as if a huge stone dropped to the bottom of her belly as the wizard released her hand, arched an eyebrow at her, stepped back and disapparated with a crack of thunder.
Hermione pressed her hand to her belly and let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding as she stared at the empty space before her.
“Gods, what a wizard,” she breathed.
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Tuesday afternoon Severus arrived at the Playwitch Ltd. Building. It was quite a modern structure, five stories tall, with green glass windows all around and steel separators. He could barely make out employees going about their business.
The wizard walked up the steps and into the lobby which was spacious, airy and tastefully set up, a large round information desk in the middle, cushy leather armchairs arranged for conversation, a complimentary coffee and bun stand and not a single picture of a naked wizard in sight. Severus strode up to the information booth.
A little blonde witch with big blue eyes looked up at the wizard.
“May I help you sir?” she asked politely.
“I have a two o’clock appointment with Miss Brenda Fitzworten,” Severus said, glowering at the witch, who appeared unaffected and smiled brightly at him.
She opened a large book and drew her finger down the parchment.
“Ah yes, here you are…Mr. Severus Snape. Miss Fitzworten’s office is on the fifth floor. If you take the elevator on the far left it will take you directly to her floor. Hers is the only office on that floor so you won’t have difficulty finding it.”
Severus walked toward the elevator, which automatically opened. He examined the small cubicle before entering, then stepped through and turned around to face the door. It slid shut. Suddenly the elevator soared straight up, Severus clutching at the handhold bar attached to the walls and bracing his legs. It came to a teeth-clenching halt, and the doors opened. Severus hurried out of the elevator. He’d ask if there were any stairs on his way out.
Sure enough there was a single door with a plaque on it that read, “Brenda Fitzworten, Editor. Severus opened the door and entered. The office was all white with several plants scattered about. There were no windows. Several doors were set in the walls and in the center of the room was a desk with two chairs in front of it. Behind the desk sat a matronly woman with shining gray-white hair and sharp green eyes. The witch was dressed in stylish royal blue robes and looked to be about one hundred. She looked up at the tall, dour wizard and the violin case in his hand.
“May I help you?” she asked him politely, her eyes washing over him.
“My name is Severus Snape. I have a two o’clock appointment with the editor,” he said.
The witch smiled, and looked years younger.
“Please have a seat, Mr. Snape. I am Brenda Fitzworten,” the witch said, gesturing toward the chair.
Severus looked surprised. He had expected some youngish vixen of a witch to run Playwitch…not a woman who looked like a kindly grandmother. He sat down.
“Thank you for coming to the interview, Mr. Snape. You are currently one of the hottest wizards in the wizarding world at this moment,” Brenda said, quietly appraising Severus’ lank hair and dour demeanor. He had beautiful dark eyes, a large, very promising nose and a rather cruel sensuous mouth.
“Bad boy. Not classic looks, but dark…dangerous. The witches will go gah-gah for him,” she thought.
“That was quite an adventure you had in India,” the witch continued, “You were something to see, Mr. Snape. A true dark hero. The kind of wizard that witches fantasize about. And that’s why I want you…for my magazine of course.”
Brenda smirked a little.
Severus considered the witch before he spoke.
“I must be frank with you, Miss Fitzworten,” the wizard began.
“Damn, if only we could get that voice in the magazine. There’d be wet knickers for days,” the witch thought to herself, then said out loud, “Of course, Mr. Snape. Frankness is always appreciated.”
“I have not yet decided if I will pose for this magazine. I just came here to hear what you have to say,” the Potions Master said. “Based on that, I will depart and let you know my decision.”
“Fair enough. It is always good to take time to consider before you act,” Brenda said, “Becoming a fantasy man for millions of witches is quite the burden.”
Again the witch smirked as she pulled a folder out of her desk. She opened it.
“One Severus Snape. Professor of Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, former Spy for the Order of the Phoenix, currently the only known Harper in the Wizarding World, Repairer and Retriever of Souls. If you don’t mind me saying, Mr. Snape…you are the kind of wizard that catches a witch’s imagination.”
Severus merely listened to the witch.
“Mr. Snape, would you describe your body to me?” the witch asked, “I mean its overall condition…I don’t need any ‘personal’ details.”
Severus looked at her a moment.
“I am six foot three, one hundred and eighty-nine pounds. My skin is pale, my physical condition excellent. I do however have a number of scars on my back from being tortured numerous times by the Dark Lord, and I still retain my Dark Mark from being in his service,” the wizard said, thinking that would be enough for Miss Fitzworten to withdraw her offer.
“All icing on the rock cake, Mr. Snape. We are portraying you as a dark, intense and powerful wizard who has seen much of the dark side of life. In other words, as a bad boy, someone sensual and dangerous. Our readers will adore you. And considering your visibility already, I am prepared to offer you thirty thousand galleons to pose for us nude. Four photos. All this rests on the approval of our photographer as well,” the witch said.
“Your photographer?” Severus repeated, arching an eyebrow at the witch.
“Yes, we have a very talented photographer who has an eye for those wizards whose attributes will transfer to film. No wizard poses for our magazine without his approval. He has never been wrong yet,” she said, pressing a button on a box on her desk.
“You can come in now,” she said to the box, then looked at Severus.
“He only shoots part-time, exclusively for Playwitch. He has his own business that does quite well and comes in handy because he can prep his subjects as well as photograph them.”
“So, your photographer is male?” Severus asked for confirmation. He was a bit surprised. He assumed since the subjects were male, a female photographer would be in order. Witches knew what they wanted to see after all.
Brenda looked decidedly shifty.
“In a manner of speaking…yes,” she replied.
For some reason, Severus didn’t like the sound of this.
Suddenly a door on their right was flung open, and a very pale, chubby wizard with spiked brown hair dressed in multi-colored robes walked in. Well, walked wasn’t quite the right word. More like sashayed.
“Brenda! Darling! Tell me, what do we have yummy on the meat wagon today?” the wizard exclaimed, mincing up to Brenda and giving her faux kisses on each cheek before turning to stare at Severus. He brought one delicate, long-nailed hand to his heart and looked as if he would faint.
“Oh my stiffening wand,” he breathed, looking the pale wizard up and down. “Ooh, Brenda…you’ve really outdone yourself with this delicious bit of beefcake. He is just…bitable,” the wizard gushed, his blue eyes drinking Severus in rather lustfully.
Severus scowled at the wizard as Brenda grinned.
“Mr. Snape, I would like to introduce you to Adam Sweetmeats, our photographer,” the witch said.
Adam swooped around the desk and walked toward Severus, his hand extended, smiling. The Potion Master got a good look at the fruity little wizard’s teeth and jumped up in shock, drawing his wand.
“He’s a vampire,” Severus said darkly.
“Vampires are people too, tall, dark and yummy,” Adam replied. “But I am a relatively tame vampire. I don’t bite…unless requested.”
Adam looked at Severus suggestively.
“Adam is the Queen of our local clutch of vampires,” Brenda explained, “At Playwitch, we do not discriminate. Just because Mr. Sweetmeats is Life-Challenged, doesn’t mean he can’t do an excellent job as a photographer.”
Severus looked at him. A Queen? Yes, he could see that. The wizard slowly put away his wand and sat back down, eyeing Adam. Suddenly another tall, pale man walked through the door Adam just came through. He had blonde hair and hazel eyes. He was quite handsome. He walked over to the Queen and looked down at Severus. There was an unpleasant glint in his eyes.
Adam placed a hand on his shoulder familiarly.
“This is my death partner, Victor. He accompanies me everywhere. Unfortunately he has to keep out of sunlight, or he’ll turn into a pile of ash…and I don’t want that, do I Victor?” Adam said to the vampire, fondness in his voice.
Victor’s eyes shifted to Adam for a moment.
“No my Queen,” he agreed, then he looked back at Severus a bit territorially. Severus didn’t understand why. Adam was safe as a female troll in his presence.
Victor was extremely jealous of his Queen. Adam worked with sensual mortals all the time, and as a Queen vampire had the power to make a mortal do whatever he wished. Victor worried that Adam would engage them sexually, and so was very protective. He wished his Queen would just stick to the beauty shop. Mostly witches came there. Adam wasn’t interested in witches beyond making them beautiful.
Brenda recounted to Adam what Severus said about his body. The vampire looked thoughtful.
“When I photograph him, the scars will seem beautiful. They’re a testament to his selfless service for the wizarding world. I was human when Voldemort fell and read about Mr. Snape. They passed him over when giving out medals. We’ll make sure he gets recognition when we write his blurbs. It’s the least we can do,” the Queen said.
Severus was beginning to think the Queen wasn’t half bad. He had nothing against gays, as long as they knew he wasn’t interested, and nothing against vampires as long as they weren’t after his blood. But his opinion was suddenly and brutally changed as the undead wizard walked up to him and boldly looked at his loins, eyelashes aflutter.
“So Mr. Snape, let’s get down to the crux of the matter…how many inches are we working with?” the vampire asked gleefully, licking his lips. Severus noticed his tongue was black.
“I hope it outshines the length of that beautiful nose of yours. We don’t want the rod to be…odd,” the Queen added, smiling broadly.
It took all of the dark wizard’s discipline to keep his wand in his pocket.
His real wand, that is.
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A/N: Lololol. I had to do it. Just had to. Please review.