Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery

Chapter 40 ~ Sometimes It’s Best Not to Press

Hermione and Crookshanks were curled up contentedly together in her armchair, the witch reading the latest edition of ‘Spells Today’ when the door began to shudder beneath an irate pounding.

“Hermione! I need to talk to you immediately,” came Severus’ voice.

The wizard sounded livid. Now what? He’d better not be here to demand her presence in his bedroom. Hermione picked up her wand, slid Crookshanks over and stood up, eyeing the door.

The cat yowled.

“Just stay there, Crookshanks. I can handle him,” Hermione said to the cat.

Crookshanks got comfortable, his back legs stretched out and his front legs crossed delicately, ready for the show.

Hermione stalked to the door and pulled it open, leveling her wand at the Potions Master.

“What do you want, Severus?” she asked him.

Severus scowled at the wand in his face.

“I’m getting tired of having you answer this door with your wand drawn on me,” he said, looking at her blackly.

“What do you want, Severus?” she asked again, her eyes narrowed. She had her wand on him for a good reason. He was capable of anything, lover or not.

“That abomination you call a cat, shit, pissed and left cat fur all over my bed purposely,” Severus seethed, looking at the cat stretched out on the armchair.

Crookshanks yawned at him, showing all his teeth, then snapped his jaws shut, his yellow eyes baleful as they watched him.

“Crookshanks did no such thing. He’s been with me all evening,” Hermione said, frowning.

“Oh, I have proof,” Severus said, raising his pale hand toward Hermione, “if you’ll allow me?”

Hermione nodded and Severus placed his fingertips against the witch’s temple and sent her the slowed down floo image, then zoomed in on it, showing her the departing cat’s tail disappearing into the green flame.

Hermione looked back at the cat.

“Crookshanks, did you do what the Professor said you did?” she asked the cat.

Crookshanks stood up on the armchair and stretched luxuriously before plopping back down, facing the other way.

Severus looked at her triumphantly.

“See, he did it. Now what are you going to do to punish him?” Severus asked her, his black eyes flicking toward the cat.

“Not a thing,” Hermione replied. Severus looked at her, shocked. She continued.

“Raucous has been doing me dirty for months. I told Crookshanks about it, and how you let it go on. I guess he felt you deserved a bit of ‘kit for cat’. I happen to agree with him.”

“But Hermione, that fur ball shit in my slippers, and I stepped in it when I tried to put one on. Do you have any idea how disgusting that is?” Severus seethed.

Hermione held her ground.

“No more disgusting than having bird shit dropped in your hair twice a day,” she retorted.

Severus scowled at her. Damn, she had a point. But it was all right when she was the one receiving all the grief. Ooh, he’d like to skin that fucking cat.

“Listen, you have a familiar that doesn’t like me, and I have a cat that despises you. You’re not willing to chastise Raucous, and I am certainly not going to punish Crookshanks for giving you a taste of your familiar’s medicine,” she said with finality, “Crookshanks is a balancing force. If I’m going to suffer at the claws of your raven, then you are going to deal with the claws of my kitty. And again, I don’t want you hexing him.”

“He deserves to be hexed for what he’s done,” Severus said. “Hermione, you are being distinctly unfair, and using sex as a bargaining tool.”

“Women have done that since they developed pussies, Severus,” Hermione said glibly. “And men have gone along with it. Until I get a promise from you that my cat will be untouched around you, consider yourself…”

Here Hermione made a scissor-like motion with her two fingers.

“…cut off!” she concluded.

Severus’ nostrils pulsated with anger. It was quite an impressive display. He looked like a randy bull.

“I refuse to be blackmailed,” he said, glowering at the witch.

“Then you are going to have some lonely nights,” Hermione replied, not the least bit put out by his declaration.

He looked at her, his dark eyes going darker. Hermione knew he was going to play the sex card.

“You’re sated now, but in a few days your body’s going to want what only I can give it,” he said in a low voice. “You’re used to getting it regularly now. You’re not the chaste, little virgin you used to be.”

He played it, all right.

“Severus, you act like I can’t live without cock. I assure you I can, and will,” she retorted.

“Really?” he purred at her, using the same deep, erotic timbre he used when fucking her.

And damn it, it did something to her belly. But Hermione didn’t show a physical reaction.
Too bad her eyes didn’t hide it, and that’s exactly where Severus was looking. Her eyes.

He chuckled, though he didn’t like this business one bit. He was being denied pussy because of a pussy. It was just…wrong. Then he went for the low blow.

“And you say you love me. If you loved me as much as you say you do, you wouldn’t deny me, especially over something as asinine as a cat,” he sneered.

Crookshanks rolled over and hissed at him for using this argument.

Hermione’s eyes lit up, and she put her hands on her hips, her wand pointing at the floor.

“Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare try to use my love for you as leverage, Severus. I loved you long before I fucked you, you bastard. Don’t you dare try to use it against me now! I’ve loved you longer without fucking you, than I have fucking you. That is the established truth of the matter. Don’t you dare insinuate I don’t love you because I won’t fuck you! Damn it, Severus…I faced the Dark Lord for you. I took an Oath for you. I almost died because of my love for you. Don’t you cheapen what I feel for you by reducing it to the lowest denominator of my letting you stick your cock in me as the only viable proof of what I feel!” she spat at him.

Then Hermione did something she nor Severus ever thought she would do. She slapped him. Hard.

Stunned, the wizard brought his hand to his cheek. She had slapped him! Severus stared at Hermione, his mouth working but nothing coming out. Tears began to roll down her face.

Crookshanks was out of the chair and by Hermione’s side in a flash. If the wizard tried to retaliate, he’d have a full set of teeth and claws to deal with. Not to mention a face full of cat fur.

Severus stood there, realizing he had crossed some kind of delicate line with the witch. He was only trying to make her lift the sex ban. Now it appeared he had inadvertently slammed it down like a portcullis. The pain in her eyes washed over him, searing the wizard’s psyche like dragon’s flame. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. She had to know that. She had to know he appreciated the gift she gave him. He didn’t give a fuck about the cat. The damn beast could shit in his shoes every day if it would take the hurt out of the witch’s eyes.

“Hermione,” he began hoarsely.

“Severus, just…just go. Please,” the witch said, turning away from him.

Now was the time for Severus to say something kind, something meaningful…make some sort of declaration that would make this go away.

“I…I won’t hex him,” the Potions Master said lamely, knowing it wasn’t enough, “I won’t touch the cat…no matter what he does.”

“Whatever, Severus. Just go,” the witch responded. Her hand rose to the edge of the door.

“All right, Hermione…but…but…” he said, searching for the words. He couldn’t find them. He backed out of her doorway, defeat on his pale face. What had he done?

Hermione quietly closed the door in the Potions Master’s face and slowly walked toward her bedroom. She disappeared through the doorway, her heart heavier than she could ever remember.

Crookshanks sat smugly in front of the closed door, his tail lashing. His little stunt had gotten the wizard out of the way nicely. The cat walked quickly into the bedroom, his tail held high.

Now his mistress could concentrate on what was really important.

Him.

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Severus returned to his rooms, barely aware of doing so. He walked like a zombie through the study, dropping into the armchair and staring at the fire without seeing it.

He was aware of a strange, unfamiliar ache in his chest. Something cold and hollow. An emptiness he had never experienced before. He wiped at his eyes with his hand as the feeling of something vital being absent washed over him.

Hermione had slapped him. She was angry. If it were only anger he felt from her, then he could have dealt with it easier…a sudden outburst that she could recover from, something he could add to his list of grievances. But it was more than that. It wasn’t a simple matter of being angry. He had affected the witch’s heart…her soul. It was all there in those eyes, those eyes that held so much acceptance and passion…those eyes going dim with hurt. Gods…gods…what had he done? Why was he so stupid to insinuate she didn’t love him when everything the witch did only affirmed the fact that she did?

Because he was a selfish prig, that’s why.

From the rafters above, Raucous looked down on his master, and squawked sadly. Something was very wrong with the wizard…something that reached way down inside the man. The raven realized that in all the months he had been with his master, this was the first time he had ever felt fear in him. Even when Severus was summoned, he had never felt fear.

But fear was what was coursing through the Potions Master as he sat before the fire, his black eyes swallowing the flames. Cold tendrils seemed to lace through his veins and pool in his stomach. He felt sick to his soul.

He may have just lost Hermione.

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A/N: Oh no! :::shaking head:::: Men say the stupidest things, don’t they? I’m sure a lot of us girls have heard the “you’d do it if you really loved me” line at least once in our lives. It is dirty pool at best, used by men to inspire guilt and compliance…in other words, “Prove you love me by giving me sex” In Hermione’s case, it inspired pain. She has so much invested in the wizard, and although she knows he doesn’t love her, she at least expected him to accept her love for what it was. She had certainly proved it several times. Severus really hurt her with his thoughtless attempt to manipulate her. He didn’t mean to, but that’s worth about a sickle, isn’t it? Now he has to deal with it. I suspect it will be quite a wakeup call. Please review.

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The Burning Pen

Becoming Familiar with a Man of Misery
by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence. Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately. You are not welcome here. The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 41

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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