It's All Fun and Games Until . . .

Right Foot Blue, Left Hand Green

Two hours later everyone had left the game but Hermione and Severus. Neither one of them looked ready to concede.

Some of the others had remained gathered around the table for awhile, hoping to witness the Head Girl or the stuffy Potions Master in the middle of an embarrassing dare. However, when neither seemed inclined to issue a dare (embarrassing or not) people lost interest.

Even Ginny Weasley, who had hoped for fireworks of one kind or another, drifted away.

In truth, the game was boring to watch. Especially after that little stalker elf who was obsessed with Harry reappeared with an unmarked bottle and a large glass for Professor Snape.

Severus eyed the bottle in question while Hermione counted her money for the third time.

"The amount isn't going to change, you silly girl. Either you have it or you don't. Pay me or forfeit, it doesn't require that much thought."

Or did it? What if she were debating offering one of those dare things?

He would refuse, and the game would end.

Although, it would be interesting to see what she offered. Purely out of curiosity, of course.

A strange warmth spread through his body, centering low in his gut, as he recalled the fleeting glimpse of Miss Granger's ... assets. Try as he might, he couldn't blame the sensation purely on the alcohol running through his system.

Another sip of Hooch's finest seemed to be in order.

The glass was very nearly empty. Again. Severus had momentary concerns about the state of his internal organs (having experienced Hooch's homemade mash before) until he remembered Hermione's increasingly unabashed nicking of his glass. The first few times she had waited until he was distracted to snatch the glass, her movements so deft he hadn't even been sure the glass had moved. By the time he was absolutely positive she was sneaking drinks, he had given into the rather perverse urge to let her.

The one time his conscience had tried to exert itself, Severus told himself that Miss Granger seemed intent on leading herself down a dangerous path... and it was always best to learn these lessons the hard way... and wouldn't it be better for her in the long run to have a responsible adult around to make sure things didn't get too far out of hand?

The argument sounded off, even to him, but he went along with it anyway.

She was handling it quite well for someone who hadn't been exposed to hard liquor before. Severus' eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Too well. Little Gryffindor brats have been drinking. When I get out of here Minerva is going to get such an earful of... Nothing. Because I'd have to break that stupid oath and explain that I'd been letting her darling Granger risk blindness on Hooch's sour mash.

Merlin knows what Minerva would make of that. Probably accuse me of trying to get her precious Hermione drunk for some nefarious purpose. As if I would ever stoop so low as to use hard liquor, there are numerous potions that would...

I mean, how preposterous.

Severus' grip tightened around the glass and he held it protectively against his chest.

Waiting for Hermione to make her move (In the game, I mean in the game.) was driving him to distraction. Severus pulled his attention away from the kneeling brunette, with her lower lip caught by her even white teeth, the barest hint of her bosom framed by the vee of her shirt, the soft heaving of her...

The others were gathered near the bookshelf full of games. MacMillian was pulling out boxes and inspecting them, before replacing them back on the shelf.

"These are all so childish. These games are for first years." Draco sniffed in disdain. "Isn't there anything more mature?"

"Like what? Sorry, mate, but we've refused to play naked bondage Twister since Professor McGonagall beat all of us during that marathon session last November," deadpanned Boot.

Draco wasn't the only horrified Slytherin in the room, and even the bursts of laughter from the others wasn't enough to reassure Severus that Boot wasn't serious.

The thought alone was... intriguing.

Severus shook his head to clear the thought, and the corresponding mental image, from his mind.

Hermione was watching him with a small, knowing smile on her lips. "He's joking, you know."

Happy to have a reason to ignore the rest of the room again, Severus leaned toward the board. He reached out to place the glass on the table and then thought better of it. Hermione's smile grew slightly wider at the aborted gesture, and Severus merely raised a brow in response as he braced the glass on his knee with one hand.

"I assumed so, Miss Granger."

She carefully stacked all of her money in a neat pile and pushed it to one side. Crossing her arms demurely on the table, Hermione leaned forward as if preparing to share a secret.

"It wasn't Minerva, it was Madam Hooch."

Severus' attention had once again been drawn to the shadows of Hermione's cleavage and he nearly missed what she said.

"Pardon?"

Her smile had grown into a devilish grin, and Severus was convinced that the way she had crossed her arms was actually pressing her bosom upward for display.

"Minerva didn't win the naked bondage Twister, that was Madam Hooch. Minerva much preferred Padma and Ernie's version of Magical Milton's Truth or Consequences."

"Miss Granger, I am aware that these... meetings are considerably less than formal, but in my presence you will refer to your professors by their proper titles!" He couldn't believe that she, of all people, would show such disrespect. Irregardless of whether or not Minerva had given her permission, the Transfiguration professor was not here to dispute the matter one way or another.

"Of course, sir. I apologize for my slip of the tongue."

She didn't particularly sound contrite in the least. If anything, Severus found himself on guard after her quick (and uncharacteristically brief) apology. "As you should. Now, are you prepared to concede the game?"

She looked down for a moment as if gathering courage. (Is she going to... yes, I think she is. This should be amusing. Especially when I tell her no.)

Slowly her head rose until she was once again able to see his face. "I'd like to propose a challenge."

He opened his mouth to scoff in her face. "I'm listening."

(Bloody Hell, where did that come from?)

Hermione darted a quick glance at the others to make sure they weren't paying any attention to the last two Monopoly players. Severus found himself checking for the very same thing. The others appeared to have found a deck of cards and had gathered around one of the tables. They all appeared engrossed in their new game.

"If I successfully bring about the terms of the challenge, you concede the game to me. If I don't, you win."

"And what are the proposed terms of this challenge?"

(Just tell her no, and be done with it, Snape.)

Again, that secretive smile. Severus noticed that unlike Miss Weasley's artfully applied cosmetics, Hermione's face appeared to be free of any artificial enhancements. The healthy blush in her cheeks and the delightful rose hue of the full lower lip once again held prisoner by her teeth were completely natural. It was an effect he found oddly appealing.

"Just one, really. You will use my given name."

Severus leaned back on the sofa. Whatever he had been expecting (hoping for), this was not it.

"And how do you imagine you're going to persuade me to do that, Miss Granger?" He placed special emphasis on those last two words.

Another slight hesitation on her part. "I thought we might discuss that somewhere less public. Sir." She nodded toward the door she and the Weasley girl had disappeared through earlier. "You should go first. I'll be along in a moment. It will be less ... awkward, if we disappear separately."

Intrigued inspite of himself, Severus nodded. "You have five minutes to explain yourself before I refuse and win the game."

"I think I can get the general idea across in five minutes."

He stood and nearly flinched when she touched his hand to detain him. Slowly and deliberately, Hermione took the nearly empty glass from his suddenly nerveless fingers, and drained the remaining liquor. Her tongue slid out to catch any remnants on her lip and Severus felt that strange warmth in his gut begin to spread.

"You should probably take the bottle, Professor. It wouldn't be a good idea to leave it unattended while we ... talked."

He picked the bottle up and tilted his head as he made a show of examining its contents. "You're quite right, Miss Granger. And one does have a tendency to develop a thirst when one is ... talking."

As Severus crossed the room to the doorway, he noticed Weasley looking at Hermione. Hermione merely raised a finger to her lips, a half-smile still gracing them, and shook her head. With a quick nod of understanding, Weasley dropped her cards on the floor and proceeded to nearly pull Draco and Abbott out of their chairs in her effort to retrieve them.

Severus slipped through the door with a smirk on his lips. Weasley was as subtle as a rampaging hippogriff in a crystal shoppe, but she seemed to be covering for Hermione. Interesting.

The lavatory wasn't what he was expecting. He had pictured one or two stalls and a sink, a smaller version of the public facilities.

This room resembled an intimate version of one of the prefect baths. The tub was smaller and there were no stalls, indicating the space was intended for a single occupant. A female, judging by the vast array of bath products arraigned on the shelf above the tub and the light green and blue color scheme. The room was clean and neat, but obviously used.

Severus stood in the center of the room, vaguely uneasy in such a personal space.

The door cracked open and he was relieved to see Hermione slide through.

That feeling of relief bothered him. It meant that no matter what he'd been telling himself in regards to what was about to transpire, he felt guilty enough to worry about getting caught.

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that he would have no part of whatever she had planned, when she spoke.

"Professor, I need to verify something for the sake of my conscience." She looked nervous, as she leaned back against the closed door.

He nodded his consent.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you have marked and returned all of the seventh year assignments for the year? No more essays, tests or practicals? Just review for NEWTs from this point on?"

Again, he nodded. A subtle tingle of anticipation was beginning to overshadow his apprehension. It seemed that Hermione had similar concerns to his.

"So you no longer have any input into my grade?"

"None but that which every faculty member welds at this point, Miss Granger. And your five minutes have begun."

That nervous look had returned to her face for a moment before she pushed away from the door. She pulled a large towel off the rack near the tub and flicked her wand at it. A quick incantation later and a cushioned chair appeared in the center of the room.

"Please, have a seat."

Severus eyed the new addition for a moment, and settled deeply into the chair. He took a long pull from the bottle and watched her from the corner of his eye as she moved to stand somewhere behind him. He tensed as he lost sight of her and she didn't reappear, but refused to give in to the urge to turn and look for her.

Slowly, cautiously, her hands appeared in his peripheral vision, one on each side of his head, and lightly dropped onto his shoulders. She paused as if waiting for him to ... do something, before her strong fingers began to knead the tense muscles.

Her voice, when she spoke, was soft and husky, and if her lips hadn't been mere millimeters from his ear he might not have heard her. "Here are the rules. No wands. You remain in this chair until one of us breaks."

Her fingers dug into the knot at the base of his neck, and Severus took another pull from the bottle to mask his groan.

"Agreed?" Her lips brushed against the shell of his ear and he felt the contact throughout his body. The building pressure in his groin made him shift in the chair, looking for a more comfortable position.

"And what are you going to do while I'm in this chair?"

"Something I've wanted to do for a long time. Agreed?" Her hands stilled.

Severus' mind raced at the possible outcomes. Was he really about to risk his career for a few minutes of innuendo and the possibility of a sweaty coupling with a student? A student who wanted nothing from him academically, who couldn't say anything to anyone about the affair without breaking her own oath, who was born more mature than many so-called adults he dealt with on a weekly basis, and who he happened to find intensely arousing. If a few minutes were all he could have, then why shouldn't he take them? Why shouldn't he reach for the brass ring when it was so willingly being offered?

"Agreed." A wealth of silken promise seemed to be hidden in that one word.

Her hands left his shoulders for a moment, and Severus flinched at the loss of contact. There was a soft incantation and the tingle of magic behind him. He half-turned in the chair, one eyebrow raised, and looked pointedly at her wand.

Hermione flushed, and tucked the wand away. "Warding the door."

A slight nod and he settled back into the chair. "You may begin, Miss Granger."

He lifted the bottle to his lips, only to have her lean forward and take it from him. The momentary distraction of her breast pressed against his cheek allowed her to snag the bottle from his unresisting hands.

He heard her swallow, picturing the line of her smooth throat as she drank. She placed the bottle on the floor near her feet, and returned her hands to working out the tension in his shoulders.

"Does that feel good?"

A noncommittal grunt was her answer.

"How about this?" Deft hands slid down his shoulders to his chest before meeting at the top button of his frock coat. His hands found the arms of the chair and dug in as the first button popped free.

He could feel her quickened breath at the crown of his head, as she leaned closer to watch her hands work.

She freed the last of the buttons and slid her hands into the warmth under the coat. Severus nearly gasped at the contact, would have if there had been any air left in his lungs, as her hands ran across his taut stomach. One drifted upward to glide across his pectoral muscle before her palm found and began to tease his nipple.

His hands were beginning to shake, the muscles in his arms cording with the effort to keep from grabbing her and tossing her to the ground.

Her other hand traveled lower, and he felt her lips against his neck as she shifted. The moist touch of her tongue against the pulsing vein in his neck and the barest hint of pressure from the tips of her fingers against his hardness was too much. She issued a startled yelp as his hands closed on hers and pulled her around on to his lap. Her hip pressed against his groin and he couldn't control one quick thrust.

His rough hands grasped her shoulder and pulled her closer, his lips already parted in anticipation.

She moved quickly, one delicate finger pressed against his lips, denying him the contact he craved.

Her eyes were on his lips with a look of hunger that rivaled his. He opened his mouth and drew her digit between his teeth, his tongue bathing the very tip. She squirmed on his lap, and he groaned. He drew her finger out of his mouth and leaned forward to capture her lips.

Only to be thwarted by her entire hand against his mouth.

"Say my name."

The word was on the tip of his tongue before he remembered. He leaned back with a smirk. "Certainly, Miss Granger."

She smiled in return, and he knew that she also wanted to continue their game.

"Tsk, tsk, almost had you. Guess I'll have to try harder."

Without breaking eye contact with him, her hands settled against his chest and drifted downward. He held his breath as she reached his waist. One hand caressed the solid bulge beneath his fly, and she finally looked down.

Her teeth captured her lower lip in that way that drove him to distraction, as if her hands on him there were not enough.

Nimble fingers slid the buttons of his fly free, one by one.

Then she was sliding to the floor, on her knees before him.

And Severus was convinced he was about to die.

She looked at him from beneath her lashes, hands hovering over his groin, and grinned. "My name?"

"Miss Granger," he hissed. Whether it was to answer her or to urge her on, he was unsure.

Her hands slid down his thighs to his knees and she pushed them apart, quickly filling the space with her body.

She fumbled with the open fly of his trousers, and he was irrationally relieved that she lacked the practiced ease of his past encounters.

With some assistance from him (he was not surprised to notice the unsteadiness of his own hands) she managed to ease his erection from the confines of his trousers.

The feel of her hands, sweetly hesitant, on his cock nearly sent him over the edge. His head fell back, eyes closed, and his hands settled on her shoulders.

Gods, yes. His eyes open at the sound of his own voice. He hadn't meant to speak out loud.

"I agree," Hermione teased. Severus looked down to watch her.

Her fingers were touching his length, learning him. Her mouth was so close.

He slid lower in the chair, pushing himself that much closer.

One hand grasped him firmly, the other braced on the straining muscles of his thigh, and she leaned forward. He felt the heat of her breath against the sensitive tip of his cock. His hands curled into her hair, not to guide or to push, but simply because he needed something to hold on to.

"Say my name."

Every puff of air blew across his aching erection. He bit his lip to hold back a whimper. His hips jerked reflexively, and his hands moved to cup the back of her head.

Those oh-so-soft lips kissed the head of his cock. A delicate sweep of her tongue, and he was suddenly willing to promise her anything if it meant she would finish what she'd started.

"Say my name."

As he breathed the first syllable of her given name, her lips opened and began to slide over him.

And someone knocked on the bloody fucking door.

For one brief, heart-stopping moment her moist warmth enveloped him, and then was gone. His hands convulsed in her hair before releasing her.

– ~ –

Ginny knocked on the door once more.

"Hermione? Professor Snape? The door opened and the Headmaster is here."

Hermione leaned back on her heels and studied the man before her. Part of her wanted to ignore the real world and pull him to the floor and force him to do unspeakable things to her body. The other parts of her wanted to hex every last person in the other room for interrupting her, and then pull him to the floor for the deliciously unspeakable acts. Her tongue crept out capture the last taste of him from her lips.

His head was thrown back, the long line of his neck exposed. He looked vulnerable.

Then he moved and suddenly their eyes met. Hermione caught her breath at the intensity in his.

"We'll be out in a moment, Ginny. I'm almost done with the cold compress for the Professor's migraine."

She stood and turned to a cabinet near the sink, her back toward him. She could hear the rustle of fabric as he put himself to rights. Hermione quickly gathered the materials for a compress and cast the necessary cooling charm.

She watched him in the mirror, until he was once again taciturn Potions Master. All traces of the man she'd driven crazy were gone.

They both crossed the room and paused at the door. Hermione dropped the ward and held out the compress.

Severus' hand closed around her wrist. "That was a dangerous game we were playing, Miss Granger. The stakes are too high. We can't do it again."

He grabbed the compress and pressed it against his temple before pulling open the door and stalking through it in a wave of dark robes.

Hermione followed, the door to the bathroom disappearing behind her with a soft word of thanks to the castle.

A greeting for the Headmaster died on her lips as she noticed the who was with him. Ron and Harry were standing on either side of the (for once) unamused Headmaster. Ron was sputtering and Harry's eyebrows looked like they were trying to escape into his hair line, and both boys looked a tad green.

"Professor Snape, what is the meaning of this?" Dumbledore's voice echoed off the walls.

She tried to figure out what to say, what words would keep her in school and retain Severus' job, what could possibly salvage their lives...

From the corner of her eye she saw Severus press the compress closer to his temple, as if he really did have a migraine.

"I think that would be obvious, Headmaster. You are, after all, the one who insisted I let the students have a good time."

For the first time, Hermione realized that no one was looking at her... that the boys were focused on the area to her left, and Dumbledore was glaring at Severus. Carefully she turned, almost afraid of what she would see.

"Oh, my." Hermione covered her mouth with her hand, to hide the smile that threatened to get her into trouble.

The others were in various states of undress: Hannah and Terry both missing footwear, Ernie was down to his undershirt, Padma fully dressed but for her hair clips, and Draco wearing only a single sock and his boxers.

A quick look behind her found Ginny leaning against the wall near where the door used to be. Ginny had managed to retain her jumper and not much else. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her friend, and Ginny smiled back, a flush in her cheeks, before studying her feet.

"I did not intend for you to let them play strip poker, Severus." As stern has Dumbledore sounded, Hermione thought she heard a note of amusement in his voice.

"Strip go fish, sir." Ginny piped up.

"Ginvera Molly Weasley! I can not believe that you... What in Merlin's name is that?!" Ron's voice cracked and Hermione was reminded of the horrific semester when his voice finally started to change.

All eyes turned to the red-headed witch as she finished picking up her discarded clothing from the tidy pile near her empty chair. An oddly colored birth mark peeked out from under the hem of her jumper on her hip.

Draco leaned closer to study the mark, and Harry had to physically restrain Ron. Ginny merely smiled and lifted the hem of her shirt just enough to expose the entire dragon-shaped mark (and the edge of a pair of scandalously high-cut knickers).

"Well, well, seems SOMEBODY has a tattoo."

"You stay away from her, ferret!" Ron was nearly frothing at the mouth, and poor Harry looked intrigued by the newly exposed side of his best friend's sister.

Dumbledore placed a restraining hand on Ron's shoulder. "Calm down. Miss Weasley, children, if you would be so kind as to put your clothing back on?"

Hermione hoped that Ginny's flush was because she had finally realized that standing around half-naked in front of family and faculty might not be the best time to flirt. She suspected, however, that the flush was because Draco had not yet moved away from his study of Ginny's tattoo.

"Mr. Malfoy, the Headmaster has made a request. Do not make me repeat it." Severus' voice seemed to snap Draco out of his thrall and he scrambled to recover his clothing.

Once satisfied that no one was going to attempt to kill anyone else... at the moment, Dumbledore moved to inspect the remnants of the card game on the table. "Looks amusing, I'll have to have you explain the rules to me later, Professor."

"Professor Snape wasn't playing cards, Headmaster. He was playing Monopoly with me." Hermione gestured toward the board game, thankful that the bottle of Hooch's liquor was safely hidden in her bathroom and no long standing near the board.

Dumbledore stood next to the Potions Master, and looked from the board game to Severus and back again. "Really. How ... interesting. And you enjoyed the game, Severus?" His tone of voice made it clear that he didn't believe it could be so.

Severus moved to indicate Hermione's token. "Miss Granger had just landed on one of my rental properties, and was about to concede the game to me for want of funds. I believe I did find the moment ... amusing."

"Actually, Professor..." Hermione picked up her pile of money and quickly counted out half of it. "I do have the money. The game isn't finished, yet. I would like to have a chance to continue it sometime, possibly after the term is over. If you are interested in establishing a winner, that is?" She bit her lip, waiting to for his answer, wondering if he understood what she was trying to convey.

His eyes met hers and the intensity was back.

"I'm a very busy man, Miss Granger. However, I may be able to find a small amount of time ... after term, as you suggested, to resolve the game."

Harry spoke for the first time since entering the room. "I missed something, didn't I?"

The End