Trust
xoXOXox
Severus raked his hand through his hair for the hundredth time as the knock sounded on his office door. He cursed the fluttering of his stomach as he invited Hermione in.
"Good evening, Severus."
He gave her a smile, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk as he took his own once more.
"Good evening, Hermione. How was the rest of your day?"
She wrinkled her nose, slouching in her seat with the most put upon expression. He had to keep from chuckling at it.
"It was a day. I'll be glad to be done with all this nonsense. Ever since the year of the time turner, I have been growing further and further from the immaturity of the other students. It feels almost silly at this point to still be a student attending classes. But then I feel unkind thinking it because a lot of my friends are enjoying being able to just let go and be childish again. Does that make sense?"
He nodded, sitting forward with his fingers steeped as he placed the tips against his lips.
"You have always been a bit more mature than your peers, Hermione. Practical and studious. I can't remember very many times where you bothered with the frivolity of youth. And before you wilt in your chair…"
He grinned at her glare, continuing before she had a chance to argue.
"...there is nothing wrong with that. If it weren't for all the idiotic things you got yourself into with the dunderheaded duo, I would have said the sorting hat was getting too old for its job as you should clearly have been a Ravenclaw. Alas, you were studious and meticulous but an outright foolhearted and impulsive Gryffindor to the core. It's okay to be different from everyone else. It makes you stand out. It brought you to my attention. And we all know how obviously fabulous that is."
His deadpanned tone did what he hoped it would. She laughed, high and light, the slump in her posture fading as she sat up straighter and settled more fully into her skin. Good. He didn't like seeing her dejected. Not on his watch.
"Shall we continue with our plans?"
She nodded, eager as ever to dive into her future. Pulling the contract copies out, he handed her copy to her, noting the perfectly written notations in the margins of all they had already dissected and changed.
They both began reading the next section and he pulled his occlumency shields up enough not to blush at the blatant sexual clauses that he was going to obliterate immediately.
Eyeing her from under his hair, he watched as she read, face set in concentration though the light dusting of pink on her cheeks gave away her thoughts. He would be lying to himself if he didn't admit that the idea of being the mentor over her body and pleasure wasn't an appealing thought. It was just not something he was going to contractually bind her to. He had more respect for her than that.
"Severus…"
She had to clear her throat, the squeak of his name adorable but obviously unintended. He raised his head to look at her, noting she couldn't quite meet his eyes.
"You said this was the default contract all Masters used."
He nodded, curious where her mind was going.
"So how does this clause affect two wizards if one or neither of them has a preference for other wizards?"
He couldn't stop his eyebrows raising in surprise. He wondered if she was asking out of curiosity or if she was curious how his own apprenticeship went.
"Over the ages, though many like to say it was a way for lecherous wizards and witches to get their hands on an object of their desire, there have been very few actual cases of the contract being misused. The point of the contract is to ensure by the time the witch or wizard apprentice leaves the hands of their master that they are well versed in not only their chosen field of study but also in many of the other aspects of life. That included their sexuality."
He leaned back, keeping his shields firming in place so he could do what a Master was supposed to do without losing himself in his own uncomfortableness at discussing something so personal with a student. She was going to be his apprentice. This was going to be his duty soon, to be open and honest with her and sate her curiosity about any and everything she deemed worth her time.
"I only have my apprenticeship to pull on. My Master was as exacting as I am. Tom foolery and frivolity were not options under his tutelage. I worked long days cleaning and preparing ingredients, making basic potions I could have done in my sleep, until he believed my muscle memory of the steps was as honed as my ability to remember how to make the potion itself."
His eyes looked past her as he let the memories fill him.
"He took every aspect of my contract very seriously. That included this particular clause. As you know, I wasn't exactly popular with the female populace. My poor upbringing did not lend to me being an optimal choice for pairing. He used to tell me that I was too brilliant to allow just any witch to claim my affections anyway. Claimed I'd be bored with the common choice within days. Back then, I used to argue. Now, I'm glad he kept me too busy to date. He was right."
She waited quietly, letting him order his thoughts. He had promised himself he would be open and honest, at least with her. No time like the present to start as he planned to go on.
"We spent a week in Paris. There was a discrete brothel there that catered to Masters and Apprentices. He had me choose a paramour each day and between watching what he did and being instructed myself by the ladies, I was taught how to both give pleasure to my partner and to receive it in turn. I was always a naturally curious lad. And a studious one. By the end of the week, I was going on my own to practice until I felt I was as well versed as I could get without adding emotion into the equation."
Finally, he turned his head to meet her eyes.
"Though he did offer, I have never had any inclination towards another wizard. I considered trying just for the knowledge but it felt almost disrespectful to do so. As if I was turning someone's core needs and wants into an experiment. As far as I know, that is usually how that clause is met unless the two are of a similar mindset. Those that were, the Master taught the Apprentice themselves."
He sat back, watching her roll his words around in her mind. What he wouldn't give to be allowed entrance into her thoughts right now. He couldn't even guess at them.
"So, in essence, it is only due to the modern views that have come to pass that cause that particular clause to be frowned upon."
Severus thought about that for a moment.
"Partly. During my time as an apprentice, there was a huge scandal that caused the first uproar over it. Several Masters had used the contract to get their hands on some desirable witches and wizards so they could enjoy owning their bodies more than their education. Those apprentices gained their mastery but once in their field of study, were utter disasters. From there, the outcry started that it was a sinister tool so some old man could get his hands on a young and willing partner. It's one of the reasons the Master/Apprentice system became more inclusive and less widely used. Only those truly worthy of the training were considered. It has taken years for it to be seen as a mark of prestige again."
She fell into silence again, her perfect little teeth coming out to worry at her lip. What was the girl thinking? Severus left her to it, already marking through the clause on his copy and moving to the next to see if there was anything that needed to be discussed and revised. He was so engrossed in making notes on public conduct and speaking privileges, what utter tripe, that when she spoke it caused him to jolt, scratching a line of ink across the parchment.
"What if I wanted to keep the clause?"
He froze, every muscle stringing tight with tension as he raised his eyes to her. She was staring at her hands which were nervously twisting in her lap.
"Miss Granger…"
She looked up at him then with a frown.
"Hermione."
He took a steading breath in through his nose.
"Hermione. That is unnecessary. You are a smart and beautiful witch. You will have no trouble finding paramours with which to cut your teeth on, so to speak. I will not have our agreement list you as some object to possess for any sort of personal satisfaction. Moving on, this next section is…"
Her hand softly landing on his stopped his words as if by a silencing spell. He took a breath before looking up at her.
"That is exactly why I'm considering keeping the clause."
His confusion must have been written all over his face for she took a fortifying breath for courage and continued.
"You don't see me as an object or some feather to add to your cap. I'm not Hermione Granger, Brains of the Golden Trio, war heroine, brightest witch of her age to you. I'm just me. Just Hermione. Do you have any idea how many dates I've been asked on before the war? One. Fourth year, to the Yule ball by Viktor. Since the war, so many I've lost count. And everyone of them has been so they can say they caught the 'great Hermione Granger'. Even my apprenticeship acceptance was based on my fame and not my accomplishments."
She squeezed his hand, pulling his gaze back to hers as he had dropped it to stare at their joined grip.
"You won't be a fumbling idiot with it. You would treat the experiences with the same careful, meticulous planning and execution that you do everything else. And I trust you. Will you at least consider it?"
Heart racing, Severus sat back, pulling from her grasp to cross his arms.
"The terms would be changed. I will not be the instigator of any activities. That would fall on you to let me know when you are ready for the next lesson."
She nodded, eyes widening in surprise that he didn't immediately argue.
"During the time frame that the clause is in effect, you will not experiment with anyone else. If you meet someone that catches your interest, you will inform me and we will amend the contract so you are free to explore on your own."
Again, she nodded, one single up and down of her head.
"You will start the contraceptive potion one month prior to any sort of sexual or sensual training begins and it will be brewed only by me. I don't trust the market found potions or anyone else to keep you safe in that regard."
A small blush accompanied her smile and not.
"Once you have given the nod that you are ready for another lesson, what we do is entirely up to me. That is non-negotiable. No matter what you think you want or need, you will trust me to know what it truly is and put all your trust in my decisions in that area. This is also non-negotiable, Hermione."
He watched her shiver and wondered if it was enough to make her back off from this foolish decision. He wasn't strong enough to resist what she was offering if she didn't.
"Anything else you want to add?"
He couldn't think of anything at the moment, his mind swimming with all sorts of images of what he could do to her if she let him.
"Not at this time, no. If I think of any, I will bring them to your attention before the contract is signed."
She nodded, picking up her pen and starting to make notations.
"What are you doing?"
She peered up at him, determination flashing in her eyes.
"Writing down your rules for that clause to make sure they are notated for the rewrite."
Linking his fingers and setting them down on his desk, he took in her posture, noting that she was not in any way nervous now.
"Hermione, you must be sure about this before you agree to it. Perhaps you have not thought about it in depth. You are agreeing to sign away your innocence and you first trials with sex to your old potions master. A known ex death eater. You must consider what that will do for your reputation and future prospects for marriage."
She glared at him, setting her pen down with a snap.
"Pish posh on that. If someone doesn't want to marry me because I decided to take full advantage of a much more experienced and knowledgeable man to make sure I knew exactly what I liked and wanted during sex, I'm not losing a single thing, Severus. I've already considered it. It was your mind I had to change. Not mine."
Fool hearted and impulsive, indeed.
"Very well. If you are sure."
She gave him that assertive nod, picking up her pen and continuing to write. Severus, on the other hand, was just trying to breathe down his warring panic and possessive sides. She would be his. His. For only the duration of the contract or until she met someone worthy of her attention. But she would be his to teach, to mold, to pleasure and to take his pleasure from. Suddenly, the school year was way too long.
xoXOXox