Chapter 33: Wolfish Delirium

Morning came as something of a shock to Harry Potter who found that not only had he survived the night in damp clothes and not caught pneumonia but he was pretty much the only one left huddled by the fire as Hermione had retreated toward Snape. When the green eyed wizard turn his attention to his best friend he found her sleeping rather peacefully with her bushy head rested on the chest of a still very naked Severus Snape. He wondered if it was a bid to keep the possibly freezing Potions Master from dying of hypothermia.

"Mione." said Harry making his way over toward her.

His poor eyesight causing him to fumble a bit.

"Mione wake up." said Harry not wishing to touch either one of them for fear of coming in contact with his Professors naked form.

Hermione stirred some as she looked down at the still sleeping Severus. His body temperature had sky rocketed since the previous time she checked him. The bushy haired witch sighed hoping that she could cool him down with a bit of the river water.

"We need to get moving." said Harry. "Before it gets dark again."

Hermione sighed looking back at Severus.

"You can go on ahead then, Harry." she said. "I'm sure you can find your way back to the castle from here."

Harry looked at her confused for a moment.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "I'm not leaving you here with Snape...especially a naked Snape."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry could be such a child some times it was maddening.

"Harry in case you haven't noticed Professor Snape is really sick." she said trying to reign in her annoyance. "He's had a fever for the last few hours."

"He's a bloody werewolf Hermione." said the green eyed wizard. "We have to get away from him...there's no telling what he'll do without any Wolfsbane potion...plus he can transform without the full moon."

"All the more reason for me not to leave him." replied Hermione. "The last thing he needs to be is scared out of his mind."

Harry didn't understand her at all it seemed.

"Mione, Snape is..." he started before he was cut off by a familiar baritone drawl.

"Getting tired of your whining Potter." he said opening his eyes.

"Severus." said Hermione pleased that he had finally been awake.

The Potions Professor looked up at Hermione and gave her a weak smile.

"I-I take it by the look on your face, I'm not doing so well." he said feeling weak.

"You've had a fever for quite a few hours." said Hermione moving his sweat blasted raven hair from his forehead to feel his temperature.

Snape caught her wrist and kissed her hand affectionately.

"Are you sure you are alright?" he asked softly.

"I-I'm fine." she replied still worried about him. "Dumbledore should be told about what's going on at Hogwarts."

"I vote we find some trousers for Snape." said Harry finding himself even more uncomfortable about being near a naked werewolf.

Snape rolled his eyes.

"And Potter proves just how much of an idiot he is again." he said annoyed.

With the little strength he had Snape wandlessly conjured a pair of worn black trousers for himself. Mostly to ease his own mind with Potter lurking about.

The Potions Master turned his attention back to Hermione who checked the wound she covered with the minor salve and compressed with a few green leaves to make it stay.

"I love when you touch me witch." he said low enough for her to hear.

"Only you can't resist flirting even when your life is in danger." she said narrowing her eyes at him.

"And only you know that about me." replied Snape with a weak smile.

"Git." she said trying to keep from smiling herself. "I'm still worried about this wound."

"I am a werewolf as Potter so plainly put it." said Snape. "Do we not posses a healing factor?"

Hermione smirked at him.

"Doesn't mean I will do any less fussing over you." she said stroking his cheek.

"Bloody Gryffindor." said Snape annoyed.

"Touchy Slytherin." replied Hermione.

"I have somewhere I'd like to be touched true enough." said Snape turning the tables. "And I do like touching in certain places...given the witch who benefits from it plays her cards right."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and then looked at Harry who seemed to be oblivious to their innuendo filled conversation.

"I would like to keep him in the dark about us as long as humanly possible if you please." she said low so that only Snape could hear her.

"You know that and I know that but the wolf has other ideas." said Snape noting that he was sporting a prominent erection.

Hermione blushed and tried to look away but found herself unable to.

"The minute Potter falls asleep you're mine witch." said Snape sitting up.

"Severus!" whispered Hermione. "You're injured and we are in the middle of nowhere, how can you think about sex at a time like this."

"I think we should find some shelter if Snape is going to be laid out for a couple hours." said Harry.

Snape looked at Hermione and arched his eyebrows at the clueless boy's choice of words.

She shook her head.

"I think that's a great idea Harry." she said changing the subject. "We wouldn't want him getting any worse off than he already is."

"I resent that and all it's implications...Miss Granger." said Snape in his usual professor tone.

Harry and Hermione helped the dour wizard to his feet and all three of them went about looking for shelter. It had taken them three hours to come across what looked remotely like a safe place to camp for the time being.

"Do you know where we are?" asked Harry looking at Snape who leaned against the trunk of a tree to catch his breath.

The dour wizard held his side where the wound was healing beneath the new leaf Hermione had applied.

"No." he replied exhausted. "No idea."

Hermione had managed to gather some water from the river for them all to drink courtesy of Snape's wand-less magic.

They ended up in a well hidden rocky cave. Snape did his best to put up wards and they set out their designated stations for the night. Harry had made sure he put himself between Snape and Hermione for the night, as a way to "protect her" from the snarky wizard. Hermione had to laugh at her young friend's attempt to do her a favor as Snape contemplated setting the green-eyed boy's station ablaze for having the audacity to get between him and his witch.

"He'll be asleep soon." Hermione mouthed to her annoyed werewolf lover.

Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry and suddenly smirked rather wickedly.

"Sooner than you think." he mouthed back to her.

Harry looked up at the ceiling thinking he was going to have a problem falling asleep and then he just did as if he had been exhausted for three days straight.

Hermione looked at Snape with her mouth agape.

"What did you do to him?" she asked.

"Nothing but a simple sleeping and silencing charm." he replied with a wicked smile.

"Slytherin." said Hermione making her way over toward him.

"Exactly." replied Snape.

He wrapped an arm around the witch and brought her close to him. He crushed his pale lips into her soft pink ones. He smiled when her breath hitched and her body melted into his.

"Severus." she said breathlessly.

"I missed you witch." he said kissing her with passion she had not felt since the summer at 12 Grimmauld Place.

"I missed you too." she replied returning his kiss. "But...Harry is just right over there."

Snape rolled his eyes at the mention of Harry Potter.

"It's nothing a few spells can't fix." he said looking at her with a hungry expression.

"Severus, I'm not letting you touch me with Harry only a few feet away." said Hermione not even sure she like the idea of any of this.

"Who ever said we would be doing anything like that?" asked Snape with a wicked smirk. "I am an injured man after all."

"Injured in the head maybe." replied the bushy haired witch.

"I have a hole in my side and you make wisecracks." said Snape in a mock wounded tone. "You wound me madam."

"Let's get to bed git." she said rolling her eyes.

"Fine by me." he replied. "But do refrain from your hands roaming about my person whilst I sleep."

Both the witch and the wizard lied down in their respective station on the far side of the cave. Hermione had left her things near Harry and curled up with Snape who couldn't resist kissing her before he drifted off to sleep.

The bushy haired witch checked Harry who appeared to be sleeping peacefully and then turned her attention to Severus and ensured that his wound was properly covered before falling asleep as well. They had a long day ahead of them and it seemed that Snape was getting better due to his healing factor and much needed rest.

She wondered how things were at Hogwarts with Umbridge calling the shots now unopposed with both Snape and McGonagall out of commission. The thought of Ron crossed her mind and whatever night mare Umbridge unleashed upon him and the others at the school in a bid to reassert her power.

The bushy haired witch had not been the only one having trouble sleeping. Severus Snape had been struggling against something as well. His muscles ripped and his grip tightened on the earth that surrounded him as he dug his fingernails in deeper. His chest heaved with the sudden force of his breath and a low whine escaped him.

In the middle of the night, though time had no meaning in this place Severus Snape found himself leaving the cave, Hermione and Harry Potter behind in search of whatever it was that appeared to be calling to the raging beast inside him. His obsidian eyes glowing red as he ventured back into the forest the taste of blood already on his tongue and a prominent erection between his legs as he moved. He seemed to have no control over his direction and knew nothing else.

A scent caught his fancy...one almost as powerful as the one the formidable young witch had given off.