Like Moths To A Flame

Five: Giving The Report

Severus

Over the course of a month, Severus tracked the movements of Bishop Gardiner. Shacklebolt had his suspicions that the Catholic Church was involved in bringing the New Salemer cult to Europe. Becoming a Priest only made his position that much more secure in digging where the aurors could not. But now was the time to give his report, and as much as he enjoyed his new evangelical profession, he loathed going back to the wizarding world, however briefly that time would be.

He dressed in his habit, and of course, added the white turned around collar. It was ironic how his teaching robes always looked priest-like; maybe it was a sign. Who knew? When he was done getting ready, he used the floo network, and he arrived in the grand foyer. Other Ministry employees and guests stared after him as he made his way to the elevator lifts.

He got in the first available one, and he had to make his way to Shacklebolt's secretary first. He found her office, and the front of it was almost as nice as the Minister's office. He knocked on the door. It opened for him, and he felt something brush against his leg, and realized it was a tortie cat that was very light in color, but very pretty.



She was meowing to be picked up. He did, and the noise brought the attention of the secretary. He expected her to be like Umbridge, but he was astonished that it was none other than Hermione Granger.

"Sadie! Do stop pestering our newest--" Miss Granger began, but she narrowed her eyes at him for a fraction of a second, before she noticed that her cat was nestled safely in his arms, and purring contentedly. "Oh! Well, I'm sorry if she's been a bother to you. Sadie normally doesn't pester clients to be held. She must like you, that's rare."

Despite himself, he grinned at that, and stroked her cheeks, and kissed the top of her head. Miss Granger grinned at that as well.

"Is the Minister in?" He asked, setting the tortie down on the floor gently. The cat continued to nudge and brush up against his legs, her tail stuck straight up in the air.

Miss Granger nodded. "Yes, he is, although he is taking his morning tea service now." She took out a quill, and opened a ledger. She made a small notation, and closed it, setting her black quill aside,"Would you mind if I gathered some files I need to take to him? I have to go to his office any way, so he can see them."

He wanted to refuse, but he relented. She nodded. "Great. I will just be a few minutes."

She went to her filing cabinet, and gathered the files she needed. "Okay. Let's go," She said, shifting her file folders to her right arm.

The cat jumped on her desk, and sat there like she owned the place. They walked to the end of the hall before she said, "I'm sorry about last week, sir. I didn't mean to come across as rude and brash."

He turned to face her. "Apology accepted. I was out of line as well. Hopefully, we can put this behind us, and act professionally towards one another."

Miss Granger smiled. "Yes, I hope that as well."

They reached Shacklebolt's office, and she knocked on the door. "Enter," The Minister's deep voice called.

"Shall we?"
She nodded. "Yes, let's."

They walked into the Minister of Magic's office, and Shacklebolt was sitting at his desk with a full tea service laid out in front of him. He looked up at them.

"Ah, Miss Granger," He greeted. "Father Snape. Are those the files on Rabastan LeStrange, Miss Granger?"

"Yes, Minister," She said. "Rodolphus's files are considerably more...robust shall we say?"

Shacklebolt chuckled, "Indeed. I'm not looking forward to dealing with that myself. If you can find room on the desk, you can give those files over to me. I would offer you to join us for this meeting, but I would like to keep it off the record, so to speak."

"Of course, Minister," Miss Granger said. "Will there be anything else?"

"No, Miss Granger, that will be all," Shacklebolt said.

Severus watched her walk out the door, her long gray pencil skirt showing off the shape of her very nice little ass as she shut the door behind her, her heels clicking down the hallway back to her office.

Keep it together! What the fuck is wrong with you? All women are off limits to you now! Shacklebolt chuckled knowingly, "You think she's cute, don't you?"

Severus shook his head. "You're insane to think that, Shacklebolt. She was my student for god's sakes. And I'm a Priest now, so I can't have her even if I wanted her."

Shacklebolt laughed, "Please. Spare me the moral speech, Snape. I know that in your time you have bedded your fair share of witches. I could care less if you pursue my secretary, just do not let it interfere with your mission."

Severus scowled. "I never said I wanted her. But here is my report: I followed Bishop Gardiner on his day to day schedule. He meets with several men in suits with the symbol of the hands breaking a wand in half. But the leader is not another Priest as I originally thought: it is a witch."

Shacklebolt looked very taken aback by this news. Indeed, one could almost call the dark skinned wizard pale. "A w-witch. I don't understand. Why on Earth would a witch seek to stomp out magic forever?"

Severus shrugged his shoulders. "I honestly do not know, Minister. She never shows her face, but she has been well trained to block out legilimency when it is used, and she dresses as a nun, literally, so that is her cover."

Shacklebolt thought it over carefully. "This is deeply unsettling, but not entirely unexpected, the Church's role in wishing to eradicate what they see as a great sin."

Severus laughed, "It does state in Exodus that thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Just because we use wands, and live relatively peaceful lives for the most part, it does not shock me that there would be some Orders that would take a more zealous approach to the application of the Bible."

Shacklebolt drummed his fingers on his desk as he thought. "Maintain your position, and keep an eye on this witch. I need to see if she is related to that crazy squib Mary Lou Barebones. She could be trying to complete her grandmother's work."

Severus nodded. "Understood, sir. Am I free to go?"

"Yes. Unless, you want to have tea with me," Shacklebolt said.

"I have a sermon to write," Severus lied. "Good day, Minister."

He left, and almost wanted to punch the wall in the hallway. What in Merlin's name was wrong with him?? Pursuing a former student of his was just...wrong on so many levels. He was not normally into brunettes, but her purity attracted him on some deep level. Still, it reinforced his stance that he needed to tread very carefully around Hermione Granger from here on out; it would not do for him to pursue any sort of romantic connection with her, cute though she was.

He went back to his home, and decided to work on his sermon notes, after all; it helped him to focus his mind on something other than Hermione Granger's lithe young body, and picturing her legs wrapped around his waist as he thrust deep into her tight wet pussy over and over until she screamed his name.

He undressed quickly, and wanked off in the shower, his orgasm nearly making his knees collapse beneath him. He breathed heavily, and washed off. He got ready for bed, but did not eat, no, he would do that when he prayed, and prayed hard for these sinful thoughts to leave him, before he did something he would later regret. God did not answer him, but he went to sleep, and tried to dream of anything else but kissing her sweet little mouth, and laying her on her desk and pounding between her thighs over and over again. But to no avail, and as the months went by, it became harder and harder to resist her natural charms...