Chapter 1 – Why start now?
August 23rd, 2001
He was sitting by the counter at a bar, a glass of whiskey half full in hand. The place was almost empty, a light mist blurring the view somewhat, but he could see her very well. She as sitting in a high bench, a soft light right above her, and he was mesmerized by her voice. He couldn't even tell what she was singing. Her voice entered his ears like an angel's, her big, shiny blue eyes even at a distance, the very red lips contrasting with the white skin. Wavy golden hair cascading over one of her shoulders until it almost touched her hips; the other shoulder naked. Her voice was incredibly strong and delicate at the same time, singing a song with intensity and feeling.
He felt a shock when those big blue eyes turned to his direction. It was impossible to turn his eyes from hers, even if he wanted to. He didn't. She still sang and looked at him for a long time, until the song was over. The intensity of his eyes captured her.
He had never believed himself to be an attractive man. He was taller than most people he knew; his hair was deep black, thick and oily. For a long time he had used them long, unknowingly trying to hide behind it. They were now short and with a few gray hairs starting to show by his temples. In his face, lines forcibly carved by time and personal tempests gave him his austere look, and his big nose gave him a dramatic appearance. His eyes, deep black, made who was being watched, looked from above, to feel their soul was being observed.
She felt that. At a distance, that man sitting by the counter looked at her without withdrawing, without blinking, and something in those eyes arrested her. She tried to look away and at the other people who were watching her, but this task turned out to be too hard. When me song was over, she was finally able to look down. A few people applauded, she smiled without looking directly at any of them, and held her whiskey glass. Taking a sip, she started the next song. She couldn't stop looking at those black eyes for more than a few seconds. She smiled when the song allowed her and he, on the other side of the bar, felt a chill run all over his body.
People applauded a little more enthusiastically with every passed song, maybe slowly noticing they were before a real talented singer inside that small isolated pub, hidden from the movement of the village. After a while she made a break. A low music started on the background and people noticed how dull it was and how much more life she had given the night with her music.
Taking her empty whiskey glass, she descended the low stage and moved to the bar. Walking towards it, from the top of her high heels, a light elegant stride, she couldn't help but looking at him again. He was on the other extremity of the counter, and she sat by it close to her stage, and laid the empty glass before her. A man came close immediately. From the distance, that man still observed her. He saw the gentleman sit by her side and talk to her. She answered politely and the man ordered a drink. A tall cold glass with a pink drink and ostensible ornaments was laid before her.
She didn't like those drinks. They were sweet, weak and with no personality. The man offered her a drink and even before she could say what she'd have – not that she would really like drinking with that man – he ordered it and sat by her side, a risque look in his eyes. All she wanted was to order another whiskey and that this stranger would leave her alone.
In a moment he seemed to understand he wasn't welcome, for he left leaving her alone with her colorful drink. As if waiting for his turn, yet another one approached her from the other side, making another drink slide on the counter. It looked like soda and, the black eyed man saw, she looked at it with the expression she had given the pink drink. She tried to smile politely at him, but looking at him, her eyes slid to those black ones. He was still silent and whey they eyes met it felt even more intense than before. He felt her bright eyes communicate with him.
As a noble gentleman going at the defenseless lady's rescue, he ordered two whiskeys. Holding them both, he got up and walked slowly, as if gliding, along the counter. He passed her and approached the bench by her side, but it was with the man he talked.
"She drinks whiskey. In a tall glass, with ice", and then he rested the described glass in front of her. "If you excuse me".
The man thought about responding and not leaving, but the danger in those eyes made him shiver a little. He apologized and withdrew, taking with him the soda-like drink.
When she heard him speaking behind her, she couldn't control the chills than ran over her spine. His voice was deep, velvety; he spoke in a soft rhythm and quietly but firmly. She slowly turned her head, not completely, and looked at him over her shoulder. She saw the owner of those eyes, and now knew he also had an amazingly beautiful voice. The eyes and the voice sat by her side, resting his elbows on the counter, holding his glass and shaking it to hear the sound of the ice.
"Looks like you're the only one here who pays attention", she said. "In a tall glass, with ice".
The man didn't speak, just held his own tall glass with ice and leaned it a little in her direction, proposing a toast, and they both drank.
She closed the door behind her and felt his hand touch her neck and slid to her nape, holding her firmly and leaning down to her lips. She felt his smell and could almost taste the whiskey. Looking deeply into her eyes, really close now, he saw her nearly close her eyes and slightly open her lips. Not able to stop staring at her shiny eyes, he touched his lips in hers and felt them soft under his, the flavor of the whiskey mixed to something sweet and intoxicant. He felt her kiss him back, her eyes shut and the tip of her tongue invite him in. Holding her back with his free arm, pulling her firmly closer to his chest, he deepened the kiss, their tongues entwining together, slowly, no hush. Holding his shoulders, she held on to him as if needing support to remain standing. She felt shocked and calm at the same time, like she wanted to devour him and also like she wanted that slow kiss for the whole night if it was possible.
He held her back firmly and long minutes passed when they just kissed, their lips and tongues getting to know the other, they breaths coming stronger now. She ran her hands through his nape, hair and face, softly and taking their time for him to feel her touch. The noises from the bar downstairs disappeared. After a kiss that had seemed to go on all night long, and for just a few seconds at the same time, he parted his lips from hers. She opened her eyes and they seemed to shine now even more, and he noticed she was breathless. He tried to think about how amazing that kiss had been, but thinking was the last thing he wanted at that moment. He still held her nape and back, and she felt him softly kiss her face, jaw and neck. She held him stronger in her arms when she felt his arm in her back move. He held her by the hip, pressing her harder to him, and heard her sigh. The tip of his tongue moved on her neck, going up to the back of her ear and down again, slowly, tasting her with no hush. He felt the chills again when her nails dip into his coat over his shoulders. He slid her hair back and held her nape firmly, angling her head to kiss her neck and naked shoulder.
The hand that held her hip roamed again along her back and found the zipper of her cress. He took it and slid it slowly down and looked at her again. He wanted to be sure that she wanted the dress gone as much as he wanted. She said nothing, just stared at him with those big blue eyes and bit her red lip. Holding her gaze, he took the zipper all the way down, leaving her bare back under his warm hand. She shivered again, her skin soft under his. The dress fell to the ground and he kissed her again, feeling her body against his, her breath coming stronger now. With a sudden step, he pressed her against the wall and heard her whimper in excitement.
He trailed kisses from her lips to her neck once again, and now to her shoulders and collarbone until he found the line of her breasts covered by a black strapless bra. He quickly released its clasp and threw it away, leaving her breasts bare. He took a few seconds admiring them before looking at her eyes again. She had a small malicious smile on her face and that was like and fuse for him. She had seen desire in his deep black eyes staring at her breasts and felt hot in anticipation to what those eyes were promising. When he looked at her again she reached out for his hair and pulled him down to her left breast. He took it into his open mouth immediately, reaching up and holding firmly the other one with his hand. The shivers were not just in her spine now. Feeling his tongue and lips, wet and warm on her nipples make a delicious warm feeling travel through her body and take place inside her knickers.
He heard her moan and couldn't understand how he hadn't done it himself. He felt her hands holding his hair and her nipple harden inside his mouth. She arched up when he held her firmly by her back, curving himself upon her. When he heard her moan loudly and breathless, he understood she had no more power to stand over her legs. He upright again, a breast still in his mouth, held her up and walked towards the bed. When her legs touched it, he released her hard nipple and kissed her lips again. Her hands flew to his buttons. Kissing him deeply, she took her time to open one by one, drinking on his kiss once again. She slid his shirt over his shoulder and held him as if it was urgent and they felt they bare chests touching.
Deciding not to wait any longer to feel the weight of that man on top of her, she sat on the bed and pulled him with her, lying down slowly. He was on top of her now, one knee between her legs, and hugged her tightly kissing her again. She felt small and protected underneath him and felt him lift his leg and place his tight between her legs, pressing against her. She felt the tempting volume inside his trousers and couldn't hold in a moan. Kissing her breasts again, he let his hand roam over her face, neck, chest, stomach and reach her knickers. He touched her through it and felt it wet and smelled her scent denouncing her excitement. He rubbed her there and heard her cry out and grip his hair. Drunk with her scent, whiskey, honey, sandal, he kneed on the bed in front of her and undid the buttons of his trousers. Desire exhaled from that woman and those big blue eyes and red lips took him to the edge. He couldn't wait anymore.
Getting up from the bed, he quickly took off his trousers and underwear, throwing away his shoes and socks in the process. He rose up on her elbows and maliciously smiled at him again, seeing him finally free of what was restraining him, erect and ready for her. He reached for her hips and slid her knickers down, slowly. She propped slightly up on her heels, opening up for him, inviting him in. As if it was an order he couldn't deny, he lay on top of her, their bodies meeting as if for magic. He looked at her eyes, if it was possible, even deeper now; the head of his penis on her entrance and slowly sliding in. She moaned loud, he felt insane. He fitted entirely inside her in a slow, firm movement and they cried out together. It felt perfect. He withdrew and entered again, they eyes still locked. Her lips were parted and her breath shallow, feeling him out and in again, slowly and firmly. She felt filled with his masculinity and the intensity of his touch and his eyes. He wanted to devour her, marveled, her tight walls around him, wet, responsive, deliciously moaning under him. His movements intensified little by little as well as their breathing. The world outside was silent now hearing to their moaning and the wet impact of their bodies. He was moving faster now and she was crying out loudly. He held firmly her buttocks and pounded into her, saying incoherent words, their eyes locked and their bodies reaching release. She cried out and went silent, as if not breathing, her body trembling and her walls clenching around his erection, and he was done. They moaned together, fighting for breath, still connected.
They kissed again slowly when their breaths slowed down, before he parted from her and lied by her side. He smile when she laughed deliciously, closing her eyes.
"My name is Heather".
"Severus".
September 1st, 2001
The most of the teachers had already taken their places at the high table even before the carriages arrived with the students. While they were entering, the faculty and headmistress waited for them, wordless welcoming the loud teenagers entering. Severus had never really liked to do it. It was such a long time to be just sitting around, waiting to the Great Hall to fill and the ceremony to initiate. There was no more to talk to the other teachers – not that he was very keen of chatter with his colleagues – seeing that it had been two weeks since the staff was back from the summer to prepare the castle and their classes. Therefore, Severus preferred joining them at the table just a few minutes before the ceremony.
A sea of students filled the tables at the great hall when he entered, their loud voices muffling the sound of his own footsteps on the stone floor. He walked behind his colleagues greeting the politely until he found his seat between Spout and Flitwick and sat facing the table of his house, Slytherin. His students nodded greeting him and he responded equally.
At the center of the table, Headmistress McGonagall rose from her seat, rounded the table and stood in front of the crowd. The students, who were still standing, excitedly chatting with friends, ran to take their places and the hall fell silent. Minerva smiled looking around before speaking.
"My dear students, it is a pleasure to see you all once again! Welcome to one more year at Hogwarts"
As pleasant as Minerva's speech could be, it was always the same, and Severus didn't even try to keep his mind on it for very long. Instead, he just observed the students, remembering their faces and names. He knew perfectly his students, the Slytherins, but the others he knew only from classes, but did remember all of their names.
But of that one he had no memory of. Sitting on the edge of Ravenclaw table, there was someone's back turned to him, and he could see her profile when she looked at the headmistress. He couldn't remember her name or who she was, but knew he had seen her before. Golden hair falling straight down to her waist and the white skin seemed oddly familiar. Severus noticed she looked from the headmistress along the table, looking at each of the staff member. The more she turned to watch, the more her face showed. She wore glasses, now he could see clearly.
A moment before she turned and looked at him directly, his stomach dropped. It felt like being punched and his mouth went dry as if in a desert. Without knowing his eyes widened in her direction.
Then she looked at him.
Those big, bright blue eyes, not unrecognizable even under the ugliest glasses in the world – which was not true, even with the surprise he couldn't help but noticing how well she wore them – fixed in his eyes and widened imitating his perfectly. He saw her mouth gap and himself stuck in his seat, their eyes locked.
"…was accepted by our institution and will be having classes with the sixth year Ravenclaws, as the Sorting Hat previously determined, Miss Heather Sebastian!"
When the Ravenclaw table started clapping happily and some of her new colleagues reached to her to greet and welcome her, she seemed to wake up from a dream and smile immediately, shook hands with people around and rose up slightly, looking around the hall and thanking their warm welcome. Looking once again at the staff table was not avoidable, though. Severus applauded like the others, but his eyes were still wider than normal.
The headmistress authorized Hagrid to enter with the first years to be sorted into their new houses and every attention turned to them. Minutes later, Heather saw herself circled by children, ten or eleven years old, sitting around her at the edge of the table. Trying not to catch any attention, she got up and walked along the table, a little lowered, and found a group of the oldest looking young people.
"May I sit here with you?", she asked in a low voice. "I got stuck with babies back there".
They smiled and two of them slid to their sides to make room for her. Dinner had been served and the hall was noisy again. Sitting between a blonde boy and a tan brunette girl, who smiled broadly, Heather smiled around, noticing how curiously people looked at her.
"It's okay, ask around!"
Minutes later she felt a little more comfortable with those young people around her. After a dozen of them asked a few questions and chattered briefly with her, just to know why she was there, only three of them really engaged in conversation. The brunette girl by her side was Emily Banks, the blond boy was Davon Jones, and one of the girls in front of her was Sandra Wilkinson.
As much as Heather was trying to focus on them and talk normally, she couldn't avoid looking at the high table from time to time. In many of those times she caught Severus looking at her as well, and she could almost cut the tension in the air with a butter knife.
"I thought you knew we had a new student arriving this year, Severus", Filius Flitwick was saying. "It was communicated to every professor".
"Yes, it was communicated and I was aware", he answered. "But I was under the impression that it would be someone who would resemble a little more the others. What is her story?"
"Oh, I could hardly tell you her story, my friend. She was very private about her background, and even if I knew the details I could not open up the life of a student in my house. All I can affirm is what has already been told".
"All that has been told is that a new student would join us this year".
"Exactly, my friend, exactly! The Sorting Hat chose her to have classes among my Ravenclaw and I am very proud of that".
With no more precise answers, Severus gave up and tried to feign disinterest. Her eyes, though several meters away, kept calling his like magnets. Big, bright blue magnets.
When dinner was over and students rose from their tables to go to the common rooms, Heather was surprised by Filius Flitwick, who stood on the bench by her side before she got up.
"Good to see you again, Miss Sebastian"
"Professor Flitwick, my pleasure. I am very happy to be here"
"I see you have met a few of you new colleagues. Banks, Jones, Wilkinson", the small professor spoke t them. "Welcome back. You may go, I will escort Miss Sebastian to her rooms"
"Is she not staying with us?", Emily asked getting up
"No, Miss Sebastian will take a guest room on the third floor".
Rising from the table and walking along with her Head of House, Heather tried to memorize the way from the hall to her room. Out of the hall, stairs to the left, take the moving stairs, three floors up, second hall to the right, first to the left, find a leaking watering can portrait.
"This portrait leads to the guest room's hallway", the head of house explained. "There are five rooms and only yours will be occupied now; it's the first door to your right. The password has to be set. Before you open the door, say your chosen word and that will be the code for the remainder of the semester. Can I help you with something else?"
Thanking the tiny professor, Heather entered through the portrait and found herself in a long corridor, torches on the wall lit immediately, giving it a golden comfortable light. She took five steps and found her door. She stood there thinking about a code.
"Etta James".
The door opened with a clique and she walked in. It was a large square room; in front of the door, a small living area with a fireplace, two chairs and a coffee table on a soft looking rug; to her left, the private area had a four post high bed and a navy blue curtain, by both sides of the bed, nightstands with lit candles on them. By its right a big wardrobe and a door the thought must lead to a bathroom.
She walked towards the bed and sat, took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to believe it was all really happening. She had fought for long years to be exactly where she was now.
Only she hadn't imagined, ever, that something so complicated would catch her at a glance, in her first minutes at the school. That man was sitting at the high table. Severus. The mysterious, elegant charming man she had met in the bar was, apparently, one of the professors. Heather finally laughed at the irony. Nothing in her life had ever been simply. Why start now?