Chapter one: caught?
I woke up to the same safe and secure sensation that I did the night before. My eyes opened to the familiar surroundings that were Severus Snape's private quarters. My mind raced as I replayed the entire previous week and I couldn't believe how far i had come and how different Professor Snape- I mean Severus- was when we were alone together. I really did like it. I turned over to start my day with a kiss, just to realize he wasn't here.
I sat up quickly to see where he had gone. I waled over to the bathroom thinking that he would be in there, showering or bathing after last night, before heading off to breakfast. I was wrong. He wasn't in the bathroom either. 'Where is he?' I thought. I dressed quickly and walked into his office that was connected to both his private sleeping chambers and his classroom by seperate doors. I found my robe that he had carefully places on one of the hooks within his office. As I put of my robe I wondered if this was his way of telling me that he didn't actually want a relationship with me after all. May be he thought it was too risky or perhaps he wants someone a little older and with more experience that I have. Perhaps he couldn't bare to tell me in person. 'Yeah right' I thought 'Professor Snape is not the type of person who avoids any kind of confrontation'.
Just as I was heading towards the door I heard two familiar voices. One was deep and all too alluring- 'Severus' I thought and the other belonged to a woman. She didn't have the highest of voices but not the deepest either - Professor Mcgonagall -. 'Shit' I thought as I heard her voice coming much closer to me. I ran back towards the door that would take me into the safety of Severus' sleeping quarters, just to have it disappear and reappear as a book case. 'Double shit' I thought trying to think of somewhere to hide all the while their voice getting much closer. The only place in this whole room that was big enough for me to hide in and not be seen was under Severus' desk. So that is where I hid.
I heard the door open and close shortly after.
"Severus, Albus has asked me to come here and speak with you about a certain student that he is worried about." she said as I heard her sit down in the chair on the other side of Severus' desk.
"If our headmaster is so desperately concerned about a student then why isn't he the one here discussing this with me now?" He questioned whilst rounding the desk.
"Albus is quite busy today going and asking other teachers about this student and he cannot ask everyone can he? He is only one man" Professor Mcgonagall stated in which she sounded quite angry.
As she was speaking Severus had rounded his desk, sat down and then noticed that I was there. That is when I heard a voice within my head that was definitely not mine. 'What are you doing under my desk?' was the urgent question from Severus. To which I responded within my mind not my voice, 'I woke up and saw hat you weren't there and I didn't know whether you wanted me to stay or not so I decided to leave. Thats when you two came in and your door disapearred and this is the only hiding spot'.
"Severus, are you listening to me?" came the quite annoyed voice from the other Professor in the room.
"Yes, Minerva I am. You were saying that you are here because Albus is a very busy man" Severus replied in a tone that was far more annoyed that Professor Mcgonagall's was. "Now would you mind telling me the name of the student with whom Albus is so worried about and why he has these worries?"
"Yes, well it is a student within my house. Stephanie Ravens. Albus is concerned about her as she seems to have disappeared over the past few days for long periods of time. Especially at night and he wants to know if any of the other members of the faculty have noticed any odd behaviour."
I could see the shock consume Severus' face when my name was mentioned, though he masked it quite quickly with ease. 'What am I supposed to tell her now?' was the urgent question that entered my head int he appearance of Severus' voice. 'How am I supposed to know?' was my angered response. I saw his face harden as he looked at me for a brief second then turning away. 'We may be engaging in relationship that is more that student teacher but that still gives you no right to snap at me like that Miss Ravens'. 'Oh so its Miss Ravens now is it? How very domineering of you Professor' I replied and a smirk graced my face as I saw his change.
"I have asked members of her house if they have noticed any changes within the behaviour of Miss Ravens. The girls she shares her room with Miss Pickett, Miss Thorne and Miss Granger all agreed that she has been disappearing during the night, but they do not know why" Professor Mcgonagall continued.
'Thanks Hermione, so much for covering for me' I thought.
"Yes, well I know why Miss Ravens has been disappearing during the night' Severus replied in his calm and composed manner.
'WHAT' I yelled at him through my mind. 'I thought we were going to keep this a secret as you will get FIRED if anyone finds out and now iyou are just going to admit it.' 'Oh yee of little faith' was his ever so calm reply. This confused me.
"You do?" was Professor Mcgonagall's very shocked reply.
"Yes, you see as you and every other member of staff are aware Miss Ravens had a late start to this year, due to the ailment of a close friend. Though her friend is in a much more stable condition than before the school year started, she still has her concerns about his current and future health and well-being. Thus causing her to be restless when sleeping. In spite of the fact that she is indeed sleeping she is hoever, sleep walking, causing her to disappear from her dorm at night." He finished.
'Wow, you thought of all that right on the spot, I'm amazed' I told him through our minds. His smirk returned to his face.
"How do you know all of this, Severus?" came the voice of the other professor, her voice dripping with mistrust.
'She doesn't believe you. Though it is not that surprising considering I am not in your house and she should be the one I tell all of this to' I thought.
"I know this as two nights ago I found Miss Ravens wandering the halls in naught but her night clothing. At first I thought she was awake as her eyes were open, then it occurred to me that she wasn't all there. That is when I concluded that she was sleeping walking. I decided to take her down to the potions classroom to ensure her safety when in this vulnerable state, as you know that waking sleep walkers can have quite hazardous effects." he finished looking quite amused, I'm guessing from the reaction his words got from Professor Mcgonagall.
"So her sleep walking is the reason for her disappearances during the night? Hmm... but how do you know that this has been the result of her friends ailment?" She questioned.
"Once I had gotten Miss Ravens within the classroom, she started to stir, indicating that she was waking. One she awoke, she noticed that she was not in her dorm room and I replayed the night to her. After thoroughly questioning her about whether she has slept walked in the past. To which she replied she did, although only after something bad had occurred. I came to the conclusion that it is because her friend is hurt and she is worried about him. I have given her a sleeping drought that will hopefully ensure that these nightly wanders do not continue, though I cannot be certain that it will indeed help her" he finished.
'You're good' I thought smirking along with him.
"Well, that certainly clears up all of my concerns and I am sure that it will clear up Albus' concerns too. Thank you Severus, I will report back to Albus. Please keep me updated." she said as I heard he stand and walk towards the door.
At that point I realized that my leg was asleep so I decided to try on inconspicuously move without being heard. Though, it wasn't my day as when i moved so did the desk and a bottle of ink crashed to the floor.
'SHIT' I thought.
"What was that" came a shriek from the female professor.
Severus jumped to his feet glaring daggers at me. " I knocked the table Minerva, nothing to be concerned about" he reasurred.
"Right, well I must be going" her voice laced with mistrust.
With that she left and Severus cast a silencing charm on the room. My guess, in case she decided to be nosy and listen from the other side of the door.
Severus' hand came from above the desk to help me to my feet.
"You were almost caught" his voice was hard, though not as hard as I thought it would be.
"Sorry, my leg fell asleep" I mumbled.
"Right. You said you were under there because I was not there when you awoke. Why would you think that I would want you to leave?" He questioned whilst pulling my body flush against his.
"I don't really know, Insecurity I guess."
"Don't be insecure, you have no reason to be. Besides I thought we arranged a dinner date."
"Yes we did, didn't we. I forgot about that. So when and where, or have you made no arrangements" I asked before placing a chaste kiss upon his unbelievable soft lips.
"Yes I have made plans for tomorrow evening as you are above age you are able to leave the castle on the weekends, so long as you are back beofre your curfew." He replied.
"Great, a Friday evening date. Sounds fantastic." I almost squealed, to which he laughed at.
My mouth gaped open. "Oh. My. God. Severus Snape just laughed alert the media" I laughed.
"Very funny. Now get to breakfast before they send out yet another search party."
"Exactly how did you come up with the sleep walking scenario so quickly?" I asked whilst walking into his classroom with him.
"I thought about it the morning after we first slept together in case anyone notices your absence during the evening. Good thing I did. Now off to breakfast." He said as she walked me to the door before consuming me with a passionate kiss.
"Yes it is a good thing you thought about a cover story and i am going to breakfast after I yell at Hermione for not covering me." I said as i walked away leaving a smirking Severus in my wake whilst thinking about our date tomorrow night.