I heard a thorough coughing fit as I approached Severus's private quarters after dinner on a cold, gusty evening. I sped up, concerned, and knocked quickly on his door. He abruptly opened the door, motioning me to come in. Severus sighed, sinking exhaustedly in his eloquent black leather chair. "What have you been involving yourself in lately? N.E.W.T's?"
I remained silent. He sighed again. "Tell me, Clara. I've been lonely as of late. I can't breathe properly without you. It's as if my lungs are collapsed." "Severus-" I started, not sure if I should continue. Severus raised an eyebrow curiously. "Severus, I heard you coughing." I remarked. He stood up and sauntered over to the gigantic window overlooking the grounds. The room grew dreadfully silent until he sighed loudly. "I'm worried about you, Severus. Are you sick?" I pressed. A deep cough ripped from his lungs, and he turned to face me solemnly. "Yes, I was sick, Clara." Severus coughed again, deeper into his lungs, clearing them. " I had pneumonia for several days." He sat down next to me on the green leather couch, tilting my chin up to meet his eyes. "I need to speak with you about your feelings toward me, Clara." He took a deep breath, and sighed it out. "You know I love you. However, do you love me as well?" Severus gazed at me delicately as I frowned. "You don't think I love you?" I asked crossly. I shot him an icy glare and got up to leave. I made my way back to the Gryffindor dorms. About 15 minutes later, I heard a loud knocking on the door. I opened the door to see Severus, striking black robes and all towering over me. "May I come in?" "No. I don't want to see you again, Severus. Go away." I snapped coldly. He sighed. "It is vital that I speak with you, Clara." "No, I must insist that you call me Miss Branson. That is much more appropriate. Now if you please, I am rather busy. Good day to you, Professor Snape." I heard a deep, melancholy sigh on the other side of the door before there was a distinct whooshing sound and with a deafening boom as Severus landed in a cloud of unfurling obsidian smoke on the carpet ahead of me. He was coughing relatively compellingly, his lungs convulsing powerfully to clear the foreign substance from themselves. I skittered over to him, massaging his squeezing back muscles benevolently as he coughed whiffs of smoke from his lungs. I continued cosseting him until the brutal coughing completed. I helped him to his feet and to the adjacent sofa, where he plummeted, sighing greatly. "Are you all right?" I asked, perturbed. Severus coughed deeply a few times, clearing his lungs. He looked at me and took a deep breath. "Yes, I think so now." I grimaced. "Why did you do that?! How did you do that?! It's not any magic I know of such as apparition and floo." Severus grabbed my hand, placing it into his. "There are some things you don't know about me, Clara. Things that would make you hate me." I locked my eyes with his. "Like what?" He sighed severely. "Sixteen years ago, I was a Death Eater, one of Voldemort's foremost. However, after my best friend from Hogwarts was targeted and killed along with her family, I became a double spy for the Order. I report information at the meetings from Voldemort to Dumbledore." He sighed again. "What you witnessed was teleportation by dark magic. I had to see you, Clara. I need you equally with the air in my lungs. I feel dead without you in my life. I love you. Do you understand?"
I nodded gradually, astounded by his words. "Severus, it is a shocking past but I don't hate you for your faults. I love you, and that means loving all of you, letting your previous inadequacy fall between the cracks, and focusing ahead to the wonderful future I know we'll have together." I stunned him by flashing a radiant smile, and coercing him into an fleeting, aggressive kiss, leaving him gasping. Severus's breath caught in his lungs, strangling him and he began coughing alarmingly. I patted his back carefully until the short but exceptional coughing spell concluded. He sighed. "Thank you." I smiled. "I want to kiss you again already." He coughed several more times, exhausting the air from his lungs. "Are you okay, Severus?" Severus glared at me quietly but softened when he saw my perplexed expression. He coughed again. "I suppose my lungs have more smoke in them than I originally judged. I'm having difficulty releasing the smoke from my lungs." "You should make some potions. The clear lung potion for one, you can't cough up your lungs trying to expectorate the smoke you inhaled. You'll get an even nastier lung infection later with pus and mucus. And aren't you just getting over pneumonia?" I said knowingly. Severus coughed multiple times, drawing air in his lungs desperately. "You're coughing alot, Severus. There must be more infection in your lungs. I'm going to take you to Dumbledore." He coughed, deep in his lungs, seemingly the bottom of his lungs, and expelled some green pus and mucus. "No, I'm fine!" He thundered, another sharp cough cleaving from his lungs. He tore into another grim coughing fit. I patted his back until the coughs ceased. Severus coughed, clearing his lungs. "I'm fine, Clara." He sighed greatly, extending deep into his lungs and exhaling abundantly from his lungs. "I would like you to stay this evening with me." I mounted up to place a chaste kiss on his lips. He stuck his tongue in my mouth, and I could feel his breathing quicken, as the kiss became more extreme and burning. When Severus pulled away, he coughed overwhelmingly for a moment, his lungs expanding, embellishing the air within them. I rubbed his back muscles as he coughed, his lungs expunging black sputum this time. His coughing persisted for a few seconds, until he had several spots of black sputum brought up from his lungs on his handkerchief he always kept on him. Severus finally halted coughing. He sighed and glanced at me. "Whatever this substance is, my lungs are clearing it out on their own. When I breathed in the smoke, it took on the form of pus, mucus and sputum causing an infection, hence the pneumonia." I shrugged. "Maybe your coughing is a good thing if your lungs are dispelling the pus. I don't know." Severus coughed, moving closer to me. "Clara." I shot him a look of concern. "What's wrong?"
He sighed. "I apologize for losing my temper. You did not deserve to be a victim of such cruelty. I have been very ill for a long time and..." Severus paused, sighing again. "I love you very much. It's suffocating me to be away from you. I only wish to be close to you now, Clara."
I clasped my arms around his neck. "Take me now, Severus. Right now." He sighed against my neck. "Clara..." He breathed. I raced into the bedroom and dove in the bed. "Fill me now, Severus. Come fill me with your love." I teased. I heard him coughing again as he approached the bedroom door. "Severus...come here." I said flirtatiously. Severus coughed a couple of times as he stood in the doorway, watching me. He cleared his throat, loudly. "Do you want my cock inside of you?" "Yes..." I breathed. "I'm getting wet just thinking of you shoving your cock inside of me, filling me with your love and warmth." Severus coughed intensely, and sighed affluently, filling his lungs sufficiently. He climbed into bed next to me, bursting into a few coughs. I ripped his robes off abruptly, caring only about him thrusting into me. "Stuff me, Severus. Stuff me hard. Please." I begged. Severus sighed and slid into me. "Is there anything else I can do to please you?" He asked, his voice hoarse from coughing. "Yes. You can breath against my neck and kiss me, whilst stuffing me." I replied innocently. He coughed into his fist, bringing more pus and sputum up from his lungs. Severus began thrusting hard into me and I screamed in pleasure. It didnt take long before the bed was wet with our body fluids. We both breathed heavily as he eased off of me onto the other side of the mattress. Cold air flooded into his lungs fully and he coughed, clearing them. "I love you, Severus." I smiled at him. Severus smiled back. " I love you too. Are you ready to go again, Clara?" "Yes. I never tire of joining with you." I said, kissing him full on the lips. He coughed, the cold air piercing his lungs again as he breathed heavily. We made out erotically and he plunged into me again, sending me shrieking. A month later, Severus was feeling much better and we were officially a couple.