Emaleth was dreading today's Potions lesson. Of course, everyone was dreading today's Potions lesson, but Emaleth's reasons were different than the others. It wasn't because she didn't like the subject or the teacher, in fact, it was the exact opposite with both. It was because she had learned the hard way that her teacher was a practiced Legilimens who was genuinely worried as to why his top student was distracted during a lesson. Normally her Occlumency would be enough to keep the man out of her head (After all he was sifting, not probing) but she was distracted at the time and therefore unable to repel him. She stared at the stairs that lead down into the dungeon and groaned, the memory all to clear for her.
The day was a dull one, with incessant, pounding rain. Even in the dungeon, you could hear the steady patter of the precipitation on the castle walls. The moisture seeped into the room and chilled the air, making the classroom seem even more ominous than usual. Due to the severe cold, Dumbledore allowed the students, and teachers, to dress out of uniform, to be sure they would not freeze. Most girls took this chance to dress in their sluttiest attire so that they could use whatever male that would allow them to cling to him for warmth. Emaleth refused to be one of these girls.
Emaleth was raised in what you would be sure to call an old fashioned family. She normally wore dresses, and everything had to be a certain length. However, what she wore was not unbecoming. She had a classic look with fair skin, long, blonde hair, and light blue eyes. The dresses she wore always stopped three inches below the knee and she simply HAD to wear stockings under them. Today she wore a light blue number, with a ribbon to match. Everyone who saw her agreed that she looked like a model from some vintage picture. Every class she had that day was easy, she just copied her notes like a good girl and absorbed as much of the lesson as she could. She didn't have anything that faintly resembled a problem until she went to her last and favorite class.
When she entered Snape's classroom, she nearly had a heart attack. Snape was standing in the front of the class, as always, with his greasy black hair framing his pale face. His stern brown eyes were sweeping the empty room with disgust and he was impatiently tapping his wand against the palm of his hand. His lip was curled upwards in a snarl and his brow was furrowed. This was all normal of course, but his clothes!
Emaleth had expected the man to dress in his normal attire, as he was not normally the type to practice such frivolity. His outfit wasn't drastically different. Nothing colorful or, god forbid white there but it was enough to make an impact. He was wearing black slacks, a thin, black button-up shirt, and a pair of well polished black church shoes. The icing on the cake was the thin pair of glasses he wore. Emaleth thought the man looked positively delicious.
Despite the lowered temperature, Snape looked perfectly comfortable, as if the rain was actually putting him in a good mood! Paired with earlier observations, this may seem odd, but the professor in question was Snape. If it wasn't for the disgusted look on his face, Emaleth thought the man would be positively glowing!
"Early as always, Ms. Halding," He said, his voice slightly more expressive than his usual deadpan. Emaleth caught this and smiled a bit, tilting her head at the strikingly attractive man enough to show that acknowledged what he had said. There wasn't anything to say to him really other than, 'Hello,' and that really didn't serve any purpose at the moment so she remained silent. Neither of them commented on the other's outfit. She took her seat, laid out her supplies and waited for the rest of the class to slowly enter the room.
The whole class period, Snape was in a better mood than he had been since Emaleth's first year. The lesson was the most interesting to the students (love potions) he'd ever done and you could really see the passion for the subject he taught without the shutters of resentment that were normally there due to the fact that he wished to be teaching DADA. Normally, a student like Emaleth would be devouring this, but she wasn't able to. Her mind was elsewhere. Perhaps it was the chill or the sound of the rain, or even the difference in her professors voice, but something was distracting her and pulling her thoughts towards the fact that she was very strongly attracted to the man.
The whole class, she just watched the ways his lips formed his words, how his hands darted across his cutting board, how his eyes sparkled and his hands moved of their own accord when he began to get really expressive. She got so deeply immersed in watching the man that she was unable to focus on what he was actually saying. She could hear his voice, but her brain couldn't comprehend his voice.
Snape watched his class as they scribbled down notes like he had never seen them do before. The weather had done a number to his mood and he was happy to be able to hear the constant sound of the rain. He wanted to do a special lesson for his favorite student, Emaleth. She was always so attentive and studious and he wouldn't be ashamed to say that he was proud to be her teacher. Today, however, something was wrong. When she walked into the classroom, she looked just as eager as usual. However, after he started teaching she drifted off, like so many other students did throughout his days of teaching.
By the end of the lesson, he was genuinely concerned, and so he did something he wouldn't usually do under any circumstances. He used his Legilimency on a student.
'Severus Snape, what a delicious man you are…' He nearly gasped aloud when he heard this. Was this really Emaleth Halding that was thinking this? To be sure he had looked into the right mind he tried again.
'I wish you'd just take—Who's in my mind?' She threw up walls around her mind that he didn't expect one younger than himself to be capable of and he withdrew from her mind quickly. Her accusing eyes flew up towards him and he felt a bit sick. Had the girl really been able to identify him that easily? He met her gaze and gave her a nod, to pretend like he'd not heard anything. He'd wait until later to decide how to view the girl's thoughts.
Deciding that he didn't want to endure the girl's gaze, Snape assigned an essay on the dangers of love potions, how to avoid these, and the qualities of Amortentia that was to be due the next week and then promptly dismissed the class. Emaleth wasted no time in leaving.
That leads to this moment, in which Emaleth prepares to enter the classroom of the man who now knew of her attraction to him. It hadn't been hard for her to figure out who was listening to her thoughts. After all, look at her classmates! She wouldn't have been so deeply concerned if it wasn't for the fact that today was a day just like yesterday, cold and rainy, just like Snape liked it.
She walked into the room, and just like she feared, Snape was in a good mood again. He was standing with his back to the room, working on a potion. Emaleth set out her supplies, much as she had done the day before and allowed her curiosity to get the best of her. She walked up beside her professor and looked at the ingredients he had prepared.
"Amormentia, Professor?" Emaleth asked and Snape nodded, not surprised that the girl would be curious as to what he was brewing. He gestured to the vials of the love potion he had already viewed and sighed.
"I needed something to use as an example." Emaleth fought the urge to giggle.
"Why don't you smell one, tell me what it's like?" Snape asked and Emaleth complied. She pulled the cork out of one of the clear containers and took a deep breath.
"This is the oddest thing, professor! Bitter chocolate, Orchids, and some kind of cologne." She said and Snape nodded appreciatively. He gestured for the girl to return to her seat and she did as she was told, realizing the reason that the professor was most likely not saying too much to her. Soon, the class started and she fought to pay attention.
'Bitter Chocolate, Orchids, and cologne?' Snape thought, wondering why such a young girl would have such mature tastes. He was amused because the first two scents mentioned were two of his own favorites, he was only curious about the cologne. Could it be his…? He stopped his thoughts there and began his lecture, he would not allow himself such fancies. The class drug on for him, but finally it was over and the students began to leave. He looked up as Emaleth began to leave and sighed.
"Ms. Halding, a word?" He asked and the girl turned slowly, looking worried.
"Of course, Professor." She put her bag on the table near the door and shut the door behind her before approaching the professor. Snape took a moment to collect his thoughts and then walked towards the girl.
"Ms. Halding, I couldn't help but notice that you weren't paying much attention to my lesson yesterday, and you seemed to be struggling today." Emaleth looked at the ground, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulders in honey-colored curls.
"I am aware of this, professor… If this is about what you heard-" She trailed off. Snape was surprised she cut to the chase so fast. He'd never known a woman who was so straightforward. The girl shook a little and Snape all but gasped, she had begun crying.
Without much thought, he caressed the girl's cheek with his hand and gently wiped a tear away with his thumb. The action bewildered both the girl and the professor, but both of them enjoyed the feeling of it. Her skin was so soft and surprisingly free of blemishes, and his hands were comfortably rough, a proper man's hand.
"Emaleth..." The professor said quietly and the girl looked up at him. He gently pressed his lips against hers and she melted into his embrace. The feeling was both strange and enjoyable to both of them. She was so much smaller than him. If she stood right in front of him, he could comfortable place his chin on the top of her head. Kissing her just felt, right.
The moment their lips connected the majority of his Lily Evans pain either evaporated or was pushed to the back of his mind. Suddenly he pulled away and they stared at each other in disbelief, both with flushed cheeks.
"Emaleth, I can't… I'm old. I'm 31 this year and you're 17." Pain entered the girl's eyes and he had to look away. There was no way he could look at her like that without a suicidal urge.
"Professor…"
"I think it should be Severus now."
"Severus," She corrected herself, "I'm legal! I'm an adult… And I think I might be in love with you… At least give us a chance, please!" Snape sighed and pulled the girl close to him. He couldn't actually bring himself to let her go. The thought of her walking away from him right after she had confessed so that she could go off and find a better man was just too much.
He kissed her again and she threw her arms around his neck.
"Thank you so much!" She said happily. He smiled at her and then pushed her towards the door, which she happily approached. She grabbed her bag and as she was walking through the door she looked back.
"And to answer a thought of yours, Yes, it's your cologne."
Snape chuckled as she walked through the door and shook his head.
'Look what we get for reading minds'