Chapter 2 ~ You Can't Fight It

Moira put her hand over her mouth, closing her eyes tightly. No one was supposed to know her secret. No one was ever supposed to know that she was in love with her 35-year-old professor!

Umbridge was frowning like a spoilt child who didn't get what she wanted for Christmas.

"I can't do anything. I can't even give you a detention!" She sighed miserably. "You're of the age of consent."

Snape was staring at Moira, his face blank of emotion, but behind his eyes, it looked like a battle was raging.

Umbridge stood.

"You may leave, now, Miss Atwater." She said haughtily. "The effects of the Veritaserum will wear off eventually. And, stay away from Professor Snape. I don't want you tempting him; he's one of my finest teachers."

Snape snorted. "No worries, Dolores. I would never be tempted to do anything by the likes of her." he drawled.

Moira gasped, just before her blue-and-brown speckled eyes filled with tears. As the salty droplets poured down her face, and with the harsh sound of her true loves harsh laughter ringing in her ears, she turned and ran. And she didn't stop running until she was safe and sound inside her dormitory. The safe feeling that she usually got when surrounded by the calming mixture of blue and gray was gone. She felt exposed, embarrassed...how could Severus have laughed at her like he did? How could he have said those horrible things to her?

She bit her lip as she realized that she had his class first thing the next morning. How was she going to face him? She couldn't help the way she felt. There was just something about him that drew her in, that kept her enticed. She could tell that he was broken, that deep beneath all of that anger and all of that ice, he was a lonely man with a broken heart. And, oh, she desperately wanted to be the girl to fix it.

She lay down on her bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. She silently let the tears flow, and slowly, she fell asleep.

Severus sat in his chambers, in a black leather armchair. His head was resting in one of his hands. He was so lost in thought, his eyes were glazed over. What was that girl thinking? Having feelings for him? He normally would have brushed it off as a prank, had it not been for the Veritaserum. He didn't have time for this in his life. He'd found out, long ago, that he had no luck with love. No…no luck at all. Not to mention, the girl was 16…the legal age of consent, yes, but he was 35…more than twice her age!

Obviously, on the outside, he looked the type to not care if he broke someone's heart. And he wasn't…honestly…He wouldn't let this destroy his career…he would let this little girl ruin his plans…he would have to break her heart.

The hall to Professor Snape's dungeon classroom had never seemed so dark and foreboding. Moira wanted nothing more than to turn and run. But there was that tiny voice inside her head, whispering to her, saying, "You know you want to see him…you want him to see you, too…" and no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the tiny voice always won. Because to see him was what her heart wanted.

The voice was with her until the second she opened the door to the classroom. The torch-lit room was empty, albeit a statue of a man sitting solemnly behind a neat and tidy mahogany desk. The man looked up, catching Moira in an emotionless stare. He turned back to his papers as he spoke.

"You're early, Miss Atwater."

Moira but her lip, quietly taking her usual seat, in the front, left-hand row.

"I'm always early, Professor. I like to be ready and organized before we start class…I struggle in this subject."

Snape snorted.

"You need to be fifteen minutes early? I doubt it, Miss Atwater. Maybe if you paid less attention to me, and more to my subject, you wouldn't be struggling." He drawled, his voice laced with rudeness.

Moira gasped, but stared at him none-the-less.

"Now that you know, it's no use in keeping it a secret." She said steadily. She had cried herself to sleep last night, so she couldn't see herself doing that anymore. She had no tears left, at this point in time at least. She wasn't going to get angry with him, for the simple fact that she just couldn't. So, there was nothing else to do in her opinion, but to be completely honest. "There's nothing anyone can do to me. There are no repercussions. You can deny my feelings all you want…they'll still be there. They're not just going to disappear!"

Snape snorted once again, this time crossing his arms over his chest.

"Stop trying to act like an adult, Atwater. You've got a lot of growing up to do…trust me! Now, get out of here, and don't come in until the bell sounds." He turned away and went back to his desk. His back was too her as she stood up, but she didn't grab her stuff, and she didn't head for the door. Instead, she walked up to him and turned him around by his shoulder.

"Atwater-" he began, but before he could finish his sentence, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, embracing him in a hug. He was at lease a foot taller than her, so she was poised on her tiptoes, leaning against him.

For Severus, time stood still. He felt something stir within his chest that seemed to originate in hers. He felt her heart beating, a gentle thumping that his heart attempted to match, causing his thoughts themselves to slow down. Her head was lying against him, and he could tell how relaxed she was. Never had anyone been so calm in his presence. Never had he felt love of one person flow into him, not since…not since Lily…and she had never been his. But he could feel that this girl pressed against him wanted nothing more than to be loved by him. Severus wrapped his arms around her slowly, reluctant to move, because he felt that if he did, this sweet illusion might disappear.

For Moira, it was a sigh of relief. It was a breath of fresh air, to be so close to the man she loved so deeply. Her ear was next to his heart, and as she heard the soft rhythm, she felt herself relax and become so calm, her breath deepened. She had been yearning for this feeling for so long…Moira looked up at him.

There was a moment of silence. There was a quiet question that both shared, both were asking themselves a trivia that might change their destinies forever.

Do I dare kiss him?

Do I dare kiss her?