Geni: YAY! New Chapter. Well School started for me this week so the updates my be a bit out of wack. Though I was able to get this chapter done just before I was handed all my assignments for the semester. I will continue this though :D. I mean we're just about to get to a really funny amusing chapter which I don't know what to title. This chapter though is mostly girl talk with Nothlit and her giving me a piece of her mind about the situation. I must admit I think this chapter came out a bit grimmer then what I expected since I really wanted this to be a light hearted conversation between two friends. We do get Snape though. I mean why the hell would I make this whole chapter about Nothlit and myself when the story is about Snape and my dream self XD. Please read and Review. Though I'm quite happy people are adding me to their story alerts and favorites. I'm quite flattered :D

On a side note I realized I've been watching way too many Rickman movies as of late. This whole month I was off from school I watched all the Potter movies up to date, Rasputin, Love Actually, John Gissing, Dogma, Sense and Sensibility, Galaxy Quest, Blow Dry, Nobel Son, Bottle Shock, January Man, Perfume, Sweeney Todd, and Hitchhiker's Guide. Ever realized that usually when there's one actor you like you would eventually watch anything on TV? XD

Criminal

Nothlit and I were spending our usual Sunday together at the school. We were upstairs sitting near a window over looking the landscape surrounding Hogwarts. We were enjoying the moment when I asked "Do you mind if I tell you something?"

Nothlit answered "You of all people should know I have no problems to when you're going to open your mouth and address me in a serious matter."

I responded "Well Nothlit I think I'm flirting with disaster right now."

She was puzzled now and I knew by her face she was going to ask "With whom, Snape?"

I nodded in accord and then said "Detention a couple of days ago…My punishment was to drink veratiserum and undergo a game of 21 questions."

Nothlit giggled and figuratively suggested "Got to admit he sure does know the kind of punishment to put you under. I'm guessing something came out that should have been."

My eyes wander around the room to make sure no one was around and I replied "Let's just say a confession I was waiting to reserve for another time came out wide in the open."

Nothlit's eyes shined brightly and I saw mischief in them as she stated "For once I'm actually quite pleased with Snape's actions on this one."

My head whipped back to stare at Nothlit and I exclaimed "ARE YOU NUTS!"

I lowered my tone then as I heard my echo and continued "I felt completely forced."

Nothlit then claimed "You needed a little push. You weren't going to tell him at all about this. I know you too well. Yes, you would say I eventually will tell him but what were the chances you were going to put yourself out there. You, my dear, wouldn't have said a word to him because as much as you hate to admit it, were shielding yourself from heart break."

I responded "I wouldn't do such a thing. You of all people know that I have always expressed how I truly felt in situations."

Nothlit then added "With people of your own level, Deni. The fact is Snape isn't on your level. You feel as if he is way above you and he could crush you with every being of your heart. Though I honestly believe he's way beneath you."

I told Nothlit then "I just feel like a criminal when it comes to my feelings towards him. He's a much older man, who has his own woes to worry about and not some silly girl's."

Nothlit gave voice to her opinion on the matter stating "If anything he should be feeling like the criminal in this case. He showed his emotions to a girl who is practically half his age."

I then divulged "That's the point though. He didn't show any emotion. When we kissed it was I who…."

Nothlit's eyes flew wide open and she made known her surprise with a "WHAT!"

I covered her mouth and looked around and saw no one in sight before I continued on. "I was the one putting my all into it."

Nothlit shook her head and asked "I know I'm going to regret asking this but how did it lead up to that particular situation."

I spoke with a bit of a humorous tone "I've been a bad, bad girl."

Nothlit then voiced "Always like you to take something serious and make it funny."

I then related "Well Snape asked me if I wanted to kiss him when I was under the veratiserum. I answered honestly and 3 questions later after the whole thing was done he kissed me. It wasn't anything serious because I was caught off guard. The second time though the timing was just as surprising, we, well I, got a little heated."

Nothlit's response was "By heated, on a scale from 1-10 you were…?"

I answered "an 8 reaching to 9 going for a 10."

Nothlit laughed and said "Well by the sound of it. You seemed to have made some much needed progress with his help. Anything else I should know about?"

She said her last bit of words with humor and was wiggling her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes and responded "Afterwards we shared a few snarky comments towards each other and we were back to normal when he led me out the door."

Nothlit asked "Then why was it a disaster?"

I expressed myself "It's just I feel like I'm toying with him. I seem like I'm being careless with my emotions towards him. I feel like I'm playing with something delicate or even playing with fire."

Nothlit snorted then and said "Delicate, I never thought that word would be used to describe Snape in all my life."

I retorted kicking my feet and looking up at the ceiling "He is though. He may seem like an ass to you but he is really genuine underneath the cloak he has. He has a logical reason for why he acts the way he does."

Nothlit asked "Do you know why?"

I replied "I don't know why precisely, but I do know it is a personal issue."

Nothlit asked another question "Are you going to push it a little further?"

I answered "No, I promised not to. I told him I won't act on my feelings unless he gives me permission to act on them. Though I did tell him I won't be waiting forever for him to give me said permission because once my patience runs dry I will act again."

Nothlit smiled then and said "I'll say it before and I'll say it again, Deni, you are too much. Giving yourself into him like that, submitting to him at his beck and call."

I got up to leave. Before leaving though I said "You think I'm a fool for giving into him just like that, but I also know you think I did the right thing."

I decided to walk around the corridors after leaving Nothlit there smiling like a lopsided manic. Truth be told I don't know why I was walking the corridors. I guess I just really wanted to run into him and just stare at him.

I was turning right near the dungeons when I saw him walking from the common room. I closed my eyes and let out a breath. He was walking towards his office when he saw me. He said "Miss Correa."

I replied "Yes Professor."

He claimed then he needed a word with me and motioned me to follow him.

I was walking at his side when he said "I believe I owe you another apology. I shouldn't have submitted you to that punishment last detention."

I put my hand up and replied "No harm done. You were right. I needed to get out of my chest. Now that it's out there, wide in the open, I'm relieved."

Snape looked intrigued then and said informally "You seem better."

I let out a small chuckle and replied "It's because I came to terms with my feelings. In a way I found closure with what happened."

Snape nodded and gave me an observing look. I looked over my shoulder and blew a kiss, asking in a joking matter "See anything you like?"

He raised an eyebrow and replied with another question "Feeling a little bold now aren't we as of late?"

I replied "Maybe the veratiserum was spiked with a bit of Gryffindor courage."

He stated then "Comments like that got you in the detention mess in the first place."

I turned around completely, leaned myself against a wall, shrugged my shoulders and said "I guess I was just doomed to be a troublemaker. I was marked a Slytherin with authoritative issues, I have a smart mouth, I have the tendency to add gasoline to a fire, and maybe…just maybe…I don't know where to draw the line."

He smirked towering over me and said "I must admit, Denise. You do have yourself down to a T."

I was relaxed at that moment. In a sense it really did feel like I grew close to him. He didn't tell me to deny my feelings towards him. I felt cleansed of all issues with him. I do have a lot to lose though with this new mutuality between us. I could get seriously hurt. I was going in blind with no idea where this could lead. He laid down the law and so did I. Now I had to know how to read him correctly to call him at the right time.

I didn't realize we were at the door to his office until he reached for the knob. He asked "So next week then?"

I looked at him confused "Next week what, Professor?"

He replied with Sarcasm "You're arts and crafts project with my hair, Miss Correa."

I laughed and said "I'm only going to trim it a bit and just flat iron it. I'm not going to make you look like a 5 year olds coloring book."

Snape let out a breath and said "Well then next week is fine with you?"

I answered "Fine then, is there anything else you'd want?"

Snape looked down at me again. His face was serious but his eyes held some mischief in them. His voice then changed with his response "I'll let you know next week."

My heart sank to the bottomless pit known as my stomach. I was undeniably under this man's spell and it was damn near criminal that he had this much power over me. Then again, I was always able to convince him to take me this far by action alone. I then thought about the detentions and came to a hypothesis on why he spread 3 weeks of detention into 4 months. It wasn't because he was trying to annoy me. He was trying to know me and win me over in his favor. I smiled sincerely at him and replied "If anything happens to pop up during the week. Please let me know, Professor."

He opened the door and his last words were "Till then Miss Correa."

When he closed the door, I said in a low whisper "Till then Severus."