"Ms. Morgan, am I boring you," Severus questioned the figure leaning on his shoulder. She opened her eyes and raised her head to look at him. "I am not going to keep reading this if you are just going to fall asleep."
"Your voice is just really relaxing," The young red head assured him. "Trust me, only you can make potions sound interesting."
"Well you really need to pay attention if you are going to pass my exam on Tuesday." Severus shifted uncomfortably. He hated to refer to the fact he was her professor. It made their spending alone time together seem wrong. He knew they often crossed the boundaries of normal student/teacher behavior. She could read what he was thinking in his face.
"I know. That is why I am here. And I am listening, please continue," she urged.
"Maybe you should have someone else help you," he sighed, placing a marker into the potions book. "Harriet is top in your class. You should ask her."
"But you are the best," she replied coyly, giving him that playful smile he loved so much. It was what had caught his attention the first time he laid eyes on her. She pushed her tongue against the back of her front teeth in such a way that made her look not only adorable, but sexy as well. But he was still her teacher, and he was trying his best not to cross any lines.
"But I am also your professor," he reminded her for the hundredth time. He was reminding himself as well. They often spent time alone together, sometimes schoolwork related, sometimes not. There were often physical touches that seemed to communicate years of friendship, yet they had not known each other that long. Their relationship was not sexual, but it was intimate. Far more intimate than his position as an authority figure should allow.
"Which is why you should be teaching me," she giggled, opening the book once more. "Tell me again about the lasting-flies."
"Its lace-wing-flies," he corrected her amused. "A very important ingredient."
"I know. I was just making sure you were paying attention," she said haughtily.
The corners of his mouth turned up and he continued reading. Once again she laid her head on his shoulder. After a half an hour went by, he could hear her breathing deep and even. He put the book aside, summoned the sofa pillow, and let her fall on top of it into his lap.
He sat there for another twenty minutes, just enjoying her presence. When her hair fell into her face he gently pulled it back, and let his hand rest on the crown of her head. Her physical appearance reminded him so much of Lily, and yet she was not like Lily at all. She was intelligent in her own way. Very practical, but had her passionate moments. She amused him, and frustrated him, and had attracted him in such a way that for a moment he could see happiness within his reach. He just needed to wait to grasp it.
His heart was pounding at the idea of another professor walking in. It was true that his office was off-limits without his permission, but when one felt guilty, all sorts of paranoia begins to form. He could not wait for the four months to pass before her graduation. With no sign of Voldemort, it seemed as though he actually had a chance to move on and live his life. And with any luck he would manage to keep her in it.
"Did I fall asleep?" she asked groggily, wiping away a little bit of drool, and sitting up.
"I told you I was boring you," he jested. "What kind of Ravenclaw are you?"
"The worst, I assure you," she said cheekily, her eyes flashing just a little.
"You should have been in Slytherin," Severus told her with a smirk.
"I would have made a terrible Slytherin. I'm not very good at manipulation," she replied, smoothing her skirt.
"I beg to differ. How long have you "secretly" been having Elliot Diller doing your transfiguration homework for you?" His eyebrow rose slightly.
"Oh, well, you know, transfiguration is so tedious," she tried to avoid the subject. "But still, I don't look arrogant enough to be in Slytherin either."
"Well you got me there," Severus snorted.
"Wizards' chess?" she asked, pointing to the chessboard.
"Potions exam," he countered, pointing down at her book.
"I don't see why we have to actually brew the potion. Can't we just take a test on what the directions are? I'm sure I could pass that," she pouted.
"Its true, I was hoping to avoid another cauldron melting in my classroom," Severus teased. "Of course, the fact that you keep melting cauldrons shows you are not very good at following directions."
She playfully, but very carefully, nudged his shoulder. He rolled his eyes and picked the book back up. However, after five minutes they were seated in front of the chessboard, Severus making his first move.
"You always get your way," he told her, only half serious. "Its hardly fair."
"Not always," she mumbled, but he still heard her.
"Such as?" he inquired, a bit of eagerness in his voice.
She thought a moment, and then decided against what she had wanted to say. It was best not to encourage him. It would only hurt him more in the end.
"You never let me win," she said sticking out her tongue.
*****
Eliza woke with a start. The dream was very vivid, and she guessed it was because it was more of a memory than a dream. She remembered the night exactly, down to what moves they made at the chessboard. Only the dream enhanced the physical feelings that sometimes fade in a memory. She could feel his skin touching hers, his breath as she lay on his shoulder, his heart pounding when she looked at him a certain way. It was too much. She needed to get out and get some air.
Very carefully she made her way out of the common room. She listened at the door, and could hear someone breathing down the hall. She recognized the footsteps, and dashed down the opposite end of the hallway. Deciding that the window was faster than the door, she jumped the three stories and landed softly on the grass.
Elizabeth let herself fall against the stone wall and take in the night sounds. She could hear hoof beats in the forbidden forest, little feet scampering around, and all sorts of sounds that she did not recognize. She inhaled deeply and tasted the air. It was crisp, and smelled somewhat of pine. The snow would fall soon, any day now. Eliza loved winter.
In winter the days are shorter and the nights are longer. She hated the fact that her father was cooped up all day long. But he had no choice. Once he was changed, his body had a completely new composition. That composition did not give him any protection from ultraviolet rays. People had a misconception about his kind and sunlight. Yes, it burned them, but not like what they pictured. It was not a sudden explosion of flame. It was more like five seconds of sun exposure compared to five hours for a human. So being out in the sun for more than a few minutes at a time would kill the skin cells.
Eliza had been lucky to inherit her mother's skin. It could have gone either way. A fifty-fifty chance that she would have been a prisoner indoors for half of her existence. That could be a long time for someone who's life expectancy was averaged at nine-hundred years; maybe even a thousand or more. She could not live forever, not like her father, but he had passed her genes that would slow the death of her body. He had passed her many genes that were useful.
A heightening of her senses, to put it mildly, was just the beginning. She could also run ten times faster than any man, and was ten times stronger. Her skin was as thick as a dragon's. It made it nearly impossible to be affected by spells meant to physically damage. Everything but her hair, it seemed. She had her mother's hair and eyes. Those, with her skin, were really the only things she inherited from her mother. Except her mortality, of course.
Her mind was another matter. Her mind could be affected as any other. If anyone caught her off guard, they could gain access to her mind. That was something she needed to protect at all costs. Not only for herself, but if anyone found out what she was capable of, and put her under the imperious cure, all hell could break loose.
She could her footsteps above her. Severus was nearing the window now. Oh why does that man have to be an insomniac? She mused. I just want some peace and quiet! Not taking any chances, Elizabeth ran around to a different wing of the castle. She had only been still a few moments when she heard voices coming from the center of a group of bushes.
Maybe this is the meeting! Eliza thought excitedly. Maybe I can learn something after all. She crept in closer to make sure she didn't miss anything. In the next instant, the voice of Draco Malfoy rang into her ears.
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A/N: What does she discover? Find out next time :)
Thanks again for the reviews guys. They really make my day.
