Within Tempation - All I Need
I'm dying to catch my breath
Oh why don't I ever learn?
I've lost all my trust,
though I've surely tried to turn it around
Can you still see the heart of me?
All my agony fades away
when you hold me in your embrace
Don't tear me down for all I need
Make my heart a better place
Give me something I can believe
Don't tear me down
You've opened the door now, don't let it close
I'm here on the edge again
I wish I could let it go
I know that I'm only one step away
from turning it around
Can you still see the heart of me?
All my agony fades away
when you hold me in your embrace
Don't tear me down for all I need
Make my heart a better place
Give me something I can believe
Don't tear it down, what's left of me
Make my heart a better place
I tried many times but nothing was real
Make it fade away, don't break me down
I want to believe that this is for real
Save me from my fear
Don't tear me down
Don't tear me down for all I need
Make my heart a better place
Don't tear me down for all I need
Make my heart a better place
Give me something I can believe
Don't tear it down, what's left of me
Make my heart a better place
Make my heart a better place
The next day when they awoke, Severus's legs were both asleep, and Sapphire had a stiff neck. In the harsh light of the morning, Severus didn't feel nearly as comfortable as he did the night before. Sapphire, however, stood up, massaging her neck, and broke into a brilliant smile.
"Merry Christmas, Professor." She said.
Seeing her smile made Severus relax a bit, but not by much.
"Last night was, well…" He started to say. What was last night?
"We didn't do anything." Sapphire pointed out, sensing his unease.
"Yes, but still, it was inappropriate. I'm your teacher, for god's sake-"
"Stop making excuses," Sapphire said, very quietly. "You're running away because you know what you felt last night was real."
Severus didn't know what to say.
"I like you," she continued. "You know that. You're my teacher, yes, but I'm not asking you for anything. Nothing has to happen between us, we can wait until I leave school, if that's what's really bothering you. But I don't think it is."
"I'm too old for you," Severus whispered, grasping at straws.
"You're only six years older than I am, that's not very much."
"You are a child, if you think this can happen." He spat, steeling himself. "I will not make you happy. I have no idea what possessed you to think otherwise, but I am not a man you should have feelings for."
"Stop it! You care about others, even if you try to hide it. You are brilliant, and considerate, and I know you are capable of love! I know someone's hurt you before; I see it in your eyes. But that doesn't mean you don't deserve to be loved!" Sapphire walked over to him, grabbing him by the front of his robes. She pulled him closer, "You are a good man, Severus. You deserve to be loved. I see that, why can't you?" Tears were streaming down her face. She closed her eyes.
Severus tried to step away, but she held on.
"This is not a schoolgirl crush. I care about you. I care. I will always care about you."
And with that, Severus closed the distance between them, burying his face in her shoulders. She stood there, with the tall man in her arms holding on to her as if he would fall apart without her. He smelled like peppermint.
They spent the entire day together, just talking to each other. They sat on the floor, eating food that Severus conjured from nowhere. They talked about everything, from classes, to books, music, even Quidditch. It seemed they could talk forever about anything, when Sapphire blurted out,
"I'm adopted."
She held Severus's hand in hers, and continued.
"And Muggle-born. My birth parents abandoned me when I was a baby. They thought I was a monster, because I was a Metamorphmagus."
Severus gasped. "I didn't know."
"I don't like to use it." She shrugged. "It does come in handy sometimes. But when I was a baby, I couldn't control it. My dad told me, when I cried, by hair used to turn blue." She chuckled. "So they took me into the forest, but my mum and dad heard them talking about how they had to get rid of the devil. They followed, and when we were alone, they brought me home."
She gazed into the distance.
"They told me this the night I got my Hogwarts letter. You-Know-Who was growing stronger, and they thought I should know, so that I would be careful. I think it was better that way, that I knew the truth. I've had to hide that from everyone, even my own sisters, but I know it was for my own safety." She took a deep breath, and continued. "They told me to be safe, and that they loved me. I never got into any real trouble, but I know they sacrificed a lot for me. If they'd been caught… But it's been two years since You-Know-Who fell, and I'm tired of lying to everyone."
She looked back at Severus. "But I'm scared that they'll treat me differently."
"They'll love you just the same," Severus assured her. "Gryffindors aren't known for favoring pure-bloods, at any rate."
"Do you think it makes a difference, being Muggle-born?" Sapphire whispered.
Severus hesitated, and he gave the same reply as he gave when he was asked that question so many years ago.
"No, it doesn't make any difference."
Sapphire smiled at him.
Severus looked deep into her eyes, and began to tell his story.
