I am so sorry that it took me so long to get this up. I got sick and I have also been working on my own novel! It's going really well so wish me luck. Please enjoy.

Loriel

XOXOX

"What in Merlins name happened?" I groaned sitting up slowly. I was lying in my bed in my quarters wrapped up warmly in green blankets.

"How'd I get here?" I peeked under the blankets to see I was in a clean white nightgown. How in the world, someone must have changed my clothes. My belly growled, trying desperately to imitate a dying whale.

"Hmm I'm hungry." Instantly a brief crack sounded to my left and a little man appeared on my bed.

"you called miss's?"

"SEVERUS! SEVERUS! SEVERUS!" I screamed at the top of my lungs the little creature screamed along with me jumping of the bed and cowering in the corner. The door slammed open and a worried Severus stood there with his wand pointed into the room dangerously.

"Whats wrong?" His usual tone gone, replace by a strong voice full of worry.

I jumped up and ran behind him,

"There's a little man! Big nose, he just APEARED!" I grabbed his robes and buried my face into them his distinct smell filling my lungs.

Where have I smelled this before? Other than on him of course.

"Where Scarlett?" His voice back to its usual monotone drawl.

"Over there, in the corner!" My voice strained as I peeked out from behind him and pointed to the small figure that had appeared on my bed out of nowhere.

He turned to me his eyes conveying laughter although his face held nothing.

"That Miss Keating is a house elf." He pulled me out in front of him and motioned for me move towards the 'house elf'.

"Uh hello? I'm sorry for screaming." I tried and it turned around giving me a better look at it. He had big blue eyes and large bat like ears. A dirty pillow case covered it's spindly body and it looked up at me with fear in its eyes.

"No miss its Bobbins fault. Bobbin shouldn't have popped in without asking."

"No it doesn't matter."

"Would miss's like something to eat?" He smiled up at me.

"Um, yes I wouldn't mind a bowl of soup my throats a bit sour though so could it please be chicken soup? Thank you Bobbin, I'm sorry for scaring you."

"It's ok Miss's Bobbin is sorry as well!" And with that he popped out of the room.

"Sorry for calling you?" I rubbed the back of my head turning to Severus. He crossed his arm smirking subtly at me.

"Now quick question, who brought me here?"

"I did, I carried you in here after you knocked yourself out in my potions room."

"You brought me here? That means!" I slapped him across the face a hard crack echoing through my chambers.

"What was that for?" He rubbed his jaw as though repositioning it.

"You saw me in my underwear!" I slapped him again, attempting a third smack but he caught my hand mid-air.

"Stop Scarlet, calm down. I didn't see you in your underwear!" He spat grabbing my other hand as I tried to pull free "I took you to Madam Pomfrey first." He flicked my hands away.

"I'm sorry. It's just well doesn't matter." I mumbled before jumping back into bed and pulling the covers over my head I hoped desperately that Severus would leave. I heard the door close and a pop sound.

"Misses soup is ready!" Bobbins soft voice pipped up from the sudden weight on the end of my bed. Pulling the covers down I thanked him before grabbing the big bowl of steaming soup and grabbing the spoon I began to tuck in.

"This I really good!" I mumbled to myself going to take another mouthful of the chicken soup.

"It should the house elves made it." I began to choke spilling the soup all over myself and the bed.

"HOT HOT HOT! SEVERUS SNAPE! I SWEAR I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" I screamed and threw the now empty bowl at him. I ripped the steaming sheets off me and ran to my cupboard to get a new pair of clothes swearing as the hot soup began to burn my skin.

Unable to find anything I ran into the bathroom to fetch a robe, after ripping of the nightgown I reeled back in horror to discover that there was in fact no robe. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself.

"I swear I am truly going to murder that man one of these days. Scaring me like that."

I Looked down to see my skin all red in patches where the soup had spilled on me.

"Dang it. Well hope Madame Pomfrey is still available." I turned to walk out of the bathroom to find something else now that I had time and was not in imminent danger of being killed by hot soup, only to smash into a great big hulking black wall.

"If it's burn cream your after than I have some and you have no need to see Madame Pomfrey." The monotone drawl of my dear 'buddy' Severus. I screamed again and ran to hide behind a chair.

"Don't do that! Stop scaring me you great git!" I rubbed my hands all over my face trying to stop the tears from coming, I wasn't exactly mentally capable of being scared like this twice in a row. I ran up to him and slammed my hands into his chest to try and relieve some of the pressure that was building inside me. He barley even flinched.

"Please just leave me alone." I mumbled chewing the inside of my mouth with great vigour. I soon tasted blood and bunched my fists to try and find an outlet for the sudden emotion that was rushing through my body.

That's when I felt it, like something cold sliding into my mind. Like when you pour honey out of a jar and it slips into the cracks of the bread lazily, it was weird. I looked up at Severus not bothering to wipe the pained tears that were coming rolling slowly down my cheeks. Our eyes connected and I found myself lost in the onyx depths once more.

Why? Why him? Why not someone else. Why does he hate me and find ways to torment me every single second? I never did anything to him, well anything truly bad anyways.

Something registered in his dark eyes and he frowned. A random memory popped into my head, it was from before I was at Hogwarts whilst I was at work. One of the handsome young men there was faking giving me flowers and all and I had fallen for it. I remembered how I had officially sworn off men.

"I'll send the house elf up with the burn cream. It would do well for you to rest Ms Keating. We are sharing a potions class tomorrow so I need to teach you a few things tonight. Be at my office by six o'clock." With that he disappeared out the door leaving me standing in my towel.

"Stupid man." I mumbled before going to find some proper clothes.

Sorry for the abrupt end but it is starting to get serious. Please review and I'd really like to know if you want the romance to start relatively soon. Please review.

Loriel

XOXOX