Chapter thirteen: flying seahorses

Renee lay awake on her bed, still imagining Snape's half-smile at her. It's not very long that she was now accustomed with his presence.

Rather, I find it very comforting when he was around; like I was secured and protected, she smiled to herself.

She frowned at my thought again. Of course all professors make their students well protected, that was their job after all.

She lay on her stomach and snatched the potions book. She read a few pages until Renee fall into a slumber.

I was on the potions lab. I could feel the warmth from my back; I looked behind me and saw the potions master staring at me. I blushed so hard that I looked back on the potion I'm brewing. I looked next to the cauldron and could see my potion book wide open. A recipe of dreamless potion laid there.

"Now drop the flying seahorses then stir it ten times clockwise" his voice tickles my skin. I nodded, trying my best to hide my red face.

I grab the two flying seahorses that I've already sliced in half earlier and put it on the cauldron. The liquid turned red because of the blood. I stirred it clockwise.

One…two…three…

"Careful it may…"

Four…it began to bubble vigorously…and exploded. I shield myself with my arms in reflex. Then I saw black robes surrounds me and we were on the ground on an instant. He was on top of me, with his arms protecting my head and my hands on his chest.

My eyes locked with his. He was staring at me like he was searching something.. He looked so vulnerable, an expression of his that was foreign to me.

We seem to be in that position forever. I could still hear the bubbling sound of the cauldron, but we didn't move an inch...

"Are you alright?" he asked, still not getting up.

I just nodded and didn't speak. I was drowned with his eyes…

Renee opened her eyes and revealed she was still on the bed with the book on her face.

I must have been fall asleep while reading.

Her dream felt so real, again. I could feel the warmth on my back; his arms protecting my head…his eyes lingered to mine…my hands rested on his chest…it just felt so right.

Renee blushed again with her thoughts and sat on the edge of her bed and picked the book. She stared at the page she last read.

It was about the flying seahorses.

She tried to forget the dream and focused on class, but still failed. The image of Snape protecting her, or rather on a compromising position was not getting out of her head for the whole day.

Renee signed loudly as she lay down at her favorite tree.

I could even smell him in my dreams, and heck he was really intoxicating.

Fancying a teacher is not really healthy.

She bolted up as she thought the word fancy. Did I just think I fancy him? He is so called the bat of the dungeons and greasy git for Merlin's sake!

Renee groaned and cursed loudly that students passing by looked at her.

I need to get this sorted.

Renee nervously knocked on the door. In the end, she didn't even sort her feelings out through out the day.

Instead, I secretly staring the potions master over lunch and dinner.

I made it worse.

"Enter" on that signal, Renee entered the room. Snape was sitting on his table again, scribbling something on his parchment. He made a little smirk as she put her bag on at the usual lab table.

"So…" Renee sat at the stool and stared at him, trying her best to hide the secret confusion on her head.

"Do you have your potion's book?"

She snatched it from her bag and showed it to him.

"Good. Turn to page 310. We're brewing" he stood up and got random jars from the cupboard.

Renee turned the book and was stunned from what she had seen.

It was dreamless potion, just like in my dream.

"We're brewing dreamless potion?" Renee said in disbelief.

"Madam Poppy was asking for a batch of dreamless potions" Snape said, placing the jars in front of the student.

Renee just stared at him like she was petrified.

"Don't just stare at me, go and get a cauldron" Snape hissed, thinking what had gone to her head today. Renee came back to reality and scrambled her way to the cauldron section.

She got one from the cabinet and placed it on the table, still confused what is occurring right now. We are going to brew the same potion I just dreamt last night!

"Now we must brew this very cautiously…"his voice seems to be very thick, making the poor confuse girl snapped to reality again.

The two started to chop the ingredients; she listened to his instructions very well, not skipping anything.

Snape was stirring while she put the rest of the Boom Berry on the cauldron. Renee looked at him while he was concentrating on stirring. He has that peaceful face again, why can't he have that all the time?

He glanced at the staring student and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want to try?" he pointed the stirring rod.

Renee nodded happily, completely forgetting her worries about the dream. She continued to stir until the substance became brownish. Snape was behind her, observing the development of the potion.

"Now…drop the flying seahorses" he was behind her, peeking on the cauldron. His voice made the girl shiver. Renee could feel the warmth from her back; she dared not to look back, she was blushing so hard. She looked next to the cauldron and could see the potion book wide open. A recipe of dreamless potion laid there.

Renee became tensed as she glanced at the flying sea horses she sliced a while ago.

Please tell me that was just a bloody dream.

Renee picked up those and carefully placed it on the cauldron. The liquid became reddish, because of the blood.

"Stir it ten times clockwise" Renee nodded and started to stir.

One…two…three…I counted on my head as I stir.

"Careful, it may…" he warned.

Four…it began to bubble vigorously…and exploded. Renee covered her face with her arms in reflex.

Then Renee was in the ground with the potion master on top of her. He was protecting her head with his arms and her hands landed with his chest.

Her bright green eyes locked with his black orbs. He was staring at her like he was searching something… He looked vulnerable like it supposes to be like in my dream, an expression of his that was foreign to her.

The two seemed to be in that position forever, though it was merely just seconds. Renee could still hear the bubbling sound of the cauldron, but the two didn't move an inch.

"Are you alright?" his eyes locked with hers. She nodded, couldn't speak in astonishment.

He was worried, like in my dream.

Snape stood up and reached her hands with his to help the girl stand.

The two became silent and just looked at the bubbling cauldron.

"That potion usually has a small explosion" He said as a matter of fact, seemed to be recovered by the awkward position and long silence.

Renee raised my eyebrow with him.

"Blowing the one who brews are normal?" she mocked in horror.

"Yes, I think you forgot to read the caution written on the book" Renee grabbed the book and saw the caution on the lower part of the page. He was right.

"And I thought it was only Neville who could blow his cauldron normally" she shook her head in disbelief. Renee looked at him and Snape was looking at her warily.

"Oh I'm sorry professor. I just find it amusing. I never thought brewing dreamless potion would be so…dangerous" her shoulders started to shake, trying to hide her laugh.

Snape picked up the stirring rod and began to stir. Renee could see a small chuckle on his face and his shoulders began to shake slightly, as if trying to hide his laugh too.

"Professor?" she tried to peek on his face. But he blocks her sight with his hands.

"*cough* return in…chopping *cough* Miss Matte" he tried to hide his laugh with a cough, trying to recompose himself.

"Imagine if you make that on our class…Neville will sure have full marks" Renee tried to joke again, and this time he finally chuckled a little.

After a while he looked at her, completely recovered and raised his eyebrow.

"That's the reason I never make this to the class" he smirked, at least tried to. But she could still see he was trying not to laugh. Renee laughed heartedly.

The two finished the potion in no time. Snape transferred the potion on the five vials and wrote a label each, while Renee cleaned up the table.

"You can have it" Snape handed her a spared bottle of dreamless potion. His fingers touched with her that made her flinched by the touch inside.

Renee traced his handwriting on her fingers, he has good handwriting. She looked at him and smiled.

"Thank you professor"

He just nodded and looked again on her eyes. His eyes lingered to hers, but with a hint of sadness. The two felt silent again.

He was the one who broke the eye contact and went to his table.

"Do you want any help with that professor?" Renee pointed the piled parchments.

"I'm almost finished with it, you can go back now" Snape simply said, not even looking back.

"Okay professor" she picked her bag and placed the vial on it. He just stood in front of his table, not moving an inch.

"Professor?" he looked back at his student.

"Next time we brew, warn me if it explodes" Renee smiled and he smirked.

"Of course…next time" she closed the door and exited, leaving the potion master gazing at the door.

Today's happenings were an eye opener, she thought. Her smile slowly replaced by a frown and a theory came across her mind that she walked fast to the common room.

I need to confirm my theory and this coming weekend will be a perfect timing to verify it.