Cry Wolf

Chapter XXI: 'Anywhere Except My Office is Off Limits.'

Along the far side of the lake, the trees blew gently in a mild breeze, but even though the wind showed no harsh hatred toward the world, it was mid December, and still freezing cold. Ginny soon found her self shivering and envious of Snape, who was safely enclosed in his thick coat of wolf's fur.

Snape however, seemed not to notice as he kept ahead of her most of the time, always waiting for her to catch up and then slowly stalking off again, but he never watched her when she approached. He only waited for the feel of her hand in his fur and then took off again. Ginny was surprised that he even let her touch him in the first place. In fact she wasn't sure what to believe at all, any moment she expected to wake up and find that this was all some sort of dream.

Silently they continued their stroll, the walls of the many greenhouses coming into view through the blanket of darkness around them. She watched as Snape rounded the corner of the greenhouse closest to them, his tail disappearing behind the bend.

With a violent shiver Ginny decided that she'd had enough of this cold and whistled sharply to get Snape's attention. The black wolf jumped and turned around, pinning his ears back Snape growled with annoyance. Ginny supposed that she shouldn't whistle at him like a common dog, but didn't stress the matter.

"Let's go in the greenhouses, I'm, freezing." She said her teeth chattering. Ginny swore that even as a wolf he could raise a single eyebrow in question, but after a moment he prowled back over to her and went through the door that she held open.

Ginny closed her eyes, welcoming the heat of the greenhouse that was regulated to support the exotic plants that it housed. When she finally opened them Snape was no longer in wolf form but leaning against a table covered in mandrake pots and watching her carefully.

"What is it?" She asked, fearing that he was having a change of heart and letting their age difference and all of that other garbage catch up to him again. He smirked and shook his head. Did he ever smile? It seemed that all she ever saw was that smirk. "What?" She repeated.

"I can't believe I let you lure me down here." He said, as if he was thinking along the same line as her, and this was just all some sort of dream. Ginny purposefully put on a smirk that matched his.

"You're the one that came." She teased in the same tone as him. His smirk broadened.

"Miss. Weasley, I cannot be held responsible for my actions when my vision has been clouded." He said, crossing his arms over his chest and waiting to see what her response would be. Smiling she walked towards him.

"And what would have your vision clouded?" She asked. He didn't reply but watched her, taunting her with his unreadable expression. "Would it be me?" She purred, wondering how she could call forth this boldness now but never when she needed it. Leaning in close to him she brushed her lips against his and was surprised when he responded for the first time, his thin lips moved against hers and his tongue brushing on her lips, wanting to enter. Slowly she parted her own lips and granted his request, their tongues met like dancers would in a delicate ballet, dancing with each other in slow circles.

When Ginny decided that she needed to breath she pulled away. Snape let her go and didn't look disappointed or angry; he seemed to know that she wasn't pulling away because she didn't want it.

"I never would have of thought that you would kiss like that." She said quietly, his hands came up and rested on her hips as she leaned against him and he smirked because he was still being a tease.

"Oh really? And why would that be, Miss Weasley?" He asked, sounding almost like a teacher who was questioning a student that made a foolish assumption, but there was no harshness in his tone.

She smiled at the way he could carry on; if anyone were witnessing this she thought that they would immediately check themselves into a psyche ward, she was certain that this was a side of Severus Snape that nobody but herself had seen in a very long while. It wasn't a weak side, but she thought that it was more of an unspeakable side; she knew he would never act this way with her if they were in public, if their relationship carried itself that far, this side of him was personal. The thought of only seeing him like this when they were alone didn't upset her though; it made her feel special, like she was the only one worthy of seeing this behavior. She had gathered all of this and he hadn't spoken a word to suggest it, but somehow she knew that it was the truth.

"I'm sure you can guess why I thought you'd never kiss like that," she leaned in close and whispered into his ear, "Because you're the most feared potions master of the dungeons, and medieval villains don't kiss so softly." She joked; after all she could be a tease too.

"Is that so?" He asked with fake offense.

"It's so."

"So are you suggesting that I should capture you like a stolen princess, being the medieval knave that I am?" Kind sarcasm showed through in his voice, it was very different from the sarcasm that she had heard from him in the past.

"Would you dare to do so? I am but an innocent princess after all."

"Innocent? I think not! I think you are a manipulator, one that bends men to your will." He said with a deep chuckle. "A manipulator who's vexed my mind." He growled before using the hands on her hips to pull her back towards him. Ginny closed here eyes when his face came level to hers for the second kiss but as soon as she did he suddenly stopped. She could feel him stiffen next to her and her eyes flew open.

He wasn't looking at her but at the doorway across the room that was nearly covered by darkness.

"What is it?" She asked, he didn't answer her. "Seve-" She didn't manage to utter his full name before he placed his hand gently over her mouth to keep her from speaking. Ginny listened hard, trying to clear away the audio fog of rustling trees and the slither of the tentacula tendrils but finally she heard the soft progression of footsteps which seemed to be coming from just beyond the other side of the shadowy doorway.

As soon as Ginny caught the first semblance of the sound Snape moved into action as if his suspicions had been proved. He quickly, but not unkindly, pushed her away from him and then smoothed his robes. In an instant he had crossed his arms over his chest and resumed his demeaning professor persona. Ginny didn't have any idea what to do and stood there, stricken like a deer caught in a strobe light as the handle to the door turned and the lock clicked free. Somewhere from behind the panic she realized that Snape was speaking, although she had no clue as to how long he had been doing so.

"Miss Weasley this is the second time that I have caught you out of bounds this year." He said. His voice was the trademark low, terror inflicting whisper that he was famous for. "Despite what you think you do not have the authority to gallivant around the grounds as you please during the midnight hours. Rules are in place for a reason and if you fail to recognize that reason then the staff cannot be held responsible for any injury or sudden death that may occur if you continue to disobey these rules." Ginny looked up into his eyes and knew that he was clearly making this up on the spot, but noticed that his face showed no inclination that he was doing so. Behind them the door creak open and Snape quickly drew another breath and continued. "Tell me Miss. Weasley, do you really think that the creatures in the forbidden forest understand that they are not allowed to trespass onto the school grounds?" Ginny stared at him blankly. "Well? Answer me girl!"

"Professor Snape?" A voice asked from across the room. Snape turned around rather coolly and saw that it was Professor Sprout that had nearly stumbled upon them moments before.

"Good evening Pomona. I was just attending to one of the castles many miscreants." He said harshly before turning back to Ginny. "You haven't answered me yet, Weasley."

"No sir." Ginny said, trying to sound as guilty as possible.

"Severus what is going on here?" Professor Sprout asked. It was very easy to tell that she was slightly confused. Snape turned to Professor Sprout who had walked over to join them but kept a wary eye on Ginny as if he expected her to run away.

"I spotted Miss. Weasley leaving the castle during my rounds and followed her down here. Clearly she is out to meet some boyfriend after dark." He said, sounding almost malicious. Ginny bit her cheek hard to keep herself from laughing.

"Oh this is most unacceptable indeed, Miss Weasley you should know better than to be out after dark, and to come into the greenhouses of all things! There are plants in here that could have seriously harmed you if you hadn't have kept clear. It's lucky that you caught her in time Severus, she could have been bitten by the tentacula." Professor Sprout rambled off, looking thoroughly shocked.

"Fortunate indeed." Snape sneered, Ginny looked at the ground in mock shame. "It will be detention with me, Weasley, tomorrow night at six p.m." He ordered.

"Yes Sir." Ginny said glumly, keeping her face down to hide her mirth filled eyes.

"Now come, I'm taking you back to the castle." He added as if he were exceptionally cranky.

"Yes Sir." Ginny repeated before hurrying towards the doorway. Professor Sprout was already heading back to her own doorway at the other side of the room but managed to bid Snape a quick goodnight before closing it behind her. Ginny got the impression that although Sprout may not have anything against Snape, he was certainly not her preferred company.

Once they had stepped out into the cold Ginny exploded into a fit of giggles. Snape did not smile but instead looked rather sour.

"Well I'm glad you find it so funny Miss. Weasley." He snapped. Ginny stopped when he used her surname. Had she screwed it up already? "You almost got us caught you know." He sneered.

"Well you know you consciously decided to follow me." She said, not unkindly, just to remind him that she wasn't entirely at fault. "C'mon, don't let it get to you; we just know now that the greenhouses are off limits."

"No, now we know that anywhere," He paused and Ginny's heart sank, his black eyes bored into hers for a moment before he continued, "…except my office is off limits" Ginny's heart leaped, she could barely believe her good fortune. She squealed and launched herself at Snape, fastening her arms around him in a tight hug. Instantly he went rigid with awkwardness and without looking she knew that he would be scanning the castle walls, desperately hoping that there were no lights on.

"For goodness sake's Ginny, get off! Anyone could be watching." He hissed. Ginny blushed furiously and slowly let go. Snape smoothed out his robes and continued walking towards the castle, this time he walked slow enough so that she was not behind him but could comfortably walk beside him, matching his abnormally slow strides.

When they entered the castle Snape only saw her to the stairs and then stopped.

"I'm leaving you here. I'm sure you can find the dormitory on your own." He said curtly. Ginny nodded, knowing that if he walked her to the common room they were likely to be caught together, and it would be more questionable the closer to the room they were. Still, this reasoning didn't keep her from being disappointed.

"Yes I'm sure. I'll see you for detention I guess." She said with a smile. He nodded and she turned and walked away, making it halfway up the stairs before his voice made her stop.

"Good night Ginny." He said sincerely from behind her. Ginny turned, pleased that he had bid her goodnight. Taking a quick glance around to make sure no one was near she raced back down the stairs and gave his a chaste kiss.

"Goodnight Severus." She whispered in his ear before racing back up the stairs and out of sight.

Snape sat in his office late into the hours of dawn, thinking of what they had done.

He didn't regret it, but he couldn't help feeling as if she were some sort of drug in his system, why was it that he couldn't repel her? He had repelled every other woman that had tried to call themselves his throughout the years, but then again every other woman had given up much easier than she had.

He still knew that what they had done, were doing, and most likely would continue to do was highly illegal, but he didn't seem to care anymore. The knowledge was there, but it sat like a 'it'll never happen to me' thought, like the notion of being struck by lightning, or stampeded by a hoard of raging unicorns.

For now he was content to know that it wasn't over. He could stay addicted like this, the consequences didn't matter. Besides, if his inkling was correct, and anything went wrong, Dumbledore would cover for him.