Gumby

Chapter 25: Sunset

Severus stepped out of the Forbidden Forrest and furrowed his brow as he spotted Samara Green lying on the ground. Her school robes were hanging on a branch of a tree nearby. The white button up shirt, and skirt she wore appeared damp, as did her hair. The setting sun's lays washed over her pale skin, her legs, arms, neck, and face making them glow warmly. Her arms were resting on her stomach; her face was tilted slightly to the left, her lose hair lightly falling across her sleeping eyes.

He wondered for a moment if the fates were against him. He was purposefully trying to miss the end of term feast so that he wouldn't have to see Samara, so his heart wouldn't ache to know that he wouldn't see her for three months, and here she was. Lying on the side of the lake, opposite of the castle where she just happened to come across her sleeping form. Honestly, he wondered if this was just punishment for his stupidity when he was younger and for all the harm he'd caused as a Death Eater. Clearly he had not redeemed himself enough by turning spy.

Slowly, Severus approached the sleeping girl, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to wake her with his approach. If Samara was particularly exhausted, he knew that she was capable of sleeping like a rock. The only time that she rose at the slightest bit of sound, was when she was restless, just as she had been through the entirety of her pregnancy. A time that he was sure she didn't really want to remember and never mentioned anymore, though it had altered her.

Bending down, Severus stared down at her face before deciding to wake her. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, and for a moment he was chilled by how dead she looked. He furrowed his brow as he wondered why she wasn't moving at all, or made no sound. He couldn't hear her breathing and her chest didn't seem to heave. Slowly he reached out his hand and placed his index and middle finger to the artery in her neck and felt the beat of her heart softly against his fingertips.

Relieved, he was about to pull way from her when she felt slender digits close gently around his wrist, yet holding him quite firmly. He stared for a moment at Samara, who otherwise still appeared to be asleep, her head still tilted to the left and her eyes closed. "What made you think I'm dead, Professor Snape?" Samara asked softly, a smile spreading over her face as she kept her eyes closed.

"How did you know it was me?" he asked as he stared at her. Samara opened her eyes slowly and looked up at him, her eyes glittering green as they caught the suns light. His hearts pace quickened at the sight of her marvelous eyes, sparkling up at him like the lake, when it caught the light of the sun.

"Because only your touch makes my pulse quicken," she replied in a whisper. Severus turned to look at his hands, and indeed since she'd taken hold of his wrist the beat of her heart seemed to have accelerated beneath his fingertips.

Severus pulled his hand away and tried to ignore what she had just said. Though, once more he felt light and jittery inside. "What are you doing out here, you are missing the feast," he said as he looked down at her. Samara slowly sat up and stared across the lake, running her hands through her hair to see if it had dried. When her fingers caught lightly in the tresses of her hair, she surmised that it was still damp.

"I went for a swim, I suppose I got tired and the Giant squid helped me get out on this other side. I lay down to rest and I must've fallen asleep," she said, shrugging her thin shoulders. Severus raised a brow at this, staring at her as he felt the vein in his temple begin to pulse. She had fallen asleep so close to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forrest?

"That was very, very stupid of you. You could have gotten hurt, or worse killed," Severus said through gritted teeth as he glared at her. Samara looked over at him, but merely shrugged once more as she looked at him, causing him to get angrier by the second. He didn't understand how she could care so very little about her life and not protect her own existence to the best of her abilities.

"You know very well I'm not stupid Professor Snape, I cast a protection ward before lying down to rest. I cast it in case I fell asleep," Samara said as she looked over at her Professor. Severus felt himself pale as he stared at her, however, she as smiling at him. "You need to lighten up Professor Snape."

Severus turned away from her and stood up. "You should return to the castle," he said sternly. Samara shook her head at this, like she had on many other occasions. He glared down at her, feeling somewhat frustrated.

"I'm not breaking any rules by being out here Professor Snape and I'd like to stay here a little longer," Samara said softly as she stared across the lake. She had propped up her legs slightly and the skirt that she was wearing was riding up her leg. Severus turned away from the sight and looked across the lake.

"Once more that was not a request Samara," Severus stated sternly as he glared at the lake. Samara slowly turned around and looked at her Head of House. She could have just challenged him, told him that there was nothing that he could do to make her do it. That unless he wanted to forcibly remove her, which she would quite enjoy, that she wasn't about to move. However, she didn't feel like antagonizing him.

"Please Professor Snape, it's my last night at Hogwarts before I have to go home and… I'm going to have to face him," Samara said, looking up pleadingly. Severus stared down at her eyes and could see the sadness in them. He'd almost forgotten that her father had once more moved into her mother's life and that the woman was pregnant.

"I don't want you out here alone," he said as he stared down at her. She smiled brightly at him.

"Pull up a seat," she suggested lightly and teasingly. Severus sighed in exasperation as he plopped down next to her and stared out at the lake along with her. For a long time, they both sat in silence, staring out at the lake. Each one was lost in their own thoughts and sitting in companionable silence with the other and despite being lost in their thoughts, very aware of the other's presence next to them.

Together, they both sat and watched the twinkling water and the slow progress of the sun beyond the trees. Vaguely aware as they watched it slowly disappearing and the sky turning from blue, to bright yellowish-orange with a few tints of red as the sky nearest to the castle was darkening, turning nearly purple and dark blue.

At last, when the sun had nearly completely disappeared beyond the horizon, Samara turned to the man that she so loved. "Professor Snape," she said tentatively, bringing him out of his reverie. Very slowly, Severus turned his dark gaze to look at Samara's pale face. "Do the Professors leave tomorrow?"

Severus turned to look at her and wondered why she was asking. He merely nodded at this as he stared at her. "Most leave after the students," he responded as he stared at her. She merely nodded at this. She hadn't ever seen very many teachers when they were leaving and the only person she'd ever seen at Hogsmead station was Hagrid. She turned around and looked at the lake, supposing that this would be goodbye for now then.

Slowly, Samara stood up and headed towards her robes and put them on. They were fully dry, which wasn't surprising as they were all black. "I wanted to return this to you," Samara said as she turned around and looked at Professor Snape. Severus furrowed his brow as she walked back over to where he was, in her school robes, which she hadn't bothered to close and kneeled before him, holding a black bundle in her arm.

Severus took the bundle when she handed it over and soon realized that he was holding one of his own cloaks. He looked up at her questioningly. "I forgot to return it to you when you lent it to me; I forgot that I was wearing it when I got back to Slytherin. I've been meaning to return it to you, but I always forgot, and when I was packing today I found it," she said to his unasked question; he remembered back to the day she'd invited him to the Italian restaurant in Hogsmead. She then smiled sheepishly as she stared down at the cloak. "Truth be told, I wanted to keep it when I found it, to have something to hold onto this summer, to make it not feel so terrible, but I thought that I should return it."

Samara then leaned in and placed a kiss on his cheek, completely shocking the Potions Master. Samara pulled away and smiled at him, her cheeks a light shade of pink. "Have a nice summer Professor," she said politely as she stood up and turned to leave. Severus sat in stunned silence as he watched her heading back towards the castle and when at long last she'd faded from sight, he reached up a hand to his cheek, where his skin was still tingling where she had placed her kiss.

Severus felt his heart tearing, despite how good the feel of her lips felt against his skin. This was about to be a very long and painful summer.

TBC…

A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I hope that you all like this chapter and please Review as well!