Chapter Thirty-Six- The Morning After
Clara woke up sometime during what felt like the middle of the night. She was warm, a little sore and deliciously sated. Imagines of what had happened only hours before flooded her mind, making her instantly want to be in her Wizard's arms again. Without opening her eyes, she slowly stretched her bare arm across the satiny sheets in anticipation of finding a very naked Severus near by, but instead she only met empty space.
"I'm over here, sweetheart," rumbled a deep voice from a few feet away.
She slowly fluttered open her drowsy eyes to scan the area around her. Severus was sitting casually in camping lounge chair, with his feet propped up on a small side table he had placed in front of him. He had pulled on his trousers and black button down shirt back on, but left the shirt unbuttoned, leaving his chest exposed. His long black hair was delightfully tousled, and his body seemed loose and the most relaxed Clara had ever seen before. He was wearing his small, thin, black wire rimmed glasses, and had a large cream-colored sketchbook stretched out across his lap. Gripping his pencil tightly, his nimble fingers swept effortlessly across the page before him.
"What are you drawing?" asked Clara, her voice scratchy from lack of sleep.
A slow smirk curled on his lips as he eyed her intently. Clara let out a little gasp when she realized what his mischievous stare implied. It was then that she realized that the blanket they had used to cover them during the night was pulled down to her stomach, revealing her bare chest.
"Oh!" she whispered, smiling shyly. "Have you ever drawn a woman like this?"
"No, sweetheart," he chuckled deeply. "You are the first. And now that you are awake, may I…complete the drawing?"
With an almost unnoticeable swipe of his hand the blanket slowly slide down her body, until only her feet remain covered. For a moment Clara instinctively wanted to cover herself, but the warm look in Severus' eyes calmed her, making her slowly relax under his scrutiny. She watched him curiously as he continued his sketching in silence. The only sound in the tented room was that of the scratching pencil or occasional deep hum of approval as he let his eyes travel over her newly discovered curves. With a loud sigh he carefully placed the pad of paper on the empty chair next to him, and slowly walked back over to the bed.
"I'm afraid I require a little more up close and personal examination before I am aptly suited to render your beauty," he purred, as he lay down beside her and scooped her back into his arms.
"Sev, where do you come up with this stuff? No one speaks like that anymore. It's like your speaking straight out of a Jane Austin novel," she giggled as she lazily traced her finger along the plains of his chest.
"Are you saying that men from Atlanta don't speak like I do?" he asked with a smirk.
"Uhhh…no…not even close. I like the way you speak. It makes me feel like I have time traveled back to a different time and age. It's very…sexy."
"You think I'm sexy?" he asked, one eyebrow raised in skepticism.
"You are telling me that after last night you are still questioning your sexual prowess?" she asked, giving his flat stomach a little tickle.
"Well…perhaps we need to have another go so that you can convince me. Purely research of course."
Without waiting for a response Severus rolled over, trapping his Muggle prisoner in between his arms. He playfully nipped her bottom lip, accidentally tickling her cheek with his long hair, causing a round of giggles to escape from her lips. But before their playful teasing could turn into anything more a loud squawk interrupted them from above their tent.
"I know that cry," groaned Clara.
"Stupid pheasant. How does he always get through my wards?" Severus hissed, pointing his wand to the ceiling of the tent.
Clara gently placed her hand on his arm until he lowered his wand. "I don't think it is Fawkes that is getting through your wards, Sev. I have a feeling it is his owner," she said with a smile.
"I fear that is our signal to head back to the castle. It's Christmas morning and I believe the Headmaster would like to spend it with his little girl. Besides, we should get back to the castle before the sun rises."
"But I would rather stay here with you for the rest of the break. Can't I see Albus later?" she asked, poking out her bottom lip in a mock pout.
Severus' smile began to wane as he brushed a stray curl out of her face. "Clara, I may not value silly things like Christmas, but it is important to Albus. I don't want to keep you away from him." Especially not his last one.
"Well, look at you! Am I already taming the angry beast?" she laughed.
"Not on your life," he whispered, just before slapping the palm of his hand on her exposed backside.
A few minutes later Severus dropped Clara back off into her room.
"Are you sure you wont join us? I can't imagine that Albus would mind. I really want to spend Christmas morning together, Severus."
"You need this time with him. I will be waiting for you whenever you finish, I promise."
Clara watched him fly off until she could no longer see him. With a contented sigh she slowly changed out of her outfit and into a warm pair of sweats. In no time flat she was bouncing into the Headmaster's office, which had once again been transformed into a Christmas Wonderland.
Once again the Headmaster had produced a generous pile of presents. The coffee table located in front of the roaring fire was packed with a copious amount of scones and biscuits. After spending over an hour exchanging gifts and letting Clara tell stories about Slughorn's Christmas party, they finally settled by the fire to have a Christmas breakfast. Clara was famished and ate nearly double the amount she normally would.
"Clara, what's gotten you so hungry?" the old man chuckled.
Clara nearly spit out the hot chocolate she was sipping. She knew exactly why she was starving. Severus had worn her out the night before, but she couldn't exactly tell Albus that she was hungry due to a long night of shagging.
"Oh…I…ummm…had a work out last night…started kick boxing," she lied, wincing at her poor excuse.
"Well, I do hope that you are using proper protect with your new…exercise," he said with a small wink.
Clara once again chocked on her drink. This time Albus had to smack her on the back to clear everything out.
"Now, I have a few important things to give you for Christmas," said Albus.
"Albus, you have already given me so much. I have enough clothing here to last me the rest of my life and I'm pretty sure I could start my own library with all the books you gave me."
"These gifts are a little more important than merely clothing, dear."
There was a pause and Clara watched as the normally jovial man's eyes dropped into a melancholy stare.
"Albus, what's wrong?"
"Clara, you understand that things are becoming more and more dangerous, don't you?"
Clara nodded and clutched his uninjured hand into hers.
"There may come a time when I am not able to always protect you. I want to make sure that no matter where you are, or who you may be up against, that you will be safe."
"Nothing is going to happen to me, Albus. Between Severus and you…"
"Please…just indulge an old man. I want you to have every tool at your disposal to ensure your safety. No matter what happens to me, no matter how bad things get, I want you safe. You have a bigger part to play in all of this, Clara."
Albus produced a small leather pouch from his robe pocket and placed it into her out turned palm. Clara opened the drawstring pouch, and let what looked like three small charms slide into her hand.
"What are they, Albus?" she asked, knowing very well that things in the Wizarding world are never what they seem.
Albus picked up what looked like a small marble at first glance, but as Clara looking closer she noticed that it was in fact a small, silver globe. "This is a very special Port Key, of my own creation. No one must know that you have this in your possession. If you are caught with an illegal Port Key, especially one of this design, you could get yourself into quite a sticky situation. Do you understand?"
"Sure," she shrugged. "What does it do?"
"In the case of an extreme emergency, it can take you home."
"But this is my home."
"Yes, and it always is as long as you want it to be. But there may come a time where even the walls of Hogwarts are no longer safe. If that day comes, then I want you to use it to get out of here. It will take you anywhere in the world you want to go. Whether you need to escape into the next room, or go all the way back to the States. All you have to do is hold it tightly in your hand and speak your destination. Use it wisely, for it can only be activated once, dear."
"Albus, I can't imagine why I would ever want to leave here. I can take care of myself, I promise."
"Let us hope so. Now, look at this one." Albus picked up another small charm, this one in the shape of a small, golden, seashell. "This one is also important, Clara. There may come a time, once all of the danger has passed, that Severus will need to flee. This is where you come in. I believe that you two have been brought together for a reason," the Headmaster said, smiling as Clara's cheeks turned a deep crimson.
"I see nothing gets by you, Albus."
"Awww yes, it is easy to spy a young woman in love. But let me caution you to use discretion when it comes to your relationship. Severus has a very important role to play and he must not falter from his task."
"How can I help him?" she asked, her eyes blazing with intensity.
"I believe when the time is right, you will know what to do. But this may help. This charm is also a Port Key, which will take you directly to some place safe. It must be used carefully. It will only carry you and Severus. Do not try to take anyone else, nor must you go alone. When you feel that it is necessary, merely grab a hold tightly and state my full name. Make sure you are touching Severus as well. Like I said, it will only work if you two are together."
"But Albus, when the war is over, why can't you help? You are much more powerful than I will ever be. I'm only a Muggle," she said, suddenly feeling a sickening sensation in her stomach.
"Clara, don't underestimate the power that love can give a person. Muggles have done amazing things in the name of love and friendship, and all without the aid of magic. You possess more strength and fortitude than most Witches and Wizards twice your age. Believe in yourself and in what you feel for Severus. You will know what to do when the time comes," he said, cryptically.
"I'm scared, Albus. Promise me that you won't ever leave me," she whispered, clutching his hand even tighter than before.
"No one can live forever, dear. But no matter where you are, I will always be with you," he said, pausing to unhook the phoenix pendent that hung around her neck. With wave of his hand the necklace unlatched its-self and floated gently into his outstretched palm. With a shaky hand, he placed each charm onto the necklace.
"Albus, what's wrong with your hand? It's shaking like a leaf."
"Ah, perhaps I had a bit too much sugar this morning. No matter, dear. Why don't we take a look at this last charm?" Clara fingered the tiny glass cylinder. Inside the tube was a clear, almost glittering liquid. She rolled the glass across her palm, watching the substance slosh about from end to end. "This, Clara, is a very rare and special substance. It has some of the most powerful healing qualities that exist. If there is ever a need, merely pour the contents of this tiny vial into the wound. There is only enough for one use, so make sure it is vital. Protect this to the best of your abilities, there are many wizards that would do just about anything to get their hands on this. It is best that you don't tell anyone that you have it in your possession."
"What is it?" she asked, eyes wide with curiosity.
"A gift, from a dear friend," he said, his eyes betraying a hint of sadness. After securing the necklace back around her neck, he sat back in his chair with a cup of tea. "Fawkes, care to join us?" he called, holding out his good arm for the majestic creature to swoop down upon. "Take good care of that gift, Clara. It is very special indeed. Such gifts like that are not given freely very often."
Fawkes nuzzled his long plumage against Albus' neck, while the old man ran his fingers through his crimson feathers. The bird cooed softly, eliciting a blanket of goose bumps up Clara's arms. If birds could really show emotion on their faces, then this bird would be conveying sadness. It was evident in his song and in his sulky demeanor.
As if sensing Clara's rising concern, Albus quickly summoned a small tin can and placed it on her lap. "One last Christmas gift," he said cheerfully.
Clara opened the tin to reveal a glittery, silver powder. "Floo powder? But my floo…"
"Is now working again. But only to one room," he said with a grin. "Why don't you go test is and see where it goes? I suspect someone else is eager to see you today as well. I also think it would do him good to have a little Christmas cheer. Besides, I need to leave again. I have some business to finish. I'm afraid I will be gone the rest of the holiday, but I suspect you will be properly entertained while I'm away," he concluded with a wink.
"Oh, Albus! You're wonderful. Thank you!"
Severus shifted uncomfortably in his oversized armchair, attempting to read though the mystery novel Albus had sent him for Christmas. He rarely read fiction but he was finding the day almost unbearable without Clara, so he needed some sort of distraction. She had only been gone a few hours, but her absence had already sent him spiraling back into his brooding habits. He desperately wanted her again. He had not even become close to satisfying his monstrous appetite for his little Muggle. He wanted to make good on his promise to keep her in his bed till New Years. He was just about to toss his neglected novel aside when his fireplace erupted into green flames, causing him to nearly jump out of his seat. Clara came bounding out of the hearth, non-to gracefully, landing right on top of his lap.
"Miss me?" she said with a lazy grin.
"Indeed. And to whom do I owe this Christmas gift to?" he said.
"Albus connected our quarters. Now I get to come and go as I please."
"Please remind me to thank the illustrious Headmaster. However, as far as you coming and going, there will be no going, you are mine until New Years, remember?"
Severus wasted no time in scooping the ash-covered woman in his arms. "Wait! I have to give you your Christmas present first!" she squealed, doing her best to wriggle out of his grasp.
"Presents later, bath now," he demanded, taking the silver wrapped package out of her hand and hauling her across the room towards the bath.
A few minutes later they were both stripped of their clothing, leaning against one another in a soothingly, hot bath. Heady vapors of eucalyptus and tea olive wafted through the air, giving the room a romantic and inviting atmosphere. "How do you feel?" he said huskily as he ran his dripping fingers across her flushed arms.
"A little sore from last night," she said, wiggling until she was a close as she could possibly be up against him.
"Ah, that's exactly how I like you to be," he said softly, kissing the nap of her neck. "Sore, and properly loved. But perhaps I can help with that problem."
Severus reached his arms up and rested them on her shoulders. Leaning in so his lips were hovering next to her ear, he began whisper deeply a string of words Clara could not understand.
"Sanara corpus…"
His hands tenderly rubbed her shoulders, working their way down the slope of her arms. A gentle warming sensation began to take over her body causing her muscles to instantly relax.
"relaxare mentis …"
Gentle fingers continued their work, now running along her soft stomach, causing a moan of contentment to escape from her lips. His hands began to travel dangerously low, inching their way to where she throbbed and ached for him.
"dare te ad me."
Severus eased his fingers over her waiting sex as he completed his final words. A rush of heat coursed through her sore muscles and sensitive flesh. The warming sensation continued until it tingled all the way to her toes, leaving her feeling boneless and relaxed. Severus watched her closely; making sure his spell didn't relax her to the point of sleep. He still had plans for her, but the very thought that he could give her pleasure in multiple ways thrilled him.
"What was that?" mumbled Clara, lazily.
"A healing and calming spell I invented," he said nonchalantly, turning her around so she was straddling his lap.
"I like to hear you say the spells. You have a very sexy voice. What did you say?" she inquired, leaning her head into the crook of his neck so she could lay a trail of kisses upon his pulse.
Now thoroughly distracted, Severus did his best to form a coherent sentence. "Most spells are derived from Latin words. Roughly translated, sanra corpus relaxare mentis, merely means to 'heal the body and relax the mind'," he concluded, head tilting back to allow her further access to the sensitive skin just below his ear.
"I like it when you speak nerd to me, Sev," she giggled as she ran her fingertips through his damp hair. "Wasn't there more to the spell?"
"Hummm, yes there was. Dare te ad me. But that's not really part of the spell. I just wanted to say it to you," he said with a lopsided grin.
"Oh really? Well, what does it mean? Dare te ad me," she repeated, whispering it in a scratchy voice into his ear.
"Do you really want to know…or would you rather me just show you?"
"Both," she whispered.
Severus suddenly grasped a hold of her hips and guided her weight down until he was sheathed snuggly inside of her welcoming heat. He nearly lost all sense of focus when he heard her cry out in delight. "Dare te ad me, means 'give yourself to me,' which is exactly what you are about to do," he managed to hiss through his teeth just before bucking up to fill her even deeper.
Their rhythm of lovemaking started out slow and languid. Their bodies wet and slick with bath oils slid gracefully against each other, creating a delicious friction. Severus gingerly guided her hips until Clara found a rhythm all of her own. He knew immediately that in this particular position he wouldn't last long. Between the intimacy of being face to face, the delicious noises that were escaping from his beloved's mouth and the slickness of her body, he knew he would be a goner soon. After years of celibacy, and months of wanting her so badly, it had been a miracle that he was able to last as long as he did the night before. By focusing on her pleasure he was better able to control his own body. But this was different, the sensations were too much and her blue eyes gazing deeply into his was far too much to handle. He wanted nothing more than to increase into a mind-blowing rhythm, to completely lose himself in the feeling that her body could offer him. Slowing his pounding rhythm, he did his best to focus once again. Removing his hands from her back, he grabbed the sides of the tub in a vice like grip, desperately determined to give her as much pleasure as he could muster.
"Severus," Clara whispered. "Darling, just let go. I want you to feel good. Dare te ad me."
He wasn't sure if it was her gentle touch, her exquisite heat or the sound of her voice speaking his very words, but in an explosion of pure ecstasy he lost all control. In a bout of reckless abandonment he started to repeatedly buck his hips to meet her, not caring that he was causing a near tidal wave of bath water to slosh onto the floor below. With what looked like a flash of light behind his closed eyelids, the world around him seemed to melt far away. Yelling out in a very un-Severus and unguarded like manor, he called out Clara's name at the peek of his climax. Even without the use of Occlumency, his mind went blank; his body relaxed and for the first time in years the weight of the Wizarding world did not feel like it was sitting on his shoulders.
"Merlin," he panted, sinking lower into the oversized tub. "What was that?"
"I'm pretty sure it's called letting go, Severus," Clara chuckled. "You should try it more often. I think you will like it."
Severus wrapped his arms around her and held her even closer, doing his best to control his ragged breathing. He had always prided himself on being composed, structured and above all, in control. This little Muggle woman was quickly breaking down all of those carefully structured walls. Closing his eyes he relished the calming feeling of holding her close. He only wished that moments like this could last forever. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, a soft voice brought him back to the present. "Come on, it's time to get up, sleepyhead. You are turning into a prune and I want you to open your present!"
A few moments later, after reluctantly leaving the warmth of their bath, Clara and Severus were nestled snuggly under a mound of blankets on Severus' bed. "Clara, you know I don't really do the Christmas…thing," he said dryly.
"That is because you have never had me to celebrate with. Look, I'm not going to make you string up lights around your room or sing Santa Baby, but I would like for you to at least humor me by opening up one gift," she pleaded, poking her bottom lip out to give him a nice pout.
"One gift…no more," he finally conceded.
Wrapping a blanket around her body, Clara tripped her way over to the armchair that held Severus' present. Severus laid back in bed with a small chuckle as he watched the woman scurry across the floor, unaware that her voluptuous backside was still exposed for his viewing pleasure.
"Okay, here you go. I hope you like it. I had Tonks purchase it for me a few days ago. I told her I was buying them for Albus, but I must say that I think they will look better on you," she said as she plopped the wrapped gift box on the bed in front of Severus.
Severus eyed her suspiciously as he raised his wand in anticipation of magically vanishing the foil paper away from the gift. His hand was quickly stilled when Clara snatched his wand right out of his hand.
"NO! You can't use magic to unwrap a gift, silly. Where is the fun of that? You have to do it by hand like Muggles do," she fussed.
"You just took my wand," he said, looking quite shocked.
"Yes I did, and you wont get it back until you open your Christmas present…the right way," she said with a haughty expression.
"I think I liked you better when you used to be scared of me," he murmured as he began to rip open the package.
Once he finished opening the box he sat in silence for a moment, not sure what to make of her gift. Inside a long narrow box where a pair of black and white Converse All-Stars nestled in blanket of white tissue paper. He chuckled to himself when he thought about how much her shoes had once annoyed him so much. Now he had his own pair of childish footwear, and he loved them. "I know you typically wear boots and I understand if you can't wear them outside your quarters. I mean I can't imagine Voldemort being very happy about one of his Death Eaters showing up in muggle shoes and if you don't like them…"
Severus silenced her nervous prattle with a light kiss on her cheek. "I love them because they are from you, love. I have not worn a pair of trainers since I was a very small boy. I am sure they will be quite comfortable. But yes, I think I should only wear them in the privacy of my own quarters. We are going to have to be extremely careful in keeping our relationship a secret. That means even around the school. I am afraid that things would be dangerous even here if we are exposed. Which leads me to my gift," he said as he summoned a small black box from across the room. "Happy Christmas, Clara."
He watched the young woman with a certain amount of apprehension. He had never had someone special in his life to purchase gifts for. It seemed no matter what he went to buy for her, it wasn't good enough. She deserved the world and unfortunately he could not give that to her. When Clara pulled off the top of the box a small gasp of air made his heart beat ferociously. Was that a gasp of happiness?
"Oh Severus, it's beautiful," she exclaimed as she pulled out her prize. It was a stunning, silver cuff bracelet in the image of serpent. When put on, it gave the illusion that the snake was wrapping its way around the wrist. The silver serpents eyes held two tiny emeralds making Clara squeal with delight even more when she noticed them.
"Go ahead and put it on," he encouraged.
Once Clara had it securely on her wrist, she looked up at him with a hint of skepticism on her face. "Is this a muggle bracelet…or is like my necklace?"
"I don't know what you are talking about?" he said impassively.
"Oh yes you do," she laughed, swatting his arm playfully. "What does it do?"
Severus closed his eyes and furrowed his brow in concentration. The bracelet around her arm suddenly began to tingle with warmth. After a few seconds Severus opened his eyes and watched the young woman's expression. "I have charmed the bracelet to react whenever you are in my thoughts. The more intense the thought the warmer it will become. Since we will not always be able to communicate in person and we may have to apart from one another quite often, this will help you to remember that you are always on my mind.
"It's perfect, Severus. I don't even know what to say. How could I ever top such a lovely gift?" she whispered, placing a tender kiss on his lips. Her bracelet suddenly grew very warm, sending a tingle straight up her arm. "But apparently you are already thinking of a way I could try," she giggled, pulling him down so he was lying down before her.
A/N: New chapter! Now this sounds like a perfect Christmas to me! Leave me some love please. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Big thanks to my beautiful beta, Sasha2010 and to The Queen of Mean for all her encouragement during a "difficult" writing time. I am surrounded by awesome friends!