div id="content" style="max-height: 999999px; margin: 0.2em 0.5em 0.8em; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;"br /hr style="margin: 5px 0px; border: 0px; background-color: #cbcbcb; background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, 0% 100%, 100% 100%, from(#ffffff), color-stop(0.1, #cbcbcb), color-stop(0.9, #cbcbcb), to(#ffffff));" noshade="noshade" size="1" /strong style="font-size: 1.1em;"span style="font-style: italic;"That evening, I was going to dinner and saw Severus in a dark alcove. "Miss Jones."/span/strong/div
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p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""You alternate between my first and last names?" I asked, curious. "You're always hiding in the shadows. Why do you do that?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""Winter..." He paused. "I was heading to dinner. I presume you were as well?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""Yes, but-"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"Severus raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk on his face. "But?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""I think you should go ahead. I don't think we should be seen together." I told him./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"He sighed deeply. There was a look in his eyes that seemed different. Lust perhaps? A long pause followed before his velvet voice broke my thoughts. "I believe you may be correct." Severus examined me from head to toe./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I liked the way he looked at me, except for when he glared./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""I shall see you later." He paused a moment, watching me before turning and marching down the corridor, long black robes flowing behind him./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I waited until he was out of sight and walked down the corridor to the Great Hall. Once I walked through the entrance, I spotted him staring./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I saw him speak to McGonagall. Did he have concerns about me? I wondered what he told her. Severus took a deep breath, looking down at me from the High Table./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I ate my spinach and broccoli and left with a bottle of water in my hand./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"His eyes were glued to me as I departed to the Potions classroom./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I looked behind me the whole way to the dungeons but I didn't see him following./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I got to the classroom and sat at a table./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"Severus arrived shortly. An intense stare greeted me as he entered the room. "I would like the cauldrons scrubbed and perhaps the storeroom rearranged."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"He coughed, clearing his lungs./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I stood up. "Are you okay, sir?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"Severus sighed. "Yes."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""How do you know?" I asked, concerned. "It's been three months since the accident."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""Winter, I am fine. I saw Madam Pomfrey right after the accident." Severus said quietly. He walked over to me until we were inches apart. "I could never repay you for everything you have done."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""Are you telling me the truth? Are you really fine, Severus?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"He sighed aloud. "I would not be if it were not for you."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I nodded, looking at him uncertainly. "What were you talking to McGonagall about?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""You saving my life." Severus said abruptly. "I know...I have been against our friendship for the past three months but I believe I was wrong. Your company is good for me, Winter."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I smiled./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"Severus breathed a deep sigh. "Now you may fulfill your offer to me."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""Of course." I got to work scrubbing the cauldrons and arranging the shelves in the storeroom./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"Afrer I was finished with everything, Severus looked up from his desk. He gave me a small ghost of a smile. "Thank you, Winter. You may go."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""What if I don't want to?" I asked. "What if I want stay and get to know you?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"Obsidian orbs darted to mine, quill stopping quickly. "I suggest you get some rest." Severus sighed. "However, as to your question, it depends. What do you wish to know?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""What were your school years like here?" I asked eagerly. "What were you like?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"He hesitated. "Quiet and shy, I suppose." The dark Professor frowned slightly. "Why do you find me and my past so fascinating?"/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""Well, you're so mysterious."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I heard Severus's breath hitch. He cleared his throat loudly. "So I am told."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""Are you just afraid to let someone in?" I pressed./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""I am certainly not accustomed to sharing my life story to a young girl who should be with a boy her own age, not chasing after the opposing head of house." Severus sneered at me. "I am quite definite you have thought of Potter in an...idyllic light. Similar to the light in which you view me. Perhaps I should test this theory."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I gaped at him. "You can't be serious. I'll bite you before you can get that potion down my throat."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""The students think of me as a mere Potions Professor. You have been here for five years. You must have heard the rumors." He rolled his eyes./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""I have but I don't pay attention to gossip surrounding you. I don't believe you're working for You Know Who." I said defensively./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"Severus sighed. "I do believe it is best if you left, Winter. I am very tired now and I still have much to do."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I nodded. "You need your rest, sir."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;""You should not believe everything you hear. If you wish to know the truth about anything concerning me, certainly do not ask the other students. And for your own good, stay away from Potter and his friends. They are nothing but trouble...and I cannot keep an eye on you at all times." Severus told me, steadily marking the parchment./span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"I went to the door and opened it. "Good night, Severus."/span/strong/p
p style="max-height: 999999px;"strongspan style="font-style: italic;"He gave me a curt nod from his desk./span/strong/p
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