Part Two: The Second Fault
Snape turned the corner, and there stood the familiar form of Lucius Malfoy, his gold-blonde hair unmistakable. He was openly kissing a fair-haired third year and had slipped his hands inside her half-opened robes.
Snape cleared his throat pointedly, glaring darkly at his friend. "Seems like I'm getting quite good at catching you snogging, Malfoy." Lucius whirled around.
The boy's pale eyes darkened dangerously. "Stay out of this, Snape."
"Or what, Malfoy? What would you do, try to hex me? Do you really think that you frighten me?"
His eyes glinted as he stepped forward. "One day, Severus, one day you will be frightened. Just you wait."
He frowned. "What in hell are you talking about?"
"You'll see," he sneered. "You'll all see." Quickly, he left the corridor in a whirl of robes. The blonde hurried after him with a frightened glance at Severus, clutching her robes about her.
He sunk back against the wall. How had things suddenly become so damn complicated?
... and what was he going to tell Gedia?
* * *
It was quite late when Severus entered the Common Room. He had avoided Gedia for the rest of the day, burying himself in books in the Library and trying to forget about his problems.
Of course, it hadn't worked. He hadn't really expected it to.
He made his way towards the stairwell when someone on the sofa shifted towards him. "Sev?" He froze. She only called him that when she was highly upset, which was very seldom.
"Yes?"
"Sit with me?" He couldn't help but notice that her voice was quivering slightly.
"Of course." Walking over, he sat down by her feet and she spread her long legs across his lap. The dying fire flickered faintly, highlighting the spots of dampness on her face. He realized that he'd never before seen her cry.
It was a long time before either of them spoke. She stared deeply into the embers of the fire. "It's my fault, isn't it?"
He gave her a stern, sharp look. "Do not say that, Gedia. It is certainly not your fault."
"But, if I would have just gone with him..."
"But you didn't want to. That is the point. He must respect your wishes, Veela or not." This was not the Gedia he knew. She was not normally so... dependent on others. He did not like it. At all. "Do you... love him?
"Love Lucius?"
"Yes."
She paused. "I don't know. There are times when I feel like I do, but in truth, I think I'm in love with the idea of him. I make him someone else, someone who doesn't really do what the real Lucius does. That's what I love. That's what I don't want to give up." She gave a forced laugh that sounded hollow in the empty room. "You probably think I'm being idiotically shallow, don't you?"
His fingers curled comfortingly around her legs. "No, Gedia. I do not. Perhaps I do not understand... but I know you well enough to know that you are neither stupid nor shallow. Nor are you a fool."
"I try not to be. But sometimes with Lucius, I think I'm simply fooling myself."
He stared into the fireplace, the light reflecting in his obsidian eyes. "I must tell you something."
She gave him a small smile. "I thought as much. Why else would you avoid me all afternoon if not to play out word for word how you're going to tell me exactly what I already know?"
He glanced sharply at her. "You know?"
"Of course, Sev. It's what he always does. I knew he would do it the moment I said 'no.' That is why this is my fault."
"It's not," he growled.
With a sigh, she sat up, resting her head on his shoulder wearily, her legs still stretched across his lap. "I'm not in the mood to argue, Severus."
"I know. Forgive me. It's simply that you deserve someone better than him."
She was startled by the words and looked up at him. "Someone like who, exactly?"
"Someone who appreciates you for more reasons than how you are in bed... who wants you just because of how you are." He looked away, knowing he had said too much for his own good. What, had he drunk Vertiserum or something? Why in hell was he saying this anyway? Great Merlin's beard!
He could still feel her bright blue eyes on him, no matter how he tried to avoid them. "And you, Severus? What do you deserve?"
He turned back to her sharply. "This is not about me, Gedia."
She swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat. "And what if I want to make it be about you?"
"What do you..." his voice trailed off, for suddenly they seemed very... close. She had raised her head from his shoulder and was gazing at him in a way he had only seen when she looked at Lucius. It was... unsettling, to say the least. Her blue eyes held a power that he was certain every woman had and every man was deathly prone to. Those eyes made him suddenly powerless.
She slowly leaned forward and moment later, her soft lips lightly brushed against his, hesitant and trembling. But when he did not instantly pull away from her in repulsion, she kissed him more boldly, her mouth pressing firmly against his.
He stared at her, frozen by her sudden action. Her eyes were closed, the long ebony lashes feathering against her pale skin. After a moment's hesitation to recover from his shock, he closed his eyes and responded, kissing her back, albeit a bit clumsily. After all, it was his first kiss. Merlin... to kiss Kacela his first time through. That was certainly unexpected.
But he could not deny that it was enjoyable. The feel of her mouth on his stirred a... longing in him for the things that he knew Lucius and Gedia had done. He reached out to wrap his arms around her, wanting to deepen their kiss.
But as soon as he touched her, she seemed to jerk back to reality, her eyes flying open. "Shit," she breathed, stumbling away from him and to her feet. She stared at him a moment, before shaking her head violently and hurriedly leaving the room.
"Dammit," he cursed under his breath as the door fell shut behind her fleeing figure. He buried his head in his hands. Things were spiraling out of control, and they had just gotten worse.
* * *
The next morning at breakfast, Gedia slid onto the bench next to Severus. She grabbed a crumpet, chewing thoughtfully before speaking. "Would you hate me forever if I asked you to forget all about last night?"
He breathed a sigh of relief, both physically and mentally. "Absolutely not."
She grinned. "Good. I'd hate to have to go through the bother of finding a new best friend." She made a grimace. "We don't have to... discuss... that... do we?"
His expression reflected hers. "Gods, I hope not."
"Good," she repeated. "Now, please tell me that this isn't going to be awkward for us, or I'll be forced to throw myself from my broom from a very fatal height."
"Well," he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, "since I don't want to get stuck cleaning up the mess should you choose to plummet to your death, then fine, it won't be awkward. Besides, you are absolutely not good at suicide notes."
She elbowed him. "Thanks a lot."
"My pleasure."
Smiling, she took one last large bite of her crumpet, managing to get crumbs everywhere, even on Severus. He would never cease to be annoyed by her eating habits, but there wasn't much he could do. Sometimes, he thought she did things simply to annoy him. It was some sick thrill for her. But that was just Gedia. "So... still friends?"
Friends... that was what they had always (well, almost always) been, probably always would be. A kiss- no, a mistake- would not change their relationship, never would. They were merely friends- good friends, mind you, but nothing more. It was simply the way things were and always would be.
He favored her with a rare smile. "Still friends," he assured her. She grinned around a mouthful of food, and his smile quickly changed to a disdainful frown. "Honestly, Gedia, learn some table manners. No one will ever be able to take you anywhere in proper society."
The entrance of Lucius interrupted her almost certainly smart-aleck comment. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso and kissing the side of her neck. "I could think of some place to take her..."
"Though none of them in proper society," she remarked, meeting his lips with hers.
Severus' gaze darkened even more as he watched them. So she had taken him back, as apparently she had done before. He wondered vaguely if Malfoy was truly aware how lucky he was. There were not many girls who would forgive as easily as she had.
Still, he felt as if there was only so long before his faults would overwhelm even Gedia's distorted vision of him, would blur the picture of him that she wanted to see. Because his faults were not few but many, and forgiveness couldn't last forever.
After a quick goodbye, Gedia followed Lucius out of the Great Hall. But for now, he decided, things were back to usual.
But whether this was a good or bad thing, only time would tell.
END
Author's Note: Dedicated to Nita, because I *know* she loves some good Snape lip-action. Who wouldn't? *whistles innocently*
I hope you all (especially Nita) enjoyed it. More of this series to come, though I'm not sure what's next. We'll just have to wait and see.
Snape turned the corner, and there stood the familiar form of Lucius Malfoy, his gold-blonde hair unmistakable. He was openly kissing a fair-haired third year and had slipped his hands inside her half-opened robes.
Snape cleared his throat pointedly, glaring darkly at his friend. "Seems like I'm getting quite good at catching you snogging, Malfoy." Lucius whirled around.
The boy's pale eyes darkened dangerously. "Stay out of this, Snape."
"Or what, Malfoy? What would you do, try to hex me? Do you really think that you frighten me?"
His eyes glinted as he stepped forward. "One day, Severus, one day you will be frightened. Just you wait."
He frowned. "What in hell are you talking about?"
"You'll see," he sneered. "You'll all see." Quickly, he left the corridor in a whirl of robes. The blonde hurried after him with a frightened glance at Severus, clutching her robes about her.
He sunk back against the wall. How had things suddenly become so damn complicated?
... and what was he going to tell Gedia?
* * *
It was quite late when Severus entered the Common Room. He had avoided Gedia for the rest of the day, burying himself in books in the Library and trying to forget about his problems.
Of course, it hadn't worked. He hadn't really expected it to.
He made his way towards the stairwell when someone on the sofa shifted towards him. "Sev?" He froze. She only called him that when she was highly upset, which was very seldom.
"Yes?"
"Sit with me?" He couldn't help but notice that her voice was quivering slightly.
"Of course." Walking over, he sat down by her feet and she spread her long legs across his lap. The dying fire flickered faintly, highlighting the spots of dampness on her face. He realized that he'd never before seen her cry.
It was a long time before either of them spoke. She stared deeply into the embers of the fire. "It's my fault, isn't it?"
He gave her a stern, sharp look. "Do not say that, Gedia. It is certainly not your fault."
"But, if I would have just gone with him..."
"But you didn't want to. That is the point. He must respect your wishes, Veela or not." This was not the Gedia he knew. She was not normally so... dependent on others. He did not like it. At all. "Do you... love him?
"Love Lucius?"
"Yes."
She paused. "I don't know. There are times when I feel like I do, but in truth, I think I'm in love with the idea of him. I make him someone else, someone who doesn't really do what the real Lucius does. That's what I love. That's what I don't want to give up." She gave a forced laugh that sounded hollow in the empty room. "You probably think I'm being idiotically shallow, don't you?"
His fingers curled comfortingly around her legs. "No, Gedia. I do not. Perhaps I do not understand... but I know you well enough to know that you are neither stupid nor shallow. Nor are you a fool."
"I try not to be. But sometimes with Lucius, I think I'm simply fooling myself."
He stared into the fireplace, the light reflecting in his obsidian eyes. "I must tell you something."
She gave him a small smile. "I thought as much. Why else would you avoid me all afternoon if not to play out word for word how you're going to tell me exactly what I already know?"
He glanced sharply at her. "You know?"
"Of course, Sev. It's what he always does. I knew he would do it the moment I said 'no.' That is why this is my fault."
"It's not," he growled.
With a sigh, she sat up, resting her head on his shoulder wearily, her legs still stretched across his lap. "I'm not in the mood to argue, Severus."
"I know. Forgive me. It's simply that you deserve someone better than him."
She was startled by the words and looked up at him. "Someone like who, exactly?"
"Someone who appreciates you for more reasons than how you are in bed... who wants you just because of how you are." He looked away, knowing he had said too much for his own good. What, had he drunk Vertiserum or something? Why in hell was he saying this anyway? Great Merlin's beard!
He could still feel her bright blue eyes on him, no matter how he tried to avoid them. "And you, Severus? What do you deserve?"
He turned back to her sharply. "This is not about me, Gedia."
She swallowed around the sudden lump in her throat. "And what if I want to make it be about you?"
"What do you..." his voice trailed off, for suddenly they seemed very... close. She had raised her head from his shoulder and was gazing at him in a way he had only seen when she looked at Lucius. It was... unsettling, to say the least. Her blue eyes held a power that he was certain every woman had and every man was deathly prone to. Those eyes made him suddenly powerless.
She slowly leaned forward and moment later, her soft lips lightly brushed against his, hesitant and trembling. But when he did not instantly pull away from her in repulsion, she kissed him more boldly, her mouth pressing firmly against his.
He stared at her, frozen by her sudden action. Her eyes were closed, the long ebony lashes feathering against her pale skin. After a moment's hesitation to recover from his shock, he closed his eyes and responded, kissing her back, albeit a bit clumsily. After all, it was his first kiss. Merlin... to kiss Kacela his first time through. That was certainly unexpected.
But he could not deny that it was enjoyable. The feel of her mouth on his stirred a... longing in him for the things that he knew Lucius and Gedia had done. He reached out to wrap his arms around her, wanting to deepen their kiss.
But as soon as he touched her, she seemed to jerk back to reality, her eyes flying open. "Shit," she breathed, stumbling away from him and to her feet. She stared at him a moment, before shaking her head violently and hurriedly leaving the room.
"Dammit," he cursed under his breath as the door fell shut behind her fleeing figure. He buried his head in his hands. Things were spiraling out of control, and they had just gotten worse.
* * *
The next morning at breakfast, Gedia slid onto the bench next to Severus. She grabbed a crumpet, chewing thoughtfully before speaking. "Would you hate me forever if I asked you to forget all about last night?"
He breathed a sigh of relief, both physically and mentally. "Absolutely not."
She grinned. "Good. I'd hate to have to go through the bother of finding a new best friend." She made a grimace. "We don't have to... discuss... that... do we?"
His expression reflected hers. "Gods, I hope not."
"Good," she repeated. "Now, please tell me that this isn't going to be awkward for us, or I'll be forced to throw myself from my broom from a very fatal height."
"Well," he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, "since I don't want to get stuck cleaning up the mess should you choose to plummet to your death, then fine, it won't be awkward. Besides, you are absolutely not good at suicide notes."
She elbowed him. "Thanks a lot."
"My pleasure."
Smiling, she took one last large bite of her crumpet, managing to get crumbs everywhere, even on Severus. He would never cease to be annoyed by her eating habits, but there wasn't much he could do. Sometimes, he thought she did things simply to annoy him. It was some sick thrill for her. But that was just Gedia. "So... still friends?"
Friends... that was what they had always (well, almost always) been, probably always would be. A kiss- no, a mistake- would not change their relationship, never would. They were merely friends- good friends, mind you, but nothing more. It was simply the way things were and always would be.
He favored her with a rare smile. "Still friends," he assured her. She grinned around a mouthful of food, and his smile quickly changed to a disdainful frown. "Honestly, Gedia, learn some table manners. No one will ever be able to take you anywhere in proper society."
The entrance of Lucius interrupted her almost certainly smart-aleck comment. He came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso and kissing the side of her neck. "I could think of some place to take her..."
"Though none of them in proper society," she remarked, meeting his lips with hers.
Severus' gaze darkened even more as he watched them. So she had taken him back, as apparently she had done before. He wondered vaguely if Malfoy was truly aware how lucky he was. There were not many girls who would forgive as easily as she had.
Still, he felt as if there was only so long before his faults would overwhelm even Gedia's distorted vision of him, would blur the picture of him that she wanted to see. Because his faults were not few but many, and forgiveness couldn't last forever.
After a quick goodbye, Gedia followed Lucius out of the Great Hall. But for now, he decided, things were back to usual.
But whether this was a good or bad thing, only time would tell.
END
Author's Note: Dedicated to Nita, because I *know* she loves some good Snape lip-action. Who wouldn't? *whistles innocently*
I hope you all (especially Nita) enjoyed it. More of this series to come, though I'm not sure what's next. We'll just have to wait and see.