It hangs there over you like a shadow of uncertainty. Like a nagging
thought at the back of your head that you keep trying to push away, but it
keeps coming back. It won't leave you alone.
***
Severus found himself staring at Rachael. What the hell was he supposed to do? Kiss her? He didn't want to. or.
"Wait a second, do I want to kiss her?"
"Only you can answer that, Severus, only you."
***
Mistletoe.
It makes your heart beat faster than usual; makes your breath stop short. All you can hear is the pounding in your ears. The pounding of your heart.
***
Rachael was at a loss for words. Was Severus going to kiss her? Did she want him to kiss her?
"Well, do you?"
"I don't know, annoying little voice, I do not have the faintest idea. Why do you care anyway?"
"Gossip, dear. Gossip. We voices love to talk."
"I've noticed."
***
Mistletoe.
You're sure that they can hear your heart pounding; if not, it is surely a miracle. You stare fixated at their lips, unsure of whether to kiss them or run away like a small child running from a nightmare. Life that was simple moments ago suddenly has become complicated.
***
Before Severus could stop himself, before Rachael even had time to blink, Severus had closed the gap between them, taken her in his arms, and.
***
Mistletoe.
And time stops.
***
Do I want too much?
Am I going overboard to want that touch?
I'll shout it out to the night,
"Gimme what I deserve, 'cause it's my right!"
Shouldn't I have this,
Shouldn't I have this,
Shouldn't I have all of this, and
kisses,
kisses,
kisses,
From you
-"Passionate Kisses", Mary-Chapin Carpenter-
***
Rachael's mind was numb with shock. She was being kissed, being kissed KISSED, by the one and only Severus Snape. But at the moment it didn't matter that he was a Snape and she was a Potter. What only mattered was that he kept kissing her, because if he stopped, terrible things would happen. And at that moment, that one blissful moment, Rachael was glad it was Christmas.
***
When they finally came up for air, Severus was still in shock.
"Did we just."
"um i think we did....."
"Oh. Just wondering."
"This is weird."
"Isn't it." It wasn't a question.
"Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"Uh.d'you.d'you.d*mn this is awkward."
"Can I make it less awkward?"
"By all means, do."
Feeling as though his heart would burst, Severus bent down and picked Rachael up, carrying her off into the outside beyond Hogwarts.
***
"Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"It's raining."
"Your point?"
Rachael sighed. It was pouring down rain, and Severus did not even seem to care.
"This is like something out of a fairy tale."
"Why's that?"
"The Gryffindor and the Slytherin? Come on."
"No, Severus, it's more like "Romeo and Juliet"."
"Huh?"
"Muggle play, written by William Shakespeare. It's about a girl and a guy from families that hate each other falling in love."
"That's us. What happens at the end?"
"They both end up committing suicide."
"Oh. I hope we don't do that."
"We wont."
They stood there in silence for a moment.
"Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"No one's going to approve of this."
"I approve of it."
"Just what I said. No one's going to approve of this."
"Hey!"
"If you want me, you're going to have to put up with my sarcastic, insulting side."
"I don't know if you're worth it," Severus teased.
"Fine then, I'll just leave." Rachael started to walk away.
"Oh now you don't!"
Rachael broke into a run. She heard Severus speed up behind her. Rachael was fast, but Severus caught up with her.
"Ahh!" he screamed as he tackled her to the ground.
"Now I've got you, my pretty."
"Going to get my little dog too?"
"What?"
"It's a muggle thing."
"How do you know so much about muggles?"
"Lily."
"Ahh."
"So, going to get my dog?"
"Nah, I'd rather have you."
He bent down and kissed her nose.
Rachael laughed.
"Severus, we need to get back to the castle."
"Why?"
"Well.it's dawn, and we've got to make an appearance or people will worry."
"Your point?"
"Severus."
"What?" he said innocently.
She just gave him her famous "Witch Eye".
"All, right, all right, keep your robes on. Wait, on second thought, take them off."
"Severus!"
"It was only a joke Rachael, only a joke."
***
When the new term started, all anyone could talk about for days were Severus and Rachael.
"Professor Potter and Snape? No way!"
"Yeah! All the Slythierins are royally pissed! Snape was a Slytherin, and they think he's disgraced the name of the house by going out with Potter."
"Are they really going out, Poppy?"
"Yeah.why, were you hoping for a chance with Professor Potter, Billy?"
Billy Weasly blushed redder than his flaming hair.
"I was not!"
"Sure, Billy, whatever you say."
***
"Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"
"And miss being with you? Are you nuts?"
"Okay, then Severus, see you tomorrow."
***
Severus and Rachael met in the Three Broomsticks.
"Hey, Severus!"
"What?"
"Do you know how to swing?"
"Yes," said Severus with a grimace. He remembered his muggle aunt teaching him how to swing dance when he was younger. Dancing with her would make anyone sick.
"Well, apparently it's popular in the wizarding world today. Watch those kids dance."
Severus snorted.
"Try to swing, you mean."
"You wanna show 'em how it's done?"
"You bet your life on it."
Severus and Rachael walked to the center of the pub, where everyone was dancing. Severus grasped Rachael's hands in his and began to twirl her around. Everyone stopped dancing and watched them.
"Hey, I think we're doing a good job."
"Of course we are, I'm leading."
"Aren't you just Mr. Special."
"'Course."
Rachael just grinned.
***
After they had finished dancing, Severus and Rachael walked over to a table. No sooner had they sat down then a man came up to them.
"Didn't know you danced, Hummingbird."
"Didn't know you didn't know I dance, Moony."
"Nice to see you, Rachael."
"Nice to see you too, Remus." And Rachael got up and hugged the man.
Remus! Remus Lupin! The one that was friendly with Potter. The one that.Severus gulped.Rachael had dated.
"Lupin."
"Snape."
"Don't look at each other like that!"
Lupin looked at Rahael.
"You are on speaking terms with this git, Hummingbird?"
"That is my boyfriend you are talking about, Moony, watch it."
Lupin just stared at her.
"Boyfriend?"
"That's right," jumped in Severus, "boyfriend. Got a problem with that, Lupin?"
"Only if you do."
"Which I don't."
"I gathered."
"Stop it! You both are acting like four-year-olds!"
Severus looked at Lupin, and then stuck out his hand.
"Truce?"
Lupin nodded.
"Truce."
"Good, now that that's all taken care of, Remus why don't you come have a drink with us?"
"I'm afraid I can't, Rachael, must be going."
"Why?"
"Full, moon tonight."
"Oh. Goodbye, Moony."
"Nice seeing you, Hummingbird."
"Why does he call you Hummingbird?" asked Severus after Lupin had left.
"Oh, well, James used to say that me and Jay were the most social people he knew. So then I called Jay a social butterfly, and he got all offended. So then James called me a hummingbird because I was so small, and it stuck. So I was the Social Hummingbird, and Jay became the Social Praying Mantis."
"What?"
"Don't ask me, it was all Jay's doing. He was so creative."
"It wasn't your fault."
"Yeah it was."
"Rachael--
"Listen, Severus, I don't want to talk about it. We have to go back to the castle now anyway."
"Okay."
And they left the pub hand in hand.
***
The end of the year was coming up, and Rachael had a lot on her mind. There were exams, which were a pain in the-ahem behind to write, and there was that fact that James and Sirius were still missing.
"Rachael?"
"What?" she snapped back.
"Whoa, sorry, what'd I do, it's not even morning."
"Sorry, I'm kinda tense."
"I've noticed."
"Yeah."
"Want a massage?"
"Hmm."
"I'll take that as a yes."
Severus began to rub her back. He then pounded it, but.
"Oww!"
"Sorry."
"You're not very good at that."
"Can I do something I'm much better at?"
"What might that be?"
"This."
Severus spun her around and kissed her. They stood there embraced until,
"What the hell is friggen going on here?"
Two figures had entered her office.
Severus and Rachael pulled apart as the two shapes came into the soft moonlight.
It was a very angry looking Sirius Black, and a very confused looking James Potter.
***
Severus found himself staring at Rachael. What the hell was he supposed to do? Kiss her? He didn't want to. or.
"Wait a second, do I want to kiss her?"
"Only you can answer that, Severus, only you."
***
Mistletoe.
It makes your heart beat faster than usual; makes your breath stop short. All you can hear is the pounding in your ears. The pounding of your heart.
***
Rachael was at a loss for words. Was Severus going to kiss her? Did she want him to kiss her?
"Well, do you?"
"I don't know, annoying little voice, I do not have the faintest idea. Why do you care anyway?"
"Gossip, dear. Gossip. We voices love to talk."
"I've noticed."
***
Mistletoe.
You're sure that they can hear your heart pounding; if not, it is surely a miracle. You stare fixated at their lips, unsure of whether to kiss them or run away like a small child running from a nightmare. Life that was simple moments ago suddenly has become complicated.
***
Before Severus could stop himself, before Rachael even had time to blink, Severus had closed the gap between them, taken her in his arms, and.
***
Mistletoe.
And time stops.
***
Do I want too much?
Am I going overboard to want that touch?
I'll shout it out to the night,
"Gimme what I deserve, 'cause it's my right!"
Shouldn't I have this,
Shouldn't I have this,
Shouldn't I have all of this, and
kisses,
kisses,
kisses,
From you
-"Passionate Kisses", Mary-Chapin Carpenter-
***
Rachael's mind was numb with shock. She was being kissed, being kissed KISSED, by the one and only Severus Snape. But at the moment it didn't matter that he was a Snape and she was a Potter. What only mattered was that he kept kissing her, because if he stopped, terrible things would happen. And at that moment, that one blissful moment, Rachael was glad it was Christmas.
***
When they finally came up for air, Severus was still in shock.
"Did we just."
"um i think we did....."
"Oh. Just wondering."
"This is weird."
"Isn't it." It wasn't a question.
"Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"Uh.d'you.d'you.d*mn this is awkward."
"Can I make it less awkward?"
"By all means, do."
Feeling as though his heart would burst, Severus bent down and picked Rachael up, carrying her off into the outside beyond Hogwarts.
***
"Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"It's raining."
"Your point?"
Rachael sighed. It was pouring down rain, and Severus did not even seem to care.
"This is like something out of a fairy tale."
"Why's that?"
"The Gryffindor and the Slytherin? Come on."
"No, Severus, it's more like "Romeo and Juliet"."
"Huh?"
"Muggle play, written by William Shakespeare. It's about a girl and a guy from families that hate each other falling in love."
"That's us. What happens at the end?"
"They both end up committing suicide."
"Oh. I hope we don't do that."
"We wont."
They stood there in silence for a moment.
"Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"No one's going to approve of this."
"I approve of it."
"Just what I said. No one's going to approve of this."
"Hey!"
"If you want me, you're going to have to put up with my sarcastic, insulting side."
"I don't know if you're worth it," Severus teased.
"Fine then, I'll just leave." Rachael started to walk away.
"Oh now you don't!"
Rachael broke into a run. She heard Severus speed up behind her. Rachael was fast, but Severus caught up with her.
"Ahh!" he screamed as he tackled her to the ground.
"Now I've got you, my pretty."
"Going to get my little dog too?"
"What?"
"It's a muggle thing."
"How do you know so much about muggles?"
"Lily."
"Ahh."
"So, going to get my dog?"
"Nah, I'd rather have you."
He bent down and kissed her nose.
Rachael laughed.
"Severus, we need to get back to the castle."
"Why?"
"Well.it's dawn, and we've got to make an appearance or people will worry."
"Your point?"
"Severus."
"What?" he said innocently.
She just gave him her famous "Witch Eye".
"All, right, all right, keep your robes on. Wait, on second thought, take them off."
"Severus!"
"It was only a joke Rachael, only a joke."
***
When the new term started, all anyone could talk about for days were Severus and Rachael.
"Professor Potter and Snape? No way!"
"Yeah! All the Slythierins are royally pissed! Snape was a Slytherin, and they think he's disgraced the name of the house by going out with Potter."
"Are they really going out, Poppy?"
"Yeah.why, were you hoping for a chance with Professor Potter, Billy?"
Billy Weasly blushed redder than his flaming hair.
"I was not!"
"Sure, Billy, whatever you say."
***
"Severus?"
"Hmm?"
"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?"
"And miss being with you? Are you nuts?"
"Okay, then Severus, see you tomorrow."
***
Severus and Rachael met in the Three Broomsticks.
"Hey, Severus!"
"What?"
"Do you know how to swing?"
"Yes," said Severus with a grimace. He remembered his muggle aunt teaching him how to swing dance when he was younger. Dancing with her would make anyone sick.
"Well, apparently it's popular in the wizarding world today. Watch those kids dance."
Severus snorted.
"Try to swing, you mean."
"You wanna show 'em how it's done?"
"You bet your life on it."
Severus and Rachael walked to the center of the pub, where everyone was dancing. Severus grasped Rachael's hands in his and began to twirl her around. Everyone stopped dancing and watched them.
"Hey, I think we're doing a good job."
"Of course we are, I'm leading."
"Aren't you just Mr. Special."
"'Course."
Rachael just grinned.
***
After they had finished dancing, Severus and Rachael walked over to a table. No sooner had they sat down then a man came up to them.
"Didn't know you danced, Hummingbird."
"Didn't know you didn't know I dance, Moony."
"Nice to see you, Rachael."
"Nice to see you too, Remus." And Rachael got up and hugged the man.
Remus! Remus Lupin! The one that was friendly with Potter. The one that.Severus gulped.Rachael had dated.
"Lupin."
"Snape."
"Don't look at each other like that!"
Lupin looked at Rahael.
"You are on speaking terms with this git, Hummingbird?"
"That is my boyfriend you are talking about, Moony, watch it."
Lupin just stared at her.
"Boyfriend?"
"That's right," jumped in Severus, "boyfriend. Got a problem with that, Lupin?"
"Only if you do."
"Which I don't."
"I gathered."
"Stop it! You both are acting like four-year-olds!"
Severus looked at Lupin, and then stuck out his hand.
"Truce?"
Lupin nodded.
"Truce."
"Good, now that that's all taken care of, Remus why don't you come have a drink with us?"
"I'm afraid I can't, Rachael, must be going."
"Why?"
"Full, moon tonight."
"Oh. Goodbye, Moony."
"Nice seeing you, Hummingbird."
"Why does he call you Hummingbird?" asked Severus after Lupin had left.
"Oh, well, James used to say that me and Jay were the most social people he knew. So then I called Jay a social butterfly, and he got all offended. So then James called me a hummingbird because I was so small, and it stuck. So I was the Social Hummingbird, and Jay became the Social Praying Mantis."
"What?"
"Don't ask me, it was all Jay's doing. He was so creative."
"It wasn't your fault."
"Yeah it was."
"Rachael--
"Listen, Severus, I don't want to talk about it. We have to go back to the castle now anyway."
"Okay."
And they left the pub hand in hand.
***
The end of the year was coming up, and Rachael had a lot on her mind. There were exams, which were a pain in the-ahem behind to write, and there was that fact that James and Sirius were still missing.
"Rachael?"
"What?" she snapped back.
"Whoa, sorry, what'd I do, it's not even morning."
"Sorry, I'm kinda tense."
"I've noticed."
"Yeah."
"Want a massage?"
"Hmm."
"I'll take that as a yes."
Severus began to rub her back. He then pounded it, but.
"Oww!"
"Sorry."
"You're not very good at that."
"Can I do something I'm much better at?"
"What might that be?"
"This."
Severus spun her around and kissed her. They stood there embraced until,
"What the hell is friggen going on here?"
Two figures had entered her office.
Severus and Rachael pulled apart as the two shapes came into the soft moonlight.
It was a very angry looking Sirius Black, and a very confused looking James Potter.