Disclaimer - Harry Potter, and all the characters from the books belong to
J.K. Rowling not me. All other characters are mine.
Things got back to normal around Hogwarts after a while. Talk of Snape and Celeste died down after no one had seen them together again. It had been two weeks and Snape and Celeste hadn't spoke one word to each other. There were no more dreams induced by her. That doesn't mean he didn't dream about her, it simply means she didn't start it. She still read his mind though, hence the crossed fingers, but he didn't know that. Why should she give up knowing what he's thinking about her? She has every right to know considering it is, after all, about her. What he didn't know won't hurt him.
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"Hi Celeste," called Hermione exiting her Muggle Studies class.
"Oh, hello Hermione. How's school going for you?"
"Fine. Can I ask you something?"
"Certainly. Go ahead, fire away."
"Well it's about you and Professor Snape."
"I'm not sure I want to answer your question now." She looked upon Hermione with doubt; regretting telling the girl she would answer her question. But then again she always kept her word, didn't she?
"Well, I was wondering what happened between you and Professor Snape when you attended school here."
"When I attended school here Severus tutored me with potions. He was the best in the school. I was in Gryffindor and I hung around with people he didn't particularly care for."
"Like James Potter and his friends?"
"Well, they were a couple of years ahead of me, but yes. I mostly hung out with the girls though. Severus wasn't always nice to me because of my friends. He thought I was just like them. Always wanting to have fun, and getting into trouble because of it. And I'll admit, I did want to have fun. I think one should be able to loosen up and relax every once in a while. I tried to talk Severus into relaxing but he always thought that I was up to something."
"So why do you act the way you do together now?"
"During my fifth year here, I discovered I had this gift. I could read minds. But not only could I read minds, I could also enter peoples dreams, control their dreams in some ways, make people dream about me, and even talk to people through their minds. I never told anyone. I didn't want anyone to know because if people knew then they would have never left me alone about it. Severus found out on accident. I was reading his thoughts about me when I kind of started talking to him. It freaked him out and he didn't talk to me for a long while. He cancelled all of our potions lessons and avoided me altogether. Then I used to make him dream about me. I teased him a little. I might have even led him on, but I never meant to hurt him. He didn't really trust me anymore. So now that I'm back it brings up a lot of memories."
"Is that why you two kissed?"
"Ye - wait a minute. Who told you that?" Celeste raised an eyebrow at the girl before her. She certainly didn't tell anyone about it, and she knew for a fact that Severus would never say a word.
"Let's just say that a friend of mine left their book in the potions classroom and when they went back to get it they got an eyeful."
"Hmmm. Well you can tell your friend that the kiss was a mistake and they can rest assure that it will never happen again. It was a brief brain lapse on my part."
Hermione giggled, she knew better but dare not say. "I'll be sure to inform my friend about that."
The two of them parted not knowing that a certain black haired figure was looming around the corner. Severus started thinking to himself, Should I go out there and risk running into her or should I go another way? No, I will go whatever way I want. Why should I have to go another way to get to my class just because of her? Should I say something about the kiss? Thoughts flooded his mind and before he answered any of his own questions his feet carried him around the corner and right into the woman he had been avoiding for two weeks. As their bodies collided she let out a small grunt. He practically knocked the wind out of her.
"Sorry." It was more than she expected from him and more than he was willing to say. His voice was cold and sharp. As if he didn't mean it.
"Well well well. I almost forgot you existed Severus, with the whole avoiding me thing and all. And just when I thought that you had left the school you run straight into me knocking the wind out of me."
He knocked the wind out of her? He hurt her? Snape's face lost some of its tension as the thoughts of her being hurt by him ran through his mind. Had he known that he hurt her he would have never spoken to her the way he had.
"Again, I am sorry for running into you. And I'm even more sorry if I hurt you. But I do not avoid anyone Celeste, not even you."
"Apology accepted, but you didn't hurt me, at least not by running into me. I do think you are avoiding me though. Afraid I'm going to read your thoughts," she paused and took a step closer to him. He could feel her body's warmth. "or afraid I'll do something else." It was barely audible. She gazed into his eyes and smiled. There was that smile again, he thought. So wicked. She knew what she was doing though, and it was working. Snape opened his mouth as though to say something, yet nothing came out. She watched on as he did this two more times before he spoke.
"I'll see you at dinner." He strode off down the hallway leaving her there. She whipped around and yelled after him, "So does that mean you won't avoid me anymore and finally start eating in the Great Hall again with the rest of us?" She got no answer. Not out loud anyways. He would be there. He couldn't wait to be there either. She loved being able to read minds, and his was a great one to read. Oh the things he thought about her. If only he knew that she knew. He couldn't wait to be near her again, see her, smell her, taste her. He wanted her and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted him as well. Now she just had to make up for him hearing abut the whole kiss being a brain lapse thing. It hurt him.
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"Ah, Severus. It is pleasant to see you at dinner again. I'm sure everyone will agree."
"Thank you Headmaster. I must say I rather missed eating with all the students and everyone else."
"I for one hope that you will never have a reason to eat alone again."
"I'm sure I won't."
"Perfect." As everyone took their seats food began to appear. "Now. Let the feast begin."
Students and teachers alike conversed back and forth. Celeste caught random parts of conversations from those around her. She eventually blocked out all of the chattering around her and began to concentrate on her plate. She wasn't really hungry, but dessert came and there was chocolate cake. Her weakness. She helped her self to a large portion and greedily ate it all. She could feel someone staring at her but she didn't care. She helped herself to another large piece.
With the way you eat, I'm surprised you don't weigh a ton. What was he doing? Was he actually speaking with her? Slowly she looked up at him. He was staring at her; watching her eat. She scooped another piece onto her fork, looked straight at him and placed it in her mouth. He let a small smile settle on his face. What is that look for? He let the smile fade, because you have some cake at the corner of your mouth. She flicked her tongue out of her mouth and traced her lips in an attempt to get the cake. Stop that! She looked back at him, stop what? His eyes narrowed on her. I know what you are trying to do and trust me Celeste it won't work. I have no idea what you are talking about Severus, but I think this conversation is finished.
After she finished her piece of cake she headed back to her chambers. Why was he talking to her? Did he want her to come back to his dreams? Maybe she could just pry to see what he was dreaming about, or maybe she could be in his dreams but act like it was all him. No, that wouldn't work. He knows the difference. She wanted to be there again. Maybe he would talk to her again. She hoped.
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It was about 2:00 in the morning and Celeste still couldn't fall asleep. She had been sitting in an oversized chair in front of the fire for about three hours. She wanted some hot cocoa. After thinking about hot cocoa for another five minutes, Celeste finally decides to get up and head down to the kitchens.
"What are you doing up this late? Don't you have some dreams to be imposing upon?" Severus didn't even look up from his cake.
"Not since you banned me." She gave him that smile when he looked up at her. As soon as he saw it he looked away. It was dangerous to look at that smile.
"I banned you for good reason, and you promised not to do it again." He wanted to think about her, but he knew she could read his mind. Although she did promise he knew she still did. She couldn't resist. "You still haven't told me why you are up so late."
"I couldn't sleep and I wanted a cup of cocoa. How about yourself? What are you still doing up?" She came around to the small table he was sitting at and sat down slightly around the table from him. A house elf brought Celeste a cup of cocoa and a small pitcher with more in it to the table. She sipped it slowly, allowing the warm liquid to slide slowly through her lips and down her throat. Severus watched her, noticing the passion that was there beneath the surface. Not just passion for cocoa, but for other things. Things he wanted to know about.
"I couldn't sleep either. Plus I wanted to try a slice of this chocolate cake you enjoyed so much at dinner." He forked another piece into his mouth. He looked up at her. Was she looking at his cake? God, how much could this woman eat? "Would you like a bite?"
She looked up and her eyes met his, then her gaze fell back onto the cake. He wrapped his foot around the legs of her chair and slid it around until she was directly beside him. She studied his face. "I'll try a small bite I guess." He got another piece on the fork and lifted it to her mouth. She accepted his offering and let the fork slide into her mouth. She smiled at him as he slid the fork back out. He watched her chew. Celeste was unaware that Snape had put the fork down and had begun reaching up to her face. She swallowed the cake she was chewing and waited to see what he was about to do.
"You have a crumb." His hand reached the corner of her mouth and brushed it away. He brought his hand back to her cheek and let it linger there a second before sliding both of his hands up around her neck and bringing her face closer to where he could kiss her. He'll show her a brain lapse.
Celeste was the first to break away from the kiss. "As much as I would like to stay and enjoy more cake, I have grown tired and I am heading to bed."
"You won't be in my dreams will you?"
On her way out she turned back to him, "Of course not, I promise." With that she turned back around and uncrossed her fingers then went to bed.
Things got back to normal around Hogwarts after a while. Talk of Snape and Celeste died down after no one had seen them together again. It had been two weeks and Snape and Celeste hadn't spoke one word to each other. There were no more dreams induced by her. That doesn't mean he didn't dream about her, it simply means she didn't start it. She still read his mind though, hence the crossed fingers, but he didn't know that. Why should she give up knowing what he's thinking about her? She has every right to know considering it is, after all, about her. What he didn't know won't hurt him.
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"Hi Celeste," called Hermione exiting her Muggle Studies class.
"Oh, hello Hermione. How's school going for you?"
"Fine. Can I ask you something?"
"Certainly. Go ahead, fire away."
"Well it's about you and Professor Snape."
"I'm not sure I want to answer your question now." She looked upon Hermione with doubt; regretting telling the girl she would answer her question. But then again she always kept her word, didn't she?
"Well, I was wondering what happened between you and Professor Snape when you attended school here."
"When I attended school here Severus tutored me with potions. He was the best in the school. I was in Gryffindor and I hung around with people he didn't particularly care for."
"Like James Potter and his friends?"
"Well, they were a couple of years ahead of me, but yes. I mostly hung out with the girls though. Severus wasn't always nice to me because of my friends. He thought I was just like them. Always wanting to have fun, and getting into trouble because of it. And I'll admit, I did want to have fun. I think one should be able to loosen up and relax every once in a while. I tried to talk Severus into relaxing but he always thought that I was up to something."
"So why do you act the way you do together now?"
"During my fifth year here, I discovered I had this gift. I could read minds. But not only could I read minds, I could also enter peoples dreams, control their dreams in some ways, make people dream about me, and even talk to people through their minds. I never told anyone. I didn't want anyone to know because if people knew then they would have never left me alone about it. Severus found out on accident. I was reading his thoughts about me when I kind of started talking to him. It freaked him out and he didn't talk to me for a long while. He cancelled all of our potions lessons and avoided me altogether. Then I used to make him dream about me. I teased him a little. I might have even led him on, but I never meant to hurt him. He didn't really trust me anymore. So now that I'm back it brings up a lot of memories."
"Is that why you two kissed?"
"Ye - wait a minute. Who told you that?" Celeste raised an eyebrow at the girl before her. She certainly didn't tell anyone about it, and she knew for a fact that Severus would never say a word.
"Let's just say that a friend of mine left their book in the potions classroom and when they went back to get it they got an eyeful."
"Hmmm. Well you can tell your friend that the kiss was a mistake and they can rest assure that it will never happen again. It was a brief brain lapse on my part."
Hermione giggled, she knew better but dare not say. "I'll be sure to inform my friend about that."
The two of them parted not knowing that a certain black haired figure was looming around the corner. Severus started thinking to himself, Should I go out there and risk running into her or should I go another way? No, I will go whatever way I want. Why should I have to go another way to get to my class just because of her? Should I say something about the kiss? Thoughts flooded his mind and before he answered any of his own questions his feet carried him around the corner and right into the woman he had been avoiding for two weeks. As their bodies collided she let out a small grunt. He practically knocked the wind out of her.
"Sorry." It was more than she expected from him and more than he was willing to say. His voice was cold and sharp. As if he didn't mean it.
"Well well well. I almost forgot you existed Severus, with the whole avoiding me thing and all. And just when I thought that you had left the school you run straight into me knocking the wind out of me."
He knocked the wind out of her? He hurt her? Snape's face lost some of its tension as the thoughts of her being hurt by him ran through his mind. Had he known that he hurt her he would have never spoken to her the way he had.
"Again, I am sorry for running into you. And I'm even more sorry if I hurt you. But I do not avoid anyone Celeste, not even you."
"Apology accepted, but you didn't hurt me, at least not by running into me. I do think you are avoiding me though. Afraid I'm going to read your thoughts," she paused and took a step closer to him. He could feel her body's warmth. "or afraid I'll do something else." It was barely audible. She gazed into his eyes and smiled. There was that smile again, he thought. So wicked. She knew what she was doing though, and it was working. Snape opened his mouth as though to say something, yet nothing came out. She watched on as he did this two more times before he spoke.
"I'll see you at dinner." He strode off down the hallway leaving her there. She whipped around and yelled after him, "So does that mean you won't avoid me anymore and finally start eating in the Great Hall again with the rest of us?" She got no answer. Not out loud anyways. He would be there. He couldn't wait to be there either. She loved being able to read minds, and his was a great one to read. Oh the things he thought about her. If only he knew that she knew. He couldn't wait to be near her again, see her, smell her, taste her. He wanted her and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted him as well. Now she just had to make up for him hearing abut the whole kiss being a brain lapse thing. It hurt him.
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"Ah, Severus. It is pleasant to see you at dinner again. I'm sure everyone will agree."
"Thank you Headmaster. I must say I rather missed eating with all the students and everyone else."
"I for one hope that you will never have a reason to eat alone again."
"I'm sure I won't."
"Perfect." As everyone took their seats food began to appear. "Now. Let the feast begin."
Students and teachers alike conversed back and forth. Celeste caught random parts of conversations from those around her. She eventually blocked out all of the chattering around her and began to concentrate on her plate. She wasn't really hungry, but dessert came and there was chocolate cake. Her weakness. She helped her self to a large portion and greedily ate it all. She could feel someone staring at her but she didn't care. She helped herself to another large piece.
With the way you eat, I'm surprised you don't weigh a ton. What was he doing? Was he actually speaking with her? Slowly she looked up at him. He was staring at her; watching her eat. She scooped another piece onto her fork, looked straight at him and placed it in her mouth. He let a small smile settle on his face. What is that look for? He let the smile fade, because you have some cake at the corner of your mouth. She flicked her tongue out of her mouth and traced her lips in an attempt to get the cake. Stop that! She looked back at him, stop what? His eyes narrowed on her. I know what you are trying to do and trust me Celeste it won't work. I have no idea what you are talking about Severus, but I think this conversation is finished.
After she finished her piece of cake she headed back to her chambers. Why was he talking to her? Did he want her to come back to his dreams? Maybe she could just pry to see what he was dreaming about, or maybe she could be in his dreams but act like it was all him. No, that wouldn't work. He knows the difference. She wanted to be there again. Maybe he would talk to her again. She hoped.
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It was about 2:00 in the morning and Celeste still couldn't fall asleep. She had been sitting in an oversized chair in front of the fire for about three hours. She wanted some hot cocoa. After thinking about hot cocoa for another five minutes, Celeste finally decides to get up and head down to the kitchens.
"What are you doing up this late? Don't you have some dreams to be imposing upon?" Severus didn't even look up from his cake.
"Not since you banned me." She gave him that smile when he looked up at her. As soon as he saw it he looked away. It was dangerous to look at that smile.
"I banned you for good reason, and you promised not to do it again." He wanted to think about her, but he knew she could read his mind. Although she did promise he knew she still did. She couldn't resist. "You still haven't told me why you are up so late."
"I couldn't sleep and I wanted a cup of cocoa. How about yourself? What are you still doing up?" She came around to the small table he was sitting at and sat down slightly around the table from him. A house elf brought Celeste a cup of cocoa and a small pitcher with more in it to the table. She sipped it slowly, allowing the warm liquid to slide slowly through her lips and down her throat. Severus watched her, noticing the passion that was there beneath the surface. Not just passion for cocoa, but for other things. Things he wanted to know about.
"I couldn't sleep either. Plus I wanted to try a slice of this chocolate cake you enjoyed so much at dinner." He forked another piece into his mouth. He looked up at her. Was she looking at his cake? God, how much could this woman eat? "Would you like a bite?"
She looked up and her eyes met his, then her gaze fell back onto the cake. He wrapped his foot around the legs of her chair and slid it around until she was directly beside him. She studied his face. "I'll try a small bite I guess." He got another piece on the fork and lifted it to her mouth. She accepted his offering and let the fork slide into her mouth. She smiled at him as he slid the fork back out. He watched her chew. Celeste was unaware that Snape had put the fork down and had begun reaching up to her face. She swallowed the cake she was chewing and waited to see what he was about to do.
"You have a crumb." His hand reached the corner of her mouth and brushed it away. He brought his hand back to her cheek and let it linger there a second before sliding both of his hands up around her neck and bringing her face closer to where he could kiss her. He'll show her a brain lapse.
Celeste was the first to break away from the kiss. "As much as I would like to stay and enjoy more cake, I have grown tired and I am heading to bed."
"You won't be in my dreams will you?"
On her way out she turned back to him, "Of course not, I promise." With that she turned back around and uncrossed her fingers then went to bed.