Chapter 19- I Could Fall In Love
I could lose my heart tonight
If you don't turn and walk away
'Cause the way I feel I might
Lose control and let you stay
'Cause I could take in my arms
And never let go
I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
I can only wonder how
Touching you would make me feel
But if I take that chance right now
Tomorrow will you want me still
So I should keep this to myself
And never let you know
I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
And I know it's not right
And I guess I should try to do what I should do
But I could fall in love, fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
The next few days went well, though they did exchange a few blows here and there. The scraps were diminutive enough for the two professors to make up afterward with ease. Despite all of their disputes, Aletta felt herself growing closer to the man she formerly detested. Severus also appeared less peeved when he was with her. He spat fewer insults and retorts than he did before. Nevertheless, he occasionally managed to irritate her with his sarcasm and pessimism as she did to him with her rather related demeanor. Even though Aletta had succeeded in somewhat befriending him, she still annoyed the hell out of him.
"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Aletta asked him as they bustled through a troubling thicket.
Severus whacked a tree branch to the side that covered his trail and responded through clenched teeth, "Yes."
His foot suddenly caught on an undetected large stone and he staggered forward. Unable to catch himself, he plummeted backward onto his bottom. Severus was mad; very mad. To enraged to go further, he took his bag and hoisted it up behind his hind so he could lean back against it. He groaned contentedly as his aching muscles stretched and relaxed. The sound of Aletta's giggling suddenly reverberated in his ears. He turned to glare at her, but before he could, she had dropped herself down beside him.
"You should've seen your face," she sniggered as he now had his fully-fledged glare on her.
Aletta widened her eyes and flapped her arms about her, clearly replaying his performance.
"I like a woman that can be herself around others," he insulted and she stopped her mockery of him to give him her own glare.
After a good glower competition, Aletta spoke up, "Should we set up camp?"
Snape arched an eyebrow at her, "Does it look like we can?"
She realized he had a point as she gazed around the forest. The whole brush that surrounded them seemed to go on for miles.
"Well, we could always clear a spot with a flick of a wand," she suggested as she stood to examine the area around them.
Snape snorted and gazed up at her, "Now why didn't I think of that? Oh, that's right, because we can't!"
Aletta turned to look at him from her scrutinizing and widened her eyes, "You mean we already reached the Dume Zone?!"
"Certainly," he replied as he pulled a flask out of the inside pocket of his robes.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked with frustration.
The content smirk that he had on his face angered her more. "I guess I just didn't feel like it at the time."
Aletta's eyes flashed dangerously at his derision, but subsequently, she smiled. "Well, then it appears that we have to, in some way, move several of these bushes to generate a clearing to set up camp."
"We?" Severus asked resolutely as he took another guzzled another swig from his flask.
"Yes, 'we'," Aletta snapped sardonically. "Unless you prefer to do it yourself?"
Snape grumbled and stood to help her. They had managed to cut the bushes with the shears that Aletta had brought with her.
After an hour our so, a small part of the shrubbery had been cleared. Snape had just cut the last shrub when he turned to look at Aletta, who had taken off her top shirt to reveal a black tank top that was a bit small. To her amusement, Snape had also stripped down due to the sweat he worked up while cutting the shrubs. He was now clad in an undershirt with no sleeves and his usual black pants.
"Did you work hard?" Snape hissed. "Or hardly work?
"I cut a couple shrubs!" Aletta said defensively as Snape threw the shears aside and set the box down in the center of the clearing.
He pressed the button, and the tent sprang out. Snape walked over to sit next to her on the dirt in front of the tent. He grabbed her water bottle, tilted his head back and held the spout to his mouth. Water poured into his mouth as he squeezed it brutally. Some water splashed onto his face and trickled down his chin to his half bare chest. Aletta watched the water trickle on his clammy, soiled skin. He had patches of dirt on his face, chest and arms while his damp hair was disheveled about his face. She never knew a man could look this sexy when they were in disarray. After he drank all of the remaining water in the bottle, he threw it to the side and leaned back onto the earthy soil. His glittering black eyes gazed up at the small opening in the trees above that allowed some moonlight to shine through. Aletta was transfixed on his appearance, but her thoughts were disturbed when he looked at her own untidy self.
"Should we start a fire?" he asked silkily as his eyes wandered over her face and torso.
She amused herself with the thought that he might find her appearance as erotic as she found his. "Might as well."
"Good," he replied as he averted his gaze back to the sky. "You can do it."
Aletta scowled at him as she stood to get the fire site ready. What she didn't know was that he was watching her very closely as she struggled to move logs to the spot in front of him. He was frequently satisfied with a small peek of the pinnacle of her chest as she bent over to set a log down. He, soon enough, slapped himself inwardly, calling himself a pervert for watching such a thing. However, it wasn't like he desired her just because of her stunning looks. Snape also admired her for her cleverness, individuality, and ability to identify with him. He also enjoyed teasing her continually. The way she endured his cruelty and sarcasm kept him on his toes. Severus adored her retorts to his insults and her opinions to his thoughts.
As he pondered all of this, he realized he was beginning to really like the girl. Hold on, he thought, the woman.
"There!" she exclaimed as she tossed the last log onto the fire. "How's that?"
Severus gazed at the roaring fire before him and nodded, "Adequate."
"Adequate!" she said with disappointment. "That's the best fire we've had yet! I'd call it enthralling!"
"I beg to differ," he said quietly as she sat down next to him again.
"Oh, you!" she said playfully. "I can never please you, can I?" Snape arched an eyebrow at her and she added. "Come to think of it, nobody can please you!"
"Do you expect me to jump for joy and kiss you cheerfully whenever you do something productive? Which is seldom, I might add."
"You're such a bastard!" she said humorously as he smirked triumphantly at her. "Were you this cruel when you were a child?"
"I suppose," he said as he prodded the fire with a stick he found lying next to him.
"I speculate that you were the oddball of the class," she joked as she too started to poke the fire with her own stick. "And that you were taunted all the time and laughed at!"
She had struck a nerve.
"What does my child life matter to you!" he snapped suddenly. "What about yours? You probably were made fun of all the time and had very few friends!"
Aletta frowned and started to say something but Severus added, "You wouldn't be intelligent enough to understand anything that I would be stupid enough to tell you anyways."
A few minutes passed in which Aletta stared at him incredulously.
"I was just joking about what I said earlier, Severus," she said so quietly that he had to strain his ears to hear her.
He turned to look at her and he saw the firelight flicker off of a tear that was now gently rolling down her cheek.
"You're right," she said a bit louder, but still silently. "I was made fun of. But the people who did just didn't understand me. Only my 'few friends' did."
He saw some more tears escape and he involuntarily moved his hand to her face to brush them away. It was too late to retract his hand; she had already moved her hand to his own, which was still on her cheek. Aletta allowed some more tears fall and he, again, brushed them away without thinking. She smiled sadly and him and brought her hand down with his in it.
"I am profoundly apologetic for what I said, Aletta," he murmured quietly. "I did not know you were jesting. I guess the truth in your joke made it hard for me to bear."
Aletta squeezed his hand gently and asked, "Were you really . . . you know?"
She looked a bit scared as though he would snap again, but for some odd reason, he only answered her question with sincerity.
"Yes. I was mocked continuously by James Potter and Sirius Black."
Aletta let his hand go, but it still rested on her bare knee. She had no idea why he was being so open with her, and neither did he. Severus never told anyone about his past, especially his childhood.
"Though, I hate to admit it, I sometimes deserved it," he added. "Potter and I hated each other ever since we had met."
"Why?" Aletta asked quietly, suddenly wanting to know everything about this man.
"He was everything I wanted to be," he replied with a bit of a bite to his voice. "And ever since he died, we had been enemies."
Aletta gazed at him for a while before she spoke up, "Is that why you hate Harry so much?"
"I don't hate Potter," he replied a bit snappishly as he pulled his hand away. "I just dislike him immensely."
"I see the difference," Aletta said sarcastically as she stood. "Well, I guess I'm going to head off to bed."
"How did you know?" he asked suddenly and she turned around and gave him quizzical look.
"How did I know what. . . ?" she asked as he stood to approach her.
When he was about a foot away from her, he murmured, "About my childhood?"
"Just a wild guess," she replied with a small smile.
He smirked back and said, "You know, I've never told anyone about that in my entire life. Except for Dumbledore, of course. He knew without me telling him."
"I'm honored to be the first woman to know, then," she said truthfully.
The corner of Snape's lips twitched and he said, "And if you tell anyone," he said slowly with some humor, "then I'll have to imprison you."
"Hmmm, would you visit me often?" she asked mischievously.
Severus' eyes glittered and he replied, "Most likely."
Aletta smiled and said, "Then don't be surprised if I tell someone as soon as we return."
Snape smirked again and leaned in closer to her, "You are quite flirtatious."
Aletta smiled again and said, "And you are, as well."
Snape abruptly brought his hand to her arm and rubbed it soothingly as he moved it upward toward her neck. When it reached its destination, he slightly pulled her toward him, her pink lips now inches away from his own.
"Whatever are you going to do, Professor Snape?" she asked breathlessly, though still managing to sneak in some humor.
"Kiss you."
And before she could reply he captured her mouth with a slow, sweet kiss.
A/N- Sorry it took so long for me to update! I've been busy reading the new HP. I'm not going to have any spoilers in this story, so don't worry if you still haven't read it yet! Please review! Is this a cliffhanger?
S.S.
I could lose my heart tonight
If you don't turn and walk away
'Cause the way I feel I might
Lose control and let you stay
'Cause I could take in my arms
And never let go
I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
I can only wonder how
Touching you would make me feel
But if I take that chance right now
Tomorrow will you want me still
So I should keep this to myself
And never let you know
I could fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
And I know it's not right
And I guess I should try to do what I should do
But I could fall in love, fall in love with you
I could fall in love with you
The next few days went well, though they did exchange a few blows here and there. The scraps were diminutive enough for the two professors to make up afterward with ease. Despite all of their disputes, Aletta felt herself growing closer to the man she formerly detested. Severus also appeared less peeved when he was with her. He spat fewer insults and retorts than he did before. Nevertheless, he occasionally managed to irritate her with his sarcasm and pessimism as she did to him with her rather related demeanor. Even though Aletta had succeeded in somewhat befriending him, she still annoyed the hell out of him.
"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Aletta asked him as they bustled through a troubling thicket.
Severus whacked a tree branch to the side that covered his trail and responded through clenched teeth, "Yes."
His foot suddenly caught on an undetected large stone and he staggered forward. Unable to catch himself, he plummeted backward onto his bottom. Severus was mad; very mad. To enraged to go further, he took his bag and hoisted it up behind his hind so he could lean back against it. He groaned contentedly as his aching muscles stretched and relaxed. The sound of Aletta's giggling suddenly reverberated in his ears. He turned to glare at her, but before he could, she had dropped herself down beside him.
"You should've seen your face," she sniggered as he now had his fully-fledged glare on her.
Aletta widened her eyes and flapped her arms about her, clearly replaying his performance.
"I like a woman that can be herself around others," he insulted and she stopped her mockery of him to give him her own glare.
After a good glower competition, Aletta spoke up, "Should we set up camp?"
Snape arched an eyebrow at her, "Does it look like we can?"
She realized he had a point as she gazed around the forest. The whole brush that surrounded them seemed to go on for miles.
"Well, we could always clear a spot with a flick of a wand," she suggested as she stood to examine the area around them.
Snape snorted and gazed up at her, "Now why didn't I think of that? Oh, that's right, because we can't!"
Aletta turned to look at him from her scrutinizing and widened her eyes, "You mean we already reached the Dume Zone?!"
"Certainly," he replied as he pulled a flask out of the inside pocket of his robes.
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked with frustration.
The content smirk that he had on his face angered her more. "I guess I just didn't feel like it at the time."
Aletta's eyes flashed dangerously at his derision, but subsequently, she smiled. "Well, then it appears that we have to, in some way, move several of these bushes to generate a clearing to set up camp."
"We?" Severus asked resolutely as he took another guzzled another swig from his flask.
"Yes, 'we'," Aletta snapped sardonically. "Unless you prefer to do it yourself?"
Snape grumbled and stood to help her. They had managed to cut the bushes with the shears that Aletta had brought with her.
After an hour our so, a small part of the shrubbery had been cleared. Snape had just cut the last shrub when he turned to look at Aletta, who had taken off her top shirt to reveal a black tank top that was a bit small. To her amusement, Snape had also stripped down due to the sweat he worked up while cutting the shrubs. He was now clad in an undershirt with no sleeves and his usual black pants.
"Did you work hard?" Snape hissed. "Or hardly work?
"I cut a couple shrubs!" Aletta said defensively as Snape threw the shears aside and set the box down in the center of the clearing.
He pressed the button, and the tent sprang out. Snape walked over to sit next to her on the dirt in front of the tent. He grabbed her water bottle, tilted his head back and held the spout to his mouth. Water poured into his mouth as he squeezed it brutally. Some water splashed onto his face and trickled down his chin to his half bare chest. Aletta watched the water trickle on his clammy, soiled skin. He had patches of dirt on his face, chest and arms while his damp hair was disheveled about his face. She never knew a man could look this sexy when they were in disarray. After he drank all of the remaining water in the bottle, he threw it to the side and leaned back onto the earthy soil. His glittering black eyes gazed up at the small opening in the trees above that allowed some moonlight to shine through. Aletta was transfixed on his appearance, but her thoughts were disturbed when he looked at her own untidy self.
"Should we start a fire?" he asked silkily as his eyes wandered over her face and torso.
She amused herself with the thought that he might find her appearance as erotic as she found his. "Might as well."
"Good," he replied as he averted his gaze back to the sky. "You can do it."
Aletta scowled at him as she stood to get the fire site ready. What she didn't know was that he was watching her very closely as she struggled to move logs to the spot in front of him. He was frequently satisfied with a small peek of the pinnacle of her chest as she bent over to set a log down. He, soon enough, slapped himself inwardly, calling himself a pervert for watching such a thing. However, it wasn't like he desired her just because of her stunning looks. Snape also admired her for her cleverness, individuality, and ability to identify with him. He also enjoyed teasing her continually. The way she endured his cruelty and sarcasm kept him on his toes. Severus adored her retorts to his insults and her opinions to his thoughts.
As he pondered all of this, he realized he was beginning to really like the girl. Hold on, he thought, the woman.
"There!" she exclaimed as she tossed the last log onto the fire. "How's that?"
Severus gazed at the roaring fire before him and nodded, "Adequate."
"Adequate!" she said with disappointment. "That's the best fire we've had yet! I'd call it enthralling!"
"I beg to differ," he said quietly as she sat down next to him again.
"Oh, you!" she said playfully. "I can never please you, can I?" Snape arched an eyebrow at her and she added. "Come to think of it, nobody can please you!"
"Do you expect me to jump for joy and kiss you cheerfully whenever you do something productive? Which is seldom, I might add."
"You're such a bastard!" she said humorously as he smirked triumphantly at her. "Were you this cruel when you were a child?"
"I suppose," he said as he prodded the fire with a stick he found lying next to him.
"I speculate that you were the oddball of the class," she joked as she too started to poke the fire with her own stick. "And that you were taunted all the time and laughed at!"
She had struck a nerve.
"What does my child life matter to you!" he snapped suddenly. "What about yours? You probably were made fun of all the time and had very few friends!"
Aletta frowned and started to say something but Severus added, "You wouldn't be intelligent enough to understand anything that I would be stupid enough to tell you anyways."
A few minutes passed in which Aletta stared at him incredulously.
"I was just joking about what I said earlier, Severus," she said so quietly that he had to strain his ears to hear her.
He turned to look at her and he saw the firelight flicker off of a tear that was now gently rolling down her cheek.
"You're right," she said a bit louder, but still silently. "I was made fun of. But the people who did just didn't understand me. Only my 'few friends' did."
He saw some more tears escape and he involuntarily moved his hand to her face to brush them away. It was too late to retract his hand; she had already moved her hand to his own, which was still on her cheek. Aletta allowed some more tears fall and he, again, brushed them away without thinking. She smiled sadly and him and brought her hand down with his in it.
"I am profoundly apologetic for what I said, Aletta," he murmured quietly. "I did not know you were jesting. I guess the truth in your joke made it hard for me to bear."
Aletta squeezed his hand gently and asked, "Were you really . . . you know?"
She looked a bit scared as though he would snap again, but for some odd reason, he only answered her question with sincerity.
"Yes. I was mocked continuously by James Potter and Sirius Black."
Aletta let his hand go, but it still rested on her bare knee. She had no idea why he was being so open with her, and neither did he. Severus never told anyone about his past, especially his childhood.
"Though, I hate to admit it, I sometimes deserved it," he added. "Potter and I hated each other ever since we had met."
"Why?" Aletta asked quietly, suddenly wanting to know everything about this man.
"He was everything I wanted to be," he replied with a bit of a bite to his voice. "And ever since he died, we had been enemies."
Aletta gazed at him for a while before she spoke up, "Is that why you hate Harry so much?"
"I don't hate Potter," he replied a bit snappishly as he pulled his hand away. "I just dislike him immensely."
"I see the difference," Aletta said sarcastically as she stood. "Well, I guess I'm going to head off to bed."
"How did you know?" he asked suddenly and she turned around and gave him quizzical look.
"How did I know what. . . ?" she asked as he stood to approach her.
When he was about a foot away from her, he murmured, "About my childhood?"
"Just a wild guess," she replied with a small smile.
He smirked back and said, "You know, I've never told anyone about that in my entire life. Except for Dumbledore, of course. He knew without me telling him."
"I'm honored to be the first woman to know, then," she said truthfully.
The corner of Snape's lips twitched and he said, "And if you tell anyone," he said slowly with some humor, "then I'll have to imprison you."
"Hmmm, would you visit me often?" she asked mischievously.
Severus' eyes glittered and he replied, "Most likely."
Aletta smiled and said, "Then don't be surprised if I tell someone as soon as we return."
Snape smirked again and leaned in closer to her, "You are quite flirtatious."
Aletta smiled again and said, "And you are, as well."
Snape abruptly brought his hand to her arm and rubbed it soothingly as he moved it upward toward her neck. When it reached its destination, he slightly pulled her toward him, her pink lips now inches away from his own.
"Whatever are you going to do, Professor Snape?" she asked breathlessly, though still managing to sneak in some humor.
"Kiss you."
And before she could reply he captured her mouth with a slow, sweet kiss.
A/N- Sorry it took so long for me to update! I've been busy reading the new HP. I'm not going to have any spoilers in this story, so don't worry if you still haven't read it yet! Please review! Is this a cliffhanger?
S.S.
