Disclaimer: The usual. None of the characters are mine, their all JK
Rowling's, but I'm not using them for profit, so it's all ok.
Fic starts here:
When Severus entered his classroom several hours later, the third seat from the left in the second row was empty. Cho's seat, he thought worriedly. Had something happened to her? You've already given enough of yourself away, he told himself sternly. He turned to the board and began to write the recipe for sleeping potions in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner.
"Professor Snape?"
"Yes?"
"Cho won't be here today. She's in the hospital wing - I think she's hurt her arm again."
Severus felt a fresh pang of guilt as realised that Cho had never got her potion. He frowned to himself and continued to write on the board.
Why had he fallen for a student? Why did he feel so guilty about causing one person pain, when he had never, since her death, batted an eyelid about hurting somebody else? Because she hit me in a tender spot, he realised. He wasn't selfish, he couldn't bear being told that after saying it to himself for fifteen years. Then there were the similarities between them. He realised that he felt a connection with Cho, a connection he had not felt with another soul for a long time. From what he had seen in the water that morning, it was clear that she was not entirely indifferent to him either. That was it. He would give her the fixed potion that night, and approach her to see whether she really felt the same way. This time, he decided, he would do it sober. The corner of his mouth curling, he turned to face the class and proceeded to discuss sleeping potions.
*****
"Cho?"
"Se - Professor Snape?" He hadn't seemed to have minded the previous night, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to call him by his first name when there was a chance that somebody could hear her.
"Did Madame Pomfrey give you some potion? If not, I brought you some."
"No, she didn't. Thankyou."
"The boomslang skin was not added last time, so I added it to the sample I had left. I promise I won't kill you tonight." He smiled as he handed her the goblet. She drank for it, cautiously at first, then finished the rest of it.
"That makes me feel better already. Thankyou." He didn't reply. "Is something wrong, Professor?"
He turned to face her. "Last night you called me Severus."
"I know. I'm sorry. It seemed - it seemed right at the time."
"Did it?" It was Cho's turn to be silent. "I suppose the reason I was here was because this morning I looked into the water. I saw you in it."
"Professor - I - "
"I'm not trying to make you say or do anything. It's just - " How could he say this? "It made me happy that you cared for me. That's all. Goodnight." He started to leave.
"Professor - Severus." He turned to her. "May I call you Severus?"
"If it makes you happy."
"I do feel something for you. And. I don't want you to leave me alone right now." Of all the people she could have said that to, a week ago she never would have imagined saying it to the greasy potions master. Yet here she was, speaking the truth to him and hoping that he would keep her company for as long as possible.
Severus slowly approached the bed and sat down beside her. He leant over and kissed her softly, realising that this was what he had been yearning for for what had seemed like an eternity.
Fic starts here:
When Severus entered his classroom several hours later, the third seat from the left in the second row was empty. Cho's seat, he thought worriedly. Had something happened to her? You've already given enough of yourself away, he told himself sternly. He turned to the board and began to write the recipe for sleeping potions in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner.
"Professor Snape?"
"Yes?"
"Cho won't be here today. She's in the hospital wing - I think she's hurt her arm again."
Severus felt a fresh pang of guilt as realised that Cho had never got her potion. He frowned to himself and continued to write on the board.
Why had he fallen for a student? Why did he feel so guilty about causing one person pain, when he had never, since her death, batted an eyelid about hurting somebody else? Because she hit me in a tender spot, he realised. He wasn't selfish, he couldn't bear being told that after saying it to himself for fifteen years. Then there were the similarities between them. He realised that he felt a connection with Cho, a connection he had not felt with another soul for a long time. From what he had seen in the water that morning, it was clear that she was not entirely indifferent to him either. That was it. He would give her the fixed potion that night, and approach her to see whether she really felt the same way. This time, he decided, he would do it sober. The corner of his mouth curling, he turned to face the class and proceeded to discuss sleeping potions.
*****
"Cho?"
"Se - Professor Snape?" He hadn't seemed to have minded the previous night, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to call him by his first name when there was a chance that somebody could hear her.
"Did Madame Pomfrey give you some potion? If not, I brought you some."
"No, she didn't. Thankyou."
"The boomslang skin was not added last time, so I added it to the sample I had left. I promise I won't kill you tonight." He smiled as he handed her the goblet. She drank for it, cautiously at first, then finished the rest of it.
"That makes me feel better already. Thankyou." He didn't reply. "Is something wrong, Professor?"
He turned to face her. "Last night you called me Severus."
"I know. I'm sorry. It seemed - it seemed right at the time."
"Did it?" It was Cho's turn to be silent. "I suppose the reason I was here was because this morning I looked into the water. I saw you in it."
"Professor - I - "
"I'm not trying to make you say or do anything. It's just - " How could he say this? "It made me happy that you cared for me. That's all. Goodnight." He started to leave.
"Professor - Severus." He turned to her. "May I call you Severus?"
"If it makes you happy."
"I do feel something for you. And. I don't want you to leave me alone right now." Of all the people she could have said that to, a week ago she never would have imagined saying it to the greasy potions master. Yet here she was, speaking the truth to him and hoping that he would keep her company for as long as possible.
Severus slowly approached the bed and sat down beside her. He leant over and kissed her softly, realising that this was what he had been yearning for for what had seemed like an eternity.