Title: Illicit Bonds
Author: Ananda Arlin
Disclaimer: Yeah, they aren't mine. I wish they were, but they aren't. Oh well.
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I know the last chapter was a bit short, but I wrote it in about 5 minutes because I just wanted to get it up. ^_^ On with the story!
Anne sat in the Gryffindor common room reading the list of potions. Most of them were familiar, if difficult, and she was sure she had at least heard of almost all of them… She glanced down the list, finally seeing one potion that she didn't recognize.
"Hmmmm…the Eros Draught…I wonder what that is?" She frowned at the offending title. After a moment, she sighed and circled it on the list. "Well, I suppose there's no help for it. I'll just have to ask Professor Snape."
She walked down to the dungeons after lunch, clutching the list tightly in her hand. She knocked on the heavy door to the Potions classroom, and was rewarded (if one can say that) by Professor Snape opening the door on the third knock.
"Yes, Ms. Hassely?" She sighed. "Professor, there is one potion on this list that I've never heard of…" He sighed. "What is it?" She handed him the list, with the title circled in blue ink.
Professor Snape looked at the list with a feeling of dread. Of course, it would have to be this particular potion that she wanted help with. He closed his eyes for a moment. "All right, Ms. Hassely. Gather the ingredients and start brewing. I will be in my office in case you destroy anything." He sneered at her.
Anne sighed. "Thank you, Professor." She headed over to the cabinet where he kept ingredients for the more advanced potions and began removing a few vials of different herbs. Professor Snape retreated inside his office and shut the door.
Once inside, he sank down in his chair, burying his face in his hands. "Why this one? It was only on the N.E.W.T.'s once, and it caused so many problems that they probably won't ever use it again." He sighed. "I'd better have some antidote to that lying around…"
He heard a noise outside his door and got up to investigate. When he did, he was hit full force by a wave of something that sent him reeling backwards, his vision clouded over. When his sight cleared, he saw Anne standing over a cauldron, brewing the potion.
Anne looked up from the potion to see Professor Snape standing in the door of his office. She was overcome by a sudden burst of fumes from the potion, but when it cleared, she saw that he was gone. With a shrug, she went back to brewing the potion.
Inside his office, Professor Snape was pressed against the inside of his door. He was breathing heavily and mentally berating himself for opening the door. For Merlin's sake, this is ridiculous! I cannot open this door, because if I do…
He heard Anne's voice from the other room. "Professor…I think I may have made a mistake…can you come see my potion?" Snape moved away from the door, walking quickly to the other side of his office and sitting down behind his desk. His knuckles clutched at the arms of his chair. His mind was racing.
"Just a moment, Ms. Hassely…" He stood up and walked over to the door, bracing himself. I can do this! I am a grown man, and I can control myself! He opened the door a crack, admitting some eye-stinging fumes from the potion. He took one smell and lost his resolve. Great Merlin! She must have brewed it stronger than normal! This is not good…
Walking out of his office, Snape kept his eyes down, refusing to look up at Anne and the cauldron. Managing to cross the room without tripping over anything, he peered down into the roiling potion, examining it closely. It was bright blue, with bubbles that kept rising to the surface and bursting.
One particularly large bubble burst, spraying droplets of the potion onto both Professor Snape and Anne. He flinched and pulled his head away from the cauldron. Looking up, he saw Anne staring at him. She swallowed hard. "Pro...professor…"
Snape closed his eyes in exasperation. This was the last thing that he needed to happen! With a groan, he walked around the cauldron to stand right in front of Anne. Pulling her close to him, he kissed her roughly on the mouth. She returned the kiss with equal fervor.
He pulled away, mentally berating himself. Control yourself, Severus! You are a grown man! She is your student, for Merlin's sake! No matter what other factors are affecting you, you need to keep in control! Get out of there now, before something more happens!
He pulled away, nearly sprinting to his office and then slamming the door behind him. He sat down behind his desk again, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. That was unforgivable! It can never be repeated! She is a student, for Merlin's sake, and no matter what the circumstance may be, that is totally out of line!
He buried his face in his hands.
A/N: Alrighty! End of chapter 2! Certainly took me long enough to get around to writing… hopefully I'll get my act together for the next one though ^_^
Oh, and anyone who knows what the potion does and why it's named what it is gets a prize! R&R please!