Of Charcoal and Rose
By: ann no aku
General Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter Three
Author's Notes: This is for Bella. Sorry it had taken quite so long. I hope you like this chapter as much as the other two. If this is too mushy, let me know. I tried to make Snape convincing, but not as big of a bugger as he is perceived.
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Claudia awoke the next morning unclothed on the floor beneath a heavy chenille blanket. The roaring fire in the fireplace had gone out only moments ago and the electronic whirr of power surging through the house had woken her. She searched around her living room with still sleepy eyes. Where was Severus? She tightly wrapped the afghan around herself and padded through her kitchen to make some tea for the both of them, but the ever disappearing gentleman was nowhere to be seen. Nor was her help Mary.
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"Severus," Albus Dumbledore stopped his potions professor in the corridor on the way to breakfast Monday morning. He smiled at him as though there was an inside joke he should know. "I did not get the chance to say thank you for the favor you did for me on Saturday."
"You're welcome." Snape wanted to escape Dumbledore's clutches before the old man could ask him anything about what had happened in the Leaky Cauldron. It was bad enough that quite so many knew as it was. Soon people would start to see him as having a soft spot for Muggles, and the truth was that he hated them.
"Interesting, isn't it, how a Muggle came across Tom's pub?"
Too late. "It was an accident," he began.
"As I've heard," Albus interrupted. "I have asked the papers to keep this quiet because I cannot have everyone knowing it was you whom had showed the woman the way out. Speaking of which, Severus, why did you do so?"
Yes, why had he done so? Even if Lucius had escorted Ms. Wallace out of the pub, it would have resulted in the same thing. Well, the same as to what he was supposed to do. Lucius would not have had sex with the Muggle, but he would have performed the memory charm on her per requirement. Did he personally show out Ms. Wallace because he had feelings for her? No, he told himself. That is ridiculous. She's a Muggle. But his answer did not justify what he had done. "I feared, Sir, that maybe Lucius would terrorize the Muggle. In the end, it would cause even more trouble for the Ministry," he conjured up. "And I might have to be questioned. You know how I do not like to deal with the Ministry of Magic," he said while remembering his past dealings with them after coming clean to Dumbledore about being a Death Eater.
"Of course." Even though the headmaster's words agreed with him, the dangerous twinkle in his sparkling blue eyes said otherwise. "I do have one other question, Severus. Does this Muggle know anything at all which can put our world at risk?" The inquiry was not whether he had performed the memory charm or not, but if the Muggle woman knew too much. In other words, Dumbledore knew that he had not. Somehow . .
"No." Was that all he could say?
"Good. Come then and share in breakfast." He led the way through the large double doors to the Great Hall smiling at all his students merrily chatting away while scraping jam on their toast or drinking only the finest pumpkin juice.
Snape absent mindedly put his hand in his robe pocket as if feeling around for something. His already long face fell as he was struck with a painful realization. He was missing something very important, and he was unarmed.
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"Mornin', love," Andrew greeted as he seated himself at the breakfast table. His thick fingers flipped through the thin pages of the newspaper. "Ah, more stories of blokes dressed in all black harassing people. S'bin happening a lot, eh, Claudia?"
"Of course," she smiled awkwardly and delicately pulled a knife from the drawer. Her hand shook as she brought it down to the thick sandwich. The sharp tool slid from her left hand and sliced her other arm which was unhappily resting in a sling.
"Lunch almost ready?" he asked not even bothering to look up when he had unmistakably heard the knife drop to the floor.
"I," she started to tell him about her injury when she remembered that all that mattered was that he received his lunch on time.
"You're taking a bit long, aren't you? I thought women were supposed to know their way around a kitchen."
"I'm sorry," Claudia stuttered suddenly feeling ashamed. Since when did she let someone hold her back so? She had always thought of herself as a confident and strong woman. If she was, then how did a bastard like Andrew manage to control her the way he did? Fear, she decided.
"No 'sorry', Claudia. All I ask is for a simple lunch—cucumber sandwiches! How hard can it be to slice up some green cock and shove it between two pieces of white bread? You're useless," he spat. His vulgar language caused her stomach to twist into knots. Must he always be so cruel?
"It is hard for me to move quickly and carefully with a twisted shoulder, Andrew," she carefully reminded.
"How dare you blame me for that! Was it my fault you fell into a wooden table and smashed it to bits?" His voice shook the windows like an angry wind. "I'm going to change. Maybe the pub down the street can serve something more edible faster than you can." His heavy footsteps thundered up the stairs. The man was like the rain on her parade.
The thought of rain made her think of Mr. Severus Snape. Every time she had ever seen him, it had rained despite their somewhat pleasant encounters. Yet when Claudia was with the stormy Andrew, his attitude never described the weather. On the contrary, they had partaken in a few nice strolls before he had become an alcoholic and desperate for control.
Almost as soon as Andrew had made his way to the guestroom where he was to change into more appropriate attire, the doorbell buzzed signaling an unexpected guest. Claudia rushed to the door and was surprised to see the man whom could make the sky cry on even the happiest days. "S-Severus," she gasped.
"I had left my cloak here," he curtly informed and immediately took notice of the multiple contusions on her arm and the cut on her lip.
"I had a car accident," she lied as if reading his thoughts. Claudia then practically pushed the gentleman into the kitchen. "I, uh, I will get your cloak, but I am a little preoccupied right now. It is not a good time for visiting."
"Did you cut yourself?" Snape inquired looking at the deep crimson scratch on her right arm and ignoring her statement about being busy. His nimble fingers traced the outline and warm blood stained his fingertips.
"Yes. I was making lunch, as you can tell from the mess in here," she blushed, "and the knife slipped. I can be so clumsy sometimes, but I suppose you already know that, don't you?" Her shy attitude caught him off his guard. The last time he had seen her, Ms. Wallace was not afraid to state her opinion and be as annoying as possible. Now the Muggle was acting just as that—mundane. "Cloak, right?" She went in searching of it mumbling something like hall closet and bedroom.
"Who's there?" Andrew's voice boomed from the top of the staircase. So that's to whom the other mug belongs, Snape thought with a sour expression.
"N-No one. It's just the post." Claudia sprinted into the kitchen and pushed Snape along with his cloak by the dining room past the kitchen. "Are you leaving now?"
"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He said when she came out to greet him in the foyer. Andrew pressed his heavy body on hers so that she was shoved into the wall. She bit her lip in pain as her elbow met it. "You cut yourself making me sandwiches. How stupid can you get, love?" he asked holding her by her hair and sniffing her neck. A hungry hand shot to her abdomen then down to the button on her trousers. "Maybe I won't go out just yet if you give me a reason to stay any longer. Maybe I wasn't hungry for food after all." His index finger rubbed her stomach playfully.
Her silence infuriated him.
"What? Am I not good enough for you?" he screamed pressing his erection into her thigh.
"N-No," she barely whispered fighting back the tears in her eyes. He was humiliating her.
"Oh, quit yer blubbering, you whigny bitch." As he began unzipping his khakis, a dark shadow crossed over him.
"That's now how a lady should be handled," the stranger said and grabbed Andrew's roaming hand.
"Who is this bloke? Someone to keep you busy while I'm at the pub?" He laughed and swung at Snape.
"No," she gasped and moved in to stop him. A hard punch landed on her cheek sending her into the opposite wall.
"Look at what you did; you let my woman get hurt." Andrew tried to hit Snape again but only found him being incapacitated. "You think a scrawny guy like you can stop me?" he hissed, reminding Snape all too much of his days as a Death Eater. "Once you leave, she's all alone."
"If you ever come back here, I will kill you." The way he had threatened the Muggle sent chills down both Andrew's and Claudia's spines. His words dripped with blood. Snape grabbed the man by his lapels and glared darkly at him as he held him high upon the wall. His black eyes had turned deep amber with hatred. He silently wished he had his wand so he could perform the Adava Kedarva curse.
"You can't keep saving her," Andrew said only making Snape even angrier. "One day you won't be around, and she will hate you for it."
"Get out," Severus barked and released the man.
"With pleasure," he showed himself the door and closed it gently as if mocking Snape's temper.
"You have your cloak, Mr. Snape, you may leave now. If you'll be so kind as if to excuse me," Claudia pulled herself up from the floor and walked calmly up the stairs as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened (which in turn did not help Snape's anger). Once safe upstairs, her body collapsed tiredly against her bedroom door. How could she have been so foolish to follow the devil all the way into his hell?
Snape tried to ignore the woman's muffled sobs, but found a strange wrenching pain in his chest. He quickly assumed it was acid reflux from the excitement and decided to charm it away, even though there was no charm to get rid of pity. His feet led him to the stairs and dragged his reluctant body to where she was. "It is not your fault."
"It's a Thursday, Mr. Snape, aren't you supposed to be teaching today?" she shot at him forcing herself to stand up.
"It was imperative that I retrieved my cloak," he slowly said and found it hard to believe that he somehow had managed to last all week with a 'loaning' wand from the storage room. The only reason Dumbledore had allowed him to leave was to raise more suspicion.
"You should leave. I suspect Andrew will return."
"I doubt it," he said recalling that he had enchanted the door so that only invited guests could enter the house.
"Then what are you still doing here? Your role as hero is over. Andrew was right, one day you won't be there. I have to learn to fight my own battles. I don't need a phantom lover to come and play knight only when he chooses."
Is that how she saw him? He was hardly her lover! Snape mentally fought with his arms as they pulled the woman towards him. He kicked himself for finding her attractive, and he hated himself for caressing her smooth skin.
"Please," she begged as his fingers danced along her bruised lip. Her usual satin mouth had turned to sandpaper with dried blood.
"You shouldn't let him do that to you."
"And I suppose you know a way to prevent it?" She felt as though she was standing before a stranger completely unclothed.
Severus played with the skin in between her collar bones. Her chest rose as she took in a sharp breath. Claudia's stomach tingled in anticipation and even more so when he stole her lips into the gentlest of meetings. His own body trembled in fear from the surge of emotions shooting through his veins.
"Why are you still here, Severus?" she broke from the kiss. "You've seen me at my worst. Let me go." The softness of her plea stung him. Never before had begging affected him in such a way. He was turning weak, and it was all the Muggle's fault. It never would have happened if she was a witch. Witches didn't go around acting pathetic and foolhardy like an accident just waiting to happen (with the exception of Neville, of course). "Please."
A protest threatened to escape from his lips, and it took him everything not to allow it to do so.
"Leave. It is what you do best," her eyes darted towards the floor the instant she insulted him. It angered her that he could be so collected when she was so naked before him. Before she could stop him, the man scooped her up into his arms and carried her to her bed. There he held her against his chest feeling very much like a damned fool. Snape did the only thing he knew that could help her; he cast a soft spell that would allow her to sleep a dreamless sleep for twelve hours. Whether or not she hated him when she woke was her prerogative, Claudia Wallace was nothing more than a charity project to him and he was behind on his hours. Her limp body fell deeper into his as the spell worked its way through her.
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"Welcome back, Severus," the headmaster greeted at supper that evening. He looked at him from behind the rim of his goblet. His old eyes glittered in a mysterious amusement.
Supper seemed to take longer than usual, and the Great Hall felt much more crowded. He knew it was a lot louder than yesterday. Snape felt weighted with emptiness, and the thick slices of roast beef bathed in sweet grave couldn't even replace a portion of his hollow insides. The butter soaked rolls tasted dry, and the pecan bourbon crème brulee wasn't hard enough on top. What did it take to have quality service at what was rumored to be the best wizarding school in the world?
He excused himself from the table and headed straight for his quarters. For an odd reason, Snape could not shake the peculiar madness that surged within him. Sleep did not help, either. He kept waking and tried falling back asleep until he finally decided that slumber was moot. He looked up and took notice of the painting he had moved from his office and into his room above his lounge chair. The pale flickers of candle light undulated upon the canvas.
His slender pointer finger touched the woman's full lips delicately running his thumb along the bottom. He then drew an invisible line on her jaw tracing it back to her chin. Her long neck begged for his touch, and he fell victim to its call. His fingertips curled at the stray wisps of her honey blond hair. They danced along the accentuated contours of the woman's organic form stopping at her covered ankles. Her blue abysses lured him in and proceeded to drown him.
He hated himself for wanting her.
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I was going to make this chapter longer, but I thought it'd be best to just load up this one ASAP. Thanks for reading! More is coming. *cough cough* I know . .I know . .I tend to leave things. But I promise that this WHOLE STORY is already written out! I just have to get off my lazy butt and type it when I'd rather be playing the SIMS! Ja ne!
~ann no aku ((^.-))~*