It was two weeks later when the chill had really settled over the area, settling espeically in the dungeons. Few people spent much time in the common room, even with a huge fire blazing as usual, the cold still permeated. After dinner, Sheraton had retreated into her room and had stoked the fire high - creating an oasis of warmth as she lay in her bed, reading her History of Magic text. It was after ten when she looked up to see Julian watching her from the door to the shared bathroom. She quirked an eyebrow at him as she rose up to lean on her elbow.
"And how long have you been there?" she asked softly as he strolled towards her. He was dressed for bed in black silk pyjamas, somehow he didn't ever seem to mind the cold like the rest of them.
"Not too long, I just finished taking notes on a few potions chapters and checked on the whiskey," he told her as he climbed into bed with her, lying on his side to face her.
She pushed away her own book to make more room for him and he moved so she could pillow her head on his stomach. "Will it be ready for Halloween then?" she asked, sighing at the body heat seeping into her. Julian was always like a roaring fire to her, so warm and comforting.
"Should be, I still need to have Adrian try it though."
Sheraton giggled, "How did you rope him into doing that for you?"
"He lost a poker game."
Sheraton snickered but suddenly shivered as Julian ran a long-boned hand through her hair. His fingers brushed against the back of her neck and she tried valiantly to repress a sigh. She had fantasized about those hands ever since last year. Picturing them cupping her cheek, brushing against her collarbone and moving ever so slowly downwards.
Sheraton bit her lip. "So..."
Julian's voice sounded amused. "So?"
Sheraton shrugged and he chuckled, "You're adorable - you know that?"
She lifted her head enough to stick her tongue out at him.
"Don't do that unless you're going to do something with it," he told her with a lopsided grin and at her indignant squeak he laughed outright.
"Don't patronize me," she told him with as much dignity as she could muster, lying in his lap only wearing a fitted tee shirt and ridiculously short shorts.
"I don't patronize you love, I just think you're fun to tease." He assured her, giving her shoulder a brief rub.
"Am I?" she asked archly. "Keep it up, Mr. Higgs and see how far my patience runs."
"It runs extremely far, Sher. Unless, of course, I... do.... this!" with only that for warning he suddenly pushed her off his lap and fell to tickling her sides and feet. Sheraton shrieked with laughter, trying to push him off of her but he was bigger and heavier. Soon he was tickling the extremely sensitive place right under her right ribs and she was absolutely helpless, tears running down her cheeks. And just as suddenly - he stopped.
Her eyes fluttered open and met his own. He was poised above her, his body aligned with hers - one hand braced against the mattress next to her - the other resting on her rib cage, only an inch from the underside of her breast. He was breathing harshly and so was she - her chest expanding into his and his pupils dilated as his mouth opened silently. The moment of silence stretched into two as he lifted his hand from her ribs to brush at the tears upon her face, his thumb running down her cheek to rest just above the jut of her lower lip. He expelled a long breath as she pressed her lips to the thumb, tasting the salt and something upon his skin that was undefinable yet undeniably Julian. Julian. Ian. Her best friend in the entire world - the only person she could trust absolutely in the dungeons. Her ally, her stalwart in the battle they lived in.
She couldn't do this. They couldn't do this. But the want and the arousal now warming her belly - or could it be Julian's own warmth that was so comforting - were almost painful and she closed her eyes tightly.
Sheraton felt more than heard his exhalation of breath against her neck, raising goose bumps on her skin.
"Merlin, Sheraton - I'm sorry. I'm too heavy - " he tried to move away from her but she opened her eyes and clutched at his forearm.
"Don't. You're not. Don't go," the words rushed out of her mouth before she could stop them.
The worry in his blue eyes faded away slightly. "Okay." He rolled to his side and pulled her next to him, lying her on her stomach and he began to rub her back in smooth, circular motions. She gave a small mewl that made him move his hips slightly away from hers, and settled her face into the cradle of her arms. As one hand rubbed at her lower back, his other arm extended to rest along her shoulders.
Sheraton felt utterly surrounded by his love. He was so warm, she mused. 'I'm so comfortable,' was her sleepy thought. 'I just want to curl up and sleep on top of him... wait! no! no no no! I cannot think of that visual right now.. think about something else! Something like - my uncle. Yes. My uncle is a good subject - and potions! Julian likes potions. Hopefully not as much as he likes me but... No! Stop that thought! Potions!'
"So how's your potions project going?" Yes, that is a good - safe - subject.
Unbeknownst to Sheraton, Julian's own thought process was whirling over the same precipice. 'Think unsexy thoughts. You are not lying in bed with a half nude Sheraton, her pale skin glowing in the fire light and she's not making little panting noises that make you want to find out what other kind of noises she makes. No! Not in bed with Sheraton, playing with her hair... The hair belongs to - Severus! Yes. You are... lying in bed... with your potions.... master. Damn, can't do that. No way no how. Far too creepy. Oh - bad mental place. Find a happy place! Find a happy place! Uh oh - happy place is Sheraton - naked! Can't think of Sheraton naked! Sheraton - naked, oh.... Stop! Shite - she, she just asked me a question. Potions! Thank Merlin she asked you about potions...'
"It's fine," he responded properly. "Wonderful actually. I hope it'll be successful - a perfect on my NEWTS practicum would really help my career."
She chuckled. "You're such a geek sometimes Ian."
"Yes, but you must remember my dear - so are you. Most girls don't go to bed with their history textbooks."
She shrugged but didn't enunciate a reply as she rolled onto her side, her back nestled against his front. Without even realizing it, he dragged his hand down her side and unintentionally grazed the side of her breast.
'Crap!' Julian winced at Sheraton's intake of breath - she hadn't quite moaned, but it was enough of another breathy sound like before that his entire thought process was clouded. He suddenly realized that his body had reacted instinctively and the way Sheraton was lying against him - she could probably feel it very clearly.
Neither one said a single word.
Both left out great whooshes of air as there was a prim knock on the door. Julian nearly leapt out of bed. "I'll get it!!"
"Julian!" she hissed at him. "You are not answering my door late at night in your pyjamas! Sit down!" she pointed at the couch in front of her wardrobe as she pulled on her dressing gown and moved to the door. She opened it with a bright smile that a first year could have identified as faked.
Julian buried his head in his hands and swallowed a groan.
"I'm sorry for calling so late, Sheraton but one of the first years just had another nightmare and wants someone to sit with her. I'll do it but I just wanted to let you know." Pansy leaned against the doorframe, her pale pink fluffy robe nearly dwarfing her slight body.
"No! I'll do it, Pansy - don't worry. It was getting... stuffy in here and I could do with a breath of fresh air. I'll go and check on her - it is Nott, isn't it?" It was well known between the girls that young Diana Nott had wandered into her father's office one night, looking for a glass of water and a story and had found her father slitting the throat of a young girl on the couch. Her nightmares were a weekly occurence, and left her shaking. She didn't speak much as a rule, the fear in her eyes often spoke quite enough. Diana was the kind of child that Slytherin purposely made a part of the family - and children like her often threw themselves into the culture, looking for a place to belong and feel safe within the rules and constraints of the customs.
Pansy nodded, clearly happy to not have to sit up half the night with the often hysterical child and wandered off towards her own dormitory. Sheraton tied her robe closed and shot a glance at Julian. He looked so... forlorn sitting there and she felt awful running out on him like this. But it was all moving so quickly - and the thought of losing his friendship was extremely frightening to Sheraton. She needed more time to think.
"I'll probably be a few hours at least. Go on to bed, love," she put the emphasis on the endearment as she crossed to him, kissing the top of his head. "We'll... speak of this later." She went to leave but he caught her hand in his before he could and she turned back to look at him.
His eyes were nearly steel blue in their resoluteness. "We will speak of this, Sheraton. You can't run away from this forever."
She sighed and squeezed his hand, but tore her hand away to close the opening of her dressing gown closed and stepped into the hall, shutting the door behind her with a quiet thud. Leaving Julian alone in the warm room that smelled of lilacs and green tea - staring at the fire.
Julian wasn't the only one alone with his thoughts. Christopher sat in the common room, playing with his signet ring as he looked off into nothing.
Earlier in the evening, he had wandered along the shelves of the library, the spaces between the stacks hushed and almost reverent. Every once in a while he would stop and pull out a book with a title that interested him, flipping through the pages lazily. He now carried three books - all for Care of Magical Creatures paper that was due at the end of the week, three feet upon the various forms of gryphons around the world.
He was so lost in his own thoughts it wasn't until he knocked hands with another person as they reached for the same book that he was shaken out of his inward reflection. He turned to look down into the sparkling green eyes of Alicia Spinnet, a mischievous grin upon her face as she looked up at him.
"I've been calling your name for a good five minutes, you know," she told him in her own particular husky voice that she reserved for him. "I realized that I would have to be more creative if I wanted to capture your attention."
"You know that I adore your creativity," he told her softly, setting his books down on the shelf. He opened his arms and she melted into them, her head nestling into the crook between his neck and shoulders. Chris was tall - at six foot one he towered over most girls but Alicia's willowy five foot eight of curves fit perfectly against him. He lowered his head to rest against hers and smiled as he breathed in the scent of her hair - the grass of the Quidditch pitch and the lavender of her shampoo.
"I've missed you," she said softly.
"Me as well, I feel as though I never see what I eat I'm watching you so much at meals," Chris confessed.
She giggled. "I know - Angie noticed the other day. They think you're planning to do something nefarious to me during the match next month."
"Well, I'm sure your goody two shoes friends would consider most of the things I plan to do to you nefarious - just not on the pitch," he grinned rakishly - though that was dropped when she smacked him on the chest.
"What in hell was that for, woman?" he asked.
She crossed her arms across her chest and scowled at him. "My friends are not goody two shoes. And don't call me woman."
Chris's brow furrowed in confusion. "Why not? You are a woman and more than that..." he reached out a hand and tugged at her arms until she was pressed against his chest again, his eyes boring into hers as he traced her jaw line with a delicate finger. "You're my woman."
"Y'know, for all that you're making me sound like some sort of empty headed object, that's sweet in a twisted, Slytherin sort of way," she murmured, her eyelids half closed as he now ran his finger up and down his side.
"Well, I'll take that as a compliment," he whispered back as he splayed one hand across her lower back to press her even closer.
"It is..." was all she managed before his lips crushed hers. Her mouth opened in a groan and he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue sweeping through her mouth to reconnoiter in the crannies which he knew so well, but had not enjoyed in nearly two months.
He moved to press her against the bookshelf and Alicia took advantage of the leverage to hoist herself up with her palms and wrapped her legs around his mid-section, her hands moving to bury into his wavy, thick locks. She nibbled on his lower lip, their breath mixing together as their hips started to rock in time. His mouth left hers to trail down to her neck, where he sucked at her pulse point making her moan. Her eyes flew open as she suddenly realized the noise she had made - and where she had made it.
"Chris!" she hissed at him, pushing at his shoulders. "We have to ....stop... that right - oh Merlin - now!"
He pulled away to stare at her incredulously. "What?" He looked stricken, his finger tracing light patterns over her back.
"We're in the library!"
"We're alone for the first time in two months! And you want me to stop? You know you're enjoying yourself..." he coaxed, licking at the dip in her collar bone.
She bit her lip as she shuddered, but then smacked him on the shoulder. "Put me down this instant."
He looked away from her for a minute, his eyes going dark as his face set. Finally, silently, he lowered his knees until she could unlock her ankles and place her albeit unsteady feet on the ground. She leaned back against the stack, her chest rising and falling rapidly in a way that held his attention even as he tried to remain angry at her.
"I don't see why we have to stop?" he said quietly. "The number of times Adrian and Jas have taken 'study breaks' in here..."
"I'm not a Slytherin girl you can make do what you want, Chris," Alicia snapped.
His head snapped up. "There are no other girls with me, 'Licia." His face grew stormy as he stepped towards her. "Are there other boys?"
She swallowed as she looked up at him. "N-no!"
He placed a large hand on either side of her. They were both Chasers but muscled in completely different ways. She was long and lean and while he still had the height, his arms were bulky and his shoulders broad. The thought that he could literally snap her in half had never seemed to real to her. Until now.
He lowered his head to breathe against her ear. "I'm a possessive man, 'Licia. I've never had to share and never intend to learn how. Those things I regard as mine - are mine. You are mine. The only reason I'm not with you every moment of the day is because you had the unfortunate fate of being Sorted into Gryffindork. I watch you to protect you - and I have every right to do so. Don't forget it."
Her jaw dropped and she rose up on her toes to be face to face with him. "Listen to me Christopher Eugene Ignatius Warrington. I belong to no one but myself. You can't tell me what to do - and you certainly have no right to claim me. We're not engaged - not even close - " her voice cut off as he grabbed her arm, his face a mixture of fierceness and tenderness.
"You don't think I'm marrying you?"
She stared at him - dumbfounded. "You want to marry me?"
He looked down at his feet, letting go of her. When he looked back at her she was amazed at the emotion she saw there. "You think I would do this if I didn't want to marry you? That I would send you letters? That I would consider not playing my absolute best against your team - because I don't want you to get hurt?"
She blinked rapidly, trying to grab a hold of the speeding Hogwarts Express that was this conversation. "You don't need to take care of me on the pitch, Chris. That's what I have a team for."
He shook his head abruptly. "I don't like you playing at all. It's too dangerous - no place for you."
"No place for me or no place for girls?"
Chris probably should have heard the warning tone in her voice, should probably have seen the flash of anger in her eyes but did not - and so continued. "No place for women and definitely not for my woman."
He realized his mistake at her indrawn breath and stiffening of her posture. "Of all the mysoginistic," she stopped, bit her lip and reached out to grab his hand - then pulled him bodily from the library.
"My books!" he squawked.
"Screw your bloody books!" she tossed over her shoulder and his own jaw dropped at her language.
"'Licia! That is not language becoming of a lady!" by this point they had reached the corridor outside the hallway so her shriek was not shushed by Madame Pince.
"Lady?! You bastard! Listen here Chris - I am not a lady and I am not your woman! Do you understand me?! I play Quidditch dirty with the rest of them, I swear, I don't cross my ankles and we both know I can drink you under the table! I am not a Gryffindork or a Gryffindwhore and it's not a shame I am a Gryffindor. If I ever do agree to marry you - which at this point is extremely unlikely - it will be on these terms and not the romantic ideas you have of what I should be." She had run out of breath by the end, her cheeks flushed and she was breathing heavily as she continued to glare at him.
She was bloody gorgeous. "You're beautiful when you're angry," he breathed softly.
She stopped her foot. "Christopher!"
He dropped his arms to his side. "I'm sorry love - but you are. But I'm not sorry that I have opinions of how a woman should act and what she should be. I'm a Slytherin and I expect a wife who will be more than the love of my life, so be prepared to take on certain responsibilities. Because you are the love of my life. And you belong to me - and I belong to you just as much. If you can't understand that. If you can't be what I need now, when we're still at school and the only onus upon us is not failing. Later..." he reached out to take both her hands in his. "Later, love - it'll be a rough ride. A storm is brewing and ther'll be a war. I don't know if your precious Potter can save the day again. There will be very dangerous times and I need someone who I know is with me - who will present a united front with me and my allies. If you can't do that now - or then, I'll still always love you no matter what, but I'll find myself someone who can, who I can marry." He dropped her hands and leaned forward to press his lips against her forehead. He turned and began to walk down the hallway. He was nearly to corner when he heard a single word.
"Wait."
He turned to look at her. She stood alone in the corridor and then took a deep breath and walked towards him. When she reached him she reached out one of her hands to interlace their fingers, then raised her eyes to his own.
"I can. I love you. I do."