Angelina Johnson tried one final time to meet the Potions masters' eyes. He just looked past her while the class scrawled notes copied from the blackboard. Why couldn't he just look at her? Why couldn't he just see her?

Losing the little control she had over her actions, she stood swiftly, knocking her chair backwards, earning her the attention of the entire class, and finally, their teacher. Somehow the cold glare made the pain even worse. The whole room watched her silently as she stumbled out of the door, her hand over her broken heart.

She knew she would face awkward questions that she would have to invent smart answers for, but she had to get out of that room. Sobbing, she ran through the empty corridors, and burst into the Gryffindor Common room. She was immediately calmed by the quiet, familiar room and collapsed into the squashy couch by the fireplace, its heat dazzling on an already warm day.

Back in the Potions room, Snape growled for quiet and the students complied. Only Lee Jordan's eyes stayed on the door, not looking, just staring, wondering what had upset Angelina. As for Snape, he was glad she was gone. Finally he could teach without having to carefully avoid direct conversation or even eye contact with her. He was no fool, and not new to the adoration of teenage girls. Her particular brand of crush was not subtle, and he knew with distance she would overcome it, as long as it was not encouraged or discovered.

But he had slipped up. With the class engaged in note taking, with nothing to distract him from indulging in a glance in her direction, he had failed to look away fast enough when her eyes met his. And he had allowed himself to peer at her, openly inquiring, imploring. Clearly she had been shocked, but also heartened. He had revealed too much with that one moment of connection, and shown her that he returned her feelings.

Her hopes had soared, a smile broke across her face, and he- he had torn his eyes from hers and refused to look back. He had hated doing it, but it was necessary. It was then she must have realised that he would never allow it to happen. He would never let anything fabricate between them. And she had run.

Good. Now he could get on with teaching, without the distraction of Angelina's broad, innocent smile, her strong, smooth, Quidditch-moulded body. He was glad to have hurt her because now every second wasn't a battle to remain focused. Because when she was in the room… nothing existed or mattered but her.

The few people concerned enough with Angelina's welfare enough to bother her with questions about her disappearance in Potions were satisfied soon enough. Her answers about being stressed about exams were easy to relate to. Only Lee seemed unconvinced. Angelina found his obvious fondness for her endearing, but it was no distraction from the way she felt about Snape.

As she retraced her steps from this morning, again in a quiet castle, since dinner had finished long ago, she tried to galvanise her plan. It kept changing, from just backing him into a wall and ravishing him, to playing coy, to flat out lying. In the end she knew it would be the last that she chose. She threw open the Potions room door, marched to the entrance to *his* office and stopped. After a deep calming breathe, she knocked.

A deep voice answered, telling her to enter. She stepped through the door, trying desperately to stay calm, suddenly unable to recall any of the plans she had formulated while walking through the castle. Snape was sitting at his desk, still in the process of trying to tear himself out of the book he was reading.

"Pr- Professor?"

"Angelina!" Snape jumped, and the book fell to the table and snapped shut. "Ms. Johnson. What can I do for you?" He cringed. "I assume you are here to explain your sudden exit during class today?"

Now she cringed. How childish it must have seemed to him.

"Yes… I wanted to… apologise. I- I'm really feeling the stress of the N.E.W.T.s... It just got too much today."

"If you need to discuss it with someone... might I suggest Professor McGonagall," Snape changed direction halfway through the sentence, realising that to offer his assistance would lead them in a dangerous direction. Although, how much more dangerous could it get, than the 2 of them alone, at night, no expected interruptions, in his close little office.

"Professor, sir. I'm really struggling with Potions. If I fail my exams... I can't fail, but I don't know if I can cope with the stress…" She forced herself to continue. "If I had help, a tutor…?"

"There are several of your classmates who would be able to steer you in the right direction."

"No, I need you to teach me." her breath caught, "If you don't I know I'm going to fail."

Her desperation made it impossible to deny her. Snape knew in the end he would give her whatever she wanted. But he continued to resist. "Having seen your latest test results Angelina, honestly, I don't think you need my help." She opened her mouth to protest and he held up his hand. "But, if it's putting this much extra stress on you, then I'll do it."

"Oh Professor, thank you!" She had to stop herself running and hugging him, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"I'll see you here, Monday night, at 7, yes?"

She nodded, content to leave now, pleased with herself for the progress she had made. They would be together, she would make it happen.

Once she was gone, Snape collapsed back into his chair and picked up his book, but did not read. He knew it was foolish to even think about her, about the way she made him feel. It wasn't just that it was against the rules, thus jeopardising his job, it was also completely immoral. Taking advantage of a student. And completely unfair on her. She deserved better than a world-wearied old Potions master…. She deserved someone who could love her in a way he had never found himself capable of.

And yet, he saw the determination in her eyes, that optimism she carried with her, and he felt sure he would give her whatever she asked of him, regardless of risk. He had nothing much to give her, he feared he had little love left in his heart, but he would give what was left to her.