Chapter 9 - Life Decisions
"Are you sure?" Severus lay close beside her, his eyes fixed on her swollen lips and flushed cheeks. He reached out a hand to feel the heat of her face. As he watched, her lips curled into a smile that wasn't exactly innocent. It wasn't exactly shy.
With a flick of her wrist she transfigured her robes into a short nightdress. He laughed. Slytherin green with blue lace. Perfect. He only had a moment to admire it before his own robes were gone, and with it his smile. He pulled his hand back abruptly, not willing to let her see the mark on his arm. He remembered all too well the look of horror she'd worn the only time she had seen the dark mark on his skin.
"You can't protect me from the darkness, Sev," she said quietly, bringing his hand back to her cheek. She didn't close her eyes and she didn't wince at the sight of the mark, so near her face. But Severus did. "It's as much a part of me as it is of you."
She brought her lips to his and he couldn't resist. How long had he waited to hold her like this? His hands found the places that made her gasp as his lips explored her breasts. He ran his fingers through her hair, cradling her head in both hands. He smiled as her eyes fluttered closed and a low moan escaped her. That's when the pain started.
Mur opened her eyes. Something was wrong. She saw Severus grimace and knew what it must be. She clapped her hand over the mark. Severus felt the pain lessen and saw her forehead crease.
But her eyes were open, and she smiled at him. "Don't stop," she whispered. Like so many things in their lives, they took their pleasure through the pain. When it ceased abruptly they both gasped, first in relief, and then again as the pleasure swept through them like liquid heat. An instant later, Severus fell on her heavily and she laughed.
"You're a good bit bigger than I am, Sev," she whispered laughingly, pushing him over. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her on top of him as he rolled.
"Are you alright?" he asked seriously, looking up into her eyes. She kissed him in response, and he was surprised at the passion she still held. When she was finally snuggling against him, ready to fall asleep, it occurred to him to take the precautions Macnair had made him learn so long ago. He reached for his wand.
"Don't," she said softly. He hesitated, then put the wand back.
"Don't?"
"Don't cast that charm."
He knew she couldn't hear his thoughts, and wondered how she knew which charm he'd been planning to cast. He only wondered for a moment though before an entirely new emotion took over his mind. She didn't want him to cast the charm!
He stared at her for a moment, then rolled onto his back and looked at the ceiling. If she didn't want him to cast the charm, then –
"Don't be upset," she whispered.
"Upset? Why would I be upset? Do you mean it?" He sputtered.
She snuggled up to him again, smiling. He turned his head away as a single tear slid from his eye. He pulled her closer and watched her fall asleep before he began planning what he knew he had to do tomorrow.
"Are you sure?" Severus lay close beside her, his eyes fixed on her swollen lips and flushed cheeks. He reached out a hand to feel the heat of her face. As he watched, her lips curled into a smile that wasn't exactly innocent. It wasn't exactly shy.
With a flick of her wrist she transfigured her robes into a short nightdress. He laughed. Slytherin green with blue lace. Perfect. He only had a moment to admire it before his own robes were gone, and with it his smile. He pulled his hand back abruptly, not willing to let her see the mark on his arm. He remembered all too well the look of horror she'd worn the only time she had seen the dark mark on his skin.
"You can't protect me from the darkness, Sev," she said quietly, bringing his hand back to her cheek. She didn't close her eyes and she didn't wince at the sight of the mark, so near her face. But Severus did. "It's as much a part of me as it is of you."
She brought her lips to his and he couldn't resist. How long had he waited to hold her like this? His hands found the places that made her gasp as his lips explored her breasts. He ran his fingers through her hair, cradling her head in both hands. He smiled as her eyes fluttered closed and a low moan escaped her. That's when the pain started.
Mur opened her eyes. Something was wrong. She saw Severus grimace and knew what it must be. She clapped her hand over the mark. Severus felt the pain lessen and saw her forehead crease.
But her eyes were open, and she smiled at him. "Don't stop," she whispered. Like so many things in their lives, they took their pleasure through the pain. When it ceased abruptly they both gasped, first in relief, and then again as the pleasure swept through them like liquid heat. An instant later, Severus fell on her heavily and she laughed.
"You're a good bit bigger than I am, Sev," she whispered laughingly, pushing him over. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her on top of him as he rolled.
"Are you alright?" he asked seriously, looking up into her eyes. She kissed him in response, and he was surprised at the passion she still held. When she was finally snuggling against him, ready to fall asleep, it occurred to him to take the precautions Macnair had made him learn so long ago. He reached for his wand.
"Don't," she said softly. He hesitated, then put the wand back.
"Don't?"
"Don't cast that charm."
He knew she couldn't hear his thoughts, and wondered how she knew which charm he'd been planning to cast. He only wondered for a moment though before an entirely new emotion took over his mind. She didn't want him to cast the charm!
He stared at her for a moment, then rolled onto his back and looked at the ceiling. If she didn't want him to cast the charm, then –
"Don't be upset," she whispered.
"Upset? Why would I be upset? Do you mean it?" He sputtered.
She snuggled up to him again, smiling. He turned his head away as a single tear slid from his eye. He pulled her closer and watched her fall asleep before he began planning what he knew he had to do tomorrow.