A/N: Witty, intelligent remarks go here.

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Professor Snape glanced out the bantam window in his dungeon chambers. Tiny snowflakes were scattered across the window pane, along with a thick fog that was slowly forming under his breath. He took his hand and wiped it off to see outside. The snow was falling quite rapidly now, and he was sure there would be another snowstorm tonight. He pulled himself away from the window and took a seat in front of the fireplace, propping his feet up on the small mahogany table in front of him. He looked to his right and saw The Beckoner.' It had fallen over thanks to his lack of bookends.

He got up and straightened all his books so that the spines were perfectly alined. He only had a few books in his chambers. Most of them he kept in his office just because he happened to have a lot of storage in there. He rolled his eyes as he pulled The Beckoner' off the shelf, remembering her silly excuse for coming to his personal chambers so late into the night. He could hardly believe that had only been a month ago.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He propped the book hastily back on the shelf just as he heard a knock on the door.

he said, approaching the door.

said a familiar voice.

Hello Juliette, he said, opening the door for her to come in. It's nice to see you here in the daylight. Normally you only come visit at night.Well, it's much safer, I must confess. At least, in the long run it is. I guess it depends on if anyone walks by the dungeons.

He nodded. I suppose it does.

She walked in, and he put a quick soundproofing spell on the room before he pulled her in for a kiss.

she laughed, pulling away. It's been almost three days! I'd practically forgotten what that.....

She pulled him in once more, her face, flesh, mouth pressed against him.

Tastes like, she finished, her lips still pressed against his.

She took his hand, pulling him over by the fire, and giving him a moment to sit down on a chair before she pulled herself in with him.

For the first few days of having such an... intimate relationship with a student, Snape was a bit nervous. This sort of thing wasn't in his nature. Passion. It was in him somewhere obviously, but to show it wasn't very instinctive for him. And to a girl like Juliette.....

What was it? What did she do to him? Yes, when he was younger he had crushed, less than other boys, but he did. He just didn't feel he had a need for any sort of love. After his parents, for someone to care about him so much that they might actually use the word love' was unimaginable. Come to think of it, the two of them had only used the word love' once. But again, it had only been a month.

He was sure they both remembered when she told him she loved him. The lightness of his heart in that instant was completely indescribable.

How long has it been? she asked breathlessly as she touched her lips to his ear when she whispered.

Only an hour, he said. Not long at all.So it's not that late, then, she said, with a smile.

He ran his fingers down her cheek, and she turned to face him. Her expression was soft and warm as hot chocolate.

she said, her face inches from his. You know I love you. You know I did ever since I saw you. You know all the grief I put you through, all the moments I tried so hard to be right, to prove you wrong, and I know you hate that. That night......

His expression changed as he remembered it. The moment. Her lips for the first time. He looked down at her, and felt a pulsing urge to.... just to feel her pleasure..... But he knew he had to wait. Just a few months longer. She had to graduate. He knew better than that.

That kiss, he said slowly.

He stroked his hand along her side, and looked into her eyes. Those eyes. Those green eyes. They almost turn yellow in dim light.

I love you, too. I really do.


He remembered the feeling. It was one he'd never had before. He'd said those words to his mother.... once or twice. Never to his father, or at least he never really felt love towards him. He'd been a shy boy, and if he ever liked a girl enough to actually love her, he couldn't tell her. But when he said those words to her, he felt.... real. Not like the useless carcass that he often felt like though quite a few years of his life. He felt like every breath he took, every minute he spend with his arms around her, finally had meaning. All for the word love. All for that feeling, the one he got when they were alone, or when he touched her, or the one he had at that moment. It was so satisfying to all his expectations of love. All the fairy tales he loathed because of how perfect and predictable the endings were paled in comparison to the feelings he had for Juliette.

he whispered.

she said groggily, with her head pressed against his strong shoulder.

I love you, he said, savoring the hazy feeling. I love you, Juliette. I want to say that more. I love you.

She lifted her head up. I love you, truly.

He let the feeling of the words sink in as wrapped his arms around her tighter. Are you going away for Christmas break? he asked.

She paused. Yes. I'm going to visit my father in London.Really? I don't want you to go. So you'll be leaving soon, I'm conjecturing? she said, with a sigh. His expression fell. I know. But I love my dad, Severus. He may be more concerned with alcohol than anything else. And he may abandon me for his job, but he does love me. He does care about me, even if he does make more mistakes then I would like him to.

There was a tense pause, and Juliette shifted in his arms uncomfortably.

she said, quietly. You don't know how often he brings new women home from bars. He comes home drunk with three girls at his fingertips, and.... You don't know how hard that is for me to handle. She took a deep, shaky breath, and covered her reddening face, trying hard not to cry. She'd never told anyone that. And you can just hear them. Oh, I know they're having a grand old foursome in there! It's just... I hope that that won't happen this time. Every time I come home for him, and he's happy to see me, but at least three times a week he comes home like that, and I have to take care of him during his hangover the next day, and he cries about it. He cries about not being there for me, and I tell him he can if he doesn't go out so much, but he just does it again! I love him to death, I mean, he's my own father. But..... I just wish......What do you wish, he said softly, and ran his fingers through her hair.

I wish he just wouldn't.

He nodded, showing he understood. She was trusting him so much with the weight of her life, and he wanted more than anything to be able to comfort her better, but there were no words he could think to say.

she said, realizing that they had nothing more to say. I'd best be going now. Promise you'll find me tomorrow before I go?Of course, he replied.

She got up and brushed some invisible dust off the front of her robes. He stood up right after.

he said as she made her way towards the door. He followed her with his arm around her waist. I love you.

She laughed, but still replied, I love you too.How cliché, he said, but there was a slight smirk on his face.