Yes, I'm still here. It's been forever, I know, but schooling takes a lot of effort, and leisure writing just didn't happen. Enjoy. And thanks for the reviews. :)

Riley wandered the halls. She'd been looking for Severus for thirty minutes and still hadn't found him. He's probably in his Common Room, she thought, making her way toward it. A painting of a bored looking wizard with a crooked nose stared at her.

"Is Severus in there?" Riley asked the painting.

"Maybe." The painting replied.

"Please, I need to get in there."

"And I need the password."

"I don't have the password."

"Because you're not Slytherin, so you don't need to get in." The wizard painting replied, looking pleased with himself.

Angrily, Riley pulled out her wand and pointed it at the painting. "If you don't let me in, I'll...hurt you."

Hearing a footstep behind her, Riley swung around and stood face to face with Lucius Malfoy. Lucius smirked.

"That's not very convincing. However, I doubt very much that Dumbledore would like to discover one of the paintings scorched."

Riley sighed and lowered her wand. "Just give him the password so I can get in."

"Have a meeting, do we? With a certain Severus Snape?" Lucius smirked again and looked her up and down. "I've told him he shouldn't mingle with your kind. A Gryffindor, and a mudblood." Riley stiffened and her knuckles turned white as she clenched her wand. "You are a pretty little thing, though." He paused and moved toward her. "How about a kiss? If you can bear to kiss Snape, I'm sure you can manage it with me."

Riley's eyes grew large and she backed away from Lucius, until she hit the painting. The crooked-nosed wizard gave muffled protests as Lucius grabbed Riley's arms and brought his face close to hers'. Riley could feel his breath on her face. She closed her eyes tightly and made a sound like a whimper. Laughing, Lucius released her. "Sad excuse for a wizard." He murmured. Riley scooted past him and ran down the hall. "Wait! Don't you want to see dear Severus?" Lucius cried after her. Riley stopped abruptly, and hesitantly started walking back. "Cornswallow." Lucius said to the painting and the door opened. "I believe Snape is doing his assignments. You can find him there." Lucius pointed to a dark form seated in a chair at the far end of the room. "Don't do anything naughty." Lucius added as he turned and walked down the hall.

Riley walked inside the room, closed the door and ran over to Severus. "Sev! Lucius tried to...tried to kiss me!" She cried and gripped his arm. "He's a horrible person."

Tears glistened in her eyes as she gazed up at Severus. He stopped his reading and stared at her. "What?" He asked.

"He held my arms and tried to kiss me."

"And did he succeed?"

"No."

"I thought so. It was probably a joke of his. He has an interesting sense of humor."

"But Severus, he scared me. He's so strange, and..." Riley shivered.

"Yes, well, it's time to get over it. By the way, how did you get in here?"

"Lucius."

"Ah. Well, I'm trying to read so I can finish this."

"Meaning?"

"You're disrupting me. And it's been happening a lot." Severus glanced carelessly around the room. "Maybe we shouldn't see each other anymore."

"What?"

"I'm sure you heard me, Riley." Severus stared at her as she rose. "Things aren't working out between us. All you ever want is love and comfort...you need to take care of yourself."

Riley's eye twitched. She walked swiftly to the door, opened it, walked through, and closed it again. She stood outside for a moment before walking slowly to her Common Room. It always ends the same. One is always hurt.

Mmm. Rather depressing, I must say. Oh well. I must have been in an interesting mood...Hey, atleast it's longer than most of the others. I was on a roll of short chapters. (Which is why I usually don't divide my writing into chapters.)