A/N: Hello lovelies. I still don't have a proper word processor, so please bear with me and the late updates. Here's one for the ones of you that continue to support this story. Thank you and please enjoy.
OOOOOOOOO
Avonlea woke up on the couch when the sunlight filtered through the window and glanced over at Snape, who was still holding her in his sleep. She felt her teeth sharpening as she looked at him and quietly moved away from him. Her bare feet made no sound as she approached a table where a House Elf had left her daily container of blood.
Please don't wake up until I've finished, she begged silently, picking up the still warm container and glancing over her shoulder at the couch where her fated mate slept. I don't want you to see me like this...
The Veela-Halfling moved to stand before the gently burning fire and popped the lid off the container. Tilting it to her mouth, she let the first coppery taste of the blood to touch her tongue. Almost instantly the blood thirst hit her hard and she started chugging down the crimson liquid.
This is not how I want to spend the rest of my life, Avonlea thought, lowering the container when she'd drained half of it. Drinking blood like some kind of monster, unable to control the lust, the hunger for the life of people...I don't want to live for the rest of time like some kind of monster.
She glanced over her shoulder again when she heard Snape move, but he didn't open his eyes. Avonlea shook her head and looked back into the fire.
I want something to happen between him and me. Something that will make us click and fall in love with each other. I need his help to stop myself from becoming a monster, but he's right. Nothing can happen between us if I tremble at his slightest touch. She brought the container to her lips again and slowly drank from it. But I shouldn't really tremble. The dreams that I've had of the two of us have been far more racier than anything like a simple kiss. I've imagined things that would probably make him blush like they've done to me.
Unbidden, the images of what she'd imagined flashed before her mind's eye and Avonlea squeezed her thighs together as heat pooled between them. She shook her head again in an attempt to get rid of those thoughts and continued to drink the blood.
If I told him that I loved him and that I wanted to take him to bed right now, he'd probably look at me like I have two heads, Avonlea told herself. Or view it as an obligation and only do it because it's something that I want and not what he wants. But that wouldn't save my humanity. We both have to want to have sex with each other. And I don't think that he wants to do that with me, yet. If ever.
But if that was true, why did he kiss me? Avonlea wondered, lowering the container once more. It's so unlike him to do something so affectionate like that...and the fact that he agreed to let me sleep with him on the couch, that's something that he would never, ever do with anyone. Does this mean that he's falling for me or is he just doing this to humor me before I become a monster? To give me a taste of affection before I lose myself for good?
That would be so cruel of him and I don't think that Snape is a cruel person anymore. I think that he's got a softer heart that most people give him credit for. And I really do think that he's showing me his heart with each passing day that we spend together. But will things happen before my birthday? Before it's too late?
"God, I hope so," Avonlea whispered over the rim of her container.
OOOOOOOOO
Snape woke up to the smell of breakfast foods and saw that Avonlea was no longer on the couch with him. The table was laden with food, reminding him that he hadn't eaten a proper meal in a day. His dark eyes scanned the room, seeking the young Veela-Halfling that had slept in his arms that night before.
Avonlea was standing in front of the fire with her back to him. He could tell that she was holding something that she didn't want him to see.
It's her blood ration for the day, Snape guessed, tossing the blanket onto the far end of the couch and rising to his feet slowly. The blood thirst must have hit her this morning.
"Miss Raven," Snape said softly, letting her know that he was awake.
The blonde turned her head to the side, allowing him to see part of her face. Her blue eye was bright with life and there was color in her cheek. Snape couldn't help but wonder how horrible it would be for that to all be taken away from her. To never ever have color in her cheek or life in her eyes. To have those qualities and more taken away from her forever, it was almost too cruel to think about.
"Good morning, Snape," she greeted softly. "I will join you for breakfast in one moment, if you'd like."
Snape nodded and moved over to the table, taking his seat. He watched as Avonlea turned her face back towards the fireplace once more and tilt her head back. A moment later, she straightened her body and screwed something back into place. The Veela-Halfling turned to look at him, holding an empty container in her hands. Snape could see a couple drops of crimson liquid still inside that glass jar, but quickly looked back up at Avonlea.
"Are you feeling better now, Miss Raven?" he asked, watching her place the container on a side table before walking over to join him at the table.
"Yes, but I'd feel a lot better if I never had to drink blood again," Avonlea said, helping herself to some of the different foods on the table. "I hope there comes a day in the future that I never have to taste blood ever again."
She glanced up at him with more color in her cheeks than she had had moments before. Snape pretended not to notice as he piled food onto his plate.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked her.
"Yeah. Did you?"
"Yes."
Avonlea looked at him almost sheepishly. "I didn't talk in my sleep, did I?"
Snape smirked at her. "You did not. Why? Are there secrets that you are unwilling to share with me, Miss Raven? Secrets about us and your desires for our future?"
The dark professor blinked in surprise when the Veela-Halfling threw a breakfast roll at him. Pink color dominated that poor girl's entire face as she looked at him.
"Shut up!" she ordered, looking completely embarrassed. "My thoughts about us are completely harmless and I – I don't want to talk about them."
Another smirk touched the professor's lips. "I seem to have touched a nerve."
"More than one," Avonlea corrected, scooping up her fork. "Sorry about throwing that roll at you, but you deserved it."
Snape laughed. "Perhaps I did."
OOOOOOOOO
The halls of Hogwarts seemed emptier than was normal for the holiday season as Snape and Avonlea walked them. The two talked about random topics as they walked with very little space between the two of them. Avonlea admitted to being afraid that they would get caught by some random student, Peeves, or another professor as they walked, because she didn't want anyone to know about their relationship or the reason behind it. Snape had agreed to keep from showing any signs of affection or personal interest in the girl.
"Do you think that anything would change between me and Carissa if you and I did start having an intimate relationship?" Avonlea asked quietly, shoving her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "Because I'd hate to lose the friendship that we have right now...and she's promised that nothing would change, but I'm scared that something will change. Something that I wouldn't like."
Snape shook his head. "That is something that you would have to talk to Carissa about, Miss Raven. I do not know how that girl will respond to anything. I haven't been there in her life since the day that she was born. Our relationship has just been that of student and professor. But I do believe that she would never want to call you her 'stepmother' in any situation."
"I don't want her to call me that." Avonlea shook her head, her hair rippling around her shoulders. "That would be too weird. We're the same age. We've grown up together...I could never, ever consider myself her stepmother, Snape." She glanced over at him. "Even if I married you one day, I would never consider myself a stepmother to anyone. That's just not going to happen."
"But you would want to become a mother one day," Snape guessed.
The Veela-Halfling nodded. "Yeah, one day. I'd try to be a better mother to my children than my mother was to me." She held up a finger. "And I would tell my children about what to expect in their future when it comes to finding their mate or becoming a vampire. I wouldn't hide it from them until the last minute like my mother did with me."
Avonlea looked up at him once more. "If we got together, would you want me to have your children?"
Snape turned a dark stare on her and color flooded Avonlea's face. She looked away and rubbed the back of her neck.
"Sorry, that was a stupidly brash question to ask," she muttered, keeping her face turned away from him. "Really, I shouldn't have asked that. Sorry...Forget it. Sorry."
The two walked a few more yards before Snape spoke.
"I have never considered having another child with another woman," Snape admitted softly. "I have always thought that Carissa was going to be my one child in this life. I never thought that I would have another meaningful relationship that could lead to more children."
"Oh..."
"But to have more children, that doesn't sound like something that I should dismiss yet," Snape continued. "I am still young enough to father another child or two."
Avonlea didn't look at him as she asked, "Even if they were partially mine?"
Snape nodded again. "Even then."
"If we get to that point," Avonlea reminded him.
"Yes, if we get to that point." Snape looked up when the clock chimed loudly through the castle. "It is time for dinner, Miss Raven. Shall we go to my office or to your common room?"
The Veela-Halfling stopped walking and turned to look at him. "Can we eat in my room from now on? I want to enjoy the warmth of it for as long as I can...just in case."
Concern creased a line between Snape's eyebrows, but he said nothing as he escorted Avonlea back through the halls of Hogwarts.
OOOOOOOOO
Avonlea had wandered up to her room after dinner to change into her pajamas, expecting Snape to leave for the night. She slipped into a pair of short shorts and an old spaghetti strap shirt. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Avonlea pulled her hair back into a braid and smiled at herself.
"Today was a good day," she said to her reflection, lowering her hands. "I hope tomorrow is just as good."
Grabbing a romance novel off the foot of her bed, Avonlea headed out of her room and paused at the top of the small set of stairs. Snape was standing near the door to the common room, watching her as if he had been waiting for her. She bit her bottom lip when she saw the look in his eyes as he took in her nighttime attire.
"Are you getting ready to leave for the night?" she asked, walking down the steps slowly.
"Yes," Snape answered.
"I'll – I'll walk you out." Avonlea tossed her book onto the couch and moved towards him.
The blonde stopped when she stood next to Snape and the common room door swung open. She glanced at it and then looked back at the dark professor.
''We'll see each other again, tomorrow?" she asked softly.
Snape nodded and slowly raised a hand. Avonlea didn't flinch when his hand caressed her cheek and she pressed a hand over his. A soft smile touched her lips as she looked up at him. She bounced up onto her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
"Goodnight, Snape," she said, lowering her hand from his.
Snape nodded and turned, leaving the room silently. Avonlea watched the door swing shut before putting a finger to her lips. Shaking her head, she walked over to the couch and grabbed one of the pillows on it and her book.
"A good day after all," she muttered, settling back to read her book.
OOOOOOOOO
A/N: Well? Please leave a comment in the little box. Thanks and pleasant days! -Scarlet
