Chapter 13
The break was coming to a close, much to Riley and Severus' dismay. They had enjoyed being in each other's company. They spent a lot of time in Severus' room, listening to Riley's records and doing other, more intimate things. It was a time they treasured together, both knowing that it would soon be over and that roommates and housemates would soon be back. It would be harder and harder to find time to be alone. They tried not to dwell on those thoughts but thought more about being in the moment.
Riley played with Severus' black locks of hair during one of their last afternoons alone before the end of the break. She leaned against the wooden trunk in front of his bed as he leaned against her lap. His thin and slender frame tilted against her, putting a gentle pressure against her. His chest was bare and his legs were covered in dark denim jeans. His long arms were wrapped around her raised knees as he sat between her legs. His eyes were closed in a very peaceful, un-Severus-like way. He enjoyed the feeling of her fingers sliding through his hair. He never realized how wonderful it was to be touched. She was very loving and gentle with every touch upon his skin, it was comforting. His own mother had never even held him the way she did.
"Been in town, my baby, we just got to rock on. Yeah, yeah, yeah, darling, we just got to go homeā¦" Riley sung to herself softly as the music played, almost as if she forgot he was in the room. He didn't often hear her sing, but when she did he tried to listen to her without disturbing her. It reminded him of watching some creature in the wild that was so beautiful, you'd do anything to not frighten it. She had a soothing voice that was not perfect, but he liked the slight imperfection. It was like an unpolished gem stone that could have shined brighter if refined, but the maker left it as was, raw and simple. He opened his eyes and saw that she tapped her bare foot in time with the music and rocked her head back and forth. He was learning to appreciate the little things. She was so enthralled with the music, it appeared that she didn't have a care in the world. He wished that he could lose himself in something like she did, when she lost herself in music. She seemed so at ease in her worn jean shorts and band tee.
The record eventually silenced itself and she bent down to kiss him on the head. He lifted his gaze up to her head behind him, exposing his long neck.
"Getting used to my music, huh?" she murmured with a dark humor in her voice. He recognized her teasing tone and blinked his long black eyelashes at her in feigned annoyance.
"It would not be so bad except for the singer's wailing voice and the screech of those muggle instruments." He hid a smile, knowing the reaction it would draw from her.
She shoved him off her lap as he laughed. She stood up with one hand on her hip and another pointed to the record player. Her eyebrows furrowed together in irritation and glared at him with her pretty blue eyes.
"Don't insult Led Zeppelin! It's like insulting my religion!" She rushed out in a blur of words.
Severus laughed in a deep chuckle and rolled on his stomach and grabbed her by her ankles. He pulled her gently, causing her to fall towards him, catching her off guard. He twisted his body with a quick motion and caught her in his arms in a heap.
"You are so easy to irritate!" He proclaimed with another chuckle and stared down at her in his lap and kissed her surprised expression away as he pressed his lips to hers. He picked up his discarded wand with his long fingers on the floor and flicked it towards her record player. The record flipped and started playing after the needle settled. He cradled her in his lap with his arms wrapped around her small figure. He kissed her deeply again, parting her lips. She eventually broke away from him and narrowed her crystal eyes at him.
"You irritate easily too." She growled, swiping her hand playfully at his face. He caught her hand in his and kissed her wrist.
"I am entirely painless to be with." He said simply, kissing her further up her forearm.
She looked at him, her expression slowly turning curious and full of ponderings. His dark eyes were focused on his pathway up her tanned arm.
"What are you planning to do at the end of the year?" She asked, her voice serious in tone. Up until now, they had never spoken of a future. She had preferred to live in the now. But the now had become serious as of late. The Daily Prophet had been reporting more and more attacks. There had been whispers of death eater recruitment in the school and the attacks on muggles and muggle borns that had grown at an alarming rate. She was sure Severus had heard the conversation being in Slytherin, but she had just grasped the ends of the gossip having just moved to Great Britain. Her housemates were convinced that any Slytherin was a potential death eater at this point. Riley wasn't as convinced. Her Slytherin was dark at times, perhaps having dabbled in something in the past, but he was no death eater. With a potential war brewing, she still wanted a future to look forward to and definitely with Severus.
"I hadn't given it too much thought." He mused, lifting his lips from her arm for a moment and then returning to his previous task.
"Seriously, Severus. You haven't thought about it? It's only a couple months away." She asked with a baffled expression on her face. He lifted his face again, annoyed at having to stop again. His dark eyes looked at her dead on.
"Of course, I've thought about it. I just want to get away from some of these thick idiots at the end of the year. But why can't we just enjoy the moment now?"
"We will. But I want to know what your plan is. I have a plan."
"You do?" He said, adjusting her body in his lap. His eyebrow lifted slightly in curiosity.
"Yes, it's good to have a plan. I'm going to get an academic apprenticeship in education here in Britain." She said plainly.
"You are? You already have it?" He asked.
"No, but I'll get it because I'm their best candidate." She said with a ridiculous amount of Riley-like confidence.
"You want to teach?" His voice sounded surprised.
"Yes." Her tone of voice did not change from the plain and firm stance from before.
"But you have so much potential. Your grades are so high. You're a great Quidditch player. Wouldn't that seem irritating? Teaching a bunch of young dunderheads?"
"I think my students wouldn't become a bunch of dunderheads if I'm their professor. At least I can try. Teaching is a great way to give back and feel like you've accomplished something at the end of the day. What about you? Am I in your future plans?" She stressed the last question as she stared at him.
"That's a ridiculous question." He avoided her eyes briefly.
"So?"
"I hadn't thought about it. But yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes, Riley. Of course I want you still in my life. What? Am I to ditch you like a bunch of rotten potatoes at the end of the year?" He said with sarcasm infecting his tone. She glared up at him, knowing he was on the borderline of too much emotional talk due to his sudden switch in demeanor.
"Good. I just needed to hear the words. It's not like you'd get rid of me anyways." She said stubbornly back to him. "Come here, you jerk." She mumbled, pulling him down by his head and kissing him full on the mouth. His eyebrows extended themselves up as she ended the conversation abruptly.
James had kept his promise when he returned back to school. Riley was sitting at the Great Hall for breakfast when James and Remus slid on the bench next to her. She was about to engage in greeting them when she sighted Sirius walking into the hall with his arm around a Hufflepuff girl. Clearly he was trying to show the school that he was all right with being left at the ball and that he had moved on. On one hand, Riley was surprised at the quick transition, but on the other hand she was grateful that his thoughts no longer lingered on her. As if he knew she was watching, he pecked the Hufflepuff giggling girl on the cheek before releasing her to her table. She bounced away with her blonde hair in a ponytail on top of her head. James looked at her knowingly and winked at her in a silent exchange. Riley mouthed back a quiet 'thank you' as Sirius approached the table.
Sirius looked taken aback as he came to the table, acting as if he was surprised to see her. Riley laughed in her head at this fake approach he used to cover up his discomfort. He was trying and she was proud that he tried so hard. This probably was not easy for Sirius, to admit defeat especially against Severus. To drive his "I'm okay" point home, he gently gave Riley a boyish pound on her arm. It was a little harder than Riley would have liked, but for the good of the group she rubbed her arm under the table and smoothed out a smile on her face.
"Hey Brannigan!" Sirius said with an exuberant amount of cheerfulness, which made him seem like a demented clown. Clearly, he wasn't completely over it. Riley smiled softer in realization, ready to make their interaction as easy as possible.
"Hey Sirius! Had a good break, I see?" She said in a jovial, boy-like tone, referring to the blonde Hufflepuff with the glance of her eyes. She was heavily playing up the 'one of the guys' attitude in order to merit some relief from this awkward encounter. Sirius, noting her tone, deflated the clown act slightly and looked a bit more comfortable on his seat across from her.
"Yeah, I did. This guy has been letting me stay at his place." He said in reference to James, nodding in his direction. His voice picked up a more friendly tone and Riley knew that the awkwardness was over for now.
"That's really cool of you, James. I know it's been hard with your family and all, Sirius." She said in a sympathetic voice. The Blacks were not a fan of their non-Slytherin son becoming closer allies with his fellow Gryffindor students and muggle borns alike.
She listened on to the conversation in front of her, but her eyes moved to a table or two behind her. She caught Severus staring at her conversational group, eyes filled with jealousy. Riley was sure that he'd rather be sitting with her instead of staring at her from across the room. Her blue eyes caught his black eyes and the black of his eyes turned lighter at the recognition of her gaze. No one seemed to notice the direction of their gazes as their eyes locked on the same path. She willed her eyes to say, 'only a few more months.' He nodded at her as if he read her mind or maybe he was thinking the same thing. She couldn't wait until they had some time together again. She turned back to the conversation in front of her, but with one eye on him. He engaged in the conversation at his table with one eye on her.
At the end of breakfast, Riley excused herself from the table and swung her legs around the bench. As she rose, she smiled to the others and then aimed her eyes forward, searching for a pair of black eyes. Those black eyes met hers and she watched as Severus nodded to the others at his table. She sauntered towards the door of the Great Hall and looked out the corner of her eye. Severus was a couple of strides behind her. She rounded the corner with a flap of her school cape and walked to an alcove nearby the hall. She stood, shielded by a wall when she heard a familiar determined stride. She popped out from behind the wall and grabbed a fistful of shirt, pulling the person to her.
A young, harried professor looked down at her as he was yanked behind a wall. He adjusted his glasses and his face turned beet red up to his blonde roots.
"Miss Brannigan! What-what are you doing? Hiding in an alcove? Snatching professors? I've heard all about the American ways of free love, but this is preposterous!" He said in an outpour of spurting. He looked more embarrassed than she did as he eyed her grip on his shirt. She gently released him and tried her best to appear innocent and bashful.
"I'm so sorry, Professor. It's was an accident, I assure you." She said quietly, using a soothing Marilyn Monroe-esque voice to calm him down. She patted the professor on the back and stepped out of the alcove.
"No harm done. Right, sir?" She said sweetly, blinking her dark eyelashes at him. He looked at her up and down and shook his head, the red receding from his face.
"No, I don't suppose so." He said as she adjusted her legs. She watched as his eyes followed her bare legs and he shook himself again.
"Thanks, Professor." She said with a girlish smile. She waved a small innocent wave as he walked off with a confused expression. As she watched the professor walk off, she turned her head back to the wall in front of her. A dark figure stood, emerging from the shadows of a corner with a smirk on his face. His black eyes glittered dangerously.
"Here, I thought you wanted me to follow you out. But I see you really were actually targeting poor Professor Verecundus." Severus said, humor humming in his words. "That poor man never had a chance."
"Hey, I was able to get out of trouble and not have any house points taken away. And from his face, I'm sure that's the most female attention he's ever received." Riley rolled her eyes at Severus and grabbed his green and silver tie in her hands.
"Should I call for help?" Severus said with a raised eyebrow. His dark hair was swinging in her face as she pulled his head towards hers.
"I've missed you." She murmured, pressing her smaller body into his larger frame. He captured her red lips with his and wrapped his arms under her school cloak.
"It's only been a day." He whispered close to her ear with a smile, his nose grazing her ear. He heard voices walking past them, students oblivious to their state of being. He trailed his long fingers to her chestnut hair and fingered the soft strands between his fingertips.
"That's long enough." She said, gently placing her lips over his, kissing his lower lip softly. Severus nodded as she kissed him and murmured with affirmation. A loud chime sounded in the hallway as the clock by the Great Hall struck upon the hour. She withdrew from his lips as she still leaned against him. She sighed looking up into his dark eyes surrounded by his dark, long lashes. He dipped down once more and kissed her deeply, leaving her dizzy as he pulled away. He wanted her to remember that she was his and no one else's.
"Meet me in the library later?" He asked her as she tried to secure her footing as he released her.
"I'll meet you before Quidditch practice." She said softly as he looked at her one last time and then ventured off to another part of the castle. She let out a breath that she didn't realize she held and watched him as he glided away. Severus Snape may be stubborn, sarcastic, and even cold at times, but man, he was a good kisser.
a/n: Thank you, readers, I appreciate you one and all! Thanks, Vietnamese girl, I haven't been able to thank you via private message like the others (love to my continuous reviewers!), but thank you for your heartfelt review! It warmed my heart reading it! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Xoxo!
