Chapter 8

En Garde!

A few days passed since my last conversation with Snape. He refuses to talk to me when I visit him every morning to work on growing his arm back. I tried to initiate some minor chat, but he doesn't react to anything I say or ask, he only communicates with minimal head gestures. His behavior starts to scare me a bit, maybe I went too far this time, and I truly made him angry. For the past days, he had a troubled look on his face, always deep in thought, I could practically see the cogs in his head turning. He is totally zoned out, not caring about anything going on around him, he closed himself up in his own world. I didn't dare to enter his mind again, although curiosity ate at me like termites, to know what he is thinking about. Not being able to talk with him didn't stop me from taking care of the man, I brought him his every meal, and brewed the painkiller potions, (which he used to do usually) one after the other for the dark man. I bathed him to the best of my ability, and groomed him every single day. Not that he wasn't able to do it. But he let me do them for him. He didn't protest, or send me away, he only refused to talk, that was it. It felt heartwarming to take care of my dearest teacher, and I enjoyed every second of it.

I successfully got to finish his elbow, which is a milestone for me. I estimated roughly two weeks to finish his arm, and I think I might be able to pull it off. Poppy informed me, that starting January, I will be able to return to the potion classes, since I'll no longer need to spend my time studying at the infirmary, having finished the majority of the basics of healing, and I'll be just fine if I do my daily studying in my dorm after classes. She will give me a theory and practical test each month, and with this she'll keep check on my progress. My heart filled with joy hearing this, but on the other hand, worry showed its head in my chest. Seeing the current terms I'm on with Snape, what kind of potion classes will I have with him? This atmosphere between us is too tense, too much nervous and awkward silence is present when we're alone. Even my naughty thoughts about him dissipated, once he closed up. I kind of understand his reaction, he needs to sort everything out, since he was just threatened with exposure of his secrets (even if it wasn't serious) a couple days ago.

While I work on the potioner's arm, I find myself too nervous to concentrate, so I try to think about my side plan, somehow making connection with Vincent, and make him indebted to either me or Drax. Cruel people like him cannot be approached just like that, you need a well thought out strategy, and you have to corner the person, otherwise he will turn everything against you. I came up with the plan to make Vincent suffer an injury caused by us, and then I'll heal him, putting him in a situation where he is forced to hear us out without having a snide remark. I'm not forcing anything on him, since I don't even know what his sexuality is, I just want to give Drax a chance to confess his feelings in secret, without the whole school knowing about it the next day.

I often talk with Drax about Snape, and how his behavior concerns me, I even had a night where I broke down crying, because I might just messed everything up with him. What if he decides to ignore me from now on? Will I be just a simple insignificant student to him? I could not bear that.

The next week goes smoothly with healing the potioner's arm, but there's one tiny detail that changes. I find my unconventional naughty thoughts returning full force, but this time, they come out exactly when I'm treating the professor. Each day I imagine ourselves in different positions devouring each other, hiding in an alcove, or in a storage somewhere, where I can feel his hands all over me, pleasuring and chasing pleasure, sloppy kisses and heated moans. The images only manage to make my job more difficult, since I always leave the potioner's side with my knickers soaked through. However, towards the end of the week, when I'm working on his wrist, right in the middle of a hot sex session with him in my head, I open my eyes slightly to check on my progress, and I internally gasp at the sight in front of me. There he lays, on the hospital bed with closed eyes, a slight heavy breathing, and with a raging erection creating a bump on his covers. At first, I don't understand the developed situation, but the realization slowly dawns on me that he is fully able to hear my thoughts if he wishes, and concentrates enough; and for the past few days all he heard was my steamy imagination fucking him in every position known to man. Embarrassment washes over me as the deepest blush paints my cheeks, and I desperately try to clear my head of the filthy images, with too little success. Finishing up the potion master I only get a deep, meaningful look from him before I leave, and then he turns to his side, signaling his wish to sleep. Only two more days to go.

Drax loses his mind laughing when I describe my humiliating discovery on the side of Snape's bed, and he pulls me in for a hug, laughter still vibrating in his chest.

"At least now he knows how badly you want him." he chuckles, wiping the tears formed in his eyes from amusement. "And hey, now you know that he wants you too." he winks.

"Yes, but can you imagine the moment I realized he was hearing my thoughts all along? Drax, you might know me, but I'm telling you my sexual imagination is way too extreme and horny!" I whisper to him as we sit on the couch in a corner, in the dorm's main room. Fortunately, there's no one there with us, our roommates are all in class, Drax and I having a free period at the moment.

"You should have climbed on top of him just to see his reaction." he has a nasty smirk on his face. Well, he definitely stood in line when perversion was distributed. And I was right next to him.

"Drax!" I hit his arm playfully and he falls to his side on the couch, laughing. I'm so happy I have one single person whom I can tell my experiences with Snape. If I had to keep everything bottled up, I think I might burst at this point.

"Don't worry, things will work out, I'm sure of it. He just needs time to process." he says calmly, leaning back, and I really want to believe his words.

My plan to arrange Drax's confession was finally finished, and I instructed Drax to sneakily blow up Vincent's cauldron in potions on Monday, when I already finished up Snape, and I have no distractions. Drax has to bring the boy up to the infirmary, and after I heal him, I'll leave them alone, giving Drax his chance. I will not be giving the bat an easy start, causing an explosion right on the first day of his return, but oh well, life's not a piece of cake.

It's Sunday morning. Me and the potion teacher are sitting alone in the infirmary in complete silence, I'm currently building the last couple cells on the tips of his fingers, and when I finish, even I need a moment to process my work. I just built an arm. In two weeks, I built an arm. Crazy.

"It's finished, professor." I breathe out, still in disbelief. He lifts up the limb, rotating it, looking at it from each angle, then moving his fingers around, he opens and closes his fist. His arm is in perfect condition, working flawlessly. It's like he never even lost it. The only thing that's different about it, is the absence of the dark mark, which I also saw in his memories. Relief fills me, upon seeing that his body has been metaphorically cleansed of the darkness. Snape turns to me, the stern look still in his eyes.

"I am truly grateful for your hard work, Miss. You gave me my arm back; I'll think of a way to repay your kindness." I hear his raspy voice for the first time in two weeks, and my heart instantly starts to flutter. How can he have such strong effect on me? Snape gets out of bed, and slowly starts to dress up with his back to me, still trying to get used to his newly grown limb. The air is heavy in the room between us, and I'm desperately trying to find my voice to say something, anything to him, but my throat is dry as a desert, and my mind is blank. It's like hearing his voice erased my vocabulary altogether. When he deems himself presentable again, his flowing black robe elegantly resting on his shoulders, the potioner walks up to my sitting form with a cold look.

"I hereby challenge you to a wizard duel on the first of December, in the Dark Forest." he says firmly, looking deep in my eyes.

My blood runs cold in my veins. What?

"Excuse me?" I ask quietly, shock taking over my face.

"I said, I am challenging you to a wizard duel. In the past, if two wizards had a disagreement, or a dispute they just couldn't resolve, they challenged each other to a wizard duel. Before the duel, the two would both state their wish of what should happen if they won. The rule of the duel was simple; whoever won, that person's will must be carried out in the final, and the dispute would be solved. Nowadays however, duels are just used to show off one's abilities, it is used as a bragging tool, having lost its original meaning and value." he explains, making small elegant gestures wit his hands.

I try my best following his words, but I'm too shaken up by the fact that one of the strongest teachers in Hogwarts just challenged me to a duel. Not a demonstration, not a play for the students, a bloody serious, one-on-one duel. I'm doomed.

"Why the frightened face? I'm sure someone who can execute a death eater, will have no problem participating in a spell spar with her teacher." he says with a slightly higher voice, mocking my fear. My gaze falls to my lap. That was something else! I was driven by fear and rage when I saw your body falling to the ground! You can't possibly think that a sixth-year student is a match for a brilliant teacher, youngest of them all, to top! This man is nine years older than me, nine years worth of experience behind him, we're like a tree compared to a seedling. No chance! But as I sit on the chair, I start analyzing my options. If I refuse, nothing will change. He will probably keep this distant behavior with me until I graduate, and we'll stay in this stalemate situation, keeping each other cornered. But if I accept the challenge, then there's a 99% chance I'll lose, and then I'll have to do whatever he comes up with, as his term of duel. Additionally, most probably he'll wish for me to stop rebelling altogether, and finish my school years in peace. No fun. And certainly, no chance for me to get him out of his miserable state. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place here. My only option is, if I believe in my 1% chance, and truly try to defeat him. David and Goliath all over again, baby. So, I raise my eyes back to him with determination.

"I accept your challenge professor." I say firmly.

"Wonderful. Then, in case victory is mine, you will become my personal servant under the pretense of potions assistant, until you graduate. Seeing that you possess all the knowledge about me, I'll have to keep you on a tight leash." he drawls lowly, in almost a seductive tone, and I'm glad I'm sitting because my knees are getting weak.

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just erased my memory?" I ask, because I can't see why Snape needs to complicate things, when he has a much easier solution if he's concerned about his memories.

"No, because that way, I could not have my revenge on you for annoying me all these years." he says with a smirk, and my blood starts to boil. This bastard!

"Alright, then if I win, you are obligated to fulfill a wish for me. Anything I ask of you." I raise my eyebrows to underline my words. He pauses for a second, then responds holding his head high, looking down to me,

"Very well."

He reaches his hand out to me, and I reluctantly take it, shaking it only once. The game is set. He suddenly bows down to me, bringing his face closer than ever,

"See you tomorrow in the forest at 5 o'clock sharp. Don't dare to be late." he growls with a smug face and in the next second he storms out the infirmary door. Tomorrow? Oh Merlin, December first is tomorrow! I get up and hurry to our dorm, to tell Drax we have to postpone our little stunt on Vincent, because apparently, I'll go to war tomorrow. I burst in to one of the boy's bedrooms without knocking, attracting two surprised looks and a concerned pair of Drax eyes on me.

"Sorry to barge in, Drax, come with me a bit." my expression is dead serious, and my friend gets up immediately, following me out right into an alcove.

"I'm sorry, but we have to postpone blowing up the cauldron." I say nervously.

"Why? I practiced my speech to Vincent all day!" he whines.

"I know Drax, and I'm very sorry to do this to you, but our beloved dungeon bat just challenged me to a wizard duel."

"What?" he asks, eyes wide open. He puts his hands in front of his mouth in disbelief.

"Yes. After I finished regrowing his arm, he thanked me with a challenge to an ass-whopping." I roll my eyes with sarcasm.

"He's insane. You have no chance against him! Is he planning to do it in front of students?" his eyes are filled with concern, pity, and a hint of outrage as well.

"Fortunately, no. He told me this isn't going to be like the modern duels. This is an ancient version, and it has stakes on the line. We both establish our wishes before dueling, and whoever wins will have order." I explain with a frown.

"Damn. You're in for a big one, eh?" he sighs as he places his hand on my shoulder in sympathy. I nod, and pray to Merlin to give me some luck for tomorrow…

I stand at the edge of the forest, nervous as hell. It's 4:50 right now, I actually arrived early, so I don't piss off my bat more. There is a thin layer of snow on the ground around me, making the scenery look so pure and clean, and I wonder how will I be able to hide from Snape if I have to. The air is cold, but not freezing, which makes our meeting much bearable than if I had to fight in subzero temperatures. Last night I had a weird dream about a doe guiding me through the dark forest, and this actually gave me a really good idea on how I could fabricate some chance to myself against Snape. Only three minutes before five, I see the black robe fluttering in the air with every step the potioner takes towards me, as he approaches the woodland firmly from the castle. His silhouette makes my heart pump twice as fast, and my breathing becomes heavier the closer he gets. When he reaches my proximity, he checks me up and down with a stern face, and says,

"Good afternoon, Miss. Punctual, as I see."

"Yes, professor." I say sheepishly, my determination stolen away by his assertive aura and my fear of what is to come.

"Follow me." he says curtly, then starts walking deep in the woodland.

As we pass tree after tree, the place doesn't look so terrifying, seeing that there's still light out, and the trees shed their foliage already, allowing more light to surround us, the snow reflecting it from below. I look up to the potioner's form from behind, and his flowing black hair awakes a wanton feeling inside me, I would kill if I could just run up to him and hug him from behind. His robe proudly flies with every step, and I find my bravery lifting its head inside me again. If I manage to defeat him, I have a chance to warm him up. I have a chance to get us close, and slowly make him open up his heart. I make this thought my main source of courage and motivation, as we stop suddenly in a smaller glade surrounded by trees. Snape turns to me.

"Give me your hand." he orders and I raise my hand in front of me. He takes it with his opposite one, encircling my thumb, and lifting our joined hands, like the people in arm wrestling.

"I will now say the pledge for opening the duel, and to establish our wishes. You are to repeat the opening part after me, word for word. When I finished stating my wish, state yours clearly, so the magic can take effect." he explains emotionlessly.

"Wait, this has a magic bond?" I ask surprised.

"What did you think makes the losing party carry out the winner's wish? It has to be done with magic; we're not simply comparing our strengths here. Now focus." he finishes in a commanding tone, takes out his wand, and waves it around our joined hands, creating a silver thread tying our wrists together, then going up our lower arms, circling it like a serpent.

"I hereby swear on the ancient laws of dueling, that I will fight fairly, without the intent of killing my adversary, treating the sacred bout with nothing, but respect. Should I lose, I swear to deliver on my opponent's will. Should my opponent lose, she is to become my personal servant until her graduation ceremony in Hogwarts." he stated ceremoniously, and the silver thread on his arm starts to glow strongly.

Hesitating for a second, I find my voice to do my part.

"I hereby swear on the ancient laws of dueling, that I will fight fairly, without the intent of killing my adversary, treating the sacred bout with nothing, but respect. Should I lose, I swear to deliver on my opponent's will. Should my opponent lose, he is to fulfill one wish for me, no matter what the wish will be." I finish my pledge, and my silver string lights up too. Our wrists stay bonded, but the serpent on our forearm slithers up our arms to our shoulders, and disappear into our chest, and the next second, our wrists are set free. I have a tickling sensation inside me, and Snape speaks with a casual voice.

"The rest is basic dueling. Wands at the ready." he instructs and I take out my wand, we raise them in front of ourselves, then down to the side, and turn around to walk five steps away from each other. We face each other again, and we take our position. I internally count to three. Merlin help me.

I don't even have time to blink, Snape starts off really strong, sending attack after attack, I barely manage to dodge them, and keep my conjured shield up. He backs me into a tree, but as soon as I get a little opening I run behind it, using the tree as shield. I run off, trying to put some distance between us, but I'm chased with stuns, fire attacks, pressurized air impacts and many more. Dear Merlin, the sheer repertoire of this man is bigger than my life expectancy. Which is quite short at the moment considering that I'm dodging literal fireballs! What am I, a rotisserie chicken? Feeling bold and annoyed with my lack of opportunity to counterattack, I turn around, facing the potioner, and send a few basic attacks myself, right after I dodge his. But of course, he shakes them off without breaking a sweat. I start running again, faster this time, and quickly hide behind a thicker tree trunk, crouching at the base. I try to muffle my panting as best as I can, while I think of a way to defeat this man. Come on, think. I have to surprise him somehow, but what can I use to throw him off? He is much faster than me, he can anticipate my next step before I even make it, and he has a wider spell-palette than I have.

"I thought you had more courage in you, young lady. Your cowardness starts to make me question the fact that you defeated a death eater. Why don't you attack me like you did with him? Or perhaps you think hiding from me will bring your victory?" he mocks as I slowly stand up with shaky legs. The next second a giant explosion throws me forward in the air, the bastard blew up the tree I was hiding behind! I fall to the ground, the air is knocked out of my lungs, and I thank Merlin that I'm not impaled on a piece of wood upon landing. Swiftly getting up, I'm sprinting once more, cursing internally, because he simply doesn't give me time to do anything. He's fast and relentless, concentrated like the strongest pumpkin juice, and ruthless, doing just enough not to kill me.

We play this chase for a good twenty minutes, I try to run from him, sometimes trying to use disillusionment, but he always finds me. I try to counterattack, but he blocks, and charges again, fast and many many spells one after another. I find myself on the brink of giving up, and right as I'm about to step out from behind a tree with my wand in the air, signaling my surrender, my dream crosses my mind again. The doe… driven by an idea that might not even work, I decide to risk it all, and pull a trick on the potioner. This will either make or beak the duel. In third year, we learned a simple charm that conjured colorful smoke, which you could mold into whatever form you wanted, you could change its color, and you could even make it glow. This spell was often used to entertain the first-year students at their first feast upon arriving in Hogwarts, creating colorful animals and figures running and flying around them. So, I conjure the smoke, which first appears grey, but I change it to resemble the color of a patronus, and form it into a doe. I make the animal glow as much as I can, and wait. When I hear Snape's footsteps nearby, I step out from my hiding spot, this making Snape charging at me instantly, but I raise my wand at him.

"Expecto Patronum!" I yell the fake incantation, and send the doe towards Snape, pretending to shield myself from his attack with a patronus, while I just simply dodge it with my wand. My trick has its effect, deeply surprising Snape, making him follow the doe with his eyes for a few seconds, giving me the opening I waited for.

"Stupefy!" I throw the stunning spell at him, and I watch as he collapses to the ground, unconscious. I stammer back into a tree, bracing myself on the bark as I try to calm my racing heart. I won. I really won. I notice the silver thread leaving my chest, and untying itself from my wrist, then slithering over to Snape, and rounding itself on his other wrist, entering his chest. So, this means my body is freed from the ancient spell. And his body will probably be freed also, after he fulfills my wish. Wow. Fascinating piece of magic.

I walk over to my teacher, still high on adrenaline, panting and with a slightly shaking body, and kneel down next to him.

"Rennervate!" using the reviving spell on him, I bring him back from the unconscious darkness, and before he can even open his eyes properly, I close my eyes and crash my mouth onto his, kissing him in a frenzy with trembling hands cupping his cheeks. There's so much tension in my body, that I simply cannot control myself, I run my fingers through his hair, as I relish his taste on the cold ground. His lips are a bit chapped but they're warm and welcoming, his musky scent intoxicates me as I feel his body heat radiating towards me. To my surprise he doesn't push me away, there's no protest from his part, so I become more daring and slightly opening my mouth, I trace his lower lip with my tongue and Merlin's beard, he grants access…

His tongue slowly enters my mouth, inviting my tongue to a heated dance, his flesh is fiery hot as it slides over mine, and I can't help but moan wantonly in our kiss. This is everything I wanted and more, his kiss is ten times better than I imagined, my whole body is buzzing with the incredible sensation his kiss provides, and I just want to melt into him, to stay here with him forever. I feel his fingers in my hair, I can tell he succumbed to his own desire, and my core is already screaming with need, knickers helplessly ruined by my fluids. In this moment, I am crazy about his lips, his strong, manly taste, the way he practically violates my mouth with his fierceness, dominating my mind and body with only a flick of his wet flesh. Snape knows damn well what he is doing, he's a bloody expert in driving me insane with his tongue, and having such a boiling hot kiss with him makes me wonder, what other exercises he is bloody good at where he has to use his tongue. Our mouths are inseparable, we kiss for long minutes, what started as a heated frenzy, now it's a sensual, and lubricious lovemaking with our tongues, I simply can't get enough of his taste, and as I feel on him, he's in the same shoes as me. Small noises of pleasure leave my throat as my mouth is claimed by the potion master, and only when the cold starts becoming a piercing pain in my knee, I decide to leave his lips, huffing and blushing like mad. His expression is soft, the faintest rosy tint is present on his cheeks, those onyx eyes dazed and full with desire. Dear Merlin, he's so handsome now! I want to devour him right here.

"I suppose, you won." he says breathily, accompanied by a small smile. His reaction makes my heart so full; I take his hand in mine, and bring it to my lips, then hugging it to my chest.

"No. You won." I say grinning, with teary eyes. You won my heart. I think to myself as I help him up, and we slowly make our way back to the castle, under the darkening sky with a few stars sprinkled on its surface…