Thank you for following. I own nothing of the Potter-Verse. Elaine is the only one of my creation. I'm sorry I didn't stick to my word and haven't updated, many things are happening in my personal life as of late. I am also in very poor health due to an autoimmune disease. I will try to get back on track.*

The faintest stirring of breath on the back of her neck awoke her. Elaine opened her eyes, the reality of the morning bringing heat over her.

They had slept together.

Together, together.

Sex.

Severus awoke with her movement, completely alert. He buried his face in her hair and gave her a soft kiss on the shoulder.

"We should probably make an appearance at breakfast." She said, amazed that she had fallen asleep after their passion. Although, she had heard that sex was often draining. Severus nodded in agreement against her shoulder, his stomach making the slightest grumbling noise.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, gently stroking her hip. She knew that he was referring to their love making. Truthfully, her insides were tender and sore and she had the oddest sensation of having done one too many loops on a broom. She didn't want to see that regret return to his eyes, the idea that he'd been too rough.

"I feel okay, a little tender, but not bad at all."

"Do you need a pain-killing draught?" He frowned.

"No, I'll be fine." She assured him, thankful for his thoughtfulness and tenderness.

He rose from the bed, redressing in the dark. She heard the fabric slide over him as he clothed himself. She could feel his body against hers once more, a phantom of the memory. Intimately aware of how it had felt to have his body pressed flush against hers. She trembled at the thought, her pulse quickening.

"Elaine," he said, breaking the silence, "this will not happen again."

All at once it was like her stomach had been ripped out and thrown. Her heart squeezed and tears stung her eyes.

"But-"

"I'm sorry, but there can not be a relationship between us. I do not regret it, but it was wrong. Do not seek me out again."

And with that he left the room, leaving her in the darkness. Her face burned in shame at the thought. She didn't think that all they would have was a one night stand. She didn't think... and that was why she was in this situation now. She heard the door shut and she tugged at her hair, anxiety and stress decending upon her like wolves, tearing her apart. Her breath came in ragged huffs until her lungs burned. She hadn't sought him out. He came to her. Her lip trembled and tears escaped.

She could still smell him on her skin, feel his touch. She let out a cry of frustration and stormed out of the bedroom, turned on the lights and went straight to the shower.

She had to wash away the scent of the dark potions master. She needed to burn away his gentle touch and the passion she felt with him. He had got what he wanted... and now she was nothing. The water was almost scalding as she scrubbed at her skin, the steam clouding and burning her eyes. It was hard to tell if she was still crying.

She finally made her way to the Great Hall. She was determined not to react to Severus. She wouldn't even look at him.

Elaine settled down next to Lupin, who smiled kindly at her.

"Good morning, Elaine." He greeted, cutting his breakfast steak into careful chunks.

"Good morning, Remus..." She managed a weak smile. He arched a brow, obviously unconvinced by it.

"Are you unwell this morning?"

"No, I've just had a very emotional morning. I don't really want to talk about it." She pleaded with her eyes for him to drop it. He nodded.

"Well then, perhaps you would join me for a walk this afternoon? I don't do well being caged up." He wrinkled his nose, a twinkle in his eye. Elaine suspected he was making a joke about his lycanthropy, but since she wasn't supposed to know about that she just smiled.

She felt eyes on the back of her head, like they were burning into her skull. She didn't have to look to know who they belonged to. She set her jaw. If Severus was so keen on dismissing her, he had no right to be upset about her friendships with other men. She rather liked Remus. He was charming and intelligent but most of all, he was nice. which really was the most important part.

"I would really like that."

"Brilliant. Eat some breakfast, Elaine. You'll need it! I'll show you my favorite places from when I was a boy. Some of them are a bit of a hike." He smiled, well... wolfishly. Elaine laughed, unable to help it. So what if he was a werewolf? She had always believed strongly against the stigma many lycanthropes faced due to legends and prejudice.

"Alright..." she consented, apprehensive of the food on her plate. She hadn't drunk either the nausea or anxiety potion this morning. She ate slowly and mechanically, concentrating solely on keeping her food where it belonged, unregurgitated and in her stomach. The burning sensation in the side of her head persisted through the bulk of breakfast until she finally excused herself.

"I'm going to go and change shoes for out walking trip." She said to Remus. He nodded with a smile and a promise to wait for her before she went to her room. She sank down on one of the large armchairs in front of the fire and stared into it for a moment. She felt hollow in the center of her chest. No ruffle of anxiety or nausea bothered her this morning.

The ordeal with Snape had been shocking and it had left her numbed.

She was ashamed of the way she had acted, that she had read into his kindness and her body had responded to something so simple as the warmth of his... Is this who she was now? Some floosy who bedded tall and dark strangers without taking the time to even establish a relationship with them?

She had felt in those moments like she had taken control of her body back. Like it belonged to HER. Like she had control and final say over who could and couldn't touch her... and then he had just left. Leaving her confused and humiliated and ashamed.

She cradled her face miserably for several moments, waiting for the tears to come, but interestingly, they never came.

She grabbed the anxiety potion and downed it quickly before she went to her small closet and pulled out a pair of sneakers and exchanged her flats.

She wouldn't let this ruin her. She wouldn't let that monster who attacked her hold anymore power over her. She held her head high and went back to the Great Hall and found Remus.

He smiled and trotted over to her, on his friendly loping way and they were off and out of the doors in a blur.

Snape P.O.V*

He watched Elaine go with the lycanthrope with distaste acrid and burning on the back of his tongue like bile. A forceful wave of possessiveness caused him to grip his goblet harder than he had meant to. He felt the metal begin to give and he sat it down in disgust.

How could she? Knowing how he felt about that blasted mongrel... and then his thoughts slid to his cruelty this morning.

Something like guilt threatened to invade him, but he turned it to anger. He had never asked to sleep with her. He should have never touched her... and that's why he was stopping it now. One or both of them would be left hurt if this relationship continued, and he would be damned to allow it to be him.

She didn't want him. She came to him because he showed her kindness and he had genuinely wanted to help her. She didn't want him. She wanted his comfort.

He ground his jaw in agitated contemplation for several moments until he felt a stare on him. He turned his head slowly, a deathly glower fixed onto his face. Minerva was watching him with one eyebrow raised in question.

"In a foul mood today, Severus?" She asked.

"I'm a peach." He sneered, standing up suddenly and leaving the room. Behind him, he didn't see Minerva's pitying eyes or the purse of her lips, but he could feel her gaze like a sharp pain between his shoulder blades. An unfortunate fourth year happened to bump into him just as he was passing down through the great hall and he spat, "10 points from Hufflepuff," without and second thought.