I didnt not steal this from J.K Rowling. Well.. I DID, but only the characters, and the world they live in. Story is all mine! muhahah!
ooo
Chapter ten: days of summer and nights of frustration
ooo
The next day, Lupin was leaving for Argentina for three weeks. Sarah was finding this harder than she had imagined she would. She had barely spent a single day without Lupin since they first met in Diagon Alley. Only during exam preparations and when she had locked herself in her room to master the tranformation had she gone a whole day without talking to him, but even then he had been there, in the same castle. Now she felt awful, the thought of three weeks without her bestfriend was too sad.
She still had Sirius there of course, and Snape, but none of them could ever replace Lupin.
« Do you have to go?» she found herself asking.
« Well yes, but I'll be back soon, and don't think that I won't miss you like crazy either. I've gotten quite used to being beaten up on a daily basis», he smiled at her and stroked his upper arm, where she would usually aim her punches, « but I'll have the bruises to remember you by while down there».
« you don't have bruises...I never punch you that hard, just enough to keep you in place», she smiled and punched him. This was their thing and only their thing. She never punched Sirius or Snape, just Lupin. He growled at her, she growled back and hugged him. He hugged her back, crushing the wind out of her. Then he pulled back, said good bye to Sirius and disapparated.
« I'll be all alone now», she said to the place where Lupin had been standing. « And I am just something the cat dragged in?» Sirius said to her.
«No more like the dog, wouldn't you say?» she answered. « Oh shut up, come on let's go for a swim». He took her with him back through the grounds and towards the lake. The giant squid was resting in the shallows. She didn't quite feel comfortable with that squid, although it was harmless, even almost tame. There was something about the sheer size of its tentacles that made her stomach churn.
Then an idea popped into her head. « Wait here, I'll run and get something to make our usual swim more interesting», and she ran up towards the castle.
ooo
Snape was as usual in the dungeons, sweating over a cauldron of something. This time a very sinister looking black potion, it had the texture of tar, and was bubbling in the same way that heated tar does. She forgot why she came « Ooh, what's that?», she bent her head over the cauldron, smelling the fumes to see if she could recognise anything.
« That is skele-grow» he said, by now used to her poking her head in and asking a milion questions.
« I'm making it now so that Pomfrey has it ready by start of term, it needs about a month to age. By the time its ready, it'll be bone-colored», he explained. « How do you make it?», she asked starting to examine the various ingredients Snape had on the table. « Dragonblood?» she held up an unmarked bottle. He nodded, she opened the lid and smelled it. It burned her nostrils and airways, she gave a cough, and a flame shot out of her mouth.
« Oh yes I probably should have warned you. That is unprocessed blood, and you really musn't inhale the fumes» he smiled. « But you didn't on purpose...?», she gave another cough, a smaller flame shot out.
He laughed, « Well... oh don't worry, a few more coughs and it will be out of your system». He started explaining to her how to make it, different precautions, how you must not put in a single drop more than you need of the dragonblood. « If you do, the growth will never stop, its quite horrorfying».
After a while there was a knock on the door and Sirius came in.
« Where did you go to? I've been waiting for ages! I ran into Minerva and she told me she had seen you come down here».
«Oh that's right, the gillyweed! I came and saw Severus making skele-grow, and I completely forgot about you!»
She turned to Snape, « Could I have some gillyweed? You see, we were going for a swim, and well, I felt like making it more fun.»
« The jar is in the backroom», he said without looking up from the cauldron, this was a particularly tricky part of the prosess.
« Hey... you... did you...?» she called from the backroom.
« Yes, the old git alphabatized his stocks, and it took me quite a while to do it so make sure you put everything back where it belongs!», he said still focusing on the cauldron.
« Will you come with us?» she called again from the backroom. She came out with a handful of gillyweed. «please?», she asked and brushed his hair out of his face for him.
« I can't leave the cauldron just yet», and it wasn't just an excuse. « Alright then, but I might just swim by your window». She kissed him. Her lips lingering on his cheek just a little longer than needed, then she handed half the gillyweed to Sirius, and they were off.
ooo
The gillyweed felt like worms in her mouth, but when she finally managed to swallow, she felt the effect. She was being suffocated, she couldn't draw breath. She did as Sirius and dived under. The icy water filled her mouth, but it was a comforting feeling. Her hands were now webbed and her feet flippers and she could prepel herself in the water with incredible ease. She set off with Sirius to explore the lake. They both had their wands strapped to their legs in case they came upon grindylows. But she knew that they kept in the very depts, hidden amongst the tar. They rarely ventured in the open water.
The green water of the lake was wonderfully peaceful and silent. There weren't that many creatures living here, mainly the giant squid, the merpeople and well the grindylows. And fish of course, but nothing they needed to fear.
Every now and then they would pass a mermaid or a merman. This was not out of the ordinary, they often swam with them up at the surface. Sarah decided to find Snape's underwater window. She swam along the cliff wall that the castle stood on, She first saw a huge window that was in the Slytherin common room, it was summer so the common room was deserted. « no fun there» she thought and swam further.
She could see it now. It was funny, from the inside, the window was so large, but out here compared to the lake, and the cliffside, it seemed tiny. She swam all the way up to it and hammered on it. Hoping he would be able to leave the cauldron, and hoping the unbreakable charm would not choose this very moment to fail. She waited a while and knocked again, she didn't want to rush him, she knew he could hear her. The door to the classroom was open, but she guessed he couldn't leave his cauldron and swam away.
She swam deeper, down to three mermaids that where circling Sirius. « Even with non-humans he is a charmer» she thought to herself, smiling at how the three mermaids were compeeting for his attention. She felt a slight vibration in the water, «Could it be?» She swam back up to the window. It had been him, pounding on the window. He had come into the room just in time to see her dive deeper.
She beamed at him. Started swiming loop de loops in front of the window. They couldn't talk, and his mind was too closed for her to reach him that way, but she still wanted him to know she was happy he heard her knocking. He just stood there smiling at her, his hand on the window.
ooo
« She is so damn beautiful!» he thought to himself as he watched her. She was wearing a simple black bikini, not too revealing, but he found it extremely flattering, and her usual waistlength dark hair was floating around her like a cloud of silk strands. The light from the surface playing on her skin.
She swam back close to the window, all the way up against it and put her hand on the glass where his was. She looked into his eyes, « Please, please hear me. Let me speak to you, let me in», she beckoned him, but he could not hear her. « Damned occlumency» she thought. She didn't move though, just floated infront of the window, her hand on his, with the glass between, gazing into his eyes. Her legs slowly paddling to keep her position. He too did not move, merely stood there and watched her, taking in every delightful inch of her beauty.
Sirius came up to her now, and motioned that their hour was almost up. Then he swam towards the surface. Sarah lingered for a few moments, then she kissed the glass where his mouth was on the other side and swam up after Sirius.
As she made her way up she could feel the gillyweed stop working, and by the time she broke the surface she was gasping for air. They swam back to the shore, and laid down beside the giant squid, letting the sun heat up their bodies.
« That was amazing! Can't believe we haven't thought of using gillyweed before! We are definitely doing that again!», Sirius exclaimed lying on the sand, panting for air.
« Well we can't use up his whole stock of gillyweed can we, he needs it for Remus' potion, but I'll order some, because that was truly amazing. I wish Remus was here though, I miss him already...», she said and fell back on the hot sand.
« So...flirting with mermaids? I didn't know you could speak mermish», she turned on her stomach, letting the sun kiss her back. « oh yes, well, thats one of my many hidden talents », Sirius said.
« you mean flirting, or speaking mermish» but Sarah answered this one herself « ah who am I kidding, it has to be both».
They spent most of the day there on the shore, going in and out of the water. Until it became too cold, and they were too hungry. They put their robes and shoes back on and went to dinner. Snape however, did not come to dinner. Afterwards she went down to see him.
ooo
He was still hovering over the cauldron of black tar like potion.
«mind some company?» she asked. She didn't want to disturb him if he was too busy. « not at all, but if you are going to hang around, you better make yourself useful», he smiled at her. She smiled back « right, what tantalizing task do you have in mind for me»
Snape gave her an evil grin, « well, I am out of troll semen, so you can milk some for me. The testicles are in the burlap sack in the back room»
She gave him an appaled look, « How about I stir, while you go milk your own semen?».
Still grinning he shook his head. « If you want to learn all there is to know about potions, then you have to learn this as well. Get the sack, and I can talk you through how to extract the semen without losing any of its properties». He continued where they had left when Sirius had come, explaining about the potion. Teaching her.
She loved that he never said that anything was too advanced for her to learn about, as long as she showed interest he was keen to explain and teach. He also never said that he didn't have time for her questions, even when he was working on something really hard, and it needed his complete attention, he would shoosh her, but he would still let her watch.
When they had finally finished, he sent for some food from the kitchens and they went into his room.
« So it needed aging for about a month?», she said making mental notes.
« Yes, its hard to tell the exact number of days, it depends a lot on the freshness of the ingredients and specially what species of dragon the blood comes from. So you have to leave it for three weeks, and after that you daily inspect it until it has the right color. Its also vital that there is no vapour coming from it», he explained as he was sitting down to eat.
Sarah curled up in the windowseat, Sabine slithering towards her. « And what if it has the desired color and its still slightly fuming?», she asked as she lowered her arm and let the snake coil up and around her neck.
« Well then you put in too much dragon blood and the potion can't be used». Sarah grabbed a book that lay on a cusion, 'Seers and the Secrets Senses'. «Been reading about me I see...» she said with a smile.
« Yes, after that night, I decided that if I knew more, I could handle it better if it should happen again», he answered.
She said nothing, but started to read. He finished his dinner and took another book he was reading. They didn't say much, as always they didn't need to. Once and again one of them would say, « listen to this...», and read an interesting passage from their book, but most of the evening they sat in silence.
ooo
Suddenly Sarah got up and said, « this just not comfortable enough!» and she took the snake and the book with her to his bed.
« You are hoping he'll join you?», Sabine said to her, coiled up beside her on the bed. « Well yes, but he doesn't seem to notice... I could probably be lying here naked and he wouldn't even look up from his book.»
« That I think he would notice», Sabine said and gave a hiss. Sarah knew this was Sabines way of laughing. « maybe I should try it then», she smiled at the snake.
« It is unusually hot down here tonight», She said and took off her robes. She threw them on the couch. Underneath she was still wearing that black two-piece.
Snape had of course noticed that she went to his bed, and it was all he could do to keep himself from jumping her.
He couldn't see her, because the bed was around the corner, but his stomach, along with other parts of his anatomy, gave a jolt as he saw her robes being tossed towards the couch. She missed and they landed in a soft pile on the floor. The thought of her halfnaked in his bed, made his throat dry and his mouth water, at the same time.
He thought of how she had stayed infront of his window. How beautiful she had been, « as always...» then he remembered her kissing the window before she swam to the surface. He wanted to kiss her again so desperately, but he didn't dare go over there. He looked back down at his book, and continued to read the same three lines over and over again. He could not concentrate on anything other than the fact that she was in his bed again.
ooo
It took him the whole of two hours to dare go over to her. Sarah was lying on her stomach, waving her legs in the air. She was laughing and Sabine hissing.
He was now used to the two of them being able to communicate, in the beginning it had slightly creeped him out. « What are you two girls hissing about?», he said as he sat down on the bed.
« Nothing that would interest the potions master..»
Sarah turned over onto her back. She gave him a smile and streched a little, arching her back towards him. Her breasts swayed a little. Suddenly he felt the fabric of her bikini top was far too tight and revealing. He could make out the slight bumps of her nipples. He swallowed and looked away.
« Doesn't seem like he'll do anything tonight...» Sabine hissed and slid back to her glass cage.
« Well... it is rather late... maybe I should go?», she said to Snape, hoping he would pin her down and refuse to let her leave.
«... you know...» he started, and paused to clear his throat three times. « You could sleep here. It is very, very late, and if you are tired, why go all the way back your room, when you are, in effect, already in bed?». Snape clenched his jaws, and refused to blush.
« Are you sure I'm not imposing?», she asked. He answered by going to his closet and getting a pajamashirt. « Here, I only sleep in the bottoms anyway...», he said and tossed it to her.
« Alright, turn around so I can change», she said.
« No need. I will change in the bathroom, so you can change here», he said, and left the room.
ooo
When he back out, Sarah was leaned against the cornerwall, dressed in nothing but his shirt. She had her arms crossed and a smile on her lips that he didn't know how to interpet. It seemed she was waiting for him.
She greedily watched him as he was standing before her. He was in fairly good shape, not all big and bulky like Hagrid, but more slender and with just a hinting of mucles. His skin was the very definition of porcelain. Completely hairless, smooth, and pale. He had a few scars here and there. Some had healed well, some not so well.
Sarahs eyes involuntarily fell to his left arm. He didn't have the mark. There was a patch on his forearm where the skin was just slightly darker, more grey in tone, but that was it.
Snape felt her eyes all too well, and almost held his breath while waiting for the inevitable questions. He already had his anwers ready. He had been asked a million times over by almost anyone that he crossed paths with since the first war.
« So... I guess I am really sleeping here then...», she said with a smile that seemed to assure him that the questions he dreaded, would never be asked.
« I guess you are...right, you sleep on the bed, and I will sleep on the sofa», he said, then conjured up a pillow and some sheets.
« What?!» Sarah had not seen that coming, and suddenly felt like an idiot.
Snape straighted the sheet over the sofa, and now that his back was turned to her, Sarah could see the biggest scar he had. It was a couple of inches wide and ran diagonally from the top of his right shoulder blade, and vanished beyond the line of his trousers on his left hip. It was the most recent of his scars, and almost looked like it was still healing. « Who stabbed you in the back, Severus?»
Her curiosity over his scar quickly passed, as Snape laid down on the sofa. Sarah tried not to stare at him, tried so hard not to let him see the wanting look in her eyes.
She wanted to grab him and pull him to the bed. She wanted him to want her, but she couldn't read anything off him at all. « Damned freaking occlumency» she thought to herself again.
Snape on the other hand was mustering all his focus on not letting her feel his desire for her. He knew from before that when he felt something too strongly, she could read it, but he refused to have that happen now. He feared that if she sensed it, she would be out of the door in an instant, like she had done the morning she kissed him.
« Good night Severus» she sighed, and went back to the bed. « Good night Sarah».
They both pretended to fall asleep, but in truth both of them lay awake for hours longing for the other, neither daring to take the first step
ooo
When he woke up the next morning, both she and Sabine were gone. He showered, dressed and went to breakfast. There he found her at the table, an empty chair reserved for him beside her, and Sabine draped around her shoulders.
« Good morning», she beamed at him, « I hope you don't mind. I'm going to Sybill after breakfast and she really wanted to come. You were asleep and I didn't want to wake you» she said in a whisper, so not everyone around the table would hear. Not that they didn't know that something was going on, in fact by now, the whole staff had noticed the tension between them.
ooo
They would sometimes talk about in the staffroom, when neither of them, nor Lupin or Sirius was there. « Oooh! imagine if they got married!», Pomfrey had said and Sprout had almost squeeked,
« They could get married here, at Hogwarts, and what if they had BABIES!». The two old spinsters started giggling with excitement.
« It's funny, I would have figured she would go for Remus. They have been inseparable since her first day at Hogwarts, always running off to be alone. Hardly ever see one without the other», Flitwick shot in.
« No, not her and Remus, they are friends, aren't they, he calls her little sister for godness sake. Now if I had to bet I would have thought she would fall for Sirius. Now there is a perfect couple if I ever saw one», Hooch said over her periodical. Pomfrey and Sprout nodded in agreement.
« Maybe she can't decide. It sure seems to me that Sirius is taken with her. Did you notice how worried he was after that awful night she had? He did not let go of her hand for three days, they even spent the nights together. Not that I'm insinuating that anything happened, but he did not leave her side for an instant, did he?», Sprout said. « Well if I had the choice, I sure know who I would choose», Pomfrey giggled hysterically then said, « but I still say she does not look at Sirius the same way as she looks at Severus. No, there is certainly something there...I would wager my wand on it».
« As long as it does not interfere with their work, I have no objections», McGonagall said and scowled at the two women acting like little girls. «...but I do wish they would stop circling each other like that. Isn't there something we can do? To give them a slight push in the right direction?», she had said in a softer voice, but not wanting to admit that she too was imagining a Hogwarts wedding. It would certainly not be the first time two staff members had fallen in love.
« Now, now Minerva», Dumbledore had walked in just in time to hear the last part, « one should not meddle in matters like these. It is better if we just let them unfold and let the two kids figure it own on their own».
He did not tell them that he had only five minutes ago told Snape that he should stop be so damn proud and show Sarah how he felt.
ooo
Sarah was up in Trelawney's room with Sabine.
« So you see my dear, by doing the small exercise I taught you, you will be able to control the, let us say door, to you soul better. For sometimes you will find that you need to close it. It's rather like ones home. Having guests is right fun, but sometimes one wishes to be alone, and sometimes, there are people we do not want to let in... do you see what I'm trying to tell you?», Trelawney looked at Sarah, who was absentmindedly stroking Sabines head. She had for weeks now been teaching Sarah about how to be able to 'weed out', as Trelawney called it, undesirable connections.
« Yes Sybill, and I have been doing them. I was just thinking of a dream I had last night. I don't know if it was real, or what it was», Sarah said still focusing more on the snake then on Trelawney. « Tell me child...» Trelawney said.
« It was the start of term feast and we had come to the sorting ceremony. There was a long line of first years waiting to be sorted, and I noticed two of them. A boy and a girl, holding hands, waiting for their turn. I noticed them because they looked so alike, both dark brown wavy hair down to her shoulders, the same twinkle in their dark eyes. They both had a certain confident smile, it was clear that they were not nervous about being there at all. I thought that they had to be twins, and... if felt so connected to them, like they were mine».
She looked at Trelawney, hoping she wouldn't laugh at her. « And you are wondering if this is just a dream, or maybe something more...?». Sarah nodded.
« As I have told you before, Seers see things that are, things that have been, things that will be, and sometimes... things that might have been. I can't tell you what your dream means, or even if it means anything. Only by looking into yourself, will you learn how to read your visions», Trelawney said. Her tone revealed a hint of annoyance that Sarah still seemed more preoccupied with the snake, than listening to her.
« So I'm going to have twins one day...?» Sarah asked.
« Is that really what the dream tells you?».
« I don't know, I think so...», she said sounding doubtful, « but I'm definately not pregnant! Nor is it likely that I will become in the future!» Sarah said, a hint of panick in her voice.
« Ah, I take it things are not going as planned with Severus?» Trelawney smiled and sipped her tea again. « What do you mean 'as planned', we haven't planned anything, we aren't even a couple!». Sarah blushed. Trelawney laughed a little, « My dear, I wasn't saying that the two of you are planning to start a family, I was thinking of the fact that you clearly want the boy».
« Well, yes maybe... I don't know, I don't think he wants me though. If it wasn't for that damned occlumency, at least then I could have known where I had him, but I might as well be trying to read emotions off the air. I hate that!» Sarah exclaimed.
« Ah, yes that occlumency does make it tricky, but in time you will be able to read beyond that. Meanwhile, have you ever considered merely telling him how you feel, and see what he replies? Sometimes, one must dare make the first move...». « But I did take the first move, I did kiss him remember, but he didn't respond to that at all. If he really wanted me, why didn't he just... just...», Sarah blushed and whispered, « why didn't he just take me when he could have had me?»
« Darling Sarah, not even seers can understand why men do the things they do, or in this case don't. Just remember the first principle of Sight».
« I know, I know... look beyond what's not there...», Sarah sighed.
Trelawney raised her cup at Sarah and gave her a wink. She knew very well about Severus' feelings and why he did not dare approach her. But she, like Dumbledore, felt that the kids should figure it out on their own. Somethings ought not to be meddled in. « and if I don't intervene, then I win that bet with Albus...» Trelawney thought to herself while closing the trap door after Sarah.
ooo
After lunch Sarah went down into the dungeons and got the book she had been reading last night. She found herself a tree down by the lake and started reading. Sabine was still with her and was now basking in the sunlight a few feet away from her.
She knew could see Sirius and Fang, Hagrid's boarhound, running around, but she felt like being alone. She was too frustrated, too annoyed by Snape deliberately shutting her out. After a while, the heat from the sun was making her head ache and she went to seek refuge in the cool dungeons.
ooo
Snape had been away from Hogwarts since after breakfast, and when he came back it was close to midnight. He was drained of both physical and magical energy, and almost dragged himself to his bath. He went straight to the shower. It had become a routine over the years.
Whenever he returned from a tough mission, he would shower before even setting foot in his bedroom. He had never thought about it, but it was almost as if he needed to cleanse himself off the negative force, so that it wouldn't follow him to his bed, and his dreams.
When he finally came into his room, he found Sarah asleep in the windowseat. The book she was reading lying on the floor beneath her. His heart leapt at the sight of her. He picked her up and carried her to the bed, and pulled the covers over her, before going to sleep on the sofa.
He didn't even care to wonder why she was there. All that mattered was that she was again sleeping in his bed, and that alone brightened the dark day he'd had.
ooo
The next couple of days, it was much the same. Sarah would spend most of the day with Sirius, and in the evenings she would come to him. The previous day they had not even gone to dinner, but sent for it in his room. She would always decide to read in his bed, instead of the sofa and always stay late enough for him to offer her to sleep there. However he always slept on the sofa and gave her the bed. The sofa was too hard and made his back ache, and his neck stiff, but he did not mind at all.
As long as she spent her nights with him, he was beyond happy. He had not yet dared touch her though, and unknown to him, Sarah would complain about this to Sabine. «Four bloody nights I've been here, how long before he takes a freaking hint?»
The next evening he was streching his back. It was now stiff and painful from too many nights on the sofa. « Does your back hurt?», she asked him. « It´s nothing. Happens all the time», he lied. « Wait, I'll get something for you», she said and was out the door. She came back after a short while with a green bottle in her hand. « What is that?», he asked.
« That is your remedy, now take of your robes and lie down. I'll massage your back», she said and waved him over to the bed. He did as she told him. She strattled him, sitting on his thighs and now he could feel a stream of warm scented oil on his skin. Slowly she smeared the oil all over his back and neck, with long strokes going from his hairline, down to his lower back, and back up again.
She rubbed his back with experienced knowing hands. It was driving him crazy.
« What is that oil?» he asked, trying to keep his mind from the thought of her touch. « It's a little thing I made for Remus. He is always aching the days after the full moon, and I made him this to rub on his joints and muscles. It is fairly simple. I made an infusion of coconut oil and a few leaves of belladonna, to ease the pain. Only about two leaves per pint of oil though », she explained to him.
He nodded, a bit proud of her knowledge. She had used just enough belladonna to numb his pain, without ...well, without killing him.
« So you do this to Remus all the time?», he asked. « No, he insists on doing it himself. He is too self concious about his scars, and too guilt ridden to let anyone take care of him», she said and traced the scar on Snapes back with her finger.
She bent down and almost gave into to the urge to kiss it, before she realised what she was doing and stopped herself.
« You know, there are already many potions for aches and sore muscles», he told her in his teacher voice. «Yes I am well aware of that, but they were all so complex and strong. Not a single one that doesn't cause side effects, and with some you have to take another potion just to counter the them. Besides all of them are meant to be drunk, which in turn affects the whole body, even where you are not hurting. This way you can treat only the part of your body that actually hurts, and with no side effects at all», she went on while making circular movements up and down the sides of his spine.
A moan escaped his lips. It felt so good! He felt like the lump of dough she had been pounding at Hagrid's. He tried to remember the last time anyone had touched him like this, but nothing came to mind. « It doesn't smell like coconut oil» he said.
« I put some jasmine blossoms in the infusion, just to make it smell better»
« I love the smell of jasmine», he moaned. His body was responding to her touch now, and he thanked the heavens he was lying on his stomach so that she could not see it. « What else have you done to it», he asked trying to keep a clear head.
« Nothing else, I was going to put a heating charm on it, but I figured the friction does that anyway, and its best to K.I.S.S» She could feel him melting under her touch, and was hoping that he would finally do something, anything, turn around and kiss her, touch her, ravage her til morning.
« What is that 'kiss' thing, I've seen that scribbled all over your notes», he asked. « It stands for Keep It Simple Sarah, it's to remind me not to overcomplicate things. I use it when I cook, but I find it can be applied to potions as well».
«That's just brilliant», he turned his head and smiled at her.
Silence fell between them, as both of them were too busy concentrating on maintaining their selfcontrol, to remember to talk. Sarah massaged him until his skin had absorbed all of the oil and she didn't know how much longer she could keep herself from kissing every inch of his back.
ooo
« So are you feeling better?» she asked him. His back had stopped aching ten minutes ago. « A little»
She climbed off him, but he still lay on his stomach, waiting for his body to calm down, and til it was safe to get up. « I'll just go wash the rest of the oil of my hands». She dissappeared into the bathroom.
« Are you staying here tonight?», he called after her. « Not if it means you have to sleep on that awful couch again», she replied, « I'll sleep on the couch tonight and you sleep on the bed». She had no real intention of sleeping on the couch.
« There is no way I am letting you sleep on the couch!», he said, getting up from the bed and walking over to her. « Well then I guess I'll be going back to my own room», she said as she came out of the bathroom.
« We could... both sleep in the bed...», he said carefully, « it is certainly more than big enough for two people» « Yes, yes! Finally you get it!», Sarah thought and said, « I guess we could do that».
Again he tossed her his pajama shirt, which he had started thinking of as her pajama shirt.She took it with a smile and went back into the bathroom to change.
ooo
When she came back he was already changed and in bed. She got in under the covers and turned to him. « Well...» she smiled at him, thinking « kiss me!»
Snape turned on his side and rested his head in his hand. For a few seconds he just looked at her. He reached out, took a lock of her hair and curled it around his finger. He let it drop and brushed it away from her face. Sarah smiled expectingly at him. He smiled back, and licked his lips. Then he leaned in, and Sarah closed her eyes.
He kissed her on the forehead and said, « well... good night then», and turned his back to her.
For a few minutes, Sarah didn't move, or say anything, or even breathe. She just gaped, stupified, at the back of his head.
Sabine, who was curled up on the top beam of the bed, hissed at her. « He is really daft isn't he?!» Sarah looked up at Sabine. The snake hissed again.
« Severus...?» she whispered, but he pretended to be asleep. « oh the idiot!» she thought to herself.
She wanted to touch him so badly, and thinking that he was sleeping, she gently put her arm around his waist and kissed his shoulder. She then slowly fell asleep herself.
Snape heard her whispering his name, but he dared not turn around. If he did, she would see how much he desired her right now. When she put her arm around him and kissed him, it felt like he had been struck by lightning. He took her hand into his and wished he was brave enough to do more.
ooo
Just before dawn the next morning, Sarah woke up to find herself in his arms. Sometime during the night, probably in his sleep, he had turned around and had wrapped both arms around her. He was now holding her close to his chest.
Sarah smiled to herself, she moved as close as she possibly could. She could still smell the oil on his skin, it had blended wonderfully with the herbs that he usually smelled like. She decided not to get up, she would savor this chance to be in his arms as long as she could.
She wrapped her arm and one leg around him and closed her eyes again.
ooo
Hours later he woke up. She was in his arms, and she had one arm around him. Holding him tight. With her leg wrapped around his, she had locked him in so he could barely move. Not that he would want to move. He wanted to lie there and just look at her. Feel her body so close to him, with nothing but a thin piece of fabric between them. He couldn't help himself, and very gently kissed her lips.
She stirred, and he pulled away.
«... good morning...», she said and opened her eyes. He let go of her, and she carefully lifted her leg off him. « Good day is more like it», he grunted. « I'm taking a shower, stay here and we can go up to lunch together», he made his way to the bathroom. « If you want to wait for me of course»
« I'll wait, sure, but I wouldn't mind a shower myself», she hinted.
« I'll be out in a second». He did not take the hint. « He is very slow that one» Sabine lowered her body down from the beam and onto Sarah. «Very slow indeed» Sarah yawned and leaned back, letting the snake slither over her and onto the floor.
Sarah buried her head in the matress. The bed smelled like the two of them, and she didn't want to leave it.
His second in the shower turned out to be closer to an hour. Sarah remained in the bed, waiting until he came out of the bathroom, his hair wet and his body smelling of some herbal soap.
« It's all yours now».
Sarah went into the bathroom, and closed the door, but didn't not lock it. Sending a silent prayer that he would join her to the heavens. She showered rather quickly, and when she came out she realised she had left her robes in the bedroom.
« will you please hand me my clothes and my wand», she popped her head out, and was hiding her naked body behind the door. He did so and she closed the door again. She put a cleaning charm on her clothes and underwear. Thinking how much easier life as a witch was. In the muggle world, she would have had to out on the same dirty clothes from yesterday, but here, she merely waved her wand and her clothes were as clean as if they had been freshly laundered. She dried her hair and made a long braid that fell over her shoulder.
« There I'm ready, are you?», she came out of the bathroom, he was waiting for her on the sofa. « Let's go then, I am starving!» he held out his arm and she took it, « very gentlemanly of you», she smiled.
ooo
When they entered the staff room, eveyone were seated. They had all noticed that Sarah and Snape came in arm in arm, and seeing as they had not been there for breakfast, there was not a single person who did not think to him or herself, « it's finally happened!»
Unfortunately they soon realised that the sexual tension between the two had only increased.
« What the hell are they doing down in the dungeons then?», Sprout said to Pomfrey after lunch. Her dreams of a Hogwarts wedding were slowly fading.
« I don't know, but its certainly not that!», Pomfrey replied, she too slightly disappointed. « Can't we slip them a love potion in their drinks and lock them up until they have?», Sprout suggested jokingly.
They stopped talking as they turned a corner and saw Sarah heading in their direction. «Hello Sarah» they said in unison. « Poppy. Pomona», Sarah said without stopping. She had a bowl of popcorn in one hand, the latest issue of the Prophet in the other and was headed for her room.
In her room she sat down on the rug infront of the firplace, and waited for the color of the fire to change. She didn't have to wait long before the fire turned blue. It was the color of the international floo-network. Lupins head popped into the flames. He greeted her with a warm smile, and wondered how she was.
Sarah shrugged, « I could be alot better. Here is your Prophet», he handed him the newspaper through the flames. Lupin unrolled it, and exclaimed from joy when he read the headline. « He got Thorfinn Rowle. I can't believe it, I never thought he would be able to track him down!».
She didn't ask him who 'he' was. Deep down, she figured she knew that already. « I thought all the Death Eaters were either killed or in Azkaban?», she asked.
Lupin shook his head while reading the article. « No. No, they scattered to the winds as soon as they found out he was dead. The Orders and the aurors have captured and convicted tens of dozens, but there were hundreds, and most of the higher ranking ones vanished like dust in the wind».
He rolled up the paper and put it aside. « But we'll get them all eventually...», he said confidently.
Then Lupin gave her a look. A look that said that was enough talk on the subject. Sarah nodded agreeingly, and lit a cigarette which she handed to him through the flames, before lighting one for her self.
ooo
« So...tell me the latest on mission Snape», he said with a slight smile. The groan that Sarah let out, was enough to say that the mission was failing, at best. « a week, Remus, almost a whole bloody week I've been in his room, sleeping in his bed. Nothing, nada. Not even a glance in my direction...».
Before Lupin could say anything, she went on. « Last night, he suggested we both sleep in the bed, and when we were lying there face to face, inches apart... do you know what he did? He kissed me, on my FOREHEAD, and went to sleep...»
He laughed and Sarah flicked a popcorn at his head, saying it wasn't funny.
« are you sure you are sending out the right signals? I mean, maybe he thinks you just spend the night there because its the coldest room in the castle...», he suggested.
« Oh, I have been sending out signals galore! I've done everything except grab his nuts and demand that he fucks me», she exclaimed only partly joking. « I don't think you should do that though...», Lupin said with a grin. Sarah told him not to be daft, and pulled furiously on her cigarette.
ooo
« you know, I had a dream about you last night», she said out of the blue. « Really?», Lupin asked with a cheeky smile. « I dreamt I killed you».
«What?!».
«Yes. You were the wolf, and you were standing before me, growling, ready to pounce. But I attacked you first. I took you by the jaws and tore you in two», she said very casually.
He gave her a somewhat disshelved look and asked if she was mad at him for some reason. Sarah tilted her head and looked at him. « whatever gave you that idea?», she asked earnestly.
« So why are you telling me this?».
« I don't know, just figured you ought to know...».
« Do me a favor, Sarah. The next time you decide to kill me, at least tell me in advance. So that I have time to make up a Will or something...», he laughed.
After a few moments pause, he asked if she thought it meant something. « Not all my dreams are visions you know. Some are just products of my delerious mind».
Lupin nodded looked at her, still with a slight puzzeled expression.
Soon the subject drifted back to Sarah and her disasterous attempt at seduction.
ooo
For perhaps the tenth time, Lupin reminded her that the object of her desire was Snape, and she should not expect him to react like other men. Again he told her to be patient, that maybe he just needed time to take the hint.
« Take the hint?! The first night... he went into the bathroom to change, and when he came out I was standing by the bed, waiting for him, completely naked except for his shirt, and I had only even buttoned three or four buttons. He didn't even look at me, just turned and went to sleep on the damn sofa!», she said, and told him about nights of walking around in only her bikini, « let's face it. It is just water resistant underwear really...».
She told him about spending close to an hour rubbing oil on his body. « Who can't see the ulterior motive there?!», she exclaimed and tossed her cigarette into the fireplace, for a second forgetting poor Lupin, who had to duck.
« Seriously, Remus. You're a man. If a girl, any girl you found even remotely attractive had acted around you, the way I have been with him. What would you have done?»
Lupin pulled on his cigarette one last time, put it out and grinned. « I would have shagged her brains out the first night...». «Exactly! Any other man would have gone for it the first night. I've given him five times that, and he is clearly not interested, so I am giving up on the whole damn thing».
He protested to her giving up. She needed to be patient, he said. But Sarah shook her head. « I refuse to humiliate myself any further. What the hell was I even thinking, hanging around him like some 'marysue' fan-girl. No, I need to keep some dignity and selfrespect, and accept the fact that he has no interest in me. We're just friends, and I can live with that...».
« A what?», Lupin asked. « What the hell is a 'marysue'?».
« Oh, forget it. It's just a stupid muggle term», Sarah said and lit another cigarette.
She spent the remainder of that day with Sirius and Hagrid, and after dinner she didn't go down to the dungeons, but went to her room and merged herself in her sixth grade transfiguration book.
Snape waited for her half the night, refusing to give up on the idea what she would come. Finally, he fell asleep on the couch, still waiting for her.
She didn't stop coming to the dungeons altogether. She would still stop by and hang with him, spend a few hours or more there. But she would now always steer clear of his bed, and she would always leave soon, before it got too late.
ooo
ooo
Hey look! It´s the review button... Press it, give me a few words of feedback.
Chapter 11: Sarah gives Snape one more chance to claim her for his own. Will he take it?