Sunday appeared to be quite quiet in comparison to the day before at first. I helped George with his charms in the morning and Fred with his potions in the afternoon. He really was struggling with it, and you could see by the look on his face that he was glad for the help. When we went down for dinner that night, the Slytherin table booed as we walked past. We shook our heads and took our seats, but the faces at the staff table showed anger. I took a spoon of mashed potatoes and a large steak, before chancing a look up at Severus.
He was sat rather low in his seat and was glaring down at the Slytherin table, where Ambrose and Malfoy were sat jeering in our general direction. As the night before, we continued to talk loudly with one another and laughed at the twins who had bewitched their steaks causing them to ram into one another. George's steak was winning and so Fred began to throw snowballs of mashed potato at it.
I laughed with the others but my eyes continued to stray to Severus. I caught Harry's eye several times and he motioned to ask whether I'd spoken to Severus yet. I shook my head sadly and he returned to watching the twin's steak fight. I wanted nothing more than to talk to Severus, to see what was going on down in the dungeons. I had to find a way of meeting him alone, but I could think of nothing. As I looked up at the table I caught Severus's eye, but no smile played across his lips as it usually did. I frowned at him and he turned from me, returning his gaze to the Slytherins. He ate nothing and my heart plummeted. I saw Harry watching him also, and he shook his head as he looked to me.
I ate quickly, telling the others I wanted to hit the library before it closed, they said nothing but Harry nodded and I knew he'd make any excuses if I were that late back. I was the first to leave the hall and although no one was watching me, I made to go up the staircase, before turning behind me to check. Seeing no one was watching, I dived quickly down the dungeon staircase and ran full speed to Severus's office. As usual it was locked and I cursed quietly. I heard footsteps and I dived quickly into a small chamber opposite the office door. The footsteps fell rapidly over the stone flooring and my heart felt as if it would explode from the pressure of not breathing. A tall figure stood and searched the corridor. I stepped out from my hiding place quietly. He saw me and relief washed over his face. "Lena, are you alright? I mean, last night?" I nodded, "Fine Severus. What about you? You're not looking too great." And he really wasn't. Up close, his skin looked much sallower than usual and his eyes had lost their normal spark. His hair was greasy and his lips were chapped and dry.
He shook his head, "He knows doesn't he?" I couldn't look him in the eye and the fear that had gripped my heart last night would not lessen. "I don't know, but from what he said last night he suspects something. Severus, can we go somewhere? You shouldn't be walking around like this, you look a fright." He nodded taking my hand and pulling me down the corridor, past his office and in the opposite direction to his classroom. I followed quietly and when we turned another corner he used his wand to open a door. He pulled me inside and led me into the centre of the room. "I'll be right back." He left me after lighting several candles, and entered a room off the side of this larger one.
On the longest wall were two large windows with window seats, covered by dark green velvet curtains and I stroked the smooth fabric carefully. The windows were obviously enchanted to show the appropriate weather and time of day, as we were several feet below ground and I was reminded of the ones Harry had described lined the walls of the Ministry. A large bookcase wrapped around the wall on one side of the room and it was adorned with heavy leather bound books describing everything from jinxes to underwater plants of Peru. I heard a shower running and knew that was where Severus was.
I hadn't meant to be harsh, but I wasn't used to seeing him so unkempt anymore and I had hurt a little seeing what he'd let happen to himself in a day. In the centre of the room stood two green, velvet cinch loveseats and I kicked the flats off my feet before taking a seat in one of them. The rest of the room was rather dark, but I saw a large desk stood between the two windows, piled high with papers and books, and a small kitchenette against the other wall. There was only one other door in the room, apart from the one Severus had exited through, and I realised it must have led to his bedroom. The shower rumbled and the water stopped. I tried to look anywhere but at the door but when Severus stepped through the door I couldn't keep my eyes off him.
It wasn't the first time he'd taken my breath away, but this was the first time I'd felt it throughout my body. He was drying his hair in a towel and it hung in wet curtains around his face. For the first time, he wasn't wearing wizard clothing and instead wore a pair of dark jeans that hung low on his hips and a tight black shirt. "No robes?" He came to sit beside me and I led back in his arms, my head against his chest. He sniggered and I smiled up at him, "I prefer you like this anyway." I ran my hand down his denim clad leg and I felt him tense beneath my touch.
After a while I spoke, "What do we do about Ambrose?" His hand reached for mine and his answer sounded almost rehearsed, "Nothing, we wait and hold back, see what he does." I nodded against his chest and he ran his free hand through my hair. "No more about Ambrose, we're together now and that's all that I care about."
I smiled into him and I felt his warmth against my cheek. "When's your birthday? I think I know now what I'm getting you." My fingers ran through his and I turned in his arms so I rested against the leg he'd slid behind me. "A week Friday and you don't need to get me anything. I have all I need right here." His fingers curled around my hair and I stroked his cheek tenderly. "Well I've found it now and put a deposit on it, so too bad." I sunk into him and he kissed my forehead gently. 'Mm' I sighed and he kissed the tip of my nose as I tipped my head back to look up at him. I pushed myself up a little on the couch and took his mouth in mine. My mind had gone fuzzy at the press of his lips against my own and my body hummed as he lifted me, wrapping me around him so that he held me against his chest, my legs falling behind him.
Goosebumps emerged down my bare arms and he laid kisses over them, causing them to prickle with heat. I caught his mouth in mine again and our tongues danced against one another. I felt myself tense as I felt his hand slip beneath my shirt, and I pulled myself closer to him, my mouth hungrier than ever for his touch, heat pooling in my stomach. His hand slipped further and further up my back until I felt his fingers tracing the lace straps holding my underwear together. I pulled away a little and seeing the hunger in his eyes, I pulled my shirt up over my head. I sat back off his hips a little and watched as he took me in. I was suddenly very glad I'd worn the cream French lace bra I'd bought in France, and I felt myself blush innocently. I let my finger trace his face and lips before I pressed forward and forced my tongue into his mouth. He lay back on the couch, taking me with him and before long we were a tangle of arms and legs. I unbuttoned his shirt and kissed every inch of his skin before I lifted myself back up to straddle him. Curls fell in my eyes and I tossed my head to the side to remove them. Severus moaned and I shifted above him, rubbing myself where I knew it would hurt him the most. His grip tightened on my waist and I lay forward to kiss him gently on the mouth. I hovered over him, watching the fire dance voraciously in his eyes. His hands began to trace my stomach and again his long fingers danced across the lace on my chest.
There was a sudden change in his eyes and I was quickly lying below him, so that he was now the one straddling me. His mouth connected with mine and my fingertips trailed his chest, pulling at the waistband of his jeans. He pressed against me and I gasped, feeling his excitement against my leg. I felt my muscles tense and seeing this, Severus pressed his mouth to my throat, lying hot, wanting kisses, across my collarbone. He hovered over me and I smiled at him happily, his hand lifted my head to his and his teeth grazed my lower lip causing me to moan quietly, feeling my back arch into him. His mouth lay a path of kisses down across the cup of my breast and feeling his hot breathe through the lace, I gasped as I felt the bud there harden. The lace was only thin and Sev, seeing the change in my shape, looked into my eyes lovingly before taking it delicately into his mouth. I cried out as his teeth pulled at me, and his hands gripped me tightly against him. My nails raked a path down his back as I held myself to him and the hot kisses he now ran down and over my other breast caused my skin to buzz.
The hot pool in my stomach stirred hungrily and feeling it move inside me, I took Severus's mouth in my own, biting down on his tongue gently as his fingers rubbed the lace covering my buds, feeling the pressure release itself and ebb away. Our lips remained locked together for a little while longer before Severus rested motionless over me, his own excitement now satisfied. His eyes caught mine and I kept the eye contact as he lifted me gently to him as he rolled back over, so that I lay on top. I sighed contentedly and Sev ran his hands through my hair gently.
"I don't know how long I can do this Lena. Just touch you, never feeling you." I felt myself blush deeply and I hid my face against his chest. "Soon, Sev. I don't know if I could handle it right now, it's bad enough not knowing what's going on at home." I looked down into his eyes and he nodded, a smile sneaking onto his face, "that's alright with me, whenever you're ready." I looked down at him but he wouldn't quite catch my eye. "Severus, it's okay if you don't want to. I'm scared shitless." He squeezed my hand tightly "But what if I hurt you or something goes wrong?" "You won't hurt me Severus, and if you do then we sort it out don't we." I stroked his face and he kissed me lightly.
We lay together on the couch for a while, just touching one another, getting used to one another's bodies as we talked. "You don't live here the entire time do you Sev? Like, not in holidays and stuff?" He shook his head, "No, I couldn't live here all the time, It would drive me mad. I live in the house I grew up in." "Really? What's it like?" he laughed, "Dark. Really dark." "Kind of like this then," it was only a mutter, but he squeezed my hand and laughed, "It could do with a woman's touch, I have to admit." My stomach clenched tightly, an awkward silence fell and I continued quickly, "Where is it?" "In a place called Spinner's end in Surrey. It's a really dark place. Old, tall, industrial houses. I didn't spend that much time there over summer so it's fallen into disuse a little I suppose." "When will you go back?" A look passed over his face, somewhere between shock and thought. "I might go back at Christmas I suppose. Don't know if I can stick Christmas here. I might have Order business then though I suppose." I rested my head back on his chest. Hmm, Christmas. So much better than any birthday. "I love Christmas. I suppose I'll be home with Dad. At-least I can keep an eye on him I suppose." His hands slid down my back and rested on my hips.
"What's your problem with Dad? You hate each other so much. But Remus doesn't care that much either way, I thought being best friends they'd stick together no matter what." He flinched at Remus's name and I ignored it. Child. "Your Dad and I have never gotten along. He and Harry's dad, James, used to target me when we were at school. Remus can't hate, you'd think after what I did he'd be quick to hate, but still nothing." I leant up on his chest, "What did you do?" I couldn't help but frown, Remus, nor anyone else, had mentioned anything over summer. "I told the Slytherins he was a werewolf. He had to quit." I hit him on the chest. "What did you do that for? He's harmless! You were the one making him the wolfs bane potion for goodness sake!' he looked up at me shocked, 'oh yeah, they mentioned that!" I grabbed my shirt from the floor and pulled it roughly over my head. I slid off his legs and snuggled up in the opposite corner of the loveseat. "It was just…After all those years of being treated like shit by your moron of a father, and then to have him evade the authorities when I could finally get him back, I took it all out on who was closest and it just happened to be Lupin."
They were all bloody children! The lot of them! All trying to get revenge on the other. "You're all grown men now, will you never give up!" I looked at him and he looked away guiltily. "No, you wouldn't stoop so low!" I looked at him but he wouldn't look at me and he'd now moved farther down the love seat. "Please tell me that isn't what this!?" He started and tried to grab my hand, "Never Lena! How can you think that!? I…I…god Lena…" We stood opposite one another, he was much taller than I and at times like this it was much more obvious. "Say it…go on…you couldn't say anything worse…" He walked towards me and tried to take my wrists in his hands, I pulled away rather harshly and regretted it when I saw his face, "Look, I'm sorry Lena, and I know what I did to Remus was wrong but I was different back then." I relented and allowed him to take my hand. "I'm sorry; it's just I always feel like I'm the one stuck in the middle of it all. I know you would never do that to me. I'm sorry Severus." I fell against him and he kissed the top of my head gently. "I think you should be getting upstairs, its nearly one and if Umbridge catches you out of bed she'll kill the pair of us." "Mm.' I kissed him gently on the lips. 'The High inquisitor, great. What if she's giving the first years the same detention as Harry and I Severus, they don't deserve that." "I'll talk to Albus; see if there's anything else we can do. Maybe I could throw the detentions, make sure anybody with hers, get one with me as well, then ill arrange them at the same time and double the detentions." I kissed his mouth lightly, "You, Severus Snape are a good man."
We walked our normal path to the common room very quietly and said goodnight in the usual little corridor before I entered through the portrait hole. Hearing voices I slowed down, but then a gruff but very familiar voice spoke and I nearly tripped as I ran around to the fireplace where three scared looking teens sat, but I wasn't interested in them, I was much more interested in the face in the fireplace. "Dad?" my voice was quiet and Harry and the others sat staring at me. "Lena." His voice was broken and I fell to the floor in-front of him. "Harry I told you she couldn't know." Harry shook his head behind me and my blood boiled. "You knew! You knew he was going to be here! Harry you know how dangerous this is! If someone saw you?!" Harry stared directly down at me but said nothing. "I told him not to tell you Lena. I knew you'd react like this. Just all of you…" I turned quickly as Dads voice broke again and his head suddenly disappeared, an arm came floating in from one side of the fireplace and Hermione and I led out loud screams. "Dad, Dad, please no!" I sat frozen and Harry came to sit beside me, both of us watching the fireplace in-case dad returned. We sat for a few minutes in silence, the ghost like arm scratching at the edges of the fireplace hopelessly. "We shouldn't still be here; if someone's watching the fireplaces they might come up here to check we're all in bed." Hermione spoke only quietly but was all took leave, bidding each other goodnight before climbing our respectable staircases to bed.