Chapter 5

Snapes kiss grew hungrier and she felt his hand trace up the arch of her back. She cupped his jaw in her hand before sliding it into his silky dark hair. He tilted her backward, and she suddenly wished they had a bed instead of cold stone beneath them. But they didn't, and she could hear students romping around in the distance. She drew away from him for a breath of air. She was satisfied to hear that he seemed as winded as she felt. He must have heard the students too because he whispered, "If only we were in my quarters, I'd have you right here and now." His voice was a growl that sent a shiver through her thighs. "Meet me at my room later? Say at 8?" He kissed the back of her hand and answered, "I'll see you then, my sweet." As they parted ways, she heard Draco Malfoy run up to Snape in a tizzy with some tale about Harry Potter.

It was 10 o'clock when she finally decided she had been stood up. Try as she might, she couldn't fall asleep. She was still amped up thinking about that kiss. "You idiot," she told herself. "How could you invite him to your room? You haven't even gone on a date, yet you offer yourself up on a silver platter the moment he shows interest? Grrrraaaaaa!" She shoved her face into her pillow to shout her frustration. He probably changed his mind. He was thinking about how to break it to her that he had made a mistake and to forget it ever happened. Was he even interested in her? Or just… sleeping together? The thought made her a little queasy. Meanwhile she was up here in a carefully chosen nightgown feeling like a clown. Somehow she managed to tire herself out and get a few fitful hours of rest.

The next day, she tried to go about business as usual. She skipped breakfast in the great hall and instead grabbed a muffin from the teacher lounge before heading to class. By the end of the day she had sent five kids to detention, and she was ready to duel someone. SHe needed to walk off all this aggression. Outside, the sun was just starting to set. She marched over to the treeline looking for her new furry friend. After a few minutes of walking she recognized his familiar pointed snout sticking out from a bramble. "Dog, I see you! Come here, I saved a treat for you from the kitchens." She had started to make a habit of it. The dog turned at her call and bounded right over. "Here's the deal buddy. I'm giving you this treat, but in return you have to let me rant about my love-life to you. Got it?" He tilted his head at her and then jumped motioning to her pocket. "Good." She revealed the pig's ear she had tucked away, and then began her verbal assault on Snape. The dog actually stayed to listen. She talked and stroked his head until she ran out of steam. "I just don't get why he's playing with my feelings like this. Maybe he had a grudge against my brother, and he knew I had feelings for him so he wanted to mess with me? Unlikely, but still. Well I'm not going to let him drag me around. I've only ever had one boyfriend before. He was this prick that worked with me at the ministry. I'll just say he cheated with my auror partner and that was the end of that. I am through with users." she stood and dusted off her knees. "Well thanks for the talk. I had better get back. Take care, beasty." The dog licked her hand and pranced off into the forest.

Maybe it was a bit childish, but she was avoiding Snape. There were only a couple of days until the Easter holidays and she spent them focusing on history only, no thinking about anything else. She even made a side project of interviewing ghosts around the castle. She tried to focus on their life more than their death, a difficult feat with that bunch. They all seemed to forget a lot about their lives, aside from their death stories. "I…was a baron. I worked for Rowena Ravenclaw." The Bloody Baron paused. He was hard to read, that guy. Was he confused or lost in memories of the past? Finally he said, "I think I used to like to duel. I was trained by the great Salazar Slytherin, you know. I can not recall his face… nonetheless, I was a skilled spellcaster." He arose and drifted backward through the wall. Apparently the interview was over.

She started to ascend the stairs just as another pair of teachers started to descend. Professor Sprout and Snape were discussing inventory. Penelope looked resolutely forward, trying to avoid their notice. "The mandrakes are just about ripe, Snape. I'd say we can start harvesting next week." Snape seemed to lose interest in the conversation. "Excellent, er- why don't you go ahead to the dungeon. I need to discuss something with Lark for a moment." Penelope looked at him then. He met her gaze and she was surprised to see that he looked…anxious? They continued up the steps until Sprout's footsteps disappeared into the darkness below. "I owe you an apology. Could we go to your office?" She was careful to keep her face cold and blank. "I suppose."

In her office, she lit the lamp with a wave of her wand. Snape closed the door behind him. She didn't know if he did it on purpose to distract her, but he immediately stepped very close to her and grasped her hand. "I am so sorry. You didn't deserve… I should have sent an owl but I didn't know what to say." She frowned, yanking her hand away. "Yes you should have sent an owl. I get it, you changed your mind. You realized you didn't have feelings for me, or you weren't really into the kiss. Whatever, but you didn't have to stand me up." She couldn't meet his eyes as a blush of anger crept into her cheeks. She had wanted to be mature and cool-headed, yet she felt more like a petulant child.

Snape ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Oh confound it, I have not lost interest Penelope. And I am still into that kiss, I can't stop thinking of you. I have feelings and I want to get to know you more! Everything about you!" Penelope looked at him and tried to ignore how the passion in his voice turned her on. "Then why, severus?" She asked him calmly, saying his name like a secret pleasure. He knew it, too, because he stepped close to her again and held both her hands in his. "A situation arose with the students. A security issue that I can't disclose." Seeing the irritation in her face, he quickly added, "I admit it did pertain to Sirius Black and Harry Potter, which you know is a personal vendetta of mine. I had to be thorough and it took quite a long time. Afterwards, I am ashamed to say everything else fled from my thoughts. I even forgot about our date. I am so, so sorry Penelope. Please, can I have another chance?"

"Well… what we had planned wasn't exactly a date. But did you mean it when you said you want to get to know me?" Her voice felt timid, and she wanted to sound so much stronger. She didn't want to get hurt again. In his eyes, she saw how earnest he was when he said, "I absolutely do. I'm sorry if I came off as a bit of a cad. That kiss… it was just intoxicating." His eyes lingered on her lips, before he continued, "Let's go on a date together. Friday, at the Three Broomsticks. I can pick you up at 6." He smiled at her with enough charm that she suddenly felt the urge to jump him and wrap her legs around his waist. "You um, you aren't going to read my mind without permission right?" She demanded. His smile widened and he leaned down to whisper, his lips brushing against her ear, "Why? Not having naughty thoughts, are we?"

Just then, someone came pounding on her office door. Dreadful timing. "One moment!" Penelope's voice sounded much more high pitched than usual. She cleared her throat and smiled sheepishly at him. "I'll see you Friday. It's a date."