Chapter twelve - In the Owlery... and Greenhouse Seven

Early on Sunday morning, Gina paid a visit to the Owlery. It was her nephews birthday tomorrow and she had gotten him a birthday card in Hogsmeade. It had two donkeys playing badminton on it and she hoped it would make him laugh.

She had a bad nights sleep and had gotten up before dawn, tired of laying awake. She shivered when she walked over the wet grass towards the Owlery, a tall tower with open windows opposite the lake. She visited the place often and the view was quite spectacular. To her surprize, there was already someone there. A young boy, a first year by the looks of it, was trying to get his owl down from a high pole near the ceiling, but the owl obviously wasn't in the mood. She opened one lazy eye, gave him a look and closed it again. Gina's owl, Retaco, flew down when she saw her.

Gina smiled at the boy. 'Morning. Maybe use a school owl? She looks a little tired.'

The boy turned red. 'I c-cant. My parents will ask questions if I don't use her, say they didn't get her for her to just eat and sleep.'

'Ah.' Gina had attached the card to Retaco's leg and carried her to the window. Retaco flew of into the dawn. Gina watched her go and suddenly felt her heart sink. She had seen Snape walk on the path towards the Owlery. She watched him for a few seconds, than turned around, feeling flustered.

'I think I have some owl treats in my bag,' she told the boy. She rummaged through her bag and extracted a bag with some squashed owl nuts. 'Here, that will do.'

With the nuts, the boy was able to get his brown owl down and she soared through the window a minute later.

'You keep it,' she said, when he wanted to hand her back the bag with nuts. 'For next time.'

At that moment Snape appeared in the doorway, tall and menacing looking. He looked at Gina, than at the boy.

'Get out,' he growled.

The boy ran, looking terrified. Gina watched him through the open window, not daring to look at Snape. Only the boy was out of sight, she looked up. Snape stared at her for a moment, than walked towards her in a few big steps and pushed her against the stone wall, looking at her for a fraction of a second, than kissing her, hard. She gasped of pain when the stone winded her breath, but didn't hesitate. She kissed him back.

After a few cautious moments, not yet recovered from the shock, she kissed him more forcefully, parting his lips with her tongue. She grabbed the front of his robes, pulling him to her. He tasted slightly of coffee. He took possession of her mouth, one hand in her hair, one on her waist, making her feel so light-headed she wavered a little on her feet. She felt him wind her hair around his hand. Suddenly, he pulled her hair back, forcing her to look up at him. She was panting and looked up in his deep, black eyes. She made to kiss him again but he hold her head back so she couldn't reach him. A soft, protesting sound escaped her lips.

'Just kiss me,' Gina whispered urgently. She didn't want him to stop.

He looked searchingly in her eyes for a moment, than relinquished his grip. Their heads almost bumped into each other. She put her arms around his neck and he grabbed her waist. After a long moment however, she suddenly did a step back.

'We really shouldn't be doing this here,' she said, feeling very shaken. It was as if she suddenly was able to think clearly again, and what they had been doing hit her with a sudden flash. They were insane for kissing each other in an open tower. He would be fired, and she would be disqualified from the Tournament, maybe even send away from Hogwarts.

Snape was facing her, a little out of breath. They looked out of the window towards the castle.

'I can see someone coming,' Gina said, shaken. There was indeed someone descending the lawn in the direction of the Owlery. She thought she recognised Gabriela.

'You should go,' she said urgently. 'She is quite far, I don't think she saw...'

He nodded, ran a hand through his hair and walked towards the door. He looked as dazed as she felt.

'When can I see you again?'

'What?' Snape looked stunned. 'Gina, that is n-'

'I want to see you again,' Gina said firmly. She took a step toward him. She wasn't going to take no for an answer. She saw his eyes flash to her lips.

He closed his eyes for a second, than looked through the window again. 'I have to go. Come- come by my office tomorrow after dinner.' He was talking quickly.

She nodded.

A minute later Gabriela came up, carrying a letter. To Gina's relief, she didn't say anything. She just looked grumpily at Gina and started to coach her brown owl down.

Well, so far for any self restrained. Severus was still feeling dazed.

He had kissed a student. In the fucking Owlery. In front of a window, very possibly. He couldn't even remember if they had stood in front of the window or not. All he could replay in his mind were Gina's soft lips on his, her body pressed against him, her tongue... He groaned. She had tasted so good, had felt so perfect in his arms.

He had dreamed about touching her so often by now he felt less dazed about actually doing something that would get him dismissed immediately than he would have expected. He felt dazed because of her touch. Kissing her had been such an intense experience he felt like some of his senses had an Engorgement charm put on them. Touch for one. Sound, vision and smell had been entirely blocked out. It had just been the touch of her lips, her tongue and her body against his, and the most happy feeling he had every felt in his life. He could never have dreamed he was able of feeling such happiness. Surely this was worth taking some risk for...

Gina had a hard time concentrating on her lessons on Monday. She didn't heard a word of Professor McGonagall talk on the limitations of Water Conjuration spells, and during Herbology, missed professor Sprout warning not to approach a Snargaluff on your own, as a Snargaluff looked like a gnarled stump, but had dangerous hidden thorn-covered vines that attacked when provoked. Having never seen such a thing in her life, Gina was very shocked when it grabbed her out of nowhere. Lucian Bole, who had irritated her during every Herbology lesson since the start of the school year, rescued her but kept grabbing her hand afterwards to prevent her from making more 'mistakes', making remarks he obviously thought of as flirting. She snarled at him not to touch her, but after putting a hand on her lower back and making a particular dishonourable proposal, she snapped. Unfortunately for her, professor Sprout saw her.

'Detention? Gina asked incredulously, in a weak voice.

'Yes, miss Aldaya. I do not tolerate such behaviour in my greenhouse. You could have done serious damage to the plants, let alone your fellow students.'

Gina cast a glance at Bole, who was working on the other side if the greenhouse now, a bandage around his forehead.

Professor Sprout looked disapprovingly at her. 'I did not expect this from you, miss Aldaya. I want you back her after dinner for your detention.'

'But-'

'You have objections?' Professor Sprout said, looking very unlike her usual kind self.

'No professor,' Gina said hastily.

Professor Sprout bustled off, leaving Gina with her innocent looking Snargaluff, groaning quietly.

At dinner, Gina ate her casserole in silence and tried not to look at the staff table. She knew she had no way of telling Snape why she wasn't coming and hoped he wouldn't think it was because she didn't want to.

Gina said good bye to Jonne and the others and walked to Greenhouse Seven after dropping off her bag at the carriage, feeling gloomy. Professor Sprout was already there.

'You may start on these,' she said, pointing at a row of boxes. They were full of cuttings of Shrivelfig and Flitterbloom, she saw. 'They need to be sorted. Clean cutting of around four inches can be planted in these pots.'

'I will, professor,' said Gina. 'I'd also like to apologise for my behaviour in class. I let my emotions get the better of me. It won't happen again.'

Professor Sprout nodded. 'Thank you for that, miss Aldaya. I will come check on you later.'

Gina got to work. It soon got dark outside, leaving her with the light from the big, yellow bulbs floating around the ceiling of the greenhouse. Gina was just staring at them, when she heard footsteps. She turned around.

Snape was standing in the door way.

His pale face was impassive, his eyes boring into hers.

'You startled me,' Gina said truthfully, her heart pounding.

'I didn't even know professor Sprout gàve detentions,' said Snape sneering.

'Well, she does.'

He was slowly walking towards her.

'Not working very hard, are you?'

She blushed.

'What did you do?'

'I threw a Snargaluff Pod at someone.'

He raised his eyebrows.

'I know,' she said. 'You don't want to get on my bad side.'

He was coming closer and she did a step back, bumping into a work station.

He stopped right in front of her. She couldn't keep her eyes off him. She let her eyes drift over his pale face with it's strong, hard features, contrasting so much with his straight, pitch black hair. She panted slightly, feeling her lips parting a little.

'Is this what you want?' he asked in a low voice.

'Yes.' She hardly let him finish.

He looked at her closely. Gina shouldn't tell what he was thinking.

Than he closed the distance between them and kissed her. Gina pressed herself against his body and kissed him back. What started out as teasing soon became fierce. She put her hands around his neck and gasped when he lifted her up so she came to sit on the work station, crushing a number of cuttings. He kissed her neck and she moaned very softly with pleasure, putting her legs around him and pulling him closer. She stroked the skin above his trousers and felt him press against her. He made to do a step back but she grabbed his belt.

Severus had made to do a step back. He didn't want to startle Gina with his erection, not knowing how experienced she was, but he had not counted on her grabbing his belt without a moments hesitation. She jerked on it with one hand, trying to loosen the buckle. He made to create a little distance between them. She could not possibly think they could do this here. Sprout could come back any minute.

'Gina-' he panted warningly in her ear, then after hesitating a fraction of a second, continued kissing her delicate neck as she put her head back. He felt her grabbing the pockets of his trousers and she pulled him against her. He gave a soft, low groan when she pressed against his erection, which was becoming painful. The fact that she was pulling him against her, knowing he was so aroused, made him feel light-headed with longing.

Her eagerness was tearing down his last bit of sensible restraint. His right hand was on her leg, drifting up under her skirt as if his hand was detached from his will. He couldn't let this go any further, yet his hand was stroking the inside of her soft, delicious thigh. Before he could stop himself he caressed her through her panties with his thumb. He groaned almost inaudible when he felt how wet and excited she was. He was panting.

Gina grabbed his belt again and unbuckled it, than the button of his pants. When she freed his cock and stroked the head with her hand he lost every last bit of restrain he had. He pulled back from the kiss, his pupils wide. He wanted her so bad he felt like he would explode, but he wanted to be sure she wanted this. He wanted her to look him in the eye and tell him so.

'Are- are you sure Gina? You want this?' he asked with a hoarse voice.

'Yes,' she said in a thick voice that made more drops of moisture appear on his cock. He looked into her big hazel eyes, the pupils of which were widen with longing, than pushed her panties aside and penetrated her a second later, looking in her eyes as he did so. She felt better than he had ever dreamed, being so aroused and ready for him, with a wild, blissful look on her beautiful face, her pupils so wide he could hardly make out the colour of her eyes. He started moving, first slowly, than harder, one hand on her bum, pressing her hard against him to penetrate her so deeply she squirmed under him, his other hand in her neck. To his delight she started coming almost immediately. She groaned, a delicious, throaty sound, as waves of her orgasm started washing over her. He could feel her contracting around his cock, which pushed him over the edge. Not that he needed much...

He put a hand over her mouth when she reached her culmination, following a few seconds later, coming in hot, such intense waves he groaned involuntary, three, four times... Feeling her contract around him made his orgasm intenser than he had ever felt. Unwilling to pull back and leave her wet heat just yet, he emptied himself inside her, pulling her head back by her long hair to make her look at him when he filled her with his cum, which she received groaning softly, her lips parted and her eyes on his face, mesmerized.

When he pulled back they were both out of breath.

They stared at each other wordlessly when they both straightened their clothes.

Gina felt a delicious mixture of satisfaction, light-headedness and down right shock under his intense gaze while she as she tried to straighten her skirt. She felt his cum drip on the inside of her thighs and she blushed scarlet when he watched her bend a little to wipe it away.

Gina didn't know anything other to say then 'You should go. Sprout- Sprout could come back any moment.'

He nodded.

She leaned in and straightened his hair, which she had ruffled. 'You look.. fine,' she said, trying to sound matter of factly. The truth was he looked incredulously sexy.

He shot her a hard look. 'You're a mess.'

Gina knew her cheeks were red, her blouse was crinkled and her hair was probably all over the place.

She waved a hand. 'That's because of all the working with, you know.' She held up a few squashed cuttings.

Snape smirked, a crooked grin that made her heart jump. Then he left. Gina continued sorting and planting the Shrivelfig and Flitterbloom cuttings, feeling flustered, elated and confused all at once, wondering if he was even crazier than she was, with the risks he was taking.

Severus had not mend to do it.

He had heard in the staffroom that Sprout gave Gina detention. Sprout. She had been talking in a disapproving voice with Minerva and professor Burbage. Severus had asked in a bored, sarcastic voice what miss Aldaya had done, mistaken an Flutterby bush for a Fanged Geranium? Honestly, it was Herbòlogy...

Sprout had snappily answered that miss Aldaya had injured a fellow student, Lucian Bole, and that Bole had to taken to the hospital wing, Madame Pomfrey needing to patch up the damage to his forehead. Severus had felt a little amazed he did not care in the slightest that Gina had injured the Slytherin Quidditch captain, though he had made an effort to act indignant for the sake of his colleagues.

He had had no intention of touching Gina in the greenhouse. I mean, for Merlins sake... The Owlery had been bad enough, kissing her in a tower you could see from a mile away.

But before he could stop himself he had walked over to her, and when he stood so close to her he could count the freckles on her nose he knew he was lost, looking in her beautiful almond shaped eyes. She really was perfect.

He had just wanted to know if she had provoked getting detention to get out of meeting him. Maybe she had changed her mind and she did not dare just not showing up. Maybe she was afraid of him. It would not be surprising if she had learned at home never to show fear. You gave people power if you showed them you were afraid.

So he had advanced on her, looking carefully at her reaction for any signs of fear. And he had seen her pupils widening, her breath accelerating... He had been mesmerized by her lips, who had parted slightly. He had seen her eyes dart over his face. He had only asked her if this was what she wanted for his ego really. He had known what her answer was going to be, her physical reaction to him so obvious. But he had wanted to hear her say she wanted him. Her eagerness to answer had made him feel numb with longing. He knew she would kiss him back if he kissed her, just like she had on Sunday. And when this realisation had hit him he had caved.

But he had not meant to sleep with her right away. Yes, he had kissed her neck... Ever since he had seen the Northern git kiss her neck he had wanted to press his lips on the delicate skin, feeling her heart rate, taste her... Gina had moaned softly when he teased her with his tongue. He had relished in the sounds escaping from her gorgeous lips... He had lingered before stepping back and she had amazed him by slipping her hand under his shirt, caressing the skin above the hem of his trousers. His erection, which he had been trying to control, had pressed between her legs.

He had not wanted her to feel how aroused he was. He had been thinking of taking his time with her, not wanting to scare her off by moving to fast. She was very young after all, and he did not know how much experience she had. He would never have initiated sex the second time they kissed. He did not want her to think he was only interested in sleeping with her.

Sitting in an armchair by the fireplace in his quarters, he closed his eyes, thinking of how amazing it had felt, burying his cock in her tight, soaking wet heat, making her gasp when he pounded deep inside her. She had shamelessly enjoyed him penetrating her, looking in his eyes and groaning loudly against his hand when she came. He never would have dreamed she would be so open and free. He wondered how it would be if she could let go completely, without the possibility of anyone hearing them or barging in. How she would look naked on his bed, her hair tousled, her legs spread...

The following day Severus felt strangely dazed, sitting at his usual chair at the high table. He glanced at Dumbledore, sitting in the large golden chair reserved for the Headmaster and eating porridge while reading Transfiguration Today. Gina was not there yet. He knew she usually came in fifteen minutes before the end of breakfast, quickly eating a few pieces of toast. She usually came in with the Northern boy, which exceptionally in the weekends made them look horribly like a couple, in their colourful clothes between all the black and dark blue of the Hogwarts students. Severus stabbed his toast, than pushed the plate away.

As long as he wasn't thinking about that Finnish kìd he felt strangely surrendered and calm. He was not going to stop seeing Gina. He did not care what Dumbledore would say. As long as she would take him, he would not stop. She made him feel like an entirely different person. Someone he actually enjoyed being.

He had very little to look forward to otherwise. He knew it was a matter of time until the Dark Lord would return. He would have to adjust... Find a new way. And he wanted Gina by his side while he did so.

During the next potion class, they both acted like nothing happened. Gina brewed her potion, handed it in at the end of class and did not linger when the bell rang. She was quite proud of how she had handled the lesson, keeping the glances in Snape's direction to a minimum. Their eyes had met only twice, for a few seconds, and she had felt her cheeks starting to glow, so she had quickly looked away.

Jonne was waiting for her in the Entrance Hall.

'Just had potions?'

'Yes.' Gina made to walk into the great hall for lunch.

Knowing her so well, Jonne grabbed her shoulders and made her look at him.

'Well, well. Look at you.' He was grinning widely. 'How was it?'

'I'm not answering that,' said Gina. She felt her cheeks burn again, and she had to use all the self restraint she had not to start beaming widely.

Jonne smiled at her. 'Oh honey. You don't need to.'