Professor Severus Snape was seated in his usual place at the Head Table, it was Saturday morning and he was absentmindedly pulling his spoon through the hardening oats in the figure eight. An uncomfortable knot in his stomach left him in no condition to consume food for it was as if he recently got off a long and very fast broom ride, his body still feeling like it was still speeding through the air even after he had touched down.
His thoughts were a whirlwind, unable to find rest, the previous evening had seemingly forked his entire life path.
Yet here he was, eating breakfast with the rest of the castle's inhabitants like it was any old Saturday. Which it was not. Everything but his blood pressure was the same, and almost eerily so. He bore a deep-seated suspicion toward the normalcy of today, almost expecting ministry officials, Sirius Black or perhaps even Mrs Weasley bursting through the castle door at any moment. At the same time, he was actively repressing visions of Dumbledore hunting him down for a terrible duel his mind kept promising him he would lose.
There were only two of the last twenty-four hours that he had not a clear recollection of and that was because he had dozed off when the girl finally fell asleep in his bed. He again tread through the sequence of events, unable to stop his sleep-deprived thoughts from turning to the hours he had spent with Holly.
She had laid curled on her side, black hair sprawled over his pillows like dark roots, looking at him with the familiar doe-like eyes that had haunted his dreams every night he had prayed for sleep with his face in that very same pillow.
Severus was very aware of having developed a new dirty secret that he had to both carry and conceal along with the already toppling pile of secret sins.
He was pulled back to reality by the cacophony of screeches from the morning's postal owls swooping through the rafters, he dug into the clumped oats again, not bothering to look up. Amid the stir of excitement, he was suddenly gripped by the need to somehow express his own turbulent emotions, and so he busied himself with digging his symbolic grave in the breakfast bowl.
When he was satisfied with the depth of the hole - a shallow grave would be appropriate for someone of his character - he tipped the last spoonful of gruel from the silverware to fill the grave and conclude the mock ceremony.
No longer fully in control of his spiralling thoughts, Severus stewed in his own special mixture of depression a while longer. Eventually, he settled his mind in the gutter, wondering in earnest how Holly came to be so skilled at such wicked and wanton acts as she demonstrated on his person not hours ago.
His body reacted with a lurch so violent, his hand trembled and he had to lay down his spoon in haste before hiding the rogue extremity under the table.
If she knew to do that by instinct, he should probably be more scared of her.
I am not scared of Holly Potter…
But he knew his angst stemmed not from cowardice but from the respect he had for Dumbledore's grand plan and the sacrifices the Order and scores of witches and wizards including himself had made to keep the flame of hope alive.
Not that it stopped him from wanting to intuitively protect himself from the girl now that he had first-hand experience being glamoured by her provocative prowess. He had been clay in her hands, so weak that he quite literally melted in her hands and mouth.
And then she defiled my wand.
The hair at the back of his neck stood up at the memory of Holly's inner walls squeezing down on his finger as she brought herself to orgasm with his most intimate possession. The way she enjoyed herself regardless of his presence had an unexpectedly powerful effect on his desire for her.
Severus had felt a strong tug of magic at his navel when she came, sending Fiendfyre through his veins. He could not help but think that he would have probably had to pay good gold for the performance on his desk in about any other scenario.
Swayed by his carnal thoughts, he raised his head to the middle of the Gryffindor table, searching for the spot near the great hearth she usually occupied with her two friends.
He found her easily.
Their eyes met and he could not help but linger a second too long, marvelling at her similitude to Lily and wondering if she too was thinking about their shared hours earlier. Her hair was loose, wild and falling halfway down her back. Holly adjusted her glasses to disguise a small smile and picked up the daily prophet to better ignore him.
Smooth chit.
Severus turned his attention back to his stiff oats, wanting to kick himself for acknowledging her existence and derailing his composure all over again.
She knows.
She knows of my weakness for her now.
She will use it against me.
Attempting to calm his brimming paranoia, Severus forcefully reminded himself that he had very recently aborted the budding relationship. When he took Holly to the tower in the dead of the morning, he had conveyed to her - as gently as he could - that it would not happen again. She had been hidden from him under James's invisibility cloak, but he knew she had heard him. In a way, he felt it had been easier not to see her face as he spoke.
It was the last thing he had said to her before she brushed past him and the Fat Lady swung away to allow her entry.
He was reminded terribly of the night he had spent waiting at the bottom of Gryffindor Tower for Lily only for her to reject him the final time.
A sour taste spread in his mouth.
Thank Merlin I ended it all. Of course, there will still be Potions. And all the pre-scheduled detentions for Umbridge. And Christmas at the castle. And whatever the Dark Lord had planned for Walpurgis other than fathering an heir.
Severus sighed and instead of wrestling with the wave of panic and jealousy, he let it break over him, not even trying to finish his meal anymore.
The way her back arched away from the desk as she searched herself for the most pleasurable angles preyed on his mind. The way her skin creased where she bent and the flawless expanse of her stomach rising and falling quickly with her breath. He could feel his face warming at the contents of his thoughts.
All that happened… and for the first time, Severus felt baffled as to how to proceed.
Swallowed by the riptide and waiting for it to spit me out dead or alive.
Like a buoy bobbing in a storm, the previous eve resurfaced again:
"Get dressed.'' His own voice sounded first.
Severus stepped back to allow the girl, still wrapped in his teaching robe, to get down from his desk and gather her scattered pieces of clothing. The oversized material amplified the movements she made to snatch up the discarded articles, making her resemble a large bat flopping about.
He followed her progression patiently, noticing that the treaty they made earlier caused a layer of something new to settle over their togetherness: A part of it was so alien to him, he struggled to comprehend that there was now a fragile sense of peace where it had been active denial, at least on his part, before tonight.
Trust.
But there was something else too. It was a combination of the rush of adrenaline that came with creating secrets and making ill-advised promises. It was the primal thrill of the hunt that set all his senses and teeth on edge.
The heavy black robe split down the middle as Holly slipped into her undergarments and balanced on one leg to roll stockings up her legs. Her breasts swayed in and out of view as she worked, her nipples tightened by the cold winter air. Severus killed a flutter of regret at ordering her to dress.
Ignoring his thirst for her skin and imaginings of her warmth against and around him, he waited as she buttoned her shirt and pinched her shoes under her arm before he jerked his chin toward his hidden quarters, indicating for her to follow him.
She dogged wordlessly after him and her fatigue seemed to finally break through after an evening of continuous excitement. Although he was certain Holly Potter was quite accustomed to nocturnal adventures.
Thankfully she did not have too much trouble finding the invisible steps and the ones she did miss, she saved with re-footing manoeuvres that she somehow managed to make elegant.
Severus stepped into the darkened doorway at the top of the stairs first, unlatching strategically placed iron bolts and standing aside, waiting for her to enter.
He could feel her warmth as she passed him.
To the delight of the darker part of himself - the one he almost always sought to deny, and with good reason - he could smell his own scent on Holly, besieging him with possessive and vulgar cravings.
She is forbidden fruit. He rebuked himself, hoping in vain that this time it could succeed in deterring his diseased compulsions.
In the darkness, Severus locked the chamber door behind him and cast fresh protective wards out of habit, even as he realized he had never before invited nor allowed another soul to his rooms. Realising how personal it was, he gradually became more self-aware of his space. It almost felt like he would be sharing too much of himself with her…
His slightly tender erection sought to remind him that they had already shared an intimate exchange of friction and fluids not too long ago.
Fortunately, Hogwarts staff quarters were kept to a standard befitting a prestigious magical school and would not betray personal secrets like Spinners End had lying around. And yet this tower has been more of a home than Spinner's End ever was.
No matter, it's not as if she would be seeing that place.
Severus swallowed his feelings and strained his ears to find Holly. He reached into the pitch-black darkness in front of him, finding her shoulder with the fingers of his right hand. She stirred at his touch. Severus carefully aimed his wand away from her so as not to blind her.
Lumos.
A flash of yellow light spurt from his wand tip, formed into a ball and drifted across the floor.
He pulled his fingers away from her.
The orb cast its faint light over the thick carpets, empty hearth, stone arch, writing desk and rows upon rows of books before illuminating the dark emerald hangings of a kingly four-poster bed.
Past the point of no return...
Keeping perfectly still as to not alert her to his gaze, Severus turned his eyes to Holly. He was almost expecting some form of negative reaction but her eyes were glued to the book-covered walls leaning in on the rotund room.
"So that's why it smelled like the library in here." She gave a snorting laugh, thinking he had taken her through some shortcut to the library. "Have you read them all?"
It was his turn to snort, but he did not laugh.
"Obviously."
He propelled himself toward the bed at the far side of the circular room, leaving her behind.
She followed quickly, looking around to gauge as many details as possible.
Severus drew the ancient embroidered bed hangings apart and pulled the down duvet aside in a Holly-sized triangle, poking his wand into the sheets and casting a heating charm.
There was only the distant sound of the icy loch water stirring against the mossy walls of the tower.
Stepping into the light, Holly placed her shoes on the floor but did not remove his teaching cloak.
"Get in." He prompted quietly, waiting for her to move.
"I can't yet." She made a sheepish expression. "I have to wash my face." She pulled his cloak tighter around herself.
After giving her a drained-look, he gestured and muttered: "Through that door."
Deciding that Holly could find her way to and inside the washroom, Severus used the opportunity to take care of his still-burning forearm. He set off to find a bottle of Murtlap Essence and a rag from the chest at the foot of the bed and summoned his old green velvet armchair to the bedside.
Sitting down, he made quick work of unbuttoning and rolling up his sleeve, wetting the cloth with Murtlap and applying it to the throbbing red tattoo.
Holding back a hiss, Severus noticed Holly's silent silhouette appearing in the doorway.
Soon, the Murtlap's soothing effect and a blue stain spread from under the rag.
"You should still have half a Dreamless Sleep left," Severus said, almost to himself.
Holly walked over to him, the dark cloak dragging behind her in a regal-looking train. She stopped to pull a little vial from her bag.
"Keeping count?"
"As any responsible Healer should," He said, not looking up.
She finished the potion, tossing the empty vial back in the bag. If she was unhappy with his choice to distance himself, she did not voice it.
His Mark was less vivid now that it had time to calm; he folded the cloth and screwed the cap onto the Murtlap Essence.
"Is your Dark Mark hurting because of me?" She asked softly, her glasses catching a sparkle from the faint yellow light.
Severus glanced at her through his curtained hair.
Caught on, eh?
Severus inclined his head. "Your touch seems to … rouse my Mark." He frowned and arched an eyebrow. "Almost like the Summons of the Dark Lord."
Holly seemed taken aback at his statement.
"Maybe…" She hesitated, "maybe it's because he took my blood in the graveyard, to have my mum's protection too."
Severus buttoned up his sleeve and sent the medicine zooming back to the chest with a sweep of his wand.
"I think you got more than a scar from the Dark Lord on that night in Godric's Hollow."
"What do you mean? Like speaking Parseltongue?" She asked slowly.
"Merlin knows, Holly… You should tell me." He eyed her seriously, steepling his fingers.
She has to be hiding something.
Something big.
She moved to stand in front of him, her pearly face stood out against the darkness of the room, her hair and his cloak made her look like a short vampire queen.
"What do you think is wrong with me?"
"Nothing is wrong with you. However," Severus raised a finger from his steeple, "you are asking the wrong questions."
"Then why do I make your Mark burn? Why do I have those dreams? Why is he in my head?" She had raised her voice considerably at the last question.
"The dreams – relating to the door – I can attempt to explain," Severus said, having long waited for the opportunity to warn her. "The Dark Lord is making considerable efforts to lure you to the Department of Mysteries."
Holly looked confused.
"He wants you to retrieve a prophecy made about you both," Severus stated, spreading his hands. "Only the people to whom they refer can lift the prophecies from the shelves without suffering madness..."
"What prophecy?" She asked with a frown.
Severus took his time to articulate an acceptable explanation.
"The Dark Lord tried to kill you when you were a child because of a prophecy made shortly before your birth. He knew the prophecy had been made, though he did not know its full contents. He set out to kill you when you were still a baby, believing he was fulfilling the terms of the prophecy. He discovered that he was mistaken when the curse intended to kill you rebounded. And so, since his return to his body, and particularly since your escape from him last year, he has been determined to hear that prophecy in its entirety. This is the weapon he has been seeking so assiduously since his return: the knowledge of how to destroy you."
She stayed silent, contemplating his words. Severus pressed on, carefully neglecting to mention his own part in the account.
"He marked you as his equal by trying to kill you and by giving you that scar. He wanted to kill you because the prophecy said: "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches, born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ..."
Holly's brows were still knit together, she was chewing the inside of her cheek.
"This is why I am teaching you Occlumency. You have to learn to keep Him out," Severus continued gravely.
She was staring pensively at the floor.
"What about the rest of the prophecy?" Holly asked, avoiding his eyes.
"Only Dumbledore possesses that knowledge."
"And how do you about it?" She asked, raising her head.
"The prophecy is common knowledge amongst the Order," Severus replied smoothly, playing his cards close to his chest.
"Who made the prophecy?"
"Sybil."
"Trelawney?!" she looked on the verge of disbelief.
"The one," Severus smirked.
"Can't she remember the rest?"
"I believe she was in a trance."
"So… if I slip her some Cauldron Cakes with Veritaserum, I could ask her?" Holly asked quickly.
"You would be better off "slipping" the headmaster laced Fizzing Whizbees. He would make for the most valuable Veritaserum interview." Severus chuckled darkly at his own jest, imagining what secrets would come to light.
Holly laughed too, but she now had a strange glint in her eyes.
"Oh Princess, you cannot seriously consider it. He would never fall for something so … clumsy." Severus grimaced, "and besides, the rest of Trelawney's poem hardly matters. You would be disappointed."
"I want to decide for myself."
Ever wilful.
Severus shrugged, "As long as you understand that the dreams are a trap."
"I believe you." She said and he was relieved to see Holly take the information to heart. "Thank you for telling me."
His guilty conscience weighed down on his heart. He kept the fact that he had been the messenger of the piece of prophecy to the Dark Lord on that cold, wet night so very long ago, a secret still.
The girl shifted on her feet, thinking hard. A faraway clock ticked through the velvet darkness around them.
Finally, she lifted her chin and declared: "I know you're a spy."
Severus continued his passive observation of the witch.
He chose not to answer but let her have a satisfied smile that reached his eyes.
Holly grinned at him in return.
"You work with the Order." She pushed on, her voice becoming firmer and more confident as she spoke. "Dumbledore trusts you. And most of all,"
She stopped smiling, her brows setting in a determined line.
Lily's little frown.
"I have always trusted you."
Her voice had been as plain as ever, she bit her lip, her forehead creased with worry. Her mother's frown was elongated by the lightning bolt scar, making her seem doubly troubled.
He wanted nothing more than to take her pain away.
"Don't frown," Severus said, forgetting himself.
She rubbed her palm over her forehead to smooth it out, blushing despite looking annoyed.
"I have a lot to worry about, alright," She said half-heartedly.
"It was not my intention to upset you," Severus said softly, lowering his steepled hands to his lap.
"No," Her gleaming eyes cut sharply back to his. "I want to know everything. I have to know," She stopped, the anger fading to hopelessness. "No one tells me anything… no one but you."
Severus froze, unsure of his next move.
"You should get to bed -" He started, unable to think of anything more productive.
"You need to sleep too," She countered adamantly.
"I will sleep when I am dead," He said dismissively, sitting back in his chair.
She looked personally offended by this.
"You can't die."
"Of course I will - everyone does. Besides, the probability is high," Severus bit back, trying to keep impatience from overtaking his tone.
"But I need you," Holly blurted out, looking down.
Dumbstruck again, Severus stared at her. He assumed she took the subject of death more seriously than he.
She is innocent to the evil of this world. I am callous.
Holly's fingers emerged from the dark mass of cloak, parting it down the middle of her body to reveal a slash of pale skin. He could see the crescents of her breasts, the groove of muscle lined through the centre of her stomach, her navel and slitted mound.
Holly followed his eyes as they dropped down the sliver of her exposed flesh. She seemed to indulge her own arousal in his obvious desire for her various virtues.
"I thought I told you to get dressed?" Severus chided her.
"I always sleep naked," She said matter-of-factly.
Holly drew nearer, their knees now touching.
Is this how easy it is to bring me to heel?
"I wanted to ask for your help," She leaned closer; her wild black hair tumbled over her shoulders as she filled the space between them with her warmth.
Severus glared up at her, and, making sure his voice exuded irony, he said: "Let me guess, you want me to kill the Dark Lord for you?"
"I'll kill him myself." Her face hovered inches from his. Her breath was sweet and light on his skin even as her words resonated with hate. "I just need you to help me find out how."
This time Severus truly laughed, the rare, harsh sound serving to antagonize the witch further.
"I don't know how, Princess."
"Dumbledore," She said without thinking, "Dumbledore will know more. You have to talk to him." Holly swallowed, looking more serious, "and Voldemort is in my head. I will ask him."
Severus scowled deeply and started to rise, but Holly grabbed his arms, pinning them to his lap before he could stand up.
"No, listen!" She pleaded, pushing him down. "He talks to me in my dreams. You made me remember everything after your spell earlier."
Deeply suspicious and Mark buzzing, Severus gave up to her grip.
"Talking?" Jealousy fogged his vision.
"Yes," She answered innocently.
"And what do you discuss with the Dark Lord, Holly? Quidditch? The weather? Why in the Seventh Hell does he want to impregnate you on a specific date?!" He did not mean to raise his voice as much as he did.
"He only said he planned a ritual." She still held tightly onto him, her face very close. "I'm sure I can get information from him with the right approach."
"And why would he hand over the secret to ending him?" He scoffed, openly sceptical.
"I'll just -"
"You will say nothing to the Dark Lord, Holly Potter. Do you understand? You are not to communicate with Him again. I will personally ensure you drink Dreamless Sleep every night for the rest of your life if I have to brew it myself."
"You can't -"
He twisted his arm away. She looked angry.
"I will speak with Dumbledore - and - the Dark Lord, on your behalf."
Holly's mouth fell open.
"Why would He tell you more than me?" She asked too quickly.
"I am a valuable servant and have been for many years." He drawled, narrowing his eyes.
"Exactly how close are you two?" Severus demanded, glad to have the opening. He knew she did not see him spying on their encounter in Gryffindor Tower in her dream and sought to gauge the depth of the murky water that was a relationship with the Dark Lord.
Holly stared back at him silently.
"Have you kissed?"
"Yes."
"Does he touch you?"
"Yes."
"Have you had sex?"
"No!"
"Hm." Severus folded his arms over his chest. "I hate everything about it." He said curtly.
"I will never like him. He is the intruder in my head. I will do what I have to if it means I survive."
She laid her hand gently on his shoulder.
"You will have to trust me." She said simply.
Not bloody likely.
"I do not trust Him. Especially not with you," He said gravely, "nevertheless, I will continue to do all I can to aid you, Princess."
Her lips warmed into a smile.
"And I am not about to slip the headmaster anything," Severus added in a sunnier tone of voice, smiling without using his cheek muscles.
Lily's chime-like giggle corrupted his focus.
Then the witch searched his eyes to gauge his mood before slinking her fingertips over her ribs, finding her breasts and pushing the flesh up before letting them fall teasingly. Her pale areola flashed into view. She pulled the heavy robe away, letting the material follow the soft curves slowly until her tits were fully bared.
Severus had not the strength to turn his eyes away from her exposed marble bust hovering within arm's reach.
She inched her body closer to his seated form. He felt her weight added to the armchair as she climbed up to his lap.
"Touch me," she ordered gently.
A tense moment ticked by.
Holly reached down, untangled his still-folded arms and brought his hands to her body.
"Here," she said as she planted his palms on her breasts. The Dark Mark stung painfully and he bit his tongue.
Ignoring the pain, Severus weighed each tit cautiously, skimming his thumbs over her perky nipples before pulling away from her grasp to touch the hollow of her collar bone where a fine pulse hammered visibly against the skin.
She scooted even closer, straddling his lap with her naked body.
He felt his cock responding to her proximity, his hands dropped to her legs and hungrily followed the curves leading to her hips.
The small triangle of her sex lingering above his legs made it impossible to look her in the eye again.
He could smell her arousal and see it in the way she bucked against him.
Severus reached his shaking fingers to her rear-end and parted her cheeks with clawed hands, revelling in the sensation of her soft flesh yielding to him.
She gasped and wriggled against him and he pulled her closer by her arse, grinding his stiffening length against the inside of her thigh.
Her hands slipped to the buttons under his cravat and a hiss escaped his throat.
Holly popped two buttons, trying to undress him.
To distract her, Severus kissed her hard on her unsuspecting lips and the hiss turned to groan when she flung her weight into him, making the armchair creak.
Her breasts were pressed to his chest and he was gripping the curves of her rump, imagining how easy it would be to thrust into her had he allowed her to free him from his constricting attire.
Their lips crashed together hard and gracelessly, he moved to hold her head to his own, responding to her tongue in his mouth by sucking on it until she giggled and pulled away enough to see his eyes.
"Are you trying to choke me?" He chuckled.
"I'm bad, I know." She balled her fists in his teaching frock, looking abashed.
"You are perfect." He grumbled, sliding his hands to the base of her neck and lifting her hair to the side with both hands.
She flushed scarlet.
"Kiss me again," Severus said darkly, gazing up into her eyes.
She moaned and obeyed, ducking her head to catch his mouth with her swollen lips.
Severus tasted Dreamless Sleep as her tongue twisted around his once more.
Holly withdrew again, pressing her forehead to his.
"I want you inside of me." She panted, gliding her fingers over his concealed cock.
"No," he rasped, applying pressure to her neck until their lips were locked again.
The witch broke away too soon, "If I'm no longer a virgin, we could cripple His ritual?" She asked breathlessly.
Severus ran his hands up and down her back, feeling her muscular frame as he regarded her thoughtfully.
She has a point.
Holly reached out to him, sweeping a lock of hair behind his ear.
"There is still much time until Walpurgis. I will take it into account during my research." He mumbled, bringing a fistful of her hair to his nose to breathe her scent.
Lemons and jasmin.
"Time for bed, Princess."
She had a second to pout and then he locked his hands under her rear and stood up with her in his arms.
"But I'm all wet by now!" Holly protested indignantly as he laid her down on the mattress. His hair framed their faces as he hung over her.
"Such a shame," Severus drawled silkily, looking down toward her cunt. She was undeniably wet and ready.
He paid no attention to his cock begging for any form of stimulus.
She kept her arms around him possessively, "Please, Professor."
"Do not waste yourself on me." He pulled away abruptly, feeling her arms slip away and the agonizing cold and hollowness setting back in. He swiftly covered her pale body with the duvet and kissed her forehead with all the willpower he had left.
Holly looked like she was about to put up another fight but bit her lip instead and removed her glasses to the bedside table.
Severus returned to his armchair, summoning a Sigils and Signs for Summons by Margaretta Finn and avoiding her scornful stare by hiding in the pages.
Only when he heard her breath stabilise did Severus steal a glance at the sleeping girl. There was a sense of peace that settled over him when she was near and safe, it was unmatched by any other emotion he was capable of.
He watched her until he too fell into a fitful slumber, still clutching the book like a shield.
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At four in the morning, Severus woke Holly; made sure she dressed and watched over her shoulder as she checked the Marauder's Map for possible complications before he took her up through the castle under her cloak.
When they neared the Gryffindor Tower, he felt a rush of air and a tightening sensation around his waist, his breath was almost knocked away by the invisible hug.
Severus looked down and awkwardly patted the thin air that he guessed was her back.
"This will not happen again, Princess." He whispered solemnly near her ear, hoping she would not hate him.
Severus could feel her face against his shoulder, her nose and cheek turned against him, the hug was tight and he knew felt her hands locked at his back. He held his breath and kept his hand on her back, waiting patiently for her to let go first.
Then she was gone and there was only the cold of a Scottish December creeping up the tower to fill the space where she had been pressing herself to him.
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A shriek startled Severus, bringing him back to reality. He looked up with a grimace. A pair of Hufflepuff girls were playing Exploding Snap at their house table. One of them appeared to have burned her fingers.
Students were getting ready to leave for winter holidays that were only days away which added a buzz of excitement to the general atmosphere in the school.
Proceeding to prod the spoon about his bowl, Severus fashioned pointed ends from the still-pliable bits of his wretched-looking breakfast bowl. He was about to give up force-feeding himself when a clear, calm voice rang out near his left.
"Not hungry, Severus? Perhaps you ought to try the scones today. The jam is delightful." Dumbledore's half-moon spectacles glinted as he peered over them; he seemed to have appeared from nowhere and was now piling up gooseberry jam on a steaming slice of bread. "The elves outdid themselves, as always!" He exclaimed cheerfully before taking a rather risky bite for someone with so much hair near his mouth.
"I'll pass. Thank you." Severus answered stiffly.
He had been avoiding the headmaster longer than usual. He must know something is up.
"Oh, the world has so much bitterness, we must embrace the sweetness it does give," Dumbledore stated sagely.
Severus tightened his Occlumency shields instinctively, trying not to glower at his oats.
"Why don't you come by my office tonight, and I'll let you in on a secret."
"Oh?" Severus asked with a steady voice, but his insides are twisting up around themselves.
Does he know?
"Seven will work fine." Dumbledore smiled at the Potion Master and turned to wink at a first-year boy charming a ball to float high near the candles. When the boy dropped it into a tray of croissants on the Ravenclaw table, the headmaster merely continued to chew happily.
Regarding the Ravenclaw boy in question with distaste, Severus managed a slight shrug and pressed his spoon into the sticky mass once again. He was not looking forward to tonight, but at least it will lend him the opportunity to ask a few pressing questions regarding Holly.
"Perfect," Severus said courteously, pushing back his chair and gathering his robe to leave.
"Oh and Severus,"
"Headmaster?" He inclined his head toward the older wizard.
"Good luck today." And then the headmaster gave him the same wink he had given the naughty boy.
"Thank you…" Severus answered slowly, eyes narrowing slightly before he remembered in a cold wave about the match he would be refereeing an hour from now. Thinking hard of something casual to add he said, "Looks like fair weather. See you on the field headmaster." And then he left, teaching robes nipping at his ankles.
Fuck.
He had completely forgotten about the match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
It was the last game before the Christmas holidays and only now did the charged atmosphere make sense.
The Gryffindor table was emptier than usual for a Saturday and the house seemed to have a general detached attitude since what happened to their team not a fortnight ago.
Severus could stop his eyes from finding his raven-haired girl, but he looked away coolly before she had a chance to meet his eye. He sped past indifferently and noted that she was reading the Occlumency and Legilimency for the Novice he gave her in a false cover.
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Dearest Friends, I wish to let you all know I'm still working and thinking hard about this story whilst also attempting to survive exam-season. Please follow along for exponentially smutty chapters and leave me a note if you've any ideas for the story!