Dreams and Desires

Dreams and Desires

Chapter 4

Kiss and Tell

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Grace must have fallen asleep and be dreaming this. But then how did kissing him feel a thousand times more amazing than she had ever imagined? He had kissed her! Screw that, he was kissing her! Reluctantly she let him pull away, he held onto her hands, gazing at her intensely with a smile that finally reached his silver eyes. She felt weak.

"I think I need to sit down," she stated. His concern was apparent as he guided her to the piano bench and knelt in front of her. He kept her hands in his and asked, "Are you alright? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Oh what have I done?" He put his head in his hands and strode to the other side of the room.

After an awkward minute of silence, she whispered, "Sirius..." He came back to her side at the sound of his name. "You have nothing to feel ashamed about. I should be ashamed, if anything, after all I've been dreaming of you kissing me for many nights in a row...."

He looked shocked at first, but then a smirk crept onto his face as he inquired, "And how did I live up to your imagination?"

She couldn't resist grinning widely as she admitted, "So much better."

Cautiously he confessed in a low rumbling voice, "I have dreamt about you every night since I heard you sing, Grace." He looked like he was waiting for her to just freak and run out of the room. And I thought I was done being shocked tonight ,but that just topped it off. Obviously, he mistook her delighted surprise as the horrified shock he was afraid of. Before he could take that fear to heart, she placed her hand on his warm, strong neck and her head affectionately on his shoulder. That was all took, he took her in his arms again, more passionately this time, and kissed her with all the swarming emotions he felt inside.

The hour grew late, and as much as needed to be discussed between them, she didn't want to cause any more suspicion by missing curfew. He walked her silently back to Gryffindor tower.

"So, you aren't angry with me for taking advantage of you?" he asked, half-joking.

"No more than I am thankful for it." They chuckled happily. "Will I be seeing you again, you know, like this?" She tried to keep the desperation out of her voice.

"All of the creatures of the Forbidden Forest couldn't keep me away, my dear." And with that, he glanced up and down the corridor, kissed her hand, and looked up at her almost seductively. Before she had caught her breath, he was gone, his black robes billowing behind him.

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"What on earth came over me?!" Sirius paced across the floor of the Potions Master's dungeon lair. Snape lounged calmly in his black velvet armchair, drinking his firewhiskey (though considerably slower than Sirius).

"Well, if I am evaluating the situation correctly, it sounds as though you are in love."

"Severus, I can't believe you of all people just uttered those words to me!"

"Neither can I," Snape said with a nonchalant look of disdain.

"What's even worse than you telling me I'm in love with her is that it's true. I love her, Severus. How did this happen? Oh, what am I going to do about this?"

"Black, can you please stop wearing out my Persian rug, it's quite valuable. Besides, you are making me dizzy."

"You sure that isn't just the firewhiskey?"

"As if alcohol could affect me at this point in my life, Black. Now listen to me. Man up and stop asking yourself so many questions. So you kissed her, if you love her then you were right to do something about it."

"And to think, I came down here expecting you to chill my crazed amour with some icy cynicism and firewhiskey...."

"Well, we got the firewhiskey part down," Snape interrupted as he lifted his glass in mock cheers. Sirius continued without hearing his snide remark.

"Then I hear Severus Snape, the bat of the dungeons himself, confirm my own suspicions of being in love with a student!" Snape chuckled at Sirius's frustration.

"Sirius, we have become civil acquaintances, dare I admit, friends through the horrors and trials of the war, but it never ceases to amuse me to see you so completely clueless and aggravated." Sirius narrowed his eyes at him. "Very well, I digress." Snape took Sirius by the shoulders, halting his restless pacing.

"Black, I am only going to say this once since this conversation has already been far too emotional for my liking. If you truly love this woman, then by no means should you give that up." There was a pain of regret behind Severus's brotherly glare and intensity in his voice that made Sirius truly absorb his words. More glasses of firewhiskey and memories of school days were shared late into the night between the two ex-enemies.

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Grace planned on only telling Luna and Hermione. She wasn't so naive as to think she could keep such news to herself for long. Violet will surely find out on her own, I have no idea how she does that! So I thought I would talk to Hermione during our weekly time in the library together. That way she would have to keep her exclamations to a quiet minimum. So, in the midst of studying for their History of Magic quiz, Grace just sprung it all on her. Preparing for impact, she thought with a sideways grin.

"HE KISSED YOU?!?" Well that certainly got the attention of the library.

"Shhhh! Will you please be quiet? This is not exactly something to shout around the school." Hermione calmed her voice to a whisper, but she still looked like she was about to jump out of her chair. However, Hermione couldn't stop the inevitable volcano of giggles (was she excited for me, or because I proved her right. Oh great, she's going to be insufferable for weeks. But I do love the girl.), and soon her laughter spread uncontrollably to Grace. The stern look from Madame Pince was enough to shut them up after a few minutes. Once they were quiet again, Hermione demanded the details of the entire evening.

Just then, Hermione gasped and oddly fixed her attention back to her book with a blush. Grace looked up to see the prince charming of Slytherin, Draco Malfoy, sauntering towards them.

"My, my ladies, you mustn't gossip about me in public. I have a reputation to keep, you know."

"And since when has your reputation been in danger by a few innocent Gryffindors, Draco?" Grace asked, her words glazed with satire. "Be careful, Draco dear, or I will have to start telling people how sweet and kind-hearted you are." He laughed, flashing Hermione that irresistible Malfoy grin.

"Now that would be a danger to my reputation. I'll stick with devilishly handsome and talented, thank you."

"More like arrogant prick, but you're adorable anyways, Draco." Grace shook her head, still chuckling. She had become friends with the feared Slytherin soon after she transferred to Hogwarts, and in the years before the war she was the exception to his torment-or-shun-every-Gryffindor standard rule. She had a crush on him throughout her fifth year, but nothing had come of it, and it faded away into a strong friendship.

"Ah, if only the rest of Gryffindor understood me the way you do," Draco said with obvious sarcasm. Playfully, he directed his attention toward Hermione and asked, "Well Granger, what about you? Do you think I'm adorable?" again flashing his famous smile. Hermione looked shocked, not only by the question, but also by his flirtatious tone. Hermione muttered, "Well, I suppose...at times...." Grace shifted her eyes from Draco to Hermione and from Hermione to Draco, furrowed her brow, then nearly burst out laughing...oh wait, she did.

"What are you laughing at, Grace?" Hermione asked after Draco left with some sudden excuse. "I can't believe how easily you can talk back to him with such confidence, and he never blows up at you! Why is that?" Grace sobered up for the explanation.

"Well, I think it's because I understand him." Hermione tilted her head, inviting her to continue. "You see, Draco and I may belong to different houses, but we come from the same class circles. As much as he claims to love being rich and princely, he and I both know the defects of such a life. Being in a family where titles and blood status matter more than relationships or opinions. I have that past, but without the hate that still lingers in him. My parents were wonderful, but they are long gone, and my other relations are similar to the Malfoy family. Many times I have wished that there was just someone else to take me in...." Grace noticed Hermione's thoughtful face. Hermione seemed to be in awe of this new perspective on her best friend's enemy. And with that, Grace began her own romantic scheming, right back at Hermione.

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Tuesday morning, Grace awoke from a dreamless sleep, a rare occurrence for her. The night before had so surpassed her dreams, how could her subconscious attempt to compete with the real thing. Even through the rest of the morning, she couldn't be sure that it had all been just a very vivid dream. How else could she explain the kiss, the room, the affection of her unattainable man? A man she was falling for. Hard. The realization of how enamored she had become hit the instant she saw him at his desk as she entered Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hermione sat by Grace, clasping her clammy trembling hand under the table in encouragement. She would need the strength. The students settled, and class began. Grace's fears that she had imagined it all melted away when their eyes locked for a moment, and he winked. She felt like a cube of sugar dissipating into the amber glow of a hot cup of tea.

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He smiled more that day than he had in months. He hoped that the sly wink in her direction had been enough to remind her of his affection. Snape was right (Wow, never thought I'd admit that about anything), he loved Grace and he wasn't going to let that precious rare chance of true happiness slip away from him. Since they hadn't had much time to talk after the initial romantic encounter, he couldn't be sure how she felt about him. Would she have collected sensibility and now be disgusted by the desires of an older man? Her professor, no less. It was her choice, but he would make sure his intentions were clear. Though he surely should not tell her for some time, so as not to frighten her, he was in love with her. In less than two weeks (yet an eternity), she had become his world.