Snape In Love

Chapter 16

...And Let Love Fill Your Soul

December came quickly, and the first snows of the winter began to fall on Hogwarts. One windy morning Severus and I awoke to find snow flurries beating against the windowpanes of his bedroom, dimly illuminating the room in shades of grey. We lay together watching them, my back pressed against his chest, his arms around my waist, holding me close, one hand cupping my breast. I could feel his breathing in my ear as he nuzzled close in my hair. We often awoke like this, after seeking one another out while we slept, and I would feel like I was melting against him every time he gently stroked his thumb over my nipple with a sigh.

"What are you doing today?" he murmured sleepily.

"Oh, nothing much. Seeing Hermione this morning, I think. I promised her I´d go to the kitchens with her for a coffee, see if we can make our own without the house elves interfering."

Severus snorted derisively,

"She never gives up, does she?"

I smiled, used to such remarks.

"Oh yes, and when are you going to sort out the store cupboard?"

"You sure you trust me to?"

"Well, yes! Not that it´d need tidying if Black hadn´t messed it up..."

"How about this afternoon? Hermione´s come up with a much more organised way to keep it."

He lifted his head from the pillow, annoyance creeping in to his voice.

"I don´t need a seventh year girl running my life, thanks! Particularly not that one!"

"It´s only a cupboard, Severus! I won´t, then, if you don´t want me to, but you´ve been complaining about it often enough, so..."

"I never complain!" he objected, turning me to face him, frowning into my eyes. I looked at him questioningly.

"Oh, go on then. Let her interfere. I trust you to do a halfway decent job."

"Oh, thanks!"

"It would be...helpful. And- appreciated."

I kissed him deeply, feeling his angular body yield into mine, his limbs enclosing me.

"But remember, Ella, I have lessons all day today. I´ll be in class while you´re tidying. You´d better not...distract me."

"You can always steal in for a kiss..." I murmured, my lips against his.

"Mmm..." he said, stroking my back delicately so that I shivered deliciously.

"...I´m sure Hermione wouldn´t mind."

He froze, and looked at me in disbelief.

"She´ll be there too? Oh, dammit, Ella!" he growled, and I laughed as I reached down to guide his early morning hardness towards my soft inner folds. He cried out "Ah!" as he entered me, his frown replaced by an expression of pure bliss as we held each other close. Then he began to rock his hips, slowly and rhythmically, eyes hooded and glazed with passion as they gazed into mine. We drank one another in, barely even blinking, and it felt to me as if we were in a dream, a trancelike state, almost mystical. I wrapped my left leg higher around his waist, pushing my pelvis closer against his until the friction caused by our gentle movements became unbearably sweet. I felt heat well up in me and spread, slowly at first, then faster, until I dug my fingernails into his shoulders and pulled him even closer, moaning "Severus" against his mouth, flicking my tongue over his lips until he pressed them onto mine and answered me hungrily. His thrusts quickened, and soon we were both panting one another´s names as we climaxed, holding on tight while our passion overtook us in waves, leaving us breathless and trembling.

We lay still for a while, tangled together, Severus´ lips pressed against my forehead now, his light morning stubble scratching my nose as he spoke.

"You´re spending a lot of time with Miss Granger these days," he observed, his words muffled.

"I like her. We have a lot in common."

"Hah! Really? She´s very young."

"Young enough to be my daughter, yes, I know, but she doesn´t seem it."

"Do you talk to her about us?"

"She´s your pupil, Severus, of course I don´t. Then again, I don´t need to. She knows how we both feel."

"Hmph. I don´t like that."

"Why?"

"The whole school will think I´ve gone soft."

"I doubt it..."

"Well, she´d better be discreet! You must remember, I have a - position to maintain here..."

"She is discreet, but we´re hardly a secret!"

"That´s not the point," he grumbled.

"But I do talk about relationships with her. Did you know about Remus?"

"What about him?"

"She´s in love with him."

"Really? Why? He´s a bloody werewolf!"

"And he´s lovely," - Severus snorted at this - "And he doesn´t try to terrify anyone, unlike some people I could mention!"

"Well. Anyway, I suppose that explains things."

"Hmm?"

"Always so damned protective of her, and rearranging her classes, too. I couldn´t see why he needed to do that at the time, but it looks like he has more foresight than I give him credit for..." he sighed, stroking my back and kissing my forehead. "Well, she´s of age now. Seventeen, isn´t she? I suppose she´d be as good for him as anyone. She can learn how to make him that blasted Wolfsbane potion instead of me, she´s more than capable."

"Oh, and you always give her such a hard time!"

"So? She´s fulfilling her potential, isn´t she?"

"What, you mean you´re horrid to people for their own good?"

"I am who I am, Ella. That´s all."

Being a seventh year, Hermione had no classes timetabled that day, so she and I talked all morning, sitting at one end of the long table in the kitchens while the house elves busied themselves around us. I was glad that she was able to confide in me, as I felt quite protective of her. I was beginning to think of her as being like the younger sister I never had. We then spent the afternoon reorganising the Potions storeroom while I used my sometimes-rusty knowledge of potions-making to test her on hers, which was far superior.

We were obviously a distraction for Severus, who kept leaving his class in order to come and check on what we were doing, glaring at Hermione each time he came in until at last she said,

"Excuse me while I go to dispose of these old bottles" and left us alone, giving Severus a sunny smile as she left.

Severus came over to me and enfolded me in his arms, wrapping his robes around me possessively.

"This isn´t working, Ella. I can´t concentrate, what are you doing in here?" he complained. "What are you talking about? Why does that girl keep smiling at me?"

"Because you keep frowning at her, of course, and she knows exactly why! Honestly, Severus, you really should learn to read people better!"

He looked affronted.

"Why would I want to do that? I can read people well enough to know when they´re up to something, and anything else is irrelevant! You´re the only person I need to understand. Or want to."

He pressed his hand into the small of my back, making my head tilt back so that he could lean down for a lingering kiss. His tongue explored my mouth, delicately, and his free hand moved round to cup my breast, making me shiver and sigh into his mouth. Eventually we heard footsteps approaching and Severus jumped away from me guiltily, stalking out of the storeroom and back to his class, flushed and dishevelled. I leaned against the shelves and hugged myself. I could hardly wait for the evening to come.

As Hermione came in I straightened, and heard a clatter behind me as some small vials toppled over. There were three of them, and thanks to the Pensieve I recognised them as being the three that Severus had put away the previous year when he had driven me away. I shuddered, not wanting to be reminded of such unhappy times, and I poured their contents down the corner sink, rinsing them thoroughly before discarding them, wondering why Severus had bothered to keep them at all.

Hermione and I had noticed that some of Severus´ supplies were running low, so later on that day we went to see Professor Sprout in the greenhouses, to see if she could replenish his stocks.

"Hmm," she said, perusing our list while wiping her hands on her overalls, "I can give you everything except for the firecracker weeds, I´ve been feeding them to the mandrakes and I need some more myself. I know there are some growing in the forest, a little way in...Hagrid should know where to find them. Oh, and only get the big ones, and mind you leave the roots..."

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We had agreed to meet the next afternoon during Hermione´s free period to go and find some of the firecracker weeds. It had snowed again in the night, and we trudged along the lawn with some difficulty, since the snow was new fallen and powdery. Severus had warned me to look out for hidden tree roots, saying dryly,

"Since I won´t be in the forest to rescue you this time."

He had kissed me deeply, looking searchingly into my eyes as we said goodbye, and now I felt warmed through by his love, glowing with contentment as we walked.

"I really envy you," mused Hermione, trying to hold her cloak up out of the snow. "You seem so happy."

We had spent much of the previous day talking about Remus, and I knew he was on her mind again.

"It´ll happen for you too, when the time´s right."

She smiled ruefully.

"Yes, but when will that be?"

There was no answer when we knocked at the door of Hagrid´s hut. Smoke came from his chimney from the remnants of a fire in the hearth, but Hermione looked in at his window and confirmed he wasn´t there. We walked around the back, past the paddock, and saw large footprints alongside those of Fang, disappearing into the forest a little further down.

"Oh well, I know more or less where to look," I said. "The tips of the weed should be visible above the snow. And there shouldn´t be too much snow on the forest floor anyway. Let´s go and get it over with, then we can go back to the school for some hot chocolate."

We ventured in a little way, scanning the ground for any sight of the distinctive red-tipped leaves of the firecracker weeds, but could see none. We went in further, towards a small grove that I remembered Professor Sprout describing to me. Then in the distance I saw something white, advancing towards us through the trees. I felt a sudden chill steal over my soul, and I reached out to take Hermione´s arm, whispering

"Look, there´s someone there!"

We withdrew our wands, and as the man drew closer I could see he was white haired, and clad in a cloak of white ermine.

"Lucius Malfoy!" whispered Hermione, and I froze.

"Hello there!" he called as he approached, a smile on his face like a mask. "Well, if it isn´t Professor Snape´s little librarian friend! And Miss Granger, your delightful companion!"

Hermione´s eyes narrowed.

"Mr Malfoy, what are you doing here?" I answered, as calmly as I could.

"Oh, just a social call," he replied disingenuously. "I came to show you this!" and with movement so preternaturally swift we were powerless to defend ourselves, he drew his wand from his cloak and yelled,

"Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus!" at both of us, one after another, our wands flying from our hands to his as we flew backwards. I hit the ground with some force, groaning in pain as my back hit a large boulder, winding me for a moment. When I could catch my breath I looked over to where Hermione lay, at the foot of a tree, seemingly unconscious.

Malfoy stood over me, grinning cruelly.

"Two for the price of one! My master will be pleased!" he drawled. I tried to move, anger and fear flooding through me, but I couldn´t. He laughed derisively and took my arm, dragging me through the snow across to where Hermione lay. That done, he took out a small wooden box from his cloak and opened the lid, activating the Portkey therein.

"Oh no! Severus!" I thought as we were swept away into nothingness.