Everything You Are

Chapter Twelve:

"Alright class, please take out your essay and I will take them from you," said Professor McGonagall, walking into the classroom. She paused and looked around the class of Draco, Sirena, Hermione Granger, and a few other 5^th years scattered among a class that was predominantly made up of 6^th and 7^th year students. "Now, I expect this paper to be MUCH better than the last one you all handed in. This is ADVANCED Transfiguration. I am aware that it's not pleasant to give up a Saturday morning, but you DO get a break every few days while your classmates are in their regular Transfiguration. As you have been put into a separate group, I expect you ALL to start acting like it, understood?"

"Yes, Professor," several voices groaned begrudgingly.

"I'm glad. Now..."

* * * * *

"Some class, huh?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"Whatever," Sirena yawned. "I'm going back to bed... I really don't need that fucking class or any of her shit..." she said, grumpily.

"Oh, come on, Sirena. I know you're strong, but I think you're just sour that you're not tops in Transfiguration. I mean... this COULD be useful. Say they were to put Mad Eye Moody after you... what if he tried to turn you into something else?"

Sirena rolled her eyes. "Draco, you offend me with the ridiculousness of that question. Just because he would have turned YOU into a ferret...that is, if he wasn't in his trunk..."

"How did you hear about that?!?!" he said, shocked and turning a rather unflattering shade of purple.

"Barty Crouch's updates. I thought it was quite amusing, actually, but it's nothing I couldn't do."

"Yeah right!"

She raised an eyebrow. "Come on... back to the common room and we'll see."

Draco laughed at her as they walked back. Sirena didn't show even the slightest amusement. She climbed into the common room and pulled Draco into an empty corner where she thought no one would see. She raised her wand when she felt someone tapped her shoulder.

"That might not be the wisest thing to do, Ms. Lupin," Severus said, trying not to smile.

Sirena lowered her voice, still facing Draco. "Sev- Professor, really, you're no fun. No going back to sleep, no turning Malfoy into a ferret... what next? More detention? Harsh..." she said, shaking her head disapprovingly before she realized the irony of what she'd said and tried not to grin. She turned to face him. "Then again, you're such a disciplinarian, Professor. I don't know what to do with myself to stay out of trouble. Maybe I need a detention to get my head on straight," she said, working hard to keep her straight face.

Severus raised an eyebrow, keeping his face impassive. "Perhaps you do, but I can assure you that turning Mr. Malfoy into a small rodent would get you much worse than a detention with me if the headmaster was to find out, so great care should be taken, on your part, to make sure that nothing of the sort happens."

Sirena nodded, visibly startled by the mention of Dumbledore, despite her attempts to remain even. "I'll remember that, Professor," she said quietly. She nodded to both him and Draco. "If you'll both, erm... excuse me, I'm going to, uh... go up to my dorm," she mumbled, gesticulating nervously.

Draco nodded and she started up the stairs but Severus stopped her. "Actually... I think you should come with me, Sirena. I wanted to go over the extra credit paper you were working on."

She shot a glare at him that made his blood run cold for a second and then went back to being calm. "Fine," she said, curtly. "Lead the way."

Sirena followed Severus down to his office. Rather than sitting, after he closed the door, she stood uneasily, having given up on trying to be mad about the reference to Dumbledore. She chewed her lip, a favorite nervous gesture, and looked around, avoiding his gaze. "So... what's this about?"

"Sirena, I... I think I should talk to you, firstly, about what happened in the common room right now."

She nodded. "Am I in for a lecture?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"No, but I want you to know that I meant what I said. You could get yourself into huge trouble for flaunting your powers like that and..." he paused.

"And what?"

"And it worries me," he said plainly.

"Don't worry about me," she said, a bit harsher than she'd meant to. She paused. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap."

"It's ok," he said, nodding. "That was the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. I shouldn't be interfering with your life and I wanted to apologize for last night."

Pausing, slightly dumbstruck, she shook her head. "Severus, I... I'm afraid I don't get it."

"I'm apologizing. I'm sorry I interfered, Sirena. I wanted to apologize for... for kissing you and everything," he mumbled, momentarily feeling almost as awkward as if he really had been her age. "I promise I'll keep my distance from now on. I really had no right..."

"But what if I don't want you to?" she asked quietly. He gave her a slightly confused look and she continued. "You saw how freaked out I got when you mentioned Dumbledore... let's be honest, Severus. I know I'm not safe here and it scares me to high hell. I knew that going into this and STILL I'm pretending to be ok with it. I know I say don't worry about me and stuff, and I guess it's because that's what I'm used to, but to be perfectly honest," she paused and took a deep breath, "I really, really liked the feeling I had with you last night. I felt like, for the first time, I could trust someone with who I really am and..." she stopped "and I shouldn't be telling you all of this. I'm sorry."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, a warning bell went off. 'She trusts you...' it said, an evil laugh following.

He ignored it. "No, it's ok," he said, his voice warm and reassuring. His eyes flickered nervously as he gestured for her to sit down next to him. She did and he looked at her carefully for a moment. "I... Sirena, being with you was nothing short of spectacular but, as you said, you're scared right now. I'm afraid I might take advantage of that."

"And if you did, it would be nothing new and it would teach me a lesson for being such an open book to you," she said, putting her hand tentatively on his. "I don't know why, but I just... you make me feel really truly safe and I'm not sure I want to give that up."

'She feels safe with you... you can get her to tell you anything... anything...' He took her small hand in both of his and he could nearly feel her shiver from the rush of energy. His dark eyes searched her icy blue ones. 'What if she finds out about me? What if anyone else was to find out about us?' "You know I won't see you hurt on these grounds if I can help it, Sirena. You don't have to do anything for me in return..."

Sirena bit her lip again. "If you feel like it's for you, than I don't feel so selfish about saying this. I just... I like having the feeling of someone's arms around me and having the rest of the world a million miles away. You made me feel like no one else mattered last night. The fact that you've tried to protect me all these years for no apparent reason blows my mind and really shows something for the type of person you are... but it's nothing in comparison to the feeling of being with you."

He pressed his lips to her forehead gently. "Ahhh, Sirena, you're too old for your years." He smiled, running his hand over her cheek. "Either that, or you've mastered the art of romanticism. Perhaps both, knowing you, but I'm afraid I'm still not sure of what you want from me."

"Interfere as you see fit, for one," she smiled at him. "Sometimes I need it... I don't want you to stop whatever you were doing before," she said, before pausing. "I also ... if we... I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

She closed the remaining few centimeters between them and he felt her timid lips meet his. His arms moved around her body slowly, pulling her close to him. She sucked on his lower lip gently, her fingers playing with the ends of his long hair from behind his back, almost as if to make sure he was real.

He cradled her petite body against him, one hand cupping her face and the other resting on the small of her back, tracing patterns up and down her spine. She was, in every way, exactly how he thought a woman should feel. Her lips were soft and full, her curves rounded perfectly, as if molded specifically for his touch. It seemed nearly impossible that she was the werewolf's daughter. 'His daughter... ooh... Remus'd kill me for this one...' he thought, but instead of being afraid, he turned his mind back to the situation at hand, feeling the way Sirena had parted her lips, ever so slightly.

It was an invitation that Severus took graciously, caressing her tongue with his own. A slight shiver traced through her as he explored her mouth. Any past clumsiness or moments of inelegance were forgiven as her form became lithe and as graceful as a dancer in his arms. She let him wash over her as hands roamed robe-clad bodies. Sirena's finally settled themselves tangled in his hair and Severus' resting gently on her hips.

Their lips broke apart slowly and Severus trailed his kisses down to her neck, careful to stay on the right side for slight fear of the magical tattoo on the left. As his teeth lightly grazed the soft skin, she made a small noise of contentment. Her chest heaved slightly as she strove to catch her breath.

Her head rested on his chest as she sat in his lap, his face buried in her hair. "So, you want me to 'interfere' like that, do you?" he said, a husky edge on his voice.

"That would be absolutely wonderful," she mumbled, her eyes sliding shut lazily, not quite having forgotten how little sleep she'd had the previous night.

"I suppose I'll have to move the jars and such if we're going to meet in here... unless there's a better secret place we can think of," Severus said, gesturing apologetically to the canopic jars on the shelves around the room.

She smiled, a small laugh escaping her lips, sitting up a bit straighter. "I suppose so. I'd say we could go to my room, but I'm afraid that might look a little strange..." she mimicked a whiny voice that was unmistakably meant to be that of Pansy Parkinson. "Professor? What are you doing in there? Professorrrrrrr!"

Severus laughed. "I'm, uh... inspecting the rooms. Making sure the beds are all made," he joked, sounding very guilty.

They laughed for a few moments, imitating the reactions of all the students, until Sirena sighed and laid her head back down on Severus' chest. "What if someone was to walk in on us?" she asked, sobering up quickly.

Severus sighed. "I'm not sure... It definitely wouldn't be a good thing."

Sirena snorted. "No, I think it would be wonderful for Dumbledore to know I'm leading his staff away. I think it would make him love me and never want to hurt me or my family or anyone of my kind again," she said. She paused. "Sorry... I just get carried away about him..."

"It's more than understandable," he said, kissing the top of her head and continuing to stroke her hair. "I want you to know that I won't let him hurt you. He'll have to get to me first..."

"Severus, you can't prevent it," she said tiredly. "You can try and you can refuse to do it yourself, but there's not much else you can do. As far as I can reason, he's gotten past it every time so far and I've just been lucky."

"What do you mean 'as far as I can reason,' though? I mean... don't you know?"

Sirena closed her eyes tightly, fighting to remain calm. 'You're safe,' she reminded herself. "No, I don't" she said after a pause. "I can't remember more than what I've dreamed from before I was twelve."

"What happened to you?" he mumbled, holding her closer. "What did they do to you?"

"It was meant to be a memory charm..."