Romeo and Juliet (Book 1) - SS x OC

Chapter 17 - Abduction By Waters

"A plague o' both your houses!

They have made worms' meat of me!" - William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

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CHAPTER 17 - Abduction By Waters

~RS~

Severus repeated the last few moments of what used to be a nonexistent juncture in his mind: his birthday. He definitely did not expect his student-- his exceptional student for that matter, to pull such a stunt, and what surprised him the most was that he actually appreciated it. He never liked being fussed about, but Renee's efforts were just so transparently genuine that it was difficult to not to find her gesture endearing. The Potions Master could not remove the image of the young girl's beautiful face approaching him for... something he couldn't fathom, and felt alarmed when he realized that he immensely regretted pushing the girl away.

It is undoubtedly for the best. Leave her alone, you old prick, before you effectuate something insipid.

Besides the fact that Severus found Renee to be an effective distraction, contrary to what he used to believe, and could not explain the way his heart would clench whenever he sees her distressed face, or even the happiest of her smiles, he had to deal with finding ways on how to keep Potter alive long enough for him to survive the Godforsaken tournament. So far, the ninny brat managed to keep himself in one piece, but Merlin knows it was all because of luck. The second task wouldn't be as life-threatening as the first one, but that was only if the boy was able to generate an idea out of his brain-- and Lord knows not much was in there, on how to breathe underwater long enough to complete the task.

Although Severus knew that the boy wasn't a total halfwit, he knew that Potter wasn't smart enough to be able to think of something as resourceful as Gillyweed. When he found out through Dumbledore how the moron of a Gryffindor was able to know out about the plant, he found it highly suspicious how Moody was all of a sudden trying to help Potter win the tournament via Neville. Ever since the ex-auror stepped foot inside the castle, his behavior was quite unsettling to say the least, and Severus has been stealthily keeping a distant eye on him.

For now, so as long as he knew that Potter won't be dead by the end of the second task, he would be able to partially breathe and focus on other pressing matters such as meeting the young lady who never withdrew from his thoughts, all for the purpose of 'assisting' him.

Renee was feeling weirdly anxious the moment she woke up, knowing that today was going to be another interesting day. Gathering her stuff and feigning her excessive compulsiveness, she stalked out of her dormitory half-awake, unconscious of where she was actually supposed to go. It was only when a certain velvety baritone, erupting from her subconscious mind, did she know that she was supposed to meet the man who possessed that voice. Remembering her last interaction with him, she blushed profusely, her heartbeat perilously fast, not knowing how to react as soon as she faces him.

It was no question to Renee that she was falling deeper and deeper for Severus by the day, and the emotions that would take place was sometimes too overwhelmingly heartbreaking due to circumstances that are obvious. Sometimes she would imagine what would happen if she was to tell him about her true feelings, but all forms of outcomes she could think of just wasn't conducive to what she would really like.

The walk to Severus' office was shorter than what Renee would have preferred, her dreaded moment now being shoved at her face. Although she was still humiliated because of the last incident, she knew that ultimately, her desire to see him would win over her inclination to hide from him. Raising her shaking hand, she knocked at the professor's door like a granny with spasm.