The Exposure

Chapter Forty-Three

          There's a contemplative pause for reflection over the whole ordeal. Snape's jaw clenches and his grip on the chair tightens, "They are the ones who should be punished...and instead they roam the halls and tell her business to anyone who will listen."

          "And what about you, Severus? You're not concerned about your position? Your reputation, should these rumors be confirmed?" Snape's brows knit together and he shakes his head, "Honestly...it's the last thing on my mind right now. I just...want to defend her." His eyes drop, along with the tone of his voice.

          Minerva's eyes watch his with compassion, "I seem to remember a young boy who experienced something similar in his youth, and no one stepped in for him...and for that, I am deeply sorry, Severus." Her eyes glisten with the hint of emotion. His features soften, his eyes meeting hers for a moment. "We will find a way to protect her from her bullies," Minerva consents, and Snape exhales in silent relief.

          She continues, "I'm sure I do not need to remind you that should this get out, the Ministry will launch an inquiry. The reputation of Hogwarts is now also on the line..." His eyes meet hers and he nods softly and replies in a quiet voice, "As well as your reputation as Headmaster." Severus looks down, the guilt in his voice and on his face punishment enough. 

          After an uncomfortable silence, she clears her throat, "If this can be contained, we must do what we can. There's a lot at risk. I know you've both found it exceedingly difficult to...abstain from one another, and perhaps we should've arranged a way to allow you to do so outside of the school." 

          She shakes her head softly, "I've come to realize over the years as a headmaster that making rules that are difficult to follow only serves to create more opportunity for failure to do so."

          "There...is actually another rumor that has been spreading the last few days, after her accident in the forest," Minerva continues, circling around to her desk chair and settling into it, her elbows propped on the desk, resting her chin on her folded hands. "I was hoping to find a way to squash it when it started, but now I'm wondering if perhaps we might make use of it."

          You lie on Severus's bed looking up at the ceiling, your mind racing with anxious thoughts, the pounding of your heart rushing to keep up with them. I think I have a pretty good idea who the source of this rumor is. Your cheeks burn with anger as you think about it.

          You realize you've been biting your nails for the last twenty minutes and remember of Severus's command to "not worry." You scoff softly at the thought, as if it were the most ridiculous thing you'd ever heard...but then the mental image of the way he looked at you with such compassion and care floods your mind. "Don't worry about this. It will be alright." Something in his earnestness makes you want to try...and for some reason it's incredibly hard to disobey him. You smirk to yourself when you remember what happens when you disobey him.

          You decide to try and distract yourself from the anxiety as best you can.

          Your eyes search for little patterns and shapes in the plaster above you, seeing what he sees every night before dozing off. That thought makes you smile. You rise and wrap yourself in a little white robe Severus had conjured for you, the cleverness of his choice of sheer fabric not lost on you.

          You saunter over to his bookshelf adjacent to the fireplace, your fingertips grazing lightly over the worn, leather spines. Your fingers stop on a book titled 'Distilling Knowledge: Alchemy, Chemistry, and the Scientific Revolution'. You smile softly at the nerdyness of your lover. You pull the book from the shelf and open it, breathing deeply the scent of the deep, worn, dog-eared pages, noting the familiar smell of parchment that often lingers on Severus.

          You settle on the large, emerald green armchair in front of the cracking fireplace, your legs dangling over its arm as you skim through the pages, mostly for the scent. You glance at all his little underlinings and margin notes, his handwriting subtle yet sophisticated and elegant, much like himself.

You hear footsteps and your eyes dart up to the opening door. Severus enters with dark, distracted eyes but when they find you, they soften and become light, a shadow of a smile on his face.

"Like the robe?" He asks with a cunning smirk, clearly proud of himself. "Yes...though I couldn't help but wonder just what exactly its purpose was...seeing as it doesn't really provide much coverage," you cock your brow at him. 

          He quips with a sly grin, "Well, perhaps coverage was never its intended purpose." He snatches the book from your grasp, tossing it on the coffee table and pulls you up suddenly by your hands and into him, making you gasp. He looks down at you and lifts your chin up to look at him, his dark eyes locked on yours in a playful gaze.

          "I just consider it a shame to cover up something so...beautiful," his thumb gently stroking just below your lip. He smirks at your blush, kissing your cheek, his hand patting your bottom playfully. You giggle at his flirtatious behavior and lean in, softly kissing his gorgeous, full lips.

          "Professor...how bad has the rumor gotten?" His brows tighten in thought before he continues, "Well...I've both good and bad news." He sits down on the chair and pulls you sideways onto his lap, his arm wrapped around your waist, his hand resting on your hip. "The good news is, we might have discovered a way to delegitimize the notion of you and me being in a...relationship." You blush and can't help but smile at his use of the word. "The bad news...is that apparently several days ago, another rumor had already begun circling."

          He pauses a moment and you search his eyes, your brow raised in question. "Another...rumor? About me?" He nods softly and looks down at your hand in your lap, "There's a rumor that you and...Mr. Philiman have been having liaisons, both in and outside the castle."

          Your cheeks flush in anger and disbelief, "Me and Josh?" He nods with a slight wince and sighs deeply before continuing, "It would appear that since this rumor began Mr. Philiman has refused to deny the allegations, adding fuel to the fire." His jaw tightens.

          Your brows knit together in worry and frustration, feeling overwhelmed and targeted. 

          "However..." His deep voice utters after sensing your anxiety, "McGonagall and I might've found a way to use it to our advantage. The implications of this plan are slightly less severe than you and I being discovered, but still...not ideal."

          "But, I want you to know that it is entirely up to you whether we proceed with it. I do not want you to decide hastily; please think it over it carefully. Do not choose this considering anyone but yourself." He gives you a serious look, his eyes intense. "Then you can let me know what you choose."

          Your brows raise as he tells you the plan that the two professors had conjured, your eyes narrowing in understanding when he finishes explaining it all. You lay your head on his chest softly, "I see...honestly, Professor. That isn't such a bad idea."

          You consider the pitfalls of it, but by the end of the day you decide it's the best way to proceed. "I'll speak with Peter first," you say softly, noting the angst and guilt in Snape's eyes when you tell him your decision.