Descendant of Merlin Book 2: Darkness and Desire (Severus Snape)

The Walls Come Crashing Down

"What are you doing here?" I accused. He grunted.

"Believe me, I've far better things to do, but Professor Dumbledore ordered me here," he said sounding very unhappy about the arrangement. He seemed to detest the merfolk even more than he did his students.

"Why?" I asked. The little tick in his jaw went off as he calmed himself.

"I am to take you to my office and give you a potion to fight the cold of the lake. Scourgify," he waved his wand at me halfheartedly and the water soaking my robes was instantly dispelled.

Severus thrust my cloak at me, turned on heel, and started off at his impossible pace. I was so tired that I didn't bother trying to keep up. After a minute he glanced back to see if I was still there and growled. He came back to where I was and seized my arm.

"Contrary to what Dumbledore may think, I do have more pressing things to do than take care of idiotic students, so if you'd mind not wasting my precious time," he hissed as he dragged me forward. I snatched my arm out of his grip earning myself a sharp irritated look.

"Then don't! I'm fine! Go to your bloody dungeon and play with your chemistry set for all I care! I've better things to do than listen to you!" I shrieked and, on half-numb legs, bolted for the castle. I took random corridors until I was certain I had lost him...If he had even bothered to come after me.

Then I slumped down a wall in one of the darker corridors and began to cry. Part of me really did hate Severus at that moment...He was such a git! And I was so thoroughly exhausted that I couldn't play the games we usually played; not on his level at least. I just wanted to sleep and forget that he existed!

Soon there were soft footsteps from the opposite way I had come. I expected it to be Filch, but I couldn't be that lucky. Severus stepped out from behind a suit of armor and glided to me blending seamlessly into the darkness around. I only saw him by the flickering light of a torch a good ways down. He stopped before me and seemed to size me up. I didn't bother trying to pick out his emotions; I was too tired to care.

"Whatever is the matter?" he huffed sounding as bored as a person can be. It was a slap in the face that brought even more tears. I was certain he truly didn't give a damn about my feelings.

"You ru—ruin everything!" I choked out in a high pitched shriek before more sobbing overtook me. I'd had such a great time with Ruxford and the merfolk, but Severus just had to turn everything sour! He took pleasure in making me miserable, and I couldn't stand that he was the man I had to love.

Severus stood without moving, making me hate him even more with every passing second. He had won. He had done exactly what he'd set out to do. My nerves crawled as I silently wished he would just go away. Finally he sighed.

He slid down the wall beside me and pulled me to him. I tried to fight which seemed to frustrate him, but I couldn't stop him when he lifted me onto his lap. It felt so right. I buried my face into his robes and cried harder still. The tears just wouldn't stop. I hadn't realized how hard the past month of endless fighting had been on me.

Had it really only been a month? I guess the tension started before the end of last term really, but the last month had been unbearable to say the least.

Severus held onto me without speaking and let me cry. He stroked my hair softly and just let me get it all out of my system. It was exactly what I needed him to do right then. He finally spoke when my crying had stopped and only convulsive sniffles came from me.

"You win."

       I looked up at him from where my head lay on his chest. "I don't feel like a winner," I hiccupped in a small crackly voice. Half his mouth twitched up for a brief moment.