Dance With A Serpent

Love At Last

He couldn't believe he had done that. He had kissed the girl and professed, in a way his love for her.

The shame was overbearing as Severus sat behind his desk not twenty-four hours after the staircases scene had been played out.

He had not been able to face her. He knew he was being ridicules but he needed to stay away from her. Now more than ever. He knew of her dogged persistence. Ergo he had stayed away from the Great hall and dined in his quarters. His determination wasn't allowed to be jeopardised.

She had to graduate, leave Hogwarts and forget his very existence. Find love and happiness elsewhere with someone else. He was not the man for her.

He would drag her down with his trying behaviourisms and his bad reputation. Not even the Merlin fist-class had been enough to re-deem him. He would plague her with endless testing to see if she was him true, to see if her love was genuine and to see if he was good enough for her. He would disturb her slumbers whit his endless war-flashbacks and not to be underestimated, his snoring. He would mould her ego down in to a pulp with his out lashings and far too cutting insults. He would destroy her.

No he couldn't let her live through what Lily only suffered the half of. No he'd let his lovely Lily down. He would not do the same to Hermione.

She would let her go to be free and happy. And he... He would suffer alone, pining and in agony but knowing she was thriving somewhere else, somewhere with out him.

And then the world would go back to normal. Him in the dungeons, slowly wasting away.

Severus pulled a stack of papers towards him. Paperwork. Always more paperwork that needed to be done by the Deputy-Headmaster.

Why oh Why didn't Minerva get a secretary to handle all the stupid forms and other useless paperwork so he didn't have to. Minerva wouldn't have to do it ether of course but she didn't have to teach at the same time as to do all of this bloody paperwork, so maybe she should only hire him a secretary.

He glanced at his watch.

Where was the stupid child? Severus had more important things to do than sit around and wait.

He begrudgingly started at the papers.

He only had to wait approximately six minutes before a knock rang off his door.

Finally.

"Enter" Severus said in his stern voice. Malfoy was going to get an earful for making him wait. And there for making him deal with the stacks on his desk.

The door opened and Malfoy failed to enter.

Severus groaned. Her persistence yes. Of course it was Hermione standing there smiling mischievously at him, of course...

"Miss Granger..." he groaned again.

The amber glow of her eyes did not waver from him as she stored in to the room. A Lioness on the prowl.

"Professor" She greeted him and closed the door behind her. Eyes never wavering.

"Miss Granger we are not supposed to be seeing each other."

"Afraid you might kiss me again Sir?" she started to advance across the room.

Severus shot to his feet ready to strike her down with his enraged tongue.

No sound escaped him.

What snide retort could he cut her down with?

"It was a mistake" true but not something that would make this Lioness flee his chambers. "I don't care for you, get out!" Not true, and she was too resolute, her eyes was filled with determination. It would only make her laugh at him. Maybe he should just settle for "Get Out!" but that would be beneath him. He swallowed his anger.