Darkest Desire

6. Relentless and Unforgiving (EDITED)

And her.

"They'll be looking for me" she finally stated, looking over her shoulder at the haunting shadows of the forest that surrounded the two of them. They were in some sort of clearing, quite a distance from the camping grounds, and the cold night air had her rubbing her arms subconsciously. She wasn't scared or nervous, far from it, but she wasn't exactly sure what to make of the Potions Master, and it unnerved her not to have all the answers. It was in her nature to be curious, her inquisitive streak often becoming the reason of landing her in many an embarrassing or awkward situation.

"The Weasley boys are about a quarter of a mile to your left. Another clearing, bigger than this one, and illuminated by torches" Snape said calmly, getting to his feet unhurriedly as he looked at her.

"And Ginny?" Aurora asked, goosebumps erupting along her arms as she cast a furtive glance around, and then up to the dark nights sky, wondering if maybe it would rain. Then she observed Snape as he walked closer to her, and unhurried collectedness to his bearing that distracted her. He was tall and lean, towering over her 5'10 frame by several inches, and he had this masculine, no-nonsense air about him that under different circumstances she would have found attractive. It was the hardness to his eyes and the cold and detached look in his inky, coal-black eyes that put her off. There was a harshness to him that send the slightest sliver of apprehension down her spine, and she somehow knew that this was a very dangerous man.

"With them. They're all aright" Snape assured her, the low drawl of his voice seemingly uncaring.

"So...tell me again why you just couldn't hold me down to subdue me?" Aurora complained as she looked angrily at Snape "It's not like you needed to use magic to restrain me..."

"No, maybe I didn't" Snape admitted "But this makes it so much more enjoyable"

Aurora could have sworn she saw the edges of his thin lips curve upwards ever so slightly.

"Of course... you must be enjoying this immensely" she replied in irritation, annoyed at the almost smug look on the man's face.

"Hmm...as if I don't have other, more important things I'd rather be doing than babysitting some stubborn teenager" Snape replied, picking at some imaginary dirt under his fingernails with a rather bored look on his face.

"Yet you seem to have enjoyed hexing me into oblivion" Aurora countered, a quiet determination making her stand straight and square her shoulders as she looked up into Snape's onyx eyes.

"I must indeed admit that that made it much more enjoyable..." Snape replied with a despotic smile.

Their eyes locked, neither of them willing to cast down their gaze, knowing that this was a measure of wits of some sort, an argument neither would concede in the slightest. Severus looked at the young witch with an half amused-half annoyed glare, wondering where the chit of a girl found the fortitude and resilience to stare him down in such a manner, whereas Aurora just stood there, glowering at him, refusing to give in an inch and briefly thinking of why this stubborn man was able to get to her in such a fashion. She'd not met many people who managed to get under her skin the way he did.

"It's time you returned to the Weasleys" Snape said after it became apparent that neither of them was about to back down.

Aurora didn't say anything, but with a curt nod followed him as Snape started to walk through the forest. She was close on his heels and for a while nothing could be heard besides the sounds of twigs breaking and leaves rustling beneath their feet as they made their way through the forest.

It didn't take long for the two of them to reach the edge of the clearing where Aurora could see lights illuminating the open space between the trees. She could see several people standing on the other side of the trees, and immediately recognized Fred and Georges red hair, even from this distance.