Oliver Evans is The Prodigy of the Heart (Book One)

Chapter Seven: Moonlight Waltz

I looked down at the hand in front of me. Faded scars and scuffs appeared under the light. "I..I don't-"

"You are representing this entire school, and all who attend. You, and you alone are responsible for our placement in this competition. There is no room for doltish mistakes. I chose you for a reason and if you fail, you are not only failing me, but the entire student populace. I expected you to leave your childish behaviour in the fourth year. Since you have decided to yet again go against my instruction, I have no choice but to utilize this time for study."

"But sir, I-"

"Silence, Mr. Evans," he abruptly grabbed my hand and pulled me forward "We have much work to do."

The light glistened against the whites of Snape's eyes; they were fully focused onto mine. I moved my feet from side to side as he took the lead. He began to slowly move across the floor, shifting his guiding movement from the front of the hall to the back; his slick, black hair fell in front of his face. As we continued to sway, he softly moved his hand from my back down to my waist, and pulled me closer. I tilted my head upward, only to see his gaze fixated on the ceiling above. The rain continued to pour, falling down and dissipating just before hitting us.

I contently closed my eyes, letting the gentle movement of our rocking put me in a state of tranquility. I felt a soft touch on the back of my head, ever so slightly drawing me into his chest. I lost myself in the soft fabric of his evening cloak. I couldn't help but notice the scent of his robes was different. They no longer smelled like fluxweed or knotgrass. The scent was replaced by the deeply embedded essence of lilacs and roses.

Suddenly, I felt my foot catch on the floor of the hall. I stumbled, losing my balance and fell directly into Snape, causing us both to tumble to the floor. I lifted myself up and noticed his face was directly below mine. I could feel his chest rise and fall with each breath he took. He slowly helped me off of him, and aided me to my feet. He and I went completely silent, unsure of how to proceed. Snape cleared his throat, "Shall we...try again?"I held out my hand, and he took it in his; placing his arm around my waist once more. "Now you lead."

My struggling steps turned into guiding strides, I had never danced like that before. Our feet glided across the floor as we spun underneath the falling rain. The light from his spell bounced off the windows, beaming down onto us. My grip on his hand tightened slightly as I pivoted into his stance.

We gradually came to a stop. The low rumble of thunder accompanied by the sound of our breathing was the only thing I could hear. I felt his hand leave my waist as he pushed away the stray hair that had fallen over his face. I couldn't move, in awe at the events which had just taken place. He lowered his head "Do you understand now, Mr. Evans?"

"Yes, professor," I adjusted my posture "I understand." As we turned to leave, the light slowly faded into darkness. "Then it's back to your dormitory. Come, I will escort you."

When I arrived back at the Slytherin house dormitory, I kicked my shoes off under my bed and collapsed. I slumped up against my pillows and began to cry. Trent turned over in his bed and briefly opened his eyes. "What's got you up?" he said groggily

"Nothing," I wiped my nose with my sleeve "I must have had a bad dream."

"Well whatever dream you are claiming to have had, you weren't dreaming it just now. Your bed was empty when I awoke about an hour ago to the thunder."

I shuffled my position, "You must be mistaken."

"No, I'm sure of it. I am a light sleeper, and thunder always wakes me up. I got up to put on some new socks and you weren't there."