The second my hand left the cold wood of the door, it swung open with urgency.
The classroom was dark, and candlelight illuminated the room. It was empty except for the foreboding yet alluring figure who stood at the end of the classroom, leaning against his desk, arms crossed.
Snape.
My breath hitched in my throat. He looked scary in the lighting, his wand neatly tucked into his robes. The hilt poked out slightly.
My lips parted slightly, yet I shut them rapidly after remembering what had happened last time.
"You came," he broke the silence.
"Yeah," I replied. I had a sudden feeling that this meeting was not related to tutoring.
"You look well," he commented.
I awkwardly stood in the doorframe. "I'm awake and well now. Class went well the past few days."
"Good to hear," he said smoothly. "I wouldn't have expected it to go any other way."
"You wanted to see me, sir?" I asked timidly, starting to feel very small in his presence.
He beckoned me to come closer with his pointer and index finger.
I followed his instruction, forcing my jelly legs to follow his command. However, my shaking limbs betrayed me.
"You're nervous," he pointed out, tilting his head.
I bit my lip, suddenly very aware of the exposed skin on my thighs as it started to sprout goosebumps.
"A little, Sir," I whispered.
"No need," he admonished. "I wanted to make sure you were all in once piece after the incident." His arms uncrossed and he placed them by his sides against his desk.
"You saved my life, though," I acknowledged. "I felt you carry me." I blushed, unable to hide it.
"Indeed. I was worried for you," he said, his expression softening, just the slightest.
"Sorry if I was too heavy," I tried to joke, and instantly felt mortified. Did I just crack a joke in front of Professor Snape?
"Hardly. You were weightless," he said softly. "I was preoccupied with saving your life."
His words stole my breath and uprooted my entire plan to try to stay nonchalant and calm.
"Did you see what happened?" I asked, surprised he even heard me.
"I found you in the Room of Requirement, while Mr. Malfoy was fleeing the room, he explained. As I have told you, your thoughts are very expressive."
Oh no, oh no. He would feel how much his words had upset me?
"How did I get to the Room of Requirement?" I asked him, stepping closer. We were feet apart, and I had to crane my neck up to ask him.
Surprisingly, he didn't back away, and instead, looked down at me, an unreadable expression in his eyes.
"The same way you found it, Miss Agoria. You needed a place to escape to. Moments later, I felt complete agony from you. Pain. As if it were my own," he mused, stroking his chin.
I tried not to look at his fingers.
"I sought the room of requirement as you had. I started pacing the castle halls, trying to find you. The room of Requirement helped me find what I was looking for. You," he finished.
I didn't move, momentarily shocked by his words. But that was just what teachers were supposed to do, right? Help out their students. I shook my head. This was what anyone would have done.
"No," Snape surprised me, jolting me from my thoughts. "You are the only one whose thoughts I can sense. I would not have done that for another student."
Once again, my professor took my breath away. Completely robbed it from my lungs.
"But why?" I asked him. It was as if we were trapped in a trance, feet apart from each other. Our eyes had not moved, his onyx eyes locked with my emeralds.
"I don't know," he said silkily.
"Oh," was all I could say.
"But I would do it again, need be."
"Sir... thank you."
But Snape was not done. "I had to make sure you were alright the moment I got back."
"I have to tell you something," I blurted, and told him all that Riss had told me, Malfoy's entire plan.
To my utter surprise, Snape didn't seem taken aback by my news. "I know," he said. "The Dark Lord has many suspicions about your ancestry."
"But I don't even know my father-"
"Enough." Snape cut me off. "Speak of it less, and the less your mind will wander to it. Your friend should not raise any suspicions around Malfoy that you and I are aware of his plan. Continue on as always, and all will be well. You will be protected."
"Yes, Sir," I said. "Thank you, Sir."
"Good girl."
His words sent shivers through my body once more. I hoped he didn't know how his words made me feel.
Unfortunately, I had hoped too soon.
"Miss Agoria," he said, lifting his index finger to my jaw, -tilting my head side to side. My face was in flames once more. Was this really happening again? But he said-
"What did I tell you about your thoughts?" His voice didn't sound harsh this time. This time, there was a hint of something else.
My professor was teasing me.
"I- Sir- it was an accident," I confessed, my legs shaking up a storm, causing his eyes to travel down my body and stop at my slightly exposed thighs.
"What did you think this meeting was about, Miss Agoria?" He asked incredulously.
"T-tutoring?" I stammered.
Snape's hand remained at my jawline, yet his finger traced up to my ear, making me involuntarily shiver.
"You're cold," his eyes remained on my thighs, taking in the goosebumps appearing on my skin.
"It's cold in the dungeons, sir," I replied matter-of-factly.
"Yet, you still chose to wear that skirt," he observed, unmoving.
"Sir, I like it," I said lamely.
"I am not opposed."
My heart leapt through my chest and into my throat. Had he really just said that? But what about what he had said about my thoughts?
Thoughts about him grabbing me by the waist and hoisting me onto his desk, right here in his classroom... as I watched his eyes glance over mine once more, I couldn't help thinking about what he could do to me right here.
About how his fingers, so pale and long...
He snatched his hand from under my jaw and grabbed my chin instead with so much force that it made me jump. But why did I like it?
"Miss... Agoria... he observed me as if I was an exhibit in a museum, taking me in from top to bottom. "You have very rampant ideas..."
His words made me shudder.
"Sir..." I whispered. There was less than a foot between us, and the goosebumps on my skin were no longer from the cold.
I thought he would kick me out of his classroom, tell me to never come back. Report my untamed thoughts to Dumbledore.
However, his hand softly released my chin, and he beckoned me to follow him to a door in the corner of his classroom, which he opened with a silent spell.
This room was dark as well, but he instantly illuminated it. My breath was taken as I realized we were in his personal quarters. The entrance consisted of a small living room with two black leather couches placed in an L-shape. Various objects littered black shelves, most of them of magical being.
Two other doors branched off from the entryway, and a open kitchen/ living room were visible from the front room.
The main theme of everything seemed to be black and light brown, the walls all being painted the same color of beige, and all furniture was black.
I allowed my eyes to pass over his dining room. A simple kitchen setup, with a counter, fridge, and oven dominated the room, with a table and two glossy black chairs pushed to the side.
The floors were a dark hardwood, and I took care to not scuff my boots on it. Snape led gesture dot one of the couches and procured a cable-knit blanket from nowhere.
I removed my boots before sitting, not wanting to get his furniture dirty. I felt like I was walking on eggshells. Why had he brought me here, to his personal quarters?
Snape chuckled at my hesitancy.
Despite my attempts to mirror his ever-solemn attitude, his laugh caught me off-guard.
"Did you just laugh?" I asked, giggling, and immediately slapping my hands over my mouth. "I'm sorry sir, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed. I was extremely embarrassed to have spoken to my Professor like that. I crossed my fingers that he wouldn't kick me out.
Whatever this was, I was certainly enjoying it. He was showing me a side of him I'd never seen. A side that no other student has probably seen either.
"Why are you so adamant about comparing yourself to my other students?" Snape briskly asked.
"I don't know, Sir. I do that pretty often," I admitted.
"I don't want to hear any more of it," he admonished. "You know your place."
He joined me on the couch, sitting on the opposite side of the L-shape.
I tried to make myself comfortable, yet failed. The blanket in my lap smelled strongly like him. I subtly inhaled.
Snape made himself comfortable and settled into the couch with a textbook and a quill.
However, I was quite curious as to why I was here, in his personal chambers.
"Professor?" I asked, biting my lip. "Why am I here, Sir?"
"You seemed cold in my classroom, Miss Agoria," he commented, not taking his eyes off of the book in front of him. "I figured you'd be more comfortable in here."
He cared? He'd probably do this for any other student, I thought to myself, shaking my head. However, a part of me knew that wasn't true whatsoever.
"I wanted to talk to you about your tutoring," he said, setting his quill in his book, closing it and setting it next to him.
Back to business.
"Next Wednesday is the Halloween Ball, so our lessons will start in two Wednesdays from today."
"Are you going, Sir?" I asked.
"You insolent child. Do you think I go to balls?" He scoffed.
"Balls are fun, I said, defending myself, but mostly feeling like I was defending Riss' rising excitement for the ball, which I was desperately trying to keep her morale up for. "You get to see everyone dressed up all nice, and there's music..." I drifted off.
"Are you explaining the nature of a ball to me, Miss Agoria?" He asked, tilting his head to the left, looking highly amused.
"Well, Sir, I happen to enjoy balls," I replied. "You should go. If you want. Sir," I finished.
Snape looked amused rather than crossed with me, and I hoped I hadn't overstepped some boundary.
"It's late, Miss Agoria. Perhaps it's best if you go to bed," he said, amusement lingering in his eyes.
"Yes, Sir," I said promptly, jumping up to lace my boots back on.
He got up as well, opening the door for me, making my fingers tingle.
"Thanks again for saving my life, Sir," I said, smiling. I waved him a silly goodbye.
"Have a good night, Miss Agoria."
And with that, the oak doors shut with a thud, leaving me in the dungeon, my mind spinning with questions.