Chapter Twenty-Six
Melody walked through the empty, secluded corridors, watching as a few tired and scared first-years scurried about, trying to carry all of their belongings as they left for the Christmas Period. It was surprising that they'd even lasted this long - It was fair to say that this Hogwarts wasn't the one they had been looking forward to going to for most of their childhood.
She smirked, nodding to Neville who was having a hushed discussion with Ginny by one of the open windows on the third floor corridor. He raised his eyebrows, drawing Ginny's attention as she followed his gaze to Melody who was slowly ambling past them.
"I'll meet you on the train-"
"But Melody-"
"I'll be there, Ginny. Don't worry."
"Just be careful Melody." Neville warned but she had already flounced past, pulling her skirt higher up her thighs and being sure not to snag her knee length socks with her heavily varnished black nails. Her high heeled shoes tapped nosily through the corridors as she trod carefully up the stairs, smiling at the character's in the portraits whose eyes followed her everywhere she went.
Her grip tightened upon the marble banister as the staircases began to grind into action, whirring as they span and moved around the encompasingly large hallway. She ascended the steps two at a time, her path made perfectly as the staircases aligned. Melody headed straight for the highest floor, trying to suppress the grin growing on her lips.
The sunlight filtered in shafts through the dirty, dusty windows through which she could just see the snow dusted grounds and billowing white smoke issuing from the Hogwarts Express at the station far in the distance. They would be leaving soon. She didn't have long.
Turning back to her path, eyes trained solely on the floor she continued to walk slowly down the corridor, fingers trailing across the rough cobblestone until the calloused skin had been worn away so much they felt numb.
She smiled to herself when her fingers brushed cool, splintering wood, and looked up, eyes darting across the small brass plague embedded upon the wood. The room of Requirement had just revealed itself to her.
The sign read;
This might be your last chance,
To receive what you truly desire,
The last chance to feel the reality,
before it all becomes a distant memory.
And she knew that it was truthful in the horrifying message it fortold. They were at war, not knowing if they would still be alive next month, next week, the next day... She allowed a low, rasping breath to escape her mouth, surprised when she could feel moisture upon her cheeks as small tears dribbled from her eyes. The worst thing was, she could not even admit who she really was. She could not admit that she was the lover of a man almost twice her age, that she loved him more than she thought possible. And this was a far greater pain than the burden that her family could soon be mourning her death - She would die forever not in Severus' arms, forever...alone.
The door swung softly open and she smiled, stepping straight into the headmaster's study. A dark shadow shifted in the corner of the room as she approached, and she watched at Snape lifted his head from the desk, preparing to send some scathing comment to the person who had disturbed him.
"Amycus, I've already told you that I am not revealling the Dark Lord's plans to anyone. Do you hear me? Anyone!"
"Now now Snape, no need to take that tone with me." She trailed her fingers across his back, sliding into his lap as he stared at her with shameless surprise.
"Melody! I didn't hear you come in-"
"I know." She smirked, folding one leg seductively over the other as her hands rested upon his thigh, eyes trained solely on her fingers which her fiddling with the collar of his shirt as his widened slightly.
"Aren't you supposed to be leaving now?" He asked quietly and she smiled, stroking his nose softly with one finger as his hands settled around her waist.
"Why, do you want me to leave?" She wrapped her arms around his neck, fingertips brushing the skin and causing him to shiver as she played with his hair, smiling as their noses touched.
"Of course not." He smirked, kissing her gently on the forehead as she snuggled closer to him.
"I won't see you for two weeks Severus, I don't think I can last that long." She purred, nibbling his bottom lip as he kissed her gently.
"You've got all your family with you, you won't be alone." He responded, smirking into their kisses as her eyes closed softly.
"Even with them, I will be lonely, Severus. You're the only person who understands me... Why can't I stay with you? I promise I'll earn my keep..." She kissed him harder, breath colliding with his as he laughed roughly.
"I'm sorry, my love."
"It's fine." She said with an exaggerated sigh. "You'll just have to make it up to me when we get back. And I mean really make it up to me."
"And how can I do that?" He purred as her fingers explored beneath his robes.
"Be creative."