Liar, Liar

12: A Disruption

"I-I was simply thinking about the Calming Draught, Sir," I said, trying to look as confident as possible, and glad I had tuned into five seconds of the class.

Snape observed me, his large nose pointed up as his chin tilted. His expression made me feel meek.

To my utter shock, Snape lifted one of his hands from his sides to right in front of his face. He observed it slowly, flexing all five fingers one at a time, slowly.

I felt sweat start to bead on my forehead.

However, Snape wasn't done. He brought his other hand up to join it, and wrung his hands slowly.

"Sir?" I asked.

His eyes shifted from his hands to mine, which I was nervously playing with my fingers. The pads of my fingers started to sweat as well. He took a step closer. We were less than a few feet apart, his eyes focused on my hands, still.

"I thought I asked you a question," he murmured.

"I was thinking about our tutoring, Sir. I thought it may have slipped your mind."

"On the contrary, Miss Agoria," he replied silkily. His smooth voice wrapped around my head and entered through both ears like sweet honey.

This was wrong. This was so, so, wrong. I should not be enjoying this.

"I thought about it... often. Yet you have the audacity to think about it during my lessons," he said, his eyes finally leaving my shaking hands and making their way down to mine.

"Oh... I meant our potential lessons... not that night in detention-" I stammered. "I mean- I may have though about it. Only because I learned a lot- I mean, I learned about the Veritaserum-"

"Silence," Snape snapped, disturbing my thoughts. "I know exactly what thoughts cross your mind, Miss Agoria. They're loud and deafening, and I suggest you cease them immediately. They're highly distracting."

My face was aflame, I just knew it. "Sir- I'm sorry-" I could feel my cheeks burn as he shortened the distance between us in a short matter of seconds. "Distracting?" I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me.

He stared into my eyes, his deep onyx. I looked down in shame. It was terrible, it was disgusting, the way I had let my thoughts get away from me. The way I had lusted over his hands, replayed the memory over and over. In his class too. I had surely ruined any chances of tutoring, much less of completing my father's mission.

Suddenly, his long and pale forefinger pushed my chin up, forcing me to look into his eyes. I could smell his scent, one of old books and ink, combined with tones of parchment and a mustier vanilla. If I could bottle it up and keep it with me at all times, oh, how I would.

"Look at me when I'm speaking to you," he said, curling his finger under my chin. "Tutoring- Wednesday nights, Miss Agoria?"

I nodded eagerly, ready to move past the subject of him reading my mind during class.

"Oh, don't fret, Miss Agoria. We aren't over that just yet," he said, removing his hand from under my chin. My skin missed his cold touch.

Snape walked back over to his desk, his cloak flowing behind him. He turned back around, leaning against his desk and crossing his legs over each other. "You must either learn to silence your thoughts or cease this inappropriate thinking immediately. It is distracting, and as your professor, I find it highly disturbing."

I bit my lip, withholding tears from my eyes. It wasn't supposed to go like this. I hadn't meant it, it was just a phase, right? Just because he had called me special in that Pensive memory. You felt the attraction before that, Zelle, my brain reminded me. I hushed the thought. I was only feeling this way because of the pensive memory, nothing more. Then why was my chest hurting? Why did I feel like I couldn't stand, like gravity was pulling me into the floor, my legs getting heavy.