Teacher's pet (Book 2)

41 || Proposal

I'm putting up a brave front but I feel sweat dripping down my armpits while I'm awaiting his answer. His face is back to unreadable again as he stares down at me. My determined gaze turns into a hopeful one and then it turns anxious. As the seconds pass by my knee is starting to hurt and the cold of the floor is seeping into my skin. I swallow as I keep my position in front of him on one knee, my eyes questioning his.

"Get up, my love." He says sweetly as he dips down to pull me up. I try to get his arms away from me in a struggling attempt to stay down on one knee. "No- no, you haven't answered me yet." It's already too late, I'm back on two feet.

"When the time is right I will be ecstatic to marry you, darling." He says, grabbing my chin. "But you're in quite the predicament at the moment and I think it best if we sort that out first. Then I want you to live your life for a while... and then I'll marry you." He explains lovingly.

I furrow my eyebrows and shake my head. "No! This is the solution! We will get eloped! That's the way we'll get out of this mess. That's how we fix all this." I softly squeeze his hands to reassure him of my plan.

"I want you to have a proper wedding, y/n. I know you. You want to be surrounded by the people you love, you want to have a big cake, you want a beautiful dress, and you want pictures of everything and everyone to make it last a lifetime. And I want you to have it all because that's what you deserve." He says sternly.

I groan in frustration because of his sweet words. He is right. That is what I always wanted. But situations change. And people change. And right now I don't care about any of that. All I care about is not marrying Draco and being with Severus instead. And I think that eloping is the only way to do that. It would mean that we'd have to run away together and start a new life elsewhere, but I'd choose that life over the one Lucius demands from me anytime. I'd have to leave my friends and family, but at least I'd be in control of my own life. Severus would be my new family and I'll make new friends along the way.

"I don't care, Sev." I sigh, grabbing his face. "I just want you."

"There has to be another way to get you out of that arrangement. You shouldn't have to run away. That's not the life I want for you."

"There is no other way, Sev. There are no loopholes." I look at him with determined eyes. "Marry me." I say again.

He looks into my eyes. His expression is sad and troubled. He seems to be pondering my words. "I'll propose a deal." He finally says.

"Okay." I look hopeful into his eyes.

"We'll keep trying to find a way out of this mess. We'll keep trying until the wedding. If we don't succeed, we'll run away before the wedding and elope. That way you'll at least get to finish school." He speaks sternly while tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. "I want to make sure I do everything in my power to give you a chance at a normal life."

I breathe deeply as I let his words sink in. He's got a point. And his plan is pretty good.

"Have we got a deal?" He asks with raised eyebrows.

"Yes!" I smile and throw my arms around his shoulders, hugging him as tightly as I possibly can. He puts his arms around me and lifts me up. I can't help but press my lips against his and keep them there until he slowly puts me back on the ground again. When I open my eyes and back away, I feel like the happiest woman on earth. It's me and Severus against the world. I press myself against his chest and let him embrace me.

"I love you so much." I mumble against his clothes. "But..."

He loosens his grip a little to look down at me, questioning me with his eyes. I grin up at him.