𐌱𐍁𐍂𐍀 the witch

Love in a Glassdome - Pt. 6 Lysy's Confession

About part six:

8.4K words

Warnings: (inappropriate) gazes, mentions of death, widow, dark atmosphere, bad energy, horror, repulsive house, evil (aggressive) cat, attack attempts

Mentions: daydreaming, temptations, comparison, inner talking, feline thinking, imaginations, wanting, desires, intoxicating fantasies, confession, painful memories, trust, stealing, getting caught, deep atmosphere description, overthinking, reassurance

─────────────────────────

[ me ]

"𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒.. 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒? 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢?"

Was he even doing anything to me? Or was he just doing something and my mind was the one interpreting that he was doing "it" to me? But what was "it" even? Was "it" the burning warmth that had spread inside me, slowly igniting every single cell of my body like a wildfire that was spreading in a dry forest? Was my body a dry forest, craving for water, but also longing for the flames, as both would bring change and ease to the dryness? Was it wrong to want that fire inside me to be reignited? Was it wrong to want "it" without even knowing what "it" was?

No.. no, something that felt that good couldn't be wrong. And what was right or wrong anyway.. The world isn't all black and white, it's colourful, a variety of different colour pallets created by light and shadow, the seasons, night and day, weather, even the rain that was perpetually lashing against the windows created different colours. The grass was just so much greener after a heavy rain, the moss seemed screamingly bright in its colours, the forests took a dark shade of saturated green and the dark and dangerous blue of the sky during a thunderstorm was so different to the bright blue of a sunny day.. life isn't black and white, or right and wrong.
Life is what lies in between.

But what was he doing to me then? His touches, even though not completely innocent, were pure and respectful in a very comfortable way. He had given me a taste of a beautiful kind of warmth that I had been missing in my life way too long. His eyes were looking at me without any sign of greed, but I could still feel them heavy on me, as I placed the prepared food on the coffee table in front of the couch. His words.. his words obviously were his most powerful weapon, but still he had chosen to use soft and welcoming words for me. His whisper about the grapes made me smile to myself, while I sat down next to him.

I nodded almost unnoticeably, but chose to not comment the words that probably weren't even meant for my ears to hear. Of course I had remembered, as in my opinion those little hints where the most important thing between two humans. Ignoring them mostly wasn't bad or rude, but noticing and understanding them was definitely a sign of attention and appreciation and for me all this was so much more important than the information that were exchanged with plain words.

- I hope you like it..

Words of courtesy that did nood need any answer, as the answer was already given beforehand anyway. It was difficult to break the silence, now that so many things had been shared. Maybe it would have been easier if we hadn't shared those feelings and thoughts, if we hadn't shared those touches and hugs, but I wouldn't want to miss a single second of what just happened. On the contrary, I wanted more of it, so much more. What had happened if I hadn't sat down next to him, but.. on his lap?

~

𝘚: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨?

- 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺..

𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘢 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘩𝘶𝘨. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥. 𝘖𝘩, 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.. 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘩 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯, 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘵𝘩, 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵.

𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮, 𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵, 𝘱𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘴 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.

𝘚: 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘺, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦?

- 𝘔𝘩𝘩.. 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭.. 𝘮𝘦.. 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘺? 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬? 𝘌𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐'𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳..

𝘐 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘶𝘣𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘺, 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯, 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯.. 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦, 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥..

~

I forced myself out of this way too tempting fantasy. I would never have the courage to simply sit down on his lap now and pretend that this was the place I belonged to, even though his gaze and the expression in his eyes gave me that kind of feeling. He was still hard to read for me, even though compared to when we first met, it was already a huge difference.

I liked to think of him as a book, which maybe was a strange kind of metaphor, but it was fitting. A huge and heavy book with an actually elegant black leather binding that lamentably already looked a bit scuffed, as if the people who had tried to read it had let out their anger about their own failure on it. However, this book was still beautiful and fascinating, maybe just because noone had ever been able to read it. The book could be opened, the first pages could be read, but they were written in some kind of foreign language that was actually easy to learn and understand, if someone just took the effort. Alas, even those few who had taken the effort of learning how to understand those first few pages of the book would never make it to the end. The first couple of pages looked worn of the many hands that had touched them, some gently, others roughly, with cracks, tattered edges, stains and dog-ears. But with every page one moved further into the book the condition of the pages got better, which was mostly due to the language of the book getting more complicated with every page. What started as a childrens tale that was easy to understand was soon turning into some kind of scientific report with long sentences, weird words and phrases that didn't even make sense. More and more people would give up on reading the book, more and more "scars" would gather on the leather binding, but none really made it to the end.

-

𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑖𝑠𝑛'𝑡 ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒? 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒?

The paws silently walked over to the kitchen, where the cat stuck his fur covered lilac snout into the silver bowl.

𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑡𝑦.

The smell of catfood still lingered in the bowl and so the cat took some more sniffs, still hoping that this would bring the desired food soon. But his master wasn't even here to give him his food.

𝑅𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑜𝑡..

Has it ever happened thag he had fed him "too late"? Probably it has, but for the cat's feline mind this still was the worst thing that could possibly happen. Smeagol was far from starving or even being really hungry, but it still was time to eat. He ate at this time every day, so why would it be any different today?

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒? 𝐻𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦.

The fact that he hadn't even been there when his master had left was completely insignificant to the cat right now. He had been on a long stroll though the dark and cold stony corridors and now he wanted his food. Was that too much to ask for?

There was so much to take care of during his strolls, all the armours had to be checked out, the secret passages had to be patrolled, mice had to be catched (even though Smeagol often left this unfruitful task for the younger cats..) To make it short, he had once again done his best service to the safety of this castle and now it wasn't even appreciated by a bit of food.

𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑒𝑟? 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒..

Yes, this explaination somehow made sense to the cat and so Smeagol left his empty bowl in the kitchen and headed back to the living room, where he leaped onto one of the armchairs. He must be with her, why else would she be here? Smeagol had seen her, but she hadn't seen him, as she definitely seemed to have some kind of purpose while she walked down the corridor.A quite familiar scent reached his nose as he curled into a comfortable position and rested his head on his paws and suddenly his explaination of this quite unusual situation didn't make that much sense anymore. The cat had chosen the chair, on which Lysanna had been sitting just a night or two ago and while he was pondering about his master and those two women that he both knew, one of them better than the other, but still he liked this new woman a bit more... she hadn't complained about him sleeping on her lap, she had caressed him and she had also greeted him in the corridor yesterday, while this other woman had always chased him off, when he had tried to keep her company.

Smeagol knew that there were humans in this world who just didn't like cats, even though he couldn't understand it, and obviously the dark-haired woman was one of those, while the redhead seemed to enjoy the company of animals. He thought back to this short moment when she had actually played with him.. something like this hadn't happened in a long time and Smeagol didn't need to play, but still it was a nice memory and she had seemed happy as well.

𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒.. 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠 𝑑𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑦.. 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑠𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑒.. 𝑛𝑜𝑤, 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒?! 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑒𝑟.. 𝑜𝑟 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ℎ𝑒𝑟?!

Somehow he hoped that his master would be with her, but all this didn't change a single thing on this terribly fact that he was still waiting for his well deserved food. Eventually the cat fell into a soft slumber over all those tiring thoughts..

-

His gaze lay heavy upon me, those dark lakes weren't only looking at me, but taking away a part of me with every second that was passing to make it his. Yes, he was making me his, more than I already was anyway, only with his eyes. No words, no touch was needed for him to tell me without any doubt that he wanted me.

All for himself. I was strangely aware of my own heart that was constantly banging against the inside of my chest, trying to break through my ribs and skin to be his. Did he even have any idea what those eyes were doing to me. Did he have any idea of "it"? This man right next to me was so different to any other man I had been with before, there wasn't any sign of greed or lust in his gaze, even though I could hardly believe that he didn't think about those things.. he just knew how to hide it.

His eyes were undressing me in a unknown and somehow innocent way, he wanted me, not only in a physical way, but completely. It made me slightly nervous, as I hadn't ever dared to think about any possible future yet.. not after what had happened. In the end we only knew each other a couple of days, but now that those feelings and thoughts had been expressed and we knew that we both had similar thoughts, it someohow was kind of obvious where this could be leading to.. but what would it be like to be his?

How would it be like to wake up next to him, or to fall asleep in his arms? How would it be like to share my passion and sensuality with him? Sensuality was so much more than just sex, so much more than reaching this short moment of brain-numbing pleasure. It was a journey, an adventure, a mystery even, consiting of so much more than just physical touches.

It also was his eyes wandering down to my lips, a small but powerful sign, that his thoughts maybe weren't that innocent, which of course didn't necessarily make them any less pure. Or my hand almost absentmindedly caressing the leathery back of the couch, while I was sitting on it facing him, marvelling at him from a safe distance. The leather could have so easily been the black fabric that was covering and defining his strong shoulders so temptingly. How would it be like to give in to this temptation, to let innocence be innocence for just a moment and just give in to those carnal desires.

Intoxicating fantasies, but there wasn't much time to get lost in themy as his voice was soon breaking the sheltering silence. He immediately had my fullest attention, I was sucking in every word that was uttered by his dark voice. A bet? The thought that he might like to play as well made a smirk cross my lips. Being still slightly caught in those tempting fantasies this was adding a whole new excitement to his probably innocent words. A bet..

- Of course I like it that way.. I don't see were I would loose in this bet, so I would be a fool to not accept it. But.. you must be sure of your teams victory to offer me something as valuable as fulfilling a wish.. you can never know what I might be wishing for..

He couldn't know, but I was quite sure he had kind of an idea what was happening inside my mind, not because he had read my thoughts, but simply because I wasn't as good in hiding my innermost thoughts and desires, as he was. I had been facing him all along, my leg comfortably folded underneath me, while I alwas leaning against the back of the couch sideways. I could have sit straight, but why? Why should I, if all I wanted was to look at him, to explore every detail of his face and body, to even notice the almost invisible lilac hairs on his robe that reminded me of his friend and the unique relationship those two shared.

My fingers were still caressing over the leather, and I was still wishing that it would be his skin instead. That I would oh so casually caress the back of his neck and his shoulders, while we would take about something so casually like the question how our days had been.. I didn't even notice that I was loosing myself in dreams and wishes once again.

~

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘣𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩. 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘸𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘤 𝘧𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦. 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.

- 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶?

𝘔𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘖𝘩, 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘶𝘱. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘪𝘵?- 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴.. 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘩𝘮? 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘐𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦.. 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴.. 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘶𝘴.. 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴.. 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴.. 𝘩𝘮? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵.. 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘰..

𝘐 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘐𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘩𝘶𝘨, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥. 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘳𝘵 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘪𝘣𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘬.

- 𝘔𝘩𝘩.. 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳..

~

As tempting as those thoughts were, this clearly was nothing I could wish for as my reward for this bet. But what would I wish for? Oh, there were a lot of things that came to my mind, but all of them had one thing in common.. to be with him. I could wish for something as small and innocent as a hug, but this wasn't appropriate compared to his reward. I could even wish for a kiss, but I wouldn't have wanted a "first kiss" to happen under such circumstances. I could wish for spending time together, which was the most likely thing to happen, but the possibilities were endless.. I could ask him for a walk in the forest, like the one in my dreams, a walk to go blueberry picking together..

I smiled to myself at this thought, as this idea, as simply as it seemed at first, was quite to my liking and the longer I thought about it the more I chose this as the thing I would ask him for as my reward. Slytherin was playing against Hufflepuff tomorrow and I had no clue which team had the better chances to win.

However, I also didn't care which team would win, as I would get a reward either way. Would I be even able to concentrate on the game itself? Or would I be lost in his presence.. I just hope that I would not be lost in those other thoughts, the ones I had stored in the back of my mind, but that would surely come back to the surface once I entered the quidditch pitch.

Should I warn him?

Should I give him this leap of faith?

Just to prevent a situation like yesterday to happen again.. what if I would get overwhelmed by those feelings again? I couldn't take the risk of the past repeating itself again. Almost a bit absentmindly I started swaying the last bit of wine in my glass. It was an almost calming sight, to watch the red poison form a perfect circle at the sides of the glass. A deep breath later I looked back up into his obsidian eyes and even though I felt a rather heavy knot in my guts by the thought of telling his this, I started speaking.

- There..

It was hard to remain looking into his eyes, whike I was searching for the right words that wouldn't give away too much, but also would provide him with enough information to understand.

- There is something I want to tell you, before..

I sighed and emptied my glass in the hopenthat thebwine would dissolve the knot in my guts andnthe lump in my throat. Alas, none of it happened and all I could do now to delay those words was put down the empty glass.. now I had to speak.

- Well.. I haven't been on a quidditch pitch for quite some time.. especially not on the school's pitch.. as I have some quite horrible memories connected to this place.. so I..

I realised that my words could easily be leading off into a wrong direction, which I wanted to prevent at all costs. His strong hand was still resting on his thigh and after I had looked at it for some moments, I slid a little closer to him and reached out to take it. My heart was once again close to bursting into millions of pieces, but feeling his skin on mine inevitably made me smile.

- Don't get me wrong, I am not changing my mind.. and I will do my best to not let those memories effect me in any way, but I still thought it would be fair to let you know.. in case.. I might still for a moment be overwhelmed by those memories..

I looked back down to his hand that was resting in both of mine. How big his hand was compared to mine, how soft and warm his skin was. Actually the thought that any bad memories would haunt me while I was within reach of those hands seemed almost absurd to me. But I clearly couldn't take his hand tomorrow, like I could do it now. It felt right that I had given him this kind of vague information that weren't even information to be exact.

"Horrible memories" could be almost anything. Maybe it was an accident, I had while playing. He surely must have noticed the picture of me in my quidditch trikot on the mantel. Maybe it was the end of a friendship, a fight, the loss of a first love.. it could be anything and nothing at once, but surely receiving the news of the death of someone's parents wasn't the first thing that came to someone's mind when thinking about "horrible memories". Of course I would tell him sooner or later, I would have to, if this topic would ever come up and I would of course tell him the truth. I had never lied about that matter to anyone, I just hadn't shared this story with too many people.

- You already might have noticed that I sometimes am.. overwhelmed by emotions and feelings.. and I just don't want to.. risk anything.. especially not the risk of hurting you again..

Whether it was right or wrong to have shared this information with him was yet to be seen. For now I wanted to trust him, I maybe even was too blinded by my own emotion to have doubts and in the end, but life just wasn't all right or wrong, life was lying 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻..

[ @solarvig ]

1991

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘶𝘴."

And here Severus was walking the streets of Norcia in Italy, and evening had long since cast its dark veil over the earth. The sky was dead as if bathed in black ink and tears of gentle white stars that adorned this vault. The streets weren't empty, there were people and life wafted in the cold air, the wind was light and calm in its sleep. The night was the only companion of the black-haired man, who perfectly blended in with the surroundings because of the black attire he always wore.

Rumbling and muffled sounds of human speech could be heard from all around. Severus was calm as he took slow steps back to the house where he had a reserved room, his mind clouded and empty of all care. He really needed this break, and maybe Albus was right to send him to such a place where life was raging wild. Where to be surrounded by joy, since death was lurking around every possible corner anyway. "She" was sometimes dressed in black rags or in beautiful colorful dresses, but always something in "her" face twisted in love and hate. Death was never evil and greedy, though "she" was greedy for "her" loved ones.

Suddenly, as everything was calm and he was lost in the unusually many colors that bathed his surroundings, someone bumped into him quite hard and grabbed his arms for support. His heavy hands also held the person so not to fall, and the man's gaze fell on a dog that was running towards them, but as soon as it saw Severus, it got scared and bolted into the murky darkness.

(?): Scusi, Signore. - the woman softly whispered and pulled out of his arms immediately. It was a woman? Then the potions master's gaze immediately shifted to her, who had inched back enough from his body. She "barely" reached his shoulder, maybe that's why he hadn't seen her running towards him.

- It's all right, don't stress, ma'am. - he replied, losing himself in the details of her. Her hair was raven black with gray highlights, neatly and diligently pinned back in a loose bun. Her face was obscured by a black birdcage veil, and her lips were painted in a pleasing skin color lipstick. A curl had slipped from her bun after hitting his chest, and her dark eyes were sparkling regardless of the smoky black eye make-up she had on.

(?): Not Italian?

- No. I'm not Italian, ma'am.

(?): I'm sorry I bumped into you, Signore. - she apologized again.

- Don't worry, everything is fine. Been chased by that dog, I assume? - the unknown woman, on the other hand, paid attention to him as well. His voice was chillingly deep and pleasant to the ears, he just like her was dressed all in black. What was that? Robes? A black frock, pants, and a black cravat. His eyes were so black, as black as hers, and just how his clothes perfectly squeezed and outlined his chest and his shoulders... A handsome man he was.

(?): Yes. I have no idea why. I was coming back from, it doesn't matter where, and just before two blocks, the dog started chasing me. I'm grateful that you were here at this exact time. - she forced a smile that quickly sank into oblivion and sorrow. Her hands weren't visible because of the lace gloves she had on. Almost nothing on her was visible. She was wearing a dress or maybe it was a skirt that also had a lace hemline and a vintage blazer on top.

- Please, madam. As I said, everything is fine. Let me escort you home to make sure you don't get attacked by another dog?

(?): Only if you promise to come in. - in fact, it was far from sounding like a request or a question.

- I would love to. - he took her hand, and they walked down the dark streets, whose breath smelled of dampness and cold, of mind-numbing evils even.

Something was obviously wrong with the energy around. The air smelled of burnt coals from the nearby church, or so Severus thought. This scent reached his nostrils, which wasn't at all pleasant, and the silence in the small dark streets was deathly quiet. As if the life that was in the main squares here was disastrously lost, erased in time or brutally killed by someone's cold hands.

The house was eerily silent. A foreboding silence that spoke of danger. It gave off a sense of foreboding darkness. As if there was something evil in this place. A sense of dread and horror. A sense of fear and terror. An ominous, un-homey feeling. That this wasn't a safe place to be. That this was a dark, treacherous place. A place where evil lurked. This was a house where one didn't want to be alone and wasn't somewhere anyone would want to visit... Severus looked at it...

With cold eyes. With scared eyes.

A rundown house near the church. It has fallen into disrepair, and the grounds around the house have become overgrown, and even feral cats have made their home in some of the rooms and corridors in the house. The place had an atmosphere of decay and of danger. Outside the house, on a tree, a bird's nest hung from a thin branch. The nest was abandoned, and the bird has left for good, never to come back. An unpleasant aura is in the air, like all the birds have either gone into hiding or fled out of fear as well.

A very large, fat, ugly, scruffy, mangy, and very feral-looking tom cat has made a home in that house. He was an enormous, angry-looking beast with a scar over his left ear. The cat looked very aggressive, and he was hissing and growling at the woman and the potions master. He seemed like a beast that one definitely didn't want to get on the wrong side of. It was as bleak as it got. A desolate and rundown house. A huge, angry-looking feral cat. An abandoned bird's nest. An unpleasant and ominous atmosphere in the air. A very un-homey feeling. But most of all, this place... Reeked of evil...

(?): That's Iago. No one likes him. He's an evil cat. And that house... This house belongs to our priest.

- Why does it look like no one lives here?

(?): That's just how he lives... - the woman shrugged.

Severus was suspecting. How could a priest live in such a house in such conditions? That's utterly sad... To even think about.

The large, mangy cat's stare was drilling into Severus. He seemed incredibly angry and pissed off. The animal began stalking towards them. His ears were pinned down, and his teeth were bared. He growled and hissed a warning as he circled around him and the woman, sizing them up. This cat wasn't going to be friendly. He was big, strong, aggressive, and very dangerous. He seemed like the kind of big cat with enough force to shred a person to bits with one swipe of his massive paw. He didn't look like the kind of creature that liked visitors. The vicious, feral-looking cat pounced suddenly towards them! The immense size of the aggressive tom cat was terrifying. Snarling and hissing, the enormous cat, claws bared and paw stretched up, swooped towards Snape as if he was ready to attack at any moment. The large animal's huge, yellow, piercing eyes were locked on the man. This big animal was an unstoppable force. This big, strong, aggressive cat was definitely a beast one wouldn't want to fight against.

Severus kicked the evil cat in the face, and it seemed to freak out... Was this man scarier than Iago? This man was a real danger to his persona... Iago trailed off immediately in horrendous fear...

Just a moment later, they reached a house... A soft, warm light coming from that house. It felt inviting and comforting, the light of the house. A welcoming light, which pulled him in, and made him want to enter it. A gentle light that exuded peace and calmness. A light that made him feel at ease, protected, and safe.

In stark contrast to the other house, this welcoming house with its warm, comforting light was the embodiment of all that was good and noble. It stood in contrast to the other house's darkness.

As if the two houses personified darkness and light. Two opposing forces at odds with one another. This street was the embodiment of all things evil, foul, and corrupt. Its darkness was unnatural, sinister and ominous. The priest's home was rundown and had fallen into disrepair, abandoned in decay. That home was filled with death, despair, and despair.

But this one, however, was welcoming, warm, inviting, and full of life. Its light exuded good things, safety, peace, and comfort. It was a place where one could find joy and happiness.Their feet walked you towards the source of the inviting light. He was drawn in by its warmth and its comforting glow. The light made him feel safer and protected, as if it was watching over him and the mysterious woman, shielding them from danger.

The house itself was filled with warmth, comfort, and safety. Its light, as it shone from within, was one of comfort and joy. This house was filled with love and affection. The welcoming presence of the welcoming light exuding calmness and peace, and it seemed to wash away any anxiety, fear, or sadness.

The trinkets outside, in the yeard, seemed to welcome him into this house. They were small, quaint, and very cute. Each little trinket made him smile. They were a sign of the welcoming nature of this house. Each trinket was charming, cute, and endearing, and the man couldn't help but feel that he wanted to touch them and hold them.

He could feel, deep in his heart, that this house was a place of love, peace, and warmth. A place of comfort and safety. The welcoming presence of the light made him feel happy. He wanted to stay forever in this place, somehow?...

(?): This is my home... - the woman then uttered.

- This is definitely good news. - the woman just smiled as she took her keys out of her purse. - What's your name, by the way?

(?): Lucia, Signore. And yours?


- Severus.

L: Severus... What a precious name... - she smiled and opened the door, inviting him inside. - You saved me more than once today...

- Oh, how could I not? - he said almost mischievously and playfully as he stepped inside, and she closed the door behind him and then removed her glove. Before entering her home, she had to show respect, and so did he. That's how she was taught.

L: Always kiss a woman's hand when she offers it to you, Severus... - the man nodded and slowly lowered his head, gently taking her hand and kissing it. The woman closed her eyes...

×

But he didn't kiss her hand, did he? The man didn't even look into her blue eyes, his black ones had focused their attention and gaze on their hands. On his big hand and her little one. His was at least one phalanx bone larger than hers. What beautiful hands she had... And what beautiful nails she had, the lines on her palm were like roads... His index finger slowly slid over these roads as he looked to where they'd lead him. It was a road without end, with many forks that even he didn't know where they led... Like rivers. Mountain rivers, long rivers. That carried with them the life of nature, the tranquility of space and time.

Lysanna, pardon - Lysy, was like that. She was more than just a woman. She was a wave of calmness to him. She was the peace of mind he needed because his peace of mind and harmony had long since flown into the heavens. He barely knew the orderliness of life anymore. His daily life had become just a monotonous repetition, like a mill or more precisely, like a water wheel that never stops spinning the water on itself. Or in other words, he was spinning the same cold feelings every day over and over, with the precious hope that the next day would be different. That one day... In between his "paddles" a small fish or a leaf will fall and make his day happier. But alas, no fish fell there, nor the leaves of the trees, and all he spun was one endless water... But now... Now, there was a fish that fell into his paddles and turned his whole spinning path, changing his life...

-

Z: Quick find the potion, or he'll catch us!

(?): Keep quiet!

Z: You're too slow!

(?): If you're so advanced, come and find the potion. Shut up when you're not really good at potions. What do you want? To accidentally take the wrong potion and fuck it up?

Z: You're fifteen. Watch your tongue.

(?): Fifteen, but know more than you. And you need me to find it, don't you?

Z: Just find it... - the fifteen-year-old girl carefully examined the variety of vials and jars, looking for exactly the Veritaserum. Who exactly was this girl? She was Severus' best student and was, to put it mildly, just like him.

The girl was of average height and always wore specific, black clothes. Her usual attire was a one long black, flowing to her feet, chiffon maxi skirt, which was the most distinctive thing on her, a blouse and shoes. She was currently dressed the same way, but she was also wearing accessories like a brown rope belt, bracelets, and a blazer that was a nice dark brown color, and her short hair was pulled back with multiple bobby pins that were barely even visible, almost even dug into her scalp.

She was pretty, but not by the standards of pretty, and no one liked her. Hardly anyone talked to her, but she didn't mind. She dressed in long clothes for this very reason too - they were comfortable and she didn't want to impress boys' eyes and attention.. To say she was an outsider would be wrong. She wasn't exactly that...

Because, on the other hand, she had friends and almost the whole school knew who she was. However, Severus was her most precious friend, her dearest friend. Because they were pretty much the same in many ways. And they got along well. She was a smart, very smart girl, she always talked to him and he to her as if to an adult woman and not to a little girl. And he was always careful with her, and with how he spoke to her. She would never let him down. She would never disappoint him... But now? In his storage room without permission, looking for a potion without his knowledge and suspicion...

Severus was always like a father to this girl. To him, she was priceless. She was precious... He was like a father, he didn't let a hair fall from her head, and when there was danger he protected her as he protected his eyes. There was no more paternal instinct in him than the one he had for this girl. She was like his flower that he loved and cared for. Although he didn't show it, his cold exterior wouldn't let him...

Z: SOMEONE IS COMING!

(?): What?!

Z: QUICK! - the girl whisper-screamed.

(?): But-..

Z: QUICK!!! - suddenly, a man with gray eyes appeared, as at the same moment the girl on the ladder slipped, the sole of her shoe giving her away. Zoe saw the torch sharp holder that the girl was about to fall and stick her back into and screamed loudly. - PEARL! - the man reacted quickly, even too quickly by catching the girl as she fell to avoid an accident.

T: Are you okay? - the man asked as he gently set her down on her feet.

P: Uh.. Yes, thank you, Sir..?

T: Theodore Renington.

P: Sir Renington. - she corrected herself when she now knew the name of the man who saved her.

T: What are you doing here, young ladies?

Z: Uh, we just, we-

F: WHAT'S HAPPENING IN HERE?!

Z & P: Oh no... - Theodore squinted his eyes confused.

T: Filch?

F: May I know what you are doing here?

T: I heard a cry for help, so I ran before that girl fell and stuck her back in that torch sharp holder. - Filch wrinkled his nose incredulously.

F: Why are you two young girls out of bed during curfew, and what are you looking for in Professor Snape's private storage room? - Theodore's eyes kind of flashed when he heard about that man...

Z & P: Uh... We...

T: Professor Snape's private storage room, you say?

F: Yes. How could they even think of stealing from him, from this very teacher? From Professor Snape exactly? - Theodore tilted his head to the girls amused.

T: Yes, from this very intimidating, strict, repulsive man. Don't you have fear? - there was a hint of sarcasm in the tone of his voice, but also some hatred, disgust, and jealousy.

P to Z: We screwed.

Z to P in a whisper: I know...

F: I think you know that I am obliged to report you and send you to Professor Snape.

T to F: And I think that's the right thing to do... I'll come in case Professor Snape needs a direct witness. - there was sarcasm in his voice and his hiss, and his thin lips were formed into a disgustingly-wide, vindictive, and nefarious grin...

F: Follow me to his quarters. - the girls realized that they wouldn't get away with it, and it'd be crucial and most reasonable to face the consequences of their actions. Oh... The disappointment that would hit his heart when he sees Pearl and finds out what she did or rather what she tried to do... She let him down. He was always so good, so caring to her, and she bit the hand that was feeding her... She was downcast. She was, to say the least, devastated and guilty...

T: Don't worry, girl. He won't do anything to you while I'm there, I promise. Don't be afraid. - the man patted her on the shoulder, not even knowing that she didn't need any encouragement or reassurance.

...

The night was beautiful. The moonlight was shining gracefully on the towers, the sky was clear, and a soft breeze blew against their cheeks from the horizon. For a moment, one could almost see the castle as a whole living being, the stones and stone walls slowly breathing in and out. It was almost as if the castle was living. The quiet and peace of the night filled her soul and her senses. A deep sense of serenity filled their hearts. Pearl wanted to stay outside forever. To live the rest of her life in this beautiful night.

As they walked throughout the halls of Hogwarts once more, all of them - Filch, Theodore, Zoe, and Pearl - seemed to get lost in the surroundings. There was something special about the castle at night, something different from the light and warmth of the day, something that filled one's soul with a sense of peace while walking through the castle. The stone halls were silent, and a gentle breeze seemed to brush at the castle's walls, and the moon shined brilliantly overhead. As they walked through the silent calm hallways, they made their way towards Professor Snape's personal chambers...

It truly was the perfect night. Everything in the castle and the outside seemed to share an aura of calmness, tranquility, and serenity. As if nature itself was holding its breath, waiting for this wonderful moment. A deep silence filled the night, with nothing but the occasional sound of nature, and the soft beating of their hearts, the peaceful wind, and the bright, shining stars above the castle. It really was a moment that could capture the heart, as Pearl's eyes glanced out towards the stars one more time. And she sighed slowly, as she could feel both the peacefulness and the nervousness within her very soul...

F: ... - he knocked twice when they got there, but nothing was heard. There was no reaction from the other side of the door or any sound to indicate that someone was inside. Theodore looked at Filch, confusion and disbelief in his eyes, and all across his face could be read. Filch knew... He knew where the professor was... - Follow me...

-

He was enamored in these hands, the way it moved in his, he squeezed it lightly and finally looked at Lysy, his eyes were still so mysterious and hard to read but there was a softness in them even though they were the eyes of a teacher. Oh, how it was obvious that he was a teacher just by his eyes, by that strict look that was imprinted in them, and even if he wanted to erase it, he couldn't. But maybe that was his charm?

His eyes. His eyes, deep as pits, they hid so many truths about the world that surrounded them every day. These eyes hid not just truths but thoughts and words that would change life drastically. His worldviews and opinions were so real, so unpredictable and actually so gentle that it'd be strange if anyone heard them. But wasn't that what life was all about? About the exchange of opinions and views between people, so that the world and life may move forward with prosperity and time may be in harmony with space.

That was the strength of humanity - in the conversation. In the exchange. So - no. Severus did not consider humanity a threat to the world, and he didn't consider humanity a destroyer of life. But the human is definitely a destroyer of the goods and resources that nature provides him. Well, that was a broad topic that Severus had thought about a lot on those dark and damp nights while grading or doing other work on assignments.

Now his entire focus was on this little fish of his, on this woman of his, who... Who was obviously haunted by a bad memory that had left a mark on her heart.

But...

What could "Horrible memories" mean? It could hardly be a mere accident for it to imprint itself on her mind in this way. It was most likely some kind of loss, or so the potions master thought. Loss has always been something appalling to him, something that tarnishes one's life path forever and makes them grieve for something they can't get or bring back, or at least not with their weakened powers. Loss... Loss is a part of your whole existence, a part of your being that leaves, and leaves you alone and desolate to fight against the injustice roaming around the world. Loss is a part of the whole that leaves, but forever...

But as Severus looked into her eyes, in those same blue eyes of hers could read uncertainty. She didn't have the strength nor the energy to share those memories with him yet. And actually, he understood that very well, and his strength... His strength had always been that he knew what and when to say and in what way.

His words. His words were power. His words were wings, and they themselves have always been wings with which people could achieve and do many things. But his words had to be understood first. They had to be appreciated, and the necessary attention should be paid to them so that they themselves could help someone. Because his words were never empty, there was always a note of honesty and lesson in them. There was always sincerity and even love. Because his every word was spoken with love and care, even when his words were bad, dangerous arrows. To speak with love even when the words you spew are weapons of somebody's destruction... But often, he didn't hurt through words, though he could... His words were now filled with compassion, apathy, and quite a bit of understanding when his thin, dry lips, illuminated by the orange rays of the fire in the fireplace, parted slightly.

His lips... His lips - so thin, so fine... They were a soft pink color, and when stained with wine, they got the color of cranberry. Those lips, they were so artfully drawn on his face, as if as long as a woman would stick to looking him in the eyes, hers would always fall down on his lips. No matter how strong a woman was, she always took a quick glance at his lips, but it was even harder to resist kissing them. Just looking at them and wanting to kiss them, oh to kiss them...Oh, kiss.

One would say that this thought would be blasphemous, but those lips, they were so kissable. So fit for love... And what did they taste like? What did this man taste like? His mouth, his saliva? His body... What did this man taste like? Was he bitter? Or was he sweet? Or was it bitter in the beginning and honey-sweet in the end? His lips, their pink color now orange because of the "lacy" rays from the fire in the fireplace, parted slowly, and he was ready to speak.

- The horrible memories, they... They will always weigh on us. No matter how far back in time they are, these aren't just memories. These are feelings. Everything in life revolves around feelings. And I believe that one day we'll be free from them. As you'll be free, so will I one day. And you know... If it makes you feel better, I'll be there with you. - the man said, then looked back at their hands and how he was gently caressing those veins on her hand that were more visible. - Oh, and! I will fulfill your every wish as long as you don't want me to wear a dress. - he joked and even smiled when suddenly... A knock at the door was heard. Oh, who could possibly ruin this sweet moment?...

-

F: Shh, you two! - Filch shushed the two girls, who were obviously arguing with each other, while the man's gray eyes slowly filled with disgust and hatred as they stopped here... At Lysanna's door. So they are together again, his plan didn't work? No matter that he warned the man in his black robes, he was still there. Just the thought of what could be going on inside disgusted and burned every atom that made up his body, every molecule in it, and every drop of blood boiling in his veins. But he had to keep his composure and temper... He had to... And Pearl noticed and felt the change of Mister Renington's aura...