autumn | severus snape

eight | occlumency

"Are we there yet?" She asked.

They were in the forest, hiking up a hill when Ophelia sat down to catch her breath. The combination of exercise and a hangover made her feel like she was about to die on the spot. Snape rolled his eyes and then decided to join her on the ground.

"Perhaps this will teach you not to drink so much, foolish girl," he muttered.

Ophelia closed her eyes and shook her head, bringing her hand up to make him stop.

"Just.. shut up, will you?" She breathed heavily, searching her pockets for her cigarette case.

Snape scoffed and ran his hands down his face, silently cursing whatever God it was that sent her to him. And when the smoke hit him in the face, his rage became blinding again. He quickly snatched the case out of her hands.

"Hey!" She glared at him.

"You're done," he told her, pocketing the case in his robes.

"You take my wand, you take my cancer sticks, you're angry when I drink," she said, amoused, "I can't have any fun with you, can I?"

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" He snapped.

"What I do, or do not try to do, is none of your business." She leaned in close, her nose almost touching his, and inhaled her cigarette deeply, only to blow it out in his face again.

She sees the moment anger takes over his eyes, they widen and his right eyebrow twitches slightly. He grabbed her arm roughly, forcing her to stand and dragging her up the hill. She lost the hold she had on her cigarette and instead focused on trying to get out of his grip.

"Let me go, Snape," she warned, "or I will scream bloody murder."

He suddenly stopped in his tracks and pulled her flush against him, still holding onto her arm. She looked into his eyes, and she didn't know if the warm sensation in her cheeks was a blush, or his warm breath hitting her in the face.

"I could do anything I wanted to you, right here, I could make you scream louder than you've ever screamed before," he said in a growl so low it made her shiver, "and no one would hear you."

She exhaled slowly, looking quickly from his eyes to his lips and then back up at his eyes again. Snape knew she was part love, part mischief. But he didn't know which part she was right now.

"Is that a promise?" She asked quietly, but feeling bold.

He inhaled deeply, his chest almost touching hers as he did so. There was something about him that excited and calmed her all at once. She could feel the sensation of attraction swirling around them like ropes.

"Sit," he said.

"What?"

"Sit down," he said again and the sensation was gone.

She blinked once, and then twice, taking one step away from him and realizing they were at the top of the hill. The view was spectacular, a lake right below them, trees as far as the eyes could see, and the sun glistening over the mountain tops. It was breathtaking.

"Miss Delisle," Snape said impatiently.

"Right, right," she said and broke out of her trance, "I'm sitting."

She sat down, crossing her legs and Snape sat down in front of her, mimicking her position.

"Close your eyes," he instructed, "and clear your mind."

She looked at him, "what? Just not think about anything?"

"That's what I said," he growled, "now close your eyes and focus."