Scattered (Book 1)

To The Touch (12)

Poor Severus XD

"Professor..." Her voice was still thick with her previous tears, and with the fear of her own selfish desires.

"Hm?" His head jerked slightly, as though he'd been looking elsewhere, and had looked back to her face when she spoke. She swallowed nervously, and pushed herself to her knees, keeping her eyes from his, knowing that she would be unable to hide her thoughts from him, that she was too anxious.

"Close your eyes, and don't move." She ordered, shuffling the short distance into his space. She looked at his chin, and watched from her peripheral as he studied her a moment, and then let his eyes fall closed, protecting her from his searching gaze. She looked into his face fully, then, inspecting the wearied shadows under his eyes, the soft lines that were starting to show on his forehead from years of scowling. His eyelashes were dark, casting more shadows across his bruise-like half-moons of exhaustion. His skin was pale, but clear, no longer having the same oily texture his hair had had. There was slight stubble across his chin, darkening his jawline, and making him seem even more virile. His lips were a pale pink, his nose was prominent, and his brows, she noticed, had a nice shape. They weren't bushy, or too thin, or patchy. They arched elegantly into the hair that framed his face, and led Hermione's eyes right to the silky black curtain that looked so soft.

"Keep them closed." She reminded quietly, lifting her hand. She didn't want him to read her expressions any more than she wanted him to read her mind. She'd be done for if he knew just how much she enjoyed staring at him, touching him.

Her fingers closed around a small strand of his hair, and she twisted it lightly, feeling the texture. It really did feel like silk. She pushed her hand more fully into his hair, running her fingers along his scalp, and then down to the tips that brushed his shoulders. He gave the tiniest twitch of his head, but no other indication that he even realized she was touching him. His face remained impassive, and his hands stayed on his thighs. She repeated the motion, enjoying the fullness of his soft hair. She buried her other hand in the opposite side of his hair, holding it away from his face, and taking in the view of his high cheekbones, and the tapered ends of his eyebrows. Without his hair in his face, and without a sneer in his features, he looked almost regal. His contrasting hair and skin tones added to the sharp allure of his features. He no longer looked demonic, and without the vicious fear his usual face instilled, he was more attractive than anyone would have ever thought him capable of being.

She kept her thoughts to herself, and pushed his hair back further, revealing white ears from amidst the dark shield of hair. She smiled ruefully, thinking that it might've been the first time she'd ever actually seen his ears. She let her right-hand fingers skim the contours of one ear, and his head jerked more violently, his lips twisting in discomfort, his brow creasing for a moment, before he stilled, returning to an impassive statue beneath her touch.

"Do you not like your ears being touched?" She inquired, holding her fingers away from the pale shell, in case he was strangely ticklish. His brow creased, but his eyes stayed closed as he answered.

"I wasn't expecting it."

Well, he hadn't told her not to, so she tested it again, skimming her fingers around the outer curve, and then back up the inner slopes, keeping her fingers feather-light, and watching his face off and on as she searched for any ticklish spots. He didn't even twitch a muscle, his face as still as ever, his head locked into place. So she searched lower, trailing her nails down the side of his neck, feeling suddenly vengeful. He'd teased her for weeks, and if she could find his most sensitive patch of skin, she could use it against him in future. He didn't flinch at all, and she frowned, contemplating making a quick lunge for his stomach. He'd likely be furious if she made so bold a move to tickle him. She was rather enjoying him being calm and compliant, and decided against it. She could surreptitiously try tickling his torso if he tried to snog her senseless again. She could claim it was an accident.