Love and Potions - Severus Snape x OC

Chapter 5 - Late Nights

"He did what?" Millicent exclaimed loudly. "Keep it down!" Rowan quickly hushed her friends as she unlocked the door to her office. She knew that Millicent would be too loud to have this conversation in the Slytherin common room. Juniper had stayed quiet but had a large smile plastered on her growing face. "Come in, hurry," Rowan motioned as she relocked her office door and lead the pair to her living quarters.

"Two things. One, your room is super awesome!" Juniper squealed as she ran over and sat down on Rowan's velvet green couch. "Secondly, why didn't you tell us about your crush?" Juniper asked and Millicent flopped down beside her. Rowan sighed at her choice of words. "I didn't even mean for Blaise to know! He just-"

"Blaise knew?! Rowan, what the hell?" Millicent burst out but she didn't seem to actually be offended, more surprised. "Will you two just listen?" Rowan snapped and they both nodded in response. "He read my mind. I was thinking about, you know. I had completely forgotten about his powers in legilimency and so he confronted me about it," Rowan brought her hands up and pinched the bridge of her nose at her idiocy. "Well, there is a yule ball after our winter break. You could always ask him to go with you," Juniper said as she grabbed Millicent's hand and brought them both to their feet. "You could dance the night away with him and confess your undying love!" She exclaimed as she forced Millicent, who looked way too awkward, to dance with her.

"As if, Juni. Could you imagine the dungeon bat dancing?" Millicent said as she started to loosen up and twirl Juniper in a circle. "Guys, come on. He isn't a dungeon bat," Rowan rolled her eyes and with the flick of her wand, classical music erupted throughout the room. Rowan jokingly grabbed a broom and danced into her office. The dancing pair followed her and soon, her office was nothing but loud giggles. Rowan was about to dip her broom down as she heard a loud knock on her door. She quickly silenced the music and ran over to her door, shushing her giggling friends.

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : - ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ - : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

Severus' head was clouded from the moment he left his classroom to now, hours later. He hadn't bothered to show up to dinner, and from what he had heard, neither had Rowan. Severus had tried everything he could think of to get her out of his head. A cold shower, reading one of his many books, he even tried to find Lockhart and apologize. The last option he gave up on when he couldn't find Lockhart near the dungeons. He would have to talk to her, but what would he say?

Rowan, I find you incredibly attractive. Would you like to go with me to Hogsmeade? He thought but rolled his eyes almost immediately. He would be foolish than to ask the same question Lockhart had. Surely, she would say no just like she had to him.

Interrupting his thoughts, loud music began to play in the room next to him. He smiled inwardly at the thought of her dancing. Though, he quickly frowned at the thought of her dancing alone. He didn't know what he wanted, truly. He knew that if she were his, she would never have to dance alone. He also knew that he was cold and cruel to her. He had left her there, confused and alone in his potions classroom.

He had wanted to kiss her, then. To take her right then and there and fulfill her darkest fantasies. If he had done that, the relationship they had would simply be based on physical attraction. That wasn't what he wanted, but then again, he didn't know what he wanted. He had tried to keep their relationship professional, but in his heart, he knew that would never last long. Even when she was just a student, he had felt a strong attraction to her. He would never admit it, though. Especially not to her.

When he heard more than just her voice through the walls, he decided that he would investigate what exactly was happening. He would figure out what to say to her whenever he got there, though he had a general idea. Perhaps he would ask her if she wanted to go and grab something from the Great Hall. He knew both of them hadn't eaten yet and that would give them a chance to get to know each other. If Severus were going to admit his feeling, he wanted to do it the right way. Not the way things had started at all.