Object of Erised

The Potions Master hadn't gone to breakfast. He took solace in his solitary domain. He had changed, showered, and now reclined in his deskchair, his fingers gripping his chin in thought. His eyes watched the door, hoping Madison would come in at any time. Why was he allowing a student to effect him this way, especially a muggleborn? He had never felt this way towards anyone, except for a woman of similar qualities. His black eyes went to his desk, and his eyes closed, waiting for the large door of the dungeon to open.

Madison noticed he had not been there. It left her feeling uncomfortable. She wondered if she should go seek him out, or wait until class. She never felt comfortable talking to a teacher one-on-one. And with him it was utterly impossible. A simple shy crush was amplified to enormous heights with such an aloof man. Her heart raced just thinking about trying to talk to him. Professor Snape was not one she could joke to, or ease the tension with any silly ice-breakers. She had to get in and get out, and only speak when spoken to. This unnerved her ridiculously.

But it also worried her that he might be expecting her to check in at this hour for her detention. Oh! Her detention, he hadn't told her whether that would be before or after classes. She decided, much against what she wished to do, to go see her dark-haired, inaccessible man in order to see what she had to do next for him. She laughed slightly to herself, smiling. She would do anything for him.

Severus' eyes truly never left that door. The thought of her coming in made his heart beat at an exceptional pace. Taking a deep breath, the man stood and swooped to where she had been the night before and looked at the cases again. He smiled to himself. She would make an excellent wife, but, he couldn't be saying this. No woman, especially one like her, would ever take him for who he was. That would be hell for her and in direct correlation, hell for him.

An agitated sigh left his lips and he returned to his desk, thumbing through the text.

Madison walked up to his door quickly, before pausing there. She was nervous to try and speak to him. But it was purely business, she reminded herself. It was just for the detention. Yet this did not calm her. She knocked on the door after giving a hard swallow, secretly praying that he was out somewhere else in the school. In and out, she would be. Just ask him what and when she needs to do what she does for being an insolent little brat and leave. She sighed, still hating that he thought of her that way. She was a good student. She tried her best, she knew she did.

He felt his heart. It was nervously pattering. "Enter." A small smile took his lips before his face became straight again. "It is unlocked, you know." The man called, running his hands down and along the oak of his desk, feeling the detail etched into it on the sides.

Madison nodded to the door before she entered. She looked to him, nervously.

"Y-Yes, but it would be rude to simply enter....Sir," she finished. Her words would not come out so easily if she were not distracted. The Gryffindor could barely hear herself over her own heartbeat. She glanced around, unsure of why she was doing this to herself. Mental torture.

"I was just wondering when I would be serving my detention, and by doing what.." she trailed off, "in order to make arrangements," she finished. Madison soon realized that what she finished with made practically no sense, and she clenched her fists hard at her stupidity. Surely he would catch it, and mock her for being a complete dunderhead.

It was hard, in her vulnerable state, for him not to swoop her into his arms. His face still hardened, as it had to be for professional reasons. Black eyes gazed upon her form. "Arrangements?" He inquired, tilting his head, his brow furrowing. "I have no task set in mind yet. But your detention will be after the classes."

"Yes, Professor," she nodded curtly. She felt entirely stupid. She would have run out of there if she could. Preferably screaming.

"Bye," she said quickly, terribly unsure of what to say as she left. Greetings were easy, but goodbyes were difficult.

She was so conflicted. In one way, she wanted to stay there with him. But the Gryffindor also knew that would never happen, and it would only bring more scorn. She hated and loved being near him. It drove her mad and tore her to pieces.

Madison quickly pivoted and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind her. She deeply sighed and pushed her hands up against the cold door. Her palms were damp with sweat.

The dark haired girl quickly patted her hands on the sides of her pleated skirt and wandered off to her classes, her heartrate finally returning to normal.

Severus watched her curiously. Her mannerisms screamed that she was nervous. Why on earth would she be nervous around him? He raised a hand to his head and ran his fingers through his hair, half growling in aggravation. "DAMNIT." The man yelled, slamming his fist on the desk. He was getting tired of the incessant need to be around someone- to need someone was never something Severus had planned for.

This feeling was unlike any he had actually known. A small laugh escaped his lips. "You are letting yourself become overwhelmed by a student. A muggleborn. Gryffindor. Beautiful. Student." He lowered his head, his eyes focusing on the floor.

The day moved far too quickly for Madison. Soon it was time for Potions. And after, detention. Luckily for her, no homework had been assigned the previous night. The muggleborn packed her things up that she had taken out during lunch. Assignments for other classes and a doodling pad, the latter which she used more. She sighed softly, running a hand through her hair in attempt to comb it out. She used a pocket mirror to fix her make up. The Gryffindor felt that the mirror made her look vain, but she simply wanted to look her best for her austere professor, since her personality would obviously get her nowhere.

Madison finished fixing her make up and walked to the dungeons and awaited class to begin.

Severus had taught this class effectively, and at the end, he assigned a four page essay to be written for the following Friday. His eyes met Madison and he appraised her. Was she trying to get his attention with how she appeared to him? An eyebrow raised. "Dismissed." He said to the class, save Madison. When all but her had left, he cleared his throat. "I have something to show you. Come with me." Severus said, gravely, hoping she would tell him what she saw in this mirror that he would show her.

Stepping forward, he pushed aside the curtain. "You first."

The Gryffindor cocked her head slightly, looking into the mirror. She saw nothing out of the ordinary. Simply her figure and her Potions Professor behind her.

"Is this...A trick?" she asked, turning around and gazing up at him, "I just see my reflection," she stated before turning back to face the mirror.

Madison watched herself in the mirror when movement caught her eye. She saw Professor Snape slink close to her, leaning his face and body in close, as if to share an intimate secret or embrace her. Her body was paralyzed with confusion and excitement. What was he doing?

She then turned, casually, so as not to startle him, only to find Snape the same distance he had been before. Her heart sank as she glanced at the mirror again. Yes, it was a trick. What was he trying to do, manipulate her in some way? Did he know how she felt, and was mocking her?

Madison's face turned red with embarrassment as she looked down, avoiding eye contact with the mirror at all costs.

Severus dark eyes watched her and saw her reaction. "Tell me what you see, Madison." He asked, standing in the way of the curtains so she would be unable to leave the area. "Please." He pleaded, his eyes softening and his brows furrowing as he looked at her. He was praying she saw him, and would honestly thank whatever God there was if she did. His hands stayed at his sides, he needed to know what she saw before he could act upon his own feelings.

His eyes looked to the mirror and he saw her and him as well, and then looked down at Madison to hear what she would say to him.

"J-just my reflection," she stammered, trying to lie as effectively as possible.

She would not play into this. He was trying to trick her. She knew her professor was only trying to hurt her. Probably because of the way she was, the things she could not control, or what ever she did to displease him during class. Madison refused to give in and tell him what she saw. He had to have planned it, he had to have charmed the mirror for her to see that or something. There was no other explanation. He was trying to break her spirit. The Gryffindor saw how he treated Neville. She was simply the new victim.

"God damnit, Madison. Don't you know what you do to me? Tell me what you see. Please." He begged, knowing she was lying to him. Severus pulled her into him, his hand gripping her wrist gently, and his arm encircling her as he held her flush against him. His hand raised her cheek and he lifted her head. "You.. drive me mad. You are so.. words can not describe anything I feel for you." He cleared his throat and let her go. "Make a choice. If you want to tell me how you feel about what I just said, stay. If not, go, and your detention will be over."

Madison choked, but stayed put. She had no idea how to verbalize what just happened, much less speak her mind about how she felt. For once, the snarky girl was at a loss for words. She looked at him nervously, her hands clasped together tightly, her fingers looking like they were a moment from snapping clean off. This wasn't a trick, and she did not know how to handle that. She never had known affection of this nature from anyone before, much less the man she had loved for so long. The Gryffindor could not even find words to speak. Her mouth opened dumbly as nothing came out. What could she say, how could she say it? She felt like an utter fool and wished to run out from the situation. But she could not find the energy nor will to move her feet. She stood there, glued to the ground, staring at the black-haired Professor she had loved and loathed for what seemed like an eternity.

Severus watched her reaction, taking in each moment. His black eyes settled on hers. "There must be something you have to say to me, please, anything." All in his mind, his mind was screaming at him for being so desperate for the attentions of the young Gryffindor before her. She was there, she was staying. His heart beat faster than anything he had ever felt before. The hammering in his chest was insane. It felt .. amazing. Did she want him as he wanted to be with her? He wouldn't know, not until she spoke her feelings-- not until she would bring the reality of the situation to him.

Her eyes dropped from him, and she bit her lip hard. Her heart pounded and her head was reeling. A shakey and insecure squeak came out from her parted lips.
"I...Love you," she breathed in a voice that could hardly be considered a whisper.

She had said this phrase many many times, but only in her mind. In fantasies, or in silence when she could imagine him beside her. She didn't know whether it was appropriate here and now, but it was all she could say, and hopefully this answer made sense.

The Gryffindor's face was flushed and her body was tense with fear. She always anticipated rejection. She did not know how to handle acceptance. Madison felt as if something would crush her this very moment for believing something good could finally happen.

A breath, a sigh of relief escaped Severus lips. His eyes closed and he opened them a moment later. "[color=green]That.. is so relieving..[color]" The black haired man moved froward, drawing his arms around her again. His forehead rested on the top of her head, a small smile on the man's lips. He squeezed her sides lightly with his fingertips before he brought his hands up to Madison's hair, gently tracing his fingers through the tresses. "I love you too." Was all he could say.

Madison breathed out, but the breath was unsteady. She was still nervous, even in his embrace, as if he would strike her. Yet the Gryffindor savoured the older man's touch. The quivering girl closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, enjoying what she had whilst she could. She tried to keep her mind off of the future, and what could possibly happen. Her pulse began to drop back down to a normal rate. She was relaxing and her arms moved slowly against her professor's frame, trying not to seem like some limp animal. Madison deeply inhaled his scent, enjoying the way he smelled. It seemed at times that Professor Snape lacked hygiene. But in such close proximity it was obvious he was meticulous in his grooming.
She exhaled and rubbed her cheek against his robes slightly, finding a nicer position for her to rest against him.

Severus was scared to believe he was embracing a girl who he had developed feelings for. He hadn't embraced a female in decades, at least not this intimately. The dark-haired man was savouring what he felt. He was unsure of the reality of this, whether this was truly happening. Things like this, well. . they just didn't seem to want to happen to him. The scariest part about it was that he had just revealed his feelings in a desperate way. He was hoping that she was being sincere in her admission. His fingers curled and wrapped around tendrils of her hair, his mind racing. He gently massaged her scalp with those fingers after holding her head close to him. He felt so.. complete. Something the potions master rarely felt.

His dark eyes opened and he pushed her back a little bit, his hand going from the back of her head to her chin, raising her head so he could look her in the eyes. "Tell me, Madison. Do you speak the truth when you say that you love me?" He asked, wishing to hear the truth. He needed to make sure, he needed to know that what she was saying was based purely off the fact she was being pressured into giving an answer.

"Yes, of course I do," she smiled shyly up at him.
She had loved him long before this year. In her immaturity, she had a fondness for his demeanor, and his vast intelligence. This grew, as she aged, into affection, desire and love. Her vision of him changed as she found him attractive in his own way. Of course she had found others attractive, but none such as him. Severus was this constant figure in her life, unchanging and hauntingly handsome.

Madison laughed slightly, and looked down, fiddling with one of the buttons on Professor Snape's cloak that was a bit lopsided.

"I really should be working on that essay..." she teased.

Severus looked at her and watched her mannerisms. He figured by observing he could learn more about her. He had noticed that she barely took her eyes off of him, but he had figured this was out of grotesque amusement. The man was haunted, and it showed through his actions, his words, how he dressed. Severus smiled a little as she toyed at the buttons on his cloak. "I hope you know what I have in mind when you graduate. Another thing you should know is that upon your graduation, if we decide to make this a serious relationship.."

He raised her head so he could look her in the eyes again, his black eyes meeting hers once more. "We can be open about our affections, in public, and have it be known that this oh-so-striking man is no longer available." His sarcasm was blatant when he addressed the part about himself being attractive. He had never thought himself worthy of such emotion.

Madison looked at him, her eyes widening with slight fear.

"But we can...Be together, now...If you so choose, right?" she asked him hesitantly.

She did not know how much more she could possibly stand waiting, especially if there was a glimmer of hope that something could happen between them. Of course there were obstacles. She knew there would be, and in the end, they might not even stay together. But she was damn tired sick of waiting and didn't want to wait another day to get what she wanted and, well, what she deserved.

But she would wait, if needed. The Gryffindor knew Severus had his job on the line if anyone were to find out. And his job was far more important than her, no matter how much he claimed to love her.

"Madison, we can, yes." Severus replied, his dark eyes focused on her frame. His hand raised to her chin and he smiled, running his fingertips along her cheek. "It'll have to remain secret. You can't go blabber to your friends that you've got a relationship with a professor here. It will ruin my job and my reputation more than it's already ruined." The dark haired man said, pulling her to him again. He couldn't get over the sensation of holding the young woman to him, feeling secure that someone truly wanted him.