Object of Erised

Severus transfigured the red roses on the sill which had brought with him into black ones and lifted the flowers. Biting at his tongue, the black-eyed man stared at the ground, nervously. She was coming. He could hear her frantic steps in the hall. He wondered what she had put on to wear, but he would find out soon enough as he turned as the door opened. "Enter." The head of Slytherin House said, strongly, waiting for the girl to come in. With a deep breath, Severus mumbled, 'accio roses' and they came to him, held strongly within his hands.

"You know, I would have given chocolates, but I wasn't sure what kind you liked." He laughed a little, his eyes raising to watch her as she came in.

Madison let out a relieved breath as she saw him, stopping at the door. She shook her head at him, grinning.
"You bloody bastard. "of grave importance"? You make me nervous when you use words like that!" she teased before she dashed over to him, practically tackling the older man into an embrace.
She couldn't care less about the roses, at the moment. She was just happy to see him. It had been, what? Almost a month since the night their feelings were confessed, and then he had been carried away with the wind. But he was back, now, and that delighted the Gryffindor more than anything. She hopped off of her Professor, taking the roses gently from his hand.
"They're beautiful. Thank you," she smiled sheepishly at him.
Madison only wished she had something to give him in return.

"You mean, I am not gravely important?" Severus teased and grunted as she tackled him. His arms automatically wrapped around her, and made sure that the roses were safe at the same time. His eyes closed as he inhaled, taking in her scent. She smelled divine, she felt divine, hell, the greatest part, was that she was divine. Swallowing, he exhaled and when she pulled back and took the roses, he smiled, opening his eyes. "You're welcome. I don't want anything in return. . except you. There is a ball tonight, and you are permitted to take a thestral carriage to the destination, provided that I return the carriage. They do not know I am going with you."

The professor embraced his student again, running his fingers along the middle of her spine, making small patterns against the lovely fabric of the dress. He enjoyed holding her, just him and her alone, he was happy with just this. They didn't need to go to the ball, they could just enjoy each other's company here, and listen to music on a phonograph, and it'd be just as well.

She giggled delightedly and smiled.
"A ball, really? Oh, but I'm absolute rubbish at dancing... And wouldn't it be obvious, you know, us together, at a ball?" she looked to his deep eyes.
Madison wanted to go to a ball, but she also wanted to be a good dancer. You need lessons to ballroom dance. But such an affair? She had never been to one. There was the Yule Ball, but she skipped out on that. She had no need to go to a school dance, dress up only to sit alone and gorge on the appetizers. This would obviously be different. And probably with better food. But the secrecy they wanted to keep might be hard at such a place. There would be other balls in their future, would there not?

"That's where my secondary offer comes in: We can stay here, I can enchant the doors so no one can get in, and we can be by ourselves, and dance to a musical sound from a phonograph." Severus pulled back so that he could look down at his minor of a lover. His Pariah. A smile took his features and his black eyes met her brown. Gods, she was lovely. "So, Madison.. what will it be?" He knew she was right, and when Madison had graduated, they could go to all the lovely balls they chose, masqued, unmasqued, formal, informal, every one of them. The world would be theirs.

Madison smiled. A nice, intimate evening with Severus would be much more enjoyable, especially after him being gone for so long, the vision of their love disappearing with the morning light.
"Let us stay here. Others would simply get in our way," she told him, advancing on his figure.
She pouted slightly as she realized the top of her head hardly passed his chin. He was tall, she was short. This was troublesome. But she lifted herself onto the balls of of her feet, grabbing his cloak lightly for support before planting a soft kiss on his lips. She had missed this sensation, something brand new yet seemingly familiar. It felt like home, security and warmth. It was love.

The emotions that ran through Severus' mind were baffling. They were unlike any he had felt in such a long amount of time. The last time he felt anything even remotely close to this was with Lily. . He rid his mind of her, and focused on the woman before him, returning her kiss as he brough a slender hand to take the young woman's chin in his hand to help her as much as he could. His dark eyes flit closed and he pulled her closer with the other hand. A small smile took his lips as he continued kissing Madison. When he pulled away from her to look down at her, he smirked slightly. "I.. do believe you are right, Miss Friedman." He replied, almost mocking of his usual behavior and tone.

Madison smirked at the older man she faced. She adored being around him, especially like this. The girl swung her hips as she walked over to the phonograph, picking up a record and placing it delicately onto the device. Her head cocked slightly as she gazed at the sides of the machine before finding the switch and turning it on. A crackled yet beautiful melody flew softly over the room.
"Lovely," she said before turning back to her Professor, smiling at her success.
She got a good look at him then. Before she was far too excited, but... Good God, did he look fantastic. The Gryffindor liked Severus' hair up, it made him look so elegant. She stared at her man, half-awestruck that she could ever obtain someone such as he, much less the actual man she desired.

Severus watched her actions. Was she trying to seduce him? A small smile played at his lips. It was working. His eyes closed as he heard the phonograph begin to play. "Your taste.. impeccable." A small smile broadened, and he looked down at her. "Do you have any idea the effect you have on me? The mirror of Erised has shown me a vision, and it seems how I imagined you is perfect. You're interested in the Victorian fashion, and the music shows it." The Moonlight Sonata played throughout the Potions' room, and he closed his eyes, almost basking in the sound of the sonata. One of his favourite pieces by far.

Madison nodded.
" You know me pretty well from never speaking a word to me unless needed during class..." she smiled softly.
The girl wondered what he had been thinking all those years. This couldn't have been spur of the moment for him. How long had he wanted her? She laughed inside her head as she thought about it. Probably, at the very earliest, age 14. She had gone on a long diet at that age, and she was the thinnest she had ever been. The Gryffindor only wished she could get back to that weight. But not eating makes her miserable, and eating makes her miserable. But...She shook her head slightly at the thought. She wasn't miserable any longer. Not in the least.
She walked back over to Professor Snape, placing her right hand on his shoulder, her fingers curling softly to keep place. Her left hand moved to his right, threading her fingers in between his. Her gaze met his. Oh, the things she wanted to do to him. But she wouldn't let herself, as much as her primal instincts wanted to. She did not wish to give away her innocence so quickly...

Severus smiled knowingly. "I've been keeping my eyes on you. Been craving you, since you first started attending Hogwarts." The tall man embraced his lover, his fingers threading with hers, and his arm wrapped around the woman's waist. She was lovely, very lovely. Were he younger, she would not have made it thus far to keep her innocence. He knew the value of relationships, and knew that he had to take care of her first and foremost, and if she wanted to wait, then he would wait too. He began to move them, together, in a very fluid motion, he began to teach her to dance, the simple ballroom. His dark eyes met hers as he leaned back slightly to look at her face. He wondered how he had been able to grasp her attentions. He didn't know how anyone could be attracted to him. He was by definition, short of Voldemort, the definition of Darkness. Perhaps he could hold the title Prince of Darkness, if he really wanted to.

She moved with her Professor's motions, glancing down to her feet to make sure she wasn't stepping on his own. But she grew more confident as the slow, soft and arguably somber music flowed through her, feeling as if her body was not her own, but just an instrument of the music. Her eyes went up to Sev's, gazing a while before blushing and looking away. This was far too much for her to stand. Her body was screaming to be up against his. Damn teen-aged hormones. But she wouldn't give in. She couldn't. The Gryffindor watched their feet, listing all the reasons why she couldn't let him take her right now. They'd only been together a month. Only the second time meeting. He still could just be using her. He could be using her. It's what he wants, what he needs...If he gets it, he'll leave. She convinced herself that if she ever gave herself to him so soon, he'd leave. He'd find better, he'd find younger, he'd find prettier. He'd leave without sex soon enough, why give up the only thing she has left to someone who'll leave sooner than later? She just couldn't, and that was final.
Madison tripped softly over his foot, lost in contemplation, her body jerking forward.
"Sorry," she murmured before placing her feet back where they should be.

He stopped their motions. She was transfixed. She wasn't his. He stopped dancing with her, pulling back. His eyes settled on her face. "What is troubling you?" The professor asked, pulling his arms away from what he wanted to hold, to love. He couldn't be in this unless she was fully in it, too. "If you care anything for my nerves, you will tell me what is troubling you. I need to know, Madison. I have to know." He reinforced his question with such severity than it even scared him a little to hear the tone of his voice. "I can't be fully in this unless you are."

She smiled weakly at him, "I'm just clumsy is all," she said quietly. This wasn't a lie or anything. She was clumsy. The Gryffindor didn't understand what he was saying. She was in this, all her thoughts had been only of him, only of him for years. What was he trying to say? Her nerves were getting riled up, thinking that maybe he knew what she had been thinking. But he's not a mind reader. So, he couldn't. And, so what if he did? It was natural for her to worry, about anything and everything. She had trust issues, that was well-known. He shouldn't put her in such a position...
"Please, let us continue?" she tried to keep her tone soft, but the first word came out almost like begging. Surely, he would inquire. And she did not know how she would respond to that...

Severus shook his head and pulled back. "One does not fixate on their feet and crease their brow such as you have been, over a little thing like balance. What is truly the matter?" Severus asked his student, holding her close again. "Please, Madison. I'm begging you to tell me what is wrong." He had noticed that females, and especially teenage females had a tendency to keep things hidden. Of course, when having teached at a school for several years, you observe these things. He had seen this kind of facial concentration before, but it had been quite a long time since he had chosen to care about it.

She bit her lip and looked away from his eyes. She watched the record spin on the phonograph.
"I...It doesn't matter, though. I don't want to say," she sighed softly.
What could she tell him? That she didn't trust him enough to give herself over to him? That she ached for his touch but thought he'd leave? He'd simply try to reassure her...But what is reassurance in the present? Too many times had promises been made to her, only to be broken soon after. Words were of the present, but actions were of the future. His intentions could entirely be impure, even from the get-go... He could simply just want the one thing all men want. He could leave after he got it. And as much as she didn't want to believe that, she had to remain realistic. No one had ever wanted to be near her before without wanting something in return.

"Madison.." The elder sighed, kneeling before her. "I can't go through my days worrying about whatever you worry about, communication is key." Severus said, softly, lifting her chin so he could look her in the eyes. Was it too much to ask for-- simple conversation, things they could work on together, and expand and grow as a couple? Clearly. A small groan escaped his lips as he pulled her down so she was at his height now.

She sighed, frustrated.
" I just don't know, okay?" she spoke with annoyance, "whether you'll still be here if I...If we..." her eyes left his again as she flopped down on the floor, curling her legs underneath her. It was hopeless. He'd say what he'd say to make her happy, or make her do what she wanted, yet didn't want. She would not know if it were true.
"You don't even know me... How can you care so much," she mumbled.
It was a situation that was too good to be true. There had to be a catch. There always was. Either he was just going to use her for sex, or if that wasn't it, it was probably something even worse. And that made her realize that she hardly knew the man she was for. The Gryffindor knew only of his mannerisms, and his intelligence. She knew practically nothing about his life, his interests, aside from potions. These things take time, but Madison felt the relationship was rushed, yet took too long. It was all so confusing.

"What you're saying is.. that.. you're afraid. . of me acting like a teenage boy whose hormones rule his thinking, and fog his mind. Madison, I can't explain what I feel for you. I feel something that is so unlike lust I could scream in agony with how much it wrecks my heart. My door can unlock, now, and you can leave if that's what you want. If you want to be away from me, fine. I don't want to lose this, but, the mirror of Erised shows me what I desire, and what I have desired for such a long time. ." Severus said, unsure of whether or not he should express the passion he had for her, and what the mirror had showed him, after she had accepted to be his. A small laugh escaped his lips. "I don't want to cause you any discomfort. You have the option of leaving me." The relationship would end here, if she so choosed. It was all in her control.

Madison sighed dramatically, letting out an audible groan. "Of course I don't want to leave, you idiot." The girl stood and ran a hand through his raven-hair, showing him her insult was not entirely serious. "You're not the problem. I am. Because my whole damn body wants you but..." she sighed softly, "I don't want to be a slut, nor do I want to do something I might regret," her eyes looked away as she huffed, "you think so highly of me. I don't want you to realize I'm not as great as you think I am."And this was all true. She wasn't sure if he would think less of her, opening her legs so soon in a relationship. Her hormones were driving her mad, especially with such a man at her fingertips. The Gryffindor might have been a virgin in body, but certainly not in mind. She was not a prude and had desires, desires most girls her age either did not admit, or actually did not have. What could she say? A girl has needs.

"We're waiting, regardless of what you or I truly desire. If we get married, we will perform the act that night or the day following." The Professor hissed, pulling him to her, his front against her back and he tilted her head back, gently tracing his canines along Madison's neck. A few of his bangs fell before his eyes and he nuzzled her neck, kissing it softly. "You are.. the definition of Perfect, in my eyes. I can't .. defile that. I can't." He whispered, emotionally. It was hard for him to control himself, but when he did, it was the most honorable thing.

She laughed softly, wrapping her arms around his sides as best she could, her fingers spread around his waist. "I...Never meant until marriage," she said, grinning, "just...A bit longer than now..." Madison hardly believed in waiting until marriage for sex. She was the product of the 21st century. A daughter of technology, at least in the muggle world. What she did believe in was waiting until love. Which she had found, but just wanted to be sure. The girl smiled, though. She guessed she'd have to wait, anyways, being with a man of a different era, and different values. She wondered, once she was ready, whether or not he'd break such a vow of she threw herself at him. Marriage seemed a long ways away from where she was now.

Severus stroked her head, then took a deep breath only to exhale just shortly afterwards. "I feel it is best to wait until marriage, for the both of us. That way, we will know that our feelings for each other are genuine." The dark-haired Professor said to Madison, ensuring that she understood that they would still be considered an item, regardless of whether or not they were having relations under the cover of the dark and almost abandoned Potions Classroom. Swallowing, he licked at his lips and he dipped his head to kiss at her shoulder, relishing in the feel of the skin upon his lips.

The girl let out a sigh and let her eyes flutter closed as she felt the man upon her. It most certainly felt amazing. "but..." she spoke, a slight smile on her lips, "the divorce rates are exceptionally high... Nothing is for certain." The Gryffindor opened her eyes, rubbing the side of her head against her Professor's. This was entirely unfair. She found herself arguing for something she had originally said she didn't want. If she wasn't so positive magic actually existed, and this wasn't the way it worked, she would assume he cast some sort of spell to make her feel this way. To make her change her mind. Madison had a terrible time making decisions, and even if one had been decided, she was never truly happy with it. She turned around, her dress fluttered slightly with the motion, as she pressed her lips to his jawline, kissing across it and down to where his jaw and neck connected, where she exhaled and remained.

Severus' returned the loving nuzzles she gave and then laughed a little bit as he clutched her frame to him. "You are one of the most cryptic females, to be sure." The man said softly to his lover, making sure she knew he was teasing her. "I'm not sure how to understand you, but to be honest.. I'm quite sure that that's perfectly fine with me." The potion's master whispered as he stroked the back of her head with his hand. He noticed how her skirt swirled when Madison turned to face him and nuzzle into him. One hand went to her back while the other continued to stroke her hair and thread his fingers through it.