Severus sat very still, gazing down at his nearly empty soup bowl, his appetite totally gone. He was fully aware when Erin’s shocked eyes left the space where Potter had just disappeared from and fastened on him again. He looked up and met her gaze.

“Gryffindors have a tendency towards the dramatic,” he said in a throw away, unconcerned voice. He reached for the platter of roast beef and began serving up portions of it and the accompanying vegetables. He needed to keep busy, even though he wouldn’t be eating any of this meal that Potter had also disdained. Though Severus was sure that that little scene had been a case of the idiot boy cutting off his nose to spite his face.

“He sounded pretty convincing to me,” observed Erin. Severus leaned forward to pass her a laden plate. Erin looked at it as if it was poison, not really in the least surprised that it was still piping hot. She took it out of his hand none-the-less, placing it down in front of her. She reached for the gravy but only poured a tiny dribble onto the steaming meat before picking up her knife and fork and making a show of cutting a piece of the tender beef. “Did you have to be so authoritarian? Couldn’t you have just pandered to his little fit of pique. He was only trying to push your buttons.”

“He succeeded,” said Severus as he put his own plate down and poured the rich dark gravy over his meat before picking up his knife and fork. “I am not used to pandering to students’ ‘fits of pique’.

“Unless that student is in your own house perhaps. This Malfoy sounds like a favourite of yours. Perhaps you pander to him? Harry thinks you do.” A morsel of food found its way into her mouth but she chewed mechanically, with no evident enjoyment.

“I do not pander to Malfoy,” returned Severus stiffly. “He and Potter have been enemies since the day they started at Hogwarts. “The relationship between Gryffindors and Slytherins is…shall we say, one of intense rivalry.” Severus was meticulously cutting a square of meat. “It is a very rare thing for a Slytherin and a Gryffindor to be friends with each other.” There was something—was it regret?—in his voice when he said this and Erin peered at him closely. He was studying his forkful of meat intently before raising it to his mouth.

Severus was fully aware of Erin’s scrutiny, and he emptied his face of all emotion. After watching him chewing stiffly for several seconds, Erin returned to her own meal. They each ate in a strained silence for another minute but Severus soon became aware that his dinner companion was just toying with her food. After that first mouthful, Erin had not eaten any more. He knew this even though he appeared to be concentrating on his own meal, because he had become so obsessed with that mouth, he was aware of everything that passed her lips if he was near at hand.

After consuming little more than three forkfuls himself, the sight of his still laden plate made him feel slightly nauseated. Damn and blast Potter to hell! Since when did a sulking Gryffindor make him lose his appetite? After several more minutes during which both of them just toyed with their food, Severus set his knife and fork down.

“I take it that you will not object if I dispense with this?” Severus indicated their virtually full plates. Erin sighed and shook her head, placing her knife and fork together on the side of the plate.

“My appetite seems to have disappeared,” she said, feeling guilty because of all the work Dobby had gone to preparing the copious amounts of food that no one had eaten.

“Dobby!” called Severus, and the house-elf appeared, looking more than a little fearful.

“You is calling Dobby, sir?” he squeaked, bowing low.

“You may get rid of all of this except for the desert. And, then you can serve coffee,” ordered Severus as if he was addressing a slave.

“Actually,” said Erin, looking pointedly at Severus before transferring a friendlier look to Dobby, “I would prefer tea, if it’s not too much trouble, thank you Dobby. And the meal was delicious, but none of us was particularly hungry after the excitement of the day, I'm afraid. Thank you for all your hard work, though.” And ignoring Severus’s glower, she smiled at Dobby who offered her the merest trace of a smile back.

“You is welcome, miss,” he said, but Erin could tell he was still sad. He clicked his fingers and the full plates and the remainders of the meat and vegetables disappeared. Another click and two cups and saucers appeared, along with a silver teapot and coffee pot, a jug of milk, a dish of lemon slices and a bowl of sugar. Then with another little bow, Dobby disappeared.

Reaching for the coffee pot, Severus opened his mouth to speak but Erin beat him to the punch. “Don’t you dare say that I don’t need to thank the house-elf. He put in a lot of effort to make that meal and none of us ate anything except a little soup and a mouthful or two of the roast.”

Severus took a sip of his coffee and when he lowered his cup, he reached for one of the individual serve bowls of crème brulee. He placed it down in front of Erin before taking another for himself. “And the desert,” he drawled.

Erin stared at him for a second, and then she lowered her head so that he couldn’t see her lips twitch. She picked up her spoon. “And the desert,” she conceded.

The next five minutes were spent in silence as they both devoured the delicious, creamy confection and then sipped their drinks. Erin was surprised that the silence was not uncomfortable. She was quite happy to be sitting there now that the antagonism seemed to have left the room. She had been expecting more argument along the lines of it being totally unnecessary to show a little creature that seemed to be very low in the magical social hierarchy any kind of consideration.

That thought depressed her almost as much as the thought that the usually dour man seated across from her really seemed to despise Harry. What was it about this boy that seemed to provoke such strong emotions in people, whether they be positive ones such as she had seen displayed by Geppetto, Remus, Tonks and Minerva, or the negative ones that Severus and the Dursleys demonstrated. And then there was the hatred and wrath of this Lord Voldemort and his henchmen…their determination to capture and kill Harry. She had to know what the story was behind that, and she knew the man sitting here with her could tell her.

Erin was unable to explain fully herself why she had become enamoured of the young boy so quickly. She acceded that finding him almost passing out on the Dursley’s front lawn had given her a huge nudge. But what was it about him that had made her practically drag him home and feed him? Sure, he looked as if a good breath of wind would blow him away...he really was far too skinny, and he was very cute with his untidy hair and his beautiful, emerald green eyes and obscenely long eyelashes. And the round, wire-rimmed glasses definitely gave him a heartbreakingly, needy appearance. And then there was the obvious neglect he had suffered at the hands of his family and the total lack of any feeling other than hatred that they projected towards Harry. Well really, was it any wonder Harry Potter had stolen her heart? She did not really have to analyse why; it had just happened.

Erin was startled when Severus pushed his chair back and stood up. “Shall we adjourn to the sitting room?” he asked politely, and at Erin's assenting nod, he was behind her chair to pull it out in a second. Erin flushed to the roots of her hair.

“Th…thank you,” she stammered stupidly. Severus seemed to regret his flash of gallantry because instead of waiting for her to lead the way, he stalked off ahead and had thrown himself down in the chair Dumbledore had sat in earlier that evening. She hid her annoyance and instead of seating herself, she hovered behind the other chair, her fingers running over the soft butter yellow leather. Severus ignored her, his fingers were steepled in front of his mouth and he was glaring into the fire.

“Umm…” Erin began nervously, and then she berated herself. Why should she be nervous. Severus Snape was just a man. Irascible, cold and indifferent, but just a man, none the less. She drew herself up. “I think I’ll go to bed. It’s been a very long day and I’m tired, even after my enforced nap earlier.”

Severus stared at her before returning his gaze to the fire. “As you wish,” he drawled indifferently.

“I think I’ll take some food up and see if Harry might like something to eat now. I don’t like the thought of him going all night without food in his stomach.”

“Potter had the same opportunity to eat as we did,” Severus bit out, but he took a breath as though deliberately calming himself, then waved a languid hand and added, “do as you wish. You will anyway.”

Unable to stop herself, Erin burst out, “I’m glad we got that straight!” and then she disappeared back into the dining room and presumably to the kitchen. But a few minutes later when she was climbing the stairs with a small tray supporting a plate of treacle tart and a cup of tea, Erin no longer felt defiant. She felt miserable, and that feeling was exacerbated when she found Harry curled into a tight ball, buried under his covers with Pumpkin sleeping in the space made by his curled body. Both were sound asleep, her cat’s purrs filling the room.

She didn’t want to go back down and have Severus smirk at her, so she left the tray, telling herself she would retrieve it in the morning. She entered her own room, shutting the door quietly behind her, realising as she did so that she had no idea where Severus was going to be sleeping.

8888

Severus spelled off the lights to his basement lab, stifling a yawn as he did so. Two-thirty! What kind of a fool was he? He should have dragged himself off to bed at least two hours ago, but he had been too caught up in his experiment by then. He had meant to have a reasonably early night, considering that he had been roaming around the ruins of Privet Drive and adjacent streets until God only knew what time last night. It had not occurred to him to use a summoning charm until he had been traipsing around for over two hours, jumping at shadows and trying to stick to the shadows as much as possible while he poked about, looking for a bloody black cat in the bloody dark.

He had felt guilty because of his boorish attitude towards Erin throughout their trip to London, culminating as it had done with him apparating to Hogwarts with her as a side-along passenger…and this only hours after having told her how Muggles did not take kindly to side-along apparition.

But it was more than that. Erin had been greatly distressed about her missing cat, and that on top of not being able to see her parents had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Having had to explain to her parents that their house was gone had been very difficult and very upsetting. She had been very close then to disregarding his warnings about the Dark Lord finding her even if she went to Australia…for that was what she had convinced herself she wanted to do. And he knew even then that he did not want her to go to Australia. Finding the cat had been the only thing that he could think of to do to curb her impetuous decision to leave the country. So, he had gone to search for a pet that might very well have been dead.

Erin Hanson was a clever, brave, resilient and determined woman. It had not taken him long to discover this. She very much had a mind of her own and did not like being told what to do. She did not like being kept in the dark either. Severus had known very quickly that she stirred something in him that had been asleep for a very long time. He was attracted to her.

After their day in London, he had known he was in too deeply to be able to back out easily. He had given her a hard time, in an attempt to keep her at arms length, but it had been pointless. He knew that now. He had known it then too, but he had refused to think about it. He had thrust the attraction as deeply behind his strongest shields as he could. But it would not stay there. Every time he had seen her, or even heard her, or, God help him, smelled her, that indomitable emotion would worm its way back out through some infinitesimal crack in his defences and assail his mind again.

He had not been attracted to another woman since his school days. After Lupin had stunned Severus’s would be assailant in Potter’s bedroom at Privet Drive, Severus could remember staring at the unconscious woman. But he had not really registered anything about her other than the fact that she was—thankfully, considering her plans to alter his state of health—unconscious. He had been processing too many emotions at the time to really take her in…amazement that a Muggle would have nearly brained him except for the timely arrival of Remus Lupin, worry over Potter’s condition (and who would have ever imagined that circumstance) and then the impending arrival of his fellow Death Eaters.

It wasn’t until he had seen Erin bloodied and injured in the hospital wing that Severus had really felt the first stirrings of attraction. He had hidden it well, he was sure, because Minerva had been watching him like a hawk to make sure he didn’t touch, nor indeed, see any more bare flesh than was strictly necessary. It was there in the hospital wing that he had first been amazed by the young woman’s resilience…amazed that she had not ended up screaming hysterically after Albus had revived her and she had slowly grasped just what kind of reality she had woken into.

8888

Severus had not thought he would ever feel attracted to another woman and he did not know what it was about this Muggle that he found so beguiling. In his opinion, she was not as beautiful as Lily Evans had been, and he had never thought that he would—nor indeed that he could—be attracted to a Muggle.

Lily, of course, had been Muggle born. Early on in their acquaintance, Severus had decided to simply ignore this fact; he had conveniently forgotten it even though he had gotten to know Lily’s Muggle parents and had genuinely liked them. The elder Evanses had treated him decently, better in fact than Severus’s own Muggle father treated him. Most of the time—when his father didn’t come home for days at a time—Severus could almost convince himself that he was not a half blood.

The Evanses were fascinated that he was a wizard and that he was able to put their minds at rest when he explained about the world of witches and wizards that their daughter would become a part of, if they were not to deny her her birthright. They were very happy that their daughter had acquired a friend who could tell her, and them, everything he knew about what it meant to be a possessor of this extremely rare talent. They had happily invited Severus into their home; they had invited him for meals and they had encouraged Lily in her friendship with him. But at the same time as he had liked and respected the elder Evanses, Severus had despised Petunia Evans, Lily’s older sister.

The likes of Petunia and her fat boyfriend, Vernon Dursley, and Severus’s own father were the sorts of Muggles Severus abhorred. And after he had lost Lily totally and irrevocably, he had convinced himself that these three specimens were what most Muggles were like. These three specimens were typical examples of those that the Dark Lord used to spread fear and enmity amongst wizards and witches…by spreading lies that Muggles would rise up against the magical world, and because of their sheer numbers, witches and wizards had much to fear. He and his followers convinced many that Muggles were ill-educated, uncouth and prejudiced against anything or anyone who was different. He spread the word that Muggles were, in fact, the lesser human beings and that they had no place in a world where magic must surely overshadow any trait or talent that any Muggle might possess. When, in his broken-hearted state, he joined the Dark Lord’s ranks, Severus had pushed the memory of the elder Evanses to the very back of his mind and locked them away behind his strongest occlumency shield.

Of course, less than a month after he had joined Lord Voldemort’s hallowed ranks, Severus had known that he had made a mistake that he could not back away from. It was only after he was a Death Eater that Severus had learned the rest of his Lord’s doctrine…that all magical humans were not equal, that pure bloods were superior to half-bloods and mudbloods—magical children born to Muggles who had no knowledge of magic within their families at all—were little better than their Muggle parents. Severus had found himself enslaved and caught in an endless round of torture and murder. The torture and deaths of men, women and children, even infants, had haunted his dreams every time he had managed to fall asleep, which, until he had gone to Albus Dumbledore for help, had not been very often. At the height of the Dark Lord’s reign of terror, Severus had spent as much time vomiting as he did eating. He had lost so much weight, he had looked like a walking skeleton. There had been no way out but death, and he had been too cowardly to take that step.

Yes, Severus had followed a terrible path because his broken heart had pushed him into the Dark Lord’s eager clutches. And now, he was thinking obsessively of another woman who had even less credentials than Lily had had in the eyes of the Dark Lord. If that creature ever found out about Erin Hanson and Severus’s desire for her, both his and her life would be forfeited.

Other than having no magic, Erin and Lily were certainly similar types; both had red hair, both had green eyes and both were petite. Lily had also been clever, brave, loyal and determined and Erin also had these traits in spades. But there were significant differences too, apart from the lack of magic. Lily had been a little shorter than Erin and their facial shape was different. Lily’s hair had been a deeper titian red, Erin’s was more a golden red, Erin’s eyes were a mossy green and Lily’s eyes…well, Lily’s eyes were exactly the same as her son’s.

If he wanted to be reminded of Lily, which he did not, Severus just had to look into the Potter’s eyes. That was something he had avoided doing for just over four years, until he had been forced to look into them twice a week over the course of several months when Albus had forced the issue of teaching the boy occlumency. Severus had been so very angry about that…to be forced to do the thing that he had fought not to do since his and Potter’s first lesson together.

Severus had dreaded September the first six years ago. He had known that Harry Potter was due to start at Hogwarts. And then he had seen the miniature version of James Potter lined up with the other first years, and all his hatred for his old school enemy had rushed back with a vengeance.

He had heard all of his old teachers saying how like James Harry was…except for his eyes, that he had Lily’s eyes. Severus had not seen Potter up close until their first potions lesson…and he had not looked the boy directly in those emerald eyes since, that was until their first horrendous occlumency lesson together. Until then, he had always been able to pretend that Harry was just James, and totally deserving of his hatred…he had convinced himself that Lily was not looking at him through her son’s eyes.

But now a pair of moss green eyes was holding him in their thrall. And he did not really like the way that was making him feel.

8888

Severus was amazed that he had managed to get any work done at all down in his lab. All these thoughts had repeated themselves over and over in one sequence or another until he knew it would be useless to continue to work...he had ruined half a dozen stems of purslane before he realised that he was cutting them diagonally. He needed to rest and he needed to try and forget that Erin Hanson was sleeping under the same roof as himself.

He was going to treat himself to a dose of dreamless sleep tonight. He had brought several phials of it along with other potions that he thought he might need for Potter.

Severus was halfway up the stairs when he heard Potter cry out. The boy’s anguish and the words he spoke told Severus that he was dreaming about the Department of Mysteries and Black’s demise. A shiver ran down Severus’s spine. He had always thought that Sirius Black would die in a blaze of glory, not falling through the veil…the veil that wizard children were often threatened with by irate parents, but only because they thought that the thing was just a myth.

Harry cried out again in abject terror and distress. “Save him…he’s only just gone through…no, he’s not gone…Sirius…let me go…I need to go after him…let ME GO! Sirius…don’t say that…he is NOT DEAD!...SIRIUS” Severus had bounded up the rest of the stairs before he heard the other voice…the soft, soothing tones of a woman.

When Severus gained the landing, he saw the door to Potter’s room was half ajar, and the flickering orange light dancing around the walls showed Severus that the room was illuminated by the fire. When Severus looked around the edge of the half open door, he was not surprised to see Erin running a soothing hand through the boy’s hair and whispering quietly in his ear.

“Shh, Harry…it’s all right. Everything will be all right…” she soothed and though Severus knew that she probably did not know anything about Sirius Black, she reassured the boy who was trapped in his vision, that Sirius would be all right.

Amazingly, it seemed to be working. That soothing, obviously caring, female voice seemed to be getting through and Potter’s agitation seemed to be lessening. Severus did not move from his position looking around the partially open door as Erin continued to calm, both with her touch and with her voice as well as the actual words she spoke. Potter did not awaken throughout the whole episode, and after ten minutes, he had settled into a peaceful sleep.

Erin stayed kneeling beside the bed, alternately stroking the boy’s cheek and running her fingers gently through his hair. At one stage, she brushed her fingers over his forehead, taking great care, Severus was surprised to see, not to touch the lightning bolt scar. Even in the muted light cast by the fire, Severus could see the scar was once again livid and upraised. Perhaps the nightmare about Black’s untimely end had been preceded by dreams of the Dark Lord…perhaps memories of when Harry had actually been possessed in the atrium.

Severus remained in silent vigil while Erin continued her ministrations. It wasn’t until Harry sighed and turned onto his side, his body curling into the ridiculously tight ball Severus had previously observed he often slept in, that Erin stopped her gentle stroking, though she kept her hand against the boy’s cheek. Severus felt something brushing against his ankles and glancing down, he saw Pumpkin giving him the benefit of her touch as she rubbed back and forth several times, her back arched and her purrs rumbling through her sleek frame.

Erin heard the cat—indeed, she was making so much noise, it was a wonder Dobby didn’t hear her in his little boiler room off the kitchen—and turned around. When she realised she had an audience, she stiffened. Severus’s hooded gaze left the cat and he watched Erin remove her hand from Harry’s face with a very precise, stiff movement. She pressed down on the side of the bed and regained her feet. Her movements were quite slow and Severus knew she must be stiff from kneeling on the floor. He had been standing here, watching the scene for over fifteen minutes and he did not know how long Erin had been there, offering comfort, before he had arrived. All that he did know was that he wanted some of what Potter had just had…he wanted some of that gentle touch on his face…and perhaps, a not quite so gentle touch elsewhere on his body.

Severus could feel uncomfortable heat climbing into his face as these thoughts evoked forbidden images, but he trusted that the flickering quality and orange glow of the firelight would hide any evidence of his desires.

The cat had decided she had bestowed her largesse on him for quite long enough it seemed, because she stalked off towards the bed and jumped up to nestle herself into the space made by Potter’s curled body.

But the cat now held no interest for Severus. Erin had gathered her dignity about her, and after a final glance to make sure Pumpkin had not disturbed her charge, and taking a little extra time to stroke the cat’s head, she moved across the room towards Severus with her head held high.

Severus watched, mesmerised. Erin was dressed in lime green, flannelette pyjamas that were dotted with a veritable flock of multi-hued parrots. They were the most ridiculous article of clothing Severus had ever seen, and he had said as much when Erin had thrown them over her arm when she had purchased them from Marks and Spencer, but somehow, seeing her in them, rendered them much less ridiculous. But that just might be because her delightful body was filling out the top so very nicely. As Erin stopped in front of him, Severus dragged his thoughts away from the forbidden and kept his hooded gaze on her defiant face. She obviously thought that he was going to ridicule her for her mothering. His quiet words however, told her otherwise.

“I imagine that was the first time the boy has been comforted back to sleep following a bad dream since he was little more than a year old.”

Erin blinked and then relaxed her defensive pose. She nodded and looked back at Harry. “He couldn’t wake up,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around her torso. “First of all he was just screaming in apparent agony, holding his hand over that scar on his forehead, and then he started dreaming about this Sirius.” She looked back up into Severus’s stiff face. “Who was Sirius?”

“His Godfather,” said Severus simply. “He died last month.”

Erin shut her eyes and shook her head. “Does the poor kid have one happy memory?” she asked sadly. Severus didn’t answer. He did not really know what made Potter happy, unless it was the other two-thirds of the Gryffindor triumvirate. He did know that the boy had more to cope with than any adult he knew, but his own antagonism towards him did not allow any room for sympathy. Until recently, that was. Sympathy now seemed to be eroding away the rough hewn structure of his own ill-feeling at a faster rate than he was able to rebuild the crumbling edifice of his own prejudice.

Everyday, it seemed that more cracks were appearing. Erin might only be able to see the antagonism, but she did not know what he had been like before…how he had treated this boy before he had been beaten so soundly by his uncle…how he had treated the boy before the veil had been ripped away from his eyes and he had seen the tangible proof that Harry Potter was not the spoiled golden boy he had always imagined him to be, that he was, in fact, reviled by his foul family and treated worse than an animal. He was reviled by the Dursleys almost as much as he was by the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters.

Erin had watched Severus’s guarded expression as he gazed past her at Harry. There was no softening to be seen in those deep, obsidian pools, but nor was there any sign of the intense dislike that she had heard far too often in his voice when he spoke of, or to Harry.

She kept her eyes focused on his unremarkable—even ugly—features. There was certainly nothing there that a young woman searching for the perfect mate would be interested in. And when his unfortunate prickly and down right unpleasant personality was thrown into the mix, Severus Snape was a long way from perfect. But Erin had never believed in perfection.

She did not know what it was that attracted her to him. Every time she thought they might have taken a step forward, he would raise his defences and push her away. Sometimes she thought she could detect a similar intensity of feeling for her within him, but then he would do or say something that would make her so angry, she could literally spit nails.

There was a part of him that was closed off to everyone…he even kept part of himself hidden from Geppetto. And Erin was positive that Severus was closer to the old wizard than to any other person in his life. She did not think that there were many people that Severus could lay claim to actually being intimately friendly with. This man seemed to eschew friendship and he had no idea how to project friendliness. It seemed he had never been educated in the social niceties.

Severus was looking at Potter, curled up and sleeping peacefully in his bed, but he was fully aware of Erin standing directly in front of him. He was looking past her shoulder and she stood less than six inches away. Unable to resist her nearness, Severus transferred his gaze to the lovely face before him. The firelight that was dancing on the walls was also playing on her sleep tousled hair, turning its golden red lights to bright orange fire. Her face was flushed from the heat, and the light from the fire was suddenly burning within the depths of Severus’s black eyes.

Without conscious thought, Severus raised his hand and took the strand of hair that was stuck to Erin’s soft cheek between his finger and thumb. Erin suspended all breathing as the man before her fingered her hair, his eyes focused on the movements of his finger and thumb.

“It’s just as soft as it looks,” he whispered and those black opals with the orange hearts shifted back to her face. Severus lifted his other hand and cupped Erin’s cheek. “Just as soft as your beautiful skin.”

Erin shut her eyes, and still hardly daring to breath, raised her own hand and placed it over his where it cupped her cheek.

“It seems I have been waiting for ever to touch you like this,” said Severus, his velvet voice even deeper as he pondered his audacity at actually touching her.

“I’ve been waiting for ever for you to touch me,” Erin whispered back and she turned her face and kissed the palm of his hand.

Severus groaned and he released the hair, instead cupping the back of Erin’s head. He gently guided her sideways so that they were no longer in the open doorway of Potter’s room. He pushed her up against the wall before cupping her other cheek and staring deeply into her eyes. He shook his head, his own hair swaying slightly.

“You either move now—I won’t stop you—or I am going to kiss you.” The orange heart of the opals had vanished but Erin could see another smouldering light at the end of the long black tunnel. As he gazed at her, the embers glowed brighter.

Erin smiled and taking Severus’s other hand, she kissed the palm that had not felt her lips yet. “Promises, promises,” she whispered, her own eyes darkened by her intense feelings of desire.

Severus still held back. He really could not comprehend his luck. How could she return his feelings? “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice huskier than it had been moments before.

A shiver raced down Erin’s spine as he spoke. His voice was the first thing that she had been attracted to and its power to ignite her senses had not abated. If those beautiful sounds could emanate from that thin-lipped mouth, what other talents did it possess.

In answer to his reticent question, Erin reached up and grasped the back of his head, taking the initiative and drawing his lips to hers. One second…two of utter stillness, and then Severus angled his lips and took the gift she was freely offering. His heart rate increased and he rejoiced when Erin did not shy away, but returned the pressure with equal ardour.

It was exactly as he had imagined it would be. She tasted of toothpaste and the lingering traces of the caramel desert they had both eaten hours earlier. Erin kept her hand against the back of Severus’s head, preventing him from breaking away. But that was fine with Severus. He was quite happy—deliriously so—to be exactly where he was…where he had wanted to be for days now.

Severus’s tongue darted out and he breached the seam of her lips. Erin opened eagerly to him and their tongues met…entwined, and the kiss deepened, both of them groaning deep in their throats. Severus pressed closer, feeling the outline of her slenderness through her pyjamas and the layers of his own clothing.

And there was no doubt she could feel him as well but it did not deter her. She pressed even closer and Severus, knew he had to stop or else he would not be able to deny his body’s cravings.

With a groan of frustration, he dragged his lips away from hers. They both gasped for breath and Severus rested his forehead against hers. He eased his body back a little…it was the hardest thing he had ever had to do, but he did not want to push Erin into anything that she might regret later.

Harsh breaths finally settled to something only a little more rapid than normal, but Severus’s heart rate spiked again when Erin reached up and pulled his head down again. She began to pepper his face with little kisses…his forehead, his eyes, his cheeks and chin, but all the time teasing…denying his lips. Severus thought his knees would collapse and finally, he stilled her random movements by the simple expedient of holding her face between his palms and claiming her lips again. Erin melted into him, leaving him in no doubt that this was what she wanted and that she was as much enamoured of him as he was of her.

A little grunting snore sounding through the open doorway inches away, had them breaking apart in shocked surprise. They both stood as still as rabbits caught in a spotlight, waiting for any more noises that might indicate Harry was wakening. All was silence though.

But it had been enough to quell the madness that had quickly overtaken them. They were on the bloody landing, for Merlin’s sake, right next to their teenage housemate’s open door. Erin’s head came to rest on Severus’s shoulder and she breathed herself back to calmness. It was not easy, not while she was still in contact with him, but it would be too difficult to separate from him entirely. She didn’t want to separate from him. It had taken her long enough to get here.

But Severus was right to defuse the situation. It was too soon for more. They needed to communicate on a level other than the physical, even though both their bodies were crying out for release.

“Are you tired?” Severus’s voice rumbled through her where her body was in contact with his. She shook her head, her forehead rubbing against his shoulder.

Severus took her hand and Erin’s breathing stopped as he pulled her towards her open bedroom door. But Severus ignored the invitation of that door and the rumpled bed that was beyond it to step onto the stairs, Erin’s hand firmly in his as he pulled her after him. Erin shelved her disappointment, telling herself sensibly that it really was much too soon to take that irrevocable step. But she hoped that he would not keep her waiting for too long because it seemed that she had been dreaming of a tall, dark Prince with a black velvet voice for a while now. It seemed that Severus Snape was too much the gentleman to take advantage of a kiss…a heated kiss, that left little doubt as to what they both wanted. She would not have baulked if he had dragged her into her bedroom.

But this felt right too. They needed to learn about each other…they needed to know what was behind the defensive hostility that they had both been projecting to cover up their burgeoning feelings for each other. There was plenty of time to indulge whatever this was between them. After all, they were stuck here in the wilds of the Hebrides. And though Harry was with them, Erin trusted that Severus knew enough magic to be able to protect them from discovery by the teenage boy who, Erin admitted, probably had a bit of a crush on her and who also harboured very negative feelings for Severus. Erin did not think that Harry would take the discovery of hers and Severus’s desire for each other very well at all.

Severus guided Erin into one of the chairs and taking her hand he kissed it. “I’ll be back in a moment,” he said, his eyes boring into hers. She saw the plea written there…he was still so unsure.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she assured him and with a tight smile, he nodded. He turned away and after pointing his wand at the fireplace to reenergise the brightly glowing embers into dancing flames, he strode through to the dining area.

Erin leaned her head back and stared into the fire, just as Severus had been doing when she had left him brooding in the living room earlier, when she had gone up to bed. Perhaps he had been brooding about the very thing they had just been doing. Erin smiled dreamily. She had been brooding on just that topic herself as she had donned her pyjamas for the first time, thinking as she had done so, that parrots were not likely to fire any man’s lust.

As Severus’s current absence continued past a couple of minutes, Erin drew her knees up and swung them sideways so that she was sitting in that sideways curl that was exclusive to the female gender. She leaned a cheek on her propped hand and as her eyelids drooped, she wondered idly what Severus was doing now and what he had been doing in the hours since they had parted company earlier. It was obvious he had not been to bed.

When Severus returned, it was to find Erin asleep, curled sideways with her head cradled in her arms, resting on the arm of the chair. He stood still with a laden tray in his hands, and stared his fill. She looked like a little girl, totally swallowed by the chair as she was. The parrots clashed magnificently with the butter yellow, supple leather, and as Severus placed the tray down on a table, he lips quirked as he thought that he would have to make sure Albus never caught sight of the garish fabric or he would be sure to commission robes to be made with the same patterned fabric, only not in flannelette.

He gazed at her for another minute before bracing his hands on the chair arms and bending down to blow softly into her uppermost dainty shell of an ear. All that elicited was a slight frown so he increased his offensive and began to pepper tiny kisses along her jaw line, starting just below her ear.

Erin woke to the gentle teasing of his lips and she moaned softly, deep in her throat, a gentle smile unfurling on her lips. She turned her face and caught the marauding lips with her own and it was a very long minute before they broke apart. Severus initiated the separation because his thirty-six year old back and neck were objecting vociferously to their unnatural position. When he said as much, Erin called him a sook and informed him that at thirty-six, he should be in his prime. Then she embarrassed him by adding that as his lips were in such good shape, they must work out on a regular basis. And to add insult to injury, she had giggled at the redness climbing into his cheeks.

In answer, Severus had demonstrated that it was not just his lips that were in prime condition by scooping her into his arms and depositing her on the sofa where he could sit beside her. Erin had squealed with delight and once they were seated, Severus had taken out his wand and pointed it towards the stairs, muttering, “Muffliato!” as he waved it about. At Erin’s raised eyebrows, he explained that the spell would prevent Harry from hearing them, should she decide to do any more squealing.

“Are you going to make me do anymore squealing?” she asked saucily, her eyes dancing.

“That depends on whether you can squeal while you are being kissed senseless,” he whispered, his eyes moving from her sparkling eyes to her reddened lips.

“Now why would I want to do that?” And then they were kissing again, and Severus was pressing Erin back onto the corner of the sofa, his weight keeping her pinned there. She did not mind at all. She revelled in the weight of him, not really that surprised that his weight was much more substantial than the look of him in his flowing black robes would indicate…after all, she had seen him in a pair of tight jeans.

They explored each other where they could reach with lips and hands without breaching the barriers of clothing. But it soon became too much and with a groan of frustration, Severus pulled away and moved to put several inches between them. He and Erin sat with their eyes closed, trying to get their breathing under control. Erin actually had a hand over her eyes, but after a minute, her other hand felt around until she found Severus’s hand. She grasped it and held on, reluctant, now that she had claimed him, to allow him to be out of her reach for long.

When Erin felt Severus move forward on the sofa, she lowered her hand and opened her eyes. After squeezing her fingers, Severus retrieved his hand and Erin watched as he added a couple of marshmallows to each of two mugs of hot chocolate. She scrambled to sit up straight as Severus turned to pass her one of the mugs. It smelled mouth watering and Erin inhaled the steam rising from the still piping hot treat.

Severus watched as she took a sip, but he had to look away as the tip of her tongue darted out to lick the chocolate moustache away. The temptation to take over the task was almost overwhelming. He covered his frustration by taking up a plate of crumpets and offering it to Erin.

She grinned at him as she took one, the smell of honey mixing with that of chocolate and sugary marshmallow. “My mother has always told me to make sure the man I pick knows his way around a kitchen,” she said seriously.

Severus put the plate down without taking one of the crumpets for himself. Those obsidian eyes pinned her in position with the crumpet halfway to her mouth. “And have you?” he asked in a voice that sent shivers down her spine.

Erin swallowed past the lump that was suddenly making it hard for her to breath. “Have I what?” she whispered.

“Picked me?”

Erin stared at his austere features; she knew most people would say that Severus Snape was an ugly man, but to her, he was beautiful…it was a combination of many factors, his colouring…she had always preferred dark men…he was tall and slender, he was obviously exceedingly intelligent…and then there was that voice. Every time he spoke, something inside her melted. He was tough and he did not suffer fools gladly and yet, he was still unsure of her. And that endeared him to her all the more. That this man…this prickly, disdainful and often downright unpleasant man was so vulnerable when it came to her, that he had hidden his own feelings behind a very high wall of unpleasantness because he was too nervous to show his hand…well, that made him all the more precious to her.

She leaned forward and put her crumpet back on the plate, then ignoring her sticky fingers, she turned and cupped his gaunt cheek against her palm. “I hoped that we had picked each other.”

Severus gazed intently into her eyes. They sat like that, their drinks and the crumpets ignored for the present as they stared and assessed. Severus reached across the tiny space that separated them and once again picked up a lock of her hair between his fingers and thumb.

“I know why I picked you,” he said as he sifted her hair through his fingers, watching the fire lights as they were caught up in the fine curtain. “You’re beautiful. Any man would want you.”

Erin felt a flash of anger but she tried to fight it down. She waited until she thought she could speak calmly. “So, what you’re saying is that you are only attracted to me because of the way I look?”

Severus looked shocked. “Of course not.”

Erin had to move. She was still seriously irritated. She stood, keeping her mug of cocoa so that she could wrap her hands around its comforting warmth. “Sooo…why do you assume that I’m just amusing myself with you? That I could not possibly be serious about you because you’re not Orlando Bloom?”

Severus’s eyebrows drew together in a frown. “What is an Orlando Bloom? Is it a species of plant?”

If Erin had not been so annoyed, she would have laughed. “Orlando Bloom is not a what, he is a who and he’s an actor and he’s…oh, never mind. What I’m saying Severus Snape, is that I am attracted to you…all of you.”

“Erin, I know that I am no oil painting…”

“If I wanted an oil painting, I would have one of Orlando Bloom commissioned. But I do not want an oil painting. I want you. I have wanted you since I woke up in the hospital wing and…”

“And heard my voice?”

Erin’s eyes widened in shock and her mouth formed a perfect, comical ‘O’. “How…I…how did you know that?”

Severus smiled. I have the ability to…well, the closest analogy I can come up with is that I can read minds.” Severus was all too aware that he had bitten Potter’s head off for making just this analogy.

Erin was goggling at him. “Are you serious?”

“Quite serious. The art is called Legilimency.”

“And so, while I was being held prisoner on that bed, you could see what I was thinking?”

“A fair proportion of it, yes.”

Erin raised her chin. “So, what exactly did you see, beside the fact that I thought you had a wonderful voice?” She was more than a tad peeved, and she was thinking furiously about what else she may have been thinking at the time…what she may have been thinking any of the times he was near her.

“Erin,” said Severus in a soothing voice. He had obviously divined what she was worried about…hell, of course he had. He could see everything that she was thinking. “I did not see everything that you were thinking. I have to…well, I have to activate the process…with a spell.”

“Well, why did you do that? Wasn’t I vulnerable enough?”

Severus had the grace to look chastened. “It…it was a whim. I accessed your mind while you were in the body bind so that I could see what you were thinking.” He tried to defuse the situation. “I found your pseudonyms for Albus, Minerva and myself amusing.”

“Oh, I’m so glad you were amused that night. I was absolutely terrified,” huffed Erin.

“That was the only light spot in a truly horrendous night.”

“I’m glad I was of service,” she said, still nettled. “What else did you see?”

“Nothing. I lifted the spell…and before you ask,” he added because Erin had opened her mouth to speak, “I have not employed Legilimency against you since.”

“You haven’t?” she asked quietly.

Severus walked across to Erin and took her mug out of her hands, placing it on the mantelpiece. He put his large hands around her waist and pulled her close. “I promise you, that I will never employ Legilimency against you again.”

Erin reached up and threaded her fingers through his black hair. It was soft and very fine and felt slightly oily. She didn’t care. “What if I want you to?” she whispered. Severus looked down at her with his brow furrowed.

“Why would you want that?” he asked truly perplexed. “You have just finished letting me know how displeased you are that I did it the first time.”

“If you can read my mind, then I want you to do it so that I can prove to you that I really am attracted to you.”

Severus was stunned. After a few seconds of silence, he shook his head. “You don’t have to do that,” he said.

“I know. But I want to. That way, you can have no doubts. You will be able to see everything that I have thought about you since I first met you.”

Severus was shaking his head more determinedly, his face set in rigid lines. Erin reached up and put her hands against his cheeks, stilling the movement. “Please Severus. I want you to do this.”

“I should not have questioned your feelings.”

“No, you shouldn’t have. But you did, and I think I can read you well enough to know that there will always be a little niggle of doubt in your mind about the truth of my feelings.”

Severus turned away from her. He did not want to do this, but he also knew that what Erin said was true. He would doubt, because no woman had ever looked at him in a romantic light before. He had hoped that Lily might one day, but…hell, there was no point in going there again. She had wanted Potter and that was all there was to it.

But Erin Hanson said that she wanted him. And she wanted to prove it to him. Severus stood with his back to her, running a long finger over his lips as he pondered what Erin was asking. Finally, he turned around. “I will do this, but only because you want me to. It is not necessary. I want you to know that.”

Erin nodded. “I know I don’t have to. I want to. What do I have to do?”

Severus came close again and took her face between his hands. “Just keep your eyes open and look into mine. You will feel a slight pressure, but if you do not fight it, it will not be significant.”

Erin nodded even while he held her face. Severus leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. “Ready?”

Erin stared into Severus’s bottomless black pools, and felt herself fall into them as he whispered, “Legilimens!”