Unfathomable Desire

Chapter 9

The next couple of detentions went by slowly. I spent hours, each night, organizing his bookshelves. We did very little talking, having a mutual agreement that our relationship wouldn't progress. I wasn't happy about this agreement, but relieved to have answers, to know I didn't imagine the desire in his eyes. I still wanted him, but I respected his choice.

On the Thursday, I found myself in double potions, next to Corey. Snape had us make a potion from the textbook, which he has never done. Normally, he would have us make a potion from memory or write a complicated one of the board for us to follow. I felt like he was being lazy.

It was an easy potion to make, even though the book gave awful and half-hearted instructions. As I made the potion, I scribbled down corrections in the book. Snape was sitting at his desk, glancing lazily at the students, his eyes remaining on me a few seconds too long. Eager by this observation, I decided to have a bit of fun. I didn't want to anger him, but this potion was dull and I was bored.

"Hey Corey," I looked over at my potions partner. "I think my books missing a step. What does yours say for number 4?"

"Here," Corey slid the book between us and we put our heads together. I glanced up at Snape to see if he noticed. He definitely did, as he was eyeing us with suspicion.

"You smell nice today," I remarked. Which was the truth, he smelled like cologne.

"Same cologne I use every day," he told me. "But thanks." He gave me a half-smirk, he was a natural flirt.

I touched his arm, getting closer to inhale the cologne more deeply. "I never noticed before, what's it called?"

"I have no idea," he said, leaning into my touch. He was obviously enjoying himself. "Maybe I can show you sometime."

I leaned away to look at him, "I would love that."

He smiled at me. I didn't feel bad about flirting with Corey, because he was like this with all the girls. He had a different girlfriend every week, and if Snape won't have me, why not have a bit of fun with Corey?

"Maybe after class?" he asked me.

"Ugh, I can't," I said disheartened. "Detention with Snape."

"Still?" he chuckled.

"Is the potion that funny, Mr. Albini?" Snape approached us from behind. He had been patrolling the class.

Corey went back to his own potion, blank-faced. Snape was standing slightly behind me, to my left and Corey was on my right.

"Something wrong with your own textbook, Miss l/n?" Snape asked me, picking up my textbook. "I see you've doodled all over it. Are my lectures that mind-numbing?"

Snape put his hand on the back of my chair, and my heart beat faster. I wish it would stop doing that. His knuckles lightly brushed my back, and I couldn't handle his touch. He looked closer at my textbook, and I watched his face as he realized I wasn't doodling.

"You're correcting the textbook?" he said as he glanced my way.

"Most of the steps are wrong or give half the answer," I told him. I started stirring my potion, and he set the book down again, watching.

"Step 6 says to add in an entire bezoar, but you should only add half, because a whole one won't disintegrate, and it will also make it too strong," I explained as I dropped half a bezoar I had cut earlier into my boiling potion.

Snape leaned in to watch, his lips dangerously close to my ear. I looked around to see if anyone noticed, but either they hadn't or they ignored it from fear of Professor Snape.

"Good girl," he whispered in my ear. I bit my lower lip as he watched my face. I guess he could play games too.

He went back to sit behind his desk.

At the end of the lecture, Snape stood to address the class.

"I will not be testing any potions today," he said. The class looked at each other, confused. "The point of this exercise was to develop your own common knowledge. I had hoped most of you would know that the instructions in the textbook do not give you a perfect potion, they simply give you a weakened version of the potion at best. You were to use your own intelligence and skills to make me a near-perfect potion. I now see most of you do not have the common sense to not follow a textbook blindly, without even questioning it first. All of you, except one, have failed this test."

I blushed, I could feel my cheeks burning. Even though he didn't mention that I was this one, it was a small class and everyone knew who he was talking about. A few students even turned to look at me. I stared down at the desk.

"You are excused," Snape told the class.