The Potions Master and the Ravenclaw

"Forgive Me"

Author's Note: This is one of my favorite chapters. Hope you like it.

...

They had spent all weekend together, barely leaving the bed. 

When she had to leave him again to go back to  her room in Ravenclaw tower, he stared at the door for several minutes after it had closed behind her. He felt her absence already.

The next day at breakfast, she caught his eye in the great hall.  He noticed a tall, blonde haired, blue eyed, very good looking young wizard sitting next to her. Roderick Winters.  Something he said must have been amusing because she tossed her head back and laughed, then touched his arm as he smiled back at her.

"Come on Maddie.  Let's go. Flitwick will kill us if we're late for Charms again," Snape heard Winters say, and they rose from the table and left together.

Maddie. He'd called her Maddie.

How disgustingly familiar.

Snape knew it was innocent. He didn't really doubt her fidelity. He knew she loved him. He knew in his heart she was his. But a rage began to build in him. He reached for his wand, but then he felt Minerva McGonagall's hand on his arm and he turned to face her.

"Severus! What on earth is the matter? You look ready to kill!"

"Do I?"

"Yes! What are you looking at?"

"Nothing.  Nothing at all."

...

Later that day, Madeline was hoping for a moment alone with Snape after potions class but he had been in an exceptionally foul humor and swept out of the room stormily without even looking at her, robes billowing in his wake.

He ignored her for the rest of the week and Madeline was beginning to get angry. Finally on Friday afternoon, she'd had enough. She went down to the dungeons and sought him out in his classroom. He was grading papers and he didn't even look up as she entered. 

"Yes, Miss Clovewater?" he drawled icily, dipping his quill into a pot of ink.

"Can you not be bothered to look at me?" she asked with an edge to her voice.

He raised his black eyes to meet hers, his face like a stone.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, you insolent girl," Snape snarled. His voice was deadly quiet but laced with menace.

"Severus, what's wrong? What's happened? Why are you being so cold to me? Why are you ignoring me?" She was becoming frightened.

He remained silent and looked away, staring at a spot somewhere over her shoulder.

He knew he was being unreasonable but he somehow couldn't stop himself. His heart was screaming at him to go to her and take her in his arms, but his pride was winning the battle.

He knew she wasn't Lily. He knew this was completely different. Lily had never been his, but he and Madeline truly belonged to each other. His brain told him this was not the same thing, but he was still reminded of how he lost Lily to someone else. Because he wasn't enough. Severus Snape was never enough. Now Madeline was realizing that, too, and he would lose her.

Lose her to Roderick bloody Winters.

"What have I done?  Do you not want me anymore?" Her voice was small.

She approached his desk.

"Severus," she whispered. "Look at me. Say something. Please."

He stood and walked around the desk to stand in front of her, towering over her. He reached down, loosened her tie, and slowly unbuttoned the top three buttons of her blouse, exposing her bra. She didn't protest, but watched him warily. She welcomed his touch, but his silence and cold facial expression were perplexing her. He fingered the ring- his ring - hanging at the end of the chain, nestled between her breasts. She thought he might be attempting to apologize to her so she took his hand and brought it up to cover her breast, wanting him, thinking he might want her, desperate to connect with him. He kneaded her breast gently for a moment. Then he trailed a finger along the lace edge of her bra at the crest of her breast, teasing her skin. He finally met her eyes, but with a frightening glare. Her brow furrowed as she tried to interpret his mood, his intentions. He grazed her nipple through her bra with his thumb while holding her gaze. Her breath caught in her throat, responding almost involuntarily to him.