The Princess and the Bloodstone

Hawthorn and Holly

Holly replaced her glasses and hooked a hip onto his desk, regarding her Professor with something between frustration and anticipation.

Severus had placed her golden spectacles on the spot where he had indicated her to sit, but taking note of the thickness of her lenses for the first time, he almost felt cruel for making her walk the few feet to the desk without them. The latter sensation was however quickly surpassed by Severus actively suppressing the guilt rising like bile from his stomach.

He leaned his palms against the wooden surface, his mind sobering rapidly. His aching Mark becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. It felt so much like an open blister after his encounter with Holly that he wished he could dowse it with Murtlap Essence.

I fucked up.

But there will be time enough to tend his wounds – and regret his deeds later – there was an agenda to attend to.

Notes. Where are my notes?

Severus pushed away from the desk, pulling open a drawer and rifling through it.

'You don't want me,' Holly said behind him, her voice sounding distant and small.

Halfway through the contents of the drawer, Severus paused.

What a silly assertion considering what I just did to her.

He bit back an inappropriate retort and finished scanning through a notebook, taking his time replacing the book and shutting the drawer again.

The Potions Master straightened and met her eyes with a dead stare, Holly quickly looked away to study a jar of fungi suspended in liquid. 'Don't do that,' she said firmly.

He had a moment to note the remnant of his seed on her jumper and endure another pang of self-loathing before responding as inexpressively as possible: 'You have little confidence in your Occlumency abilities. We have to work harder.'

'You didn't answer me.' She still kept her eyes stubbornly on the purple truffle mushroom.

A heavy silence followed. Severus wrestled with a response, trying to think of ways to deter her without losing his opportunity to break the curse.

'We cannot –' He closed his mouth again, deciding to phrase something gentler. ' I am forbidden from . . . wanting you, Princess. You know that perfectly well,' he whispered. 'They will burn me alive for this,' Severus added as an afterthought.

Holly's eyes moved back to him, perturbed.

'No one has to know,' she said simply, shrugging with one shoulder.

He considered the witch in front of him; her cheeks and the tip of her nose were reddened by the cold dungeon air. Her hair was an absolute mess and he knew he had a literal hand in it sticking up at the back like that.

In a very private corner of his psyche, Professor Severus Snape was pleased to see her lips still swollen, wondering if she could still taste him.

Then Holly bent over and slid her pinky into the hand resting at his side, catching his little finger with her own. His mouth twitched, but he stayed quiet.

A tense second passed.

Severus looked down at their joined hands, remembering the promises he and Lily used to make in the same manner during his boyhood. Her hand was small, warm and the skin tanned, making his own look sickly pale in comparison. His chest was tight and his cock started to inconvenience him again.

'No one can know.' His tongue felt heavy when he spoke. Severus looked into her eyes, stealing into her mind.

'I promise,' she said, with a small smile. Her intent was pure.