After All This Time

Incapable of Love Again

The next day, Aleah is excited to get up and get ready because he will be seeing Professor Snape for Potions class. She got out of the shower, dried herself up with the help of her wand and wore her Slytherin uniform. She already skipped breakfast so she when directly to the Potions classroom.

She arrived just in time and was now seated with her best friend, Reya.

"Hey, you skipped breakfast again. You were not present at dinner last night too." asked Reya worried for her friend, "Are you okay?" added Reya, turning to look at Aleah.

"Reya, I'm fine. Last night I ate the sandwich Dad prepared for the trip and this morning I'm still stuffed, I'll be at lunch for sure." said Aleah assuring her friend.

"Miss Black." said Severus in his husky voice but it frightened Aleah and quickly turned her gaze to her professor.

"Can you tell me what a Veritaserum is?" said Snape while eyeing Aleah, smirking. Severus thought to himself that clearly Aleah is not listening to her and would not have the answer, giving him the satisfaction of putting her in detention with him tonight.

Aleah stood up, which made Severus furrowed his eyebrows.

"Professor, a Veritaserum effectively force the drinker to answer any questions put to them truthfully, that makes it powerful." answered Aleah and smiled to her professor.

"Clearly, a Veritaserum is a Truth Potion." said Severus, slowly walking in front of Aleah, "It is so powerful that three drops would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to hear." added Severus slowly spilling out the words while looking intently to Aleah.

Aleah holding her breath, slowly dropped down her smile and sat down, gazes still locked.

"Now," said Severus and turned his back to the students, "Sadly, the use of this potion is controlled by very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might just find that my hand slips — right over your evening pumpkin juice." said Snape, who is now on his way to his table.

Severus turned to look at his students slowly, roamed his eyes to his students and finally took a stop when his eyes gazed to Aleah who is staring back at him.

"And then, Miss top student..." said Snape, "we'll find out what your innermost secret is." he added, still looking deeply into Aleah and smirked.

As Severus continued with his lecture about the Veritaserum, Aleah suddenly felt nauseous and wants to throw up. She quickly stood up, making the whole class and Severus look up to her, and was about to say something but Aleah stormed out of the classroom, went to the nearest bathroom and threw up.

"Aleah! Are you okay?" said Reya, who asked permission to their Potions professor if she could check on Aleah and instantly followed her.

"Yeah, I think I'm fine now, I just need to let that out." said Aleah when she's finished throwing up.

"Geez! That's Professor Snape's effect on you?" said Reya while softy giggling at the sudden outburst of Aleah.

Aleah just gave her a death glare and let out a small laugh.

They went back to their Potions classroom and everyone looked at them.

"Class dismissed." said Snape loudly for anyone to hear and would signal them to move with haste.

Aleah stood up, not looking at her professor turned her attention to collect her things and go out.

"Not you, Miss Black." said Snape, looking at her intensively.

Aleah looked at Reya with eyes that wants says 'help me' but Reya just gave a look of sad eyes to Aleah telling her that she can't help her.

"Come." said Snape, ushering her to come to him.

Aleah went to his desk and kept a distance.

"Closer." said Snape in a husky voice, making Aleah shiver, 'Oh don't make me barf again.' she thought to himself now feeling something welling up in his insides again.

Aleah slowly walked up to Severus, a bit closer.

"Like this." said Snape, who took one step and is now inches apart to Aleah.

"Professor, I --" said Aleah who is now avoiding eye contact with Severus and was interrupted by him,

"You weren't at dinner last night and this morning at breakfast." he said, looking at her and amused of how she is avoiding his eye contact, "Look at me." he added.

Aleah looked at Severus and can't help herself but bite her lips. Severus' eyes instantly shifted from her eyes down to her lips.

With a swift pull, their lips met aggressively. Severus bit her lower lip that made Aleah gasped and made Severus' full entry to her mouth. Their tongues were like fighting for a battle of who misses the other most.

Severus hand on Aleah's back pulled her closer to him and feel her. The sensation is too much for Aleah that she let out a moan and that made Severus pull her tight and kiss her hard.

Aleah pulled back, body still attached to Severus, "Professor, I-I can't..." Aleah was interrupted by the sudden change of Severus' eyes.

Upon hearing that Severus already know what she was about to say and so he stopped her immediately, not wanting to hear those words of regret from her. Looking at her eyes, he quickly let go and backed away.

Aleah fixed herself immediately, biting her lips to stop herself from breaking down of shame in front of him.

"Please," said Severus who is now sitting in his table for support and looked at the floor, "Out, now!" he added, not looking at Aleah's eyes.

Aleah quickly obeyed her professor, but her mind is telling her otherwise.

She wants to stay with him, be with him, feel and kiss him again.

She ran to her room, hugged her pillow and cried. She's now full of shame, thinking hard to herself that why didn't she realized it sooner that Severus Snape is not capable of love again. She will never look at her the way she looks at him. She felt so embarrassed, regrets of giving in to those kisses starts creeping in to her.

'Everyone knows the story behind his patronum, and it would always remain that way.' she thought to herself crying,

'Even after all this time, it was always Lily.'