Let Me Hear You

[ Withdrawals ]

I woke up on the rug in front of the fire at five o'clock in the morning. I had sat watching the flames for hours, waiting. Waiting for him to come back, to call out to me, to send a letter, anything. I could feel him in his chambers as if his body was still pressed against me. I could still feel his hands roaming my body, only now it was painful. I should have known I was not good enough for him. He said it himself; he is my teacher.

My whole body ached. I couldn't tell if it was from sleeping on the ground or that it longed for his embrace once more. Just about every joint cracked as I stood up. I need to wash his scent, touch, and wasted desire off of me. I need to forget the surge of magic that ignited my body when he touched me. When he kissed me. He made it quite clear that he couldn't let this happen again.

I stepped out of the shower, cast a quick-drying charm, and wrapped myself in my bathrobe. I couldn't watch the fire for a moment longer; my eyes were dry enough. I levitated an armchair in front of my window and sat down, letting my eyes be absorbed by the lake. I glanced briefly at the floor in front of me and shivered. The memory of Severus coming to me in the midst of our mirrored panic attack washed over me. Every corner of this room reminds me of him: my bed, the armchair I am sitting in, the window, the fire, the wall next to the door. It is suffocating.

As I swiped away a stray tear, the consequences of my actions came knocking at my door. Standing up and waving my hand, Draco walked with his concern, anger, and confusion in tow. "Was that your plan all along? To get Snape down here to catch us together?" His voice is so laced with betrayal that my chin started to tremble. "You set me up, Hazel. I need to know why." He squared his shoulders and kept his face as stoic as he could manage. "She's been sent by the Order to intercept my task. How could I be so stupid?" His comment made my heart sink. What's the Order? What task?

"It's not like that, Draco, I promise." My voice shook slightly. I knew he wasn't going to leave here without some answers. "I did set you up to get Snape down here." Half-truths, it is. "I have had a crush on him for years, and now that I am old enough, I wanted him to notice me." The words felt like acid rolling off my tongue. Like I was admitting to being a tramp.

"I waited for him to leave your room after he threw me out." Shit. "But he didn't. I half expected him to still be in here." He sneered. He is disgusted. "He didn't stay for longer than ten seconds after you left, I swear. He left via floo." I pointed to the fireplace. "I don't know what's less believable: that she wants to shag Snape or that she's working for the Order."

It took every ounce of strength I had left not to ask him about "the Order" or his "task". I will have to ask Severus. The thought of speaking to him made me feel nauseous, though. Maybe I'll ask Dumbledore. "So he didn't touch you?" He still wasn't convinced. The image of my legs wrapped around his waist flashed through my mind. It was so vivid that I could feel his hands on my ass. My core throbbed, and I clenched my jaw.

"Absolutely not." I stood taller, trying to ignore the flames that erupted in my stomach. "Did you really think the most hated professor in the school would lay a finger on a student if he weren't punishing them?" Great. Now the image of me bent over his desk while he "punished" me is dancing across my eyes. I need to compose myself.

I stepped closer to Draco and held out my pinkie. "I promise you, Draco. I tried to come onto him, and he rejected me. He did not touch me." I prayed to Merlin that this hadn't ruined our relationship. "The only thing I gained last night was an embarrassment that I will carry until the end of the year." He didn't meet my pinkie right away, but I could feel his anger slowly fade away. "If he did, or ever does, I will kill him myself." He meant his threat.

My arm started to shake. With a heavy sigh and a roll of his eyes, he finally intwined his pinkie with mine. "I don't want to be you when you see him next." He smirked. "I wouldn't want to be you, either." I laughed and pulled him in for a hug, resting my head on his chest. "We're both screwed." He kissed my forehead and stepped back. "Get dressed. We'll go get breakfast before everyone wakes up."