Let Me Hear You

[ Malfoy's Curse and Potter's Map ]

I woke up on Saturday morning with a smile on my face. Finally, after over a month of desperate attempts to earn Severus' trust, he let me in. I didn't just win his trust, though. The way he kissed me last night confirmed it: I have won his heart. If I am being honest with myself, he won my heart the second he said my name.

I climbed out of bed and walked to my fireplace. I couldn't feel him; he must be at breakfast. I usually skip breakfast on a Saturday, but if he is there, I will be too. I met up with Tas in the common room and hurried down to breakfast. "What's got you so chipper?" She asked as we entered the Great Hall. I didn't realise I had been grinning the whole way here. I locked eyes with Severus at the staff table immediately. "I'm just so happy to be able to walk again." I laughed.

"Me too; I've been so lonely without you. Do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks for lunch?" I almost didn't hear Tas over the thumping of my heart. "A butterbeer is exactly what I need right now." I smiled as we took our usual seats. Not close enough to Severus as I would have liked, but I have missed Tas too.

"Good morning, Hazel." I had to bite down on the inside of my cheek to suppress a grin. I will never get tired of hearing his voice. "Good morning, Sev." I took a sip of pumpkin juice to try to cool down my flushed cheeks. "I didn't expect to see you here this morning." It sounded as though that was exactly what he expected. "I couldn't feel you, so I guessed you'd be here." I started buttering some toast. Having only eaten once in three days, my stomach is screaming at me. "I thought as much." I didn't need to look at him to know he was smirking.

"You're going to Hogsmeade with Miss Rosewood?" Was he jealous? "I am. We have seen very little of each other this year. Unfortunately, someone else has been taking up quite a lot of my time." I was baiting him, but I really did feel awful that I had drifted from Tas, however unintentional it might have been. "You didn't seem to think it was unfortunate when you mounted my lap yesterday." He quipped. I had to bite my cheeks to suppress a whimper.

"Touché." I sat up straighter, trying to compose myself. "Have fun. It is important to maintain normalcy. You were bonded with Miss Rosewood long before you were with me." I almost teared up at his respect for my life away from him. "Thank you. You can call her Taslyn; no one can hear you." Even though I couldn't tell Tas about my relationship with Severus, that doesn't mean she and I don't come as a package deal.

"She has not offered her name to me as you have." I laughed softly, which earnt a quizzical look from Tas. "What's funny?" Shit. "Language." This is torture. "Just thinking how this time yesterday I was about to die, and now it's like it never happened." Lying is my native tongue. She laughed, nudging me in the arm. "Hardly funny, but it is quite strange." She was confused as to how quickly I recovered, but thankfully chose not to comment.

The October snow was well and truly upon us. I cast a warming charm on Tas and me as we trekked arm-in-arm through the frozen roads to Hogsmeade. When we entered the Three Broomsticks, I sent Tas to find our regular booth towards the back of the pub while I ordered us a butterbeer each. I had just paid for our drinks when I felt the minds of the Golden Trio step inside. Harry was looking for Slughorn; Hermione's mind was riddled with Ron, and he was as clueless as ever.

I smiled at the three of them as I took my butterbeers from Madam Rosmerta. "Hi guys, I trust your sixth year is treating you well so far." As a fellow academic, I have always had a pleasant relationship with Hermione. Harry and Ron, however, didn't pay much attention to me. I was a Slytherin, after all. "Hi, Hazel. We have, thank you. Congratulations on making Head Girl; you deserve it." Hermione is always so sweet. She never says anything she doesn't believe. Harry nodded and smiled, and Ron walked off to find them a table.