autumn | severus snape

seventeen

Her first opportunity to prove herself came that Thursday evening when Cory was softly tapping on her window.

"Sorry, Cor, I'm not coming tonight."

Ophelia was sitting on the floor, her arms crossed over the windowsill.

Cory bent his knees, putting his weight on his toes. His hand came up to feel her forehead, brows creasing.

"Are you ill?"

"Oh, shut up," she swatted his hand away. "I just feel like I should cut back on the drinking for a while, you know?"

"I truly don't," Cory frowned.

She playfully slapped his chest with the back of her hand and he laughed.

"Alright, then," he breathed, giving her arm a squeeze, "see you tomorrow?"

"Ah, no, actually.. I'm having dinner with Teddy and his dad."

Cory's eyes practically jumped out of his head.

"You're joking!" He raised his eyebrows, "well, how the hell did that happen?"

"He just asked me and.." she shrugged, "I didn't know how to say no."

He narrowed his eyes, "you're not shagging him, are you?"

"No!" She frowned, "I mean, he's good looking but I don't have the hots for Teddy's dad, okay?"

"Not his dad, Teddy! But good to know where you stand."

"Oh! Yeah, makes more sense," she pursed her lips, "but no, not Teddy either."

"But you're thinking about it?"

Ophelia shook her head. The only one she could possibly be thinking of that way, she couldn't have. It was confusing, because she was used to liking someone because they had been kind to her, because they offered her hope and a sense of affection. But Snape wasn't like that, and it made her all the more desperate to see him again.

"I'm really not."

"Huh," Cory breathed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Come on," she nudged him, "you can tell me."

"There just has to be something severely wrong with Teddy," Cory shrugged.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I thought you were horny for just about anyone," he grinned.

Ophelia's jaw dropped as she stuck her middle finger in his face.

"You know that thing I said before? Yeah, I take it right back, never tell me anything ever again!"

"Sorry," Cory laughed.

"You know, you joke a lot about my sex life," she teased, "I'm beginning to think it's because you wish you were in it."

He rolled his eyes, "in your dreams, Delisle."

𖠇

His wards warned him the second Ophelia stepped into his home. Snape took a deep breath, contemplating the next course of action. He had been thinking deeply about her, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter that he had wanted to kiss her back in the water and it didn't matter that he had wanted to kiss her again on the balcony, because he could never allow himself those desires. Which was all that it was; desire. Nothing more.

Nothing more.

Besides, there were other, more urgent, matters demanding his attention and he simply could not afford to be distracted. He would not let silly desires ruin everything.