Let Me Hear You

[ Control ]

Two million, six hundred and twenty-eight thousand, and three brutal seconds.

Seven hundred and thirty agonising hours.

Four devastating weeks.

One torturous month.

Severus and I have barely spoken since the night in the Astronomy Tower. However, it was not the lack of speaking that was the most painful. It was being in class with him. It was seeing him at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was passing him in the halls. Worst of all, though, was that he still insisted that we continue rounds together.

I wrongly assumed that he would relinquish me from my nightly duties of assisting him on his hunt for wayward students. For the first few days after I told him that I hated him, he let me be. One night, as I had just stepped out of an hour-long shower, I felt him approach my bedroom door. He knew that I knew he was there, but he knocked.

~ Thursday, January 16th ~

I stood dripping wet, trembling as I clutched my towel to my body. Two knocks sounded at my door, and his resentment pounded along with them. My eyes frantically scanned my room, as if I could find somewhere to hide. Three knocks, a little more forceful this time, and a little less patience, and still I stood rooted to the spot, my eyes now fixated on the door that separated us.

"I will not knock again, Miss Goldstein." His voice echoed, though slightly muffled, through my room. With a hefty gulp, I cast a drying spell, slipped into a robe, and opened the door a mere crack. I peered around the slight opening and up into his menacing, black eyes.

He could not see my body, but he knew I was not decent. "You are late." He peeled his eyes away from mine and stared blankly above my head. When I simply frowned at him and didn't respond, he groaned lowly. "Your duties as Head Girl have not come to an end yet, Miss Goldstein. It is Thursday, and thus you are required to assist me during my rounds."

My mouth fell agape, and it took all the strength I had left not to curse at him and slam the door in his face. Instead, I opened the door fully, exposing my robed self to him. For the briefest of moments, as though he were powerless against the urge, his eyes darted down the length of my body before returning to a point above my head.

A hint of shame tugged at the seams of his reserve, and I rolled my eyes. Pathetic. "If you are not standing outside my office in five minutes, you will have detention with Filch for a week." He spun on his heel and strode out of the private passageway. I stared blankly at the wall beyond where he had just stood and clenched my fists.

Taking a few deep breaths in an attempt to quell the burning rage bubbling beneath my skin, I quickly dressed and hurried down to his office with a minute to spare. He stood just outside his office with his back to me, waiting for me to fall by his side. I passed him, not waiting for him to join me, and walked as closely to the opposite wall as I could manage.

The night dragged on in uncomfortable, torturous silence. We had just finished our second lap of the first floor and were beginning our descent back to the dungeons when I finally spoke. "Perhaps I should do my rounds with another teacher." We were still walking on opposite sides of the hall, though I did not raise my voice louder than if he were standing right next to me.

"Professor Dumbledore instructed otherwise." My eye twitched at his cold, emotionless voice. I shouldn't be surprised, but it hurt no less.

"You asked the same?" I attempted to keep my voice as neutral as his.

"Obviously," he drawled. Though I was nearly six metres from him, it felt as though my presence was causing him physical pain. I will admit, though, that I felt a throb in my spine, as if someone had just plunged a knife into my back, twisting it for good measure.