Yours truly | Severus Snape - Sequel to Sincerely yours

Exceptionally delightful piece of roast

"I can't believe you agreed to continue the lessons!" Clary moaned after Mary had told her that she would be spending the evening in the dungeons with Severus. The blonde girl had asked Mary to join her, Alison and Emily in the grounds for an evening walk but Mary had refused. When noticing the offended look on her best friend's face, Mary had explained that she would very much like to join them any other evening, but this evening she couldn't because of the lesson with Severus.

"Clary, I want to become a Potions Master, and Professor Snape is willing to help me to achieve my goals. Why shouldn't I take the help I'm being offered?" Mary asked, trying to make Clary understand that becoming a Potions Master was everything she had ever wanted. Well, at least almost everything.

"Besides, I no longer have feelings towards Snape. I guess spending the summer without seeing him made them fade away", Mary lied, turning her gaze away from Clary's pale spectacles. Clary, who hadn't forgotten the way Mary had stared at Professor Snape on the day they had arrived at Hogwarts, rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"You know that anything you just said isn't true", Clary pointed out, making Mary's ears burn. It wasn't any of Clary's business who she spends her evenings with. Besides, Mary wasn't actually torturing herself. She indeed had feelings towards Severus, but Severus, too, had feelings towards Mary. Of course, Clary didn't know that, nor did Mary plan on telling her about it.

"Yeah, alright, I might have feelings for him. But that doesn't change the fact that he is the only person in this school who can help me achieve my goals." Saying that, Mary stood up and marched out of the Great Hall, taking her direction towards Professor Quirrell's classroom.

"Stupid Clary", Mary mumbled as she was walking towards the North Tower, not paying attention to anything happening in front of her. She hadn't taken many steps when she already bumped into something. Or more like someone.

"Oh my-", Mary started, but then realised who she had bumped into. The headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore was standing in front of her, looking at her through his halfmoon spectacles with a gentle smile on his lips.

"I am so sorry, Professor", Mary apologized, her ears burning with embarrassment. The smile on Dumbledore's lips slightly widened as he opened his mouth, speaking to Mary with a calm voice.

"That is quite alright, Miss Montgomery. Our minds tend to ignore our surroundings whenever they are filled with an extremely captivating thought. I, too, have to say that I was woefully ignorant of my surroundings, for I was thinking of an exceptionally delightful piece of roast I ate at the dinner."

Mary stared at Dumbledore, unable to determine if he was speaking true or not.

"Well, I bid you a good rest of the day", Dumbledore said and walked past Mary.

"You too, Professor", she mumbled after the silver haired professor.

****

After the weeks last lesson, Mary, Clary, and Alison went back to the Slytherin common room to get a good head start on their homework.

"This year I won't start slacking behind", declared Clary, who had always had troubles keeping up with her schoolwork. Both Mary and Alison rolled their eyes but didn't say anything. Neither of them believed that Clary could keep her promise even for a one week. Clary was famous for promising to make big changes in her life but never being able to actually keep those promises.

"Are you sure you won't come with us?" asked Alison, clearly wanting to change the subject as soon as possible. Mary shook her head and explained that she wants to take her Potions studies very seriously this year, as they would be having the O.W.L.s at the end of the school year.

"Fine", she groaned and rolled over on the dark green carpet, which had a picture of a gigantic snake slithering all over it.

"Speaking of, we agreed to meet Emily in the Entrance Hall at eight sharp. We should get going if we don't wanna be late", Clary said, taking a look at her silver watch. "You should start to pack your things too, unless you want to anger Snape", Clary pointed out to Mary, whose stuff was spread all over the floor.

"You're right", Mary said and started gathering her things as Clary and Alison went to take their bags in the Girls' Dormitory. They waited by the entrance as Mary took her things to the Girls' Dormitory as well and then the three of them left the Slytherin common room.

"Bye!", Clary and Alison said as they started making their way towards the Entrance Hall. Mary waved her hand and turned her feet towards the corridor which would take her to the Potions classroom.

****

"So, you have arrived", said Severus as Mary entered his classroom. The man was casually leaning on his desk and tapping his index finger on the surface like he used to do last year. That sight made something warm tumble within Mary's core.

"Yeah, I have", Mary replied, unsure if she should go closer to Severus or if she should sit down somewhere in the classroom.

"Last year, we prepared the Draught of Living Death", Severus started, taking a step closer towards Mary. Mary nodded.

"Today", he continued and took another step closer to Mary, "I want you to do it", he finished and continued walking towards Mary until he was standing right in front of her. He locked his dark eyes with Mary's and leaned even closer, so that his face was only inches away from Mary's.

"Alone." His breath tickled Mary's face as he spoke, making Mary feel even more nervous than what she had felt before she had entered the classroom.

"Do you have to go somewhere?" Mary asked. She wasn't sure why Severus suddenly wanted her to work alone. Wasn't the whole plan of this thing to give them a time and place for Severus to teach Mary how to make different potions and such?

"No, I don't", Severus answered, a teasing smirk spreading across his lips. "I just want you to practise making potions on your own. But I will be here, in case you need help. And of course, to watch you and see how you work."

Mary gulped. Somehow, the idea of her working on a potion while having Severus observing her every movement made her feel quite exposed.

"Really?" Mary asked, her heart beating fast in her chest. There was a dangerous sparkle in Severus' eyes. A kind of sparkle which made Mary's knees weak. Severus leaned even closer towards Mary and clicked his tongue.

"Really."