Dancing with fire. [A Severus Snape fan fiction]

First contact

Phoenix

He didn't speak to me at all at breakfast. He wouldn't even look at me. I was so upset and livid by his hot and cold behaviour that I left the teachers table before I had finished breakfast. I turned just before I left the great Hall and caught him looking at me with a pained expression on his face.

Despite the rocky start, my morning was actually going surprising well. My second years were really coming along leaps and bounds. I couldn't have felt prouder. It was just coming up to the mid morning break, so I decided to head to the teachers lounge for a hot drink. As I entered I spotted Minerva Mcgonagall sitting at the table reading the latest edition of 'Transfiguration Today'. She nodded as I waved to her. I got myself a coffee then headed in her direction. I leant against the wall nursing my cup.
"Can I ask you something?" I blurted out loud. She lowered her magazine and fixed me with her steely gaze. "Of course." she replied, "what seems to be the problem?" I looked into my cup, then reluctantly I said,
"Severus Snape."
"what about him?" she asked while carefully trying to keep her expression neutral. "I just don't understand what I've done to upset him" I said bitterly. "Everytime he sees me he can't get away fast enough." I sighed as I drained the drink. Minerva was looking at me with a very odd expression on her face. "Why would this bother you?" she asked briskly. I looked at her guiltily. "I don't know really," I paused, "I just... find him fascinating I guess." I began to blush as soon as the words left my mouth. She looked right at me. "Phoenix, you'll never melt his frozen heart. Some wounds run too deep to be healed." I stared at Minerva. To shocked for words. I had never heard her speak that frankly about another member of staff. "In all the years I've known him, and that's quite some time believe me, I still don't know him. If you understand me." Minerva Mcgonagall surveyed me over her spectacles. Her expression was difficult to read. She took a deep breath. "Look", she removed her glasses. "I can see the appeal, but perhaps you're better off not going down that road. He's..." she trailed off desperately looking for a polite way to put it, but obviously failing, "he's... dangerous. There's no other way to put it." she looked rather flushed with embarrassment. I'm ashamed to say that at her words my pulse quickened and I felt my body responding inappropriately. I turned to look out the window so Minerva couldn't see my flushed cheeks. I could see her point, but deep down I knew I just didn't care. I had felt such a strong pull towards him that I kind of felt like I couldn't stay away, even if I tried. Minerva must have read my mind because she closed her eyes and sighed. "Oh to be young and foolish!" She shook her head and stood up to leave. "You know where to find me if you ever need to talk." she placed her hand on my arm and patted it. "Thank you." I said as she left the teachers lounge. A sudden wave of gratitude and fondness swept over me. I never expected to take such a liking to the teachers here, especially Minerva Mcgonagall. She seemed so stern at first, but once you got to know her, the harsh, rigid facade would slip, revealing a fiercely independent woman with an incredibly caring side. I liked her a lot. I was just about to leave when he walked
in the room.

He stopped as soon as he saw me. My face flushed, and I silently cursed my body for reacting so obviously to his mere presence. I was still angry with him but I couldn't help but glance at his face. He seemed flustered too, because he was looking down at the floor with such determination that I almost laughed out loud.
" Hello you. " I said cooly. He pulled his eyes away from the floor and looked right at me. As our eyes connected I could feel the same pull of attraction I had felt back when I first set eyes on him. I felt my pulse quicken and my stomach was full of butterflies.
" Hi " he muttered back. He looked back down to the floor. He was stood absolutely still. As if frozen in place by the doorway. I made to walk towards him, but he drew backwards. I stopped abruptly. I could feel my temper rising. " okay Severus. What the hell is going on with you? !" I said with a raised voice. His head snapped up, his dark eyes burning with pent up frustration. " I could ask you the very same question. " He snapped back. My jaw dropped open. " Excuse me!" I spluttered, unable to comprehend what he had just said to me. " Oh don't play coy with me. " He replied. I narrowed my eyes at him. How dare he speak to me like that. After the way he's been acting recently. I shook my head in disbelief and went to stomp out of the room. Just as I was about to walk past he flung out his arm to block the doorway. I stopped. It was the closest I had ever been to him. I could smell the sweet and bitter potion ingredients on his robes. I bit the inside of my mouth to distract myself. He was much taller than I first thought, at least six foot. I had to look up at him. He looked down into my eyes. " Who are you Phoenix Knight? " He whispered. He stared at me so intensely that at first I was quite lost for words. " You know who I am. " I answered back defiantly. The slightest of smiles danced across his face. "You know full well what I mean. " He retorted. " Have you been sent here by someone? To spy on me? To gather as much information as you can? Because if that is your intention, then you can rest assured you will not succeed. " He looked furious. As I looked up at him I could feel my anger melting away. What on earth was he talking about? I pondered. His eyes were boring into mine as if they were searching desperately for answers to a problem that didn't exist. As I stared at him I felt my heart break. Not for me, but for him. I couldn't believe his first thought was of hatred and betrayal. I took a step closer to him. His eyes widened. Our bodies were inches apart. I could almost hear his heart racing. " You tell me who you think I am. " I whispered. I stared into his dark brown eyes. Suddenly I felt a lurch. I was still standing in the teachers lounge but my head felt like it was spinning. All I could see was the dark fathomless eyes of Severus Snape. Then snippets of memories from my life was racing through my mind. Images of my smiling grandmother and the old cottage of which we lived in swam into view. The meadow surrounded by trees where I spent so many hours agonizing over my teenage woes. The memories were whizzing past at an alarming rate. First I was in my first ever dance lesson, then I was at my first day at dance college. Now I could see Hogwarts Castle as I started my first day as a professor. Then there was Severus. Image after image of the man I couldn't stop thinking about. Then, as quickly as it all started, it was all over, I was back in the teachers lounge. Both in mind and body. I was gasping for breath. " What...The hell. " I whispered in between breaths. I tentatively looked at Severus. He was looking at me with a very odd expression on his face. He dropped his arm from in front of the doorway. Then he did something which took my breath away. He reached out and placed his hand on my cheek. His fingers were cold but I could feel them tremble as he touched my skin. I have to say that I was buzzing from the sudden change of atmosphere between us. I reached out for him. I ran my hand very slowly through his long black hair. He closed his eyes. I wondered to myself if he had ever felt a loving embrace. Had he ever felt desired? The thought of him being unloved was almost too much for me to bear, so, without hesitation I pulled his face to mine and kissed him.