Beauty & Her Prince ✦ Snily

7 ✦ Les Sentiments

Dedicated to: @littlesnack

—
"There may be something
there that wasn't there before."

- Mrs. Potts, on the developed
relationship between Belle and
the Beast.
—

✦Chapter Seven: Les Sentiments✦

—

| Lily |

Only recently have I accepted the fact that indeed, I wasn't hearing or seeing things. It would be completely easier if I decided I am absolutely insane, but it turns out he does not abhorr me. Or at least, he does not abhorr me as much as I believed he would.

If at least a fraction of Severus cared tremendously about my wellbeing, it became noticeable in the smallest ways. Perhaps I'm trying to survive my imprisonment with silly illusions, but nonetheless I felt sparks of hope.

Severus never ate breakfast until I had joined him. Often he wouldn't be keen with engaging in conversation, but sometimes he did make subtle comments or sarcastic remarks. He never ventured into the library without asking if I wanted to come along. Even if conversing wasn't his most practiced sport, he did try at times.

"Less than a fortnight before you exercise your duties as Head Girl -"

"Ah, if only I wasn't being held captive in this bat cave."

"I could let you go, knowing how much you want to be alongside that supercilious friend of yours..."

"James is not as overbearing as he used to be."

He had paused, and an uncomfortable silence had risen between us. James Potter has always been a deeply uncomfortable subject to go on about, elaborately now since Severus thinks that I admire the aristocratic jerk. Admittedly, I never rejected one of his accusations - it kept his interest with the subject fresh. And if his interest about James and I remained fresh, that meant he cared.

I had looked up, and caught his eyes lingering on me. He had flushed a pale pink and looked down at his book once more, intensely focusing his gaze as if summoning the power to be swallowed in the novel.

"And... I know. I know Severus."

He had seemed taken aback for a quick second at the use of his first name slipping casually from my lips. Something more or less of amusement threaded within the pronunciation, instead of the boring disdain.

"Know what?" He had responded coolly, ignoring the unspoken moments we had just shared.

"You'd let me go."

Severus had snorted, regarding me with an incredulous look.

"Don't be silly, that is severely unreasonable. It's one thing to be foolish and volunteer as prisoner, it's another to think you will so easily be let off the hook. Pray tell, why do you think so?"

"Because you care. I'll be buried in my grave before you admit it, but you do - you promised that you won't let me die here. I'm not thick, I accept the friendly advances towards civility. And it's fine, I think it's good that we're working towards being better acquaintances."