The Potion Master's Apprentice (A Severus Snape love story)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Florence smiled softly at the little boy sitting in the chair beside her, currently being entertained by a pair of dancing goblets, courtesy of Professor Flitwick. On her other side, Severus was gazing silently at his plate, occasionally shoving a small morsel of food in his mouth before returning to his moody recluse.

"What is your problem?" Florence hissed, receiving a very dirty look. Severus slammed his cutlery onto the table and leant back in his chair, fixing her with a scathing scowl.

"My problem," He said slowly, eyes scanning the mob of students who would occasionally look up at Marcus and talk in hushed voices. "Is that the students are under the illusion that the reason you were away is because you were pregnant with my child." He raised an eyebrow, halting her from saying 'Well I was, in a way'. Florence sighed defeatedly and returned her attention onto Marcus, giving Flitwick a radiant smile as he made the salt and pepper mills do a conga line around the little boys plate as he clapped and gurgled happily.

Towards the end of the meal, Florence looked up from her food when she felt Severus' hand slip onto her knee and his stare on the back of her head.

"I'm sorry..." He muttered, frowning slightly as she stared at him with tear filled eyes. "I didn't mean to sound so harsh... It's just that, I don't want people getting the wrong idea about us."

"How do you mean, us?" Florence asked roughly, throwing off his hand and standing upright to leave. Once again, they were the only people in the room. Marcus laughed as Florence pulled him out of the highchair and slung him over her hip, arms wrapped securly around his waist as she stomped towards Severus. 

"I don't want the rumours to continue, because there is no us." Florence scoffed incredulously and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, there is no us, is there?" She shrieked and stormed past him. He put a hand out to stop her but she just shrugged him off, ignoring his approaching footsteps and angry shouting.

"Florence! Have reason! I didn't mean it like that! Of course there's an us, it's just that-"

"I'm not too sure that there is anymore." She snapped shrilly and he growled furiously.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" He snarled as he followed her through the corridors.

"You know very well what that means, Professor." She hissed and he flinched, stopping abruptly as she continued walking away. Florence stopped at the end of the corridor and stared back at him, eyes darting between his clenched fists and conflicted face.

"Please, Florence." He begged quietly, nails beginning to dig into his palm but he ignored the pain, even when blood began to ooze from the crescent shaped cuts and drip serenely onto the flagstone tiles. Florence said nothing and frowned slightly, lifting a hand to run her fingers through her hair absentmindedly. "Don't do this to me."

"I'm not doing anything." Her eyes narrowed and she walked slowly towards him, trying to keep a determined facade even though she felt herself quivering slightly under his angry glare.

"You know Florence that I love you, more than I've ever loved anyone." He muttered in a deathly quiet voice so that she had to strain her ears to hear him. "And I could never be ashamed of being with you, if anything I am incredibly disheartened that you think I feel that way about our relationship. You also know that I don't want news of our liason to escape amongst the students."

"What I don't get, is what is so wrong about them knowing?" Florence sneered through gritted teeth. Severus' eye twitched and he looked at her with apparent impatience and disbelief. He didn't answer and this caused her to laugh coldly. "Oh, I see how it is. You're afraid of their scrutiny, aren't you? I mean, it's all well and good saying that you're not ashamed to be with me but it's all to easy to just pretend that there's nothing going on. It's a lot less painful, not having to endure other people's scorn." She hoisted Marcus higher in her arms as he gawped between the pair with a mild look of curiosity and bewilderment. Florence stepped closer to Severus and pressed a finger into his chest, well aware that her high pitch screaming had pulled many staff and students alike out of their dormitories to see what was going on. Unfortunately, they were currently closest to the Gryffindor tower so the majority of the students were clearly enjoying their least favourite teacher's discomfort, none more so than Bill Weasley.