Another Kind Of Magic - A Severus Snape Fanfiction

Secret Passage

Professor Snape brushed frantically over his cloak. "Damn cat hair," he sneezed, pushing away the purring, oversized fur ball with a brisk motion of his arm.

Offended, the animal went on to rub against Ms. Flowers' legs, looking for affection from its master.

Still rather cautious, the girl petted its head, which earned her even more satisfied purring.

"I see," Severus sneered sarcastically as he got back up, "the fragile seed of love is sprouting."

Oddly, he wasn't met with an angry stare or irritated expression, but the warmth he saw in the bright, glistening amber of his student's eyes completely dazzled him. It held the purest emotion he had ever read in anyone's features; it lay unveiled and bare before him, like an open book.

The professor had to swallow very hard and remind himself that this had nothing to do with him. Well, why would it? How did he even get ideas like that? He must have hit his head harder than he thought when the familiar had pounced on him. He should have Poppy check him thoroughly.

He made a mental note as the three of them made their way back through the labyrinth of the castle in brooding silence, only the rhythmical sound of their footsteps echoed through the hallways. Not for one second did the panther leave Ms. Flowers' side.

It wasn't long, though, until the girl spoke up. "What are we going to do with him, Sir?" Lost in thought she examined her new friend, letting her fingers run through its silky black fur.

"It's quite obvious, isn't it?" he grumbled. "We're going to take him to Hagrid. I'm sure he'll be thrilled."

With that, he stopped in front of a large painting that depicted an icy stream winding through a snowy mountain village. He placed his hand on the house that was closest to the water and the picture swung open immediately, revealing yet another corridor. This one, however, was much narrower and didn't look very inviting, as there were no torches on the wall to illuminate the steep downward slope that just seemed to fade into nothingness.

Lighting his wand, the Potions Master stepped through the painting and mumbled a grumpy "Follow me."

As soon as Ms. Flowers and her familiar were behind him, the picture slid back over the entrance, robbing them of any light.

"Where are we?" Lena whispered warily, careful not to run into any unexpected obstacles as she tried to stay as close as possible to her teacher, who led her through the darkness.

"It's a shortcut," he explained, holding his wand a little higher so she could see a bit better. "In a few minutes we'll be outside the castle walls."

Suddenly, an ear-piercing shriek filled the air and a rather large winged creature whooshed past their heads with incredible speed. Severus didn't even flinch, since he knew at least a dozen of those cave-dwelling animals lived in this part of Hogwarts. His student, however, let out a terrified scream and pressed her body against his side, burying her face in the heavy fabric of his cloak.

His instinct was to push her away, but then he felt it. It was her heart. In furious rhythm it fought against an emotion he was all too familiar with. Fear. The girl was scared. This realization made him do something very uncharacteristic. For the shortest while, he let his guard down and offered her the protection she was looking to find. For the second time now she had turned to him when she was afraid. Did she, in the end, have so much faith in him that she was confident enough to entrust him with  her safety?

Of course, you idiot, he scolded himself. Of course she trusts you. After all, you're her teacher, her Head of House, and she knows you're supposed to keep her safe, even if you can't stand her.

He frowned. For some reason, he wasn't so sure anymore that the latter statement was all that true.

The bat was long gone, only the panther's soft breathing was audible as the feline smoothly circled around the pair.

Severus hadn't noticed how his arm had gently wrapped around the girl's body, holding it close to his. However, the featherlight weight of her hands on his chest tore him out of his reverie.

Honey-colored amber melted into the abyss of dark onyx, stirring up what lay carefully hidden beneath.

Rather harshly he broke the embrace, quickly moving away from her. But it was too late. Even though he kept trying to shake that odd new feeling, it clung onto him, refusing to let go. And then, something inside of him just knew.

A bit hoarse, he mumbled, "Just a bat. We scared it."

Bashfully, she stared down at the floor. "I'm sorry, Sir. I didn't mean to ... It just startled me."

His eyes rested for a few moments on her petite frame, before he nodded and motioned her to follow him.

Neither of them said a word as they trudged in single file through the blackness of the secret passage, Professor Snape guiding the odd little group.