Hearts are Blind (Severus Snape X OC)

Potions and Pendants

"Did you put the pennyroyal in yet?"

Lucinda looked up from her cauldron. Snape looked back at her, but it was over his shoulder. He was currently writing something on his chalkboard. Actually, he was writing down everything that she was doing. She knew that this was going to happen. It was only a matter of time before he figured out what she was trying to make. The finding out part wouldn't necessarily be bad, but she had a feeling he was going to be less than thrilled when he learned what her intentions with it were.

"No, not yet," she said and glanced through the page of the potions book that lay in front of her on the table. "I was thinking that it should go in after this heats for two extra minutes..." She paused and looked up at him. "Is that wrong?"

Snape turned back to the board and stared at it for a moment. Then he wrote something down and stared at it again. "I don't know yet..." he said, obviously deep in thought. "You said it needed to be crimson in hue, correct?"

Lucinda nodded and then said, "yes" once she realized his back was still to her. It was a Saturday afternoon. Several weeks had passed since the day they acquired (re-acquired) her Kudu sap at the apothecary and the two of them had begun the experiment. They were meeting up in his classroom every Saturday and Wednesday to work on the potion. "Okay, Sev, come on—help me out here," she said in agitation, watching the flame under the cauldron carefully and then glancing nervously at the blue liquid inside of it. "The two minutes are up. Should I put it in, or no?"

"Well, it isn't going to blow you up," he snapped. "Go ahead and do it... And don't call me that."

"Oh are we back to professor and student again?" She drawled sarcastically and then cringed when the pennyroyal sank down into the blue concoction. It didn't explode. She relaxed and stirred.

"We have always been professor and student," he snipped, walking up to the other side of the table. "But that is not my name. Do not call me by any nicknames."

"What's got your wand in a knot?" She hissed across the cauldron at him. "Forgive me for being so insensitive about your name." Her words said "I'm sorry", but her tone sounded much more like "fuck off". He didn't like it...

The potions master sneered. "I am perfectly fine," he said smoothly and his sneer increased in dislike. "But you don't seem to be fine."

"Because you asked to look over my potion making and all you've done is irritate me!"

"That is your own fault," he scoffed and stared down into the cauldron. "You expect me to be your best friend and to support you in all of your life choices, as if I am one of your little girlfriends. First and foremost, I am a Hogwarts teacher."

"Didn't you tell me before that you were my friend first and my teacher second?" Lucinda asked stubbornly, as her anger started to ebb away again. "I get a boyfriend and then you never want to talk to me anymore..."

"That is because you are never alone!" He growled through clenched teeth.

"Of course I am!" Lucinda said in exasperation. "And what does that matter? Can you not speak to me in his presence?"

"I would rather not, actually," Severus growled a little quieter this time and then turned around to lean his bottom against the edge of the table. "I may vomit if I'm forced to be anywhere near him."

"You are unbelievable." Lucinda ground out, barely containing the fury that crept up inside her again.

"Thank you." He replied in condescendence.

Lucinda clenched her fists tight and stared down into the potion. It was turning from a deep blue to a lighter blue. Flecks of green were beginning to wink up at her, mockingly. She smacked a hand down on the potions book and then flipped it closed with a sharp snap. "It's turning green again," she barked and then blew the flame out from under the cauldron. "The ruddy thing is heading in the complete opposite direction of the color spectrum. I am so done with this." Then she began packing up her things.