Hearts are Blind (Severus Snape X OC)

Uncontrollable

He stood straight.

That back that never slouched; those hands that rarely shook; that jawline that never quavered and stood set and strong and only clenched when she aggravated him. Careless Snape. Oblivious Snape. Unyielding Snape... He stood with his rigid back to her and an arm lying across the top of the mantel. His other arm was bent at the elbow, hand pushing up into his lower back, as it rested on his hip. He was as still as a statue. She figured he thought he was alone. She figured he thought she'd purchased her ingredients and left. Maybe part of her figured he was—at that very moment—wondering about her in the snow; curious about her in the cold; worried for her all alone, on her journey back to the castle... What she didn't expect was for him to speak to her.

"Jasper's right, you know..." He said quietly, but she heard him from her spot in the doorway. He said it in such a way that could be construed as him merely speaking aloud to himself, but Lucinda knew his intent.

She was startled at first, but recovered quickly and then cleared her throat (even though he obviously knew she was there). "I'm sorry?" She questioned back in a voice just a touch louder than his own.

The man turned around slowly and held her gaze for just a moment, because Lucinda then quickly looked away, breaking the eye contact. She was determined not to get caught up in glances that meant nothing. She wasn't going to read into pauses or slow words of explanation. She was going to wait out the winter storm with Jasper and Severus—professor Snape—just happened to be there.

"I indulged more than was appropriate..." he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, with a puff of air from his nostrils. "And, in doing so, acted inappropriately."

"So, you're excusing your behavior?" Lucinda asked dryly, raising her eyes to look into his again. She was beyond formalities with him. Was she trying to start something? No, not necessarily, but his attitude towards her about Jasper was unacceptable.

Snape returned her somewhat blank gaze with one of his own. "Absolutely not." He replied, walking forward a couple of steps. Lucinda stayed where she was. "I'm simply stating a fact. I didn't expect you... anyone to come into the shop. I was of the assumption that it was just Jasper and I—and then you... Well, to put it simply, you caught me off my guard."

Lucinda wrapped her arms around the tankard of broth and hugged it closer to her body. "It still seems as though you're trying to justify yourself."

Snape stared hard at her, shoulders slightly hunched up towards his ears; it was incredibly strange and off-putting after so many weeks of no eye contact, what-so-ever. Then—slowly—the shoulders came down; his eyes faded from their hardened gaze, into a somewhat uncomfortable regard. Then he took a minuscule step back onto his toe. His eyes dropped steadily as he leaned back on that foot, carefully rolling it through until his heel was flat against the floor. Then he slowly pivoted his body away from her and walked back to the fireplace again. Lucinda watched, confused and just a little startled. When Snape reached the hearth, he picked up the goblet that he'd left there on the mantel and stared down into its contents.

"I don't believe this is the first time such poison has loosened my tongue..." He spoke thoughtfully and then glanced sideways at the girl (her eyes snapped down to the goblet and then back up to his face). Then there was a moment of silence. They looked at each other and Snape broke their eye contact this time. He swirled the liquid in the chalice and sighed. "Sorry." He said. Then the fire roared up with sparks and smoke as Severus tossed the whiskey into the flames.

Lucinda flinched, but—thankfully—it was such a small movement, she hoped her professor hadn't seen it. Honestly, she wasn't sure who he was apologizing to anyway: her or the booze, and because of that, she didn't answer.