Elements {Severus Snape / Student}

The First Task (Part 1) ::20::

*** Aww yeah :P the big 20! This chapter is the beginning of the day of the Task, but the next chapter is moreso focused on the actual task and that sort of thing. Sorry it's been a few days, busy. I'm slowly getting a life :) but within the next few weeks my updates will be less frequent. I must warn you... it gets good from this chapter on! :) so happy reading to the lot of you! ***

Lennox sat on a thick branch in a nearby tree, completely immobile, and taking in deep breaths. She was unperturbed by the world around her, only listening to the slight breeze as it whizzed past her ears.

Her fists rested gently in her lap, and she was clearing her mind of all things unnecessary to her. It was six in the morning, and she had been up for nearly two hours, only having been able to get four hours of precious sleep.

Severus stood near the flap of the tent, looking through the small opening. His eyes trailed up the tree until he found her body sitting peacefully fifty feet up in the air. He felt the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smirk.

She had to be about the oddest girl he had ever met in his life... and yet somehow the most intruiging. God forbid he ever admit that to anyone... but it was still a nice thought. Severus could not count how many times he thought about her in the dead of night.

He could not count how many times he had found himself secretly wondering what she would feel like underneath him... her delicate smooth skin against his... those miles and miles of skin. He had been aroused more than once just thinking about it.

Not once in his life time did he ache for a woman as much as he did with her. Not even Lily made him feel this way, and at the time he was convinced he would never love another... if it could have been defined as love... or a serious infatuation.

Nevertheless he wanted her. He wanted her so badly it hurt... literally. Ashamed of himself, even last night he slipped his hands under the elastic of his shorts. Granted, she had been outside for most of the night, wearing his cloak.

But still.

He had even contemplated watching her when she washed herself in the river not but an hour ago. It took some serious talking himself out of it to keep him away. And even with all the strange alien feelings he had for her...

He loathed her just the same. One moment he could want her, and the next the feeling to bash her over the head with a broomstick had been all too welcoming. Yes he had a complicated relationship with Lennocelia Kingsleigh.

One he wasn't quite sure he wished to have.

She had known more about him than anybody... other than Dumbledore. He was still upset with himself for telling her things she ought not to know. But he couldn't help it... she was too convincing... even when she wasn't trying to be.

At times he thoroughly enjoyed her company, when he wasn't wanting to murder her that is. He was certain that, much like her, he knew more about her than most people did. That frightened him. They were becoming too close.

Severus knew when it came to women it wasn't wise for him to be picky. But he wouldn't settle for some rude imbosile. No. When it came to girls, Severus knew exactly what he wanted... and he almost hated himself for it.

She was everything he could have asked for. Highly intelligent, unwilling to put up with bullshit, powerful, daring, someone who could understand him... and much more. Attractive- there was no denying, snarky, sarcastic, charismatic...

He would damn the girl if she wasn't so perfect. It was as if someone had taken extra care in making her... as if someone had thought about his specific wants and needs when concocting the recipe for this... girl.