Uncanny Snake

XXIV - In the Shadows

When I awoke, I wasn't surprised to find the bed empty, but it felt warm and comfortable, my fingers brushing the priceless necklace pressed to my collarbone. Usually, if I wasn't on my feet and ready to go by the crack of dawn, Severus acted like a drill instructor. However, the sun was already up, and as I saw it, it was definitely past noon. Our childish banter yesterday mixed with a day's worth of emotional insecurities led to something a bit less pure, and a jealous Severus had little restraint.

My locket sat on the bedside table, two green strings tying the heirloom together, forming a bracelet. I sat up, wincing as my nude body brushed against the sheets, me being sore was an understatement, my body felt like a wet noodle, and I whined reaching for the bracelet. A vial sat beside the bracelet, and I grimaced. Arrogant prick. Still, it was considerate of him, and his arrogance was not idle boasting. Severus was a very enthusiastic lover.

I cleared my throat, voice hoarse from last night's—or I suppose this morning's—activities. I downed the vial in one go and slid the bracelet on, making my way to the bathroom, I barely glanced at my reflection and then froze, a blush creeping up my cheeks. That devil! I traced all the love bites, ranging from my breasts to my neck, and scowled, did he expect me to wear a turtleneck?

I was forced to wear a high collar dress shirt, using makeup to mask the love bites as best as I could, my face burning in embarrassment. I will skin that bastard alive! Arriving to his third class of the day, I bit back a snarky remark, and took a seat at his desk, wincing at the friction. He turned around, that lopsided smirk of his making me want to throw the pot of ink sitting on his desk. "You're late," he drawled, his voice subtly hinting at yesterday's turn of events. I looked away embarrassed and kept my head down for the remainder of the day; I didn't want to draw attention to myself.

The entire class, Severus wouldn't stop stealing glances at me, and while I didn't mind, others were starting to take notice of his odd behavior. As his class came to an end and students filtered out, he turned to me, and his brow raised. "What?" I snapped.

"Did I hurt you?" his voice was cautious, and he kept his distance, looking me over. I shook my head and looked down at his shoes.

"I'm just a bit sore."

"A bit..." he frowned. "We have a safe word." I can't just tell him I was a glutton for his manhandling, he was possessive and I loved it, but I would never in a million years admit to it.

"I'll remember that for next time."

He leaned over his desk, his lips brushing against my ear. "You let your guard down." I didn't know what he meant by that until I felt a gentle tug at the back of my mind, and paled.

He didn't.

"I-" He pressed his index finger to my lips, and that lopsided smirk returned.

"I see," he hummed. "I'll take it under consideration...for future reference." I sat up abruptly, ignoring the ache of my muscles, and without thinking, I stumbled out of his room, my breaths labored. I heard a faint chuckle and grabbed the handle, slamming the door shut. Why did he do this to me? I hadn't even felt him his presence, and worst of all, he made it seem so effortless.

I found my way to the bathroom and locked myself in the last stall, taking a moment to collect myself. "Did you see Snape today? He smiled, and it was like really creepy!" A group of girls snickered.

"I still can't wrap my head around it. How can Rynne tolerate him? More importantly, was she shagging him all year?"

"That would explain her decent grades..."

"She's pretty nasty, but her father isn't so bad looking—" And I had heard enough. I walked out of the stall, staring at the group of girls; their words didn't mean much to me. One of the three girls was about to continue where her friend had left off, but she froze, her eyes landing on me.