Spiteful Beginnings // Severus Snape x OC

18 - Under the Desk

The following week went relatively fine from Kalina's point of view. Severus was being more lenient towards her and her teaching methods.

The pair had sat down together one evening, marking some textbooks. Although they had some difference of opinions on whether or not a question was rightly answered, the two were getting along just fine.

Speaking of getting along just fine, so were Kalina and Gilderoy. He had distanced himself a little, only speaking up when she is nearby. He had found that he was in fact a very vain person and realised that that may be a key possibility as to why she hasn't flung herself at him like most women do.

HE supposed that's why he liked her so much; she was different. She was kind and sweet and clearly was hard to get. It was a challenge but in order to win over her affections, he had proposed that she should come to his office one evening with the drink he had made for her. Then, he will really see if his charms over the last week had won her over.

He suspected that it might have as she was being more smiley and positive. Usually she was quiet, shy and timid but he truly believed he was getting the best out of her. Although, he thought he was.

However, it was Snape that had boosted up her happiness. Since being more polite and less hostile towards her, she had opened up. She felt relaxed in speaking with him and asking him questions. Of course, he would often give a sarcastic remark back but she would just laugh. This confused him.

Most people didn't find him funny, nor did many women find him funny. In fact, he can't think back to a time in the last twenty years where he had made a female laugh.

He wouldn't say that it was an overall satisfying feeling to make a woman laugh but he liked making her laugh. He liked her laugh.

It was quite a husky which made him think that she may have been a smoker. He hadn't seen her have a 'cigarette' as they call it but after she laughed heavily, she would soon erupt into coughing, hitting her chest as she recollected herself.

Her eyes would squint together, her teeth showing and her smile etched up wide.

He dared the thought, making him uneasy, but he almost found it 'cute'.

Recently, he had been feeling rather weird around Kalina and he wasn't sure why. He sometimes thought he was uncomfortable with how comfortable she was getting and being the man he was, he didn't like to let people in. He didn't like showing his true emotions to anyone unless he really needed to... which was never.

However, he often found himself waiting for her. He would be sat in the dining hall, silently waiting for her to walk in just so he knows that she has eaten. She wouldn't sit next to him nor would she speak but he seemed content knowing she was there.

One day, she had even knocked on his door in the evening, standing there with a book in hand, not looking at him as she read a question out loud for him, waiting for an answer and then thanking him and leaving. Not a shared glance between the two but she smiled.

From then on, he waited for a knock at his door most evenings.

The following week, Kalina was in her chambers, reading a book when a knock was at her door.

"Come in." She said aloud, licking her finger and turning the page over as the door was pushed open revealing a little plump boy who she knew as Neville, however, he had a worrisome look on his face.

"Mister Longbottom? Is everything alright?" She questioned, setting her book down on the desk and leaning forward, resting her arms on the wooden surface as the young boy stood meekly at her door. "Come in, don't' be shy." She told him after noticing his lack of movement, holding her hand out towards the chair opposite her desk.