Eye of the Beholder

Author’s Note

Chapter 20. Tender Moments
Their dinner was going well. After the first wonderful, awkward, and surprising moments following the toast, they spoke of little things. It was a chance for them to really talk, and find out about each other. Sasha was full of questions for Snape. She wanted to know all about him.
 
"What was the worst explosion you ever had in the lab?" she asked him, finishing off the last of her roast beef. She could not imagine him ever making a bad potion. Snape poured himself some more wine, then paused for a moment, thinking, before an embarrassed smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
 
"My fifth year at Hogwarts, and the first time I ever use a regulated substance in a potion," he said firmly. "I was making an illegal invisibility potion for Malfoy, and I added too much, too quickly. The damn thing went critical, the potion flared and burnt the eyebrows right off me," he admitted. He shook his head in embarrassment at the memory. "Malfoy was laughing so hard he fell off his stool and sliced his forehead on the table. We both ended up in the infirmary." Sasha threw her head back and laughed at the mental image of Snape with no eyebrows, and Lucius Malfoy with a lacerated head; both of them making their way along the hallway towards the infirmary, leaving a trail of dripping blood and bits of singed hair behind them.
 
"What was your worst subject back then?" she asked. Snape took a sip of wine, then made a distasteful face. "My least favourite was easily transfigurations, I would say. I was never really bad at the subject, but I never really enjoyed it either."
 
They continued their small talk until the meal was finished. Both of them were enjoying the quiet time after the emotional upheaval earlier on. Sasha turned to look at Snape.
 
"Do you feel like going for a walk, and getting some fresh air?" she inquired. She was feeling the heady effects of the wine, and thought it would be good to clear her head. Snape looked at her with raised eyebrows.
 
"That is an excellent idea, Sasha. A walk around the lake would be good." He stood and walked over to ring the house elf. Within moments she arrived and removed their dinner tray. Sasha stood up. "I will go fetch my coat, it’s up in my rooms." She started for the door, but Snape stopped her.
 
"That is not necessary. I believe I have one that would do for our brief walk." Snape left the room, and within moments returned with an armload of winter clothes. He placed his long overcoat, a black wool scarf and leather gloves aside, and turned to Sasha. He held a dark green sweater out to her that looked like it had seen better days.
 
"My old Slytherin jersey," he said by way of explanation. Sasha gratefully pulled it on. While the arms were a bit long, it would keep her warm. She rolled up the ends of the sleeves. Snape meanwhile had reached for a silver and green stripped scarf, which he carefully wrapped around her neck. She looked up at him as he adjusted it so it would keep the chill out. She smiled at him.
 
"This is the first time I have ever worn Slytherin colours," she admitted self-consciously, looking at the all of the green clothing Snape had provided for her. She felt strange without her blue and white scarf.
 
Snape gazed back at her, his hands still on both the ends of the scarf. He noted the way the colours picked up slight flecks of green in her gray eyes that he never noticed before. He liked to see her in his Slytherin colours, and in his clothes. In a way, it made her, well, his. "They become you," he said with just a hint of admiration in his voice. He meant it. He passed her a pair of too-large mitts, and one of his warm woollen cloaks, and they started off.
 
Together, they walked out of the dungeon rooms and up to the main hall. They opened the doors and a cool blast of air greeted them. It was cold out, but it was not windy, and they dressed just right to be able to enjoy the weather without freezing. Hogwarts seemed deserted with most of the students gone. None were out on the grounds except for them.
 
As they strolled along, talking, Sasha mustered up her courage and reached for Snape’s hand. He accepted hers, and without pausing in his conversation, they kept walking. He pointed out the constellation in the heavens to her, visible in the night sky. They made their way around the lake, and by the time they were headed to the main Hall again, they were both chilled. They headed back down to the dungeons, their legs stiff with the cold.
 
Sasha took her time shedding all of the layers of Slytherin clothing while Snape started the fire for warmth. He sat down in his favourite spot on the couch and placed his feet up on the low table. Sasha came and sat down, then shyly snuggled next to him to get warm while the fire slowly heated the room. Without a word, Snape put his arm around her and drew her closer. Encouraged by his response, she put her feet up on the couch and turned over such that she was facing Snape, but her head was rested on his chest. She snaked her arms around him, seeking the warmth of his body.
 
She peered up to see the amused smile on his face. "I see you have made yourself comfortable," he said mockingly. She smiled sheepishly in return, and settled in again. She felt his arms come around and hold her as well. It was wonderful, sitting there just holding each other, the silence of the room broken only by the crackling on the fire.
 
With one hand, Snape started to slowly stroke Sasha’s hair. He loved the way it felt like silk between his fingers, and the faint smell of lavender that came off it. Even thought her eyes were closed, he could see she was enjoying it, and she started to relax in the warming room. As Snape was running his hands through her hair, his thoughts focussed more on her - her soft skin, and her delicate, almost-straight nose. He studied the dainty elfin earlobes that attached directly to the side of her head. He fought the urge to reach down and gently nibble and suck on those ears.
 
As if feeling the intensity of his stare through her eyelids, Sasha opened her gray eyes to peer directly into his black ones. They stared at each other, feeling the sexual tension between them build. There was no question that Sasha wanted to be kissed, and Snape wanted to kiss her. Snape gathered her loose hair in his fist and gently forced her head back, still maintaining eye contact. He leaned forward, and brought his mouth down to her exposed neck. He kissed her along the pulsating jugular vein, tracing it with his tongue, and feeling it throb faster with every kiss. She inhaled quickly, and shuddered at the warm liquid feeling of desire that overcame her. Her involuntary response to him excited him even more.
 
He felt her hands tighten on him, and he was pleased with her responses to his touch. He nipped her lightly, teasingly, along her neck, and brushed the very tip of his tongue along her earlobe. He could not resist his urge to take it, and gently suck on the lobe, until her heard a slight moan of desire escape her throat. He kept kissing her, coming closer and closer to her mouth. She was eager for his lips on hers, and she sought his out. He captured her mouth with his, and they kissed deeply. They kept kissing, slowly exploring each other’s mouth, their tongues parrying and thrusting, advancing then retreating.
 
Sasha was becoming excited, and her hands started to further explore Snape’s body. She ran her fingers through his hair and it felt very soft to her, not greasy. Snape was invading her mouth. He ran the tip of his tongue over her bottom lip teasingly, then bit and sucked gently on it. She groaned again in excitement, the sound encouraging Snape on. He was getting more and more excited by the feel and taste of her, and the growing urgency in her body.
 
She pulled away suddenly, breathing hard, and looked at Snape. She stared at him, the desire clearly written on her face, and in her eyes.
 
"I want to touch you, Severus," she said with naked desire. "I want to please you the way you please me. But I don’t know how. Show me, show me what to do," she begged. Snape smiled wickedly. The sound of her voice saying his name, begging him, always made him more excited. Sadistically, he shook his head.
 
"Oh no, Sasha. That is half the fun," he teased. "You have to try something and see if the other person responds well to it or not. If they do, then you do it more. It they don’t then you stop, or move on," he said.
 
With that sole bit of advice, Sasha reached out with trembling hands and started to unbutton the top of his shirt. Snape stared intensely at her with his hooded eyes, making her nervous. He enjoyed her nervousness. He was intentionally making it difficult for her, as it increased his feeling of control.
 
Sasha was having trouble controlling her nervous, shaking hands under his stare. "You are enjoying this, aren’t you?" she asked accusingly. Slowly, with just the hint of a smile, he nodded his head up and down. Frustrated, Sasha looked him in the eye then took both sides of his shirt in her hands, and ripped it apart. The buttons popped off, but she finally had access to his chest. Snape was surprised at her aggressive boldness, and it increased his desires even more. He could feel his loins throbbing and straining against his pants.
 
Sasha sat up and straddled his lap. She ripped his shirt further, and brought the material over the back of his shoulders so that his arms movements were restricted. She leaned forward, and hesitantly began to run her hands along his broad chest. Snape leaned his head back, enjoying the way she was taking charge. She started kissing him near his neck, where she found Severus’s kissing to be most sensitive to her. She remembered how he nipped and sucked on her, and she returned the affections. Every so often she would bite a bit harder, and she noted how his body would shudder, but she immediately placed soft kisses around the bite. Little did she know the pain of the bite followed by the pleasure of her kisses were exactly what Severus desired, and was the key to his stimulation.
 
Sasha moved her head down, and quickly captured his tiny nipple in her mouth. Snape groaned in surprise and excitement. Nodding her head slightly back and forth, she flicked the tip of her tongue quickly along it, teasing it out. With a satisfied grunt, she felt it expand slightly in her mouth. Very carefully, she took his nipple between her teeth and tongue and pressed hard, her teeth grazing across the sensitive flesh. Snape could not help himself. He brought his hand up and was holding her head closer to his chest, groaning in pleasure.
 
"Harder, Sasha," he gasped out. "Bite me harder." Sasha smiled. He was obviously enjoying this as much as she was. She eagerly complied, and was rewarded with another moan of pleasure.
 
She moved quickly over to the next nipple and set to work. She was getting more and more stimulated by just tasting him, feeling his flesh on her face and lips. She could feel how wet and slippery she was between her legs, and she wanted to feel his body pressed up against hers. She moved off his lap so she could continue kissing him further down from his nipples. She reached the top of his pants and was just about to undo the buckle when Snape stopped her. Breathing hard, he looked her in the eyes.
 
"Sasha, I am not too sure you want to go there," he warned. She looked at him, her mouth slightly swollen from their kissing. She clearly wanted to go further, but he did not think she would be ready to see a fully-grown, naked man just yet. Instead, she just stared at him, unsure what to do.
 
Snape took her hand in his, and moved off the couch onto the thick rug on the ground. He brought her on top of him, where he could use both hands to explore her. She was lying fully against him, and could feel the insistent press of his erection against her thigh. That excited her even more.
 
Snape rolled her over so she was on her back. He slowly lifted her shirt, giving her ample time tell him to stop. She never did, and she even lifted up a bit to help him get it over her head. He gazed down at her, her beautiful skin a warm peach tone in the flickering firelight. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, and when they were on her shoulders, he looped his fingers under her bra strap, and slowly pulled them down. She never flinched.
 
He kept pulling down until the cups just cleared the rosy tips of her nipples. He stopped and positioned the bra such that it was still covering the bottom part of her breast, but was pushing her nipples up, offering themselves to him. He stared intensely into her eyes, gauging her reaction to his bold move. She was breathing hard, and he could feel her holding on tight to him.
 
"I want you to tell me how you feeling, Sasha," he asked carefully. She looked back at him, her eyes hidden, shaded from the firelight.
 
"Scared. Excited. Mostly, I want to feel you keep touching me. I like it. It makes me very excited, and I want to feel more of you." She said this very hesitantly, and the innocent explanation mixed with the bess ess of her statement was irresistible. Snape smiled down at her. He recognized the passion hidden beneath her naïve exterior. He wanted to bring that out in her, show her it was OK, and that she was safe with him.
 
"I want you to tell me exactly what it is you like when I touch you, Sasha," he said. "I want you be specific, and tell me if you like it or not. I want to hear that, as it excites me knowing I am giving you pleasure. Do you understand?" he asked his voice husky with desire. She looked at him and nodded her head in acknowledgement.
 
Maintaining eye contact as long as possible, Snape leaned forward and brought his lips down to her breasts. He started off slowly, licking them, then gently started to suck on them. He heard her intake of breath at the sensation.
 
"Tell me if you liked that Sasha," he commanded.
 
"Oh yes," she said, "don’t stop, please! Your tongue - use your tongue! Oh Severus, that feels so good," she moaned. Snape closed his eyes at her response. This the the kind of commands he loved to hear. He sucked harder, and her back arched in her need. Snape moved on to her other breast, and she guided him, letting him know how she liked to be touched.
 
Snape wanted nothing more than to satiate his lust, but he knew he had to go slowly. He could barely keep his own mounting passion in check.
 
Snape continued kissing Sasha’s body, placing hot, wet kisses and gentle nips along her stomach. He deftly undid her pants and she lifted her hips to help him remove them. As he was settling back on top of Sasha, she gave him an intense, look of wanting.
 
"Yours too," she commanded softly. Snape looked back at her in surprise.
 
"You’re sure?" he asked carefully. She held his dark stare and nodded her head. He quickly removed his own pants, and she saw the bulge in his shorts; evidence of his desire for her. It made her feel excited and powerful, knowing she was the cause of such his reaction. It made her want him all the more.
 
Snape lay back down and took Sasha in his arms. He held her tight, their bodies pressed close together. She could feel the strength in his wiry frame, and the way the curls on his chest tickled her breasts. She breathed in the masculine scent of him, and felt wonder at the feel of his erection against her thighs. This felt so right to her, feeling him in her arms. He was not pushing her into anything, and if she had her way, she would explore every inch of his body.
 
He held her tightly, with his eyes closed. In many ways, being with her was so different from anything he had experienced before. This was not the lustful demand and perversion of a Dark Revel. It was not a selfish one nightstand to be immediately forgotten he moment he left the bed. This was special. He cared about her, and it was that caring that made him hold back, and take his time. He did not want to frighten her, or push her into something she was not ready for.
 
Snape gently let go, and they rolled to their sides. He pulled away, and took in her face and body, revealed by the flickering firelight. Taking one hand, he brushed back her hair. Once again, the realization that she wanted him as a man, and with full knowledge of his dark past, made him desire her all the more.
 
"You are so beautiful to me, Sasha," he murmured. She met his eyes, and smiled. She was not comfortable with compliments, and was not too sure how to respond, so she said nothing. Snape continued to look her deep in the eyes, and began to run his hands over her body. He could feel her getting excited again, watching her breathing quicken, and he was emboldened by her body’s responses.
 
His own desires were quickly mounting, and he was having a hard time keeping them in check. He pushed her back down to the ground, and once again, std kid kissing a trail down her body from her neck, between her breasts, and lower. He positioned his face between her legs and gently, softly, kissed the inside of her thighs. He wanted her to get used to the feel of his face down there. As he passed over the mound of her sex, he grazed his lips across the material of her underwear. He felt the moisture there, and could smell her musky scent. It made his smile, this evidence of her need and want for him. It took all of his willpower not to just bury his face there, breathing deeply of her very essence.
 
As he continued to gently kiss and nibble her thighs and he brought up one hand to her mound. He found the tiny pearl nestled in there, and very softly, began to tease it, rubbing it back and forth. Sasha moaned her pleasure, and Snape could feel her arch her back in her need.
 
"Do you like that, Sasha?" he asked teasingly. "Do you want me to continue?" he inquired. He knew what he was doing was a subtle form of torture, giving her just a taste of what was to come.
 
Her breathing was fast, and she could feel her heart racing. The feel of Snape’s breath, his wet kisses and the prickly feel of the stubble on his face rasping against her thighs were maddening. The feel of his hand between her legs was incredible. She did not want him to stop.
 
"Yes, I like it," she gasped out.
 
"You want me to continue?" he asked again, making her admit she liked what he was doing to her.
 
"Yes, oh yes. Your hand – more of your hand," she panted. He hips were involuntarily moving in time to the gentle teasing of Snape’s hand.
 
"You are sure Sasha? Just my hand? Wouldn’t you prefer my mouth there instead?" he asked wickedly.
 
With that, Snape carefully pulled down her underwear, and brought his mouth up to the apex of her sex. With the very tip of his tongue, he circled that little pearl slowly, teasing Sasha beyond all reason. She gasped at the sensation, and her hands flew to his hair.
 
"Oh God," she moaned. She had never felt anything so intensely delicious in her life. She realized what he was doing and tried to pull his head away. "Severus, you don’t…. That feels so good, but it must be gross….". She trailed off, not knowing how to voice her concerns that he would be disgusted with her body’s reactions to him.
 
Snape continued his slow teasing, and was quickly flicking his tongue across her sensitive bud, alternating with long, slow licks. He reached up and took her protesting hands away from his hair, and placed them on the ground beside them. He held them there firmly, letting her know this is something he loved to do, and was not grossed out by the act.
 
Taking that small bud in his mouth, he started to suck very gently. By this time Sasha had lost any control over bod body, as her hips were thrusting up, trying to meet Snape’s mouth. He continued the torture for a while longer, until he thought he would lose all control himself. Finally, he pulled away, and moved up to lay beside her.
 
Sasha’s eyes were still closed, and she was still very excited. She opened her eyes to see Snape looming over her, a satisfied grin on his face. She was speechless at the sensations he had caused her to experience. She rolled over and reached for him. He held her close, feeling very happy in the knowledge that he could cause her to feel so incredible.
 
Snape was surprised to find her hand slowly sneaking down his body. She hesitantly reached for the large bulge in his shorts, and began to stroke him. Once she was over the initial surprise at the strangeness of the feel of his member, she became more confident, and reached below the shorts to touch him directly.
 
She was a bit clumsy at first, but Snape let her explore, encouraging her with his groans of desire when she touched him in a way he liked. She became bolder, her hold firmer. Snape was surprised at how easily she was exciting him, and thought he had better stop before he came in her hand.
 
"Sasha," he gasped out, "you had better stop, of I won’t be able to control myself," he warned. She was stroking his head and shaft in such a rhythm that he wanted, more than anything else, for her to continue. He looked at her, to see her staring back at him, her eyes half-closed in excitement.
 
"But Severus, I want to continue," she said huskily. "You feel so good to me. Please, let me continue," she begged.
 
Her obvious enjoyment combined with that wonderful pumping motion was too much for Snape. His body tensed and convulsed with waves of pleasure. Sasha felt the hot semen shoot into her hand again and again, and was awestruck that she could cause such a reaction in him. She kept pumping him, until she felt his twitching body calm.
 
They held each other tightly, silently, enjoying the warm glow of the moment. Snape reached up to the table and found his wand. He performed a brief cleansing charm, then summoned a blanket and two pillows from his bedroom. Tucking the blanket around them, they snuggled in. He looked at her tenderly, feeling his heart expand in his growing love for her. She looked back at him, and smiled, reflecting his unspoken love.
 
She rested her head against his chest, and they soon fell asleep.