MUGGLE MAGIC

Author's Note: Thank you to all who have read and a special thank you to those who took the time to review. I know that there are many devoted Snape fans out there who refuse to see him in any thing but a fully canon fic. And i agree with you, that is the Snape we all have grown to love. This fic however is based on my own fantasies and features a softer Snape. Now don't get me wrong, he isn't melted butter, he's still generally the same greasy git but my aim is to take down some of his walls and allow you to see the Snape that I see, underneath his circumstances.

Again i reiterate, this fic is set in AU. All HP related information belongs to JKR, everything else is mine, the only profit being made is the pleasure of accomplishing each chapter.

I hope you enjoy this chapter, it was quite fun to write, let me know what you think!





CHAPTER 3

Would your love in all its finery
tear at the darkness all around me
until I can feel again
until I can breathe again

'Cause I'm a train wreck waiting to happen
waiting for someone to come pick me up off the tracks
a wild fire born of frustration
born of the one love that gets me so high
I've no fear at all

Would your eyes like midnight fireflies
light up the trenches where my heart lies
until I can see again
to find my way back again

Chorus

To fall so deep into you
lose myself completely
in your sweet embrace
all my pains erased

From your mouth its all that I wish
the mercy of your lips just one kiss
until I can breathe again
so that I can sing again

chorus

“Trainwreck” Sarah Mclachlan



Still too nervous to do much else, I kept busy by sorting out the box of second year student files on my desk. This last encounter really was too much; I could have lost my life! I was damn lucky Severus had appeared when he did or I would have been dinner for those spiders. Shuddering at the thought, I gazed at the can of bug spray sitting just an arms length away on the desk. Thank the gods I came to Hogwarts prepared! And though I doubted the mutant arachnids would enter the castle I was willing to take no chances.

The last of the files were finally packed away and I walked into my bedroom with the bug spray in hand. Glancing around suspiciously, I said aloud, “I have my own magic against you spiders, so don’t you dare.” Satisfied that any of the wandering creatures would take heed and flee, I sat on the lovely, silk covered chaise lounge in front of the fireplace and recalled the last few hours of my day.

“He saved me,” I mused aloud. “Gilderoy ran like the coward he is but Severus Snape saved me.” It hadn’t just been bravado, though. I had sensed fear in him smothered with anger. A new thought struck me, is that why he’s usually ill tempered? Is he afraid? What could he be afraid of? “Well he wasn’t afraid of me for sure,” I said to myself, grinning. “But he definitely was angry. I think he could have strangled me in a heartbeat.”

Getting even more comfortable on the lounge, I yawned and closed my eyes. Breathing deeply, I finally began to relax. In my mind, I replayed the sounds and the images of him as he fended off the spiders. Severus had never looked more attractive to me than at that moment, frowning mouth, angry eyes and all. “My hero.” I murmured and drifted off into the nothingness of sleep.

A soft rustling in the room startled me awake. I was just coming out of my sleepy stupor when I heard it again. I sat up, now fully awake. It sounded like skittering feet. This is not good, Cassidy, I thought. The fire had died out but the full moon gave ample illumination. I looked around in fear, half expecting the spiders to jump out at me again. Grabbing up the can of bug spray I held it ready. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a shadow flicker across the room. Spiders? Not waiting to find out I ran, screaming. I was positive I was loud enough to awaken half of Hogwarts but I did not care. I ran to the nearest door and banged on it loudly.

After what seemed like forever the door finally opened. Not waiting for him to say anything, I dashed into his rooms and crouched behind the sofa - bug spray at the ready. He closed the door and turned to look at me, his eyes flashing. Severus Snape looked murderous. His jaw was clenched and so were his hands, only just visible from the sleeve of his iron gray silk robe. As I took in the sight of him I suddenly wondered if I would have fared better with the spiders.

“Explain, now!” Snape demanded.

I gulped and began, “I..I w.w…was as..sleep, w..w…when the sp.pp..spiders c..came an..nd.. um …I d…didn’t know w..where else t..t..to g..go. S…so I c…came here and…um… w…well I h…have b…bug… sp..spray b…but th..those w…w…were b…big sp…p…iders… a… and… um…."

“Silence!”

I shut up instantly only to hear him mutter, “Damned blubbering Muggles.” He stalked towards me. “Spiders,” he drawled.

I nodded mutely.

“In your rooms.”

I nodded again vigorously.

Snape stood there, just looking at me, obviously searching for patience. I must have looked as terrified as I felt because he simply sighed and turned toward the door.

“W…where are you g…going.”

He turned back and began sarcastically,

“Well, it is almost three in the morning; apparently a perfect time to go spider hunting. Thanks for waking me.”

Naively I thrust out my bug spray, “You might need this.”

He looked down at the canister as though it were repulsive and then back up at me. He wants to throttle me again. I can tell. No need to be psychic. It was all there in his expression. Snape spun on his heel and walked out the door, his dressing robes… billowing.

***********************

“Blasted, idiotic, blubbering…” I muttered irately as I waved open the door to her rooms. “LUMOS!” I shouted as I held my wand out before me, its glowing tip gave ample illumination to the cluttered room. “Waking me up at this hour… spiders she says.” I scanned the office area. Naturally it was vacant of her supposed spiders. Making my way to her living quarters, I held my wand high as I scrutinized the room. And she had the audacity to offer me her bug spray…ME!

***********************

My teeth started chattering and I realized that I was freezing. I rubbed my arms, trying to get warm, but the combination of fear and the cold of the dungeon had made me numb. Breathing slowly to calm my racing heart I wondered if Severus was OK. Yes he’ll be OK, I argued with myself. He’ll just have to glare at those spiders and they’ll run for cover. Sighing, I looked around.

His rooms were dark save for a few candles on the mantel and on a desk in the corner. This was obviously the sitting room, utilitarian and impersonal. Beyond that half opened door would be his bedroom. Hmmm…

I was just about to go in when Snape returned still looking murderous.

“There is nothing there,” he hissed accusingly.

“But I saw...” I began but he held up his hand to stop me.

“You must have been dreaming, imagined the whole thing.” He was making fun of me now, addressing me like a child.

“I was not,” I said angrily, stomping over to him.

We stood there eye-to-eye, toe-to-toe. I was not going to let him intimidate me, no matter how piercing his stare.

I knew he was measuring me, assessing me, considering, waiting for me to look away. Well, he will have to wait.

The Potions master finally spoke, softly this time; no acid, no sneering, just velvet, “I saw no spiders in your quarters.”

Defeated, I looked down at his chest and closed my eyes wearily. “There was something there. I know there was,” I whispered. “I wouldn’t have disturbed you otherwise.” I hugged myself again and blinked away tears.

He stood there motionless for a few seconds then turned to the dead fireplace and, with a wave of his wand, raised up a crackling fire.

“Sit down,” he commanded.

I sat.

“Whisky?” Snape offered.

“I don’t drink.”

He brought over a shot of the amber fluid anyway and handed it to me before lowering himself on the sofa at a respectable distance. I watched him as he downed the contents of his glass in one swallow. Hissing at the sting, he looked at me steadily.

“You’ll feel better,” he murmured.

Looking down at the contents of the glass, I sniffed it and pulled away. It smelled like a punch in the face. His lips twisted at my reaction but he made no other comment as I lifted the glass and drained it. Needless to say, it felt like a punch in the face. I immediately began to sputter and cough as the whisky stung my throat. Laboring to catch my breath, I felt one of his hands gently rub my back as he took my glass with the other.

I was wheezing just a bit, but was soon able to breathe properly. He promptly removed his hand from my back and we sat there in silence. He had shocked himself, I could tell. He was appalled at the way he responded to me. Damned Muggle, damned Muggle, he was repeating in his head. He hated that I saw this side of him.

“Your rooms are quite safe. You should go,” Snape said at last and my fear rushed back.

“NO!” I squeaked, and I flew at his chest. My arms snaked around his neck, my body pressing close to his. “Please don’t send me back, not yet. Please… please, let me stay here the rest of the night, please.”

Though I held on to him for dear life, his hands gripped the couch. He held himself perfectly still.

“Maybe the spiders saw you and hid, b…but if I go back they’d come out again for sure, then I’d just come back here and bother you. And I don’t want to bother you.”

“You already bother me,” he argued and I could tell he instantly regretted his choice of words. I pretended not to notice.

“Please, professor, don’t send me back, please… please. I’ll stay here on the couch, I’ll be quiet. I promise. You’ll not know I’m here… just please don’t send me back yet…please…ple…”

“All right!” He struggled to loosen my grip on his neck, “Cease your whining!”

I released him and he flew off the sofa. Turning to me again he growled, “You may stay the night.” With that he stalked to his chambers and slammed the door. Though I was relieved, I still held my bug spray close as I surveyed the sofa.

**********

“Cassidy.”

“Mmmm?” I sighed, my eyes still closed… clinging to blissful sleep.

“Wake up.”

“Mmmm, five minutes more… please.” I snuggled deeper into the pillow, trying to bat away whatever was tickling my cheek but the disturbance had already broken my sleep. My eyes fluttered open and I stared up into his face.

Severus was sitting next to me, his eyes searching me again. He was open at the moment, his defenses down, so I soaked him in as he did me. I was vaguely aware of him lightly stroking my cheek as waves of pleasure washed through me. I was stunned. How could a man - no, this man- ignite such a fire in me with just the touch of his fingers on my cheek?

I swallowed and closed my eyes, gasping for breath. Looking up I found his eyes were making love to me even while his fingers caressed my face, his thumb just skimming my lips. Quickly I held his hand there, and tenderly grazed my lips back and forth on it. His lips were also parted, his breathing strained. His eyes were glazed with wanting but he waited. My eyes still held his as my tongue lightly touched the pad of his thumb. His eyes burned with pleasure, and I closed mine even as my lips closed over his digit in a sweet kiss.

Severus leaned forward then, eye-to eye with me once more, and I breathed in his breath as his nose brushed mine. The waiting was driving me insane. I shut my eyes and; shuddering with my need for him, I whispered, “Yes”. His lips closed over mine, soft and inquiring at first, then more insistent as tongue met tongue and I was consumed with the pleasure of it. He tasted of whiskey, his mouth a scorching fire, but I continued my worship of his lips.

His guard went up the instant we broke apart.

Still trembling I whispered, “Why?”

His reply was silky, “No woman comes to my bed and leaves unsatisfied.”

What did he mean his bed? I sat up and saw not the sitting room but the bedroom and I was definitely in the bed.

“How did I get here? I remember falling asleep out there,” I said accusingly, pointing to the adjoining room.

Snape rose now and folded his arms looking quite smug. I noticed he was dressed in his black robes. What time is it?

“You came in a few hours ago,” he said casually. “You were crying so I gave you the comfort you obviously wanted.”

“I don’t remember,” I said numbly. I really didn’t.

The corner of his lips quirked up as he mocked

“Surely, you remember at least one moment.”

Then bells went off in my ears. I flew off of the bed, my thoughts careening into each other. If I did anything I would remember… wouldn’t I? Oh God, Oh God. What did he say? No one left his bed unsatisfied? And that kiss was so very satisfying. It didn’t feel like a first kiss. It felt like a familiar kiss, a lover’s kiss! I looked up at him, hoping for clarification. A gnawing pain had started in my belly.

The bastard just smirked at me. Now I wanted to throttle him.

Shaking my head to clear it I asked, “What do we do now?”

“Do about what?” he asked evenly.

I fought for sanity. “Since you are not denying that we did something last night and you are behaving as though we did, I wanted to know where we stand – with each other I mean. Because something obviously happened!” I ended more shrilly than I had intended.

“Where we stand with each other?” Snape repeated, maddeningly slowly. “As I said, you came to me for comfort. I only gave you what you wanted.” He stepped closer, “I’ll admit it was quite pleasant. If you ever need comfort again, you may come to me. I will oblige you.”

I couldn’t hear anymore. I ran out of his bedroom to the sitting room and tried to pull the door open but the bloody thing was locked. As I pounded on the door Snape crossed the room at a stroll. I turned my head, not wanting him to see my tears and humiliation as he murmured the unlocking spell. The door gave way and I fled to my quarters. Sinking back against the door I held my mouth to stifle my cries.

I had been a virgin. Surely Snape would have realized that, yet he spoke of our actions so lightly, as though they meant nothing. He acted like he was doing me a favor. Fresh waves of misery engulfed me. I felt unclean. Like a whore, a common whore! I ran to the shower and began to scrub every inch of my body but it made no difference.

I leaned against the shower wall and let myself slide down the tiled surface as the hot water pounded my skin I wondered how I could have been stupid enough to trust Severus Snape. He made that beautiful kiss and whatever had gone before it into something so ugly. The pain in my belly intensified and I looked down to see that I had started my period. The blood and water spiraled down the drain, along with what was left of my self-respect.