The Professor

Chapter


She was already gone by the time we awoke. Severus stretched like a cat on her bed before he sat up. He swung his long, lea legs over the side of the bed and stood.

After washing his face and pulling his robes back on, he flooed back into his office.

He didn’t even want to be here.

He grabbed clean clothes, a quill, parchment and a few books.

He had work to do. But he wasn’t going to do it here.

He returned to her rooms to work.

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Chloe taught her classes for the day. She had not seen Severus come to any meals in the great hall, so she assumed he had slept late and returned to his rooms.

She hadn’t seen Dumbledore today either. That always made her nervous. Maybe because the last time he was absent, Severus came back looking like a someone’s punching bag.

Chloe entered her private chambers and was taken aback by the picture before her.

Severus was sprawled out on the floor, looking every bit like a cat napping. But he wasn’t asleep. He was reading. Apparently he had been reading a lot today. Books were stacked around him and pieces of parchment littered the floor.

“Busy day?” She asked him with laughter in her voice. He looked up and she saw his eyes rake over her form. She smiled at him and busied herself by pulling off her robes and kicking off her shoes. She wanted to feel relaxed and comfortable.

“Frenny!” She called.

‘POP’

“Ms. Chloe! You wanting some tea?” Frenny asked. Chloe told her yes and to please bring back two cups. Frenny’s eyes found Professor Snape still in Chloe’s rooms. She, in fact, did not clean at all today because he had been there earlier.

“Yes Ms. Chloe.” her voice was a quiet squeak and she left.

“So…what are you working so hard on?” She asked as she kissed him hello. It occurred to her how wonderful it felt to have him here in her rooms when she returned from class. He had apparently taken meals in here as well. He was absorbed in whatever it was he was doing.

“Something for Dumbledore.” he said, with his nose still in the book.

“Hmm. Well…I have papers to grade.” Chloe pulled out a stack of papers. Her students were doing pretty well in her class. She had a few muggle born students who were helping quite a bit. But some of the wizard born students…they couldn’t grasp the concept of radio waves. No mater how many times she went over it.

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Severus had gone back and forth all day over this. At first he had almost gotten it right.

Reverti…no. That wasn’t it. That wouldn’t work as a verbal or a nonverbal.

Reverses…yes.

He was fairly sure he had created yet another ingenious spell.

Reverses Negotium. He needed to know if it was verbal or nonverbal though…

He just needed to try it out on someone…his eyes drifted up to Chloe sitting in the chair. Her face was frowning as she read through her student’s papers. His hair stood up on the back of his neck as he realized what was going on. She was quietly grading papers and he was…well…he did have his nose in a book. He chuckled to himself.

The irony of it.

‘I wish to try something.” Severus said to her. Chloe raised her eyebrows and gave him a comical look.

“Experimenting? And you wish me to be your test subject?” Severus nodded and Chloe frowned. “Will it hurt?” Severus stood.

“No. Not for you. Or me. It is a spell that reverses emotions. If used in combat, one could perform this spell and their attacker would feel the victims pain and fear. Hopefully enough to incapacitate them. If there is more than one person around…well…then I hope it works in the right way. Hopefully it collects the fears and pains of the whole and reverses it to the attacker.”

Chloe lay down her papers and eyed Severus.

“Does this have anything to do with that Death eater woman you went after?” She asked darkly. Severus nodded. “You’re not going after her are you? You simply can’t Severus! What would I do with you gone? Huh? You can not go running around alone anymore Severus Snape! You want to go back to the condition you were in not more than a week ago? Don’t Severus please….” She was standing now.

“I am glad to see you have so much faith in me.” Severus smirked. He liked to rile her up a little.

“I do have faith in you! How dare you! I prefer it if you were here safe, that’s all. I can’t…I can’t lose you Severus. Not now.” her eyes were filled to the brim with tears and her lower lip trembled. Severus took pity on her.

“I am not going anywhere Chloe. For our dear Headmaster forbids it. Perhaps he fears your temper…I hear you let lose on him last time I was gone. Worried him a little too Chloe. Asked me to put in a good word for him with you.” Severus crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head. “Why do you care so much?”

“Because I-”

“Tea Ms. Chloe!’ Frenny popped in and lay the tea on the table. Her eyes absorbed the scene and she immediately popped back out.

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A/N: Damn Frenny! We could have had a wonderful romantic scene there....maybe later...