Slipping Into Darkness

He sneered, watching as she brewed the potion perfectly. He couldn’t fault her on that, even if her hands were shaking a little while she did it. He loathed giving extra lessons to students, even if ordered by the Headmaster to make sure she was definitely able for NEWT level Potions. Looking back down at the papers he had to grade, a rush of fumes passed over him, a relaxed feeling sinking through him. He looked up again, her hand pushing her hair messily from her face as she bit her lip and crossed out something on the parchment she had with her.

“What are you doing Henley?” He sneered, standing and walking towards the desk he had conjured for her.

“Just changing this amount of root of asphodel, Sir.” She commented slowly, scribbling down something new.

“Why?” He snapped, “Shouldn’t you be watching the potion?” She looked up at him, hair falling back over her eyes, dark brown strands over dark brown eyes.

“It’s simmering for exactly seven and a half minutes. I have it on my watch, Sir.” She replied carefully.

“Why are you changing that amount?” He hissed back, looking down at the parchment.

“I copied it straight from the book sir, but given the nature and age range for this text book, it seems they have watered the potion down. I’m merely making it the way it was intended.”

Severus snatched the parchment from her and walked to his bookshelf, pulling the text in question out and opening it to the page needed. Staring down at the amounts, his eyebrows raised. Placing the book on his desk, he picked up one of his personal potions notebooks that had all his notes from his school days in it. Opening it and looking down at the potion ingredients, he realised she had put the exact amount he had, twenty-five milligrams more than was called for in the Hogwarts assigned text.

Reading over the rest of her corrections, he realised practically all of them were the same as his own, all except one, she’d added two and a half counter clockwise turns after adding the last ingredients before letting it cool.

“Well, this is um,” He paused, staring down at the parchment and his notes. “This is good work, Henley.”

“Thank you, Sir.” She replied, picking up the Hellebore and sprinkling it over the surface and letting it melt into the potion.

“How did you know to make these changes?” He placed the parchment back before her and leaned on his own desk. She looked up and smiled slightly.

“I was taught well at home, my mother was a personal use potion designer by trade.” She smiled. “I would spend a lot of time watching her.” Severus nodded slowly.

“What about these two and a half extra turns?”

“Well, I was taught that Root of Asphodel takes a certain amount of movement to dissolve properly, giving it to its best potential. Of course, it all depends on the other ingredients used and the nature of the potion.” She explained flawlessly. “This potion, with the ingredients involved, the amount of Asphodel used, and the number of turns after adding it, I worked out that for this potion, it’s one stir for ten milligrams of Asphodel. Because I’ve added twenty-five milligrams to the potion to make it accurate, I must also add two and a half turns to make sure it is dissolved properly.” Severus stared at her dumbstruck, maybe the girl didn’t need extra lessons after all. Jotting down the two and a half turns counter clockwise next to the final number of turns, he placed the book back on his desk.

“You know things like that?”

“Yes.”

“How did you know this potion was watered down for Student learning?” He asked, watching her as she added the Asphodel root and smiled broadly.

“Root of Asphodel is always half the amount of the Aconite, or one and a half times the amount of Hellebore. The amount of Asphodel given in the text book is the same as the Hellebore.” Snape nodded and watched her turn the fire down under the cauldron.

“Do you know these types of things with all of your lessons?”

“No.” She replied sheepishly. “As I said, my mother made potions and I paid attention. My father was pretty Nazi-ish about Defence, so I’m alright at that I suppose.” She added, stopping at the bemused look on Severus’s face. “What is it?”

“What is Nazi-ish?” He asked slowly.

“Oh.” She grinned stupidly. “Well, my dad is very Muggle friendly, so I did a lot of Muggle work with my Wizarding studies. The Nazi’s were Germans in the Nineteen Thirties and early Forties. They tried to kill all the Jews. Kind of like Him with Muggles.” Snape nodded in understanding, suddenly very aware of the tattoo burned into his arm.

Looking back to her potion, she lifted it away from the stand and placed it carefully on the cooling stand.

“Looks ready.” Severus commented idly.

“Just about.” She replied.

“The vials are on the top shelf at the back.” She nodded and walked over to the back as he watched her, standing on tiptoes so that her skirt pulled up showing creamy white skin of her thighs. Severus pulled his eyes up, cursing himself. Picking three up, she walked back over to the desk and began to flagon the potion into the glass vials. Pulling out her wand, she made a move to clean the cauldron, as Severus jumped forward and grabbed her wrist. She stared at him in shock and confusion.

“Don’t you want to test it?”

“Test it? On what?”

“We can try it. I have a general antidote in case anything is wrong.”

“Sir, this potion is illegal for underage wizards when at full strength.” Snape sneered.

“You brewed the thing, Henley. I think you can try it. Seeing as I told you to brew it and did not object to your corrections, I can hardly tell anyone.” She nodded slowly as he turned, grabbing two clean beakers from the nearest shelf. Pouring himself a healthy dose, he poured her the same and handed it over.

“Ladies first, Henley.” She looked up at him nervously. “Merely so that if something is wrong, I will have my full wits to set it right.” He added, taking the antidote down from the top shelf. She nodded and with a half smile, downed the peach potion.

Stumbling backwards, she landed with a thump against the desk he had created for her. The beaker slipped from her hand as she steadied herself and smashed with a sharp ringing on the stone floor. Cleaning it up with a sweep of his wand, he stepped towards her.

“Henley?”

“I’m fine. It just hits quick. I feel a bit dizzy. But good dizzy.” She added with a lopsided grin.

“That’s good, it means the potion is working. Do you feel relaxed?”

“Extremely.” She added, her eyes closing momentarily longer than a blink. Severus smirked and downed the potion in one. He could do with some relaxation. The potion hit him like a tidal wave so that he had to shake his head a few times. This potion was strong; though the feeling was that of the potion he had brewed before. It seemed those two and a half turns had worked. He stumbled slightly back towards his chair and sank into it, his head spinning pleasantly as all his worries slipped into meaningless swirls.

“Correct, Professor?” Henley asked slowly.

“Yes. But stronger.” He replied, closing his eyes. Opening them, he noticed Henley had pulled herself up onto the desk, sitting with her legs swinging carelessly to and fro.

“Why did your parents choose to home school you, Henley?” He asked after a minute.

“They decided I would get a more rounded education if I stayed with them. My father is Muggle born and he wanted me to know more about Muggles than is taught here. History, English and Maths, things that Muggles learn in school.” She replied, smiling dazedly.

“What happened?”

“He happened!” She spat. “He attacked my parents while I was away at a friend’s. My father because he was Muggle born, and my mother because she is a pureblood, and she lowered herself to marrying one. I came home and found them. Albus Dumbledore was brought to the Ministry where I was in a holding room being questioned about it, and he offered me a place.” She explained.

“You told me that very easily.” Severus commented.

“Must be the potion.” She grinned, looking over at him. Slowly, the smile faded from her face. “Professor, do you hate it here?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You seem to hate teaching, the way you act in lessons.”

“I took this job as security. I was to be placed in Azkaban for being a Death Eater until Dumbledore vouched for me.” He looked slightly startled. “This potion must be good.”

“You were…”

“Yes. Until about a year before his fall. That is why Dumbledore vouched for me.”

She nodded slowly and tipped her head back, staring at the ceiling. He gazed at her, creamy flesh rising from under her white shirt, her chest rising and falling rhythmically from her breath. Standing, he walked over to her. She continued to stare at the ceiling, apparently not noticing him as he stood in front of her. He wasn’t sure what possessed him, his hand gripping his wand under his robes tightened and he nonverbally commanded the door to lock as the other hand slowly rose and brushed the hair away from her neck, the skin cool and soft. She jumped slightly, levelling her head and looking straight into his eyes. He held her gaze, her dark eyes matching his own as his palm rested against her neck. She didn’t move to stop him, she merely stared at him as she had done the parchment as she calculated the correct amount of Asphodel.

Leaning forward, his hand curled around her neck, holding her in place as his lips brushed hers. Now, she pulled back, gaining merely inches between them before his hand stopped her.

“Professor.” She gasped. He didn’t reply, he stared at her for a moment before crashing his lips against hers, holding her firmly in place as she struggled half-heartedly against him. His other hand found her upper arm, pulling her to standing and crushing her body against his.

“Professor, no.” She managed through the kiss as he pulled back, but held tightly to her.

“Henley, the potion is strong. You can’t fight, you know this.” He sneered slightly before crashing his lips back against hers, his hand holding her arm releasing and sliding around and over her breast. She gasped into his mouth as he grabbed roughly at her. Undoing the buttons on her shirt, he pulled it away and over her shoulders, trapping her arms to her sides. He pulled her bra down, revealing her breast, the nipple hard and inviting as he pinched it between his finger and thumb, rolling it backwards and forwards before lowering his mouth to it, exposing the bra away from the other breast as he did so. She gritted her teeth as she gave an involuntary moan.

“See, Henley.” Severus sneered, straightening. “Your feelings are heightened, but your relaxation means you will not fight. You brewed an excellent potion.”

She murmured a response through gritted teeth that Severus didn’t understand, but he neither bothered to ask her to repeat herself nor cared what she had said. Forcing her to the ground, he levered his weight on top of her, keeping one hand on her neck as he used the other to rake her skirt up, pushing her panties to the side and running a long slender finger between her swollen lips. Her hands pressed to his chest, gripping his robes, trying to push him away with no success.

The feeling of relaxation was deepening, but he couldn’t remember the last time he had felt so alive. Maybe it was the night he was initiated into the Death Eaters, maybe it was his first kill, all he knew was that the rush he was getting was something he hadn’t felt since the height of the Dark Lord’s first reign.

The hot sticky fluid clung to his finger as he swirled his finger quickly over her clit. She let out a proper moan this time, low and pained. Slipping hit index finger into her, he pumped in and out a few times before adding a second. Writing beneath him, she struggled to get away with a strength she couldn’t find, nor wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to. This felt so good.

He removed his fingers, smiling in success as her back arched away from the floor. Undoing his robes, he unzipped his trousers, his cock bursting forwards as her eyes flew open. She stared up at him in fear, though he could see it hidden behind the fear. That look of hunger he had seen in the eyes of a Death Eater just before a kill, a look of want when they knew they would take pleasure in sending that fatal curse.

Positioning himself at her entrance, her ground the head against her a few times, her juices letting him slip back and forth over her clit as he felt her breath quickening. Without warning he slammed into her, revelling in the feeling of her hymen ripping letting him force himself in as deep as he would go. She let out a cry of pain as he waited for a moment, his hand sliding back up to her breast, gripping the soft flesh and kneading it roughly.

Sliding out slowly until only the head remained buried inside her, he rammed back in, repeating this a few times before he quickened his pace, thrusting hard into her, her pussy gripping him tightly so that he felt he was burning. Hot wet flames. She moaned loudly as he quickened, sick pleasure rushing through him at the thought of her unwillingly enjoying the feeling of his cock inside her. Taking her nipple in his mouth, he rolled it around his tongue before raking his teeth over the hardened bud. She cried out, her grip on his robes tightening.

He continued to pound into her, her body shaking and her pussy gripping his cock tighter than ever. She was close; he could feel it. Biting down on her shoulder, he tried to hold off his own climax, wanting to feel her cum around him. He had to wait only moments, she came with a scream, which morphed into a moan as she clenched and unclenched around his cock, she skin hot. With a guttural growl, he came inside her, releasing his hold on her instantly as his arms shook and threatened to give way.

Pulling out of her, he pushed himself to kneeling, leaving her shaking and sobbing on the floor. He dug his hand into his robes and muttered the Imperius Curse. Though her body shook, her eyes glazed over and she didn’t move. Standing, Severus did up his robes and ordered her to stand.

Standing, she gazed off into space, not even realising he was before her. He walked to the back of the room and muttered a few enchantments, opening a hidden door in the back wall. Pulling a glass vile filled with orange liquid he handed it to her. He made the potion monthly for Madam Pomfrey, as it was inevitable a student would become pregnant at some point, she liked to have a fresh batch every month to save it from maturing. Grabbing the antidote for the potion as he walked back towards her, he handed them to her.

“Drink them.” He ordered, handing her the uncorked vile. She took them each in an effortless swig as Severus felt a swooping glee that the potion was tasteless.

“Get dressed.” He ordered as he removed the beaker from the table and cleaned it, placing it back on the shelf where it belonged. She dressed silently and he handed back her wand she had left discarded on the desk. She took it obediently and did not object as he moved her back to behind the desk.

Standing on the other side of the desk, he unlocked the door, removed the curse and quickly performed a memory charm back to the point where she was about to clean up the potion.

Smiling, she cleaned up the potion and handed him the three vials she had filled.

“There you go, Professor.” She commented lightly.

“Thank you, Henley. Shall we say same time next week?” He asked conversationally.

“Sure.”

“You’ll be working on a potion I provide next week. I think you are above the potions given in the book and I think with a little extra work, you could get an O in your NEWT easily.”

“Thank you, Professor.” She beamed.

“Leave this, I will clean it up.” He added, indicating to the desk. She nodded and walked to the door, pulling it open. “Miss Henley.” She turned back curiously as Severus scribbled a quick note. “Show this if someone stops you in the hall.”

She nodded and took the note, clutching it in her hand, noticing that the gripping motion sent a tingle through her fingers. Maybe she’d just been gripping that spoon too long.

“See you in class, Professor.” She smiled, closing the door behind her.

Severus sank into the chair behind his desk after clearing his office all evidence she had been in the room. His body was still surging with energy, electric charges flowing through his blood that he definitely hadn’t felt since his first kill. The feeling was intoxicating.

He shook his head and straightened up his marking. He had to finish these before the morning lesson.

“Bloody fifth years.” He grumbled, knowing that that retched Hermione Granger would be bouncing up and down in her seat until he handed back their essays. With a groan, he flicked to the next essay, Harry Potter. Without even looking at the essay and feeling extremely happy, he graded it T.

Henley walked back up from the dungeons towards the Gryffindor common room, glancing at the clock as she made her way through the Entrance Hall. Ten Thirty? There was no way that potion had taken three and a half hours to make. She grinned to herself.

“Must be losing my mind.”