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Third time's a charm

Masterlist - Misc. masterlist

Words: 545

Summary: Henry falls in love with reader, who works at the local bathhouse

Reader: female reader in mind

Notes: I'm not that far in the game yet but Henry is just adorable and I had an idea as I heard him say the quote below :)

The lanterns flickered softly, casting a warm glow over the rising steam. The gentle murmur of water and the occasional splash created a serene atmosphere. It was an ordinary night, except that, for the third time that week, Henry of Skalitz graced the establishment with his presence, that cheeky yet endearing smile playing across his rather tempting lips. Henry strode in, his charmingly rugged features barely concealed by the steam. His eyes, a shade caught between stormy skies and tranquil seas, found you straightaway. A small shy grin tugged at your lips as you pretended not to notice him, busying yourself with a tray of fragrant oils.

"Good evening, my comely lady", Henry greeted, his voice carrying a playful edge, "I find myself in need of your fine services yet again."

You turned to face him, heart pounding just a little faster.

"Thrice in one week, Sir Henry? And always requesting my presence? The townsfolk shall surely gossip", you teased.

"Let them talk", Henry replied with a chuckle, "I seek only the finest, and that happens to be you. And please, just Henry will do - I'm no knight."

His brazen words sent pleasant shivers down your spine. The chemistry between you both had been unmistakable from day one, growing with each clandestine visit. You guided him to a secluded alcove, where a steaming bath awaited. He shrugged off his clothes, revealing a few battle-worn scars, and sank into the water with a contented sigh.

As you poured water over his broad shoulders, your fingers brushed against his skin, causing both of you to pause momentarily. Henry reached up, capturing your wrist in his grasp, his thumb caressing the sensitive spot where your pulse danced beneath.

"Do thoughts of me occupy your mind when I'm not here?", he asked, his tone suddenly serious.

Your breath hitched, the raw intensity in his gaze drawing a confession from your lips.

"Perhaps more frequently than I ought to admit", you confessed with a shy smile.

Henry's eyes sparkled with delight and something deeper still. You leaned closer, barely a whisper apart, the air thick with unspoken words and feelings, the flickering candlelight cast playful shadows on the walls, but your attention remained solely on him. Slowly, the space between you vanished as Henry’s lips captured yours in a kiss that married playfulness with passion. It was a kiss that spoke of merriment, of shared laughter, and of a connection neither of you could deny any longer.

When finally you pulled apart, a thousand unspoken promises danced in the air. Henry rested his forehead against yours, his breath ragged, leaving your heart swelling with emotions you'd previously forbidden yourself to harbour. Here in his arms, you discovered a sense of home, as though you had finally found your place in this tumultuous times. Yet, as the moonlight streamed through the narrow window, casting a silver glow over everything it touched, you couldn't help but wonder what the future held. Would destiny continue to bind your tales together, or was this but a fleeting verse in life's grand ballad? As if sensing your thoughts, Henry placed a tender kiss on your forehead softly.

"Together, we shall weather whatever storms may come," he vowed, his voice steadfast.

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Bob? Is that you?^^

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More goose on the loose and Pushkin

and Ryaba ❤️

Nothing special, just my favourite goose^^

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Nothing special, just my favourite goose^^

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The Kamskis

Masterlist - DBH masterlist

Summary: After a year of absence, you, Elijah's sister, is finally returning home

Chapters: 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Warnings: reader is Elijah's sister and there will be smut in later chapters

Words: 931

Reader: sister reader, otherwise no specific descriptions used

Chapter 1

You hesitated before knocking on the door. A year had slipped away since you'd last seen your brother; too much had transpired in Detroit before you parted ways. Amanda, his mentor, had passed away a decade ago, the weight of her absence had left him broken, and he'd found solace in tears and whiskey, drowning memories of loss in amber-filled glasses. You took a deep breath and watched the fog forming in the cold as you exhaled. The knock on the door echoed and it didn't take long before the large black door swung open and a RT600 appeared in the doorway. She greeted you with a warm smile.

"Welcome back. Elijah will be pleased to see you again.", Chloe greeted you with programmed warmth.

I'm sure he will be, you thought to yourself while stepping inside. Your gaze immediately fixed upon the enormous portrait of your brother. Yeah the ego of my dear brother, immeasurable by earthly standards, you chuckled to yourself. Chloe instructed you to wait while she disappeared through the door on the right side of the portrait. It felt strange to be back again, in an odd way, it was your home and he was your family, the only one left. Your heart began to race, nervousness slowly taking a hold of your body and mind. How would you react? How would he react? After all, you were the one who stormed off and left him behind. You had occasional contact throughout the year, but that mainly consisted of short mundane questions and generic answers to ensure that you were both still alive and doing over all okay.

Your heart skipped a beat as the sound of your name interrupted your trail of thoughts. You looked up, seeing him treading towards you, smiling anxiously but somewhat happy. He changed quite a bit during the last year. The glasses were gone, the hair still long and tied to a bun but shaved on the sides and he got rid of his beard. He looked more serious, more like the corporate titan he was rather than the passionate inventor you'd known.

"I missed you so much", he took another step forward and hugged you tight.

You melted into it instinctively; the familiar comfort of his presence, the warmth and gentleness of his touch. Your tension dissolved instantly. It truly felt right to return, to reunite with your only anchor in a world of strangers.

"I missed you too, brother", your voice cracked as you almost couldn't handle all emotions appearing at once.

"Come, we have much to discuss after all this time", he sounded calm and content.

You followed him to the living room. You were a bit shocked to see a huge portrait of you on a wall. It wasn't there when you left, he must have commissioned it during your absence. Elijah noticed you inspecting it.

"It was painful to watch it when you were gone, but I felt like I needed you watching over me, even if it was not the real you."

A certain painful sadness tinged his voice, it sounded as if you being away for so long almost shattered him. You suddenly felt sorry and tears welled in the corner of your eyes as you rushed to the couch.

"Eli, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left, but what happened that night, I don't know, it felt...I...", you were sobbing.

He settled beside you, gently cupping your face and directing your gaze to meet his.

"Listen, little sister. I'm sorry too for what happened. I should have talked to you about my feelings, but I was overwhelmed by Amanda passing away. I felt so left alone, sad, like my soul was about to die and then there you were, like a beacon of hope illuminating my darkness. You cared about me and I suddenly had an epiphany", he paused, carefully weighing his next words in fear to scare you away again, "there are only two Kamskis left in this world, you and me, we are both quite unique, our minds perfectly aligned, our brilliance unmatched and there is no one else in this world who could ever understand our nature. We only have each other and we can never achieve true happiness with anybody else except us."

What was he doing? Why was he trying this again? Because he needed to, he assured himself, this was the only way any of them could be happy and he knew it. The year without you had nearly destroyed him, and he was determined to make you understand. He took a deep breath, looking you deep in the eyes.

"I know we’re breaking all the conventions, but those aren’t meant for us, we are not as small minded as them, we are family and I love you, sister!"

He surged forward, pressing his lips against yours in a passionate kiss. Stunned by this unexpected turn, you remained passive, allowing it to unfold. Though he was your brother and convention dictated otherwise, his logic was sound. Your attempts at normal relationships had invariably failed; other men never truly grasped your passions or intellect. You'd always felt misunderstood until that fateful night a year ago. The painful truth emerged - you'd fled not from disgust, but from shame. Shame because you enjoyed it, because you genuinely wanted it, though you'd never dared admit it... until now. Your arms encircled him as you returned his kiss with equal fervour. Perhaps he was right - perhaps all you needed for genuine happiness was him. After all, who were others to judge?

Chapter 2

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Hot as Hades

Masterlist - Misc. masterlist

Chapters 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5

Words: 1444

Notes: I'm still not in the right mindset to continue this story so it might feel a bit off but I promised another chapter so here it is ☺️ [also might rewrite this chapter as I'm not quite satisfied with it😅]

Chapter 6 - The tapestry of fate

"Come around again, Cinyras", Clotho purred with a sly wink.

Cinyras ran as fast as his legs could carry him until the realm of the Fates was out of sight. The body began to split with a rather undignified squelch, morphing into none other than Pain and Panic. The imps frowned in disgust as their shook their heads.

"I need several showers", Panic shuddered rubbing his arms nervously.

Pain nodded eagerly but before he could utter a word both of them were being pulled into the fabric of reality.

It had felt like an eternity when you last heard of the Lord of the Underworld and you almost laughed at the irony, given that you were now just as immortal as the god who held your heart hostage. Worries had been dominating your mind ever since he so hastily dropped you off without any explanation. Were you truly immortal? You didn't dare to try out of fear of ending your life way too early but then again, if you'd end up in the river of Styx, he'd actually be forced to talk to you. Thoughts after thoughts raced through your mind but before any of them could conclude, your physical form was warped away, falling through endless swirls of colours and stars before your feet hit a soft cloudy ground.

"Hiya love", you heard a familiar smug voice drawled.

Your eyes slowly wandered up, blinking in utter disbelief at the towering figure who stood before you, looking rather pleased with himself despite the peculiar circumstances.

"Hades?", you asked hesitantly.

Before you could ask yourself whether this was some sort of bizarre nightmare or reality gone completely bonkers, you felt the imps, who appeared a second after you, cling to you on each arm, clutching your hands tightly as they looked up, a glimmer of terror and suspicion dancing in their wide eyes.

"B-b-boss?!", both stammered, afraid he'd maim them on the spot for even asking.

Your gaze wandered over Hades' figure and he looked....ridiculous. He wore a magenta tunic, much as Zeus when you had seen him the first time. And speaking of unfortunate similarities, his signature flaming blue hair had vanished, replaced by absurdly styled white hair, again just like Zeus' before. However, both colours clashed rather horrendously with his naturally gloomy and melancholic aura that stubbornly refused to be brightened by his new ensemble.

"Of course it's me, babe. Who else would have the audacity to pull off this stunning look?", Hades declared, arms spread wide like he was expecting applause, "I suppose you're wondering what on earth is going on."

Hades noticed that you had been unaffected by the change in the tapestry and he let out a nervous chuckle, flashing you a toothy grin that seemed more desperate than charming.

"Underworld, actually," you corrected him dryly, "but yeah I do wonder quite a bit", the words slipping out before you could stop them. 

You stood there utterly baffled, your next words trapped in your throat as your gaze drifted towards Pain and Panic who now wore Hermes' signature outfit. Both imps seemed to be equally confused as they looked down in disbelief at the white tunic they were wearing. Hades heaved a sigh worthy of a third-rate tragedy actor, clearly improvising, trying to come up with a plan as he went on. 

"Well, my little flower, my little bird, my dear, you see it all started with a rather grandiose plan concocted by my ever-so-underwhelming brother, mister Hey-got-off-my-cloud, Zeus."

You couldn't suppress a snort of laughter; beneath this bizarre exterior, your Hades was still very much present, sarcasm intact.

"Zeus? A grand plan? Are you quite certain you haven't mixed up your own plotting with his?"

Hades flashed another grin, though it seemed more hesitant and forced than joyful. 

"You see, darling, he's finally done it - decided to acknowledge my superior management skills and switch places. Can you believe it? The old thundercloud actually came to his senses and practically begged me to take over. Now that I'm here, properly installed as God of Gods and all that marvellous jazz, I thought we might make this little arrangement... mutually beneficial. If you catch my drift, babe?"

His words oozed with suspicious charm, like a snake oil salesman trying to peddle bottled lightning to Zeus himself. You raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms as you tried to decipher the meaning behind his words, wondering if he'd finally lost his marbles after centuries of dealing with the dead. Hades’ expression was more earnest now, but a hint of sadness still glinted in his eyes. He strolled towards you, slowly reached out a hand, and when he got to you, he gently caressed your cheek, his touch light and warm.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget about you. In fact, you're a part of the plan, too."

You raised an eyebrow, crossing your arms as you tried to decipher the meaning behind his words. Hades, the usually overlooked ruler of the Underworld, now stood before you on Olympus with a confident air, one that was both unsettling, oddly charming and almost ridiculous, while looking like a caricature of Zeus. His grin widened, revealing sharp teeth that seemed to gleam in the dim light of the clouds around, looking rather like a shark who'd just spotted lunch.

"Alright, spill it," you demanded, swallowing the unease that had settled in your stomach, "what have you done?"

Hades chuckled darkly, a sound that sent shivers down your spine. 

"Oh, it's simple, really - a stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. Ol' Zeusy gets a taste of what it's like being trapped down in the Underworld, and I, well deserved I might add, get to run Olympus. But more importantly”, he sidled closer, waggling his eyebrows, “I get to spend some quality time with you."

You couldn't push that gnawing doubt away that bloomed within you. There was something very wrong about this situation, and Hades was clearly hiding something behind that thousand-watt smile.

"Seriously, what have you done? Where is Zeus?", you asked in a stern tone as you carefully observing Hades.

"Zeus? Zeus? What is that, a candy or something?", Hades chuckled rather nervously, his usual charms failing him as he stuttered.

"The real king of Olympus."; you insisted.

Hades looked at you with a big smile but the sadness and despair in his eyes couldn't be hidden. The realisation that, despite him ruling the other gods now, his plan had not worked as planned, and he ran out of excuses to make this whole mess look good.

"Now, now, I've always been the king. Yeah yeah thank you. Hades has left the building.", he tried to joke, theatrically waving a hand.

"Yes honey, you've always been", Hera purred as she walked up to Hades, caressing his cheek lovingly. You blinked in disbelief at the scene unfolding in front of you. Pain and Panic saw your expression and before your mind could comprehend the incoming heartbreak, the imps flew towards you and swept you away, bringing you back to your home.

Hades shoved Hera away with a snarl that rivalled the one of Cerberus. Oh, this was just brilliant. Somewhere along the line, whilst playing master puppeteer with the Fates' precious tapestry, he'd managed to botch things up spectacularly. The grand master plan had been absolutely perfect in theory - he was supposed to become the illustrious king of Olympus, make you his immortal bride, and the two of you could have spent eternity lounging about in the fluffy clouds, sipping nectar and watching Zeus rot away in the dreary Underworld. But nooo, the universe just had to go and muck it all up, didn't it? Hades slumped down on throne that spontaneously formed out of the clouds and pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting the urge to set everything ablaze. This was a divine disaster and a fear slowly rose within him. After witnessing Hera's little display of affection, you'd probably rather marry a river guardian than become his bride.

"Well, if it isn't the strapping new ruler of Olympus Hades", Atropos's mocking voice cut through his self-pity party as she sauntered towards him, holding the eye in her hand, "not quite the mastermind you thought you were, eh?"

"Come to have a laugh at my expense? Well, go on then, knock yourself out!", Hades scoffed, flicking his hand dismissively.

Deep down, beneath all the snark and bravado, he felt like he'd lost you forever and though he wanted to blame everyone else for it, he knew in his heart that this tragedy was entirely his doing.

Chapter 7

Tags: @makanirock05 / @dd122004dd / mythirdlife235

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I love your stories and was wondering how the Hades series is going. It’s totally fine with you’re not into it anymore but just wanted to know. Oh but if you do decide to continue on, could you add me to the tag list? Thanks! <3

Hi 👋

Thanks for that lovely messages 🥰

I'm still not over my current obsession BUT I started to draft a little for the next Hades chapter. A desperate attempt to change obsessions 😅 I definitely plan on continuing the Hades story and it might take a while but we're getting there...eventually...hopefully 😅

If the new chapter is ready, I'll promise to tag you.

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do you write for book Carrie White?

Hey,

Sorry for the late answer to this request.

I hadn't planned on writing for book Carrie. It's been 23 years since I read the book 😅

(I feel so old over sudden😅)

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Taash!!

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♡ Happy November First ♡

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Bellara Lutare

Before starting the game I was so sure to romance Lucanis but damn... I fell so hard for Bellara 😍❤️ I will protect and love this quirky cuteness ❤️

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Forgotten that I had this WIP. I said that I wouldn't gamble but Veles saved me in the late game.

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The Thaumaturge - favourite quotes

Part 3

This game keeps on giving^^

Alright alright *starts unzipping pants*

Ah yes the Franciscan sisters...of course^^

Wiktor....*shakes head and giggles*

Oh Ligia^^

Even dying Ariel still manages to piss off Wiktor with his last breath

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Day 5: Staying with Severus

Pairing: Severus Snape x OC

Rating: 🥰

Prompt: Pillow

A/N: Part 2 to Snapetober day 3 'Haunt'. Again this one kind of ran away from me and turned out being a lot longer than I expected.

Warnings: casual drinking?

Word Count: 3314

Credits to the artist.

DAY 1

“Alright, let’s hear it.” I said, dropping my bags at my feet upon entry.

“Excuse me?” Severus looked at me inquisitively.

“You said you’d have stipulations for me staying with you, let’s hear them.”

“Very well.” He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “As there is no spare bedroom you will unfortunately have to sleep here on the couch. This means, you are to wait until nightfall to arrange your sheets accordingly. Similarly, I don’t want to see them in the morning, I would like them to be removed before I awake.”

“Not a problem, I’m just grateful to be able to escape that pesky poltergeist. Anything else?”

“I expect all the living areas to be kept clean and tidy.”

“Of course.” So far nothing too unreasonable.

“No excessive noise; this means no music or singing or anything else I might consider grating.”

“Not even in the shower?” Snape raised a single eyebrow at me. “I’m kidding. I’ll keep to myself I promise.”

“No wandering, I don’t want you messing with my things. And no guests whatsoever; I do not wish to stumble upon anything I do not wish to see.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.” I smirked. If only he knew.

“I have some marking to do in my office tonight, so that will let you get settled in peace.”

“No worries, I’m just excited to take a long shower in a bathroom that’s actually clean for once. I’ll probably spend the night reading on the couch by the fire, if that’s alright with you. I haven’t had peace and quiet for so long.”

“I’ll be back around 10, until then you are free to do as you wish.”

Severus quickly made his way to the door, seemingly wanting to get out of my way as soon as humanly possible.

“Severus.” I called after him. “Thank you for this. I really do appreciate it.”

With a curt nod he way on his way.

It was a struggle to stay awake after my shower; the heat of the fire making my eyes droop almost instantly. It was the first time in weeks I was had complete silence and my body was starting to naturally shut itself down. Unable to wait until Severus returned to set up my bed, I fell asleep right there on the sofa, curled into myself to keep warm.  

DAY 2

I awoke the next morning in exactly the same with the exception of a fluffy blanket that had been gently placed over my body.

It seemed not only had Severus silently entered last night, but had also already left before I awoke this morning. There was practically no sign of any life having ever been in the small apartment that were his living quarters.

Knowing I didn’t have long until breakfast I quickly made my way about getting ready for the day, making sure to leave as little trace of myself as possible.

As I arrived in the Great Hall I flashed Severus a large smile he had no in intention of returning, his cold demeanour never having changed despite his uncharacteristically kind gesture.

“You’re looking awfully chipper this morning.” Minerva commented as I took my seat next to her.

“Let’s just say I’ve found a temporary living situation, completely devoid of poltergeists.”

“How did you manage to pull that off?”

“I took your advice.” I smiled, unable to help myself from glancing towards to the potions master.

“I see.” She grinned. “And how is it going so far?”

“Fine. I’ve pretty much had the place to myself.” I shrugged.

“You mean the two of you haven’t spent any time together yet?”

“Not really. And to be honest it doesn’t seem like he’s planning to at all.”

“Hmm.” She turned her attention to her mug of tea.

My peace didn’t last as long as I had initially hoped with Peeves showing up half way through breakfast, beginning once again to annoy the living daylights out of me. Despite his taunting getting worst a decent night’s sleep made all the difference and I was finally able to endure his taunting. My sudden disappearance from my chambers only seemed to spur the ghost on; seemingly pissed off that I had managed to find a loophole in his agreement.

From verbal taunts to disruptive actions; Peeves quickly changed tactics to more disturbing forms of chaos. He started with turning the heating off to my classroom, causing issues for not only myself but my pupils for the day. Then he took it as far as to tear up my students test sheets, using the remnants of parchment as confetti while he followed me around for the rest of the day. Yes, it was frustrating to say the least but nothing I couldn’t endure until the end of the week.

It didn’t come as a shock to me that Severus was not in his chambers when I returned later that evening. I almost felt guilty for spending more time in his quarters than he was; not fully expecting how inconvenient my staying here would be for him, but at the same time I wasn’t willing to spend any more time being tortured by Peeves than was absolutely necessary.

This time I managed to stay awake to see him return, hoping to ask him a question that had been on my mind all day.

“Hey.” I greeted him as he crept through the door.

Severus faltered at my words, clearly not expecting me to be awake.

“Good evening.” He said without stopping.

“Do you want to sit with me for a bit?” I offered, not wanting to chase him out of his own living room.

“I don’t think so, I’m not really in the mood to talk.”

“Oh okay, no worries.” The disappointment in my voice evident.

His eyes fluttered shut, a short sigh escaping his lips.

“If you’re still up for it tomorrow, we can talk then.” He compromised.

“Sounds great.”

He began to leave again.

“Wait, Severus, one more thing. Was this you?” I gripped onto the blanket I had taken the liberty of wrapping around myself again.

“You looked cold.” He said simply before disappearing into his bedroom.

DAY 3

“Hey.” I smiled, tucking my feet under myself as Snape returned from yet another night hidden away in his office.

Snape didn’t even bother to look in my direction, stalking over to his liquor cabinet on the opposite side of the room. Pouring himself a large glass of Firewhiskey, Severus raised the bottle in my direction, cocking a single eyebrow to silently offer me a drink.

“No thanks.” I smiled, lifting up my half-drunk mug. “I’m good with tea.”

He grunted in response. Taking his sweet time to drain his glass, before pouring himself another, Snape slowly made his way over to the couch.

Patting the empty seat beside me I encouraged him to join me. Unsurprisingly, he opted for the solitary leather armchair.

“So…” I tried to break the awkwardness of the silence. “How was your day?”

“Perfectly adequate.”

“Oh.” I focused my stare into my lap. I knew Severus wasn’t the warmest of men, but we had known each other well over a decade now and yet he was speaking to me like he barely knew me. While we were never friends, and I knew Severus didn’t get along with James and Sirius, I wasn’t aware he felt the same hatred towards me.

Starting to regret my want to reconnect with him, I considered maybe it would be best to keep my distance. That was until he spoke again.

“Better than your day, anyway. I hear the poltergeist hasn’t let up.” He elaborated.

“Yeah, I think he’s pissed I’ve found a hack in his system. But I can put up with it for a few days if it means I get to come home to peace and quiet every night. I never fully appreciated how truly tranquil it is down here, I understand why you want to keep it that way.”

“I’m not entirely sure if it’s a natural quality of the place or just that the students stay clear of the halls at risk of running into me.”

“Oh, come on, you’re not that bad.” I giggled, though he seemed deadly serious.

He shot me a glaring look.  

“You forget I knew you before you were like this, Severus.”

“And what exactly is this.” He sneered, taking another large gulp of his whiskey.

“I don’t know…. Intimidating? Scary? Dark and brooding. Whatever persona you’re trying to portrait, you’ve not always been that way.”

“And you would know how I used to be?”

I bit my lip nervously.

“You’re clever.” I stated, deciding it would be better to prove how well I knew him rather than to try and explain myself.  “Probably the most intelligent person I’ve ever meet, to be honest. And you’re and mysterious, in a way that’s sort of intriguing. And you can be kind… when you want to be.”

“You’re an interesting woman, Y/N.”

I couldn’t help but blush at the sudden intensity of his stare.

“How’d you mean?”

“You’re so … likeable.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“It’s confusing.”

“I don’t understand.”

“How could a girl like you end up friends with those infernal boys. I’ve never understood it.”

“Oh. Well, I don’t really know how it happened, we were in the same house I guess it was inevitable. I would study with Remus after class and Sirius seemed to take a shine to me from day one. They we’re really the kind of people I would have chosen as friends, but c’est la vie.” I shrugged.

“Did you two ever….” Snape eyed me intently before taking another swig of whiskey.

“Me and Sirius?” I scoffed, “Don’t be ridiculous. He was never my type.”

“Hmm.” He hummed, seemingly satisfied.  

“It seemed to me that you and I would have been perfect friends, Severus. We always frequented the same secluded spots.”

“I liked to keep to myself.”

“I noticed. I was always just trying to find a moments peace from those boys, but I don’t imagine you ever saw me.”

“I did.”

“I just figured I was one of those people who were easily overlooked, I didn’t expect to be noticed by anyone.”

“I always noticed you.” His eyes met mine once more, daring me to be the first to look away.

Clearing his throat, he looked down at his once again empty class. I win.

“Well, I think I better turn in for the night.” The eery silence of the room threatened to swallow us whole.

“No worries.” I smiled, bashfully. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” He smirked.

DAY 4

The following night Severus returned from dinner and joined me by the fire without prompting.

He took his usual path to the back of the room; fumbling about with his glass decanter as he always had before speaking a word to me. Watching him I realised; he did this not because he was rude, as I had initially suspected, but that he was nervous and he needed a moment to himself to mentally prepare himself before joining me by the fire. The moment the tight muscles in his shoulders dropped, I knew he was ready to chat.

“Tea?” He called without looking back.

“Oh. Eh… yeah, go on then.” I said, caught off guard by his offer.

Falling back into silence I continued to watch as Severus busied himself making my drink.

Despite clearing room for him on the opposite side of the couch, he once again opted for his singular worn down arm chair.

“Coping any better with the haunting today?” He asked, still preoccupied with his drink.  

“Oh definitely. I think just knowing I don’t have to deal with him when I come back here has taken so much weight off my shoulders. I was struggling there for a while, but I don’t think there is anything he could do to me now that I can’t handle.”

“Good. That’s… good.”

The awkwardness in the air threatened to halt the conversation all together.

“Do you have any plans for the weekend?” I asked in a panic.

“No.” He answered a little too quickly. “I don’t tend to… socialise much.”

“I remember.” I chuckled, earning a stern glare from the professor. “If you want, we could go get a drink together. I’ve yet to take a wander into Hogsmeade, maybe you could remind me of the way? That is unless you’d prefer to be alone.”

“I usually do.” He hesitated. “Though there is a select few I can tolerate spending time with.”

“I don’t suppose I fall into that category.” I blushed, realising he was avoiding my question.

“You’re getting there.” He admitted. “It hasn’t been nearly as inconvenient having you stay here as I expected.”

“If you were dreading it so much, why did you say yes?” I was suddenly very conscious that I was imposing by staying here and that maybe I should have just stuck it out another week like everyone else had.

“Because you asked me to.” Severus spoke softly.

“But I was only joking, you didn’t really have to agree if it made you uncomfortable.”

“I wanted to.” He confirmed, his eyes telling me he meant it.

“Well, I know I’ve said it plenty of times, but I really do appreciate it.” I gulped, finding it hard to relax again.

“Stop stressing, Y/N, I’ll accompany you to Hogsmeade.” The tension I was holding in my body instantly eased at his words.

DAY 5

“What is this?” Snape questioned upon my entry, for once he hadn’t returned to his office after dinner. He held a weathered old book between his hands, his eyes scanning page after page.

“No idea.” I shrugged, barely looking away from my book.

“It belongs to you; a diary I believe.”

“What?” I paled. “Where did you get that?”

I had only kept a diary once in my life; I poured my heart and soul into it through my teen years at school. It contained every thought I had, every emotion I felt, and worst of all, my biggest secret I had tried so hard to hide. I kept the for the sentimental value but had otherwise forgotten it existed, buried it in a drawer somewhere in my chambers.

“It was pinned to the door… with this note.”

He held up a singular yellow post it baring the words; READ ME.

Peeves. That ghost had gone too far now.

“Give it back.” I demanded, jumping from my chair,

“Why? Is there something you don’t want me to see?” He raised an eyebrow challengingly.

“No.” I blushed.  “It’s just private.” I tried to snatch it from his grasp.

“Ah, I see. Wouldn’t want to reveal any hidden emotions or… artistic abilities.”

I blanched further.

“You’ve seen them.”

“I may have stumbled upon a few drawings, yes.”

“Oh God, please don’t tell me you’ve read it.”

“Afraid so.” He stated simply, but made no effort to stop the huge grin spreading across his face.

I hastily flicked through the pages, scanning as much as I could to gauge what he knew. The text was damning. Severus Snape knew that I was in love with him.

“You’ve read all this?”

“Yep.”

“So… you know?”

“Every. Last. Detail.”

“It’s really old; I was a hormonal teenager and I wrote down anything that popped into my head. It doesn’t mean anything, I promise.”

“I see. And the pictures?”

“They’re just sketches, I… thought you had an interesting face.”

“You never drew your friends?”

“I tried but they mostly annoyed me the whole time.”

“They’re impressive.” He noted simply, reaching for them again.

“Thank you.” I gulped.

We took to the couch again that night, Severus enjoying the embarrassment that showed on my face time he spared a glance at my sketches still spread over the coffee table.

DAY 6

“I’ve been thinking about your journal.” Severus brought up the following night.

“Hmm?” I hummed, pretending to preoccupy myself, despite the burning feeling starting to crawl up my neck once more.

“You said it was old, that your feelings for me ending during our time together at school.”

“Of course. It was just a teenage crush, nothing more.”

“So you say but upon leaving for breakfast this morning. I happened upon something else pinned to the door.”

“Really, what?” I sipped my tea, trying hard not to sound invested.

All sense of composure left my body the minute he lay a further pile of parchment on the coffee table.

“Oh.” My stomach dropped at the sight.

Another set of drawings of the potions master stared back at me; this time more recent depictions of the man.

Despite the previous sketches having taken place over a number of years the second pile was just as large.

“Care to explain?” His words were curt but his tone had a hint of amusement to it.

There was no hiding the scarlet hue of my face nor the fact I obviously continued to draw Snape in my free periods since I started at Hogwarts.

“They’re from memory.” I blurted. “It’s not like I’m sitting watching you or anything. I… I just like to draw your face.”

“Is there a reason you like my face in particular?”

“I already told you; I find it interesting.”

“Anything else?”

“No. I…”

“Y/N.” He cut me off.

“Yes?” I squeaked.

“Are you still in love with me?”

I bit my lip nervously, having to force myself from spilling my life long secret.

Snape stared me down.

I nodded before I had a chance to think too much about it. Instantly my mind went into overdrive.

“I’m sorry. I know it’s inappropriate of me to stay here when I feel this way. I just really needed help and you-“

My rambling was cut off by the crashing of his lips against mine.

“I feel the same way.” He admitted, mouth hungrily moving against mine.

“You do?” The air had almost completely left my body, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

Now it was his turn to nod.

“Why do you think I was so nervous to speak to you when you first arrived. I was always jealous of those boys for getting to spend time so much time with you when I liked you so much. All I wanted was you all to myself. I just never knew how to approach you.”

“I was worried you couldn’t even remember I existed.” I let out a breathless laugh.

“Believe me, I always remembered.” He pressed his lips against mine once more, this time deepening the kiss.

DAY 7

For the first time that week I didn’t wake up on that old green velvet couch, but instead on the chest of Severus Snape.

After our revelation last night we waited no longer than walk to the bedroom to finally let out our years long pent-up emotions for one another.

We immediately fell into his dark satin sheets; our bodies becoming a tangled mess of moans and gasps until we collapsed breathlessly against one another. Severus with his arm wrapped tightly around my waist, and me with my head using his body as a pillow.

The first thing I remember thinking when I opened my eyes was that I never wanted to go back to real pillows ever again.

~

“I guess I’m finally free to leave then.” I commented as we drank our morning coffee together, still snuggled under the sheets of his bed.  

My month long haunting had finally come to an end.

“That’s true.” Severus responded. “Or… you could stay.”

“What, here?” My eyes nearly burst out my head.

“For a while.” He shrugged. “Or just tonight?”

“How about we start with tonight.” I grinned, leaning into touch.

We had plenty of time to spend together from here on out.

[hrefna-the-raven]

ruling as equals, hmm? interesting. join my print club to get this exclusive for october!