A Few Bright Stars
Title: A Few Bright Stars
Team Name: Spy for the Bright, Feathery-Robed Fellows
Word Count: 100 x 9
Rating: G
Challenge: Locked in the Dungeon(s)
Characters: Hermione/Severus
Authors Notes: First time post here and first long-ish drabble! Hurrah.
There were no magical wards locking them in. At least, none that he himself had made. Only a very heavy, unbreakable lock held them prisoner, thanks to the Castle. The Castle is very much alive and will do as it pleases. This is something Severus had explained at least thrice over.
"No," moaned Hermione into the door, her 'o's long and dwindling.
"Yes," Severus countered. He was sick of her blind defiance to what was, and frankly, her pounding was giving him a headache.
Silence.
Hermione turned around to slowly face her Professor.
"Well, I guess we're stuck."
Severus rolled his eyes.
~
Hermione settled her body against the door and her head in her hands. Severus sat against a nearby cabinet. They were both trapped in one of the dungeon storerooms. Trapped and alone. The Weasley Devils couldn't have pulled a better one.
He really couldn't believe it. Already an hour had passed (in silence) and it was one Severus would never get back. For the love of Merlin's bollocks, he could be reading. There could have been some potions to stir. Some essays could have been graded!
Severus pursed his lips. No, he'd rather be in this disaster than that one.
~
Thirty more minutes had passed. Hermione could feel them slipping by in her skull. She looked up through her lashes at the man across from her.
First, her eyes trailed his legs to his chest. Pitch black. The color of shadows. Then his face came into view. His skin was pale and bright in the darkened room. Finally, his eyes. Pitch black. The color of an eternal, black sea.
Like a punch to the brain, Hermione realized they were making eye-contact. His were digging into hers like razors. She quickly averted her eyes back to the floor.
"What?" he demanded.
~
Hermione's eyes shot up. Snape was staring at her with obvious irritability. He cocked an eyebrow at her deer-like expression.
"Um..."
"What is it, Ms Granger?" he nearly snapped. He had caught her looking at him from under her lashes in a most furtive manner. He couldn't believe he was so interesting - which he voiced aloud.
"Ah, no, sir," Hermione started, but then slightly winced at the sharpening of his glance, "I was merely noticing... your skin."
"My skin?"
"Ah, yes. I just noticed it... seemed to glow," she said the last above a whisper. It was not missed.
~
The eyebrow cocked higher. Hermione almost fumbled but held her tongue. She did not wish to make herself a fool anymore than she already had.
Severus tossed the adjective around in his mind. It was certainly not... a negative one. But it would be ridiculously preposterous to think she had been admiring him. He chose not to delve any deeper, it was so absurd.
But, in fact, she was. Hermione had been admiring not just his skin, but rather his whole frame. The length of his limbs was pleasing; the black of his eyes and attire befitting and somewhat enticing.
~
She was doing it again. Severus cleared his throat so that it echoed. Hermione nearly jumped out of her reverie. Her Professor very nearly smiled; there was something pleasing in her gaze.
"Um," Hermione said, their eyes locking, "What I meant is that it seems a lot brighter than it has been in... the past."
She was treading carefully with her words, not wanting to insult. But he did not take offense. He knew the way he looked in the past some years: awful. Thanks to his double-life and the constant threat of death, his health hadn't been so kind.
~
But things had been better as of late. A lot better. Voldemort was somehow becoming weaker, more vulnerable. His once unbelievably powerful skill at Legilimency has been weakening, which means his Occlumency has been suffering as well. The walls he had built up for so many years are finally crumbling. A miracle coupled with a blessing all at once.
Which, to say, had greatly affected Severus and his well-being. In the past few months he had been looking healthier and (strangely enough) happier.
Hermione noticed a barely noticeable twinkle in his eye. His skin did glow. Silence.
"I'm glad, sir."
~
Severus' head snapped in the young woman's direction. He had been startled out of his very own reverie. Hermione found something pleasing in his far-off gaze.
"Glad about what?"
Hermione smiled with kindling warmth. Severus noticed the way her cheeks lit up her freckles. Something quietly, like a delighted ghost, passed through him.
"That things have been going so well," she replied, "I'm glad that you've been feeling better than you did."
Who would care about the Greasy Git? they would tease. Hermione mentally flicked them in the nose and told them to bugger off. The smile grew brighter, stronger.
~
Severus watched her smile with quiet gratification. Those brown eyes shone out like stars at him, her freckled cheeks a sunrise. But, unlike a sunrise, they did not chase the stars away.
He did not respond verbally, but Hermione could see his eyes. They looked at her from within their darkness. She was reminded of a starlit sky, like the truly magnificent skies one could only see atop a mountain far from the city smog. Her heart became quicker as his became stronger.
"Thank you," he replied softly.
Something loud clicked right above Hermione's head. The door had unlocked itself.
Team Name: Spy for the Bright, Feathery-Robed Fellows
Word Count: 100 x 9
Rating: G
Challenge: Locked in the Dungeon(s)
Characters: Hermione/Severus
Authors Notes: First time post here and first long-ish drabble! Hurrah.
There were no magical wards locking them in. At least, none that he himself had made. Only a very heavy, unbreakable lock held them prisoner, thanks to the Castle. The Castle is very much alive and will do as it pleases. This is something Severus had explained at least thrice over.
"No," moaned Hermione into the door, her 'o's long and dwindling.
"Yes," Severus countered. He was sick of her blind defiance to what was, and frankly, her pounding was giving him a headache.
Silence.
Hermione turned around to slowly face her Professor.
"Well, I guess we're stuck."
Severus rolled his eyes.
~
Hermione settled her body against the door and her head in her hands. Severus sat against a nearby cabinet. They were both trapped in one of the dungeon storerooms. Trapped and alone. The Weasley Devils couldn't have pulled a better one.
He really couldn't believe it. Already an hour had passed (in silence) and it was one Severus would never get back. For the love of Merlin's bollocks, he could be reading. There could have been some potions to stir. Some essays could have been graded!
Severus pursed his lips. No, he'd rather be in this disaster than that one.
~
Thirty more minutes had passed. Hermione could feel them slipping by in her skull. She looked up through her lashes at the man across from her.
First, her eyes trailed his legs to his chest. Pitch black. The color of shadows. Then his face came into view. His skin was pale and bright in the darkened room. Finally, his eyes. Pitch black. The color of an eternal, black sea.
Like a punch to the brain, Hermione realized they were making eye-contact. His were digging into hers like razors. She quickly averted her eyes back to the floor.
"What?" he demanded.
~
Hermione's eyes shot up. Snape was staring at her with obvious irritability. He cocked an eyebrow at her deer-like expression.
"Um..."
"What is it, Ms Granger?" he nearly snapped. He had caught her looking at him from under her lashes in a most furtive manner. He couldn't believe he was so interesting - which he voiced aloud.
"Ah, no, sir," Hermione started, but then slightly winced at the sharpening of his glance, "I was merely noticing... your skin."
"My skin?"
"Ah, yes. I just noticed it... seemed to glow," she said the last above a whisper. It was not missed.
~
The eyebrow cocked higher. Hermione almost fumbled but held her tongue. She did not wish to make herself a fool anymore than she already had.
Severus tossed the adjective around in his mind. It was certainly not... a negative one. But it would be ridiculously preposterous to think she had been admiring him. He chose not to delve any deeper, it was so absurd.
But, in fact, she was. Hermione had been admiring not just his skin, but rather his whole frame. The length of his limbs was pleasing; the black of his eyes and attire befitting and somewhat enticing.
~
She was doing it again. Severus cleared his throat so that it echoed. Hermione nearly jumped out of her reverie. Her Professor very nearly smiled; there was something pleasing in her gaze.
"Um," Hermione said, their eyes locking, "What I meant is that it seems a lot brighter than it has been in... the past."
She was treading carefully with her words, not wanting to insult. But he did not take offense. He knew the way he looked in the past some years: awful. Thanks to his double-life and the constant threat of death, his health hadn't been so kind.
~
But things had been better as of late. A lot better. Voldemort was somehow becoming weaker, more vulnerable. His once unbelievably powerful skill at Legilimency has been weakening, which means his Occlumency has been suffering as well. The walls he had built up for so many years are finally crumbling. A miracle coupled with a blessing all at once.
Which, to say, had greatly affected Severus and his well-being. In the past few months he had been looking healthier and (strangely enough) happier.
Hermione noticed a barely noticeable twinkle in his eye. His skin did glow. Silence.
"I'm glad, sir."
~
Severus' head snapped in the young woman's direction. He had been startled out of his very own reverie. Hermione found something pleasing in his far-off gaze.
"Glad about what?"
Hermione smiled with kindling warmth. Severus noticed the way her cheeks lit up her freckles. Something quietly, like a delighted ghost, passed through him.
"That things have been going so well," she replied, "I'm glad that you've been feeling better than you did."
Who would care about the Greasy Git? they would tease. Hermione mentally flicked them in the nose and told them to bugger off. The smile grew brighter, stronger.
~
Severus watched her smile with quiet gratification. Those brown eyes shone out like stars at him, her freckled cheeks a sunrise. But, unlike a sunrise, they did not chase the stars away.
He did not respond verbally, but Hermione could see his eyes. They looked at her from within their darkness. She was reminded of a starlit sky, like the truly magnificent skies one could only see atop a mountain far from the city smog. Her heart became quicker as his became stronger.
"Thank you," he replied softly.
Something loud clicked right above Hermione's head. The door had unlocked itself.