~~~
Bella was strangely silent as they walked, leaving Severus mired in his own thoughts. As they reached an especially dim stretch of corridor he grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. She tilted her head to look up at him and he kissed her. It was gentle, considerate even and felt foreign to every atom of his being. His usual persona slid back into place and he pushed her up against the wall, yanking her skirt aside.