warnings: well, wait til the end will ya
a/n: pokemon references (yes, you read that right, spot them) as well as hints at taylor swift's lyrics my girlie
word count: 3201

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Eyes daintily sunk underneath the waves of their glares, a sacred silence superseded the buzzing fall of snow and chatter.

He slowly strood up to her, she didn't move a nerve of her muscles.

Quiet.

Unreadable, unreachable specks of sentences fluttering like fireflies inside their stomachs that never made it to their lips.

Cesira glowed heavenly in clad-white, as if someone had wrapped a rope around a life-breathing star, pulling it down from the nightsky all the way to the ground.

Severus, on the other hand, resembled the very sky from which the star had been ripped so brusquely, leaving an unfillable void forever etched on infinite blackness.

His cloakless frockcoat had a longer tail, his cravat had been enchanted so as to shimmer coyly with thousand teensy reflections resembling million stars crying for their parted sister standing right there.

His inky strands were slightly curled on the ends, no trace of his signature white shirt puffing out of his teaching robes - it was black too.

The tedious trail of buttons was oddly replaced by a double breasted front perfectly underlining his pecs and buff anatomy, covering his chest and stretching toward his left shoulder - but never reaching it.

Impersonal, aloof, enigmatic.

"Lady Ravenclaw," he bowed gentlemanly, addressing her with the title everyone used for the Head when a house hosted an official event.

Cesira softly smiled, returning his nicety.

"Lord Slytherin."

He held out his hand, twisting his wrist as she coaxed herself to place the tip of her fingers on the space between his thumb and index, entering the common room.

They were literally up in the sky, no magic could ever convince anyone otherwise.

Walls were superseded by an endless stretching of stars, the high ceiling peppered with galaxies and zodiac signs galloping above their heads, chasing each other. At the center of the widened room could be found a perfect replica of the moon silently rotating on itself a few feet above the dining table, casting its rays on the guests.

The very floor represented Hogwarts and its scottish surroundings from a bird's eye view, encasing everything everyone was used to spot from the ground.

As Severus solemnly chaperoned Cesira to the head of the abnormally long cloud-made dining table - so as to allow every single person to sit together regardless of their house - Aries and Capricorn trotted above them before skulking away.

"Let the banquet begin!" she proclaimed, clapping her hands once to pop out the delicious entries.

There was no turning back.

Nothing could go wrong from that moment on.

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The entertaintment part had been beautifully performed by her students: from articulated spell-shows to aereal acrobatics of their Quidditch team to her candlelight piano concert that revived carols and nostalgic pieces.

As the closing part loomed in a distance and adults got affected by the expensive booze offered at the bar whilst teenagers decked the dancing floor to youth chants, the student band offered one last song before the closing show.

Cesira had been dancing with Penny all night long, spinning her around to rock jams and placing her cheek on her head as they lulled one another to mellow melodies.

"Merlin I'm through, my legs are craving for something fluffy to rest on," she panted, hunched and happily breathless.

Cesira noticed an isolated loveseat against the invisible wall, scooping her up bridal style to lay her on it.

"Mhh I think I've had too much to drink tonight," Penny slurred, closing her big eyes as her head nuzzled the cushion.

She chuckled. "Yeah you did you crazy witch."

"But I don't want to miss the due-" Penny ceased talking, and fell asleep on the spot as soon as she conjured a cozy blanket to cover her jasmine blue dress.

"At last."

Cesira turned around to face Severus, who she had not seen since the banquet where she was completely invested in lively chatting with Minerva and the staff to toss a glance at him.

He didn't partake in dancing all night, quite obviously regarding his anti social character.

"Have you enjoyed yourself until now?"

He shrugged, hands behind his back.

"I would enjoy parties more if they didn't involve people." he droned zestlessly.

Yes, yes, she agreed.

She was tired, as tired as she ever felt, but for the sake of her house she would have kept performing until the curtains closed and everyone left.

"Would you dance with me?" she reached out her hand, expecting nothing at all.

He quirked an eyebrow, never stopping eye contact. "No."

Cesira smirked, swatting his chest to make him purse his lips in contempt. God she missed playing with him.

"Wise choice, keep an eye on your assistant will you?"

He rolled his eyes, standing near the loveseat like a perfect soldier guarding his protegé.

"She will receive the scolding she never received as a student once she wakes up, mark my words." he drawled, disapproving of her consumption of liquors that could have damaged her useful brain for the quest.

Cesira scoffed. "Oh, let her be old man!"

She skulked away to flee from his snarky response, joining her students on the stage to sing the last song, 'We'll meet again'.

Everyone slowly joined as dancing couples slowed down their feet, she could distinguish his baritone breaching through the plethora of shades of different voices. No one seemed to notice his sallow lips moving, perhaps he had charmed her ears so as to let her be the only one to hear him.

Quit it, you're not special.

"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day..."

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"Oi Fred, where were you?"

"Testing if those ingredients really did it for the drinks Georgie!"

"Come on, you don't want to lose Professor Blyde and the greasy git dueling!"

The twins ran up to gather round the dining table which had been transformed into a dueling platform, everyone started placing bets on the winner.

"I hope she'll hex some humanity into that heartless bat!"

"Snape would never let another house win."

"Ten gallons if one of them gets killed!"

"Students and staff!" thundered Madam Hooch, hopping on the middle of the platform.

"It is time for our closing number, a moment we have all been waiting for: a dueling show between two of our most talented professors!"

The audience cheered uncontrollably as two rays shot from the giant moon, shedding a light on Severus and Cesira standing on the platform's ends.

"Salute," the opponents followed the usual ritual before initiating, bowing profoundly.

"Wands at the ready," their bodies morphed into their signature stances.

"One, two, three!" everyone counted, roaring at the first spells being casted.

"Get her Snape!" shouted a Slytherin.

"Go go go Cesira! Go go go Cesira!" intoned lions and ravens, letting out a wild gasp when she swiftly dodged his verbal diffindo, a dagger of wind almost slicing her neck.

They used only verbal spells so as to teach something to the boisterous youth around them, as well as casting abecederian ones - though the spectacularity they held when leaving their wands.

Fred immediately got it.

"They're not dueling, they're just performing!"

George frowned. "Who cares Freddie, this is wicked!"

"Duro!" shouted Cesira, encasing his levicorpus in hard rock stone.

"Bombarda!" he countered, exploding the floating uneven rock into teensy flecks of green and silver lights, eliciting cries of admiration.

"Incarcerous!"

"Fulgari!"

"Impedimenta!"

"Incendio!" Snape bolted a wide tongue of fire at her, Cesira had quickly repelled it knitting a gurg of clean water with it.

Fire and water began slithering around each other, playfully swiveling around the students - some laughed, some jumped into each other's arms.

"Avifors!" a flock was conjured from Cesira's wand, speeding with claws drawned toward him.

"Serpensortia!"

Soon after an engaging battle took place between a python and four ravens trying to take out its eyes, all whilst its fangs trapped a bird, disappearing it.

"Bloody hell this is mental!"

"It's barbaric." Penny had woken up due to the noisy crowd, strooding up near the platform and the twins, who she got affected to just like Cesira during her extra potion lessons.

Of course, the animals exploded in grand gestures before it could get too graphic for the dunderheads.

By now the crowd was chanting each duelist name.

"Vento!"

Cesira whipped her wand above her head in grand gesture, conjuring a strong gust of wind spiraling around her before thrusting it against Snape, who bellowed a lazy "glacious" to transfigure wind into million pointy ice-made daggers.

He raised his arms, holding his wand with both his hands as if it were a sword.

The ice stopped soaring in her direction, freezing midway, students placed behind Cesira held their breaths as they were facing a wall of sharp ice ready to pounce on their teacher.

Everyone went quiet.

"It'd be house-wise to give up, Lady Ravenclaw. Madam Pomfrey specifically asked not to see anyone on a stretcher tonight."

His students erupted in a mocking, devilish snicker.

Cesira willingly took a step forward, a dagger floating a perfect inch before the space between her eyes.

"You best keep in mind, Lord Slytherin, that it's not over until I win."

One heavy sigh of silence.

She barely twisted her wrist, the ice was embraced by an inky blue liquid that quickly shrinked his spell, reducing it to a bubble floating between them.

They walked in sync, as if dancing, getting in each other's proximity.

"Articuno!" she cried.

"Serperior!" he bellowed.

Their wands connected, everyone with enough magic inside their veins could have sensed the woods attracting each other like magnets - powerful streams of blue and bronze impacted against an equally potent jet of green and silver light. Creatures no one had ever seen started forming from their spells, ferociously battling each other.

Articuno became a large avian bird with predominantly sky blue plumage and wings made of bronze. On its forehead a crest that consisted of three, darker blue rhombus-shaped feathers.

Serperior morphed into a primarily pale green, serpentine creature. Its face and throat were silver, while its back was dark green. Curled, mint-colored patterns extended into the silvery portion of its face, and it had narrow red eyes. In the lower jaw, two fangs were visible when its mouth was opened. There were two pointed black extensions on the back of its head.

The crowd crouched a bit, almost swept back by the force oozing from the point where the spells fused and the animals furiously entangled in an enthralling fight.

Cesira nodded imperceptibly, he responded with a twinkle of his coals.

They pointed their wands toward the enchanted ceiling, lifting the animals which exploded up above, disintegrating in a grand show of Christmas lights from which emerged none other than Hagrid riding his flying motorcycle, a huge pile of presents mounted on it.

Penny smiled, Cesira told Snape their plan and he accepted? She couldn't possibly be more proud of her tutor.

"Hop on ye ladies!" before the two witches could talk back they were standing inside his buggy, tossing presents down below.

Cesira cared to toss a black wrapper to Severus, who caught it on the fly, giving him a sly wink.

"Merry Christmas Hogwarts!" Lady Ravenclaw shouted, knowing that banquet would stay unmatched for eternity.

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The party was over, she was alone.

Everyone kept asking them where the hell did they learn to do that, summoning magic-made creatures that never truly existed. Obviously, they didn't answer, giving smirks and grimaces.

"You two are legends!" Penny had squeaked, literally jumping into their arms as she hugged them tightly.

Quiet. At last.

"Not so fast, Blyde."

She sighed, though smiling.

Severus approached her as she exited the restored common room after congratulating with each member, handing them presents she had personally bought in Diagon Alley whilst looking for new brooms with the quidditch team.

"I believe this is yours," he handed her worn Charms book.

"Did you like it?"

"It's genius." he answered wholeheartedly - well, not that she was sure he had a heart at all.

"Of course you would choose Serperior, show-off." she taunted.

He sneered. "Quite rich coming from you, Lion-Eagle Dame."

She smirked, vanishing the book to her chambers simply by passing her hand above it. His pupils dilated, flooding his irises.

"Well, I spent more time with Filius than with my peers, that must mean something."

He slightly tilted his head. "I never thought one cantankerous daredevil could create such complex charms, I couldn't help but notice the lack of dark curses. Yes, there are several deadly spells but they're on the side of light."

She furrowed, pretending confusion. "Oh this one's new, cantankerous daredevil? That's one weird way of telling me I'm a badass, Severus."

He drawned his eyebrows together at her prophanity. "What did you say?"

"Badass." she hindered a growing laughter.

"Badass." he repeated, slowly, venomously.

"Severus Snape speaking slang, my dream come true."

He towered over her, expecting the utter lack of traces of fear or intimidation in her eyes. He shut out sensations of her bum brushing against his crotch as he moved her like a puppet to brew Amortentia. How he would waste more of his precious time to teach her potions, hellbent on showing her she wasn't a lost cause.
And how brewed love deemed her undeserving.

"My, here I thought your dream was to kill me gracefully." his baritone rattled her lower stomach.

Later, he said to himself. There would be a later to muse on petty matters only fools who wear their hearts on their sleeves engage with.

"You never had it in yourself to go with grace." she countered, eyelids fluttering as his intoxicating scent titillated her lungs.

He stretched out his index finger, pressing it under her chin, craning her neck painfully - though she didn't really need to break her neck in order to get a good look at him.

"The wanton in your sapphires is shrieking woman, I can see how desperately you burn to pounce on me." he pressed on every consonant, pausing ever so dramatically.

Cesira grazed her canine, a gesture he welcomed with a mischievous grin.

"Now now Severus, why on Earth should I make it that easy?" she freed from his finger and motioned to bite it, he obviously stepped back before letting her have his flesh.

"Open your present." she commanded, eyeing his discomfort at her stern tone. He had to be the one in control.

"It's not Christmas yet."

She scoffed. "Like you ever cared about Christmas."

He narrowed his eyes, slowly unwrapping his present he magically hid in hid pocket.

It was an enchanted, mesmerizing copy of The Odissey, cover dark green with serpentine ornaments, as pages were being flipped reproductions of the scenes were breathed into life under his gaze - charmed little warriors sailing to the ends of the world, Itaca, Circe's episode. Every piece of the tale.

He quirked his eyebrow, barely scratching a smile from his sallow lips.

"Conceited show-off." he quipped, amused by her laughter as an answer.

He carefully vanished it to his chambers with her same gesture.

"Follow me witch, I want to show you something too."

She wallowed in suspicion with a strong tangy dash of alluring thrill.

"How do I know you're not going to murder me?"

He arched his brow, deadpan on.

"I wouldn't tell you, would I?"

He started heading west.

"And from what I've seen tonight, I gather killing you would be no mean feat."

Alright, to hell with suspicion and tiredness. If it's dangerous to be alone with him at night, I'm going.

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"Room of Requirements?" she asked as they entered a vast chamber filled with combat dummies, barriers and mirrors.

He hummed.

Cesira felt she had to take out her wand, there was a strange tension looming in the air and the way the hair on the back of her neck stood up warned her fight or flight response.

She had to, but she didn't.

Thus, spinning around to face him, a jet of red missed her face by an inch, landing on a mirror.

Trust Dumbledore. Breathe. Control your blood flow.

He frowned ever so lightly, whipping his wand again at her, she didn't move and he redirected the spell elsewhere.

"Don't tell me you're tired now," he intoned full on judging her coherency.

She only smiled.

"My, our dueling champion refusing to fight. Have I truly bewitched your heroic heart with my villain soul this much?" he didn't lower his acacia, knowing better.

"Don't flatter yourself Severus."

He scoffed, trying another spell without missing her on purpose - she dodged it hunching down.

"Ah, I shall take it as a yes."

Cesira breathed quietly. "I don't want to duel you anymore Severus, we are to fight side by side, let's not waste our energies."

He squinted, inquiring.

"However," he smirked instantly, "should the day come that we are at each wand's ends, I won't hold back, no locks on dark magic."

He pocketed his acacia, vigilant on her moves.

"Nor will I."

She grimaced, making him follow her around the castle this time.

"Promise to ruin me if necessary?" she darted a look at him, their strides surprisingly connected.

He sensed the wanton in her voice.

"Ruin you, control you, unhinge you."

Cesira had to stretch her fingers to prevent herself from moaning at the sound of his gravelly, melliflous voice softly whispering terrible threats in the dead of night.

"Where are we going woman?"

She grinned knowingly, opening a bathroom door. They walked into the Prefects' bathroom on the fifth floor, bewildering Snape as to how she knew the password.

"My best friend was Head Boy," she stated coyly, as to keep that sentence at arms' length from her.

Inside, the bathroom's walls, floor, and single sunken bathtub were all made of white marble, lit softly by a candle-filled chandelier.
The rectangular tub was almost the size of the entire room, but unlike an ordinary pool the tub was lined with about a hundred taps, each with a differently coloured jewel set into the handle. A flirtatious, stained glassed mermaid rested on a rock.

Cesira gloated on his loss for words.

"I needed to wind down after this night, so why don't give this place a go? I always wanted to bathe in here."

He slowly placed his charcoals on her face, unreadable as ever.

"You can leave if you want. Or stay, Merlin knows you're as tensed as me."

Cesira turned her back to him, starting to undress without magic, savouring the gentle ritual of taking care of her body just once, before hurling it against mauling jaws.

She heard the door lock with multiple charms, thinking he had left to wander around a bit more.

A hot blow on her neck infused bolts of lightning down her spine.

Must be a ghost.

"Let me assist you." Snape murmured, daintily setting aside her locks, taking his time to unravel her dress.