Quite fortunately, the Headmistress did not decide to make me redundant, and soon, Madam Pomfrey stated that I was strong enough to return to my work after the break. All that time I had been living in Snape's room, since he had still believed I had not been safe in the castle when I had been alone. He had not agreed to my sleeping in an armchair ("it is you who needs to recover, not me"), so finally, when the break was over, I was in a great shape.

It did not change the fact, though, that I was still at least embarrassed, despite of – or maybe just because of – what had happened between the two of us. I knew that the rumour was going to spread across the school sooner or later, and that would mean they would finally find their way to Neville's ears.

Well, Neville. I had not seen him since the memorable Christmas feast. I still did not believe, though, that it could have been him who had tried to intoxicate me with that Sleeping Solution. Why would he be trying that? I really wanted to meet him to get to know a bit more about that. However, I suspected that some investigation had been already carried out, but for some reason I was not let into the details.

The last evening before the beginning of the new semester, Snape returned into his room quite late. I had been just getting ready to leave and have a dinner. When he noticed that, he looked at me quizzically, as though he had just saw a person he had not expected.

"Are you leaving somewhere, Shirley?" he asked, and I, for some reason, blushed madly. I had a feeling that he was going to scold me for my idea.

"Madam Pomfrey told me that I was completely healthy by now, so I think I should get back to my normal life," I said, doing my best to sound as natural as possible. "I... I am really thankful for your help and... and everything..."

My hands began to tremble slightly, so I quickly turned my face away from him, not wanting to look into his eye. Once again, he would probably see much more in them than I was willing to let out, but at the same time, I was afraid that my nervousness would betray just as much.

"Not going to happen," protested the man, frowning. "Pomfrey may be talking whatever she wants, but I have got a clear order to keep you here until the moment you get back to your normal schedule. According to this, you are not allowed to leave this room today, and tonight, you are going to sleep here. Only tomorrow morning you will be able to go to breakfast with the rest of the school."

I knew it would end up like that. Especially because I had already noticed early in the morning that Snape had got strangely sulky. No, he was not that strict teacher I had always known, but the Snape I could see now I did not want to tease, either. Actually, I was even more afraid of getting him angry than a Professor.

Probably it had something to do with there having been a one-hundred-and-eighty degrees change to our relationship. We had to known each other better, this time privately, and now, he was much more to me than just a colleague to me. Who exactly, I was not quite sure just yet, but I was definitely way too thankful to him to want to hurt him.

"I had already spent too much time in here, Professor," I answered, shaking my head. "Every night I see how incomfortable you must feel trying to sleep in that armchair... Instead of having some rest during this break, you are even more tired now."

Snape raised his brow slightly.

"I got my hands full, Shirley, I wouldn't have been able to rest," he answered slowly, and I was completely sure that the resentment in his voice was pretended, because it sounded just fake. "All the time I had to take care of you."

"I really could take care of myself..."

"And what then, I would need to wipe you off my floor? No way," he answered, then grimaced softly. "And I have already told you to call me Severus."

Yes, during all those days he had been repeating it over and over again. I, though, was not way too accustomed to calling him "Professor" to just get rid of this habit so easily, and just start calling him by his name. Besides, it was yet another sign of familiarity that I was so afraid of.

"Let me bring you something to eat," he muttered after a moment, and having taken his wand out, he gave it a short wave. On the table appeared a plate of sandwiches and a bottle of pumpkin juice.

"Sir, have you... I mean... have you eaten yet, Severus?" I asked, deciding that it was not the best moment to start any arguments, even the most pointless ones.

"I am not hungry," he answered only, then folded his arms over his chest and stepped away towards one of the bookcases, looking at the shelves. Although I could not see his face, I would swear that he did not look for anything particular; he just tried to avoid eye-contact.

Just like me, I thought, then sighed. I had perhaps got too used to the new Snape. The one I could talk to about everything. The one who, even though dripping of sarcasm, had turned out to be good and surprisingly protective. With whom I actually sometimes felt... happy.

I knew it was going to end now. It had been just a very short dream we should have never allowed to indulge in. After all that we would need to return to reality and pretend that nothing had ever happened.

Yet still, against my better judgement, I realised that instead of letting Snape be, I slowly approach him. I was not so sure what I was doing. And if what I was doing was the right thing to do... However, I could not stop myself.

I stood next to Snape and gently put my hand on his shoulder, a gesture which he repeated so often. He twitched slightly, then looked at me in astonishment. For a moment I tried to resist, but finally, I glanced in his direction as well, smiling hesitantly. At the same time, though, I felt as though I was about to faint.

"You should eat something if you are hungry," he said, his voice rather hard, but after a moment, he placed his hand atop mine, gently caressing its back with his thumb. At last, he took it off and hid it in both of his. "Your hands are cold. Are you sure you are all right? You really don't have to get back to work if you..."

"I will be fine," I replied quickly, not wanting him to think that I was weak. Besides, I really cared about this job.

Most of all, I did not want to depend on anyone from now on. My whole life I had had to rely on somebody. Now, I could finally be free. Independent. I really appreciated Snape's help, but it did not mean that I wanted to give my freedom for his care and protectiveness. Even for the feeling of safety.

Snape pursed his lips, the expression on his face inscrutable. I had no idea what he could be thinking about – however, I had a feeling it was nothing pleasant. I sighed deeply, turning my face away. Probably having come so close to him was not the best idea; this way, I gave him false signals.

I was just about to go away when I felt the man tightening their grasp on my fingers, so I would not move too far away.

"Don't go... just a little bit more," he whispered.

Once again, I saw another man in him; a person so different from the strict, unfair teacher I had known my whole life. He was simply a miserable, lonely man who needed some warmth...

Warmth I could give him, if I only wanted.

On the other hand, how great was the price I would need to pay for that? I had never been such a good person to just sacrifice my own freedom for someone else's happiness, especially when I could not be so sure if this sacrifice would not make me feel trapped. If I only have the assurance that if I did that, I would experience some happiness, too...

"For these several days you have given me a sample of what I want from you, even though I have no right to expect anything," he said quietly, tucking a lose strand of my hair behind my ear, and I shivered. Truth be told, he had every right to demand anything from me... after all he had done for me. "And I even started believing that it could be possible if only..."

"It's not," I answered, but my voice broke. I slipped my hand out of his.

"Why not?" he asked, glancing at me in annoyance. "What actually makes it impossible for you to..."

"I don't know!" I interrupted him, even though until now I had probably never dared do that. "I... I really do not know. But... but I'm so afraid that something will go wrong. That I will... feel unhappy... or that it won't make you happy!"

Snape hid his face in hands, and I knew that he was doing his best to calm down. Since our quarrell during the Christmas feast he had not allowed himself to get furious when I had been near. He had not even raised his voice at me. I was not sure if it was because he was afraid it could do any harm to me, or maybe what I had told him actually had some influence on him...

"But we will never get to know if we don't try, Shirley! Your fright might be something that locks the way to happiness for both of us. I may not be rich, but... but it does not mean that I wouldn't give you everything you would ever want..."

Sometimes he painted a picture right in front of the eyes of my imagination. A wonderful picture in which we really could everything we dreamt of. But I was not so sure that my dreams and his dreams were indeed so alike.

"You give yourself false hopes, sir!" I shook my head, not even noticing I had just forgotten myself and called him "sir" again. "The only thing I want is freedom. And you would like to keep me like some rare bird in a golden cage."

"How come you know what I would like, Shirley?" he growled, then turned back and having crossed his hands behind his back, he made a couple of steps away from me, apparently irate. "You wouldn't be unhappy. I would do everything to make that happen. Everything! I would give you all the freedom in the world. You'd be able to become whoever you'd want to be..."

"But it's all just illusions! A fairytale! Such things don't happen in real life."

"Then let me prove you that you are wrong," he replied, his tone so sinister that I glanced at him in fright.

That night I could not sleep. I kept tossing and turning in my bed, still thinking abou Snape's words. About his promises... And what if he actually could make them happen? What if he really was my only way to happiness?

I sighed, then turned to look at the armchair in which he slept, expecting that he would be deep in slumber. However, I noticed in amazement that he was not asleep and sitting straight, he stared right at me.

"You should be asleep," he reminded me quietly. "It's late and you're getting back to work tomorrow morning."

I did not answer, but still, I did not even try to pretend that I was asleep. Somewhere in the distance a clock ticked the time away, reminding us that the night would not last forever.

"I can't sleep," I confessed. "But you should sleep. Better if you lay down in your bed, I'll get out and read a bit, maybe it could help."

Snape sighed quietly, then rubbed his eyes. I knew he was tired, but he hardly ever showed that. Right now, he was so defenceless; sometimes I wondered how much he trusted me if he allowed me to see him in such a state.

"You cause so much trouble, Shirley. Sometimes I can't help but wonder if it's your hobby or just a coincidence."

I could not resist the temptation and laughed quietly, and even in this darkness I could notice that on Snape's face appeared a soft smile.

"I swear, I don't do that on purpose."

"Even if you did, I wouldn't mind. If you did, I would think that you deliberately provoke all these situations when you and I are all alone together. And this, believe me, is not an unpleasant thought."

I was really glad it was dark in there because thanks to that Snape could not notice my blush. He made me blush way too often; no-one before him had done that – maybe that was one of his specialities.

"I could watch you like this every night," he murmured quietly. Hardly ever was he romantic because it was something against his nature; and yet, there were some times when he made my heart beat faster. This was one of those. "Sit by your bed and watch you sleeping... or not sleeping, then I would find some ways to make you fall asleep."

"Sleeping Solution, for example?"

I had not planned saying that; after all, I did not want to destroy that moment which did not occur so often. My words made Snape burst into short laugh.

"There are more pleasant ways."

At that moment I would give a lot to just be able to turn away from him. It was not only about the blush on my face anymore; I simply was not able to look him in the eye.

"Go to sleep and stop saying such things," I mumbled, pulling the blanket up to my chin. I had already closed my eyes, pretending to be trying to fall asleep, but the truth was, I was not able to do that right now. My thoughts were rushing, my heart kept hammering madly in my chest.

"I can't sleep," he answered, then stood up. The fact he had nothing but his bathrobe on could remain unnoticed; his bathrobe was just as long and black as his daily robes.

I tried to stop thinking. At that moment, I imagined way too many things. For example, what a life with Snape would look life, if I really agreed to do what he wanted so much. If we lived together in Cokeworth... what would happen then? Would he really sit like this by my side every night? Or would we fall asleep side by side? How often would we argue? How much would we need to control our emotions?

"I hope you think of something pleasant," he whispered, gently brushing my hair off my face. I hated when he so quietly moved so close to me; I was not ready then to take the blow from him. "Though... judging from your face, I shouldn't be too concerned."

"I'm not thinking about anything," I lied, and he let out a strange noise between a snort and a sigh as he sat on the edge of my bed.

"Oh really? Then let me tell you what I am thinking about."

I did not want that to happen because I knew that I would be lost then. I was not able to say it out loud, though.

"I am thinking about every day and every night we could spend together. Sometimes I even imagine what it would be like to take you to my house with me... a house you could call your home. Sometimes I even let myself think of what it would be like if I could call you Darcie Snape."

I felt dizzy, but I did open my eyes and look at him in astonishment. It was not something I would have been expected to hear from him.

"Severus, I..." I began, but did not know what to add.

"Don't think of it right now," he answered, shaking his head, then stood up. To my surprise, though, he did not walk away; instead, he circled the bed and lay down right behind me, wrapping his arm around me. I could feel the warmth of his body. "Now, you should sleep."

He leant a little and kissed my head; the kiss reminded me of the time when I had been unconscious. Yes, it must have been him...

But before I could think of anything else, I was already asleep.