Next weeks definitely were not easy. I had to get used to my new slavery. Well, it was not all that new; after all during the Christmas break I had lived almost the same way. There was a difference, though: back then, I had not had to walk by Snape's side during breaks.

The worst thing of all, though, was when Neville got back to work. While Professor Sprout could understand the situation, Neville seemeed not to see its gravity, and during one of the meals he leant closer to me, glaring menacingly at Snape.

"Why is he following you everywhere?" he asked, and I had not the heart to tell him that he had almost been forbidden to talk to me. Imperius or not, just like Snape had said in the dungeons, it were Neville's hands that had brewed the defective potion and slipped it into my drink. "I feel sick when I see that."

I felt dizzy when I thought that there were moments when I indeed appreciated Snape's presence by my side. Besides, I still had not forgotten that night when we had fallen asleep side by side, Severus's face nestled in my hair...

"Darcie... are you all right?" Neville's voice brought me back to reality. Immediately, I blushed.

"Me? Y- yes... yes," I answered, trying to sip from my cup, but I forgot that the tea was still hot and I burnt my lips and tongue. Grimacing slightly, I put the cup back onto the table.

"You didn't answer my question," said Neville after a moment, but the look on his face was still hesitant, as though he was afraid something might happen to me. "Why is... why is Snape watching your every step?"

How was I supposed to explain that to him? That it was all his fault? No, I did not believe that Neville was guilty, but the truth was, it were his deeds that had made me unable to go anywhere without Snape's company. I did not blame him, and I really would give a lot to be able to explain the situation to him, but I could not find the right words.

Most of all, I was worried that if I used some unfortunate wording, Neville would get offended or – what was worse – that I would hurt him to the point where he would no longer want to know me. Besides, I was afraid that I would reveal to him more than I would like to.

"You know... after what happened during the Christmas feast... the Headmistress began to worry," I answered finally, trying to sound as natural as possible, but I had a feeling that somehow Neville could see right through me. It was not, though, the same fear bordering on certainty, which I knew from talking to Snape. "She believes it would be best to leave me in..."

"...Snape's hands?" asked Neville harshly. "I would understand everything, Darcie, but..."

"It's enough, Neville," I interrupted him, frowning. I suddenly realised that the moments when he offended Snape irritated me just as much as those when Snape spoke unflatteringly about him.

"So now you're defending him?" His eyes darkened. I had never seen him in such a state, and I understood that that one sentence was too much for him to digest. However, I could not let him keep on saying such things.

"I owe him my life, Neville," I reminded him, my voice sounding hard and firm. "Twice he's saved my life, even though he did not have to."

This time I did not get any answer. Neville quickly finished his breakfast, then left.

As February came, severe frosts were gone. From behind the clouds peeked pale sun, on the paths there was mud, the result of snow slowly melting down.

The next trip to Hogsmeade was supposed to take place on Saturday right after Valentine's Day, but the corridors roared of rumours concerning whether the Headmistress would allow that; now, though, once the cold was gone, hope returned to the students' hearts.

Thanks to that little groups of young people stood in the line at the castle door, where Mr. Filch as always checked the presence of their names on a long list and poked everyone with his Secrecy Sensor.

I smiled softly upon seeing that, because I remembered how many times I had got back to the castle with my sides bruised, as Filch had had it in for me. Those were not bad memories, though – I still carried in mind that I had smuggled some not-really-legal items to school.

I still looked outside the window, even when all the students had already been checked properly and turned to walk down the path towards the village. There were not many people left in the castle; although besides the first- and second-years usually some older students stayed, feeling full of Hogsmeade, this time I had a feeling that everyone who could had left, glad that they could get out of the castle after those weeks of bitter frost.

After all the students, I saw the teachers, too, chattering jauntily as they set off down the slippery stone road. I smiled quite sadly, since I could not leave school, even though I would really do a lot to change that.

"Come on, don't despair," I heard a quiet, sarcastic voice right behind my back. I did not want to turn back; I would not be able to look Snape in the eye when he used that tone. "The time will come when you leave this place."

I really tried to control myself, very much, but it was so hard that almost impossible. I had to take a very deep breath to calm down.

"No-one's stupid enough to try to attack me with so many people around," I noticed, and my breath made the window-pane in front of me mist over slightly. As an answer, to my astonishment, I heard a laugh.

"You think so? And what was it like last time? The Great Hall might not have been full of people... but there were many students, not to mention the teachers. Did it stop Longbottom?" asked Snape, which made me turn towards him.

His eyes glistened strangely, just like the eyes of a predator a second before it pounces on its prey. For some reason it caused my heart to beat faster as a chill went down my spine.

He was right. I noticed irritably that he was right a bit too often, which made me feel like a foolish school girl.

"That's why I'm not leaving the castle," I muttered, quickly looking out the window, to avoid the eye-contact. Last people just disappeared from my sight.

"Very good," answered Snape in an almost bored tone. "If you tried to resist, I would forcibly tie you to myself, and then you wouldn't really have any choice. You have already allowed yourself to do too much."

I frowned slightly, not quite sure what he was talking about.

"You were supposed not to go anywhere without my company. However, you've been avoiding meeting me since morning," he said, as if he had noticed doubts in my mind. "Remember that I've known this castle a bit longer, and better than you. No matter where you hide, I will always find you."

I had to scold myself for my own thoughts, because I could not help but feel that it sounded in some strange way romantic.

To my surprise, I noticed that Snape put his hand on my own lying on the windowsill. For a moment, I wanted to quickly take it away, but I changed my mind. His touch, after all, was not unpleasant at all.

"I have no freedom anymore," I said quietly, keeping my eyes on our hands. "Because of that, I lost my only friend."

Silence was the answer. I knew I should not have said that; when I was with Severus, Neville's name was forbidden – it always brought out the very worst of him. However, he should know the price I paid for that.

On the other hand, was it really such a high price for my life and safety? I knew that Snape did not do that for himself and his own desires, but because he wanted to protect me. The fact that he liked keeping me close to himself did not influence his decisions, even though I would like to think it was so. If it was the case, I could force myself to continue hating him. Instead, I felt some great gratitude for everything he did for me.

"Your only friend..." he repeated quietly, and I was glad that no student was to be seen, and Filch had already hidden himself in his office. "You said that as though you really believed it."

This time it was me who had no answer. Was he not right again? Besides Neville, I still had him... but for some reason I found it difficult to think of him as of my friend.

"I... said it wrong," I tried to explain myself. "But... but try to understand me, except you, rarely do I have a chance to talk to anyone. And Neville... he..."

"He should leave you all alone. Twice already has he endangered you, does that idiot not see that?" thundered Snape, involuntarily tightening his grasp on my hand. "If he likes you, he should bear your safety in mind."

I bit my lips, really wishing for Snape's words to be untrue, but I realised perfectly well that although he said that cruelly, he was right. My health had been endangered twice already. Both of those situations had been caused by Neville, to a greater or lesser extent.

However, I did not want our friendship to end like that. I liked Neville, and I knew that he liked me as well, which made Snape extremely envious.

"Maybe... maybe today... we could have our lessons again?" I suggested, trying hard to change the subject, but it did not work well.

"No. Today is Saturday, and you should have a day of rest," answered Snape. At that moment he finally realised what he had been doing and gently loosened the grip on my hand. However, this time quite consciously, he interlaced our fingers.

I did not feel uncomfortable, even though my stomach turned a somersault once I felt that. For some reason, there was something really pleasant in it. Snape's hands, although cold, were strangely soothing. They were bigger than mine, so he would be able to hide both of mine in his, if he wanted. That awareness made me – for some unknown reasons – feel safe with him. He would never let me get hurt.

I noticed that I had never felt anything like that when I had been with Neville. I knew that he, too, would do whatever he could to protect me, but he did not give me that sense of security which I felt when I was with Snape.

"So instead maybe..." I began, hoping that he would at least let me go back to my room.

It was not so easy. After all recently I once again lived with him. He had even summoned my bed to his chamber, so now we could both sleep relatively comfortably. I had already begun to get accustomed to that, even though I really did not want it to become normal to me. I should live in my room, and find nothing but that normal.

"Come with me," said Snape, as though he had not been listening to me at all.

He moved away from the window without a word, and since he held my hand, he pulled me with himself. Protesting would do nothing there, so I did not even try to free myself.

He walked fast and that made me jog to keep pace with him. I wondered where he led me.

"I get the impression that you like neither my office nor my room, even though you should've got used to it by now," he added calmly. "But it seems you feel comfortable there only when you read."

I blushed softly, knowing it was not so. Even though his dark chambers did get me down, there had been some more moments when I had felt wonderful in them. However, I could not mention them out loud.

"So I had to find another place... though, I must admit I would rather take you to my room."

I did not really understand what he meant. I blinked hesitantly, looking around. He did not lead me downstairs, towards the dungeons, but stayed on the ground floor. Pale sun peeked through the windows, and only then did I notice that Severus's face was grayish, as though he had not been out in a very long time.

Frankly speaking, I felt sorry for him. I wanted to be able to take him somewhere... where he would be happy. Where he could smile and stop worrying about everything that met him there. But could such a place exist at all?

The first place I thought of was home, but the thought alone made me feel dizzy. We never brought up that subject. Snape knew well that my reaction to his words about home was quite bad, since he imagined his home only with me inside it and... and it was simply impossible.

"Where are we going?" I asked hesitantly, quickly trying to get rid of those thoughts in my head, afraid that he would once again miraculously see right through my mind.

I was not quite sure if he could sense my thoughts, but I could bet that upon his face a soft smile appeared.

"You'll see."

It had not been long before he opened the door for me; it led to one of the unused classrooms. However, that place did not look like a classroom.

It was small; the desks had disappeared, and where they had stood, appeared a little, round table and two chairs. The table was covered with a dark tablecloth, in the center stood a vase with one single flower.

"Severus, is it..."

"I thought that maybe... that you might celebrate all those absurd holidays," he said in such a tone as though it made him extremely annoyed, but I could sense a weird hint in his voice. It looked like he did his best to conceal his nervousness.

I could not believe that. Snape had prepared it all for me, because it had been Valentine's Day the previous week. Although I would have never suspected him of that, it seemed to be his peculiar way of asking me on a date.

After a moment of shock another feeling appeared. At first I wanted to call it gratitude, because it was just as nice and warm, but then, I realised it was not quite that. I felt my heart hammering in my chest

I knew that I should not feel that strange desire, but at that moment for the first time I really wanted to embrace him, keep him close to me. Despite all of the quarrels, despite all of the incompatibilities between us. We were completely different, and I knew that could not be fixed and nothing would suddenly make us a good match for each other. And yet, for a moment it seemed not to be impossible.

Or maybe I had always believed that, just had not wanted to admit that?

"Don't look at me like that. I think it's ridiculous, but..."

I did not let him finish the sentence, no matter how much exasperation he tried to put into his voice. This time I simply did not believe him. I was sure that he was the one to want it; he wanted to spend Valentine's Day with me – he did not do that only for me.

Softly, I cupped his cheeks in my hands. For a moment I could see surprise in his dark eyes, but then I closed my eyes, standing on my toes, and planted the faintest of kisses on his lips. After a while, I felt him embrace me, pressing me against his body. At that moment, for me, the world did not exist.

...because could just one person be the whole world for someone?