A/N: A little something using an original character from another fanfiction of mine. Enjoy.

Detention, Suspension, Expulsion.

Part One

Detention. Suspension. Expulsion. That was what awaited Annamaria Taylor as she hesitated at the top of the staircase leading down into the dark, damp, dreary dungeons. The deadly silence was ringing in her ears as she desperately waited for a whisper of a sound --any sound at all-- to make her turn on her heel and run away back to her safe, warm dormitory. The flickering light coming from a single torch hanging on the wall to Annamaria's left was all that was provided to see down the set of stairs. She took a deep breath and stepped down.

She was just asking for trouble. No student had the guts to wander around the castle's dungeons at night. First of all, it was terrifyingly dark. Annamaria supposed it was silly to be scared of the dark at her age of seventeen, but she supposed all those damned Muggle horror films were to blame for such a ridiculous phobia. Secondly, the dungeons were Slytherin territory. If a Slytherin student heard that a student from another House was sneaking around their dormitory, they would seek revenge. Slytherins were like that. Basically, they looked for any excuse to make another student's life a living hell. Most importantly, --Annamaria shuddered to even think about it-- Professor Severus Snape patrolled the dungeons late at night. The Head of Slytherin House, bat of the dungeons, roamed his domain with his black robes billowing and swishing about him, black eyes searching for rule-breakers and trouble-makers.

Annamaria paused on the stair once her conscious filled with the idea of Snape catching her. He would not take kindly to her being out of bed at this time of night, in his dungeons, no less. What was more, Annamaria could only imagine the suffering blow Gryffindor House would endure if House points were deducted. Gryffindor agonized enough when it came to Professor Snape's wrath and twisted pleasure of deducting House points.

When it came down to it, however, Annamaria had herself to worry about. Her future at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was at stake. The reason why she was down in the dungeons at two o'clock in the morning, scared out of her wits, was all because of a ludicrous, irritating dare. If Snape found her in his office, in his own, personal ingredients closet, Annamaria could expect expulsion from Hogwarts school, and Snape would certainly find a way to make it happen.

As for the dare, Annamaria was nothing but a foolish, hard-headed Gryffindor. She was known for getting into predicaments, and that day she had made the mistake of speaking before thinking. Long story short, she was dared by Nicholas Gunn to sneak into Snape's potions' ingredients closet and steal Acromantula venom. The only reason why Gunn had picked this particular ingredient was because it was extremely expensive, very difficult to get, and valuable because it would not dry out so quickly if retrieved from a living Acromantula.

If Snape caught Annamaria trying to steal a vial of Acromantula venom, she would surely suffer more dire consequences than she could possibly imagine.

She was terrified, yes, but she was a Gryffindor. Not only was she determined to portray herself as a brave Gryffindor, but she was too damn stubborn to wimp out on a dare. Nick Gunn had no doubt given up on her by now and had fallen asleep on the couch in the Gryffindor commons room. He had promised to wait up for her until she returned, with or without the stolen product. Annamaria highly doubted that he had such faith in her. She had to prove him wrong that night one way or another.

So, she had taken every precaution she could think of. Before leaving the dormitory, Annamaria put a silencing charm on her shoes so that her footsteps could not be heard as she tiptoed down the corridors. She wore completely black clothing and cast a camouflage charm on herself since they had not yet learned a full invisibility charm in Charms class. It would help her blend into the wall, but movement would give her away if someone was looking. If she kept to the shadows, however, she would be easily overlooked by the untrained eye.

As she descended into the dungeons, Annamaria knew good and well that her preparations would be nearly futile in the presence of Potions Master, Severus Snape. If he was looking for students out past curfew, he would surely find them despite their camouflage charms and hiding in the shadows of statues.

The dungeons were chilly and damp. Annamaria heard the dripping of water as she kept close to the cold and clammy stone wall. Goosebumps rose on her olive skin at the sudden change of atmosphere. It seemed even darker than she had anticipated. Her grey eyes blinked rapidly, opening wider as they slowly adapted to the change in light.

Annamaria knew the way to Snape's office. She had been literally dragged down the winding dungeon corridors on more than one occasion when she had gotten into serious trouble with Snape. She managed to avoiding any physical abuse so far her seventh year, however. Either that, or Snape was somewhat of a gentleman towards the ladies.

She nearly laughed aloud at that ridiculous assumption, but physically had to slap her hand over her mouth when she let out an uncontrollable squeak in an attempt to suppress her amusement. Glee was quickly replaced with fear as she trained her ears on any sounds in response to her foolish display. There were none that she could hear, and she continued on her way.

After several turns down different corridors, Annamaria finally came across the right door to Snape's office. The crack underneath the door emitted no light. She pressed her ear to the door, holding her breath as she listened for any sounds coming within. As a last test, she pointed her wand at the door and dared to breathe out the incantation. The tip of her wand glowed a faint green, signaling that there was not a human being behind the door. She allowed herself a sigh of relief. Snape must be out patrolling the corridors. Where, Annamaria did not care. She just needed to get in and get out with the venom.

She cast Alohamora and entered the dark office. She did not dare turn on a light. Instead, she used her wand to light her way. The wood desk faced the door with a tall-backed leather arm chair positioned behind it and parchments scattered across its surface. The walls were lined with shelves crammed with books and jars filled with preserved specimens which satisfied Snape's taste for decoration. To the right, a fireplace with a cold hearth; to the left, the locked ingredients closet.

With another charm, Annamaria unlocked the ingredients closet and slipped inside. When she cast the light from her wand upon the packed shelves, she realized then that there was not an organized system that would make something easy to find. She supposed Snape wanted it that way. He could immediately find something because he knew exactly where it was in the ingredients closet because he had put it there in the first place. Whereas a stranger to the closet's contents would have to search thoroughly to find it. So, something as important and precious as Acromantula venom would not just be sitting out in the open… or would it?

Annamaria's eyes scanned the shelves quickly, she started at the very top and worked her way down until she spotted it. She saw the thick, almost gray fluid peeking out behind a sealed jar of dried daisy roots on the shelf second above the very lowest. Carefully, she removed the corked vial from the shelf.

"I knew it had been far too long for you to be out of trouble, Miss Taylor."

In her complete and utter shock, Annamaria whirled around, the vial of venom slipping from her hand. Snape, who was standing in the center of the doorway, quickly descended himself upon the falling, breakable object. He caught it in one swift movement. Annamaria had her hands clasped to her mouth as she trembled in one spot. When Snape straightened, his eyes where fixed upon her. Well, the general area of her face since the camouflage charm made her look like a part of the shelves behind her except when she moved. Her shaking allowed him to see the outline of her body.

Snape waved his wand in an arc above Annamaria's head and a wave of magic washed over her as her camouflage charm was lifted. Her image of him remained unchanged as she became clearly visible. His lip curled into what she supposed was a cruel smile. He looked like a hungry wolf staring down at a trembling rabbit.

This was it. Nick Gunn had made his point. Annamaria could not fulfill the dare, and she was left a cowering school girl. All she could do now was beg for her life.

"Professor Snape, please," Annamaria whispered, her hands slipping from her face so that she could speak. "Please, do whatever you wish, just don't get me expelled."

She did not dare to look up at his face. She made herself appear fully humble, staring down at the floor.

"Whatever would be a good enough excuse to make me be more lenient towards you, Miss Taylor?" Snape asked.

It was the moment to slowly raise her grey eyes up to his black ones, first peeking through her brown locks and then looking at him fully. He towered over her in his tremendous height. She noticed for the first time that his hair appeared in disarray and his robes were slightly wrinkled, his cuffs undone and the top few buttons undone as though he was only just winding down for the evening before getting ready for bed.

The silence between them was deafening as Annamaria waited for a sign of either leniency or severity. He looked at her for a moment longer before he stepped forward. Instinctively, Anna backed up into the shelves as he reached behind her to put the Acromantula venom back on the shelf where it belonged. He stared down at her while she found herself unable to look away.

Snape turned his head a fraction of an inch, staring past Annamaria's head as he sighed through his nose. "You said, 'do whatever you wish'…"

As he trailed off, Annamaria swallowed. "Yes. Please don't expel me. Have me suspended for a week, make me serve detention for the rest of the year, deduct as many House Points--"

"Miss Taylor," Snape said, his voice deep and low, but enough to silence her. "This reprehensible act deserves a much different punishment."

Annamaria closed her eyes and muttered a silent prayer.

Snape continued after a slight pause, "I will give you a choice. I can either expel you or…" He trailed a fingertip down her left cheek.

Annamaria breathed, "What?"

"You are an intelligent girl, Miss Taylor," Snape said. "I do not need to spell it out for you."

She knew what he was saying; she just did not want to believe it. With such stakes, it would be impossible for Annamaria to choose. She did not want to be expelled. It would ruin the rest of her dreams, career, and life even. On the other hand, she could not bear the thought of being touched by one of her professors, especially Snape.

"I will not kiss you…" Snape interrupted her inner battle, "unless you ask me to."

Annamaria shuddered.

She had experienced sex only once before. It was only the quick fondling, pushing up the skirt, and unzipping the pants. It lasted only five minutes. Annamaria had no idea what the difference was between a hormonal teenager and a fully grown man. She only hoped that there would not be too many differences in this case.

Five minutes of discomfort verses a lifetime of misery because she was expelled from school. Annamaria knew the obvious choice.

Carefully, she raised her eyes to Snape's and he had his answer. He exhaled, waiting a moment longer for her to change her mind. When she did not, he captured her throat in his hands, his face descending down upon hers. He stopped suddenly, remembering his promise. They looked into each other's eyes, hers filled with fear and his with suppressed longing.

A/N: Continue?