21
The next morning found Severus Snape back with his problem. Whom was he to choose to open his advent calendar? Despite the fact that the students had almost ignored the Weasley girl falling on his neck, the potions master was reluctant to make a habit of being hugged in public.
Inspiration struck suddenly.
Sybill Trelawney! The woman was a colleague, so choosing her was quite natural, and she hid away in that tower most of the time. So the danger of being publicly kissed was rather small. The fact that Severus despised the woman with all his heart was a little backdraw, but the situation was bordering on desperate, so, he decided, he could overlook his resentments for once.
Satisfied to have come up with a candidate early in the morning, Severus began his day. After breakfast he climbed the stairs to the North Tower. The potions master had just risen his hand to knock when the door was flung open (there was a door to the seer´s realm, she only insisted her students climbed that ridiculous silver ladder).
"Listening in on me again?" hissed the witch.
"Not at all! I was going to knock!" Severus took in the appearance of the woman in front of him. Obviously those huge glasses and raglike clothing were also for the students. Sybill Trelawney wore a green dress, which hugged her surprisingly slim frame pleasantly. Severus would never have guessed that the woman was so well proportioned. Those robes she usually wore hid definitely too much. Her hair was nicely brushed and fell down in curls.
If it hadn´t been for her earrings, Severus wouldn´t have been sure the woman who opened the door was the Devination teacher.
"Were you? Come in then." The witch stepped aside to let the potions master into her rooms. "What can I do for you? Have you come to have your future unveiled? What do you want me to use? Tea leaves? Cards?" Her voice dropped to a low purr. "Palmistry?" She took the potions master´s hand and followed his life line with the finger nail of her index.
Severus withdrew the hand hastily.
"I´ve not come for your service as a seer. I..."
"Wait!" cried the seer. She walked around Severus slowly. "I see! You need help! – With a pink box? No, that can´t be."
Severus took his advent calendar out of his pocket in astonishment.
"A pink box!" cried the witch. "I knew it! – What is it?"
"It´s an advent calendar. I have to find a different person to open it every day. Santa´s orders."
"You met Santa?" Trelawney´s eyes went big. "Oh! Lucky you!"
"So, would you like to open it today?"
"I´d be honoured!" The seer took the little box from the potions master and opened it. "A deck of cards!" she cried merrily. "Come! You have to help me try it out!" The witch grabbed Severus hand and pulled him to the sofa in front of the fireplace. "I´m sure a card deck from Santa himself will work splendidly."
Severus followed the seer willingly. Not that he believed in devination, but the woman had neither hugged nor kissed him and all in all the encounter hadn´t been unpleasant. So why not indulge her and let her lay her cards.
"Choose one!" The witch had finished shuffling her cards and held them out to Severus.
The potions master obeyed.
The seer squealed with delight. "The lover! Oh, Severus!" She put the cards on the table and moved a little closer.
First Severus thought about fleeing, but then he remembered that the Sybill Trelawney in her leisure time outfit was quite an eye-catcher and the little tower room was all but public. With a small smile he leant closer to indulge the seer.