The Adventures of The Misfit Professors
Chapter 14 Part 1
"A Fairly Undramatic Dramatic Morning"
By: Deep Shadows and Eckostalker
Later that night... Room 546, St. Mungo's Hospital...
Artimis sat in the uncomfortable chair, holding Draco's hand tenderly in hers, rubbing his knuckles with her fingertips. She looked at his face, his closed eyes, his parted lips that he exhaled softly from. Artimis held back tears as she began to talk to him, just talking to him.
"You have no idea how much I miss you. I really need you right now honey. With Severus and Alexis playing their tricks on each other, and Selena wanting to know why daddy isn't coming to visit. I... I really need you sweetheart." Artimis spoke, lifting his hand and kissing it gently, tears streaming down her face. He felt his grip on her hand slightly and she thought for a moment that he might have woken up, but she was proved wrong by the lessoning of the pressure. It was just a reaction, a bodily reaction to touch. She sighed as she laid her head on the bedside, her forehead on his hand. She squeezed his hand, willing him to wake up, willing for him to get up and hold her. She let the tears stream down her face as she let her frustration vent form her.
"I can't do this without you. I can't have this baby without you. I need you to be here with me, supporting me, loving me. I can't..." Artimis whispered lowly, kissing his hand again. She laid her head back on his hand and that is where she stayed all night, willing her husband to break from the slumber that was holding him captive. She even fell asleep that way.
The next morning... bet you're getting sick of hearing this, aren't you...
Alexis lay curled on her bed, nestled between two pillows, both from Ron, and covered in a warm blanket. She snored softly, sleeping contentedly in her quarters this Saturday morning. So deep asleep she was that she didn't hear her doors being open, or the gruff voice that called to her. She merely sighed and turned over in her sleep, dreaming that it was Ron's voice that had called her in her dreams.
Faintly, she felt something on her arm, and the distant feeling of being shaken, but brushed it off as a trick of her dreams. She curled tighter into her pillow, not stirring from her sleep. Another rumbling at the back of her conciousness that sounded like a voice, then she felt the blanket pulled from her, and arms under her knees and back.
Alexis's mind groggily returned to the surface just enough to register that she was being lifted from the bed. She yawned tiredly, wondering who the hell wanted her awake this early. It couldn't have been no later that six in the morning! She opened one eye, face pressed against a shoulder clothed in black. She looked up slightly, finding her self being carried down a hallway, no longer in her quarters. She stiffened slightly, a bit nervous.
"About bloody time you woke up." Alexis heard a voice grumble, and she looked up into Severus's slightly annoyed face. Her eyes widened as she spoke wth a hoarse and tired voice.
"Severus? What the... what are you doing?"
"Making you breakfast." He answered shortly, not slowing his brisk walk.
Alexis was more than slightly weirded out by that comment, asking with confusion. "You're making me breakfast? And it requires me leaving my quarters?"
"Yes. I need to make it in where chemicals are within my reach, and I need you to tell me what you want and to tell me if they taste right. I still can't get the meat loaf right..." Severus spoke, now grumbling to himself.
"So why didn't you just wake me up and ask?" Alexis spoke, still unnerved that he had taken her out of her room and was carrying her to the potion's classroom.
"I tried. You sleep like the bloody dead. And I don't have the time to sit around and wait for you to wake up." Severus explained, turning down the hallway towards the classroom.
"Okay then..." Alexis spoke, shrugging and yawning again.
"So what do you want?" He asked then, and Alexis smiled.
"You mean anything? Like any type of meat I want?" She asked incredulously. Severus rolled his eyes and nodded. She grinned and listed off. "Okay, a slab of bacon, four sausage patties, a porkchop, hmm... some apple sauce... and two eggs..."
Severus stopped, frowning. "You mean I have to actually cook on a stove?"
"Well, you said anything." Alexis explained.
Severus sighed, asking with frustration. "Well then, why can't you just make the eggs in your room then?"
Alexis laughed aloud, thoroughly amused by that statement. Seeing his expression though, he hadn't caught on. She shook her head. "Dude, you know I can't cook."
Severus gawked slightly, asking. "A woman that can't cook?"
"Um yeah. You lived in the Manor for how many years and you still don't know this?" Aleixs asked amazingly.
Severus shook his head. Alexis asked with awe."You don't remember the last three times I set fire to the kitchen?!"
"I thought you had done that on purpose!" Severus exclaimed.
"Oh yeah, I like getting reamed out by Artimis everytime that happens. I don't cook, and when I do, something either gets set on fire or ends up at the other end of the room. I've got bad karma when it comes to cooking." Alexis said solemnly.
Severus shook his head in disbelief, then walked past the potion's classroom. Alexis cocked her head in confusion. "Now where're we going?"
"My kitchen. The only other source of potions and with an available stove." Severus growled, obviously reluctant to be taking her there. Alexis thought his reasons for doing this had to do something with still feeling guilty for his actions the day before. She had written Ron a letter that night, and he would be arriving this evening. If Severus was smart, he would make himself scarce by that time.
They approached his quarters, and Severus quickly set Alexis on her feet, grumbling his password. Alexis smirked, making sure to remember it for future reference. She followed him inside, looking about cautiously and stopping in the dorrway. Severus looked back at her with confusion.
"What are you doing?"
"I've never been in here... it looks almost... normal." Alexis said softly, and Severus rolled his eyes, walking into his kitchen, the noise of pans and bottles being jostled about reaching her ears. Alexis walked into the living room, looking around curiously, and Severus growled at her from the Kitchen.
"Weasley, don't touch anything!"
"Okay Sev!" Alexis spoke, picking up a book from the coffee table and flipping through it with interest. Finding nothing of importance, she dropped it on the couch and gazed about curiously. She spotted a doorway most likely leading to Severus's bedroom.
She grinned, calling to Severus. "Hey, I'm gonna use your bathroom!"
"Fine, just don't go through the cabinets!" He snapped from the kitchen, followed by a muffled curse as he dropped a pan. Alexis chuckled, walking into his room and flicking on a light. She located a closet, huge bed, a dresser, two bookcases, and a door most likely leading to a bathroom. All of it rather boring and not looking much different from his room at the Manor. Curious, she headed to his closet, pulling it open and ruffling through his clothes. She grimaced, grumbling to herself. "Damn, you got like, twenty of the same outfit... pretty boring... hey! Boots!"
She squealed, grabbing a pair.
"Out of the closet Alexis!" She heard a muffled yell, and she pulled out the boots, closing the closet.
"Okay okay... jeesh..." She grumbled, slipping on the oversized boots with a smirk, She quietly crawled over to his dresser. She pulled open one drawer curiously, gazing inside. She quickly made a face and slammed it shut, shaking her head.
"Those had to be boxers with hearts on them... there's no other explanation..." She grumbled, pulling open a different one. She found shirts, mostly black with a few white ones. She pulled out one, reading the lettering. She smiled, speaking aloud. "Hey, this is the one we got you for Christmas that one year..."
"Use the bathroom and get out of my dresser Whyte! Eggs sunny side up or over easy?" Severus's voice growled from the other room, and Alexis pulled open another drawer as she replied.
"Sorry! And I like them over easy!"
She heard a grumbled reply, but ignored it, pulling out some white tank tops from his drawer and throwing them behind her, looking for anything else of interest. She finally headed toward the bathroom, immediately opened the cabinet above the sink. She found bottles of cologne and vials of potions, along with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
"You have potions in your bathroom? Dude, how dorky do you get..." She grumbled.
She pulled one of the cologne bottles down, opening it and sniffing it. She recoiled instantly, grimacing. She made sure he wasn't in the room, then upended the bottle into the sink, speaking softly.
"He'll be thanking me later..."
"Why do I smell my cologne?" Severus asked, and Alexis quickly replied.
"I dunno. Did you put too much on this morning or something?"
Severus didn't reply, so she instead took down the shaving lotion on the shelf and sprayed some into her hand. She snickered, drawing a face on his mirror with devil horns.
"I'm not going to say it again Alexis, quit touching my things!" She heard Severus growl. She wondered how he knew these things as she sprayed a little more into a pitchfork, then putting the bottle on the edge of the sink. She then looked in his shower, grabbing the shampoo bottle and sniffing it gingerly. It smelled like pears. Then why doesn't he smell like that then?... She thought, putting it back.
Growing bored with his bathroom, she clomped back into his bedroom, falling to her knees beside his bed. She looked under it, finding several boxes. She grabbed one, yanking it out. Gazing into it, she realized they were paintings of sorts. She pullled one out, speaking softly with confusion.
"Huh They look like Artimis... wait. They're not Artimis, it's Miranda! Whoa... there's like, fifteen of them in here..." Alexis mused with surprise, looking through the portraits of Artimis's mother.
"Damnit, get away from my bed! I swear, I'll let you starve Whyte if you don't mind your own business!" She heard an angered voice growl, and she shoved the box under the bed as Severus stomped into the room, a spatula in one hand. He glared, hissing quietly.
"Stay out of those boxes if you know what's good for you."
Alexis was silent, but nodded her head. Severus shook his own head, leaving the room once more. Alexis immediately reached under and grabbed the other box. She coughed at the dust that rose from it, pulling out a bunch of black cloaks. She had a feeling of unease as she moved them aside, her hand brushing something smooth and solid. She lifted it out, coming face to face with a deatheater mask.
She yelped in surprise, dropping it into the box and backing up quickly, heart beating wildly.
"There was more than one reason why I asked you not to go under my bed." She heard a voice speak lowly, and she jumped, looking up at a solemn looking Severus.
She asked breathlessly. "You still have those?"
Severus sighed, replying. "You know how you keep a scrapbook to remember things? Well, I have those as a reminder. Though, they're more of a warning. I keep them here, becasue that is the last mask in the world that I want Selena to play dress-up with."
Alexis nodded slowly, swallowing as she pushed the box back under the bed silently, then rose to her feet. Severus nodded, replying. "Thank you."
She nodded back, watching him leave the room. She sighed, shaking her head as he asked. "Do you want orange juice?"
"Sure." Alexis spoke, then smiling as she noticed a stereo on his dresser. She ran over to it, gawking at it's size. It wasn't just a radio, it was a stereo system. Complete with speakers hanging from the ceiling. She spoke with admiration. "Whoa... it's so... beautiful."
"Thank you. And don't push any buttons!" Severus had apparently heard her, and Alexis smirked.
"What, this button!" She exclaimed, hitting the power button, then one that switched to a track on the CD player. Suddenly a loud high pitched voice assaulted her ears. She recognized it as Celine Dion.
"Turn it! That's not suppose to be in there!" She heard Severus yell above the noise, and Alexis quickly punched the next track button.
This time to her surprise, a rock band she recognized as Linkin Park blasted on. "Hey, not too bad Sev..." Alexis spoke, air guitaring to the song she knew.
"Change it!" Severus yelled, and Alexis frowned, pushing the next track button. This one was Bon Jovi. Alexis raised an eyebrow at that. He don't have as bad of taste as I thought he did...
"Naw, not that one either..." He continued to yell. Alexis sighed, pushing the next track button. She stuck out her tongue as the classical Mozart blare to life.
"Leave it!" He demanded, and Alexis groaned.
"But Severus!" Alexis whined, and he cut her off. "My stereo, my choice. Leave it."
Alexis grolwed, stomping over to his bed and jumping on it for good measure. She sighed, rolling onto her back on it. "Damn, your bed is comfortable..." She grumbled, grabbing one of the many pillows and snuggling into it.
"Dude... I want to switch beds... this ones kind of fluffy..." She mumbled, involuntarily yawning. Damn... Mozart can be so boring... Alexis thought to herself, her eyes drooping tiredly. She sighed deeply, then closed her eyes, snuggling into Snape's pillow and dozing off into a light sleep.
Severus, still kinda drunk, got up from his position on his couch. He looked at the clock and groaned. It was five-thrity in the morning. He had slept, but it was a drunken stupor, not true sleep. He headed for his bathroom and took a long hot shower to wake him. He walked to his bedroom and groaned. He needed to make Alexis breakfast. He changed, shaking his hair dry and he then walked out of his room, heading to her quarters. He opened her door, speaking the password lowly and found the room dark as he expected it. He walked to her bedroom and could barely recognize Alexis among the massive pillows.
"Whyte, get up." He told her and she grumbled and rolled over, murmuring lowly.
"Ron..."
Severus shook his head and walked over to her bedside, finding her arm in the darkness and shaking her to rouse her, but with no avail.
"Alexis, get up." He called again and she rolled over, ignoring him. He didn't have the patience to deal with this. Severus grabbed the covers and pulled them off of Alexis, leaning down and picking her up in his arms. He figured by the time she woke up, he would have all the potion's prepared and she could just tell him what she wanted.
Wait... I care what she wants?... Since when did this happen?... Oh yeah, when I nearly killed her with a boggart... Severus thought as he walked out of the room and down the hallway, the sleeping, pajama-clad Alexis in his arms. After a moment her breathing changed and she looked around at her surroundings. He felt her stiffen as she looked at where she was and he decided to greet her in normal Severus fashion, annoyance-filled.
"About bloody time you woke up." He grumbled and she looked up at him with widened eyes. Her reply was that of a tired woman with a sore throat.
"Severus? What the... what are you doing?" She asked him with surprise and he kept walking, keeping from slipping in a puddle of water obviously made by Peeves.
"Making you breakfast." He answered her shortly, and she looked at him oddly.
"You're making me breakfast? And it requires me leaving my quarters?" She questioned with confusion and he sighed internally. He wasn't hung over, but he wasn't sober, and she wasn't helping matters with her own version of 'twenty questions'.
"Yes. I need to make it in where chemicals are within my reach, and I need you to tell me what you want and to tell me if they taste right. I still can't get the meat loaf right..." Severus replied to her, going off on a rant about how the texture was right but it still tasted carrot flavored.
"So why didn't you just wake me up and ask?" Alexis questioned and he looked at her like she was nuts.
"I tried. You sleep like the bloody dead. And I don't have the time to sit around and wait for you to wake up." Severus explained to her, making the turn carefully toward the Potion's classroom. He was surprised that he could carry Alexis and not drop her in his slightly drunk state.
"Okay then..." Alexis stated as she shrugged and yawned, blowing her morning breath all over his face.
"So what do you want?" He asked her, looking down at her for a moment. She smiled at him and he felt like he should have been bothered by it, but wasn't.
"You mean anything? Like any type of meat I want?" She asked him incredulously and he rolled his eyes at her nodded like he would to Selena. And in reply, she grinned at him and began to list off.
"Okay, a slab of bacon, four sausage patties, a porkchop, hmm... some apple sauce... and two eggs..." She rambled and Severus caught something in that. He stopped and looked at her, frowning at her.
"You mean I have to actually cook on a stove?" He asked her and she looked disheartened.
"Well, you said anything." Alexis near whined and he sighed in frustration.
"Well then, why can't you just make the eggs in your room then?" He asked her and she laughed at him. He looked at her with confusion, not getting what was so funny. Obviously she got that and explained it to him as she shook her head.
"Dude, you know I can't cook."
He gawked at her statement in near disbeleif. It was uncommon for a man to know how to cook, but even more uncommon for a woman to not know how to.
"A woman that can't cook?" Severus asked in disbeleif.
"Um yeah. You lived in the Manor for how many years and you still don't know this?" Aleixs replied sarcastically and Severus shook his head, not believing it.
"You don't remember the last three times I set fire to the kitchen?!" Alexis asked him with awe. Severus did remember the occasions, but for her to have done them on accident seemed out of charactor.
"I thought you had done that on purpose!" Severus exclaimed loudly.
"Oh yeah, I like getting reamed out by Artimis everytime that happens. I don't cook, and when I do, something either gets set on fire or ends up at the other end of the room. I've got bad karma when it comes to cooking." Alexis said solemnly to him and Severus sighed, walking once again. He shook his head as he walked right by the classroom and Alexis looked at the door expectantly. She looked at him with confusion, cocking her head.
"Now where're we going?" She asked and he growled at her.
"My kitchen. The only other source of potions and with an available stove." He stated. He didn't want to take her to his room, but he didn't want to leave her in the classroom, especially since he had not suceeded in getting rid of the boggart yet. And the last thing he wanted was repeat of yesterday. Severus stormed toward his quarters with Alexis in his arms, the first thing he wanted would be a sobering potion, or more vodka, one or the other. Severus put Alexis down, realizing too late that he could have made her walk once she had woken up. Why he continued carrying her, he didn't know, but at this point didn't care. He grumbled his password, trying to say it low enough that she didn't hear it, but loud enough for the door to recognize it. He walked in heading for the kitchen, and noticed that Alexis had stopped at the doorway.
"What are you doing?" He asked her and she looked like a child who was stepping into a forbidden area, which in reality she was.
"I've never been in here... it looks almost... normal." Alexis said lowly, and Severus rolled his eyes at her, heading for the kitchen. The first thing he found was the last bit of vodka in the bottle and he tipped it back. Then he started pulling out pans and potions.
"Weasley, don't touch anything!" Severus growled at her and he heard her reply lowly.
"Okay Sev!" Alexis said, but he didn't believe it, especaily since he just heard her throw his first edition copy of Superior Potions-making on his couch. She was quiet for a moment and Severus was busy mixing chemicals to make her breakfast. And while he was at it, he was going to fix himself something too. Then she yelled to him froim the living area.
"Hey, I'm gonna use your bathroom!"
He sighed and replied, knowing that she wouldn't listen, but prayed that she just bordered on curious, not blantantly nosy.
"Fine, just don't go through the cabinets!" He told her and that moment dropped a cast iron frying pan on his bare foot. A string of muffled curses emitted from him at that moment and he threw the pan into the sink. He heard her walk into his room and he listened carefully counting in his mind. one...two... thr-, yep, she's in the closet... nothing dangerous in the there, except maybe my wardrobe... Severus thought as he changed some asparagus into sausage.
"Damn, you got like, twenty of the same outfit... pretty boring... hey! Boots!" He heard her squeal and he yelled out to her.
"Out of the closet Alexis!"
He heard her close the closet door and he sighed, knowing she was either wearing his boots or one of his frock coats. He heard her mumble, but couldn't comprehend it over the noise of him cooking. He heard his dresser drawer open and he snickered as he heard her slam it closed.
"Those had to be boxers with hearts on them... there's no other explanation..." She grumbled lowly and he heard her, sighing as he made the bacon out of artichokes. He heard her open another one and then heard her rummaging around. He was getting pretty fed up, but she was only going though his clothes, it wasn't like she was under his bed. That would make him angry... or embarassed, or both. He heard her yell out to him.
"Hey, this is the one we got you for Christmas that one year..."
"Use the bathroom and get out of my dresser Whyte! Eggs sunny side up or over easy?" He yelled, asking her the last part, hoping to distract her. He heard her close that drawer and open another and he sighed.
"Sorry! And I like them over easy!" She told him and he nodded to himself, cracking the eggs on the edge of the pan. He didn't hear her close that drawer, but heard her open the bathroom cabinet.
Oh joy... Now she makes a Selena style mess and I have to clean it up... He thought, rolling his eyes as he made the eggs. He could hear her mumbling to herself, noting the customary dork comment in there somewhere. Then after a few moments he caught a strong whiff of his cologne and wondered if she had decided to bathe in it or something.
"Why do I smell my cologne?" Severus yelled and he heard her reply like she was covering something up.
"I dunno. Did you put too much on this morning or something?" She stated and he rolled his eyes, putting the eggs on her plate and then moving to make his own. He heard the noise of his shaving cream and rolled his eyes once again. And now she will make a smiley face or something on my mirror with shaving cream and think it is funny, not realizing that that stuff is hard to get off once it dries... Severus thought to himself, making scarmbled eggs for himself. After a moment and some sobering potion, Severus yelled at her.
"I'm not going to say it again Alexis, quit touching my things!"
He didn't hear her for a moment and wondered if she was actually using the bathroom, or if she was just getting better at being nosy. But then he heard her walk back into his bedroom and he sighed, making himself some real bacon. Then he heard her make a noise he didn't recognize and the she spoke aloud, kicking his senses into overdrive.
"Huh They look like Artmis... wait. They're not Artimis, it's Miranda! Whoa... there's like, fifteen of them in here..." He heard her muse and he left the kitchen, praying she didn't cause him to start a grease fire. He began to yell at her, the spatula still in his hand.
"Damnit, get away from my bed! I swaer, I'll let you starve Whyte if you don't mind your own business!" He glared at her as he hissed a warning at her.
"Stay out of those boxes if you know what's good for you." There were worse things than Miranda's portraits under his bed, things he dind't want anyone to see, things he didn't want to see. She was quiet and nodded her head at him so he figured that she got the point. Or at least he hoped she did. He shook his head, going back and taking the slightly burnt bacon out of the pan, setting it on his plate. He heard the same noise again and prayed that Alexis was just looking at the portraits again. He heard her cough and her rummaging. Then she yelped and he knew she had found his 'box of regret' as he liked to think of it. He walked into the room, seeing Alexis backed away from the box, his mask sitting on top of the pile of his deatheater cloaks.
"There was more than one reason why I asked you not to go under my bed." He spoke lowly, not as angry as he thought he would be. She jumped at his voice and looked at her as he looked the contents of a box he hadn't opened in four years.
"You still have those?"He heard her ask him almost as if she had no breath to make the words.
Severus sighed at her, replying lowly. "You know how you keep a scrapbook to remember things? Well, I have those as a reminder. Though, they're more of a warning. I keep them here, becasue that is the last mask in the world that I want Selena to play dress-up with." He stated, knowing that if he kept these at the Manor then Selena would be sure to find him and he would have more guilt to add to his list of trespasses. He saw her nod slowly as she closed the box and put it under the bed. She stood up and Severus, nodded to her, feeling like she had learned her lesson, for the moment at least.
"Thank you." He told her and she nodded at him, sighing. She shook her head and Severus took the opportunity to ask her another breakfast related question..
"Do you want orange juice?"
"Sure." Alexis replied and he headed to the kitchen. He heard her admire his stereo and he smirked in pride.
"Whoa... it's so... beautiful." She spoke and he shook his head, setting up the toast.
"Thank you. And don't push any buttons!" Severus told her, because touching his stereo was almost a death wish.
"What, this button!" She exclaimed loudly and he grimaced, twicthing a bit. Then to his horror, he heard his Celine Dion CD come on. Oh great, she's going to think I am gay... He thought yelling to her.
"Turn it! That's not suppose to be in there!"
To his relief or discomfort, he wasn't sure, he heard her change the CD. He heard the first chords of his Linkin Park CD and heard her comment over it.
"Hey, not too bad Sev..." he heard her and he yelled at her, not in the mood for the band this morning.
"Change it!" He heard her push the next track button. His Bon Jovi Cd came on, and he wasn't really in the mood for them either.
"Naw, not that one either..." He continued to yell at her. He heard her sigh and she changed it. He heard his Mozart CD come on and that was just what he was in the mood for. Before she could change it he yelled.
"Leave it!" He demanded, and he heard Alexis groaned from his bedroom.
"But Severus!" Alexis whined at him, and he cut her off mid-sentence. "My stereo, my choice. Leave it."
She is lucky I am not mad for her even touching my stereo... He thought to himself as he put his sausage in the frying pan. He heard her stomp around his room and then he heard his bed bounce, meaning she had either jumped on it, or plopped on it.
"Damn, your bed is comfortable..." He heard her mumbled and he shook his head. That's why it's my bed... He thought as he flipped his sausage over.
"Dude... I want to switch beds... this one's kind of fluffy..."
Not on your life... That bed it just like my bed at the Manor, the only kind of bed I can sleep comfortably on... Severus thought to himself. Then as he finished breakfast, he heard nothing from her. He made the plates and walked into his room, expecting to see Alexis rummaging through someting else. But what was worse was the scene he did see. She had passed out on his bed, snuggling with his pillows, her feet in his boots curled up close to her body. Severus sighed and put the plates in the kitchen, walking back into his room.
"Alexis, get up." He told her and she looked up at him warily, shaking her head at him.
"Sorry Sev, must have passed out." She told him and he shook his head.
"Breakfast is ready. It's in the kitchen." He told her and he stormed off to the kitchen, taking his seat. He had a cup off coffee and was putting his cream and sugar into it as Alexis walked into the room. And at the moment, Severus could tell this was going to be one of the oddest breakfasts he had ever had in his experience.
"Alexis, get up." Alexis heard a voice drive into her conciousness. She sighed into the unfamiliar smelling pillow, opening one eye warily. She saw Severus watching her curiously, and she furrowed her brow in confusion.
Huh? Severus in my room? Wait... this is his room.. whoa... She thought, then remembered why she was there. She shook her head in wonderment, replying to him. "Sorry Sev, must have passed out."
He shook his head, though commented no further, merely informing her. "Breakfast is ready. It's in the Kitchen."
He left, and Alexis shook her head with amusment, crawling out of his bed and yawning widely. Dork has to wake me up so bloody early... She thought as she walked into his kitchen, sitting across from him at his Kitchen table, where he was making coffee.
She looked over at the green marbled counter top by the sink, seeing a stack of shot glasses and an empty vodka bottle. She cocked her head in confusion, asking as he got up and retrieved the plates of food, setiing them on the table.
"Did you drink all that last night?" She asked incredulously.
Severus looked at her as is contemplating whether or not to reply. Then he shrugged, sipping his coffee then speaking. "Yes."
"And you're walking?! How do you do it? What's your secret?" Alexis exclaimed, shaking her head. They stared at each other for a moment, realizing how awkward this was getting. Severus shook his head and replied.
"I'm gifted. And any secrets I have, I'm sure as hell not telling you." he spoke, picking up a fork and digging into his own eggs on his plate. Alexis glared slightly, sighing as she looked down at her plate. It looked like one of her normal plates that consisted solely of meat products. It was so beautiful, she felt like crying. But she was too hungry for that at the moment. The next few minutes passed in relative silence as they ate, Alexis looking up once to see Severus gazing at her with a smirk.
"What?" She asked with confusion.
"You just ate a plate of food derived solely from vegetables. I never thought I'd see the day." Severus mused, smirking as he picked up some of his sausage.
"You just had to ruin the moment didn't you?" Alexis griped, staring at him. He shrugged, and Alexis rolled her eyes, asking weith exasperation. "Can you pass the syrup?"
Severus cocked his head, asking as he gave her the bottle. "What do you want syrup for? You don't have any pancakes or waffles..."
"For my bacon of course! What, you don't do that? What's your issue!" Alexis exclaimed, looking at him with mock disgust, clutching the syrup bottle to her chest.
Severus shook his head as he replied. "Not syrup. I use ketchup."
"Ketchup?! The only thing that's good for is french fries and meatloaf. Otherwise, it's in its own food group. Away from the normal food." Alexis stated pointedly, pouring syrup over her psuedo-bacon that she knew was probably asparagus or something, but didn't care.
"You're a mustard person aren't you." Severus stated casually, taking the ketchup bottle for himself.
"Yeah... and you would know this why?" Alexis asked, drinking from her orange juice glass.
Severus snickered, also speaking. "You like mayonnaise too I bet."
Alexis nodded her head with a raised eyebrow. Severus nodded as he stated. "Thought so."
"Please tell me you don't pay that much attention to me." Alexis asked pleadingly.
"No, it's just a usual trait that mustard-people have that I've noticed. On BLTs mostly?"
"Yeah, minus the L and T though."
"Naturally. You have syrup on your shirt."
"Thanks." Alexis stated, looking down at her shirt. She then froze, slowly staring back up at Severus with wide eyes. He stared back for a silent moment, then both quickly looked down at their plates, another awkward silence filling the kitchen.
Alexis finished her breakfast first, feeling full for the first time in a long time. She yawned and stretched, feelin drowsy. "Now I'm going back to bed, casue it's only Saturday and you woke me up way to early than was necessary."
"It's already Saturday?" Severus asked with surprise. Aleixs nodded slowly. He sighed, pinching the bride of his nose. "I thought it was Friday... I'm going back to bed..."
"Exactly. Thanks for breakfast." Alexis yawned as she stood and trudged from his kitchen, Severus mumbling. "You're welcome."
Alexis stumbled to the nearest peice of furniture, Severus's couch, and fell onto it, feet hanging over the armrest as she snuggled with one of the cushions, sighing contentedly as she fell asleep.
Severus, having finished his own breakfast, sighed in mild contentment at being full. He put his plate and Alexis's in the sink, clearing the rest of the food with a movement of his wand, and then walked out of the room, seeing Alexis passed out on his couch haphazardly.
"I don't have the energy to kick her out." He grumbled to himself as he walked to his room, dressing into some pajama pants and the shirt Alexis had been messing with earlier that said 'I can only help one person a day...(Today isn't your day)'. He plopped down on his bed, grumbling and complaining about how it smelt like Alexis, but not really caring at the presnt moment. He passed out into a deep slumber, snoring lightly.
Four hours later...
Severus heard the toilet flush in his bathroom and ignored it, not really thinking on it much, considering he was trying to become one with his bed. He rolled over, hugging one of his pillows as he tried to go bad to deep peaceful slumber. Suddenly he felt a depression in the bed next to him, and that woke him up. He rolled back over to see Alexis passed out on the pillow next to him on his bed. He quickly leapt up from the bed, his left foot catching on the sheets and making him fall backwards off of it. He cursed colorfully and loudly as he caught himself on his hands, and he grumbled, looking to see that Alexis hadn't even woken up at his noise.
"Bloody Whyte." He growled in irritation as he stumbled slash crawled out of his room toward the living room.
"My bloody bed, my bloody room..." He whined as he made it to the couch, collapsing tiredly and passing out once more.
Three Hours Later...
Severus awoke by the call of his bladder, needing to visit the bathroom. He groaned as he got up, his back hurting a bit. He got up from his couch, not really remembering why he had fallen asleep on his couch, but here could be a million reasons for that. He turned on the lamp by his couch the room to dark for him to see where the coffee table was. He stumbled to his bathroom, his eyes not even really open as he groped for the lightswitch. He turned on the lights and closed the door to the bathroom, relieveing his turning off the light and closing the door, he stumbled to his bed, falling into it's comforts. He laid down, closing his eyes as he began to drift off to sleep and then felt an arm wrap around his waist losely. That woke him up in an instant. He quickly rolled over and saw Alexis curling up to him in her sleep.
"Bloody hell!" He yelled falling out of the bed once again. He remembered now that she was in his bed, but the fact that she touched him while he was sleeping weirded him out more than he cared to think about.
"Yep, I am going to the couch." He remarked aloud as he got up and walked to his living room. He looked at the room and turned out the lamp by the couch, lying down on the couch and grumbling under his breath as he fell asleep.
Two hours later... (they like to sleep, okay!)
Alexis snuggled into the warm mass that lay beside her, comfortably nestled between it and two pillows. She yawned widely then, frowning when the warm mass she lay beside shifted. She opened one tired eye, then both shot open when she saw Severus's face right in hers, the same look of tired disbelief on his features as he stared. Alexis scooted back a few inches, looking at him in his pajama clad state, then at herself. She noticed the strap of her tank top laying loose off her shoulder, and she quickly pulled it up over her shoulder, glaring at him sternly, confused as to how this had happened in the first place.
Severus rolled his eyes, plopping his head on his pillow as he growled. "You know what, I don't know how this happened, but I'm not getting up this time. It's my bed, you sleep on the couch." he grumbled, dozing off to sleep almost right after. Alexis shook her head slowly guessing he was just too tired and hung over to yell at her or something.
She stumbled off his bed, grabbing one of his pillows and trudging to the living room couch, eyes half closed. It was then she heard an urgent knock on Severus's door, and she cocked her head in confusion, wondering who the hell knocked anymore.
She stumbled over to the door, yawning as she pulled it open, coming face to face with a confused looking Artimis and Remus. Alexis stared at them in wonderment, grumbling. "Well, this is a surprise... um, good morning?"
"Alexis, it's almost 2:30 in the afternoon. And what are you doing in Severus's room!?" Artimis practically screeched, or so it sounded like to Alexis.
She grimaced, shaking her head tiredly as she looked behind her into the room. "Hey... this is Severus's room isn't it... dude..."
She looked back to the two in the doorway, and Artimis spoke to Remus lowly. "Maybe it'd be best if you just go now..."
"I'm already gone... I have to think about this before beating Severus into a pulp..." Remus spoke quietly, a look of surprised disbelief on his features as he turned and slowly walked away from Severus's quarters.
Alexis shrugged, too tired to comprehene what was really going on. Artimis shook her head at Alexis, brow furrowed as she asked incredulously. "Do I even want to know why you're in Severus's room, in your pajamas, at 2:30 in the afternoon?"
Alexis shrugged, yawning as she replied. "You might, except that it's a long story and not really awake enough to tell it."
From the back room, they heard Severus's muffled and tired voice. "Who's at the door Weasley?"
Alexis yelled back as Artimis raised her eyebrow. "It's Artimis!"
She thought she heard a grumbling of curses, and then he yelled again. "Good Malfoy, then you can take this prat back to her room so I can get some decent sleep! In my bed! Alone!"
"Oh, quit whining you dork!" Alexis growled back to him. She looked at Artimis, who was shaking her head slowly, looking at a loss for words. Alexis cocked her head in confusion, wondering what her issue was.
"I'm not going to ask... um I got a letter from Ron for you. He's coming at around four. Said something about Severus better be running by then?... Yeah... thought you should know..." Artimis spoke slowly, staring at her.
Alexis smiled happily. About time he bloody visited... maybe he'll bring chocolate... She thought happily, though saw Artimis's slightly saddened expression, and her own smile lessened somewhat. She instead turned and called into the room.
"Fine. I'm leaving now. Thanks for breakfast!"
"Go away!" Was all he answered.
"Breakfast?" Artimis asked, looking even more confused.
Alexis nodded, then yelled to Severus again. "What's for dinner by the way?"
"Don't know and don't care... just go!" He snapped from his room, and Alexis shrugged, exiting his room and closing his door behind him. Artimis backed up from her, shaking her head.
Alexis merely cocked her head, asking with a shrug. "What?"
Artimis couldn't find Alexis when she got back form the hospital. She searched her room, Alexis's rooms, the Great Hall, Hagrid's hut, The Potion's classroom, The Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom, everywhere. She had found a letter in Alexis's room from Ron, saying that he would be in and that Severus had a head start run. She shook her head and sighed, marching to Remus's room ,the last place she could be. She knocked on his door and he opened it, looking like he had just come out of the shower.
"Hey honey, what's the matter?" He asked and she sighed, looking at him with her bloodshot eyes.
"I can't find Alexis and I need a hug." Artimis spoke and Remus looked at her once and then embraced her, holding her to him.
"You went to see Draco, didn't you?" He asked as Artimis buried her head into his shoulder, thankful for the comfort. She nodded into his shoulder she felt him kiss her head softly.
"It will be ok in time. You just stay strong and heatlhy and everything else will be fine. Now what did you say about not finding Alexis?" He whispered lowly into her hair and she inhaled sharply, trying to keep from crying.
"I can't find her anywhere. I've looked for an hour." Artimis told him and he rubbed her back soothingly.
"Well, we'll go find her and you two can go have a moment over a jug of chocolate milk." Remus mused and Artimis laughed, shaking her head at him.
"See, that's better. You're laughing. I don't think you've laughed in a while. Now, about Alexis, did you try to use your mind-link to find her?" He asked and Artimis shook her head. Though she had lived most of her life with the mind-link she had not thought to use it. It had become a back-burner response in her mind with all the drama in her life. Artimis focused on the link, pulling it to the front and she could sense Alexis, and sense that she was sleeping. Artimis turned and began walking toward her quarters.
"Maybe I didn't search my quaters all the way." Artimis thought as she followed the link's lead. They walked past Severus's quarters and Artimis felt a tug there and stopped.
"Artimis, what's the matter?" Remus asked her and Artimis looked at him oddly.
"She's in there..." She told him and he shook his head.
"Where? Sev's room?... You sure?" He asked her and Artimis nodded, the feeling of Alexis's presence echoing from the room. Artimis walked up to the portrait that hid his door. It was one of a fire breathing dragon sleeping around a horde of gold. Artimis knocked on the door hard and fast, panicking, thinking that maybe Alexis was killing him. What greeted her at the door was not what she expected. Alexis had a pillow in one hand and was still in her pajamas, looking tired, like she had just woken up. Alexis stared at her in wonderment, grumbling at her.
"Well, this is a surprise... um, good morning?"
Artimis was in disbelief, and looking behind Alexis, she didn't see Severus, which made Artimis's mind wonder as to where he was.
"Alexis, it's almost 2:30 in the afternoon. And what are you doing in Severus's room!?" Artimis screeched at her in confusion. Alexis grimaced at her voice and then looked around the room she was standing.
"Hey... this is Severus's room isn't it... dude..." She spoke drowsily and Artimis wanted to smack her head. Good lord, he drugged her... She thought to herself and Artimis turned to Remus, seeing his internal rage.
"Maybe it'd be best if you just go now..." She told him and he nodded, turning to walk away.
"I'm already gone... I have to think about this before beating Severus into a pulp..." Remus replied and Artimis was thankful that he was willing to take this is stride. Artimis turned her attention back to Alexis, shaking her head as she asked curiously.
"Do I even want to know why you're in Severus's room, in your pajamas, at 2:30 in the afternoon?"
Alexis shrugged at her, yawning as she replied sleepily.
"You might, except that it's a long story and not really awake enough to tell it."
Artimis heard from the back room a low grumble that sounded like speech asking.
"Who's at the door Weasley?" It was Severus's voice and he sounded exhausted. Artimis watched as Alexis yelled back is if this was not out of the ordinary. "It's Artimis!"
Artimis heard a rumbling of curses and then heard Severus spoke aloud, directing it to her.
"Good Malfoy, then you can take this prat back to her room so I can get some decent sleep! In my bed! Alone!" He yelled and Artimis was taken a back at his statement. Really don't want to know... but then again... I do... Artimis thought to herself.
"Oh, quit whining you dork!" Alexis growled back at him and Artimis began to shake her head slowly, determined that Alexis was drugged and Severus was drunk. Artimis saw Alexis cock her head at her in confusion. Artimis dind't give her time to ask.
"I'm not going to ask... um I got a letter from Ron for you. He's coming at around four. Said something about Severus better be running by then?... Yeah... thought you should know..." Artimis trailed off, staring at Alexis in disbelief. Artimis saw Alexis smile and it tugged on Artimis's heart that Alexis was getting a visit from her husband. It wasnt that Artimis blamed Ron for leaving Draco, but if they had stayed together then maybe, just maybe, Draco wouldn't have been hurt as bad. Alexis's smile saddened and Alexis turned and yelled back into the room, obviously to Severus.
"Fine. I'm leaving now. Thanks for breakfast!" Alexis voice carried and Artimis shook her head as she heard it.
"Go away!" Severus yelled back at her.
"Breakfast?" Artimis asked, looking even more confused and feeling confused. Alexis simply nodded at her and turned back into the room.
"What's for dinner by the way?" She asked and Artimis shook her head.
"Don't know and don't care... just go!" He snapped at her from his room, and Artimis watched as Alexis just shrugged. Aritmis shook her head as she slowly backed away from the door. Alexis closed the door and cocked her head at Artimis, asking with a shrug.
"What?"
"What in the world were you doing in his room?" Artims asked her incrediously and Alexis yawned, shaking her head.
"Well, Severus is making my food from now on... He made me sausage and bacon and porkchops for breakfast." Alexis rambled off and Artimis stopped.
"He is cooking you meat... What is he trying to do, make you lose the baby?..." Artimis asked in anger, wondering if that was Severus's plan.
"No, it was really vegetables, skillfully transfigured and chemically changed." Alexis spoke and Artimis nodded her head in relief.
"Good, cause if he is trying to hurt my neice/nephew, I would have to hurt him. Maybe murder him, knowing the kind of mood I am in right now." Artimis spoke, hoping Alexis would catch the connotation of sorrow in her voice. Alexis looked at her, watching her carefully.
"Artimis, have you been crying?" Alexis asked and Artimis shook her head at her.
"Yeah, I went to see Draco last night, spent the night there..." Artimis confided in her sister.
"You ok? You need to you know, um... talk..., I'm not good at it... But if you need to..." Alexis stated and Artimis shook her head.
"No, I am a little better now... Besides, I need to go and pick Selena up from the Manor... Can't ask Hailey to give up her whole weekend with Aaron to watch her." Artimis thought aloud to Alexis and Alexis nodded at her.
"Ok, well, I need a shower, cause I think I got some of Sev's cologne on me, and I need to get dressed." Alexis explained and Artimis nodded at her as she rushed off to her quarters. Artimis walked to her own quarters and walked around in the darkness, cursing everything under the sun for her husband's plight. After a good hour of ranting and three vases later, Artimis headed to Manor Dela Loyalty to get her daughter.