Ch 2--Predictions
Once Delia was in the Hufflepuff Common room, she realized that her heart had been pounding. For how long she didn't know. She was quite shocked that Severus has professed his feelings. She found the whole situation to be crazy. He was twice her age and she kept the thought of "You didn't expect the first person to have feelings for you to be a greasy haired git, who is twice your age, sallow skinned, with no apparent life outside his dungeon, yellow teeth and no sympathy towards anyone."
Delia realized how true this was as she climbed the stairs to her dorm. She looked in the mirror in the dim light.
I'm not that gorgeous she though looking at her reflection. I have no zits. My hair is a bit mousy and I'm short. Ok I don't see what he sees. Guess that makes love blind. Go figure. Screw this I'm going to bed. With that she flopped down on her bed and slept till morning.
***
"DEE! DEE! WAKE UP!!! Breakfast will be over in 5 mins! DEE wake up!"
"Nicola stop prodding me! I'm awake!" Delia exclaimed jumping out of bed.
"What's that you have on?" Nicola asked.
"Oh this, some old borrowed robe. Never mind." She yanked off the robe, "I'm off." She grabbed a hairbrush on her way out and started running toward the Great Hall. Delia wasn't paying attention to where she was going while running and brushing her hair. All of a sudden Delia was knocked to the ground.
"Delia are you all right?" someone asked. She looked up from the floor it was Severus. He was on one knee looking quite concerned.
"Uh, yah. I'm ok. I think. Where's my brush?"
"I think," Severus said pulling the brush soothingly from her hair, "its here."
"Um, thanks. I must look ridiculous sitting here on the ground with a tangled mess of hair." Delia speculated.
"Not really. Here, fix your hair. You missed breakfast."
"Oh well! Guess I'm back to my old habits of being late and rushing. Guess I'll wait for lunch."
"Here," he said thrusting a roll in front of her face, "Eat this. I nicked it for my mid morning snack."
"No, you shouldn't take pity on me," she said. "I mean it's my fault for not waking up in time."
"If I have to feed this roll to you, bit-by-bit I will."
"No", she said taking the roll, "I'll eat it."
"Fine, I'm not leaving until you do."
"Don't you have a class to teach?" she asked firmly.
"Don't you have to be in class Delia?"
She just shook her head and ate the roll. "Fertig!"
"Sehr gut, Fraulein!"
"I did know you could speak German!" she gasped.
He smirked, "There are many things that you have yet to learn about me." He stood up and offered Delia his hand, she accepted. "Where is your next class?"
"Ummm..." she took out her schedule from her pocket, "Divination."
"Then go!" he shouted. Then he whispered in her ear. "This is for the record." he went back to shouting "Ten points taken for running in to me. Five for missing breakfast and fifteen for making me late to my class...no get out of my sight!
"Yes, Professor Snape," she said obediently running off to Divination class.
***
"Just as I presumed, Miss Wheelrite," said Madame Trelawney. "You are late."
"Sorry Madame Trelawney," Delia said in an apologetic tone.
"Never mind, dear. Make yourself some tea so we can review Tea Leaves."
Delia walked over and made her tea and went and sat with Nicola and Josh.
"Well, I wonder what these have in store for me today?" Delia said cheerfully.
"I don't know," said Josh. "I really don't understand what you like about this class anyway"
"Just do", Delia replied with a shrug. "Maybe the leaves will tell me when my luggage will arrive!"
"No fear," Madame Trelawney replied from behind. "Your bags will arrive this afternoon!"
"That's the best news I've heard so far Madame!" Delia exclaimed.
"Good, good. Now it seems as if your tealeaves are reporting some interesting factors."
"Oh really?" Delia said with a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Lets see...you will fall in love and be married in two years time. There will be many personal obstacles to over come, including a break up of some sort, a major tribulation and mass confusion." Delia just shook her head. It seemed as if Madame Trelawney was always predicting the worst.
"I think she likes making drama in other peoples lives," whispered Nicola. "I mean, she likes making yours look like East Enders is a walk in the park!"
***
After Arthimancy Delia ran down to the Great Hall for lunch. If it weren't for the roll Severus had given her in the hallway she more then likely would have fainted. Josh and Nicola decided to skip lunch in favor of going to the library. Delia would have joined them if it weren't for her growling stomach.
Delia was in the middle of her third sandwich when Severus came up behind her. She wasn't paying attention; she was too busy reading a book.
"Miss Wheelrite I hope you remember your detention tonight."
Delia dropped her sandwich due to the fact she was startled. "Oh yah," she said with little enthusiasm. "I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I mean, ya know. It IS detention. The Hogwarts pastime! You bet I'll be there with bells on."
"Now, that I'd like to see!"
Promptly at seven PM, Delia arrived in Severus's classroom. He wasn't there. The room was dimly lit. It was spooky being down there by herself. At least this time she wasn't freezing. As Madame Trelawney predicted, her luggage had arrived. She was much warmer in her robes.
Five after -seven and still no sign of Severus, she thought. She placed the robe she had borrowed last night on his desk. Then went over to the student supply closet. Severus must have stuffed everything back in last night. Delia hadn't got very far in her organizing due to last night's events. She dragged everything back out and began sorting the bottles due to size, shape and color.
Delia didn't hear the footsteps coming down the hall, or hear the door to the classroom open and shut from the supply closet. Her back was turned, but she did notice that the light from the doorway in the closet was being blocked by a figure. Delia ignored this. She knew it was Severus. "By the way, I returned your robe, it's on your desk. Sorry, I didn't get it in the wash basket this morning. Let me just say thanks."
"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help a lady in distress. I take it your baggage arrived?"
"Yep. How did you guess?"
"Your robe, it looks like it needs ironing."
"Well, yah, everything was kind of folded up and I just grabbed this robe and threw it on before I came down here. I'll iron and sort everything later. It doesn't even have my house patch on it."
"You know I can give you detention for that."
"Yes, you can. But what good is it going to do you or me? I've already got detention for the rest of the week anyway and next week too. It's after hours, so I can wear what I like as long as it reasonable and not disturbing. So HA!"
"My, aren't we feisty," Severus said with zeal. "I didn't know what I was getting into!"
"You know I'm going to quote you `There are many things that you have yet to learn about me.'"
"I thought you were a nice quite girl!"
"It's the quite ones you have to watch for! Now, are you going to let me out so I can get another box of potion bottles? Or are you going to make yourself useful and hand the box to me?"
"Tell you what, you stay on the step stool and I'll bring in a box. Any one in particular you want?" he asked.
"No, just bring one with bottles in it," she replied.
Severus left the closet and returned with a box. He began handing bottles to Delia. She then organized them in an orderly fashion.
"I like the arrangement so far. You are doing better then what I could!"
"Good, I'm glad you like it cause if you didn't YOU would have to do it."
"It would never have gotten started. I would have just left it and dug around in the boxes till I found what I wanted."
"You know my dad is just like that," Delia said. "Our two-car garage back home is full of boxes and junk. My dad says he's going to organize it, but never does. Over the summer I ended up organizing the garage. I tell you it was a three-day project! Then we had a garage sale and got rid of a lot of junk!
"Garage sale?" he said confused
"Oh it's an American thing. You sell your old junk. Usually you have it in your garage or if not you have it in your yard and call it a yard sale. Although no part of your yard or garage is for sale. Personally, I think what you are saying is `Hey look how clean our garage is and YOURS isn't. By the way buy some of this useless junk!'"
"I understand now, more of like a rummage sale."
"You got it! Is that the last bottle in this box?"
"Yes, it is. I'll get another box."
"Wait just a minute. I need to sit down. My feet hurt. I have on new shoes and I tell you its not fun breaking them in." Delia came down form the step stool and went into the classroom and pulled out on of the desk chairs, sat down and removed her shoes. Then propped her feet up on another chair.
"You shouldn't put your feet on furniture. Didn't your mother teach you rules?" he said sternly.
"Nope. I'm from Kansas! I was raised in a barn! Moooooooooo! The chickens are best buds! Although. I think the geese need to get a life."
Severus laughed at this picked up her feet from the chair, sat down put her feet in his lap and started to massage her feet. "So you were raised in a barn. Tell me more!"
"No, I wasn't raised in a barn. I lived in suburbia in a house with a garage, a dog, a cat and some fish. The closest I ever got to a farm was my cousin's farm out in Russell, Kansas. And believe me I hated going there. I wasn't into horses and that sort of thing. Then I started going to school here and my cousin and her friends started calling me `little miss British Prep school.' Every time I spoke they would tease me about the Queens English. Boy, I wanted to whip out my wand and turn them all into prairie dogs!
Severus gave a full-hearted laugh. "I would have paid to see that!"
"Yah, me too."
"Delia, I have a question."
"Fire away," she said aloof.
"With you being American do you feel weird when you go back to Kansas after being here at Hogwarts?"
"Oh you bet. All the time! I have noticed that since I have been here since I was twelve I have picked up a bit of an accent. I don't know if you notice it or not. But everybody in Derby does. Plus, I go home saying, bugger, bloody, and filched. People think I need therapy or something."
"I have noticed that your accent is a bit different then it was when you were twelve, but it's understandable, you are here ten months out of the year."
"True. For laughs back home I talk in a British accent. Cracks people up. Kansans are easy. I also go out in the front yard and drink a lot of tea. You know you are doing a very god job on my feet. They don't hurt anymore. Also this is one way to get a woman to tell you everything she knows."
"Hmmm anything?" he said in a quizzical voice.
"Anything" Delia reaffirmed Severus.
"What's the worst thing you have ever done?"
"That's easy. Put a Memory Charm on a cop. I was speeding down James Street. I was with my cousin Jen; she's the one who lives on the farm. The cop was writing me a ticket. So I then whipped out my wand and put a memory spell on him. I got out of that one, so I believed. A few hours later I got an owl from the Witches and Wizards Bureau! Upps. I though. So I opened the note. I was placed on warning. If I did something like that again the Bureau would yank away my privileges to attend Hogwarts! They thought if I could drive like a Muggle, I could take Muggle responsibilities. So needless to say the moral of the story is DON"T SPEED!
"Why were you speeding and what car were you in?" Severus asked.
"Well I was late for my summer job and I was in my Honda Civic. "
"Summer job?"
"Oh, my Dad thought, well since you can drive you can get a job and support that car of yours. So I worked at Dillions, which is a grocery store back home, as a sacker. That was the worst job I ever had! Never again will I do that! Since I didn't go to High School in town the other kids my age treated me funny. They all thought I was a prep or something. How little did they know what I really am?" she said with a giggle. "Anyway what's the worst thing you ever did?"
Severus stopped the foot massage. "Put your shoes on and go back to organizing the cupboard. You are after all serving detention," he said dryly and then stood up. "What are you waiting on? Get up!"
Delia put on her shoes and went back into the closet. Severus did not follow Delia into the closet. Instead he went over to his desk and began grading the summer essays he collected the first day of classes. He was in a foul mood.
They worked in silence for a half an hour when all of a sudden there was a loud crash, followed by the sound of breaking glass and a thud from the closet. Severus came running over to find Delia on the floor. She looked up. Severus saw that there was some blood on her face. Delia was in shock.
"Delia I know you aren't ok, but did you break any bones?"
"I don't know!" She started crying. "I bumped my head and it hurts! The damn step stool collapsed! I fell on my side and it hurts too."
Severus didn't say anything but helped Delia up, he asked, "Can you walk?"
"I think so," she said. The tears still pouring down her face. Severus led her to his chambers, set her on the couch, lit a fire and returned with a washcloth and a washbasin. He pushback a strand of her hair and began cleaning her face.
"It appears you just have a small cut on your right temple from where you must have hit a sharp edge when you fell. You'll have a nasty bruise and cut for a while. The good news is your eyes are not crossed. So no concussion, but you are still staying here tonight just in case."
"Shouldn't I go to the hospital wing?"Delia asked.
"No, you'll be fine. But I'm more worried about that bump."
"Then I should go to the hospital wing!" she said again only this time more firmly.
"No, you'll stay here and I'll stay awake to make sure you don't fall asleep. I don't want to wake Madame Pomfrey for this. And since you didn't break anything you will be fine. I don't see why I can't do as good as job as Madame Pomfrey. Hold this cloth over that cut so it can stop bleeding."
Severus walked over to one of the shelves in his chambers. He returned with two bottles and another washcloth. "Firstly, I'm going to put on a wound cleaning potion, it may sting for a bit." Severus then sat down next to Delia on the couch and set the other bottle he was holding on the small table next to him. He opened the bottle, put some of the Wound Cleaning potion on the washcloth, and began to gently dab Delia's cut. She sucked in her breath as the stinging sensation began. When Severus finished with that he folded the washcloth in half. Halved it again and added the other contents from the potion bottle. "This is a Simple Healing Potion, its shouldn't sting. It should give off a cooling sensation instead." With that he started to dab Delia's cut. He was right; it gave her a cooling sensation.
"How long does this cooling feeling last?" she asked.
"A few minutes, just enough to make a person relax. I think that will do for now. Now, I'm going to make some tea. That does more for relaxation then anything I ever known."
The cooling sensation was slowly leaving Delia's wound. Her left side still hurt though. She looked around Severus's Chambers. There really wasn't much, just a lot of bookshelves with a few potion bottles and books. There was a dresser against one wall with a wardrobe. The only mirror in the room hung above the dresser. The bed was against the wall behind Delia. There was only one couch and a chair in front of the fireplace with a matching footstool. No windows, pictures or anything that made the room seemed that it was lived in. The only light in the room was coming from a few candles and the fireplace. Even with a blazing fire, the room was still cold.
"Here, drink this," Severus said handing a cup of tea to her and sitting down on her right. Delia took it gratefully. The cup felt warm in her cold hands. She just stared at it, enjoying the curls of steam it was emitting. Severus got up from the couch, walked over to his dresser opened a drawer and returned with a deep red chenille throw. He situated it around Delia's shoulders. "There, you should be warmer. My sister came for a visit, said it was too cold for her. When she returned home, she sent this. Its hardly been used."
Delia examined it. "Well, it was very nice of your sister to do so. I like the color. I've never seen one like this before."
"My sister found it somewhere. It came from a department store in Muggle London. I think it was Harrods but don't quote me. I've been a few times. It's a funny place."
"My mom likes to go there. My dad hates it. Says she spends too much. But that's my mom! Come to think of it, I'm no help there either!" She laughed so did Severus. Delia finished her tea and Severus took the cup.
"Do you want any more?" he asked.
"No thanks. I'm good," she replied in her Kansas accent.
"In that case, I can set the cups on this little table and not have to get up. I'm being lazy."
"Why move if you don't have to?"
"Exactly. Anyway we might as well get comfortable. It's going to be a long night. Take off your shoes if you want. Do you want a pillow so you can lean on it? I bet your side is killing you."
"I could go for some Advil," she said thoughtfully.
"Never heard of that Potion. What's in it?"
"It's a Muggle pain killer."
"Oh, Muggle Potions, I should have guessed."
"Well, it's not a potion, it's a pill!" she exclaimed.
"Where can I get some then?" he asked.
"No worries, I have some here in my pocket of my robes!" Delia stood up, ignoring the pain. She began emptying her pockets onto the footstool. "Lets see...pen...Palm Pilot...Few English coins...Band Aides...Class schedule...mints...gum...Kansas Divers license...nope not in that pocket. Let me try the one on the left...lemme see...broken bracelet...more gum...lip stick...calculator...lip gloss...lucky rabbits foot...ah ha...Advil! Now all I need is some water."
Severus sprang up from the couch. "I'll get you some" A minute later he returned with a glass of water. Delia tore open the small package of Advil, took a drink, put the pills in her mouth, took another drink and swallowed. "That should do it." She handed the glass back to Severus and sat back down.
Severus leaned over to the footstool and picked up the Palm Pilot. "What is this?"
"Palm Pilot. It's a date book, address keeper, notepad and wireless Internet access all in one. I have special permission to use one."
"Oh some Muggle gadget," he said handing to back to Delia. "You can keep it."
Delia started collecting her belongings from the footstool and replacing them in her robe. "You know I just love these new Cargo Robes. I can carry all my junk."
"Cargo Robes? I haven't seen those."
"Yep, I got them in Salem. Even has a really cool place to put your wand. Even comes with a pocket for a CD played and cell phone."
"Americans!" Severus spat out. "The world would become a lot less hectic without them. You Americans make life complicated!"
"So? Who cares? We add color to life and that's C-O-L-O-R, not C-O-L-O-U-R!"
Severus chuckled and shook his head. "You wonder why I count you off on your spelling, Miss Wheelrite."
"Maybe I do it to annoy you. So the jokes on you! HA! Man, what did you put in that tea I drank? I shot of whiskey?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he said smugly.
"Oh yes. You probably put in Truth Serum! Oh no, all my secrets will be reviled! GASP! FAINT!!! NOOOOOOOOO!" she said placing her hand on her brow. "Ok ok. I did like the New Kids on The Block. They were a great band!"
"What?"
"Never mind. They were a popular rock group when I was in fifth grade at El Paso Elementary. Silly, ten-year-old girl things," she said with a laugh. "I was stupid back then. I still can't believe I liked that sucky band. Live and learn I guess."
"I'm not that familiar with the Muggle World. I've really never had a need to be."
"You aren't missing anything. It's more of a mess then Wizard World."
"This world has its problems too," he said softly.
"That I realize. There is no true paradise. If there was, I'd would be there already basking in the sun, drinking Champagne and swimming in the blue clear seas. But, I'm here instead. Welcome back to reality."
"Yes, I know. I would be there with you."
"Watch out! You'll get sunburn!" Delia exclaimed.
"It's paradise? How can I?"
"See there is no true paradise. But if I had to choose between The Muggle World and this world, I'd stay here. Life is simpler."
"I can't say. I've been in this world all my life. I don't know the difference. There are some bad problems here. Take for example, well how do I say it without being rude...witches and wizards of Muggle born parents? Some of the `purebloods' see this as a problem. They make me sick, Like the Malfoys. I can't believe I actually thought like them at one time. Makes me sick thinking about it!"
"You what?" Delia asked softly
"Thought like the Malfoys," he replied with anger. "I was wrong."
"Oh," Delia said looking at her hands and not a Severus. She didn't know what to say. She wrapped the chenille throw around her tighter. There was an awkward silence. Delia broke the silence by saying, "There is something I should know, shouldn't I?"
"Yes, Delia there is," he replied in a whisper.
"When you think you are ready, if you ever are, you can tell me," she said in a affable voice.
"I think I should tell you now. No better time like the present."
Once Delia was in the Hufflepuff Common room, she realized that her heart had been pounding. For how long she didn't know. She was quite shocked that Severus has professed his feelings. She found the whole situation to be crazy. He was twice her age and she kept the thought of "You didn't expect the first person to have feelings for you to be a greasy haired git, who is twice your age, sallow skinned, with no apparent life outside his dungeon, yellow teeth and no sympathy towards anyone."
Delia realized how true this was as she climbed the stairs to her dorm. She looked in the mirror in the dim light.
I'm not that gorgeous she though looking at her reflection. I have no zits. My hair is a bit mousy and I'm short. Ok I don't see what he sees. Guess that makes love blind. Go figure. Screw this I'm going to bed. With that she flopped down on her bed and slept till morning.
***
"DEE! DEE! WAKE UP!!! Breakfast will be over in 5 mins! DEE wake up!"
"Nicola stop prodding me! I'm awake!" Delia exclaimed jumping out of bed.
"What's that you have on?" Nicola asked.
"Oh this, some old borrowed robe. Never mind." She yanked off the robe, "I'm off." She grabbed a hairbrush on her way out and started running toward the Great Hall. Delia wasn't paying attention to where she was going while running and brushing her hair. All of a sudden Delia was knocked to the ground.
"Delia are you all right?" someone asked. She looked up from the floor it was Severus. He was on one knee looking quite concerned.
"Uh, yah. I'm ok. I think. Where's my brush?"
"I think," Severus said pulling the brush soothingly from her hair, "its here."
"Um, thanks. I must look ridiculous sitting here on the ground with a tangled mess of hair." Delia speculated.
"Not really. Here, fix your hair. You missed breakfast."
"Oh well! Guess I'm back to my old habits of being late and rushing. Guess I'll wait for lunch."
"Here," he said thrusting a roll in front of her face, "Eat this. I nicked it for my mid morning snack."
"No, you shouldn't take pity on me," she said. "I mean it's my fault for not waking up in time."
"If I have to feed this roll to you, bit-by-bit I will."
"No", she said taking the roll, "I'll eat it."
"Fine, I'm not leaving until you do."
"Don't you have a class to teach?" she asked firmly.
"Don't you have to be in class Delia?"
She just shook her head and ate the roll. "Fertig!"
"Sehr gut, Fraulein!"
"I did know you could speak German!" she gasped.
He smirked, "There are many things that you have yet to learn about me." He stood up and offered Delia his hand, she accepted. "Where is your next class?"
"Ummm..." she took out her schedule from her pocket, "Divination."
"Then go!" he shouted. Then he whispered in her ear. "This is for the record." he went back to shouting "Ten points taken for running in to me. Five for missing breakfast and fifteen for making me late to my class...no get out of my sight!
"Yes, Professor Snape," she said obediently running off to Divination class.
***
"Just as I presumed, Miss Wheelrite," said Madame Trelawney. "You are late."
"Sorry Madame Trelawney," Delia said in an apologetic tone.
"Never mind, dear. Make yourself some tea so we can review Tea Leaves."
Delia walked over and made her tea and went and sat with Nicola and Josh.
"Well, I wonder what these have in store for me today?" Delia said cheerfully.
"I don't know," said Josh. "I really don't understand what you like about this class anyway"
"Just do", Delia replied with a shrug. "Maybe the leaves will tell me when my luggage will arrive!"
"No fear," Madame Trelawney replied from behind. "Your bags will arrive this afternoon!"
"That's the best news I've heard so far Madame!" Delia exclaimed.
"Good, good. Now it seems as if your tealeaves are reporting some interesting factors."
"Oh really?" Delia said with a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Lets see...you will fall in love and be married in two years time. There will be many personal obstacles to over come, including a break up of some sort, a major tribulation and mass confusion." Delia just shook her head. It seemed as if Madame Trelawney was always predicting the worst.
"I think she likes making drama in other peoples lives," whispered Nicola. "I mean, she likes making yours look like East Enders is a walk in the park!"
***
After Arthimancy Delia ran down to the Great Hall for lunch. If it weren't for the roll Severus had given her in the hallway she more then likely would have fainted. Josh and Nicola decided to skip lunch in favor of going to the library. Delia would have joined them if it weren't for her growling stomach.
Delia was in the middle of her third sandwich when Severus came up behind her. She wasn't paying attention; she was too busy reading a book.
"Miss Wheelrite I hope you remember your detention tonight."
Delia dropped her sandwich due to the fact she was startled. "Oh yah," she said with little enthusiasm. "I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world. I mean, ya know. It IS detention. The Hogwarts pastime! You bet I'll be there with bells on."
"Now, that I'd like to see!"
Promptly at seven PM, Delia arrived in Severus's classroom. He wasn't there. The room was dimly lit. It was spooky being down there by herself. At least this time she wasn't freezing. As Madame Trelawney predicted, her luggage had arrived. She was much warmer in her robes.
Five after -seven and still no sign of Severus, she thought. She placed the robe she had borrowed last night on his desk. Then went over to the student supply closet. Severus must have stuffed everything back in last night. Delia hadn't got very far in her organizing due to last night's events. She dragged everything back out and began sorting the bottles due to size, shape and color.
Delia didn't hear the footsteps coming down the hall, or hear the door to the classroom open and shut from the supply closet. Her back was turned, but she did notice that the light from the doorway in the closet was being blocked by a figure. Delia ignored this. She knew it was Severus. "By the way, I returned your robe, it's on your desk. Sorry, I didn't get it in the wash basket this morning. Let me just say thanks."
"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help a lady in distress. I take it your baggage arrived?"
"Yep. How did you guess?"
"Your robe, it looks like it needs ironing."
"Well, yah, everything was kind of folded up and I just grabbed this robe and threw it on before I came down here. I'll iron and sort everything later. It doesn't even have my house patch on it."
"You know I can give you detention for that."
"Yes, you can. But what good is it going to do you or me? I've already got detention for the rest of the week anyway and next week too. It's after hours, so I can wear what I like as long as it reasonable and not disturbing. So HA!"
"My, aren't we feisty," Severus said with zeal. "I didn't know what I was getting into!"
"You know I'm going to quote you `There are many things that you have yet to learn about me.'"
"I thought you were a nice quite girl!"
"It's the quite ones you have to watch for! Now, are you going to let me out so I can get another box of potion bottles? Or are you going to make yourself useful and hand the box to me?"
"Tell you what, you stay on the step stool and I'll bring in a box. Any one in particular you want?" he asked.
"No, just bring one with bottles in it," she replied.
Severus left the closet and returned with a box. He began handing bottles to Delia. She then organized them in an orderly fashion.
"I like the arrangement so far. You are doing better then what I could!"
"Good, I'm glad you like it cause if you didn't YOU would have to do it."
"It would never have gotten started. I would have just left it and dug around in the boxes till I found what I wanted."
"You know my dad is just like that," Delia said. "Our two-car garage back home is full of boxes and junk. My dad says he's going to organize it, but never does. Over the summer I ended up organizing the garage. I tell you it was a three-day project! Then we had a garage sale and got rid of a lot of junk!
"Garage sale?" he said confused
"Oh it's an American thing. You sell your old junk. Usually you have it in your garage or if not you have it in your yard and call it a yard sale. Although no part of your yard or garage is for sale. Personally, I think what you are saying is `Hey look how clean our garage is and YOURS isn't. By the way buy some of this useless junk!'"
"I understand now, more of like a rummage sale."
"You got it! Is that the last bottle in this box?"
"Yes, it is. I'll get another box."
"Wait just a minute. I need to sit down. My feet hurt. I have on new shoes and I tell you its not fun breaking them in." Delia came down form the step stool and went into the classroom and pulled out on of the desk chairs, sat down and removed her shoes. Then propped her feet up on another chair.
"You shouldn't put your feet on furniture. Didn't your mother teach you rules?" he said sternly.
"Nope. I'm from Kansas! I was raised in a barn! Moooooooooo! The chickens are best buds! Although. I think the geese need to get a life."
Severus laughed at this picked up her feet from the chair, sat down put her feet in his lap and started to massage her feet. "So you were raised in a barn. Tell me more!"
"No, I wasn't raised in a barn. I lived in suburbia in a house with a garage, a dog, a cat and some fish. The closest I ever got to a farm was my cousin's farm out in Russell, Kansas. And believe me I hated going there. I wasn't into horses and that sort of thing. Then I started going to school here and my cousin and her friends started calling me `little miss British Prep school.' Every time I spoke they would tease me about the Queens English. Boy, I wanted to whip out my wand and turn them all into prairie dogs!
Severus gave a full-hearted laugh. "I would have paid to see that!"
"Yah, me too."
"Delia, I have a question."
"Fire away," she said aloof.
"With you being American do you feel weird when you go back to Kansas after being here at Hogwarts?"
"Oh you bet. All the time! I have noticed that since I have been here since I was twelve I have picked up a bit of an accent. I don't know if you notice it or not. But everybody in Derby does. Plus, I go home saying, bugger, bloody, and filched. People think I need therapy or something."
"I have noticed that your accent is a bit different then it was when you were twelve, but it's understandable, you are here ten months out of the year."
"True. For laughs back home I talk in a British accent. Cracks people up. Kansans are easy. I also go out in the front yard and drink a lot of tea. You know you are doing a very god job on my feet. They don't hurt anymore. Also this is one way to get a woman to tell you everything she knows."
"Hmmm anything?" he said in a quizzical voice.
"Anything" Delia reaffirmed Severus.
"What's the worst thing you have ever done?"
"That's easy. Put a Memory Charm on a cop. I was speeding down James Street. I was with my cousin Jen; she's the one who lives on the farm. The cop was writing me a ticket. So I then whipped out my wand and put a memory spell on him. I got out of that one, so I believed. A few hours later I got an owl from the Witches and Wizards Bureau! Upps. I though. So I opened the note. I was placed on warning. If I did something like that again the Bureau would yank away my privileges to attend Hogwarts! They thought if I could drive like a Muggle, I could take Muggle responsibilities. So needless to say the moral of the story is DON"T SPEED!
"Why were you speeding and what car were you in?" Severus asked.
"Well I was late for my summer job and I was in my Honda Civic. "
"Summer job?"
"Oh, my Dad thought, well since you can drive you can get a job and support that car of yours. So I worked at Dillions, which is a grocery store back home, as a sacker. That was the worst job I ever had! Never again will I do that! Since I didn't go to High School in town the other kids my age treated me funny. They all thought I was a prep or something. How little did they know what I really am?" she said with a giggle. "Anyway what's the worst thing you ever did?"
Severus stopped the foot massage. "Put your shoes on and go back to organizing the cupboard. You are after all serving detention," he said dryly and then stood up. "What are you waiting on? Get up!"
Delia put on her shoes and went back into the closet. Severus did not follow Delia into the closet. Instead he went over to his desk and began grading the summer essays he collected the first day of classes. He was in a foul mood.
They worked in silence for a half an hour when all of a sudden there was a loud crash, followed by the sound of breaking glass and a thud from the closet. Severus came running over to find Delia on the floor. She looked up. Severus saw that there was some blood on her face. Delia was in shock.
"Delia I know you aren't ok, but did you break any bones?"
"I don't know!" She started crying. "I bumped my head and it hurts! The damn step stool collapsed! I fell on my side and it hurts too."
Severus didn't say anything but helped Delia up, he asked, "Can you walk?"
"I think so," she said. The tears still pouring down her face. Severus led her to his chambers, set her on the couch, lit a fire and returned with a washcloth and a washbasin. He pushback a strand of her hair and began cleaning her face.
"It appears you just have a small cut on your right temple from where you must have hit a sharp edge when you fell. You'll have a nasty bruise and cut for a while. The good news is your eyes are not crossed. So no concussion, but you are still staying here tonight just in case."
"Shouldn't I go to the hospital wing?"Delia asked.
"No, you'll be fine. But I'm more worried about that bump."
"Then I should go to the hospital wing!" she said again only this time more firmly.
"No, you'll stay here and I'll stay awake to make sure you don't fall asleep. I don't want to wake Madame Pomfrey for this. And since you didn't break anything you will be fine. I don't see why I can't do as good as job as Madame Pomfrey. Hold this cloth over that cut so it can stop bleeding."
Severus walked over to one of the shelves in his chambers. He returned with two bottles and another washcloth. "Firstly, I'm going to put on a wound cleaning potion, it may sting for a bit." Severus then sat down next to Delia on the couch and set the other bottle he was holding on the small table next to him. He opened the bottle, put some of the Wound Cleaning potion on the washcloth, and began to gently dab Delia's cut. She sucked in her breath as the stinging sensation began. When Severus finished with that he folded the washcloth in half. Halved it again and added the other contents from the potion bottle. "This is a Simple Healing Potion, its shouldn't sting. It should give off a cooling sensation instead." With that he started to dab Delia's cut. He was right; it gave her a cooling sensation.
"How long does this cooling feeling last?" she asked.
"A few minutes, just enough to make a person relax. I think that will do for now. Now, I'm going to make some tea. That does more for relaxation then anything I ever known."
The cooling sensation was slowly leaving Delia's wound. Her left side still hurt though. She looked around Severus's Chambers. There really wasn't much, just a lot of bookshelves with a few potion bottles and books. There was a dresser against one wall with a wardrobe. The only mirror in the room hung above the dresser. The bed was against the wall behind Delia. There was only one couch and a chair in front of the fireplace with a matching footstool. No windows, pictures or anything that made the room seemed that it was lived in. The only light in the room was coming from a few candles and the fireplace. Even with a blazing fire, the room was still cold.
"Here, drink this," Severus said handing a cup of tea to her and sitting down on her right. Delia took it gratefully. The cup felt warm in her cold hands. She just stared at it, enjoying the curls of steam it was emitting. Severus got up from the couch, walked over to his dresser opened a drawer and returned with a deep red chenille throw. He situated it around Delia's shoulders. "There, you should be warmer. My sister came for a visit, said it was too cold for her. When she returned home, she sent this. Its hardly been used."
Delia examined it. "Well, it was very nice of your sister to do so. I like the color. I've never seen one like this before."
"My sister found it somewhere. It came from a department store in Muggle London. I think it was Harrods but don't quote me. I've been a few times. It's a funny place."
"My mom likes to go there. My dad hates it. Says she spends too much. But that's my mom! Come to think of it, I'm no help there either!" She laughed so did Severus. Delia finished her tea and Severus took the cup.
"Do you want any more?" he asked.
"No thanks. I'm good," she replied in her Kansas accent.
"In that case, I can set the cups on this little table and not have to get up. I'm being lazy."
"Why move if you don't have to?"
"Exactly. Anyway we might as well get comfortable. It's going to be a long night. Take off your shoes if you want. Do you want a pillow so you can lean on it? I bet your side is killing you."
"I could go for some Advil," she said thoughtfully.
"Never heard of that Potion. What's in it?"
"It's a Muggle pain killer."
"Oh, Muggle Potions, I should have guessed."
"Well, it's not a potion, it's a pill!" she exclaimed.
"Where can I get some then?" he asked.
"No worries, I have some here in my pocket of my robes!" Delia stood up, ignoring the pain. She began emptying her pockets onto the footstool. "Lets see...pen...Palm Pilot...Few English coins...Band Aides...Class schedule...mints...gum...Kansas Divers license...nope not in that pocket. Let me try the one on the left...lemme see...broken bracelet...more gum...lip stick...calculator...lip gloss...lucky rabbits foot...ah ha...Advil! Now all I need is some water."
Severus sprang up from the couch. "I'll get you some" A minute later he returned with a glass of water. Delia tore open the small package of Advil, took a drink, put the pills in her mouth, took another drink and swallowed. "That should do it." She handed the glass back to Severus and sat back down.
Severus leaned over to the footstool and picked up the Palm Pilot. "What is this?"
"Palm Pilot. It's a date book, address keeper, notepad and wireless Internet access all in one. I have special permission to use one."
"Oh some Muggle gadget," he said handing to back to Delia. "You can keep it."
Delia started collecting her belongings from the footstool and replacing them in her robe. "You know I just love these new Cargo Robes. I can carry all my junk."
"Cargo Robes? I haven't seen those."
"Yep, I got them in Salem. Even has a really cool place to put your wand. Even comes with a pocket for a CD played and cell phone."
"Americans!" Severus spat out. "The world would become a lot less hectic without them. You Americans make life complicated!"
"So? Who cares? We add color to life and that's C-O-L-O-R, not C-O-L-O-U-R!"
Severus chuckled and shook his head. "You wonder why I count you off on your spelling, Miss Wheelrite."
"Maybe I do it to annoy you. So the jokes on you! HA! Man, what did you put in that tea I drank? I shot of whiskey?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" he said smugly.
"Oh yes. You probably put in Truth Serum! Oh no, all my secrets will be reviled! GASP! FAINT!!! NOOOOOOOOO!" she said placing her hand on her brow. "Ok ok. I did like the New Kids on The Block. They were a great band!"
"What?"
"Never mind. They were a popular rock group when I was in fifth grade at El Paso Elementary. Silly, ten-year-old girl things," she said with a laugh. "I was stupid back then. I still can't believe I liked that sucky band. Live and learn I guess."
"I'm not that familiar with the Muggle World. I've really never had a need to be."
"You aren't missing anything. It's more of a mess then Wizard World."
"This world has its problems too," he said softly.
"That I realize. There is no true paradise. If there was, I'd would be there already basking in the sun, drinking Champagne and swimming in the blue clear seas. But, I'm here instead. Welcome back to reality."
"Yes, I know. I would be there with you."
"Watch out! You'll get sunburn!" Delia exclaimed.
"It's paradise? How can I?"
"See there is no true paradise. But if I had to choose between The Muggle World and this world, I'd stay here. Life is simpler."
"I can't say. I've been in this world all my life. I don't know the difference. There are some bad problems here. Take for example, well how do I say it without being rude...witches and wizards of Muggle born parents? Some of the `purebloods' see this as a problem. They make me sick, Like the Malfoys. I can't believe I actually thought like them at one time. Makes me sick thinking about it!"
"You what?" Delia asked softly
"Thought like the Malfoys," he replied with anger. "I was wrong."
"Oh," Delia said looking at her hands and not a Severus. She didn't know what to say. She wrapped the chenille throw around her tighter. There was an awkward silence. Delia broke the silence by saying, "There is something I should know, shouldn't I?"
"Yes, Delia there is," he replied in a whisper.
"When you think you are ready, if you ever are, you can tell me," she said in a affable voice.
"I think I should tell you now. No better time like the present."