Twelve of the Table

Part Two

They arrived in a dark, damp alley. A homeless person looked up at them, but turned away, shaking his head. Starr and Severus held hands as they walked out into the sunlight. Blinking in the brightness, Severus looked around at the muggle-covered street. 'Great, muggles everywhere.' Severus looked at the people with deep disdain written all over his face.

'They truly aren't all bad, and besides, you don't have to be here.' Starr shot a grin up at Severus and knew that she wouldn't hear any more complaints.

'I didn't say I didn't want to be here,' Severus started to say indignantly.

"I know, it's just... Let's get a table before I tell you, O.K.?' Starr led him across the busy street to a small restaurant. 'This is the place! I love it here!'

The sign above the door read "The Noodle Place." 'What an original name.' Severus pointed out sarcastically.

'Stop it! Just because they aren't very original doesn't mean you should poke fun!' Starr punched him playfully on the arm, giggling as they walked into the Noodle Place. 'Table for two please. Booth if you have it.' Starr indicated the table she wanted to the waitress and the couple sat down. 'See? They aren't as bad as you thought.'

Severus had been pondering what Starr had said before, but was jolted out of his thoughts when she spoke. 'What did you have to tell me now?'

'Well, couldn't we wait until we have ordered?' at that moment the waitress approached and Starr ordered two large bowl of chicken noodle bowls.

'She has come and she has gone, tell me now please.' Severus leaned across the table to stare into Starr's eyes. 'All right. I spent a lot of time in the muggle world. I studied them and was going to be a Muggle Studies Professor until I found Lord Voldemort. I almost decided to live as a muggle once. I don't know, maybe it was just some weird stage I went through, but for a while I almost decided to give up all my powers and become a certified muggle.' Starr looked up at Severus to catch his reaction. Then she continued. 'That is how I have so many stylish clothing items,' she paused and gave Severus a once over look for the first time, 'I also know many places to eat at and how to treat and tip waiters and waitresses. Just look at the place I got us into!'

If Starr was hoping for a good reaction she was in for a big surprise. 'You mean you were almost a muggle and you never had enough thought to tell me?'

'We aren't going to argue about this, are we?' Starr didn't want an argument on Valentines Day.

'No, I just wish you would have told me before.' All anger disappeared from Severus' face and he leaned over to give Starr a quick peck on the cheek. Their food arrived a few moments later and Severus' face lit up at the sight of the steaming bowls of noodles and chicken. 'Well, I guess it will come in handy to know all the best restaurants.'

Starr laughed and both started to dig into the delicious food.

Back at the Malfoy Mansion things weren't going so well for Lucius and Narcissa.

'What do you mean Severus and Starr are staying longer? Why? How is it that I don't know about this? I have some very important Death eaters arriving and I expected to put them up in those rooms!' It wasn't that Narcissa didn't want Starr and Severus to stay longer, it was that more people were coming and Narcissa had no idea where to put them if the whole of the green wing was going to be full with other Death eaters.

'They are staying because the Dark Lord wants to have some meetings with Starr and doesn't want to be delayed. He intended to start today, but they have run off to London! And don't tell me that after all the renovations I have paid for you can't find some place suitable for these guests I haven't even heard about!'

'Fine, they may stay, but I really have promised those rooms to Mr. and Mrs. Crabbe! I will just have Severus and Starr move to a different set of rooms.'

'You know they are only using one of the rooms you gave them, didn't you?' Lucius turned away from his wife and faced the set of Longfellow poetry books in front of him so he could frown deeply without drawing any probing questions from his wife.

'They are? Well, then I can give one of the rooms to the Goyle's' and Severus and Starr may keep the room they are using to themselves.' Narcissa walked over to one of the beveled windows and looked out at the snowy landscape. The fruit orchards were covered in a thick blanket of snow and looked like skeletons waving around in the harsh winter wind.

Lucius turned back after regaining composure and barked at his wife. 'Go alert the house elves that as long as My Lord is here, we will be requesting a feast every night.' He dismissed Narcissa from his private study and went back to pondering this girl.

Only one woman had ever resisted his advances. She had paid dearly. Lucius intended to make it clear to this one that if she didn't comply, she would meet the same sad ends as Narcissa had. ******************************************************************************** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ********************************************************************************

Starr and Severus finished their meal and walked over to The Leaky Cauldron. 'This place isn't much better than the one we were at before,' Severus flashed his grin at Starr as he held open the door for her.

'Thank you.' Immediately Starr noticed the thick smoke that drifted over the room. A mixture of potions steam and cigar smoke, it made Starr's eyes water. 'Let's hurry.' She grabbed Severus' hand and pulled him to the exit. 'Thank God, I can never breath in there.'

Severus tapped his wand on the bricks and they entered Diagon Alley. 'Are you all right? You look like you are about to cry.' Severus' face was scrunched up, looking very worried.

'Oh, I'm all right. I just hate the smoke in there. I believe I am what muggles call "Asthmatic" which means I have trouble breathing in certain places.' She smiled reassuringly at Severus and pulled him down the busy lane. 'I want to go buy some new robes at Madam Malkin's. I hear from Narcissa that she just got in a new shipment from Paris!'

'What is the difference if it is from Paris or England?' Severus was being pulled through the street alarmingly fast by a petite woman. Well, it just wasn't manly, but he would put up with it. Starr rolled her eyes heavenward.

'The different, Severus, it is all in the styling. Do you remember the dress I wore to the Ministry Dance last summer?' Severus nodded very energetically and so she continued. 'That was from Paris. And what about the one I wore to my mothers house the day after the Dance.' Severus nodded again, but not as enthusiastically as before. 'Well, that was from Britain.'

'I will admit that you wearing that red dress to the Dance was a big turn on.'

'Severus!' Starr exclaimed, sounding almost scandalized, 'Well, then. I will have to wear that dress more often.' She pulled him into Madam Malkin's and immediately the large woman came rushing over.

'What are you looking for today, dear?' Madam Malkin asked Starr after she was done hugging her.

'I heard you got a new shipment of dress robes. From Paris?' Starr looked up at her favorite fashion icon, hope in her eyes of a good buy.

'Well, I guess for you I will let you go through the newest arrivals. Just came in today from Paris. Not even out of the boxes!' The two girls ran off to the back storeroom.

While Starr and Madam Malkin were digging through boxes of robes, Severus left the store and went to the ice cream place just down the street. By the time Starr left the shop with her arms full of bags, Severus was back outside of the shop, waiting for her with two large cones of Ever-Changing Ice Cream.

'Severus! Just wait until you see my newest robes! Oh! Ice cream!' Starr ran over and hugged him through all her bags and grabbed a cone.

'How do you know that was for you?' Severus asked, with a cocky grin on his face.

'Well, unless you intend to fatten up Madam Malkin even more, I think it is for me. Though, I really don't think I should eat it if I want to be able to wear my new robes.' Starr dug into the cone just the same. Severus, though, just stood looking at her.

It had never crossed his mind before now, but Starr most likely thought he loved her because of her beauty. She was beautiful, but she was also intellectual, witty, and had ambition, she most certainly wasn't just beautiful. 'Starr, darling, do you think I like you only for your beauty.'

Starr thought about this for a moment, licking a drip of ice cream, then replied slowly. 'Well, I always figured if I got fat or old you wouldn't want me any more.'

'Darling, I would never stop loving you because you became less beautiful on the outside. You are radiant on the out side but also on the inside, and that will never change. Darling, I love you.' Severus didn't expect for that to come out, but once it had he felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Ever since he had first spotted her almost two years ago, he had thought she was the most beautiful person alive. After a month of knowing her, he realized she was more than that, and had become madly in love. He had never told her, though, and now an ominous voice in his head was telling him he was an idiot and she would never love him back. The longer she took to respond the more Severus felt he had made a mistake, but at least this way she would know, even if she didn't feel the same way.

After about a minute of licking ice cream thoughtfully, Starr spoke again. 'Severus, I love you, too. I always thought you just liked me because I was the perfect trophy wife.'

'Trophy Wife!' Severus growled as he grabbed her into a bear hug. 'Oh, Starr, you have no idea! I have loved you for over a year now and it has been so hard to not scream it from the roof!' Severus began twirling Starr around, and her bags were left on the ground, all but forgotten. People in the street passing them smiled at the happy (if not completely deranged) couple.

Severus placed Starr back down, only to snatch her again to kiss her passionately. The people passing them went from smiling to covering their children's eyes and moving hurriedly past. Severus placed Starr back again, receiving many reprimanding looks from passers-by, to which he smiled back, happiness radiating off him. Starr collected her bags, giving some to Severus to be carried. 'Now, where shall we go next?'

'I spent all my money at Madam Malkin's so I must go to Gringotts.' Starr stretched up to give Severus a quick peck on the check as they approached the bank. 'Oh, and by the way, I used some of the galleons you left on the bedside table to buy the most delicious dress you have ever seen!'

'As long as you are happy, I wouldn't mind going broke.' Severus laughed at this comment, but didn't tell Starr why, as they walked through the doors. Each separated to different goblins, then down different tunnels to their vaults. Both had problems keeping all the bags with them as the ride continued.

Starr approached her vault and stepped out of the cart. She walked into it and scooped up some coins from the large amount in front of her. She got back in the cart and was deposited in the main hallway before Severus had even reached his vault. When his ride finally ended, Severus stepped out onto a dusty platform.

'You know,' the goblin said to him. 'You are one of the few who still use these vaults. They were some of the first made. Has it been passed down in your family?'

'Yes, all my family has used this vault. My grandfather was the fifth generation to use it so that would make me… seventh generation.' The vault was pulled open to reveal enough galleons to supply more than one family with enough money for many more generations. Severus scooped up a whole pile into a bag, then got a smaller amount into a different bag. He stashed the larger bag into his pocket, which didn't even bulge, and then hoped back into the cart.

Severus met Starr outside of Gringotts where she had been waiting for quite some time. 'Where have you been?' She asked as he approached her.

'It takes quite a while to get to my vault, I'm sorry.' He kissed her on the cheek then pulled back. 'I need to do some private shopping for my favorite girlfriend.' He took he bags and conjured up an enchanted bag that swallowed them all. 'There. I will meet you back here in an hour, all right?'

Starr kissed him quickly, then went off in the direction of Knockturn. Severus watched her go until she passed a corner, then turned, and went back down Diagon Alley. ********************************************************************************

Starr walked up and down Knockturn, looking for something that would catch her eye to buy for Severus. Severus loves me! She though for the hundredth time that day. Her blonde hair swished back and forth on her back as she practically skipped down the dark street.

Many items interested her, including a beautiful carving of some magical creatures, but she finally found the perfect gift in Borgin and Burkes.

A beautiful bureau made of dark mahogany was in the back of the store. Wondering if it had any special powers that might dissuade her from buying it, she waved over Mr. Borgin. 'Hello, Starr. And how are you today?'

'I'm doing just fine, Mr. Borgin. I was wondering about this chest. Does it have anything special about it?' Starr opened the drawers, looking for anything unusual. She made sure that she bent over just enough to get her a very good discount.

'Well, if you were to step into the main part of the bureau it will act like Floo powder in a fireplace and bring you to any other fireplace connected to the Floo network. No one can come through the bureau except its owner.' Mr. Borgin looked very fond of this piece of furniture.

'How much would it be?' Starr hadn't seen any tag on the whole thing, and she had been looking very thoroughly for scratches.

'Five hundred galleons.' Mr. Borgin stated this quickly, looking at Starr to gauge her reaction.

'I will take it, but I will need a quick charm to make it smaller and weightless so I may carry it around while I shop.' Starr and Mr. Borgin walked to the front of his shop where Starr paid for the bureau. Mr. Borgin hinted about a reduced price for some time with Starr, but she decided to just ignore him.

Starr walked out of Knockturn, feeling very proud. Even more bags hung from her arms. Many were from the dressmaker who had a store down there that made custom outfits within minutes. Starr had gotten many dresses made in her family's colors. They fitted her well, but, unfortunately, the man who had measured her had taken a long time (especially on her chest measurements) and she was already five minutes late.

She arrived at the steps of Gringotts to find that Severus hadn't arrived yet either. After a few moments she saw him running towards her. 'Sorry...I'm late...Stupid...store clerks...couldn't go...any faster.' Severus was puffing after his run and Starr and he sat down on the marble steps.

Starr waited until Severus had caught his breath before taking out her present for him. She had wrapped it up intricately with ribbons everywhere. She handed him the small package and watched him open it. The small bureau looked like a piece of doll furniture, but as soon as Severus placed it on the ground Starr enlarged it. 'I hope you like it.' Severus leaned over to kiss Starr. 'That's not all it is though.' Starr quickly explained how the bureau worked when Severus pulled away

'Starr, it is wonderful!' He shrunk it back down and placed it in his bag. 'Thank you, honey.' Starr and Severus kissed for a while, then Severus started rummaging through his bag to find her present.

'What did you get me, Sev?' Starr tried to look over his shoulder, but he wouldn't let her see anything. Finally, Severus pulled out a small, dark velvet box. He kneeled down in front of Starr.

'Starr Walsh, I love you. Will you marry me?