18. Personal Business
For the next few days, Evangeline concentrated on her work with the paintings. She started at the top of the castle and worked her way down. With some of the larger ones, she found it easier to work on them while they were in place, rather than lugging them down to her quarters. However, this meant that sometimes she spent hours up on ladders.
Breakfast and lunch became mostly solitary meals taken on her own, or in an almost empty dining hall, as the professors became more busy, preparing for the influx of students that was almost upon them. Dinners became much more pleasant affairs, as more and more of the staff returned to Hogwarts for the start of fall term. Sirius Black no longer attended dinners at all. Lupin told her that not all of the professors knew of his innocence, so for his own safety, he needed to remain in his canine form around other people. This eased the tension considerably. Without Black and Snape throwing veiled insults at each other across the table, Evangeline was able to relax and enjoy meeting new people. She was also able to devote more time to getting to know Remus Lupin, whom she found she liked enormously.
Several days before the start of term, she found herself finished with her planned work for the day, earlier than expected. She'd been working on the portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress, who she knew from her student days, was the doorkeeper to Gryffindor tower. As could be expected of such an important painting, she was in excellent condition, merely requiring a thorough cleaning. Rather than begin something that would only have to be carried over into tomorrow, Evangeline decided to quit early and seek out Severus. She hadn't laid eyes on him at all for the past three days. When she asked Dumbledore about him, he'd actually been rather evasive, saying that Severus was away for a short while. Then he made a point of telling her not to worry. She hadn't been, until he said that, which of course, made her wonder if she should be worried.
She couldn't imagine why he would leave Hogwarts so close to the start of term. Hopefully, he'd returned by now. So she packed up her materials, left them in her room, and headed down to the dungeons.
When she peeked into his classroom she found him in the middle of brewing up some potion at the night hearth. A feeling of relief washed over her. After Dumbledore's odd reaction to her questions, she'd been a bit concerned over his sudden absence. She walked quietly into the room and took a seat where she could watch him without disturbing him. She found it comfortable to watch him work. He was obviously very good at what he did. His movements were very precise. She found she enjoyed watching his elegant hands, as he meticulously chopped, stirred, and added ingredients to his simmering brew. It appeared to be a very complex potion requiring many steps, and many ingredients, not to mention total concentration. So she was rather surprised when, without looking up, he spoke to her.
"Can you find nothing more entertaining to pass the time than watching me work, Evangeline?" he murmured softly.
She smiled. "Watching you work is very compelling, Severus. It makes me realize what a rank amateur I am in the potion brewing department."
He grunted softly. "I wouldn't say that. You obviously do quite well with those potions you need for your profession."
"Yes, I'm competent for my needs, but you're obviously a master. You make it look like an art form in itself when you craft a potion of such obvious complexity."
He raised an eyebrow. "You're feeling very poetic this afternoon. What's brought you down to my dungeon?"
"I haven't seen you in three days. I missed your company, and I wondered what would take you away from Hogwarts so close to the start of term."
Snape smiled and considered her thoughtfully. "I'm flattered that you seem to enjoy my company. Not many people go out of their way to seek it out."
She shrugged and grinned at him. "Well, that's their loss then, isn't it? So where have you been, Severus?"
Suddenly he got very busy with what he was doing with the potion, taking his time before answering. Stalling for time, ran through Evangeline's mind as she watched him, more curious than ever.
"I simply had some last minute errands that I had to run before the start of term. I've been in and out, we simply haven't run into each other, Evangeline, that's all." His tone was decidedly casual, as he gave her a sidelong glance, to judge how she accepted this.
"Ah, so you weren't gone on a trip then…just short jaunts, here and there?"
"Exactly," he confirmed.
A frown creased her forehead. This didn't quite tally with what Dumbledore had told her, but as it was really none of her business, and he was obviously reluctant to talk about whatever he'd been up to, she decided to swallow her curiosity and let the matter drop. He was here, after all, and was apparently just fine.
"I see. Did you get everything taken care of the way you wanted to?"
A cautious expression crossed his face. "For the moment."
She decided to change the subject. "What is it that you're brewing up over there? It really looks very complex." Hoping for a closer look, she walked over to join him by his cauldron.
His face sprouted a rather sarcastic smile. "This is the Wolfsbane Potion for Lupin. There is, unfortunately, a full moon scheduled for two days before the start of term. Poor timing, but that's what happens when you insist on hiring monsters to teach children."
"Oh, stop it, Severus! Remus isn't a monster, and you know it. This is much more unpleasant for him than it is for you. You know, he's really very grateful that you developed this potion, and are willing to brew it for him. If you hate him so much, why did you develop it anyway?"
"Self-preservation," stated Snape blandly with a shrug.
Slightly exasperated, she sighed and exclaimed, "You know, Remus has a lot of respect for you and what you can do. I'm sure he'd like to put all of your old animosities behind him and begin a new relationship with you. Perhaps on a more adult footing."
The Potions Master snorted shortly and turned his attention back to his potion. "Is that your way of telling me that you think I'm behaving childishly in the matter of Lupin and Black?"
"Honestly…yes, as far as Remus is concerned. I can tell that he finds it embarrassing and hurtful when you and Black go at each other."
Snape sighed deeply and spoke with a sharp edge to his voice. "You don't understand the depth of pain and hatred there, Evangeline. You should stay out of matters that don't concern you."
"You concern me, Severus…so does Remus. I like you both. I even think, at times, that you like each other. You'd both be happier if you could just put aside your past and concentrate on the here and now. Where you're obviously on the same side."
"And what about Sirius Black? As you're so casually rearranging my life, how would you suggest I respond to him? Invite him to tea? Take him for a walk?" He glowered darkly at her.
She frowned uncomfortably. "I'll admit it's harder with Black. The animosity is obviously deeper on both sides, and he acts even more childishly than you do when the two of you get together. However, Black and Lupin are two different people. If one is willing to make an effort and the other isn't, then take what you can get and act accordingly. Don't use Black's behavior as an excuse to continue to treat Lupin badly."
"Do I look like I'm treating Lupin badly?" He raised an eyebrow and gestured at his cauldron. "I'm making this potion for him, after all."
Evangeline shook her head. "No, I imagine you're making it for Dumbledore and the student body. If you could put the past aside, you might start making it for Remus. Then maybe you could try to find a way to make it more palatable. I understand it tastes wretched."
He drew his eyebrows together and gave her a black look. The temperature of his voice dropped at least 20 degrees. "I suppose you think I did that on purpose."
She glared back, refusing to be intimidated. "No, I assume that you're too much of a professional for that. However, I imagine it's a bit of an added bonus for you."
A smirk tweaked the corner of his mouth. "Well, that's true." Then he paused and took a deep breath.
"Look, Evangeline, I'm trying my best to deal with Lupin fairly, and I'll continue to do so. Sirius Black is another matter all together, and I don't wish to be badgered by you or anyone else about my treatment of him. If you can find a way to persuade him to act in a reasonable manner towards me, be my guest. However, do not expect miracles here, because you won't get them. Some things can never be forgiven. You should know that, yourself." His face took on a very hard closed expression.
Sadly looked down into the cauldron. "I know. I'm sorry, Severus. I'm the one who's out of line here by bringing all of this up when it's really none of my business. Can you forgive me?" Imploringly, she raised her eyes to his once more.
His expression softened as he looked at her. "If you'll let this matter drop, and not bring it up again, I'll accept your apology."
Relieved, she smiled happily at him. "Thank you. Anyway, things should be more peaceful now that Black is forced to remain in canine form most of the time. At least I won't have to listen to him rant on about Slytherin House anymore."
Snape raised mocking eyebrows. "Did that offend you? I thought we were all to be loyal children of Hogwarts, and not to be concerned with our individual houses."
"Well, that's a good theory, anyway," she said with a sheepish smile. "It's rather hard though, I admit, when you're surrounded by house proud Gryffindors all the time. How do you stand it? Are there any other members of the staff that belonged to Slytherin as students?"
"No. In fact, you're the first adult to enter Hogwarts in a long time, who's openly willing to claim an association with us."
"Well, I'll do better than claim an association. Slytherin's first Quidditch match of the season...I'm there with green on! Be sure to save me a seat next to you." She grinned.
He nodded in satisfaction. "I wouldn't dream of letting you sit anywhere else."