CHAPTER 16- LAURA'S BIRTHDAY
Laura awoke the next day to find a small heap of presents at the foot of her four-poster. She pulled them onto her bed and began unwrapping. The first one she unwrapped was in a small box, a rectangular velvet box. She opened it curiously, and gasped at what she saw inside.
It was a beautiful golden necklace, with a silver serpent as its ornament. It had a pure gold chain and the serpent was made out of silver. She searched the wrappings for a gift-tag, and as she picked it up, she was almost crying with happiness as she read the name and message in very neat handwriting. Joe. It said on the nametag. She read the message down the bottom- With all the love it is possible to give.
A sound of an opening door told her that Snape had arrived, bearing a- well, what seemed like a cage with a cloth over it? He walked over to her bed. "Laura- for you," he said triumphantly, whipping the cloth off the cage. Underneath the cloth was a beautiful snowy owl.
She gasped with amazement and began to ask Snape where he got it, but he seemed to read her mind. "Diagon Alley," he explained. "The man gave it to me for free, for some reason. Then he muttered something about retirement and vanished." Laura beamed up at him and then looked in puzzlement at her new owl.
She looked at Snape. "What about a name?" she asked him. He furrowed his brow in thought. "Hecate?" he finally suggested. She smiled at him. "Ok," she said.
He spent the rest of the day with her, occasionally going out to fetch her some food, or drink. A couple of times she asked for Joe, but he refused this request. When she asked why, he declined comment. "Laura, do you plan on seeing that boy at all?" he asked her in the afternoon/evening, at about 5 o'clock. "No," she lied. Snape's eyes moved toward the door at that point, as a knocking came from it.
"Yo! Prof.? Laura? You there, guys?" Joe's voice came from behind the door. Snape's face contorted into a look of utter disgust, but Laura's face turned to that of delight. "Come in!" she shouted happily. Joe walked in through the door, buckling slightly under the weight of it. "Am I disturbing you?" he said cheekily.
Laura awoke the next day to find a small heap of presents at the foot of her four-poster. She pulled them onto her bed and began unwrapping. The first one she unwrapped was in a small box, a rectangular velvet box. She opened it curiously, and gasped at what she saw inside.
It was a beautiful golden necklace, with a silver serpent as its ornament. It had a pure gold chain and the serpent was made out of silver. She searched the wrappings for a gift-tag, and as she picked it up, she was almost crying with happiness as she read the name and message in very neat handwriting. Joe. It said on the nametag. She read the message down the bottom- With all the love it is possible to give.
A sound of an opening door told her that Snape had arrived, bearing a- well, what seemed like a cage with a cloth over it? He walked over to her bed. "Laura- for you," he said triumphantly, whipping the cloth off the cage. Underneath the cloth was a beautiful snowy owl.
She gasped with amazement and began to ask Snape where he got it, but he seemed to read her mind. "Diagon Alley," he explained. "The man gave it to me for free, for some reason. Then he muttered something about retirement and vanished." Laura beamed up at him and then looked in puzzlement at her new owl.
She looked at Snape. "What about a name?" she asked him. He furrowed his brow in thought. "Hecate?" he finally suggested. She smiled at him. "Ok," she said.
He spent the rest of the day with her, occasionally going out to fetch her some food, or drink. A couple of times she asked for Joe, but he refused this request. When she asked why, he declined comment. "Laura, do you plan on seeing that boy at all?" he asked her in the afternoon/evening, at about 5 o'clock. "No," she lied. Snape's eyes moved toward the door at that point, as a knocking came from it.
"Yo! Prof.? Laura? You there, guys?" Joe's voice came from behind the door. Snape's face contorted into a look of utter disgust, but Laura's face turned to that of delight. "Come in!" she shouted happily. Joe walked in through the door, buckling slightly under the weight of it. "Am I disturbing you?" he said cheekily.