Seventeen
Our landing was uneventful, except for the screaming baby that we had to listen to for the three hours prior. By the time we were just outside of Boston Severus was wincing and putting pressure on his temple every time the infant hit a new high note. I giggled inwardly. I'd always had a high tolerance for babies. It was just in my nature I supposed. My parents had both had no patience for them, and so I suppose their mutual hatred for them had cancelled out and caused a reverse reaction in me. Or maybe I was just psychotic. Probably that was it.
We landed, collected our things from the overhead compartment, and waited for everyone else to get off. It was easier, I explained to Severus, than fighting to squeeze through the tiny door with about fifty other people. Severus was obviously frazzled. Though I think he enjoyed the flight, it had been about seven hours, give or take, and anyone's behind would be numb by then. On a side note he had been enthralled by the on flight movies. There had been two - Red Dragon with Anthony Hopkins and Edward Norton (yum, ladies), and Spiderman with Tobey Maguire (also yummy). Living up to his legend he thoroughly enjoyed Red Dragon, identifying greatly with the madman Hannibal Lecter but utterly perplexed by the web slinging weirdo, as he referred to Spiderman.
We sidled out of the plane and into the terminal, both rather exhausted. It may be ten o'clock in the morning in America, by according to the jolly old English it was jolly old four in the morning according to our bodies and we were dead on our feet. My uncle and his wife were waiting for us at the terminal. I couldn't say that they were bright eyed and bushy tailed, but they were certainly trying to put their best faces forward.
My uncle came forward first. He extended his hand to Severus, a smile upon his face and kindness in his eyes. Damn him. He was going to make this standoffish thing so hard to pull off.
"I'm Lupus. Lupus Green. This is my wife, Adonna. And you must be Severus. Albus has sent us an owl telling us all about you." He took a step back and inspected Severus then, giving him the once over. "You're right brave wearing that cloak in here. My hat's off to ya, what with all the racial profiling goin' on these days. C'mon. Let's head out." Uncle Lupus clapped a huge hand on Severus' back and steered him out of the terminal ahead of my aunt and I. I looked up to my aunt Adonna, confused.
My aunt looked more the picture of a mourning sister in law. Her eyes were bloodshot and red rimmed and her hair, usually full and sleek, was pulled back into a long black ponytail. She picked up Severus' bags, which he had left behind in the wake of hurricane Lupus and we began to walk.
"What the hell's the matter with him," I asked my aunt as we followed the two out of the airport. My uncle was talking and gesticulating animatedly to Severus as if meeting up with an old friend for the first time in years. My aunt sighed heavily.
"He's in denial, I think, dear," she answered heavily. "He's been like this since the day after we found out. At first he was normal. You know. Sobbing and crying and behaving like anyone would in these circumstances. But then he just - switched. Turned into a whole other person. Said there was no point in grieving, what's done is done. Said for every evil there's a good to counteract it." A strange look came over her face then. She looked at me when she said her next sentence. "Come to think of it, dear, it was right after he got the letter from Dumbledore about your consort there. What did it say?"
"I don't know," I answered, confused. I looked up to Severus, my eyes narrowed. He was looking back at me while trying to walk forward with Uncle Lupus pulling him, begging me to save him. I decided to let him suffer a little longer.
Our landing was uneventful, except for the screaming baby that we had to listen to for the three hours prior. By the time we were just outside of Boston Severus was wincing and putting pressure on his temple every time the infant hit a new high note. I giggled inwardly. I'd always had a high tolerance for babies. It was just in my nature I supposed. My parents had both had no patience for them, and so I suppose their mutual hatred for them had cancelled out and caused a reverse reaction in me. Or maybe I was just psychotic. Probably that was it.
We landed, collected our things from the overhead compartment, and waited for everyone else to get off. It was easier, I explained to Severus, than fighting to squeeze through the tiny door with about fifty other people. Severus was obviously frazzled. Though I think he enjoyed the flight, it had been about seven hours, give or take, and anyone's behind would be numb by then. On a side note he had been enthralled by the on flight movies. There had been two - Red Dragon with Anthony Hopkins and Edward Norton (yum, ladies), and Spiderman with Tobey Maguire (also yummy). Living up to his legend he thoroughly enjoyed Red Dragon, identifying greatly with the madman Hannibal Lecter but utterly perplexed by the web slinging weirdo, as he referred to Spiderman.
We sidled out of the plane and into the terminal, both rather exhausted. It may be ten o'clock in the morning in America, by according to the jolly old English it was jolly old four in the morning according to our bodies and we were dead on our feet. My uncle and his wife were waiting for us at the terminal. I couldn't say that they were bright eyed and bushy tailed, but they were certainly trying to put their best faces forward.
My uncle came forward first. He extended his hand to Severus, a smile upon his face and kindness in his eyes. Damn him. He was going to make this standoffish thing so hard to pull off.
"I'm Lupus. Lupus Green. This is my wife, Adonna. And you must be Severus. Albus has sent us an owl telling us all about you." He took a step back and inspected Severus then, giving him the once over. "You're right brave wearing that cloak in here. My hat's off to ya, what with all the racial profiling goin' on these days. C'mon. Let's head out." Uncle Lupus clapped a huge hand on Severus' back and steered him out of the terminal ahead of my aunt and I. I looked up to my aunt Adonna, confused.
My aunt looked more the picture of a mourning sister in law. Her eyes were bloodshot and red rimmed and her hair, usually full and sleek, was pulled back into a long black ponytail. She picked up Severus' bags, which he had left behind in the wake of hurricane Lupus and we began to walk.
"What the hell's the matter with him," I asked my aunt as we followed the two out of the airport. My uncle was talking and gesticulating animatedly to Severus as if meeting up with an old friend for the first time in years. My aunt sighed heavily.
"He's in denial, I think, dear," she answered heavily. "He's been like this since the day after we found out. At first he was normal. You know. Sobbing and crying and behaving like anyone would in these circumstances. But then he just - switched. Turned into a whole other person. Said there was no point in grieving, what's done is done. Said for every evil there's a good to counteract it." A strange look came over her face then. She looked at me when she said her next sentence. "Come to think of it, dear, it was right after he got the letter from Dumbledore about your consort there. What did it say?"
"I don't know," I answered, confused. I looked up to Severus, my eyes narrowed. He was looking back at me while trying to walk forward with Uncle Lupus pulling him, begging me to save him. I decided to let him suffer a little longer.