Chapter Five.
The weather was fair yet blustery as Amber looked out of her window on the morning of the first Hogsmeade trip of term. She hadn't been to Hogsmeade for years and she could hardly contain her excitement. Her emotions tumbled around in her stomach uncomfortably as she fastened her dark, blue velvet cloak securely around her shoulders; mixed with the incredible excitement was an uncomfortable feeling that the past was going to up jump to surprise her around every corner. Hogsmeade held so many memories, good and bad. She shook her head to clear her mind and left her room in search of Severus. He had made some excuse about not wanting to go on the trip as he had too much marking but Amber was determined that she was going to get him along today. She wanted him there with her as a companion and as a way to further they're newly awakened friendship but also because she was anxious about the feelings that Hogsmeade would stir within her; Severus made her fell safe, if he was with her she knew she could face anything.
The corridors down to the dungeon were deserted the student had already left eager to get to the village and make their purchases of goodies from Honeydukes and Zonko's. Amber smiled as she remembered that Sirius and James had probably been the best customers at the notorious joke shop. She knocked tentatively on the door, there was no answer, Amber pursed her lips into a pout; fine. If he wanted to play it like this then she would rise to the challenge. She drew herself up and knocked harder.
"I am busy. Come back later." Severus' voice drawled from inside. Instead of walking away she knocked again, harder this time.
"I said I am busy. Go away!" She smiled; he sounded irritated now.
Suppressing a giggle, she knocked again forcefully. Just as she expected the door flew open and Severus glared out in annoyance; he opened his mouth to issue a curt reprimand when his eyes fell on the persistent visitor.
"Good Morning Severus." She beamed pushing past him into his office. "Are you ready to come to Hogsmeade?"
Severus blinked; she hadn't changed. Even at school Amber had a reputation for getting what she wanted. His irritation flared again:
"I told you I'm much to busy for such foolishness. I have all these scrolls to mark for Monday." He gestured sharply to the table that was scattered with piles of parchment bedaubed with students' scratchy handwriting.
"Then do them tomorrow." Amber replied "I want you to come to Hogsmeade with me; you're looking positively dyspeptic you need some fresh air."
She smiled again; God she was beautiful when she smiled but not even this would curb Severus' annoyance with being interrupted and railroaded into doing something that he didn't want to do.
"I'll be too far behind if I leave them today; besides what is there for me in Hogsmeade. I think I'm quite past the novelty and thrill of Zonko's." He sneered.
"Come on Severus," Amber wheedled, "a bit of fun won't do you any harm."
She raised her eyes coyly and blinked through her eyelashes girlishly. Severus' anger flared at her shameless attempts to get her own way; a lot of his anger came from the fact that it had nearly worked!
"Amber I am much to busy now will you stop bothering me and go and play with someone else!" He snapped angrily.
Amber's eyes flashed dangerously and blue flashes of light flickered through her ebony hair: Severus had to admit that she was adorable when she was angry; he's forgotten that her hair had flashed when she was angry:
"Fine suit yourself. Rot away for all I care." She stormed past him like a petulant child, Severus called angrily after her:
"And don't even think about slamming that." The door slammed and the noise reverberated throughout the dungeon, "door." Severus rolled his eyes and went back to marking his scrolls.
Amber stalked through the corridors muttering under her breath some choice insults she wished could have used on him but hadn't thought of until afterwards. She mentally made a note of this and stored them away for later use. She sighed at least the day wasn't wasted; she would go to Hogsmeade and face her memories on her own.
Severus stared at the piece of parchment he was marking; he seemed to have read the same sentence a dozen times or more. The sun was warm on his back through the window although it wasn't all that warm outside. He gazed out of the window longingly; he had wanted to go to Hogsmeade but he was too proud to admit that to Amber. He pushed the scroll away from him angrily and began to pace the room in an effort to regain his composure. Why was it that she could get under his skin quicker than anyone he had ever met? Why did he let her do it to him time and time again? He ran his hand over his face troubled, he looked out of the window again and watched the trees being blown about by the blustery wind.
"To hell with it." He muttered as he grabbed his cloak and left the room in a sweep of black.
The weather was fair yet blustery as Amber looked out of her window on the morning of the first Hogsmeade trip of term. She hadn't been to Hogsmeade for years and she could hardly contain her excitement. Her emotions tumbled around in her stomach uncomfortably as she fastened her dark, blue velvet cloak securely around her shoulders; mixed with the incredible excitement was an uncomfortable feeling that the past was going to up jump to surprise her around every corner. Hogsmeade held so many memories, good and bad. She shook her head to clear her mind and left her room in search of Severus. He had made some excuse about not wanting to go on the trip as he had too much marking but Amber was determined that she was going to get him along today. She wanted him there with her as a companion and as a way to further they're newly awakened friendship but also because she was anxious about the feelings that Hogsmeade would stir within her; Severus made her fell safe, if he was with her she knew she could face anything.
The corridors down to the dungeon were deserted the student had already left eager to get to the village and make their purchases of goodies from Honeydukes and Zonko's. Amber smiled as she remembered that Sirius and James had probably been the best customers at the notorious joke shop. She knocked tentatively on the door, there was no answer, Amber pursed her lips into a pout; fine. If he wanted to play it like this then she would rise to the challenge. She drew herself up and knocked harder.
"I am busy. Come back later." Severus' voice drawled from inside. Instead of walking away she knocked again, harder this time.
"I said I am busy. Go away!" She smiled; he sounded irritated now.
Suppressing a giggle, she knocked again forcefully. Just as she expected the door flew open and Severus glared out in annoyance; he opened his mouth to issue a curt reprimand when his eyes fell on the persistent visitor.
"Good Morning Severus." She beamed pushing past him into his office. "Are you ready to come to Hogsmeade?"
Severus blinked; she hadn't changed. Even at school Amber had a reputation for getting what she wanted. His irritation flared again:
"I told you I'm much to busy for such foolishness. I have all these scrolls to mark for Monday." He gestured sharply to the table that was scattered with piles of parchment bedaubed with students' scratchy handwriting.
"Then do them tomorrow." Amber replied "I want you to come to Hogsmeade with me; you're looking positively dyspeptic you need some fresh air."
She smiled again; God she was beautiful when she smiled but not even this would curb Severus' annoyance with being interrupted and railroaded into doing something that he didn't want to do.
"I'll be too far behind if I leave them today; besides what is there for me in Hogsmeade. I think I'm quite past the novelty and thrill of Zonko's." He sneered.
"Come on Severus," Amber wheedled, "a bit of fun won't do you any harm."
She raised her eyes coyly and blinked through her eyelashes girlishly. Severus' anger flared at her shameless attempts to get her own way; a lot of his anger came from the fact that it had nearly worked!
"Amber I am much to busy now will you stop bothering me and go and play with someone else!" He snapped angrily.
Amber's eyes flashed dangerously and blue flashes of light flickered through her ebony hair: Severus had to admit that she was adorable when she was angry; he's forgotten that her hair had flashed when she was angry:
"Fine suit yourself. Rot away for all I care." She stormed past him like a petulant child, Severus called angrily after her:
"And don't even think about slamming that." The door slammed and the noise reverberated throughout the dungeon, "door." Severus rolled his eyes and went back to marking his scrolls.
Amber stalked through the corridors muttering under her breath some choice insults she wished could have used on him but hadn't thought of until afterwards. She mentally made a note of this and stored them away for later use. She sighed at least the day wasn't wasted; she would go to Hogsmeade and face her memories on her own.
Severus stared at the piece of parchment he was marking; he seemed to have read the same sentence a dozen times or more. The sun was warm on his back through the window although it wasn't all that warm outside. He gazed out of the window longingly; he had wanted to go to Hogsmeade but he was too proud to admit that to Amber. He pushed the scroll away from him angrily and began to pace the room in an effort to regain his composure. Why was it that she could get under his skin quicker than anyone he had ever met? Why did he let her do it to him time and time again? He ran his hand over his face troubled, he looked out of the window again and watched the trees being blown about by the blustery wind.
"To hell with it." He muttered as he grabbed his cloak and left the room in a sweep of black.