Chapter 10 - A Different Answer
Muriel yawned and shifted a little in bed. Severus, anxiously pacing the room, noticed and flicked his wand at her again. She immediately stopped moving. "Hurry the hell up, Macnair," Severus muttered for the twelfth time that morning. At last his friend shuffled into the room.
"What's all that?" Severus asked, pointing to the box Macnair was carrying.
"It wasn't where you thought it was, I had to cast a summoning charm. We'll have to go through them all."
Severus scowled, but pulled out a chair for his friend and plopped himself down at the table to begin sorting through the box.
"What did you say it looked like again?" Macnair's voice was still raspy from screaming, but he kept it low, not wanting to wake Muriel. He could hardly believe she'd slept this whole time. It had taken him nearly half an hour to get to Snape Manor and back!
"It's a triangular aquamarine stone held by three silver serpents," Severus said distractedly. Macnair looked up. He had always known that his one- time dorm mate would ask Mur to marry him, most of Slytherin house had accepted it as fact in their first year of school. He smiled at the look of concentration on Severus' face as he looked at one ring after another. Still, it made him sad somehow. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the movement behind his friend.
"Sev," he hissed. But it was too late.
"Accio wands," Muriel whispered, her head at Severus' ear. She didn't bother to catch the wands, preferring instead to turn Sev's chair to face her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Macnair's eyes widen. In the satin nightgown she'd conjured the night before she wasn't exactly dressed for company. Oh well. They'd been friends a long time. "Three stunning spells in one morning isn't good for a 30-something year old, Sev. I'm sore all over!"
"You're only 35, and I'm relatively sure that you aren't sore because of stunning spells," he replied, smirking. Macnair winced, expecting her to slap him. Instead she laughed and bent down to pick up their wands. Macnair was careful to avert his eyes, though he noticed that Severus did no such thing. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"Now why are we looking for your Great Aunt Agnes' ring?"
Severus glanced at Macnair, who coughed abruptly into his hand to stifle his laughter, then excused himself quickly. Muriel took his chair as the door clicked closed behind him.
He turned his attention back to the rings. He didn't want to answer her until he had the blasted thing in his hand. She watched him, a slow smile spreading across her face. As if it weren't obvious what he was doing.
"Accio Aquamarine," she said finally. His head snapped up faster than the 5 glittering jewels that shot toward her. She managed to catch three of them, but he snatched the other two from the floor before she could reach them.
"HA!" he exclaimed, setting one down on the table and raising the other to his eyes.
"You act like you got the last chocolate frog," Mur said, smiling.
"I always got the last chocolate frog," he replied seriously.
"That's because I always saved it for you, you great git. Now what are you up to?" She smiled up at him from her chair as he stood before her, ring in hand.
Severus swallowed hard. Now that it had come to the point, he really didn't know how to go about this. She stood. Her eyes flicked to the doorway briefly, and Severus wondered if she was thinking of leaving. Then her eyes met his again, and he realized he still hadn't said anything.
"Well - er - I wanted to give you this for Christmas," he said lamely.
Muriel fought back her laughter. If he thought he was getting off that easy after all the fights they'd had over getting married when they were young, he'd better think again.
"I can't believe Aunt Agnes left that to your father. I thought she hated him!"
"She didn't leave it to him. She gave it to me three days before she died." His voice was normal again. This was familiar territory. "She said it was for you, when I got up the nerve to – "he stopped, and Muriel grinned at him.
"After all the arguments we had over this, Severus, I think I deserve to hear the words," she said with mock severity. He still looked hopelessly tongue tied, so she stepped closer. "If I promise to say yes this time, will you ask me?" she whispered. Her voice was suddenly shy and made a startling contrast with the green and blue nightdress she wore.
It was the most endearing thing he'd ever heard. He snaked an arm around her waist and kissed her again, needing to feel the warmth of her love inside his mind's defenses. "Will you - " he started to ask, his lips still close to hers.
"Yes," she whispered quickly, pulling his mouth back to her own as her eyes filled with tears.
Neither of them noticed the sound of footsteps hurrying away from their door, nor the giggles that erupted moments later as three boys who had no business in the teacher's corridor headed toward the Gryffindor common room.
Muriel yawned and shifted a little in bed. Severus, anxiously pacing the room, noticed and flicked his wand at her again. She immediately stopped moving. "Hurry the hell up, Macnair," Severus muttered for the twelfth time that morning. At last his friend shuffled into the room.
"What's all that?" Severus asked, pointing to the box Macnair was carrying.
"It wasn't where you thought it was, I had to cast a summoning charm. We'll have to go through them all."
Severus scowled, but pulled out a chair for his friend and plopped himself down at the table to begin sorting through the box.
"What did you say it looked like again?" Macnair's voice was still raspy from screaming, but he kept it low, not wanting to wake Muriel. He could hardly believe she'd slept this whole time. It had taken him nearly half an hour to get to Snape Manor and back!
"It's a triangular aquamarine stone held by three silver serpents," Severus said distractedly. Macnair looked up. He had always known that his one- time dorm mate would ask Mur to marry him, most of Slytherin house had accepted it as fact in their first year of school. He smiled at the look of concentration on Severus' face as he looked at one ring after another. Still, it made him sad somehow. His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed the movement behind his friend.
"Sev," he hissed. But it was too late.
"Accio wands," Muriel whispered, her head at Severus' ear. She didn't bother to catch the wands, preferring instead to turn Sev's chair to face her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Macnair's eyes widen. In the satin nightgown she'd conjured the night before she wasn't exactly dressed for company. Oh well. They'd been friends a long time. "Three stunning spells in one morning isn't good for a 30-something year old, Sev. I'm sore all over!"
"You're only 35, and I'm relatively sure that you aren't sore because of stunning spells," he replied, smirking. Macnair winced, expecting her to slap him. Instead she laughed and bent down to pick up their wands. Macnair was careful to avert his eyes, though he noticed that Severus did no such thing. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"Now why are we looking for your Great Aunt Agnes' ring?"
Severus glanced at Macnair, who coughed abruptly into his hand to stifle his laughter, then excused himself quickly. Muriel took his chair as the door clicked closed behind him.
He turned his attention back to the rings. He didn't want to answer her until he had the blasted thing in his hand. She watched him, a slow smile spreading across her face. As if it weren't obvious what he was doing.
"Accio Aquamarine," she said finally. His head snapped up faster than the 5 glittering jewels that shot toward her. She managed to catch three of them, but he snatched the other two from the floor before she could reach them.
"HA!" he exclaimed, setting one down on the table and raising the other to his eyes.
"You act like you got the last chocolate frog," Mur said, smiling.
"I always got the last chocolate frog," he replied seriously.
"That's because I always saved it for you, you great git. Now what are you up to?" She smiled up at him from her chair as he stood before her, ring in hand.
Severus swallowed hard. Now that it had come to the point, he really didn't know how to go about this. She stood. Her eyes flicked to the doorway briefly, and Severus wondered if she was thinking of leaving. Then her eyes met his again, and he realized he still hadn't said anything.
"Well - er - I wanted to give you this for Christmas," he said lamely.
Muriel fought back her laughter. If he thought he was getting off that easy after all the fights they'd had over getting married when they were young, he'd better think again.
"I can't believe Aunt Agnes left that to your father. I thought she hated him!"
"She didn't leave it to him. She gave it to me three days before she died." His voice was normal again. This was familiar territory. "She said it was for you, when I got up the nerve to – "he stopped, and Muriel grinned at him.
"After all the arguments we had over this, Severus, I think I deserve to hear the words," she said with mock severity. He still looked hopelessly tongue tied, so she stepped closer. "If I promise to say yes this time, will you ask me?" she whispered. Her voice was suddenly shy and made a startling contrast with the green and blue nightdress she wore.
It was the most endearing thing he'd ever heard. He snaked an arm around her waist and kissed her again, needing to feel the warmth of her love inside his mind's defenses. "Will you - " he started to ask, his lips still close to hers.
"Yes," she whispered quickly, pulling his mouth back to her own as her eyes filled with tears.
Neither of them noticed the sound of footsteps hurrying away from their door, nor the giggles that erupted moments later as three boys who had no business in the teacher's corridor headed toward the Gryffindor common room.