"What the hell was that Adam?" asked the bartender.
"Just a little quick' flexing Joe."
Joe twitched. "I didn't know you..."
Adam held up his hand cutting off Joe's comment. "No harm done. Right Joe?"
"Yeah well, next time give me a little warning okay buddy. You nearly gave me a stroke." Said Joe massaging his temples. Severus thought he heard Joe mumble as he turned away to pour Adam a drink "You owe me bud. Don't think I won't get an answer."
So the muggle doesn't know everything thought Severus. Interesting. Who was this man? How did Albus know him? Severus fingered the book in front of him absently using his right forefinger to trace the engraving on the front cover.
"Ahem, sorry to interrupt but may I see the book now?" Adam's question sliced through Severus' revelry. He turned to his right and met Adam's ageless eyes.
"Yes, well I can't really stop you can I?" Severus said sliding the book towards Adam. How could he have thought the man nondescript? Tall with a hawk nose, loose limbs and a penetrating gaze the hazel-eyed man in front of him radiated more strength and confidence then even Lord Voldemort. Severus shivered.
"No not really." Said Adam. Severus watched in fascination as Adam closed the book softly and caressed the leather cover murmuring an incantation, suddenly the booked glowed gold. Adam rotated the book counter-clockwise once and reopened the book the scratchy handwriting that filled the tome earlier was gone replaced by the flowing script of Albus Dumbledore.
Great Merlin, he did it without a wand thought Severus in awe. How powerful is this man? Severus tried to rein in his curiosity. The muggle bartender was not so patient.
"How did you do that?" he asked.
"Not now Joe." Came the terse reply.
"But"
"I said not now Joe." The barkeep backed away, snorting his displeasure at being kept out of the loop. Hazel eyes quickly returned to scanning the page. Adam's eyes dimmed. Several paragraphs down Adam looked up and glanced at Severus and grimaced. Severus thought he heard him mumble "Poor bastard." Severus blinked in fear as Adam resumed his reading.
Five minutes later, Adam closed the book and slid it back to Severus. Severus opened it only to find that the scratchy scrawl had returned. No hint of the headmaster's message was visible. Severus sighed in defeat.
"So Albus sent you." Severus nodded.
"You poor bugger. Couldn't say no could you." A smirk appeared on Adam face. Severus shook his head. He sneered at the pity he heard in Adam voice and vowed to hex the headmaster the next time he saw him.
"Exactly how I feel," Adam said as if reading Severus' thought. "I swear that wand waver could sell ice to the Eskimo's. Hey Joe, did I ever tell you about my friend Albus Dumbledore?"
"What that old guy with the funky dress sense that visited you awhile back?"
"Yes," he said scratching his head in confusion. "Did I introduced you?"
"No, you didn't but I overheard you call him Albus. It's an weird name and I'm a people watcher." Joe's eyes twinkled; Adam snorted in laughter. Joe continued "Not to mention you don't see many old guys wearing pink and yellow tuxedos."
Severus rolled his eyes. That would be the headmaster to a tee. Ever the dandy eyesore he thought.
"So when does term start?" the question startled Severus.
"January third," Severus answered mechanically, "why?"
"I've been summoned. In the meantime, you're to stay with me and fill me in on what's been happening."
"What!"
"Albus says you're to brief me on the Voldemort situation."
"No. What do you mean I'm to stay with you?" Severus said in exasperation.
"Oh you didn't know about that? Dumb-dumb apparently thinks that you're in some kind of danger and wants you to stay with me till the term begins." Said Adam as he motioned Joe for another pint.
"Wait a minute. There's no bloody way I am staying." Choked Severus.
"Look I don't like this any more than you but we don't have a choice." Adam shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Severus hissed at Adam.
"You opened the book right," Adam asked. Severus nodded tersely. "Well, you're bound to me until I return to Hogwarts."
"Bound?"
"Yes."
"How far," Severus asked in desperation.
"100 metres give or take, I'm afraid."
Severus put his face in his hand and whimpered. Why couldn't the headmaster mind his own business? Death didn't scare him as much as two weeks in Muggle America. "Look it's not my idea of fun either," Adam continued, "Albus is a good man, but one manipulative bastard."
Severus could only sigh in agreement.
"Just a little quick' flexing Joe."
Joe twitched. "I didn't know you..."
Adam held up his hand cutting off Joe's comment. "No harm done. Right Joe?"
"Yeah well, next time give me a little warning okay buddy. You nearly gave me a stroke." Said Joe massaging his temples. Severus thought he heard Joe mumble as he turned away to pour Adam a drink "You owe me bud. Don't think I won't get an answer."
So the muggle doesn't know everything thought Severus. Interesting. Who was this man? How did Albus know him? Severus fingered the book in front of him absently using his right forefinger to trace the engraving on the front cover.
"Ahem, sorry to interrupt but may I see the book now?" Adam's question sliced through Severus' revelry. He turned to his right and met Adam's ageless eyes.
"Yes, well I can't really stop you can I?" Severus said sliding the book towards Adam. How could he have thought the man nondescript? Tall with a hawk nose, loose limbs and a penetrating gaze the hazel-eyed man in front of him radiated more strength and confidence then even Lord Voldemort. Severus shivered.
"No not really." Said Adam. Severus watched in fascination as Adam closed the book softly and caressed the leather cover murmuring an incantation, suddenly the booked glowed gold. Adam rotated the book counter-clockwise once and reopened the book the scratchy handwriting that filled the tome earlier was gone replaced by the flowing script of Albus Dumbledore.
Great Merlin, he did it without a wand thought Severus in awe. How powerful is this man? Severus tried to rein in his curiosity. The muggle bartender was not so patient.
"How did you do that?" he asked.
"Not now Joe." Came the terse reply.
"But"
"I said not now Joe." The barkeep backed away, snorting his displeasure at being kept out of the loop. Hazel eyes quickly returned to scanning the page. Adam's eyes dimmed. Several paragraphs down Adam looked up and glanced at Severus and grimaced. Severus thought he heard him mumble "Poor bastard." Severus blinked in fear as Adam resumed his reading.
Five minutes later, Adam closed the book and slid it back to Severus. Severus opened it only to find that the scratchy scrawl had returned. No hint of the headmaster's message was visible. Severus sighed in defeat.
"So Albus sent you." Severus nodded.
"You poor bugger. Couldn't say no could you." A smirk appeared on Adam face. Severus shook his head. He sneered at the pity he heard in Adam voice and vowed to hex the headmaster the next time he saw him.
"Exactly how I feel," Adam said as if reading Severus' thought. "I swear that wand waver could sell ice to the Eskimo's. Hey Joe, did I ever tell you about my friend Albus Dumbledore?"
"What that old guy with the funky dress sense that visited you awhile back?"
"Yes," he said scratching his head in confusion. "Did I introduced you?"
"No, you didn't but I overheard you call him Albus. It's an weird name and I'm a people watcher." Joe's eyes twinkled; Adam snorted in laughter. Joe continued "Not to mention you don't see many old guys wearing pink and yellow tuxedos."
Severus rolled his eyes. That would be the headmaster to a tee. Ever the dandy eyesore he thought.
"So when does term start?" the question startled Severus.
"January third," Severus answered mechanically, "why?"
"I've been summoned. In the meantime, you're to stay with me and fill me in on what's been happening."
"What!"
"Albus says you're to brief me on the Voldemort situation."
"No. What do you mean I'm to stay with you?" Severus said in exasperation.
"Oh you didn't know about that? Dumb-dumb apparently thinks that you're in some kind of danger and wants you to stay with me till the term begins." Said Adam as he motioned Joe for another pint.
"Wait a minute. There's no bloody way I am staying." Choked Severus.
"Look I don't like this any more than you but we don't have a choice." Adam shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Severus hissed at Adam.
"You opened the book right," Adam asked. Severus nodded tersely. "Well, you're bound to me until I return to Hogwarts."
"Bound?"
"Yes."
"How far," Severus asked in desperation.
"100 metres give or take, I'm afraid."
Severus put his face in his hand and whimpered. Why couldn't the headmaster mind his own business? Death didn't scare him as much as two weeks in Muggle America. "Look it's not my idea of fun either," Adam continued, "Albus is a good man, but one manipulative bastard."
Severus could only sigh in agreement.