Chapter 19 Are We Snogging?
Thanks to excessivelyperky for her more-than-beta assistance, also to Patricia McKillip, for the cough medicine with the extraordinary strength.
Maura looked out of the window over the peaceful countryside. She felt a little tickle of guilt: everyone was working in the Infirmary, carrying messages to and from the Owlery, or fetching medicines. Snape and Holmes were closeted in the dungeons, with a large "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door. Wards weren't working; the only magic about was the house-elves'. After luncheon, she had gone back to sit with Hermione, to dose her with a cough syrup brewed by Sister Brigid and strong enough to melt drawbridge chain.
She had tried to get in to talk to Headmaster Dumbledore. I've done what I came here to do, she thought. I can do more if I'm home with my computer, and I can write – the least I can do is to try to contain the epidemic, maybe give Holmes and Snape some leads…Dumbledore was unavailable; Professor McGonagall was still in the Infirmary. Hermione, her best bet, was still sleeping, still feverish. Hermione has a computer. The Headmaster used it to talk to me before I came here. Maybe he would let me use it…
Am I going to stay here? Will I ever get home? What about Pumpkin? She missed her cheerful apartment, her cat, and, truth be told, her work. She belonged at home, in Toronto, where her friends were, where her life was. Feeling at loose ends, she went for a walk through the castle orchard.
"Beautiful evenin'!" She looked around for the owner of the voice, and found, sitting on a bench under an apple tree, one of the Druids who had brought her from the airport. It was Jack, the shorter (and, as she had mentioned to Brigit, the handsomer) of the two.
They walked for a while and returned to the castle, talking all the way, and found themselves on the wide balcony surrounding the tallest tower. "In my country," she said, "Writers have made many references to the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts. It's famous."
Jack smiled and leaned on the wall next to her. "Famous for snoggin' couples," he said. His blue eyes twinkled and he favoured her with a cute lopsided smile, which, for some reason, made her wonder where she had seen it before.
"You're a Druid, Jack, aren't you?" He nodded. "Do Druids – I mean, is it customary…" She stopped, not knowing what to say. If they had been in a TO pub, and he had been some ordinary chap, she wouldn't have been standing there like an idiot. She would have slipped her hand into his and told him how nice it was that they met.
"Well, I've never known a Druid before. I'm glad we met," she said. His hand was already in search of hers, and they clasped palms. A powerful wave of male energy surged up Maura's arm, and she gasped in surprise.
Jack put his other arm around her shoulder. "I'm glad too," he said, and kissed her cheek softly. She turned her face towards him. Nose to nose, they moved closer until she felt his hard, slender body against her. She put her arms around him, and they kissed. So sweet, that kiss…Jack wrapped his arms around her and ran one hand down her back. "Lovely," he murmured into her ear, and flicked her earlobe with his tongue.
Maura's uterus contracted. Oh, here I go, she thought. "Jack, are we snogging?" she whispered.
His even white teeth gleamed. He kissed Maura's neck and shoulder and pressed her close. "We are indeed. It's even better with some privacy. 'Old on to me, love," he murmured.
Maura felt as if she was being pulled sideways from somewhere in back of her navel (are we Apparating?) for a few moments. Then, they were somewhere else. She couldn't move. She felt herself fall to a cold stone floor, felt metal cuffs snap closed around her wrists and ankles; heard the clank of a chain. She could see nothing; it was completely dark. She tried to call out: "Jack! Where are we?" but only a croak escaped her throat. A door creaked open and momentarily there was a sliver of yellow light. She couldn't turn around to see who was in the doorway before it clanged shut and she was alone in the cold, the dark and the silence.