Regina sat solemnly at the dinner table. Prissy, her house elf, hovered nearby. Her large black eyes were full of anxious concern as she stared at her mistress. Regina had lost weight in the days following her parents death. Her stylish robes, that had once accented her figure flatteringly, now hung loosely on her small frame. She hardly ever ate, and the few times that Prissy could convince her to sit down to a meal, she simply pushed the food around her plate. At night, the sounds of her sobs echoed through the manor, and Prissy wasn't sure exactly what to do.
At that moment, a sound from the fireplace drew the attention of both Regina and Prissy. They both turned to see what had caused the noise. A tall man in billowing black robes stepped from the fireplace, and dusted soot from his robes. Regina stood to her feet. Her green eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the man. "Uncle Severus," she cried before rushing into his arms. He looked a bit shocked at first. Then, he awkwardly hugged her to him as sobs racked her body. She clung to him and cried on his shoulder. He quickly led her to a chair and made her sit.
"I've come to take you back to Hogwarts," he said when she finally quit crying. Prissy looked to him in shock. Then, she rushed over to Regina. "Mistress is leaving Prissy," she asked in a high squeaky voice. Regina hurried to reassure her. "Of course not Prissy. I want you to come with me." She looked to her uncle questioningly. "Is that okay Uncle Severus? Can I take Prissy with me?"
"That will be fine," he replied. "Now let's get you packed." She stood and led him upstairs. She stopped in front of a large black door. "We'll start here," she said to the man behind her as she opened the door. "This is my library." The room was decorated entirely in black. A large shiny black desk dominated the center of the room. Behind it stood a straight backed matching chair. A black leather recliner and matching couch lined the left wall along with a door between them that led to a walk-in closet and her bedroom. On the opposite wall stood a floor to ceiling bookshelf filled with novels of all shapes sizes and colors. Two large windows covered by heavy black drapes covered the far wall, another bookshelf covered the wall near the door.
"Prissy, get the bag from underneath my desk, and pack all of my books into it," Regina ordered. She then walked to the closet and went inside. Once inside, she retrieved a black leather suitcase. She pulled her wand from inside her robes. With a few well-chosen spells, all of her clothes and robes were neatly folded and packed. With another flick of her wand, all her shoes were neatly packed as well. She turned to the man who stood silently behind her. "Thank goodness for magic." He awarded her with a slight smile.
Then, he silently followed her as she moved into the next room. This room, much like the first, was also decorated entirely in black. The only furniture was a black bed on the right wall. A large black dresser and a black floor to ceiling bookcase stood side by side on the opposite wall. The back wall was dominated by two large windows covered in heavy black drapes. The last wall had a black vanity table, matching stool, and a door, which led to the hallway.
Regina began clearing the contents of the dresser and packing them into another suitcase. Then, she reached for one of the pictures that stood on top of her dresser. A tear rolled down her cheek as she gazed into the smiling faces of her parents. Then, she lovingly placed it in her suitcase, wrapped in the black velvet comforter from her bed.
Next, she reached for the other picture. It showed a much younger Severus. He was showing a rare smile, something the older Severus never did. Regina turned to him. "You should smile more. It looks so much more attractive."
Severus gave a glare. "I'm sure 'attractive' is not a term most would use in reference to me, Regina," he remarked dryly. Regina smiled up at him. "Well, most are not me. I am of the opinion that the word fits you quite well." She turned away, and Severus silently looked at her. He looked shocked.
Regina wrapped the picture in the silk sheets from her bed. She then placed the picture in her suitcase next to the picture of her parents. The last item packed was her pillow. She carefully placed it over the two pictures and closed her suitcase.
Prissy entered the room just as Regina was standing. The house-elf moved to the suitcase. "Does mistress wish for these books to be packed," she asked in a high squeaky voice. "Of course, Prissy," Regina answered. "I can't leave any of my books behind." The house-elf immediately began packing the books.
Regina turned to the bed. She knelt on the floor and pulled a small bag from underneath it. She walked over to the vanity table and packed everything that was on top of it into the bag. Then, she packed the contents of the drawer. With a flick of her wand, she shrunk the vanity table and stool. She placed them into the bag as well. By the time she was finished, Prissy had already completed her packing of the books.
Turning to Severus, Regina said, "I'm finished." Then, her eyes widened as she remembered something she'd forgotten. "Prissy, go get the family album from the livingroom." The house-elf hurried from the room. "I almost forgot it." She said to her uncle. "This is the last thing I need to pack. Then, I'll be ready to go."
Severus replied, "It's fine. We're not in a hurry." Prissy came hurrying back into the room with a large book clutched in her tiny hands. The cover was a dark red color with a large black 'S' in the center. Regina took the album and packed it in the bag of books which Prissy had packed earlier. "Now, we are ready to go," she remarked to Severus. With that, Severus picked up her two suitcases. Prissy grabbed the bag of books, and Regina took the last bag. Then, the three of them set off for the diningroom.