Chapter 19: The Average Couple
There was silence in the house at the present time. Life had seemed to be quieter since the conversation that had ensued between Severus and Rosie. There had been many more conversations since the first. Rosie had told Severus everything that she could possibly think to tell him, and he had been more than willing to listen patiently. He never seemed to be angry with her, just – tired. In truth, Severus felt more than ever the guilt of the death of his mother.
However, their time together had been more enjoyable since the disastrous Christmas that they had shared. The changes that had occurred had not altogether been horrible. Severus' new-found honesty towards Rosie was certainly an improvement – even though this was not saying much about Severus' openness compared to most people's.
At the present, Rosie was sitting on the sofa watching the TV and Severus was lying on the same sofa in a sleepy state, his head resting in her lap. He seemed contented and hadn't moved for at least twenty minutes. Rosie, in the meantime, was contentedly staring down at his face, unable to believe that she could be so contented with Severus after the recent events. She loved the way that his hair fell about his face, obscuring the irregular lines of his jaw and mouth, making every view of his face unexpected and new. She could never tire of him. Never.
Her hand went to his hair; a sudden, irrepressible urge to touch Severus' raven strands had overcome her. A slight smile curved his lips as her hand traced his features, rubbing the curve of his ears and down his cheek. Rosie smiled contentedly and watched as he stretched luxuriously and moved his head closer to her own chest.
Rosie was just about to touch him again when Severus leant over and picked the remote off from the floor. He turned the TV off with a press of a red button – Severus had become very accustomed to that button.
"It's such a good invention," he said to Rosie, turning to lie flat on his back and looking into her eyes.
"What is? The telly?"
"No – well, it is an ingenious thing isn't it?" he said almost excitedly. "But, no, I was referring to the remote control. It saves so much time and trouble."
"Spoken like a true lazy Muggle," said Rosie yawing and stretching her arms.
"How dare you!" he said indignantly, but his eyes were glittering playfully. "I think you may be getting me confused with some other person in our bedroom." He raised an eyebrow. "I hardly think that I am the one lazing around at eleven o'clock in the morning!"
"You're an insomniac dear, not an active person. Don't get the two confused," she said sardonically.
"I swear my sarcasm is wearing off on you."
"Suits you better."
"I'm aware of that," he said, then he shook his head. "I can't become tolerable, Rosie! The students will become dazed and confused!"
"Mmm, maybe I should aggravate you," said Rosie, closing her eyes.
"No, thank you. We've had enough aggravation."
"Are you glad that you talked about everything?"
"I haven't talked about everything," he said, gazing at her very steadily. "But I do feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders – forgive the cliché."
"I'll always be here when you feel like opening up some more."
He raised an eyebrow at her. She looked at him quizzically, but he refused to answer her and sat up on the sofa next to her, looking straight at her.
"What?" she asked but as she said that he moved forward and captured her lips with his. It was a short kiss – too short. He bent forward again and kissed her, this time lingering slightly longer. Rosie smiled slightly; he was teasing her. He bent forwards again and Rosie opened her mouth allowing his tongue entrance.
Rosie brought her arms around his neck, wrapping them tightly around him, her fingers touching the stray tendrils of black hair at the nape of his neck. He pulled back ever so slightly and began to kiss her more softly. Rosie captured his mouth again but he pulled away and turned to kiss her cheek.
He moved slowly and sensuously downwards, licking and nipping at her neck as he went. His hands went to the buttons of her shirt and he began to open them. She felt more exposed to him than any other man had ever made her feel. Severus' eyes were so intense that she felt like he was x-raying her, seeing into her soul.
He was now kissing her collarbone, shivers were going up and down her body. She moved forwards off the sofa slightly so that she could take her shirt off completely, she felt Severus' hands on her own as he helped her to take the offending item of clothing off.
Rosie's own arms then wrapped around his back, rubbing up and down his spine, hoping that he was feeling some of the wonderful sensations that she was.
He took his own shirt off and slung it haphazardly onto the floor along with Rosie's top. She could now see his bare flesh. It was so pale, Rosie thought, as though he hadn't been exposed to any sun. His skin was perfect, not a blemish in sight, just a wall of white flesh. She moved hands to his chest, which felt warm and slightly sweaty. He shivered at her touch and moved his hands to the buttons on her trousers.
This was going to be interesting, Rosie thought.
She sat up and took the wand out of her pocket and muttered the charm, 'Divestio'. Their clothes vanished and Rosie could see Severus in his full glory. His thin body with taut muscles. Rosie noticed some marks on his skin that she hadn't seen before –
So his skin is blemished, Rosie thought hazily but not letting it bother her too much.
He was above her, positioned and ready. She knew that he was as ready as she was. Severus looked at her, not speaking, but his eyes were asking her the question that he could not. Rosie moved her head ever so slightly and she knew that Severus would realise that it was a nod.
He seemed to, because he leaned closer to her and placed his lips over hers as he entered her.
There was silence except for their heavy breathing, Severus was collapsed on top of Rosie, his head resting on her shoulder.
"I love you," he muttered into her hair, his inhibitions about that phrase apparently washed away with the emotions of the moment. "So much. I can't tell you what you mean to me."
Rosie kissed his neck gently and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his breathing returning to normal. "Thank you for forgiving me," he added softly, nudging her ever so slightly with his nose.
"Severus," said Rosie finally. "I care for you; nothing can change that. Anyway, I should be thanking you!" she finished with a grin.
"Why?" he asked. She knew that if she could've seen his face he would have been rolling his eyes.
"If it weren't for your eloquent room advertisement, none of this would have happened."
Severus snorted. "Are you sure that that is a good thing?"
"I wasn't referring to your past, Sev," said Rosie coyly.
Severus smirked at her and arched an eyebrow suggestively. "I see."
Rosie leant back on the sofa. "I wonder what would have happened to us if you hadn't advertised," said Rosie thoughtfully.
"Or if your original bedsit hadn't been rented out by the Landlord from Hell," continued Severus.
"I don't suppose that there is any point thinking about that," said Rosie, apparently not hearing Severus. "I did meet you, and I do love you."
"I don't want to imagine how depressing my life would have been, if you weren't here. All I need to know is that you are going to be here, with me, for the foreseeable future. That, Rosie, will leave me contented."
Rosie looked at him with a sort of half-smile on her face. She looked as though she couldn't believe what he had just said.
"What?" he asked defensively, not liking the way that she was looking at him; he was starting to feel unnerved by her gaze.
"That – thank you for saying that," she replied, leaning up and kissing him gently on the lips. "You made me feel incredibly appreciated."
Severus nodded slightly. "It was a pleasure, then."
"My God!" cried Rosie, laughing loudly. "Two whole romantic comments in one day!" She cupped his face in her hands. "What has happened to you, my lover?" She smiled broadly.
"If this is the response I'm going to get every time I am at all affectionate to you, then I won't even bother," he said haughtily. He bent down to pick up his underwear. Rosie arched a brow at him. "What?" he said. "I'm cold!"
He groped for his wand and found that it had rolled under the sofa; he muttered a charm that restored both their clothing.
"Trust you to act like nothing had happened!" Rosie said, admiring the way that he just got up and started tidying whereas Rosie would just be lying around waiting to make love again.
"Mmm," he muttered and kissed her again.
A short while later Severus declared, "I have something to say." He stood up in front of her on the sofa. His hands were behind his back and he looked like he was going to do some business.
Rosie sat up, "Oh yes?"
"I – well, I know that we've hit a lot of problems recently-"
"The path of true love never runs smooth," Rosie interrupted thoughtfully.
"Yes," said Severus, looking slightly confused and distracted. "I just wanted to say that – I feel-" Rosie straightened up a little. Severus had actually started off a conversation about his own emotions. Rosie, as usual with her intuitive understanding of Severus, knew that he was going to say something important. "-that we will be sharing this house for some time." Rosie noted the dull flush creeping up his neck and realised how idiotic he must be feeling at this point during his speech.
"Yeah, I'd agree," Rosie replied quickly, trying her best to soothe him.
"So I think that it would be – appropriate – if you stopped paying rent."
Rosie's smile faltered for a moment, but only because she was surprised at his words. "Stopped paying rent?" she repeated. "But why Mr Scrooge?"
He pursed his lips and looked sideways, shaking his head in a mock-anger way.
"Because I want this to be your house as well as mine. Our house."
"Our house – you mean that – are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Where did this idea come from?"
"I worked out that you'd actually be paying more if you split on the mortgage and the heating – makes sense," he said with a small smile.
"I hate you!"
"Oh, my heart would bleed if it wasn't made of stone!" he said clutching his hands to his chest dramatically.
"Shut up Severus." He grinned at her.
"What's your answer?" he asked, breaking their chain of argument.
"Yes!" said Rosie, giving him a wide smile. "So does this mean that we are living together?"
"Indeed it does," he said rubbing his neck again the way he always did when he was nervous or uncomfortable.
"What are we, Severus?"
"Geese?"
"Don't be so stupid!" He laughed at her indignation and grinned cheekily back at her.
"I thought you appreciated my humour," he said, still laughing. It always made Rosie smile when Severus actually did something as risqué as chuckling. His laugh was infectious and it always made her crack up as well; Rosie wondered why he didn't do it more.
"What did you mean anyway?" he asked.
"I just meant – what are we? Are you my boyfriend," he pulled a sickened face and Rosie said, "Okay, maybe not! Are we partners in crime then?"
He smiled at her, "Partners in crime," he said holding out his hand for her to shake. She took and held his hand briefly.
"What's for dinner darling?" Rosie teased suddenly, realising that she was starving.
"Is that a hint dearest?" he mocked. "I hadn't really thought. Chicken with – I'll have a look in the pantry." He moved towards the door.
"The pantry?" repeated Rosie, frowning in a humorous way. "Since when did we have anything as up-market as a pantry?"
"Oh – didn't you notice?" asked Severus, looking at her ironically. "I decided to a little bit of 'home improvement' the other day. It's our new 'contemporary feature'."
"I am not even going to reply to that, Severus," said Rosie, unable to coneal her grin. "The idea of you with a hammer and a bag of nails is just far too amusing!" She smiled and then looked at him expectantly. "Go on then, maestro," she added, "whip us up a dish!"
"You are one," he said in his most sickly-sweet voice. Rosie slapped him on the thigh and he retreated to the sanctuary of the kitchen.
Rosie sat for a while wondering how she could occupy herself for half and hour or so. After a short while she decided that she would write yet another letter to Alina to tell her how it was all going and how everything had improved.
Dearest Alina,
How are you? I am feeling wonderful and it's all – well no, not entirely – down to you. I'm just writing to say thanks for all your advice and for letting me invade your house for a while. It meant a lot to me, and, as you can probably see, it helped a great deal.
You'll be pleased to hear that Severus and I are happy – finally – and are enjoying a well deserved laid back view to our relationship.
I don't honestly know what I'm gabbling on about – I really just wanted to invite you over. Severus is going back to Hogwarts and you need to see the new homestead. Let me know when you're free and you can come over.
See you soon,
Love
Rosie
Rosie sent off her owl with the message a few minutes after she had written the note. After a long twenty-minute wait, she and Severus finally sat down to their meal of chicken, rice and ratatouille.
"Tastes good," she said through a mouthful of rice.
"Where did you learn habits like that?" he asked, his lip curling in distaste.
"My parents, wonderful beings. Where did you learn yours?"
"The smarmy-git's guide to etiquette."
"You are joking?" He stared at her in a way that plainly told her that she was stupid.
"Yes," he said with a sigh. "But it certainly wasn't from my parents – if it was mother I wouldn't have bothered to salt the water and if it was Maximus then the bowl would have gone flying."
Rosie couldn't help but smile but then said, "Don't you ever miss your father? Your family?"
"No. Not really."
"Not at all? But they're your family!"
"I try to forget that," he said dryly.
"But surely-"
"But nothing, Rosie. They mean nothing to me! I don't want to know! I don't care!"
"So you're telling me that your life has been better without them?"
"I would."
"Don't be stupid!"
"How is that ridiculous? I was bullied and beaten when I knew dear old Maximus and I became a Death Eater whilst I was in my teens living with my parents. I met you afterwards."
Rosie didn't look convinced and ploughed on, "Severus listen to me. Whatever you may think of your father and – did you say you had a sister?" He nodded. "Yes, well. Whatever you may think of them they are your family and they're the only lot that you're going to get. Whatever they did can be forgiven."
"It can NOT!" he roared and stood up suddenly, his eyes wild. He looked slightly deranged. He looked as though he would dearly love to pick up his plate and throw it at the wall. Rosie's blood pumped slightly faster; she had never seen him like this. To her horror he did not calm down but continued to shout. "Don't talk to me about what you don't understand!"
"Then let me!" cried Rosie, leaping on his choice of words. "Tell me!"
"I've told you already, for God's sake!" he shouted. Rosie jumped.
"Severus, calm down!"
He stopped and stared at her, breathing deeply, his fist clenched on the tabletop.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"That's ok," said Rosie and she moved round the table next to him and put her hand on his shoulder.
"No, it's not!" he said, his voice slightly raised. "It's not 'all right' but I can't help it! My father brings out the very worst in me. He is the murderous part of me. The bit that I most loathe."
Something clicked into place, something that Rosie had tried to work out since they had discussed Severus' facial features. "So your hatred of yourself is-"
"My father in me," finished Severus, "yes."
"I know that it's hard for you but – but don't you think that it would help you to move on if you met him again?"
"You believe in all that 'achieving closure' nonsense? It won't work!"
"I still think that it's a shame to just let your family walk by like that," Rosie realised that Severus wasn't going to agree with her so she thought that it might be time to leave the subject. "All right, don't then. It doesn't really bother me, I'd just like to know where you came from that's all."
He smiled at her. "I know," he said nuzzling into her hair. "I understand but you just have to accept that my father is my past – and that that is where he is staying. I don't want him to be a part of my present – he ruined every part of my life that he was in, we're not being ruined."
"He wouldn't be able to do that, Sev," Rosie argued quietly.
He didn't respond, he merely kissed her on the forehead. "We have one more day together before I am packed off to the mad house again. Is there anything that you would like to do?"
"Yes," said Rosie. "I know exactly what we can do tomorrow," he raised and eyebrow and smirked. "No, not that. We can do that any day! I was thinking of going to the V and A."
A broad grin spread across his face, he kissed her squarely on the lips and then said in his best sardonic voice, though he was still smiling, "That sounds adequate – I suppose."
A/N: You may remember (or not, I suppose!) that Severus and Rosie were supposed to go to the Gothic Exhibition – but Rosie forgot, went to London with Remus and pissed off Severus, (Well done, Rosie!) so I thought that it would be appropriate for them to go on that 'first date' now. What a typically Rosie way of doing things!
Author's comments:
Thanks to everyone who reads…
An Anti-Sheep Cheese Muffin: Ah, I couldn't tell you what is going to happen! ;-D They want to remain together, but there are sadly those who, quite frankly, don't. And you will be introduced to those characters shortly! Thanks for sticking with the story!
ButterflyOfLothlorien: I'm on a roll…that's two updates in a week! What is going on! Yes, you're quite right – Severus and Rosie need each other very much. I'm sure I can find a way to make them stay together… Thanks for reviewing!
Lilegyptiangoddess: Cheers! Small problem with MSN…it doesn't like the address I've set up. I don't understand computers. Whoever said they are logical should be shot. Anyway, once the problem is sorted I will add you properly…I think I did add you before but that address is officially redundant. Speak soon!
Snip-snippet: (Another Author Alert for you…) Ah, wish-fulfilment…I wish I had a boyfriend that said that, too! Lol. Glad you liked the chapter, and I hope this one was to your taste as well. Alina is all right – there is more about her to come; never fear! Thanks, snip-snippet!
