Chapter Four: In Which Lemon Drops are Mistreated, Among Other Happenings
Celaene woke up the next morning to see that the house-elves had decorated her tower and brought in a small pile of Christmas presents that were piled neatly at the foot of her bed. After a few minutes of trying to get back to sleep but failing because of the frustrating amount of sunlight streaming through her window, she sat up, put her glasses on, and walked around to them. The first was a small box from her sister Taygeta—a new lunarscope to replace the one she had broken the last time she'd had an argument with Snape. Technically, he had broken it, but she'd started the fight. There was one from Dumbledore (a box of lemon drops), one from Minerva, Victoria, and Pomona (a heavy book about the Andromeda galaxy that she'd wanted for years but could never afford—it had a note on the inside that read 'Twelve days left. Have fun.') and one from Severus. It was typically wrapped in plain parchment with no note of any sort. She opened it to see a much smaller book than the last. It was black with silver lettering on the side that read, "Astronomy and the Dark Arts: An Introduction". With a slight smile, she picked up both books to set them on her shelf when something small dropped out of the smaller volume. She caught it instinctively and held it up. It was a tiny vial of golden potion: Felix Felicis. He gave her a day's worth once every three years; never enough to be dangerous.
The Astronomy professor checked the clock by her bed and threw on a dark purple robe before stepping out of her tower with her wand in one hand, the vial in her pocket, and the black book in her other hand.
Severus was halfway through his breakfast and mostly ignoring Dumbledore, who was trying to start a conversation with him. The problem was, Snape had woken up with Dumbledore's bright red thong in his bed and there was no logical way that it could have gotten there. The Potions Master had long since decided that he was probably happier not knowing.
"…And I do hope you like lemon drops," the headmaster was saying.
He was saved from having to answer by Sinistra turning up. For once, he was pleased to see her. She had the book he had sent her in one of her hands. Severus was glad to see that; he was never really sure what to get her. She had sent him a copy of a rather rare book that he'd had his eye on for quite some time. Thanatos Kai Pyr, a book of dangerous potions ranging from love potions to poisons.
"Thank you for the book, Severus. And the potion," she added quietly. "Merry Christmas."
He nodded stiffly. "Thank you for the potions book."
"You're welcome. I have in mind a use for the potion already," said Sinistra lightly.
"Do you?" he asked. She would always tell him what she used it for; it was something of a tradition.
"But I won't tell you and ruin the surprise," continued Celaene. "You'll probably be there, after all."
Snape didn't ask and Sinistra didn't offer elaboration.
Christmas dinner passed without any great event of interest, though Trelawney came down for it, which was rare. When they were all done eating, Celaene followed Severus out of the hall and down to his dungeons. Halfway there, Snape stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"What are you doing, Sinistra?"
"Coming down with you," she said innocently. "Why not?"
"It's customary to ask or wait for invitation before going with someone to the place they live," he said icily.
"But you'd say no," said Celaene cheerfully, "so I don't bother."
"No."
"See?"
Severus sneered at her. "Go back to your tower, Celaene," he said coolly. "I do not wish to have my Christmas ruined because you want to seduce me."
She held her hands up as if in surrender, saying, "I won't. Why would I?"
He raised a narrow black eyebrow, saying, "Almost a month ago, if I must remind you, I made the mistake of walking in on a… shall we say… drinking party, during which I heard—"
"Oh, that," she said quickly, putting her hands down and crossing her fingers in her pocket. "The deadline ran out. It's over."
Severus smirked. "You can't lie to me, Sinistra."
Celaene sighed angrily. "God damn you and your Legilimency…"
"I'm sure He already has," said Snape, but he let her follow him down to his dungeons and she sat down on the edge of his bed, watching him as he pulled out the book she'd given him and sat down in a black armchair across from her. He looked almost appealing when he was reading and he always had. His black silky hair fell in loose curtains across his face and his pale hands seemed light and graceful as he turned the pages. She studied his profile; his narrow face was illuminated on one side by a tall candle while across the long, elegant arch of his nose, it was cast into deep shadow. After several minutes, he looked up. "Are you going to do anything but stare at me, Sinistra?"
She shook her head dreamily and stretched out across his bed with a yawn. "Can't you make this any easier for me?"
"No," he said firmly, and went back to his reading. Celaene considered him thoughtfully. This was what she had decided to use her Felix Felicis on… She only hoped it wouldn't be a waste.
Snape couldn't concentrate on his book while she insisted on staring at him. She had her eyes closed at the moment and looked quite asleep. He set the book aside and walked over to her, bending over his friend—she was his friend, he insisted to himself—until their noses nearly touched. Then he waited. Ten seconds later, she opened her eyes, jumped, and let out a short scream. "What the hell are you doing?" she gasped.
He sat down on the edge of his bed next to her. "Wondering when you're going to get out of my bed so I can sleep in it," he said dryly.
"Mmm," she said inarticulately. "You can sleep in it anyway."
"Out, Sinistra," he ordered.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
He leveled his wand at her forehead. "Now."
"You wouldn't dare."
"Don't test me," he said dangerously.
"There isn't a spell that you could threaten me with that would make me get out of this bed," she said bravely.
"I'm thinking of one, two words long, that would get rid of you without me having to get you out of my bed," he warned. "Now get out."
"Use it. I dare you."
Avada—" he began with no real intention to finish the spell, but it was enough.
"Okay! I'm out!" Sinistra cried, leaping out of the bed. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Perhaps," he said with a slight menacing smile.
She didn't think for a second that he would have actually finished the spell. No, not even Severus would kill her just for refusing to move. Voldemort—perhaps. But not Snape. Still, it was startling. Just one thought had penetrated Sinistra's numb shock at his near-fatal attack: He's hot when he's angry.
Thanks very much for reading! A new chapter very soon.