Severus climbed the winding staircase to Sabine's quarters and informed the guarding statue of the password. The sullen thing moved aside, staring at him coolly out of graven stone eyes, and Severus stepped forward, rapping on the door with his knuckles.

He'd considered going in, figuring that the door opened, after all, into merely a sitting chamber, but decided against it. He checked the time while waiting for his partner in crime to answer the door.

With a sharp gasp, Sabine sat up, her straight black hair falling around her shoulders as she examined the room. It was empty, and although the air was cool and fresh, and pink morninglight streamed in through the full-length window, something didn't seem right. What had awoken her? The clock showed her an ungodly time, and she blinked at it a few times.

It wasn't right- she was far too alert, and the sensation gave her a dull ache in her forehead in protest to having appeared so suddenly. What a dream- a recurring dream, she reflected. There had been... "Severus?" she murmured softly. "Severus!" The next word was a bark; she had forgotten to rise early! "I'll be out in a moment!"

Thank God she had taken to showering at night to save time in the morning. Leaving her thin blanket on the cobbles, Sabine hastened to unbutton her high-necked white cotton nightgown and don head-to-toe black: button-up blouse, skirt, and boots followed by a bottle-green robe with a black belt that would be easy to remove. Jewelry was forsaken for the day, negative the silver hairpins she used to fasten hastily brushed hair into a pile and the two rings on her left finger. She had slept wearing them.

That done, it only took Sabine moments to emerge outside. "Forgive me."

Severus stepped back from the door as a slightly flustered Sabine emerged. Faced with the literal woman of his dreams, he was sure he blushed, if only slightly. He hoped that his amusement would hide the unexpected and inconvenient reaction.

"I would have waited," He remarked, chuckling softly. "I apologize if I startled you." He procured a porcelain mug, apparently out of nowhere. "Coffee?" The distinct aroma marked it as his French and Colombian blend, as the rich Arabic seemed better suited for evening consumption.

The Master, accustomed to rising at ungodly hours, was already alert and carefully dressed; form the tips of his black shoes, which peeked out from beneath his robes; to the black hair that was neatly tied back.

"Thank God," Sabine repeated to herself, retrieving the cup of coffee and sipping at it, letting out a low sigh as its effects consumed her. In fact, she barely stopped herself from releasing an appreciative whimper. Sweet coffee, her true friend, her inspiration; her lover in times of war, her guide in times of need. Wonderful, wonderful aroma, magnificent taste, such welcome sensations as the scalding liquid flowed past her lips. Nectar of mortals! Wine of the damned!

She was finished within minutes.

"Thank you very much," she said finally, taking a deep breath before offering back the empty mug and straightening her robes. "Shall we... wait. From where did you summon the mug so efficiently?"

Watching his colleague down the coffee, her appreciation and relief etched upon her features, Severus was struck by a bizarre brand of amusement. Her pleased sigh, complete lack of attention toward anything else and compulsive urge to straighten her robes when she had finished the drink gave an entirely new meaning to the term "coffee lover." He smirked, accepting the mug, and bowed graciously.

"Madam," he replied in response to her question. "I am a wizard." The mug vanished. Still wearing the smirk, he tossed her earlier words back to her. "Now... Shall we?"

"We shall."