It was not a good idea to be in Snape's office, truly. But here she was, and it had only taken an hour or two of bribery and blackmail to wile herself into the room.
It really was a fascinating place- if a bit gruesome. The Potions Mistress at Regalus certainly never combined her stores with her office setting, but Sabine was in little position to judge.
On the desk in front of her was a piping hot pot of coffee, the magical device humming gently as steam poured from under the tall kettle. Again, it had taken her a good long time to find the coffee beans, though the operation of the tool was no trouble.
Sabine's original intent was to be quick, but this hope was crushed by the sad reality of her ignorance with regards to the navigation of Snape's office. Oh, the original plan had been so clever: she would return the coffee mug, freshly washed, and leave it ready for him to fill in front of his chair while the coffee brewed for him. The whole gesture was a not-so-subtle nod towards an apology for her inadvertent mistake the night before.
However, Sabine had also woken early to create some means to the end of this plan. It was that small flaw in her plot that caused her to notice how comfortable Severus' office chair looked, and then that possessed her to seat herself upon it- just for a few minutes, she told herself.
So now she was asleep at his desk.
Severus rose slowly from bed, his limbs oddly stiff. The nightmare was still fresh in his mind... No matter. He would have to grow accustomed to them, if he was to teach Sabine. And teach her he would - it would be murder to do otherwise. Still, perhaps he had better brew another batch of the dreamless sleep draught.
His thoughts drifted from the subject as another, more demanding concept entered his mind. Coffee. I need coffee. He could almost smell it...
Wandering over to the washbasin, he performed a mechanical but cleansing morning ritual, then pulled on a robe and entered his locked office.
Or, it had been locked. It apparently at some point had become unlocked, as Sabine was now asleep in his chair. He felt a bizarre twinge of annoyance at this - it altered the natural order of things. She had no business in his chair, especially at this hour.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, his voice a sudden noise in the silent room as he addressed her sleeping form. Only then did he realize that the aroma of coffee was real.
Eh?
Sabine groaned, shifting in her sleep. After a second the question registered with her and her eyes snapped open, and she flicked them wildly about for a moment before they settled on Severus. God damn it all.
Embarrassment and annoyance burned her face, and she cleared her face nervously as she straightened in his chair. She would have to try to play it off as though she had prepared for this.
"I am making you coffee." This she explained as though it should have been painfully obvious.
Severus stared at her for a long moment, considering this statement, and then smirked. "I have heard that women possess some amount of skill at multitasking. You, however, surpass them all."
He stalked over to the coffeepot and poured a fresh mug, taking a sip. He savored it for a moment, then nodded shortly in approval and poured another mug, setting it on the desk before Sabine. "Thank you."
He glanced at the door. "How, exactly, did you get in here? Or would it be better if I just did not ask?"
"Flatterer," Sabine said, making no move to leave the man's chair as she collected the mug of coffee offered to her. She was fairly sure that he was being sarcastic, but she may as well play along. It was a decent answer either way.
After finishing about half of her coffee with a great deal of passion, Sabine was feeling much more exuberant. It was then that Severus made his inquiry, and she bit her lip for a moment before answering. "Well, your Headmaster was surprisingly obliging. I think he was aware of my intentions... he seems to know everything. Once I was told what kind of charms guarded your office- well, I have taught the subject for the past several years."
Severus raised a brow at her. "You broke into my office? I believe there are several school rules about that, along with some sort of law..." He waved a hand. "No matter. Next time, however, if you desire coffee, you have my full permission to knock." His expression, however, told that he understood her purpose there.
"Albus is going to have a great deal of explaining to do..." He grumbled. "I am not accustomed to waking and finding a woman asleep in my office. A strange experience, to say the least."
He mused into his coffee for several moments. "What classes must you teach today?"
She looked really very embarrassed at that, and blushed at what was left of her coffee. "I'll keep that in mind, Severus. I'm sorry to have troubled you." In reality, Sabine was quite glad she did it. It was nice to be the one to surprise him for a change.
Mulling over the question for a moment, Sabine brought forth her mental timetable. "None...except for final period Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall mentioned she'd like to step out and get a new grip for her cane, and I supposed I'd make myself useful."
Severus considered this. He'd seen something while passing down the hall the day before, glancing out the window onto the grounds, and the thought had only just begun to congeal into a cohesive idea.
"Would you mind going down with me to the Gamekeeper's hut? I think it would be of some assistance to the search." He did not name what that search was for - there was no need.
Both hazel eyes lit up significantly- there was something of importance to be investigated today? Excellent. The woman gave a sharp bob of her head, and poured herself another half-cup of coffee when she finished her first.
"When, exactly? And...Who is the gamekeeper?" It was shameful, really. Sabine knew so little of her new colleagues. She would have to start nosing into people's business soon enough.
"Rubeus Hagrid." Severus replied with a slight sneer. "You may have heard of him before now... He is also the recently appointed Care of Magical Creatures professor.
"He is also, unfortunately..." And his tone made it clear that he did not think it was so very unfortunate, "Away on an envoy to the giants in the north. So some of your considerable talent at breaking and entering may be called upon."
He glanced at her over his coffee cup as he finished the brew and smirked.
"Oh, excellent. Another one of your dear friends," Sabine remarked with a sardonic smile. "I would be happy to be of assistance, and savour the opportunity." She took a deep breath and raised the mug to her lips, finishing the sample very quickly indeed.
"If you'll excuse my naivety, what purpose would breaking into this man's hut serve?"
Severus gave her a withering look, as if to say, "That should be painfully apparent."
"The man is keeper of the grounds. If anything out of place had appeared within the borders of Hogwarts - such as something large and bestial that crushes large parts of the forest at will - One assumes that he would know about it, and keep a record of such occurrences."
He picked up the coffeepot, refilled his own mug and held it out to her in question.
"Well, I beg your pardon." Sabine pursed her lips slightly, taking the pot from him to fill her cup. "I suppose you're right," she sighed after sampling the fruits of her labour once more.
"It should be interesting, at least," she said at random, after having mulled over her own thoughts for a while. "When did you say you would like to do this?"
"This afternoon after classes, preferably, and then - with your leave - we may indulge in another Occlumency lesson. I daresay we shall need the relaxation after a day of mental taxing." He offered a halfhearted sneer, then buried himself in his coffee and did not speak again until he had finished it.
"This would be the second day in a row I have kept you from breakfast, I would suggest that you go and have something to eat." He commented, effectively ending the conversation. At least, that was his intention. He had planning to do, and his first class was in an hour.
Sabine snickered. "I never have breakfast. Haven't you noticed? I have coffee." She finished her mug and stood up, leaving Severus to his mind. "My apologies again for the intrusion," she said as she closed the door behind her.
Severus thought about this for a moment. No, he hadn't noticed. But then again, neither did he, so it really shouldn't have been that surprising.
He washed the mugs, returned them to the cabinet that was their home and set off to prepare things for his first class, mulling over what might be found in Hagrid's hut that afternoon.