1982
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Chapter 3
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Chessmate
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by Saeshmea
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During his student years Severus had thought, for no reason at all, that professors were only together during the meals at the Great Hall. He couldn't have been any more wrong. The teachers lounge was rarely empty, only at the late hours he would be able to enjoy some peace and the heat of the big fireplace to read. So he soon made a routine of waiting for everybody to leave to stay on his own, with a good book and a cup of hot tea.
It was on thursday evening when the door suddenly opening disturbed his reading. He turned around and saw Minerva coming in.
"I'm sorry," she said after noticing he was on one of the armchairs staring at her, "I thought nobody would be here."
"It's alright," he said, "the room is big enough for the both of us," and he pretended to return to his book while he paid attention to every noise she made, trying to guess what she was doing.
He listened to the door closing, to her heels walking to the buffet; he listened the tea the elves always prepared for the teachers being poured into one of the porcelain cups; then there was the clinging of the forks and spoons when she opened the cutlery drawer and after that: silence. He didn't need to turn around to know she was pouring two spoons of sugar into her tea; and the later sound of the spoon stirring the liquid confirmed that suspicion.
There was a short moment of silence again, and then he listened to her heels approaching him, and he waited for her to occupy the armchair next to him before closing the book and looking at her. She sat down with her legs crossed and rested her back against the pillow while holding the hot cup of tea with both hands.
"What are you reading?" she asked.
"Nothing special," he said, showing her the cover of his copy of Moste potente Potions.
"Seems interesting," she said and then she sipped some tea and Severus couldn't tell if she was smiling or not behind the white porcelain.
"Where is Ethan?" he asked, trying not to sound too interested, but really curious about why she wasn't with her husband at that time.
"Feeding the animals," she replied as a matter of factly, "I always come here when he's out at this time because it's…"
"Peaceful," Severus finished her sentence.
"Yeah," she smiled, this time he could tell, "how are you adjusting to the job?" she asked.
"Fine," he answered, "I never imagined myself teaching," he said, "but now I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else."
"I'm happy for you, Severus," she replied, and he looked at her, and she didn't look exactly happy, "you deserve this second chance on life," then she realized he was peeking at her and she hide her face behind her cup of tea. She made one more long sip and then stood up to leave the porcelain piece on the buffet table, taking Severus' empty cup with her too.
Something made him think that she was going to leave now, that she would excuse herself and leave him alone, but that didn't happen.
"Would you care for a chess game?" she suddenly asked, and Severus putting his book away seemed to be enough for an answer, because Minerva returned to the sitting area with an old chessboard on her hands. With a clever move of her wand, she made the pieces appear on their places and sat down.
The first movements of their game were made in a cozy silence that Severus broke, not because he was feeling uncomfortable, but because he saw it as an opportunity to learn more about his former professor.
"How long have you and Ethan been married?" he said, "if you don't mind me asking," he added, trying to take some rudeness out from his question.
"I don't," she assured him, not taking her eyes away from the board as she spoke, "it will be two years this spring."
"So you met when he came to work here," he made his Tower move five squares forwards and before receiving an answer, the small white piece had been smashed into pieces by Minerva's Queen.
"Yes, we met at the beginning of the school year," she explained, "when he came to replace Professor Nodd after his retirement."
"Was it love at first sight, then?" Severus asked, moving his Knight forwards with the intention of killing her Queen in a couple more moves.
"I don't believe such thing exists," she replied with a hint of sadness on her voice and killing Severus' Knight with one of her Pawns.
"I do," Severus admitted.
"Are you in love, Severus?" suddenly her eyes raised from the chess board and stared at his.
Severus froze. Her goddess eyes were hypnotizing, and the question… too difficult to answer. Was he in love?
"I was," he confessed, thinking of Lily, "and sometimes, I think I still am," he added, "but she's gone forever, now, and the truth is that... I had lost her long before she left."
"Was it love at first sight?" she asked, still looking at him.
"Definitely," he admitted.
"You must be very lucky, then," she said, that hint of sadness staining her voice again, and she returned to the game, only six pieces left.
"But you and Ethan," Severus said, "you love each other, right?"
"Oh, definitely," she quoted him, "I love him very much and I know that he feels the same," she added, and then she made her last move, "checkmate," she said, and Severus looked down to the board game to see his King splitted in two pieces by Minerva's last Pawn standing.
"How did you do that?" he asked, "you had only two pieces left."
"You can't never underestimate an opponent," she smirked and then looked at the clock on the wall, "Ethan must be done already, I should be heading back," she said, "it was a nice game."
"I will want a rematch," he replied, and he bended to start collecting the pieces, but Minerva had the same thought and their mingled action resulted on the entire set of pieces on the ground.
"Oh, Merlin, I'm so clumsy," Minerva apologized with half a giggle on her voice and quickly kneeling down to pick them up, followed by Severus.
"We both are," he replied, and soon he was distracted by Minerva's skin. The stretching movement of her arm had caused the sleeve of her dress to roll up a little, showing a few more fingers of skin that it used to on the zone of her wrist, and what had caught Severus' attention was the mark of a recent burn that seemed to climb up her arm under the fabric of her clothes.
When she noticed Severus' eyes pinned on her, Minerva quickly pulled her sleeve down and stood up.
"I burned myself with this afternoon's tea," she explained, "as I said, I am very clumsy."
"Let me see," Severus stood up too and took Minerva's hand with his. She didn't move. He turned it around and rolled her sleeve up so he could have a better look of the injury. He brushed his fingers around her burn skin tickling her and she shivered, "it looks bad but it's not serious," he said, not raising his eyes yet, "you should have gone to Madame Pomfrey, anyway," he added, "I will make one of the Houselves bring you a potion later, all you have to do is apply it over the damaged skin and in a couple days you'll see no scar," he looked at her, to make sure she had understood, and then he let go of her hand.
"Thank you, Severus," she said, pulling down her sleeve again, "really, I don't know how to thank you enough."
"Just promise we'll play that rematch," he said, giving her his best smile.
"Anytime," she answered and then she left and Severus finished picking up the pieces from the ground on his own.
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TO BE CONTINUED...