Dear reviewers, once again thank you very much for going to the trouble of writing your opinion on the progress of this story. Those of you who believe that the events of the previous chapter make Severus into a happy, sociable, untroubled man over night, read on …
Chapter Eleven: The Morning After
Alexandra was uncomfortable and cold. She had to do something about it, she had to wake up and retrieve the blanket. Turning over with a sigh she collided with something, something that grunted, stirred and then continued uttering soft snoring noises. Where was she? Who was she sharing her bed with? And why, for Heaven's sake, was she not wearing anything? She never slept without … Slowly her mind became awake and she remembered what had happened the previous night: Severus. It was him in the bed next to her, it was his house and his bed and his blanket, but she needed a share of it. She gave the fabric a tentative pull, but to no avail: The man was totally wrapped in it. She nudged him gently.
"Severus", she whispered, "I'm cold, I need a bit of the blanket."
Nothing, except a new rhythm to the snoring.
The next nudge became more insistent.
"Severus, please."
Now the snoring stopped, he grunted, turned over, put out an arm and drew her towards him, at the same time disentangling himself from the blanket and spreading it over both of them. Alexandra settled in his embrace, placing her cold feet next to his warm legs and letting her thoughts drift to the night before:
He had returned from the bathroom and, extinguishing the candles, had joined her in the bed. Putting as much empty space between them as the blanket would allow, he had settled down at the far side of the mattress with his back to her. Alexandra had waited for several minutes, staring at the back of his head, her eyes getting accustomed to the twilight of the room, but he had neither changed his position nor acknowledged her presence in any way. With an impatient sigh she had put out a hand to touch his shoulder.
"Severus," she had whispered, "hold me."
He had stiffened immediately, then had turned over and even in the dim light coming in through the uncurtained window his disapproving frown had been clearly discernable.
"Your ankle is injured."
"I don't need my ankle for what I would like to do," she had replied with a soft laugh. This had made him sit up and look at her for a long time, neither of them saying anything, his breathing very loud even against the noise of the cicadas outside the open bedroom window. Then, all of a sudden, he had bent down and started kissing her. Shyly and hesitatingly at first, as if waiting for signs of displeasure and rejection. When there hadn't been any, when he had felt her respond, his caresses had become more confident and competent, evoking an almost painful pleasure and a longing Alexandra had never experienced for a man before. Somewhere in the process nightshirt and t-shirt had been discarded. And then there had been nothing but longing and love and finally fulfilment and exhausted, satisfied sleep…
Alexandra felt Severus stir beside her and then his lips were on her neck and on her face, working their way from her collar-bone to her mouth inch by inch. She groaned, feeling passion rise again, and responded to his kisses. She had been married for nearly eight years, but this strong reaction of her body was totally new to her. She turned over and buried her hands in his hair, fervently answering his kisses and letting herself fall into the sea of utter bliss for another time…
The sun was high when she woke again and found herself alone in the bed. She heard the clatter of plates from the kitchen and there was a strong smell of coffee. Yawning and stretching she sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for the rumpled
t-shirt. Her knees and her ankle felt much better, perhaps she would even be able to walk a few steps. Carefully she stood and, supporting herself on the furniture and the wall, limped the short way to the door, following the smell and the noise. Severus was preparing breakfast, rummaging in the cupboard; he had already been to the village, there were croissants, fresh bread and a newspaper on the table.
"Good morning", she said to his back, holding on to the doorpost. Startled he swivelled round and scowled at her.
"You mustn't use that foot! Sit down at once, let me have a look."
With four long strides he had crossed the room, helped her to a kitchen chair and rested the leg on another one.
"Remove the bandages while I get my things," he commanded and went over to the cupboard. Alexandra unwrapped the bandages. The wounds on her knees and hand had healed completely, only the slightly darker pink of the skin telling of the abrasions of the day before. Her ankle was nearly back to its normal size, its colour yellowish green instead of blue.
"This looks good," Severus stated, coming towards her with his jars, "but still you should be careful."
He applied the greenish salve once more and bandaged the foot again. Then he handed her a stout walking stick.
"If you insist on walking around, at least take this", he said with an ironic twitch of his eyebrow.
"Breakfast is ready, and I've repaired your clothes and cleaned them."
"Thank you," she answered, "thank you for everything."
He looked at her with a strange expression in his eyes. Amusement? Wonder? Affection? Curiosity? She couldn't tell and decided to simply emphasize her gratitude with a smile.
"I'd like to go to the bathroom first."
She picked up the bundle of clothes and with the help of the walking stick limped to the door. Fifteen minutes later she returned, fully dressed, and joined him at the kitchen table.
He was half-hidden behind the newspaper, reading-glasses perched on his nose, an almost empty cup of black coffee and a half-eaten croissant before him. He made a sweeping gesture with his free hand which Alexandra interpreted as 'help yourself'. Not a very talkative man at breakfast, she thought, sat down and started reading the back of his paper.
"Do you apparate to the baker's?" she eventually tried to start a conversation halfway through her first croissant, after she had scanned the page and found the news uninteresting. He chuckled and put the paper down.
"Yes, of course. There's a quiet spot just where the road crosses the river. It's very convenient. I go there every other day and have earned myself a reputation of being a very keen walker."
"I must contact the hotel. They may be wondering about my whereabouts by now. Do you know if I can phone from here? I have a mobile."
Phone and then what? Go back there, pay for the room, fetch the luggage and return? Go back and stay there for the remainder of the holidays, with a mutual promise of staying in touch? Go back there and never see him again? Alexandra looked up and met his eyes. He was studying her over the rim of his coffee cup, his expression unreadable. His hand trembled slightly. He cleared his throat.
"Alexandra, I don't want you to believe that last night leaves you with any obligations."
When her eyes widened in disbelief, he directed his gaze back to the front page of the paper on the table.
"Sorry?"
"I don't want you to think …"
So he wanted to get rid of her after all. Very well…
"Can you apparate me to the village so that I can take the bus to Perpignan tomorrow? I don't think I'll be able to walk all the way to the bus stop with this foot."
She hoped that her voice had not sounded as hurt and disappointed as she felt.
She didn't look up, but she could feel his gaze.
"We could apparate to Perpignan directly."
She shrugged, still not looking up. It would be all the same to her.
Then he reached across the table and took her hand.
"Alexandra, I just wanted to make sure that… Oh, Merlin, I don't know how to express it…"
When she didn't react, his grip on her hand increased as if he was drowning and desperately in need of rescue.
"Alexandra, look at me, for Merlin's sake!" he cried.
Slowly she complied. His eyes were black and intense and full of a strange mixture of hope, despair and misery.
"We could apparate to Perpignan directly and fetch your luggage, you may want your clothes if you stay here longer, my supply of spare t-shirts is limited," he said very quickly and almost inaudibly.
Alexandra's mouth fell open.
"You are free to say 'no', if you don't like the idea."
"No! I mean, yes, I would like to fetch my luggage," she breathed, a heavy load taken from her heart, "and I'd really like to stay with you for the rest of my holidays, if you'd have me.
I was so afraid that you had changed your mind and wanted to get rid of me."
He let out a sigh of relief.
"Of course I'd have you. I just wondered, well, sometimes the rash decisions taken in the darkness of the night seem foolish in broad daylight… "
"It wasn't a foolish decision and it wasn't rash, either. I've had two years to think about it. When I told you I loved you, I really meant it", she interrupted him softly, "
He squeezed her hand and finally allowed himself a happy smile that took years off his face.
"I'll take the wards down so that your phone works. We can go to your hotel tomorrow. Are you sure you are up to another dose of apparition?"
Alexandra shrugged.
"That's one of the disadvantages of loving a wizard, I suppose", she sighed with a happy smile.
Thanks to J.K.Rowling for inventing these wonderful characters