They're about to spend an entire weekend together.
Technically alone, though there will be approximately 30 students following them around at odd hours of the day.
The idea would be repulsive to him if it wasn't for one single thing – he's hopelessly attracted to the starry-eyed twit that inhabits the Astronomy Tower and a very small part of him is as eager for this weekend as a child is eager for Christmas.
Eager, that is, until she walks down the stairs wearing Muggle clothing, carrying her tweed coat over her forearm, and he's forced to re-evaluate his attraction.
'Why are you wearing Muggle clothing?' he asks with his patented sneer. Though he'd never admit it to her, the turtleneck jumper does amazing things for her bust line and the denims hug all the right curves…
Good god…
She smiles lazily at him as she reaches the last step. 'Because we're going to a Muggle village and I have a feeling we'd stick out quite a bit in our robes.'
He frowns. 'We're on a field trip, Auriga, not a holiday.' He points to the Great Hall where the students are waiting. 'Even they'll be wearing their school robes.'
She tilts her head to the side and smiles, a gesture that has never favored him in the past. 'Care to place a wager on that?' She pulls her hair up into a loose bun and it takes him a moment to remember the question.
Ah, yes, a bet.
He's too proud not to. 'A night's worth of drinks on the loser.'
'Done.'
'Fine.'
She joins him by the doors to the Great Hall and they go inside and much to Severus' chagrin the group of students that will be accompanying them to the small seaside town in Scotland is wearing their Muggle clothing.
'I believe I'll be drinking Firewhiskey this weekend, Severus.'
Twitch…twitch…twitch…
'I hate you just a little bit sometimes,' he says through clenched teeth.
She laughs and brushes past him and he realizes that of every emotion she stirs in him, hate is possibly the least prevalent. In fact, as she pulls her coat on and smiles across the hall at him, he's tempted to say he feels greatly for her.
Twitch…twitch…twitch…
'Bugger,' he says softly and joins the group.