Severus woke with the unnerving feeling that he was being watched. He sat up only to discover he was alone in his room. He ran his hand through his raven hair and reached for the pajama shirt that lay on the floor where he had discarded it.
He stretched and stood. It was six a.m. He walked towards his small bathroom. Still feeling slightly unnerved he stripped and stepped into the shower.
Severus stood with his head against the cool tile of the stall. He could still hear the screams of terror when the Aurors attacked Voldemort's hide out. He had been one of the few not wearing the Deatheater garb.
He could still see Remus' large brown eyes as Lucius used the curse that now had him mute. He shuddered and tried to shake the image from his mind to no avail. Severus finished showering and grabbed the towel from the rack and wrapped it around himself.
Severus looked at his pale chest and the scars that crisscrossed it. Years of working both sides is not with out its perils, he muttered as he stepped back into his room.
******
Hermione glided from the side hall where Severus' room lay. She smiled to herself. It was not the first time she had nearly been caught by the sleeping man as he woke. She had thought about her invisibility cloak, but that seemed a little weird to her.
She made her way back up to her bedroom on the second floor and shut the door tightly behind her. She glanced at Crookshanks, as he slept in the center of the bed, before going to her closet.
She opened the double doors to reveal the vast walk in closet. Stepping inside she immediately saw what she was looking for; a scarlet velvet cloak with with a light gold colored lining. She took it off of the peg and left her room with it.
She had just made it down the stairs when she heard a knock at the door. She opened the door and saw three men on the porch. "Sirius, glad you could come early. Lucius isn't particularly happy with this you know." She stepped aside and allowed him and the two Aurors to enter.
"Well Remus is just ecstatic to have him," Sirius replied dryly.
"Have they found the counter curse yet?"
"No. But If I let him I am sure Remus would love to give him a taste of his own medicine."
"Why doesn't he just bite him?" She knew full well that Lucius despised Werewolves, and would try and ill himself if he were bitten.
"He'd probably do that as well."
The two Aurors stood by the door silently waiting for Lucius to appear. They were the same two that had brought him. "I'll go get him," Hermione said excusing herself.
"There's no need," Lucius stood in the doorway, he looked unhappy. "I'm prepared to leave."
"You can go ahead of me," Sirius addressed the Aurors who led a very unhappy Lucius out the door. After they had left he spoke again. "When are you returning to Hogwarts?"
"Tomorrow" Hermione said smiling, "I'm going to Diagon today to pick up a few things,"
"Well you know where to find me if you need anything," He gave her a light kiss on the cheek before letting himself out.
"Take care, and don't let Remus do anything stupid."
"Trust me I won't," With that and a muffles 'pop' Sirius disapperated.
*******
Hermione shut the door and smiled, 'Well now that that's over with I get out of here." She said to herself as she walked down the hallway and back to the servants hall. She stopped in front of Severus' door and knocked. "Severus?" She opened the door and smiled.
He sat at the small writing desk quill in hand and the leather bound journal open. "Severus, Lucius is gone,"
He looked up from the journal and set the quill down. He had a grim look on his face, "Oh?" He didn't know exactly what to say.
Hermione saw his confusion and walked over to him. He remained in his chair as she stood next to him.
Severus felt her cool hands on his neck as she traced the edges of the collar with her fingertips. She murmured something that he didn't understand and heard the locking mechanism of the collar move.
Hermione pulled the collar away and held it in her hands. "Are you ready? I am sure that there are things you need to pick up as well."
"How can I?" He asked, "My Gringotts vault was sealed, just like the rest of the Deatheaters."
"Actually it wasn't" Hermione said smiling. She shrunk the collar and placed it in a ring box before slipping it into the pocket of her robe. "I know you'll want to know how and why but things will be explained in due time."
He didn't argue, but instead stood and followed her out the door.
*********
An hour later they were in Diagon Alley. Severus knew no one was watching him but he felt as if many eyes were watching him. Hermione had to reassure him several times to relax and that his collar wasn't going to go back on.
"Is that wise Miss Granger?" he asked as they stood in front of one of the many apothecaries. They had just left Gringotts and now were ready to shop
"Quite, as long as I am with you they will not question it. Now let's go in." She held the door and nearly pushed him inside.
Severus took a deep breath as he entered, reveling in all of the various odors that permeated the shop; from fetid and sour to sweet and flowery. He felt he was in his own element.
The shopkeeper, a squat wizard, looked up from the counter. "Can I help you?" He then saw Severus, "Ah, Severus, preparing for school yet again?"
"I am," Severus said, "I will need the usual list. You still have it don't you, Roland?"
"And why wouldn't I?" the shopkeeper replied as he pulled a folded piece of parchment from a file. "Anything for you miss?"
Hermione was about to say something when Severus interrupted her, "Do you still have those sets? The ones with the rare ingredients?"
"Aye." He levitated a large Apothecary chest onto the counter, "We just got this one in,"
Hermione looked at Severus, "Good, I'll take it." Severus said to Hermione's surprise. Apothecary boxes were expensive, and one filled with rare potions ingredients even more so. He looked at Hermione and raised an eyebrow before turning back to the shopkeeper.
"I don't need anything," Hermione finally replied as the shopkeeper looked at her again. With her new job she would have little time for potions. She looked around the shop while Severus paid for his items. She looked up when she saw him watching her. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," He said in his usual silky voice. "Where did you want to go next?"
"Flourish and Blotts," She replied as they walked out of the store.
*********
They returned to Hermione's home later in the afternoon. Hermione immediately took her purchases up to her bedroom leaving Severus to take his to his room. Severus took of his coat and lay it across the foot of his bed. He sat down and took the shrunken Apothecary box out of his pocket. After clearing his small desk off he set it down and returned it to it's normal size.
Hermione had given him his wand back, it was against the rules but she had already broken one by allowing him to have his collar off in public.
He examined to contents and was pleasantly surprised at the extensiveness of the items; everything from iridescent water dragon scales to several bottles of unicorn tears was contained in the thirty small drawers.
He re shrunk it and placed it in his truck along with the rest of his purchases.
******
Hermione packed what she had bought as soon as she got to her room. She wondered why Severus had bought the Apothecary box. He doesn't need it does he? Or was it to show off? She asked herself. She shrugged it off and continued to pack. They would be leaving to Hogwarts on the first train out.
TBC
A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews. sorry I haven't updated sooner.
He stretched and stood. It was six a.m. He walked towards his small bathroom. Still feeling slightly unnerved he stripped and stepped into the shower.
Severus stood with his head against the cool tile of the stall. He could still hear the screams of terror when the Aurors attacked Voldemort's hide out. He had been one of the few not wearing the Deatheater garb.
He could still see Remus' large brown eyes as Lucius used the curse that now had him mute. He shuddered and tried to shake the image from his mind to no avail. Severus finished showering and grabbed the towel from the rack and wrapped it around himself.
Severus looked at his pale chest and the scars that crisscrossed it. Years of working both sides is not with out its perils, he muttered as he stepped back into his room.
******
Hermione glided from the side hall where Severus' room lay. She smiled to herself. It was not the first time she had nearly been caught by the sleeping man as he woke. She had thought about her invisibility cloak, but that seemed a little weird to her.
She made her way back up to her bedroom on the second floor and shut the door tightly behind her. She glanced at Crookshanks, as he slept in the center of the bed, before going to her closet.
She opened the double doors to reveal the vast walk in closet. Stepping inside she immediately saw what she was looking for; a scarlet velvet cloak with with a light gold colored lining. She took it off of the peg and left her room with it.
She had just made it down the stairs when she heard a knock at the door. She opened the door and saw three men on the porch. "Sirius, glad you could come early. Lucius isn't particularly happy with this you know." She stepped aside and allowed him and the two Aurors to enter.
"Well Remus is just ecstatic to have him," Sirius replied dryly.
"Have they found the counter curse yet?"
"No. But If I let him I am sure Remus would love to give him a taste of his own medicine."
"Why doesn't he just bite him?" She knew full well that Lucius despised Werewolves, and would try and ill himself if he were bitten.
"He'd probably do that as well."
The two Aurors stood by the door silently waiting for Lucius to appear. They were the same two that had brought him. "I'll go get him," Hermione said excusing herself.
"There's no need," Lucius stood in the doorway, he looked unhappy. "I'm prepared to leave."
"You can go ahead of me," Sirius addressed the Aurors who led a very unhappy Lucius out the door. After they had left he spoke again. "When are you returning to Hogwarts?"
"Tomorrow" Hermione said smiling, "I'm going to Diagon today to pick up a few things,"
"Well you know where to find me if you need anything," He gave her a light kiss on the cheek before letting himself out.
"Take care, and don't let Remus do anything stupid."
"Trust me I won't," With that and a muffles 'pop' Sirius disapperated.
*******
Hermione shut the door and smiled, 'Well now that that's over with I get out of here." She said to herself as she walked down the hallway and back to the servants hall. She stopped in front of Severus' door and knocked. "Severus?" She opened the door and smiled.
He sat at the small writing desk quill in hand and the leather bound journal open. "Severus, Lucius is gone,"
He looked up from the journal and set the quill down. He had a grim look on his face, "Oh?" He didn't know exactly what to say.
Hermione saw his confusion and walked over to him. He remained in his chair as she stood next to him.
Severus felt her cool hands on his neck as she traced the edges of the collar with her fingertips. She murmured something that he didn't understand and heard the locking mechanism of the collar move.
Hermione pulled the collar away and held it in her hands. "Are you ready? I am sure that there are things you need to pick up as well."
"How can I?" He asked, "My Gringotts vault was sealed, just like the rest of the Deatheaters."
"Actually it wasn't" Hermione said smiling. She shrunk the collar and placed it in a ring box before slipping it into the pocket of her robe. "I know you'll want to know how and why but things will be explained in due time."
He didn't argue, but instead stood and followed her out the door.
*********
An hour later they were in Diagon Alley. Severus knew no one was watching him but he felt as if many eyes were watching him. Hermione had to reassure him several times to relax and that his collar wasn't going to go back on.
"Is that wise Miss Granger?" he asked as they stood in front of one of the many apothecaries. They had just left Gringotts and now were ready to shop
"Quite, as long as I am with you they will not question it. Now let's go in." She held the door and nearly pushed him inside.
Severus took a deep breath as he entered, reveling in all of the various odors that permeated the shop; from fetid and sour to sweet and flowery. He felt he was in his own element.
The shopkeeper, a squat wizard, looked up from the counter. "Can I help you?" He then saw Severus, "Ah, Severus, preparing for school yet again?"
"I am," Severus said, "I will need the usual list. You still have it don't you, Roland?"
"And why wouldn't I?" the shopkeeper replied as he pulled a folded piece of parchment from a file. "Anything for you miss?"
Hermione was about to say something when Severus interrupted her, "Do you still have those sets? The ones with the rare ingredients?"
"Aye." He levitated a large Apothecary chest onto the counter, "We just got this one in,"
Hermione looked at Severus, "Good, I'll take it." Severus said to Hermione's surprise. Apothecary boxes were expensive, and one filled with rare potions ingredients even more so. He looked at Hermione and raised an eyebrow before turning back to the shopkeeper.
"I don't need anything," Hermione finally replied as the shopkeeper looked at her again. With her new job she would have little time for potions. She looked around the shop while Severus paid for his items. She looked up when she saw him watching her. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," He said in his usual silky voice. "Where did you want to go next?"
"Flourish and Blotts," She replied as they walked out of the store.
*********
They returned to Hermione's home later in the afternoon. Hermione immediately took her purchases up to her bedroom leaving Severus to take his to his room. Severus took of his coat and lay it across the foot of his bed. He sat down and took the shrunken Apothecary box out of his pocket. After clearing his small desk off he set it down and returned it to it's normal size.
Hermione had given him his wand back, it was against the rules but she had already broken one by allowing him to have his collar off in public.
He examined to contents and was pleasantly surprised at the extensiveness of the items; everything from iridescent water dragon scales to several bottles of unicorn tears was contained in the thirty small drawers.
He re shrunk it and placed it in his truck along with the rest of his purchases.
******
Hermione packed what she had bought as soon as she got to her room. She wondered why Severus had bought the Apothecary box. He doesn't need it does he? Or was it to show off? She asked herself. She shrugged it off and continued to pack. They would be leaving to Hogwarts on the first train out.
TBC
A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews. sorry I haven't updated sooner.