Here is the third chapter for this book. Fair warning I write most of my stuff by hand so it may take a while to get it all sorry oh ps I own noting...Hogans Heros humor...tehe.. oh except Russalyn
It had been about three weeks since Severus had woken up and he still stayed inside. He wasn't use to the heat and all his clothes were made for a cooler climate. So he would stay inside and sit in his room or in the library and read.
Russalyn was a little worried by the behavior at first, but soon shrugged it off. She knew Severus wasn't very outdoorsy or a social person. But it still hurt a little when he would take his meals in his room. It made her feel like he was avoiding her.
She was out side tending to her plants one day with the radio on. She had enchanted it so she could receive music even the remote areas. Some muggle song was on and she was singing along. She was up on a ladder when she heard him coming and turned it down.
She looked down and smiled delighted to see him, "You came out," she said and moved quickly down the ladder. He was standing at the bottom when she stepped off, "And I see you're only wearing black pant today instead off all black."
"The white shirt is cooler," he said as he looked down at her. She was about four inches shorter then he was so it wasn't too bad. "Isn't that a Rudella tree?" he asked indicating the tree she was just caring for. When she turned to look at the tree Severus smacked himself mentally. He knew it was a Rudella; He was just not accustomed to someone with such a beautiful smile giving him a genuine one. He was much more accustomed to the insincere and nasty ones.
"Yes, I have several around the property. I was checking the fruit. It is almost ripe for harvest," She said turning back to him a softer, but no less beautiful, smile on her lips.
"Aren't they poisonous?" he asked. He hadn't planned on staying out, but seeing the Rudella tree and the loving way she was inspecting the fruit had caught his attention. So he ignored the beads of sweat that had begun to form on his brow.
Russalyn noticed it however and indicated a bench in the shade that they could use, "The seeds are, but not the juice. I found that out in China. They grow there as well, but these produce stronger fruit, so I can use less," she said as she sat down on the cool stone. He joined her on the bench intrigued "Aren't they all seed? Not much to get from them," he said and was shocked by her answer.
"No, they are mostly juice. They are kinda like pomegranates in the sense that they cluster together in tiny juice filled pods. I actually think they are related distantly," she said with a warm smile and excited look in her eyes. She was in her element. She had spent the better part of five years studying these plants.
"What ever made you think to try it?" Severus asked thinking that she must have seen something over there to make her think that the plant had some use. You didn't just look at a plant that to the rest of the wizarding world was deadly and say I can make something useful out of that.
At this she gave him a sadder smile and a shadow touched her eyes as she began her story of discovery "Well outside the Temple I was staying at there was a Rudella tree. Everyday a family of Monkeys would come and eat the fruit. I happened to notice that they were some of the healthiest I had ever seen and was intrigued. I noticed that they weren't swallowing the seed, but just putting the pods in there mouth biting to get the juice then spitting out the seeds." she said and looked at him.
"That's all well and good for the monkeys," Severus said, "But how did you know it would be alright for people?" he asked with a quirk of his brow.
"Well since monkeys are so closely related to humans I thought it would be just as good for us. So seeing as I was in a pretty dark state of mind as it was, I waited till they left one day picked one and after opening I tried a pod," she said a little embarrassed when Severus's jaw dropped.
"Are you insane? Why would you even think about trying that when you know what could have happened?" he asked and couldn't keep the concern form coloring his word.
She seemed too embarrassed to notice turning a deep red and said, "I was at a point in my life that I didn't care one way or the other, but once I tasted the fruit, I knew that I could do something great with it. So I dedicated my time to that," She got off the bench and began to walk away then stopped. She turned back to him and said, "I have to go check the other trees. Would you like to come? They are kinda spread out so I will understand if you don't want to."
"Well I had planned to just ask if you had seen a certain book, but a look around your estate does sound appealing," mostly because I will be around you he thought as she gave him another smile. And he wondered to himself what could have brought such a lovely creature so much pain that she would try something she knew could have killed her. There was more to Russalyn than she let on.
"Excellent," she said and clapped her hands together," Now the are rather spaced apart like I said so we will have to take the ATVs," she said and walked back over and took his hand. She pulled him up and after her as she began to walk to the shed. He gave a half grin at her enthusiasm but started to think and his grin fell.
Apparently so did she," Merlin's beard," she groaned and turned to look at him," You're gonna have to ride double with me. The ATV is a muggle device. I enchanted it so it doesn't need any gas, but with out any experience driving one can be tricky." she said with a sheepish smile.
Severus swallowed past the lump that had formed in his throat," I'm sure it will be fine," he said and tried to think about how he was going to stay calm while holding on to Rosalyn's waist.
"I would normally would just apporabate, but there are muggles wandering around the hill today and I can't just pop in and out," she said smiling again and continued to pull him along side the house, enjoying the feel of his cool hand in hers. Her heart rate increasing slightly.
She let go of his hand and threw open the door to the shed to reveal two four wheel devices that made Severus cringe internally. Russalyn looked at him and smiled," Come on, lets go," she said and grabbed a set of the keys off the hook and walked over to one of vehicles.
"You want me to ride on that," he sneered. She had already climbed on and inserted the key. She looked up at him and gave a teasing smile," You're not scared are you?" she asked. She knew she was baiting him, but he needed to get out.
He frowned at her," No I'm not frightened it's just..." he said and was cut off by the sound of the engine roaring to life.
"Well come on and climb up behind me," she said and pulled up next to him. He swallowed past the lump in his throat again and climbed up as she instructed. "Hold on now," she called back as she moved forward a smile on her lips and a flutter in her chest as he caught hold of her waist.
They sped down the gravel path and at first Severus was awed by the flora that surrounded them. The rich green of the leaves. The vibrant colors of the flowers. Then he noticed the sway of Russalyn's waist as she guided the four wheeler along the winding path and his pulse increased in tempo.
They quickly pulled up along another Rudella tree and Russalyn quickly jumped off her heart pounding in her ears. She looked back smiling at a flushed Severus, "Sorry they have to be so spaced out. They are territorial. If they are to close to each other the larger one will kill off the smaller one," she said sounding breathless and grabbed a low hanging branch and pulled herself up into the tree.
Severus got off the strange machine and moved over to the tree and looked up," What uses have you found for the juice," he called up but was unable to see her through the thick growth of leaves.
"Well it is very healthy. When drunk straight it gives you a small increase in strength and endurance. When used in a cream it helps lines and wrinkles. It is also the one of the main ingredients in the Re-birth potion," she stuck her head down out of another low branch," What do you think saved you life," she smiled and flipped to the ground.
"But it is only one of the big ingredients. The really hard one to get is the Phoenix ashes. And they are so temperamental. You have to have it at just the right temperature to get them to dissolve in the Rudella juice," she said and moved over to the four wheeler.
"Each tree produces about twelve to fifteen fruit and it takes about six fruit to brew on rebirth potion," she said and sat on the seat but didn't start it," Maybe when we get back you would like to see the lab," she suggested hopefully.
Severus walked over to the vehicle, impressed by Russalyn's knowledge. She was quick witted and intelligent and he felt himself slip a little farther over the edge. "That would be very interesting" and gave her a half smile.
"Great," she exclaimed and the ATV roared into life as she turned the key," I have two more trees to check, then we can go have lunch and see the lab," she said and she felt her skin jump when he got on and took her waist again," Hold on."