Severus heard the clack of heels on the tile and it caught his attention. He looked up from his book and saw Russalyn walk by. Her hair was in a neat twist and she wore a green knee length skirt and white button up blouse. Black pumps adorned her feet. She was placing diamond studs in her ears so she didn't see him sitting in the tall brown wing back chair. "Going somewhere," he drawled. She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to glare at him.
"Merlin you scared the life out of me," she said as she moved past him to the closet and opened the door. She pulled out a sharp black jacket with silver embroidery. "And yes, I have business in Miami. I will return this evening."
It had been four months since Nagini had nearly killed him and he was no where near recovering. Russalyn would let him try a small spell once a week, but there was still no improvement. He was frustrated by the whole situation and would even snap at Russalyn at those times.
Afterwards he would apologize and she would nod in understanding and that was the end of it. But he couldn't help but feel a little stir crazy. "I left your wand on my desk if you want to try a spell later today." she said pulling his attention back to the present. She walked past him to the fire place a small bag clutched tightly in her left hand.
"I thought you didn't want me to rush it," he said a little more sneer in his voice than he had intended. But she ignored his tone and moved into the tall fireplace after she had grabbed a hand full of floo powder.
"If you're not feeling up to it that's fine, I just thought you would want to practice more that's all," she said with a shrug of her shoulders," I will see you later. Libby Jensen's Office," and was gone in a flare of green flame.
He stood and walked down to her office and grabbed his wand. He placed it in his robes and moved back to the sitting room. As he entered he looked over at the fireplace and glowered. Why weren't his powers returning?
He sat back down and tried to read for the next hour, but he couldn't focus. The house was to quite with out Russalyn's singing or the sound of her working outside. He looked back at the fireplace. What was she doing in Miami? Then he wondered if he could still floo.
Striding quickly over to the canister he pulled out a handful of floo powder and stepped into the grating." Libby Jensen's Office," he stated and watched as Russalyn's home disappeared in emerald flames and he stepped out into a bright posh office and met eyes with a pair of very shocked green ones.
"What are you doing here," Russalyn asked and jumped up from the chair she had been occupying and moved across the office to his side and grabbed his arm. She had several bottles on the desk in front of her all different shades of red.
"I thought I would try the Floo," Was his only comment. She looked like she was going to respond when the opening of a door caught her attention.
"My God Lyn, this stuff is amazing," came the deep timber of a tall statuesque woman. She locked eyes on Severus and raised a questioning brow," Who the hell are you," she asked bluntly and Russalyn saw Severus bristle.
"He is a friend of mine Libby. Severus Prince meet Libby Jensen. President of Witchy Lady Cosmetics," she said giving him a pointed look. He knew that look meant he needed to behave. One thing he had noticed in the short time he had been with Russalyn was that she was very sure about what she wanted. And she wanted to get Libby Jensen to endorse her products.
"Pleasure," he drawled and sketched a small bow.
"Nice to meet you," Libby said and turned back to Russalyn, "Now I will have the paperwork owled to you as soon as I can get the details hammered out." Libby said speaking only to Russalyn dismissing Severus from her thoughts.
"That sounds great Libby and keep the products, I have more back at my place," Russalyn said as she pulled Severus by the elbow out the door," I will be expecting that owl."
As the door closed behind them Russalyn sighed. She looked up at and met Severus' scowl with one of her own. "Why did you fallow me? I told you I would be back later," she hissed in frustration and placed her hands on her hips.
He crossed his arm over his chest and looked down his nose at her. She had seen him use that stance so many times and she knew what it meant. He was upset. She had made him angry and as the thought crossed her mind her anger faded into chagrin.
"I'm sorry you must be going crazy at the house. I should have asked you if you wanted to come out," she said and when he still continued to look down at her she rolled her eyes and sighed, "Oh stop scowling Severus. Come on I will buy you lunch," she said and locked him by the elbow and started hauling him down the hall.
"Where are we going," he asked breaking his stony silence. She looked up at him and he felt his anger melt as she gave him a sly smile and pulled him out into the sultry September weather. He was in his full robes so the sticky heat hit him like a wave.
"You'll see," was all she said, her smile growing as she pulled him down the busy sidewalk. They soon came to a little cafe that she quickly pulled him inside and claimed a small table towards the back and away from the main entrance.
"I use to come her with my friends on the weekends. The pasta here is great," Russalyn said as she opened her menu. He fallowed suit and looked over the top of his to look at her. A few strands of her auburn hair had worked their way free and curled around her jaw. Thick lashes framed deep green eyes and every once and awhile she would place the tip of her pink tongue between pearly teeth. He knew that he should be looking at the menu, but she was distracting him.
She looked up an smiled at him and all his defenses rose out of habit, "Do I amuse you," he asked his voice cold as he tried to sound superior, his brow furrowed.
She looked over at him and said," You need to relax Severus. Can't a woman smile at you because she is enjoying your company?" When he raised one brow in question she laughed. A full rich sound with no malice intended and he reveled in the sound.
"I'll take that as a no. Well I can say in all honesty that I am not laughing at you and that I do enjoy your company," she stopped as the waiter approached them. "I don't believe we are ready yet. We will just start with water and please bring a large bowl of lemons with that. Thank you."
As the waiter moved away to get the water and lemons she saw him staring at her, "What? You don't think I watched you for three years and didn't learn a few things your likes and dislikes do you," she said and looked back at the menu.
"You know so much about me, yet I know nearly nothing about you," he stated and put the menu down. She was an enigma, a puzzle that he needed to solve. How had she stayed hidden from him for three years? He was sure he would have noticed her at some point.
"Would you like to," she asked and looked up at him shyly through her lashes. Was that a blush on her cheeks? He must be imagining it.
"How did you stay out of sight? Where were you born and when? And why did you pick China of all the god forsaken places," he asked the first few things that popped into his mind. Her eyes popped open in surprise, and then she laughed and smiled broadly at him.
"Well lets start at the beginning shall we," she said and put her menu to the side," I was born right here in Miami on May 20th 1973 to Jonathan and Serenita Hugo. My father died when I was five and I was raised by my mother," she smiled sweetly and allowed him to absorb the information.
'She is so young,' he thought as he did the math in his head," I would have been finishing my first year at Hogwarts when you were born," he said in a gloomy tone and was shocked by the dismissive wave of her hand.
"So you got a head start. I think that I have caught up to you now thanks to the revival potion. You are now only a year older than," she said her eyes twinkling. The waiter returned and took their orders and she pressed forward." Your next question in chronological order would be why I had picked China of all places," when he nodded a shadow crossed over her eyes," The only answer I can give right now is that when you want to be as far away from something as you possibly can, the other side of the world is the best place to be." She shook herself and gave a sheepish grin," I'm sorry that was a bit cryptic."
Severus looked at her and was again curious about what could have happened to her. She seemed so happy and sure of herself. But one thought, one tragic memory could cloud her eyes and take away that self assurance.
"Anyways, the way I remained hided most of the time was in plain sight. I am an Animagus, Hawk Moth to be exact. I'm surprised you never noticed me. One of your students said I was an excellent specimen," she said her sly smile back in place, "I think he was a Ravenclaw."
"And the times you were playing the flute. Where were you then," he asked as the food was placed in front of him. She had chosen simple pasta with sauce and he had chosen steak with vegetables that smelled wonderful.
"In the rafters, on a window ledge. Wherever I could balance and still be out of sight," she said and took a bite. She dabbed at the corner of her mouth with her napkin, "I was sure you almost caught me once, but I transformed. You remember that moth that ran into your face when you came around the corner one night this past April," at his nod she smile," That was me."
It was amazing. She had been with him through it all. For the past three years and she had seen everything he had done. His brow furrowed at the thought. She had seen and heard everything he had done.
Russalyn could see his mind working and where his thoughts were leading him. She grabbed his hand to catch his attention. He looked up at her and saw her warm smile, "That wasn't you. I saw it all Severus. So relax, you're here with me eating a huge steak in a nice little cafe. Don't dwell on the past. Don't forget it, but don't dwell on it," she gave his hand a squeeze and let go.
"When did you start fallowing me," he asked still unsure if he could believe her sweetness. Everyone he knew hated him, but she accepted him flaws and all. And he knew there were a great many flaws.
She looked into his black eyes and marveled at their depth. They weren't truly black, but a blue so deep that if you weren't in full sunlight, which Severus nearly never was, you couldn't tell." Since the night you were sent back to Voldemort, by Dumbledore. I had been at the Tri-wizard tournament. He had invited me and before you came to him he asked me into his study. I was in the other room and fallowed you shortly after. He had already made his request of me and I couldn't turn him down. Not after I saw you and heard your voice," she said and fought to control the emotion in her voice.
He had lost his appetite. She had seen. Everything he had done to keep the Dark Lord happy. "Severus," he looked up and locked eyes with her deep green ones," I've also see the real you, the you that he didn't see. Come on lets go home," she said and dropped the money on the table and pulled him from the cafe by his cool hand.