He still as handsome as he was all those years ago, just a little older. He even had the same smile that had fooled her back then. He wore it now as he crossed the hardwood floor to her, his hungry blue eyes never leaving her. "Russalyn," he said as he took both her suddenly freezing hands in his blazing hot ones, "How I have missed you, did you miss me too?"
"I wasn't expecting a fourth," she said as she snatched her hands from his and fought the urge to run as he continued to smile wickedly at her, "I will have to set another place. Severus," she called as she turned and saw James eyes harden and snap to him, "would you help me with that please?"
"Of course," he drawled as he cast his own hard gaze at James as she passed him to enter the kitchen. As she did he placed a hand on her lower back and she felt a little calmer.
She snatched her wand from the counter top and waved a place setting to the table that was set up in the living room then placed her palms flat on the counter top trying to piece together her fraying nerves. How the hell was she going to make it through the meal, let alone the day?
Severus saw the fear and tension on her face and in her shoulders and it tore him up inside. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her towards him, "Do you want me to ask them to leave," he asked as she looked up into his face.
"No," Rassalyn said with a shaky laugh as she looked up at him thankful that if he didn't love her at least he considered her enough of a friend that he cared for her piece of mind. "How would that look? Besides he would smell my fear behind it and latch onto it like the dog he is."
"Will you be alright," he asked as he felt a shiver run through her making his gut twist. Merlin he should be able to protect her and he could do nothing. He would give anything to throw the bastard into the darkest pits of hell for what he had done to Russalyn.
She tensed and her eyes snapped to his full of panic, "You're not going to leave me alone with them are you," she asked her voice strangled.
"Are you mental," he responded as his eyes snapped wide, "I would never leave you alone with that monster. That would be akin to leaving a kitten alone in a room with a Rottweiler," he said then it was his turn to tense as Russalyn moved closer and wrapped her arms around him.
She took a deep breath trying to absorb Severus amazing strength, "I think I will be okay if you are here," she said and felt safe as he gently wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head.
The tension at the table was so thick that Rusalyn could cut it with a knife if she had wanted. After sitting at the table as far away for James as she could, Severus had sat at the place next to her ensuring the bastard would be nowhere near her. It still didn't stop the lecherous stares he cast her way.
Not being able to stand the silence Mrs. Huge started the conversation, "Well isn't this nice? Almost like old time," she said and took a bite of her meal and cast a dark glance at Severus. She didn't like the man thinking him not good enough for her beautiful Russalyn.
Russalyn ignored the comment and continued to eat. She had adopted Severus cool mask of indifference and in her opinion was doing quite well. Soon the meal would be done and she could ask both her mother and the bastard to leave. She hadn't missed the dark glares both her mother and James had been casting at Severus and they were starting to irritate her, especially her mother's.
"Well I don't know why you two ever broke up? I thought you two were perfect together," she continued when she received no response.
Russalyn took a deep calming breath before she answered, "Call it a difference in opinion," she said then took a bite of her food before she followed with, 'I thought I shouldn't be raped, but he had different thoughts on the subject.'
"Well I think that is silly. People's opinions differ all the time. I think you two should have made up. You two would have made such pretty babies," she said and looked over at her daughter as Russalyn's fork clattered to the plate.
"Mother," was all her blasted mind could come up with after that bomb was dropped, and her mother had the nerve to give her a looked that said, 'What did I say?'
"So there is still a chance for me to win you back," came a smooth voice from the end of the table. James was looking at her with the 'I know I am hot and you want me' smile and she fought the urge to gag.
"Not a chance," she growled and smirked as his smile fell and noticed the corner of Severus' mouth twitch up for a moment. She sat back and took a drink of her wine before she said, "I am perfectly happy with my life as it is right now."
"So you have found someone else," James growled and cast a dark look at Severus. That was interesting, but not as interesting as the quirked brow that Severus cast her. What could that mean? Did he care for her more than her let on? This was something to reflect on later.
So with her hear t pounding but her attitude still nonchalant she picked up her fork and said, "I don't like how this conversation has turned to my personal life. Subject change please," then took a bite of the duck she had prepared at Severus request, the rich flavor filling her mouth.
"Was that a Phoenix Hibiscus you were working with the other day in the green house? If I am correct it is quite a temperamental," Severus said as he turned fully to her and Russalyn smiled at him as she ignored her mother's eye roll.
"You into flowers Princy," James snarled and both Russalyn and Severus turned to glare at him, he just sneered at Severus.
Russalyn ignored the comment and turned back to Severus, " Yes it is a very touchy plant, but it will work wonders in the blood potion that I am working on," then smiled at him with a soft look in her eye, "By the way I was doing a little research and came across something you might find very beneficial."
"If it will make him look any less like a bat he shouldn't wait for the treatment," James said and to Russalyn's extreme embarrassment she heard her mother snicker behind her wine glass.
Severus was going to hex him, relapse be damned. He had just reached for his wand when he caught a movement from the corner of his eye. Russalyn was standing with her wand drawn and pointed at James, her eyes blazing with righteous anger, "That is it! Get the hell out of my house," she shouted the tip of her wand shaking as she spoke.
James just smirked as he leaned back in his chair, overly confident, "No. what are you gonna do? Turn me into a flower," he said then was knocked over backwards as a blast of red light hit him square in the chest.
He stood up shocked as he looked at a still livid Russalyn, her wand still trained on his chest, "Get…Out," she growled.
James stormed over to the fireplace and shouted "Andrew Manor," as he tossed the floo powder and was swallowed by the flames.
"Russalyn," Her mother started then snapped cold eyes to Severus as she jumped to her feet, "What have you done to my daughter," she seethed as she pointed her finger at him.
Severus didn't get a chance to answer as Russalyn turned on her mother, "Severus has done nothing to me Mother , and if you are going to be rude I think it would be best if you left as well," she said her voice respectful but firm as she looked at her mother coldly.
Mrs. Hugo huffed and flounced over to the grate and said, "Hugo House," with a sniff and was swallowed in the green flames as well. Russalyn sighed and gathered the abandoned plates and carried them to the kitchen with a slump to her shoulders.
Severus was stunned. He had never seen Russalyn react to anything so violently. It was breathtaking to watch, but it was also confusing. She couldn't have been that upset about their apartment dislike of him, and if she was what did that mean? This was something to think over later, but for now he wanted to make sure that she was alright.
He collected her forgotten glass of wine as he followed her to the kitchen and watched as she placed the plates in the sink. When she leaned against it with her hand s and hung her head he wondered what had made her so melancholy. She had stood up to that bastard James he thought she would be elated.
He joined her by the sink and when she looked at him with sadness in her eyes he handed her the glass with a quirked brow. She took the glass with a sheepish smile and said, "I had hoped your Christmas here would be a good one. I guess that hope went flying out the window," and took a drink of her wine.
"It has been the most entertaining by far that is for sure," he smirked and she gave a giggle as she bumped shoulders with him, "It is also the best I have had as well," he continued and couldn't hide everything he felt for her from his eyes.
"Well than that is very sad," she said with a frown and compassion in her eyes. Severus thought he saw the flash of something else then she shook her head, "Sorry I almost forgot with all the commotion. I have one more gift for you," she said as she placed her glass down and walked over to the pantry.
He smirked as he watched her rummage through the shelves, "You really must stop or you will spoil me," and she grinned at him as she pulled a brown bag from the cabinet walked over and handed it to him. He opened it and looked inside and scowled, "You must be joking," he growled, "I might be British, but that doesn't mean I need chestnuts on Christmas Russalyn."
"Alright Mr. Know-it-all, if you don't want your powers to return quicker than I will just take them back," she said and smiled as he held them out of reach. She poked him in the ribs and snatched them from his hands, "You can't have them yet anyways or it won't work correctly," she said and made her way back to the pantry.
"How do you know they will work," he asked as she placed them back on a higher shelf and when she stretched and her leg popped up his eyes fell to that creamy flesh and he felt desire flood his veins and couldn't keep it from his eyes.
"Well you were so frustrated with your lack of power I started to do some research and came across this. I thought you would like to have them back a bit sooner so I got them when we were in town yesterday," when she turned to look at him she gave a soft gasp at the fire that burned in his onyx eyes. When he heard her and saw her face he quickly hooded them and she felt her heart break a little, "They are at their strongest when you roast them over an open flame at night," she said and gave a wan smile.
"Thank you Russalyn. This has truly been the best Christmas I have ever had," he said and thought that the only way it could be better would be if he had Russalyn in his arms.