Ch. 7 Juniper

The book in Severus' hand had been on the same page for the last twenty five minutes. His eyes again glanced up from his book and met the clock.

"Where can she be" he pondered. "It was well past seven in the evening, and she's been gone since ten that morning."

Severus wanted to be upset at Ms. Rewolf, but in many ways it was not the girl's fault. It was he, who because of losing some self-control had to hide in the broom closet for fifteen minutes before heading to breakfast. That transgression made him three minutes too late to intervene in the conversation Ms. Rewolf and Dumbledore had over a meal of hot tea and toast. In fact Severus had very little to say when he walked up to the high table and heard the words,

"Splendid it's settled Hagrid will take you to Digon alley today!" pouring out of the head masters mouth directed at his ward.

Evidently Ms. Rewolf was spending the day getting all the required materials to learn how to be a witch, which would be fine however now it was interfering with Severus' time.

Not that Severus had anything particular to do with his time in the evening mind you; mainly it was reading the latest papers on potions, or monitoring the hall to insure the little prats were in their common rooms and not out wandering around after curfew. Still to keep someone waiting this long was being rude, and small part of him that he really didn't want to acknowledge was perhaps looking forward to spending the lonely evenings talking to someone, and even if he would have to be teaching her she still looked pretty good in that skirt

With that last thought Severus slammed his book down on the table, and stood up from behind his dark wooden desk in the potion's office.

"Again?" he mumbled to himself "Why does that girl make go all queer inside!"

Severus walked into the adjoining bathroom and stood over the dark stone sink, he turned the rot iron handles and cold water pooled in the sink basin, taking a deep breath Severus leaned down and splashed cold water on his face, he then looked up into mirror at his reflection.

"Just keep control of yourself you weakling" he growled at his twin. "Girls like that do not like men like you, and with reason!"

Severus peered into the black eyes that stared back; they were cold and deep nothing but logic, control, and distain. At one time those eyes were not so cold he remembered, one time long ago he was cared for, and he cared back.

"How nice it would be to feel even that again" his voice whispered out. Severus mind started to race and he moved quickly from the bathroom to the other side of the potion's office, to a small door.

The door was not as large as the other doors in this area of the dungeon, no this door was rounder more oval, a would be relic from when a former Hufflepuff was the Potion Master centuries ago. Pulling the door open the small chamber was revealed, and as he dreaded was filled with bottle and old cauldrons. The room was a complete disaster, but Severus knew that it would be nothing to clean up with the help of a bit of magic.

Severus pulled out his wand and pointed it in the room "planti vegrandiso" , as the items in the room were hit with the cast of magic they all began to shrink. Soon a pile of items small enough to fit in a shoebox was quickly removed from the room.

Severus stood in the hovels center turning slowly around the stone room he tried to think of what Ms. Rewolf would like.

"Light" Severus pondered, "She would like to see light".

He pulled his wand out again he aimed it at the outer wall.

"Partum lumeni" he commanded.

With that the wall started to quiver and soon opened up.

"Amplos" Severus directed and the window grew and grew. Soon a large bay window glared out into the darkening sky. Severus formed a half smile.

"You are talented" he chuckled and turned around flashing the Partum spell, creating a bed, desk, tables, chairs, bookshelves and finally a fireplace for Tabatha.

Looking around the room he noticed how stark the room still was, pausing for a moment he held his wand out.

"Floros magnos", fresh wild flowers sat on her night stand.

When Severus was finally done he walked into the potion's office and sat down on the leather sofa with a small smile and looked at the clock it was close to eight.

"She will be here soon no doubt" he thought "Hagrid is always back before nine to feel those beasts of his".

As the clock ticked on the smile on Severus face soon started to fade.

"what if she doesn't like it" he mind raced "what if I made something completely against what she would like and she laughs at me?"

Severus mind continued down the dark path of doubt and self-loathing, all he could picture is this pretty girl laughing at him telling him how silly he was, and how he could never impress her. He swallowed hard and felt the back of his eyes start to flood, standing up fast Severus used all his might to push the tears away.

"You weak fool!" he chastised himself, "what do you care if she doesn't like it, you didn't do it for her, you did it so you could have your bloody room back!"

Severus paced back and forth allowing anger to overtake his sadness, within minutes a knock came to the door of his office.

"Who is it!" Severus spat. "Professor Snape it me Hagrid here with Ms. Rewolf ." Severus eyes flashed with anxiety, but quickly cooled to their dark form, "enter" he said coldly.

Hagrid pushed the door open and came in carrying several parcels and packages.

"Where should I put em Professor Snape sir?" the kind giant said pleasantly.

Severuse pointed to the hovel door, "there" he said flatly.

As Hagrid walked through the office into the hovel Tabatha came into view from behind him she was wearing a rose color wool cloak that she must have picked up in the ally, the color of the cloak made her pale skin seem even warmer.

"I see you enjoyed your outing as many of your sex do?" his eyes never making contact with hers for longer than moments. "Spending all of the headmaster's money on fineries are we?"

Tabatha walked into the office and smiled softly at Severus "I'm sorry I'm so late Professor, I just never imaged anyplace in the world would be like that"

Severus glared at her, maybe she didn't hear him right? He just insulted her and called her a gold digger, and she telling him how sorry she is for being late?

Just as he started to open his mouth to retort, Hagrid walked back out of the hovel.

"Well Tabatha," he bowed a bit "it was a pleasure and an honor to accompany a fine lady like yourself. I would be very pleased if you would join me for tea this Saturday afternoon?"

Tabatha looked up at her new friend and smiled "Yes of course! That would be wonderful, I'll see you then".

Hargid bowed a bit again and turned to Severus. Out of view from Tabatha his eyes scowled a bit "Good night Professor Snape and if I were you I'd remember how lucky you are to have such a fine woman in your company."

Snape glared at the large man but before he could speak a world Tabatha was next to Hagrid linking her arm on his and pulling walked him to the door.

"Thank you Hagrid Professor Snape has been more than gracious with me, now then till Saturday?"

The scowl left Hagrid face and he smiled again "Yes Ma'am Saturday at four it is".

Tabatha walked Hargid out to the door and closed it softly behind him.

Severus was literally floored, "who the hell is she? Mary, bloody, Poppins? How the bloody hell can anyone be that nice."

Tabatha turned around and leaned against the door; she looked up at Severus and saw his eyes still filled with distain.

"I really am sorry I'm late" she sighed, "I know you took time out of your day for me and that wasn't the way to show you my gratitude."

Severus just peered at her, for the moment he was beaten, he couldn't think of one thing to say to her, not one sneer comment or remark. He gave up and looked down.

"Don't worry about it; I know it wasn't your idea".

He looked around the room, there was no out, she was here with him. He couldn't banish her to her room, or give her detention, no she was an equal of his that he had no power over, and Severus was scared to death.

Tabatha kept looking at the ground, the silence between them getting louder and louder. Finally she could stand no more.

"I got my wand!" she piped up.

Severus looked up with interest.

"Oh? What did you get?"

Getting a wand was a big deal to any witch or wizard, the first step in your magical training. A wand could also tell you a lot about the owner as well and Severus was desperate to know what this thing was before him. Tabatha closed her eyes and tried to remember all the details she could see the wand in her head but couldn't recall the words. She looked towards the Hovel door.

"Wait I'll get it" she said as she took off towards the room and in a flash she was in it.

Severus moved fast from behind the desk.

"Ms. Rewolf! Wait!" it was no use before he finished her name he heard a gasp coming from the room.

Severus Snape froze for a minute and looked petrified at the door, his breath held tight. The second sound he heard was the singing sound of a chuckle.

"Merlin help me" his inner voice cried "she's laughing at you".

Standing up Severus used every ounce of courage he had to walk into the room. When he entered the room his cold eyes was barley holding on to a shimmer that threatened to flood out of control. He looked at the back of Ms. Rewolf swallowed hard and tried to say in the strongest voice he could.

"I wanted my room back?"

Sadly for Severus his voice came out soft with a hint of a crack in it, he knew he was open and venerable like he was fifteen years ago, she could cut deep him with just one word and his whole being waited for the attack.

Tabatha was standing at the night stand with the flowers on it, her new wand in one hand and her fingers of the other touching the soft petals of the flowers. She heard his voice, it was different than it ever was before, small, weak, scared, but Tabatha didn't take any time analyzing it, she turned around and moved quickly towards Severus. Before Severus could brace himself she flung her arms around his neck brought her cheek to his and hugged him quickly.

"Thank you Severus so much I love it" she whispered in his ear.

In the same speed the hug was given she released him and walked back into the office.

Severus legs shook a bit and he held on to the night stand for support. "

What the bloody hell was that" his mind raced. "She hugged me? Why did she hug me? No one hugs me?" Turning around looking at the door he was utterly confused.

"I thought you wanted to see my wand?" Tabatha called out from the office.

Severus licked his lips and ran his fingers though his hair.

"Yes …yes you're right, I'll be right there".

Severus stood up and walked out of the office as normally as he could, Tabatha was standing next to his desk.

"Well here you go" she held out the long Pinkish brown wand.

Severus took the wand and went behind his desk. Sitting down he went right to work examining it.

"What kind of wood is it" he whispered studying the wand intently.

Tabatha reached into her cloak pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment; as she was unrolling it she lifted her right leg a bit and scooted half o to Severus desk letting her left foot just graze the floor.

"I had Olive… oliver…Olli.."

"Ollivander" Severus cut in looking up doing a small double take that she was sitting on his desk but bringing his eyes right back to the strange wand.

"Yes" Tabatha corrected herself "I had Ollivander write it down for me so I would forget. It is 11 ½ inch Juniper heart wood with a core of Unicorn hair."

Severus' eyes moved up and down the wood.

"Yes" he thought "Unicorn hair and Juniper heart would fit her just right, but it was so rare to find a wand made of it"

Severus memory pulled out loads of information on Juniper. A wood that holds the powers of protection, strength, healing, health, peace and love. A wood that was known to banish anything injurious, the perfect loveliness, even the light fragrance of the wood held an air of goodness. He looked up at Tabatha who was looking over the parchment carefully.

"Oh yes" he thought "old Ollivander was dead on".

Tabatha looked down and saw Severus looking at her, "so what do you think?"

Severus looked at the wand and back up at Tabatha. "I think it's perfect for you".

Tabatha locked eyes with Severus and smiled.