Ch. 20 Amulets and Christmas Trees

Tabatha stood in the back of an empty class room, the cauldron before her had whips of purple steam rising from the magenta brew below. Besides the cauldron were containers and small sacks which once held the contents that were now binding together, it would take another fifteen minutes before the potion was complete. Watching the colored steam rise her thoughts went back to earlier that day, when she had the most pleasant time making cookies with two of the nicest young men in the castle.

Harry and Ron had been waiting for her in the Great Hall, eager to head down to the kitchen and get to work. Once the trio arrived they saw just how happy the house elves were for their company, even offering to do the work for them so that their masters would be so pleased they would return again. Tabatha had to reassure them more than a few times that she and the boys wanted to do the work themselves, that it was part of what made the whole experience so wonderful. To take simple items, and with a bit of instruction create them into something wondrous, and for two young boys what is more wondrous then cookies. It took three hours to complete their happy task, and afterwards there were plenty of cookies to go around for everyone who was staying in Hogwarts over the holiday.

After making sure a plate of the warm cookies when directly up to the headmaster's office, Tabatha was basically forced out of the kitchen by the house elves who absolutely refused to let her touch one single bowl or pan. It was then that she reached into her pocket and pulled out the parchment that Dumbledore had given her and she went on her quest to find the ingredients for the greatest projection solution ever.

A snap of a liquid bubble from the cauldron brought Tabatha's mind back to the empty classroom and the ingenious potion before her. Reaching into her pocket she pulled a medium sized black stone. Looking at the onyx she held it in her hand for a moment tightly and closed her eyes she then laid the stone on the table she held out her wand.

"diduco amuleti!" She uttered with a commanding voice.

The magic from her wand hit the stone and with a flash where once there was a whole now lay two halves split perfectly and each attached to a long chain. Tabatha then looked at the clock, it was time. She held the two stones by their chains and dangled them over the bubbling potion. As she slowly dipped the stones she uttered the incantation to bind the potion.

"Alius animadverto nos ut nos volo, tamen nos animadverto verum". Her eyes never left the caldron.

The liquid which the stones were in changed from magenta to dark green and the bubbles rolled harder. Finally after two minutes Tabatha slowly lifted the stones out and laid them on a soft cloth next to the caldron to dry off as she cleaned up the evidence of her handy work. Once everything was in its proper place she lifted the two stones and carefully placed them in a small green box, and with a flick of her wand a sliver bow was attached. Looking again at the time she gasped and darted out of the classroom, she was supposed to meet Severus back in their chambers ten minutes ago.

In his bedroom Severus was pacing back and forth. She was only ten minutes late, and there could be a million reasons why she was late. Dumbledore could have asked her to return, another professor could have stopped her in the halls for a causal chat, hell even cookies could take longer then expected, well at least he believed they could. All of these reasons would make perfect, logical, and acceptable sense. However, when it came to women it seemed that Severus never made perfect, logical, and acceptable anything. Try as he may he could not sake the pressing looming insecurities that Tabatha was not coming simply because she finally realized he was not worth her time.

Pausing in front of the fire aglow in the hearth Severus leaned on the mantle and memorized by the fire let his mind cover each moment he and Tabatha shared today to see if he could find any place where she might have found cause to reject him. She had seen him angry today when he left Dumbledore's office, but right after that they had shared what seemed to Severus as such an intimate moment.

Well at least it was intimate to Severus; he recalled how her voice spoke to him. It was as sweet and warm as always but when she told him she could never forget him; there was another tone in there as well. Severus had nothing to go on but every part of his male essence wanted to believe she was being slightly seductive. Just thinking of her tone made Severus' chest tighten and his stomach flutter, he closed his eyes quickly took a deep breath and forced his body to remain in its controlled state.

He then thought about the actions that transpired right after their moment. How once Prefect Weasley and that little git McFee interrupted them, Severus had no choice but to return to his normal and expected state of being. Severus eyes cast downward in shame; his expected and normal state of being was far less then pleasant, it was far less then what Tabatha deserved. Could someone like her want to be around someone like him, care about someone like him, or even more? Severus' mind raced, it was highly unlikely.

This Christmas was supposed to be different from him, it was going to be the first one since the year he and Lily stopped talking that he would really enjoy. Severus mind was on autodestruct now, maybe this disappointment was another punishment for what had happened between him and Lily. Perhaps it was a cruel twist of fate for his sins that let someone like Tabatha come to him only to be used as toy to tease him with ideas of what could have or would be.

Severus forced himself to look at the clock again and now fifteen minutes had elapsed from the agreed meeting time. Severus took a deep breath and started to resolve that she wouldn't show. Hanging his head down his eyes felt a rush of moisture as tears flushed against his dark eyes, the tiniest laps in control and Severus knew the tears would readily flow.

That's when he heard it. The door to the office creak open, afraid to turn around or utter a word Severus just waited. Though his bedroom door he heard the sweetest sound he had heard in years.

"Sev? Sev I'm sorry I'm late, Where are you?" Tabatha's voice was calling for him.

Instantly his control was gone, his eyes flashed and tear rolled down his pale check, she had come to him. He then heard the knock at his bedroom door.

"Sev, are you in here?" her voice was small
Stand up quickly his pulled his waist coat down and used the back of his hand to wipe the tear away.

"Yes Tabatha, come in" he composed his voice and called out.

Tabatha opened the door an peered in with a smile, "I am so sorry I'm late, I got caught up in some last minute gift wrapping you could say" her hazel eyes sparked at him as she crossed the room and smiled at him.

"Are you ok?" Tabatha looked at him concerned as she reached him.

"Yes" He shook his head, "of course, it's just been a long day."

"Yes it has" Tabatha said with a sad sigh.

Severus noticed her tone right away and his eyes now flashed with his own concerns.

Tabatha let out a small chuckle, "It's silly really. I just wish today would have lasted longer and I wish I could have spent much more of it with you." She let her hand rest on his arm.

Severus' chest tightened again, he was touched, more than touched he was moved. All that Severus could reply was, "me too".

"Well" she smiled, "I'm sure that dinner is just about to be served, we should make our way upstairs." Tabatha turned to walk out into the potions office.

"Tabatha wait" Severus called out. As Tabatha turned around he continued. "I want to show you something first."

Walking out of his personal chamber and into the potions office he made his way to Tabatha's chamber door, and stood their tall and silent. Tabatha walked over to the door, placed her hand on the knob and looked up at Severus.

"Happy Christmas Ms." His tone was cool and collected which made Tabatha laugh and she turned the knob and opened the door.

A gasp of delight hit her lips as she got the first glimpse of her room. In the center by her fireplace was small yet beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Lifting her hand to her mouth she walked towards the beautiful display in a daze. The tree was dark green with small glittering pinecones, acorns and snowflakes dangling from almost every limb. The fireplace caused each ornament to sparkle in dazzling ways.

Spinning around Tabatha looked at Severus who felt a small well of pride form in his chest.

"You like it Tabs?" his request was earnest and his eyes again where soft and warm.

Tabatha flew over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Yes Sev, Yes! Oh my God it's perfect! I love it!" her arms got tighter around him.

Severus closed his eyes and let himself enjoy her very apparent approval as his own arms snaked around her softly and held her to him.

After a moment of embrace Tabatha moved away just a bit so she could look a Severus directly.

"This is too beautiful to waste." Smiling she pointed back to the tree "Why don't we have dinner here and enjoy all the work you've done."

"You want to have dinner, here? Alone?" Severus questioned cautiously.

"No I thought we'd just shove all of the Hogwarts down here. Yes alone silly!" she playfully shot at him.

Severus thought for a moment, he had never had dinner alone with a woman in his adult life, a wave of nervousness crossed over him but he slowly shook his head "Alright, if that's your wish."

Tabatha smiled warmly at him and laughed, "Yes it is very much my wish, and after dinner I have something for you" Tabatha held the small green box with the silver bow in her hand towards Severus.