Hearts are Blind (Severus Snape X OC)

Take Me Home For Christmas

Within just a couple of days of taking the potion from the healer, Jasper seemed to be one-hundred times better. He was able to walk freely up and down the stairs on his own, cook a few things here and there at the stove, and he could manage the front counter of the shop, though he had to sit on a chair to do so. Lucinda was beyond relieved. She wondered what the ingredients in the potion were, because it would be convenient for future reference, in case she ever had to make it...

"We've got ten cases of nettles coming in for the nettle wine." The apothecary owner looked over his list of orders at the counter, while Lucinda reorganized some of the bundles of herbs hanging from the ceiling. "Mr. Murphy will need to come and collect them the moment they arrive."

"He's just down the street?"

Jasper wrote something on the parchment and then put his quill down. "Mm," he said with a nod and looked over at her. "His address is here—" he pointed at a spot on the order list— "and he can be notified with the enchanted envelopes. We don't need an owl for local post."

"Okay," Lucinda replied and finished straightening the herbs. A few moments passed and then she walked up to the counter. "Jasper, is it really necessary for me to know all of this?" She asked with a slight crease in her brow, watching the order list between them. "I mean... I'm not staying here permanently..."

The man looked from her to the parchment between them and then he gathered it up in his hands. "Well, I suppose not," he said with a laugh. "I just want to make sure you're included while you are here..." He seemed to hesitate about something before finally asking, "How long will you be here?"

Lucinda sighed and leaned her elbows on the counter, sinking her cheeks down into her fists. "I don't know..." she trailed off. If she was being honest with herself, Jasper's health wasn't even the entire reason she was still there. "I guess when you're better again and... and you're for sure better..." She let her sentence hang there in the air, as if waiting for his confirmation, but it wasn't as if he could reassure her of something like that. He couldn't control what his body did or when it decided to fail...

Jasper gave her a smile that crinkled his eyes. "Yes," he agreed. "I'm sure it won't be long, then."

Lucinda smiled back, though it was edged in unease. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Jasper suddenly stood up straighter and gave her a serious look.

"Severus is coming," he whispered quickly. "Go on."

Lucinda's heart jumped in surprise and she flew around the counter to go down the hall. She was standing at the store room door, as she heard the bell jingle from the shop. Heavy boots echoed to her ears and she closed her eyes, head leaning back and breath going still.

"Good morning, Severus," Jasper's voice drifted down the hall pleasantly. "How are we on this... Merlin's beard, what happened to you?"

Lucinda's eyes opened and she turned her head to stare towards the shop doorway.

"Is she still here?" Snape's voice was quiet and only a little irritated.

Jasper must have either only nodded, or he said "yes" so quietly that she couldn't hear it. Silence ensued for a moment longer and then Snape spoke again.

"I would like to speak with her... whenever it might be convenient."

Again, Jasper must have spoken so quietly that she couldn't hear what he said, but Severus' response made it clear the context.

"I need to see her in order to apologize." His tone was a little more biting then. "Will she not even allow me that?"

Lucinda slowly let her breath out and quietly edged a little closer to the doorway.