Dirt, Shovels and Annoying Arch-Nemesis Roommates (Watford 6th year)

Chapter 5: A weird afternoon with Snow

SIMON

On Monday afternoon, I wait for Baz by the blown-up garden bed. It's worse than I remember, the entire right side is demolished, with wooden splinters littered everywhere. The other three sides seem to have just given up and collapsed. There is dirt everywhere. I hear footsteps approaching and I spin around. Baz is wearing shorts and a t-shirt and is levitating two shovels out in front of him. He dumps them unceremoniously on the ground when he sees the garden bed.

"Crowley, Snow," he says drily. "You really put your back into destroying it, huh?"

"Shut up," I mutter. "Let's get going on this." I reach for a shovel.

Baz rolls his eyes. "Before you start waving a shovel around, I'm going to repair as much as I can with magic." He takes out his wand and levels it at the garden bed. "I'd step back if I were you." I barely get half a step back before he shouts, " good as new !"

The three collapsed sides spring upright, and I am showered with dirt.

"Brilliant," I grumble. I try to wipe it off my face but only succeed in smearing it; Baz looks positively delighted.

He tries ' as you were ' on the exploded side before giving up. "Your explosive magic is too strong; we'll do the rest by hand."

And so, I begin separating the wood shards from the dirt, as Baz watches, the prick.

"Hurry up Snow, or you'll have to miss dinner."

I glare up at him, "I would go a lot faster with some help."

"Don't forget whose fault it is Snow."

"You're such a princess," I mutter.

Baz scoffs, "I am not."

"Are too!"

And that's how Baz ends up kneeling on the ground helping me. Some of the wood pieces are as big as my arm, it's hard work! Baz seems to be having absolutely no trouble, I watch as he picks up a big chunk of wood with one arm and tosses it into the pile with ease. I wonder if he is using his vampire strength. His hair is in a loose ponytail, and his t-shirt clings to his biceps; he looks so... relaxed.

"Bugger!" I swear, staring down at the splinter embedded deep in my thumb. Suddenly, there is a cool hand encircling my wrist. I try to pull away, but Baz's grip is like iron.

He lowers his wand to my thumb and taps it, " up and out ." I wince as the splinter shoots out with a twinge of pain.

Did Baz just...? I have no idea what just happened. "Thanks," I say.

Baz drops my wrist and sneers at me in reply. We spend the rest of the afternoon reassembling the exploded side. I hand Baz chunks of wood and he sticks them in place with ' stick like glue. " When we finish it looks awful and is not even remotely smooth.

I shoot Baz a dubious glance, "are you sure it will hold?"

"Of course, they're my spells," he says offended. He grabs a shovel and starts scooping dirt into the reassembled garden bed.

Half an hour later, we trudge up to our room in exhausted silence. The heat of the summer hasn't quite disappeared yet and I am sweating profusely. Baz calls the first shower, so I am left waiting on my bed for him to finish. I have a couple minutes to ponder how weird this is, me waiting in our room as Baz showers, when we usually put so much effort into avoiding overlap in our room. For once, Baz takes a relatively short shower. He comes out of the bathroom with just a towel slung low on his hips, his hair is wet and hanging in his eyes, and I can just make out a hint of abdominal muscles.