Belonging

Studious Sunday -Madelyn Watson-

-Madelyn Watson-

Sunday

Madelyn and Severus both had things to do today, but they longed to hide in their room. In order to rip themselves from the cuddly serenity that was being alone together, they went for breakfast promptly. The longer they stayed alone the harder it would be to convince themselves to see to their responsibilities.

So Madelyn and Severus had walked up to the Great Hall hand in hand on this quiet Sunday morning. Something interesting happened, no one really paid them any attention. Even though they emerged from their newly shared bedroom with the gall to be touching flesh, they had clearly become boring in just a week of mate hood. Madelyn was thanking Merlin for every pair of eyes that avoided them. Even as they took their place at the head table not many eyes lingered. Thank heavens for being old news.

"So you and your friends will be in the library most of the afternoon then?" Severus asked.

"Yes, I think so, and what about you? Where shall I seek you out if I get lonesome?" she asked.

"I can't say. I have some ingredients to prep, and then some meetings with students but also Albus so... I can't say for sure where to find me."

"I like knowing that if I go back to our room, you'll eventually show up," Madelyn smiled.

"I like hearing you call it our room. Our bed," he added with a tone that stirred her. His finger tickled the side of her wrist as he said it.

"Our... sofa?" she asked back flirtatiously. They had not ventured into making love on other pieces of furniture yet. He was grinning and his answer was cut short by the screech of the owls as they flew in. Madelyn had been so busy looking at his face she didn't even look up in time to catch the long, bleached white paper, muggle envelope that fell into her coffee cup. "Shit," she cursed, pulling it from her drink.

Her parents. It was like ice water down her back holding that envelope. She had been so consumed with excitement about her mating bond, lust for her new mate, the experiences that had come from the lust... that she had all but forgotten she had not even told them her world was changed forever.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes examining the object her fingers held with so much apprehension.

"This will likely be from my parents... I didn't even send them a letter when I arrived like I normally do..."

"You've been a little preoccupied. It is perfectly fine to respond to them now."

"I know... but..." Madelyn squeezed the envelope in her fingers. She could feel the paper inside, no doubt printed off from the new computer. Her dad and her sister loved using the computer to type up their letters. As she opened it and saw the trifolded print-off her hands fumbled a little.

The wizarding world, her husband, the life she was heading into was one of antique values and ways. Yet, here was her family sending her news in the way they enjoyed. So modern, so unaware of how Madelyn's world had shifted toward the 1800s when she found out she was magical. They really liked choosing fonts, and she was writing back to them with a quill. How fitting, how else does one tell their parents about an arranged marriage than by quill? Sometimes she felt like the family time traveller. Now more than ever.

Severus said nothing, merely put his hand on the back of her shoulders and let it rest there comfortingly while she read. He did not pry. He took up conversation with McGonagall on his left, but she felt his eyes occasionally turning back to check on her.

She read about her sister's highly graded paper for her English class. Her brother had earned his place back on the team again. A forward, first string. Her sister was applying for Uni and writing papers for scholarships already, and her brother was... as usual, the centre of his friend group and all the shenanigans that came with it as a teenaged boy.