𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 - 𝑨 𝑺𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒖𝒔 𝑺𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

CHAPTER NINE - Alcohol

UNEDITED
_______

Severus kept his eyes on the newspaper, his knuckles turned white with how tightly he was holding it, the pages crumpling into his pale fingers. His eyes were trained on the inky words, his mind reading the same sentence over and over again but his focus was on the maid who was standing over the stove, preparing breakfast.

She hasn't even spared him a glance, let alone speak with him. He forces his sight off the paper to look at Mia, watching the faint movements of her back as she stirred whatever was in the pan.

"I dislike it when you go silent on me." He said calmly, folding up the newspaper and setting it down at the edge of the table.

"I'm not." Mia huffed, keeping her back to him as she proceeds to aggressively stir. "I prefer silence whilst I cook."

"You were blasting that deafening muggle music the last time you were making breakfast.....what are you making anyway?"

Mia turned the stove off with a flick and turned to glare at him while clutching the wooden spatula. "Muggle music is an exceptional taste. You wizards are missing out on ABBA."

"Who?"

With a sigh, she returns to her cooking. "Never mind.....I'm making beans on toast."

The potions master raised a brow at her words, tilting his head to the side. Beans and toast, the most British dish known to man which Severus detested immensely, and Mia knew it. Hence she never made it for him, until now.

"Beans on toast eh?" He chuckled dryly as he watches her plate the dishes before walking over to him, setting everything down before him.

"What a shame." She grumbled before removing her apron, tossing it aside. Mia was about to storm off, but he didn't let her. He grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her towards him.

"Now, what's with the attitude Mia?" He asked as he stood up, towering over her. "Are you upset because of what you saw last night?"

She stares up at him with her eyes slightly wide, a blush of embarrassment tainting her cheeks. She didn't expect him to bring it up so suddenly.

"What are you talking about?" She peeled his hand off her and stepped back. "I didn't see anything."

He grasped her arm again, tighter this time. "Don't try that with me." He used that tone with her, that no nonsense tone he uses with his students. "Tell me, are you upset?"

Her brows furrowed in frustration as she yanked her arm away from him. "Perhaps I am! I shouldn't be, but I am." She pulled down her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles before she flounced out, muttering something under her breath.

Severus blinked, sitting down before glancing down at his breakfast. He picked up his toast, examining it before taking a bite, chewing slowly. She made the dish he disliked most and somehow it tasted rather good.

"Hmph....Jealous little thing." He uttered.

Mia kept to herself for the rest of the day, and Severus didn't get a chance to try and talk to her again, mostly because he was occupied with his work. Another reason was because this is Severus Snape. He always knew what to say to people. He was never one to be silenced, but he didn't know what he would say to Mia. Would he console her? Would he tell her to try and get over him? Or must he simply just ignore her?
He also had to pay a visit to the Malfoys that night, hence once he was finished with invigilation duty, he apparated to their property.

The dark manor stood still in the gardened property, the shadows of the night falling over it like a blanket as the sun disappears off the horizon. Severus walked through the dim halls, the buttery clacks of his shoes echoing through the area, faint shards of moonlight being the only thing that helped guide him to the living room where he finds his blonde haired friend, already pouring two glasses of scotch.