The Potion Master's Apprentice (A Severus Snape love story)

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Grimmauld Place

Severus re-read the note before stuffing it hastily in a pocket on the inside of his dark robe. He knew how inconspicuous he seemed, but that didn't bother him. He had grown up amongst Muggles, he knew what behavior was classed as ordinary or not, and most of the people around here were pretty bizarre so he knew he wouldn't stand out.

The busy high-street soon faded into a rather neglected suburban terrace. The once grand houses were crawling with ivy and the gilded windows and doors were now faded. His feet stepped echoingly on the cracked paving slabs as his eyes roughly scoured the seemingly desolate square.

His heart dropped slightly as there was no sign of life, other than the teenager watching him from an upstairs window or the sleek black cat sitting on the bench post. When he scowled at the window the child quickly moved away and shut the curtains, cat doing a similar things when he fixed it with a piercing stare.

There has been a sighting

Grimmauld Place

Lucius

Rather fruitlessly he looked at the hastily scrawled note again, nothing becoming any clearer as he circled the small bank of grass for what seemed to be the hundreth time. Grumbling incoherently under his breath he threw the scrap of parchment into a nearby bin and proceeded to sink slowly into the bench beside it, head held in his hands.

He breathed deeply, choking on the tepid fumes seeping from the bin mixed with something else. The sweet stench of honeysuckle lingered in the air, diffused with the tangy scent of citrus fruits. This made him lift his head up and stare around. It was Florence's scent.

Something caught his eye, a brief glimmering sweeping down the road, the shape undefinable but it was clearly a moving object. A weak outline was glinting in the watery spring sunlight, something that took his breath away as he moved closer.

Watching intently, he saw the strange shimmering mist stop before two houses, number 11 and number 13. Right before his eyes, the buildings began to move, sending tremors across the tarmac that would have uprooted him if he hadn't grabbed the iron railing in time. Slowly, brick by brick, the houses began to wrench apart, new walls appearing suddenly, followed by windows complete with blooming flower boxes, and a peeling black door with a rusty bronze knocker in the shape of a lion head.

And just as agonizingly slowly, the mezmorising haze began to slowly drip away, revealing the dishevelled silhouette of a young woman, aged before her time. Her carefully measured footsteps and anxious glances seemed oddly out of character, almost forced. But then, as quickly as she had came, she was gone, having slipped silently through the door.

With a loud groaning sound, like a giant beast waking up, the houses began to grind back together, and the door disappeared with a pop, followed by the windows and eventually the last brick of 12 Grimmauld place. This left Severus standing in the street, staring with disbelief at the place Florence had once stood.

Severus ran towards the sealed gap, desperately running his hands over the smooth stone surface, as if willing it to break apart and let him inside. But of course, it wouldn't. Sighing frustratedly, he stumbled backwards and glanced at the sky, watching the dark storm clouds swirling miserably above him, matching his mood.

Holding his head wearily, he once again collapsed on the park bench, staring directly at the concrete as it was gently pasted grey by spitting rain. His robe was sodden, hair clinging desperately to his pale cheeks, but he didn't care.

Allowing the sharp, stinging raindrops to lash painfully at his skin he pulled a small brown envelope from within his robes and examined his own swirly writing on the front. After a moment of deliberation, he slowly stood upright, shaking his robe free of the accumulated water seeing as the brief rainfall had stopped.

He couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of dread as he approached the house once more. Carefully scouring the almost darkened street he delicately placed the letter in the middle of the pedestrianised road, directly where the occupent of the now invisible house would find it.

Stepping back to admire his handiwork he didn't notice as a quiet crunching sound began to resonate throughout the square. He did notice, however, when he was thrown suddenly backwards as a set of cracked marble steps suddenly sprung up out of the ground.

He hit his head when he fell, only just conscious as he saw a blurry figure crouch down in front of him and gently slap his cheek - a feeble attempt of keeping him awake. He could already feel the delicate trail of blood trickling down his cheek as the darkness descended over his vision.

*~*~*~*

Florence surveyed him with pursed lips as she balanced precariously on the steel bed frame, watching his chest rise and fall slowly beneath the moth eaten covers. When he finally woke his hand instantly flew up to his head, to find the nasty gash was healed. Twisting slightly to get a better look at his forreign surroundings, he couldn't help but smirk as his eyes settled on the girl perched at the end of his bed.

"Hello." She whispered hoarsley, flicking her bedraggled brown hair away from her eyes with a shaking hand. Severus sat upright, struggling to dampen down the obvious smugness glowing in his eyes.

"Florence." He purred and she looked away abruptly.

"Why did you come looking for me?" She said after a lengthy silence where she looked at the floorboards and he stared at her intently.

"Because I needed to find you." He replied, still not lifting his gaze, making her shift uncomfortably.

"How did you find me?" She croaked and he felt his smirk slipping slightly. This wasn't how it was meant to go, she was meant to fall into his arms and they were supposed to admit their feelings. At least, that was how he wanted it to go, and hoped she did too.

"Lucius told me you were here." Florence looked aghast. How did Lucius know she was here? "He had people looking for you and they traced you here." Severus added hastily, seeing her worried face. "But just where is here?"

"The house of Black." She replied simply, eyes scanning the neglected room and settling on the faded tapestry on the other wall. Severus followed her gaze as it settled on the charred remains of Sirius Black's picture. Beside the crater was the picture of his brother, and beside that...

"No." Severus whispered, pulling himself out of bed and running over to the tapestry, realising half-way there that he was only wearing his underwear. But petty things like that were unimportant now he had realised something. Gently caressing the seemingly fresh crater to the right of Regulus', he allowed his breath to come out in an angry snort. "How could you?" He yelled, standing up to face Florence who was now looking at something she was cradling in the palm of her left hand.

"Quite easily really. You left, Regulus filled your place." She smirked, inspecting the delicate silver ring she was holding between her thumb and forefinger.