Dream & Shadow

22* Festive Preparations

The next days passed by unremarkably. Leonor kept away from Karkaroff. A change of schedule improved the situation easily. Preparations of the voluntary lessons and the ambition to explore the restricted section of the library more profoundly required time. The evening hours spent at Hogwarts increased. Students found the 'office' more often to release their questions and the owls arrived seldom with a cry for help. The approaching Christmas festivities sent frequently girls and boys with pimples up to Leonor's room, even those without spots searched for a medicine likely to subdue the overwhelming anticipation. The ointment developed for the former Hufflepuff student helped well against the problems created by the arriving adolescence, but it helped little with severe acne.

Leonor hurried unhappy to the Great Hall. She'd sent Eloise back to her dormitory without being the wiser why the ointment didn't work with the girls blooming red spots. She walked thoughtfully between the Slytherin and Gryffindor table and noticed a sudden silence at one side. The Durmstrang students stared either quietly at the food or gazed open-mouthed into the direction of the staff table. Of course, the boys knew and put one and one together when they found their headmaster in a full body bind curse beside a festive dinner table. Malfoy and Parkinson whispered with some side glances, while Grabbe and Goyle scooped potatoes and meat onto their plates without noticing anything. Leonor sighted inwardly; she managed to avoid Igor at mealtimes lately, but not today. The staff table was almost completely occupied. The seat she usually used was the only free one as if it was waiting for her. Leonor gave an encouraging smile to Victor and the other students and composed herself to hide the apprehension well. She placed a friendly salutation to the table and sat between McGonagall and Karkaroff, saving a direct contact with Igor. He behaved as smug as always. Leonor aimed to keep the mealtime short. The hope to have stopped the obscene longing grew with every bite and Igor's silence. He busied himself with a large piece of spit roast; it would give Leonor enough time to leave the table without being followed. She put the cutlery to the finished plate and turned to leave, but Karkaroff seized the moment and blocked the way with his tall steely body.

"Professor Karkaroff." Leonor addressed him chilly, but unable to hide the embarrassing edginess. He responded with a triumphant look, examining her up and down. Leonor considered what he had up his sleeve. The professors around started watching; Leonor felt the glances. Every passing second sent more heat through Leonor's body. She had no idea how to sideline Igor without causing a public affront. Igor curled his lips and smoothed the goatee before he opened his mouth to speak but couldn't say anything as if his tongue was glued to the roof of the mouth. Severus stood up, his wand ready to be used, invisible below the table-top, but pricking Igor's right leg.

"Professor Scott will be with me! She was just too polite to tell you off immediately," threatened Severus in a low dangerous voice, a muscle twitching around his jaw. Karkaroff gave a bewildered look before turning on his heels. Leonor and Severus watched the headmaster walking down the aisle stiffly, a slight limp at his left side. Leonor blushed when fixating Severus' dark eyes. A shy smile flitted across his face, but it was quickly killed by McGonagall's outburst of anger and replaced by the usual indifferent false front.

"Severus, that is beyond believing! Students serve detention for using magic wands in the corridors and you—," whispered Minerva sharply and stormed away. She was likely the only one who saw and heard Severus clearly. Severus curled his lips and sneered before he sat down and helped himself with a piece of chocolate cake.

"Scott, no dessert today?" he taunted. Leonor vanished Igor's used place setting and took the seat next to Severus, taking a big scoop of frozen custard. The creamy cold was welcome to cool the heat and work through what happened. Leonor hovered between relief and fear that Severus only scared Igor off. They said nothing for a while and the other staff returned to their conversations and meals.