Recovered Ivory [1]

Five

"Ivory, you've been pretty quiet all night," Severus said, eyeing me as I stabbed at a piece of potato. "What's on your mind?"

"To be completely honest, I don't know," I whispered, shrugging my shoulders. "I'm just really tired."

"Why?" he asked, finally sounding like my uncle for the first time in days. 

"I'm trying to keep it together in this whole Sirius Black situation," I mumbled, sitting back in my chair. "It's nice to have Fred know, but I'm still afraid other people will find out. I'm sure Hermione has figured it out."

"She is one of the brightest witches of her age," he sighed in agreement. 

"Draco and I are still fighting over the incident in Hagrid's class," I admitted. "I don't like fighting with him."

"His pride will never let you win that argument," he warned, smiling sadly at me. He watched me for a moment. "What else?"

"Today in class, I was kind of upset with what you did to Hermione, which is normal," I said, waving my hand to cut off his words. "Draco sent a note to Harry, reminding him how dangerous quidditch could be. I knew what was in it and I knew it should have made me even more angry with Draco."

"It didn't, did it?"

"I actually wanted to grin and chuckled with Draco," I exclaimed, looking at him. "I didn't feel bad about thinking it was funny, I felt bad because maybe it meant I was turning into someone you didn't want me to be."

"Ivory, you and Draco are thick as thieves," he began, seeming to choose his words carefully. "It's natural to react in similar ways to things as he would. That includes jokes."

"I just don't want to be a bad person," I whispered, pushing my plate away. 

"I don't think you could ever be a bad person," he protested, using his wand to make the dishes disappear. "You see how people treat me."

"I don't know, maybe I see things differently then other people," I shrugged, glancing up at him. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"What were you hoping to accomplish by assigning that essay today? I go to school with some not so bright people. Hermione could figure it out, but I don't see many others, if any at all," I mused, watching his face break out into a smile. "I know you don't like Lupin, but do you really have to tell the world what he is?"

"I didn't actually say it out loud," he protested, but I scowled at him. "I'm behaving as much as I can considering."

"I wish you two would just talk," I said, knowing it would never happen.

"You are a dreamer," he said, chuckling. "Look, you're right. No one will solve my riddle, not with quidditch this weekend. Ms. Granger won't say anything because she likes Lupin."

"I like Lupin," I mumbled, tracing a design in the wood table. 

"I know." I glanced up and saw a small frown on his face. "He would have been a wonderful uncle to you. Gwen really did love him as a friend, despite his...issues."

"I would have had a lot of people who doted on me, huh?" I asked, grinning slightly. 

"More then I think you or I will ever know," he said, winking at me with a smile. "Now, I do believe it is your birthday, at least it will be in a few hours."

"I do believe you're correct," I said, grinning. 

"I know you're getting to be too old for stuffed animals, but I was going through some things at the house over the summer," he began, turning his back to me. I tried to peek around him, but he twisted to block the view even more. "I thought I had lost it after Gwen died because it was at her house." He turned around, hiding something behind his back.