The Princess and The Half Blood Prince

To America We Go

When I walked into the dorm Gabby was sitting on the end of her bed crying clutching a letter to her chest.
"Every year!" Tears came flooding down her face. "Every fucking year!"

"Gabby, What's wrong?" I rushed to her side.
She thrust the letter at me. "They do this every year. They promise we'll be together for Christmas! Then! Then! I get some letter with sorry ass excuses as to why I have to be alone all of holiday break!"
I wrapped my arm around her. "Oh Gabs. I'm sorry love."
She buried her face in my shoulder. My shoulder was soaked in minutes from her tears.
"I've got an idea. Come home with me for the holiday? I'm already packing home the Wesley's and Snape. I'll need some friendly company."

She stared wide eyed at me. "Are you serious?" She wipes away her tears.
"Of course I'm serious. You know I don't have a sense of humor." I cracked a cheesy smile.

She laughed. "Isn't that the bloody truth."
"So you'll come?"
"Naturally. Besides that means I get to see all your hot friends again." She laughed again.
I rolled my eyes but smiled at her.

The next morning was seven kinds of hell.  I stood in the airport already rubbing my temples.  In the span of the thirty minutes it took us to get here I learned a myriad of things.
1:the Weasley twins never stopped talking
2:if they did stop talking it was only because they were planning some other sort of shenanigans
3:Arthur Wesley was a little to obsessed with muggles.
4:I'm pretty sure Molly Weasley adopts every person within a ten mile radius of her current location that doesn't have family immediately present.
5:Hermonie Granger was just a much know it all out side of class as she was in
6:Ron and Harry had no chance.
7:Severus Snape has to be the most secretly patient person on the planet. He had barely said two words since we joined up with the Wesleys.
8:If they all made it through holiday alive. It would be a miracle.

The Weasleys all stood a few feet away. Even though they were all loud enough to make me feel like they were standing right on top of me. Severus stood next to me still as stone.  I could feel the knots in my own muscles.

"I'm going to need therapy after this." I made a sorry attempt at a laugh. I moved my hands down trying to rub some of the tension out of my neck.
"I imagine you already needed therapy."
"I mean you're not wrong." I laughed.

His lips twitched. Almost a smile.
"Charles. What is taking so fucking long?" I grumbled to myself.

"Maybe we can make a break for it? Head back to Hogwarts or get a hotel?"

Severus looked at me like I had two heads.
"Mm you're right." I sighed, "That would be to obvious."

It was small and fleeting but a smile danced on his lips. I smiled up at him.

"So why does everyone calm you Princess?" His voice was low so the others wouldn't hear.
I looked at him for a good minute before answering. "It's a long story."
"We have time."
"Well the guys call me that because they think it's a running joke with Logan and the rest of my staff. However, it's actually a title. When my father was exiled by his family for being a squib, he managed to but a rather large island. Which he turned into his own county. I'm not quite sure of its legitimacy, but it's there. It has a rather large army for a not so large country.  A lot of the people there come from the wizarding world as far as I know. There's rumors that he made a deal with the devil, but who really knows."

"Your friends don't know?"

I frowned. "No. Where my father is concerned the less they know the better off they'll be."
"I see. Your secret is safe with me."

"Princess Ira!" Charles yelled across the    hanger. "We're ready to hit the air."

"Finally." I rolled my shoulders one last time. "Alright! Everyone load up!" I had to yell over the cacophony of voices.