Uncanny Snake

XVII - Before the Storm

I sat up rubbing my eyes, a groan escaping my lips as my head throbbed. I may have drunk a bit too much. I wasn't in my room, but instead on the sofa, my eyes trailing to the broken coffee table. Huh. Severus loomed over me with a hot cup of coffee, and I groaned falling back on the sofa. "Apologies, if I had known you to be such a lightweight, I would not have let you down the whole bottle."

"I can handle my alcohol." Severus frowned and looked ready to debate me, but thought otherwise as he kneeled in front of the sofa, still offering the cup of coffee he brewed. "Thanks," I mumbled taking the cup in hand, I took slow and steady sips, not all too fond of the bitter brew, but it was better than nothing. I noticed a candle had burnt overnight, and it's now extinguished flame leaving only a dry lavender scent and melted wax. "What happened yesterday—or this morning I suppose."

"You had too much to drink and then passed out on my sofa." I noticed the dark circles under his eyes and set down my cup of coffee, resting my arms and head against the armrest, staring at him. He had watched over me, and although it was unnecessary, it made me happy. I was glad he hadn't left me alone. After opening the shutters and downing another cup of coffee, Severus headed upstairs taking a shower, and I should have done the same, but the bookshelves that littered his walls made me curious.

Upon taking a closer look at his collection of books, they reflected the man he had become, books ranging from the dark arts, to—oh wow, Shakespeare and romance novels, that's cute. I smiled to myself, unable to imagine him reading something romantic. If I were to ask him about it, I wonder if he would defend his manly pride. I found a copy of Hamlet and flipped through the acts trying to find his most famous soliloquy. I found myself reciting the words unconsciously from my days of high school when our teacher made us memorize it and recite it in front of the class. I didn't want to look at the page, but I was stuck on the next sentence.

"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all," Severus continued from the staircase. He dressed in a simple black shirt with casual slacks, and I smiled looking at the droplets of water dripping off the ends of his hair.

"And thus, Severus should dry his hair properly because he's getting water on the floor," I scolded. I crossed the room and glared at his black shirt. "And don't you have any other colors?" I pulled at the hem of his shirt, and his eyes narrowed, and I challenged him to defy me. However, with a roll of his eyes, he went back upstairs and down a minute later, his hair now dry, and his fashion sense as Severus as ever. He took Hamlet out of my hands, a small but proud smile on his lips as he flipped through it.

"I see you've found my collection," he mused. He placed Hamlet back in its proper spot, his finger grazing the spine of a particular book before he pulled it out, reading the title. "I noticed you were browsing through books the other day. You'd enjoy this one." He handed me the book, and I flipped it over, reading the summary, it was a romance novel.

"So you assume I would enjoy it because it's a romance?" I asked accusingly looking up at him. He nodded knowing me all too well, and I clicked my tongue hiding the book behind my back. "And why do you have it?"

"Contrary to popular beliefs, I enjoy a variety of what life has to offer," he defended. I smiled and gazed lovingly up at him, resting a hand on his chest.

"You're cute," I whispered.

"I'm not sure if I am pleased by your use of wording," he grunted placing a hand over mine, he gently squeezed it and brought it up to his lips, kissing the palm of my hand tenderly. We spent the morning reading next to each other, and I had missed these uneventful and mundane days. They were calming, and I could appreciate them in this melting pot of chaos. Severus knew me too well, and this book had dominion over me, I loved every word. His attention shifted to me, and I tilted my head wondering what was wrong. "Are you hungry?"