Severus and the Thunderbird

The Set Up

Set in year three. Sirius Black is still on the loose. Tensions are high. Severus doesn't trust Remus yet he must continue to care for him. Not to mention keeping Harry from the Dementors. The memories of his school days continue to haunt him; suffering in silence. He needs a night away to relax. But, nothing is ever that easy.

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He needed a drink. He needed a break. To be away from the castle and all his responsibilities. He needed to be where no one knew him and no one demanded something from him. He was tired of covering for Lupin, but at the same time knowing that he couldn't help what happened to him. The continual giving depleting his soul bit by bit.

He didn't want to have any compassion for Remus, after all the years he spent ignoring his friends assaults. Everyday having to see his face as he became the student's favorite. Remembering how he and his friends made his own life a living hell. For fun. Remus couldn't get a pass for that simply because he was afflicted. It wasn't fair.

He took a deep breath. Most of life wasn't fair.

He walked into a small grungy pub near his family home in Cokesworth. He drew in a heavy breath at the nostalgia that ran through his body at being so close to home. So close to the old trauma. Always surrounded by memories no matter where he went. However, no one knew him there anymore, which was exactly what he wanted. No expectations.

The lighting glowed hazy, the tables all filled with arrogant, twenty something footballers, one seat available at the shiny mahogany bar; the other stool in the corner occupied by a woman with stomach length deep burgundy curls and a long plum hooded cloak.

He sat down on the stool beside her, looking straight ahead at the wall full of various bottles varying in size and color. His penchant for a quick shot of whiskey made all the choices void.

"What'll you have mate?" asked the bartender, his tee shirt emblazoned with the Weird Sisters faces.

It was refreshing to have no one here refer to him as Professor or assume they knew anything about him. Here, he was just a face.

"Fire whiskey. On the rocks please" he told him, pulling out a book to read as well 

He knew this bar was safe for wizards because his father had never been aware of its existence. He commented on the decay of the building often but Severus always saw a bustling crowd.

He watched as the woman's pen rolled to the floor but she didn't notice. He flicked it up onto the counter without making any eye contact. It was obvious that she didn't want bothered and frankly, neither did he.

As the hour passed on the footballers grew increasingly inebriated, jeering each other on, obscenities and brawling flowing freely. He rolled his eyes. Those types of men were on the bottom of his list of acceptable humans.

No brain cells, all brawn; and what little brain they did have was consumed with how lucky they thought everyone else was to have them. Taking up as much space as they wanted without a care to anyone else. Pathetic.

He surreptitiously slid his eyes down the bar to sneak a peek at the woman in the corner. Holding her head in her palm, she read a book, taking notes on a small pad as her eyes flew across the pages. She appeared to be his age or a bit younger, skin just as pale as his, full lips stained blood red. He looked back down at his work, not wanting to interrupt her.

"Hey miss, drink from the table" the bartender told her, about to pour her a shot

"No thanks" she told him in a flat American accent, not bothering to look up, waving it away with her hand