Severus and the Frozen North

We're Not Friends

June 2000

"Hello Severus! May I sit with you?" asked a bubbly voice

He looked up from his seat in the cafeteria, a perky red headed woman with a high ponytail and brown eyes stood waiting for his answer. Malin. She was a healer for the magical maladies unit. They occasionally chatted when she needed extra potions or he dropped them off at her desk. Their interactions had been cordial, but by the way she stood now, he wondered if he hadn't missed something.

He nodded, his mouth drying. Interacting with women wasn't his strong suit. He got nervous and didn't know what to say. Women didn't ordinarily try to speak with him either. Not that he hadn't had a surge of romantic suitors try to bed him after that trash article in the Daily Prophet. Women desperately wanting to be the one who healed him. A conquest. He hated it all.

"Are you enjoying the warmer weather?" she questioned kindly, drinking her coffee

Why did people insist on talking about the weather? Why couldn't they just think up a topic worth discussing?

"Yes, thank you. Has your patient healed properly from that botched engorgement charm?" he followed up after a patient that stumbled in early that morning, barely unable to walk...

She giggled, rolling her eyes as she touched his hand

"Yes, thanks to your potion"

He shook his head, readily deflecting the praise

"The thanks go to Kora for that one; I have no experience brewing that particular shrinking potion"

Her face faltered, but she quickly replaced it with another smile

"Oh. You can tell her, I don't really...get along with Kora. She's kind of...mean"

That was the general consensus. That Kora was mean and callous. Snippy and jagged. When in reality, she was hiding. Hiding underneath that facade. He knew from experience. But he didn't want to be the one to pull her out from under it.

"I suppose so" he replied ambivalently, leaning back in his chair

"The bitch witch?" called over Anders from the next table, an intake wizard

A flutter weaved it's way through the room as several people called out insults ranging from "evil incarnate" to "ice queen."

People loved to come together against a common enemy and gossip, whether or not Kora knew they did this was beyond him. He didn't have to participate but he wasn't certain how to stop it either. He was usually the one on the receiving end of the insults.

"Do you like working with her?" Malin asked incredulously after the chatter had died down

"I enjoy my job" was his evasive answer, tearing his eyes away from her cleavage as she leaned forwards towards him

"Well, your days might have to be spent with her but perhaps you would like to spend your night with me?" she sprung on him, a seductive smile crossing her slim face

His heart thudded irregularly. Was she offering him sex? A date? Him? Panic flooded his veins and all he wanted was to be back in front of a cauldron.

"Uh...I'm not sure...I appreciate it Malin but I'm not ready to..." he stuttered through a half assed apology before she laughed dismissively

"What? Have dinner? I could warm you up after all your time in the tower?" she teased, touching his foot with hers

He needed to leave. Right now.

"No thank you, I should get back to work" he replied brusquely, the insults lingering in his mind like a thorn.

As he turned the corner, he nearly ran into someone. Kora. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed and eyes closed.