Severus and the Frozen North

Tea and Knives

August 2000

"Good morning" he greeted Kora as she glided into the tower a few days later after a long weekend.

"Good morning. Would you like some tea?" she asked, pulling out her sachet of dried leaves and herbs from her backpack.

He arched his eyebrow. Every morning she brewed two cups of tea and drank them both. He never minded, he drank his morning cup before he left the house. This recent change made him wonder if she was up to something. He wouldn't put it past her to poison him for not taking up for her last week in front of their coworkers.

"I'm not poisoning you if that's what you're thinking. Everyone would suspect me right away. You were right. Don't gloat...I could be nicer to you. But don't tell anyone" she explained, pouring the sachet into a cauldron of boiling water.

"No one would believe me anyway, you and the word nice don't belong in the same sentence" he answered back flippantly, the floral Darjeeling scent tickling his nose.

Together they sat down at the small table in the corner, overlooking the vast flat lands of Kiruna, homes and buildings dotting the ground far below, blowing on the steaming hot liquid

"I was wrong. I should have stood up for you. No one ever stood up for me, but...I should have. I'm sorry" he apologized fully after several minutes of silence, the weight of expectation on his chest, hating every second of it.

A smile began to inch across her face as she admitted sheepishly

"I know I'm hard to get along with"

"That's the understatement of the year" he replied back sarcastically, rolling his eyes at her.

"Screw you" she immediately threw at him, tone not as sharp as usual, teasing

She was right. He leaned more toward stoic in this setting. He didn't try to scare her, because he held no power here. He was simply another man, trying to make a way. Sometimes he missed putting the fear of god into people by just a single look. Having people move to the side when he passed. But, that's not who he had to be anymore. And, fear wasn't synonymous with respect; he had learned that perhaps too late.

"You don't seem to mind being around me" he managed to tease back, working to keep the accusation out of his statement

"You're not the worst person I've ever had to work with" she admitted with a blush, looking down at the table

He noticed her left hand had a white indentation around the ring finger, so where was the ring? Margaret hadn't mentioned a husband when she told him about Kora during their interview. Perhaps she didn't want anyone to know she was married? Or engaged. He forced himself to stop speculating as he replied back drily

"High praise indeed"

She stifled a laugh, draining her cup quickly as she stood to get to work.

——————

"You're here early?" she questioned as he strained out the loose leaves from their cups the next morning

"I thought I should return the favor of tea. I prefer a strong earl grey..." he told her, sitting the cups down

Staring at him skeptically, she added a heavy drizzle of honey before peppering him

"So what? We're going to be friends now? Do you still feel guilty? I need answers"

He let out a frustrated sigh. Why did she have to make things so difficult? He didn't feel guilty. He already apologized. Conversation was easy enough with anyone like Margaret or Malin, or Thaddeus. But he wanted something else. To talk deeply. To be understood. To have...A friend. He had changed his position from when he started. He found her presence familiar and infuriating. He had to try. He skipped the sarcasm for once, simply choosing to whisper her name