Yours, SS [Book 1]

Chapter 41

Severus and Amilia met at the entrance to the Great Hall, much to their surprise. Severus had aimed to give the young witch her space, and Amilia had waited for him to show up in her office. She woke early to be there waiting, to no avail. "Good morning," Severus spoke, breaking the silence. He gazed at her; she wore a black walking skirt with a white top, her green robes, that were once her mothers, was fastened at her waist. In her hands, she carried the hat that Minerva had given her, and a book to pass away the time, which he doubted she would have. She gave him a small smile before plastering on a scowl, almost as if she remembered that she was still mad at him. Hesitantly, Severus reached out placed a small strand of her hair behind her ear, carefully letting his fingers tips drag across her jawline.

Amilia shivered; over the summer, he was bold in his advances, which she had no qualms with, but something so tender reminded her that he was a caring man and willing to better himself. She sighed, "Good morning, are you prepared for the day?"

"Yes. I...finished off my work last night. Are you?"

"As ready as I will ever be, I suppose. I took my final items up to my office this morning."

"I did not see you at breakfast," Severus said, glancing at the floor.

"I was not hungry."

"Amilia."

She held up a hand, cutting him off, "I know. I need to eat. That is why I am here...to grab a short bite before sitting in the courtyard before the students arrive."

"That was not what I was going to say." He grumbled.

Amilia looked at him, observing the rather down trod attitude that he had. The bags under his eyes were more prominent, enlarging his already grandiose nose. She wondered if he had even slept at all; she had struggled to get rested. "Then what were you going to say?" She asked tentatively.

Severus lifted his eyes from his shoes to her face, her auburn hair carefully pulled into a half ponytail. She looked as beautiful now as she had when they first met. This thought brought a small grin to his lips, which was quickly whisked away with the sounds of footsteps in the hall. Scowling, "I would like to join you, in the courtyard, if you do not mind. We can talk more privately there."

Amilia glanced over her shoulder and caught the sight of some professor that she had never seen before, "Of course. I would like that." They both smiling at each other; they both walked into the Great Hall and packed what they felt would be best to fill their anxious bellies.

Outside, they two sat on the edge of the fountain; Amilia was slowly picking apart her sandwich, taking small bites here and there. Finally, the silence between them drove her mad enough, "What did you want to talk about?"

Severus took a moment to finish chewing, "You locked me out last night." He watched as she rolled her eyes, "I thought you wanted to share a bed."

"I did. Then you told me that your office was yours and you would do as you saw fit. So I did the same with my quarters."

"I did not say that." He snapped then wilted; he did not want to start a fight before the students would arrive. "All I said was that I would stop a conversation, no matter who it was with when the Headmaster strolls on in. You will do the same."

She scoffed, "No, I will not. And you did not say that. You said that you would stop a conversation whenever you felt like doing so." She angrily took a bite as she waited for his response. She could see the thought running across his mind, double-checking his memory to see if she was right or not. After a few minutes, she saw the signs of defeat weave into his brow, they pushed forward slightly, and he pressed his lips together so hard they practically disappeared. "My apologies, I suppose I did say it that way."