Shadow & Love

I

Spring 2008

The sofa with the traditional design of English Roses stood still on the same place, the windows with the great view to the sea behind. It was the family's favourite place to relax when the weather frustrated plans doing something outside. Eileen huddled against her father's arm reading a historic novel about dragons and elves. Marcus sat on the other side of Severus, with drawn-in knees, the unkempt black hair obscuring the narrow face and the aquiline nose. A book with a well-worn leather cover absorbed the boy.

It rained outside; the Phoenix sat on the perch making a clicking noise whenever another thunder growled in the distance. The owls, Pauline and Hugo, delivered messages and potions and returned only for the night. Leonor left the cottage already in the morning for surgery hours and home visits.

Severus glanced apprehensively around when another thunder rolled across the sea. Eileen turned another paged and looked up from the book.

"When will mum get home?"

"For dinner," replied Severus, looking back down on a recent periodical.

"Is Apparition dangerous in a thunderstorm?"

"It's not if you concentrate well on your destination."

"I hope mum is coming soon," whispered Eileen and some worry lines appeared in the young face.

Only then Marcus noticed what was going on, he shrugged, closed the book and stood up to take a shortbread from a square biscuit tin on the table.

"Do you want me to check if she's in the apothecary?" murmured Marcus chewing one biscuit after the other and glancing to the low embers in the fireplace.

Severus looked up to his son and then to the wedding band on his finger, "She's alright."

"You cannot know," frowned Marcus taking the box with the Floo Powder from the mantelpiece.

"I know," answered Severus giving his son a tight-lipped smile and a wink, telling him to return the Floo powder to the usual place. "The weather in Scotland is different and the Floo is taboo for you."

Marcus returned the box grudgingly. He'd used the Floo often, knew how it worked but the parents never let him go alone. He wouldn't mind going to the apothecary now and taking a stroll through Hogsmeade when the shops filled with students, witches and wizards because of the Easter term break. The wirily built boy sighed, just four more days left to entirely concentrate on spells and potions books. It irked him that he was only permitted to read the theory.

"Aren't thunderstorms scary in Hogwarts?" he pressed the matter further.

"You cannot even hear them in the Slytherin Common Room," replied Severus folding the periodical and thinking if that was true for the other dormitories too. Thunders echoed loudly in between the mountains.

Severus dispelled the thoughts and said casually, "I'll make some tea. Do you want a hot chocolate?"

Marcus and Eileen nodded. The boy sat quickly to the table, eating more of the self-made shortbreads.

"Why am I not allowed to go to Hogwarts with Eileen in September? I can do magic. I'm not too young."

Some lines appeared on Severus' forehead. He took the kettle and infused a tea, then filled cocoa in a mug and heated the milk with his wand.

"You are only ten, Marcus." Severus' voice sounded harsh and visibly annoyed.

"The muggle school is so easy. I'm playing soccer and can score goals whenever I want. That's annoying. I'm a wizard," sniffed Marcus and scowled into the cup smelling the roasted cocoa beans and caramel.