Yours, SS [Book 1]

Chapter 52

End of term tests were completed, and many students had prepared to leave for Christmas. Amilia clasped her cloak around her shoulders before stepping out into the fresh snow. She held out a hand for a relatively short first-year and helped them climb into the carriage. She checked for her wand in its holster before climbing onto the back of said carriage. Once settled, the Thestral took its first steps towards Hogsmead station.

Severus watched her purple cloak bounce behind a carriage as he stayed behind with the handful of students who chose to remain for the holidays. He sighed heavily as he turned towards the dungeons. The past couple of weeks had been hard for him. He struggled to sleep at night, and even during the day, Lily would call for him like she used to. He found himself distracted during the final plans for his wedding with Amilia. He found himself thinking of Lily when he was alone in the bath. She was becoming a significant problem for him for the future he wanted with Amilia.

In his office, he took out the stone he had received last Christmas. It sat cold in his palm. He closed his fingers around it tightly and felt it shake. Once, he opened his hand again, there on his palm, sat a small five petal purple orchid. He smiled contented. In just a few short months, he would be marrying Amilia, and they would live happily together. They would have friends over and sit around the table she desperately wants for his home. He would clear her a bigger space in his yard for the seeds and bulbs from her mother's greenhouse. She would play the piano while he read the morning paper on Saturdays. He could imagine a child or two attached to her skirts while they brewed potions in the cellar. They would have her hair, beautiful and flowing. In fact, he would want them to look identical to her, with no trace of him in them. They would be gorgeous children, envied by all the families in Spinners End and the wizarding world.

He closed his fingers around the stone and stared off into space as daydreamed of his future. He could be happy.

The Baron flitted about his office shaking his chains at him, drawing Severus from his happy thoughts. He glowered at the specter and waved him away. He stared at his desk; he hated that anyone would ever dare to distract him from his thoughts. What would have happened had he been brewing a volatile potion when the Baron distracted him? He could have spilled the ingredient in his hands or added too much to the mixture, and heavens knows what could have happened then. "Losing a hand at the least." He grumbled, much like that one moron in my time as a student.

He sighed and opened his palm. The stone laid cold within despite having gripped it for so long. Once again, he squeezed his hand and opened it, but the stone had not retaken the form of the orchid. Inside sat a white lily. So simple, so pure. His heart fell. He had not even thought of her, and yet it changed. "Why do you haunt me so?" He moaned.

Amilia stood outside Severus's office, her ear pressed against the wood. Inside, she heard the Barons chains' rattling and her groom moaning in pain .a pain that sounded more than physical. Something deep-seated and heart-wrenching. She sighed heavily; something is troubling him. I just wish that he would open up to me about it. Maybe I can help him. Perhaps it will make him feel better and ease his pain by talking about it.

She stepped back and gazed at the door. Initially, she was going to suggest that they take the weekend to spend it at his home to get away from the castle, but she doubted that it would be able to happen. "Gobstopper." She could hear the lock click and the hinges of the door creak. She stepped through the doorway and draped her cloak on the hook nearby. He had not lifted his eyes from his hand; he had not noticed her yet. This frustrated Amilia; he was always so apt to notice her arrival or departure. She enjoyed that he took the time to acknowledge her, but lately, that has not been the case. She blamed the end of semester testing, but today he should have been back to normal. Right?