Melody Riddle and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 6: Repacking

 Severus took me back to his house a while later and said, "You should pack up your things now. I'll work on the groceries you bought."

"What do you mean you'll 'work on the groceries?'"

"You won't be living here, so you should bring them with you."

"I thought you'd just keep those and — you know — eat them."

"No, you bought these with your own money. Besides, I like my process of —"

"You weren't thinking that when I made some corn on the cob last night. Or pork chops the night before. Or a mix of vegetables the night before that. Or —"

"Melody, just go do what I said," he said irritably, pointing to the staircase.

"I feel so undervalued," I replied, walking in the direction he pointed.

"You have become more sarcastic while living with me. It's —"

"Very unbecoming, I know!" I said, walking up the stairs. Upon going into my room, I softly said, "Hardly here a week and he's so eager to kick me out." Bodoujn, who'd been napping on my bed, sat up and meowed curiously. "We're moving again," I told him. "To some place where I'm out of Severus' hair."

I held my hand out and he gently head butted it. I pet his head a few times before sighing, and packing everything up all over again.

"After getting all this dust off, too," I mumbled, taking my books off of the shelf. It took a faster time for me to get all my stuff into the trunk. Everything was folded, and out of all the robes I had in my closet I only took out my school robes.. quickly closing the closet door on the dress robes. Don't put up another wall, I forced myself to think as memories of the day my mom and I went to get them popped up.

I sat down on my bed once I was done packing up and held my face in my hands. Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about it.

Bodoujn head butted me in my head, a meow sounding at the back of his throat.

"Should I take a barrier down now?" I asked him, scratching his chin.

Another meow as he crawled into my lap, and rubbed his body against my stomach. His comforting purrs let me know he wanted to help.

I sighed, looking into my head and watching as one of my walls crumbled down. Some emotions hit me like a gunshot, but after a few deep breaths I was calm again. One tear escaped, but I wiped it away. "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," I said, giving Bodoujn a hug. "Thank you. That's one down, and thirteen more to go."

I grabbed his cat cage and, picking up my trunk, walked out and down the stairs with Bodoujn following behind me.

Once downstairs, I asked, "When are you taking me there?"

"Late tonight — it's safest."

I put my stuff down by the stairs, where the groceries were in plastic bags, and collapsed onto the armchair across from the couch where Severus sat. He was reading the newspaper. "So I just got all packed up and we're not leaving for another number of hours? Most of the groceries won't last that long outside of the fridge."

"Have you forgotten that I can use magic?"

"Oh.. right... so you placed a cold charm on some of the grocery bags... and, let me guess, you just waved your wand to put them in the bags, too?"

He nodded.

"Cheater."

He looked up at me in annoyance.