One Fine Day Part II

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

Thank you, DelilahKelley, for your thoughtful insight!

The rating is simply for a bit of language. Thanks!

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They rode for a while, taking in the sights and sound of the forest. Nothing of consequence was said. Cara asked the occasional question about one thing or another, and Severus – using his very best lecture voice – followed with the explanation. Eventually, Cara complained of being hungry, so instead of listening to her complain, Severus led the way up a side trail to an ancient oak that he frequented. Its branches spread themselves out invitingly over the hilltop, creating a lush, green canopy.

"This is lovely, Professor," Cara said as she admired the towering tree.

"Yes. I find that it offers solitude... for those who seek it."

Cara chuckled. "I suppose I'm depriving you of that today, aren't I?"

He huffed and looked off into distance. "Among other things," he muttered. Cara squinted thoughtfully at the back of his head, but chose to ignore the comment.

"I'm starving!" she said, changing the subject as she dismounted. She dropped Onyx's reins and reached quickly for the satchel of food. Without waiting for Severus, she walked up the slight rise and sat heavily at the base of the tree.

"Are you coming?" she asked Severus, who still sat atop Oberon.

He sighed and dismounted, pausing momentarily before dropping his reins as Cara had. The two horses moved off to graze lazily but made no attempt to run away.

Severus walked up the rise to Cara, who had lain down on her back. His shadow fell across her face as he came close. She looked up at him and grinned, holding out the satchel. "Would you mind?" she asked.

There went the eyebrow. Cara smirked, shaking the satchel at him. He snatched it from her hand. "I would think, Miss Benoit, that after all the leniency I've shown you this past hour, you would not dare ask me for anything more."

Cara ignored him and propped herself up on her elbows, looking absently off into the distance. She could see the dark towers of storm clouds approaching from over the distant lake. A cool, wet breeze blew her hair about her face as she cut her eyes to Severus. He had transfigured a small branch into a low table and was currently pulling bread, cheese, fruit, and a small bottle of orange juice from the satchel.

"But I have, Severus... and once again, here you are." She saw him pause in his ministrations.

"Yes, well... I only see it as a means to an end. You will owe me a very large favor for taking such liberties with my personal time."

Cara rolled over on her stomach, grinning playfully. "Oh, come off it Severus... you seem to be enjoying yourself. Why not admit it?" She propped her chin in her hand and raised her eyebrows at him, waiting for a response.

He glared at her momentarily – noting the carefree way her feet moved back and forth in the air behind her – before tossing the empty satchel onto the grass and helping himself to a piece of cheese. "I will say that it has been... different."

Cara laughed, eyeing him thoughtfully. "You're so reserved." She stood up and walked to where he was sitting. She jostled him as she flopped down in the grass next to him, and he moved away slightly, scowling in annoyance. Cara didn't notice and continued talking. "I mean, really... I know you're British, but that doesn't automatically mean that you have to be so anal retentive all the time." She reached for the bottle of juice, twisted the top off with a flick of her hand, and took a long sip.

Wiping her hand across her mouth, she held the bottle out to him. "Want some?"

He eyed the saliva-covered lip of the bottle disdainfully. "No, thank you," he said.

"It didn't seem to matter much when it was a bottle of booze," she commented casually, taking another small sip.

Taken slightly aback by her statement, he proceeded to take his annoyance out on the grass between his knees, ripping up the blades and tossing them one by one into the wind. "Need I remind you that the circumstances were entirely different – I was not myself. Had I been, you would have been out on your arse before you could say 'cheers'."

Cara laughed. "How's your head, by the way?"

"I am no longer disfigured," he said dryly.

"Good. I'd hate for you to have a permanent reminder of the night I out-drank you."

"You did no such thing."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Yes, I did."

"No, you most certainly did not!"

"Did."

"Did n..." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Christ... you have me arguing like a petulant child. How else could you ruin such a peaceful Sunday morning?" Severus snarled as he threw the handful of grass off to his left where it swirled away, caught up in the now constant breeze.

Cara sat the bottle down and turned to him, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Well," she drawled, scooting closer, "I don't think I'd classify it as ruining the morning, but we are an awfully long way from the castle..." She nodded her head in the direction they had come, where the turrets of Hogwarts were barely discernable in the distance.

He huffed.

She moved even closer. Her shoulder brushed his as she reached out to pull a stray blade of grass from his pants leg. Once again, he turned a disapproving scowl her way. Once again she ignored it. "And we are pretty much..." she leaned in to whisper suggestively, "alone."

As her warm breath tickled his ear, Severus stiffened – in more ways than he would freely admit – before literally jumping away from her.

"What are you doing?" he said as he stood, pulling his cloak protectively around himself.

She snorted at his reaction. "Good grief! I was just teasing, Severus."

He glared.

She sighed and shook her head. "You really can't take a joke, can you?"

His lips thinned, and his tone of voice quelled her humor a bit. "No, I cannot."

"Oh," she said softly. "Well, don't let it be said that I never say sorry."

More glaring.

"Sorry!" she said, holding up her hands in resignation.

Severus exhaled a long breath through his nose as he watched her. She seemed sincere.

"Will you please sit back down?" she asked, patting the spot next to her on the grass.

He didn't move, but raised that thrice-damned eyebrow at her once again. Cara rolled her eyes before theatrically placing her hand over heart. "I, Cara Benoit, being of sound mind and body, do hereby swear not to accost Professor Severus Snape against his will. Your virtue is safe with me, Severus." For now, her inner voice added of its own accord as she dropped her hand back to the grass.

Cara watched him expectantly. He had crossed his arms as he listened to her little speech and was still glaring at her suspiciously. Cara patted the grass next to her again. Slowly, he unfolded his arms from across his chest and made his way back to the recently vacated spot. "You do realize that making such promises may get you into a fair bit of trouble, Miss Benoit. Count your blessings that you weren't holding your wand at the time, or we may never have seen each other again." He summoned an orange from the table.

Cara watched it fly towards him, peeling itself as it came to float in front of the dark wizard. Another flick of his wrist and the orange had separated itself into slices. Cara plucked one out of the air and proceeded to bite it in half, much to Severus' annoyance. "I figured you'd be happy about that," she said around the piece of orange in her mouth.

Damn, Severus thought, realizing too late that his choice of words had probably lead her to believe that he actually wanted to spend more time with her. Do you? his inner voice commented, to which he surprisingly had no immediate answer.

Uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation, Severus cleared his throat and proceeded to redirect her attention. "So," he said, grabbing a piece of orange for himself, "what manner of beasts are they?" He indicated the two grazing stallions with a slight tilt of his head.

Cara finished her orange and wiped her hands on her breeches, to which Severus gave another disdainful sneer. "Equus caballus: first domesticated around 3000 B.C. in what is today known as Kazakhstan. They are what the common man calls a horse, Professor."

Cara could feel his glare burning a hole into the side of her head. She loved baiting him – it was quickly becoming a favorite pastime.

"The wit of the Yanks never ceases to amaze. The breed, Miss Benoit?" he sighed.

"Well, why didn't you say so? You should really learn to be more specific, Severus. I am just a dumb Yank after all." He cut his eyes at her as he bit into his second orange slice.

Cara pointed to the black horse and smiled. "Onyx is a Friesian. The breed is originally from Friesland, a province in the northern Netherlands. They were used in medieval times to carry knights into battle. They're always black – although you will on a very, very rare occasion see one with a dark chestnut coat – and are considered to be somewhat of an endangered species."

Severus chewed his orange and nodded as Cara continued. "Oberon is an Andalusian. They originated on the Iberian Peninsula in Spain. Until around the 18th century they were the preferred mount of Spanish royalty – the 'Royal Horses of Europe.' During the 18th century, war in Europe caused their numbers to decline close to extinction. In order to reestablish their breeding programs, exportation of an Andalusian became illegal without Royal consent. The penalty for exporting them was death."

Severus nodded in genuine interest. "So how is it that you have come by the both of them?

Cara smiled softly. "Not by my own means, that's for sure. A friend back home owned both of them, and when she passed away... well... here we are." She flicked a hand absently.

"Ahh..." He nodded. "Just for curiosity's sake, how much would one have to give up in order to purchase such an animal?"

Cara laughed, pulling at the grass between her knees absently. "More than I could ever afford. I'm blessed that Joanne chose me to care for them."

"You must have known each other well," Severus commented. The soft, warm breeze was interrupted as another cool gust blew violently up the rise, rustling the leaves of the old oak and bringing with it the sharp, wet scent of rain.

Cara nodded as she pulled a stray strand of hair from her eyes, closing them as the wind blew against her face. "Mmm... we did. I practically grew up at her place. She was a good friend of my parents – like a second mother to me. She raised horses for a living – mostly show jumpers."

Severus glanced over. Cara had a wistful look on her face – one of things gone, but never forgotten – that almost made him want to smile... almost. He looked away quickly, lest she provoke any more unwanted responses from his traitorous body.

"As far back as I can remember," she continued, lost in her thoughts, "I would spend every moment I could in her barn. I cleaned stalls, washed tack, fed horses... I even washed and cleaned her truck and trailer, if only to get a lesson out of her. She was the nicest person I've ever met – except for my parents of course – and probably would have given me lessons for free, but I wanted to earn it."

Severus nodded. He could appreciate that, having never been one for charity himself.

"Anyway," she went on, "when I was eighteen and had just graduated from school in Atlanta – Joanne knew I was a witch... she was a Squib herself – I was home visiting. I went over to the barn just in time to see a trailer pull in. Even at that age I was excited – and still would be today – of the arrival of a new horse at Joanne's. She was so excited to see me... and I asked her what was in the trailer. She just shook her head and told me to go see for myself."

Severus felt himself pulled into her story. Her tone of voice held a reverence that he had long forgotten one could possess. Absently, he leaned back on one elbow and turned towards her. His cloak fell back over his shoulders, allowing the breeze to ruffle the loose, white cotton of his shirt. Cara's eyes were still unfocused, and she twirled a long stalk of grass absently between her fingers as she spoke. Though he fought against it, Severus felt the corners of his mouth lift slightly.

"I'll never forget the first time I laid eyes on them." Her gaze focused and shifted to the grazing animals. "I was without words."

Severus found himself chuckling. "A monumental feat, indeed."

Cara cut her eyes at him – offhandedly noticing his new position, the way his black trousers hugged his waist, and how exceedingly long his legs were – before raising her own eyebrow. "You like that do you? Well, it doesn't happen often, so you're pretty much SOL, my friend." She continued with her story, oblivious to the pensive look Severus gave her at the use of the casual endearment. "The driver of the truck came around and let the trailer ramp down. He went in and I heard a bit of stomping and grumbling before he came out leading Onyx. He was prancing and tossing his head, blowing through his nose at any and everything. God, but he was gorgeous."

Like you, Severus' heard his traitorous inner voice say. Threatening his mutinous subconscious with Obliviation, he quickly looked away from Cara, focusing instead on the animal in question.

"I didn't think it could get any better until the other man led Oberon down the ramp. I have never in my life seen a horse as angry as he was: his ears were laid back, his eyes were rolling back in his head, and he was stomping and kicking at everything. He even managed to bite the handler."

Severus chuckled darkly.

Cara's voice held an angry note as she continued. "Well, the man raised a hand to him, and before I knew what I was doing, I had shoved the asshole out of the way and snatched the lead line from him."

"So, even at the tender age of eighteen, you were impulsive and pushy?"

"Yep. The jerk didn't like it one bit either and started to curse at me, but Joanne told him to get his ass back in the truck and get the hell out of her barn. In a manner of speaking, that is."

"Would this Joanne happen to be where you received your extensive vocabulary of swear words?"

She nodded. "Most definitely. My parents... God love 'em... I can't remember them ever saying a curse word, but Joanne..." Cara shook her head and laughed at the memory of her friend. She tossed her blade of grass towards Severus, but it missed him and whipped away on the breeze. "I think you would have liked her. She was every bit as sharp-tongued as you are – maybe even more so."

"What happened to her?" Severus found himself asking.

She paused, dropping her gaze as she ripped up another handful of grass. "Cancer," Cara said after a moment.

Severus frowned. "I'm sorry."

One corner of her mouth lifted in a wry smile as Cara turned towards him, stared for a moment, and then reached a hand towards his face. He pulled away before she could touch him. "Miss Benoit..." he said in warning.

"Sorry... I was just wondering if you were running a fever."

He looked at her questioningly.

She smirked and waved him off. "Nothing," she said. "Anyway, I was twenty when she was first diagnosed – breast cancer. She beat it the first time... was in remission for eight years before it came back." Cara paused again, and her voice had lost a bit of its spunk when she finally spoke. "She died a week before my thirtieth birthday. It's been just over four years ago."

Severus found himself making a mental note that her birthday was probably somewhere towards the end of August.

Cara sniffed and wiped at her eyes absently. "She had always told me I was like the daughter she never had. She left everything to me in her will: the house, the farm – all 100 acres of it – the horses... even her old truck and trailer."

Severus sat up, suddenly confused. "You're telling me that you own a 100 acre plot of land and a home in the States, yet you're living and teaching at Hogwarts? How did that come to pass?"

He thought he saw a shadow cross her usually bright countenance, but it passed too quickly to be sure. Either way, she brushed his question aside with a wave of her hand. "By happenstance. Now, what about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You are the only other person here. What was your childhood like?"

Severus cleared his throat. This was not something he felt comfortable talking about. However, he barely knew Cara, and she had just told him about someone very dear to her... about a significant part of her life.

Self preservation, remember? Save yourself the trouble...

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "There is not much to tell."

Cara shrugged. "So? I'm interested in anything you're willing to give, Severus."

The connotations of that statement – whether intentional or not – were not lost on Severus. If Cara hadn't been watching the rapidly approaching storm clouds, she might have seen the slightest hint of pink tint his pale cheeks. He sighed and cleared his throat. "My father... was a Muggle – a mill worker – and my mother was a witch. My father despised her for it... along with me, for the simple fact that I was like her."

"I'm sorry," Cara said.

"Don't be," Severus replied. He was about to continue when another breeze, this one laced with drops of moisture, whipped around them, startling the horses as it made the branches of the tree snap and pop in protest.

He sighed, relieved – but surprisingly disappointed as well – that it was time to return to the castle. He stood, brushing the grass from his clothes before reaching a hand out to Cara.

She eyed it suspiciously for a moment, before grasping it and letting him pull her to her feet. His skin was warm and soft, and she could feel small calluses on the tips of his fingers.

"It appears that our little tête-à-tête is at an end," he said, releasing her as soon as she was upright.

She shook her head. Poor man... he's such a hard-ass, but he acts like a God-damned virginal school boy when it comes to human contact. I wonder if he's ever... No... he's nearly forty. Surely he's had a fling or two in his time... Oh, for fuck's sake!

Cara had to force her mind away from the subject of Severus' virginity – or lack thereof – before her mouth got a notion to speak before her mind could think things through, and she ended up asking him when the last time he got laid was.

"It appears that way, doesn't it?" Cara replied quickly, turning away to whistle for the horses. They came at a trot, eager to be back to the stable before the storm hit. "Buachaillí éasca," she crooned as they came up to her.

"Why do you speak to them in Gaelic?" Severus asked as he flicked his hand at the satchel. It repacked itself before floating back to its place on Onyx's saddle.

"Oh, that. Well, Joanne was originally from Ireland, so she spoke to the animals that way. I just picked it up over the years. Besides, I like being able to talk around other people without them knowing what I'm saying."

Severus found himself chuckling again. "You show more Slytherin tendencies than you realize, Miss Benoit."

"Which is a totally unbiased opinion coming from you, of course."

"Of course," he said, acknowledging her comment with a nod.

"Well, others would say I show more Gryffindor traits – the brave and the bold, or something like that."

There was no mistaking the sneer in Severus' voice as he said, "Yes, well... America is the 'home of the brave', is it not? You'd probably be right at home in the lion's den."

She laughed out loud as she pulled Onyx's reins over his head and remounted. "I like to think that I'm an island unto myself, Severus, instead of being stereotyped for the rest of my life by the opinion of an antiquated dust-catcher." As she pulled Onyx around, Severus had also mounted and was moving Oberon to stand beside her.

He opened his mouth to fling out a comment about founders, tradition, and other rubbish, but was cut off. At that moment, the clouds that had been slowly approaching as the day wore on chose to release their contents. Accompanied by a very dramatic, well-timed roll of thunder, the world grew blurry as the onslaught of rain unleashed itself upon them.

"Shite," Severus muttered, reaching for his wand.

"What are you doing?" Cara asked as Onyx gave a little hop beneath her. "Easca," she murmured absently, still watching Severus.

"Casting shielding charms, of course," he said raising his wand.

"Don't!" she cried, reaching out to grip his wrist.

"Wha...?" he sputtered.

"Let's make a run for it!" she cried, a mad glimmer in her eye as Onyx pranced beneath her again. Before Severus could state his opinion on the matter, she was off, digging her heels into the black horse's side as she urged him forward into the deluge. Onyx's hooves threw clods of dirt into the air as Severus struggled to hold Oberon back. The white horse was eager to join his friend in a mad dash for the stables.

As he watched her form grow smaller in the distance, Severus' annoyance was suddenly pushed to the side, overtaken by a sudden, unexplainable urge to beat Cara at her own game. If she thought she was going to get one up on him, as she liked to call it, she was mistaken. He thought it over for a moment, weighing both sides before making a decision. "Come on, old man," he said, tucking his wand away and giving the prancing horse's neck a solid pat, "let us show your mistress a thing or two." He released the pressure on the reins and leaned his body forwards. The white stallion surged forward, his white mane whipping about Severus' face.

Severus Snape was not a man that was experienced in moments of pure abandon. However, sitting on the charging stallion's back and feeling the powerful muscles surge beneath him, the wind rush past, and the warm, late summer rain soak his clothes as he and Oberon fought to overtake Cara and Onyx... to say it was a thrilling experience was an understatement.

They raced at breakneck speed down the dirt path, the trees on either side whipping by in a blur of green and brown. Severus swiped at his face with his sleeve as specks of mud flew into his face as the pair slowly drew closer to their quarry. Finally, after several tense moments in which neither horse made nor gave up ground, the onslaught of wet earth stopped as Oberon finally drew alongside Onyx.

Only when he could see her profile did Severus dare turn his head to look at Cara. Her blonde hair was plastered to her face and neck as she leaned forward in her saddle. She did a double-take, and the mad glimmer in her eyes was replaced by one of surprise as she realized that Severus had decided to follow her. She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it in shock as Severus shot her a quick smirk before giving Oberon another powerful squeeze with his calves. The horse could feel his excitement and surged forward with another burst of speed.

As he pulled ahead, Severus heard Cara growl in frustration. He chuckled as he heard her curse in English before saying something unintelligible in Gaelic. Whether she was swearing again or trying to urge Onyx faster, he wasn't sure. Either way, her efforts were futile. The smaller horse was quicker, even with Severus' heavier weight.

Slowly, their lead increased. It had taken them an hour to walk the mile and a half to the oak on the hill – Severus knew that the time to return would take a fourth of that at this pace. He looked back over his shoulder to see Cara come over the rise. She was soaking wet, and there were specks of mud on her face and shirt, as well as across the black horse's chest and legs.

Who's got one up now? he thought triumphantly. He pulled Oberon up a bit, so the animal wouldn't be winded too much by the run. They were far enough ahead that he could afford to slow down a bit. They galloped easily back towards the castle, finally passing the spot where Cara had met him earlier that morning. Rounding the bend, the stallion seemed to get a second wind and pulled on the bit, eager to be off again. Severus gave him his head, glancing back at Cara and watching with malicious glee as he pulled even farther ahead.

Oberon carried Severus into the stable grounds at least fifteen horse lengths ahead of Cara and Onyx.

He slowly pulled up his frothing mount and trotted briskly towards the stable entrance. Once inside, he dismounted and gave the animal a good-natured pat. "Good lad," he spoke softly, rubbing Oberon's nose. The animal gave him a good-natured head butt, to which Severus gave a one-sided smile. Soon, an ear-ringing whinny and the clop of hooves told Severus that their companions had finally entered the stable.

Cara glared at Severus as she dismounted and led a winded Onyx towards him. "Traitor!" she hissed good-naturedly at Oberon as she came to stand next to him. Onyx was blowing hard and was covered liberally in mud and white foam. Severus smirked. The horse's response was to thoroughly shake his entire body. Water, mud, and foamy sweat flew everywhere as his tack jingled noisily. Severus glared at the horse as he swiped a speck of foam off his shirtsleeve.

Cara laughed as two stable elves appeared, offering to take the horses. She and Severus each gave their mounts a good pat before handing the elves the reins. The watched as the little creatures walked the animals down the aisle for a cool down, a bath, and then a rest in a nice, freshly cleaned stall.

"I think he just let you know how he feels about being beaten," Cara laughed.

"So you admit it," Severus said.

"Admit what?" she said absently.

"That I was the clear winner, even with your so very underhanded head start."

"If you say so."

"It's simply the truth."

"According to you."

"According to...?! For fuck's sake, woman! I was in the stables and off the bloody horse before you even crossed the threshold!"

"Alright, Severus, I concede. You win."

"You're damn right, I do," he mumbled to himself as he watched her struggle to tame her wet hair back into a ponytail.

"What?" she asked slowly, when Severus continued so stare at her.

"Nothing of consequence," he said, raising an eyebrow at her – again – as he strode past her towards the covered walkway leading to the castle.

She pulled on her hair one last time before moving to catch up with him. "No, really... what?"

"Nothing." She could see the corners of his mouth twitch. "Only," he began again, cutting his eyes at her, "the next time you plan to go barreling about in a maelstrom, I'd choose my wardrobe accordingly." He let his eyes drop to her chest, where they lingered for an almost inappropriate amount of time. "However... black does suit you." With that, he shot a one-sided smirk at her and exited the stables.

Cara stood open-mouthed for a moment, wondering what in the hell he was talking about, before it finally hit her. She looked down at her t-shirt. Riding through the torrential downpour had soaked the thin, white cotton until it was practically see-through. As for the black bra, well, she simply couldn't find her other one this morning. She quickly cast a cleansing charm over herself after noticing him do the same, and ran to catch up with him.

She smirked to herself. At least there was one thing about her that the dour man seemed to appreciate, and pretenses be damned, Cara planned to use it to her advantage.

~TBC

A/N: This was just a bit of a transitionary chapter, but damn was it hard to write. I hope you enjoyed it! Also, my Gaelic translations come from an online translator, so if anything is incorrect, please let me know! Thanks for reading!

Buachaillí éasca: Gaelic for 'Easy boys.'

Just a little bit of trivia concerning the horses' names:

Oberon is a legendary king of the fairies in medieval and Renaissance literature. He is best known as a character in William Shakespeare's play, A Midsummer Night's Dream, written in the mid-1590s, in which he is Consort to Titania, Queen of the Fairies.

To see a picture of Oberon, go here:

http://i119.piczo.com/view/4/2/w/h/n/p/h/r/8/7/o/p/img/i283571171_82636.jpg

Onyx is a form of quartz, with the most common color being black. It was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans and appears in the art of Minoan Crete, notably from the archaeological recoveries at Knossos. Onyx was used in Egypt as early as the Second Dynasty to make bowls and other pottery items.

Onyx is also mentioned in the Bible at various points, such as the priests' garments and the foundation of the city of Heaven in Revelations.

To see a picture of Onyx, go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Friesian_Stallion.jpg

Sources:

Google Translator

archeology.about.com

www.andalusionbc.com

Wikipedia