Chapter 12

They strolled along the road that led away from Spinner’s End together in silence, the faint orange glow of the streetlamps reflecting off the tarmac. The waxing crescent moon hung low in the inky blue-black sky. The only sounds were the click of Snape’s boots on the pavement and the occasional jangle emanating from Sarah’s bag as they walked.

“How long have you been teaching?” Sarah asked after a moment, wanting to break the silence.

“Too long,” replied Severus archly. It had began to dawn on him he knew very little about his Muggle-witch, aside from her new-found powers, her soft, rounded body and her rather intense way of making love. “Where do you work?” he asked enquiringly.

“I’m a librarian at the library in town.” She neither sounded proud nor ashamed; it was just a statement of fact.

“And would you be happy to give that job up for the possibility of magical education?” They turned a corner and headed left as Sarah thought about this for a second.

“Well… I do have a house to pay for, and bills…”

“A bursary could be arranged. Grants are often allocated to students who are in need of financial assistance.”

She took a deep breath. “The school might not accept me anyway. I’m too old!”

Severus looked down at her. “As impertinent as it may be to ask a lady her age, may I enquire as to how old you are?”

Sarah smiled with the thought that neither of them knew this quite important piece of information about each other. “I’m 25. How about you?”

Severus frowned. “I’m forty. And you can spare me the “life begins” speech,” he growled.

Sarah giggled. “You look good for it,” she said with a twinkle. “My house is just on the end there. Oh and look, Bernard’s waiting for me!”

Bernard? Who’s Bernard? Severus wondered with a flash of annoyance. Don’t tell me she has a damned child, or some obsessive ex-lover.

Just then, he heard the sound of a cat’s meow, and the cat trotted up the wall to meet her. “Hello, Bernard, did you miss me?” she cooed, stroking him from his head all the way to the tip of his tail. Bernard looked up at Severus and then trotted forward with another mew. Severus held out his long, pale fingers, and the cat happily rubbed himself against them, purring as loudly as an engine. Severus’ mouth twisted into a crooked smile.

He looked up and saw Sarah beaming at him approvingly. “I’m so pleased he likes you. He doesn’t take to everyone. Cats are so intuitive. There’s something wrong with people who hate cats, don’t you think?” she babbled nervously, fiddling with her bag for her key.

Severus merely raised an eyebrow in response as Bernard jumped from the wall and skittered down the garden path, waiting patiently outside Sarah’s front door. What followed was an awkward few moments of silence as each of them hesitated, trying to figure out the best way to say goodbye.

“Thank you for walking me home,” she began, feeling suddenly shy, like she was on a date.

“It was no trouble,” he muttered. “I will call for you at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning, and we will make our way to the school. Is this acceptable?”

She nodded and then took a hesitant step forwards. “I’m sorry… for everything.” She looked up at him.

Severus sighed. “I’m as much to blame.” He paused, as if to say more. “Goodnight, Sarah,” he said finally.

Just as he was about to turn on his heel, she reached up, grabbed the front of his cloak and kissed him, full on the lips. He froze with the initial shock, but once again the warmth began to unfurl in his chest like the fronds of an exotic plant and he was filled with a loving glow. Kissing her felt as natural as breathing; her lips were soft and felt like they belonged on his, like they were designed to kiss him just like that. Her arms snaked around his shoulders and he marvelled at the perfect synchronicity of their kiss as his arms entwined around her, drawing her to him. She moaned softly as he kissed her deeper still, which almost made him dizzy with happiness.

Then his rational brain kicked in. It took all his effort to drag himself away from her. With a grunt, he grabbed her gently but firmly by the shoulders and pulled her back, his eyes locked sternly on to hers.

“We cannot do this! If you attend lessons at the school, I will be your teacher!”

Sarah’s green eyes looked sadly back up at him. “Do you have to be?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t have a choice. Even if you don’t take my subject, you may well be in my house. And regardless of that, I am deputy headmaster.”

“Well, do I have to go to school?” she asked petulantly.

Severus inhaled sharply. “Nearly every person of wizarding ability for a thousand years has been educated at Hogwarts to hone their skills. It would be dangerous for you not to learn how to control it. Especially, I might add, around Muggles, which is what we call non-magical people. There is a Statute of Secrecy forbidding us to show magic in front of Muggles. Our world operates in secrecy, totally separate from yours. That’s why I couldn’t show you my magic earlier. Now do you see how important this is?”

Sarah closed her eyes, trying to compose herself. This is so unfair! “I understand,” she said eventually.

“Good. Then I will see you tomorrow,” he said firmly before walking away briskly without a second glance, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. It’s just the effect of the ritual, he told himself. Just a magical illusion. But his hands were shaking as he stalked down the road.

Sarah watched his receding form, his cloak billowing, all in black, like a man from another era. Or another world, she thought.