Housewarming Gifts

Chapter Eleven

Housewarming Gifts

Tess blushed as Severus dragged her discarded trunk from the footbridge at the front of the house.

"I can't believe we just left it there," she said, still feeling slightly shocked by their wanton behaviour. "Anyone could've run off with it."

Severus pulled the heavy case over the threshold and closed the front door. "That seems unlikely, given the weight of it. What have you packed in there? A Stupefied Death Eater?"

Tess found her wand and levitated the trunk up the stairs, smiling. "I haven't seen a Death Eater all week... More's the pity." She slipped her hand into Severus's, and his lip quirked.

"Well, this Death Eater had prepared dinner. Let's hope a Warming Charm can resurrect it."

He turned and grasped the door handle, and Tess realised she was about to be treated to a tour of the rest of the house. So far she'd only seen the hallway, bedroom and bathroom, and she remained childishly giddy about the turn of events.

The opened door to the front reception room revealed a small library of floor-to-ceiling books, lovingly and neatly stacked, and an old armchair which she recognised from Spinner's End.

"I'm going to get some new furniture," Severus explained. "A couple of leather armchairs, like the ones we had in our Potions laboratory at Hogwarts."

"Sounds good," Tess agreed.

Severus pointed at a stack of books on the floor. "Maybe when you've unpacked your belongings, you can fit those into your Hogwarts trunk? I saved them for you."

Tess smiled and squeezed his hand. She knew this meant he'd been thinking about her whilst cleaning and cataloguing his book collection.

The next door led into a large room in which a small, rickety table had been set for dinner for two. The candles had already burned down half their length, having been lit prior to Tess's arrival. Behind the table, and in front of a pair of French doors, was a dark green Chesterfield sofa, which looked exactly like the one in Severus's old Hogwarts quarters. As he wandered off into the kitchen, Tess wondered if Severus had somehow managed to retrieve his old settee before the start of term.

Whilst sounds of clinking crockery and pans sounded from the kitchen, Tess opened the glass doors and stepped outside. The sun had dipped low on the horizon, and the temperature would soon dip to a pleasant autumnal coolness. Over the fence, Tess could see an old man tipping vegetable peelings into his compost heap. She stepped onto the lawn, noticing Severus had been busy in the garden, and waved at the neighbour.

"He's a jovial fellow, that neighbour of yours," Tess commented in between mouthfuls of summer pudding. "He'd sized you up in no time at all!"

"I beg your pardon?"

Severus felt Tess's quizzical gaze upon him and immediately knew he'd missed something. And that 'something' seemed quite crucial.

"He knows you're a wizard, Severus."

He took a moment to recover himself. "But... How?"

Tess chuckled and took a sip of coffee. "I can't believe you didn't notice."

"Notice what?"

"He's a Squib!" Tess laughed softly at Severus's bemusement.

"How can you know that? You've spent all of ten minutes talking to him tonight..."

"It took me five minutes to observe his body language and notice the way he questioned me, and soon realised he suspected I was a witch. I asked him if you'd tried to slip him some Gregory's Unctuous Unction, and he burst into fits of laughter."

Severus's eyes widened.

"Albert seemed relieved that you're magical. I bet he's been on tenterhooks ever since he met you, Severus!"

"You mean he'd already worked out I'm a wizard?"

"Of course he had. You've razed the garden quicker than any Muggle could ever manage, and planted more potions ingredients than Professor Sprout's greenhouse. Plus, he says you've got the hair and complexion of a family who used to live locally."

"You're kidding me? He knew some of my distant relatives?"

"Apparently. I didn't get the details because you called me inside for dinner."

Severus pushed his finished plate to one side and picked up his black coffee, his lips quirking into a small smile. "Quite incredible."

Tess winked and finished her coffee.

"I shall have to send you out there more often. Give you another week and you'll have traced my entire family tree."

Tess's gaze suddenly dropped, leaving Severus to ponder her change in composure. Her tension lifted when the ghoul in the attic let out a peal of laughter and started banging his frying pan with a spoon.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I've brought you a couple of housewarming gifts."

Severus cleared the table whilst Tess ran upstairs to retrieve something from her trunk. She returned a minute later with a fruit-laden specimen of Lovage. Severus inspected its shiny yellow-green leaves with satisfaction and remarked, "This will come in useful if I have to befuddle the neighbours."

Tess grinned. "I'm glad you like it."

Severus took off his Tiger's Eye ring and placed it on the dining room table. "I'll go and plant it now."

"Not before you get your second gift," Tess said with a hint of mischief.

"I do believe this will be my third gift of the evening," Severus said, stepping forward and leaning in for a kiss.

Tess cleared her throat and gently pushed him away. "Maybe later."

Severus frowned as Tess clicked her fingers, and with a muffled popping sound, a small, pale-brown house-elf appeared at his side, bowing deferentially.

"Fogle is pleased to meet his new master," the elf said in a manner which reminded Severus of a well-heeled Maître D'.

When Severus didn't reply, Fogle assessed the situation and trotted into the kitchen to clean the dishes. Tess giggled at Severus's expression.

"Do you like him?" she asked.

"You bought me a house-elf?" he asked, trying to hide his incredulity without success.

"I did." Tess attempted earnestness, but her eyes were shining. "Every wizarding home should have one. Plus, I've always wanted a house-elf but couldn't justify keeping one when I lived on my own. Now that we're living together..." Her voice drifted off nervously.

Severus felt warmth rising in his chest as he realised how serious she was about sharing a home with him; a house-elf was a considerable investment, not to be undertaken lightly. His expression must have softened because Tess now looked more hopeful. She grasped Severus by the hand and led him to the French doors.

"Let's leave Fogle to the washing up. It's going to be a clear night. We can set up my telescope and spend the evening under the stars."

Sitting at the top of the stone steps leading down into the garden, Tess and Severus waited for astronomical dusk. The sky was deep indigo, and a waning gibbous moon had risen in the east, tracing its way across the night sky.

"We could use some sort of bench or comfy seat out here," Tess remarked, shifting her weight on the threadbare rug which Severus had laid down for them.

"You might have to wait. My first remittance won't come for months," Severus reminded her. "I've not started on the project for the Auror Department yet."

Tess reached out and took hold of his hand. "Don't forget, I'll be living here too, and Fogle didn't deplete all of my savings. I'll contribute towards the furniture. How are you getting on with your new Potions laboratory, anyway?"

Severus's gaze shifted to the old outhouse at the side of the property. He could see the moon reflecting on one of the window panes. "It's almost ready. I've cleared the space, re-housed dozens of spiders and transfigured the workbench; I just need to buy some cauldrons and then I'll be ready to start brewing again."

Nestling into the crook of his arm, Tess wrapped her arm around his back. "I can't wait for the experiments to begin. I've really regretted not having time to continue our Imperius curse-breaker research."

"I'm looking forward to testing my concoctions on you again," he whispered into her hair. "Remember that last trial we did together?"

Severus felt her smile as she leaned into his chest. "Oh, God, don't remind me," she said, chuckling. "I was mortified about forcing you to slow-dance with me."

"You didn't force me into anything. Remember, you were the one under the Imperius Curse. I came so close to kissing you that day. You had no idea."

"I still can't believe you kept your feelings hidden for so long," Tess said quietly.

Severus moved and pulled her towards him, enveloping her in a passionate kiss which took them beyond nautical dusk. When she came up for air, she ran her fingers down the side of his face. "I've missed this so much," she whispered. "I've missed you ever since I left the Leaky Cauldron for Kings Cross station."

As she threw her leg around him, straddling him on the top stair, Severus felt his last piece of tension melt away. He sank his fingers into her hair and claimed her lips once more. She tasted like warm, dark cherries, heavy and sensuous on his tongue. He almost cried out when she withdrew her kiss, but then exhaled audibly when her lips made contact with the skin of his neck.

She nibbled her way to his earlobe and murmured, "Have you missed me, Severus?"

"Oh, God, yes," he replied without thinking, soon realising his blood seemed to have diverted away from his brain, pooling in the part of his anatomy where he could exert little control. But he didn't mind. He had missed Tess.

"How much did you miss me?" she coaxed, twisting her weight in a most pleasurable way.

"Every single day," he muttered before forcing his lips onto hers once more.

Thoughts of astronomical observations soon disappeared, like wispy clouds obscuring the moon. Severus removed his wand and flicked a non-verbal spell at the rug, trying not to be distracted by Tess unbuttoning his shirt. The spell didn't fire, so he tried again.

Tess giggled softly. "You're all in a muddle. Here, allow me."

Severus withheld for a moment, but soon Tess had coaxed his wand from his hand to direct a Cushioning Charm upon the worn fabric. Before he could object further, she had pushed him onto his back and unbuttoned the remainder of his attire.

As he immersed himself in the sensation of making love by starlight, he thought the sight of her silhouette against the starry night sky would remain imprinted on his memory for as long as he lived.

Inside the house, Fogle busied himself with his duties and discreetly placed Severus's Tiger's Eye ring on the bedside table. Turning down the sheets, the little elf was curious to know why the precious stone glinted at him in the darkness.