Grand Opening!

[golden_armor]

Date: May 14
Time: 9 AM
Location: Alecto's Animal Emporium, Diagon Alley
Characters Involved: Aurin Helm, anyone in need of animal supplies or vet care!
Rating: We'll make it PG-13, just in case.
Status: Incomplete

Comments

[sightlesswolf]

"Considering you were the one suggesting you'd like to take bits and pieces off him, I can't imagine why he didn't take a shine to you right off," she countered quickly, relieved that he'd allowed the change of subject. A relief that turned out to be short-lived.

His apology (for she recognized it for what it was despite the lack of the words 'I'm sorry') didn't surprise her. Regardless of his sometimes harsh demeanor and his reputation at Hogwarts as a teacher who enjoyed making his students suffer, he'd never, in the time since they'd come to Spinner's End, ever deliberately gone out of his way to cause hurt. Had, in fact, expressed regret on several occasions when he thought he might have inadvertantly done so.

And he couldn't have known how raw the wound was he was prodding at. It wasn't as though she went around loudly bemoaning the loss. Mourning something that was past and gone forever wasn't her style. She ought to have let it go by now; she wanted to let it go. But the yearning just... refused to fade.

The offer, though - that was a surprise. And brought with it a torrent of conflicting emotions. That he made such a proposition at all astonished her, largely because no one else ever had. With all the accomplished fliers and Quidditch players of her acquaintance, apparently it had never crossed anyone's mind to suggest it. Certainly it had never crossed hers. Instead the first one to think of it was a dour Potions Master who she had difficulty picturing on a broom at all.

It wouldn't be the same.

But it'd be better than nothing!

What if it's a disappointment? He just said he's no Quidditch player, he can't fly like I can...

Like I COULD. That's over now. It's over.

"You didn't upset me," she lied unconvincingly. Admittedly she wasn't trying very hard to deceive him; he was extremely perceptive and she was a terrible liar, so there seemed little point. Only that she didn't want him to feel bad because she wasn't able to grow up and get past this. So it wasn't a lie, really; the one who had 'upset' her wasn't him, but herself. "Thank you, though... I- I'll have to think about it, but... it's really nice of you to offer."

She'd intended to leave it at that, but something about his quiet, steady presence prompted her to go on. "I always... always wanted to fly, you know, when I was little. There were always hawks and falcons overhead, sometimes eagles too... I used to watch them all the time and imagine what it would be like to be up there with them. Then I got my letter and came to Hogwarts, and there was Madam Hooch handing out brooms and telling us we were about to learn to fly." She smiled a little, remembering the incredulity and joy of that first flying lesson. She'd been no prodigy, of course, just another first year who'd never been on a broom before. But simply to know that before long she'd really be able to do what she'd always dreamed about...

"My imagination didn't even come close."

[subtle_simmer]

"I understand," he said softly, surprising even himself with his compassion, and the fact that he did, indeed, understand. "My Muggle 'childhood' left little room for flights of fancy, but my first flight on a broom, too, was like a leap into unimaginable freedom."

Well, as soon as he figured out how to get the thing to stop trying to buck him off like a wild horse! Brooms, it transpires, answer far more to the feel of the flyer, than the will of the flyer. It was a valuable lesson, but was the handicap which meant he could fly well enough for transportation, and the occasional bout of refereeing the Quidditch as a Professor when the occasion (or Harry Potter) had needed it.

It had been obligatory, though, to humiliate himself completely, in his second year. All the second-years were trying out for their House teams, whatever the open positions happened to be, and the shame might have been worse had he failed to at least make the attempt. Besides, at the time, like every twelve-year-old boy in the school, he had WANTED to play!

Only two chaser positions had been open in Slytherin at the time, and Severus' tryout had been the worst of the lot. Not only did he not make a single goal - he hadn't come close. His flying, by then, had become adequate, but he was nervous of letting both hands off the broom to handle the ball, and already growing long and gangly with limbs which didn't want to obey his commands, fumbling clumsily with the ball, releasing too soon or too late until it went wildly off course to peals of mocking laughter.

It had quite completely squashed any enjoyment of the sport - he hadn't been that fussed about it to begin with. Potter's successful appointment to Gryffindor Chaser and resultant talent at the spot merely added another facet to rivalry and jealous hatred in a situation which already needed no assistance!

"I have come to understand you a little, June," he said, a gentle admonishment in his voice. "I believe you tell me you will 'think about it' and 'let me know' when it is a subject you would rather not think about, at all, in order to get me to drop it."

It was what she had done with the offer of her scars, for example. This seemed very similar.

"I will give you time to consider the offer, but I'll not forget. Expect me to ask again, rather than wait for you to 'let me know'."

[sightlesswolf]

'A leap into unimaginable freedom.' That was it exactly. One of the purest and most glorious feelings she'd ever experienced. And it had never gotten old, never lost its magic, no matter how often she'd experienced it. Just as the memory of it never lost its intensity, no matter how long she'd been without it.

His admonishment distracted her from her thoughts and made her feel, for a moment, guilty, as if she'd been caught trying to get away with something. She hadn't, really. She just needed time to sort through her feelings on the subject - as she'd needed time to sort through her feelings about allowing him to work on her scars.

Of course, she never had fully sorted those out, or at least had never come to a conclusion. Even having (almost by accident) finally committed to a course of action, her feelings about the whole situation were still very mixed. And perhaps this would be the same.

"Duly noted," she said, ducking her head a bit. "I'll try to have an answer for you before then."

[subtle_simmer]

Annoyance rose to the surface as she acted as though he'd just shouted at her, when his admonishment had been remarkably 'gentle' - for him!

"You need not fear I'll demand you go against your will, child," he retorted with asperity. He was frustrated not only with her, but with himself, and his apparent ability to destroy her 'good mood' with remarkable ease.

Before he dug himself any deeper, it seemed wisest to just return home.

"I have nothing more I need here today. Was there anywhere you'd like to go before we return to the house?"

[sightlesswolf]

Oh, 'child', was it now? What was that all about? And why did he sound so annoyed all of a sudden? Had she not been agreeing with him?

"I know that," she retorted, not quite able to keep her tone from developing a tart edge. Nor to stop herself adding a little verbal sting on the end, in the form of a title she now knew he disliked as she disliked the one he'd just given her. "Professor."

Merlin, he really brought out the worst in her sometimes.

With a little sniff, she turned her face away. "No, nothing else I can think of. I'm ready to go if you are."