Re: temperate, part 3arsenicjadeApril 21 2006, 03:18:34 UTC
His impression hadn't been wrong. Ginny--she'd insisted, with sneaky, clever threats that he actually believed she'd follow through on--was patient. Mostly she was patient with the animals, although she could be with her coworkers, so long as they deserved it.
She was never patient with stupidity. Her hexes, which were largely harmless and always amusing from the outside, enchanted Severus. Not that he ever let her catch him being enchanted. That would have been stupid.
Of course, he couldn't exactly call it intelligent that he'd allowed himself to say, "Yes," the night they'd both been working late and she'd said, "Can you swim?"
She'd taken his hand in hers. Hers was warm, callused, and for just a second, he hadn't had the sense to shake himself free. A second had been all she'd needed.
Severus could swim, but it wasn't something he chose to do. Of course, she probably knew that, which was why she didn't give him much choice. A silent flick of her wand--he could never, never anticipate her; it was unsettling, he'd always been able to defend himself--and he was in swimming trunks.
It was dark, the sun having already set, but she said "nice." Her voice, which was smooth and throaty, sounded just a little bit lower than usual. She also said, "You haven't swum with them once," and walked out into the ocean.
He could have turned around and walked back to his research. It was engaging and familiar and what he was being paid to do.
When his chest was sinking into the water, the creatures found him, surrounded him. They spoke in vibrations, filling Severus with silent sound. Ginny's laughter rippled over the waves, caught up in their welcome chorus.
*
Severus found the right combination of potion ingredients two days before one of the Americans managed to get himself bitten by a shark, which was either good luck or a sign that the Americans now felt the freedom to get reckless, but either way, it worked out well, as there may very well have been death had the situation been otherwise.
Ginny finished applying the Potion, waited for it to take effect and then walked out of the room. She was covered in blood, the brown-red of it clashing with the brown of her skin and red of her hair.
Severus, who was heartily sick of the sight of blood, followed her out.
She said, "Not right now-" but he ignored her, pushing her into his quarters, into his shower, turning the water on even as she was still fully dressed. She said, "fuckfuckFUCKfuck," and he knew she wasn't talking about her newly wet state.
He said, "I'll make some tea," and left her to have her meltdown.
She emerged with wet hair neatly pulled back--too neatly for her--and a pair of his jeans rolled up three times at the cuff. She had left his button down shirt unbuttoned. "Too many buttons," she said, as though her breasts weren't peeking out from the gap left by the opening.
He said, "I have pull-"
She said, "Look at me, Severus."
There wasn't a trace of blood on her, but he could see the places were it would never fade all the same. He reached out and brushed the shirt from her shoulders.
She was never patient with stupidity. Her hexes, which were largely harmless and always amusing from the outside, enchanted Severus. Not that he ever let her catch him being enchanted. That would have been stupid.
Of course, he couldn't exactly call it intelligent that he'd allowed himself to say, "Yes," the night they'd both been working late and she'd said, "Can you swim?"
She'd taken his hand in hers. Hers was warm, callused, and for just a second, he hadn't had the sense to shake himself free. A second had been all she'd needed.
Severus could swim, but it wasn't something he chose to do. Of course, she probably knew that, which was why she didn't give him much choice. A silent flick of her wand--he could never, never anticipate her; it was unsettling, he'd always been able to defend himself--and he was in swimming trunks.
It was dark, the sun having already set, but she said "nice." Her voice, which was smooth and throaty, sounded just a little bit lower than usual. She also said, "You haven't swum with them once," and walked out into the ocean.
He could have turned around and walked back to his research. It was engaging and familiar and what he was being paid to do.
When his chest was sinking into the water, the creatures found him, surrounded him. They spoke in vibrations, filling Severus with silent sound. Ginny's laughter rippled over the waves, caught up in their welcome chorus.
*
Severus found the right combination of potion ingredients two days before one of the Americans managed to get himself bitten by a shark, which was either good luck or a sign that the Americans now felt the freedom to get reckless, but either way, it worked out well, as there may very well have been death had the situation been otherwise.
Ginny finished applying the Potion, waited for it to take effect and then walked out of the room. She was covered in blood, the brown-red of it clashing with the brown of her skin and red of her hair.
Severus, who was heartily sick of the sight of blood, followed her out.
She said, "Not right now-" but he ignored her, pushing her into his quarters, into his shower, turning the water on even as she was still fully dressed. She said, "fuckfuckFUCKfuck," and he knew she wasn't talking about her newly wet state.
He said, "I'll make some tea," and left her to have her meltdown.
She emerged with wet hair neatly pulled back--too neatly for her--and a pair of his jeans rolled up three times at the cuff. She had left his button down shirt unbuttoned. "Too many buttons," she said, as though her breasts weren't peeking out from the gap left by the opening.
He said, "I have pull-"
She said, "Look at me, Severus."
There wasn't a trace of blood on her, but he could see the places were it would never fade all the same. He reached out and brushed the shirt from her shoulders.
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