Better Man

The sun had started to rise as Cura woke up the following morning and started rushing to get her chores done. There was still a few hours before she had to meet Snape, so she set out to find her wand that she had to hide well from her grandparents.

Looking at the horizon, she figured that she had about an hour left until the sun had set. Figuring that it would be at least a forty-five minute walk to Spinner's End, Cura slipped on her shoes and put her wand in her pocket.

Sneaking downstairs, she was thankful that her grandfather wasn't there. Cura's grandmother was a push over, but her grandfather absolutely was not. She slowly opened the front door, silently closed it behind her, then ran down the street until she knew that no one from the house could see her.

Walking up to the door Cura smiled, fixed her wind-ridden hair, and pulled out her wand and pointed at the door, knowing that it would be locked.

“Alohomora!” She said in a small voice and watched the door open.

Stepping inside, Cura started to explore. Running her fingers over dusty, old books as she heard the floor creak from behind her. Pulling her out her wand as she turned around, Cura realized that Professor Snape was standing close to her.

“Miss Warvan, put your wand away for Merlin's sake.”

“Professor while we are on holiday, please call me Cura.” Cura gasped at the closeness then watched Snape walk away.

“Very well, Cura. If we are going by first name basis then you may call me Severus.” Cura placed her wand on the table in front of her and sat down, watching Severus closely as he sat in a chair not far from her.

Severus looked at her in awe. He missed her a lot. The way that her long, straight, black hair fell over her shoulders. Even the slightest flicker of light that resonated off of her blue-grey eyes. He stopped thinking of such thoughts of his student, as he sat back in his chair and looked at her seriously.

“What exactly happened Miss War... Cura?”

Sliding off her shoes, she folded her legs under her, and put her head in her hands. Cura explained to him what has happened over the past year not missing a single piece of information. By the time Cura was finished she was crying and Severus was sitting close to her. Turning to look at him, she cradled his face in her right palm and tried to smile that he was in such a close proximity of her.

“Severus, can I stay with you until the end of the holiday and return to Hogwarts? I just want to get away from my grandparents and return to my world.”

Stunned Snape took her hand away from his face and looked at her. How could he feel this way for a student? A student whom was a member of his own House, nonetheless.

“Cura, I don't think that people would appreciate you living under your House master and your Potions teacher.” She was crushed. Not only was she but Severus couldn't believe what he just said and why was he comforting this young woman? This wasn't in his cold snarky nature to be nurturing someone, let alone a female.

Cura was looking down at her green and silver socks respectively, when she slid her shoes back on and stood up. Picking up her wand from the table her eyes started to mist with hurt as she looked back at Severus.

“I don't want to go back there. I don't care if I have to sleep on a floor while I am here, Severus. I don't want to go back.” Tears were spilling over for the second time since she had arrived at Spinner's End.

Severus remembered when she had arrived at Hogwarts. She was a rambunctious child. Always finding herself in trouble and he had to be there to bail her out. He even remembered her fifth year when Cura had fell ill. He was at her side to make and give her potions, making sure that she wouldn't become worse. Severus finally signed and looked up at her.

“You can stay Cura.”

Cura turned on her heal and launched herself and her Potions teacher, hugging him so tightly. Severus was both hating and loving this affection that she was bestowing upon him. Part of him wanted to hold her tightly, rejoicing that he got her out of that place and she would be back with him in the Wizarding World. Another part of him wanted to push her away and hex her for even just touching him. She rested her head on his shoulder. Severus was able to smell her clean hair that was in his face. It smelt faintly of strawberry Muggle shampoo.

'Oh, Merlin why?' Severus thought to his self as she finally released her self from his person.

“Thank you so much Severus.” Cura said almost squealing out of excitement.

“There will be rules laid down Miss Warvan and I expect you to behave. Even though you are on holiday, it does not give you the right to act up.” Severus sighed and shut his eyes.

“I understand, sir.” Cura said back to him, sitting down now as if she was in class.

“I also expect you to treat my home like your own and not some kind of flop house.” Cura nodded again. Severus sat up from where he was sitting, walked into what looked like a kitchen, and came back out with a teapot and a cup. Looking up at her, about ready to get back up, Cura laid her hand on his shoulder.

“I'll get it Severus.” Grabbing her wand from the table she pointed it in the direction that he had just came from.

“Accio teacup.” Shortly after, a teacup came in the direction of Cura. Catching it, she put it down on the table as Severus poured her a cup of tea.

“Another rule: If you are able to walk, you are able get up and retrieve things for yourself. No magic.” She sighed at this rule. Only having just turned seventeen, Cura was excited about finally being able to do magic outside of school and now Snape was forbidding it. Before she could even started to moan and complain about it, Severus put a silencing charm on her.

“Rule three Miss Warvan: I don't want to hear you whining. What I say goes.” Nodding her head in agreement, Cura took a sip from her cup and replacing it just before he caught her attention.

“Rule four: Please try to act like a lady in front of me. I know how you can get, and this is what I mostly ask of you.” She nodded as Severus removed the silencing charm from her.

Now sipping on her third cup of tea, Cura looked back at an old clock that was hanging on the wall noticing that it was, in fact, almost midnight.

“Bloody hell. I have to get back to my grandparents. I didn't know that it was this late.” She smiled at Severus and thanked him again.

“Miss Warvan, I do expect to see you here by tomorrow, hoping that you don't have too much stuff.” Cura thought about what few things she did have.

“I will be here sir.” Was the last thing she said as she walked out the door.

Cleaning up the tea mess, Severus, sat back down with a bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand. After pouring some into a glass and drinking off of it, he thought about what he had just done, but more importantly, the touch of Cura Warvan.

A/N: Thanks to LestatWhore for the review and thanks for reading!