Ravenrin & Slytherclaw

RAVENRIN & SLYTHERCLAW- Chapter 22

Over the last few weeks before the summer ended, Argenta had finally settled into her new home and very much got use to being alone most of the time. She did however use her alone time to research the details of her job and what might be expected of her. She also spent a lot of time wandering up and down the streets of London, peering into the Muggle shop windows, weighing up the cost of items she would like in her flat. About two weeks before she was due to start at Slugg and Jigger’s, Argenta received a short note from her parents about her uncle Algernon.
He was dead.
Argenta squealed with absolute delight at the fact her worst nightmare was finally out of her life and jumped up and down on the balls of her feet in her excitement. Suddenly, she stopped and cried at the next few words. Her parents had asked if she would care to attend the funeral.
‘If only they knew what had happened. But just how did he die? Naturally? Or was he killed? Only Honey knew what he had done to me, do would she have…?,’ mused Argenta as she penned a note to her parents that she would rather forgo the funeral as she had prior arrangements that could not be changed. She also penned a brief note to Honeysuckle, with two simple words darkening the parchment with ink. All that was written was ‘Thank You’, as her firmest of friends had gotten rid of that dratted man and she had no care as to how it was done.
As Argenta’s first day drew nearer, she was constantly writing to Severus for advice, which eventually led to him coming to visit her on the night before she started.
“I didn’t expect you to turn up,” Argenta said after she opened the door and finding Severus stood on the threshold, looking a tad annoyed.
“Well, I decided that I should come over and answer any more questions you have in person, providing that once you have asked everything, you will desist in sending owl after owl to me,” snarled Severus, but then gave Argenta a small smile in apology.
“Anything! You could stay if you want,” hinted Argenta. She knew that she would need to relax before the big day she had ahead.
“Questions first, everything else later,” Severus promised. Argenta grinned and pulled him into her flat and over the next few hours taxed Severus’ brain with a barrage of questions that did aid her in readiness for the next day. Over lunch and dinner, questions and answers were passed over the table and once all possible questions had been exhausted, only then did the pair move to the living room, where they lay in each other’s arms in quiet comfort. They watched the sun set over the city and soon hands roamed the contours of each others bodies, each growing more enamoured and turned on. Steadily, Argenta and Severus once more divulged each other of their clothes on the way to the bedroom. Any nerves felt by Argenta were very much shooed away by the wonderful and wandering tongue of her dark lover.
Argenta woke with a start and stared around her. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and was relieved to see that it was only 5am.
‘Another hour and then I must get up and start getting ready,’ thought the sleep addled Argenta as she snuggled back down into the warm embrace of Severus. He stirred as she wriggled into a comfortable place in his arms, so he kissed her and it eventually led once more to even more. Once both were sated, Argenta bolted out of the bed and dashed into the bathroom, straight into the shower.
“Do you want me to lay anything out for you?,” called Severus, chuckling at how she leapt into action. He had cleaned his-self up as he talked to her.
“No thanks. You can go if you need to. I’ll be fine. I’ll let you know how it goes,” Argenta called over the noise of the shower. Severus silently dressed and picked out an outfit he deemed suitable for Argenta to wear, laying it on the now neatly made bed.
“I’m going to leave you to get ready alone. I will be waiting for your note,” Severus called again. At that moment, Argenta came out of the bathroom with one of the teal towels wrapped around her.
“I promise to write as soon as I get back here.”
“Good luck,” whispered Severus as he leant down and placed a swift but tender kiss on her lips before Apperating away. Argenta strolled even further into her bedroom and found lain on her bed a pair of sensible, black fitted trousers and a simple blouse in a deep claret red with matching shoes.
‘I tell him not to bother picking out anything and yet he goes and chooses what I would have chosen anyway,’ thought Argenta as she dried her hair, styled it, applied subtle make-up and dressed, ready to face her first day in work.
Argenta’s first day could have gone much better if it was not for Draco Malfoy coming in with his mother and completely mixing up the dried black beetles with the dried, specially ordered, black scarab beetles. The glittering mass was the one job nobody wanted to sort out so it landed on the newbie to un-mix the two very different types of beetles. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and family and Hermione Granger all too visited to re-stock their basic potions ingredients and were all quite cheery towards Argenta, who just smiled and nodded. The un-mixing took most of the day, Argenta only breaking from the arduous task for some lunch. By the end of the day, Argenta was seeing black spots before her eyes and was really glad to get home. She kicked off her shoes and grabbed a handful of parchment and a quill before curling up on the sofa to pen a note to Severus, as promised. She waved her wand in the general direction of the kitchen and heard the familiar sound of the kettle boiling. She wrote as she waited for the water to boil.
Severus,
I am so glad that day one is finally over. That brat Draco Malfoy really made my day ten times harder by mixing up ingredients. The fact that black beetles and scarabs look very similar does not help! His mother did nothing, no apology. Just paid for what was needed and they both left. The three Gryffindors and the remaining Weasley’s also came in, but soon left after buying top-ups. That Malfoy boy really needs to be taught some manners! He was always a cheeky sod when I was in school, more then likely is still one and will be for sometime to come!
Anyway, it wasn’t the complete success I had hoped and imagined, but at least I now know the differences between black beetles and scarabs much better than before! Have lots of fun teaching those dunderheads you call students!
Yours affectionately
Argenta xx
Folding the letter, Argenta felt much better. She rose and walked the short distance to the kitchen to finish brewing the cup of tea she was now craving.
‘Roll on tomorrow,’ she thought as she sipped the golden brew and relaxed into the soft sofa, listening to the Witches’ Wireless before heading for a long, much deserved bath and then bed.