Angelica's Sorrow

A/N

Lindsay - not quite yet, I\'m afraid - had to come back & ask - Ann Summers Catalog? Like Frederick\'s I take it?

Deb - Yeah, Hermione could take a few lessons from Minerva, but Severus sure wouldn\'t like it!

jonelin - MMM- could be!

CAH - Glad you\'re happier now that Narcissa is back to a friend.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX


Clouds were starting to gather and the wind was whipping about in playful glee. It had been a long, long time since the elements were allowed to bring forth their full strength. Wind had assented to a night of joyful abandon and they were almost giddy in their anticipation. Lightening was hovering and could be felt as static in the air. Thunder was a distant roar, but was hurrying to join them.


\"Hermione, we need to talk.\"

Severus\' voice registered, but it took a moment for it to actually penetrate enough for her to raise her head. \'That\'s right we\'re in his study,\' she reminded herself. She\'d been reading his notes on Salazar\'s diaries and had to physically pull her mind out of the words. It was terrible to be fascinated by something so horrible, but she couldn\'t stop.

\"I don\'t think there has ever been a time in my life those words weren\'t followed by something I didn\'t like. Please, tell me this will be an exception,\" she said, frowning.

\"I wish it were, but I doubt it. We only have one day left before the dunder- excuse me, the students return,\" he said, perching on the arm of her chair. \"I want you to be prepared for my normal behavior to exert itself. I don\'t want any further misunderstandings between us.\"

Notes were placed on the table in front of the chair while she stood. He slid into the chair and pulled her onto his lap, just the right height for a quick kiss.

\"Tell me,\" she mumbled, returning the kiss, \"something I don\'t know. I know we\'ll need to be discreet outside of our rooms, but do you intend to treat me as you do the dunderheads?\"

\"No, not at all. I don\'t know how much you\'re observed my behavior towards the other professors, but it will be much the same.\"

\"Not quite a bastard, but close.\"

\"I\'ve never been a bastard to them in front of the students. They deserve respect at the very least for putting up with the constant noise and questions.\"

\"I did say close, didn\'t I?\"

\"Yes, but - \" he paused, listening intently.

\"What is it? What\'s wrong?\"

\"Nothing, wait here a moment.\"

She scrambled to her feet while he stood, swiftly leaving her alone and baffled. In a few moments he returned with his cloak on, her\'s clutched in his hand.

A mischievous half smile on his face as he said, \"Here, put this on, quickly. I have something to show you.\"

\"What? It\'s too late to go for a walk.\"

\"We\'re not going for a walk and I want to surprise you. Please, this is important to me and I want to share it.\"

Put that way she couldn\'t resist and he knew it all too well. He helped her with the cloak, stopping only long enough to close and ward the doors. Gods, he was almost running her legs off! Where were they going and why would they need cloaks? She\'d never seen these hallways before. Where did these stairs lead? They didn\'t have any doors or halls, just back and forth straight up. He stopped at one of the landings to let her catch her breath.

\"It\'s not much farther, I promise,\" he assured her.

\"How,\" she gasped, \"can you manage to speak after all those stairs?\" while holding her side.

He grinned down at her, \"I owe it all to my \'sexy\' legs, I guess.\"

\"Not to mention that nice tight arse you have. The muscles there have more to do with it, you know,\" she shot back, breathing easier.

\"When we get to the last landing, with your permission, I want to cover your eyes.\"

\"Why?\" she questioned as they started to climb a little slower.

\"I want you to get the full effect. Trust me.\"

\"Sneaky bastard,\" she said, delivering a light blow to the arm escorting her.

His head lifted, smelling and testing. It was almost time and they were at the last landing.

\"Here\'s where I want to cover your eyes,\" he said, pulling a scarf from a pocket.

\"Came fully prepared as always, I see. You will tell me when we get to the last step, right?\"

\"Yes, turn around please.\"

A dark blue scarf was placed carefully around her head and knotted in back. She was pulled to his side and an arm around her waist guided her forward.

\"Step up now.\"

\"This is so strange, I\'ve never done anything like this before.\"

\"Do you like it?\" He\'d had a sudden inspiration for games later on.

\"I don\'t know that I like that tone in your voice. What are you planning?\"

\"Nothing but wonderful things, I promise.\"

\"Ok, I admit it\'s stimulating in a way. I can smell you better for one thing and the tones in your voice are more - I don\'t know how to describe it. The brush of your legs against mine as we walk, they\'re all amplified somehow.\"

\"Glad to hear it,\" he chuckled.

\"Oh, don\'t do that! The day you came to ask me about the apprenticeship, when you laughed, I swear my brain puddled at your feet and this is worse.\"

\"Three more steps after this one. I was ready to throttle Potter that day.\"

\"What did he have to do with anything?\"

\"He performed the counter spell for you, remember? Last step, there. I\'ll explain more later, I want you to see this first.\"

They seemed to go around a corner and the wind almost blew her aside, but he was her anchor.

\"I thought you said we weren\'t going outside.\"

\"No, I said we weren\'t going for a walk and technically we aren\'t outside.\"

\"I hate it when you get technical on me.\"

\"Hush, almost time.\"

She was pulled in front of him and enclosed in his arms, his cloak gathered around both of them. Thunder rolled and boomed in the distance, startling her, making him laugh. Delicious shivers traced the rumble of his laugh from his chest to her back.

\"Are you all right?\" he asked, maybe she was afraid of storms. \'Damn, this could be a major mistake.\'

\"No, I\'m fine.\"

The huskiness of her voice reassured him, not afraid then, slightly aroused. \'Better yet,\' was his thought as he reached to remove the scarf. It was close enough.

As the scarf withdrew an amazing sight was revealed to her. They were in a section of the Astronomy Tower and the view was spectacular. The storm was threatening and dark, but the flashes of lightening were enough to show the dance of the trees as they swayed in the wind. Leaves twirling, flying through the rain, unafraid and free. The thunder provided the music for the carefree explosion of power.

Twisting in his arms, she looked to his face. She\'d seen him angry, in the throes of passion and cold as ice, but never like this. He reveled in the fury of the storm. Legs braced against the formidable wind, drinking in every flash of lightening and crash of thunder. The sheer raw power of the storm seemed to flow through and around him, as if centered in him. This was pure fancy and she knew it, but the awe generated by this vision of him would never leave her.

\"This is the first good storm we\'ve had all summer. There was a small one a few weeks ago, but nothing like this,\" he told her over the sounds of the thunder.

Turning back around, she asked, \"Why aren\'t we getting wet? I can feel the wind, but no rain.\"

He chuckled again, \"Always with the questions. I put a spell on the arches, wind can get through, nothing else. If you really want to get wet, we can always go through that door to another section of the tower.\"

\"No, I don\'t think so. What -.\"

She was getting very tired of that finger on her lips!

\"Please, enjoy the storm with me first.\" She nodded.

The elements played and pushed at each other for over an hour before they were exhausted and withdrew. When the last flash of lightening had faded and thunder was distant, only wind remained to gently blow its sweetly scrubbed breath.

\"MMMM, I love the smell after rain,\" she said.

\"What did you think of my storm?\" he asked, turning her in his arms.

\"I think Mother Nature would argue with you over ownership,\" she stated.

\"No, we\'ve come to an agreement. I don\'t blast her roses anymore and the storms belong to me.\"

He held out his arm to escort her back down the stairs.

\"Very sensible of her and I loved your storm. I never really appreciated them before tonight.\"

\"Tonight was exceptional. It\'s been years since we\'ve had one this strong. I\'m glad you were here to share it with me.\"

\"May I ask questions now?\"

\"As if a mere mortal wizard such as myself would ever interfere with a natural occurrence.\"

\"I\'m pretty sure I\'ve been insulted.\"

\"Not insulting, merely stating an irrefutable fact. Now ask your questions.\"

\"Actually, I think I\'ve forgotten about half of them. That should be a relief.\"

\"I have no doubt you\'ll remember them later.\"

\"How did you hear the storm that far away while we were in the dungeons?\"

\"After more of my secrets, are you?\"

\"No, just curious.\"

\"My illusion window has an additional charm that alerts me to approaching thunderstorms. That usually gives me enough time to climb the stairs.\"

\"I thought you didn\'t like foolish wand waving?\"

\"Depends on what you consider foolish, doesn\'t it?\"

\"OK, what about Harry, why were you going to throttle him?\"

\"I think that question would be better answered in your quarters, too many ears could be listening.\"

\"Has anyone ever told you the symptoms of paranoia?\"

\"No one has to, I know the symptoms and I\'m not paranoid, merely careful.\"

\"What do you call someone who wards their doors when there are no students around?\"

\"Cautious.\"

\"Paranoid.\"

Their meaningless conversation continued down and around the stairs. It carried them back to her quarters and through another hour or two in her bed until sleep claimed the pair. She hadn\'t even been angry with him over Potter, merely amused. Severus counted it as one of the best evenings of his life.



The next morning found them sitting with the rest of the staff eating breakfast. A few owls flew in and circled the table. One stopped by Severus and he regarded the package it carried with a sinking sensation. He\'d included instructions for it to be delivered only if he was alone. The package was quickly taken and slipped inside his robe.

\"That was an awfully small package, Severus. I don\'t believe I\'ve seen one of our suppliers use brown wrappings like that before,\" Minerva stated.

Not quickly enough.

\"It was a personal package, Minerva, not supplies,\" his tone inviting no further questions.

Hermione was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on her face.

\'Bloody hell, I forgot she\'d know what wrappings they use. She received an order. I\'m dead,\' he concluded while drinking the dregs of his tea. \'The last peaceful day before mayhem and I\'m dead.\'