Leech
Chapter 41
I own nothing but this sordid little tale. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I am not making any money by writing it. I must be insane.
LEECH
Chapter 41
When Kathy smiled back at him, he rubbed his nose against hers, then his smile faded.
“What time is it?” He asked.
“What? I don’t know, why?“
“Because I believe we have spent all afternoon and possibly part of the evening in bed. If we do not show our faces at dinner, Albus will come down here looking for us.”
For a moment she looked horrified, then she giggled, straining to push him away from her so she could dash to the bathroom.
Severus let out a rumble of laughter as he released her and swatted her rear, making her squeal as she climbed off the bed.
“It would be much quicker if I could share your shower.” He called after her. He imagined the delights he could introduce her to once he had her cornered in the cubicle and his member twitched. “Then again maybe not. I will meet you in my office in ten minutes.”
“Twenty.”
“Fifteen.”
“Done.” She agreed from the bathroom doorway.
Severus heard the toilet flush and her shower running while he was still struggling to find his underwear and one of his socks. He had one leg in his trousers and was hopping about because the other leg of his pants was inside out. It was now six forty-three and dinner was at seven. “Damn and bugger it all to hell. Ouch.” He stubbed his toe against the corner of the bed. Deciding to just take what he could find of his clothes, he hastily exited her rooms and made for his own.
Kathy was ready and waiting in his office when he entered. “You took your time.” She commented.
“Considering I was unable to find most of my clothing before I left your rooms it is hardly surprising. How much time do we have?”
“About five minutes, if there weren't so many blasted stairs to climb it wouldn't be a problem. Come on.”
Severus was so shocked at her giving him an order that when she grabbed his hand and tugged him along behind her, he did not think to protest. Only when she flagged three quarters of the way up did he smirk and reverse their positions.
“Anyone would think you were an old lady of sixty five.” He commented, pulling her up the steps behind him.
When it hit Kathy what he'd said, she yanked her hand from his grip and swatted him.
She would have given him a mouthful too but she was too puffed. Still, it got her to thinking about her age, and what all this moving through time might mean to her, both now and in the future. She would have to ask Severus and Albus about it later.
They arrived at the Great Hall just as the tables filled with food, so Severus dragged her down a narrow passage.
“Where are we going?”
“Staff entrance.” Severus said, opening a door and urging her through first.
It seemed that everyone turned in her direction anyway as he was shoved rudely through the door, while behind her Severus had already schooled his expression to one of stoic indifference before following a moment later.
Kathy tried not to notice the blatant stares of the students, followed by the seemingly knowing looks and quiet hello's given by each staff member when they greeted her and Severus. She was relieved to reach her seat and didn't wait for Severus to pull her chair out.
He raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing.
“Hello Hagrid.” Kathy greeted the half giant, only to receive the usual grunted response.
“Hagrid.” Severus said quietly as he leaned over to speak to him behind Kathy‘s back. “I would have thought you of all people would understand the effect unfair prejudice can have on a person.”
“I'm not prejudice Professor, you know that. But I don't think what happened to poor Stompy was at all right. He never 'urt anyone didn't Stompy. He was a good Hippogriff.”
“Mrs Ripley did not mean for the creature to be harmed Hagrid. Even now she berates herself for what happened, your continuing antagonism towards her is cruel to say the least.”
“Severus don't, please. It... I understand how you must feel Hagrid, and I really am sorry, but I don't blame you for hating me.”
A blush was just visible behind the mass of hair that covered Hagrid's face. “Yeah, I suppose you are at that, still, it don't bring poor Stompy back do it?
Severus glared at the man. “No Hagrid it does not, but it was an animal, Mrs Ripley has lost her husband and two little girls, but you do not see her constantly sulking over the fact and snubbing others because of it.” He hissed.
“Ah erm, no, I don't. Yer right Professor. I'm right sorry Mrs Ripley, I shoulda given ye the benefit 'o the doubt at least.”
“It's alright Hagrid, I understand.” Kathy told the giant man. She felt terrible seeing him so upset and she scowled at Severus. Surely this could have waited for another time.
Severus though ignored her scowl, he'd said his piece and the rift between Kathy and Hagrid would now have a chance to heal. Putting it from his mind, he settled to enjoying his meal.
Kathy kept her head lowered, concentrating on her food so she didn't have to see the speculative looks from the staff and students. It was a relief when the meal was over.
An hour later they were back in the dungeons, along with Albus and this time Minerva joined them.
“Mrs Ripley, I confess to feeling rather guilty about my behaviour towards you so far. I could not help but hear Severus' comments to Hagrid, and it made me realize that I too was harbouring the same prejudice towards you. For that I apologize. When we first met I held back from greeting you properly and shaking your hand, again I apologize and hope that you can find it within yourself to forgive me.”
Kathy hadn't expected this, she didn't even know the woman had felt that way about her. “It's fine Professor, I understand.”
Minerva held out a hand and she took it, smiling at the look of relief on the older woman's face. “Call me Kathy by the way, it's much less informal.”
“Likewise call me Minerva, all the staff do when out of earshot of the students.”
Minerva sat in on the discussion about how the experiment went that morning, Albus and Severus both curious about her refusal to attempt to use Kingsley's wand.
“I'm sorry, but that is for Kingsley to tell, not me. Hopefully I'll forget what I know quite soon and you two won't hassle me about it.”
Kathy was just pouring tea for everyone when a knock on the office door heralded a student from Severus' house.
Apparently a second year had set off a whole bag of Dungbombs in the Slytherin common room and the smell had permeated into the dormitories, along the corridor and into the dungeon classrooms.
The older students had tried to clear the rooms with freshening smells but to no avail.
It took Severus and Albus the better part of an hour to finally clear the air in the classrooms, common rooms and all the dorms, other than the one that housed the culprit.
“You were responsible for causing this horrendous smell Mr Ballings, hence you and your dorm mates will be the ones to suffer the consequences. Detention for the next five days with Mr Filch, and the smell in this room is now contained with strong wards and will last until your punishment is at an end. In the meantime I suggest you do not attempt to dispel the result of your actions as the containment charm I have used harbours a little something extra, any action on your part to freshen the air in here will only serve to increase it's potency.”
The wizards left to head back to Severus' rooms, leaving the unfortunate boy to suffer both the terrible stink, and the wrath of his dorm mates.
“That was rather harsh Severus.”
“Harsh or not Albus, Mr Ballings will think twice in future before daring to bring Dungbombs into the dungeons.”
On their return, Kathy asked what her age truly was. The thought of being sixty five was quite upsetting to her, especially as she didn't look or feel that old.
“In essence I suppose you are sixty five, but since you were only twenty eight when Severus brought you here, you are still twenty eight, both physically and emotionally.”
“And what about the other me, what happened to her... me?”
“The you that would have been no longer exists. You are the now, if that makes sense. Time travel is not something that should be undertaken lightly, if the Ministry ever discovered when you came from there would be a great deal of trouble. You however are a special case Kathy. Because of your uniqueness, you led a very secluded life after the loss of your family and had no major influence on those around you. That was the reason Severus was able to bring you safely forward in time. This time however you have already influenced those around you, and you will continue to do so. Here and now is your time Kathy Ripley, You have a chance to start afresh, make a new life for yourself.” 'I hope.' Albus' thought to himself.
TBC