Knight in Tarnished Armor

A/N In an earlier chapter I had figured the time difference between America and Britain to be about 6 hours, I guess I was thinking America and Germany which is about 6 hours but America and England is about 4. I’ve gone back and fixed it so pardon for the inconvenience. Also I would love to hear from you so please rate and review!

Later that morning Flopsy was taking care of the mundane task of putting the clothes away which left Adraya time to settle into her work. Sitting at the small desk she removed from her carpet bag her journal and various books on potions and herbs as well as the small vial with the sample of purple liquid and the necklace. She paused staring at the gem unlike any she had known. It was rimmed with gold and dangled off the strand of pearls. Adraya turned away and put it in the right hand drawer of the desk.

She began delving into her journal checking references when noted and making a list on a piece of parchment Flopsy had procured for her. She was thankful for the silence in her room as it allowed her to think without distractions. She became so engrossed she barely noticed the hours tick away.
Severus on the other hand, was keenly aware that it was now nearing dinner time and no one had seen hide nor hair of his new housemate. In an attempt to make her feel more welcome and comfortable he planned a semiformal dinner where he hoped he could coax some information out of her. If he were to get her to trust him perhaps he could spare her from whatever the Dark Lord had planned for her. Severus’s plans would be greatly hampered if she had run off and disappeared. He called for Flopsy and within seconds the tiny house elf appeared before him. “Where has Adraya gone?”

“Gone sir? Missy has not moved.” When Severus’s brows shifted together the elf, fearing she was about to get punished, began to wring her hands. “Flopsy tried to get miss to eat Flopsy left food but missy didn’t even look at Flopsy.”

“So she’s in her room then? Thank you, you may go.” Without waiting the house elf popped out of sight. Severus knocked on Adraya’s door and when he got no answer opened it himself. He saw her bent over the desk, papers and books opened all around her covering the floor, the desk and even the bed which also contained a tray of untouched food. She had changed into a pair of grey trousers that looked like they had seen better days and what looked to be a black undershirt. Her hair was pulled away from her face and her cheek rested in the palm of her left hand as she pondered over another tome that lay in her lap. When calling her name failed to produce a response he waved a hand between her face and the book.

With a shriek Adraya jumped “What the hell?” She removed the headphones from her ears “What is it Severus?”

Seeing the black circles rimming the underside of her eyes he managed to keep his temper in check. The way to win her over was not be rude or forceful, but to be utterly Slytherin. “I don’t know how it is in America, but here in Britain we need to eat to live.”

“Oh don’t be such a worry wart, I’ll eat later after all its only,” She looked down at her iPod and back up into his dark eyes. “Just after 2. I’ll skip lunch and come down for dinner.”

“Do I have your word on that?” Severus tried desperately to control the smirk that was threatening to show.

“Yes sure ill join you for dinner.” Already becoming distraced again she started to ignore him.

“Very well dinner is in fifteen minutes, I expect you to freshen up and look presentable at the very least.”

He turned to leave and just as he reached the door his words registered in her preoccupied brain. “Wait what? Fifteen minutes that’s ridiculous and what’s wrong with what I’m wearing.”

“Perhaps you need to change the time zones on your little box thing because in fact it’s nearly seven. If you think those trousers that look like they’ve been mistaken for an intruder by Fluffy are presentable, then girl you are living in a sad state.”

“Firstly, this little box thing is called an iPod it’s a device that plays music. Secondly I’m a woman, a highly accomplished woman, not a girl and lastly, you have a pet named Fluffy?” She couldn’t let back a giggle thinking of him walking a, most likely hairy little creature, or perhaps a cuddly kitten named fluffy.

“Fluffy is the three headed guard dog at Hogwarts.”

“That explains so much. Sorry not hungry yet have Flopsy send something up ill eat that.”

“We tried that already and that failed to work.” Sighing and swallowing his pride he continued, “and I would really like your company.”

“Would you now?” Sighing she placed the book on the desk in front of her, “Well since you put it that way, I’ll be down in twenty. Please send Flopsy up.”
Severus opened the door and bellowed for Flopsy to come up and with still one hand on the doorknob turned back to her, “Dinner is in fifteen minutes.”

“I know but a lady is always fashionably late.” Adraya closed the door on Severus and the last thing he saw was a rather Slytherin smirk on her face. Gulping he made his way into his room and changed his robes and then proceeded into the dining room. He waited until five past seven and true to her word there she was in the doorway. What caught his eye was the pair of brightly colored red patent leather pumps she wore. He followed the line of her creamy calves up to the hem of the black pencil skirt that melted into a black slinky top with a neckline that plunged daringly close to exposing more than half her breast. Nestled between the valley of her breasts was a ruby pendant on a thick chain matching the golden color of her hair which was tamed and pined into a knot of curls at the back of her head. Lastly his eyes rested on her black rimmed eyes which seemed to sparkle on their own.

Adraya slowly walked towards him and stopped just inches away from his face. Severus could barely breathe and found that when she began speaking he couldn’t tear his eyes from her cherry red lips. “Now that you’ve had your appetizer how about the main course?” just as he thought she would lean in for a kiss or perhaps something more. Instead she skirted around him and to her chair which was set to the right of Severus’s own. “Well I thought dinner was served at seven, it’s now ten past and I’m starving.”

Clearing his throat he sat in his chair and tried as subtly as he could to adjust his trousers to ease his new uncomfortable bodily reaction. As subtle as he tried to be Adraya smirked into the glass of wine a house elf poured for her loving every minute of the torture she inflicted upon Severus.