Spinner's End

Chapter 7


Raven spent Wednesday and Thursday feeling marvelous. Everyone at work, co-workers and strangers alike expressed that she looked like a very happy person. Raven, however, was far beyond happy. She felt jubilant with her new relationship.

She spent the day helping customers, stacking books on shelves, cleaning and sweeping and running the cash register, with a dreamy smile across her face. Raven kept picturing Severus in her mind’s eye. She would turn pink in the cheeks at some of the thoughts that crossed her mind throughout the day. She pictured Severus looking at her. She had enjoyed how he did not seem to mind that she was on the small side and not as curvaceous as a lot of women.

Severus had slid a large green envelope under her front door before she had left for work Wednesday morning, asking when she wanted to go out again. He had told her to write her response and just leave the envelope partially under her own front door again. She found this an odd thing to do. She wondered why he had not asked for her phone number. She supposed that she must have mentioned not having a phone to him and he did not want to seem rude in bringing the issue up to her.

She had penned her response on the bottom of the same sheet he had written his note on. She said that she had a day off on Friday. And that if it was okay with him, perhaps she could make a lunch for them and they could go to the park at about noon and then in the evening, perhaps go to a movie. He had left a return response saying that whatever she chose was fine with him.

Raven had gone during her lunch break and purchased nicer shoes, and nylons, which would be better looking than the tights she had worn before. She felt that this would allow her to wear her nicer evening clothes.

Raven positively glowed as she went through her days.

Severus had magiced the large green envelope under Raven’s door, waited for her response and magiced it back to his bedroom. It was second nature to him to be very secretive and discreet in everything he did. He did not need Peter seeing him out leaving notes at the neighbor’s house. Severus did not want to hear the Dark Lord making fun of him about his muggle hooker again.

Severus had been excited, in fact, too excited, to hear from Raven that she would like to get together, essentially all day on Friday. He knew that becoming too excited about anything made it tough for him to cover the feelings around the Dark Lord. Fortunately the Dark Lord was not requesting his presence any time extremely soon so Severus knew that he would only have to hold his emotions around Dumbledore. By the time he did have to see the Dark Lord again, Severus knew he would have conquered his emotions and bottled them tightly away. Keeping his thoughts away from Dumbledore was not any easier, but at least if Dumbledore found out that Severus actually enjoyed a woman on a more than physical level, he wouldn’t have her killed or worse.

Severus planned to spend Wednesday and Thursday morning researching some arcane, ancient magic for Dumbledore. Wednesday afternoon he planned to spend in Paris. Thursday night was to be another Order of the Phoenix meeting. Much of the information in the meetings was helpful and interesting, however Severus didn’t enjoy the company of a lot of the people attending the meetings. Most of the witches and wizards were smart and talented but as with most individuals, Severus did not like them. Severus felt safe in knowing that a lot of them didn’t like him either. Severus thought this with a sardonic grin.

Severus pushed all thoughts of others, who were making his life a confusing tangled tightrope walk, from his mind. He was set the task of discovering everything he possible could about snake-charming by Dumbledore and he was determined to become the most well versed person on the subject in a matter of a couple of days. Everyone knew that the Dark Lord was a Parslemouth, that he could speak to and understand snakes. It was known that he also possessed a large snake that did his bidding. Dumbledore had decided that if they could somehow put the snake in a trance or charm, they could get it to do their bidding instead of the Dark Lord’s. To Severus this plan had seemed a little far-fetched, but it was not his place to question Dumbledore. Severus was sure that others were probably also performing strange tasks for the Order of the Phoenix.

Friday morning dawned fairly bright considering how horrible most of the summer had been up to this point. Raven looked out her bedroom window, smiling, as it looked like her and Severus really would be able to enjoy a day in the park. Raven positively glowed as she smiled her way through her morning chores and the preparation for their picnic in the park.

Raven sat in the sitting room on the musty sofa, the picnic basket sitting on the floor next to her. She was ready to go a little before noon. She was perched on the edge of the sofa, nervously awaiting Severus. She had butterflies in her stomach. She started thinking that perhaps he had changed his mind or maybe he was playing with her mind and now he wasn’t really going to show up. Just as she turned, preparing to peek out her front curtain towards his house, the doorbell rang. Pulling the curtain wide, she looked outside. Her heart skipped a beat as she saw Severus standing there.


The pair had a leisurely walk to the park. Raven had chosen a park not too near to where they lived. She decided to go into a better neighborhood. She felt so comfortable walking with Severus. He walked close to her and seemed to block her from being jostled on the crowded walks.

The park was full at the noon hour with many people on their lunch breaks from offices, enjoying the dry day. But as Severus and Raven did not have any reason to hurry, the park soon emptied out and they had it almost to themselves.

They sat on a bench, overlooking a small pond. Raven had wanted to sit in the grass, but Severus had sagely pointed out that since it had been raining for the past two days, the grass would be thoroughly soaked.

Raven again did not want their time together to end. The had eaten, walked around the lake several times then began to wend their way back to their own neighborhood. Raven held onto Severus’ arm as the walked. She felt as though nothing could possibly hurt her with him along side her.

Severus felt as though he were on top of the world with Raven leaning into him, alternating messaging and holding his arm in her hand as she spoke. Each time she became excited or laughed her grip on his arm tightened with each exclamation. The two were seemingly oblivious to all others around them as they walked onward.

They were speaking rather softly as they walked down a wide street near to their own block. Raven was looking ahead down the street as they walked. She could see a car coming in their direction. They approached the intersection, suddenly the car Raven had noticed seconds ago, was coming straight towards them. The car was coming at them on the walking path! Raven seeing this, with all her body weight and strength she could muster shoved Severus to the right, actually into the street, but out from in front of the car careening down the sidewalk.

Raven fell on top of Severus in the gutter. The car raced past them, then turned back onto the roadway and kept going. Raven looked at Severus, his eyes burned into her. He could see an image in her mind of her pain at his being killed. He held onto her as he got to his feet, pulling her with him. He had not performed legilimens on her, but her emotions were such, it seemed, that they emitted themselves into his mind. He was shocked that she cared enough about him to endanger herself to save him.

He held her by her shoulders in front of him. He stared into her eyes briefly; he then pulled her into a tight hug. He pulled her into his chest with a sense of urgency and intensity that he found frightening.

People in the shop in front of the near tragedy came rushing out the door. Asking if the pair were hurt. As the driver had not stopped and there were no people that had seen the license plate number, there didn’t seem to be anything to do about the incident. Severus really didn’t want the police to be called. He assured everyone that both he and Raven were fine and they didn’t live far and were going right home. They managed to get away from the small crowd that had gathered.

Raven opened her front door; the pair entered her sitting room.

Raven walked over to the dank sofa and threw herself down on it. She sat staring numbly into space in front of her.
“Oh, my God.” She said loudly. “That was horrible.” She said loudly. “Horrible.” She said again. She hunched forward her face in her hands. “You could have been killed!” She exclaimed, looking towards the floor.

Severus went over to her. He knelt in front of her, pulling her hands from her face. “ What are you talking about? YOU could have been killed!” He exclaimed, his voice full of disbelief that she only spoke of injury to him. “In fact that vehicle probably would have missed you and just hit me. You saved me!” He pressed her hands between his. “You saved me. You risked your life to save me.” Raven raised her head, looking at him. He returned her look with wonder in his eyes.

“ I think he would have hit both of us.” She said pragmatically. “I think my mind just chose the shortest path to save us both.” She said matter-of-factly.

“ I didn’t see it that way at all.” Severus countered. In his mind’s eye he pictured the car coming towards him and the driver of the car being right in front of him, which would have put Raven in the clear. “ It may have made more sense to pull me towards yourself though.” He added. Then he smiled at Raven. “I am forever in your debt.” He said and kissed the back of her hand.

“ I couldn’t have pulled you out of the way silly.” Raven said, Severus’ lips still pressing on her hand. “I’m not strong enough.” She said shaking her head. “I had to use all my weight to move you. I’m just glad it worked.” She smiled at him. Severus only marginally listening to her, still kneeling in front of her, peppering her hands with kisses.

“ You can not imagine how glad I am that it worked.” Severus said with emphasis between each of the kisses.

Raven pulled her eyes away from looking at Severus kissing her hands. She surveyed his face. Standing she said, “Goodness, you look a fright!” She pulled him to his feet. He did look rather frightful. His expensive tan colored pants were torn out on both knees and covered in black, oily looking grime from his belt line all down his right side and partially on the left leg too. His shirt also contained the black grime on the right hand side, as well as being torn from under his arm out the sleeve, almost to the cuff. His knees seemed both to be cut as well as his right elbow. A small amount of the black grime had also splattered onto his neck and face. Severus looked down at himself taking all of this in. He looked at Raven. Her pants also contained the black grime, but to a lesser degree than his. Her shirt was covered on the front with the dirt and some yellow colored substance too. Her neck was covered with splatters of the grime too.

He grasped each of her wrists in his hands and pulled her arms wide. “We both look a fright.” He said, arching his eyebrow at her.

“You should let me clean up those cuts that you have.” Raven said, indicating his knees and elbow.

“Yes, that’s a good idea.” Severus agreed quickly. He really would prefer to repair his wounds using tried and true magic but he couldn’t tell this to Raven. So he followed as she pulled him along behind her, up the stairs.

( I love any input!!!!) ( Feed my ego!!!) (try not to be too mean, it's my first fan-fic, and my first at writing hot sexy stuff!)