My Dark Haired Neighbour (Severus Snape Love Story)

The bar

Chapter 2

I woke up into bright sunlight flooding the room. Ezra had gone and I assumed I had slept in as usual.

He was always an early riser and me a late sleeper. I sighed, swinging my legs out of bed and pulling a hoodie over my pajama top.

Neither of my parents were home and relief swept over me. It was a lot nicer when it was just me and Ezra. He was sat at the table, his Walkman blasting through his headphones, a bowl of cereal in front of him.

'Ezra' I said, no response.

'Ezra' I repeated, again no response.

I tapped him on the shoulder and he jumped. 'Oh hi' he said, taking his headphones off.

'Do you want to go for a walk later, we can go and see the cows in the next field along.'

Ezra nodded eagerly and stuffed his last few cornflakes down his throat 'Can we go now?' he asked, milk dribbling down his chin.

'Let me get ready first and then I'll take you' I told him, heading back up the stairs.

I pulled on a vest top and a pair of shorts. Just as I was pulling my socks on I heard Ezra shout 'Come on Esme'

I went downstairs, he was standing by the door waiting for me. 'Alright chill out I'm here' I said, doing the laces of my trainers up.

We went out into the sunlit street, my eyes flickering to the house opposite ours just in case Severus was in his garden, it was deserted but his curtains at all his windows were open.

'Whatcha looking at' Ezra asked.

'Nothing' I said hastily continuing to walk toward the set of fields that the village backed onto.

We reached the fence where I had first met Severus and there he was, sitting on the grass leaning against it with a book in his hand.

He glanced up when he heard us coming. I smiled at him and Ezra looked between us suspiciously.

'Hi' I said, turning slightly pink at his gaze.

'Hello' he muttered, taking his eyes away from my face and back to his own feet.

'Oh Ezra this is Severus, Severus this is Ezra'

Ezra mumbled a small hello and Severus nodded at him. 'Was everything ok last night' he asked me quietly.

'Yeah, thanks again' I ignored Ezra's questioning look as Severus said 'Good, if you need to go somewhere like that again tell me and I'll come with you'

'Thanks, I'll let you get back to your book' and me and Ezra climbed over the fence and continued on our walk.

'Who's that' Ezra asked, looking back at him.

'As I said, that's Severus' I told him, rolling my eyes.

'Yeah but who is he, how do you know him' he pressed on. Still walking backwards so to stare at the back of Severus' head.

I sighed 'Hes our neighbour stupid, he lives across the road. I met him yesterday when I went to go and get chips'

'Oh' he said, 'Will you carry my jumper?'

'No way, I said it would be hot and you still wore it'

'Please Esme' and I relented and tied it round my waist. We reached his favourite field, the one where the mother cows and their babies would stay during the day, lying down in the shade of the trees.

We sat on the bench and a curious calf stood up, its mother following suit as it crept cautiously towards us.

'Be quiet and they might come right over Ez' I whispered. He was positively shaking with anticipation as they both made their way over.