home (reader at hogwarts)

nineteen

it is 10:30 and you are stuffing the last few odd possessions of yours into your trunk.

"do i take the potions set that you got me? i haven't even gotten around to opening it yet, sev."

severus looks at it and thinks. "you could take it-" he bites his lip. "but where would you put it-"

"could i leave it in your room? i'm leaving something in minnie's." you tell him, folding the last white shirt and putting it in your trunk.

"oh?" severus asks, shining a pair of his teaching shoes. "what are you leaving there?"

"the nimbus. she said i could practice in her gardens."

"you'll practice in mine." he tells you, no, orders you. "i'm not taking any risks."

"it's minerva-" you reason but severus cuts you off.

"mm mm." he shakes his head and puts his shoes into a section in the trunk.

you give up, not wanting to argue with him and the pair of you continue to pack.

you've managed to fit summer clothes, winter clothes, clothes for when other clothes are dirty, clothes for when you really don't feel like wearing any.

there is so much stuffed in there somehow, that it boggles you. sure, you saw severus enchant the trunk with that expansion charm but still- it's sort of mind wracking to think about.

so you decide not to.

it isn't september the first so you aren't going to be boarding the train.

you would be arriving the day before school starts, with minerva and severus to meet with albus and the rest of the professors and to be introduced to them all.

though, you already knew most of them.

they just didn't know you.

you would help severus move into his quarters though you're sure he'll probably just wave his wand and have everything float into place and he planned to show you around the teachers quarters and how to get in and out without arousing suspicion from other peers.

"sev." you say, looking down at the trunk. "im done."

"hm?" he looks up. "oh then, you should start pulling a cloak on and we'll get going."

"aren't we going with minnie?" you ask, getting up off of your knees and heading to grab a cloak off of one of the hooks in the bedroom.

"no." he grumbles. "she doesn't need to be with us all the time."

you smile at the jealousy in his voice. "no she doesn't."

you pull the cloak on and take the trunk from severus after he snaps it shut and casts a quick weightless charm.

"you are enough." you say, putting a hand on his shoulder and holding the trunk with the other.

he smirks for a split second before turning to the hooks in the bedroom. "did you pack all your other cloaks?"

"yep." you say. "you never know which colour you'll be in the mood to wear."

"i find that in my case it doesn't change often." severus comments.

you look at him from his head of black hair, arms draped in black silk from his shirt, black wizards trousers and black shiny shoes.

"no." you laugh. "it really, really, really doesn't."

"that's too many 'really's."

"not enough, sev. i mean- it wouldn't hurt to wear a little colour." you bargain with him, following as he collected the last few items and headed to the fireplace.

"i wear colour." he tells you.

"oh yeah?" you scoff. "which colour?"

"grey." he says, stepping into the fireplace with a handful of floo powder.

you step in and press your side into his. "grey is not a colour!"

"you know what is a colour?" severus asks you.

"what?"

"green."

he dashes the floo powder to the ground, bellowing "hogsmeade gateway." into its brick sides.

bright emerald flames erupt and surround the pair of you and you close your eyes for a second before opening them in a new building.

"follow me." severus says, walking out of the fireplace and you follow after, taking a second to glance around at the place.

you were in a small blue hut, with he words 'hogsmeade gateway, floo passage.' painted onto a plaque on the wall.

you look over and furrow your brows as you see severus carefully peering through the window panes in the door.

"what are you doing?" you whisper to him.

"there's no need to whisper." he scowls at you.

"well then, why on salazar's striped underwear are you peeking through the window like we should be?" you ask, laughing half way through, not being able to ask the question with a straight face.

"thank merlin," severus says out loud, standing straight. "it's just sinastra."

"sinastra?" you repeat, biting your lip.

"yes." he says. "do you know her?"

"she teaches..." your eyes widen as you remember. "astronomy! she teaches astronomy!"

"well done." severus says, looking back out the window. "she never asks too many questions and she seems to be the only one here yet."

"good." you say, turning the handle of the door. "let's go then."

"wait!" he says. "hold my hand."

"aw." you coo, pouting slightly. "sev..."

"shut it." he scowls at you, his hooked nose looking more disgusted than its default state. "and don't you speak any more than necessary."

"oh that's going to be a problem." you mutter.

"tell me about it (!)"

"hey!" you wack severus in the shin with your trunk.

he holds out his hand and you take it, letting him lead you out the door and towards a big wooden carriage.

as you get closer to the carriage, you begin to see professor sinastra more clearly.

she is beautiful.

one of the most beautiful women you'd ever seen.

dark ebony skin, plush pigmented lips, curly hair that fell to her hips even as she sat and bone structure to die for.

she was reading a book, and through her long black lashes, you spotted blue, almost white pupils flitting across the page.

as you get closer, she smiles at severus and then spots you.

"aurora." severus greets as he pair of you stopped in front the open carriage door.

"severus, lovely to see you." she says back, before looking back down at you. "and who might you be, sweetheart?"

"i'm y/n." you say, smiling.

"she's with me." he says. "new here."

before professor sinastra can say anything else, severus lifts you by your waist and shoves you inside the carriage and you sit in the opposite corner from professor sinastra.

she's still beaming at you and you smile, feeling welcome.

severus clambers in and sits beside you, shutting the door/ step into the carriage.

"so," aurora sighs. "how's the summer been for you?"