The Herbology Assistant

Chapter Twenty Eight

"It's not the same as Sybil. It's different." Clarice said. 

"Just say you can see the future." 

"It's not like that though." She tried telling him. "She tells prophecies."

"You can literally see the future." He said again. 

"No, I see outcomes of certain decisions. Nothing is ever set in stone because the future is always changing." She told him. 

"That's still seeing the future."

"Alright fine."

"So... what can't you do?" He teased. 

"Let's go have tea." She said quickly. 

"Mine or yours?" He asked. 

"Yours. Wait, I have to go feed my creatures." She remembered. 

"I can come with you." He suggested and they made their way to Clarice's room. 

"Who's that?" He asked pointing to the black dog sleeping on her couch. 

"I haven't thought of a name yet, he's a stray I found. Come on, let's get you fed." The dog jumped off the couch and followed them through the greenhouse and into the sanctuary. 

"Maybe this year, I'll get to see the sorting." She said remembering how they had missed it last year because Harry and Ron decided to drive a flying car to school. 

"It's boring." Severus said while feeding Dolly. 

"I think it's fun. I remember being sorted. It was weird because I was taller than all the first years." She said while giving her occamy, Indi, a few roaches. 

"I wish we had known each other when we were younger." He told her. 

"Do you think we would be friends?" She asked while moving onto the mooncalves. 

"Maybe... I don't know. I kept to myself. I didn't socialize with anyone." He told her as he filled Brens dish up with pellets. 

"I like to think we would." She said as she moved on to her puffs. 

"Me too. Claire?" 

"Hmm," She hummed. 

"I'd like to take you out on a proper date. If that's alright with you." He said suddenly. 

"I'd love that." She told him as she finished up feeding the niffler. 

"Done?"

"Yes."

"Let's go have some tea. My room still?" He asked and she nodded. 

The pair walked towards his room and Clarice plopped herself on his couch. 

"Ya know I really wish I had a blankey right now." She said over her shoulder. 

"You're a witch. Just summon one." Severus said while sitting next to her with a cup of tea. 

"It's not the same." She blew on the tea. Severus summoned one of his blankets from the bedroom and draped it over their legs. She rested her head on his shoulder like before and they just stayed like that until Severus heard her soft snores. With a wave of his hand, the tea cups were cleaned and put away and he picked her up carefully, not wanting to wake her up and placed her in his bed. 

A few hours had passed and Clarice's eyes fluttered open. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she realized she was still in a dream. No... this was different. It was the realm she was all too familiar with. She had tried so hard to avoid these visions, they make her so disoriented.