XXVI - Strained Bonds

                                    

                                          
Waking in the middle of the afternoon seemed a common occurrence as of late, but I didn't mind, Merlin knows I needed the rest. Besides the bed hair and tight muscles, I felt incredible. Hands down the best sleep I had had in ages, I felt light, like all the burden had gone. My day only seemed to get better as I spotted a blood pop resting on the bedside table. Unwrapping the candy, I slid out of bed and headed to the bathroom for a much-needed shower. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind feeling like this every day if the world would allow it. 
                          
After taking the time to clean myself up, I headed down to the great hall; candy could only satisfy so many urges, after all. A few glances and polite greetings were thrown my way, and I couldn't help but reciprocate. Gaggles of girls snickered as they spoke about my father. They weren't bad-mouthing him per se, but hearing young girls mention how they wanted to shag him was a little odd. There was nothing wrong with having a crush. I had many in high school, especially my algebra teacher—not the point. He was my father, and it was disturbing.
                          
Entering the great hall, I greeted my favorite pair of twins with an oddly contagious grin. I wasn't quite a student, but neither was I a professor, so I took a seat at the Gryffindor table and gossiped to the twins about the on-going rumors surrounding my father. 
                          
"I mean, I'd probably-"
                          
"For my sake, please don't finish that sentence," I groaned. 
                          
"Your father is good-looking; you had to be expecting that, no?"
                          
"He's like 60?" I protested, feeling like a bad daughter for not knowing his exact age. Then again, our family wasn't prone to celebrating birthdays. As the meal went on, I glanced at the high table and found Severus to be missing. Maybe he wasn't hungry. I let Fred braid the back of my hair, and munched on a piece of toast wondering if I could assist Severus for the rest of his evening classes. I loved to loiter as much as the next person, but I found that being helpful was of great satisfaction. 
                          
"Don't make it too tight," I instructed, and Fred nodded, his fingers working on loosening the braid as he neared the end of my separated locks. George stared at us, a lazy smile on his lips, and I rolled my eyes. However, the atmosphere took a sour turn as a shadow leaned over the table, the entire Gryffindor populace coming to a halt. 
                          
"Weasleys," Snape drawled. "I suggest you remove your hands. Immediately." Our eyes met, and my warm smile did little to reassure him. Without another word, Severus extended his hand, and I took it gleefully, and with a small tug, we were on our way to the high table. "You're...very radiant today," he noted, his voice barely above a whisper, Merlin forbid anyone heard him. 
                          
"You make me happy," I smiled. Severus staggered slightly, almost forgetting which foot went in front of the other, and cleared his throat. 
                          
"Is that so?" I nodded vaguely, not wanting to polish his already growing ego, and he gave me a faint smile. We took our respective seats and ate together, sharing corny jokes, and as with the twins, I told him all about the rumor mill surrounding my father, and he choked on his pumpkin juice, hiding a sardonic grin. 
                          
"Oh right, I wanted to ask you if it was alright for me to assist you today, I know you said I could have the day off, but idle hands are idle hands." 
                          
"Hm, I don't see why not, you can spare me the horror of reading the essays I assigned my first years." 
                          
"Look at me, already taking one for the team," I joked. Severus' head titled, looking at me from the corner of his eye, and his lips twitched into the ghost of a smirk, but his eyes seemed sad. Perhaps, taking one for the team was not the best choice of wording. 
                          
I enjoyed the time we spent together; nonetheless, despite being in a room of crowded people, it felt like it was just us two—our own intimate bubble. It offered a sense of normalcy, and that was rare nowadays. It felt nice knowing the wall that kept our relationship hidden had finally collapsed. I had never considered myself his dirty little secret, but I did hate having to sneak around, it made me feel cheap.