Liar, Liar

23: It Wouldn't be so Bad

I awoke to the soft sound of wind blowing through the trees. Little light streamed in through the window, yet it was enough to allow me to take in my surroundings.

The room I had fallen asleep in was small, yet had a very feminine touch. Paintings of flowers adorned the room, along with many pressed flowers framed in glass. The room smelled fresh, which surprised me, regarding the musty state of the outside.

The house was quiet, so I decided to explore the room a bit more before Snape woke up. I went through the dresser drawers, only to find books and various picture albums.

I went through the albums, smiling as the people in the photos waved up at me. Many of them looked familiar, yet I couldn't place them. The pictures were very old.

Next, the closed closet.

I pulled the rolling closet door back to reveal a nearly empty closet. A few shirts and slacks were neatly tucked in the corner.

They were just about my size.

I put on the creme button-up shirt and a pair of black slacks. The outfit was a bit elegant for my choosing, yet it pressed the question of whose home we were in even more.

I'd rather be wearing this stranger's clothing instead of Snape's. I was still very unsure where the boundary laid, and I didn't want to intrude more than I had by taking his clothing as well.

I checked my legs, the bruises starting to go away. Snape's incantations had worked, and I felt much better.

My stomach announced to me that it was time to go eat with a large growl. Actually, I couldn't remember the last time I'd eaten.

Quietly, I stepped back into the living room, gently shutting the door behind me, my woolen socks slipping on the hardwood floor a little.

Snape was in the living room, reading a book. He looked up when he saw me, greeting me with an expressionless nod.

"I found these in the closet," I said, gesturing to my attire. "I hope it's okay that I wore them."

"Not to worry," he replied. "They will not be missed."

"Whose house are we in?" I asked. The question had been running rampant through my mind all night.

However, my traitorous stomach interrupted my questioning with a growl.

"We shall prepare a breakfast, and then move on to your Occlumency training," Snape said, ignoring my question completely, as he does.

"What about You-Know-Who?" I asked. "Are we running away from him? We're facing death right now. Are we just going to sit here and practice mind-reading?"

"What makes you think you can speak to me in that manner?" Snape spat.

"I'm sorry, you're right. I'm just stressed, is all. Yesterday was a lot."

"You are a Death Eater. You should have anticipated this," Snape scoffed. "Did you think the Dark Lord sat around and did arts and crafts all day? This is why I must teach you Occlumency. This is why you can't have 'rough days'. We're on the run. Miss Agoria," he spoke coldly, finally turning around to face me. "Being on the run from the Dark Lord is infinitely worse than being on the run from the Ministry."

"Then why did you run, Professor?"

"He would have killed you, Miss Agoria."

"But now you're in danger too, Professor," I protested, not knowing why. Maybe I liked being in this small hidden cabin with Snape. Maybe I liked pushing the constant reminder that we were on the run from the worst entity in the world out of my head.