A one time thing {Severus Snape}

Chapter 48: Desperate Measures

Much thanks to Camille for her hard work in beta-ing this and picking up my many and varied mistakes. Any errors remaining here are all mine!

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Senga blinked as the ceiling above her came into better focus. It took a few sleepy seconds before she realised that she was no longer in her Hogwarts dormitory but in her new room at her aunt's house.

She sat up, pushing her long, tangled hair away from her eyes, and looked around her. There was nothing of her aunt's left in the room now. It only held the furniture and now her possessions. She jumped out of bed, feeling lighter than she had in several months. No more waking to being ignored completely or to subtle and not so subtle hints at her friendship with Mr Longbottom. She felt a twinge of sadness when she thought about how she would miss him, but it was with a smile that she remembered when they had said goodbye to each other....

"So, then Senga, you'll be off home tomorrow then?" He stood in the great hall. All the students had left the day before and it was quiet and solemn. Senga had thought it would be strange being the only student left, but she much preferred it this way.

"No, I'm staying with my uncle and aunt this summer," she said and sat down on the end bench.

"That's where I meant," he replied and stuck his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels slightly.

"Oh!" Senga frowned she had automatically thought of her parent's home, but if she really thought about it, it wasn't a home to her. But, neither was her Uncle's new home, not yet anyway.

"Are you going straight to Bicton?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"No." He shook his head. "The new term starts at the same time as here, but until then I'll be staying with my grandmother."

She nodded, staring up at him. It was odd to see him without mud clinging to some part of his face or hands. Even his nails looked clean.

"I hope you achieve what you want to," she said, suddenly at a loss as to what to say to him.

"So formal, Senga?" he laughed, and the tension in her broke. She laughed up at him and screwed her nose up slightly.

"Well I do!" she sniffed.

"And I wish you the same," he replied and sat opposite her at the table, bringing a book out of the bag at his feet.

"Look. I found this and thought you'd like it." He pushed the book across the table to her. "It'll help next year."

She looked down at the black bound book and couldn't stop the shudder that ran down her spine.

"What is it?" she asked quietly. Was he giving her a spell book? She knew it was customary to receive the book that would ultimately become a Book of Shadows in your third year, but she didn't think he'd give her that.

"Open it and see," he laughed and nudged it forward a bit more. "It won't bite, although if you use it correctly it'll get very soiled and dog-eared."

She opened it and looked down at the first page.

A YEAR IN HERBOLOGY

The Herbologist's garden through the seasons

The words stared up at her in italicised gold print.

"There's a day to a page, with notes and texts on what should be done at certain times, y'know, pruning and other such boring things." He said it quietly noting her lack of reaction with disappointment. "You can always use it as a normal diary, or you could loose it somewhere if it's too boring," he finished, shrugging his shoulders.