Forever Yours [Book 2]

Chapter 63

A couple of weeks had passed, the Yule Ball had been announced, and everyone was busy. Amilia had commandeered Severus's classroom to continue teaching the Beuaxbatons students, and he tried not to voice his agitation or admiration, but it kept getting the better of him. Amilia ignored him to the best of her abilities, but they often bickered quietly when she had enough of his interruptions. "You cannot keep doing this! You are the one that let me take over since I speak French."

"You are doing it wrong!"

Amilia tossed her hands in the air, "I am done. I have patrols tonight; I need to decorate my classroom since that blasted Skeeter woman wants to use my classroom for the Yule Ball portraits for the Daily Prophet. I do not have time for this."

"You never have time for anything!" He snapped, "You have yet to tell me if you have made up your mind! Honestly, I am beginning to think that you are just dragging this out to make the knife hurt more."

Amilia glared at him, "I might be cruel, like you, but I am not that cruel. Now, if you excuse me, I have a test to facilitate." She walked away from him.

"Son of a bitch!" Severus knocked over the scrolls he had just graded. He glared at them as they rolled across the floor.

Another week passed; Amilia finished proctoring the test, the last one of the week, and headed for her classroom. She had asked a couple of students to unload the decorations, but she feared it would not be done. However, when she walked into the room, the tree had been decorated, baubles of each House color sparkled in the firelight, snow fell in front of the windows, and it smelled as if she had just walked into a Christmas bakery. "How?"

Draco looked around the corner of her bookshelf, "You have looked rather stressed. I know you asked for some help; I took charge."

"This is wonderful." Amilia smiled and hugged each student, "Really, thank you."

"Now, you can set up the are you need for the portraits and still make it on time for dance lessons."

Amilia paused, "What?"

"We only have a couple of days left before the ball." One of the girls said.

"Bloody hell, I completely forgot." Amilia glanced around her room, "Let me finish up here and then I will be in the common room, give Professor Snape my apologies." They nodded and left her alone. Amilia sighed and got to work with the instructions she had been sent about the portraits.

Severus watched nervously as all of the upperclassmen gathered in the common room. He hated that he had to teach them to dance and tried to convince Poppy to do it, but she only laughed, telling him that was part of his job, not hers but that she would cure him of any embarrassment he may endure. He glanced at the clock on the mantle, Amilia was late, but then again, with the arguments they have been having the past week, he did not blame her for not wanting to show up.

"As you all know, the Yule Ball is coming up in a couple of days. I know that due to the families each of you come from, that you must already know how to dance." He looked at each student, "However, the Headmaster and I do not want anyone to embarrass this great school, so it is up to us to teach you, just in case.

The students looked at each other and back at their Head of House. 

Severus continued, "I do not want to be here just as much as the rest of you, so let's get through this as swiftly and painlessly as possible."