Everyone had returned from the holidays over the weekend. Students and Professor alike. Hecate spent the last few hours of New Year's Eve talking with Eileen, which after calling her Ms. Prince the first few times, Eileen had told her to just call her by her first name. You're dating my son; first names are in order. Hecate had involuntarily grimaced at the word dating, causing Eileen to furrow her brows, but not questioning her anymore. Midnight had hit after what seemed to be forever, and Eileen had excused herself to the spare bedroom. Severus kissed Hecate on the forehead, and without another word, moved himself to his room. Hecate remained up for hours after, falling asleep on the couch watching the embers in the fireplace die down.
Severus was cold to her for the remainder of the week, he would talk with her politely with his mother watching but would ignore her the rest of the time. He would disappear, and leave her with his mother, not telling either one of them where he was going. Eileen would smile at her apologetically, pat her leg, Unfortunately, he gets those traits from his father. Especially the brooding traits. Hecate would return her polite smile. It only took until about the second of January, two whole days before Hecate packed her belongings, while he was gone and left. Leaving Eileen with an It was nice to meet you, and an apology for her abrupt departure.
Here it was, Monday morning, Hecate sat at a desk as if she were a defiant student. Her chin sitting on her fist, her elbow propped on the table. Severus walked around, watching his students, making sure their eyes were focused on their pop quiz. Hecate refused to make eye contact with Harry, who she knew kept flicking his eyes at her. They have not spoken since she left on Christmas day. A knock on the door made Hecate look up, Severus glided his way over to the door, scowling down at a poor first-year Gryffindor. The first year whispered something to Severus his eyes flickering towards Hecate. Severus held out his hand, the first-year handing whatever it was to him and scurrying away.
Severus walked over and dropped a letter on her desk, not bothering to look at her or stop walking as he dropped it. Hecate rolled her eyes and unfolded the piece of parchment.
Oops! Această imagine nu respectă Ghidul de Conținut. Pentru a continua publicarea, te rugăm să înlături imaginea sau să încarci o altă imagine.
Hecate stood from the desk and walked over to Severus. He scowled down at her like he did the first year. She shoved the parchment into his hand, and without waiting for him to read it, strolled out the door.
Hecate was annoyed walking towards Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore was pulling her from classes, Severus wasn't talking to her, for whatever reason. Fine. Everything was going to be fine. Or so she told herself. The walk seemed like it barely took any time at all to get to Dumbledore's office. "Lemon Drops," she spoke, watching the Gargoyle turn into a set of stairs. She climbed up, hesitating before knocking on the door.
The door swung open, without her having to knock. Dumbledore looked down at her a small smile on his face. "Come in, Miss. Black." Hecate moved past him, "I'm not a student anymore, you can call me Hecate, Professor." Dumbledore's smile widened a bit, "Only if you agree to call me Albus." Hecate shrugged and plopped down in the chair in front of his desk, waiting for him to take his seat. Albus strolled slowly to his desk, not taking his chair behind it, but sitting next to her. "What do you need Albus?" His name rolled off her tongue weird, she never thought she would get to this place with her former headmaster. Keep it together, it's just his name, you weirdo. She chided herself, attempting to give him a polite smile.
"I need to talk to you about Severus." Hecate rolled her eyes, "Did he send you to do his bidding? He hasn't talked to me really in about a week, he had to use you –" Dumbledore raised his hand, quieting her. He shook his head.
"I need you to stick with him."
Hecate's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Stick with him?" she repeated his words, hoping to catch on to what he was telling her. She didn't. Dumbledore waiting patiently, the smile not fading from his face. "Yes, stick with him." Dumbledore stood up, moving over to Fawkes, not looking at her. "If something were to happen, where Severus was to... Let's say, leave the school –" He paused as if he were thinking over his next words. He wasn't. Hecate knew this, the man was calculated, he would have figured out what he wanted to say before calling her in here.
"I would need you to treat it as an Order mission and follow him."
Hecate involuntarily grimaced once more. "Does he plan on leaving the school?" Dumbledore stroked Fawkes, not answering right away. "Not that I am aware of." Hecate glared at him, "Obviously he will plan to in the future, or you wouldn't be telling me to follow him when he does." Dumbledore stopped stroking the Phoenix and turned to her. "There are things I cannot say that I do not know myself. I need your word that you will follow him." Hecate bit her lip, "I have more questions before I say yes." Dumbledore nodded, folding his hands in front of them. "If I can answer them, I will." Hecate was more than frustrated with Dumbledore's lack of information, people would just follow him blindly. Lemmings.
"How do I follow him if he is done with me. He won't even speak to me right now." Hecate stood up, not letting Dumbledore answer. "He does this, just stops talking to me for weeks, and then all the sudden he wants to 'talk'-" She made air quotes with her hands.
"He's upset with you about your facial expression when his mother referred to your relationship as dating."
Oh, that does it, the bastard. Hecate's eyebrows furrow in anger. "So what? I made a face, we established that we wanted each other, and we didn't need a label, so sorry I made a face about being called something were not!" Dumbledore let out a laugh this time, "You're also his former student, and the daughter of the man that bullied him at school, not to mention the uncanny resemblance to that man." Hecate crossed her arms and huffed. "It's not my fault."
"Which part? The face or being Black's daughter?"
The voice didn't come from Dumbledore. Dumbledore was looking over Hecate's head towards the door where the voice came from. Hecate spun around, looking at Severus, who was standing in the doorway, arms crossed. "Both." Venom dripped from her mouth as she spoke. He doesn't get to do this, not anymore. Severus looked past her at Dumbledore, "Did you really call her up to discuss with her why I was upset with her." Dumbledore's arms bent at the elbow, his hands pointing up in defensive innocence. "I don't like it when Professors can't work together." So, Severus, why don't you bring Hecate back to her quarters. She has a free period right now, along with you." Severus got the point immediately; he was not to teach his next class. Dumbledore waved his hand, shooing them both out. Turning and walking over to his desk, sitting down behind it, and looking through paperwork as if they had left already.
-
Hecate didn't allow Severus to walk her to her room as Dumbledore wanted. She stormed past him and strolled down the halls her hands in her pockets. Furious. Why was she so furious? "Hecate." His voice called to her, him quickening his stride to catch up to her. "I was wrong." He had caught up, his hand wrapping around her arm and spinning her around. Hecate looked up at her, her brow furrowed. How much did he hear? Did he know that even if this didn't work, she had to make it work? Of course, it would come down to her following Dumbledore's orders blindly. Of course, Dumbledore found a way to make her. She forced her face to lighten up. She got up on her tiptoes, pulling him down towards her, and kissing his lips gently. "It's okay. I shouldn't have made that face." He wrapped his arms around her, happy with her answer.
"I do have to ask now, what are we?"
-------
**Feel like I have to say sorry for the lack of updates. Trying to get back on a schedule. I started school on the 30th and my kids started shortly after, on top of working it's a bit hard to sit down and write.
Love you all who read my stuff, it does keep me going. Cheers!**
