Miss Quinn

94 ~ End of the Summer

The next morning, Emma and her family took a Portkey back to Normandy with the Trespiers. Sam and Emma were acting strangely polite towards one another, and the tension between them was thick. Ellie didn't even glance at her cousin, and Emma ignored Ellie just as much. Josephine was still friendly towards Emma, and Brilee tried to be as well, but she was trying too hard. Her politeness was too much for Emma, and the brunette ended up going up to her room the minute they got back to Quinn Manor. She packed her trunk, filling it with all of her possessions, and went back downstairs to say goodbye, lugging the trunk behind her.

"Have fun," Beatrice said, embracing her daughter.

"I will."

Emma waved to the rest of her family, hugged Josephine, and stepped into the fireplace. She said the address Dean and Seamus had owled her, threw down the Floo powder, and felt a tug in her stomach as the sitting room vanished from her eyes. Emma felt herself being squeezed and stretched, as if through pipes, and when she was stationary once more, in a different fireplace, she clumsily fell forward, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms.

Emma looked up into Dean's twinkling brown eyes. He smiled down at her.

"Looks like you really fell for me, huh?" Dean said, grinning.

"Smooth, Thomas," Emma said.

"You know it."

Dean helped her into a standing position, and took her trunk. "This way to your room, my lady."

Emma laughed and followed him, saying hello to Seamus as she passed him. Seamus winked at her and made a kissy face, which made Emma roll her eyes and stick a finger up in the air. Seamus didn't follow them up the stairs, probably because he was waiting for Venus. But Emma couldn't help but wonder if he was giving Emma and Dean time alone on purpose.

At the top of the stairs, Dean took a right and led Emma down to the last door in the hallway.

"This is where you and Venus will be staying," he said, opening the door. He let her in first, and dragged her trunk in after.

It was a nice room, definitely a woman's feel to it. The walls were pale blue and the furniture was white. It was bigger than Emma's actual room, but smaller than her room at Quinn Manor.

"Bathroom is the first door on the right down this hallway, and Seamus' and my room is the second door on the right."

"Thank you, kind sir," Emma said.

Dean grinned and said, "I missed that."

"Missed what?"

"The pretending and the voices. Gentleman and Lady," Dean said.

"So you missed talking to me?"

"Yes."

Emma's nerves jolted, and she felt flutters everywhere in her body, even her fingers and toes.

"Are you cold?" Dean asked, noticing the goosebumps that had popped up on her arms.

Emma mentally cursed her nerves.

"A bit," Emma said, though she wasn't.

Dean turned and walked down the hallway, disappearing into his room. He came back out a moment later holding a Gryffindor jumper. He handed it to her.

"Dean, you didn't have to --"

"It's just a sweater, Emma."

She looked down at it. It felt nice. She pulled it over her head, and stuck her arms through the sleeves. Suddenly, she realized she had been cold, and Dean's jumper was now keeping her warm. It smelled like him, too. Like a mixture of cinnamon and toffee.