The Potion Master's Best Friend

Chapter 2- Home

It was awful. Julia ran behind the nearest building, Severus close behind, and she threw up. He, like a perfect gentleman, held her hair off her face and rubbed her back. She almost smiled at the contact, rare as it was.

Once she was finished, he helped her up and checked her over to make sure she was alright.

"Haven't done that for a long time. Just something else I'll have to get used to again isn't it!" Julia joked.

Severus merely grunted in response.

When he was satisfied with her well being, they emerged from behind the building.

"Home sweet home!" She breathed, looking up at the castle that had been her only proper home.

"I think I should show you to your quarters. They are near mine, I believe."

"You live in the dungeons, don't you? It's cold down there."

"Light a fire like everyone else."

"There's also a thing called central heating..."

"Central what?" Severus had no grasp of modern Muggle technology.

"It's a system that provides warmth throughout a building. Hogwarts needs one of those..."

"You've been living in the Muggle world too long, remember electronic devices do not work at Hogwarts."

By this time they had reached the entrance to the castle.

"I didn't realise Muggle Studies was taught in the dungeons. When did that change?" Julia asked as they descended the stairs.

"Oh very recently..." Severus replied.

"How recently is very?"

"You... You're the first Muggle Studies teacher to live down here."

"Why me? Is it because you live down here and you want me near you, Sevvy?" She flirtatiously asked, making Severus step back, hitting the door to her chambers.

"No, Dumbledore thinks you need a familiar face to help adjust to living here again." He said blushing furiously.

"Jesus, I'm only messing with you, you don't need to get so embarrassed!" She laughed.

"Oh," Severus said simply.

They went into her quarters together, and Julia was amazed by what she saw. There were posters from all the shows she had been in throughout her time as a Muggle, and her guitar and violin were on stands either side of her piano. Best of all was the gramophone that stood on a table next to the king size bed.

"Oh my God, this is beautiful! Who decorated it?" Julia asked in awe.

"I did," Severus said, not meeting her gaze.

"That's very thoughtful, thank you, darling."

"Pleasure. There are a few  records down here, I didn't know what your taste is so I got a bit of everything." He said, changing the subject. He opened a cupboard door under the gramophone.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many records except in shops. You call that a few?" She said in disbelief.

"I wouldn't know. We need to tell Albus that you've settled in." He grasped her hand and led her to the office.

She remembered the time when she told Severus about her adoptive father's childhood abuse and how she truly felt about him. She didn't have the courage to tell him a second time how she felt after she Obliviated him. Julia didn't mind him knowing how much she loved him, but he couldn't have known about her nightmare of a home.