They didn't speak again until all of the protective enchantments had been cast, and when they did, it was a feeble, lacklustre attempt to say the least. Julia was still upset about being friend-zoned and Severus had no idea what he had done wrong.
The first proper conversation was the next morning, when they ate breakfast together in Julia's chambers. She had not made the mistake of dancing again, she had embarrassed herself enough.
"So Sev, what are we doing today?" Julia asked as she shovelled her cereal into her mouth.
"Well, as we were the only people to finish the dorms yesterday, we have a clear schedule. You eat like a horse!" He curled his lip in slight disgust.
"I was thinking you could show me around the castle again, it has been a long time since I was last here. I do not!" Julia said indignantly.
"Yes you do. I would be happy to, as the Muggles so appropriately put it, 'give you the tour'."
"Can we go now, Sevvykins?" She fluttered her eyelashes as she leaned on his torso.
"Fine, but please, do not call me Sevvykins, especially in front of the students when they arrive tomorrow."
"Why? Are you the dungeon bat or something?" Julia joked.
"How did you know they call me that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I didn't. They seriously call you that? I can't imagine why."
"Not to my face, obviously. They are a bunch of dunderheads to think that I am deaf, that I can't hear their pathetic whispers during my class." Severus said monotonously.
"How nice to them are you? Do you treat them the way you treat most of the staff?" Julia asked accusingly.
"They think I am a greasy git, and I do nothing to alter their opinion. Being intimidating makes up for my lesser experience as a teacher. They think because I am younger than the rest of the staff that they can do whatever they want. So no. I am not nice to them."
"It seems I am one of the few people who get to see the best side of you Sev. It's a shame, really."
"And why is that? I actually think you are the only person I can be myself around."
"It's a shame because you are such a great man Severus."
He snorted. "I am anything but great, Lia."
"No, you are a great man who has done some bad things. I mean, look at you now! This is almost like community service, passing on your expertise to the next generation."
"So I'm in prison? In my own head, yes, but at home as well? I think not.
"No, it's only a prison if you make it so. Can we go now, Sev?" She wheedled.
"You sound like a child with your whining, but yes, we shall."
They got up from Julia's breakfast table and, emerged from the dank dungeons into the sunlight outside.
Severus squinted as the light hit his face, but it didn't affect Julia at all.
"Are you sure you're not a vampire, Sev? You spend too much time in the dungeons."
"I spend my time in my lab, I would go upstairs if there was one functioning up there. Besides, my House reside down there, I could hardly leave them."
"I was only joking, I didn't need a full-blown explanation as to why you couldn't. You take things too seriously Sev."
"It has been said..." Severus said, looking slightly miffed.
"I don't really think you're a vampire if it's any consolation. You haven't started sparkling yet." Julia giggled.
"Why the hell would I be sparkling? Vampires don't sparkle!" He said indignantly.
"It's a Muggle book series called Twilight. Don't even try to understand, I don't like it and I won't waste my time explaining it. You'd probably hate it even more than I do actually." She said as she tried to imagine Severus enjoying reading Twilight.
"You can be very irritating, you know." Severus sniped.
"Everyone needs a hobby. Mine's annoying you!" Julia said.
"Two can play at that game, Evermore!" He said and started tickling her. She laughed hysterically, running away from him until she reached the Black Lake.
"Stop it Sev, you know how ticklish I am!"
"Which is precisely why I am doing it."
"Ugh, you are so infuriating!" Julia glared playfully at him.
He bowed. "I'm here all week."
They sat by the lake all afternoon, skimming stones, reading and talking together. Severus took Julia's hand as they strolled back to the castle at dusk.
"Would you like to dine in my chambers this evening? I can cook." Severus asked almost nervously, Julia thought.
Julia was inwardly happy at Severus' gesture, and began swinging her, and in turn his arm.
"I'd love to! I'd cook for you but I don't know how..." She blushed.
"You don't know how to cook? Well then, I must teach you!"
"To the dungeon!" Julia said dramatically.
Severus shook his head, still smiling from when she accepted his dinner offer.
Julia watched Severus roll up his sleeves as she tied her apron strings.
"Where is... it?" She asked, pointing at his left forearm.
"It vanished. The morning after... well, you know, I woke up and it had gone. No scar or anything."
"I guess he really must have died then, to make the mark go away."
"Right. Spaghetti Bolognese." He said quickly, rubbing his hands together.
"Where do we start?" She said enthusiastically, ignoring the sudden change of subject.
"I'll put the pasta on and you start slicing the meat."
There were a few minutes of silence before Julia felt Severus' presence behind her.
"You're doing it wrong. You have to slice it like this, see?" He said, holding the hand with which Julia was grasping the knife in his own and chopping the meat correctly.
She could feel his breath on her cheek and it made her shiver, though Severus didn't notice. Soon enough they were finished, and Julia began with the washing up (the Muggle way) while they were waiting for the food.
So obviously, it surprised her when Severus put a record on his battered gramophone and dragged her from the sink to the middle of the room.
"What are you doing, Sev? I need to finish doing the dishes!" Julia laughed, pretending to be annoyed at her friend.
He flicked his wand and the now clean plates flew orderly into the correct cupboards.
"There, now. The dishes are done and you can dance with me."
Severus spun her around to face him and held her close. It was a slow song, and they rocked back and forth contentedly, Julia's arms around Severus' neck and his around her waist.
Too soon, the song came to an end.
"Thank you, Severus." Julia breathed dreamily.
"For what?"
"For teaching me how to cook, for bringing me back here, for just... being in my life, I suppose."
"I wouldn't change it for the world. My existence would be a lot more miserable if I didn't have you here."
They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, before Severus' Smoke Detector Spell started wailing from his wand.
"Oh, the meat!" He said, before running off to the hob.
Julia deflated, she could finally have shown Severus how she felt about him and the stupid meat ruined everything.
She sat down and the table, peeved, and waited for Severus to dish up.
"Considering you have never cooked before, this tastes remarkably good."
"Probably because you made most of it. And who said I had never cooked before? I have, many a time, it just wasn't very successful."
He only laughed at that, his baritone chuckle making Julia grin.
"We should do this again sometime. I rather enjoyed it all." She said, the smile still on her face.
"Even my horrendous dancing?"
"Especially your 'horrendous' dancing. We can work on it. You can be my project!" Julia said excitedly, her mouth full of food.
"No. I will not be anyone's 'project'. Were you never taught not to speak with your mouth full? It's one thing I've never liked."
"No, but it's my amazing personality combined with my never-ending charm that makes you love me Sevvykins!" She said in a sickly sweet voice.
"Dream on Lia. I'll love you a lot more when your table manners improve. You can be worse than some of those dunderheads in the Great Hall."
She snorted as she drank her pumpkin juice and promptly began choking. Severus walloped her on the back as she said, "So, school tomorrow then?"
"Yes. And what of it?"
"I'd assume we won't be able to do this as much. You have a reputation to uphold." Julia said, mimicking Severus' tone.
"I actually think now, I am beyond caring. I no longer have to shield my mind from the Dark Lord, and I can be myself again. Maybe they will stop calling me the dungeon bat." He mused.
"One thing that would help? Stop wearing the cloak. Seriously, it's hideous. And why all the black? Change it to green or something."
"When did you turn into a fashion expert? When you started your career as a comedienne?" He snapped.
Julia was hurt, she was only joking with him, but once again he took everything too seriously. She hoped that if he was going to go back to his old self, he would do it soon.
"Good night Severus." She said quickly as she ran out the door, tears in her eyes.
Dedicated to severusdowney, absolutely loving When Sparks Fly, I'm dying waiting for an update!!! Lia and Sev will have their moment, I'm currently working on it!
~Hannah~