Chapter 14

That evening Abbigail found Severus sitting in the Slytherin common room, reading a letter. Sitting on the arm of his chair was a large owl with reddish brown feathers.

"Isn't is a tad late for post?" Abbigail asked as she sat in the chair next to him.

He quickly folded the paper and tucked it away in his robes as he looked over at her, "Mother does things in her own time."

Abbigail smiled, "that's sweet of her to write you." She fell quiet for a moment, as if lost in her thoughts. Just as Severus was about to ask if she was okay she spoke again. "Anyway, I just realized today that the ball is this weekend and we never discussed costumes."

Severus laughed softly, "Everything is taken care of, you will get your costume on Saturday."

"Really? What are we dressing as? Nothing spooky I hope!" She dramatically shuddered for effect.

Severus leaned forward, catching one of her raven curls between his long fingers, pulling it gently to its full length and releasing it. It obediently sprang back. "You will love it. Trust me."

For the next three days Severus avoided Abbigail in between classes and meals, needing the reprieve from her badgering questions. At least I know she has a healthy curiosity, he mused to himself as he left her in the Great Hall after dinner Friday night.

After he left Abbigail made her way over to the Gryffindor table, never feeling quite comfortable around the Slytherin students without Severus at her side. "Hey guys," she said, sitting next to James.

Lily leaned around him to see her, "did he tell you yet?"

Abbigail sighed, "no. He is being such a git about it. I feel I deserve to know what I'll be wearing. What if it is something terribly tacky?"

Lily laughed, "Well he did promise you would love it didn't he? Maybe he is testing you, seeing how much you trust him."

Sirius spoke up, "Well in that case it must be terrible. Can't trust someone like him."

Abbigail rolled her eyes at him. "Shut it Sirius. I suppose there is nothing left but to trust his judgment here. I'm going to bed, see you all tomorrow night."

The next morning when Abbigail woke up she found a large box on her trunk. The box was tied shut with a green ribbon and set on top was a rolled up bit of parchment. It had a tag on it that said "Read me" in thin, spidery handwriting she recognized from Severus's notes. Excitedly she unrolled the scroll. There was only a few lines of writing. That's Severus, she thought, straight to the point.

Don't open until it's time to get ready for the ball. No peaking!

He signed, not with his own name but with the initials O.G.

"What's O.G. mean?" Abbigail said to her self, "figures now I have to wait all day to see what's in the box." If it was anyone else she would peak inside but she has a feeling he would know, somehow, if she did.

The day of the ball as much like another, it was Halloween so the castle was decorated over night with pumpkins and other seasonal items. At lunch, to Abbigail's delight the candles were replaced with floating jack o' lanterns. After she had finished eating she was headed back to her room, thinking she would get in some homework before getting ready for the ball, when Severus called her name. He was walking down the stairs toward her.

"Oh are you not avoiding me today?" She asked, shooting him a playful glare.

"No, not today." He held his arm out to her, "Walk with me Abbigail."

She slipped her arm into his and he started walking, pulling her along with him. "Where are we going Severus?"

"I want you to see something." He said, leading her through the castle, "how are you liking it here at Hogwarts?"

"It's fantastic. Magic here is in everything it's almost mind boggling to me."

"Is it much different than your old school?"

"Oh yes, my old school was actually on the outskirts of a muggle town, one of the London suburbs, so we had to be very careful. I even lived in an all muggle neighborhood." She fell quiet, the only sound in the hall their footsteps, before she spoke again, "it's like everything in my life has changed. Nothing is the same anymore."

He had led her through the school to a part she was not familiar with and up a spiral staircase. He stopped at the top, in a small circular room with a door.

"Severus what in the world are we doing? Where are we?"

"Close your eyes Abbigail."

"What?" She sighed, "please just tell me what's going on."

"It's called a surprise, now close your eyes for me."

"Severus I don't like surprises."

"Do you trust me?" His voice was soft, almost sounding unsure.

The tone in his voice made her look up, meeting his eyes. "Of course." she whispered to him and closed her eyes.

Abbigail smiled as he took her hands in his and started guiding her toward where she remembered seeing the door. The door squeaked as it opened and he guided her through it. A breeze of chilly air blew some of her hair into her face. She felt his fingertips brush her face as he moved her hair away from her eyes.

"Okay, open your eyes."

Abbigail opened her eyes and gasped in surprise. They were on top of one of the castle's towers over looking the lake. The sun was just starting to set and the sky was painted in shades of orange, red, pink and purple hues. The lake was so still the sky was reflected in it perfectly.

"Oh Severus it's so beautiful," she said, turning to look at him.

He smiled softly, "I thought you would like it. I wanted to, well, thank you I guess."

"Thank me for what?" She asked, turning back to the view.

"Well I don't know how much of what your cousin has told you about me is true, but I have never been one to have many friends, if any. You took a chance to be my friend, I can only imagine how much he has protested it."

Abbigail laughed, "oh yes he does not approve at all. Not that he has any say in who my friends are." she turned to look at him again, "Thank you for being my friend, you've been so good to me, especially considering the first thing I did was drop a book on your head."

Somewhere far below them a clock started chiming, announcing the time. Abbigail gasped, "oh Merlin! The dance! I don't have much time to get ready." She started toward the door then abruptly stopped, "Um, Severus?"

"Yes Abbigail?"

"Which way is the common room?"

Severus sighed and took her hand in his. "At this rate you might know your way around by the time school is over."