Innocence

I will run ‘til I could run no more...

“How long are you staying, sir?” inquired the wizard behind the desk, a tall, gangly teenager with pimples. Severus Snape was standing in front of the check-in of a small lodge with his bag in hand. He had just stepped off the Knight Bus a few minutes earlier, when he arrived there. His stomache was still queasy from the ride.

The lodge was nestled up in the mountains, and in spite of the high altitude, it was a pleasantly warm day. Snape had not expected to arrive at a place that was as well-kept as he had been told it would be. He had almost looked forward to the clutter that inevitably covered most wizarding establishments. However, the lodge was proving to be exactly what he had been told it would be, the maroon carpet underfoot even matching perfectly with the silver trim on the desk in the lobby. Almost too perfectly. Snape sighed. “Why have I come here?” he asked himself. “This will solve nothing.”

“Sir?” the young wizard asked. Snape’s mind snapped back out of his reverie. “How long are you planning to stay?”

“A week should be sufficient,” Snape replied.

“Very good, here’s your key,” the teenager told him, handing him an ornate brass key, “Your room is down the hall, last door on your right, and my name is Brian, if you need me. I will be here most of the day. Breakfast is served at 8 in the dining hall. Supper is at 12:30. Tea is at 3. Dinner is at 6...”

Snape’s mind was wandering. Would this fumbling imbecile never shut up? Snape surveyed the lobby as the wizard in front of him babbled on. The ceiling was decorated with carved wood, inlaid with the same silver that the desk was trimmed with. The walls were white, and covered in moving paintings of various witches and wizards. One wizard that was obviously a gardener caught his eye, and he waved from his painting. Snape scowled.

Over to his right was a set of glass doors that led out onto a balcony. To the left of that was a doorway that stood open. Inside the door was a bar. The far wall had a fireplace and some plush chairs of various colors and patterns, all recessed into an alcove in the wall.

“...Any questions?” the wizard finally finished.

“No.” Snape snapped, and turned to go, almost knocking a witch behind him to the floor. “Oh, sorry,” Snape said, helping her up. He bent down to get a package she had dropped on the floor.

“Accio!” She flicked her wand, and the bundle flew to her outstretched hand. Snape looked vaguely embarrassed. “Thank you all the same,” the witch told him. Snape just nodded.

Carefully, the witch pushed her long auburn hair back from her face and re-arranged the parcels in her arms. Her eyes were gray, and her face, now wrinkled in concentration, was covered in freckles despite the fact that she looked to be the same age as Snape. When she was satisfied with the placement of her packages, she turned back to Snape, who was still standing there.

“My name is Aphesis Troth,” she said with a smile.

“Nice to meet you,” Snape muttered gruffly. Aphesis spotted Snape’s key in his hand and opened her mouth.

“You’re staying here too. Maybe sometime we could play a game of wizard chess? There’s not many other people here right now. It gets quite boring.”

“You wouldn’t want to spend time with me,” Snape answered shortly, then marched past her to his room, leaving her speechless in his wake.