To Find Where We Belong

Severus had been waiting at the pay telephone for a half an hour while some tourist told someone all about his visit to the Tower of London, the British Museum and WhiteChapel. Severus knew more about the man's proposed vacation than he ever wanted to know by the end of the conversation. When the booth emptied, Severus stepped in, popped in the required change (according to Tom anyway) and dialed the number.

It rang once.

Twice.

And then a breathless Scottish brogue saying, "Hello -"

"Miss MacKenzie," Severus began but she continued talking and he frowned.

"I'm unable to come to the phone right now so while you ponder what message yer going to leave, make sure yer wanting to talk to Clara MacKenzie!"

A loud beep in his ear startled him and Severus jerked the phone away from his ear. "What the Devil?" he muttered. "Clara? Miss MacKenzie?"

There was a small click and he heard his name. "Severus? Oh thank goodness. I just walked through my door and the machine was talking."

"Machine?" he couldn't help but ask.

"The answerin' machine, silly. What you were talking to."

"Oh, yes." He cleared his throat a moment, wondering what he could say to cover up his ignorance in such matters. He opted to ignore it. "Are you free this evening? I was, er, wondering if you'd like to, er, uh -" He took a deep breath. "Would you like some help with your experiment?"

"I've got help, thanks for the offer. My lab partner is watching it this evening." There was an expectant pause. "Would you care to go to a movie instead?" she asked boldly.

Severus chewed the inside of his cheek. He'd been to a movie show once before, but that had been years ago and the details were a bit fuzzy. He'd not been interested in the show as much as hunting the DeathEater hiding in the audience.

"If you can't, that's okay," the girl on the other end said hurriedly, sounding embarassed.

Sensing he'd goofed, Severus responded, "No, no, just trying to think if there was anything good to watch." He thought that sounded plausible.

"I know a movie house that plays old films from the thirties and forties. You like Gene Kelly?"

Severus didn't have the foggiest clue who Gene Kelly was. "That sounds fine. Meet you there, shall I?"

There was another pause.

"Clara?"

"Oh! Sorry, was just getting the address for you. Digging around for the brochure in my bag." There was more silence in which Severus thought he heard the rustling of paper. "Are you ready for the address?" she asked.

She rattled it off and Severus memorized it, having an excellent memory. The exact directions he could discover off Tom, who loved to wander Muggle London and knew it backwards and forwards. "The first show is "An American in Paris" at 7:30 followed by "For Me and My Gal". Is that all right?"

Severus nodded and then remembered that she couldn't see him. "That's just fine. I'll see you at 7:15 then at the theater?"

"Yes, that would be wonderful!" There was yet another pause. "Thank you for calling me, Severus."

Severus felt light-headed of a sudden though he hadn't the faintest idea why. "My pleasure," he assured her and they said their good-byes. Feeling as if he'd accomplished something worthwhile, Severus left the booth and walked back to The Leaky Cauldron, where he was ribbed unmercifully through an early dinner by Tom when he asked directions to the theater's address.

"Take her flowers. Ladies like flowers," advised Tom with a gap-toothed grin. "Oh, and make sure you've enough Muggle money to buy the tickets and food."

"Food?" sputtered Severus as he swallowed a gulp of lemon water. "More food?"

Tom gave Severus a severe look. "Movie houses always have concession stands to buy popcorn and candies and sodas. From what I've heard Muggles say, it's a bit expensive for such things, but they buy them there anyway." The old bartender hesitated, peering at Severus' old-fashioned attire. "You need better looking clothes too if you're going to impress a lady."

Severus stiffened. "Perfectly fine clothes I'm wearing now!" he protested.

"But they ain't Muggle clothes, Severus," retorted Tom sagely. "Now right down the road is a cheap but nice department store with all sorts of Muggle attire. Get some nice pants, a shirt and some shoes. You look like a Muggle from the 1800s, you do."

Severus grumbled, "Not my fault if wizard fashion never changes."

Tom laughed uproariously and slammed several well-meaning but nerve-numbing pats on Severus' back. "My boy, welcome to the Muggle world! If you're gonna date a Muggle, get used to it."

"I'm not dating a Muggle," Severus corrected in irritation. "I'm merely taking her out for an entertaining evening because I feel bad about her perhaps losing her job." Tom gave him a disbelieving grin. "I am!"

Tom held out his hands in a placating manner. "Yeah, yeah, sure, sure, Severus, I believe yeh!" Severus gave a suspicious look at the tavern owner as he chuckled his way out the door of the private dining room.

Halfway through the ballet scene in "An American in Paris" Severus had to admit it wasn't half bad. Who knew Muggles had such taste in good entertainment? Clara was absolutely riveted, gasping appreciatively as the Muggle Gene Kelly danced his way into the heart of a rather boyish looking young woman. Severus was enjoying Clara's reaction more than the movie, though, if truth be told.

Once the movie was over and there was a brief intermission before the next one started, Severus graciously escorted her to the restrooms and waited patiently for her return. He'd marveled at her appetite, having watched her consume a small tub of popcorn, a rather large chocolate bar and a large soda. Of course, the fact that he'd helped on the popcorn was neither here nor there. Severus appreciated a woman who wasn't obsessed with appearances and seemed to be unself-conscious enough to enjoy herself as she was.

When Clara emerged, Severus suggested another soda to which Clara refused. They took their seats once again for the next show. "Who's the actress in this one?" asked Severus, as Clara dug around for something in her purse.

"Judy Garland," Clara replied absently as she came up successfully with a roll of breath mints.

"Is she as good as the French girl?" he inquired, taking a pro-offered mint.

Clara looked him, aghast. "Ye've never heard of Judy Garland?"

Sensing he'd once again made a serious mistake, Severus shrugged. "I've seen her in a couple of films, of course, but never in this one," he covered up smoothly.

Clara bought the lie hook, line, and sinker. "While not her only performance with Gene," Clara informed him with an air of a lecturer, "it's probably her first and best. I enjoyed her and him in "The Pirate" more, but "Summer Stock" has probably her best song and dance peice with "Get Happy". If you've never seen it, you should. She did a wonderful job. Even her daughter said that's her favorite of her mother's work."

Clara smiled at him but it faded slightly when she noticed his rather shell-shocked look. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "I love old musicals. I do tend to get carried away when I wax enthusiastic about them."

Severus recovered with a loud laugh, just stopping short of a snort. "Never apologize for something that interests you, Clara. You make me want to view these pictures now as well. The song was "Get Happy"? What an absurd title."

Clara beamed at him and was about to launch into a description of the work when the theater darkened and their next foray into the world of Silver Age motion pictures began. By the end of the show, Clara was weeping with joy at the reunion between the pixish Judy Garland and the handsome Gene Kelly. Severus was feeling a bit mushy himself, though he'd deny it with his dying breath. He was, however, maudlin at the fact that the evening with this fascinating Muggle was about to end.

As they exited the theater, though, Severus began to get an odd-feeling they were being watched. Or more specifically, Clara was being watched. His eyes darted around the exiting crowd and found several young men in their late teens or early twenties standing near the bus station where he was taking Clara. They were making sly comments about her limp and he did not like the look of them at all.

Uncertain as to what to do but knowing he couldn't leave her there in case the roughs meant trouble, Severus' mind grabbed at a ploy he'd remembered seeing in the other movie he'd been forced to sit through years earlier. "Clara, would you like to come with me for a cup of coffee before you return home?"

The small slip of woman next to him froze a moment and she turned to face him squarely, an intent gleam in her eyes. "What?" she said breathlessly.

Severus belatedly realized he'd goofed again and leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Those men by your stop look the unsavory sort and I feel they mean to harass you once we part. Coffee at a nearby shop might convince them that they need to find entertainment elsewhere?"

Clara's eyes moved from the rowdies at the stop and back to Severus' more intense features. She smiled at him and slipped her arm through his. "I'd be delighted," she informed him primly and then laughed.

Severus smiled at her mirth, pleased at how he was covering his faux pas. Why that should matter, he'd not the foggiest clue, but pleased he was and he wasn't going to mull over it now.

They walked down a couple of blocks and found a cozy little diner that had a distinct American look to it. They sat at a chrome and plastic table with vinyl booth seats and ordered two peices of pie and some coffee. Severus got her talking about her work, her family and her hobbies, while cleverly steering her away from topics associated with himself. After paying the bill, he agreed to escort her to her flat. There, after a brief kiss on the lips instigated by her, Severus left very bemused at his unforeseen attraction to a small Muggle woman.