To Find Where We Belong

Severus awoke with the disheartened realization that this was his last day in London and he'd have to go back to Hogwarts later in the evening. It was almost time for the new school term and he had much to prepare for. Neville Longbottom's dismal attempts at potions was enough of a task to prepare his dungeon classroom, let alone the rest of the nonsense the Ministry of Magic had planned for the school.

Chewing on his lower lip, Severus ignored Tom's attempts to get information regarding his evening on the town with the pretty Muggle while he pondered if he should call Clara and ask her out for lunch. After mentioning this to Tom just to get the man to shut up, Tom insisted that Severus take her out. While Severus normally regarded Tom as a meddling old fool, he had to admit that Tom wasn't exactly stupid. It would indeed be pleasant, as he'd enjoyed their conversation over coffee the evening before.

Tom was beaming at him when he left The Leaky Cauldron.

Severus walked to the phone booth nearby as he'd done yesterday and dialed Clara's number. It rang a few times and her machine came on. The message had changed however, leaving him a different number to call to contact her. Confused as to why she would have two different numbers, Severus resigned himself to never understanding Muggle culture and called the new number.

It rang three times and he was about to hang up and say to hell with it, when Clara's voice answered. "Hullo?"

He cleared his throat nervously. "Clara? It's Severus. I was wondering -"

"I'm so glad you called," she gushed. "Are you free for lunch? I'm in a bit of a bind and need some time out of the lab."

There was murmuring on her end and he heard her hiss, "Shut up, Patrick, and go to lunch. We'll get out of this mess somehow."

"A problem with the experiment?" Severus asked curiously.

She gave a heavy sigh over the line. "Yes, but we're working on it, my partner and I. I think we just to get away from it for a bit and start with fresh ideas. Patrick!" Severus winced and jerked the phone from his ears as she shrieked the name. "Sorry, Severus. Can I meet you at the cafe we ate at the other day across from your inn?"

Severus was startled she'd even noticed The Leaky Cauldron. Most Muggles did not, due to the nature of the charms placed upon it. "Certainly," he agreed.

"Excellent. I'll meet you there in about half an hour." With that she hung up, leaving the disjointed dial-tone buzzing in his ear.

Frowning over the puzzle that had unexpectedly come his way, though he did not know exactly what it was, Severus ordered himself a soda at the cafe and waited for Clara to make her appearance.

She arrived, looked bedraggled and harassed, a young man in tow who had a mutinous look on his face. 'This must be Patrick,' thought Severus resentfully. The other man's expression went from peeved to suspicious as soon as he saw Severus, though.

Clara glared at Patrick before sitting down next to Severus. "Severus Snape, this is my lab partner, Patrick O'Reilly," she introduced in a curt tone. Severus nodded to the other man stiffly, sensing somehow a rival in him, though Clara obviously had no interest in the handsome man.

"Snape?" sneered Patrick, a curl to his lips. "What kind of name is that?"

Snape's own lip curled in a more intimidating fashion (after all, he'd had more practice against more dangerous opponents). "My family came over with Hadrian in the early centuries AD and settled about 100 miles from London in Suffolk. The first name is, of course, after the Roman emperor, Septimius Severus." The two Muggles were staring at him slack-jawed and Severus delivered a cold look to Patrick. "And you?"

Patrick's mouth opened and closed stupidly for some time before he made a lame recovery, mumbling something about ancient Celtic bloodlines. Clara shot Severus an amused look which she quickly masked when Patrick noticed it. A waiter came out and took their orders. Clara began to speak as if Patrick wasn't there.

"How long are you in London, Severus?" she asked, sipping her drink.

"I leave for Scotland this evening," he told her.

"You live in Scotland?" asked Patrick, his expression brightening at the news.

'No doubt the git thinks once I'm out of sight he stands a chance again,' Severus thought sourly. "Yes, I teach chemistry at a private school there."

"What school, Severus?" asked Clara eagerly. "I probably know it."

'Oops,' Severus gulped quietly. "I doubt it," he hastily added. "A very small, local school, but I enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside more than the noisiness of London. Londoners tend to show up at places uninvited," he added meaningfully with a look at Patrick. Patrick flushed angrily but refused to take the bait.

"Oh." Clara fell silent.

'Recover!' Severus' brain screamed at him. "I was wondering, Clara, if I might be so bold to ask if I could write you? I enjoyed your company and hate to see a good friendship slide by." He stressed the word 'friendship' in hopes that she would pick up that he wasn't intending to place little importance on their time spent together, and to his relief, her quick mind picked up the innuendo.

"Of course!" she said with a smile of obvious relief. "Would it be easier to give me your email address?"

Severus thought quickly. "We don't have access to an email at this school, Clara. Very old fashioned. We would have to correspond by post."

"How archaic," Patrick said snidely.

"I don't mind," Clara interrupted quickly, sliding Patrick a furious glance. "I rather like letters rather than email. More personal," she added. She quickly scribbled out her address and handed it to him. Severus tucked the paper into an inside pocket of his long robes and smiled congenially at Patrick's scowl.

Uncertain what else to do, as Clara obviously expected a return of the favor, Severus wrote out on another peice of paper she ripped out of a memo pad a fake address that Hogwarts used when Muggle supplies had to be purchased for the school's use. The letter would, in fact, go to the village of Hogsmeade, the outlying town near the school, and from there sent to him via owl post. Severus cringed at the idea of rumor spreading that he was receiving personal mail from a Muggle woman going around the tiny magical village, but resigned himself to it all the same.

They talked of minor things until it was obvious they were just stalling. Clara rudely shooed Patrick away and Severus found himself alone, sort of, with her. Not positive how to proceed, Severus opted for honesty. "I wish we'd had more time to talk."

She smiled at him. "Perhaps you'll get some time off to visit London?"

Severus privately doubted it, considering the events that were going to happen at the school this year but refrained from saying so. "Perhaps," he allowed.

"I'll write," she promised, suddenly shy.

"Me too," he answered, feeling the same. 'This is ridiculous!' he berated himself and leaned forward. His lips brushed hers and he swallowed hard when her arms wound around his neck. The kiss deepened and he felt light-headed. He broke it off quickly, smiled shakily and waved her away to her now outraged companion.

He waited until they'd rounded a corner before slapping some notes on the table and loping across the street to The Leaky Cauldron. Tom had a decided smug look on his face and Severus wondered if the old lecher had been spying. Dismissing the notion as too disconcerting to be considered, Severus grabbed his valise and packages, tossed some Floo powder into the fireplace and snapped,"Hogwarts Great Hall!" before stepping into it.

He swore he heard Tom's laughter following behind him as he disappeared into the Floo Network.