Heavenly Angel Chapter 3

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Where did you go?” Ginny asked Hermione when she appeared in the fireplace of the small cottage they shared. “Did you talk to him?”

“I went to Diagon Alley,” said Hermione. “I brought you a cookbook about herbs.”

“Gee, thanks,” Ginny said sarcastically, although she opened the book and skipped to the section about rosemary. Her engorgement charm on the garden had gotten a bit out of hand and now they had bales of it.

Hermione went to her room and closed the door. No sense in getting Ginny all worked up.

Hermione slid into her seat near her desk and opened her shopping bag. She looked at her new purchases for a moment before she pulled them out.

It had taken her the better part of an hour to decide of the stationary kit she wanted. Finally she had decided that it was a better investment to get a complete set of tools.

The burgundy quill had magically grown a glass tip; it would never split or wear out. Her lines would always be fluid and even. The paper was pink, although Hermione first ruled out the color. The shade was so barely dusty rose it almost appeared crème, so she finally had deemed it acceptable.

She had invested in a bottle of enchanted ink. The color was a deep burgundy but tiny gold flecks glittered faintly when it caught the light.

The letter opener was plain and brass, matching the embellishments on the ink bottle and quill.

Her personal seal had taken her a while to design. Normally it would be her family crest, but she didn’t have a crest recognizable in the Wizarding World. Finally she had convinced the confused clerk to embellish her initials on a shield shaped like a tooth. It amused her. She bought a pound of burgundy wax and a sealing kit.

It took Hermione quite awhile to arrange the set on her desk as she liked it. She stared at a blank sheet of paper for a long time before she started writing.

***

Severus was pulled away from his reading by a soft fluttering at his window. A small grey owl sat there with an envelope clutched in its beak.

Severus rose and strode across his study. When he took the letter the little owl fluttered off. It was unaddressed, but he quirked a corner of his mouth when he saw the seal it bore.

He opened it and was surprised to see the letter was quite thick. He pulled her correspondence out and began reading.

It began cordial, polite. She spoke of her family and their work together. Severus began feeling foolish.

It spoke of her previous relationships, dating Ron in her school years, going on to date other wizards, only to be disappointed.

Her reply to him was tentative, a little shy. Open and honest. Gentle and kind. But most of all, tentatively willing.

He flipped through the pages. There were a few illustrations of her own. It seemed she was creative as well.

Severus sat down at his desk and began reading the letter again, this time he only finished when he read her signature at the end.

He lay it down and looked at it. It lay there so unassuming on the black blotter.

He almost thought it would disappear in a puff of smoke or he would wake and it would be a dream. Neither happened.

Severus picked it up and read it again.

He lay it on a corner of his desk when he was finished and stared it, his hands folded under his chin.

After some time he opened the top drawer of the desk and pulled his stationary kit out.