Sunday, August 21, 2016

Master of the House

My most recent entry from fan_flashworks over on Dreamwidth. (I've been forgetful about reposting after the end of challenges. Sorry!)

It's short, SFW, Severus Snape, and was inspired by my move to East Tennessee. It's very slightly, mildly spoilery if you have not read "Half-Blood Prince" and "Deathly Hallows" but not of major huge plot points.


    Severus couldn't sleep. He shifted restlessly to his side, the springs of the narrow bed grumbling a shrill protest under his weight. The mattress was thin, lumpy, and a bit musty. No surprise, really. The house had been shut up for Merlin only knew how long, after all.

    It was a strange thing, to be in his own bed, in his own room, but utterly alone under the roof. If he was the sort who was easily spooked or overly maudlin, he might actually miss the sound of Tobias Snape's raucous snores from down the hall, or Eileen's soft tread as she paced the hall late at night. The quiet did not bother him, any more than the solitude did. It was the strangeness of it all, to be the master of the house at Spinner's End.

    He shifted again, the bedsprings letting out another squawk of outrage. In the dim light that seeped in through the begrimed window, he could make out the familiar outlines of furniture and doors, his eyes tracing over them in an well-traveled path. The night sounds were familiar, the surroundings were familiar, even the lumps in the mattress were familiar. Even in the dark, he could recite the titles of every book on the packing crate bookshelf in the corner, could have picked out any given volume with his eyes closed. Everything was thoroughly familiar, and completely strange.

    He gave up on trying to get comfortable and sat up.  The bedsprings--squeaky under his childhood form, and grumbling throughout his teens--screamed under his fully-grown weight. He absently wondered if there might not be some oil in the cellar, or perhaps under the kitchen sink, and then stopped. His mother's panicked admonitions to avoid using magic at all around Tobias rang through his head, the memory of his father's fury bringing a nervous flush to his cheeks and throat.

    "You aren't here now, are you?" he sneered into the darkness. "I can damn well do as I please, can't I?"  That gave him an idea. He reached to the nightstand, knowing exactly where his wand was without needing to look. "Lumos." The shadows scurried away, the spider in the corner half-falling off her web in alarm. Severus grinned to himself as he levitated the boxes of his more recent acquisitions to the door and down the narrow stairs to the sitting room. He waved his wand, lighting the candles he had set out earlier in the day.

    The handful of remaining knick-knacks on the solitary shelf were cleared away with a reckless sweep of his arm. It took no time to have that shelf crammed full of books, though several re-enforcing charms were necessary to keep it from buckling under the weight. Inspired, Severus ducked into the cellar for any loose boards, checked the tiny, overgrown backyard for fallen bits of fence, dragging his findings into the sitting room. One after another, boards went up, permanent sticking charms adhering them to the wall.

    The books, though, those were placed by hand. Severus sorted them as he put them on the shelves, caressing their leather spines with something like affection. Each book was given due consideration before he found it a new spot on the shelves, given one last little stroke of the fingertips before he turned to the next book. He had over-estimated his needs though, and had turned to get another book, only to discover that there were no more books in any of the boxes. He looked at the ample empty space on the new shelves and laughed softly.

    "I suppose I'll have to get more books," he said to no one in particular. He dropped onto the sofa, well-pleased with his handiwork. The shelves were not of any great beauty, but they were straight and secure, and his books were where he could easily get them. Severus stretched out on the sofa, tapping his wand thoughtfully against his hand. "I'll fill the whole damned place with books, I think."

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