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Tweak says, "I think so, Brain, but..."

Essery Elizabeth Oakby (oakbye) wrote in wished,
@ 2010-10-03 21:21:00

Entry tags:

!2003: 10, !complete, essery oakby, severus snape

Who: Essery and Snape
What: Chess & Kittens
Where: Snape's office
When: Tonight
Warning: TBA

Essery came back just a bit earlier than she thought she might, but it was still after curfew and, on seeing what she'd brought back, Sinistra had offered just to keep watch until the last few lights went out about Hufflepuff, too. Which left Essery with her hours free - and with one very new tenant in her rooms to contend with. Honestly, she hadn't been expecting to come back with one, her jokes last week aside. Still, how could she resist that smooshed up face and those blue eyes peering up at her from the box outside the M&S?

It did leave her with a problem, though. She'd wanted to spend the night in another hard fought chess game - Severus was quickly becoming someone who she looked forward to talking with, and after their last conversation... Well, she had been looking forward to playing. And she doubted he'd want the kitten running about his office. Still, she couldn't leave it in her rooms alone, and she couldn't stand him up. So she found herself at his office door in a pair of jeans and an old charity tee-shirt, knocking, with the kitten purring and trying to climb out of her arms.

As soon as he opened the door, she was already apologizing. "I know that you likely don't want him here, but I didn't want you to think that I wasn't interested in playing. I can't leave him alone in my rooms, though, so I was going to take a rain - " before she could finish excusing herself, the kitten had managed to jump out of her arms and past him, into his office, and she was cursing under her breath and nursing a new scratch to her forearm.

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	oakbye 2010-10-06 01:54 am UTC (link)
	It could run about their feet, then, and Essery thought maybe that was better. She sat the cat down, then sat down again herself. "Must make dating a bit of a challenge..." she offered, trying not to sound as if she was digging for information as she picked her glass back up. "I don't remember who's turn it was." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

in_the_grass
2010-10-06 02:07 am UTC (link)

Severus sat, giving her a brief but searching look. It was a strange comment to make, considering she'd had him as a professor and an employer, and he in his arrogance and insecurity expected that everyone in her position had come to their own conclusions about his social life, or lack thereof. "The job has never helped, I'm afraid," he said lightly, though, turning his attention to the board. "Neither do I - ah." His knight wasn't attempting to bite his fingers off, so he supposed it was his turn. "The people one meets in academia tend to be of a type, really, although there are occasional surprises." He didn't bother to pretend he was referring to anyone but her. The people one met as a Death Eater were even more limited.

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oakbye
2010-10-06 02:10 am UTC (link)

"The people one meets outside of it aren't much better," Essery said with a roll of her eyes, then she watched him move his piece and gave a half smirking sort of smile. "Not for the most part, anyway." And she wondered, suddenly, if he'd seen her brother's not at all subtle attempt to sell her off via the journals.

She wondered what he'd thought about it, if he had.

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in_the_grass
2010-10-06 02:21 am UTC (link)

He wasn't as qualified to have this conversation as he was letting on, having not spent any time looking for anyone recently - or even considering the possibility until a very, very short while ago. "There are idiots across the full spectrum, I'm sure. I understand some people prefer to leave it to chance."

He had indeed noticed it, as close as eye as he kept on public communications, and had not approved. The more familiar part of himself had considered it thoroughly distasteful, a stunt that wasn't worthy of any attention - and some younger part of him had seriously considered sabotage, all while being vaguely pleased to realize that she was ... available.

'Available' was such a vulgar term. He wasn't used to feeling so divided. He wasn't used to doing anything without a reason, though, and this sort of thing was entirely outside of his experience. He knew, anyhow, that if she started skipping out like Longbottom was, he would have opinions about it.

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oakbye
2010-10-06 02:27 am UTC (link)

"In all shapes and sizes," She agreed with a laugh, and for a moment she turned her attention to board to make a move - but the strategy she thought she'd had when they'd started, she'd completely forgotten about now. After she moved her bishop, she reached down to scratch at the kitten winding his way around her leg.

She couldn't really say anymore more on the subject without being too obvious, when she wasn't sure what she was interested in at the moment, and so she let it drop in favor of something that was safer, "You read quite a bit, I've noticed. You can't miss the books lining every wall."

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in_the_grass
2010-10-06 02:35 am UTC (link)

Severus wasn't paying as much attention to strategy as he might have, either. His prediction that their games wouldn't be long, complicated affairs seemed to be coming to bear. He didn't mind. "It's a hobby," he said with a shrug, advancing another pawn. "You run a charity and take in wayward animals and teach young children to sing more or less on key, and I read books. Mine's rather tidier, I think," he added, nudging the cat when it decided to rub against his leg - and pushing it a little more sharply when it refused to move. "But I'm sure you're to be thanked for your contributions to the choir."

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