Chapter 182 - Course List (1/2)
Rowan was eating a cookie while lying on top of Severus's bed as she watched him read Terry's letter. ”So, what did he get you?” Rowan mumbled with a mouthful of cookie.
Severus frowned his brow as he stared at the miniature glass spinning top, spinning and glowing on his desk. ”Terry says, that this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin.” Severus paused to glance at the sneakoscope with a smirk.
”Either it's utter and complete rubbish or it knows that you're untrustworthy.” Severus lets out a muffled cry as a pillow slams into his face with full force.
Rubbing his face, Severus growls, ”It was right!” Before throwing the pillow back. Rowan easily catches it in her arms and puts back at her side as she continues to eat another cookie.
”Stop eating on my bed!” Severus hissed. ”You always leave crumbs behind.”
Rowan pauses mid-bite and thinks for a moment about the comment, before deliberately popping the rest of the cookie into her mouth in reply. Severus lets out a huff as a soft pop causes them both to glance in direction. Dawn beams and says, ”Hogwarts's letters, young master and mistress!”
”Thank you, Dawn,” they both chorused as they each took a letter from her hand. The tiny house elf baby, Laldey, beamed at them from over his mother's shoulder, before they both vanished.
Rowan and Severus each tore their letters as Severus says, ”We've got quite a few new books this year, The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3 by Miranda Goshawk, The Essential Defense Against the Dark Arts by Arsenius Jigger, Intermediate Transfiguration by Emeric Switch, and The Finesse of Goblin Language by Balgok.”
”That's what we have for our regular courses,” Rowan muttered as she eyed all the needed textbooks for Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. At least Arithmancy only had one textbook, Numerology and Grammatica. While Ancient Runes had four textbooks, Ancient Runes Made Easy by Laurenzoo, Magical Hieroglyphs and Logograms, Rune Dictionary, and Spellman's Syllabary by Spellman.
”What extra texts books do you have, Sev?” Rowan asked without looking up.
”Thankfully nothing except for the Complete Compendium of Magical Creatures by Newt Scamander for Care of Magical Creatures,” Severus paused to make a face. ”And the ridiculous two textbooks that we need for Divination, The Dream Oracle by Ingio Imago and Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky.”
”Not to mention the crystal ball and tea leaves,” Rowan scoffed under her breath earning her a swift glare from Severus. ”At least there's Hogsmeade to look forward too. We'll have to have grandfather or grandmother to sign it for us.”
”Mm, I'll ask Lily to go with me on the first outing,” Severus happily said.
”As if Lily will consider it a date,” Rowan unconsciously murmured as Severus turned to darkly scowl at her. Before Rowan could think of anything to say to appease her twin, Owyn arrived clattering against the window and to her rescue. Silently praising the bird in her mind, Severus opens the window, while Rowan promises to feed the wonderful bird a treat later.
”Who's it from?” Rowan asked at seeing Severus blankly staring at the envelope.
”It's from Sirius,” Severus said in surprise, before opening the letter.
With a surprised expression on his face, Severus says, ”Sirius says, that his parents are fine in allowing him and Regulus to spend the last week of summer with us, before leaving together to Hogwarts.
According to Sirius and I quote, 'he is taking you up on the offer from the past Summer, Rowan.”
Rowan resists the urge to slap her own face as she dully says, ”It was a joke at the time, but I didn't think he'd actually take it seriously nor remember it for that matter.”
”Well, I don't mind,” Severus said with a dark smirk.
”I have little doubt of that,” Rowan drily said as she shuddered and imagined what those two could up too. At least she'd have Regulus to quietly chat and discuss books with.
”I'll go and inform, grandfather or grandmother to make sure that is fine, before writing a reply,” Severus said with a pleased expression, before heading quickly out of his bedroom before Rowan could stop him.
Sighing Rowan finished stuffing the last of the cookies into her mouth. Glancing at her list, she at least sighed in relief at not having to buy anything else for Arithmancy or Ancient Runes beyond more parchment, ink, and quills. Grabbing her letter, she dropped it off in her bedroom, before heading downstairs.
Severus with a pleased expression rushed past Rowan as she strongly resisted the urge to stick out her foot to trip him. Murmuring things under her breath about annoying little brothers, she headed over to her grandmother, who was currently having a pot of tea in the main parlor room with Aunt Georgine.
The moment Rowan stepped into the elegant cool parlor room usually reserved for guests, Georgine says, ”Really, child? What were you thinking about when inviting a Black here? I thought you had more common sense than that.”