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What in the world, Minerva awoke in a start. She blinked rapidly, trying to get her eyes used to the admittedly limited, but still disturbing, light filtering in through their drawn curtains. She needn't look beside her to know the bed was empty save for her own body, and that if she touched the sheets where Severus should have been, they would probably be cold as if she'd slept the entire night alone.
Carefully, she threw her legs over the side of the bed, rearranging her hair so it fell on her left shoulder and got up, sighing. The clock in the hallway - the ticking prevented Severus from sleeping - indicated 5 am, which was both too early and not as early as it could have been. It still didn't tell her much in terms of why she'd been awakened. It wasn't rare for Severus to not manage a full night and thank God it didn't mean she didn't sleep through it, most of the time.
Minerva followed the gentle noises she could hear coming from downstairs, not overly surprised that Severus was in the shop rather than in their adjoining quarters. On second thought, she turned back around and went into the kitchen first, glad for the sense she'd had to put on her slippers - the dreadful coldness of the kitchen tiles was not the best way for her to wake up in a pleasant mood.
She made them tea, black and with vanilla aromas, mindlessly stirring the water as she waited for it to boil. Once again, she wondered what had gotten her husband out of bed. He'd probably say it was something to do with the upcoming meet-and-greet they were in the middle of organising, or that he'd just remembered a pile of unattended new arrivals in his office. All lies, but she was used to that kind - lies that protected him from vulnerability. She sighed again.
When the tea was ready, she put everything on a tray, teapot and two cups and saucers, crackers and chocolate-covered biscuits for Severus' benefit.
The soft swishing and banging noises of books being taken off and placed back on shelves had not stopped in the time she'd spent in the kitchen, and the sight of Severus perched on the wooden ladder by the "Foreign Languages Fiction" section provided enough explanation on its own. Not that any was particularly needed.
"Tea for the lad," Minerva said in a smile that widened when Severus looked over his shoulder, pretended he hadn't just startled.
"Morning to you as well," Severus quipped.
He placed the last book he'd been holding in its place - judging by the hard red cover and the place it ended in on the shelf, Minerva was tempted to guess Garcia Lorca, possibly the rare edition of La Casa de Bernarda Alba they'd been waiting for - and then he came down the ladder carefully. And if Minerva watched the way he kept his back very straight and his long fingers grabbed and let go of the ladder in rhythm with his feet going from step to step, well, she wouldn't blame anyone for that - he looked too good in that navy silk robe.
"Have you been up long?" She asked once he was seated on the armchair opposite hers, their small breakfast set on the round table in between.
"Uncertain, what time is it?"
"Around 5:30 now,"
Severus' eyebrow made a comically large arch before he shrugged.
"Three hours then."
"Will you be alright for our appointment this afternoon?" Minerva asked, not quite concerned but wondering either way. Neither of them had ever been heavy sleepers but four hours of sleep was still not ideal.
"Have I ever let you down, Ma'am?" Severus took a sip of his tea, trying to hide his smirk, probably.
"Don't you Ma'am me when I'm enquiring about your health, mister!" Minerva swatted his knee gently, only for Severus to grasp her fingers before she could withdraw them.
He played with her hand gently, looking into her eyes as he put his cup back in its saucer and leaned forward.
"Close your eyes," he whispered.
She tilted her head in surprise, searching his face. "Why?"
"Just close them." He repeated.
So she did. Tentatively, still trying to see him through half-closed eyes before she yielded and closed for real.
She smiled when it turned out Severus was leaning forward still, his hand not letting go of hers as he pressed his lips to hers. Blindly, she reached for his cheek with her free hand, caressing it and brushing his hair back until he drew back again. She blinked, still smiling, and bit her bottom lip like a proper school girl seeing the gentle flush on Severus' cheekbones.
"Morning indeed," she winked.