Yuletide Potions
Title: Yuletide Potions XXI
Team: Order of the Phoenix
Word Count: 7 x 100
Rating: all ages (G)
Challenges: Comfort and Joy, Christmas eve/day
Characters: Severus, Hermione, Minerva
Start at the beginning.
The most recent set.
Hermione squeezed Severus’ hand as she released the Portkey and opened her eyes to the familiar sights of the apothecary workshop. Just glancing at the overly decorated eyesore brought a smile to her face. The emotions that’d caused her temporary lapse in taste seemed very distant now, even if it had only been a few days earlier.
After taking a moment to get her bearings from traveling, she took a closer look around the room. Yes, it was still overly decorated, but it was much worse than that… it was a disaster.
And standing in the doorway was the reason.
*
“It’s about time the two of you returned,” came the Scottish brogue belonging to who Hermione assumed was Minerva McGonagall. It was rather difficult to tell. The woman looked like she must’ve been pushing 150 years, with her white hair sticking out in every direction. The green robes that Minerva was wearing looked like they were the very same ones that she’d been wearing the day that Hermione and Severus left for Australia. The robes didn’t even look like they’d had a cleaning spell brushed over them in all of that time. It did appear, however, that a flame had.
*
“Have much trouble while we were gone?” Severus asked. “I do hope that you don’t intend on making this new look permanent.”
Hermione had to fight the urge to giggle as Minerva glowered at Severus.
“If you two have finally returned, I’m going to go home,” she announced.
Hermione nodded. “Thank you for doing this for us… for me. The shop can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.”
Minerva sniffed. “Sometimes? I never realized the number of potions people buy the week before the holidays. It’s been nearly impossible to keep up with the demand of Calming Draughts and Headache Relief!”
*
“What’s on the shelves now?” Hermione asked, seeing as she would need to be opening the shop for business soon.
“I’ve stocked as much as I could and brewing nearly half of the night. You’re still short on the Mute Potion. There’s been an awful lot of those being purchased as well. I was just coming back here to start a batch, but since you’re both here now, I would rather go home and sleep.”
“And, hopefully, shower,” Severus added.
The Scottish witch narrowed her eyes and glared at him before Disapparating out of the room with a soft crack.
*
“I think we owe her something big, Severus.”
“The workroom is in ruin,” he commented, dryly.
“It is at that.” Hermione rubbed her forehead… it was going to be a very long day and currently things were not looking as if it was going to be one of those where she spent more time reading than sales or brewing. She leaned up on her toes and gave Severus a quick kiss. “I know that I’ve said it before, but thank you for everything.”
He nodded stiffly. “Think nothing of it. Now, go check on the rest of the shop, please.”
*
The front of the shop was in much better condition than the rest. Hermione found that though the stock was low, it was not completely depleted. Minerva had done the job of two people for several days. Most people would not have been able to manage as well, especially since brewing was not her specialty. Minerva wasn’t a Potions Mistress by any stretch of the imagination. It would have taken her a lot to be able to manage as well as she did.
Yes, they definitely owed her; and Hermione had an idea of just how they could repay her.
***
Minerva was out of the bathtub before she even realized the fact that it had not been a hallucination that Severus and Hermione had returned. It wasn’t until after eating a bit of toast and having some tea that she realized that she had not even asked how the trip had been. Nor had she inquired about Hermione’s father.
Though, if things had been too terrible, they would not have returned yet. And, they certainly wouldn’t have been smiling.
At least Hermione had been smiling.
Comforted in that fact, she went to bed and fell into a much needed sleep.
Go on to Part XXII.
Team: Order of the Phoenix
Word Count: 7 x 100
Rating: all ages (G)
Challenges: Comfort and Joy, Christmas eve/day
Characters: Severus, Hermione, Minerva
Start at the beginning.
The most recent set.
Hermione squeezed Severus’ hand as she released the Portkey and opened her eyes to the familiar sights of the apothecary workshop. Just glancing at the overly decorated eyesore brought a smile to her face. The emotions that’d caused her temporary lapse in taste seemed very distant now, even if it had only been a few days earlier.
After taking a moment to get her bearings from traveling, she took a closer look around the room. Yes, it was still overly decorated, but it was much worse than that… it was a disaster.
And standing in the doorway was the reason.
*
“It’s about time the two of you returned,” came the Scottish brogue belonging to who Hermione assumed was Minerva McGonagall. It was rather difficult to tell. The woman looked like she must’ve been pushing 150 years, with her white hair sticking out in every direction. The green robes that Minerva was wearing looked like they were the very same ones that she’d been wearing the day that Hermione and Severus left for Australia. The robes didn’t even look like they’d had a cleaning spell brushed over them in all of that time. It did appear, however, that a flame had.
*
“Have much trouble while we were gone?” Severus asked. “I do hope that you don’t intend on making this new look permanent.”
Hermione had to fight the urge to giggle as Minerva glowered at Severus.
“If you two have finally returned, I’m going to go home,” she announced.
Hermione nodded. “Thank you for doing this for us… for me. The shop can sometimes be a bit overwhelming.”
Minerva sniffed. “Sometimes? I never realized the number of potions people buy the week before the holidays. It’s been nearly impossible to keep up with the demand of Calming Draughts and Headache Relief!”
*
“What’s on the shelves now?” Hermione asked, seeing as she would need to be opening the shop for business soon.
“I’ve stocked as much as I could and brewing nearly half of the night. You’re still short on the Mute Potion. There’s been an awful lot of those being purchased as well. I was just coming back here to start a batch, but since you’re both here now, I would rather go home and sleep.”
“And, hopefully, shower,” Severus added.
The Scottish witch narrowed her eyes and glared at him before Disapparating out of the room with a soft crack.
*
“I think we owe her something big, Severus.”
“The workroom is in ruin,” he commented, dryly.
“It is at that.” Hermione rubbed her forehead… it was going to be a very long day and currently things were not looking as if it was going to be one of those where she spent more time reading than sales or brewing. She leaned up on her toes and gave Severus a quick kiss. “I know that I’ve said it before, but thank you for everything.”
He nodded stiffly. “Think nothing of it. Now, go check on the rest of the shop, please.”
*
The front of the shop was in much better condition than the rest. Hermione found that though the stock was low, it was not completely depleted. Minerva had done the job of two people for several days. Most people would not have been able to manage as well, especially since brewing was not her specialty. Minerva wasn’t a Potions Mistress by any stretch of the imagination. It would have taken her a lot to be able to manage as well as she did.
Yes, they definitely owed her; and Hermione had an idea of just how they could repay her.
***
Minerva was out of the bathtub before she even realized the fact that it had not been a hallucination that Severus and Hermione had returned. It wasn’t until after eating a bit of toast and having some tea that she realized that she had not even asked how the trip had been. Nor had she inquired about Hermione’s father.
Though, if things had been too terrible, they would not have returned yet. And, they certainly wouldn’t have been smiling.
At least Hermione had been smiling.
Comforted in that fact, she went to bed and fell into a much needed sleep.
Go on to Part XXII.