(no subject)
First set of drabbles, from prompts given me:
For theladyfeylene:
"Lupin." Remus looked up from his tea, eyebrows raised.
Severus's gaze was fixed disdainfully on the half-eaten biscuit in Remus's hand. "Did you just... dunk that thing in your tea?"
Bemusedly, Remus looked from Severus to the biscuit and back again. "Yes, actually."
Severus sniffed and shut his book. "Barbaric. Remind me to stop wasting the good tea on your company."
Giving no reply but a smile, Remus drained the dregs from his cup and stood. As he passed by Severus's chair on his way to the door, he paused. "Are you coming?"
"Mm. In a moment." Severus watched him as he disappeared through the bedroom door, letting it swing shut behind him. Only then did he put away the cups, extinguish the fire with a quiet word, and follow.
For linaeloisetook:
Jack led the young lady to the perimeter of the room, releasing her hand with a slight bow. "Thank you, Miss Wilder, you are, as always, the most charming waltz partner I know." He nodded to indicate another young man, hovering a polite distance away. "But Alexander has been waiting his turn most politely, and so you'd better oblige him, I think." He smiled as Miss Wilder greeted Teddy's brother, taking his arm and letting him lead her to the floor.
Jack turned, intending to search out a drink and his friend, in order to retire to the side of the room and quietly enjoy the rest of the party. Instead, he quickly realized that both had found him first; Teddy was standing behind him, pressing a glass of champagne into his hand before picking one up for himself.
"Well!" Teddy exclaimed, clapping Jack on the back and letting his hand linger between his shoulderblades. "Are you enjoying the party, Mr. Brigham? You must say you are even if it is not so, I will be positively stricken if you don't."
Jack sipped from the flute, admiring the elegant turn of the crystal and the bubbles rising in the golden liquid. "It's a wonderful party, Teddy. As yours always are."
Laughing, Teddy drank and surveyed the room. "Now you're flattering me, Jack. This is why we are such good friends." His voice dropped slightly, and he put a hand on Jack's arm, guiding him across the room and away from the most dense of the crowds. "Will you stay over tonight? It is always so heartbreaking to go from company in excess to none at all. Stay, so we might share the evening's gossip once the lamps have gone out and the bedcurtain's been drawn." Teddy was speaking low, and standing close; Jack found himself fighting to keep his face from betraying the heat coiling in his breast.
"Of course... Teddy. Of course I'll stay." Jack smiled only slightly unsteadily. Teddy paused for a moment, eyes dark, before pulling back and smiling broadly.
"Brilliant, Jack. You are far too obliging, you always have been." Teddy held him in a smile for just a second longer before his gaze was diverted. "Ah... I believe I see that Mr. Ashton's glass needs refilling. Excuse me, I must go play host for the moment."
Jack watched him go and, in one long draught, drained his glass of its wine.
For killerbeautiful:
The castle of the Goblin King lay in uncharacteristic silence. The only noise to be heard was the non-sound that Jareth's crystal orbs produced as they revolved around each other, their number dwindling to three and then swelling to as many as six, imperceptibly, in their eternal dance.
Jareth sighed, and as if on his cue, the great doors swung open and his goblin hordes swarmed in.
Rising from his throne, the king stood before his teeming minions, who stopped short and hushed. "Well, my little cretins. You are late, as usual, and-" he paused, and sniffed the air - "offensive, as always." A moment of silence. Jareth arched an eyebrow, and the goblins shrank back, murmuring and pleading for mercy. Satisfied, he continued.
"You may be spared, however, if you have proved your competence." The crowd groveled thankfully. "Bring him to me."
The horde parted, and two goblins pushed forward a young boy of ten or eleven, golden hair dimmed in the gloom of the hold, followed closely by a large black dog who seemed to almost anticipate his master's every whim. The boy appeared unperturbed, for the most part, and more fascinated by the castle around him than anything else. "Cor," he breathed, impressed and intrigued.
No goblin would ever understand why what happened next came to pass, and in any case none would repeat it unless they suddenly possessed a burning desire to rule over a particularly pungent piece of swampy real estate. And yet it did happen: Jareth, for the first time in the world's memory, paled, and stepped back.
"Take him away," he said, and a moment later he'd turned, already halfway to disappearing into the bowels of his palace. "Send him BACK!" This last was a shout, and then he was gone.
Boy and Dog glanced at each other and seemed to shrug. A moment later, the goblins were left alone.
For karasu_hime:
It was funny, Remus thought, how much changed in twenty years. He remembered, or thought he did, how it'd worked when he was young; you'd spy someone you admired at a bar, and send a drink over, and perhaps later there'd be a murmured invitation for a nightcap in his flat. And even when he was someone you knew, it was all meaningful glances and half-finished sentences: the stuff of Muggle movies and teenage fancies.
But at 40, he mused, running his fingers through the fine, dark hair that streaked across the pillow next to him, things were quite different. Seduction now, it seemed, was a cup of tea ready and waiting after a noxious potion; quiet company on the path to Hogsmeade while the sun still shone; a volume for which you'd been scouring the booksellers discovered, as if accidentally, on the shelf in his library. And then, perhaps... then a hand on your shoulder as you moved to leave his quarters, drawing you close, asking you to stay.
As Remus closed his eyes and slipped into a warm, tranquil slumber, he was quite sure that middle age had its benefits, after all.
Thanks to everyone that has requested so far; if yours hasn't been done yet, rest assured that it's on the way. I'm still taking requests, too, so if you can think of something you'd like me to write, just go comment on this post.
For theladyfeylene:
"Lupin." Remus looked up from his tea, eyebrows raised.
Severus's gaze was fixed disdainfully on the half-eaten biscuit in Remus's hand. "Did you just... dunk that thing in your tea?"
Bemusedly, Remus looked from Severus to the biscuit and back again. "Yes, actually."
Severus sniffed and shut his book. "Barbaric. Remind me to stop wasting the good tea on your company."
Giving no reply but a smile, Remus drained the dregs from his cup and stood. As he passed by Severus's chair on his way to the door, he paused. "Are you coming?"
"Mm. In a moment." Severus watched him as he disappeared through the bedroom door, letting it swing shut behind him. Only then did he put away the cups, extinguish the fire with a quiet word, and follow.
For linaeloisetook:
Jack led the young lady to the perimeter of the room, releasing her hand with a slight bow. "Thank you, Miss Wilder, you are, as always, the most charming waltz partner I know." He nodded to indicate another young man, hovering a polite distance away. "But Alexander has been waiting his turn most politely, and so you'd better oblige him, I think." He smiled as Miss Wilder greeted Teddy's brother, taking his arm and letting him lead her to the floor.
Jack turned, intending to search out a drink and his friend, in order to retire to the side of the room and quietly enjoy the rest of the party. Instead, he quickly realized that both had found him first; Teddy was standing behind him, pressing a glass of champagne into his hand before picking one up for himself.
"Well!" Teddy exclaimed, clapping Jack on the back and letting his hand linger between his shoulderblades. "Are you enjoying the party, Mr. Brigham? You must say you are even if it is not so, I will be positively stricken if you don't."
Jack sipped from the flute, admiring the elegant turn of the crystal and the bubbles rising in the golden liquid. "It's a wonderful party, Teddy. As yours always are."
Laughing, Teddy drank and surveyed the room. "Now you're flattering me, Jack. This is why we are such good friends." His voice dropped slightly, and he put a hand on Jack's arm, guiding him across the room and away from the most dense of the crowds. "Will you stay over tonight? It is always so heartbreaking to go from company in excess to none at all. Stay, so we might share the evening's gossip once the lamps have gone out and the bedcurtain's been drawn." Teddy was speaking low, and standing close; Jack found himself fighting to keep his face from betraying the heat coiling in his breast.
"Of course... Teddy. Of course I'll stay." Jack smiled only slightly unsteadily. Teddy paused for a moment, eyes dark, before pulling back and smiling broadly.
"Brilliant, Jack. You are far too obliging, you always have been." Teddy held him in a smile for just a second longer before his gaze was diverted. "Ah... I believe I see that Mr. Ashton's glass needs refilling. Excuse me, I must go play host for the moment."
Jack watched him go and, in one long draught, drained his glass of its wine.
For killerbeautiful:
The castle of the Goblin King lay in uncharacteristic silence. The only noise to be heard was the non-sound that Jareth's crystal orbs produced as they revolved around each other, their number dwindling to three and then swelling to as many as six, imperceptibly, in their eternal dance.
Jareth sighed, and as if on his cue, the great doors swung open and his goblin hordes swarmed in.
Rising from his throne, the king stood before his teeming minions, who stopped short and hushed. "Well, my little cretins. You are late, as usual, and-" he paused, and sniffed the air - "offensive, as always." A moment of silence. Jareth arched an eyebrow, and the goblins shrank back, murmuring and pleading for mercy. Satisfied, he continued.
"You may be spared, however, if you have proved your competence." The crowd groveled thankfully. "Bring him to me."
The horde parted, and two goblins pushed forward a young boy of ten or eleven, golden hair dimmed in the gloom of the hold, followed closely by a large black dog who seemed to almost anticipate his master's every whim. The boy appeared unperturbed, for the most part, and more fascinated by the castle around him than anything else. "Cor," he breathed, impressed and intrigued.
No goblin would ever understand why what happened next came to pass, and in any case none would repeat it unless they suddenly possessed a burning desire to rule over a particularly pungent piece of swampy real estate. And yet it did happen: Jareth, for the first time in the world's memory, paled, and stepped back.
"Take him away," he said, and a moment later he'd turned, already halfway to disappearing into the bowels of his palace. "Send him BACK!" This last was a shout, and then he was gone.
Boy and Dog glanced at each other and seemed to shrug. A moment later, the goblins were left alone.
For karasu_hime:
It was funny, Remus thought, how much changed in twenty years. He remembered, or thought he did, how it'd worked when he was young; you'd spy someone you admired at a bar, and send a drink over, and perhaps later there'd be a murmured invitation for a nightcap in his flat. And even when he was someone you knew, it was all meaningful glances and half-finished sentences: the stuff of Muggle movies and teenage fancies.
But at 40, he mused, running his fingers through the fine, dark hair that streaked across the pillow next to him, things were quite different. Seduction now, it seemed, was a cup of tea ready and waiting after a noxious potion; quiet company on the path to Hogsmeade while the sun still shone; a volume for which you'd been scouring the booksellers discovered, as if accidentally, on the shelf in his library. And then, perhaps... then a hand on your shoulder as you moved to leave his quarters, drawing you close, asking you to stay.
As Remus closed his eyes and slipped into a warm, tranquil slumber, he was quite sure that middle age had its benefits, after all.
Thanks to everyone that has requested so far; if yours hasn't been done yet, rest assured that it's on the way. I'm still taking requests, too, so if you can think of something you'd like me to write, just go comment on this post.