BFS ENTRY: The Best Birthday Present Severus Never Knew About (G; Minerva, Severus, Albus)
Title: The Best Birthday Present Severus Never Knew About
Category: Three (21- to 30-years-old)
Characters: Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore
Author: eeyore9990
Beta Readers: leela_cat, alisanne, and kathrynthegr8
Rating: G
(Highlight to View) Warning(s): None.
Word Count: 1121
Author's Note: Thanks to my beta readers for their fantastic services and being there to cheer me on. You're fabulous, ladies!
Summary: June 1985: Slytherin wins the Quidditch Cup, breaking a long Gryffindor winning streak.
Minerva pulled her robes closer around herself, increasing the temperature on their warming charm while holding tightly to her hat. It was the sort of blustery day when an extra arm or two would have come in rather handy, indeed. Minerva considered Transfiguring herself one, then decided it wasn't worth the bother. The things were deuced difficult to manage under the best circumstances, never mind when her attention would be wholly transfixed on the field of play.
Children moved excitedly around her, hurrying toward the Quidditch pitch, and Minerva watched sharply for any contraband items. They'd just come off Christmas holidays, and the little devils always tried something at these January matches.
She refused to acknowledge that the worst of the troublemakers were her Gryffindor students, as the Hufflepuffs wouldn't dare and the Slytherin and Ravenclaws were far too focused on the game. Especially this game. After the first match of the year, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, had ended in a heartbreaking 360-350 win for Slytherin, the little snakes were simply frothing for another win. It would seal their slot in this year's Quidditch Cup.
Minerva cast a sympathetic glance on Charlie Weasley where he stood with a group of his friends. The poor boy had had the Snitch grabbed right from under his nose in his first match as Gryffindor's Seeker.
Minerva's back stiffened as she heard the dark, silken tones of her nemesis. Blinking rapidly, Minerva compressed her lips in annoyance at her own agitation. It was simply that nothing made her more... rabid than the thought of losing to that man. He had been so impossibly smug after Slytherin's victory that she'd had to avoid him for two solid weeks!
"On your way to the staff seats, Professor McGonagall?"
Minerva turned to see him looking down his nose at her, his lips curved tightly into a condescending smirk. "Obviously, Professor Snape." Forcing her teeth not to grind against one another, she returned his smirk with a false smile of her own and said, "Would you care to escort me?"
"Wouldn't miss it." The way he bit the words off, so superior and triumphant, had Minerva narrowing her eyes at him.
"Don't be so certain of victory, Severus."
Taking her arm and glaring at any student unlucky enough to be standing between them and the stairs leading to the top box that held the staff seats, he said, "I would never be so crass. I am sure that Ravenclaw will play their very best."
Minerva sighed. She was sure of it, too, more was the pity. It was simply that the Ravenclaw team was lackluster at best this year and held no hope against a team as strong as the one Slytherin had put together.
Settling into her seat, Minerva watched the players fidget down on the field, waiting for Madam Hooch to blow the whistle and start the match.
"Severus, dear boy!"
Minerva rolled her eyes and turned to see Albus Dumbledore scooting past the other staff with a friendly little waggle of his fingers here and there.
"My boy, I'm so glad to see you today. How very remiss of me not to wish you a happy birthday at breakfast this morning."
Minerva's eyebrows shot up toward her hairline, and she turned toward her young colleague. "Severus? Is this true? Today is your birthday?"
Severus was too busy scowling at Albus to answer her question, though he did manage to spit out, "I wasn't at breakfast, Headmaster."
"Ah, well there you have it! Splendid, splendid. Happy birthday, a few hours belated then." Albus smiled, completely unfazed by the dark glower being levelled on him. "Perhaps your young charges will give you a nice gift here today. A win would be fabulous! Though," he turned to Minerva, eyes twinkling, "I'm certain Gryffindor's Head of House might have a few pangs of remorse at the relocation of the Quidditch Cup."
"Not at all," Minerva said dryly, giving silent thanks as the whistle blew, opening the match. Turning toward the field of play, her eyes darted around the field, trying to watch everything at once.
Unbelieveably, Ravenclaw was holding their own. After thirty minutes, the score was tied at 20, and the Slytherin players were becoming more and more reckless as they attempted to wear down their counterparts. Even Severus was showing the strain as he leaned forward, hands clenched against the railing so hard that his knuckles were white. His lips moved in a litany of nearly-silent urgings to his students and Minerva felt a trickle of... not compassion, really, but something close to it.
A gasp went up from the students and the Ravenclaws began screaming and stomping their feet, hands pointing as their Seeker leaned low over his broom, obviously locked in on the Snitch. Minerva leaned forward, watching closely, then looked around the field for the Slytherin Seeker. Surely he would be close.... Minerva winced as she saw that the boy was too far away to possibly beat the Ravenclaw to the Snitch. The match was as good as done.
She darted a quick glance at Severus to see how he was taking it and felt a flood of pity at the utter devastation on his face. Her fingers twitched, pressing against her wand, and in that moment, she knew what she had to do.
It was his birthday, after all.
To the disbelief of all but one of the onlookers, the Snitch reversed directions completely and flew between the feet of the Ravenclaw Seeker, who nearly flipped himself over in an attempt to catch it. He swerved around, but it was too late.
The Slytherin Seeker had been too close on the Ravenclaw's heels and had grabbed the Snitch mere seconds after it reversed course, ending the match with a Slytherin win and clinching the Cup for their House. Green and silver sparks flew as the Slytherin students began their celebration right then.
"Well done, Minnie," Albus said, his voice a whisper in her ear. "Though you'd best hope Filius never finds out."
"I have no idea what you mean," Minerva said airily, watching as Severus gazed with a fierce sort of satisfaction down at the field where his Seeker was being lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates.
Filius approached Severus as she looked on, one small hand patting him on the back. "Good show, Severus!"
"Yes," Severus replied with a smirk. "It appears I'll need to order a new cabinet in which to store the Cup." He turned to her, his expression daring her to say anything.
Minerva sighed heavily even as she moved forward to shake his hand, already regretting her impulsive decision. Severus was going to be utterly impossible to live with.