story fragment--if i had my druthers
I swear I don't know what makes me do these things. This little scribble won't be continued probably, I just wanted to write something fun and lighthearted. I've been reading some reactionary posts to DH, and it made me realize how badly I missed Severus, and how much I ached for him because he never got his happy ending. This is more fix-it!fic than anything else, but like I said, it's probably a one-off. No promises.
I'd say this spoils the DH epilogue, but it also rips it to tiny, tiny pieces and stomps all over it. So I mean, at your own risk, or whatever.
“Papa!” Eden poked her head into the library. She smiled when she saw Teddy leafing through a thick tome. “Hey, cub. Have you seen my father?”
“He’s in the back garden, I think.” Teddy rolled his eyes expressively. “Complaining about the quality of the shredded fennel he got at the apothecary.” His voice modulated into a perfect mimic of Severus’s irritated tenor. “‘Fresh? Is this what they advertise as fresh? I’ve seen three-day-old corpses in better condition!’”
Eden looked heavenward. “Funny, but in a creepy way,” she decided, and winked at Teddy’s giggle.
She did find him in the garden, armed with a trowel and a temper. Leaning on the low fence that surrounded the plot, she smiled fondly down at him where he knelt in the soil, muttering to himself as he made deft motions with the tool.
“Papa,” she said, and when he scowled up at her, she laughed. Despite his sour expression, she knew he was quite content to root around in the dirt with his herbs. “There’s a Floo call for you. It’s Harry, and he says it’s an emergency.”
He sighed in disgust. “Wretched boy, that’s the third emergency this week. Does he expect me to play fairy godmother and Apparate to his side whenever he has to sweep the cinders? It’s not my responsibility to cater to his wife’s whims while she gestates the latest Potter progeny.”
She laughed. “Ginny’s in labor,” she said, eyes dancing. “You’re on godmother duty with the children until Harry gets back from St. Mungo’s.”
With a mumbled curse and a grimace as his joints protested, he stood, dusting off the knees of his trousers. “How many children is it necessary to have?” But she noticed he hurried forward.
She swung open the garden gate for him, tilting her face up to his. “If they’d listened to you, only one.”
He tapped her nose with a finger as he passed. “If anyone listened to me, none at all,” he said tartly, and she laughed at him as they went back into the house.
He strode to the fireplace in the living room. “Potter,” he said, his tone brisk.
Harry’s head in the fire smiled wanly at him. “Professor,” he said with a nod. “Ginny’s having the baby.”
“You shock me,” Severus said dryly. “I assume you’d like me to ride herd on your other hellions while your wife hexes you into ash for putting her in this predicament.”
“I know it’s short notice,” Harry apologized. “She’s a week early as it is.” He grinned. “At least this time we weren’t at a Quidditch match.” The grin faded, replaced by sheepish anxiety. “You don’t mind looking after James and Albus, do you? If you had plans for the evening, I can ask Ron and Hermione, it’s just that I know Al prefers you - ”
A smirk curved Severus’s lips, but Eden could see he was pleased at the thought. “Oh, don’t look so woebegone and penitent, Potter, I know very well you’ve already planned on my acquiescence. You only do this every time you decide to grace the world with another Potter-Weasley hybrid. I’d be astonished if you did manage the whole debacle without my assistance.”
“We’re getting too predictable, you and I,” Harry complained. “They said it wouldn’t last.”
Severus snorted. “Five points for cheek, you irreverent brat. Well, move aside and let me through, before your wife spawns on your front carpet.”
Harry pulled a face. “Ta ever so for that image. Is Teddy there? Andromeda said he went over for lunch and hasn’t come back yet.”
Eden sidled up to her father and slid an arm around his waist. “He’s here,” she said, smiling warmly at Harry. “Communing with Papa’s library.”
Harry laughed softly. “Well, if you don’t mind him staying with you while we’re at St. Mungo’s…”
“Of course not.” Eden squeezed Severus’s side to keep him from making a snide comment. “We love having Teddy just as much as you do. I’m sure he’ll want to wait with Jay and Al, anyway.”
“Thanks,” said Harry fervently. “You two really are - ” He paused and looked over his shoulder briefly. “Ah, there’s Ginny, you might as well come on through.” His head disappeared from the flames.
Eden chuckled. “You go ahead, I’ll get Teddy and meet you at Harry’s,” she said to Severus, who sighed in a put-upon manner and reached for the Floo pot. “Potter-Weasley hybrid, Papa?”
“A crime against nature,” he muttered, before stepping into the fireplace.
I'd say this spoils the DH epilogue, but it also rips it to tiny, tiny pieces and stomps all over it. So I mean, at your own risk, or whatever.
“Papa!” Eden poked her head into the library. She smiled when she saw Teddy leafing through a thick tome. “Hey, cub. Have you seen my father?”
“He’s in the back garden, I think.” Teddy rolled his eyes expressively. “Complaining about the quality of the shredded fennel he got at the apothecary.” His voice modulated into a perfect mimic of Severus’s irritated tenor. “‘Fresh? Is this what they advertise as fresh? I’ve seen three-day-old corpses in better condition!’”
Eden looked heavenward. “Funny, but in a creepy way,” she decided, and winked at Teddy’s giggle.
She did find him in the garden, armed with a trowel and a temper. Leaning on the low fence that surrounded the plot, she smiled fondly down at him where he knelt in the soil, muttering to himself as he made deft motions with the tool.
“Papa,” she said, and when he scowled up at her, she laughed. Despite his sour expression, she knew he was quite content to root around in the dirt with his herbs. “There’s a Floo call for you. It’s Harry, and he says it’s an emergency.”
He sighed in disgust. “Wretched boy, that’s the third emergency this week. Does he expect me to play fairy godmother and Apparate to his side whenever he has to sweep the cinders? It’s not my responsibility to cater to his wife’s whims while she gestates the latest Potter progeny.”
She laughed. “Ginny’s in labor,” she said, eyes dancing. “You’re on godmother duty with the children until Harry gets back from St. Mungo’s.”
With a mumbled curse and a grimace as his joints protested, he stood, dusting off the knees of his trousers. “How many children is it necessary to have?” But she noticed he hurried forward.
She swung open the garden gate for him, tilting her face up to his. “If they’d listened to you, only one.”
He tapped her nose with a finger as he passed. “If anyone listened to me, none at all,” he said tartly, and she laughed at him as they went back into the house.
He strode to the fireplace in the living room. “Potter,” he said, his tone brisk.
Harry’s head in the fire smiled wanly at him. “Professor,” he said with a nod. “Ginny’s having the baby.”
“You shock me,” Severus said dryly. “I assume you’d like me to ride herd on your other hellions while your wife hexes you into ash for putting her in this predicament.”
“I know it’s short notice,” Harry apologized. “She’s a week early as it is.” He grinned. “At least this time we weren’t at a Quidditch match.” The grin faded, replaced by sheepish anxiety. “You don’t mind looking after James and Albus, do you? If you had plans for the evening, I can ask Ron and Hermione, it’s just that I know Al prefers you - ”
A smirk curved Severus’s lips, but Eden could see he was pleased at the thought. “Oh, don’t look so woebegone and penitent, Potter, I know very well you’ve already planned on my acquiescence. You only do this every time you decide to grace the world with another Potter-Weasley hybrid. I’d be astonished if you did manage the whole debacle without my assistance.”
“We’re getting too predictable, you and I,” Harry complained. “They said it wouldn’t last.”
Severus snorted. “Five points for cheek, you irreverent brat. Well, move aside and let me through, before your wife spawns on your front carpet.”
Harry pulled a face. “Ta ever so for that image. Is Teddy there? Andromeda said he went over for lunch and hasn’t come back yet.”
Eden sidled up to her father and slid an arm around his waist. “He’s here,” she said, smiling warmly at Harry. “Communing with Papa’s library.”
Harry laughed softly. “Well, if you don’t mind him staying with you while we’re at St. Mungo’s…”
“Of course not.” Eden squeezed Severus’s side to keep him from making a snide comment. “We love having Teddy just as much as you do. I’m sure he’ll want to wait with Jay and Al, anyway.”
“Thanks,” said Harry fervently. “You two really are - ” He paused and looked over his shoulder briefly. “Ah, there’s Ginny, you might as well come on through.” His head disappeared from the flames.
Eden chuckled. “You go ahead, I’ll get Teddy and meet you at Harry’s,” she said to Severus, who sighed in a put-upon manner and reached for the Floo pot. “Potter-Weasley hybrid, Papa?”
“A crime against nature,” he muttered, before stepping into the fireplace.