Mini-Round Three Queen of Reviews Special Prize
The exchange_bingo mods are proud to present madeleone's Special Queen of Reviews Prize
~with jazz hands and a drum roll~
Author: lilmsbossypants
Title: The First of Many Tomorrows
Rating: T
Word Count: 1220
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters are property of J.K. Rowling. I am not profiting from the creation of this in any manner.
Warning(s): Implied character death
Summary: Even after death, Severus Snape seemed to be unable to escape Hogwarts, though he wouldn't have it any other way.
Author/Artist Note(s): This was written using the prompts provided by madeleone, Queen of Reviews for week three. The prompts used are windswept, Paris, and funeral.
I apologize for the lateness of this. Not long after I received the prompts I fell ill, and have been out of the game for the last few weeks. I want to thank you for your patience (and for the fact you didn't throw me out on my ear), and I hope you find this to be an enjoyable read.
---------
He had never expected the day of his funeral to be a warm and sunny day. It was entirely unbefitting of a funeral, he thought, especially his funeral. It would have been a better fit for his wife, whom he had buried on a cold and windy day five Decembers past. That was more his style, not hers. She deserved the sunshine and puffy, white clouds, not him.
There was much more of a turnout than he could have ever imagined; dozens of his friends and former colleagues had returned to Hogwarts to celebrate the life of Headmaster Severus Snape. They meant much to him, but not as much as the raven haired mourners that lined the side of his casket.
He walked in front of them and looked them over one by one. His daughter, Eileen, looked at the casket with tears in her eyes. He longed to hold her close as he had when she was a child, to pet her dark curls and tell her that everything was going to be alright. A pretty girl, his Eileen was, the prettiest to ever grace the Snape line. Intelligent was a given. He would have never allowed a child of his to be a dunderheaded idiot.
Next to her sat her husband. As much he detested the idea, she had married a Potter, the youngest child of the boy wonder and Ms. Weasley. Eileen was happy, and that was all that he could ask for. The two of them had given him four of the most wonderful grandchildren that anyone could ever ask for. Much to his amusement, not a one had been sorted into Slytherin.
A row behind his family sat his former colleagues. There were a few familiar faces from his own days of teaching, though most of them had already passed on, which left him to be the leader of many fresh teachers, most of whom had been his former students. He could not help but feel pride as he gazed over their faces. He had helped to mold many minds over the course of his career, and watched as they achieved great things after they ended their years at Hogwarts.
Near the back of the group he spotted the Malfoys. Never in his life had he seen Lucius look more like an old man, clutching tightly to Narcissa's arm as if she were a lifeline. Age couldn't change their elegant appearance. As time passed golden hair gave way to gray, always tied back with a simple black ribbon. Narcissa finally allowed her inner warmth to shine in her eyes, and Severus was glad. She was a good woman, a woman that Lucius was lucky to have by his side.
He was going to miss them dearly.
Severus sighed. He was ready for it all to be over. Headmaster Archibald Westberry had already taken his seat as the head of the school, his family needed time to mourn, and he had one very important person to find. His time had finally come to an end.
He took one last glance at the crowd, and sent one last sneer at the Minister of Magic who was spouting a load of rubbish about him at the podium next to his casket, before turning toward the castle that he had called home for more years than he dared to count. He had places to go and people to meet - there was no use dawdling about. Yet another part of his life had passed him by and he was on the brink on just one more new start of the many that he had been so fortunate to have been given.
The wind whipped through him. It would be yet another experience that he would have to somehow journal. You could take the researcher out of the lab, but not the desire to learn from the researcher!
The world seemed to look different, as well. It was much clearer to him, much more vivid, than it had been when he was alive. It was almost as if someone had removed the veil from his face, allowing him to see the world's true color for the first time ever. The sky was a bluer blue, if that were even possible.
A smile spread across his face, followed by laughter that came from deeply within his chest. He was ready.
He walked toward the castle with a spring in his step. Day of his funeral or not, it was a good day - the best in years!
"Watching your own funeral is never a good idea, Severus," a voice called to him from the castle's doorway.
"Pish, posh, Minerva," he said, grinning. A few long strides brought him to his former colleague's side. He enveloped her into a warm hug. "I had always wondered why your portrait never came to life."
Minerva pulled away from Severus. "I swore that I would always watch over this school, and I have continued to do so even in death." She swatted imaginary dust from his sleeve. "There is someone waiting for you down in the dungeons, you know."
He nodded. "I am aware."
"Then why are you wasting your time talking to an old woman like me and not dashing away?"
"She knows I will come."
Severus breezed through the doorway of the castle, much like he did in life, and toward the dungeons. He had already kept her waiting for five years, there was little sense in making her wait any longer.
When he arrived in the dungeons, she was sitting on his usual work stool with a very cross look on her face.
"And just where have you been, Severus Snape?" Her lips were pursed and her eyes narrowed, yet she still looked very much like the young and beautiful woman he married in Paris.
"I needed to see to a few things, Hermione Snape," he replied. "All is well, and I am here now."
When he held his arms open, Hermione flew from the stool and into his chest, clutching to him as if she would never see him again. "I've missed you."
Severus buried his face in her hair. The scent of sage and mint still hung in his mind, even if he couldn't smell it. "And I you, dear heart."
"You watched your funeral, didn't you."
"Until Hugo Weasley came to the podium. It has been quite a while since I've heard such a load of shit come from someone's mouth."
"Oh," she said, finally pulling away from him and returning to the stool. "It couldn't have been that bad."
He laughed. "Heroic? Brave? I was just playing a part."
"But you are a heroic and brave man."
Severus came to sit on the stool next to her, the stool that she always used for research as he brewed. "I beg to differ."
"You stayed with me in the infirmary when I delivered Eileen. Harry couldn't even be in the room with Ginny!"
"Is that not what any loving husband would do?"
"You didn't murder Al when Leenie brought him home."
"I know what Azkaban looks like, and it isn't pretty."
"Well, I still think that you are the greatest man that ever lived."
"That is your job, dear wife, to remind me of how amazing I am every day of my life."
Hermione reached over and smacked him in the arm. "Is that what you expect of me every day of our afterlife?"
"And beyond."
~with jazz hands and a drum roll~
Author: lilmsbossypants
Title: The First of Many Tomorrows
Rating: T
Word Count: 1220
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters are property of J.K. Rowling. I am not profiting from the creation of this in any manner.
Warning(s): Implied character death
Summary: Even after death, Severus Snape seemed to be unable to escape Hogwarts, though he wouldn't have it any other way.
Author/Artist Note(s): This was written using the prompts provided by madeleone, Queen of Reviews for week three. The prompts used are windswept, Paris, and funeral.
I apologize for the lateness of this. Not long after I received the prompts I fell ill, and have been out of the game for the last few weeks. I want to thank you for your patience (and for the fact you didn't throw me out on my ear), and I hope you find this to be an enjoyable read.
---------
He had never expected the day of his funeral to be a warm and sunny day. It was entirely unbefitting of a funeral, he thought, especially his funeral. It would have been a better fit for his wife, whom he had buried on a cold and windy day five Decembers past. That was more his style, not hers. She deserved the sunshine and puffy, white clouds, not him.
There was much more of a turnout than he could have ever imagined; dozens of his friends and former colleagues had returned to Hogwarts to celebrate the life of Headmaster Severus Snape. They meant much to him, but not as much as the raven haired mourners that lined the side of his casket.
He walked in front of them and looked them over one by one. His daughter, Eileen, looked at the casket with tears in her eyes. He longed to hold her close as he had when she was a child, to pet her dark curls and tell her that everything was going to be alright. A pretty girl, his Eileen was, the prettiest to ever grace the Snape line. Intelligent was a given. He would have never allowed a child of his to be a dunderheaded idiot.
Next to her sat her husband. As much he detested the idea, she had married a Potter, the youngest child of the boy wonder and Ms. Weasley. Eileen was happy, and that was all that he could ask for. The two of them had given him four of the most wonderful grandchildren that anyone could ever ask for. Much to his amusement, not a one had been sorted into Slytherin.
A row behind his family sat his former colleagues. There were a few familiar faces from his own days of teaching, though most of them had already passed on, which left him to be the leader of many fresh teachers, most of whom had been his former students. He could not help but feel pride as he gazed over their faces. He had helped to mold many minds over the course of his career, and watched as they achieved great things after they ended their years at Hogwarts.
Near the back of the group he spotted the Malfoys. Never in his life had he seen Lucius look more like an old man, clutching tightly to Narcissa's arm as if she were a lifeline. Age couldn't change their elegant appearance. As time passed golden hair gave way to gray, always tied back with a simple black ribbon. Narcissa finally allowed her inner warmth to shine in her eyes, and Severus was glad. She was a good woman, a woman that Lucius was lucky to have by his side.
He was going to miss them dearly.
Severus sighed. He was ready for it all to be over. Headmaster Archibald Westberry had already taken his seat as the head of the school, his family needed time to mourn, and he had one very important person to find. His time had finally come to an end.
He took one last glance at the crowd, and sent one last sneer at the Minister of Magic who was spouting a load of rubbish about him at the podium next to his casket, before turning toward the castle that he had called home for more years than he dared to count. He had places to go and people to meet - there was no use dawdling about. Yet another part of his life had passed him by and he was on the brink on just one more new start of the many that he had been so fortunate to have been given.
The wind whipped through him. It would be yet another experience that he would have to somehow journal. You could take the researcher out of the lab, but not the desire to learn from the researcher!
The world seemed to look different, as well. It was much clearer to him, much more vivid, than it had been when he was alive. It was almost as if someone had removed the veil from his face, allowing him to see the world's true color for the first time ever. The sky was a bluer blue, if that were even possible.
A smile spread across his face, followed by laughter that came from deeply within his chest. He was ready.
He walked toward the castle with a spring in his step. Day of his funeral or not, it was a good day - the best in years!
"Watching your own funeral is never a good idea, Severus," a voice called to him from the castle's doorway.
"Pish, posh, Minerva," he said, grinning. A few long strides brought him to his former colleague's side. He enveloped her into a warm hug. "I had always wondered why your portrait never came to life."
Minerva pulled away from Severus. "I swore that I would always watch over this school, and I have continued to do so even in death." She swatted imaginary dust from his sleeve. "There is someone waiting for you down in the dungeons, you know."
He nodded. "I am aware."
"Then why are you wasting your time talking to an old woman like me and not dashing away?"
"She knows I will come."
Severus breezed through the doorway of the castle, much like he did in life, and toward the dungeons. He had already kept her waiting for five years, there was little sense in making her wait any longer.
When he arrived in the dungeons, she was sitting on his usual work stool with a very cross look on her face.
"And just where have you been, Severus Snape?" Her lips were pursed and her eyes narrowed, yet she still looked very much like the young and beautiful woman he married in Paris.
"I needed to see to a few things, Hermione Snape," he replied. "All is well, and I am here now."
When he held his arms open, Hermione flew from the stool and into his chest, clutching to him as if she would never see him again. "I've missed you."
Severus buried his face in her hair. The scent of sage and mint still hung in his mind, even if he couldn't smell it. "And I you, dear heart."
"You watched your funeral, didn't you."
"Until Hugo Weasley came to the podium. It has been quite a while since I've heard such a load of shit come from someone's mouth."
"Oh," she said, finally pulling away from him and returning to the stool. "It couldn't have been that bad."
He laughed. "Heroic? Brave? I was just playing a part."
"But you are a heroic and brave man."
Severus came to sit on the stool next to her, the stool that she always used for research as he brewed. "I beg to differ."
"You stayed with me in the infirmary when I delivered Eileen. Harry couldn't even be in the room with Ginny!"
"Is that not what any loving husband would do?"
"You didn't murder Al when Leenie brought him home."
"I know what Azkaban looks like, and it isn't pretty."
"Well, I still think that you are the greatest man that ever lived."
"That is your job, dear wife, to remind me of how amazing I am every day of my life."
Hermione reached over and smacked him in the arm. "Is that what you expect of me every day of our afterlife?"
"And beyond."