Yuletide Potions
Title: Yuletide Potions
Team: The Order of the Phoenix
Word Count: 100 x 9
Rating: G
Challenge: Santa Severus, Secret Wish
Characters: Severus, Hermione, Minerva
Author's Note: Several weeks ago, the illustrious Order member keladry_lupin contacted her fellow Order members and a few sympathetic spies about putting together a holiday round robin for grangersnape100. This post is the first in our efforts, and we're so excited! droxy has given us a special tag for this story, and all of related posts will use the icon you see used here. :D Happy Holidays!!
*******
“No.”
The grey-haired witch pursed her lips in irritation. “Yes.”
“I refuse.”
“You can’t refuse. If you do not do as I say, Severus, I will ‘out’ you… and then what will you do?”
He scowled, his eyes glittering with malice. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Minerva raised an inquisitive brow. “Wouldn’t I?”
He glared at her a moment before deciding to try a different tactic. Waving a dismissive hand, he drawled, “Go ahead. It makes no difference to me.”
She called his bluff.
“Oh, I think it does. Think of what would happen to your employee… Miss Hermione Granger, I believe?”
*******
Severus grumbled as he dressed, cursing himself, his bushy-haired employee, and his termagant of a former co-worker. He cast the required glamour charm, scowling at the twinkling blue eyes-they reminded him of Dumbledore.
This was all Arsenius Jigger’s fault.
When the Potions Masters board had approached him to write the next edition of Magical Drafts and Potions, he’d been elated. It was a prestigious honour; it made no difference that his name would not be on the cover but rather the franchise name of Arsenius Jigger... a man who had never existed.
And that was a closely guarded secret.
*******
The young witch stood sullenly against the wall of the crowded room. Children were everywhere, giggling and squealing and jumping.
Hermione Granger, however, did not feel much like laughing.
It had been two days since her disastrous break-up with Ron, and she wanted nothing more than to go home and wallow in self-pity… and a carton of triple chocolate fudge ice cream.
Thank Merlin it had happened on the weekend; if she’d been forced to listen to Severus’ gloating, she might have done something really stupid-like cry… or hex him.
Sighing, she glanced at her watch. It was time.
*******
Clapping her hands, Hermione garnered the children’s attention. “Welcome, children! Our special guest will be here very soon, so if you will all sit right over here…. Yes, just like that. Wonderful!”
The children excitedly rearranged themselves, their tiny faces alight with anticipation. Hermione had to smile. The past few years had been particularly hard for these little orphans of the war-they were the children of Death Eaters and as such, were particularly difficult to place in new homes. This day, however, was a happy one.
At last, he entered the room.
A little girl called out delightedly, “SANTA!”
*******
Severus groaned as the noise level intensified. He had been there over an hour, and his head was pounding. He glared at Hermione and Minerva… not that they noticed, but still, it felt good.
He was going to kill Minerva.
He had trusted her with the truth about his work…. All right, so he’d wanted to rub her nose in his success. The fact remained that she had broken his confidence by using the information to coerce him into this horrifying activity.
Hermione approached with the last of the children.
“Here you are, Santa.”
Somehow, he managed not to sneer.
*******
After an eternity, Severus removed the last of the ankle-biters from his knee and stood, fully intending to escape the torture chamber as soon as humanly possible. A glance at Hermione, however, gave him pause.
She was sad.
He wasn’t certain just how he was aware of that fact-she was laughing as she played a game with a group of children-but there was a lingering melancholy about her aura. It was… troubling.
His brow furrowed in thought. She had seemed fine at work that week-cheeky and insolent and disturbing. Just as she always was.
Something had happened.
*******
Hermione smiled wearily as her former teacher approached. “Hello, Minerva.”
The older witch gazed at her in transparent concern. “Are you all right, my dear?”
“Of course. What would make you think otherwise?” Oh, gods. She hoped her emotions weren’t written all over face; she so wanted the children to enjoy themselves.
“Hmm. It’s nothing, I suppose. I wanted to thank you for coming today. It means a lot to the children and to me, as the children’s benefactress.”
Hermione nodded. “I wish Severus could have come, but it’s so difficult for him. So few know he’s alive….”
Minerva flushed.
*******
A movement from the man in the red suit caught Hermione’s gaze. “So, who is Santa?” she whispered.
Minerva startled. “Oh. Just a friend.” She tilted her head and stared at Hermione a moment. “Have you told Santa what you want for Christmas?”
Hermione laughed. “Definitely not.”
“You must!” She dragged a struggling, red-faced Hermione over to the man. “Now sit down and tell the man what you want for Christmas,” Minerva insisted before she hurriedly walked away.
Santa stared at her briefly before he patted his knee. “Well, little girl? Have a seat and tell Santa your Christmas wish.”
*******
She was staring at him. Merlin’s beard. She probably thought he was a pervert. Just as Severus was certain she was going to slap him soundly, she gingerly sat upon his knee.
His breath caught in his throat, and his heart pounded as she leaned close and whispered, “You can keep a secret, can’t you, Santa?”
Severus could only nod.
“I wish that I did not have to spend Christmas all alone this year.” She stood and smiled sadly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
She quietly left, never noticing the twinkling blue eyes following her every move.
Yuletide Potions: Part II
Team: The Order of the Phoenix
Word Count: 100 x 9
Rating: G
Challenge: Santa Severus, Secret Wish
Characters: Severus, Hermione, Minerva
Author's Note: Several weeks ago, the illustrious Order member keladry_lupin contacted her fellow Order members and a few sympathetic spies about putting together a holiday round robin for grangersnape100. This post is the first in our efforts, and we're so excited! droxy has given us a special tag for this story, and all of related posts will use the icon you see used here. :D Happy Holidays!!
*******
“No.”
The grey-haired witch pursed her lips in irritation. “Yes.”
“I refuse.”
“You can’t refuse. If you do not do as I say, Severus, I will ‘out’ you… and then what will you do?”
He scowled, his eyes glittering with malice. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Minerva raised an inquisitive brow. “Wouldn’t I?”
He glared at her a moment before deciding to try a different tactic. Waving a dismissive hand, he drawled, “Go ahead. It makes no difference to me.”
She called his bluff.
“Oh, I think it does. Think of what would happen to your employee… Miss Hermione Granger, I believe?”
*******
Severus grumbled as he dressed, cursing himself, his bushy-haired employee, and his termagant of a former co-worker. He cast the required glamour charm, scowling at the twinkling blue eyes-they reminded him of Dumbledore.
This was all Arsenius Jigger’s fault.
When the Potions Masters board had approached him to write the next edition of Magical Drafts and Potions, he’d been elated. It was a prestigious honour; it made no difference that his name would not be on the cover but rather the franchise name of Arsenius Jigger... a man who had never existed.
And that was a closely guarded secret.
*******
The young witch stood sullenly against the wall of the crowded room. Children were everywhere, giggling and squealing and jumping.
Hermione Granger, however, did not feel much like laughing.
It had been two days since her disastrous break-up with Ron, and she wanted nothing more than to go home and wallow in self-pity… and a carton of triple chocolate fudge ice cream.
Thank Merlin it had happened on the weekend; if she’d been forced to listen to Severus’ gloating, she might have done something really stupid-like cry… or hex him.
Sighing, she glanced at her watch. It was time.
*******
Clapping her hands, Hermione garnered the children’s attention. “Welcome, children! Our special guest will be here very soon, so if you will all sit right over here…. Yes, just like that. Wonderful!”
The children excitedly rearranged themselves, their tiny faces alight with anticipation. Hermione had to smile. The past few years had been particularly hard for these little orphans of the war-they were the children of Death Eaters and as such, were particularly difficult to place in new homes. This day, however, was a happy one.
At last, he entered the room.
A little girl called out delightedly, “SANTA!”
*******
Severus groaned as the noise level intensified. He had been there over an hour, and his head was pounding. He glared at Hermione and Minerva… not that they noticed, but still, it felt good.
He was going to kill Minerva.
He had trusted her with the truth about his work…. All right, so he’d wanted to rub her nose in his success. The fact remained that she had broken his confidence by using the information to coerce him into this horrifying activity.
Hermione approached with the last of the children.
“Here you are, Santa.”
Somehow, he managed not to sneer.
*******
After an eternity, Severus removed the last of the ankle-biters from his knee and stood, fully intending to escape the torture chamber as soon as humanly possible. A glance at Hermione, however, gave him pause.
She was sad.
He wasn’t certain just how he was aware of that fact-she was laughing as she played a game with a group of children-but there was a lingering melancholy about her aura. It was… troubling.
His brow furrowed in thought. She had seemed fine at work that week-cheeky and insolent and disturbing. Just as she always was.
Something had happened.
*******
Hermione smiled wearily as her former teacher approached. “Hello, Minerva.”
The older witch gazed at her in transparent concern. “Are you all right, my dear?”
“Of course. What would make you think otherwise?” Oh, gods. She hoped her emotions weren’t written all over face; she so wanted the children to enjoy themselves.
“Hmm. It’s nothing, I suppose. I wanted to thank you for coming today. It means a lot to the children and to me, as the children’s benefactress.”
Hermione nodded. “I wish Severus could have come, but it’s so difficult for him. So few know he’s alive….”
Minerva flushed.
*******
A movement from the man in the red suit caught Hermione’s gaze. “So, who is Santa?” she whispered.
Minerva startled. “Oh. Just a friend.” She tilted her head and stared at Hermione a moment. “Have you told Santa what you want for Christmas?”
Hermione laughed. “Definitely not.”
“You must!” She dragged a struggling, red-faced Hermione over to the man. “Now sit down and tell the man what you want for Christmas,” Minerva insisted before she hurriedly walked away.
Santa stared at her briefly before he patted his knee. “Well, little girl? Have a seat and tell Santa your Christmas wish.”
*******
She was staring at him. Merlin’s beard. She probably thought he was a pervert. Just as Severus was certain she was going to slap him soundly, she gingerly sat upon his knee.
His breath caught in his throat, and his heart pounded as she leaned close and whispered, “You can keep a secret, can’t you, Santa?”
Severus could only nod.
“I wish that I did not have to spend Christmas all alone this year.” She stood and smiled sadly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
She quietly left, never noticing the twinkling blue eyes following her every move.
Yuletide Potions: Part II