Yuletide Potions XXII
Title: Yuletide Potions XXII
Team: Order of the Phoenix
Word Count: 7 x 100
Rating: PG
Challenges: Comfort and Joy, Christmas eve/day
Characters: Severus, Hermione
Start at the beginning.
Previously...
Doing a full inventory took Hermione longer than she had expected, but as it meant the store was still reasonably well stocked, she wasn’t too unhappy about that. She scribbled down a list of everything they were either entirely out of or things that tended to be in greater demand during holidays, and took the sheet back to the workroom.
“Here you go,” she said, handing the list to Severus. “We definitely need more headache relief. And it would be good to have some more digestion potions ready - I expect people have been eating too much. Oh, and hangover cure!”
* * *
Severus nodded, looking at the list.
“It seems we’re short of a few more things but I agree - these are the most important. At least they are all quick to prepare.”
“I can help until the store opens,” Hermione said. “Minerva’s done an excellent job, so there’s not much for me to do there for now.”
“Very well. You can start by chopping up the ivy.”
Hermione felt a bit hurt as he didn’t even look at her, but she reminded herself that his ability to immerse himself in work was one of the things she’d always admired about Severus.
* * *
Hermione had been chopping for twenty minutes when Severus raised his head and asked, “Shouldn’t you be opening the store for business now?”
“Damn!” she swore, rushing to the sink to wash her hands. “It’s five past!”
Sending Severus an apologetic smile, she hurried over to the front.
At least there were no impatient customers waiting at the door yet.
The relief was short-lived however, and for the rest of the day, she hardly had time to catch her breath. And with every customer whose request she couldn’t fill, she felt more and more guilty over their trip to Australia.
* * *
When the last customer had left and Hermione had locked the door, she sank down on the floor and let the tears fall.
“Hermione?”
She raised her head slowly and saw Severus crouching on the floor next to her.
“Are you all right?” he asked, concern obvious in his eyes. “Did something happen?”
She shook her head.
“I don’t really know. I suppose the events of the last few days have just started catching up with me. And then we got back and the workroom was a mess and we lost some sales today because of all this and ...”
* * *
She looked at him. He’d been so … so wonderful, so supportive, so caring. But all this mess was her fault.
“Shhh,” he said, putting his arms around her awkwardly. “Having to turn a few customers away empty-handed today is not going to harm us. And the workroom can be cleaned up. I can do it tomorrow, and we’ll be stocked up properly by next week.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. “I’m sorry … I really don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should be happy - my parents are doing so much better thanks to you, and Minerva was such great help.”
* * *
Severus looked at the teary young woman in his arms.
Women. All these years as a Head of House, and the emotional reactions of young women were still a mystery to him.
He hoped it wasn’t something he’d done - or not done.
Not knowing what to say, he opted for dropping a light kiss on the top of her head.
Hermione smiled at him through her tears. “You’ve got a few loose strands of hair here,” she said, brushing her fingertips on his lips. “I’m sorry … I know my hair’s a mess.”
“Your hair is … nice,” he murmured.
* * *
“Would you like some tea before we call it a night?” he asked a little later, getting up a bit stiffly.
“Yes, please.” She was tired but didn’t want to leave yet. Severus had mentioned cleaning the workroom tomorrow - but tomorrow was Christmas Day, wasn’t it? Did he really plan to spend Christmas at work? She just realised that she hadn’t even asked what his Christmas plans had been - she had been too absorbed in her own misery to consider the much lonelier life of her - friend? employer? lover?
“Severus?” she called after him. “Will you spend Christmas with me?”
--
On to the next part.
Team: Order of the Phoenix
Word Count: 7 x 100
Rating: PG
Challenges: Comfort and Joy, Christmas eve/day
Characters: Severus, Hermione
Start at the beginning.
Previously...
Doing a full inventory took Hermione longer than she had expected, but as it meant the store was still reasonably well stocked, she wasn’t too unhappy about that. She scribbled down a list of everything they were either entirely out of or things that tended to be in greater demand during holidays, and took the sheet back to the workroom.
“Here you go,” she said, handing the list to Severus. “We definitely need more headache relief. And it would be good to have some more digestion potions ready - I expect people have been eating too much. Oh, and hangover cure!”
* * *
Severus nodded, looking at the list.
“It seems we’re short of a few more things but I agree - these are the most important. At least they are all quick to prepare.”
“I can help until the store opens,” Hermione said. “Minerva’s done an excellent job, so there’s not much for me to do there for now.”
“Very well. You can start by chopping up the ivy.”
Hermione felt a bit hurt as he didn’t even look at her, but she reminded herself that his ability to immerse himself in work was one of the things she’d always admired about Severus.
* * *
Hermione had been chopping for twenty minutes when Severus raised his head and asked, “Shouldn’t you be opening the store for business now?”
“Damn!” she swore, rushing to the sink to wash her hands. “It’s five past!”
Sending Severus an apologetic smile, she hurried over to the front.
At least there were no impatient customers waiting at the door yet.
The relief was short-lived however, and for the rest of the day, she hardly had time to catch her breath. And with every customer whose request she couldn’t fill, she felt more and more guilty over their trip to Australia.
* * *
When the last customer had left and Hermione had locked the door, she sank down on the floor and let the tears fall.
“Hermione?”
She raised her head slowly and saw Severus crouching on the floor next to her.
“Are you all right?” he asked, concern obvious in his eyes. “Did something happen?”
She shook her head.
“I don’t really know. I suppose the events of the last few days have just started catching up with me. And then we got back and the workroom was a mess and we lost some sales today because of all this and ...”
* * *
She looked at him. He’d been so … so wonderful, so supportive, so caring. But all this mess was her fault.
“Shhh,” he said, putting his arms around her awkwardly. “Having to turn a few customers away empty-handed today is not going to harm us. And the workroom can be cleaned up. I can do it tomorrow, and we’ll be stocked up properly by next week.”
“Thanks,” she whispered. “I’m sorry … I really don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should be happy - my parents are doing so much better thanks to you, and Minerva was such great help.”
* * *
Severus looked at the teary young woman in his arms.
Women. All these years as a Head of House, and the emotional reactions of young women were still a mystery to him.
He hoped it wasn’t something he’d done - or not done.
Not knowing what to say, he opted for dropping a light kiss on the top of her head.
Hermione smiled at him through her tears. “You’ve got a few loose strands of hair here,” she said, brushing her fingertips on his lips. “I’m sorry … I know my hair’s a mess.”
“Your hair is … nice,” he murmured.
* * *
“Would you like some tea before we call it a night?” he asked a little later, getting up a bit stiffly.
“Yes, please.” She was tired but didn’t want to leave yet. Severus had mentioned cleaning the workroom tomorrow - but tomorrow was Christmas Day, wasn’t it? Did he really plan to spend Christmas at work? She just realised that she hadn’t even asked what his Christmas plans had been - she had been too absorbed in her own misery to consider the much lonelier life of her - friend? employer? lover?
“Severus?” she called after him. “Will you spend Christmas with me?”
--
On to the next part.