Ficlet: Keeping your priorities
Title: Keeping your priorities
Author: Inamoena
Characters: Severus Snape, albus Dumbledore
Rating: K
Summary/Author Notes: Severus really has his priorities in order.
Disclaimer: JKR owns the Potterverse - I just play in it.
Severus had just settled himself on the sofa with a nice cup of steaming hot coffee and a book when someone knocked on the front door.
It was a quiet knock. The kind of knock that said ‘I’m knocking because I have to but I really, really would like you to not hear this’.
Severus quickly doused some of the lights, changed his mothers' white china with floral pattern into black with a snake-print, and sat himself strategically in a regal armchair with dark wood inlay. He changed the cover of his book to that of an obscure Potions text and, after taking a remorseful sip of coffee, changed the brew into something vile-smelling and obnoxious.
Another quiet knock on the door, this time more a hopeful ‘don’t be home’-scratching. Severus sneered to himself and triggered the door ward. The door opened with an ominous screech.
He was proud of that screech. It had taken him days to find the perfect combination of charms, potions and rust to create just this screech.
It stayed silent outside. Perfect. Then came a somewhat tremulous voice:
“Professor Snape? Sir?” Severus didn't answer.
Two young wizards, ex-students of his currently working as administrative staff in the Department of Magical Education, came into the darkly-lit living room, looking like they wanted to be somewhere, anywhere else. He gave them a pointed once-over, stared at their faces until one turned beet-red and looked down and the other started biting his lip like a naughty schoolboy caught during a prank. Severus arched an eyebrow and smirked evilly.
“Yes?” He purred.
The two men looked at each other, each clearly trying to tell the other to start by using eyebrows and frowning. Beet-red lost.
“Headmaster Snape, the board of governors request, umm, invite you to an extra meeting...”
Beet-red trailed off, seeing Severus' expression turn darker. Severus saw his fingers shake marginally with tremors. Perfect.
“About what?” Severus snapped.
“The board has some questions about the budget.” Schoolboy manfully said. “Nothing to serious, you understand,” he hastened to add, “but the board...”
“Good, if it isn't serious it can wait until the regular meeting at the end of the month” Severus cut him off.
“Good day gentlemen” he added pointedly and returned to his book.
Beet-red shuffled his feet. Severus glared at him and let his fingers visibly creep to his wand.
“Was there anything else?” Severus asked sweetly.
The kind of honeysweet that made you searched for the angry swarm of bees. Beet-red swallowed and turned a shade darker.
”Uhm, right“ he said and looked deploringly at his companion.
Schoolboy coughed nervously. Severus turned his glare to him and upped the strength a bit. Schoolboy was an ex-Gryffindor and definitely needed an extra incentive to scram. Severus stood slowly, making his robe flow ominously around him.
”We'll inform the board and be on our way,” Schoolboy said brightly before he could do more than take one step towards them.
“Good day headmaster” he took Beet-reds arm and pulled him to the door. A minute later the door slammed shut with another ear-piercing shreek.
“One point to Gryffindor for finally showing some sense” Severus said to the air.
“That was really not very nice, Severus” Albus said from his portrait in the corner.
“I'm not nice” Severus snapped back. He restored the decor to its original state.
“If I didn't behave like this, they'd never give me a moments peace.” Snape sat back in his original place on the sofa. “At least, after they picked up their jaws from the ground, of course”
“Yes , well, the Hogwarts budget is important” Albus said.
“So is this,” Snape said “Do you want me to continue or not?”
“Of course Severus” Albus said. He settled back in his chair and popped another lemon drop in his mouth.
Snape opend the book again and read:
“A startling thought this, that a woman could handle business matters as well or better than a man, a revolutionary thought to Scarlett who had been reared in the tradition that men were omniscient and women none too bright.*”
* Margareth Mitchell, Gone with the wind, chapter 36
Author: Inamoena
Characters: Severus Snape, albus Dumbledore
Rating: K
Summary/Author Notes: Severus really has his priorities in order.
Disclaimer: JKR owns the Potterverse - I just play in it.
Severus had just settled himself on the sofa with a nice cup of steaming hot coffee and a book when someone knocked on the front door.
It was a quiet knock. The kind of knock that said ‘I’m knocking because I have to but I really, really would like you to not hear this’.
Severus quickly doused some of the lights, changed his mothers' white china with floral pattern into black with a snake-print, and sat himself strategically in a regal armchair with dark wood inlay. He changed the cover of his book to that of an obscure Potions text and, after taking a remorseful sip of coffee, changed the brew into something vile-smelling and obnoxious.
Another quiet knock on the door, this time more a hopeful ‘don’t be home’-scratching. Severus sneered to himself and triggered the door ward. The door opened with an ominous screech.
He was proud of that screech. It had taken him days to find the perfect combination of charms, potions and rust to create just this screech.
It stayed silent outside. Perfect. Then came a somewhat tremulous voice:
“Professor Snape? Sir?” Severus didn't answer.
Two young wizards, ex-students of his currently working as administrative staff in the Department of Magical Education, came into the darkly-lit living room, looking like they wanted to be somewhere, anywhere else. He gave them a pointed once-over, stared at their faces until one turned beet-red and looked down and the other started biting his lip like a naughty schoolboy caught during a prank. Severus arched an eyebrow and smirked evilly.
“Yes?” He purred.
The two men looked at each other, each clearly trying to tell the other to start by using eyebrows and frowning. Beet-red lost.
“Headmaster Snape, the board of governors request, umm, invite you to an extra meeting...”
Beet-red trailed off, seeing Severus' expression turn darker. Severus saw his fingers shake marginally with tremors. Perfect.
“About what?” Severus snapped.
“The board has some questions about the budget.” Schoolboy manfully said. “Nothing to serious, you understand,” he hastened to add, “but the board...”
“Good, if it isn't serious it can wait until the regular meeting at the end of the month” Severus cut him off.
“Good day gentlemen” he added pointedly and returned to his book.
Beet-red shuffled his feet. Severus glared at him and let his fingers visibly creep to his wand.
“Was there anything else?” Severus asked sweetly.
The kind of honeysweet that made you searched for the angry swarm of bees. Beet-red swallowed and turned a shade darker.
”Uhm, right“ he said and looked deploringly at his companion.
Schoolboy coughed nervously. Severus turned his glare to him and upped the strength a bit. Schoolboy was an ex-Gryffindor and definitely needed an extra incentive to scram. Severus stood slowly, making his robe flow ominously around him.
”We'll inform the board and be on our way,” Schoolboy said brightly before he could do more than take one step towards them.
“Good day headmaster” he took Beet-reds arm and pulled him to the door. A minute later the door slammed shut with another ear-piercing shreek.
“One point to Gryffindor for finally showing some sense” Severus said to the air.
“That was really not very nice, Severus” Albus said from his portrait in the corner.
“I'm not nice” Severus snapped back. He restored the decor to its original state.
“If I didn't behave like this, they'd never give me a moments peace.” Snape sat back in his original place on the sofa. “At least, after they picked up their jaws from the ground, of course”
“Yes , well, the Hogwarts budget is important” Albus said.
“So is this,” Snape said “Do you want me to continue or not?”
“Of course Severus” Albus said. He settled back in his chair and popped another lemon drop in his mouth.
Snape opend the book again and read:
“A startling thought this, that a woman could handle business matters as well or better than a man, a revolutionary thought to Scarlett who had been reared in the tradition that men were omniscient and women none too bright.*”
* Margareth Mitchell, Gone with the wind, chapter 36