Author's Note: I do not and never will own Harry Potter.
Written for the Occasion-a-Day Competition/Challenge. September 29 Prompt: Write about someone's addiction to coffee.
Also written for the Pairing a Day Challenge. Severus/Pomona.
"Unless you've got more talent in Transfiguration or Charms than I was previously aware of, it is still impossible to literally climb inside your coffee cup and live there."
Pomona heard Severus's biting tones and only laughed, taking another deep swallow of her coffee.
"You only say that because you haven't figured out a way to do it for tea yet," Pomona replied, amused by the red colour spreading across the Potions professor's face.
"That's not really the point," he sniffed, stirring more sugar into his cup.
"Do you two ever not argue?" Minerva interjected from farther down the staff table. Albus twinkled at them.
"No," Pomona and Severus chorused, sharing a private smile after Minerva had huffed and turned away to her own breakfast.
"Same time today?" Pomona asked and Severus nodded, finishing his tea and rising from the table in preparation for his first class.
"For what?" Minerva prodded the Head of Hufflepuff curiously, and Pomona grinned.
"None of your business, dear," Pomona said. "D'you think you could pass me the coffee? I'm almost done with this cup."
The hours until their shared free period seemed to drag on interminably and Pomona had to stop herself from dismissing everyone early. Not that they would have minded, she thought with an internal snort. Herbology wasn't one of the most enthralling classes in the world, unless you actually liked plants apparently, and there were precious few students under her tutelage who did.
"Severus?" she called, hurrying back into her rooms. This week, it was her turn to host, and she was sure he'd made it there before her, like he always did, with that smug smile and not a fold of his robes out of place. Then again, he didn't have to run up from the greenhouses, now did he?
"Here," he replied. He was sitting on her sofa, a brown paper bag nestled on his lap. "I brought you a present."
"Oh?" she asked, plopping down next to him, fingers twitching in curiosity. "What is it?"
"Open it," he gestured toward the bag.
She fumbled it open, ripping the paper in her haste, to withdraw a package of her favourite chocolate-coated coffee beans.
"Oh, Severus, you shouldn't have," she exclaimed in delight, only to growl when his hand reached for them.
"In that case, let me send them back," he said, laughing when she batted his fingers away.
"I don't think so," she replied, popping one into her mouth with a sigh of contentment. "You're lovely."
"I know," Severus said smugly, sighing with her and relaxing back into the sofa cushions.