"Sit." Severine commanded him, nodding her head in the direction of the turned down, plush covered toilet seat. The older man shot her a quizzical look, sidling up to the sink to allow her to scoot past before following her orders. The look only intensified as she plucked the straight edged razor he was holding smoothly out of his hand.

She was not at all surprised to find that his shaving cream was packed in an fanciful, wooden bowl. Nor was she shocked to find that, upon inspection, the blade she was holding was sharpened to perfection. His large brush had not one single bristle missing - it looked very nearly brand new. His aftershave was set on the counter as well in a small, ornate green vial. It wasn't any sort of news to her that all his expensive products would put a woman to shame. She simply hadn't caught those before.

"Don't you trust me?" she asked, not bothering to look up from her investigation of the counter.

"No - yes. It's not that, love, this-" Poplar swallowed so harshly her trained eye could pick up his skin rippling slightly at his throat, adam's apple bobbing as she languidly pushed his head back. His eyes had a certain panicked look to them as he leaned away from her, Severine frowning at the motion. "Well it's just, what if you nick me? I'd chance you've not done this before and I'm not entirely eager to get sliced this morning, dear."

"You miss spots constantly." she lied. "Let me get them for you. I'm actually quite good with a blade."

"I do not!" he sputtered, deeply offended by her accusation. It was a good thing she hadn't said anything about the hair on the top of his head.

"Hush."

He was quiet as she brushed out the cream along his neck. It was perfectly thin and exact, without any clumps in the tracks she made and never generous enough that she could not always see exactly what she was doing.

Poplar knew her reputation with such things well. She had restocked some of his own shelves for him once she had finally convinced him of how mediocre the mail order potions were. How could he not entrust her with a task as simple as shaving him?

It did not matter. She would do it regardless.

Severine allowed herself to enjoy it, catching the cream with her fingers and smoothing it across his cheeks until he felt as relaxed by the movements as she did. When his body went slack against the toilet and his eyes finally closed, Severine wiped her hands off on a towel and took up the razor again. Slowly, so slowly she could see the hair pull away from the skin, she drew the blade up to the length of his jaw. It was hardly pink from where she'd touched it, but it did hold a slight shine. She was careful not to go over any centimeter of the same skin, moving the blade this way and that to ensure of it.

She wiped the excess off and tilted his head to better reach the opposite side.

"There. Not so bad is it, Pomfrey?"

"Mmm, wot?"

He peeked one eye open at her, kissed her fingers, and a muscle in her jaw jumped. "Nothing."