Tailor-made

Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall have a hidden hobby. Both of them love to sew. The hum of the sewing machine that Severus inherited from his mother and the snick of Minerva's enchanted scissors are the sounds that they love. When not teaching, the pair descend into their workroom to dream up fabulous clothes and fantastic designs. They work together with the ease of many years.

So what to do when Minerva discovers a student with less than adequate clothing, clothing too large and baggy, too worn and thin to be used?

S&M Tailoring to the rescue!

Severus was finally calm. As he deftly moved the scissors through the patterned fabric, he didn't need to dwell on the inane platitudes that the infuriating Albus Dumbledore insisted on saying, nor on the return of the students for the coming year. He had suffered through the opening speech with his usual blank face, even when forced to sit next to the stuttering Quirrel. Now, he didn't need to force it- he could finally breathe.

He didn't dislike students, per se, but they seemed at their most idiotic when he saw them at the beginning of a new year. Maybe he got used to them. They probably just calmed down after a week or two, when not hyped up on the meeting of old friends, the excitement of a new year, and the sugar consumed on the train ride. He had never understood why the long ride to the school included purchasable hyperactivity, and he knew that Poppy Pomfrey disliked the lack of nutrition found on the trolley as much as him, but the headmaster himself had a legendary sweet tooth. With a man like that in charge, constantly offering lemon drops with every meeting, he supposed that it was hopeless in opposing the sweets on the train.

Reaching the end of the fabric, he closed the scissors with a click. Some of his students were bearable, and there were a few that he even liked to have around. But right now he was simply happy to be away from the bustle and shrieks of sugar-induced excitement.

He picked up the fabric after placing the scissors carefully in their place on his worktable. You could never be too careful with fabric scissors, in his opinion. If they were placed in the wrong spot, some idiot would use them to cut paper, or, Merlin forbid, some sticky substance that would foul the blades and render them useless. Of course, that was not a problem anymore, with a specialised sewing room, but when he was in school some roommates had "borrowed" them without asking and returned them blunt as could be. It wasn't as if his scissors were self-sharpening like Minerva's, either. She had enchanted them herself, but he preferred to sew in the muggle fashion as much as possible. The magic used in the creation sometimes infused into the garments, which was annoying if you planned to add more magic afterwards. The combinations often turned out strange results.

A gather along the top, certainly, to help the fabric fall properly. Perhaps a little ribbon on the bottom? This sort of thing wasn't his forte, although he wasn't incapable. He would have to ask Minerva.

The sound of the door opening drew his attention back to the present. Minerva stood in the doorway, looking bemused. It was a highly amusing expression on her, in his opinion. With her eyebrows raised like that, it almost made him laugh. He instead stored the memory for future perusal. Maybe he should attempt to surprise her like this every so often.

Severus shook out the fabric. "Minerva? Is something wrong?" He only just stopped his smirk escaping.

Minerva, recalled to herself, closed her mouth, which had been slightly open, and shook her head briskly. "No, I suppose not. It's just that I haven't seen you… often… with that sort of project."

He raised an eyebrow at her, hardly concealing his mirth. Merlin, this was fun.

"What do you mean, this sort of project?"

She shook her head once more, coming properly into the well-lit room. "Well, Severus, it's, well…"

Placing the fabric on the table, he beckoned at her with a twitch of his fingers. "Yes?"

Minerva sat limply down on the nearest chair. "Doll's clothes, Severus? And pink floral, at that. I thought you would at least run to purple."

He looked down, but then gave up on his struggle not to smile. "Are you judging me incapable of creating such a garment? And to think I thought you had the highest confidence in me. It is a favour for my neighbour. Her granddaughter has been visiting, and I promised that I would make her feel welcome. She seems to think that I appear forbidding."

Minerva chuckled at that. "She thinks right."

He fake scowled at her. "Apparently the child took straight to me, and this is the result. It is her birthday in a week. And, as a matter of fact, I am not completely inexperienced in this matter. I just do not often have the occasion to create them at Hogwarts. Most of the students are past the age for such things."

Walking around the table, he took the seat opposite her, relaxing into the cushions. "Actually, I did want you to give me a little advice on this one. What do you think of some ribbon on the bottom of the skirt?"

Minerva took the fabric that he offered. "Well, ribbon never goes amiss in this sort of thing. How do you feel about your abilities to embroider flowers? Or you could applique them in a pinch, of course…"

After a session of doll's dress brainstorming, the pair retired back to the chairs to relax in front of the fire. The crackle of the shifting logs was the only sound for a few minutes, until Severus sighed.

"Do you have an idea for our project this term, Minerva?"

The older woman shook her head tiredly. "Not yet. Usually we are a little ahead of this, aren't we?"

He could only agree. They normally thought of ideas all through the holidays.

There was another companionable silence, which was broken only by Minerva's jaw-cracking yawn.

"Sorry, Severus, it's just getting late. Welcoming all the students is tiring too, you know."

"Yes, those insufferable brats. Your job of organising all the first-years is exhausting, I know. Nervous little things."

They lapsed into quiet again, Severus trying once more to think of a Project. They usually had one each term, to help them relax after teaching and marking, and on the weekends. Their Project was a garment, or a series of clothes, generally, in a specific style, for a specific purpose. Last year they had focused on combining fabrics with a Strengthening Solution to see if it increased the longevity and usability of the clothes. One memorable time they had reupholstered the entire staff room- curtains, cushions, chairs and all. It had been exhausting, with every teacher having their own opinion on how it should look and what colours they should use. But this time he had no ideas.

Minerva spoke again. "They're always nervous, but that's mostly due to all those rumours floating around about the Sorting. I believe the Weasley twins convinced their brother Ronald he would be fighting a troll."

Severus snorted at that. Of course they would. Those twins were demons-in-training.

"And Harry was simply quaking in his boots, even after they all knew that the Sorting was done by a hat. It was almost as if he didn't think the hat would sort him at all. Poor child, living with those horrible muggles…"

He straightened up. Harry? He knew of only one Harry. "Potter." He sneered.

Minerva glared at him. "Severus, he's just a child-"

"Pampered and spoilt as his beloved father, no doubt."

"- And I wish you wouldn't think of him solely like his father. You haven't even met the child, and you already have placed him in a little compartment in your mind. I know what James did to you was quite despicable some of the time-"

"You are quite right about that."

She ignored him righteously. "-but he isn't his father, and James did grow up in the end. I can't help but wonder how well Harry was treated by his relatives."

Severus remained silent, knowing that if he were to speak she would take offense at his comments about the boy. He valued her too much to antagonise her when she was like this.

Minerva leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Severus, I have a damnable headache, and arguing is not going to help. I think I will go to bed."

Severus knew that he needed to do so as well. It was ridiculously late, and he had to deal with students the next morning, too. They would probably meet again tomorrow, anyway.

"Goodnight, Minerva."

"Goodnight, Severus."

Severus was once again tacking pink material together when Minerva walked into their sewing room. She moved until she was right next to him, watching him guide the fabric through the machine.

The comforting hum stopped as Severus reached the end of the seam and used a pair of embroidery scissors to snip the threads. Minerva took the opportunity to speak.

"Doll's clothes again, Severus? It's all you have been doing for the past two weeks." She could barely hide her smirk from him.

He frowned a little. "It's all I have to do at the moment. You can't say that you haven't been enjoying it for a change, Minerva."

Minerva had to admit that it was better than nothing, and it was interesting to think in terms of a small child's fabric choices. Their Project was still non-existent.

"Well, I suppose that it hasn't been too bad. But come to think of it, why are you making so many?"

He scowled at her, placing his elbows down on the table. "That dastardly child had the nerve to love my birthday gift, and has commissioned me to make more. She wants some for her friend, as well."

Minerva couldn't help herself- she laughed. Severus Snape, bat of the dungeons and maker of doll's clothes for adoring little girls.

"This is the last of the lot, though. After that I don't know what we'll do."

There was silence as Minerva moved to pick up her embroidery hoop, then sat down beside him.

After a few minutes of companionable quiet Minerva opened her mouth. She knew that she had to approach this with delicacy, but could think of no other way to start the cogs turning in Severus's brain.

"I think that I may have found us a Project."

Severus lifted his head immediately.

"Yes? What is it?"

She could only smile at his feigned nonchalance.

"Severus, I'm not entirely sure that it will work as a Project yet. I'm just gathering my suspicions at the moment."

Minerva could tell that she had caught his attention with that. Slytherins were easy to intrigue, with just a hint of a mystery piquing their interest.

Of course, it helped that she wasn't quite ready to tell him outright her mission with this particular Project.

As Severus leaned back in his chair, he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Spill the beans, Minerva, as I'm sure my dear students would say."

Minerva stifled a laugh at that. Severus was always amusing when he wanted to know something. He never gave up until he had every last detail. Even when you thought you were safe he was often able to wriggle details out of you.

"Well, I suppose I should give you an outline of what I have noticed and what I plan to do. Or rather, what I think we should do."

He was rolling his eyes at her. Minerva knew him well enough to know that, even though she was focussing on a stitch in her hoop. Or actually, pretending to.

"There is a student I have seen, whose clothes are completely inadequate, and I'm sure that his home situation is as well. It's neglect, I'm sure. His uniform is fine; you know that they have to buy them from Madame Malkins. But he never wears anything else, and his sneakers are extremely tatty. I caught a glimpse of what was under his robes once and it was all tatty, baggy muggle clothes. I thought that perhaps we could work to outfit him properly. It's perfect timing, as well. Christmas is in the coming holidays, and I am sure that whatever we come up with would be a far better gift than what his guardians might give him."

Minerva paused to catch her breath and gauge Severus's reaction. He appeared completely impassive. She would have to sell it to him.

"It would be a good Project. Firstly, it would help another person-"

Severus snorted at this.

"Yes, Severus, I am well aware that you are incapable of generosity. Hence the dolls clothes that you slave over. The boy needs it, too. And of course it would be a challenge. He needs to be fully outfitted, all clothes, casual robes, muggle clothes, a cloak, you know. The whole wardrobe. We would probably have to weave growth charms in, and it would be an opportunity to use what we developed last year with the potion-enhanced cloth and the embroidered runes. Strength, durability, the lot."

Severus was frowning at her slightly, and Minerva hadn't the faintest clue why.

"Severus, what-"

"Why are you selling it so much? You are almost too enthusiastic, too desperate."

Minerva didn't quite know what to say, so she remained quiet. Trust a Slytherin to pick up on that.

"There's a catch, isn't there? Now all I have to do is work out what it is."

The rest of his sentence went unsaid. He could do that, or she could just come out and tell him.

Problem is, she had no idea how he would react.

"Fine. You got me. There is a catch. Only, it's not a catch for me so much as for you."

He looked at her askance, absentmindedly fiddling with the pink fabric with his hands.

Damn it, all he would have to do to find out was wait. He had always been good at this. Too good in her opinion.

"Oh, fine. Stop pretending not to care. It looks exceedingly false, and I know you too well to fall for it. Really, for a Slytherin, you are too easy to read."

Severus smirked at her. "Well, Minerva, no one else can read me. I scare them too much. Stop trying to change the subject. It doesn't work on me. Your procrastination is pathetic."

She could hardly believe herself. Minerva actually whined, "Severus…"

That bastard was enjoying himself. "Minerva."

They sat there for a minute, looking at each other. Then Minerva broke.

"You don't like the student. Or rather, you think you don't like the student. It's silly of you, really."

Severus pulled an exasperated face. "Right. Hurry up, I would like to actually get something done this evening."

Minerva wasn't pouting. She never pouted. "It's... It's a first year. In my house."

He gestured at her with his hand, telling her to carry on.

"Haven't you realised yet? Harry Potter. I've said it now. Harry Potter, and just because of your feud with his father you have immediately labelled him as someone to detest and ignore as much as possible. Holding on to a grudge just because he resembles his father is quite petty, you know, and you have only known him for a few weeks, which is hardly enough time to get a handle on his character."

Minerva finished her speech with a flourish, relishing the expression on her companion's face. It was a strange mixture of confusion, ire and disbelief.

She rose from her chair with as much dignity as she could muster while trying desperately not to laugh, and departed from the room to let him fume in peace. Severus had a nasty habit of taking his tantrums out on bystanders, and she would prefer to avoid this as much as possible.

He would accept it in the end. Perhaps grudgingly, but it wasn't as if he had any other ideas for their Project.