It was a bitterly cold day as Severus Snape walked down the familiar cobblestone path to Grimmauld Place. His robes, black as usual, billowed out behind him as he strode purposefully onwards. He halted at the door, waiting irritably for the damn fools to let him in. As he stood, shivering, on the doorstep, he surveyed the grey sky, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the sun. Ah, there it was - that tiny patch of white slightly more stressful on the eyes than everywhere else. It reminds me rather of myself, he thought, entering the dusty hallway without bothering to thank the stammering Kreacher.
The Potions Master hesitated for the second time around another doorway, this one labelled with a rainbow post-it note: HQ OF THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. Mentally preparing himself for the inevitable horror he was about to be faced with, he stepped inside.
He was the last one to arrive, it seemed. There was Sirius, and Lupin, and Alastair Moody, and, of course, Dumbledore. Snape held back a derisive snort as he examined the man's flourescent purple robes. Old coot.
"Welcome, Severus! Welcome!" the said old coot exclaimed with a little more enthusiasm than was necessary. "Greetings, my friend! It's good to see you! Good morning to you, my good Snape!"
"Hi," Lupin said.
Snape spared Dumbledore a curt nod before taking his rightful and well-deserved position at his right hand. Not that he enjoyed being there, of course. Oh no, no, no, no... Of course not. No. He just felt... privileged. It was because of the quality of the chair, obviously, Snape hastily tried to reassure himself. Obviously. Obviously. Obviously. NOT because he had Dumbledore sitting in an uncomfortably close proximity. No.
"Shall we start?" Lupin suggested practically.
"Oh, Remus, why must you always be so practical," Sirius said disapprovingly.
"Why must you always be so disapproving?" Lupin countered.
"Now, now, that's enough, children." Dumbledore raised a hand for silence, in doing so brushing Snape's wrist. He felt a sort of startling electric rush whiz through his arm and up into his chest.
It was because someone had just said 'always', obviously. NOT because Dumbledore had just touched him. No.
Snape winced upon realizing he had just thought the words 'touched' and 'Dumbledore' at the same time. "NOT the same time," he hissed. "Almost the same time."
"We begin this meeting," Dumbledore began, a decidedly gleeful expression fixed on his face, "with the welcoming of an old friend who has decided to rejoin our ranks."
There was a collective sinking of stomachs, pursing of lips, and burying of faces in hands.
"I would like you all to welcome our latest and most trusted member to the Order; Wormtail!"
An awkward silence fell upon the room. He couldn't mean it, Snape thought, not sure whether to be depressed or amused by this news.
After at least two and a half minutes, Lupin looked up and, with an unblinking gaze fixed on Dumbledore, clapped twice, with a slowness and precision which even Snape had to admire. He shot a withering glance in Lupin's direction.
"Oh, well done!"Dumbledore cried, and he promptly burst into a round of applause.
"Are you certain this is a good idea, Dumbledore?" Moody demanded. Snape's quick mind translated the words instantly. This is undoubtedly the singularly most asinine, ridiculous concept you have ever imposed upon us. That was what Moody had meant, Snape concluded.
Dumbledore, however, seemed far too consumed in frivolity to even noticed Moody's words. "DRINKS ALL ROUND!" he yelled cheerfully.
It was then that Snape decided it had fallen upon his shoulders to regain some sort of order. His mouth twisting into a smirk at the clever pun, he cleared his throat. "Er, weren't we supposed to be discussing the Dark Lord's plans today, Albus?"
Dumbledore airily waved him away, and Snape felt a sensation like a kick in the gut at having been discarded so easily. "All in good time, my man!"
Snape was speechless. My man. What if Dumbledore did become his ma-
No. The chair was comfortable.
At that moment, the door burst open and Wormtail launched himself in, giggling madly. He sat down next to Moody, whose expression went from mildly disgusted to positively revolted in a matter of seconds. "Oh, shut up!" He whacked the offending individual over the head with his stick.
Snape felt Dumbledore stiffen beside him, and he slowly turned to see him glaring at Moody with a burning rage he had never before seen. "MOODY!" Dumbledore bellowed. "I'm surprised at you! Snape, if you could kindly escort Moody outside."
Snape decided he wouldn't, just to pay Dumbledore back for his cold rejection. Oh, and because the chair was too comfortable for him to move from it, obviously.
Sirius coughed. "Well...drinks then?"
Dumbledore's eyes widened in anger. "NO! NO! NO DRINKS! NO!"
"But you said - " Sirius said helplessly.
"MOODY - SNAPE - OUT! OUT! OUT!"
Snape's stomach twisted again, though this time he felt rather angry. Who did Dumbledore think he was? "Don't you think you're - overreacting?" he asked calmly, taking a measured sip of mint tea. He'd become quite good at concealing his emotions, over the years.
"I should think he is," Moody said. "Pass me some of that tea, would you?"
"Pass me some!" Wormtail added, sniggering. He received withering gazes from both Moody and Snape.
"Getting quite good at those gazes, aren't you, Snape?" Lupin chortled.
Snape was preparing his most lethal gaze yet when the doorbell rang.
Dumbledore looked ready to burst with excitement. "Ah, just in time! Come in, Lucius!" he called.
