Character: Phineas Nigellus Black, Sirius Black, Antonin Dolohov
Genres: Friendship, Romance
Prompts: intimation, atomically, barcode, sporran, deprivation, contraceptives, prevaricated, lavishly, excruciatingly, healed
Not many knew the story of old Phineas Nigellus Black. And what they knew of him was derived from third-person accounts. Like Sirius had once said "My great-great-grandfather, Phineas Nigellus [was] the least popular headmaster Hogwarts ever had." And that was true. Yet there was a story behind it all which no one apart from Phineas, himself, knew. And he found someone just like him centuries after his death...in one strange circumstance.
As usual, all portraits in the headmaster's office were bound to provide service to whoever the headmaster was at that moment. So, Phineas Black had been bound to it when he came back that night, from his trip from the beaded bag where his other portrait was residing.
"Headmaster! They are camping in the Forest of Dean! The Mudblood -"
"Do not use that word!"
Phineas looked affronted at being admonished over a mere Mudbl-...muggle born. He was the one who had, provided the headmaster with such valuable information, although unwillingly. He studied the greasy haired man closely. Even though, Phineas had held the pointed nose, perpetual drawl and menacing demeanour, of the man in front of him, in high regard, he was puzzling to say the least.
"I don't know why you bother with these good for nothing brats."
"It really is none of your business Phineas." A drawl came back, "And, I would like if you refrained from insulting my students. In my presence...Atleast."
Black returned to watching Headmaster Severus Snape as he shuffled some papers about, truly annoyed. It was rare to get reactions from the current headmaster. Almost as rare as a brave Gilderoy Lockhart, that bumbling lying Defence against Dark Arts professor from six years ago. It shocked and intrigued Phineas at the same time. He thought back to the time when the school's favourite headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had been alive. Phineas usually droned out all his silly notions, soft heartedness and his sorry jokes. Albus, he'd thought, was foolish. Yet that particular day, he had returned with a charred hand and what happened next was allowed to receive a little bit of excitement from Phineas. Although, he pretended to snore in his portrait, he actually listened hard to the conversation between the new and the old headmasters. What really piqued his interest was not the old one-will-live-while-the-other-survives nonsense but, it was the silver doe that pranced out from Snape's wand and into the blackness outside the Castle's window. A doe? Severus Snape's patronus was a doe? Furthermore, what was this "Always" business? He couldn't understand for the life of him what those two could be talking about. His failing memory didn't help. Yes, people had thought being a portrait was brilliant, it wasn't really. They still had to deal with being mortal in an immortal way...meaning he didn't get a memory boost power or anything of that sort for sitting in that chair forever. So, he decided to interrogate the headmaster. Just like that.
"Leaving the Dark Lord will get you no where...headmaster." There was a short pause in which Snape's eyes flashed once. It was so sudden that Phineas had no choice but to give him, the benefit of doubt.
"If I ever want your expert opinion Phineas...I'll ask." He replied in a tone befitting Snape. Phineas huffed and pretended to go back to sleep, offended. Of course, he was nowhere close to feeling sleepy yet. Things had just gotten interesting.
Snape continued shuffling around, obviously looking for something. Apparently, it wasn't there.
"Magic. Use magic."
For a split of a second, Severus Snape's facade faltered and his hardened eyes widened, and then all was normal. He snatched his wand and summoned what he searched for with a non-verbal accio. Phineas unsophisticatedly peeked from the corner of his eye, leaning into his sofa wherein he had pretended to fall back to sleep. He knew that the 'batty' man was not fooled but either Phineas' reminder of using magic had rendered him less cautious or he couldn't care less. The office was as lavishly decorated as it had been in Dumbledore's time and Snape hadn't moved a thing from its rightful place as if to honour the old headmaster's memory. Except that he'd had added his own few things which was made mostly papers. From underneath one of his piles zoomed out a torn shred of paper, Phineas observed. It was glossy and something was moving on its surface...'A photograph! Aha!' The edges were uneven as if it had been ripped apart from a larger picture and the man in the portrait could swear on his grave that he saw a flash of red hair.
"I don't know why you bother with these good for nothing brats." His question from earlier came to his mind.
"After all this time?"
"Always"
Snape stared at the picture and something in his expressions softened. An almost grim smile lightened his features as his eyes became glassy. He blinked a few times trying to conduct himself normally; as if it was normal for The Halfblood Prince to be so in touch with his emotions.
"So all this is about a girl?" Phineas enquired.
Snape's face snapped up and hardened once more. Almost as if he were facing the Dark Lord once more; he closed himself up. He gave a withering look to the portrait and tucking the photograph in his robes. His robes swished as he marched up to the window studying the scene outside in the dark sky and the dark grounds and in the dark, dark world, his face turned away from the portraits.
All his childhood he had faced a deprivation of love. He had prevaricated that all his childhood; put on a brave face. He had scoffed at the idea of love. The weak needed love he had said, evading the truth about his broken home. There was no love to give him. It was all gone. He had lived that way until she walked in with her red hair blowing behind her reminding him the excruciating need for love in his barren life. Everyone needed love. She had healed his heart, taped it together with her love; sown it together with care; sealed it with her tears - tears that he hadn't shed in years; tears that refused to leave his eyes. She had wept for him, cleansing his soul with her goodness. It was all too much for him. And he had lost her.
Snape faced the old man in the sofa again, the look in his eyes inexplicable. A hesitant and genuine smile flitted across the old Black's face for the first time. The headmaster nodded and lowered his eyes. He then strode out of the office, his iconic robes flowing behind him.
Just at that moment Phineas understood everything. His silence had confirmed it. The tenderness on the Snape's face as he gazed at the photo spoke volumes. Severus Snape had fallen in love...the forever kind. How would he, Phineas, the once loathed headmaster explain to Severus Snape that he truly understood? He thought back to his primes...her blue eyes sparkled, her golden hair shone and her face lit up as she let out the most melodious laugh.
Nobody knew his story. Neither do I yet I tell you of this odd incident when two disliked men found something in common ; love and based their unlikely friendship of a Death Eater fighting for the 'Light' and the annoying portrait in the Headmaster's room. Lemon drops, anyone? The End.