Disclaimer: All Harry Potter people, places, things, and ideas, (all Harry Potter nouns) belong to J.K. Rowlings. Takes place during Harry's third year.
Obviously Oblivious
"Woman, I know what I saw and I am well within my rights to give Granger detention for helping Longbottom when I specifically told her to let him do his own work!" Severus Snape spat.
"If you could stop scaring the living daylights out of your students for ten minutes, then you would see that Mr. Longbottom needs that extra help!" Minerva McGonagall argued with him as they walked through the corridor toward the Great Hall for the evening meal.
He scoffed. "I seem to recall you putting the fear of Merlin into Malfoy when you gave him detention for something that could hardly be called an altercation."
She glared at him mercilessly. "He turned Mr. Weasley into a rooster."
"Your Gryffindors are too sensitive about having their own pranks pulled on them," he jabbed.
"And your Slytherins don't play fair," she countered.
The two stopped abruptly and faced each other. "If you weren't always so nosy, making irrational complaints about Slytherins, I might actually have to take you seriously!" he glowered.
She rolled her eyes. "And if you weren't always blaming Gryffindors for everything, I might actually listen to you," she threw back.
They stood almost nose to nose and suddenly they both realized it. Merlin, her eyes are beautiful. If only there was a chance that she did not despise me, Severus thought to himself. However, Minerva was indeed having similar thoughts. I am tired of arguing with him like this. He has a most attractive voice. If only he could tolerate me, she pondered.
Albus Dumbledore picked that moment to walk over to them. "If you two could carry on a conversation without rivalry or discussion of students, I wonder what it would sound like," he mused, causing them to step apart instantly.
"I'm not sure if that is possible," Minerva muttered.
"Possible or not, there is a staff meeting that you two really ought to attend," Albus said, walking past them.
"He's up to something," she commented.
"Most definitely," Severus added.
They made their way to the staff room and took their seats. Then Albus spoke, looking around the room at everyone. "It has come to my attention that morale is seriously lacking these days, with the discomfort of the Sirius Black situation. Therefore we will only be playing a game at this meeting. The muggles have invented this interesting game called 'Truth or Dare,' and that shall be our game today."
Good gad, the man's finally lost it. "Headmaster, must we participate?" Severus inquired.
Albus chuckled. "My boy, of course all of you must. Now let it begin, Filius," Albus turned to his right to talk to Filius Flitwick, "truth or dare?"
The little goblin thought for a moment. "I think 'truth' would be appropriate."
"What was the most embarrassing prank a student ever pulled on you?"
"Hmm," he paused. "Oh gracious, how could I forget? Fred and George Weasley put honey in my chair one day and I did not notice it. I was stuck in my chair for the whole day because they caused the honey to crystallize quickly."
Serena Sinsistra laughed. "I wish I had known about that; it would have been entertaining to pay you a visit that day."
"Serena, truth or dare?" Filius asked, wanting to continue the game.
"Dare," she replied with confidence.
He smiled mischievously. "Say the French alphabet backwards, and don't bother denying that you speak French, I've heard you swear in French walking down the halls."
The rest of the staff laughed and the Astronomy professor sighed resolutely. She executed the dare well, noting Remus Lupin's amusement. "I'm glad you thought that was funny, Remus. Now, truth or dare?"
Being a Gryffindor, he chose 'dare' as a matter of pride. Serena's smile was very Slytherin. "Sing 'I'm a little teapot,' but as if you were singing in an opera."
Even Severus chuckled at his attempt. "It would be even better if you wore one of those hats with horns and braids, Lupin," he teased.
Remus turned to Severus and asked, "Truth or dare?"
I loathe this game. Gryffindors are known for pulling all sorts of unpleasant stunts, therefore I'll go with the lesser of the two evils, Severus rationalized. "Truth."
"Which female staff members do you have a crush on?" the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor inquired.
Severus blinked twice and stared at Remus as if the man had Medusa's hair. "I most certainly do not have a crush on any of them! That is the most ridiculous question I have had the displeasure of listening to!" he declared.
Remus thought for a moment and then a sly smile appeared on his face. "Then it's a male staff member, isn't it?"
"That's preposterous! What ever gave you that idea?" Severus demanded.
The werewolf chuckled. "You hide yourself from women and you rarely ever deal with them, so you can't have a crush on what you do not talk to."
"And what misguided upside-down logic have you been looking at?" the other man questioned.
"It's alright man, just come on out of the closet and be done with it," Remus encouraged.
The Potions Master glared at him mercilessly and stood up, his hands bunching into fists. "Shut up, you stupid werewolf, I'm not gay! I have a crush on Minerva McGonagall!"
Suddenly the room had become deathly quiet. Severus placed his hand over his mouth and sat down quietly, not daring to look up, let alone look over at Minerva. He failed to notice that she was smiling at him.