Chapter 1: The bet

He moved his queen a few squares across the chess board and leaned back into his armchair. Since he had enjoyed three quite generous whiskeys even Severus Snape started to relax, at least slightly. Minerva watched him out of the corner of her eye and smiled slightly. He was almost finished. She made her move and poured herself another drink.

The dungeons where enlighten softly by the flames of the fireplace and a few candles here and there. Snape took some time for his next move, for he knew that there was no way out anymore. He watched her setting him chess mate with an annoying implicitness.

"You know", he sad slowly, minding his words carefully in order not to talk fuzzy, which he was close to and well aware of. "You may win the chess, but when it comes to potions and transfigurations, the greater effect will always arise from potions."

He knew he turned out be a horrible looser, but Minerva won far more often than he could stand and he suspected this was more about her stronger whiskey tolerance, than about her strategic abilities.

Minerva took a deep sip and grabbed the wand with her free hand. She pointed it towards Snape and send a few silent spells towards him, before he could react quick enough to prevent their effects. Strangely he could not tell what effect that was. But judging from her satisfied smile she had succeeded. He threw a questioning and annoyed glance at her and chuntered:

"I do not like people to put spells on me"

"Severus, I am just trying to disprove your statement about transfigurations. You see I just did some minor adjustments on your appearance and as you will find, they have an astonishing effect." Minerva replied, making herself a little bit more comfortable than she usually did, when she played chess with her colleague. It had been a surprisingly pleasant evening, turning into an even more pleasant night and she was in a strange playful mood.

Snape got up carefully and headed towards the bathroom door, feeling a little blurry while trying to walk as straight as possible. He took a deep look into the mirror and didn't see anything, but himself not exactly in his best condition.

"What are you talking about, you batty old witch?" He shouted back in to the living room of his private quarters.

"Men are unbelievable. Hair, Severus and more importantly: teeth", she replied half shouting, half chuckling.

Snape turned back to the mirror and bared his teeth and actually found a difference. What had been quite a messy bunch of yellow sticks in the hole of his mouth had become a neat row of shining white columns. He stared bewildered at them and then at his hair, which was with some imagination softer and more lustrous. He shrugged and went back to the living room.

Minerva had her eyes closed and seemed to enjoy the silence. She sat up when passed her and got back into his chair.

"And? Isn't that much more attractive?" She asked with a wink in her voice.

"I never intended to improve my attractiveness, would be contra productive in my job.", he said coolly.

She sighed. "Ah come on Severus, it is not like Hogwarts is stuffed with attractive man. You should not make yourself less attractive for my sake at least."

He raised one eyebrow very slowly. "Someone had quite a load of whiskey tonight, huh?"

Minerva nodded. "Maybe. Still, I proved you wrong about the effectiveness of transfigurations that you have to admit.

He shrugged and bent his head slightly. "I would still say a potion could do better", he answered and took his drink back in his lean hands. "You can never make somebody do things he does not intend to do with pure transfigurations"

She laughed and said: "I wouldn't bet on that one, Severus. Trust me I have some experience here" She stood up slowly and seemed to intend leaving. But now it was Snape being in a frisky mood.

"Fine let's have a bet. Potions against transfigurations. You transform in whatever you think is effective and I hand you over something I consider as effective. The first one who loses control loses the bet"

She stood there motionless, looking slightly confused. Was that Severus Snape talking? More probably it was the whiskey talking out of Severus Snape. But still, was he serious?

"I wasn't aware how drunk you are", she said, with a slightly shaky voice.

"Afraid to lose a bet? The winner is taking the other once detentions for the next two month", he suggested.

He was getting seductive. Professor Doctor McGonagall became quite curious how this would end and she knew there was just one way to find out.

"I need a moment", she said and went to the bathroom.

Thank you for reading. Please let me know your opinion