An: This is a present for Yen, which she has already personally received and then beta'ed for me. Thank you for being around and for being you … Enjoy your month!
If you have not read YenGirl "An Unexpected Interruption", you might really need to do so to understand this one. That tale was the beginning of this entire Universe.
A Sunday Ritual
It was almost one in the afternoon on a lazy, hot Sunday.
Behind the shutters, Annamarie and Melody watched the street in anticipation. They both knew their two most eccentric customers should be turning up soon; they came every Sunday during the lunch hour, and were the main reason Annamarie and Melody kept working this time slot even though the manager had long ago offered to change their shift.
Over the year last two years, they had become immune to the eccentricities of those two gentlemen. The elder's grandfatherly ways, both the good type and the bad type – they had seen him subtly threaten the younger; the younger's scowls, glares, and the care he took with the elder. Their first visit had shocked them though. Annamarie would never forget what it was like to wash a customer's hair while being glared at by them. Not one customer had been able to ruffle her since then. Nothing, not even the loudest complaints or the noisiest rants could top that smouldering black and sullen glare. She was still grateful that the elder of the two had taken over her task that day.
Yes, Albus and Severus might be different from any other customer Annamarie and Melody ever served, but they were their customers. No one, not even the manager had met the two, and they wanted to keep it that way. Which was why they sent Brittany out to get lunch.
"Melody, the screen? Where is it?" Annamarie nodded towards the last black vinyl seat at the back of the shop that they had screened off when their last customer left fifteen minutes ago.
"It was there. Maybe Brittany moved it before she left? I'll go put it back." Quickly moving to the storage closet, Melody found and pulled out the old dressing room screen for the second time. The panel wood was dark with lighter carved wood surrounding them. She had found it in an estate sale and knew at first sight that their two strangest customers would love it. She had been right. The older man's bright blue eyes had twinkled, and the younger man had given it a look with one raised eyebrow but didn't say a word. His glare was noticeably absent starting that day.
Just as Melody returned to the front, the door opened, the bell tinkling merrily, and the elder of the pair entered the shop. Both girls were surprised when the door closed behind him.
"Albus, where is Severus?" Melody was already gesturing toward the screened off section.
Albus smiled, his eyes sparkling as usual. "He stopped at a newsstand, but I am sure he will be here momentarily."
The bell tinkled again just as he finished speaking and Severus walked through. He gave a quick nod to both girls before heading back to the area that was reserved for them.
The bell tinkled for the third time and a gasp from the blond who entered caught everyone's attention. The young lady was obviously an employee by the smock she was wearing.
Albus nodded once to her and turned back to picking out the shampoo he wanted to try, Severus glared, and both Annamarie and Melody sighed.
"That was not very professional, Brittany." Melody tried not to show her aggravation as she picked up the darkest barber's cape that they had and walked towards the back. Dropping it onto the vinyl chair, she picked up the floral patterned one and was about to put it away when Severus spoke.
"Leave it, Albus will need it today." Severus picked up the dark one and hung it on one of the edges of the screen.
"I will?" Albus looked at the chair and back to Severus.
"Yes. Have a seat." Turning slightly, Severus looked at the three girls, two of whom were not quite as dimwitted as they were the first time he and Albus had come. "Annamarie, I would like a shampoo that is less citrusy."
Moving past the blinking Brittany, Annamarie looked through their shelf of shampoo bottles, trying to find one that matched Severus' request. "Here, this one has coconut oil in it, will that work?"
Unscrewing the lid, Severus sniffed at its contents, his dark eyes unfocused as he determined the ingredients. Nodding once, he replaced the lid and set it down on a mobile shelf beside the chair. Through the mirror he could see Albus' eyes twinkling at him as he settled comfortably into his seat.
"Hold your beard up, Albus."
With a practised move that was very nearly a flourish, Severus had the barber's cape around the Headmaster's shoulders and securely clipped. "Here, something to read."
A dog eared copy of British Archaeology dropped into Albus' lap. "Maybe you will see one of your acquaintances in there."
"Honestly, my dear Severus, I doubt it. I am not that old."
Severus snorted lightly. Pouring a generous amount of the fragrant white shampoo into his palm, he worked it into the long white hair before adding water squirted from a squeeze bottle.
"Why is he washing his friend's hair? Aren't we supposed to be doing that?" Brittany shook her head and moved towards the two men but Severus' glare stopped her in her tracks.
"Don't worry, Brittany, they will be just fine on their own." Melody ushered the new girl back to the counter while Annamarie adjusted the screen to provide the two with even more privacy. She was rewarded with a smile from the elder and a nod from the younger.
With their privacy assured, Severus dug his fingers into the fine white tresses, working down to the scalp. Starting near the front, he massaged the tight scalp and let his fingers move along the muscles above the forehead and ears, working out the tension that came from the hours of paper work and school politics until he was firmly massaging Albus' neck and shoulders.
The blue eyes had closed at one point, the magazine left open and forgotten in their owner's lap, a sight that made Severus nod in satisfaction. He took his time and eventually moved back up the scalp, lathering every strand. Judging the distance between the chair and the rinse basins, Severus wondered if he could subtly float the chair there. Whenever Albus washed his hair, he never wanted to walk that small distance. Knowing he could not break the Statute of Secrecy, he helped Albus over. There, he thoroughly rinsed the white hair, making sure every tress was clean before massaging in the matching conditioner Melody slipped over to hand him and rinsing that out as well. Just as carefully, he helped Albus back to the original chair to towel dry the majority of the water out of the sodden hair. Albus stopped him when he went for the hairdryer.
"That, Severus, was the best hair wash I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing," Albus said, rolling his head from side to side with a wide smile. "Now, it is your turn."
Pulling himself out of the seat, Albus waved Severus into his former spot. On the other side of the screen, he could hear other customers babbling away with the shop's girls.
Severus settled down and pulled out his Potions Periodical with the air of a man about to enjoy a well-deserved treat. He had made it a point to brew his more pungent smelling potions on Sunday mornings if they were needed – it might not be a pleasant way to start the day, but his afternoons with Albus made up for it.
Albus smiled at Melody who had poked her head around the screen. "We are halfway through, dear," he told her as he started lathering up Severus' hair.
"We are not that busy. Just let us know when you are done." Waving at them, Melody returned to the other side of the screen.
Albus smiled as he started working the lemony shampoo through the dark tresses. It didn't take him long to have Severus just as contented as he had been a few minutes before.
It was almost forty-five minutes before they walked out of the shop. Glancing back at the small out-of-the-way place, Albus was glad that he had convinced Severus that multiple Obliviates were damaging to the brain whether their owner was Muggle or not, and that the poor girls didn't need that. They had a place outside of Hogwarts that was comfortable for both of them.