Not mine of course. Just playing a bit. Please enjoy.

The importance of priorities

Severus had just settled himself on the sofa with a nice cup of steaming hot coffee and a book when someone knocked on the front door.

It was a quiet knock. The kind of knock that said 'I'm knocking because I have to but I really, really would like you to not hear this'.

Severus quickly doused some of the lights, changed his mothers' white china with floral pattern into black with a snakeprint. He then sat himself in a regal armchair with dark wood inlay, strategically placed in the darkest corner of the room. He changed the cover of his book to that of an obscure Potions text and, after taking a remorseful sip of coffee, changed the brew into something vile-smelling and obnoxious.

Another quiet knock on the door, this time more a hopeful 'don't be home'-scratching. Severus sneered to himself and triggered the door ward. The door opened with an ominous screech. He was proud of that screech. It had taken him days to find the perfect combination of charms, potions and rust to create just this screech.

It stayed silent outside. Perfect. Then came a somewhat tremulous voice: "Headmaster Snape? Sir?" Severus didn't answer. Two young wizards, ex-students of his, currently working as administrative staff in the Department of Magical Education, came into the darkly-lit living room, looking like they wanted to be somewhere else. Preferably somewhere very far away from him. He gave them a pointed once-over and stared at their faces until one turned beet-red and looked down and the other started biting his lip like a naughty schoolboy caught during a prank. Severus arched an eyebrow and smirked evilly.

"Yes?" He purred.

The two men looked at each other, each clearly trying to tell the other to start by using eyebrows and frowning. Beet-red lost. "Headmaster Snape, the board of governors requests, umm, invites you to an extra meeting..."Beet-red trailed off, seeing Severus' expression turn darker. Severus saw his fingers shake marginally with tremors. Good. "About what?" Severus snapped.

"The board has some questions about the budget." Schoolboy manfully said, "Nothing too serious, you understand," he hastened to add, "But the board..."

"Good, if it isn't serious, it can wait until the regular meeting at the end of the month." Severus cut him off. "Good day gentlemen." he added pointedly and returned to his book. Beet-red shuffled his feet. Severus glared at him and let his fingers visibly creep to his wand. "Was there anything else?" Severus asked sweetly. The kind of honeysweet that made you nauseous just by thinking about it. Beet-red swallowed and turned a shade darker. "Uhm, right" he said and looked deploringly at his companion. Schoolboy coughed nervously. Severus turned his glare to him and upped the strength a bit. Schoolboy was an ex-Gryffindor and definitely needed an extra incentive to scram. Severus stood slowly, making his robe flow ominously around him. "We'll inform the board and be on our way," Schoolboy said brightly before he could do more than take one step towards them. "Good day, headmaster!" he took Beet-reds arm and pulled him to the door. A minute later the door slammed shut with another ear-piercing shreek.

"One point to Gryffindor for finally showing some sense" Severus said smugly to the air.

"That was really not very nice, Severus," Albus said from his portrait in the corner. "I'm not nice" Severus snapped back. He restored the decor to its original state. "If I didn't behave like this, they'd never give me a moment's peace." Severus sat back in his original place on the sofa. "At least, those who didn't die of heart failure at my change in behaviour, of course."

"Yes , well, the Hogwarts budget is important," Albus said. "So is this," Severus said, "Do you want me to continue or not?"

"Of course Severus," Albus smiled. He settled back in his chair and popped another lemon drop in his mouth.

Severus grunted, tucked his feet under him and read out loud:

"'...A startling thought this, that a woman could handle business matters as well or better than a man, a revolutionary thought to Scarlett who had been reared in the tradition that men were omniscient and women none too bright...*"

* Margareth Mitchell, Gone with the wind, chapter 36

A/N: I changed the original text a bit. I'm still not completely satisfied but I'm leaving it like this.