Chapter Four – Pomona Sprout
Pomona Sprout stood in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts, glaring at the large pink flowers decorating the walls. Once more, she shook her head.
Pomona liked flowers. She loved them, Merlin's beard, she was the Herbology Professor. But these lurid pink things were not flowers. They were childish, kitschy, tasteless ornaments that only passed for flowers because that was the shape they resembled most.
Of course, Lockhart had created them. If he had only asked for her help, she might actually have done him the favour. She could have created large, yet tasteful roses, and maybe a garland of clematis climbing up the railing of the stairs… or how about hyacinths? She had succeeded in growing some giant ones, in a very beautiful shade of pink at that, but Goldilocks had not even asked for her opinion.
Instead, he had acted as though he was a horticulture expert as well, and now they were stuck with huge, pink paper flowers that looked as though a dim-witted giant-child had cut them out of cardboard. Just to think, they were symmetrical… everyone knew orchids were the only symmetrical flowers in the world, save the special fanged geraniums she had bred last summer, but Goldilocks would not know about these, would he?
"Pomona?" a crisp voice called.
Pomona turned around and saw the Deputy Headmistress return from her evening rounds.
"I am going to go upstairs to the library and return the Journal. Do you want to come along and check it out?"
Ah, yes, the Old England Journal. Minerva had mentioned a recent study about transfiguring plant seeds and then actually getting them to take root and grow a little, really a quite fascinating project. No one had succeeded in that before.
Just thinking about the possibilities with that new branch of magic made Pomona's head spin. One could prevent the dying-out of rare plant species, maybe even re-create some that had died out already. Imagine the gigantic, tree-like Lycopodiophyta from the Paleozoic Era in a Hogwarts greenhouse… Pomona definitely had to read about that study, but she did not quite feel like climbing up all the stairs to the library.
"Sure," she replied nevertheless, knowing that Minerva would never just give her the journal.
"You know, Minerva, you could just give it to me and spare us both walking up the stairs. I am positive that for once, Irma would not mind if I read a paper that is checked out under your name…"
"I did not make the rules," Minerva replied, exactly as Pomona had expected.
Pomona grinned. Someone was in a bad mood after patrolling the hallways this evening…
"You know, you did break two school rules last year… major ones, if I recall correctly," she continued to tease her friend.
"That was absolutely justified," Minerva retorted just when they entered the library.
But Pomona did not listen to her any more. She had spotted Goldilocks Lockhart back in the Restricted Section of the library, together with another man... a dark-clad wizard… Merlin, this could only be…
"Absolutely. Pomona, it was about Quidditch. Even Severus understood that. I talked to Dumbledore and he –"
Pomona unceremoniously grabbed Minerva's arm and pulled the tall witch with her, quickly hiding behind the nearest book-shelf. The Deputy Headmistress started protesting, but Pomona made her shut up.
"Look," she exclaimed, pointing to the two men trough a gap in the books arranged on the shelf.
Minerva had now also seen the two men and a smile spread on her face. This more than the hilarious scene in front of them made Pomona almost laugh out loud. She had to bite her hand – hard! – to prevent an outburst of laughter.
"You are disgusting," Severus spat at Goldilocks.
"Let me show you what 'Magical Me' is all about…" the blond wizard purred in reply.
"So that is what this Valentine's Day was all about," Minerva commented dryly.
Lockhart made his move. He jumped at the other wizard, pushed Severus against the wall and moaned – Pomona had to bite her hand even harder – and then actually tried to kiss the Potions Master. Severus pushed him away in the very last second.
Pomona exchanged a look with Minerva and saw the other witch shake her head in disbelief.
"He tried to kiss him. I can't believe it, Goldilocks tried to kiss Severus…"
Minerva grinned, too – a very rare sight. Rarer even than seeing Severus involved with another being, which was not entirely unheard of. Pomona would always remember that Christmas five years ago when Sybill had had one sherry too much and Severus had had to be very quick to not get entangled in her many shawls…
Actually, it was strange enough that Severus did not desperately get away from Lockhart. True, Goldilocks still blocked his way out of the Restricted Section, but Pomona had not expected gentlemanly polite behaviour from Severus in a situation like this. She would already have hexed Goldilocks into the next millennium, or at least have vanished his golden hair.
"Why doesn't he get away, though?" she asked Minerva.
"Lockhart still is standing in his way… I suppose he does not want to touch him again."
"I was under the impression that Severus is a wizard, and a very short-tempered one at that. Why doesn't he just blast Goldilocks away?"
Minerva shrugged and looked around; then she pointed to the nearest table.
"His wand… He's not carrying his wand."
"You mean he's helpless? Oooh, this is so funny," Pomona sniggered.
She looked at the two men again. Goldilocks had regained most of his self-composure, in fact Pomona had the definite feeling that he would not give up that easily. Judging by the look on Severus's face, this could get nasty.
"Think we should help him?" she asked. "Before he loses his temper and they really start fighting?"
"What, do you think Goldil-, I mean Lockhart, will try again?"
Pomona shot another look at the two wizards. Lockhart was already moving in again, muttering some nonsense about Severus's passion.
"Obviously, yes," she said. "Like, would you not try to kiss Severus if you ever had the chance?"
"Pomona! I would not dream of that, he's forty years younger than I am… and about thirty years younger than you are, by the way."
A-ha! She had hit a nerve. Pomona had always suspected that her friend privately agreed that Severus was, in a way, quite handsome.
"That's not the point. I just meant hypothetically, if there ever was an occasion. I would, but if you want to be boring again..."
Minerva watched the two men closely. Yes, Goldilocks would definitely try one more time. Pomona almost felt sorry for Severus, almost.
"What if we did help him?" Minerva whispered.
"Then Severus would owe us a favour, which is always a good thing," Pomona decided.
"But I wonder what we could do. If we just interrupt them, Goldilocks will just try again at another time, he'd never admit he was wrong. And then Severus would have his wand on him…"
Maybe they just ought to interrupt the two men, and then in a few days drop a remark that Severus was dating someone else. But who? It needed to be a likely story, if they wanted to convince Prince Horny Charming of the fact that Severus was not interested in men…
"Here, hold these," Minerva suddenly said, giving Pomona her glasses.
The tall witch had stood up and re-arranged her robes.
"How do I look?" she asked in the voice of a girl before her first date.
"What?"
Pomona did not quite listen to her, she was looking at the two wizards again. She could hardly believe her eyes. Goldilocks had grabbed the front of Severus's coat and pulled the other man closer to him. With surprising strength, he held Severus in his embrace and actually kissed him. Severus fought tooth and nail to get the other man away, but Goldilocks was surprisingly strong. No wonder, most likely the man kept to a strict diet and exercised every day.
"Minerva, you always look good, what does that have to do with –"
Severus had succeeded in freeing his face and held the other wizard at arm's length away. Then, with a cruel smile, he slammed Lockhart against the nearest book-shelf.
Ouch. Pomona knew that must have hurt.
"Careful, Severus…" Lockhart gasped. "Careful, just kiss me, you fool…"
The idiot. He just could not fathom that there were people in this world who were not in love with him.
The library door slammed shut behind Pomona. Minerva was acting as though she had just entered the room, but the two men did not notice her.
"What are you going to do?" Pomona wanted to know.
"Make sure that Severus owes me a favour," Minerva answered. "You had a good point there… two very good points, in fact."
Then she unfastened the top button of her robes and tousled her hair a little. Pomona looked at her friend disbelievingly. Had the whole world gone crazy now? Minerva even took a handful of that awful confetti and arranged them on her plain black robes.
"You stay here," she ordered. "And shut up, you hear me?"
Pomona nodded, temporarily lost for words.
"Severus? Severus, are you there?" Minerva crooned.
No, this was not Minerva any more. Minerva did not talk like that. Minerva did not walk like that, with slow, deliberate movements, swaying her hips and grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
The two wizards had finally noticed her. Goldilocks immediately tried to tidy his hair. Severus just stared at Minerva.
"I knew I'd find you here," she said softly. "Severus, Gilderoy, you have not quarrelled again, have you?"
Goldilocks turned to Minerva importantly. Pomona was not quite sure, but for a second she thought she had seen Severus mouth 'help me' to Minerva – but nay, that had to be her own mind playing tricks on her. Severus would never ask for help, especially not from a Gryffindor.
"Not at all, Minerva," Goldilocks declared. "You have only interrupted a very intense discussion about something I have wanted to question Severus about for a while."
"Oh, I am so sorry, Gilderoy," Minerva replied.
"So sorry, but I think tonight I cannot let you go on with academic discussions. It is Valentine's Day, after all. – Severus, you have not forgotten about our little rendezvous, have you?"
Severus stared blankly at the Deputy Headmistress.
Minerva smiled, and warmly muttered something like "Honestly, dear…" before moving closer to him.
Then she put her right hand on Severus's shoulder, stood on tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Still smiling, she brushed a strand of his hair out of his face.
"You won't take too long with your discussion, will you?" she asked timidly.
Pomona had to bite her hand again. This was precious. She had known that Minerva was a rather good actress – really, every good teacher needed that skill – but this was rich. Pomona felt more laughing tears on her face.
Severus had by now mastered command of his voice again. He put his left arm around Minerva's waist and pulled her closer.
"Of course not," he said. "As a matter of fact, I was just telling Lockhart here that I really needed to go now."
Lockhart gasped.
"I apologise I kept you waiting," Severus went on, in a warmer voice than Pomona had ever before heard of him. "You are not angry with me, are you?"
"Not at all," Minerva purred.
She looked at the younger man with trembling eyelashes, while Severus gently brushed some of the pink confetti out of her hair. They seemed totally oblivious of everything going on around them.
"You – are?" Goldilocks panted.
"Didn't you know?" Minerva chirped.
"No! No, I didn't know – "
Goldilocks actually blushed when he looked at Severus again. Severus replied with a disdainful stare.
"Obviously," he said.
Pomona suppressed another laugh.
"But you are the Heads of Gryffindor and Slytherin," Lockhart managed to say.
"So?" Minerva said, now turning around. Severus still had his arm around her waist and she snuggled against him.
"You know, there is no Hogwarts rule saying we have to hate each other just because we are the Heads of rivalling Houses."
"But you are so much older than him!"
"Ouch," Minerva said softly.
Severus tightened his grip around her waist.
"You apologise to the lady right this second!" he ordered Lockhart. "The age difference between us may be unusual, but you certainly cannot deny that Minerva is the most beautiful witch in Hogwarts."
Goldilocks stared at Minerva and muttered an apology. Pomona grinned again while her friend once more spun around in Severus's arms and beamed at him.
"That wasn't necessary, but so nice of you," she whispered. "You are always such a gentleman."
"It's simply the truth," Severus replied, and for some reason Pomona knew that he was not acting.
Gilderoy Lockhart stared at the couple in front of him. Severus now kissed Minerva's forehead, then he gently let go of her.
"I'll just wait for you in my rooms, alright?" Minerva asked.
"See you in a minute," Severus answered.
Minerva smiled again and danced two steps away from the Potions Master, still holding his hand. Severus returned the smile and stretched his arm out, as though he wanted to maintain the physical contact as long as possible.
"I still don't believe this!" Goldilocks burst out.
Severus's hand fastened around Minerva's. With a quick movement, he pulled her back and caught her in his arms when she almost lost her balance.
"How could anyone not believe this?" he asked hoarsely.
He took Minerva's face between both of his hands and kissed her passionately.
She responded with equal fervour, and moaned softly when his hands trailed down her back. Pomona thought that Severus whispered something when he pulled the Deputy Headmistress closer, but she didn't quite catch the meaning. Not that it wasn't obvious. The couple swayed on the spot, apparently unconcerned if anyone was watching them.
Goldilocks looked at the couple open-mouthed, but now obviously convinced that they indeed were lovers. Pomona was sure her own facial expression was just as stupid as Lockhart's. Personally she was not so sure any more if these two were acting at all. That passion looked real enough…
Then she heard a cough on her left and turned around. Filius Flitwick stood in the library door, had apparently been standing there for a while already…
