Prompts:
Characters: Severus, Hermione
Object: Kerosene
Emotion: Timid
"Are you sure about this, Severus?" Hermione sniffed the bottle cautiously, then jerked away, her nostrils burning.
"Totally. And if I find which one of the little darlings gave me this …"
"Good luck with that. The plague is all around the school. Every dorm is affected. Some of the teachers are taking to wearing their formal wizarding hats, but I don't think it'll help. So – are you ready?" He might be, but she wasn't sure if she was.
"As ready as I ever will be." Severus sat bolt upright on the stool, which was carefully placed in the middle of a layer of newspaper a metre in radius. His top bare, he had a towel placed around his shoulders which he held together at the front. "You may as well start. You cannot hurt me with this. This will not go away of its own accord."
Hermione sighed and started pouring the contents of the bottle on his hair. Within moments, it looked greasier than it ever had, if that was at all possible The liquid dripped down, falling in thick viscous drops that landed on the newspaper and rendered it transparent. She poured a cup's worth, then stopped, and pulled on plastic gloves. The comb she grasped was built for purpose, its teeth incredibly close together, and she felt her nervousness rise as she started by dividing the hair into sections and then combing from the roots to the ends.
Severus felt his shoulders relax in a way they hadn't for ages. Perhaps once this was all over, he could persuade her to comb his hair for other reasons. But for now, he concentrated on the sensations of the comb gliding through his hair.
Hermione finished one section and grimaced as she carefully inspected the comb. "So many bodies. I would classify this less as an infestation and more of a complete colonisation. How did you know this would work though?"
"Not all things require special potions, Hermione. There is nothing like kerosene for getting rid of hair lice."