I am a first time writer so I live for comments; please let me know what you think!
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It was a Saturday in early October, so most of the older students were making their way to Hogsmeade to indulge themselves in warming butterbeer and whatever swill that they served at Madam Puddifoot's. The week following a Hogsmeade visit was always filled with Zonko's products and students sneaking sugar quills into class. Meaning Severus was usually pretty booked supervising detentions for the next week.
Funnily enough, Severus too found himself making the trek to the small wizarding village. He had been scammed if you asked him. Minerva had caught him in the teacher's lounge on his initially productive Friday evening.
He was enjoying a nice cup of tea and hoping to finish his grading for the weekend early. Perhaps Severus was getting soft, as he typically assigned the students enough scrolls that would take him all of Saturday to finish critiquing. Red spidery scrawl covered most of the essays, here and there he saw glimpses of hope in his students. The Potions Master was dipping his quill to mark the last of the papers, when the his fellow head of house took a seat in the wing backed chair to his right, settling herself in to be warmed by the fire. She let out an audible purr at warmth.
"Severus, How are you doing this evening? Must you always be working?" She asked taking note of the sizable stack of parchment in front of him.
"Actually Minerva, yes. I need to constantly review for your Gryffindors, it is rather tiresome."
She scoffed. Internally chuckling at the inter-house rivalry. She accio-ed a bottle from the cabinet behind them pouring two hefty glasses of scotch. The glass flew to Severus' hand fitting in next to the red doused quill. "Well there goes the plan for retiring early. I was just about done anyways I guess." Despite what Severus might outwardly portray he rather enjoyed the competition between Minerva and himself.
When he first joined the Order all those years ago Minerva had made a valiant attempt to befriend him, maybe it was out of guilt for the neglect he received when he was a student. But despite his usual pride it felt good to have a friend, they were in extremely low supply for the dour potions master.
Severus lifted the glass and felt the burn of the amber liquid down his throat. He typically didn't drink, it wasn't safe for a spy to lessen their inhibitions. But he had been called for a meeting the previous night and after the headache he'd been fighting all day, he deemed that a couple of glasses with Minerva wouldn't put his position of double agent in jeopardy.
"How did those essays look? I mustn't have assigned enough summer work for my third years are pretty rusty. Or maybe they were too busy focusing on their potions essay to pay much mind to transfiguration?"
"That definitely cannot be the case as most of these were marginally better than troll level. The only way to go from here though is up. I suppose would be something I could say if I were an optimist, however I am not."
The transfiguration professor gave a light chuckle levitating the bottle to top off their glasses.
"The Ministry Mole seems to be settling in." She said but not before eyeing the room to ensure they were truly alone and casting a charm for good measure.
"That she does." Severus relaxed into their comfortable gossip. "She questioned my pursuit of the defense job in front of one of my classes. Then had the mind to change her tune as she must think I could be useful in time. No doubt she was made aware of my own connections within the ministry." He finished with a mock air of sophistication, wiggling his eyebrowns.
As Minerva finished off her glass she received a smirk from the young potions instructor, the man she considered a son.
"Say, how about a game of chess or gobstones? I've been in the gambling mood." She said as her cheeks colored with her drink.
This should be easy he thought as Minerva appeared to be feeling her liquor. "Okay, what's the wager? A couple sprigs of catnip?"
She ignored his jab. "Supervising the trip to Hogsmeade tomorrow for me, and if you win I'll oversee your detentions for the next week. Hmm, I've decided I like my chances best with gobstones."
…
Severus recalled just how well Minerva played for having consumed as much as she did and it didn't add up. So here he was, in the cold wind walking down to Hogsmeade among the laughing youth.
He told Minerva he needed some new quills anyway to lessen his defeat, so his first stop was Scrivenshaft's. A crowd of Hufflepuffs made note of the grumpy professor as he made his was in. The students reduced their volume and giggles and finished their shopping efficiently.
As the shop worker was totaling up his items Snape's eyes wandered out the windows to the street outside. The wind was really picking up and passersby tightened their scarves and stuffed their chilled hands into their pockets. He then noticed a pair of Gryffindors slinking their way towards the quieter section of the village. This wouldn't do. They are likely on their way to do some necking, as teenagers always seemed inclined to do. He paid for his items and shrunk them, putting them in his coat pocket as he nodded to the clerk, his intimidating scowl already in place.
Outside, he lagged behind his prey to avoid their notice. They turned the corner and approached the dumpy Hog's Head. Now what would two Gryffindors be doing in such a seedy place? This no longer seemed like two randy teens, so without another thought the professor disillusioned himself and applied a notice me not charm and slipped in the door as the breeze held it open a fraction of a moment longer behind the trouble making students.
He was unsure what he was walking into, but even more surprised when his eyes caught on nothing less than the Golden Trio among a group of varying houses. Well this makes things more interesting. None of my Slytherins, as to be expected. He took a seat in the corner taking care as to not make a sound. He then took inventory of the other occupants of the establishment. Two hags who he assumed were drinking something much stronger than pumpkin juice. A dreadful looking woman, whom by the shimmer of her face was concealing her identity. And a man covered in bandages barely able to nurse his drink, despite looking like he really needed it.
He settled in to his seat to see what this was all about. When the person he least expected to the be instigator of this crowd stood up. Miss Granger. She looked around the shabby pub at the other patrons nervously and decidedly found her nerve. "You all know why we are here. The ministry is interfering in our education."
Of course Granger would insight a mob for the integrity of her education. If he weren't a trained spy he would have audibly scoffed. But she was right, the Dark Lord was gaining strength and her desire to not be a sitting duck was refreshing. I wonder if this is what the Headmaster had assigned the Granger girl months ago in Grimmald Place?
"We aren't learning to pass our OWLS or defend ourselves." She continued more sure of herself. "And we need a teacher."
Everyone in the pub turned to the boy who lived, who seemed surprised of the groups attention. Surely he couldn't truly be surprised as this little group must have been his idea, to bask in the spotlight. But who knew the boy could produce a corporeal Patronus charm? He had heard something about it before but never put much stock into it. Despite Snape's bias the spitting image of James Potter handled the questions about the Diggory boy with much tact. Having heard about the gruesome scene from his fellow Death Eaters regarding that night in the cemetery.
Snape decided to see how this would play out as the students weren't technically breaking any official school rules. He filed away his new intel and left the bar unseen. Heading back to the bustling streets of Hogsmeade to fulfill his lost bet to Minerva.
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My Favorite Book: Goblet of Fire
My Favorite Movie: Order of the Phoenix
The last book/ movies can't be compared as they tie it all up. Thoughts?
There will be more Snape and Hermione interaction in the coming chapters, I promise.