Disclaimer:
It's JKR's world, I just play in it.
Sorry for the delay guys, I've been working on some stuff that's ahead of where we are now.
You'll notice a name change on ff.net - mainly it's because Allosia is NOT A MARY SUE, and I'm sick of this story getting mistaken for one because I was dumb enough to use her name for mine. So, it's back to Reive, which is my identity everywhere else. Were that I were Allosia, but if I resemble anyone in this tale, it's Severus, not her.
Anyway, a few chapters of slice of life humour and relaxation before we deal with more ISSUES. Wanted to capture a little of Snape's friendship with Hooch here. Actual plot advancement in the next chapter.
And now, on with the show......
---------
"You look tired," he said.
She scowled. "That's because I am tired, but I wish you wouldn't say things like that, especially when I've gotten dressed up," she said, clearly weary of having to explain this to Snape, yet again.
"It was an expression of concern," he stated simply.
"Yes, and how many people can tell when you're joking either?"
"I wasn't aware I should be cultivating an audience," he said, amusement creeping into his voice.
"You shouldn't," she said sharply, but with a smile.
He shook his head at her and called to Gabriel to hurry up before they were late to the Yule Ball. Gabriel ran into the sitting room at full force and crashed into Snape's legs. His father just looked down at him quizzically.
"I wanted to see if I could knock you over."
"Gabriel," he said gently, crouching down and placing a hand on the boy's back. "I assure you, neither of us want to find out if you can, alright?"
Gabriel nodded.
"Why did you want to?" Snape asked, suddenly curious. The boy shrugged. Allosia put a hand on his shoulder, a sign to let it drop, and so he stood and the three made their way to the Great Hall.
"It's nice not having to carry him anymore," Allosia said quietly, as the five year old ran into the Hall ahead of them.
"He's going to be a nightmare to keep and eye on in a couple of years, isn't he?" Snape asked.
Allosia nodded.
"I think he should start classes early," Snape said, bringing up the topic that refused to die.
"Severus, he's five. Five is six away from eleven. I don't think we even need to have this discussion right now."
"You're opposed to the idea."
"Probably, yes."
"So, I'm wearing down your resistance," he said with the slightest quirk of his lips, and swept away from her in the direction Gabriel had run off.
"As if I could ever resist you," she muttered, and wandered off to be social.
Snape found Gabriel idling practically in the middle of the Great Hall, which was unusual. On those occasions the boy did get unsure, or clingy, he always went to someone. He was not a creature that stood alone, in the open. It concerned Snape because it was so atypical, and something so new. It also wasn't very wise, but then, that wasn't the type of wisdom any five-year-old, even his, should have to have, especially in what was, essentially, his own home.
Snape approached his son slowly, from behind, and then it occurred to him to look at what the boy was looking at, which was Hana Hooch and Aaron Benedict having a very heated conversation. The boy must have gone to greet Hooch and then stopped when he saw or sensed the argument.
Hooch was furious, that was clear, and trying to keep her voice down, not entirely unsuccessfully. Bennedict was being condescending, something in his body language saying that he felt whatever she had to say was irrelevant. When he grabbed her wrist, Snape strode over to them, knowing that if he didn't intervene Hooch would knock Bennedict out with little remorse, and as amusing as he would have found that it probably wasn't appropriate entertainment for the occasion.
"Is everything alright here?" he drawled, gliding up to them, his son in tow. Hooch looked amused, Bennedict annoyed. When he got no response, Snape continued, "Surely you don't mean to show me up as the least festive being in Hogwarts? Because as little as I enjoy the holidays, I don't intend to spend them listening to Hana explain to me exactly why you deserved everything you got as she cleans your blood off her hands," he said arcing an eyebrow and fixing his gaze on the Charms teacher.
"I don't appreciate you interrupting a private conversation," he said.
"Considering our locale, I would hardly call it a private conversation. If you still feel the need to conduct it, I suggest you do it elsewhere, and at your own risk."
"Severus, thank you, but I can take care of myself," Hooch interjected, laying a hand on his arm.
"Of this, I have no doubt, it rather our new professor that concerns me."
"Oh, hi there, Professor Hemrand," Miriam Benedict said nervously, shifting the fussy baby in her arms.
Allosia could hardly believe that one of her former students was now living at Hogwarts as a faculty spouse. In all honesty, it disturbed her on a number of levels. As much as she could view Hermione as a peer, Miriam was just too young, in both age and tone for Allosia to believe the girl would ever change much.
"Miriam," Allosia said, not particularly feeling like making small talk.
"Are you looking for your husband?" she asked nervously.
"I wasn't particularly," she said, finding the question peculiar.
"Oh," she said, feeling awkward.
"Is it strange for you to be back here for a Yule Ball?" Allosia asked.
Miriam nodded excessively.
Allosia smiled awkwardly in response.
"Oh, well, I guess I should go find Aaron," she said, and walked away nervously.
Allosia shook her head and wandered through the hall.
"Just what in the hell was that about Hana?" Snape asked steering her towards the side of the hall and pitching his voice so Gabriel wouldn't hear.
Hana sighed and shrugged off Snape's grip.
He stopped then and arched an eyebrow at her.
"Severus," she said, sounding both weary and desperate.
"Oh tell me you're not that stupid," he said, and then looked down as Gabriel began to fidget. "Gabriel? Go find your mother, okay? I need to talk to Madam Hooch."
Gabriel nodded, and poked Hooch in the leg as he ran off.
"He's really darling Severus,"
"Thank you. Now, out with it," he said.
"You know me," she said.
"Yes, I do, now just tell me if Benedict was about to get himself slapped because you didn't want to sleep with him or you didn't want to sleep with him again," he said.
She laughed sharply. "Why do you care, Snape?"
"Because he's a bastard and I've been waiting for him to prove it."
Hooch rolled her eyes and shook her head. "And you're still sweet on me," she said with a smirk as she put her hands on her hips.
"I love you the way Lucius Malfoy would love his sister if he had one," he said leaning towards her and purring. Hana Hooch was one of the few people at Hogwarts who both understood and appreciated his somewhat unpleasant sense of humour.
"You're a foul beast, Severus," she said with a laugh pushing him away, "and I haven't the slightest idea how Allosia puts up with you."
"Ah, we both know that's a lie."
"Do you lay awake at night wonder what we discuss about you?" she asked mischeviously.
"I know what you two discuss about me," he said tersely. "I lay awake worrying about just who else you discuss it with."
Hooch thought of a few cruel barbs and decided to refrain. "I didn't sleep with him. I did something even stupider."
"Which was?" Snape asked as the horrifying possibilities spun out in front of him.
"I almost slept with him."
"And now he's all riled up with no where to go?" he asked with icy bemusement
Hooch nodded, trying not to look pleased with herself.
"Do you do these things intentionally Hana, or do you just not think?" he asked.
She narrowed her golden eyes at him.
"Never mind," he said. "Where's the child bride?"
"Somewhere looking lost, I'd suppose."
It was Snape's turn to give a sharp laugh. "They're not going to last out the year here, are they?" he said.
"I was rather hoping not," she replied.
It's JKR's world, I just play in it.
Sorry for the delay guys, I've been working on some stuff that's ahead of where we are now.
You'll notice a name change on ff.net - mainly it's because Allosia is NOT A MARY SUE, and I'm sick of this story getting mistaken for one because I was dumb enough to use her name for mine. So, it's back to Reive, which is my identity everywhere else. Were that I were Allosia, but if I resemble anyone in this tale, it's Severus, not her.
Anyway, a few chapters of slice of life humour and relaxation before we deal with more ISSUES. Wanted to capture a little of Snape's friendship with Hooch here. Actual plot advancement in the next chapter.
And now, on with the show......
---------
"You look tired," he said.
She scowled. "That's because I am tired, but I wish you wouldn't say things like that, especially when I've gotten dressed up," she said, clearly weary of having to explain this to Snape, yet again.
"It was an expression of concern," he stated simply.
"Yes, and how many people can tell when you're joking either?"
"I wasn't aware I should be cultivating an audience," he said, amusement creeping into his voice.
"You shouldn't," she said sharply, but with a smile.
He shook his head at her and called to Gabriel to hurry up before they were late to the Yule Ball. Gabriel ran into the sitting room at full force and crashed into Snape's legs. His father just looked down at him quizzically.
"I wanted to see if I could knock you over."
"Gabriel," he said gently, crouching down and placing a hand on the boy's back. "I assure you, neither of us want to find out if you can, alright?"
Gabriel nodded.
"Why did you want to?" Snape asked, suddenly curious. The boy shrugged. Allosia put a hand on his shoulder, a sign to let it drop, and so he stood and the three made their way to the Great Hall.
"It's nice not having to carry him anymore," Allosia said quietly, as the five year old ran into the Hall ahead of them.
"He's going to be a nightmare to keep and eye on in a couple of years, isn't he?" Snape asked.
Allosia nodded.
"I think he should start classes early," Snape said, bringing up the topic that refused to die.
"Severus, he's five. Five is six away from eleven. I don't think we even need to have this discussion right now."
"You're opposed to the idea."
"Probably, yes."
"So, I'm wearing down your resistance," he said with the slightest quirk of his lips, and swept away from her in the direction Gabriel had run off.
"As if I could ever resist you," she muttered, and wandered off to be social.
Snape found Gabriel idling practically in the middle of the Great Hall, which was unusual. On those occasions the boy did get unsure, or clingy, he always went to someone. He was not a creature that stood alone, in the open. It concerned Snape because it was so atypical, and something so new. It also wasn't very wise, but then, that wasn't the type of wisdom any five-year-old, even his, should have to have, especially in what was, essentially, his own home.
Snape approached his son slowly, from behind, and then it occurred to him to look at what the boy was looking at, which was Hana Hooch and Aaron Benedict having a very heated conversation. The boy must have gone to greet Hooch and then stopped when he saw or sensed the argument.
Hooch was furious, that was clear, and trying to keep her voice down, not entirely unsuccessfully. Bennedict was being condescending, something in his body language saying that he felt whatever she had to say was irrelevant. When he grabbed her wrist, Snape strode over to them, knowing that if he didn't intervene Hooch would knock Bennedict out with little remorse, and as amusing as he would have found that it probably wasn't appropriate entertainment for the occasion.
"Is everything alright here?" he drawled, gliding up to them, his son in tow. Hooch looked amused, Bennedict annoyed. When he got no response, Snape continued, "Surely you don't mean to show me up as the least festive being in Hogwarts? Because as little as I enjoy the holidays, I don't intend to spend them listening to Hana explain to me exactly why you deserved everything you got as she cleans your blood off her hands," he said arcing an eyebrow and fixing his gaze on the Charms teacher.
"I don't appreciate you interrupting a private conversation," he said.
"Considering our locale, I would hardly call it a private conversation. If you still feel the need to conduct it, I suggest you do it elsewhere, and at your own risk."
"Severus, thank you, but I can take care of myself," Hooch interjected, laying a hand on his arm.
"Of this, I have no doubt, it rather our new professor that concerns me."
"Oh, hi there, Professor Hemrand," Miriam Benedict said nervously, shifting the fussy baby in her arms.
Allosia could hardly believe that one of her former students was now living at Hogwarts as a faculty spouse. In all honesty, it disturbed her on a number of levels. As much as she could view Hermione as a peer, Miriam was just too young, in both age and tone for Allosia to believe the girl would ever change much.
"Miriam," Allosia said, not particularly feeling like making small talk.
"Are you looking for your husband?" she asked nervously.
"I wasn't particularly," she said, finding the question peculiar.
"Oh," she said, feeling awkward.
"Is it strange for you to be back here for a Yule Ball?" Allosia asked.
Miriam nodded excessively.
Allosia smiled awkwardly in response.
"Oh, well, I guess I should go find Aaron," she said, and walked away nervously.
Allosia shook her head and wandered through the hall.
"Just what in the hell was that about Hana?" Snape asked steering her towards the side of the hall and pitching his voice so Gabriel wouldn't hear.
Hana sighed and shrugged off Snape's grip.
He stopped then and arched an eyebrow at her.
"Severus," she said, sounding both weary and desperate.
"Oh tell me you're not that stupid," he said, and then looked down as Gabriel began to fidget. "Gabriel? Go find your mother, okay? I need to talk to Madam Hooch."
Gabriel nodded, and poked Hooch in the leg as he ran off.
"He's really darling Severus,"
"Thank you. Now, out with it," he said.
"You know me," she said.
"Yes, I do, now just tell me if Benedict was about to get himself slapped because you didn't want to sleep with him or you didn't want to sleep with him again," he said.
She laughed sharply. "Why do you care, Snape?"
"Because he's a bastard and I've been waiting for him to prove it."
Hooch rolled her eyes and shook her head. "And you're still sweet on me," she said with a smirk as she put her hands on her hips.
"I love you the way Lucius Malfoy would love his sister if he had one," he said leaning towards her and purring. Hana Hooch was one of the few people at Hogwarts who both understood and appreciated his somewhat unpleasant sense of humour.
"You're a foul beast, Severus," she said with a laugh pushing him away, "and I haven't the slightest idea how Allosia puts up with you."
"Ah, we both know that's a lie."
"Do you lay awake at night wonder what we discuss about you?" she asked mischeviously.
"I know what you two discuss about me," he said tersely. "I lay awake worrying about just who else you discuss it with."
Hooch thought of a few cruel barbs and decided to refrain. "I didn't sleep with him. I did something even stupider."
"Which was?" Snape asked as the horrifying possibilities spun out in front of him.
"I almost slept with him."
"And now he's all riled up with no where to go?" he asked with icy bemusement
Hooch nodded, trying not to look pleased with herself.
"Do you do these things intentionally Hana, or do you just not think?" he asked.
She narrowed her golden eyes at him.
"Never mind," he said. "Where's the child bride?"
"Somewhere looking lost, I'd suppose."
It was Snape's turn to give a sharp laugh. "They're not going to last out the year here, are they?" he said.
"I was rather hoping not," she replied.