Les Sylphides, chapter 8: Whatever, Albus

by flax, June 2003

JK Rowling owns the characters. They're only in this daydream for a profitless romp. :)

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Snape stood in Albus' office, and was sure that Faulks was laughing. Which did not help his mood any, either. Snape was unsteady enough on his legs that he leaned on a wall and waited, feeling something between humiliation, weariness, and general ire at the dang happy bird.

"Severus? I guess it could have been worse," came the familiar old voice as Snape rolled his eyes, his head, his neck, and all sorts of other anatomy over which he had awkward control. He only meant to roll his eyes.

Dumbledore was in a dressing gown, and cheerily heating up some water for tea. He greeted Fawlks who seemed nonplused now that Dumbledore had arrived. Severus dearly wished he could growl. The whole braying thing didn't do it for him.

"As I don't have a trough, I expect you'll forgive me for forgoing offering you tea just this moment? But perhaps you'd like a lemon drop?" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled into Severus' grumpy ones and the donkey simply sniffed. And swayed in a general negative response. "Well then, let's have a look at you," said the headmaster, finally focusing on the issue at hand to Severus' relief. Dumbledore walked around his friend, patting him gently on the back and running his fingers through the tiny mane.

Severus pawed the ground. And then glared at his hoof. This was not how he liked to protest.

Dumbledore laughed and crossed to be in front of Snape. "There are a few ways we could do this, as you know. You can drink some light which remained after the Sylph ceremony, or you could let me hack through the transfiguration the old fashioned way. Which means exactly what it sounds like. Melusina is a competent hand with the curses."

Snape glared, sighed and made a gesture as if he'd decided. "The light?" asked Dumbledore and Snape huffed a yes motion.

"Poppy could hack the curse off a bit more gently, I suspect," added Dumbledore, to which Snape generally made the no motion, swaying his head.

"The light it is," said Dumbledore, going into his closet for the small cup of light which had remained dancing around in the eves of the great hall after the ball had ended. "Do you want the whole speech about new beginnings and fresh starts? I could clear a space for you to do the traditional Quadrille that goes with this..." teased the headmaster, while holding the cup down for Snape to lap up. The donkey glared before drinking, and soon began the morph back into his own body, dressed for bed and feeling a bit stressed.

Snape sat, getting his bearings back, while Dumbledore poured and served the tea. Then he took a seat himself.

"Do you want personal advice?" asked the headmaster, rhetorically.

Snape didn't even give a response, wrapping himself in the tea and comfort of companionship.

"I assume you'll be ok with her joining us here this summer," said Snape finally.

"I'll be delighted. And I promise not to dredge the pond while she's molting this time."

Snape laughed. "I don't expect the two of you to sprout new personalities on my behalf."

"So what happened?" asked the headmaster.

"I think she finally understood what a threat Voldemort was. You know there were two sylphs killed late last year."

"I didn't realize the sylphs connected that back to Voldemort."

"They don't. Melusina does."

"So divorcing you?"

"She was always one for dramatics when she is actually scared."

"The two of you were adorable during the courtship."

Snape glared over his tea cup. There were few people who got to say that to him. But no one got to say it without the glare. Too bad it had no effect on Dumbledore who simply chuckled. Old friends. How many did he have left? Albus, Melusina, Minerva, a handful of the old school network. The war had fractured them all, dividing even friends.

"I wouldn't listen too closely to the Bean Nighe," mentioned Albus.

"I never listen to people giving me personal advice," growled Severus.

"Good!" replied Albus with a mischievous smile. "So how did the hex take? I hear it was a [i]luuuuuuuuv[/i] trigger."

Snape groaned and sank into the chair. The night just got worse. "How well known is that?" he asked.

"A few students, don't worry. I don't think it's going anywhere, and they don't need to know that it worked out."

"Good. And it wasn't love."

"Really? Do tell a vicariously interested old friend."

"Nothing to tell," he muttered, finishing his tea.

"I didn't hear that clearly," said the headmaster.

"I didn't say it clearly," said the potions master.

Dumbledore just smiled merrily. "I could guilt trip you," he said.

"Not on this," said Snape with a glare.

A pause dragged on.

"Why do you want to know?" asked Snape.

"You are a friend of mine. You are like a son to me," started Dumbledore, waving at Snape as if to silence him while all the man did was roll his eyes. "I think you have a chance at domestic bliss. And I don't want to leave you tied up in knots in the face of trying to straighten things out with your wife."

"Ex wife."

"She never actually performed the final ritual."

"Oh, lovely."

"Yes, indeed. That whole spitting on a person in life sized effigy is hard to miss. I'm pretty sure I would have seen it if happened."

"She sent a dream that put me through her version of our marriage, ending with the to-do on the balcony, where she, I believe, was upset not for my mistaking another woman for her, which I allow was pretty bad, but rather that I broke up with that other woman so peaceably."

"A break up which she told you in advance to provide on cue."

"You're bringing up logic."

"Melusina tends to be very logical. Except maybe about you."

"Well, there is that. And when I got annoyed in the dream and tossed, oh did you know it was Miss Granger?, tossed the false Melusina out, the hex took."

"Why do you think that was?" asked the headmaster, himself thinking it through. "Love for Melusina? or some affections for Miss Granger. Is that what miffed Melusina?"

"Please," said Snape cringing. "To the students we are no more than replacement authorities as they grow out of needing such."

"Doesn't quite answer the question. And I assure you that you don't want to hear this from me."

Snape thought. And then paused horrified. Dumbledore refilled his tea cup.

"Is Melusina going to resent my students?" he asked with a trace of fear.

"No. But I would recommend letting her get to know them somewhat."

Snape blinked at Dumbledore with a trace of surprise.

"It's time to give up the old superstitions ... do you really need me to give this speech now?" asked Dumbledore. Assuming a no answer, which Snape wasn't up for giving, Dumbledore continued. "Those potion majors of yours get together about once a month - she might enjoy some of those meetings. I believe they like you and bitch about you."

"You old fiend."

"Ah, you see how it can work out."

"I never like being so needy, Albus," said Severus, beginning to leave.

"Your portkey has teeth marks," mentioned Dumbledore, carefully picking it up in a napkin and handing it over. "And if an old lady friend of mine ever cared enough to turn me into a donkey, I'd be braying at your door at any hour of the night."

"Yes, but somehow I imagine you'd be gleeful about it."

"Of course! It means she cares!"

The two men shared a smile, the one open and the other under cover of glare, and then Severus charmed himself robes and took himself off, back to his rooms. The long way, as he had some thinking to do.