TITLE: After Graduation
RATING: PG
KEYWORDS: HP/SM - SM/HP
PAIRINGS: UT/SS - SS/UT
SUMMARY: After Voldemort has been defeated and the Dream Team graduates what does Albus Dumbledore do?
AUTHOR: Sarhea
EMAIL: sarhea2020@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: Major characters in this story are owned by their respective creators/companies. I do not make money off writing!!
NOTE: Post OotP. Voldemort has been defeated in some fashion left to the readers imagination.
NOTE: In Japan the Senshi were not reborn as Senshi but as witches and were trained as such.
============================================================
The First Meeting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Severus Snape scowled as he strode down the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley. It didn't matter it was the summer and the usual time for his well-deserved break from the brats, Albus had to send him to London on a stupid errand.
"Severus, I have a small favor to ask. I made some purchases by owl but unfortunately this cannot be sent by owl. Could you please go to Diagon Alley the day after the Leaving Feast? Just meet my contact in a tea shop, Morning Glory, at four."
So here he was, Severus Snape, Potion Master extrodinaire, potions professor at Hogwarts, ex-Death Eater, Order spy, hunter of Dark wizards and Death Eaters, picking up a parcel for one Albus Dumbledore.
He pulled out an old-fashioned watch on a chain from an inner robe pocket. Two-thirty. Enough time to run a few errands of his own before his appointment. Hopefully this friend of Albus wouldn't be irritating or too much trouble.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Several witches glanced at the black-robed newcomer including one Japanese witch. She sipped her green tea between nibbles on her Scottish scone as she killed time waiting for her new client.
Usagi knew she was early but surely he would have arrived early? She brushed the crumbs off her lap and arranged the folds of her pale blue robes edged with black silk cord. She had adopted the style of wearing witches robes over Muggle clothes, in this case a pair of blue jeans, a pink leotard and black oxford shoes.
She had never taken a client without meeting him or her in person but this one was different. She could sense it through the words of the letters he sent. Their correspondence had taken an almost conversational tone that made her feel as though she knew him.
She studied the tall wizard with untidy black hair and loose black robes following the waitress with her artistic eye. He moved with a fluid feline grace that suggested physical training of some kind. Didn't get much sunshine with his blue-tinged complexion. It would be a challenge to duplicate that shade and infuse it with life, the vitality and power she sensed in him.
He was not conventionally handsome; too harsh featured with irregular edges and angular planes. A large nose with a dent where it had been broken and healed wrong in the past. Pitch black compelling eyes, thin tightly pressed lips that refused to smile. Too bad, Usagi could sense the potential for passion in him. She turned her attention to her tea and scones.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
"Yes?" The waitress asked the tall wizard. Not a regular, more of a doom-and-gloom type.
"I am supposed to meet a contact here at four." Severus spoke hesitantly. He wasn't used to conducting first meetings with complete strangers in an environment he had not scouted at first.
The witch brightened. "Oh, you are the one she's been waiting for."
Severus scowled. "She?"
The waitress raised a brow. "You don't know?"
"No." He admitted grudgingly. "I'm doing this as a favor for a friend."
The witch shrugged and moved. Severus followed her. He ignored the looks of surprise from ex-students and acquaintances enjoying their afternoon tea. After a few seconds she came to a halt before a secluded table near the back.
"Miss Tsukino, I believe this is the gentleman you have been waiting for."
With that the waitress vanished leaving Severus with a witch looking up at him with surprise in her cerulean blue eyes. Her long blonde hair was arranged in an unusual hairstyle that looked like a pair of meatballs and spaghetti ponytails. She frowned.
"You are Albus Dumbledore?" Her voice was softly musical with a lilting foreign accent.
Severus shook his head. "No, my name is Severus Snape. Albus couldn't make it so he sent me to pick up the package."
"Package?"
Severus frowned. "Albus told me to meet his contact, presumably you, because he made some purchases by owl. So where is it, whatever Albus bought?" He asked impatiently.
The frown cleared. "I believe you are mistaken about picking a package." She smiled slightly. "I don't appreciate being called a package." He was still confused. "Albus purchased my services as an artist. He paid me a commission to paint the portraits of the Hogwarts staff."
"You? Are an artist?" Severus was finding it difficult to wrap his mind around the concept.
She nodded and held out her hand. The wizard shook it feeling dazed.
"Yes, my name is Usagi Tsukino. Albus invited me to spend the summer in Hogwarts and do the portrait of the staff staying for the summer." She smiled sadly. "From what I heard many, including staff and students, died during the final conflict with Voldemort."
Black eyes sharpened. "You do not fear saying the Dark Lords' name?"
Usagi was confused. "Why should I? He is dead and gone. For good this time, that is what a friend said, she is a Seer and Unspeakable so she should know." He nodded slowly. "Well, Albus wants to honor their memories by having their portraits painted from photos taken over the years." She smiled. "He also wants portraits of the remaining staff done as well. He said something about a few staff making plans to move onto other things so he wants the portraits done as soon as possible."
Severus frowned. He knew that was true. Poppy Pomfrey wanted to spend more time with her grandchildren. Filius Flitwick wished to travel to the Orient and study Eastern magic. Rosa Sprout wished to do more field research in tropical rain forests. All of them had plans that were put on hold due to their devotion to Albus, now there was no real reason to hold back. They still needed a replacement for Madame Pince who had died during the Death Eater attack on Hogwarts. She had refused to leave some of the more dangerous books behind. Hermione Granger and the House Elves led by one Dobby had taken over the main responsibilities of the librarian.
"Yes, you are right." He gathered his wits together. "Are you ready to leave?"
"Yes, my things are packed. We just have to stop by the Inn to pick them up. But first some tea?"
Severus sensed the steel in her voice. This was no pushover he could cow into doing what he wanted. Gracefully he acquiesced and took a chair opposite her.
"Lemon and one sugar please."
She nodded and prepared the tea according to his specifications.
"So Professor Snape--." She stopped. "You are a teacher at Hogwarts?"
"Yes. I am a Potion Master. I teach potions at Hogwarts."
She nodded absorbing the information. "So Professor Snape, tell me about Hogwarts."
Severus sipped his tea and wondered where to start. How do to tell someone about Hogwarts? How do you explain the magic and atmosphere in words. Suddenly he realized this was the challenge any artist faced: how to create a living picture using two-dimensional means.
"Hogwarts is magic," he told her. "There is no other words for it. The castle is alive from the magic in the walls and floors. The stairs and doors move as the castle wishes it...."
His blonde companion listened to the low cadences of his articulate words drawn in, entranced by the magic he was creating by his voice alone.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
TBC...
============================================================
Please read and review. (sarhea2020@yahoo.com)
Raves and constructive criticism please.
Flames will be ignored.
Cheers!
Sarhea
RATING: PG
KEYWORDS: HP/SM - SM/HP
PAIRINGS: UT/SS - SS/UT
SUMMARY: After Voldemort has been defeated and the Dream Team graduates what does Albus Dumbledore do?
AUTHOR: Sarhea
EMAIL: sarhea2020@yahoo.com
DISCLAIMER: Major characters in this story are owned by their respective creators/companies. I do not make money off writing!!
NOTE: Post OotP. Voldemort has been defeated in some fashion left to the readers imagination.
NOTE: In Japan the Senshi were not reborn as Senshi but as witches and were trained as such.
============================================================
The First Meeting
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Severus Snape scowled as he strode down the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley. It didn't matter it was the summer and the usual time for his well-deserved break from the brats, Albus had to send him to London on a stupid errand.
"Severus, I have a small favor to ask. I made some purchases by owl but unfortunately this cannot be sent by owl. Could you please go to Diagon Alley the day after the Leaving Feast? Just meet my contact in a tea shop, Morning Glory, at four."
So here he was, Severus Snape, Potion Master extrodinaire, potions professor at Hogwarts, ex-Death Eater, Order spy, hunter of Dark wizards and Death Eaters, picking up a parcel for one Albus Dumbledore.
He pulled out an old-fashioned watch on a chain from an inner robe pocket. Two-thirty. Enough time to run a few errands of his own before his appointment. Hopefully this friend of Albus wouldn't be irritating or too much trouble.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Several witches glanced at the black-robed newcomer including one Japanese witch. She sipped her green tea between nibbles on her Scottish scone as she killed time waiting for her new client.
Usagi knew she was early but surely he would have arrived early? She brushed the crumbs off her lap and arranged the folds of her pale blue robes edged with black silk cord. She had adopted the style of wearing witches robes over Muggle clothes, in this case a pair of blue jeans, a pink leotard and black oxford shoes.
She had never taken a client without meeting him or her in person but this one was different. She could sense it through the words of the letters he sent. Their correspondence had taken an almost conversational tone that made her feel as though she knew him.
She studied the tall wizard with untidy black hair and loose black robes following the waitress with her artistic eye. He moved with a fluid feline grace that suggested physical training of some kind. Didn't get much sunshine with his blue-tinged complexion. It would be a challenge to duplicate that shade and infuse it with life, the vitality and power she sensed in him.
He was not conventionally handsome; too harsh featured with irregular edges and angular planes. A large nose with a dent where it had been broken and healed wrong in the past. Pitch black compelling eyes, thin tightly pressed lips that refused to smile. Too bad, Usagi could sense the potential for passion in him. She turned her attention to her tea and scones.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
"Yes?" The waitress asked the tall wizard. Not a regular, more of a doom-and-gloom type.
"I am supposed to meet a contact here at four." Severus spoke hesitantly. He wasn't used to conducting first meetings with complete strangers in an environment he had not scouted at first.
The witch brightened. "Oh, you are the one she's been waiting for."
Severus scowled. "She?"
The waitress raised a brow. "You don't know?"
"No." He admitted grudgingly. "I'm doing this as a favor for a friend."
The witch shrugged and moved. Severus followed her. He ignored the looks of surprise from ex-students and acquaintances enjoying their afternoon tea. After a few seconds she came to a halt before a secluded table near the back.
"Miss Tsukino, I believe this is the gentleman you have been waiting for."
With that the waitress vanished leaving Severus with a witch looking up at him with surprise in her cerulean blue eyes. Her long blonde hair was arranged in an unusual hairstyle that looked like a pair of meatballs and spaghetti ponytails. She frowned.
"You are Albus Dumbledore?" Her voice was softly musical with a lilting foreign accent.
Severus shook his head. "No, my name is Severus Snape. Albus couldn't make it so he sent me to pick up the package."
"Package?"
Severus frowned. "Albus told me to meet his contact, presumably you, because he made some purchases by owl. So where is it, whatever Albus bought?" He asked impatiently.
The frown cleared. "I believe you are mistaken about picking a package." She smiled slightly. "I don't appreciate being called a package." He was still confused. "Albus purchased my services as an artist. He paid me a commission to paint the portraits of the Hogwarts staff."
"You? Are an artist?" Severus was finding it difficult to wrap his mind around the concept.
She nodded and held out her hand. The wizard shook it feeling dazed.
"Yes, my name is Usagi Tsukino. Albus invited me to spend the summer in Hogwarts and do the portrait of the staff staying for the summer." She smiled sadly. "From what I heard many, including staff and students, died during the final conflict with Voldemort."
Black eyes sharpened. "You do not fear saying the Dark Lords' name?"
Usagi was confused. "Why should I? He is dead and gone. For good this time, that is what a friend said, she is a Seer and Unspeakable so she should know." He nodded slowly. "Well, Albus wants to honor their memories by having their portraits painted from photos taken over the years." She smiled. "He also wants portraits of the remaining staff done as well. He said something about a few staff making plans to move onto other things so he wants the portraits done as soon as possible."
Severus frowned. He knew that was true. Poppy Pomfrey wanted to spend more time with her grandchildren. Filius Flitwick wished to travel to the Orient and study Eastern magic. Rosa Sprout wished to do more field research in tropical rain forests. All of them had plans that were put on hold due to their devotion to Albus, now there was no real reason to hold back. They still needed a replacement for Madame Pince who had died during the Death Eater attack on Hogwarts. She had refused to leave some of the more dangerous books behind. Hermione Granger and the House Elves led by one Dobby had taken over the main responsibilities of the librarian.
"Yes, you are right." He gathered his wits together. "Are you ready to leave?"
"Yes, my things are packed. We just have to stop by the Inn to pick them up. But first some tea?"
Severus sensed the steel in her voice. This was no pushover he could cow into doing what he wanted. Gracefully he acquiesced and took a chair opposite her.
"Lemon and one sugar please."
She nodded and prepared the tea according to his specifications.
"So Professor Snape--." She stopped. "You are a teacher at Hogwarts?"
"Yes. I am a Potion Master. I teach potions at Hogwarts."
She nodded absorbing the information. "So Professor Snape, tell me about Hogwarts."
Severus sipped his tea and wondered where to start. How do to tell someone about Hogwarts? How do you explain the magic and atmosphere in words. Suddenly he realized this was the challenge any artist faced: how to create a living picture using two-dimensional means.
"Hogwarts is magic," he told her. "There is no other words for it. The castle is alive from the magic in the walls and floors. The stairs and doors move as the castle wishes it...."
His blonde companion listened to the low cadences of his articulate words drawn in, entranced by the magic he was creating by his voice alone.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
TBC...
============================================================
Please read and review. (sarhea2020@yahoo.com)
Raves and constructive criticism please.
Flames will be ignored.
Cheers!
Sarhea