Disclaimer - see part 1.
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Wizards Honour
Part 27
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Professor Severus Snape stalked into the Great Hall's anteroom where the wedding guests were waiting to greet the 'happy couple'. The Potion Master's expression was as thunderous as a mid-winter storm. Aurora strolled through the open doorway and called a greeting to Edgar before moving to stand beside her husband.
One look at the expression on his great-grandmother's face and Severus knew instantly that she was in one of her famous Moods.
The old lady slunk across the room like an elderly, over-dressed cobra hunting an extremely arthritic and slow moving mouse. The wedding guests and Aurora held their collective breaths while Medusa stomped angrily up to the Potions Master. The elderly lady stood to her full height and looked down her long nose at her only surviving relative.
"Severus," she screeched, "have you washed you hair in the last month? Great Merlin you look like a frog in a mud puddle!"
Snape's sighed reply of, "I am delighted to see you too, Great-Grandmother," was almost lost in the roar of laughter that erupted from Albus Dumbledore.
"Does he always do that?" Medusa peered imperiously at the Headmaster.
"Regularly." Severus replied. He tried to duck out of the way as his great-grandmother cast a spell on him but he wasn't fast enough. Instantly Severus' hair appeared cleaner, trimmed and styled so that the ends curled neatly inwards.
"Not the ribbon!" Snape added quickly as he ducked behind Edgar.
"But Severus it suits you. It always did." Medusa reached into her a pocket in her gown and withdrew a small-framed photograph. Before Severus could stop her she showed the photograph to Professor Sinistra-Snape and Albus Dumbledore.
The photograph was of a small thin, pale-skinned boy no more than five years of age. He was dressed in old fashioned, lace trimmed robes and his hair was held back with a large crimson satin ribbon that was tied in a bow. Albus and Aurora just had time to see the little boy pull the ribbon out of his hair, throw it on the ground and jump on it before Severus slapped his hand over the photograph.
Aurora bit back a smile that she knew Severus would not appreciate and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Signora Snape."
"I know it's no such thing," the old lady sneered, "but your manners are good enough, even if we haven't been introduced."
Medusa turned to Snape and said loudly and slowly, "I assume that this person is your wife, Severus?"
It was about this time that Thadeus gave up on pretending to be unaffected by Medusa's strange behaviour and started laughing behind his hand.
"She's a bit short. I suppose you couldn't buy a taller one?" Medusa smiled sweetly.
"Buy a..." Aurora stepped forward, pulling her wand out of her pocket. "Why I should..."
Severus grabbed his wife's wand arm. "Don't. She loves the attention. That's why she's goading you."
"She's a small, uncouth, common sort of witch." Medusa purred.
"She's my uncouth little witch," Severus snarled, his hand still tightly clasped around Aurora's wrist, "and don't you dare forget it, Medusa."
Medusa's maniacal expression slipped for a moment. "Don't tell me, Severus, that you have managed to grow a backbone?"
Severus raised one eyebrow and gave Medusa his 'I'm Number One Slytherin so behave' look.
The old lady glared back and said, "That name has to change. Your wife cannot retain her family name. I won't have a relation of mine with initials that spell ass."
"I beg your pardon?" Aurora pulled her wrist out of Severus's clutch and glared at the old lady.
"Oh dear," Medusa acted as though Severus hadn't spoken. "Severus, it appears that I've upset your little Keezle."
"Madam Snape," Edgar chided Medusa as if she was a child, "Please remember your manners."
"If manners mattered my great-grandson would have introduced his keezlely wife properly."
"I am not a Keezle." Aurora stared up at the old lady.
"Of course you aren't, dear. Why? Did someone call you a Keezle?" Medusa turned to Severus. "Severus, someone's insulting your wife. You really should do something about it."
"Oh, really?" Snape sighed. He covered his eyes with his hands and counted to ten under his breath. Why in the world did Medusa have to put on this act every time he saw her?
"Uh, Sev," Aurora said quietly while she carefully stepped away from Signora Snape. "Is your great-granny missing a few owls in her owlry?"
"No, Aurora." Snape replied dryly. "She had her owls replaced with grindylows years ago."
To be continued
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Author's Notes
aniwda - I'm sure that Snape's not a snarky as he likes act and we've never seen anything from his point of view in the books so inside he may be a big softie. :)
the lady arwen - Thank you for the compliment. It's hard to believe that this little tale is anyone's 'absolutely favorite Snape fan fic' but I do appreciate the compliment. **blush** I hope the Feast will live up to your expectations.
Seline, Wingstar, EmpressGreenleaf, M Slope - Thank you, thank you. Ack, more blushing.
EKittyKatKid - I'm glad my story made you laugh. It's wonderful for me to know that other people appreciate my sense of humour.
Aurumlupi - You'll be glad to know that the revised version of chapter 26 has Neville being saved from Medusa. :)
besnaped - Thanks. No, I hadn't abandoned this story but my sense of humour left me for a little while, due to the death of a dear friend. Now, thanks to a lovely romantic wedding I attended on the weekend, I've found it again.
Now, on with the show...
---------------
Wizards Honour
Part 27
---------------
Professor Severus Snape stalked into the Great Hall's anteroom where the wedding guests were waiting to greet the 'happy couple'. The Potion Master's expression was as thunderous as a mid-winter storm. Aurora strolled through the open doorway and called a greeting to Edgar before moving to stand beside her husband.
One look at the expression on his great-grandmother's face and Severus knew instantly that she was in one of her famous Moods.
The old lady slunk across the room like an elderly, over-dressed cobra hunting an extremely arthritic and slow moving mouse. The wedding guests and Aurora held their collective breaths while Medusa stomped angrily up to the Potions Master. The elderly lady stood to her full height and looked down her long nose at her only surviving relative.
"Severus," she screeched, "have you washed you hair in the last month? Great Merlin you look like a frog in a mud puddle!"
Snape's sighed reply of, "I am delighted to see you too, Great-Grandmother," was almost lost in the roar of laughter that erupted from Albus Dumbledore.
"Does he always do that?" Medusa peered imperiously at the Headmaster.
"Regularly." Severus replied. He tried to duck out of the way as his great-grandmother cast a spell on him but he wasn't fast enough. Instantly Severus' hair appeared cleaner, trimmed and styled so that the ends curled neatly inwards.
"Not the ribbon!" Snape added quickly as he ducked behind Edgar.
"But Severus it suits you. It always did." Medusa reached into her a pocket in her gown and withdrew a small-framed photograph. Before Severus could stop her she showed the photograph to Professor Sinistra-Snape and Albus Dumbledore.
The photograph was of a small thin, pale-skinned boy no more than five years of age. He was dressed in old fashioned, lace trimmed robes and his hair was held back with a large crimson satin ribbon that was tied in a bow. Albus and Aurora just had time to see the little boy pull the ribbon out of his hair, throw it on the ground and jump on it before Severus slapped his hand over the photograph.
Aurora bit back a smile that she knew Severus would not appreciate and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Signora Snape."
"I know it's no such thing," the old lady sneered, "but your manners are good enough, even if we haven't been introduced."
Medusa turned to Snape and said loudly and slowly, "I assume that this person is your wife, Severus?"
It was about this time that Thadeus gave up on pretending to be unaffected by Medusa's strange behaviour and started laughing behind his hand.
"She's a bit short. I suppose you couldn't buy a taller one?" Medusa smiled sweetly.
"Buy a..." Aurora stepped forward, pulling her wand out of her pocket. "Why I should..."
Severus grabbed his wife's wand arm. "Don't. She loves the attention. That's why she's goading you."
"She's a small, uncouth, common sort of witch." Medusa purred.
"She's my uncouth little witch," Severus snarled, his hand still tightly clasped around Aurora's wrist, "and don't you dare forget it, Medusa."
Medusa's maniacal expression slipped for a moment. "Don't tell me, Severus, that you have managed to grow a backbone?"
Severus raised one eyebrow and gave Medusa his 'I'm Number One Slytherin so behave' look.
The old lady glared back and said, "That name has to change. Your wife cannot retain her family name. I won't have a relation of mine with initials that spell ass."
"I beg your pardon?" Aurora pulled her wrist out of Severus's clutch and glared at the old lady.
"Oh dear," Medusa acted as though Severus hadn't spoken. "Severus, it appears that I've upset your little Keezle."
"Madam Snape," Edgar chided Medusa as if she was a child, "Please remember your manners."
"If manners mattered my great-grandson would have introduced his keezlely wife properly."
"I am not a Keezle." Aurora stared up at the old lady.
"Of course you aren't, dear. Why? Did someone call you a Keezle?" Medusa turned to Severus. "Severus, someone's insulting your wife. You really should do something about it."
"Oh, really?" Snape sighed. He covered his eyes with his hands and counted to ten under his breath. Why in the world did Medusa have to put on this act every time he saw her?
"Uh, Sev," Aurora said quietly while she carefully stepped away from Signora Snape. "Is your great-granny missing a few owls in her owlry?"
"No, Aurora." Snape replied dryly. "She had her owls replaced with grindylows years ago."
To be continued
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes
aniwda - I'm sure that Snape's not a snarky as he likes act and we've never seen anything from his point of view in the books so inside he may be a big softie. :)
the lady arwen - Thank you for the compliment. It's hard to believe that this little tale is anyone's 'absolutely favorite Snape fan fic' but I do appreciate the compliment. **blush** I hope the Feast will live up to your expectations.
Seline, Wingstar, EmpressGreenleaf, M Slope - Thank you, thank you. Ack, more blushing.
EKittyKatKid - I'm glad my story made you laugh. It's wonderful for me to know that other people appreciate my sense of humour.
Aurumlupi - You'll be glad to know that the revised version of chapter 26 has Neville being saved from Medusa. :)
besnaped - Thanks. No, I hadn't abandoned this story but my sense of humour left me for a little while, due to the death of a dear friend. Now, thanks to a lovely romantic wedding I attended on the weekend, I've found it again.
Now, on with the show...