The Perfectionist
By Mykerinos
Chapter One: Breaking the news
"What?" Severus grunted dangerously,
being just awake and not quite have got the chance to get some coffee yet
as the younger man apparently had been waiting for him to enter the staff
room. Severus pushed him away, and sat down in a large chair, bringing
his hands to his eyes.
"Albus picked my idea!" Remus said
cheerfully like a small boy who had just been chosen for some baseball
team. "There will be held a flying contest! A figure-flying contest!"
"Oh," Severus just exclaimed. The
news didn't seem to dawn on him. But then again, their conversation had
been a few weeks ago, and he had forgotten all about it. It took a few
more moments for him to realize what Remus had just said.
"A figure-flying contest?" He scowled
at Remus. "Are you sure? Are you ... deadly sure?"
"Bloody sure," the other grinned.
"Albus told me last night. He thought it was very original with many possibilities.
He also agreed on teachers participating when I told him you wanted to
enter with Miss Granger."
At this not only Severus, but also
the rest of the staff jumped up.
"You're going to enter, Severus?"
Flitwick squeaked, doubt all over his face.
"Hogwarts' most contradicting persons
combined? That would be interesting." Sprout pondered.
"How did you do that, Remus?" Madame
Hooch asked curiously. "I could never even talk to him about brooms,
let alone actually get him on one."
Severus sat down in his chair in
the corner most far away from the window. How stupid had it been to make
the bet. He sighed. But they would forget about it. Eventually. Severus
just hoped it'd be in time, because he wouldn't participate in such a silly
contest. And certainly not with Granger. Never. He'd rather eat his socks.
Eeeww.
Okay, not that.
- -- - -- - -- -
Unfortunately for Severus, Remus
did not forget. And not only did he remember, he also made sure Severus
and the rest of the staff remembered, in a most subtle way.
"So, Severus," Remus said one day
during breakfast, "Have you told Miss Granger about the contest yet?"
"Don't be silly," Severus grunted
back, pricking in some sausage as he tried to keep his voice low so the
others wouldn't hear. However, some of his colleagues looked up curiously
and heard what he said. "You didn't think I took that bet seriously, did
you?"
Remus didn't even have to say anything,
as the rest did that for him.
"You made a bet, Severus," small
Professor Flitwick exclaimed, "And you lose!"
"Yeah, don't be childish!" Sprout
said indignantly..
"As the Head of your House you have
to be a good sample," Professor McGonagall gave him an almost disappointed
look.
Severus shook his head angrily. "The
students have got nothing to do with this all," he said.
"Actually one of them has," Dumbledore
smiled in a very amused way.
Severus shot him a glare, angry with
him for jumping in also. Severus was pretty sure that even if Remus had
told nobody about the bet, the man had still known. Because he just
knew.
Really.
"Don't worry, mate, you don't have
to if you don't want to," Remus finally said, shrugging carelessly.
Everybody watched Severus closely
as he gritted his teeth. Obviously two parts of him were fighting with
each other. On one hand, he knew Remus was just trying to provoke him.
But on the other... The prospect of a new reputation as 'coward' or 'unsporting'
didn't appeal to him either. He couldn't let Remus win. Not this time.
"I'll tell her," Severus said icily,
trying to control his temper, "as soon as I've finished my breakfast.
Mate."
A painful silence fell over the staff
table. Severus scowled at Remus, who just grinned back. "That's fine with
me," he said cheerfully.
Reluctantly Severus ate some more,
keeping an eye at Granger. She seemed to be having the greatest fun with
her two friends. Of course she was a student with at least some
brains, but Severus wondered how her flying skills were.
He watched how she showed the youngest
Weasley something from a book, apparently trying to explain her something.
The red-haired girl nodded understandingly, and pointed at something else
in the book.
Severus shoved away his plate and
stood up from the table. Aware of all the eyes of the staff fixed upon
him, he strode towards the exit, his black robes seeming to struggle against
the wind he caused. When he reached the Gryffindor table he did not stop
or turn his head.
"My office, Granger, now," he demanded
shortly, and walked out of the Great Hall, trusting the Granger girl to
follow soon after.
No, he wouldn't give Remus and the
others the pleasure of sharing their conversation.
TBC